Sacrifice of Love (40 page)

“I’m sorry baby. We failed her; we failed you all,” Decebel told her. Decebel pressed a kiss to her hair and stroked it gently with his hand. He hummed to her and their child as she wept over the loss of her best friend. He held her as her heart broke and her world was shattered all over again.

Vasile placed Cynthia’s body close to the cave entrance and then motioned for everyone to gather around Jen and Decebel. The group moved slowly as grief poured out of them. Each of them took a place on the ground making a circle. The mated males, whose mates were still here, each had their females as close to them as possible.

Crina sat wrapped in Adam’s arms and he held her, rocking her gently, whispering to her words that would bring comfort and stability.

Elle sat next to Sorin with her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped securely around her. She too watched Jen and Decebel and their baby with a mixture of emotions passing over her face.

Fane sat with his knees pulled up and his arms resting over them. He stared out into the forest beyond the cave entrance, waiting.

Costin sat next to Fane and, though his body was present, his heart, soul, and mind were elsewhere.

Vasile walked over to the group and took a seat beside Jen and Decebel. He looked at each person that filled the small space. The troll king and pixie king were still with them, faithful ‘til the end. Thalion, prince of the elves, sat with them, having been willing to give whatever was needed in order to help their females. Cyn sat beside Thalion her hand was securely wrapped in his larger one and her side pressed close to his. Skender sat next to the Cyn, his jaw tight and his eyes narrowed as he continually swept the room with them. He had been willing to give his life without hesitation. Cypher, the warlock king who was finally free of his past, held his mate gently as she watched Jen with a mixture of joy and pain.  All of them wore that same expression, the joy of life battling with the sorrow of death.

“Our enemy has been defeated,” he began. He had to reach deep for the strength to sit there and speak when all he wanted to do was return to his mate, to join her. “It cost us much, but then the cost of freedom is always great. We will mourn the loss of those we love so dearly and we will honor their memories. The mate bonds have been broken and so Costin and I have lost our mates and not our own lives. Costin may make his own decision. But after we have buried and mourned, I will join my mate as is my right and my desire.” He looked over at Decebel and Jen and attempted to smile. “I hate that such a miracle as the birth of your child is tainted with death and sorrow, and I want you to know that I am overjoyed for you. We must honor Cynthia for her sacrifice.”

Decebel nodded and wiped a tear from Jen’s face. “We have decided to name our child Thia in honor of Cynthia. What she has done, and who she was, will not be forgotten.”

Vasile didn’t know what else to say. He wanted to offer them comfort, but he had none to give, not anymore.

“I need to convey my gratitude to you all,” Cypher said into the silence, “You all are here because of me, and I am forever indebted to you all for your help and willingness to bring my brother to justice.” Cypher bowed his head respectfully to them.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was Jen speaking softly to Thia. She leaned into Decebel and choked back more tears as she rocked their child. She looked over at Costin and her heart broke all over as she saw the shell of a man that was left after losing his mate.

“What now?” she asked. “What do we do now Vasile?” She needed someone to tell her how to move forward, how to go on, especially now that she had a child who needed her.

Vasile stared at her, at a loss on how to answer. How do you tell someone to carry on when all you want to do is die?

“Now,” a bold voice filled the space around them, “we rejoice over new life,” the Great Luna said as she stepped into the cave. She walked towards the group and her heart hurt at the loss and pain she saw in them. “We mourn over sacrifice and we give thanks for second chances.” There was movement behind her and she stepped aside to reveal Alina, Sally, Jacque, and Lucian, all whole and alive.

It was hard to say who moved faster, Vasile, Costin, or Fane, but regardless they were each at their mates’ sides instantly.

Vasile stood so close to Alina he could feel her breath on his face. She looked up at him with eye glistening and he gently wiped away a stray drop.

“Mina,” he whispered and pulled her into his arms. He shook with the emotion of a man who had just had the world ripped from him and then given back. She pressed her face into his chest and then stood on her toes to kiss his neck. When he pulled back to look down at her, the love she felt for him was radiating off of her and wrapped him in warmth. He had been so cold from the moment he lost her and now, standing before him, she chased the cold away. “I love you,” he told her.

She smiled at him. “
I know and I love you
.” His eyes widened as he heard her voice in his mind and realized he felt her inside as well. Their bond was restored, her soul back where it belonged, joined with his, man and woman, wolf to wolf.

Costin fell to his knees in front of Sally and looked up into her face. He was afraid to touch her, afraid she wasn’t real, and afraid this was all some crazy delusion his mind had concocted in an attempt to cope. She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair. Her scent crashed into him and the warmth from her hand drew him like a moth to a flame. He stood and took her face gently in his hands. “You’re real.”

She nodded her head and her smile grew. “I’m real, I’m here, and I’m yours.”

Costin savored the words as a lion savors a feast after a kill. He stepped closer to her and lowered his face to hers. His lips brushed against hers as he spoke. “Sally mine, I had lost you,” his voice broke on his words, bringing tears to Sally’s eyes.

“You didn’t. I’m here love,” she tried to reassure him.

He nodded and then pressed his lips to hers. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight against him and he felt their bond snap back into place. He groaned as the familiar sensation flowed through him and the light his mate brought to him flooded his heart and soul.

“Mine,” he growled against her lips.

“Yours,” she agreed.

Fane didn’t waste time with words as he reached his mate. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him, and kissed her hard. He poured his need, desire, pain, fear, devotion, hope, and love into the kiss. He devoured her as his hands moved up into her hair, wrapping it around his fingers and angling her head so he could kiss her deeper.

“I missed you,”
he told her through their mended bond.

She sighed and gave in fully to the kiss.
“I missed you too. I love you.”

“My Luna,”
he whispered huskily into her mind.
“I love you and I will love you still more tomorrow.”

Vasile stepped back just a little from his mate so that he could look at his brother. He tried to process what he was seeing, but all he could think was that he couldn’t believe it.

“How?” he asked.

“I survived in the dark forest,” Lucian told him simply. “I have a purpose to fulfill still.”

Vasile looked at the Great Luna and she smiled warmly at him.

“Thank you,” Vasile told her.

She nodded to him and he saw the love shining from her eyes.

Jen stared at her best friends with wide eyes. She watched as they reunited with their mates and she tried to be patient, but then patience never was her strong suite and she never pretended it was.

“Decebel, take Thia please.”

Decebel frowned at her but gently took their daughter in his arms. She pushed away from him as she stood on shaky legs. Thanks to Rachel, she was mostly healed, but she was still weak. Crina and Elle rushed to her side to help her up. There was a blanket wrapped around her waist that made moving even more difficult.

“Jennifer,” Decebel growled, “you need to rest. They can come to you.”

Jennifer waved him off. “My best friend was dead, my other best friend was off coping with that all alone, and now they are both here... alive. I’m not waiting.”

Decebel walked beside her. He was scowling at her but still being gentle as he helped keep her upright with one arm and holding Thia in the other.

“Hmm, hmm,” Jen cleared her throat from behind Costin and Fane. Jacque and Sally looked around their mates at the same time and their faces broke into huge smiles. They started to rush towards Jen, but Decebel stepped in front of her to block her.

“Slow and gentle,” he said sternly, “she’s just given birth.”

Their gasps replaced their smiles and then their attention was immediately on Thia. Decebel held her proudly as they oohed and awed over her.

Jen stepped around Decebel and watched as her friends caressed their child and her heart swelled with love and thankfulness. Sally looked up and smiled at Jen. “She’s incredible.”

Jen wiped away a tear and nodded. “Yeah, I’d have to say we did good.” She winked at Decebel and then held her arms open. This time Sally and Jacque moved slower as they wrapped each other in a hug. Lilly too came over and wrapped her arms around all three girls and whispered in Jacque’s ear. “I love you, I’m so, so glad you are okay.”

Jacque pulled back and looked at her mom. She watched as Cypher came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her protectively. It filled her with warmth inside to see her mom happy and loved.

“I’m so much better than okay, mom, and holy crap, it’s good to see you,” she said as she threw herself into her mom’s arms. Lilly let out a small laugh as she pulled her daughter close.

“It’s good to see you too,” she looked at Sally and Jen then, “all of you.”

Jen looked around, her brow furrowed, and she looked at the Great Luna. “Where is Peri?”

The room was immediately silent as they watched the goddess.

She smiled at them. “She is well, and she told me to tell you three that she would be by very soon to see you.”

“I totally just gave birth in a cave, and she has been brought back from the dead and she can’t show her undead face to tell me how awesome my kid is?” Jen asked dryly.

“She said she needed to deal with some things,” the Great Luna said vaguely.

Jen didn’t miss the way Lucian’s jaw tensed.

“Uh uhm, I see,” Jen eyed Vasile’s brother and grinned when he frowned at her.

“Jennifer,” Decebel warned as he caught on to her thoughts, and then he nearly lost his balance as he realized their bond was whole and strong again. Jen’s eyes met his when she felt him in her mind and she let out a sigh of relief. But then, as quickly as the relief had come, it was replaced with annoyance and anger.

“You’re not off the hook, you know,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “We are going to be having a serious conversation, and I have a feeling it isn’t going to end well for you.”

Decebel flashed his devilish smile at her. “Is that a promise?”

The Great Luna stepped forward to the center of the group and looked at them all with love and hope. She bathed the cave in her light, filling them with purpose and renewed strength.

“The deaths brought on by the evil that lived inside of Reyaz were not appointed. It was not their time. Therefore, I stepped in and took back what was mine. These lives restored still have much to give in this life, much to do. Cynthia, my precious child with a heart so full of remorse over her past, chose to give her life in the place of another. It was not her time, but the Fates agreed to it, and I allowed her the free will to choose. There is no greater gift than do die for another, to sacrifice yourself so that another will not suffer. And Cynthia gave this gift to Thia, to Jennifer, and to Decebel. This child is blessed and great things await her."

“Once again you have stepped up to defend those who needed you. You took the narrow path, one filled with danger and fear, and you didn’t give into the need to run—to keep yourself safe. I’m so very proud of you and I love you all. Rest now for a time; rest in my peace and love. Rejoice in your triumph. Celebrate the lives brought back to you and live each day so that you can lie down at night with no regrets. And should you have regrets, know that forgiveness, mercy, grace and the promise of a new day are my assurance to you.”

When she had gone, her peace flowed through them. There were hugs, and tears of happiness and sorrow.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need some hot chocolate,” Jen spoke over the other voices.

Jacque and Sally smiled at her.

“Make mine a double,” Alina spoke up from behind them.

“You heard the woman,” Jen turned to Adam. “Fairy Peri isn’t here for me to abuse. I guess you will have to do until she returns. So fairy boy, you and your posse get us home.”

Adam’s lips quirked up as he looked at her. “I’m going to let that the whole fairy boy slide since you just gave birth and all.”

“Dude, you know who my mate is? There will be a whole lot of sliding.”

Adam looked over at Decebel who was cooing to his daughter in a very un-Decebel like fashion. He looked back over at Jen. “Forgive me if I’m not shaking in my boots.”

Jen smacked Decebel’s arm. “Hey, figure out a way to coo and look menacing at the same time please; my happiness on being able to belittle others depends on it.”

Decebel rolled his eyes, “Sure baby, I’ll get right on that.”