Jen glanced around the room as she bit back her own laughter and noticed that the others, even Alina, were trying to do the same.

“Get some rest. Meet back here at 0500,” he said with a dismissive wave. The group filed out of the room, all except for Cypher and Jacque who stepped to the side and started talking. Jen knew her redheaded friend was asking about her mom. Jen was actually surprised that Lilly wasn’t there. She imagined Cypher was every bit as protective as the wolves, maybe he’d tied her up or something. She laughed to herself, picturing a spitting mad Lilly tied to a tree. She hoped for the sake of Cypher’s man parts that he didn’t tie her up.

“What’s funny?” Decebel asked as he led her from the room.

“Just picturing Cypher tying up Lilly,” she told him.

Decebel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do I want to ask why you are thinking about such things?”

“Probably not,” she teased as she nudged him with her shoulder. “Let’s get home so we can spend some time with our girl before we have to leave.” Jen couldn’t keep the worry from her voice.

“You don’t have to go. You could stay with her,” he told her gently.

“I know. But I also know where I’m needed and I know she’s safe here. I trust our female pack mates to care for her. I go where you go. If I was worried about her safety, then I wouldn’t leave her. But, then again, you wouldn’t either. We agreed from the start of this” —she motioned between them— “that we were a team. We stick together no matter what, yeah?”

He pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him. Cupping her face he whispered, “Yeah.” Then he pressed his lips to hers.

“Besides, how long could you really last without getting to kiss me like that?” she asked when he pulled back.

“Not very long,” he admitted without shame.

“Good. Remember that when we are on our little quest and I do something to piss you off,” she said and then took off at a run, avoiding the hand that reached out to smack her rear. Her laughter carried down the hall as she heard his feet hitting the ground as he pursued her. She knew he needed this. He needed the closeness, the touching and playing, to take his mind off of the danger that they would be facing. Well, that and he just liked to chase her. She’d never admit to him that she loved being chased by him.

“Like I didn’t know,” she heard his growling voice in her head.

Jen picked up the pace as she pushed open the front doors and nearly plowed into Peri. The fae grabbed her arm and, looking past Jen, gave Decebel a wave before flashing them both away.

“You’ve got amazing timing,” Jen said breathlessly as they appeared in the Serbia pack mansion.

Peri shrugged. “It’s one of my many talents. Now, I suppose I should go back and get your mate?”

Jen shook her head. “Naw, let’s make him work for it.”

Peri laughed and waved to her before she flashed.

“You coming home, B?” she asked through their bond.

“Maybe,” he huffed.

She laughed. “Don’t be a sore loser.” She flashed him a few images from her mind. And loved the low rumble that he sent to her.

“Wait for me in the foyer,” he ordered and the urgency in his voice made her grin widen.

“Maybe, or maybe I’ll be playing with little Thia and you will just have to wait.” Jen knew it was cruel, but then she never professed to being sweet. She sent him a few more images that she knew would drive him insane and then closed the bond just enough that they could still feel each other, but that she wouldn’t be able to hear his growling. She practically patted herself on the back as she headed in the direction of Thia’s room.

She knew Decebel wouldn’t let her get away with teasing him, but his payback would be well worth it.

“I don’t want to argue about this,” Fane said as he and Jacquelyn entered their suite.

“Good,” she answered him. “Then don’t argue.”

Fane growled. He knew that the argument was unavoidable. His mate was so stubborn that he was pretty sure her face was next to the definition in the dictionary.

“We need to discuss it,” Fane told her, attempting to keep the anger from his voice. He knew his own anger would only spur hers on.

“There’s nothing to discuss. You aren’t leaving me here,” Jacquelyn informed him.

“It’s not like I want to leave you. I want to protect you and our unborn child,” he said, practically snarling the last part. He couldn’t help it. The idea of his mate and child in danger made him crazy.

“Do not pull the unborn child card on me,” Jacquelyn snapped back. “I know that I’m pregnant. I don’t need you to remind me as if I don’t give a crap about the safety of our child.”

“Of course, I don’t think that. I just don’t understand why you would want to put both of your lives in danger. What if something happens to you and you lose our baby? I don’t want you to have to go through something like that.” Fane hated to bring up something so horrible, but he desperately needed her to see why it was so important that she not go.

“Then you should stay here as well,” she countered.

Fane was surprised by her response. He hadn’t been expecting her to suggest something like that. And he was a little insulted that she would think he needed protecting. “You don’t believe I am capable of defeating our enemy? You find me to be weak?”

Her eyes widened and he saw the minute she realized she’d hurt him, but anger quickly replaced the emotion. “No, you idiot!”

“Luna, we agreed not to call each other names when we fight,” he reminded her and instantly realized it had been the wrong thing to say.

“Then don’t act like a dense…a… well…a,” she sputtered over her words and finally blurted out, “sheep!”

Fane frowned at her. “A dense?” He paused. “Sheep?”

“Yes,” Jacquelyn said a little more confidently. “A dense sheep because sheep are the dumbest animals on the freaking planet and you are obviously a distant cousin.”

He wasn’t sure if he should laugh or be offended. A dense sheep, well that was a new one.

“I know you can take care of yourself. I don’t doubt for a second that you are capable. But if I have to stay behind because you can’t stand the idea of us” —she made a motion to her protruding belly— “in danger, then you can’t go either. Do you know what it will be like to sit here while the father of my child is fighting vampires? That makes me every bit as crazy as it makes you. I don’t understand why you dumb males think you’re the only ones with strong emotions when it comes to the idea of their mate being in danger.”