Den of Sorrows (The Grey Wolves #9)(28)

"It's your own fault for getting your hopes up," Jacque pointed out. "Peri never agreed with us. She just grinned."
"Yep, and we lapped it up like kittens slurping up cream," Sally agreed.
Jacque and Jen turned to look at her. "Kittens slurping up," Jen began.
"Cream?" Jacque finished.
Sally rolled her eyes. "We can't all be as eloquent as you two poets."
Jen inclined her head. "Can't disagree with you there, kitten." She winked at the now scowling Sally.
Decebel placed a hand on her lower back, drawing her attention away from the banter, and she looked up at him. The look in his eyes made it clear that he was happy to see the three of them going at it again. Things had not been the same since the vampire killing had begun.
"We're going to be okay, B, promise," she reassured him.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I've no doubt of that, baby. I just hate that you are even in a situation that makes you feel as though you need to reassure me of such a thing.""But if we do this now, if we deal with these situations ourselves, then maybe our children won't have to. That makes it worth it," Jen told him and then glanced over at her two best friends who were nodding in agreement.
"We can handle this," Sally agreed. "It's not pretty, it's not easy, and it's only going to get worse, but we can handle it."
"Would it be totally inappropriate of me to tell you how incredibly hot you are right now and that I want to show you another reason dealing with these situations will be worth it?" Costin asked his mate as his hazel eyes began to glow.
Jen held out her hand to high-five her friend’s mate. "Nicely done. Inappropriate sexual comments are by far the most flattering."
Decebel's brow rose. But Alston interrupted whatever he had been about to say.
"The entrance to this coven's lair is right over there." He pointed to a sewer grate.
They all looked in that direction and then at their surroundings.
"Is it just me, or are there about fifty too many humans walking, driving, and lollygagging about?" Jacque asked.
"I can handle the humans," Alston countered.
"But then who's going to help deal with the remains down there?" Jen asked.
The high fae turned to look at Vasile and Alina, but they looked like they were having too much fun watching the girls do what they did best—pester.
"Peri isn't the only one with power, you know," he said as he let his own power roll over him and light him up just as Peri's sometimes did.
Jen pursed her lips at him. "She just seems so much more…bad ass than you."
Alston glared at her. "Why do you think they call me a high fae?" he challenged.
Jacque shook her head at the man, just as Sally snickered.
"Couldn't possibly be because you like to smoke on some magical fae plants, could it?" Jen asked him and she could tell she was really beginning to grate on a nerve.
Suddenly the grate to the sewer slid sideways and Alston pointed to the opening. "Just go kill the vampires, please, and then I will do my part."
"Touchy, touchy," Jen mumbled as her mate ushered her toward the opening.
Jacque watched as Decebel, Jen, Vasile, Alina, and Drake slid into the opening before dropping down into the darkness below. Her stomach clenched as it did every time she'd watched Jen disappear underground to fight the nasty creatures. She knew Decebel wouldn't let anything happen to her best friend, but that didn't stop her from worrying.
She instinctively placed a protective hand on her stomach, since that seemed to be the only person she loved that she could protect.
"Are you alright?" Fane asked as he looked from her stomach to her face. 
She gave him a reassuring smile. "No baby coming yet, daddy."
"You will let me know?"
She nodded and stood on her toes to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Of course I will."
Jacque turned back to the sewer opening and watched it as if, by her will alone, she could keep safe the group that was disappearing into the hole. If only it were that easy, she thought.
Sally tried to step away from Costin but he wouldn't allow it. Just as he hadn't at the last three covens they'd taken out. She was attempting to shield him from the things she was feeling, because if she didn't, he tried to take on some of the emotional anguish himself, and she couldn't bear for him to do that.
"Stop," Costin whispered as he pulled her back against his chest. His hands were on her arms, holding her to him. "You aren't going to do this alone. You are the healer, but I am the healer’s mate. I am the one who has the privilege of tending to you. You won't take that from me, not when I have to watch you give of yourself to everyone and then feel your guilt when you think there's nothing left for me."
Sally's head snapped around as her mouth dropped open and she looked up at him. How had he known? She'd been so careful to keep that part of her tucked away. There was no hurt in his gaze, just love, determination, and resolve. "You're mine," he whispered against her lips as he pressed a soft kiss to them. "I require nothing other than this." He wrapped his arms around her. "Let me be the one to hold you, through all of it."
Sally closed her eyes. She knew the moment the killing began. The dark magic that was released from the dying vamps caressed her own magic, attempting to lure her to it. She shook it off and focused on Costin's warmth surrounding her. Then the emotions came. It shouldn't have been so strong, not up here on the street. She wasn't down in the actual coven where the horror had taken place, but for some reason, that's exactly what it felt like.
She would have fallen to her knees had Costin not held her. Sally squeezed her eyes shut as her heart beat painfully in her chest. She wanted to scream but couldn't. She didn't know how much time had passed as she was swallowed by all of the anguish the victims had endured. Then she heard Jen's voice.
"Sally! We need Sally, now!"
Sincaro glared at the two vampires standing in his lair. Of all the covens in North America, his was the only that felt like an actual building. He had extensive amounts of work done to convert the square concrete walled rooms into something akin to comfortable living quarters. He supposed it was because of his age. He had more control than the younger ones and, though he lived to feed, he also enjoyed the occasional luxury. He preferred to be clean and liked the area in which he lived to be tidy as well. Sincaro was well aware that there were some covens that were nothing more than rats’ nests.
One of the vampires fidgeted, drawing the vampire king’s attention back to the present. "How many?" Sincaro finally asked.
"Seven that we know of," the fidgety one answered. Sincaro couldn't remember their names, mostly because they were both expendable. There was no point to know their names.
"And you know for sure it's the wolves?"
"One of the vamps in Little Rock was on his way back to the coven and saw them. They apparently don't know that we have some day walkers. So he sent out the call and it's been going out to all the covens. The ones they've hit hadn't been notified yet. Pretty soon they're going to come upon one that is ready for them."
Sincaro smiled. It amused him how the vampires could ban together when they had a common enemy. They might be bloodthirsty, but they also wanted to protect their way of life."Do they appear to know anything about the captives?"
"No. They know there are children, but they don't realize their significance," the one on the left answered.
He sat staring at the two vampires but not really seeing them. Sincaro’s mind was weighing his options. He could wait until they made it to his city, as they undoubtedly would, or he could challenge them. If he challenged them, perhaps, they wouldn't be able to destroy any more covens. They would be in Phoenix dealing with him and his coven. If he waited, there was no telling how many they might kill before they got to him.
"Send Fontaine to me," Sincaro said as he dismissed them.
Several minutes later, the door opened and in walked an ancient vampire—one old enough even to walk in broad daylight. "Fontaine," Sincaro said and gave the man a curt nod.
"Sire," Fontaine said with a slight bow of his head.
"I need you to go up and find the wolves and fae that are daring to stand against us. So far none of my line have been killed. If one had, I would know it and know where it took place."
Sincaro could feel each and every one of the vampires he'd ever sired. Their magic was connected. He knew when they died and he knew where they were. But second generation vampires—those that were sired by his own offspring—he could not feel. The magic was too diluted by the time it was in the second recipient.
Fontaine was about to speak but the vampire king held up his hand to halt him. His lips turned up into an evil smile. "It seems the Fates are with us. They are in Washington. See if there are any left and have them kindly invite our adversaries to come join us for a meal."
Fontaine bowed his head one more time before leaving.
The vampire king stood and began to pace. It had been so long since he'd been in battle. He could feel the excitement rushing through him at the thought of biting into a mature wolf or, even better, a high fae. If anything, that would make the coming struggle all worthwhile. He turned toward the door, the smile still on his face. In his eagerness for the coming bloodshed, his thirst was growing, despite having fed only a few hours ago. There was a certain female that he suddenly had a taste for. Maybe this time he'd drain her, just to ensure that she wasn't found. Maybe.