“That was a MasterCard moment,” Jen sighed. “Flight home-$300, cup of hot chocolate- $1.50, Dad snorting up cocoa because of discussing daughters sex life…,”

“Priceless!” they all said in unison and erupted into laughter all over again.

As their laughter died down, another feeling began to pool in their stomachs.

“Is anyone else sick of hurting?” Jen asked.

“Totally.”

“Entirely.”

Sally and Jacque said at the same time.

“Then why are we still here?”

“Because this is where they obviously want us,” Jacque said.

“What do you mean?” Sally asked as she leaned up on her elbows.

“If our men really didn’t want us to be here, you know there is nothing-no amount of screaming, whining, or threatening - we could have done to make them let us. They may have thrown their little tantrums, but some part of them wanted us away and that is why we are here.”

“Ugh,” Jen groaned, “we so got played.”

“Jen, babe, are you okay?” Sally asked softly. “You seem to be a lot worse off than Jacque or I and don’t tell me it’s because of your pregnancy.”

“You know, ever since you got this whole gypsy title, you’ve become very bossy,” Jen told her and Sally could hear the smile on her friend’s face.

“Quit avoiding the question.”

“He’s shut me out completely, even from his sleep,” Jen finally admitted and when the words finally emerged she felt the flood gates give way. She rolled onto her side as the tears began to slide down her cheeks and she bit her bottom lip to keep them from trembling. “I feel like he’s slipping away from me. Like every day, every hour, the thread between us gets thinner and thinner.”

Sally’s breath caught at the pain she heard in Jen’s voice. She crawled up into the bed on the other side of Jen as Jacque took the opposite side so that they had sandwiched her in. Both girls wrapped their arms around her and just held her as she cried. There were no words spoken, no false promises that everything would be fine. The reality was that more than likely nothing was going to be fine. So instead they simply took comfort in knowing that in everything they had been through, they had always had each other. Their friendship had stood the tests of life, death, bloodshed, war, and love, and it would continue to do so.

Sally pressed her hand to Jen’s head, brushing her fingers through the blonde locks. She slipped silently into Jen’s mind, trying to keep her friend from realizing what she was doing. As she closed her eyes and opened her spirit to Jen’s, she had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping. Jen’s bond, the thin chord that linked her to Decebel, was stripped, like a rope that had been shredded until there were only a fewstrands holding it together, so was Jen and Decebel’s mate bond. She could see the emptiness in Jen where Decebel’s soul should be, the other half of hers now nearly gone. Sally was surprised that Jen didn’t simply lie around groaning in pain. It was a miracle that her wolf hadn’t taken over in a desperate attempt to get back to her mate. Sally took her hand away from Jen and rolled onto her back and listened to the slow even breathing of her two best friends.

What did it mean? What could be doing this to their bond and was that why Decebel had been acting so out of character? She didn’t know, but she had an idea of who might. She slid out of the bed, careful not to wake Jacque or Jen and then hurried quietly from the room.

She knocked on the spare bedroom door and was surprised when she heard a muffled, come in. She wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake. She pushed the door open to find Cynthia sitting up in the bed with a book in her lap. She glanced up at Sally before looking back at the book and slipping a piece of paper in the pages to save her spot.

“Sally, is Jen alright?” she asked quietly. Of course she would assume that something must be wrong with Jen because of her state, but she didn’t answer right away.

Sally walked over to the end of the bed and sat down without saying anything. She tried to gather her thoughts but then decided there really wasn’t any easy way to break this.

“Jen and Decebel’s bond is dying.” She watched the doctors face for any sign of outrage, surprise, or shock, but there was none. “You knew?” Sally asked with a frown. “And still you let her come?”

Cynthia laughed bitterly. “Like anyone can keep Jen from doing something she wants to do. And no, I didn’t know, but I had my suspicions.”

“What’s going on doc? What’s wrong with Decebel?”

Cynthia pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them as her eyes met Sally’s. “I don’t really know any more than you.”

“How is Decebel keeping Jen out of his mind while he sleeps?”

“That is a question you should be asking me.” Sally turned at the sound of Elle’s voice and saw that Peri was right behind her.

“Sorry to bust up this little sleepover, but if you want answers, Healer, then you need to go to those in the know.” Peri leaned against the wall, looking more awake than anyone at that hour should and definitely looking like she was in the know.

“So what happened to Decebel?” she asked again, this time directed at Elle.

“He asked for me to make it so that when he slept Jen could not get past his barriers.”

“Why?”

“Do we really have to go through this again?” Peri groaned. “Because he has…,”