Beyond the Veil (16 page)

She really does have a way with words,
Sorin thought to himself.

So far things were uneventful, just the way he liked it. He should have known it was too good to last.

The door to the bar opened and Peri walked in. Her eyes searched across the room, landing briefly on Drake and then on Sorin. Sorin’s head cocked to the side at the look she had in her eyes. She moved slowly from the entrance, allowing the person behind her to enter. Sorin’s swore his heart stopped beating as he watched Elle, the pink-haired, silver-eyed Fae walk in. He felt his wolf push, for the first time in a long time, fighting the man for dominance.

Sorin took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and the scent hit made his wolf fight harder. He stood abruptly and – using his wolf’s speed – was in front of her in a flash. Elle stood frozen, her eyes wide.

Sorin took a step closer, his dark eyes beginning to glow as he uttered a single word.

“Mate.”

Elle’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the intensity of Sorin’s emotions wash over her. Everything and everyone in the room faded into nothingness and it was as if only she and Sorin were there. The uttered word hung between them. He seemed to be waiting on her – waiting for what, she didn’t know.

Elle had known of Sorin for some time, but had never really had a conversation with him.  She knew that Sorin was not as large as some of the males of his species, but his dominance, coupled with her small frame, made him appear huge to her now. She took a step back from him, trying to get room to breathe. He let out a low growl and she froze again.

Trembling, she wanted to look at Peri for guidance but she was too afraid to look away from the penetrating gaze of the male before her.  Afraid that if she broke eye contact, even for a second, he might pounce on her. When he took another step toward her, she did what no animal should ever do when it meets another predator – she ran. Well, technically, she flashed. She went to the first place her mind grabbed onto. She opened her eyes and found herself
standing just outside the veil to her realm. The forest was quiet as the night wrapped it in the arms of the warm glow shining down from the moon. She felt a sharp pain in her chest and an ache so deep it brought tears to her eyes.

Pressing her back to a tree, Peri slid down to the ground, attempting to take slow breaths. All the while, her soul felt like it was being torn in half.

~

One minute she had been standing before him, inches away, the next she was gone. Sorin growled and began to shake, seeming seconds away from a violent outburst.

Decebel was already in motion when Costin made eye contact with him; the quick nod he received from his Alpha confirmed his actions. He turned and looked at Drake, who was waiting for orders. Costin gave him a nod and then Drake was quickly moving toward Sorin.

Costin turned to Andon. “I’m sorry to cut this night short, but I’m afraid Decebel is going to need my help dealing with this.”

Andon nodded. “It’s no problem. You are welcome to come back tomorrow.”

Costin gave him a quick handshake. Sally followed behind as he headed directly for Jen. When he reached her and grabbed her hand, to Jen's surprise she was able to stand. Costin didn’t pause as he pulled the girls toward the door.

Peri caught his arm as he passed her. “I’m needed here,” she said. “So you will need to stay with the females.”

Costin nodded, his mouth in a tight line. “I figured you would be the best to deal with this.” He lifted his chin in the direction of Sorin, who was barely being held back by Decebel’s power.

Costin continued on, girls in tow. Sally and Jen tried to keep their footing as he moved.

“Costin, did he say what I think he said?” Jen asked, pulling her arm from his and keeping up on her own.

“Mate,” Costin repeated Sorin’s uttered word. “He called Elle his mate.”

“Is that good or bad?” Sally asked tentatively as they made it to the hotel, pushing through the doors, never slowing their steps.

“If it’s real, then it’s good,” Costin answered. “But if it’s real and she ran, well, that’s....”

“JUBAR,” Jen finished for him.

Costin looked over his shoulder at Jen, his eyebrows raised in question.

“Jacked Up Beyond All Repair,” Jen explained. “I do try to curb my potty mouth,” she rolled her eyes, “sometimes.”

“Sorin and Elle, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes bonding, next comes the bite, then a roll in the hay that lasts all night.

Who says I can’t hold a tune?” ~ Jen

Sorin paced the room from one wall to the other. His claws had partially extended and his canines lengthened. Everything inside him was telling him to go after her. He didn’t have a clue where she was, but his wolf didn’t care – he was confident he could find her anywhere.

His clothes were beginning to feel too tight, his skin sensitive with the need to phase. In response, he hastily pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. As he made another pass from one end of the room to the other, he crossed in front of the bathroom mirror of the hotel room. He froze.

His was skin tingling on the right side of his back and neck and down the back of his right arm.
My markings,
he thought to himself.

Sorin slowly turned, looking over his shoulder at his back in the mirror. His breathing halted as he watched the markings on his skin – which had been there since puberty – change before his eyes. They were already elaborate because of his position in the pack, but now that he had found his mate they were even more ornate.

The black swirls and lines climbed from below the waistband of his jeans up to the back of his neck, right at his hairline. Then they swirled down and slid over his tricep and elbow, continuing around to the inside of his arm to his wrist. The markings never moved to the front of his body because, though he was dominant, he was not an Alpha.

Even after the markings finished changing, he simply stared over his shoulder. When Elle fled, Sorin had thought that maybe he was mistaken about her, maybe his wolf was mistaken and she wasn’t their mate, but now he had no doubt. She was his. After 135 years of waiting, 135 years of the darkness consuming him piece by piece,
finally
he had found her, only to lose her in an instant.

Sorin snarled, unable to hold it in. Decebel was able to keep him from phasing and had given him the command to stay in his room, but his wolf and even the man was fighting it. She was out there, without him. Unprotected.  A Fae.

How was it even possible that a Fae could be his mate? He knew that she could hold her own in a fight, but he was still beyond worried about her.  Where had she gone?  Elle’s strength aside, the point was that she was his mate. She belonged by his side, under his protection.

Sorin stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, searching for calm and control. He remembered the scent he had caught when she walked into the bar. She had smelled like raspberries and morning dew. It was the most alluring thing he had ever smelled. And as he thought of it he ached for her.

“Elle,” he whispered into the empty room. Why did she run? Had she felt threatened? Did she fear him?

Peri stepped into the room, Jen and Decebel at her heels.

The Fae took a seat on the end of one of the double beds. She knew it would help placate Sorin’s wolf if she kept herself lower than him. Jen started to sit but Decebel wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

“If you sit, you are telling his wolf that he is dominant over you.  You are my mate, therefore, you are Alpha to him. You have to always be thinking of these things, baby. You become easy prey to anyone who might use your ignorance against you.”

Jen didn’t respond, but let him know she understood what he was telling her. She was glad for the information and glad that Decebel was patient in teaching her things that she should know as an Alpha female, but still didn’t understand because of her newness to this world.

“We need to talk,” Peri said calmly.

Sorin snorted, so un-Sorin like. “You think?”

Go Sorin,
Jen thought.
G
etting some attitude, sticking it to the man.

“Jennifer,”
Decebel chastised.

“Sorry, I forget you like to listen to my inner dialogue.”

“How is it possible that a Fae is my mate?” Sorin asked through clenched teeth.

“Well, it’s a new development.”

Sorin waited for Peri to continue.

“Wadim approached Vasile only days ago to tell him the Great Luna had come to him in a dream.” Peri went on to explain everything. While she was speaking, the room grew eerily still.

As soon as she finished, everyone waited for Sorin’s response. Jen beat him to it.

“Shut. Up.”

Decebel stood in shocked silence.

“The Great Luna made this possible?” Sorin asked in awe.

“She has seen how you have struggled as a species, how you have fought amongst yourselves, and now how Vasile and Decebel are trying to unite the packs again. She knows that her wolves are stronger with mates; she knows my people are at the best of times selfish, and at the worst of times complete asses. The Fae have grown complacent in their world behind the veil, uncaring for the needs of other supernaturals. She has created a way to help both species.

“Even though we Fae can tend to be reluctant to assist others' battles, we will not leave one of our own to fend for themselves. Hence, if a Fae is mated to a Canis lupis and that Fae comes under attack, then the entire Fae race will step up to aid the Canis lupis.”

Sorin walked over to the window of the hotel room. He stared out into the darkness, darkness that he had related to for so long. Now, for the first time in his life, he felt a small sliver of light breaking through, just from seeing her face. In her presence he had felt some relief from the struggle that life had become. His wolf was constantly restless, looking forward to the next hunt, the next battle.

“Where is she?” he asked Peri without turning around.

“At the veil that passes into our realm.”

Sorin closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind, searching for the mental bond. Nothing. Turning back around, he pinned Peri with eyes so light brown they looked like glass. They glowed as he spoke and the intensity in his voice seemed to make the temperature in the room drop.

“I need to see her. I need to know she is safe. I need her by my side.” Sorin’s voice was becoming more of a growl as he spoke.

Decebel stepped forward.“We will get her back, Sorin. I need you to stay calm and keep a clear head.”

Jen had never seen Sorin so out of sorts.  It was very disconcerting to see someone who was usually so calm and collected begin to unravel. It just proved again how important a male’s mate was to him. 

“Give me some time, Sorin,” said Peri. “I will go speak with her. But you need to be patient. This is not the way of our people. She will not understand the intensity of your feelings, nor will she understand your possessive nature. Please understand.”

Sorin interrupted her, and though Jen had never heard Sorin yell, she knew she never wanted to hear it again.

“STOP!” The tension in the room was unbelievable. “Bring her back, Perizada. Just bring her back.”

Jen was impressed that Peri didn’t flinch under Sorin’s unwavering glare.

Peri nodded once and then she was gone.

“What the…” Jen muttered. “That’s just weird,” she said, referring to Peri’s sudden disappearance.

“Are you going to be okay in here, Sorin?” Decebel asked, sincerely concerned for his old friend.

Sorin nodded. “I just need to be alone, please.”

The steadiness of his voice scared Jen almost more than the outburst. She took a step forward, needing to let him know that it would be okay, but she didn’t make it half a step before Decebel once again had a large arm wrapped around her waist.

“Never approach a male who is in that state of mind.”

Jen let out a huff. “Is there a freaking instruction manual or something?”

Decebel chuckled softly as he pushed her out of Sorin’s room, closing the door softly behind them.

~

Elle didn’t jump when Peri was suddenly sitting next to her on the cold ground in front of the veil.

“Planning on visiting family?” Peri asked.

Elle didn’t respond right away and appeared to be gathering her thoughts. Her mind was scattered and she was unsure of how she should feel.

“I know you told us that it was a possibility that Adam and I could be mated to one of the Canis lupis, but it didn’t really sink in until Sorin was standing there calling me his mate.”

Peri chuckled. “They’re intense.”

“That’s really putting it mildly, Peri. I can’t even describe to you how I felt when he looked at me, when he got close to me.”

“Did you feel complete for the first time?” Peri asked knowingly.

Elle nodded. “Complete.  And even though I was terrified out of my mind, I wanted him to wrap me in his arms. Even now I’m fighting the urge to return to him. I can feel him. I think if I unblocked my mind, I could even speak to him.”

“Why are you fighting it? You have been around long enough to know that this is not something you can walk away from. He will not give you up.”

“How is he?” Elle asked, genuinely concerned for him, knowing he must be frantic to find her and hurting as badly as or worse than she was.

“He is struggling to keep his calm. Sorin is unusually controlled for an unmated male, but you leaving him high and dry like that has seriously tested that famous resolve.”

“What should I do?” Elle looked at her leader and longtime friend, searching for something in Peri’s eyes, something that would tell her everything was going to be all right.

“Go back to him. Listen to what he has to say and try and realize what a blessing this is, to both of our races.”

Before Elle could second guess her decision, she closed her eyes and told Peri, “Show me.” She was asking Peri to show her where Sorin was.. As soon as she saw it in her mind, she was gone.

Peri looked up into the sky and pushed out her thoughts. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Great Luna.”

~

Sorin turned slowly as he felt her sudden presence behind him. Their eyes met, and Sorin felt the air rush out of him, as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He took slow, measured steps until he was standing less than a foot away.

“You left,” he spoke softly, the hunter luring his prey to him.

“I was a little shocked and quite freaked out. And, to be honest, I still am,” Elle squeaked.

“I will not hurt you.” Sorin stared deeply into her unusual, silver eyes.

“I’m not worried about you hurting me. You can't.”

Sorin’s tilted his head as he asked, “Then what are you worried about?”

“I don’t really know you, and now I’m to spend the rest of my life with you, with your pack.”

“Stay with me, Elle. We will get to know one another.”

“Is it really so simple?”

Sorin smiled gently and Elle’s breath caught. She had never really paid much attention, but now, standing before him, watching him intently, she realized that Sorin was beautiful. Not feminine, but definitely beautiful. He wasn’t especially tall, but he was very muscular and held the presence of a dominant. He had short dark hair that was a little longer on top and in back and contained a natural wave. He had a strong jaw line, defined cheekbones, and a straight nose. Everything about him was symmetrical – nothing seemed out of place. In a word, Sorin was
classy
. Although he looked to be in his twenties, his eyes and maturity said that he was much older.

“It is only as complicated as we make it, Elle,
mon amour
.”

“You speak French?”

“I speak many languages. But I find that French is very beautiful when one desires to express one’s...complex feelings.”

“So, what now?” Elle looked around the hotel room.

“Now I will ask you for a small indulgence.”

Elle’s head snapped around and her eyes met Sorin’s light brown, glowing ones.

“Indulgence?” she asked nervously.

Sorin nodded once, taking another step towards her, close enough now to feel each other’s breath on their faces.

“My wolf was nearly out of control earlier. I myself have been more unsettled than I can ever remember being. Not knowing where you had gone, not knowing if I would ever see you again...it was dangerous for anyone near me. I would ask for you to allow me to hold you – to feel you safe in my arms.”

Elle could not believe the amount of vulnerability Sorin was allowing her to see in him. She was, in truth, quite humbled by it.

She nodded her consent to him and in a blink of an eye she was in his lap while he sat on the bed. Even though Sorin wasn’t a particularly large Canis lupis, she was so small that she fit perfectly against him. She laid her head on his shoulder and shivered as he ran small, comforting circles on her back. Before she realized what she was doing, she snuggled closer,
needing to be as close as possible and not really understanding why. She heard him murmur in French again. Out of all the languages that she knew, it was amusing to her that French was not one of them.