Piercing Silence (17 page)

“When did you become so wise?” Jacque asked
grinning up at him. Her body shivered under his touch and she tried
to keep from closing her eyes and basking in it. She realized that
the scare from the labor contractions had put things into
perspective for both of them.

“When I was blessed enough to have you
accept me as your mate. Don’t you remember? Beside every wise man
is an even wiser woman.”

Jacque laughed. “Now you’re just trying for
brownie points.”

Fane shrugged. “I’ll do whatever it takes to
get loving from you.”

“Is that what you need?” Jacque’s voice
dropped and warmth spread over her.

Fane’s eyes began to glow. “I want nothing
more than to hold you, skin to skin, but Rachel has forbid any form
of physical intimacy. She said we needed to make sure the medicine
is going to keep your contractions at bay. So you are officially on
bed rest.”

“Well, that’s a bummer.” Jacque tapped her
chin. “I guess you will just have to entertain me.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Oh? And how
am I to do that, Luna?”

Jacque didn’t even blush when she answered.
“I think a strip show by my fine specimen of a husband is in order.
Even if we can’t physically be together, that doesn’t mean I can’t
enjoy the view.”

Fane threw his head back and laughed as he
sat up and pulled his shirt over his head revealing his very toned
torso. “If a view is what my female wants, then that is what she
will get.”

Jacque looked at his exquisite form taking
in her fill. He really was something to look at.

“You’re turn,” Fane told her with a
smoldering look that she was sure would melt steel.

Her eyes widened. “You want me to take off
my shirt?”

He shook his head. “All of it. Like you
said, I can look, just not touch.”

He reached for her but she held up a hand.
“Wait one sec, Casanova. Before I bare all for you, are you okay?
Like with everything?”

Fane laid a hand on her hip tugging her
toward him. “It’s getting better. Seeing you in that much pain, and
also seeing what could have been, has helped me let go of a lot of
my fears. I’m not saying I’m not still scared of somethings but I
think a lot of that is natural. After all, we are young and being a
parent is a scary, intimidating thing. But like I said, together we
can do this.”

Jacque felt her eyes fill with tears. “We’re
going to be okay, right?”

“Beloved, we are so much better than okay.”
He tugged at the hem of her shirt and helped her pull it over her
head. “And we are about to be even better than that.” He laid down
next to her and pulled her body close against his letting his
warmth absorb into her. Their chest pressed together and their
hearts pounded out a steady rhythm seeming to say with every beat
that they were exactly where they were supposed to be―together,
complete, whole.

D
ecebel held Jennifer in his arms as they sat on the floor in
front of the burning fire. It was finally getting cool enough to
have a fire again, and the warm flames danced sensually across his
mate’s skin.

“You think we are all going to be okay?”
Jennifer asked as she pressed her face against his bare chest.

“What do you mean?”

“Sally is off doing who knows what with Peri
and all those new healers. I mean, what is up with all those chicks
suddenly appearing? Healers are a big deal and you know every pack
without one is going to be clamoring to get their grubby paws on
one. That can’t be good for unity purposes. And then there’s Jacque
and Fane and all their crap plus the worry of her losing the baby.
And then there’s us.”

“What about us?” Decebel frowned down at
her. “I thought we were fine. We had our fight, we made up, with
incredible love making I might add, and I’m planning to make sure
you stay too tired to cause any more problems.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say
that I cause problems. Because what I know you meant was that I
bring you such joy you can barely contain yourself and you struggle
with the urge not to run to the top of the mountains singing ‘the
hills are alive with the sound of music.' ” Her voice echoed around
the room as she sang out the last part.

“Okay so, perhaps,
we
should
be
worrying about us. And if I ever do perform such a feminine act
please kick me in my man parts.”

Jennifer patted his leg. “Consider it done,
baby.”

Decebel ran his hand down her long hair
enjoying the way the silk strands felt against his skin. His mind
flashed back to earlier and the feel of her hair on his face and
chest and her scent surrounding him. She was definitely a handful,
but she was his.

“In answer to your question,” he said
quietly not wanting to disturb their peaceful moment, “we are all
going to be fine. We’ve already made it through some tough times.
We just have to stay united not only as mates and partners but as
pack as well. Evil will seek to divide us to weaken us, and we at
times will even try to sabotage ourselves in our misguided efforts
to fix things that are beyond our control, but if we stand beside
one another, support one another, and love each other, we will
persevere. As for us, you’re stuck with me, babe. Where you go, I
go.”

“To hell and back?” Jennifer asked and he
heard the teasing in her voice.

But in his answer there was no jesting. He
meant it with every cell in his body. “To hell and back as many
times as you need me to go.”

She pulled back and looked up at him.
“That’s all I need to know.” She leaned up and pressed a kiss to
his lips, and Decebel felt all of her worries fade away as she once
again gave herself to him. As always, his mate was generous with
herself and her affection and Decebel reveled in her attention. He
had no doubt that their time of peace would soon be coming to an
end. His wolf sensed it and was growing restless. But for now, he
would push the worries away and find peace and comfort in his
mate’s arms.

Chapter 19

L
illy watched as
the king of the warlocks paced the main hall in the mountain they
called home. She was still growing use to living in such a grand
and old fashioned place, but it was beginning to feel like home.
She and Cypher had yet to say any formal vows, and though they
shared a bed, because her warlock refused to leave, their
relationship had not progressed physically. If things continued
they way they had been recently, she wondered if they’d ever get
around to getting married. Lilly knew she shouldn’t be worried
about that, and she wasn’t, not really. But the little girl in her
who dreamed of the white dress couldn’t help but hope that, even at
over forty years of age, it would happen soon.

“
Are
you going to talk with Vasile about it?” She finally broke the
silence that had been between them since she’d returned from seeing
her daughter. When Lilly had gotten back she’d found Cypher and his
top council members in deep discussion over the continuing decline
of their people. Every day another warlock fell victim to the
madness that seemed to be claiming them.

Cypher was getting
desperate to help them. And yet she knew that he honestly didn’t
have any idea how to fix the problem. The magic in the human realm
had grown weak, and it almost seemed as if the warlocks were
begining to soak up all of the evil that had been left over, like a
residue, across their mountain over the years.

“
I
understand your ties to the wolves because of your daughter, Lilly,
but it isn’t in our nature to seek out help when it will reveal a
weakness about ourselves.”

He’d told her that
already in many different ways, but she still didn’t agree. “Will
you let pride be your downfall then?”

His yellow eyes
narrowed. “It isn’t pride to want to protect my people.”

“
Vasile and his wolves have come to your aide before and they
did not exploit your weaknesses then. Why do you think they would
suddenly do so now? When are you going to see that you aren’t god.
You can’t fix everything on your own. It is okay to need help.”
Lilly was pleading with him again. She had yet to admit to him that
she was terrified she was going to lose him to the madness that had
taken others. She couldn’t stand the thought of her strong,
powerful warlock king reduced to animal like behavior and unable to
be the leader he was born to be. She needed him and whether he
realized it or not, he needed her.

“
I’m
not going to keep arguing with you about this, Lilly,” he said
sounding every bit as tired as he looked.

“
Are
you plannng on sending me away again?”

His head snapped up.
“No, I told you I wouldn’t do that again.”

“Then I guess you
will argue with me about it as many times as I bring it up. I am
not one of your subjects and I will not turn a blind eye while you
run foolishly into a battle you can’t win on your own. That is what
a partner is, Cypher―someone to help you see what you can’t, and to
challenge you, and to question you so that you look at all the
possibilities.”

“Perhaps, I have
been alone in my duties for too long and I cannot change,” he
rumbled as he turned to face the large throne that sat at the front
of the hall. It looked cold and lonely up there but it was no
longer by itself. Next to it now sat a smaller more feminine
throne―one she had not sat on yet because she didn’t feel right
doing so, as she wasn’t yet his bride. It aggravated him to no end,
which really was just a bonus.

“You
can believe your excuses if you want but I’m not interested in what
you’re selling. If you want me, then you will fight for me―for us.
If you want your people to be well again, then you will fight for
them, and you will take on any help you can in order to be
victorious. So don’t try and spout that
I’m too old to change
crap to me. I’ve been single for eighteen years
and yet I’m willing to let go of some control in order to have
happiness with you. You have to meet me half way.”

Cypher stared at
her with frustration marring his handsome face. It wasn’t a new
argument and Lilly wasn’t foolish enough to believe that they
wouldn’t have it again and again, but it was one worth fighting.
She would not accept laziness in their relationship. It would take
hard work on both of their parts to be successful, but she wanted
it and she believed he did too. Now she just had to figure out how
to help him save his people and possibly himself.

“
We
can do this, Cypher.” She took a step toward him, and another,
until she stood directly in front of him. She reached up to his
face and placed her palm on his skin. Cypher leaned into her hand
making her insides tingle with desire. “You are worth it to me. Am
I to you?”

His large arms
circled her waist and pulled her tightly against him. He leaned
down and pressed his forehead to hers and let out a long, deep
breath. “You are worth more than you know, Little One. I know I am
difficult and unbending but I will fight for you. Whatever it
takes, you are mine.”

“
Then
we will do this together. We will save your people.”

“
Our
people,” he corrected before pressing his lips to hers.

Our
people,
Lilly thought
to herself as she let Cypher’s love wrap around her. He was right;
she had to begin to see them as her people even though she was
human. If she loved Cypher and would do anything she could for him,
she had to love them just as she did him. She had to be willing to
go all in and build a life with him. Jacque was moving forward in
her own life, married and now with a child on the way, and it was
time for Lilly to move forward with hers. Never in a million years
would she have thought it would be at the side of a warlock king,
but as he pulled her tighter against him, his hands moving lower on
her lower back and his lips devouring hers, she realized that there
was no place else on earth that she belonged like she did there
with him.

From the author:

I hope you enjoyed
getting to see how Fane and Jacque are doing while they prepare for
the birth of their child. Stay tuned for the next Grey Wolves
Series Novella, Queen of the Warlocks, where we will embark on a
harrowing journey with Lilly and Cypher to save their people. Also
coming soon is Surrender, Book 3 in the Elfin Series. Read further
for an exclusive sneak peak!

Surrender, Book 3 Elfin
Series