“Well done,” he drew out in a deep voice, as he continued to clap. Vasile’s eyes narrowed on the new comer and his lips curled back. The wolves around him gathered and followed the Alpha’s lead.

“You have done what no one else could have, and honestly, I have to say thank you.” The man bowed his head slightly at Vasile, but they weren’t fooled by the false sincerity. “With that witch out of the way, my plans can proceed. However, since you have defeated such a powerful foe, you might think yourself capable of stopping me as well. Therefore, I feel it necessary to demonstrate that I shall not be so easily thwarted. So, you should think twice before getting in my way.” His words had barely registered when his hand flew outwards and a black bolt shot forth and slammed into Vasile’s chest. He was thrown back into a heap and Alina, who had already, began to run for her mate, dropped in mid-stride. One by one the members of Vasile’s pack felt the pain of their Alpha’s death, even those who were no longer in his pack sensed the loss and agony.

Peri screamed and turned, firing her own power at the man, but he was already cloaked in the black smoke and then gone.

“Alston, get the healers,” Peri yelled as she ran to Vasile’s still form. She ignored the howls of the wolves and focused on the fallen Alpha.

Alston ran over to Rachel and Sally who lay exhausted on the ground, their mates hovering over them. “MOVE!” He yelled at the two snarling males. “If you want your Alpha to live then move.”

Costin and Gavril phased back into human form, heedless of their nudity. Each male picked up their fatigued mates. They carried them over to where Peri crouched over Vasile. Peri handed Alston a stone and he took it and pressed it to Sally’s head. Peri did the same to Rachel.

“DECEBEL,” Peri yelled. “Get over here and give your healer strength.”

Decebel ran over, still in his wolf form. He laid his head on Sally’s lap and drew on his power as an Alpha. One by one the Alpha’s all walked over and laid a hand on the healers, using the power bestowed on them by the Great Luna. They gave freely in hopes of pushing life back into the Alpha who had united them as one and defeated an evil that none of them, on their own, could have beaten.

Jacque, Jen, Crina, Elle, and Cynthia formed a circle around Alina protecting the Alpha female, waiting, and hoping to see her chest move.

Sally felt the darkness receding, she tried to open her eyes, but stopped as soon as she felt the faint trail of a spirit she knew very well, a spirit she had brought back once before at a time when Vasile’s life had been hanging in the balance due to a deadly poison.

“Vasile?” She called out. “Have you fallen? Vasile answer me!”

There was no answer, nothing.

She felt power pouring into her and her gypsy blood knew instinctively what to do. Shesought out the source of the injury, what had brought down so great an Alpha. It wasn’t a spell it was damage. Vasile’s heart looked charred, almost like it had been cooked. Her heart fell, she didn’t know if she could heal this. She felt Rachel and could tell that the healer was moving Vasile’s blood through his body and willing his lungs to take in air. She was keeping him alive. Sally felt it was hopeless. Regardless, she pushed forward, determined to save the Alpha whom she had come to love as a father, who had given her a family and a home.

She touched his heart with her healing light, and as she felt tears on her face, she called out. “Please, you said if we called on you, you would answer, you would help. Don’t take him from us just yet. He is still needed. Surely you are aware of this.” Sally continued to try and heal the damage done to his heart, but knew that she could not do it alone.

“Sally, chosen of your blood line,” she heard the Great Luna’s melodic voice in her mind, “mate of Costin, and healer to the Serbian pack. I have heard you, you who are pure of heart, and give of yourself so freely without regard to your own safety. I will grant you this. Do not give up Sally the battle is not over. You have been tested and found faithful; my children have proven that goodness can prevail. So take heart now, your Alpha, my beloved, will live, and you may rest for a short time. But, where one foe falls, another arises. You must continue to stand firm, you must continue to be what I have called you to be, to follow the path set before you and if you stumble I will be here to help you regain your footing.”

Sally felt renewed strength flow out of her and watched in awe, as a heart that was beyond repair, was healed, strong, and healthy once again. It pounded in the Alpha’s chest and pushed blood through his veins. His lungs drew in fresh air and filled the blood with oxygen. With every beat, life returned to Vasile.

“He’s breathing,” Sally heard Peri say. She kept her eyes closed and felt strong arms pick her up.

She was so tired. She just wanted to sleep, for a very long time.

“Not too long Sally mine, you have a wedding to attend.” She heard the precious sound of her mate’s voice in her mind and took comfort in knowing he had her.

“Always,” he whispered, against her ear.

Chapter 23

“Every little girl dreams of her wedding day. She picks out her wedding dress and the flowers. She imagines the music playing as she walks down the aisle to a faceless groom she has yet to meet. She pours her hopes and dreams into a day that may or may not come. My day has come. It is nothing like I dreamed. There is no music or flowers. There is no elaborate dress adorned in rows of beads. There is only me and my groom, who has an amazing face. No, it’s nothing like I dreamed; it’s better.”