Den of Sorrows (22 page)

So that's what had been taking her so long,
Peri thought. "Did you suffer any losses?" Peri asked him.

Jeff shook his head. "A few minor injuries, nothing more."

"Take a day to rest before you follow any more leads. Most of your wolves are younger and the magic left by the vampires will affect them more quickly."

He nodded. Peri could see that there was something bothering the Alpha. She debated whether or not she should ask. She really wanted to see her mate, but damn those puppy dog eyes. "Is there something else?"

Jeff looked at her for several moments before deciding to answer. "They've been taking dormants for centuries," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. Peri knew where he was going with his statement. Vasile and the others hadn't had time to consider what that meant, especially since all of them except Drake were mated.

"Yes," she answered unnecessarily.

"How many mates?" He paused, the emotion catching in his throat.

Peri waited, allowing the man a moment, knowing how hard it was for a dominant male to show any emotion. Jeff Stone was hurting and not just for himself but for his wolves as well.

"How many of my wolves have lost their true mates because of the vampires? How many will we lose to the darkness?"

Peri didn't have an answer. What could she say? He was right. There would be males and possibly females that would never have a true mate if theirs had been one of the dormants taken and bled dry. The guilt came rushing back as Peri remembered so very, very long ago when she'd foolishly thought Sincaro to be destroyed. She had not pursued his body after striking him down, and because of that he lived. And because he lived, hundreds, upon hundreds, have and would continue to suffer.

"I'm sorry, Alpha." Peri bowed her head to him. "I truly am."

Jeff didn’t say anything. He simply gave her one last look and then slowly closed the door. Peri was gone before it was shut completely.

Peri stood outside of the Serbia mansion attempting to get her emotions under control. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to wonder if your mate had been one of the ones taken. How would it feel to wonder if the fight against the darkness was futile? What would it feel like to struggle in vain because your mate was already gone?

"Peri," Cyn’s voice snapped her out of the near panic attack.

"Perizada,"
Lucian’s voice came just after her friend’s.

"I'm fine, wolf. I'll be there soon."

"There is still hope. Jeff and his unmated males were taken by surprise. They will be alright."
Lucian’s voice caressed her tired soul. More than anything she just needed to be in his arms, but that wasn't going to happen, not yet.
"I'll be waiting."

Peri wanted to scream. Lucian meant his statement to be a reassurance to her, but what Peri heard was, 'I'll be waiting like I always am.’ It wasn't his fault she felt that way. It was her own insecurity. And that made her laugh out loud. Who would have thought that Perizada, high fae and all around know-it-all, had insecurities? "Will wonders never cease?"

"Peri?" Cyn's voice beckoned again.

Peri turned to face the warrior. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."

Cyn nodded in understanding.

Peri cleared her throat. "Is everything okay? And I ask that already knowing that nothing is okay, but you get what I mean."

"I spoke with Thalion today," Cyn began. "He asked me to tell you that he will be taking warriors to the land called Canada. He and his people will deal with the vampires there. He requested that I be allowed to assist so that I can help with any dormants or survivors they might find."

"He's going to take enough elves to handle all the covens in Canada?" Peri asked, attempting to express her disbelief without making the elf prince sound like an idiot. Does he know how many covens are in that land?

Cyn nodded. "He wants to help."

"No, he wants to protect his interests." Peri raised a brow at her comrade.

The warrior shrugged. "Maybe, but at least he's helping."

Peri couldn't argue with that. The elves were worse than the fae about leaving their own realm to assist other supernatural races, which meant that they just didn't. Not until Cyn had convinced Thalion to help on a previous occasion. Perhaps, it was going to become a habit.

"Frankly, I don't care if he is simply hoping that if he kills enough vampires you'll finally let him in your pants. Just try and hold out until they're all dead, just in case."

Cyn's face didn't even twitch. "I will do my best."

Peri snorted as the other fae flashed and left her standing there alone. She looked up at the mansion in front of her. One more meeting and then she could spend the night letting someone else be strong.

Chapter 13

"There are times when death comes as a relief. Not only for the one dying but for those who love them. It relieves pain, consoles fear, and gives closure. But then there are times when death is more destructive than the most furious storm. It tears through the heart, shreds all hope, and devours the soul of the one left behind." ~ Jeff Stone

S
ally couldn't stop smiling. Maybe she shouldn’t be smiling, but she couldn't help it. Here, in their room, sitting on the floor with her mate, was a precious little boy. Because of an awful twist of fate, the boy had lost his parents and nearly his life. But they had saved him and he had walked into Sally's arms the moment he'd seen her. She remembered the words he'd whispered to her as he'd wrapped his arms around her neck, burying his face in her hair.

"She said you would come," the little voice broke through Sally's fear and horror. She slowed her breathing so she could better hear him over the growling and crying of those around them.

"What was that?" she asked him.

He pulled back a bit, just enough so that he could look at her face. There were dirt smudges all over his cheeks and his hair was matted with filth. Bite marks marred his neck and wrists, and it took everything in Sally not to scream in anger at the injustice of it. He shouldn't have had to go through something so horrible. He should have been looking for bugs and crying over fallen ice cream cones. He patted her face gently and smiled; he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"The lady with all the light, I think she was an angel. She told me you were coming. She said a beautiful lady with brown hair, brown eyes, and a bright light all around her was coming for me and that she would be my new mommy. And she showed me a man with a happy smile too. I asked her what happened to my old mommy, and she said that she and my daddy loved me very much, but that they couldn't take care of me anymore. But you will take care of me, right? You and the man with the happy smile?"

Tears streamed down Sally's face as she nodded. "Yes, sweet boy, we will take care of you."

"Sally, mine?" she heard Costin’s voice and shook her head to clear her mind of the memory. She looked at her mate and then at Titus who was holding out a piece of paper to her.

"I colored it all by myself. It's for you." He smiled proudly at her.

Sally took the picture and looked at it. It was three stick people, each of them un-proportionate—a longer arm here and a larger foot there. But all three of the stick people faces, misshapen though they may be, were smiling happily.

"Thank you, Titus. It's the best drawing anyone has ever given me."

"Really?" he asked, his smile getting even bigger.

Sally nodded.

"I will get better," he said, his face suddenly falling.

Costin scooped him up and hugged him close. "You already draw better than me."

Titus looked at Costin, narrowing his eyes as if trying to determine if Costin was being truthful. Then the smile returned. "I can help you," he said just before a yawn forced its way out.

"I bet you can, little warrior. But right now I think sleep is what you need. You have to get your rest so you’ll have the energy to help me."

Titus looked around, suddenly very nervous. Sally stood and smiled up at him. "First, we need to brush teeth, okay?"

They'd already given him a bath and he'd handled it really well, though Sally knew her soothing magic was mostly responsible for that. She wasn't consciously trying to calm him, it was just instinct.

Costin and Titus emerged from the bathroom, discussing in-depth just how long a three-year- old should brush his teeth. Sally had pulled back the cover and sheet on their bed and was sitting on the side when the pair came walking in together, hand-in-hand.

She slid off the bed onto her knees and sat back on her heels. Sally opened her arms and Titus went without hesitation. "What will make you feel—" She paused, unsure what she should say. Did she say safe or best? Titus saved her.

"Safe?" he asked.

Sally nodded.

"I'm not a baby, but could a light stay on? And could daddy—" He stopped and looked up at Costin. "You're my new daddy?" He looked unsure and Sally could feel the seeds of fear and doubt creeping into his mind.

Costin knelt down next to him. "I am if you want me to be. I would like that very much."

Titus gave a matter-of-fact nod and she felt a little of the doubt slip out of him. He looked back at her. "Could daddy stay with me?" He quickly added, "You can stay too, but daddy is bigger."

Sally smiled reassuringly. "He makes me feel safe too," she whispered to him.

C
ostin lay on the bed next to a now sleeping Titus. It hadn't taken long for him to succumb to his exhaustion. His arms were wrapped around a brown, stuffed puppy that Jen had brought him, claiming she'd found it among Thia's toys. Titus had smiled up at her as though she'd just handed him the most precious thing ever. Jen had knelt down and told him that the puppy needed a name and a friend. Titus had nodded and told her he would be a good friend to the puppy and that he would have to think of a good name for him. Once Jen had left and they'd climbed back into the bed, Titus had looked at him and told him he couldn’t name the puppy until he got to know him better.

Costin smiled. He hadn't been around children so he didn’t really know, but Titus seemed to be very articulate for a three-year-old.

"Everything okay?"
Sally asked him. His smiled widened. His mate had asked him that every five minutes for the past hour.

"Yes, beautiful, everything is good,"
he said just as patiently as he had the first time. She wanted to be there with him and Titus, but one of them needed to attend the meeting. Since Titus had specifically requested Costin’s presence, the job fell to Sally.

She was keeping the bond and her mind wide open so that Costin could listen in on the meeting and not miss anything important.  Upon hearing Vasile and Peri’s plan to travel to Phoenix tomorrow, which he knew had been inevitable, he felt his chest tighten at the thought of leaving Titus. There was no way they could take the boy with them. And he knew that Sally had to go. Technically, they
could
alter the memories of the children they found without Sally. But Peri said having Sally there made things much quicker and easier. Costin knew that she would go if they asked her to, but he also knew she'd stay in a heartbeat if Titus said he needed her also. And although extra warriors were certainly needed on the mission, his little healer was crucial. And neither he nor Sally would leave Titus alone, not when the child was still so fragile.

This led to one inevitable conclusion. Sally would have to go without him. He would have to entrust her safety to the others. She would be out of his reach and out of the shelter of his arms. The thought made his gut clench. But as he looked down at Titus who was curled up against his chest, he realized for the first time what it felt like to truly understand that there was something more important than his own comfort, happiness, or desires.

"Thank you,"
he heard Sally whisper into his mind. He felt her sorrow at leaving Titus—her son. He liked that she already thought of him as hers, as theirs.

"Tell Vasile to hurry up, your mate and your son need you."

J
en sat on the love seat, her legs outstretched and her arm propped up on the armrest of the sofa. Jacque sat across from her in a similar pose, though she looked much more awkward. Once Vasile had dismissed the meeting, she and Jacque had informed their men that they needed girl time. Jen had spent time with Thia before the meeting and now the girl was fast asleep. Decebel tried to give her puppy dog eyes, and when that didn't work, he growled at her. That had almost done the trick, but then Jacque had handed her a mug of hot chocolate. He knew then that he was beat and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving for their room.

"Sally seems to be handling this all really well," Jen said just before she took another sip of the warm, yummy drink.

Jacque nodded. "I think, somehow, it's actually helped her…I don't know…like…shed some of the darkness that had been collecting on her. Like a dog shaking off water. Does that make sense?"

"Yah, I get what you're saying. She was losing herself. Titus needs her, needs her light, like Costin did. That brought her back."

They were quiet for a few minutes. Then Jacque spoke. "So, how do you think this Phoenix thing is going to really go?"

Jen snorted. As usual, she and Red were totally on the same page. "Not the way Vasile and the other males think it will. I love how Decebel looked at me when Peri said that it might be best for me to stay behind because I would be the ultimate prize for Sincaro. I'm pretty sure he was contemplating putting me back in that crater that I was so kindly pushed into during the Gathering."

"So here's the thing," Jacque started as she sat up and set down her cup. "They don’t know where the entrance to this vampire king’s coven is. Phoenix is huge. It's not like we can just try every manhole in the city. "

"You know what we need to do? We need to hit up the police stations and find out where most of the abductions are taking place," Jen suggested.

"Why didn’t you say that in the meeting?" Jacque frowned.

"Because Decebel threatened to duct tape my mouth closed, and as tense as he is right now, I actually think he would do it this time."

"Did he think your idea was a good one?"

Jen shrugged. "He said it would be dangerous to draw attention to ourselves. It's not like huge Romanian guys walking around a police station would be inconspicuous."

"So why can't we go?"

Jen busted out laughing. "Oh man, that baby is shrinking your brain and killing brain cells. In what life do you think your mate is going to let you out of his sight or near any vampire coven after having watched a vampire snatch you up and threaten you right in front of him?"

Jacque’s face fell. "Ugh, he's going to be unbearable."

"Oh please." Jen waved her off. "They're unbearable already. We only put up with it because they're so freaking gorgeous." She paused then added. "And sexy." Pause. "And stern."

"Ooookay," Jacque said loudly. "I get it. Don't need you going into all the reasons why you put up with Decebel. I concur. Though I do find that we are rather shallow."

"No. We are honest. Besides, we love them. If they were ugly and we loved them, I suppose we'd put up with it. Maybe."

After a few seconds she and Jacque looked at each other shaking their heads and said at the same time, "Nah."

As their laughter died down Jen sighed. "Are we twisted? I mean here we are laughing about having ugly mates and only hours ago we'd found children who had survived being held captive by vampires. How sick are we?"

"I disagree," Jacque said as she met Jen's gaze. "We have to be able to do this. No one else is going to go into the bowels of those cities and face those awful creatures. We are the ones who get saturated in their darkness. We are the ones who see the victims they have brutalized. But even after all that, we have to be able to get up and do it again. So we have to figure out a way to cope. If coping to us is drinking hot chocolate and laughing about the same crap we always laugh about, then more power to us.”

“Jen." The urgency in Jacque’s voice had Jen sitting up. “We can't fall apart. We can't crumble. I think Vasile and Alina are part of the reason we haven't done so already. It's like they hold us together by their sheer will alone. If we fail, if Vasile fails, none of the other packs would be able to fight off the dark magic we've already been saturated in. The unmated males would be consumed and then it wouldn't only be the vampires taking lives."

The air rushed from Jen's lungs. "Damn, Jacque. Way to give a pep talk."

Jacque grimaced. "Yeah, sorry that was more Frodo than Braveheart, huh?"

Jen nodded. "Yep, you totally had me wanting to throw myself over the edge of the cliff like hobbit boy."

Jacque laughed suddenly and Jen rolled her eyes. "Is wolf man talking dirty to you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Jacque said as she stood up and waddled her way to the door. "I'm out. He's threatening to come carry me back and you know how I feel about him lifting me in my current state."