"Each of you take a vehicle and begin transporting your packs down to the village. See if you can find a place large enough for all of us – or a couple places, if that's the best we can do. Dillon, you take a vehicle as well and get your pack down the mountain." The Hungarian and Bulgarian Alphas nodded and walked off, shouting orders to their packs, as Dillon began hollering orders to his pack.

Decebel turned to Sorin. "Get Vasile and Alina in the vehicle first. Then the females, with one male to each vehicle. Have Dorin drive. The rest of the males will stay here with me and wait for their return."

"I'm on it." Sorin nodded and then turned to Skender. "Help me with Vasile and Alina. I'm not sure that they are quite ready to walk on their own. Don't assist Vasile unless absolutely necessary. He won't want to appear weak."

"I want to stay with Fane," Jacque told Decebel.

"With all due respect, Jacque, you do not outrank me yet," Decebel told her firmly.

Fane pulled Jacque to the side. "You must go, love. Take care of the females while my mother is weak."

Jacque pursed her lips together as her eyes narrowed. "If you let something happen to yourself I'm going to be pissed. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Fane smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I consider myself warned. Know that those feelings go both ways, Luna. Take care of yourself."

Jacque wrapped her arms around Fane's neck, pulling him tight. "I love you," she whispered in his mind.

"That's good to hear, because I plan to keep you around for quite some time," Fane teased, trying to keep the moment light.

Jacque stuck her tongue out at him as they separated. Fane winked at her, praying they would be safe as she headed toward the Hummer and climbed in behind Sally.

Decebel, Fane, and Costin watched as the four vehicles, packed beyond capacity, headed down the mountain.

Decebel felt a chill run through him as the temperature seemed to drop unnaturally. He glanced in the direction of the burning mansion. His brow furrowed as he remembered how he had watched the fire engulf and devour the structure.

Definitely not natural, he thought.

"Sorin." Decebel called to his pack mate. "You're older than I am." Sorin nodded in agreement. "What do you know of dark magic?"

Sorin's face paled as he looked just to the right of his Beta's eyes, so not to challenge him.

"It comes from witches." Sorin voice was strained.

"I thought those were just tales," Decebel commented, remembering the stories other pack mates would share.  It was a lot like telling ghost stories, only the ghosts were witches who could curse you to have three eyeballs or no tongue.

"There is always some truth in fables," Sorin told him.

Costin and Fane were now listening intently.

"Why do you want to know about witches and dark magic?" Fane asked Decebel.

"There was something behind that fire. I could feel it, like oil running over my skin. It was greasy and thick."

Fane nodded. "I agree that something was in the air. Something evil."

"There hasn't been a documented witch in centuries." Sorin was shaking his head. "And even when there were witches, it was – is – forbidden for packs to employ them or seek out their help."

"Well, it's pretty obvious that Thad isn't really into obeying pack law. He did attempt to kill our Alpha and my mate, after all," Decebel ground out.

The wolves waiting for the vehicles to return huddled with their pack mates, seeking comfort from one another. Decebel felt the chill again. Something was wrong.

Something was coming.

"I want Vasile's spawn crushed into nothing." Thad paced in the woods a mile behind the burning mansion. "Just a pup and he's found his mate. I've been waiting centuries!"

Thad turned to look at the woman who was holding her hands toward the fire, muttering under her breath.  Desdemona – or Mona, for short – was an extremely powerful witch. A witch that his pack had employed for several centuries. She was the epitome of evil. Even her name—Desdemona—meant “of the devil,” testified to the darkness of her soul. Thad watched and waited as she continued to bring the mansion to the ground.

Suddenly she dropped her arms and turned to face him, piercing him with her eyes, one blue, one black – both filled with malice. She had long hair, black as night with one strip of white near her face. Aside from the freaky eyes, she was a beautiful woman – a beautiful woman who would cut your heart out and feed it to the wolves if you crossed her.

"I've told you before, Thad, I cannot kill from a distance without the lifeblood of the one you want dead." She sounded exasperated, as if talking to an annoying child.

"What can you do to him? Surely a witch four centuries old can do something," Thad taunted.

"Watch yourself, wolf," Mona hissed. "I work for you, but I will not be disrespected."

"My apologies." Thad bowed his head and knew his words and posture had placated her.

"So you're pissed because he has a mate at such a young age?" she asked.

"Pissed is putting it mildly. If you can't kill him, take her away from him."

Mona walked a slow circle around Thad, arms folded across her chest as she flipped through the curses in her mind. Thad watched as a grin – so wicked it could cause demons from hell to cower – spread across her evil, albeit beautiful, face.