“JENNIFER!” Decebel’s voice, bossy, dark, and sexy, brought chills to her skin.

“Right, focus,” she told herself. “If he knows that he has a sexual hold over you he will wield it fiercely. Oh damn,” Jen exclaimed, with a slap to her thigh. “There’s another one, can somebody please write this stuff down?”

Jacque took a step back from Fane, and then another and another. Jen let out a sigh of relief. “Finally, if I had to discuss sex as a weapon in any more detail to you I was going to have to give in and go rape my mate.”

A ripple of laughter flowed through the females and even the males cracked smiles at Jen’s words.

While Jen had been distracted, Decebel had moved silently behind her. He leaned as close to her ear as the magic would allow. He blew gently on it, knowing it was one of the things that drove her wild. He watched her shoulders tense. A slow smile formed and a feral gleam glowed in his eyes as he spoke. “You can’t rape the willing, baby.” Her moan was so low that he doubted anyone but him had heard it, and that was a good thing. He didn’t like her making those sounds with other males around, but it did stroke his ego to know that he, and he alone, could affect her this way.

Jen heard the low chuckle behind her and she fought through the desire as she whipped around to glare at her mate, only, he wasn’t there. Her eyes were pulled to where he stood, calmly leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest, eyes glowing. He raised a single eyebrow at her and ran his tongue across his bottom lip. Jen cursed under her breath as she turned her back on him and stomped over to where Alina was sitting.

Decebel watched across the dancing flames of the fire as his mate turned away from him. His wolf snarled and he bristled at the blatant rebuff. He calmed himself with the knowledge that he had affected her. She may be able to push him away now, but it wouldn’t last. He was going to have to play dirty with his female. He grinned to himself at the pun that he knew she would appreciate. Once she was back in his arms, he would share it with her. He felt a bone deep ache at the thought of her in his arms, sharing laughs, whispering in her ear, enjoying her warmth, and her light. His wolf was becoming more and more insistent that they do whatever it was their mate needed to get her back where she belonged. He wanted to share everything with her, needed that closeness. Decebel closed his eyes as he felt the darkness inside him, invading his mind, fighting for his control. He knew what he needed, knew that if he didn’t take it, then the darkness that had nearly crushed him before Jennifer, and would consume him.

“I’ve noticed that you and Vasile haven’t interacted since the whole keep your grubby paws off me scene,” Jen said as she absently scribbled in the dirt, fighting the pull of her mate bond.

Alina glanced over at Vasile. He stared at her intently, and his eyes had rarely left her since she had denied him.

“We have been together a long, long time,” Alina told her as she continued to meet her mates’ eyes. “And have learned other ways to deal with disagreements.”

“Is he angry?”

Alina chuckled quietly and turned back to Jen. “Vasile loses control when he is furious and that is when others think they should fear him.” She shook her head. “But, it’s when his wolf is contained and he is controlled that we should be frightened.”

Jen glanced around Alina to see Vasile, her eyes dropped instantly and she looked back at Alina with a raised brow. “So what you’re saying is he’s biding his time. Like a hunter, he’s waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”

Alina nodded. “Yes, and Vasile is a very, very patient hunter.”

The air was thick with anger, hurt, desire and need as it grew later into the night. Costin sat with his back against a tree so that Sally was in his direct line of sight. She was so tired, so emotionally and physically drained. It was driving Costin crazy that she wouldn’t lay down and rest. He settled slightly after she finally fell asleep. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed and matched his breathing to hers. He wouldn’t last much longer like this. His mate bond was not complete, they had only completed the Blood Rites, and his ability to keep the darkness at bay was not as strong as the mated males. He didn’t know how Drake was doing it, although he noticed that Peri kept a very close eye on him. He focused his attention on Sally again and gave into the urge to look into her mind while she slept. Her shields would not be strong and he would be able to slip in easily. He couldn’t touch her while she was awake, couldn’t hold her, or kiss her. But, while she slept, he could enter her mind and there, all bets were off.

Sally felt him as he used their bond to ease into her thoughts. She knew subconsciously that he was doing it because she was asleep and her shields were down. She should try at least to keep him out, but when his arms came around her waist from behind, her resolve came crashing down. His hands slipped under her shirt to her stomach and he growled at the skin on skin contact. Sally’s head fell back on his chest and Costin leaned his face down to her neck, kissing her softly and then nipping the mark he had left on her.

“This isn’t real,” she whispered, breathlessly as Costin’s hands ran across her rib cage down her sides to her hips and back up again.

“Are you sure?” He asked her coyly.

Sally shuttered as his warm breath caressed her cool skin.

“I’m dreaming and you’re using our bond to do this.”

“What am I doing Sally mine?” Costin’s lips moved against her ear as he spoke and when he tugged on her ear with his teeth she nearly crumbled to the ground.

“Costin,” she whispered desperately as her breathing grew unsteady and her heart raced. Costin was relentless and continued his assault on her senses, touching, tasting, and scenting her.

“What am I doing Sally?” He whispered again. Sally’s only response was a sultry moan.

“Sally!”

Sally heard her name and it wasn’t Costin’s voice calling to her. She felt consciousness pulling at her and she didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave Costin’s arms, or lips for that matter.

“Sally!” the voice was more insistent this time. Sally tried to push it away with her hand, or at least she thought she did.

“Stop that,” the voice growled. “Wake up.”

Sally’s eyes fluttered open and she saw Jen, Jacque, Crina, and Elle leaning over her.