Chapter 14

"I feel like we've been here before. The world is frolicking along, minding its own business, oblivious to everything. Meanwhile evil is attempting to wrap its dirty little hands around the globe and squeeze. And here we stand—wolves, fae, warlock, and elves—ready for battle. Oh wait, it's because we have been here before. Here's hoping we can pull another ‘W.’ If not, Thia, the doghouses are for your future dogs. Please make sure they pee on your father’s grave regularly. Love mom." ~Jen

Drake squeezed his eyes closed and turned away from the group. They have arrived in Phoenix, and everyone is currently discussing what to do next. The troubled wolf now knows that he isn't going to be able to stay in control, even though they’ve only been in the city for five minutes. The darkness that has been steadily growing inside of him is eager. It feels a kindred spirit in this city that houses the oldest and largest coven of vampires on earth, led by the vampire king Sincaro himself.

His wolf is every bit as eager as that darkness. It feels something as well, but it's so hard to discern what that feeling is with all of the chaos inside of his mind. He attempts to push it all out and simply focus on what Vasile is saying and, for now, it works. But for how long it will work, he can’t say.

Jen groaned as she sat down on the worn out sofa. Peri had flashed them into a vacant old office building that appeared as if it hadn’t seen any tenants in quite some time. It was like an office graveyard. There was nothing but old office equipment, ancient drinking fountains, and a few of those yellow signs containing the slipping stick man that warned people of a wet floor. Jen, Jacque, and Sally had claimed the only couch in the place.

"So you're telling me that, now that we're here, you can't figure out what to do next?" Jen asked their fearless leaders.

Decebel, Vasile, Peri, and Alina all glared at her. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just calling it like I see it. Don’t snarl at the cute messenger."

"He's cloaking the damn city somehow," Peri snapped.

"What do you mean, cloaking?" Decebel asked.

"I mean that he’s masking his coven’s evil essence. The pixies and I were previously able to locate the entrances to the covens because of the pull of evil. I can feel it if I open myself up to it. But if I open myself up to it too many times, well, that could be a very bad thing."

"The magic begins to saturate you?" Sally asked.

Peri nodded. "You do not want someone as powerful and as old as I am saturated with evil."

"Okay," Jen nodded. "Don’t saturate Fairy Peri in darkness less she become a raging bitch—got it. But what does that have to do with the city being cloaked?"

"It means even if I open myself to it, I will not be able to pinpoint the evil. And cloaking really isn’t the right word for it. Just the opposite really. He's covered the city in it. It's everywhere."

“So he’s using evil to hide evil?” asked Alina.

“That’s right, and I don’t even want to imagine the things he’s done to make the city so dark,” responded the fae.

There was quiet in the room as everyone seemed to consider the new turn of events.

"But didn't he invite us here?" Jacque asked. "Won't he make himself known or something?"

"Probably, at some point," Peri nodded.

"We were really hoping for the element of at least a little bit of surprise," Vasile added.

"Guess you're SOL, Alpha," Jen offered as she leaned back against the couch and ignored her glowering mate.

And so the waiting began.

Jen attempted to offer her own suggestions, as did Jacque and Sally. But each time they spoke up, Decebel or Fane shot them down.

"What if we look at the police stations," Sally offered. "Jacque is pregnant and you know pregnant chicks can get away with anything."

Jacque nodded. "It's true. I can literally do anything I want and people just smile at me."

Jen nodded as well. "Totally true."

"Jen and I could go with her to the police stations and come up with some story about her missing cousin or something. I bet we could find out where most of the kidnappings are happening, then—" Sally was cut off as Fane's phone beeped. Fane answered it, looked at Sally, and then held it out.

"Stop trying to be helpful," Costin growled through the phone. Fane had obviously set it on speaker.

"You already snarled at me in my head. Why did you have to call Fane?" Sally was seething.

"Because I wanted to make sure everyone heard me tell you to NOT do all the ideas popping up in your head that you think will be helpful. Did everyone hear that?" Costin called out.

"Reading you loud and clear, dimples," Jen called back. "Ow!" she yelled when Sally pinched her.

"You're supposed to be on my side," Sally gritted through her teeth.

"I'm on the side of sexy, Sally. And no offense, but your mate’s dimples do a whole hell of a lot more for me than your big, brown eyes."

"Nice," Jacque held up a fist for Jen.

Sally glared at both of them and then glared back at the phone. "Are you done acting like a damn possessive animal?"

Costin chuckled. "Sally, mine, I am not human. I am a damn, possessive animal. So, no, I am not done acting like one, nor will I ever be. Keep yourself safe or I'll spank you myself and let Jen watch."

The phone went dead as he ended the call. There was silence in the room. Sally was staring wide eyed and opened mouth at the offending device while everyone else seemed frozen.

Peri was the first to recover. "I don’t know who's worse anymore, her" —she pointed at Jen— "or bar boy."

Jen couldn't help the proud smile. "I really didn't know he was going to turn out so good. This is one of those proud mama moments."

"Oh shut up," Sally huffed as she stood from the couch and started pacing.

Sally was fuming. She'd been trying hard to keep Costin from hearing too many of her ideas, but she'd also been trying to keep the bond open enough that she could pick up things about Titus as well. She, Jen, and Jacque had gotten a little overzealous with their suggestions, and she'd totally forgotten that Costin was listening in.