Peri turned back to the Alpha pair. “We need to go.” She held out her hand to both of them, and as soon as they touched her, she flashed them back to Vasile’s office at the pack mansion in Romania.

She took several slow breaths, steeling herself for the things she needed to tell them. “You should probably call Decebel and let me go get him and anyone else you might want to utilize for this problem.” She looked up at them and knew that the fear and pain was written all over her face. “I will help you when I can, but I have two brand-new healers in the snare of a demented high fae. I will need Lucian and the other pack males until Volcan is defeated. You are on your own in this. Though I think it would be wise to keep it as quiet as possible.”

Peri waited while Vasile called Decebel, Fane, Costin, and, to her surprise, Cypher, the warlock king. Once he was done making the calls, he gave her a solemn nod and she flashed, off to gather each of the males. She didn’t ask why he hadn’t included any of the females. Jen had a young infant and Jacque was expecting. News of children being murdered, drained dry by vampires, wasn’t news they could really deal with at the moment.

Chapter 1

“Over and over I have made it clear that we must remain united. It has been proven time and again throughout history that peoples and races that worked as a team, united by a common goal, were more likely to succeed than those that broke apart. Now more than ever I need the people I’ve come to rely on most to be able to stand firm, shoulder to shoulder. I need them to be willing to protect one another, defend one another, and, if necessary, lay down their lives for one another. The world needs them, once again, to stand between it and evil. I am asking so much of them, maybe too much. But then, if not us, who?” ~Vasile Lupei

Cypher stood just outside the front entrance to the warlock compound. He’d been surprised to receive the phone call from the Romanian pack Alpha. Vasile hadn’t given any details regarding the reason for the call other than to say it was urgent.

He heard her footsteps before he saw her. His mate, Lilly, stepped from the cover of the forest and walked toward him. She’d begun to develop some interesting powers, though she’d said she’d always had them but that they’d never been as consistent or as strong. Lilly had a level of intuition that was quickly evolving into a near prophetess-like ability. Though she didn’t necessarily see the future, she felt the emotions that would result if something came to pass. She also seemed to know intuitively when something was bothering him.

“Enjoying a stroll through the forest, again?” he asked her as he held out his hand to her. She took it without hesitation and let him pull her into the shelter of his arms. Cypher let out a contented sigh. The world could be crashing down around him, but if Lilly was in his arms, all was right in the universe. She grounded him. She brought him so much peace when he’d lived a lifetime of strife and loneliness.

“I think better when I walk outside. When things begin to bombard me, the walls inside the mountain become stifling.”

She’d told him something similar before but it still bothered him for her to go out walking on her own.

“Quit worrying about me and tell me what’s going on with you. Something is very wrong. What is it?”

Cypher huffed. “This little ability can be very annoying at times,” he told her, only half joking.

“You’ll get over it.” Lilly pinched his back where she had her arms wrapped around him. “Now talk.”

She wouldn’t leave it alone until he told her, so he decided to avoid the nagging and give in. “Vasile called and asked for me to allow Perizada to bring me to his headquarters. He didn’t give me details. He just said it was urgent.”

Lilly stepped back and looked up at him. “Jacque?”

He rubbed her back soothingly. “He would have requested you if it were your daughter. Vasile is not the type to keep information from a parent. I don’t know what it is, but whatever it is, it’s bad.”

Before Lilly could respond, Peri’s voice reached them.

“Kiss your mate goodbye, king. I don’t have time for twenty questions. Lilly, if Vasile decides you need to know, then I’ll be back for you. Otherwise please try not to be like your daughter and her cohorts.”

“What?” Lilly asked with a frown.

Peri didn’t look like she appreciated having to explain herself. “Don’t try to save the damn day by butting in where you weren’t invited.”

Cypher ignored the fae as he took Lilly’s face in his hands and coaxed her head back around to face him. “I’ll be back soon.” He kissed her gently, wishing he could linger. He released her and stepped toward Peri.

“Don’t go making any oaths of silence or some crap,” Lilly spoke up. “I expect you to tell me what is going on.”

Cypher didn’t make her any promises. Instead, he met her eyes and held her gaze. “I love you,” he told her. He never parted from her without telling her that he loved her, because in the world they lived in, there was no guarantee that he would return.

“I love you too,” she said just as Peri grabbed his arm and flashed him from the forest.

Lilly took out her phone and dialed her daughter’s number. Her hand shook as she held the phone to her ear and waited for her Jacque to answer.

“Hello?”

She let out a ragged breath at the sound of her voice. “You’re okay? The baby is okay?”

“Mom?” Jacque asked sounding alarmed. “I’m fine. Are you?”

“I’m fine. Vasile called and asked Cypher to come for a meeting. Cypher assured me it wasn’t because of you, but, you know me, I needed to be sure.”

“No, I’m good. Well, as good as can be expected while being the size of a small house.”

Lilly laughed. “It will be over soon and then lack of sleep will have you wanting to put the little bugger back inside.” Lilly heard some noise in the background as Jacque asked her to hold on.

“I’ve got to go, Mom. Jen’s here and she’s bored and expecting me to entertain her.”

“Okay, I love you and give Jen my love and Sally as well.”

“Will do. Love you too.”

They disconnected the call and Lilly stood in the quiet forest alone with her worries. Despite knowing that Jacque was alright, she couldn’t shake the intense fear that was causing her stomach to roll with queasiness. Whatever it was, she knew it was going to change the world they knew. Not that she wasn't used to change by now. Lilly's applecart had been upset multiple times over the years. First, when she fell in love with a wolf, then when she realized her daughter wasn't gong to be exempt from her father’s genetics, and then more recently when she gave her heart to a warlock king. A smile tilted her lips as she thought about the night of their bonding ceremony. Lilly had thought it would have been in the presence of all of the warlock people. But to her surprise, Cypher had allowed only the handful of people Lilly wanted, which included Perizada. Lilly shouldn't have been surprised when Cypher said they would need the fae anyway to perform the ceremony.