Finn bristled at the endearment. He longed to rip Cain’s lips from his face so the bloodsucker could smile no longer.
Lizzy bared her teeth, hating the words as well. “You can help by staying away. She’s fightingyourpoison, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“I didn’t want to make her sick. I was trying to save her, in caseyou’veforgotten. And Iam still trying to save her.”
“If you wanted to save her, then you’d have gone in search of her mate the second after you gave her your disgusting blood,” Lizzy snarled. “You want her for yourself. But she doesn’t belong to you, Cain.” His name was like a curse on her lips. “You’ve been attempting to play house with her, knowing damn well that you aren’t for her and, more importantly, she is not for you.”
The verbal sparring continued as Finn observed silently. He and Lizzy walked a dangerous line here, but Finn would shred anyone who tried harming his mate. For now, Cain seemed too distracted by Alice’s state to truly challenge Lizzy’s defiance.
A whisper of awareness in Finn’s mind jerked his focus inward. Fane was contacting him through the alpha bond. Relief flooded through Finn at that mental touch. For some reason, he’d been unable to reach Fane when he’d needed to. He had no idea why it was working now, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. They were not as alone here as it seemed.
Fane’s solemn voice filled his mind. “There is much we must discuss, Finn. Events are moving swiftly.”
Finn closed his eyes, opening his thoughts to his alpha. “What news, Fane? Tell me how to help Alice.”
There was a heavy pause before Fane responded.“Her fate, and Lizzy’s, are bound to Cain now that he has … created them … for lack of a better term. It is the sire bond.”
Finn stiffened, claws extending involuntarily.“Lizzy has been fighting the sire bond already. She feels it, but the true mate bond trumps it.”
“Even unto death?”
Finn didn’t have an answer. And he wasn’t willing to gamble on it, either. If his mate’s life was really tethered to the vampire’s… The chance that he and Lizzy had—the fleeting chance for a happy, healthy life filled with laughter, love, children, a pack—would be lost forever. If that happened, Finn vowed to find Cain in the afterlife and beat the ever-loving hell out of him. And then repeat the process for all eternity. Rage threatened to choke Finn into unconsciousness.
Fane’s voice remained steady, calming. “All is not lost, Finn. We have a plan.”
Forcing his fury down, Finn focused on Fane’s words. “Tell me what you need me to do, Alpha. Lizzy and I are with you. And we will get Alice out, too.”
“I know. And it will take all of us together to end this threat. We must capture Cain alive if we are to free Lizzy and Alice. He cannot be allowed to roam free, but we cannot put his life in danger, at least not until we’ve figured out how to fully break the sire bond between them.”
The words sent a spike of fear through Finn’s gut. Take Cain alive, instead of ripping him limb from limb? Finn’s wolf raged at the idea of not being able to destroy the evil that had hurt their mate, but the man understood that sometimes revenge had to wait.
As if sensing his turmoil, Fane continued gently. “I know your wrath and share it. But this is the only way to protect them. Will you trust me?”
Jaw clenched, Finn bowed his head.“You know I do, Alpha. For Lizzy, I will do anything.”
Pride colored Fane’s tone. “I would ask no less of any male for his mate. Together we will see them safely freed.”
Some of the tension eased from Finn’s shoulders. With this alpha and his pack behind him, they could accomplish this impossible task. The Great Luna had chosen Fane, a male above reproach and worthy of such power, for a reason. Finn would follow him until Fane gave him a reason not to, which he honestly didn’t think would ever happen.
“What else do you need from me, Fane?”
“Keep your mate and Alice safe a while longer. We know Perizada is out searching for Alice’s mate. I have no idea how he will react when he hears the news of his mate. But we need to be prepared to subdue him if necessary. I will be present when my pack raids the compound. We will come in the night. Our fae allies will handle any protective spells Cain has placed on the building.”The alpha paused and then continued. Fane outlined the plan for Finn. He would lead his warriors…fae, elf, wolf, warlock, and sprites—to capture Cain as quickly as possible. Hopefully, his army would consist mostly of vampires, which Fane’s warriors could mostly handle with ease. Any fae loyal to Cain would be the biggest problem, but they would simply have to deal with them as best they could.
Finn absorbed the details, turning them over in his mind. It could work with speed and strength on their side. Cain would never see it coming, especially if he were distracted by Alice’s health.
One matter still troubled Finn deeply. “What of the dormants Cain keeps imprisoned? We cannot leave them at his mercy.”
Fane agreed solemnly. “I know, and we will not. We have a secondary team prepared to free those innocent souls while Cain is contained.”
Relief left Finn’s knees weak for a moment. They would free everyone under Cain’s sadistic control, not just Lizzy and Alice. He whispered a fervent prayer of thanks to the Great Luna.
Turning his focus back to his mate, Finn observed her with fresh eyes. Her fierceness and loyalty were even clearer now, knowing she willingly stayed in danger to help Alice and the others. His brave, beautiful Lizzy. Soon, they would be free to build a life together. To get to know one another more deeply and complete the bonding ceremony.
Fane’s voice brought Finn back to the mental conversation. “The pieces are in motion. We will come for you all very soon, brother. Be ready.”
“I will,”Finn vowed.“We will make sure everyone is ready.”
Fane’s approval washed over him. Then his presence was gone from Finn’s mind, leaving confident optimism in its wake.
