“Follow me, Elle. I’ll show you your room and then we can walk to the bar together,” Peri said. “The others have already gone.”

Elle followed Peri, but her mind was far from present. She couldn’t stop the feeling that her life was about to change. Something was about to happen and it terrified her.

Chapter 12

“Change is coming. I can feel it in me. Darkness has begun to devour me from the inside out and I’m beginning to wonder, if I ever find my true mate, what will be left for her to love?” ~ Sorin

As Costin entered the bar, he felt the weight of magic boiling over him. The feeling pressed strongly in on him. Being dominant, it was in his nature to press back, so he did. His power filled the room and suddenly it was quiet. All heads turned to look at him and the group that was filing in behind him. Decebel stepped up and put a calming hand on Costin’s shoulder.

Costin hadn’t realized that he was already on the defensive, ready for a fight that might never come. Though it took a considerable amount of strength, he reigned in his power and let out a slow breath. This mating was going to be the death of him. He usually had total control over his wolf; he was still young, after all.  But just knowing that Sally stood next to him, unmarked, un-bonded, in a room full of supernatural males, did not make it easy to keep his lighthearted nature.

“Pull it together,” Decebel murmured and then headed for the bar, Jen close to his side. Costin followed, tugging Sally along behind him.

When Decebel reached the bar he spoke to a large, friendly looking man who wore an easy smile.

“I’ve brought my Beta to work for you as we discussed. I appreciate you giving him the chance to learn from you.”

The owner knew the real reason behind the wolves coming to his bar.  They had already agreed, however, owing to the number of regulars in the bar, that they would need a cover story. They had decided to say that Costin was coming to learn more of the trade from the owner, because Decebel was interested in opening a bar owned by the pack.

“It is an honor to have you here Alpha,” the bartender answered.

Decebel motioned to Costin. “This is Costin, my Beta, and his mate Sally.” Nodding to Costin the bartender smiled. “I’m Bo, the proprietor of this luxurious roach motel.  And I also double as the usual bartender because most of my other employees tend to be ‘sick’ a lot.”

Sally stood motionless as the exchange between the men went on. They were speaking in Romanian so she didn’t have a clue what they were saying. Cynthia walked up to her side and Jen maneuvered herself around Decebel so she was standing with them.

“I tell ya what, ladies,” Jen said with her hand on her hip, “this place has potential, but damn if it’s not going to take a lot of work.”

Cynthia smiled, shaking her head at theever-persistent Jen.

Sally leaned over to Cynthia, speaking loud enough for Jen to hear. “It should make us nervous that the wheels are already turning in that pretty blonde head and we’ve been in this place all of three minutes.”

Cynthia eyed Jen. “Oh, believe me, I am nervous.”

Jen snorted. “Someone has to be the brains in this outfit. We have some serious recon to do.”

Sally groaned. “We are up shit creek without a paddle if she is already using military lingo.” Jen laughed when Costin’s head snapped around to look at Sally.

A small grin touched his lips and Sally blushed under his gaze.

“You guys think you should be worried about me?” Jen asked skeptically. “If Sally’s already cussing, we are definitely in trouble with a capital DS.”

Cynthia cocked her head to the side. “Trouble starts with T,” she said at the exact same time as Sally said, “Don’t ask.”

Jen grinned. “Indeed it does, my doctor friend, but I’m not talking about just any kind of trouble. The kind of trouble we are in is the Deep kind that leads to all kinds of Shit.”

Cynthia made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth while glancing over at Sally.

Sally shrugged. “I told you not to ask.”

“I didn't.”

Before they had a chance to continue their conversation, Costin looked over at Sally and smiled mischievously.

“Shit creek?”

Sally turned bright red at the words he spoke through their bond. He tugged her toward him, leading her behind the bar.

“I’m blaming that one on Jen. She taught me everything I know about cussing, and being around her seems to make me word vomit.”

Costin laughed out loud, earning him some curious looks. He simply smiled back at them and waved, or gave a nod as if he had known them all their lives. Costin was good with people. He made them feel at ease rather than like he was going to rip their head off at even the slightest wrong move.

Sally looked back and saw that Decebel was talking to the others, pointing discreetly, assigning locations. Judging by the look on Jen’s face and the tapping of her foot, she was not happy with what her mate had assigned her. Sally groaned inwardly. When was Decebel ever going to learn?  When you put boundaries around Jen she just thought of it as a challenge. Jen loved challenges. Basically Decebel was dangling a steak in front of a caged lion and daring it to find a way to get the meat. Jen always got her meat.

Sally snorted back laughter at her own thoughts. She would definitely have to share that one with Jen.

“I caught that, ya know?”  Costin whispered slyly.

“Eavesdropper,” Sally teased, trying hard not to be embarrassed over her Jen and meat thought.