"All you need is a heavy coat. Everything else will be provided for you."
Crina and Jacque looked at each other, then both shrugged their shoulders.
"If you say so, Surely," Jacque mumbled.
Crina looked at her, eyes narrowed. "Should I ask why you called her Shirley?"
Jacque laughed and explained it to Crina.
Crina shook her head, chuckling. "You never cease to entertain me."
Once they were on their way, moving quickly through the snow-laden forest, Fane followed Jacque up to the front of the group. Elle was leading.
"So you're a fairy?" Jacque asked curiously.
Elle smiled at her and Jacque couldn't stop the responsive smile. Elle was one of those contagiously happy people. Jacque liked her."I am a fairy," Elle confirmed.
"You can do all sorts of cool stuff, can't you?"
"Luna, what are you doing?" Fane's voice filled Jacque's mind.
"Chillax, wolf-man, I just want to ask a few questions. I mean, heeeello, it's not every day that I get to meet a fairy."
Fane smiled at his mate's curiosity, but also worried that she might offend Elle. A ticked-off fairy is not one you wanted to deal with.
"I suppose I can do stuff that's cooler than what humans can," Elle said thoughtfully. "But I can't do any magic out here right now, it would be too easy for the witch to find us, even through the veiling spell."
Jacque nodded her understanding.
The group was quiet as they walked. An eerie silence filled the forest – no animals scurrying about, no birds flew overhead. It was as if the entire forest held its breath, trying to hide in plain sight, waiting.
The quiet did not go unnoticed by Elle as she led the Alpha and his wolves through the trees. Peri had made it very clear that they were to move quickly, take very few breaks, and make any stops short. Elle could feel the black magic slithering across the shield that she had cast over them and shuddered at the knowledge of who wielded that magic. She glanced back, quickly meeting Vasile's eyes, giving a brief nod that he understood: pick up the pace. And when Elle began moving more quickly, everyone else followed suit.
Mona stood out on the ledge of the mountain her home was situated on. She knew someone, or many someone's, were moving through the forest. However, she couldn't get a lock on them. Using her will to move through the air, she continued to search for whoever they were. Still nothing. In frustration, she opened her eyes and glared at the vast forests before her. She decided it was time to scry. It wasn't something she usually liked because it could be somewhat tricky to decipher what the meaning of what she would see could be. It didn't always mean something obvious. But, desperate times.
Mona entered her home and turned left, entering a room full of cages, all holding different animals. She opened one of the bottom cages and reached in, grabbing a rabbit by the scruff. Without a thought she twisted the rabbit's neck with a sickening crunch. She took the now-dead animal to her table and slit its throat, allowing its blood to flow into a shallow, large basin. Once the blood was drained, she tossed the small body into a basket underneath the table.
She picked up her scrying stones and held them in her hands to warm them. Then she chanted:
"Stones of mystery, stones of fate,
Peer through the veil to this date.
I take a life to give you blood,
Pour out the truth like a flood."
Over and over she chanted this as she threw the stones into the blood-filled basin. As the last hit the still-warm fluid, she opened her eyes to see the outcome. Her eyes narrowed and a sinister smile crossed her lips.
"Now, isn't that interesting?" An evil laugh shook free from her chest. "I do love it when things get interesting," she muttered to herself.
Chapter 17
12 days post-curse
Jacque stumbled as she and the others climbed a considerably steep hill. Fane wrapped an arm around her waist, catching her before she face-planted into the snow.
"Thank goodness for wolf reflexes," she murmured.
Fane winked at her and gave her quick peck on the cheek. "I'll always catch you, Jacquelyn."
He released her and they continued up the hill, following Elle, with Alina, Sorin, and Vasile pulling up the rear.
"At the risk of sounding very much like a five year old, are we there yet?" Jacque grumbled.
Elle looked back at her, then the others, and realized that they were seriously dragging. Jacque more than others because she wasn't fully Canis lupis. Elle had been pushing them hard, and in twenty four hours she'd only let them stop twice and they were brief pauses. She looked ahead and narrowed her eyes. Fae eye sight was beyond anything humans could understand.
"It will be another day and half a night before we are there, and that's if we don't stop."
"We have to stop to sleep at least for a couple of hours," Vasile spoke up from behind them.
"No offense, Alpha, but lingering is not wise." Elle looked into the small pouch that was attached to her hip. She only ever used it as a last resort, but it was necessary at this point. She pulled out small wafers and handed them to Jacque.
"Pass three to each person. Let them dissolve in your mouth," Elle explained.
Jacque turned to do as she was instructed, then quickly turned back to Elle. "What exactly is this?"
"Its energy," Elle said simply.
"Well, that clears it right up," Jacque chirped. "You're just as vague as the fur balls."
Elle cocked her head to the side. "Fur balls?"
Jacque snorted a chuckle. "Sorry, bad habit. I meant werewolves."
Elle looked behind Jacque to Fane. "You are the prince of your people and she calls you a fur ball."
"Believe it or not, she's called me worse," Fane told her. shaking his head.
Elle shook her own head in disbelief, muttering, "Humans are so weird." She started walking again and said over her shoulder, "You should begin to feel the effects of those in a few moments."
The group continued on and true to Elle's word they began to feel the effects of the Fae food. As Jacque's energy from the strange wafers peaked, she turned to look at Fane with a wicked grin.
"What's going on in that head of yours, Luna?"
"I was just thinking about what Jen would suggest those wafers be used for." Jacque laughed out loud when Fane raised his eyebrows at her.
"Who says Jen's the only one who would think of such a thing?" His voice was filled with unrepentant desire, even amidst all the turmoil they were enduring.
Jacque's response was a snicker and an eye roll at her mate who, werewolf or not, was still very male.
14 days post-curse
Decebel didn't understand why he was nervous about giving Jennifer more of his blood. Admittedly, it was a very intimate experience, but under the circumstances he felt like all he should feel was the desire to make sure she healed. In truth, even with her only conscious in brief stints, he was falling for her, and he desperately wanted her to still have the feelings Sally said she'd had for him.He placed a hand under her neck and lifted gently to prop her up. Then he bit into his other arm deep enough to make sure the blood flowed freely. He placed the wound over her lips, pushing gently at her bottom lip to open her mouth. He held his breath as he waited to see if she would respond on her own. After several seconds, much to his relief, Jennifer's lips latched onto his arm and she began taking what he offered. Decebel closed his eyes, thanking the great Luna that Jennifer was finally strong enough to drink without coaxing. He tried not to think about how much it pleased him that she seemed to crave his blood, that she recognized him as hers. For a mate, that was a very potent thing.
When he began to pull his arm away he smiled at the disappointed noise that came from her.
"You would suck me dry if I let you."
As Decebel wrapped the towel he had laid on his lap around his bleeding arm, his head snapped up at the sound of a raspy voice.
"I'm not a damn vampire flea bag."
Decebel couldn't stop the wide grin that stretched across his face as he looked down into Jen's blue eyes. Although they had a haze over them, they still held mysteries that he longed to uncover.
He gently brushed her hair away from her face and ran the back of his hand against her cheek.
"You may not be a blood sucker, but admit it, baby, you like my blood," Decebel teased her. The words seemed natural, almost second nature.
Jen rolled her eyes. "I truly want to be grossed out by it, but you taste good. I can't decide if that makes me a sicko or you a freak."
"If you're a sicko than I am as well because I can't wait to taste your blood," Decebel confessed without shame.
Jen's brow furrowed as she stared into Decebel's eyes. His words confused her.
"Do you," she took a ragged breath that had her cringing at the pain, "do you remember me?"
Decebel was shaking his head as he answered gently, "No, baby, I don't. I wish more than anything that I did."
"Then how can you say that to me? How can you want to taste my blood?"
Decebel tried really hard not to touch her but it was impossible. He could no more keep his hands from her than he could stop the tide from rolling in. He took her hand and rubbed his thumb gently across it.
"My wolf knows its mate. He remembers you. Even if I didn't want to stay here with you, even if I didn't want to remember you, remember the love I had for you, he wouldn't let me walk out of this room. If I leave your side even for second he gets feral."
"Why?" Jen asked, genuinely not understanding.
"There is nothing more dangerous than a dominant male Canis lupis when his mate is injured and helpless. But I need you to understand, my wolf is not the only one who wants you, Jennifer. I want you. I need you to help me remember."