Zara laughed. It was the best sound ever. “Fine, I won’t call you history boy.”

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms snugly around her. Wadim leaned down until his lips were barely touching hers. “You could just call me yours.”

She licked her lips, driving him crazy. And then nodded “Okay, I’ll call you mine.”

His wolf growled triumphantly as a he took her lips again. He wanted his scent all over her. He wanted everyone to know that she belonged to him.

Wadim knew it was a small victory and that they had a long road ahead of them. But he wouldn’t leave her side through any of it. He swore to the Great Luna that his mate would never, ever, wonder how he felt about her. She would never wonder if he desired her because he was happy to leave the bond wide open for her to feel all of it.

He ran his fingers through her hair as he claimed her lips as his again. She stole his breath when he suddenly felt her joy. She was pushing it through the bond to him. It was pure and honest and he’d been the one to cause it.

He pushed his own emotions to her and felt her body respond. Wadim swung her up into his arms and loved the little surprised squeal she emitted. He sat down in one of the chairs he hadn’t destroyed and put her in his lap. Then he turned her face to him again, continuing that kiss he never wanted to end. He needed to hold her, needed her to touch him, and needed to touch her in return. Everything else could wait. She would have his undivided attention. This time, and anytime she’d allow him, was for her.

Chapter 21

“How is it that time can fly by and drag on at the same time? Time is flying as we build our friendship with Sally, hopefully spurring a slow return of her memories. But at the same time, it drags on for Costin as he suffers without his mate. I just want them back together. I want my pack whole again. I want the bastard who hurt them to pay. Time is dragging for those things to happen too. Stupid time.” ~Jen

Peri sat at the park bench table that had become their spot. Two and a half months had passed since that very first outing with Sally, and still her memories refused to break through. She was still having the headaches and they were more frequent, but Sally had no idea that Peri, Jen, and Jacque were anything other than the sisters they claimed to be.

Sally was still seeing Jericho, which pissed Jen off to no end—well, pissed all of them off really. Sally had mentioned several times that she wanted to break it off with him, but she didn’t know how. She didn’t want to hurt him. Sally was still a bleeding heart, even with her memory cloaked.

Peri was getting desperate. If something didn’t click soon, she might have to try and magically restore Sally’s memories, despite the irreparable damage it might cause. Time was wasting and Jericho was getting bolder and more aggressive in his pursuit of Sally. Peri thought his affections were more than mere attraction to Sally. She theorized that his determined wooing had something to do with the Order and with the fact that Peri had surprised him a couple of months ago. Of course, he didn’t know that she watched him almost every day now because she’d altered her appearance so convincingly.

The males were still keeping an eye on Costin who had kept himself sequestered in the In Between. Peri could kiss the bartender for having a moment of clarity and making his wolf go into purgatory to protect those around him. She had a feeling the Great Luna was playing a part in keeping Costin from falling over the cliff.

Peri and the girls had gotten an apartment because Sally was asking too many questions and they needed to look legit. Their mates, of course, were ten kinds of pissed off, which just made the girls want to continue the charade even more. Peri took Jen and Jacque home to see their babies, but she made sure the males weren’t around when she did so. She didn’t have time to fight with the males every time she brought Jen or Jacque back to Oceanside. The girls understood her reasons and agreed with her, though they were catching hell from their males through their bonds.

She perked up when she saw Jacque and Jen walking across the park to her. “How is she today?” Peri asked them. The two had gone to check on Sally while Peri had flashed back to her own home, Faerie. She’d been sheltering some new gypsy healers and wolves from other packs there. She had too many damn irons in the fire.

“She’s good,” Jen said. “Though she’s a little worried about the date she has with Jericho tonight. She said he’s gotten more persistent lately about moving their relationship to the next level.”

Peri rolled her eyes, stupid wolf and his hormones—though she guessed that it wasn’t just his hormones. She was sure the Order had a hand in this. They wanted Sally; she just couldn’t figure out why.

“She’s decided to break up with him,” Jacque said as she sat down on the bench.

“About fracking time,” Peri said, but she had no doubt Jericho would finagle his way out of the breakup somehow.

“I’ve got to take your men to the In Between to check on Costin. I’ll drop you guys off in the woods on the way. If I drop you off in the house, they’ll hunt you down.”

“Gah!” Jen groaned “I miss my man.” She held up her hand. “Don’t—” She stopped Peri. “I understand why, and I’m in agreement. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss my mate in many, many different ways. If you’d like to take that as many, many different positions, by all means run with it.”

Jacque snorted. “Oh, Jen. It’s good to know that some things never change…like your libido.”

“Glad I can be the solid rock that you cling to, Red. As always, you know I aim to please.”

Peri grabbed their arms and flashed them. If she let them, the girls would go back and forth like that all day. She left them in the woods, telling them to wait five minutes before going into the mansion.

She appeared in Vasile’s office and clapped her hands. “Let’s go, chop, chop. I got things to do.”

“Where are our females, Perizada,” Decebel growled. This is how their conversations always started lately.

“They’re safe. Neither one of them has flirted—much—with any of the males at the bar we go to…every…single…night.” She probably shouldn’t taunt them. But her life needed as many kicks as she could get lately. Their anger at her radiated off of them, but she simply ignored them, which ticked them off more.