Prologue

“How long must we hope; hope for help, hope for redemption, hope for retribution, hope for evil to finally lose? Because, to be honest, I’m ready to knock hope to the curb and tell her to step aside while I kick some wicked witch behind. See, I can keep from cussing if I want to, so bite me, bitches.” ~Jen

“I told you she would be beautiful,” Decebel held their baby girl in his arms and stared down at her with more adoration than Jen had ever seen in anyone’s eyes. He seemed even larger than usual, holding such a tiny person in his arms.

“Duh, she came from me, what else could she possibly be?” Jen snorted.

Decebel looked up from Cosmina and smiled at her. “She is half mine you know?”

Jen let a wicked smile cross her lips, “As far as you know.”

Decebel let out a low growl. Jen knew he couldn’t retaliate while he held their daughter. Jen pumped her fist in the air. “Oh, heck yeah! You are going to hold her all the time because you can’t do jack when she is in your arms you big teddy bear.”

Decebel stood slowly, looking every bit the predator he was. He walked over to the frilly, yellow bassinet that stood at the foot of their bed. It was hideous but Jacque and Sally had been so proud of it so Jen endured its presence, but rolled her eyes every time she looked at it. He laid Cosmina down in it gently and caressed her little cheek with a finger. Then his face lifted and his eyes, uh, make that glowing eyes, Jen added to herself, met hers. Jen made a huge tactical error when she saw the hungry look in her mate’s face. She took a step back. Never, ever retreat from a predator, it simply makes them all the more excited to chase.

“Did it dawn on you Jennifer, that maybe I could just put her down?”

Jen tried to speak, but only a squeak emerged. She cleared her throat and tried again.

“Of course it dawned on me,” she said, flippantly. “I was just counting on the fact that you never let her out of your sight.” Jen cursed herself when she picked up her foot to take yet another step back. Decebel grinned and it was her turn to growl. She was not prey. She would not behave like prey. But, as she watched her mate crouch down in an attack stance she decided that maybe today she was the prey, and prey ran like hell when someone wanted to eat them.

“Jennifer,” Decebel purred. “Are you offering yourself up for lunch?” His gleaming smile that was all canines had her shivering.

She took another step back and felt the doorknob in her back. Victory she thought. She knew that Decebel would not leave their little Cosmina alone to chase after her. Decebel must have seen the triumph in her eyes because just as she turned the knob and jerked the door open, he lunged with a huge snarl. Jen took off like the hounds of hell were on her tail and really, what else could you compare Decebel too?

She heard her mate growl, and then in her mind, she heard, “Chicken.”

“Maybe,” she responded. “But, this chicken lives to fight another day.”

She heard Decebel laugh and felt the familiar butterflies of desire stir in her. Damn wolf she thought.

“You have to come to back our room sometime Jennifer, you can’t run forever.”

Jen rolled her eyes, “I’m not running. I’m…simply choosing to take a long detour.”

“Don’t be too long. I need you.” Jen heard something change in his voice, a sort of desperation that was totally out of character for him. It seemed to be channeling through their bond.

“Dec, you okay? Is Cosmina okay?”

“Cosmina?” he said her name slowly as if he’d forgotten it.

“Decebel talk to me.”

“I’m trying. I keep telling you that I would save you if I could. I keep trying to get to you, but you just keep dying and screaming and then our baby is born and she’s so little and not breathing. I’m trying baby, I don’t want him to touch you again, but I can’t get to you, I can’t save you. NOT AGAIN, I CAN’T WATCH THIS AGAIN. JENNIFER!”

Jen’s eyes flew open as she gasped for breath. She blinked several times and slowly sat up.

“A dream,” she muttered, “It was a bloody dream.”

But not that last part. Not Decebel calling for her. That had been real. She could feel him, feel the heat of the hell he was enduring caress her skin and scorch her soul. He had somehow contacted her in her sleep and part of her wanted to fall back asleep so she could go to him, tell him she was fine. Well not really fine, she was pissed but otherwise unharmed. She wanted to reassure him that she was coming for him and she would shred the gates of the In-Between down to rubble to get to him. The other part wanted to kill something, anything. Her wolf was restless and constantly paced inside her. Mate, mate, mate was a mantra in her mind as her wolf pined for him. It was maddening, and yet comforting because she wasn’t alone in her pain and fear. But, her wolf was able to do something that Jen was not. Jen's wolf didn’t have emotions messing with her brain. Her wolf was focused on two things; get their mate, protect their pup. She would do anything for those two things. There was no crying, fear, or anger. Only determination to reclaim what was theirs. Our mate, she heard her wolf in her mind he is ours, and we will kill the one who took him.

Damn straight, thought Jen, we will kill her and then stick her head on a spear in the middle of the battlefield for all to see what happens when you mess with the females of the Canis lupus. Bloodthirsty, much? Maybe a little!