“Fane, please look at me.” Jacque pleaded with her mate. He was kneeling on the ground while low growls emitted from him. His body shook under her hands as she gently rubbed his back. His sweat soaked shirt stuck to him and Jacque tried to give him some relief by pulling the shirt away from his skin.

“Fane, dammit, I said look at me,” Jacque snarled.

Fane’s head rose slightly at the command in her voice and his lip showed sharp white fangs. His eyes glowed blue and Jacque saw that Fane’s wolf was very close to the surface. Seizing the opportunity, she grabbed his face while it was upturned and held his stare.

“Fane, it’s me, Jacquelyn.”

Fane’s eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath, leaning closer to her to catch her scent. Cotton candy and snow hit his senses and nearly knocked him over. He howled loudly and the others joined in with him.

“Mate,” his voice was guttural as he spoke. He reached up and caressed her face longingly. When he ran a finger along her lips Jacque opened her mouth and nipped his finger playfully with her teeth. As he started to reach for her, a voice behind him had him jumping to his feet, shoving Jacque behind him as he snarled.

Peri stood with her hands in the air as she looked at Fane.

“Peace, Fane, I mean no harm,” she told him, calmly.

Fane looked at her, and then for the first time noticed all the commotion going on around him. He backed up further, pushing Jacque back until her back hit the wall. His wolf was urging him to protect her, to keep anyone from coming near her and hurting her. His eyes shifted wildly from person to person, all of them a possible threat to what was his.

“His wolf is in control,” a deep voice came from the left.

Fane’s head whipped around to meet the eyes of his Alpha and father. He knew him, but that didn’t matter. Down here, nothing could be trusted, his wolf reminded him. He lifted a lip in a snarl at Vasile.

“Fane,” Vasile’s voice rumbled and Fane felt the push in it. “We aren’t going to hurt her. You need to get control of your wolf.”

Fane felt a small hand on his back and then and arm slipped around his waist from behind.

“Fane, come back to me love.” He heard Jacquelyn’s voice in his mind and something in him broke.

He turned around crushed her to him.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he told her. “I thought I’d never hold you again.”

“I’m here,” she told him, out loud. “I’m here and we have to go.”

Fane pulled back and looked down at her. He caressed her cheek and leaned down, kissing her gently.

“Don’t leave my side.”

His glowing eyes told her what his soft voice didn’t. Fane was still not fully in control.

He turned back to face everyone andheld Jacque’s hand tightly in his own. He met his father’s gaze and exposed his throat to his Alpha quickly, before watching everyone with weary eyes.

Peri gave them all a few more minutes as the couples continued to stand and look at her. Cynthia had taken over getting Drake to his feet since he did not have a mate. Peri found it odd that they didn’t embrace each other, or ask each other if they were all right. But, as she watched each of the males eyeing one another, she realized that they didn’t trust each other. They didn’t trust that this was real, that the women that they each held close were genuine. Their minds were trying to come to terms with the notion that the mates, solid and whole in their arms, were not going to be ripped from them and tortured

Though she knew that they needed more time to come to terms with reality, she couldn’t give them time. They needed to get the hell out of dodge and they needed to do it yesterday.

“Okay all you lovely, people,” Peri’s voice rose so that everyone could hear her. “As much as I would like to give you all time to process this, you are going to have to put on your big girl panties and just trust that your mates are here to save your assess and go with it. We don’t have time to do a twelve step program, so pull yourselves together long enough to get out of here.”

“Man I missed you,” Adam said from across the room with a sly smile, one arm wrapped around Crina as he smiled at Peri. The smile was real and the words as sarcastic as ever, but there was still something off in his eyes.

“Yes, yes, I know. You want to pledge your undying love for me, yada, yada,” she said, dryly, “Let’s get moving people. Cynthia, start singing again, please, and maybe make it a happier tune so that we don’t all want to shoot ourselves.” Peri headed towards the stairs. She motioned for Vasile and Alina to come over.

“Alpha,” she bowed her head slightly to him. “It’s good to see you. Now, if you would be so kind as to lead your people out of here. Keep your wits about you. Listen to Cynthia’s voice and don’t think about your worries. If you have to, take a note from Jen’s book and think about sex.”

“I heard that,” Jen hollered. Peri ignored her.

Vasile took Alina’s hand and began to lead her up the stairs. He cleared his mind of any worries or fears. He only thought of the rich sound coming from Cynthia and the feel of his mate's, hand in his.

Peri directed each of them up the stairs, telling them each over and over to think only of Cynthia’s voice. Peri was the last to begin the climb up the stairs and she herself focused on the doctor’s voice pushing away the fears that were attempting to flood her mind. She refused to give them even a fraction of her attention.