“As soon as you can see your surroundings, I need you to tell me as much as you can about where you are.” He paused and she could barely feel the worry coming off of him in waves. “Are you alright?”

Jen bit her lip. She would not cry. She would not show any weakness, not to him, not anymore. “I’m as good as a pregnant werewolf with a mate bond that’s nearly gone and is being kidnapped can be. As soon as I have some helpful information for you I’ll let you know.” She snapped the barrier down between their minds quickly, hoping that he didn’t sense how much control it was taking her for her to not break down and cry. She hated crying, and yet lately that seemed to be her answer for everything. She wondered briefly if there was such a thing as a tear ductectomy. Probably not, but it was a thought, a crappy one―yes, but a thought nonetheless.

“Sally?” Sally heard Costin’s worried voice and latched onto it desperately. The rich deep tone enveloped her like a warm blanket and she wished more than anything that it was his arms that were enveloping her.

“Sort of have a little problem,” she told him carefully.

“Are you fighting warlocks too?”

“WHAT?” Sally nearly hollered out loud, but caught herself before it left her throat. “Why are you fighting warlocks? Is that why you shut me out?”

“The why isn’t real important at this point and I didn’t shut you out, I thought you shut me out.” He sounded out of breath and for him to sound that way through the bond told her that he was fighting hard. Worry for him threatened to overwhelm her. She took a slow deep breath and kept her eyes closed. The darkness around her was oppressive and beginning to disorient her from knowing which direction was up and which was down. She focused on feeling him through their bond, feeling his warmth and love.

“Sally, can you please tell me what the problem is that you mentioned?”

“We’re sort of going on a trip.” she cringed when she felt the swell of alarm in him.

“What sort of trip?”

“The sort that wasn’t planned and we weren’t exactly willing to go on.”

“You’re being kidnapped?”

“Afraid so.” Sally felt deflated but not scared, at least not yet. “Please don’t worry about us, okay? You focus on fighting the warlocks or whatever it is you’re doing so you don’t get hurt. We can get ourselves out of this mess.”

“Don’t worry? Sally mine, have you been drinking because the only way that you could possibly think that a male would not worry about his kidnapped mate would be if you were so inebriated that you couldn’t walk straight.”

She huffed and tried not to stomp her foot like a toddler. “There is no sense in worrying just yet. Please, just try and stay calm okay? I’m sureonce Decebel finds out what’s going on he will freak out enough for all of you.”

“Are you hurt? Don’t lie to me,” he growled.

“No, well, not because of being kidnapped. Being separated from you has been painful, but other than that I’m fine.”

“We will find you, Sally.”

“I know you will,” her words came out as a whisper and though she wanted to sound strong and confident for him, she was tired, and she didn’t feel all that strong.

“You’re very strong love, I have faith in you.”

“I love you, Costin. Please be careful.”

“I love you more.” She felt his lips on hers briefly and then she closed the bond so that he could focus on fighting the warlocks. Her chest tightened at the thought and she kicked herself for not pressing him harder about what was going on, not that he would have told her.

Jacque felt the bond between she and Fane open suddenly and relief flooded her like a dam being opened.

“Fane!” she said his name desperately, as if the mere sound of it would save her.

“I’m here Luna,” his voice came through deep and strong into her mind and she wanted to climb into his lap and press her nose to his neck so she could breathe in his familiar scent.

“Reyaz is working with Lorelle and she came to my mom’s house.”

“Are you alright?” She could feel his fear for her and his desperate need for her to be safe.

“I’m fine. She’s flashing us somewhere. Are you alright?” She felt his reluctance to answer. “Spit it out wolf-man.”

“Cypher has attacked, or attempted to attack, the trolls. So we are sort-of fighting the warlocks.”

“Sortof fighting? What the crap does that mean sort-of fighting? How do you sort-of fight, Fane? What are you slapping at each other like girls?” Jacque felt as if she couldn’t breathe as the implications of Fane’s words hit her. Cypher was attacking the trolls. Why would he do that? Was he alright? Crap, what was she going to tell her mom?

“It’s sort of a long story.”

“Well gee, I’m being kidnapped so I sort of have all the freaking time in the world,” she snapped, not really meaning to be harsh but the worry for him was making her impatient to know how bad things really were.

“I’ll explain it to you, Jacquelyn, but not right this minute. I’m literally in battle as we speak,” he told her and she realized that she could feel how tired he was.

“Bloody hell man, then stop talking to me and focus,” she nearly yelled at him. “I love you.”

“As soon as you know something about your whereabouts, Jacquelyn, I had better know it as well,” he warned her.