“I’m going too.” Sally suddenly jumped up and hurried over to Jacque’s side. Costin’s face resembled Fane’s as he took several steps after his mate. The looks on the ladies’ faces had him stopping in his tracks. He had no doubts that they would claw his eyes out if he tried to get Sally; females could be protective like that.

“And me.” Jen was up as quickly as her pregnant self could move and standing next to the group. She looked back over her shoulder, expecting Decebel to be right behind her snarling and objecting. But instead, he was rooted to his spot. His jaw was so tense she thought he just might break it from clenching and his eyes were bright, bright, amber. For the first time in their relationship, he wasn’t stopping her from leaving his side, and with her being pregnant no less. The shock of it nearly drove her to her knees. She felt a warm hand slide in hers and looked over to see Sally giving her a gentle smile. Sally, the glue to the trio’s friendship, always knew what to do and when to do it. Jen turned her attention back to the group, effectively putting her mate at her back.

“If Jen goes, then I go.” Cynthia stepped forward with a resigned sigh.

Rachel, Crina, Elle and Cyn stepped forward next and the growls in the room were beginning to drown out the voices.

“This is really a tough choice,” Peri grumbled. “I can either live in estrogen city or testosterone valley.” She looked from the men to the women and then stepped towards the females. “But at least in estrogen city there will be chocolate and Jen to keep me entertained.”

Jen grinned. “We aim to please Peri fairy.”

Alina turned to her mate questioningly. “What would you say to this, Alpha?”

Vasile stood and looked around the room at the very tense, very angry mated males and then back at the determined females. “You are asking the impossible my love,” he told her.

“Lilly is pack by way of Jacque and it is our job to protect her. The males need to stay here and figure out a plan to deal with this new threat. I would think you all would be happy to have us out of harm’s way.”

He chuckled out loud. “You would play that card.”

Alina tilted her head to the side and waited for his decision.

“It is within my right to speak for the females of my pack. Decebel will need to speak for the females in his pack.” He paused and glanced one more time at the males. He wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to strangle him in his sleep. “The females who have requested,” he laughed at that, “to go with Lilly will do so except Rachel.” Rachel looked at Vasile, waiting for his explanation and knowing the Alpha always had an agenda. “Rachel, we cannot have both healers away. One must remain here to tend to the needs of the pack and since you are in my pack, you stay.”

Gavril let out a satisfied rumble and walked over,tugging Rachel away from the group. He pulled her into his arms which seemed to soften the frustration that had been written across her tight lips.

Sorin stepped forward and Adam was right behind him. “Don’t you think some males should go with them?”

“And who would I send?” Vasile snapped, “If I send a couple of the mated males, the others will feel slighted. If I send any of the unmated males, they will die by the teeth of one of the mated males. So tell me Sorin, who can I send?”

Sorin did not have an answer and he knew Vasile was right. He stepped back, but his eyes continued to glow as he turned his eyes on his mate.

“Decebel, you must decide if you will allow your mate and Sally to go.” Vasile took a step back, giving the other alpha the floor.

Decebel’s eyes bore into Jennifer’s back. She refused to look at him and he knew it was because he hadn’t refused her request. How ironic was it that the one time he did not object to her, she gets angry about it.

“They may go.” his words rung out through the hall and he swore that everyone stopped breathing. Was he really so unreasonable that they would be so shocked over his decision? He thought back over the course of the past few months and decided, yes, he definitely was unreasonable when it came to Jennifer because the idea of losing her was enough to drive him to the most irrational choices sometimes.

“We leave tonight,” Peri announced. Growls and chairs being shoved out of the way began to fill the room as angry mates tried to keep their anger under control. Costin lost the battle and phased right there—clothes tearing, eyes glowing, saliva dripping from his fangs. He gave Sally one last look before turning and running from the great hall.

“Oh dear.” Sally blew out an exhausted breath.

“I think that’s going to top the understatements of all understatements,” Jacque told them as she pointed them in the direction of her own mate who was standing so still he didn’t even look like he was breathing, but his clawed hand gripping the door frame was the damning evidence that his own control was nearly gone.

“So where are we meeting and what time?” Jen spoke up and drew all the females’ attention away from the ticked-off males.

“Vasile said we can take the pack jet and it will be ready to go in two hours,” Alina told them.

Cynthia rubbed her hands together and was suddenly in all business mode. “Alright then, we have two hours to pack and calm the guys down enough so that they might not tear the mansion apart while we are gone.”

They each again glanced over their shoulders and Jen let out a snort. “Yeah, I don’t think anything we say or do is going to calm this bunch down. Look,” she pointed, “Vasile has Sorin up against the wall by his throat.”