"So she's out there, hurt and alone in this freezing cold?" Decebel realized that even though he didn't know this girl, didn't know what he was supposed to feel for her, he still wanted to save her – he wanted a chance to meet her.

"We will find her." Vasile's words were absolute. He would accept nothing less than Jen's safe return and his Beta's memory restored. And the witch who dared touch what was his, well, he wanted her head on a stick. Violent, definitely. But then, he was Alpha and nobody hurt what was his.

"So what's the plan?" Decebel asked. He refused to sit idly by just because he couldn't remember things. She was pack. He would do whatever he needed to protect that pack.

"We do need to make a plan. Meet me in the back room of the tavern. I will go and get the others."

The Alpha and his Beta began to walk back towards the tavern.

Decebel continued on when Vasile stopped to talk with the tavern's owner.

"I will compensate you well for the time you allow us to stay," he told Nicolae, a short middle aged man with a round belly and five o'clock shadow. He had an easy smile and, from what Vasile could see, he was a gentle soul.  Vasile spoke in their native tongue, wanting to befriend the gentleman and create a comradeship with him.

"I have heard you have a member of your family missing?" Nicolae asked.

"Yes. We were having a family gathering and the girl got lost in the woods. We will be here until she is found."

"Anything that I can do, I will. For now, I'll have meals readied for your family."

Vasile nodded. "That would be great. I will send some of my people to help you prepare and gather whatever you need. Thank you."

Chapter 5

Decebel watched as Vasile and Alina came into the back room. Following them was Sorin, Skender, and then others that smelled like pack, but that he had no memory of.

He noticed that the healer and the red head kept sneaking glances at him. It was obvious that they knew him, but no matter how hard he tried, they remained black voids in his mind.

"Alright, daddy-o. Let's get this party started." Jacque clapped her hands together, punctuating her obvious eagerness.

"Fane." Vasile's voice was a warning.

"Luna, sit," Fane growled at Jacque.

Jacque glared at her mate, but acquiesced while murmuring, "You are so going to pay for that later."

Fane groaned. "As my bonded mate you have way too much power over me."

Jacque laughed out loud.  "That, my love, is because you are male and therefore easily distracted by all things female. Which works to my advantage when you are being a butt head."

Fane chuckled as he tugged a strand of her hair in mock retaliation.

Meanwhile, a semi-circled formed around Vasile and Alina at the front of the room. As everyone got settled in, Costin took the wall directly behind Sally, looking every bit the role of sentinel. A fire burned directly behind all of them in a large stonefireplace casting shadows over the room adding to the mystery that held them all captive.

As the room quieted, the popping of burning wood and crackling flames filled the heavy silence. Vasile stood, but remained silent as he looked at each member of his pack, each member that he had chosen because of their fierce love and loyalty for one another. Not that others in the pack wouldn't give their all, but Vasile knew this group had grown close. That's what happened when people went through the fire together. Like heated metal, they began to soften, and when pushed together, their emotions and loyalty became soldered, no longer separate pieces. As they left the fire, cooling, that joining was permanent and unbreakable.

That kind of bond was what it was going to take to get through this. Vasile was under no illusions that before the end, tears would be shed, pain would threaten to tear them apart, and blood would coat the walls. Yes, it would take the bond forged in fire to walk through the hell they were going to soon face.

Very soon.

"I've been thinking over the situation. I'm going to explain this and then we will decide how to divide our resources." Vasile paused to see if anyone had anything to add. No one spoke, but every eye fixated on him.

"We have three dilemmas,” Vasile continued. We have a missing pack member and mate to our Beta. All we know is that she is lost on this mountain somewhere. Second, Decebel's been cursed, twice. Thanks to Sally we understand the nature of these curses, however, we don't know how to break them or who performed them. Which leads me to our third dilemma: there is a witch, a very powerful witch, assisting the Serbian pack. We need to know her identity. There is power in possessing the name of an evil being, drawing it into the light, exposing it. That is when weaknesses are found."

Vasile began to walk around the room. The movement helped his wolf settle, allowing him to better work through the problems.

"Fane, Jacque, Costin, and Sorin. You will be returning to the pack mansion." He turned and addressed Sorin. "You are to seek out Wadim. It's time to look into our pack's history. I think if you dig deep enough you will be able to uncover something about the witch or why the Serbian pack has attacked us."

"Who is Wadim?" Jacque asked.

Sorin answered, "Our pack historian."

"Ooh, the pack historian. Do you keep him in a dungeon or something? I've never seen him."

"Something like that." Sorin smiled.

Vasile continued. "Sally, Cynthia, Crina, and Decebel, I am going to send you to a friend of the pack's. She is not a healer, but she has lived among them and kept records of their history. I normally avoid seeking her out. Few know of her connection to the gypsies, and I don’t want to expose her. If Thad knew of the knowledge she possesses, he would do anything to get his hands on it." His eyes crinkled in the corners as he looked at Sally and smiled. "I think you will be pleasantly surprised."