“Good questions, Jac,” Jen nodded in approval, “definitely good questions.”

  “Oh, he tried for the grand slam,” Sally tried not to blush as she said the words, “but he struck out.”

  “Ouch,” they heard Decebel mutter. Then a crashing sound that they all ignored. Sally glanced over the girls to see if Costin was all right. One of the chairs next to him had obviously been shoved or kicked over, he was glaring at her, and it warmed her to the bones.

  “So, I sort of felt sorry for him when he finally got the nerve to ask me to marry him. I had already shut the ballpark down for any rides, so I wanted to make up for it when he was brave enough to ask me.”

  Jen rolled on the floor grasping her stomach as she laughed. “Shut the ballpark! Rides!” She laughed harder when she looked at Decebel, who couldn’t decide if he should risk walking through the estrogen bomb to see if she was all right or make a run for it, in the opposite direction.

  Lilly tried to cover her laughter as she watched the gleam in Sally’s eyes, but the rest of the room had given up any pretense of trying to be cool.

  Sally’s eyes widened as Costin came striding across the room. He stood just on the outside of the circle and the hazel eyes that met hers smoldered.

  “Oh, my,” Jen murmured when she finally gathered herself. “I know that look. Jacque, don’t you know that look?”

  Jacque looked up at Costin. “Mm-hmm, girl, I most definitely know that look.”

  Alina smirked. “I even know that look.”

  Sally’s eyes danced back and forth between Costin and her friends. “Well, somebody help a sista out because I don’t know that look.”

  “You’re about to find out,” Crina muttered.

  Costin smiled at her and the entire circle of mostly mated women swooned. He had one of those smiles. The dimple, the eyes, the wink, it was lethal to anyone watching.

  “Shall I tell them what really happened, Sally mine?” He asked in a voice that should only be reserved for the bedroom or if you happen to work for one of those nine hundred number things.

  Sally stood up slowly. She decided that it was time to fight fire with fire. She let her body unfold like a lazy cat and she smiled sweetly at him, biting her lip shyly.

  “We could show them, you know, reenact it for them.” Sally tried for a sultry voice and thought maybe she had achieved it when Costin growled.

  Jen laughed. “I think she’s got your number, dimple boy.”

  Sally quirked an eyebrow at her mate. “I’ll show them mine if you show them yours.”

  Costin knew he’d been beaten at his own game and snarled when Sally’s hands went to the hem of her shirt. He turned and stalked back to the side of the room where the other males were giving him sincere looks of sympathy.

  “Welcome to my world,” Decebel told him, as he came to stand beside him.

  Costin’s eyes honed in on his mate who was smiling and laughing with her friends. She was proud of herself, and to be honest, he was proud of her too. But, that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t like to lose and he had most definitely lost.

  “Checkmate,” he heard her giggle in his mind.

  “How do you survive,” he asked Decebel.

  “Killing things and lots and lots of s—,”

  Costin choked before Decebel could finish. Decebel frowned at his Beta.

  “I was going to say sleep you perv,” he laughed at Costin’s wide eyes. “I’m actually going to agree with my mate on this one, you two just need to get hitched and take care of business. The tension is so tight between you two, one of you is liable to snap and attack the other one in plain daylight.”

  Costin laughed, “She would break before I would.”

  Decebel shook his head. He looked over at Sally and then back at Costin. “No Beta, I don’t think she would.”

  The girls talked late into the night, and when Jen dozed off, the males finally stepped in. One by one, they gathered their mates.

  Lilly gave Jacque a hug before Fane picked her up. “I’m so glad you’re happy Jac.”

  “Thanks, mom, me too. Tell the Warlock King I’ll kick his posterior if he hurts you.”

  Lilly laughed. “I’ll pass it along.” Cypher stepped behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “She’s going to kick my what?”

  Lilly shook her head with a smile. “She’s all bark.” Lilly took his hand and let him lead her out of the study.

  Decebel gently picked up Jen and she curled up in his arms. He kissed her forehead and nodded to Costin as he left the room.

  Costin and Sally were the last ones in the study. The fire crackled and the light from the flames danced on Sally’s face. She had dozed off along with Jen quite a while ago, but he hadn’t wanted to disturb her. He knelt down next to her and ran a finger across her cheek. She nuzzled it and he smiled. Even in sleep, she knew who he was.

  “Mine,” she mumbled.

  Costin picked her up and held her close to his chest. “Always,” he whispered in her ear, as he carried her to their room.

  Chapter 21

  “In my long life there have been none who I would say had been a worthy opponent, someone who was worth the effort it took to kill. Not until now. Finally, a worthy opponent has come forward. He is the strongest of his kind, of pure heart and soul. Yes, he is a worthy opponent, and it was almost a shame that I had to kill him…almost.” ~Desdemona

  “I’ve been waiting, Warlock King,” Desdemona walked leisurely through the trees, and though she might have sounded irritated, she looked as if she were taking a relaxing stroll through the forest.

  Cypher stepped into the small clearing and met the witch’s gaze.

  “I have a question before we do this,” he told her.

  “If you must,” she said tiredly as if he were a child who had hounded her all day for a morsel of attention.

  “What is it you hope to accomplish?” Cypher tilted his head and scratched his chin. “You’re going to let out a hoard of demons whose only desire is to destroy everything in their path, to what end?”

  When Cypher had dropped Lilly off at her room last night, he had gone back to his own room and studied the Nushtonia with Perizada. She had known the language, though she was very hesitant to speak it out loud. When she finally decided to say the words, she said them out of order so that she didn’t inadvertently invoke some unknown spell. Through their study, Cypher had learned that Mona was misinformed on her knowledge of the underworld. She believed that if she released the demons that she would be able to control them, but like any lies construed by evil, shreds of truth were woven within a web of deceit. The only control that she would have would be one request of the demon who wrote the Nushtonia and that was all. Desdemona did not realize that she was going to unleash not only her enemy’s destruction but her own as well.

  “I don’t need to justify myself to you,” Mona told him, smoothly. “You are but a tool to be used in my plan. You do what I ask and then you may leave.”

  “You really think that it is going to be that easy? Is anything ever that easy Mona?”

  “Are you attempting an intervention? Is that what this is?” Mona motioned with her finger between them. “Let me save you the trouble King, there is no saving me.”

  Cypher laughed. “Oh, believe me, I am well aware of just how un-savable you are, but you don’t have to take us all to hell with you.”

  “Too late.”

  Cypher watched as she closed her eyes and waved her hands in front of a group of trees. The wind picked up and the sky grew darker as black clouds rolled in. A shimmer in the air between the trees formed and Cypher could feel the evil trapped behind the veil.

  “You’ve been hiding it?” He asked her.

  “I didn’t want just any old idiot coming across it and I didn’t want the demons using another to write a book on how to open it.”

  Cypher’s brow rose. “You know about the book that was written?” He didn’t name the book for fear that she would realize that he had it and because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself from those beyond the veil in front of him.

  Mona laughed, dryly. “You do remember who you are talking to, right?”

  Cypher glared at her but held his tongue. He and Peri had decided that he needed to appear as cooperative as possible for as long as possible.

  “Enough chit chat,” she motioned for him to move closer. “I’m assuming that since you are here then you know what you are doing?”

  Cypher moved towards the veil and pulled a knife from his leg sheath.

  “You know what they say about assuming right?” He asked her as he ran the knife across his arm.

  Desdemona rolled her eyes. “We all know that I’m an ass Cypher, that’s not news to anyone.”

  Cypher cut another slash across his arm and another.

  “You aren’t going to bleed out before you’ve opened it right?”

  “Do you want me to do this or not?” Cypher growled.

  “Touchy, touchy,” Mona muttered, as she leaned back against a tree. She watched as Cypher slashed his other arm the same number of times as the first. Rivers of blood snaked down his arms dripping to the ground around his feet. Mona watched in fascination as the blood, almost as if it had a life of its own, began to join and flow as one towards the shimmering covering of the veil.

  Cypher closed his eyes and began to murmur the words that Peri had taught him. His mind was drawn back to the look on Peri’s face as she explained the requirement of the magic. She explained that dark magic could never be accomplished without paying some form of price and it was usually a life or blood. Peri’s face has taken on an ashen hue as she read the words of the book. She had looked up at him and he could see the answer to his unasked question.

  “It will take your blood,” she told him.

  “Come now Peri, we are both too old to skirt around the truth,” he had teased.

  Peri’s eyes had shimmered with unshed tears.

  “It will take all of your blood,” she finally told him.

  Cypher nodded. He knew that a life was the requirement to open the veil. He had hoped that there would be a loophole.

  “You’ve only just found her,” Peri had whispered to him. “She has finally, after so long, found the one who can fill the void in her only to lose him.” She had looked up at him and Cypher had felt his heart breaking as he watched one as ancient as Perizada hurt for Lilly, who she had claimed as one of her own.

  “You need to tell her,” Peri had growled at him.

  “No,” his answer had been final. He refused to leave Lilly with the knowledge that he would not be coming back to her. When he had left that morning, she had hugged him and kissed him and the smile that radiated on her face gave him the courage to do what was necessary. If it had been her tears, he didn’t know if he would have been able to walk away.

  So now he stood before an ancient evil that longed to be unleashed into the world and he longed for the life that he knew he didn’t deserve. His blood would slowly weaken the opening to the veil and the words from the Nushtonia would give the demons strength.

  He and Peri had gone to Vasile and explained their strategy and it was simple. He would bleed as slowly as he could, giving the wolves time to travel the twenty miles to his location. Desdemona did not know what it took, nor how long it would take to open the veil so he could use that to his advantage.

  He felt the warm, wet blood flowing down his arms and fought the urge to try and kill Mona himself. He had argued for that, but Peri had told him that he alone would not be able to defeat Mona, not at this point. She had spent too many centuries amassing power.

  So, he stood there, bleeding like the sacrificial lamb waiting for death to take him, and wishing for one more day with the human who had stolen his heart.

  ***

  Ainsel stood just beyond the trees, watching as the Warlock King bled freely. He had given his blood without force or coercion. He stood of his own free will as his lifeblood created a puddle at his feet and flowed towards the veil.

  “Ainsel, please join us,” Mona’s voice crawled over his skin like prickly insects making him want to recoil. But, she knew he was here, he had no choice but to step forward.

  “Desdemona.” The King of the Pixies bowed his head slightly to the witch.

  “I see you have come to uphold your end of the bargain,” she told him, with a toothy smile.

  “I am here,” was his only response.

  “Good,” she folded her arms across her chest as she turned back to the bleeding Warlock King, “because things are about to get interesting.”

  ***

  Vasile stood, flanked by Alina and Decebel, gazing at the warriors arrayed before him. Each of the packs, along with the Fae, Warlocks, and the Elves were assembled on the practice field in tight formations. Vasile wondered how many of them, if any, would return from this battle. He hoped they would all return. For the first time in his memory, he felt as if there was a real chance for his race to be united.

  “Today will not be a day of mourning, or a day of loss,” his deep voice filled the empty space reaching into the hearts of his brothers, reminding them of why they were created, and why they stood where they did today. “Today will not be a day of defeat. Today is the day that we finally take a stand against evil. Today, though we are separate species, though we come from different places, and have served different purposes, today we are one pack. Today we combine our strengths and use them for the greater good, when others cannot fight for themselves, today we will. I will not tell you to be fearless, for a lack of fear will make you reckless. I will tell you to be courageous. Stand your ground in the face of adversity, set your feet, and brace your body for impact, because today you will fight for your right to simply exist. You fight for the existence of your friends, your brothers and sisters, and your mates. Today I am proud to fight beside each of you. FOR THE PACK!”

  Shoulders that had been slumped were now pulled back. Chins rose and jaws set as those who were not the same, those who did not agree on everything, did not always understand one another and did not always like each other yelled as one. “FOR THE PACK!”

  Vasile turned to Decebel and shook his hand before pulling him into a tight hug.

  “You stay alive,” he told his former Beta.

  Decebel gave him a small smile. “I would tell you the same, but you’re too bullheaded to die.”

  Vasile chuckled. “Too true.” His voice sobered. “We run as one and as soon as we pick up the King’s scent, we break off.”

  The other Alphas walked over and joined Decebel and Vasile.

  “Victor, Dragomir, Angus, Artur, Gustavo, and Ciro, you will bank left, circle around, and fan out Dillon, Drayden, Tyler, Jeff, Decebel, and myself will bank right so that we form a complete circle. You will stagger your wolves' one facing in, one facing out, every other wolf. This will protect our flanks as we move forward. Desdemona is not a witch of a simple mind. She will use anything in her power to achieve her goal. Adam, Alston, Dain, Disir, Gwem, Lorelle, and Nissa of the Fae will spread out amongst us to fight along with us. They will shield our presence for as long as possible. Jacque, Alina, Cynthia, and Crina will be fighting amongst us. They are the only females fighting with us. I do not say that I allowed this, but if you have met them, you have figured out that these are women that you don’t really allow anything.

  "So, as much as it is in your power, protect our females. They are precious to us. Rachel and Sally, our two healers, along with Jen, the Serbian pack Alpha female, Elle, Sorin’s mate, and Perizada will be a short distance away, hopefully with the stones of the Fae, if they make themselves available. They will help fight any of the forces of nature that Desdemona will attempt use in her favor.

  "Our total numbers are thus: ten Fae, seven of which belong to the High Council, twenty Warlock warriors, twenty Elves, led by their Prince, two Gypsy Healers and fifty-one dominant Canis lupus, twelve of which are Alphas. This could be the largest united effort of supernatural races in our long history. It is my sincerest hope that we all come back, that we end this madness together. If we do not, I want to personally thank each of you for your help, for hearing our cry and the cry of the Great Luna and coming to our aide.” Vasile stepped back and to everyone’s surprise, he knelt, bowed his head, and placed his hand over his heart. Every movement stopped. Every noise ceased as they all turned to see the greatest of them on his knees, humbled.

  One by one, they took a knee and bowed their heads, joining Vasile.

  “My children,” warmth spread across them as they all looked up at the sound of the powerful voice—the Great Luna stood before them in all her glory. “Today, I am pleased with the leader who has risen among you, who sees himself not as the greatest, but as a servant. Today, I am pleased with you all, those who belong to me and those who do not. Today, you have exercised your free will and chosen the harder path. For it is easier to give in to the darkness that dwells in each of your hearts, but much more difficult to go against your nature and take the path of righteousness. Listen to Vasile. His heart is pure and he desires nothing more than to see each of the races prosper and flourish. Go with my blessing. Know that I am and will give you strength; all you need is to ask.” And, as quietly as she had appeared, she was gone.

  Across the field, surrounded by the guards that Vasile and Decebel had assigned to them, the females all stood up together and Jen stepped forward. “You heard the woman people, let’s bring the rain!”

  Chuckles rippled across the group as they all stood and began to join with their packs.

  “That is your mate, no?” Gustavo, Alpha to the pack of Spain, asked Decebel.

  Decebel looked across the field to his mate who was giving him thumbs up.

  “Yes, yes she is,” Decebel, said with a small laugh.