Out of the Dark (15 page)

"The owner went around to people in the village and got the clothes donated. There should be some in the bathroom down the hall. They might not fit perfectly but at least they are clean."

"I don't care if they're rags or cashmere. I just need to get out of these clothes." She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks, wolf-man. I'll see you in a few."

Fane winked at her as he left the room.

Jacque knocked on the bathroom door. There was only one in the whole tavern and she was sharing it with the rest of the pack.

"I'm almost done." It was a familiar female voice.

"Sally, it's Jacque. Open up."

The door opened just enough for Sally to poke her head out. Jacque felt the steam from the hot shower caress her face as it swirled past her.

"It's just you?"

Jacque rolled her eyes. "Yes, healer, it's just me. Now let me in."

Sally opened the door farther as she huffed, "Well, you might have had your wolf with you. I didn't want to open the door like this –" Sally made an up and down motion with her hand indicating her towel clad body, "– and be like 'oh, hey Fane, how's it going, Fane? I'm just standing around in my towel hanging out doing my thing, Fane.'"

Jacque shut the door behind her and shook her head at Sally. "You are a disturbed little gypsy."

Jacque looked around, quickly seeing the shower along the wall across from the door. It was a simple tiled square with a drain in the floor. A blue shower curtain hung across it. Beside the shower was a small table that held clothes and towels. Jacque couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she began to undress.

Sally gave her a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just all out of sorts. I'm getting weird vibes and -"

"What do you mean weird vibes? From Jen? The forest? About Dec?" Jacque interrupted

Sally stopped brushing her hair mid-stroke. She turned from the old mirror to look at her best friend. "You done? You gonna let me finish now?"

Jacque held up her hands in surrender. "Oh, man. I'm sorry. I'm perilously close to the freak-out wagon aren't I?"

"I definitely think you need to take a couple of steps back. It's too early to jump on that wagon. I assure you I will give you the full go-ahead when it's time."

Jacque grinned. "Okay. So what were you saying?"

"I don't really know how to describe it. I think Jen is safe, but at the same time something is off. I'll have to see how Decebel is acting – that will help me know about Jen. He doesn't realize that even though he doesn't remember her, she is still connected to him. They affect one another whether they know it or not."

Jacque climbed into the shower. Sally chuckled as she heard Jacque moan, "Oh. My. Gosh. This feels heavenly. Almost so good that it could be bad, but it's so good that you don't care if it's bad. You get me?"

Sally had a smile stretched across her face and her eyes crinkled as she answered, "Yes, wolf princess, I get you. So, anyway, as I was saying, another vibe I'm getting is from a certain wolf -"

"Oh, brother. Are we getting ready to have some Jen moments?"

"Most definitely a Jen moment. He is totally not an option, completely off the menu. But he keeps smiling at me and winking at me. I mean – Come. On. How much is one girl supposed to endure?"

"Let me guess." Jacque talked over the shower spray. "Does said off-the-menu-wolf's name rhyme with lostin?"

"Lostin? Really, Jac, that's what you're going with?" Sally rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine. Is the wolf's name -"

"Yes, yes, crap," Sally interrupted. "It's our friendly neighborhood bartender. I mean, can you imagine me introducing him to my parents? Hey mom and dad, this is Costin, he's a werewolf and a bartender. So basically he could eat me for lunch and then pour himself a nice cold beer to wash me all down."

Jacque was cracking up as she turned the shower off and pulled the curtain open. She grabbed a towel and started drying off. "Nice one.”

"I'm being serious, Jacque," Sally whined. "He is really beginning to get to me and I don't have time to nurse a broken heart."

"Sally, take a deep breath, let it out slow." Jacque waited until her friend complied while she continued to dress. She pulled on a pair of cargo pants that were just a tad too big, then pulled a dark blue turtleneck over her head. "Now, let's not stress over the little WWBT issue, okay?"

"WWBT? " Sally's brow furrowed.

"Yeah, were-wolf-bar-tender." Jacque grinned, obviously pleased with herself.

"What is with you and Jen and the acronyms? I swear y'all have a notebook full of them."

"If we do, you'll never know." Jacque winked at her brunette friend.

Sally looked Jacque up and down and then smiled. "You totally rock the whole 'I took a soot bath in a fire and now I have to wear clothes a size too big in colors that completely wash me out' style."

Jacque pulled the door to the bathroom open and ushered Sally out. "Well, thank you, Thelma. I appreciate the props."

"Anytime, Louise. That's what I'm here for – to point out when you pull off a look, or crash and burn."

"Let's get downstairs to eat, you dork," Jacque said, shaking her head at Sally and pulling her along.

When the two girls arrived downstairs they saw most of the pack had already eaten and were beginning to disperse, some heading off to help the tavern's owner clean up and others taking care of things Vasile had assigned them.

Their group all gathered around the fireplace in the large gathering room. Fane walked over to Jacque and handed her a plate of eggs and bacon. And to Sally's surprise – and partial chagrin mixed with joy – Costin handed her a plate of the same.

Both girls took seats on the sofa that the guys had vacated when they arrived.

"Nice of you ladies to join us." Vasile addressed them with a firm tone, but his eyes held amusement.

"In America, V, there is this thing called fashionably late. See, it's my job as your daughter-in-law to introduce you to all these customs." Jacque grinned at him.

Vasile chuckled. "Oh. Well then, I suppose I should thank you instead of reprimand you?"

"Now you're catching on."

All those around the room chuckled at the banter, but grew quiet as Vasile stood.

"As soon as you all are done eating you will head out in your separate directions. Alina and I as well as most of the rest of the pack will stay here. This will be headquarters, for lack of a better term. Fane, Jacque, Crina, and Sorin you will take the remaining vehicle and head back to the mansion. Once there, Sorin will get in contact with the pack historian and he should at least be able to point you in a general direction of where to begin looking." Vasile paused and seemed to gather his thoughts. Everyone waited in silence, the fire snapping and popping as the wood burned, and the wind outside blowing against the windows.

Finally he looked to Sally. "You, Cynthia, Costin, and Decebel will head out on foot."

Sally's eyes widened at his declaration.

"On foot? In the cold and snow?" she squeaked.

"I could sacrifice some body heat for you if you need," Costin teased and winked. He took great pleasure in making her blush.

"Costin." Vasile's voice was a warning although there was no real heat behind it. "Now, I have gathered all the things you will need in order to manage in this weather. You will have some help along the way, although you should not seek it out. Just let it come to you."

A groan was heard as Jacque threw herself back dramatically on the sofa. "V, you are killing me. First they get to meet the Fae, and now they get to go on some Lord of the Rings trek across the mountain? And still all I get is some old dude and crumbly paper?"

"Just remember it's all for Jen and Decebel." Sally patted her best friend's leg.

"That is your only saving grace. Otherwise I would so be inviting myself on your little adventure."

Two hours, several arguments, and lots of groaning as packs were loaded later, Jacque, Fane, Sorin, and Crina were once again in a Hummer traveling the long road down the mountain back toward the Romanian Grey Wolves' mansion. Meanwhile, Sally, Cynthia, Costin, and Decebel had begun their arduous journey on foot.

"You think we got everything?" Sally asked Cynthia as they headed into the forest of the Transylvania Alps. They were walking in a single file line with Cynthia in the lead, then Sally, Costin, and Decebel bringing up the rear.

"If we didn't the only thing we left was a toilet."

"Seriously," Costin added, "it had to have been Alina who packed for us. No man would have thought of all the things that we have packed into these bags we are lugging on our backs.

Jacque had suggested taking a horse or donkey, but Vasile said even if they could find one it would just be one more mouth to feed. So, without a pack horse/donkey, the four were on their way.

They all fell silent as they walked along. The crunching of the snow beneath their boots, and the occasional bird or scurrying animal were the only sounds.

Decebel was lost in thought. After Jennifer had blocked him, and he had taken some time to calm down, he had gone to Vasile. He let him know that Jennifer said that the people who had rescued her were Gavril and Rachel – an Alpha and his mate thought to have died three centuries ago. Vasile was surprised but not completely shocked. He had told Decebel that in light of Jen's circumstances, going to see Peri was the best course of action for Sally.

When he'd awoken this morning he knew something was wrong. He couldn't feel her at all. It wasn't like when she blocked her mind; even then he could still sense her but now there was just nothing. He had decided that maybe she was unconscious, and although he hated the idea of her unconscious, it was a better thought than other possibilities. He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone because he didn't figure there was anything that could be done about it. The longer he went without her presence the weaker he began to feel, and the darkness creeping into his mind and soul intensified.  Now he was thinking maybe it would have been a good idea to mention it to Vasile. If it got worse, he decided, he would talk to Sally and Cynthia.

Cynthia Steele couldn't believe where she was, or what she was doing. If someone had come up to her a year ago and said, 'Hey, next year you'll be in Romania hiking through the forest looking for a fairy,' she would have told them to quit sniffing those permanent markers. But here she was, in Romania, hiking in the freezing cold looking for a fairy. She had known the Fae existed at one time. Cynthia liked to keep up at least a little on their history and the history of other supernatural beings. However, she hadn't been as diligent in the past few years and didn't know that the Fae were still a part of this world. It was amazing.

There was no doubt she regretted what she had done to Jacque, but at the same time she was so glad that she was here, able to help her own kind. 

Sally was trying to focus on where she planted her feet in the snow to keep from stumbling, but her mind kept wondering to the too-hot-for-his-own-good wolf walking behind her. She didn't understand the ache inside her when she looked at him. What she could understand was her attraction to him – he was freaking lickable. Sally smiled at the words she'd heard Jen use so many times before. Jen – that was where her mind should be. And it was, but it was also on Costin.