She whispered a location to Octavian and with a smooth start he took off in a gallop. For such a large animal, his movements were graceful. Mona let her mind wander from the ride as she thought about her next move in the chess game she had created.

  Octavian wasn’t any normal steed. The journey to her destination, which should have taken days, lasted only the afternoon. She climbed down and left Octavian to graze on his own. She let out a breath and finally released the unyielding storm she had stolen from Perizada’s power. She let out a slow breath and shook off her slight weakness that the storm had caused.

  The forest around her had grown quiet and her eyes narrowed when her skin tingled with the realization that she was being watched.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” she sang into the air. She began to mutter a spell to reveal the unknown intruder when Ainsel the pixie king stepped from the shadows of the trees.

  “What are you doing here Desdemona of the old coven?” His voice was tight with anger as he stared up at her.

  Mona smiled at him as she took a seat on a rock across from him. She knew that it would make him more amiable if she didn’t appear so imposing.

  “I’ve come to tell you that I’m in need of your services once again.”

  The king laughed, and indignation filled his tone. “You think that I would help you when you did not fulfill the first bargain we had? Are you mad?”

  “Well, if you mean mad as in angry, then no. But, if you mean mad as in bat shit crazy, well frankly that’s pretty much a given.” Mona’s eyes gleamed with wickedness.

  The king regarded her, taking in her behavior. He wouldn’t call it happy, for he could see that she could never be capable of true happiness. He decided that the closest conclusion that he could come up with was that she was giddy, like a child who had gotten into the cookie jar and not gotten caught.

  Mona stared into the king’s eyes as she began to chant.

  I call on the magic that attempts to leave this place,

  You will answer my call to give aid to this race.

  You will gather at the veil and pull it wide,

  You will not allow it to falter or to hide.

  I call you, I gather you, to do my will,

  I shape you and form you for the veil, be still.

  No other can release you from my care,

  It’s only my desire you’re allowed to bear.

  Mona turned to the Pixie King, “Give me your hand.”

  Ainsel regarded her warily.

  “Oh, for goodness sake man, I’m not going to cut it off. The spell requires your blood, a sacrifice, like any good spell.”

  He slowly lifted his hand to her and she snatched it. She reached into her cloak and pulled out a knife, and in one smooth motion ran it across his palm. Mona tipped his hand over and let the blood drip to the forest floor. The air around them grew thick with magic and Ainsel’s eyes widened briefly at the ripple he saw appear as if a seam had been cut into the universe. He hated to give her the satisfaction of seeing his relief, but he couldn’t help the wonder that he knew was painted on his face...

  “There,” she said, smugly. “I have opened your veil permanently. I have upheld my end of the deal.”

  The king wrestled inside with his anger, but also knew that if he did not help her she could destroy him and his race.

  “What is it you need?” He finally asked.

  She smiled triumphantly as she began to tell him. “The contact who is supposed to help me open the veil to the underworld has, so far, not delivered. I believe he might be planning to betray me. And, since you were so good at tracking down the dogs for me,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “I figured you could handle this with no problem.”

  “Who is this contact?”

  Again, Mona strived to look bored and indifferent as she picked nonexistent lent from her clothes.

  “Cypher,” she had barely gotten the word out when the Pixie King choked.

  She looked up to see his eyes were saucers and his breathing had become shallow.

  “Y-y-you, want me to capture the warlock king?” He stuttered out.

  Mona nodded as she stood. Ainsel took a step back as he looked up at her, his mind still reeling over the information she had just dropped on him like a ton of bricks. His shoulders felt heavy with the weight of her request.

  “He will never expect you,” she mounted her steed and looked down at the little king. “I don’t know how long it will be until he shows himself to me, but you need to have him in your sights and be ready to take him down if I need you to.”

  Ainsel raised his hand to halt her. “How am I supposed to take the warlock king out exactly?”

  Mona shrugged. “Be creative.” And, before he could respond she was galloping off into the forest, the trees swallowing up her retreat leaving nothing behind, but the slight disturbance of the foliage she passed.

  Ainsel stood there in shock, unable to process what had just happened. Desdemona had opened the veil to their world, a veil that was unstable and had been closing and opening on its own. He knew it was just a matter of time before it closed for good. Mona had sought out his help with the wolves and in return, she was to keep their veil open. Originally, she had not kept up her end of the deal and he figured that she never would. But now, she needed him again. He didn’t trust her, not as far as he could throw her. He would carry out this task she had given him, and he would be watching over his shoulder for the inevitable knife that she would eventually plunge into his back.

  ***

  Alston, the highest member of the Fae council, stood at the opening of the veil from their realm to the human. Nissa, Gwen, and Dain were with him. The Great Luna told them that Mona had blocked Peri from crossing, but not that they couldn’t get through.

  He held the moonstone in his hand and the weight of the responsibility that came with it settled over him like a heavy blanket. The packs had not been united in millennia. They were too volatile to bring together, and that was exactly what they were going to do. They were going to cross the veil into the human realm, and call every pack the Great Luna had created. It would be the largest gathering of supernatural beings in their history.

  “Alston,” he heard his name spoken softly behind him from Gwen. He turned back to look at her.

  “Shall we go?” She asked.

  Alston let out a deep breath and as he stepped through the veil, his voice reverberated over each of them. “So be it.”

  They stepped out of the Veil into the cold, crisp air and a canopy of tall, ancient trees towered over them. Night had fallen in the human realm and where there should have been stars in the sky, only dark clouds could be seen. The ground crunched beneath their feet from the light frost that had accumulated and the leaves of the plants shimmered like diamonds from the frozen droplets.

  Walking slowly, further away from the Veil, they each turned to face one another in a circle. Alston pulled the moonstone from his pocket where he had slipped it when they'd crossed the Veil. He looked down at the small, seemingly insignificant rock, and shook his head. This stone was about to change the course of history.

  He looked up to the faces of his kin, their eyes filled with determination, but shadowed by doubt. He leaned down, laid the stone on the ground in the middle of their circle, and then joined them again.

  “We must wait for the moon to reveal itself from the clouds. The Great Luna indicated this night would be a full moon.” His words seem to reverberate into the night and they each turned their faces up one by one.

  The night grew silent and the air stilled. All of nature seemed to be holding its breath, waiting, and watching.

  The four Fae watched the night sky as the clouds began to slowly part. Gradually, little by little, the moon began to shine through the opening. And, then it was there, full in all of its beauty. The clouds encircled it but it shone fully as if it were looking down on them. Though no heat came from the moon, its light bathed them in a different kind of warmth and they knew it was from the Great Luna. The light from the moon hit the moonstone that lay on the ground and it began to glow, a soft white light at first, but quickly grew in brightness.

  Alston was the first to speak as he began the ancient chant to call the Luna’s children. It was a chant that had never been spoken out loud. And, one by one, they all joined in.

  By the power of the moon,

  It’s light over all it looms,

  By the radiance of the stone,

  You are not your own.

  We call you.

  You who are strong,

  You’ve wandered far too long,

  You who lead the weak,

  It is you your creator seeks.

  We call you.

  Your time is now, your purpose is here,

  Division is gone, restoration is near,

  Heed the call, baying into the night,

  Make yourself ready for the fight.

  We call you.

  We call you.

  We call you.

  The Packs of the Great Luna,

  WE CALL YOU.

  The final words rang into the night as the four Fae lowered their hands and looked back up to the moon. The calm that had draped over the forest began to dissipate as the wind began to blow and the trees swayed in a timeless dance. Over the howl of the wind, they heard her voice as clearly as if she were standing before them.

  “Ready yourselves. It is done.”

  Nissa looked over to Alston and let out a shaky breath. “Why does that sound strangely ominous?”

  It was Dain who answered. “Because that is the only word that could possibly describe the joining of the packs.”

  Chapter 5

  “I felt it in my soul as I stood in the cool evening air. She beckoned to me, urging me to hurry, telling me time was short. As I stared up at the moon, the moon that shouldn’t be full on this night, I knew that every wolf looking up into the sky, anywhere in the world, would see a full moon. The Great Luna had sent out her call and we, her creation, were to answer it. For the pack.” ~Victor, Bulgaria Pack

  “Is that what I think it is?” David, Beta of the Coldspring pack asked his Alpha as they stood on the porch of the pack headquarters.

  Jeff didn’t answer right away. He dwelt upon what the moon was saying to him. He didn’t know how, but he knew that their creator was calling them? Finally, he looked over to his Beta. “Yes, it’s the call of the moon. We’re being summoned.”

  “What does that mean?” David asked. The Coldspring pack was a very young pack and didn’t have the knowledge and history like the other packs did, especially since they had been operating under the radar when Lucas Steele had been their Alpha.

  “I’m not sure exactly, but I know who does.”

  Jeff pulled out his phone and flipped through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for. Vasile. He dialed and waited for the line to connect.

  It was only two rings before his call was answered.

  “Hello?” A deep voice answered from the other end.

  “This is Jeff Stone of the Coldspring pack and I’m calling to speak with Vasile.”

  There was a pause on the line, some scuffling, and then a new voice came on.

  “This is Skender, I’m Vasile’s fourth. Vasile is a little tied up at the moment. Is this regarding the call of the packs?” Skender asked.

  Jeff let out a deep breath. “Yeah, about that, what exactly does it mean?”

  “The moonstone is the way the Great Luna calls the wolves to her. We are being summoned to come.”

  “Come where?” Jeff asked.

  “Close your eyes, Jeff Stone, of the Coldspring pack and focus.” Skender’s voice was deep and soft as he spoke to the Alpha.

  Jeff closed his eyes and listened. He felt it deep in his soul and could hear her voice like a gentle whisper of wind against his flesh.

  “Carpathian Mountains,” Jeff muttered under his breath.

  “Very good,” Skender answered. “Your pack is young and you wouldn’t have known what to do, but the others will know. If she is calling them to the Carpathian Mountains then they need permission to be in Vasile’s territory, which means you will come to the pack mansion.” Skender gave Jeff the information that he would need to get to the Romanian pack headquarters and then explained the rest of what it meant to be called.

  “The moonstone isn’t just a call to gather,” Skender said. “It is a call to arms. There is a threat to her creation and she is rallying the troops, so to speak. Obviously, you can’t bring your entire pack. There are twelve packs in various places around the world and to have them all together in one place, would be not be wise. So, you are to bring yourself and your top three. You may bring your mate as well, but the top three must leave their mates with your pack. This is not a vacation, Alpha.” Skender’s voice grew more serious. “There are things going on of which you are unaware, but you will be soon enough. Get on the first plane here. Do not waste time.” There was a pause and then in a formal tone, Skender spoke. “For the pack.”

  “For the pack,” Jeff answered, automatically.

  Jeff ended the call with Skender and then looked over to his Beta and the other two at the top of his pack.

  “We’re going to Romania. Get packed. I’ll explain on the way.”

  ***

  Denver, Colorado

  Dillon stood next to his assistant Colin, along with his Beta, Lee, and his other top two wolves. Dalton, and Aidan. They were just about to board the plane when they felt it.

  “Wadim said this would come,” Dillon explained, softly.

  Lee looked over to his Alpha; the line of his mouth was tight giving his face a severe appearance.

  “We’ve never been called before Dillon, in fact, though we’ve learned about the moonstone in our history, it’s never been used.”

  “Well, it’s being used now,” Aidan spoke up and though he was usually the most light-hearted of Dillon's wolves, tonight, with the call of the moon and the information Dillon had shared, he was as focused and intense as his pack mates.

  As their ticket numbers were called to board the plane, Dillon looked each of his wolves in their eyes, waiting as one by one they lowered them.

  “Remember what I told you. We were created for such a time as this. The Great Luna needs us, our pack mates need us, the world needs us, and so we go.”

  They spoke as one when they answered their Alpha.

  “For the pack.”

  ***

  Vratsa Province, Bulgaria

  Adrianna watched Victor pack quickly and efficiently. She felt the pull, the call of the moonstone, but Victor didn’t want her to go, not after what had happened at The Gathering.

  “Are you sure?” She asked for the hundredth time.

  “Luna,” Victor stopped his packing and walked over to his mate. “We are called and gathered as one pack for one reason.”

  “War,” Adrianna answered. “Yes, I know that. I’m an Alpha Victor, you know I can fight.”

  “I don’t doubt it for a second.” He smiled at her and the adoration he felt for her showed in his eyes. “But, I’m taking Andrei, Sergey, and Pavel. Leaving the fourth in charge, and you are more dominant than he. I need you to stay and lead our pack. Keep them safe for us. That is what would help me the most.” He took her hands in his and pulled them to his chest. “You are strong and I don’t keep you here to protect you from harm. I keep you here to protect the pack.”

  Adrianna leaned forward and kissed her mate. Before she pulled back, she whispered against his lips. “For the pack.”

  ***

  Ramnicu-Valcea, Romania

  Serbian Pack Mansion

  Seraph answered his cell on the first ring.

  “Seraph,” his voice was clipped, as he answered.

  “You are in charge of Decebel’s pack as his fourth,” Skender began speaking without introducing himself.

  “Yes,” Seraph answered though Skender hadn’t been asking.

  “You will need to come here. The others are on their way.”

  Seraph’s words came out in a hushed voice. “All of them?”

  “The call has been sent. Be here as soon as possible. Just you. Set up whoever is supposed to be in charge after you and let them know what is going on.”

  “For the pack,” Seraph spoke without thinking, before ending the call.

  ***

  “They’re all coming.” Wadim stood next to Skender, peering out into the crisp spring afternoon. Winter continued to hang on like a claw, refusing to relent to Spring, whose time had already come.

  “They should begin arriving within a few days,” Skender answered.

  “What the hell are we going to do if Vasile and the others aren’t back by then?”

  Skender looked over at the historian and longtime friend. He chuckled briefly at the shirt Wadim wore, it said: Save a garden, eat a rabbit. Then the smile faded as his eyes met Wadim’s.

  “We fight.” Skender’s words reverberated in the quiet room. “And we have to assume they won’t be. We must prepare for the worst.”

  “For the pack,” Wadim answered.

  Chapter 6

  “I dreamed I was running. I was trying to find you. Searching. Every time I got near you, you were gone. I was growing so tired and my breathing was labored, but still, I ran. I called out your name but you didn’t look back. I started to fall, but you weren’t there to catch me.” ~ Jacque

  “You must wake up.” Jacque knew that voice. It was so familiar to her and yet foreign at the same time.

  “Jacquelyn, you must wake up.”

  The voice was growing more insistent, pushing into her mind, trying to force its will on her. She wasn’t ready to wake up. The world was in chaos, her mate was gone, and her friends were broken by their loss, why on earth would she want to wake up?