“The pain is getting worse,” Jacque admitted.

Alina’s lips tightened into a grim line. “And it will only continue to do so.”

Jacque let out a huff of laughter and grimaced from the pain it inflicted. “That’s what I love about you; you don’t sugar coat it. You simply tell it like it is.”

Alina smiled. “I could lie, but then I think you will handle the pain better if you are prepared for it.”

“Are you scared of him?” Jacque asked not bothering to point out the him she was talking about.

“Yes and no. Seeing him was such a shock, but then there was hope only to be quickly followed by despair. He has been trapped in this place for so very long, Jacque. For him to have been surrounded in this, breathing in the black magic every day, without light in his life, breaks my heart. I don’t know how much of him is left.”

“You mean how much is salvageable,” Jacque said for her. “You think he will have to be killed.”

“Yes.”

They sat quietly, staring off into the dark woods, watching shadows move that shouldn’t be moving, and hearing noises that caused goose bumps to rise on their skin. Gradually, the other women began to wake up and the groans and whimpers from the mated females was just another reminder of their dire situation.

“Any more visitations by Vasile’s long lost brother who is probably completely evil and wants to eat us?” Jen asked.

“Jen, really?” Sally said as she cut her eyes to Alina.

“I am not offended, Sally,” Alina said. “Jen’s evaluation of the situation is correct and I won’t delude myself into thinking anything else.”

“See,” Jen motioned to the Alpha, “at least one of us isn’t trying to dance around like some bat sniz crazy woman singing I Will Survive, when we all know that the last thing we are going to do is survive.”

“Bloody hell who crapped in your dream?” Jacque growled.

Everyone stopped moving and looked at Jacque who shrugged. “What?”

Jen laughed and then grabbed her stomach as cramps doubled her over. “I like that one wolf-princess,” her voice came out strained as she held her stomach. Cynthia knelt down beside her, instructing her to take slow deep breaths. Slowly, the cramps subsided, like they had before, only now they were happing more often.

“To answer your question, Jen,” Alina said. “He has not shown himself, but he is watching.”

“Okay that sort of creeps me out,” Crina said.

“I have to go with the Romanian on this one,” Jen agreed, “wolf form or not, I really don’t like an audience when I pee, having you all in my bathroom is bad enough.”

“I don’t know how much of the human is left, if any,” Alina told them. “If he has been in his wolf skin all thistime, there is little chance that anything human in him remains.”

“So, anyone have any good news for the day, or night, or whatever the hell time it is?” Lilly asked. Surprised looks were cast her way as Lilly had been their perpetual positive force. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I still have hope; I’m just going to be pissy while still having hope.”

“Pissy hopefulness,” Sally said. “I can see that catching on.”

“You Americans are so weird,” Crina told them as she stood and stretched out her limbs, groaning just as much as the others as the pain pulsed in her muscles.

“So what’s the plan?” Jacque asked. “Are we going to sit and stare at the forest on the left side, or are we going to stare at the right side?”

“Well, Jacque, it’s a difficult decision because they look so different,” Elle joked.

“Yes well, being a captive is hard work, but someone’s got to do it.”

“Yeah, well could we bloody hell get someone else to volunteer next time?”  Jen quipped.

“Shh,” Cynthia suddenly said as she waved the others to be quiet. She pointed off to her left and they all turned in slow motion to find the white wolf lying very still, watching them.

Alina stood and walked to the furthest edge of the clearing as she dared. She knelt down and bared her neck to the wolf. When she heard a low rumbled, she sat down and then looked at him.

“Do you remember who you are Lucian?” Alina asked.

“I take it that’s his name,” Jen whispered.

Sally shushed her as she pulled Jen down to sit next to her. The others followed suit and listened as Alina spoke to the wolf.

“You are a man, not just a wolf. You have family, a brother who has mourned for you. Lucian, blink if you understand me.”

They waited with baited breath. When he blinked, there was a collective sigh and then gasps passed through the group.

“Okay, that’s a start,” she said. “Do you remember who you are?” Blink. “Do you remember your brother, Vasile?” Nothing. “Can you still take your human form?” Blink. Another round of gasps.

“Okay that’s a whole ‘nother freaking ball game Alina,” Cynthia spoke up. Alina held up a finger to silence them.

“Do you mean us harm?” Nothing. “Okay, that’s good,” she said as relief flooded her voice and body. “Will you talk to us?” Nothing.

Then, as quietly as he had appeared, he got up and left.

Alina stared in the direction he had gone and tears filled her eyes. She had never known Vasile’s brother, and yet she felt a strong sense of loss because she knew how it had hurt her mate to lose him. And now he was back, but he didn’t remember Vasile.