“She drank vampire blood,” Kara answered.
Stella scrunched up her pretty face. “So, she’s not the brightest bulb in the box?”
“Get over here and help and I’ll fill you in,” Sally commanded. “We got nothing better to do at the moment, anyway. Don’t judge her too harshly. Remember, we’ve all done dumb things.”
“Nothing as dumb as falling in love with a vampire king,” Kara muttered.
“What?” Anna, Heather, Jewel, and Stella asked simultaneously, all of their eyes wide with shock.
Sally felt their light flood into Alice and saw the shadows of the vampire blood recede a bit more, shrinking away from their healing abilities. “Okay, so once upon a time there was a scientist.”
ChapterEight
“Humans are constantly chasing longevity. They’re always looking for ways to live longer and look younger. They don’t stop to consider what a longer life would actually mean. Brief moments on the mountaintop highs, while climbing through the depths of the valleys the rest of the time. They have no idea that at some point death is a gift, a beautiful mercy.” ~Maxim
Maxim leaned back in the creaky wooden chair, absently spinning his half-empty beer on the scarred tabletop. Across from him, Alexsey was regaling their small group with a story about his latest exploits in Minsk, eliciting raucous laughter from the other wolves.
Normally, Maxim would be right there with them, eager for any distraction from his increasingly dark thoughts these days. But tonight he wasn’t in the mood.
“You’re quiet tonight, Alpha,” Alexsey observed, cutting off his tale. “Trouble brewing?”
Maxim shrugged his broad shoulders. “Just restless. The pull is stronger than ever.”
Alexsey’s eyebrows shot up. The entire table sobered instantly, focusing on Maxim. His inner turmoil over his still-unknown mate was an open secret among the pack males.
“Any clues where she might be?” Alexsey asked gently. As Beta, he understood Maxim’s frustration.
“Only dreams.” Maxim took a long swallow of his beer. “Never full images, just…”
He struggled to put the impressions into words. A slender hand gripping his … dark hair that he longed to bury his nose in … laughter like bubbling champagne.
And shadows. A male figure lurking behind his mate, blurry but unmistakably sinister. Growling softly, Maxim shoved the specter from his mind. Just dreams, harmless shadows.
Alexsey watched him with worried eyes. He clapped a supportive hand on his shoulder before tactfully changing the subject. The conversation moved to lighter topics, but Maxim’s smile was forced.
The truth was, he was beginning to despair of ever finding his true mate. After over two centuries, shouldn’t their bond have guided them together by now? Maybe she truly was lost to him somehow. The thought hollowed him out inside.
He was pulled from his brooding when the pub’s front doors blew open. Wind swirled through the interior, kicking up eddies of dust and debris. The lights flickered wildly.
Every wolf was on their feet in an instant, hackles raised. Magic was palpable in the air, tickling the fine hairs on Maxim’s nape. Something powerful was in their midst.
Two cloaked figures strode through the chaos, with seemingly no concern for the surrounding wolves. As they reached the center of the room, the smaller figure flung back her hood.
Maxim’s breath left him in a rush. A high fae, but not just any high fae. Perizada. Regardless of her small stature, she seemed to fill the room. Her unearthly beauty and angular features were classic fae features, as were those ancient, piercing eyes. Her taller companion, however, was not fae. In fact, Maxim could smell the wolf on him.
The wolf pushed his hood back, and Maxim saw the face of Lucian Lupei, Perizada’s mate, and brother to the most powerful alpha in history, or at least until his son took the mantle.
Every one of Maxim’s wolves jumped to their feet. Some crouched, ready to attack if he should command it. He gave a subtle shake of his head as he waited to see what this visit was all about.
“We seek the alpha of this ragtag, unofficial-as-hell rogue pack.” Perizada sounded bored. “We’ve been sent on behalf of the Great Luna herself, so please don’t waste our time.”
Pulse thundering, Maxim found his voice. “I am Maxim, alpha of this pack. Why do you seek me?”
Perizada tilted her head as if listening to some silent voice. Her next words shattered Maxim’s world.
“Your true mate is knocking on death’s door in the clutches of a vampire. And shewilldie without you.”
Lucian cursed under his breath as he looked down at Perizada. “You couldn’t have lessened the blow a bit, Beloved?”
