Lorelle raised her hand as if to strike at Jen but Elle and Alina stepped in front of her, blocking her view to the pregnant she-wolf.
“It might be wise not to poke the pregnant werewolf,” Cynthia snapped at the fae.
“Lorelle what are you doing here?” Elle asked again wanting the answer as much as she was trying to get the fae’s attention off of the wolves. She knew what Lorelle was capable of and if she was here and Peri was not, things could get dangerous very quickly.
“I’m here at the request of my employer, for lack of a better term, to get the merchandise he requires.”
“Give me a freaking break,” Jacque growled. “Are you telling me we’re being kidnapped? Because seriously I’ve been kidnapped one too many times in my life and I’m really tired of it. Can’t we do something else? How about a competition of some sort? That would at least be more interesting.”
“Good call, Jac,” Jen spoke up, “kidnapping is so old school.”
“I have to agree,” Sally said. “If your boss wants to be original as a villain in today’s market, he really needs to be more inventive than the run-of-the-mill kidnapping.”
Lorelle’s eyes widened. “Are they for real?” she asked Elle.
“They’re just getting started,” Elle smirked. “Just wait, it gets worse.”
“Are you working for Reyaz?” Alina gently pushed Elle out of the way and met the fae’s eyes. The set of her jaw made it clear she expected an answer.
“We have an arrangement. And as it pains me to hear that you think my methods lack originality, there is something to be said for the rate of success. So I’m afraid that I have to say, yes, this is me kidnapping you.”“How exactly are you planning to take all of us?” Cynthia asked.
“Good question doc.” Jen nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. “But a better question would be: in what world could you possibly take on this many wolves and a fae?”
Lorelle smiled and it was a smile that said she knew something they did not, and it was an important something.
“I spoke too soon didn’t I?” Jen asked. “I hate it when I do that.”
“Totally takes the bad assness out of it,” Jacque told her.
“I’m pregnant, Jacque. I’m pretty much out of bad assness at this point.”
Lorelle reached into a pocket in the cloak she wore and pulled out a dark stone. She held it in the palm of her hand and it began to glow red.
“Why do I feel like that rock is more than just her pet rock, Earl?” Jacque muttered as all their eyes locked onto the stone in the fae’s hand.
Elle’s eyes widened at the sight of it. She turned and held her hands out to the room and shouted something but Lorelle was faster. She pushed Elle back causing her to stumble and whatever protection she was attempting to cast over the females crumbled. Alina lunged for Lorelle but slammed into an invisible barrier, one much like the kind she had seen Peri conjure.
The room around them began to shimmer and shift and then suddenly it was gone and there was only darkness.
Jen attempted to reach out to Decebel as the darkness swallowed her and the others.
“DECEBEL!” she screamed at him tugging on the bond that was so fragile and barely there. She needed him, needed his strength and assurance that he would find her. She waited, hoping against hope that he would feel her even though he had shut down their bond. Maybe if she pushed enough, he would feel her. Maybe if she sought him out with everything inside of her, then even he wouldn’t be able to keep her out.
“Please B, hear me!”
“Jennifer?” The sound of his voice in her mind, after so long without it, made her gasp and caused the ache in her chest to intensify. “What’s wrong Jennifer? What’s going on?”
He was angry and his anger spurred hers, pushing away the hurt and sorrow over their breaking bond.
“You would know what was wrong if you hadn’t severed our bond. You would have known that Lorelle showed up at Lilly’s house and calmly informed us that she was kidnapping us. You would have known that we have been worried sick about all of you because we haven’t heard a damn thing from you. That’s what’s going on Decebel. Welcome to the party.”
"You’ve been kidnapped?” he snarled and she felt a shiver run through her. Here she was being taken by a psycho, and she was getting turned on by her mate’s temper. Well she never claimed to be normal, why start now?
“She certainly isn’t inviting us over for a slumber party. So yes B, we’ve been kidnapped.”
“Can you tell me where they’re taking you?”
“Not so much. She’s doing that fae thing where they flash themselves.”
“As soon as you can see your surroundings, I need you to tell me as much as you can about where you are.” He paused and she could barely feel the worry coming off of him in waves. “Are you alright?”
Jen bit her lip. She would not cry. She would not show any weakness, not to him, not anymore. “I’m as good as a pregnant werewolf with a mate bond that’s nearly gone and is being kidnapped can be. As soon as I have some helpful information for you I’ll let you know.” She snapped the barrier down between their minds quickly, hoping that he didn’t sense how much control it was taking her for her to not break down and cry. She hated crying, and yet lately that seemed to be her answer for everything. She wondered briefly if there was such a thing as a tear ductectomy. Probably not, but it was a thought, a crappy one―yes, but a thought nonetheless.
“Sally?” Sally heard Costin’s worried voice and latched onto it desperately. The rich deep tone enveloped her like a warm blanket and she wished more than anything that it was his arms that were enveloping her.
“Sort of have a little problem,” she told him carefully.
“Are you fighting warlocks too?”
“WHAT?” Sally nearly hollered out loud, but caught herself before it left her throat. “Why are you fighting warlocks? Is that why you shut me out?”
“The why isn’t real important at this point and I didn’t shut you out, I thought you shut me out.” He sounded out of breath and for him to sound that way through the bond told her that he was fighting hard. Worry for him threatened to overwhelm her. She took a slow deep breath and kept her eyes closed. The darkness around her was oppressive and beginning to disorient her from knowing which direction was up and which was down. She focused on feeling him through their bond, feeling his warmth and love.
“Sally, can you please tell me what the problem is that you mentioned?”
“We’re sort of going on a trip.” she cringed when she felt the swell of alarm in him.
“What sort of trip?”
“The sort that wasn’t planned and we weren’t exactly willing to go on.”
“You’re being kidnapped?”
“Afraid so.” Sally felt deflated but not scared, at least not yet. “Please don’t worry about us, okay? You focus on fighting the warlocks or whatever it is you’re doing so you don’t get hurt. We can get ourselves out of this mess.”
“Don’t worry? Sally mine, have you been drinking because the only way that you could possibly think that a male would not worry about his kidnapped mate would be if you were so inebriated that you couldn’t walk straight.”
She huffed and tried not to stomp her foot like a toddler. “There is no sense in worrying just yet. Please, just try and stay calm okay? I’m sure once Decebel finds out what’s going on he will freak out enough for all of you.”
“Are you hurt? Don’t lie to me,” he growled.
“No, well, not because of being kidnapped. Being separated from you has been painful, but other than that I’m fine.”
“We will find you, Sally.”
“I know you will,” her words came out as a whisper and though she wanted to sound strong and confident for him, she was tired, and she didn’t feel all that strong.
“You’re very strong love, I have faith in you.”“I love you, Costin. Please be careful.”
“I love you more.” She felt his lips on hers briefly and then she closed the bond so that he could focus on fighting the warlocks. Her chest tightened at the thought and she kicked herself for not pressing him harder about what was going on, not that he would have told her.
Jacque felt the bond between she and Fane open suddenly and relief flooded her like a dam being opened.
“Fane!” she said his name desperately, as if the mere sound of it would save her.
“I’m here Luna,” his voice came through deep and strong into her mind and she wanted to climb into his lap and press her nose to his neck so she could breathe in his familiar scent.
“Reyaz is working with Lorelle and she came to my mom’s house.”
“Are you alright?” She could feel his fear for her and his desperate need for her to be safe.
“I’m fine. She’s flashing us somewhere. Are you alright?” She felt his reluctance to answer. “Spit it out wolf-man.”
“Cypher has attacked, or attempted to attack, the trolls. So we are sort-of fighting the warlocks.”
“Sortof fighting? What the crap does that mean sort-of fighting? How do you sort-of fight, Fane? What are you slapping at each other like girls?” Jacque felt as if she couldn’t breathe as the implications of Fane’s words hit her. Cypher was attacking the trolls. Why would he do that? Was he alright? Crap, what was she going to tell her mom?