Sally’s mouth dropped open when, seemingly from nowhere, Costin produce a small ring. A solitaire diamond, princess cut set in platinum. It was beautiful. She looked more closely and realized that there was an inscription etched into the band. She couldn’t read it though.

  “What does it say?”

  Costin smiled. “You’re going to make me sweat aren’t you?”

  Sally let out an airy laugh, and then blushed when she realized that she hadn’t answered him. “Oh, shi–,” she slapped her hand over her mouth before the word slipped out and stared wide-eyed at Costin who was grinning like an idiot, obviously enjoying her embarrassment.

  “Sally,” he pulled her hand away, “for goodness sake, love, end my torment.”

  “Yes,” she told him.

  “Yes, you will end my torment or yes, you will be my wife?”

  “Yes,” she answered again.

  Costin grinned and then leaned down and kissed her gently. He nipped at her lips when she refused to part them.

  “Sally,” he growled.

  “Not until you tell me what the inscription says.”

  Costin held the ring over her face so she could see it. He smiled roguishly. “You want to know what the inscription on this ring says.”

  “I just said that,” she growled and he laughed as it made him think of an angry kitten.

  “Calm down brown eyes. I have a proposition for you.”

  Sally’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. You aren’t going to tell me what my engagement ring says without making a deal with me?”

  “You’re a sharp one,” he joked and whipped his head away just in time to miss her teeth from biting his chin. “Play nice Sally,” he warned, though his eyes glowed with a different kind of warning. Sally quivered under his hungry gaze.

  “I will tell you what the inscription says if you allow me to kiss you.”

  Sally thought it sounded too easy, but she brushed aside the apprehensive thoughts and nodded.

  “Okay.” She licked her lips in anticipation for what she knew would be a smoldering kiss. Costin’s grin grew impossibly wider.

  “Roll over,” he told her.

  “What!” Sally tried to scurry away, but Costin caught her ankle.

  “Ahh, ah, ah,” he chided, “you made a contract with me love.”

  Sally shook her head. “I didn’t sign anything.”

  “You agreed verbally, you are bound babe, pack magic.”

  Sally balked at him. “You can’t be serious; it was just a playful bargain.”

  “Not to me it wasn’t,” his face grew serious and his eyes began to glow. “I want to kiss you.”

  “I know that. I was waiting for you too.”

  Costin licked his lips and Sally tried hard not to follow the slow motion of his tongue. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she looked up from his lips to his eyes and he winked at her. That damn wink, it was a weapon he wielded shamelessly against her.

  “You didn’t clarify the location of the kiss my succulent, shy mate,” Costin’s voice dropped to a growl as he crawled towards her on the bed. Sally had reached the headboard and there was nowhere else for her to go. For that moment in time, she understood what those poor little bunnies must have felt like when the wolves were hunting them.

  “Worried I’m going to eat you?” Costin asked her as he picked up on her thoughts. Sally’s face discovered a new shade of red in the rainbow as she watched her mate stalk her. She couldn’t believe that she had missed that loophole. She never missed loopholes when Jen was bargaining, but then Costin’s hands, lips, and eyes weren’t involved when she was bargaining with Jen.

  “Where exactly do you want to put this kiss?” She asked when she finally found her voice.

  “I want to see my markings,” he rumbled.

  “Then go take your shirt off and look in the mirror,” she retorted.

  His smile made her shiver as goose bumps dotted her skin. “When I say my markings, Sally, I mean the ones on your body, the ones that are identical to those on my body.” Sally didn’t know how anyone could make the word body sound so sexy, but Costin had found a way.

  “So, please, roll over and allow me to look at them.”

  “So, you just want to kiss the marks on my back?”

  Costin growled.

  Sally blew out a breath, causing her cheeks to puff out. She knew how relentless the males of his race were once they were on the hunt, and Costin was definitely on the hunt. She threw her hands up in the air. “Fine, fine, crap. Back up so I can roll over, you're crowding me.” She pushed at him, but Costin didn’t move. When she realized that he wasn’t going to, she wiggled until she had finagled herself onto her stomach. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt him pull at the hem of her shirt.

  “Shh, Sally, I will never do anything you aren’t comfortable with and I will always honor your wishes, trust me,” he whispered, against her neck.

  “I do,” she told him, breathlessly. She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning when she felt his fingers trace the markings from the nape of her neck down until he couldn’t go any farther because of her jeans.

  Costin leaned down next to her ear again and tugged it gently with his teeth. “How far does it go?” He asked her and she could hear the desire in his deep voice.

  Sally knew that if she opened her mouth she would say something very stupid and Jen like. The possibilities ranged from why don’t you find out, to good grief, would you touch me already, and her personal favorite, I want to have your babies. Since those really didn’t seem like the wisest choices, she did what seemed to be her trademark response to him and shook her head.

  Costin chuckled. “Not going to play nice are we? Okay, two can play at that game.”

  Sally tried to prepare herself for whatever ridiculously sexy thing he had planned, but there was nothing on earth that could have prepared her for him. He started at the nape of her neck as he kissed her skin softly. She could feel his warm breath on her back and the firm pressure of his lips made her toes curl. Sally was biting the pillow by the time he reached the small of her back. Her hands clenched so tightly that her nails dug grooves into her palms. He kissed her one last time and she started to breathe easier. He pulled her shirt back down and attempted to roll her back over, but Sally couldn’t move.

  “Sally?” Costin’s voice in her mind sounded every bit as seductive as the stunt he had just pulled.

  “Shh,” She tried to silence him.

  “Why?”

  “I can’t concentrate on breathing if you’re talking to me, so stop talking, and don’t you dare touch me again.”

  Costin chuckled at his mate who was currently as rigid as a post. He waited patiently as he watched her body slowly begin to relax. When she rolled over, he saw the indentions in her palms from her nails. He couldn’t help the smugness he felt inside at knowing that he made her desire him with such ferocity.

  “Wipe that look off your face, you big fat liar,” Sally frowned at him.

  “What?” Costin laughed and tried to tug her to him.

  She slapped his hand away. “You said a kiss, as in a single kiss. What was that?” She pointed to her back wildly, her cheeks still flushed.

  “You didn’t like it?” He asked as he attempted to look hurt.

  Sally rolled her eyes. “Throw me a freaking bone. I would have to be in a coma to not have enjoyed that. Mother of pearl, even then I probably would have enjoyed it. I mean seriously, Costin, who wouldn’t ENJOY THAT!” Sally’s voice had risen into screechy octaves by the time she was finished speaking and she was breathing heavily.

  “Did I scare you?” Costin asked, suddenly worried that maybe she was responding this way because of what had happened. “I’m not rushing you, Sally.”

  “Costin,” Sally’s eyes softened, “no baby, you didn’t scare me. I didn’t even think about it, there was only you and your lips.” She smiled at him hoping he would see the sincerity there.

  “You will tell me if I ever scare you or hurt you,” he demanded, as only a male dominant could.

  Sally rolled her eyes. “Bossy much?”

  “Do you want to know what the inscription says now?” Costin asked, calmly.

  “Yes,” Sally grumbled, like a sulky child.

  Costin tugged her to him by her hand and this time she didn’t resist. He took her left hand and as he slid the ring on, he whispered in her ear.

  “It says, Mate, wife, healer, my one, my only, Sally mine.” Costin pulled the hair that had fallen like a curtain in front of Sally’s face, over her shoulder so that he could see her. Her brown eyes shimmered with tears as she stared at the ring on her hand.

  “Are those happy tears?” Costin asked, wearily.

  Sally nodded.

  “You are a woman of few words tonight love.”

  “That’s because all too often, you render me speechless,” Sally told him, as she looked up into his eyes. He saw her heart in those eyes, a heart that she had fully given to him.

  “I love you, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”

  Costin smiled, flashing his dimple at her. “Oh brown eyes, I can’t wait either.”

  Sally could see the wheels turning in his, too handsome for his own good, head. She started shaking her head. “Oh, uh uh, no way, that,” she pointed to where, moments ago she had been lying frozen with need and want, “will never happen again.”

  Costin laughed so loudly, Sally was sure the entire mansion heard.

  “You are one funny gypsy, my love, I’ll give you that.”

  “I’m serious Costin, that, that was,” she tripped over her words, as she stared into his hazel eyes.

  Costin leaned forward so that his lips were brushing against hers as he spoke. “That was only the beginning love. I hadn’t even gotten to the good part.”

  ***

  “I’m going, so you can stop your slamming crap and muttering under your breath. Besides, we have company so quit acting like a total butthead.” Jen sat next to Jacque on her bed, while Fane stood in a very Decebel like pose, leaning against the wall. Jen noticed that something in Fane was different, something in him had hardened, and the once gentle soul was gone. He watched Jacque constantly, attuned to the smallest movement, or even the change in her heartbeat. Jen should have noticed it in Decebel as well, except Decebel had always been that way. She had never seen Decebel as young and un-jaded. By the time Decebel had found her, he was cold and thoroughly warped.

  Decebel stopped in mid-stride and turned slowly to face his mate.

  Jacque’s jaw tensed and she shivered internally as she watched her best friend bare the intensity Decebel’s stare. Fane noticed his mate’s reaction and pushed away from the wall to stand next to her.

  Jen held Decebel’s stare and though part of her really wanted to crawl in a dark hole to hide from his anger, she knew it wasn’t really her he was angry at.

  “How many different ways do I have to tell you no? How many languages would it take to make you understand that you will not be going anywhere near males that I do not know and do not trust?” Decebel’s eyes were glowing, though that was sort of a normal thing for him now, so Jen didn’t take that to mean he was at his breaking point just yet.

  “Do I really have to pull out the, but everyone is doing it card? All the other mates will be there, backing their men up. How am I supposed to feel if you leave me here? What kind of Alpha female does that make me look like?”

  “A PREGNANT ONE!” Decebel snarled. “There isn’t a male wolf there who wouldn’t be doing the exact thing that I am Jennifer. You are precious to me, our child is a miracle, and I will not put either of you at risk.”

  Jen met his eyes as she stood and walked towards him. She didn’t notice Fane and Jacque slip out. Her attention was for her mate only.

  “Don’t you get it?” She asked. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don’t want to be away from you, that I can’t be away from you?”

  Decebel’s eyes widened and she saw that he really had never considered why she was so adamant about going, other than not wanting to miss out, which admittedly was usually a reason Jen wanted to participate. But, this was something else altogether and it made her sick to admit it.

  He took a step towards her and cupped her face in his large hands. Her eyes were tearless, but he had been a fool to miss the terror that hid behind her ever-present strength. Decebel forgot that it usually took an act of despair to get Jennifer to admit to anything that she would view as a weakness and because of that, he often didn’t treat her with the care she needed.

  “I’m not fragile, Decebel,” she told him, having seen his thoughts. “I’m just struggling with everything. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She was frustrated because she felt so out of control. She felt weak, because when she closed her eyes she saw their faces, felt their hands. Mona’s curse still reverberated through her mind. She knew it was gone, but it still held power over her and that, above everything, angered her. But, if Decebel was with her, if she could see him, touch him, feel his touch, and then she was okay.

  “Okay,” he told her, as he pulled her into his arms, “okay baby, you come with me, but you don’t step a foot away from my side.”

  Jen nodded against his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. She was slightly disgusted with herself for needing him the way she did, but she was giving herself a pass because she was pregnant, and she was going to play that card anytime she began to feel crazy, weak, or desperate.

  “I need you the same way. Are you disgusted with me?” Decebel asked her.

  She looked up at him and, as usual, his good looks were nearly painful to look at. His amber eyes glowed possessively at her as his hand stroked up and down her back.

  “You’re a dude, you’re supposed to need me,” she reasoned.

  Decebel chuckled. “If we’re going to go with that logic then I think you would win in the needs category.”

  “Why, because I’m a nympho?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you complaining?”

  Decebel leaned down and kissed her gently, enjoying the privileges that came with being a mate and husband. “I would be happy to show you how not complaining I currently am.”

  Jen laughed. “I think we’re supposed to be meeting in the gathering room remember? Just a second ago you were all ready to go ape shniz on some dudes.”

  “Ape shniz?” Decebel smirked.

  “I’m trying to curb the tongue since we’re going to have a rugrat running around repeating everything I say.”

  Decebel smiled wickedly at her. “I’m sure I can find a way to keep your tongue busy so there is no chance of slipups.”

  “I totally walked into that one,” she laughed.

  “Totally,” he agreed, as he pulled her to their bed.

  “Dec, really we’re supposed to go, like, now.” Jen struggled, uselessly against his hold.

  “I told you when I took you as my mate that you would always come before the pack, before all others. Look at me and tell me you don’t need me.” Decebel watched her closely.

  Jen looked down at her feet in a very uncharacteristically submissive act. Decebel tugged again and this time Jen went without a fight.

  “I totally did not admit anything,” she told him as he kissed her.

  “I know baby. I’m glad to take one for the team until you’re ready to admit that you need me with the same desperation that I need you.”

  Jen laughed. “Take one for the team, that’s classic.”

  “Jennifer,” Decebel growled as he tugged at her shirt.

  “What?”

  “Shut up.”

  Jen started to speak but snapped her mouth shut when Decebel’s hands did what they did best.

  “What do they do best beautiful?”

  “I forgot, I think you should remind me.”

  Decebel soaked up his mate’s laughter like a plant soaks up the rain after a long drought. For that sound alone, he would be late to any meeting no matter the importance.

  ***

  “Fane, are you alright?” Jacque watched her mate as they stood in the gathering room. It was slowly filling up with more and more males and Fane’s posture grew tenser with every minute.

  “I’m fine, Luna.”

  His face, his voice, his whole everything, told Jacque he was lying. He was anything but fine.

  “Why won’t you talk to me?”

  Fane turned and looked at her, glowing blue eyes bore into hers.

  “This is not the time for words. Stay near me please.”

  Jacque knew that look and that clipped tone. Fane’s wolf had taken over. She took a step closer to him and placed her hand on his back. He subtly leaned into it and that gave her a small amount of peace. He had grown exceedingly distant as the day had worn on and, to her surprise, hadn’t even tried to keep her from coming with him. She had tried several times to engage him in conversation, but each time he had simply grunted at her or given her one-word answers. He hadn’t been mean to her, and he had been just as touchy as normal, if not more so, but Jacque and her wolf could feel that something was off in their mate and it was rubbing them the wrong way.

  She continued to stand close to him, reassuring him of her presence as the room filled. She caught Sally’s eye when she and Costin walked in. Jen and Decebel were just behind them. Both males looked ready to rip some one’s head off with their bare hands. And, as curious as the other packs were about the females, one glance from Costin or Decebel and they dropped their eyes. Jacque hadn’t noticed until then that not a single person was facing her direction. Fane was obviously giving the males the same challenging look and it was working rather well.

  Jacque gave a small wave to Crina and Elle who were standing across from her with Sorin and Adam. She hadn’t gotten to spend much time with them and hoped that they were recovering all right. They had both kept to themselves since they had returned and she figured that it was to have a chance to spend with the mates they had barely had time to get to know. Rachel and Gavril moved in beside the two couples and she saw Gavril give Fane a slight nod.