"Do they appear to know anything about the captives?"

"No. They know there are children, but they don't realize their significance," the one on the left answered.

He sat staring at the two vampires but not really seeing them. Sincaro’s mind was weighing his options. He could wait until they made it to his city, as they undoubtedly would, or he could challenge them. If he challenged them, perhaps, they wouldn't be able to destroy any more covens. They would be in Phoenix dealing with him and his coven. If he waited, there was no telling how many they might kill before they got to him.

"Send Fontaine to me," Sincaro said as he dismissed them.

Several minutes later, the door opened and in walked an ancient vampire—one old enough even to walk in broad daylight. "Fontaine," Sincaro said and gave the man a curt nod.

"Sire," Fontaine said with a slight bow of his head.

"I need you to go up and find the wolves and fae that are daring to stand against us. So far none of my line have been killed. If one had, I would know it and know where it took place."

Sincaro could feel each and every one of the vampires he'd ever sired. Their magic was connected. He knew when they died and he knew where they were. But second generation vampires—those that were sired by his own offspring—he could not feel. The magic was too diluted by the time it was in the second recipient.

Fontaine was about to speak but the vampire king held up his hand to halt him. His lips turned up into an evil smile. "It seems the Fates are with us. They are in Washington. See if there are any left and have them kindly invite our adversaries to come join us for a meal."

Fontaine bowed his head one more time before leaving.

The vampire king stood and began to pace. It had been so long since he'd been in battle. He could feel the excitement rushing through him at the thought of biting into a mature wolf or, even better, a high fae. If anything, that would make the coming struggle all worthwhile. He turned toward the door, the smile still on his face. In his eagerness for the coming bloodshed, his thirst was growing, despite having fed only a few hours ago. There was a certain female that he suddenly had a taste for. Maybe this time he'd drain her, just to ensure that she wasn't found. Maybe.

Decebel couldn't believe what he was hearing. The sole vamp they'd left alive was spilling his guts, answering every question they asked in hopes that they would release him.

"Why are these children still alive?" Vasile asked the vamp.

Decebel looked over his shoulder at the two, small, terrified boy and girl. His mate, Alina, and now Sally were speaking softly to them. While he, Vasile, Drake, and Cypher were staring down at the pathetic man kneeling at their feet.

"They're dormants. They have wolf blood," the vampire sputtered.

Decebel was practically shaking with the need to dismember the vile being before him. The thought of little dormant pups being fed upon and kept alive as a continued food source was a fate worse than death.

"They heal so much more quickly than humans and, once they reach maturity, they age more slowly. They're really the perfect food source."

Alina was up and across the space before anyone realized what was happening. The alpha female moved unbelievably fast. One second she was kneeling by the pups, the next she was in front of the vamp, her hands clamped on his head. She twisted it and a sickening crack filled the room. The four males moved to make sure to block the view of the violence from the little ones as Alina threw the body down. "I was done listening to him talk about our young with such heartlessness." Alina met her mate’s eyes. "We got the information we need. They're somehow finding these dormant children and using them as food. So there are more than likely going to be more. We need to speak with Peri about what to do with them."

"I will finish this," Vasile told her gently. "Go tend to the young. They will feel safe with you."

Vasile turned to look at the other men. "It's worse than we thought."

Decebel looked back at Jen. She had been a dormant. She too could have suffered the same fate as these little ones.

"Don't," Vasile said as he placed a hand on Decebel’s shoulder. "There is no sense dwelling on what could have happened. It didn't and she's safe."

His old friend was right. He needed to focus on what was happening. He needed to destroy the vampires who would dare touch their pups.

Peri stood on the sidewalk in front of a cute house in a neighborhood of cute houses. She watched as a man and a woman opened their front door and found their precious child, which they thought had been lost to them, standing shocked on the front steps. They wrapped the little boy in their arms and held him as though he might disappear at any moment.

When the boy looked back at her, she smiled and gave him a small wave. He smiled and then turned back to his parents.

"Where have you been? How did you get home?" his mother asked as she looked him over for injuries.

"My guardian angel found me. She saved me," he answered them. They didn't know what to think about that. After several more minutes of hugs and ensuring that he was in one piece, they took him into their home.

Peri enjoyed the small moment, knowing that there had been at least one saved. She'd altered his memories, but she hadn’t done so lightly. It was a messy business, poking around in another person's head. But she just couldn't stomach the idea of that little boy living the rest of his life with the horror of all he'd been through. There was no need for it.

With one last look at the house, Peri flashed to Washington. She appeared directly beside Fane who didn't even flinch.

"It doesn't bother you when I just appear like that?" she asked him.

Fane shrugged. "You aren't the female on my radar."

Peri chuckled. "Good answer, wolf prince."

Peri's attention was diverted from Fane when Alston suddenly appeared with a small boy in his arms. Her gut clenched and she felt bile rise up in her throat. They’d interrogated one of the captured vampires and learned of the vampires’ strategy of capturing dormants. She knew that there would be more, but seeing them was so, so difficult.

He set the boy down, flashed again, and was back in an instant with Sally standing next to him. Peri watched as the healer knelt down and opened her arms. The boy walked into them without hesitation, wrapping his small arms around her neck and squeezing with all his might.