Beyond the Veil (15 page)

“Okay, I’m going to keep tabs on Desdemona, but I’m going to let this play out for now.” Peri’s face grew tight as she continued. “Now, there’s something else I need to talk with you two about.”

Adam stiffened at the sudden change in Peri’s demeanor.

“I have found out some very good, albeit very unsettling news. Wadim was visited by the Great Luna.” Peri paused as she crossed her arms across her chest. “She has decided to step in and assist her wolves.”

Elle broke into a smile and Adam let out a deep breath.

“That’s great.” Elle beamed. “Now we might really stand a chance.”

Peri’s face did not change. Her lips did not move at the sight of Elle’s smile and she didn’t look relieved, as Adam did.

“She feels that the Fae are being reclusive stuck-up asses and has decided that if they will not voluntarily get involved, she will give them the proverbial shove.”

Adam’s brow furrowed as he looked first at Elle, whose smile had begun to slip, and then back to Peri.

“She has made the Fae compatible true mates to the Canis lupis.”

Elle let out a squeak while Adam cursed under his breath.

“True mates?” Elle asked once her brain started firing again.

Peri nodded. “I just want you two prepared. You have been protectors and advocates for the wolves. The Great Luna has seen this. It wouldn’t surprise me if she picked one or both of you to start this extraordinary change.”

Peri watched the two Fae as they processed the information. She had wanted to prepare them before they joined the pack groups, just in case. She understood that it was a huge bomb to drop on them, but it was also a very good thing. The Great Luna had given both species a gift, and she really hoped that they would see it that way.

Adam finally looked at Peri and gave her his signature grin. “So what you’re saying is I might get some tail?”

Elle choked and her eyes widened at her friend.

Peri snorted. “You’re more liable to get a swift paw to the jewels than a shake of the tail.”

Adam laughed. “Well, guess we’ll find out soon enough. Where are we headed?”

“Elle, you are staying here and will help Decebel’s group with infiltrating the bar and trying to obtain more information on Desdemona’s plan. What you guys gleaned from your excursion is good, but I imagine it is only a small part of her grand scheme.

“Adam, you will be going to the Carpathian Mountains to help Vasile’s group. They should be arriving shortly and you all will be heading into the pixies’ territory. Vasile is going to need your help in dealing with the pixies. If you recall, they are finicky and easily offended.”

Adam chuckled. “Definitely going to have to tread carefully with that lot.”

Before they headed their separate ways, Elle grabbed Peri’s arm. “What do we do if we are mated to one of them? What if we aren’t ready?”

Peri smiled and patted Elle’s hand. “Then you tell the hairy beast to wait until you are ready. I assure you he won’t be going anywhere once the bond is discovered.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Elle muttered.

Adam gave a both females a slight nod before he flashed.

“Follow me, Elle. I’ll show you your room and then we can walk to the bar together,” Peri said. “The others have already gone.”

Elle followed Peri, but her mind was far from present. She couldn’t stop the feeling that her life was about to change. Something was about to happen and it terrified her.

“Change is coming. I can feel it in me. Darkness has begun to devour me from the inside out and I’m beginning to wonder, if I ever find my true mate, what will be left for her to love?” ~ Sorin

As Costin entered the bar, he felt the weight of magic boiling over him. The feeling pressed strongly in on him. Being dominant, it was in his nature to press back, so he did. His power filled the room and suddenly it was quiet. All heads turned to look at him and the group that was filing in behind him. Decebel stepped up and put a calming hand on Costin’s shoulder.

Costin hadn’t realized that he was already on the defensive, ready for a fight that might never come. Though it took a considerable amount of strength, he reigned in his power and let out a slow breath. This mating was going to be the death of him. He usually had total control over his wolf; he was still young, after all.  But just knowing that Sally stood next to him, unmarked, un-bonded, in a room full of supernatural males, did not make it easy to keep his lighthearted nature.

“Pull it together,” Decebel murmured and then headed for the bar, Jen close to his side. Costin followed, tugging Sally along behind him.

When Decebel reached the bar he spoke to a large, friendly looking man who wore an easy smile.

“I’ve brought my Beta to work for you as we discussed. I appreciate you giving him the chance to learn from you.”

The owner knew the real reason behind the wolves coming to his bar.  They had already agreed, however, owing to the number of regulars in the bar, that they would need a cover story. They had decided to say that Costin was coming to learn more of the trade from the owner, because Decebel was interested in opening a bar owned by the pack.

“It is an honor to have you here Alpha,” the bartender answered.

Decebel motioned to Costin. “This is Costin, my Beta, and his mate Sally.” Nodding to Costin the bartender smiled. “I’m Bo, the proprietor of this luxurious roach motel.  And I also double as the usual bartender because most of my other employees tend to be ‘sick’ a lot.”

Sally stood motionless as the exchange between the men went on. They were speaking in Romanian so she didn’t have a clue what they were saying. Cynthia walked up to her side and Jen maneuvered herself around Decebel so she was standing with them.

“I tell ya what, ladies,” Jen said with her hand on her hip, “this place has potential, but damn if it’s not going to take a lot of work.”

Cynthia smiled, shaking her head at the ever-persistent Jen.

Sally leaned over to Cynthia, speaking loud enough for Jen to hear. “It should make us nervous that the wheels are already turning in that pretty blonde head and we’ve been in this place all of three minutes.”

Cynthia eyed Jen. “Oh, believe me, I am nervous.”

Jen snorted. “Someone has to be the brains in this outfit. We have some serious recon to do.”

Sally groaned. “We are up shit creek without a paddle if she is already using military lingo.” Jen laughed when Costin’s head snapped around to look at Sally.

A small grin touched his lips and Sally blushed under his gaze.

“You guys think you should be worried about me?” Jen asked skeptically. “If Sally’s already cussing, we are definitely in trouble with a capital DS.”

Cynthia cocked her head to the side. “Trouble starts with T,” she said at the exact same time as Sally said, “Don’t ask.”

Jen grinned. “Indeed it does, my doctor friend, but I’m not talking about just any kind of trouble. The kind of trouble we are in is the Deep kind that leads to all kinds of Shit.”

Cynthia made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth while glancing over at Sally.

Sally shrugged. “I told you not to ask.”

“I didn't.”

Before they had a chance to continue their conversation, Costin looked over at Sally and smiled mischievously.

“Shit creek?”

Sally turned bright red at the words he spoke through their bond. He tugged her toward him, leading her behind the bar.

“I’m blaming that one on Jen. She taught me everything I know about cussing, and being around her seems to make me word vomit.”
 

Costin laughed out loud, earning him some curious looks. He simply smiled back at them and waved, or gave a nod as if he had known them all their lives. Costin was good with people. He made them feel at ease rather than like he was going to rip their head off at even the slightest wrong move.

Sally looked back and saw that Decebel was talking to the others, pointing discreetly, assigning locations. Judging by the look on Jen’s face and the tapping of her foot, she was not happy with what her mate had assigned her. Sally groaned inwardly. When was Decebel ever going to learn?  When you put boundaries around Jen she just thought of it as a challenge. Jen loved challenges. Basically Decebel was dangling a steak in front of a caged lion and daring it to find a way to get the meat. Jen always got her meat.

Sally snorted back laughter at her own thoughts. She would definitely have to share that one with Jen.

“I caught that, ya know?” 
Costin whispered slyly.

“Eavesdropper,”
Sally teased, trying hard not to be embarrassed over her Jen and meat thought.

“Do you like meat as much as Jen?”
Costin tried to sound simply curious but the wicked gleam in his eye when Sally looked at him told her he was far from just curious.

“Please don’t tell me you’re a vegetarian,”
he groaned.

It was Sally’s turn to laugh out loud as she watched Costin grab a towel and tuck it into the back of his pants. Costin caught her watching him and saw the slightly dazed look.

“Definitely not a vegetarian.”
He licked his lips and winked at her, causing a bright red blush to heat her skin.

Sally rolled her eyes but her breath caught in her throat when Costin reached around her to stick a towel in the back of her pants just as he had done to his. Costin’s face was less than an inch from her own. Her breathing grew shallow as she watched his hazel eyes begin to glow. Something weird was going on here. Sally could tell by the way the people sitting at the bar grew still and the talking softened to a low murmur.

“Um, Costin,” Sally whispered. “What are you doing?”

Costin moved even closer and she felt him breathe on her neck. Her eyes closed of their own accord but she was able to stop the moan that crept up her throat from escaping.

“Costin, you’re making me nervous. Please talk to me.”
Sally’s voice grew desperate as she tried to subdue her response to him.

Costin chuckled out loud but still spoke through their bond. “
I’m definitely making you something, but nervous is not it.”

Costin released her when she pulled back. A satisfied grin stretched across his too-handsome-for-his-own-good face.

Sally scowled at him. “What was that about?”

“Just sending a message, beautiful, nothing to get all worked up over.” He winked as he turned and took a drink order from a customer, not even acknowledging the growing irritation Sally felt at being brushed off.

“What message, Costin,” she ground out through gritted teeth.

After handing the customer his drink, Costin turned on his heel and stared at his mate. He watched as her body tensed and her chin jutted out in defiance.

“I was putting my scent on you. Any wolf who gets near you will know that you are taken.” Once again the satisfied smirk was back.

“You couldn’t have done that before we came inside?” she asked as her eyes narrowed.

Costin shrugged. “Doing it publicly only solidified that you are mine.”

Sally rolled her eyes. “Jen is right, you guys should just pee on us and get it over with.”

Costin laughed out loud.  As he walked toward her, he pointed to some glasses that were lined up on the back counter. “Get to work, female, and dry those.” He punctuated his teasing order with a smack to her backside.

Sally squeaked and she quickly moved out of his reach. She threw a glare over her shoulder as she reached for the towel he had put on her earlier. Muttering under her breath, she began to dry the glasses, trying, and failing miserably, to ignore her incredibly magnetic mate. This was going to be a long night.

~

Jen grumbled as she took a seat in the far corner of the room. She slumped ungracefully into the chair and glared at her mate, who was standing along the right side of the wall, no more than two feet from her side. The butthead had the nerve to ignore her. She growled before she could stop herself. Cynthia sat down next to her and smiled gently.

“You okay?”

“He put me in the damn corner. What do you think?” Jen snapped. Then, realizing she was taking her anger out on Cynthia, replied, “I’m sorry, doc. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just don’t think I have been this angry in a very long time.”

She looked over at her mate, who was continuing to ignore her glare. Jen was hoping that if she stared at him long enough she could zap him, or something.

“Zap me, babe. Really?”
she heard him say in her mind.

“I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than zap you when we are alone later. You can wipe that smug-ass grin off your face because you aren’t going to enjoy it. Rest assured I sure as hell will.”
Jen’s voice vibrated with anger.

“Language, Jennifer. A lady doesn’t use such vulgarity.”

Jen knew that he was teasing her and she might have enjoyed it had he not gone all Alpha on her.

“I would think from your experience with me behind closed doors that you would've already figured out that I am a far cry from a lady.”
She smiled when his head snapped around and he leveled her with glowing, amber orbs.

“That’s enough,” he snarled at her.

Jen’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Oh, believe me, I’m done.” She broke their stare, snapping her head and sliding her body in the same direction, effectively giving Decebel her back.

Cynthia’s head lowered at the power rolling off of Decebel.

“Do you think that was the wisest move?” Cynthia murmured to a seething Jen.

Jen snorted. “What’s he going to do? Spank me?”

“What did he do to make you this angry, Jen?” Cynthia kept her voice low and tried to remain calm, so as not to encourage Jen’s wolf to surface.

“He used his position on me. On
me,
” she growled.

Cynthia’s mouth dropped open as her eyes widened. It took all her strength not to look at Decebel even though she could feel his eyes on them.

“He used an Alpha command on you?” Cynthia’s voice was full of skepticism.

Jen nodded once.

“What was the command?”

Jen’s eyes roved over the room as she answered. “He told me not to stand.” Her voice quivered, a momentary show of vulnerability, but then it was gone. She steeled her eyes and regained her indifferent expression.

“He’s just trying to keep you safe, Jen,” Cynthia implored.

“He doesn’t trust me,” Jen told her.

“Jen, you know how the males are. Possessive doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of how they feel toward their mates. All he can see right now is a room full of males. He doesn’t know any of them; he can’t begin to control the possible outcomes. The only thing he can control is you. He can keep himself from worrying about you if you can’t get yourself into trouble.” 

Jen snorted. “So he’s assuming that I’m going to get in trouble?”

“Do you blame him?” Cynthia raised a knowing brow at her.

Jen huffed. “Fine, I tend to get myself into some interesting situations, but I always get myself out of them. He could have talked to me, explained that, instead of treating me like a child.”

“I agree, but maybe seeing it from his point of view will help prevent World War Three.”

Jen grinned at Cynthia. “Doc, you don’t know my mate if you think he'd want me to prevent a wicked fight. That’s his idea of foreplay.”

Cynthia closed her eyes, shaking her head. “That was way more information than I needed, Jen. Just saying.”

Jen laughed at the still shocked look on her friend’s face.

She soon felt Decebel trying to push through the wall she had erected in her mind. She refused him entrance and grinned to herself when she heard him huff like a spoiled child behind her.

~

Sorin sat on the far left side of the bar, his back against the wall. Costin handed him a ginger ale, which he took, never taking his eyes off of the room. He saw Drake in the far left corner of the room, conversing cordially with a male from the Bulgarian pack. Sorin had been relieved when Andon had declared this bar neutral ground. Even still, Decebel had notified
Victor, the Bulgarian Alpha, of their presence. He had been very amiable about them being in his territory and so far things were moving smoothly. The girls were all behaving themselves, and none of the males had gone – using Jen’s words – into irrationally possessive, incredibly ass-
hole-
ish mode.