“And maybe make sure we smell decent,” Heather said. “I don’t know about supernaturals, but we humans can get some serious B.O.”
“Two words, blind chick,” Jen said. “Wet dog.”
“You do remember thatyouhave a wolf form, too, right?” Costin took Sally’s hand and began to lead her toward the door. “So the wet dog smell applies to you as well.”
“Not the point.” Jen stepped aside as everyone filed out.
Jeff, of the Coldspring pack, was the last to exit. He paused next to her. “Whatisthe point?”
"Annoyance." Jen smiled, and she knew her face showed the smile that Decebel described as her wicked grin. “It annoys the crap out of the males of our pack to be compared to dogs. AnnoyingCanis lupusmales is sort of a hobby for me.”
To Jen’s surprise, Jeff shook his head with a sly smile as he started walking again. “It’s too bad that you’re taken. I bet there’s never a dull moment with you around.”
Jen's eyes widened. She tried to slam the bond shut before her mate could pick the alpha’s words from her mind.
“Please pass on my condolences to the Coldspring pack,”Decebel’s voice rumbled in her mind.
"Dammit." She groaned out loud.
“And let them know we will assist them in finding a new alpha if none of their males are dominant enough for the task.”
Jen shook her head and followed after the group.“He wasn’t hitting on me, B. Put away your claws and fangs. He was just making an observation. A very astute observation, I might add.”Jen started down the hall and felt her mate’s irritation through bond. She also felt his longing for her and his need to see their daughter.
“He can observe something else, like an unmated female.”
“I’ll pass that along,”she assured him.
“No you won’t. You will not talk to him. I love you.”His voice softened, and she felt his hand run across her cheek.
“I love you back. Any progress?”
His sigh came through as loud and clear as if he was standing right beside her.“Aside from keeping Nick from attempting to kill every supernatural he comes across while he shakes them down for any scrap of information they might have about his mate or the Order, we got nothing.”
Killing something sounded pretty cathartic to Jen at the moment.“Considering Kara has been taken, we can assume some members of the Order survived the cold fire. I'd lay even money that Alston made it through and that he is behind our healer's disappearance.”Jen stepped into the great hall and saw everyone sitting around a large round table filled with food. Her stomach rumbled at the sight.
“I think that is a pretty good assumption.”
Jen could feel his frustration and wished there was something she could do to help.“We need to speak with Peri.”
“Does Lucian know she showed up?”he asked.
Jen frowned when she realized how little they had communicated over the past few days. She’d been so focused on Jacque and taking care of Thia that she’d done little more than make sure he was okay and tell him she loved him.“He does. He came in here, realized she'd already vanished without so much as a 'Hey, big boy, where've you been all my life?' and then took off with Disir, the high fae. Disir said he could follow Peri’s magical signature. We haven’t heard from either of them since.”
“Fantastic,”her mate growled.“Just what we need. An unstable male, possibly on the verge of going feral, out chasing his equally unstable mate.”
“Unstable is putting it mildly. Peri has proven that she has surpassed me in the insane department. She is off-the-charts unhinged.”Jen didn’t want to believe the high fae who’d become so dear to her had gone completely crazy, but it was difficult to argue with the evidence.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t count her out just yet. If she came to you all and gave you some sort of warning or message, then maybe she is not as lost to us as we first thought.”
Jen hoped that was true. She wanted to believe that everyone was redeemable, though she wasn’t always great at giving grace. Perhaps this was an opportunity for her to work on that flaw.Ugh. Working on flaws was not her strong suit. Beheading things, that was more her jam.
“Please attempt to refrain from beheading anything or anyone while I am not around. Working on the grace thing seems much less dangerous.”Decebel's voice was stern, but she detected a bit of humor underneath.
“I’ll do my best. I love you. Now, do what you do, and help Nick save his chick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that.”Jen grinned. She took a seat at the table and reached for an empty plate.
