“You aren’t going to be looking alone,” Decebel reminded him. “We will be helping you in any way we can.”
“We don’t even know where to start,” Costin said, his voice saturated with defeat. “What if we never find her?”
“We will never stop looking. I would never stop looking for Jennifer and we will never, not ever, stop looking for Sally. I don’t know if this helps or not, but Sally isn’t just a pack mate. She is our healer. She is more important thananyother pack member, even me. We will not rest until she is back where she belongs.”
Costin continued to growl and the sound was growing louder instead of softer. His body was shaking as he wrestled with his wolf, who was nearly completely consumed with darkness. The man was the only thing holding them together. When hair started to sprout on his arms, Decebel jumped to his feet pulling Costin up with him by the back of his shirt. He shifted his other hand up to his Beta’s throat and then slammed him down onto the ground. Decebel followed, landing on his knees, bending over Costin. His hand was still around the younger wolf’s throat, but Costin’s body seemed to have relaxed and the hair had disappeared. That was a good sign. If his wolf had been a hundred percent feral, he would have phased and fought Decebel. But instead Costin submitted, again.
“You will hold it together,” Decebel snarled into his face. “You didn’t live sixty years waiting on your true mate, only to give up now. Fight dammit! Fight the darkness, fight your wolf, fight the demons you’ve created by your grief and anger and fear. Fight so that you can live to see her again.”
“What. If. I. Can’t? Costin asked through the hand wrapped tightly around his neck.
“Then you’d better run, run far and fast.” Decebel gave his neck one more shake to drive home his dominance over Costin’s wolf and then released him. He climbed to his feet and offered a hand to the younger wolf. Costin took it and let himself be pulled up.
“Decebel,” Costin began but Decebel cut him off with a raised hand.
“You’re not gone yet so don’t talk as though you’ve already succumbed.”
“Thank you,” Costin said the two simple words filled with so many meanings.
“You’re welcome. Now, please don’t make me kill you.”
Sally woke with a start. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and it ached. There was a deep sadness in her that she didn’t understand. It was as though something inside of her was tearing apart. At first, she thought the feeling must be for her parents, and though she was definitely still sad over their loss, but she knew that the pain she felt in that moment had nothing to do with them. This pain was something much deeper. It was as though she’d lost a part of herself.
She reached up and wiped away the tears that she’d been shedding even in her sleep. Sally didn’t understand it. She didn’t know where the feelings were coming from. Sometimes they didn’t even feel like they were her own.
She glanced over at the clock and saw that she’d slept until nearly two in the afternoon. She had to be at work by four. She pushed away the remnants of the emotions and focused instead on the things she needed to do in order to get ready for her day.
An hour and forty minutes later, after showering, changing, and getting dressed in the shirt that was her uniform, she stepped out of her front door. She tried to focus on the beautiful weather and not the turmoil that was still churning her gut. There was no sense in dwelling on it since she didn’t even know whatitwas.
“Look!” Jericho called out as he entered the bar. “She returns.” His grin was contagious and she was thankful that she did have to work. Otherwise, she would be sitting at home wallowing.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Sally asked as she stashed her purse under the counter and grabbed her small apron. She started to wrap it around her but Jericho grabbed it and took it from her hands, tossing it onto the counter. “Jericho,” she huffed, but quickly snapped her mouth closed when he snagged the edge of her jeans and pulled her toward him. His masculine scent hit her and she had to admit, he smelled good.
“Just one second. We need to sexify you up a little, not that you aren’t already sexy as hell with that whole innocent wholesome thing you got going on. It’s like the librarian effect.”
“What?” Sally’s eyes widened and she felt her face warm up.
“The librarian effect,” he repeated as if that would help. “You know, when a girl seems so put together that it just makes you want to get her all kinds of messy.”
Sally choked back a laugh. “Can’t say that I’ve ever felt that way.”
He chuckled. “If you ever do, please let me know so I can watch.”
“Jericho!” she squealed, thoroughly embarrassed.
He shrugged. “Just speaking the truth, babe. Now, stand still,” he said as he proceeded to rip the bottom of her shirt. He tore it all the way around until she was left with a top that only came to just above her belly button.
“Really?” she asked dryly.
Jericho ran a finger softly across the bare skin of her exposed flesh, and Sally sucked in a breath as she stepped back. He followed her and continued to follow her progress backward until she was stopped by the counter. “Are you running from me, little rabbit?” His grin was wicked—and hot.
“Do I need to run?” she asked as she looked up at his eyes. She sucked in a breath. His eyes…they almost appeared to be glowing.
“If you run, I’ll just be enticed to chase you,” he whispered as he leaned down toward her. His warm breath caressed her cheeks but she couldn’t focus on that. All she could see was his eyes.
“Your eyes,” she whispered back.
“What about them?” Jericho asked absently, as he seemed suddenly very interested in her neck. He was leaning closer and closer still until his nose brushed the tender part of her neck just below her ear. He took a deep breath. “You smell amazing.”
