"Understood," Decebel responded.
Lilly sat with Alina at the small table. Neither woman spoke but sat in companionable silence as they each thought about the path their children would take tonight.
Finally at eleven thirty Vasile stood. "Let's go." That was all he said and everyone was up and out the door. They drove in silence to the location on the map that brought them closest to the cabin. The tension in the vehicle was palpable and Jen swore if you reached your hand out you would be able to feel it on your skin. After twenty minutes Vasile pulled the car off the road and down into the trees that were the edge of the forest. He pulled the vehicle in as far as he could to hide it from view. Vasile turned to look at his mate. "I will call to you as soon as we have her. You need to stay and protect them."
"As you say, Alpha," Alina responded. "You just make sure you bring my son and his mate back."
"As you say, my Luna." Vasile leaned across the seat and kissed her gently.
Fane waited outside the vehicle while his father spoke with his mother. His skin was itching to phase, his wolf desperate to get out and hunt. He couldn't believe how close he was to her, he could feel her.
"Luna, we are coming. Be ready." Fane could feel her but she didn't respond. Maybe she was still sleeping. He would let her be for a few minutes more, then he would push. He needed her to be alert once they attacked.
Jen got out of the car as Decebel did. "Hey, Dec." He turned around to look at her. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
Decebel's grin was slow, calculated. "It sounds like you care, Jennifer."
"Of course I care. Jacque needs all of you to protect her, so don't go get yourself killed. It could leave her vulnerable." She glared at him.
"That's the only reason you want me to be careful?" His voice was low, and velvet soft.
Jen had to shake her head to clear the fog. "No, there's another reason," she whispered back. She crooked her finger at him, beckoning him forward. He leaned down so she could whisper in his ear. "You remember Matty, don't you? That handsome nurse who helped me out? Well, you still don't know if he changed my name." Jen couldn't help the wicked grin that spread across her face.
"What do you mean if he changed your name?" Decebel growled and he could tell he wasn't going to like the answer.
Jen's response was to start singing 'Meet Virginia' as she climbed back in the vehicle. She heard Decebel's growl and shut and locked the door just as he lunged for her. She looked at him through the glass and winked.
"Jennifer Adams, what have you gone and done to that poor wolf now?" Sally whispered to her mischievous friend.
"Just gave him some extra incentive to come back alive."
Cynthia strained to hear any little noise she could but there was nothing. No footsteps, no coughing, laughing or breathing, and no heartbeat. Logan had left them alone. Well, he was dumber than he looked, she decided. She reached across and gently but firmly shook Jacque.
"Jacque, wake up, we're getting the heck out of dodge."
Jacque sat up groggily. "What?"
"Logan and his mini-me aren't here. I heard a vehicle leave a little bit ago and thought one of them had stayed behind, but there is no one here. We are getting out of here now."
"How?" Jacque asked.
Suddenly where Cynthia Steele once sat was a medium sized grey and white wolf. The wolf slipped its foot out of the cuff and then Cynthia changed back. Now there was a very naked Cynthia sitting in front of Jacque. "Sorry about the clothes, hazard of phasing."
"No big thing." Jacque tried to be as nonchalant as possible.
Jacque watched as Cynthia began to search the room, she presumed for something to pick the lock on the cuffs. When she couldn't find anything she came back over and examined the chair it was cuffed to.
"Okay, I'm going to try and break the frame," she told her. Jacque looked a little skeptical.
"Hey, werewolf remember?" Cynthia said, slightly offended.
"My bad," Jacque said, holding her hands up in surrender.
Cynthia grabbed the chair where the front legs met with the cross bar of the frame and pulled with everything she had. At first she didn't think it was going to work but then she felt the wood give and then crack! The frame snapped.
"Nice," Jacque said, impressed with Cynthia's strength.
She was able to slide the cuff straight off the broken end of the cross bar.
Jacque stood up and stretched, unable to believe she was freesort of.
Cynthia grabbed her hand. "Come on, we have to get as far away as possible. Once they are back they will be able to track us so we need to run in circles and then try and find some water to hide our scent."
Jacque nodded her head. "Okay, doc. Let's do this."
Cynthia paused briefly. "Jacque, I truly am sorry."
Jacque held up a hand to stop her. "Save it, let's just get our butts out of here. We will deal with the rest later, okay?"
They held hands as they crept through the cabin as quietly as possible, looking around constantly to make sure the really were alone. As soon as they were sure, they made a bee line for the front door. Once again they crept out silently. Cynthia took in a deep breath, scenting the air.
"They're not here. Let's go." With that she pulled Jacque off the porch and out into the night. They ran hard and fast through the trees. Jacque didn't know how Cynthia could see but was glad that she could, because otherwise Jacque would have become intimately acquainted with one of these lovely trees they were breezing by. Jacque was trying hard to stay on her feet but Cynthia was making it very difficult. Just when they would get in a rhythm Cynthia would make a sharp turn, causing her to stumble a few steps before gaining her footing again. This went on for what seemed like hours but probably was no more than 30 minutes and then they finally found a creek. Cynthia didn't even hesitate as she ran straight for it.
Lilly sat with Alina at the small table. Neither woman spoke but sat in companionable silence as they each thought about the path their children would take tonight.
Finally at eleven thirty Vasile stood. "Let's go." That was all he said and everyone was up and out the door. They drove in silence to the location on the map that brought them closest to the cabin. The tension in the vehicle was palpable and Jen swore if you reached your hand out you would be able to feel it on your skin. After twenty minutes Vasile pulled the car off the road and down into the trees that were the edge of the forest. He pulled the vehicle in as far as he could to hide it from view. Vasile turned to look at his mate. "I will call to you as soon as we have her. You need to stay and protect them."
"As you say, Alpha," Alina responded. "You just make sure you bring my son and his mate back."
"As you say, my Luna." Vasile leaned across the seat and kissed her gently.
Fane waited outside the vehicle while his father spoke with his mother. His skin was itching to phase, his wolf desperate to get out and hunt. He couldn't believe how close he was to her, he could feel her.
"Luna, we are coming. Be ready." Fane could feel her but she didn't respond. Maybe she was still sleeping. He would let her be for a few minutes more, then he would push. He needed her to be alert once they attacked.
Jen got out of the car as Decebel did. "Hey, Dec." He turned around to look at her. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
Decebel's grin was slow, calculated. "It sounds like you care, Jennifer."
"Of course I care. Jacque needs all of you to protect her, so don't go get yourself killed. It could leave her vulnerable." She glared at him.
"That's the only reason you want me to be careful?" His voice was low, and velvet soft.
Jen had to shake her head to clear the fog. "No, there's another reason," she whispered back. She crooked her finger at him, beckoning him forward. He leaned down so she could whisper in his ear. "You remember Matty, don't you? That handsome nurse who helped me out? Well, you still don't know if he changed my name." Jen couldn't help the wicked grin that spread across her face.
"What do you mean if he changed your name?" Decebel growled and he could tell he wasn't going to like the answer.
Jen's response was to start singing 'Meet Virginia' as she climbed back in the vehicle. She heard Decebel's growl and shut and locked the door just as he lunged for her. She looked at him through the glass and winked.
"Jennifer Adams, what have you gone and done to that poor wolf now?" Sally whispered to her mischievous friend.
"Just gave him some extra incentive to come back alive."
Cynthia strained to hear any little noise she could but there was nothing. No footsteps, no coughing, laughing or breathing, and no heartbeat. Logan had left them alone. Well, he was dumber than he looked, she decided. She reached across and gently but firmly shook Jacque.
"Jacque, wake up, we're getting the heck out of dodge."
Jacque sat up groggily. "What?"
"Logan and his mini-me aren't here. I heard a vehicle leave a little bit ago and thought one of them had stayed behind, but there is no one here. We are getting out of here now."
"How?" Jacque asked.
Suddenly where Cynthia Steele once sat was a medium sized grey and white wolf. The wolf slipped its foot out of the cuff and then Cynthia changed back. Now there was a very naked Cynthia sitting in front of Jacque. "Sorry about the clothes, hazard of phasing."
"No big thing." Jacque tried to be as nonchalant as possible.
Jacque watched as Cynthia began to search the room, she presumed for something to pick the lock on the cuffs. When she couldn't find anything she came back over and examined the chair it was cuffed to.
"Okay, I'm going to try and break the frame," she told her. Jacque looked a little skeptical.
"Hey, werewolf remember?" Cynthia said, slightly offended.
"My bad," Jacque said, holding her hands up in surrender.
Cynthia grabbed the chair where the front legs met with the cross bar of the frame and pulled with everything she had. At first she didn't think it was going to work but then she felt the wood give and then crack! The frame snapped.
"Nice," Jacque said, impressed with Cynthia's strength.
She was able to slide the cuff straight off the broken end of the cross bar.
Jacque stood up and stretched, unable to believe she was freesort of.
Cynthia grabbed her hand. "Come on, we have to get as far away as possible. Once they are back they will be able to track us so we need to run in circles and then try and find some water to hide our scent."
Jacque nodded her head. "Okay, doc. Let's do this."
Cynthia paused briefly. "Jacque, I truly am sorry."
Jacque held up a hand to stop her. "Save it, let's just get our butts out of here. We will deal with the rest later, okay?"
They held hands as they crept through the cabin as quietly as possible, looking around constantly to make sure the really were alone. As soon as they were sure, they made a bee line for the front door. Once again they crept out silently. Cynthia took in a deep breath, scenting the air.
"They're not here. Let's go." With that she pulled Jacque off the porch and out into the night. They ran hard and fast through the trees. Jacque didn't know how Cynthia could see but was glad that she could, because otherwise Jacque would have become intimately acquainted with one of these lovely trees they were breezing by. Jacque was trying hard to stay on her feet but Cynthia was making it very difficult. Just when they would get in a rhythm Cynthia would make a sharp turn, causing her to stumble a few steps before gaining her footing again. This went on for what seemed like hours but probably was no more than 30 minutes and then they finally found a creek. Cynthia didn't even hesitate as she ran straight for it.
