Fate and Fury

Peri’s head snapped up as she looked at Cyn.

“The Elf Prince is here?” Peri’s eyes widened.

Cyn nodded. “We sort of needed something he had.”

“Yeah, I bet you did,” Peri muttered.

“Perizada, we are not going down that road so just forget it.” Cyn nearly sounded like a jaded teenager.

“It was bound to happen one day. You two have been swooning over one another for centuries now. Just go ahead and get you a taste so you can be done with it.”

Cyn shook her head in exasperation. “This isn’t about me or Thalion or us together. Cypher needed more information about opening the veil to the underworld. He had planned to get it from his brother. As I told you, that plan sort of got crushed by a Draheim, so we had to resort to plan B.”

“Otherwise known as, Plan Hot Freaking Elf Prince Come Light My Fire,” Peri laughed, when Cyn crossed her arms and began tapping her foot.

“You done yet?” Cyn asked, with a scowl.

Peri laughed, but finally raised her hand. “Yeah, yeah okay I’m done.” She leaned her head back, stretching her neck and feeling the slight strain in it relax just a little. “So, is Thalion able to help?”

“Turns out he has the book called Nushtonia.” Cyn waited for the reaction that she knew was coming.

Peri started laughing. Cyn’s brow furrowed as she watched the high Fae. This had not been the reaction she had been expecting.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Peri yelled. “Could this get any worse? So, now the book inspired by a demon that was in hiding is out in the open where Mona could get her grubby, dirty, filthy, blood covered hands on it?”

“Yes, but Cypher needs it. Before he was mated, he understood the risk of opening the veil. Now, he has Lilly, and it’s a game changer. Not only has he decided not to help Mona, but he has promised not to let anything happen to Lilly’s daughter. He had to open the veil, because he'd made a blood oath, but he needed to be able to close it immediately, before anything could get through.”

Peri listened intently as her mind ran through the millions of nightmarish possibilities that were bound to happen, and by the way, things were going, they would all happen at the same freaking time.

“So, what I hear you telling me is that our Warlock King needs to accomplish the impossible.”

Cyn nodded. “Essentially.”

“Excellent.”

“Exactly.”

“Any more E words we could add to this little chit chat?” Peri asked dryly.

“Effing perfect?” Cyn grinned at Peri.

“You took the words right out of my mouth.”

Peri motioned for Cyn to follow her. “So, your people want to come rendezvous with my people. We need to let Vasile and the other males know so that they don’t feel like they have been snuck up upon. Have you prepped the Warlock and Prince on how to behave around possessive, butthead werewolves?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then I will meet with them before they meet the wolves. This is a frickin’ nightmare,” Peri muttered, as she led Cyn to Vasile and Alina’s room.

Peri stepped up to knock on the Alpha’s door, but paused, her hand in midair. She heard multiple deep voices conversing and couldn’t stifle the exasperated groan that slipped out.

“Come in, Perizada,” she heard, Vasile tell her. He must have heard the groan. She grasped the handle and pushed on the latch.

Decebel, Fane, Costin, Adam, Sorin, Gavril, Alina, and Vasile’s eyes landed on her and then shifted to Cyn who was standing behind her.

“Glad to see the gang’s all here. That will keep me from having to repeat myself, which as you all know, I loathe to do.” Peri walked farther into the room. Cyn moved to stand next to her and Vasile, Decebel, and the males who had been sitting moved to stand in front of Alina.

Alina growled behind them. “Move.”

“Peri, who have you brought to visit us without announcement?” Vasile asked, coolly.

“Vasile meet Cyn. Cyn meet Vasile,” Peri motioned between the two of them. “Cyn is one of the Fae Guardians. She has been with the Warlock King and Lilly while they’ve been on their little adventure.”

Vasile met Cyn’s gaze and waited. Cyn knew that it was a dominance thing with wolves so she dropped her eyes.

Peri raised a brow at the Alpha. “You done now?”

Vasile lifted a lip at her, flashing long canines, before he told her to proceed.

“The Warlock King, Lilly, the Elf Prince, and their warriors are about thirty miles from here in the forest.”

“What?” Decebel growled as he took a step towards her.

“Peace wolf,” Peri snapped. “They aren’t coming to attack you. They are coming to help.” Peri explained everything that Cyn had told her, trying to keep it as short and exact as possible.

“So he still plans to open the veil?” Vasile asked, unnecessarily.

“He made a blood oath. It’s not like he really has a choice,” Cyn pointed out.

“They point is,” Peri interrupted, “that they want to help. They are bringing more warm bodies to assist us in fighting Desdemona.”

“They are unknown males around our females,” Costin snarled.

“Speaking of said females,” she met Costin’s stare. “Where are your oh so precious mates?”

Costin looked away. Obviously, unhappy about the question.

“They’re in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate,” Fane shot back.

Peri laughed. “So, let me guess, you’re upset, because they wanted a break from the rooms you have no doubt kept them locked up in for the past twenty four hours, or,” she laughed even harder, “you’re just jealous of the mugs they are sipping the beverage from.”

All of the males had the sense, to act somewhat guilty at their overbearing behavior, but none of them contradicted her.

“Are you quite finished, Peri,” Adam spoke up for the first time.

“Oh I could go on for hours; you males just make it to easy. But alas, the blasted men who have come to take your women’s virtue, if there is any left after the interesting night I’m sure you all had, are waiting for Vasile’s approval before they arrive.”

“Who said it was the males taking the virtue?” A familiar voice chirped from behind Peri. Jen and the entourage of females filed into the room. The faces of the males changed instantly from irritated to worshipful. Peri shook her head at them. She would never understand the bond between mates, unless the Great Luna had her way. Peri cringed at that thought.