“You don’t seem evil to me,” she said softly. “Why are you working with Desdemona? What could she possibly offer you that would be worth it?”

  Cypher turned so that his body was flush with hers. He took a step closer and took a deep breath, taking in her delicate scent.

  His eyes locked meaningfully with hers when he spoke.

  “You,” he told her. “She offered me you.”

  Chapter 16

  “'Who am I to you?' That’s what she asked me. 'Who am I to you?' I told her ‘You are my friend, my mate, my beloved; you are all the things I need and all the things I don’t deserve. That’s who you are, Sally. You are mine.'” ~Costin

  Costin walked with Sally and Drake to the bar the next evening. Things had been tense ever since Sorin had met his mate. Decebel had ordered everyone but Costin, Sally, and Drake to stay in their rooms until he said otherwise. Costin had agreed that it was best that not everyone returned to the bar, especially after what had happened. They had drawn a lot of unnecessary attention to themselves. Though unintentional, it was still not good.

  “How was Sorin when you talked to him?” Sally asked.

  “He’s good, just a little off-kilter.”

  “I can imagine. He’s been alone a long time. I’m so glad that he found his mate. We were all rooting for him.” Sally smiled up at the night sky.

  Costin and Drake both laughed.

  “You were rooting for him?” Costin asked playfully.

  Sally pushed him. “Shut up. We hated seeing him alone when others were finding their mates.” She looked over at Drake. “Sorry Drake, I didn’t mean to…”

  Drake cut her off with a wave and a smile. “No worries, Sally,” he told her. “Mine’s out there somewhere. She’s just not ready for me yet.”

  Sally smiled back and then laughed when Costin pulled her closer to him.

  “Problem?” she asked him, using their bond.

  “You’re smiling an awful lot at someone who isn’t me.”

  Sally laughed again as they arrived at the bar and Costin pulled the door open. He walked in first and after determining it was safe for Sally, he ushered her in.

  “You find that amusing?” he asked her as they continued toward the bar and Drake broke off from them, heading to the back of the room.

  “It’s just weird to see you be possessive, that’s all.”

  Costin’s eyes began to glow as he paused just behind the counter.

  “Make no mistake, Sally. I love to have fun and can cut up with the best of them, but when it comes to you, there is nothing I am more serious about. You are mine. As long as you and everyone else remember that, then all will be fine. If anyone forgets that, if they think that because of my good nature that I will be okay with anything less than the way Decebel expects Jen to be treated, they will be making the biggest and last mistake of their lives.”

  Sally stared in awe at her mate as she saw his wolf stare at her through his eyes. Costin was fun and lighthearted, but as she stared into his hazel glowing eyes, she saw that Costin was also deadly – very, very, deadly.

  “Now,” he said in a totally different voice and a big grin on his face, “let’s show these fine patrons what a fantastic bartender I am.”

  Sally snorted. “We really should work on your self-esteem.”

  “I know, I know. I really don’t think very highly of myself.”

  Sally watched Costin greet new customers, pour drinks, and occasionally make the bottles dance in his hands doing fancy bartender tricks. He would turn back and wink at her to make sure she was watching anytime he performed a nifty maneuver.

  It was during one of the times when Costin was chatting amiably with a guy who had just sat down that Sally overheard a conversation going on to her left. Distinctly she caught the words, pixies, spell, witch and price. She listened harder, trying to figure out exactly which order those words went in. She knew that the group that Jacque and Fane were with was supposed to be meeting the pixies.

  Sally picked up a round tray that she had seen one of the few waitresses that worked here holding – whenever they felt like it, it seemed – and walked out onto the floor. She went slowly around the table where the conversation was taking place. In the guise of cleaning dirty glasses off the tables and wiping crumbs off of them, she listened.

  “I’m usually hunting in the Carpathian Mountains this time of year,” the guy in a long black jacket with messy black hair said. His eyes seemed to glow slightly and something in Sally told her he was a werewolf.

  “So why aren’t you there now? Why are you way down here?” the other guy asked.

  “It’s like I said, the pixies are all in a tizzy. The witch has offered them something they can’t resist, apparently, because they have protection spells all over the forest. She must be desperate if she wants something badly enough to petition the pixies. You know how temperamental they can be.”

  Sally realized that she had caught their attention when they stopped talking. She looked over and smiled innocently.

  “Hello,” the one with the messy dark hair said. She realized that he had been speaking really fluently in English the entire time.

  “What’s your name?” His eyes were kind and his tone of voice didn’t indicate that he wanted to do anything other than talk. She glanced over at Costin, who had his back to her.

  “I’m Sally,” she told him.

  As soon as she spoke, both of the guys froze. She herself became still.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked them cautiously

  “Healer,” the light-haired one whispered.

  Sally’s eyes got big. She realized then that both of the men had gotten a glazed look – it almost seemed like they were in a trance.

  “What did you say?” She turned so that Costin couldn’t see the guy’s faces.

  “You are a healer,” the dark-haired one answered.

  “Yes, what does that mean to you?”

  He let out a slow breath. “You are unmated. You are a healer and unmated.” His voice was becoming more urgent as he spoke, and Sally realized that she wasn't bonded and they didn’t know she was Costin’s.

  “No, no, you are mistaken,” she told them quickly. “I have a mate. It’s Costin.” She pointed over her shoulder to the bar. “He’s my mate.”

  “You do not bear his mark,” the light-haired one said, not unkindly, simply as an observation.

  “You should not be walking around un-bonded. You are a healer.”

  Sally was growing frustrated with their inexplicable responses.

  “Why does it matter that I’m a healer?”

  “Your mate must be young if he doesn’t understand.”

  Again, with the vague answers. Sally growled. Then she stiffened as she felt Costin’s eyes land on her. She saw the other two men begin to slowly stand. She turned to see Costin moving swiftly toward her. He took her hand and gently pulled her behind him.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” Costin said in English. Both of the wolves took a step back.

  “We mean her no harm,” the dark-haired one said.

  “Why aren’t you bonded to her yet?” the one with the lighter hair asked and based on the snarl that came from Costin, that was not a question he appreciated being asked.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but she is new to our world.”

  They both nodded.

  The room was quiet and thick with anticipation as Costin continued to stare at the two wolves. They had dropped their eyes, instantly recognizing Costin’s dominance over them. Sally’s head whipped around when the door to the bar opened. Decebel came striding in with Jen in tow. Decebel looked hastily around the room, assessing the situation. He made eye contact with Drake and trusted him to watch their backs.

  As he approached Costin and the others, he held up a hand to stop the unknown wolves from moving back again.

  “You do not want to continue moving backward. You know this. You will simply provoke his wolf to hunt,” Decebel told them coolly.

  “Decebel,” the dark-haired one acknowledged, and dropped his eyes and exposed his neck. “Didn’t know you were Alpha again.”

  “Many things have changed.”

  “Costin, this is Creed and Josef. They are members of the Bulgarian pack.” Decebel motioned to the two wolves. “This is Costin, my Beta, and his mate and our pack healer, Sally.”

  The two wolves bared their necks to Costin and bowed their heads to Sally. Both stared at her as if she were a precious stone.

  “How long, Decebel, has it been since there’s been a healer?” Creed asked him, his eyes never leaving Sally.

  Costin began to growl as he watched the wolf stare at his mate.

  “Creed, it would be wise to look away,” Decebel told him.

  Creed’s eyes dropped from Sally and looked toward Decebel, though not in his eyes.

  “Why are they not bonded, Decebel?” Creed’s voice was earnest. “Do you not remember the importance of healers being bonded to their mates?”

  Decebel snorted. “There hasn’t been a healer in so long, and I no longer remember their place or effect on the pack,” he admitted without shame.

  “She will draw wolves to her, especially damaged wolves. If she were bonded, that pull would be only because they were seeking healing, but un-bonded she is a temptation to other needs besides that.”

  Costin snarled and Sally grabbed his arm. She wrapped an arm around his waist and snuggled in close to him, trying to get his attention on her and off of the other males.

  “Look at me,” she whispered.

  Costin looked down, his eyes glowing, but his face softened.

  “I am yours,” she told him with a smile. “Only yours.”

  Costin leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips for all to see. He looked back up at the other males smugly. Sally looked over at Jen who had crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

  “Men,” she mouthed at Sally in exasperation.

  “How do you know this?” Costin asked the males, now that he felt he had made it perfectly clear to whom Sally belonged.

  Creed answered, “Our pack had a healer, a very long time ago. We have records on her. We are very good about keeping our pack educated on these things. It will not do good to forget our history.”

  Decebel nodded. “It seems that we have spent much time looking forward and not much looking back.”

  Josef nodded. “It’s important to remember where we come from, and what we've been through.”

  Jen stepped up next to her mate and smiled sweetly. “Not to interrupt this little meeting of the Confucius -” Jen waved them off. “Who am I kidding? I totally mean to interrupt. What you guys are saying, just for clarification purposes, is that Sally is like a wolf magnet?”

  Creed and Josef looked at Jen and then at Decebel. Decebel let out an exasperated breath.

  “Gentlemen, this is my mate Jennifer. She is a force to be reckoned with, and I usually do not try. Do not flirt with her and you will live to see tomorrow.” He added that last bit with a low growl.

  Creed and Josef nodded toward Jen but didn’t make eye contact or speak to her.

  Jen slapped Decebel’s arm. “How am I going to make friends if you are always scaring them?”

  Decebel gave her a wolfish grin. “You won't.”

  Jen rolled her eyes.

  Creed cleared his throat. “Umm. Basically, yes, she is a wolf magnet. The healing spirit, the purity and light calls us to her. It’s part of the reason she can work with injured werewolves and not risk getting her arm torn off.”

  Costin pulled Sally tightly to him and glared at the two wolves. “Mine,” he growled.

  “Easy.” Decebel’s eyes met Costin’s. Costin held them for a heartbeat, then dropped his gaze.

  “It would be wise of him to complete the blood rites with her as soon as possible,” Creed told Decebel.

  “Thank you, Creed, Josef. I appreciate your help, as does Costin.”

  Costin had begun to lead Sally away when she called back over her shoulder.

  “Wait,” she said urgently. “Tell Dec what you guys were saying about the pixies and the witch and stuff.”

  Costin froze and turned slowly to pin the two wolves with his hazel eyes.

  “I was telling Josef that I usually hunt in the Carpathian Mountains this time of year, but the forest is a mess with spells and magic right now,” Creed explained.

  “What do you mean 'a mess'?” Decebel asked carefully.

  “The pixies are casting magic on anything and everything that comes through there. The witch has promised them something, something that is significant enough for them to choose a side.”

  Decebel murmured his thanks to the two wolves again and pulled Costin aside.

  “I will see if I can get in touch with Vasile. You need to finish out the night here, then you need to deal with your mate.” Decebel met Costin’s eyes. “Are we clear?”

  Costin nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”

  Sally let Costin tug her back toward the bar.

  Jen was glaring at her mate.

  “Did you just tell him to deal with his mate?” she growled.

  “Jennifer, not now.” Decebel took her hand and led her to the door of the bar. Jen turned and looked at Sally and smiled in encouragement.

  “I got this, Sal. Don’t worry, okay?” she hollered to her best friend above the noise.

  Sally gave a short nod.

  Decebel was growling as he pulled Jen behind him.

  “How could you tell him to deal with her, like the blood rites isn’t important and intimate as hell?” Jen was angry. Decebel had made it seem like Sally was a problem to be dealt with.

  Decebel didn’t answer.

  Once in their room Jen slammed the door behind them and stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at her mate. He ignored her as he pulled out his phone to call Vasile.

  Jen lunged forward and grabbed his phone.

  “NO!” she yelled. “I am your mate and I am speaking to you. Everything else can wait.”

  Decebel let out an exasperated breath.

  “Jennifer,” he began.

  “Just tell me why you had to say it like that? Sally is being cheated out of her special day and you cheapened what she will have by saying she needed to be dealt with. I am so freaking mad at you. She is my best friend. There are only a few people in this world I will kill for and she is one of them. How could you act like that? How could you?”

  “STOP!”

  Jen jumped and her words froze in her mouth at the snarl from her mate.

  “I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I’m sorry, Jennifer.” Decebel took a step toward her, only to have her take a step back. He had scared her. He hated it when he put that look in Jennifer’s eyes.

  “Baby,” he cooed softly. “Please, come here.” He held out his hand and after several moments, Jen finally took it. He pulled her into his arms and tilted her face up to his, then leaned down and kissed her gently.

  “I’m sorry. You are right.”

  Jen reached up and placed a finger over his lips, halting any further words.

  “That is all you have to say,” she said seriously.

  “Please let me make it special for her. Let me give this to her.”

  Decebel nodded once, understanding what Jen was asking. She reached up on her toes and kissed him again and grinned. “Thank you.”

  “Keep Cynthia with you,” he told her as the door closed behind her.

  He picked up the phone she had dropped on the bed and dialed Vasile’s number. He let it ring ten times before finally hanging up. When Vasile hadn’t picked up on the fourth ring he knew something was wrong. But he had let it ring a little longer, allowing himself to hold on to a little bit of hope.

  Jen knocked on the door of the room Cynthia was staying in and waited. When the door finally opened Jen smiled at Cynthia and said, “We have work to do.”

  When Jen had explained her plan, Cynthia grinned. “I’m in. Let’s help the healer out.”

  ***

  Costin’s usual happy go lucky demeanor was gone. Ever since the two wolves Creed and Josef had explained about Sally drawing wolves to her, he had been brooding. Sally wasn’t sure what to do. If she tried to help him at the bar he would smile gently and nudge her back against the counter. If she wandered over to the side to people watch, he would grab her hand and pull her back over to the middle of the bar and put her back against the counter in exactly the same spot. When he did it for the tenth time, Sally snarled at him.

  Costin’s eyes snapped up at hers and Sally smacked a hand over her mouth.

  “Did you just snarl at me?” he asked her, trying very hard not to grin.

  Sally took her hand away from her mouth. “Of course not. I would never snarl.”

  Costin stepped closer and she backed up until she couldn't back up anymore.

  “I think you did, Sally mine. I think you snarled at me, and do you know what else I think?” His voice had gotten deep, and sensual.

  Sally shook her head as she stuttered, “N-n-n-nope.”

  Costin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were glowing. “I think it was sexy.”

  Sally felt the blush heating her face. What exactly was she supposed to say to that?

  “Why are you acting so weird?” Okay, maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say, but she wanted to know.

  He cocked his head to the side and watched her before he answered.

  “You are mine.”

  “We’ve established that,” she muttered.

  “You do not bear my mark or my scent. My wolf doesn’t like it; I do not like it. I’m trying to be cool and not let it bother me, but I guess it’s not working.”

  “You won’t let me move from this spot, Costin. I would say it’s definitely not working.” She looked deeply into his eyes, searching for some way to help get him through the rest of the night.