Blood Rites

"HE'S GOING TO BURN THE SKIN OFF HER BACK!"

Decebel growled low and Vasile snarled. After Alina had taken the three wolves clothes, Vasile had his phone out and was waiting on Tyler, the Springfield Alpha, to answer. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Tyler, it's Vasile. We need to know where that cabin is now." Vasile continued before the other wolf could interrupt. "He's planning on removing her mating marks. Do you want to be responsible for that?"

There was no response for several seconds. "Fine, here are the coordinates."

"Got it, let's go." He then phoned Sorin with the coordinates and designated a place to meet a couple of miles downwind from the cabin at midnight.

They all climbed back into the car and drove to find a motel in Ozark to make plans.

Vasile pulled into the parking lot of the nicest hotel they could find. It wasn't the Hilton, but they weren't planning on spending a lot of time there anyways so Vasile wasn't going to be picky. He and Alina went into the lobby to check into a room. Jen could smell the anger coming off of Fane. Wait, smell anger? What the, that isn't possible. Why would she even think that? She felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder and felt warm breath by her ear. "You okay?" Decebel asked her.

Jen turned her head slowly to look at Decebel. It was the first time she had spoken to him since the little scene on the side of the road. "Um, yeah, I'm good. Just mentally preparing for the whole black ops situation."

"Black ops?" Decebel said questioningly.

"She has this weird obsession with military lingo and missions. Just nod your head and move on," Sally told him dryly.

Decebel made an 'ahh' movement with his mouth and then grinned at Jen, who blushed and quickly turned away.

Vasile and Alina climbed back into the car and drove around to the side of the building where the room was. They all unloaded and headed to the designated room.

Vasile, Fane and Decebel spent an hour planning and getting the location of the cabin marked on a map. Once they had the details worked out Vasile addressed everyone.

"The ladies are going to wait in the car in the woods where you drop us off. We're going in our wolf forms and will meet up with Sorin, Skender and Boain. Sorin is calling Dillon and telling him to bring his first four and will meet us two miles from the cabin."

"How will you get Jacque back to us if you are in your wolf forms?" Sally asked.

"I'm hoping that Dr. Steele will be in her human form and she can help get Jacque back. Sorin, Skender, and myself will escort them while Fane finishes off Logan." Vasile looked at Decebel. "It is to be Fane who kills him, it is his right."

"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.