Decebel's head snapped up. "The Alphas are here?"
Sorin nodded.
"I will go with you."
Decebel gritted his teeth as he followed Sorin to the vehicles. As he climbed in, he recognized Skender, Dorin, Boain, and Anton. Ealier, he'd recognized a few others – Emilian, Ciprian, and Stellion. He ignored the wolves he didn't recognize. He could feel his dominance over them. They were no threat.
"Where are we?"
Sorin answered, "We've been in the Transylvanian Alps for nearly a week. We had a mutli-pack gathering."
Decebel's forehead wrinkled as he drew his eyebrows together. Images filled his mind, images with black holes in them.
"Why do I remember this?"
"What do you remember?" Skender spoke to his Beta for the first time since Decebel had regained consciousness.
"I remember being here. I remember fighting with some wolves from the Serbian pack, but I don't know why. I remember being locked up, but I can’t remember why. There are these blank dark spaces in my memory." Decebel's voice was steady, though his words became terse as his frustration grew. "Why don't I remember some of these wolves with us? I can smell that you are pack, but I have no memory of you."
"I wish I had answers for you, Beta. I'm as lost as you are," Sorin admitted.
Decebel stiffened. "I am not your Beta, Sorin."
"Yes, you are. You became our Beta shortly after your sister's passing," Skender offered.
"I have no memory of that. Surely I would remember something as important as that," Decebel growled out.
The vehicle drew quiet after his words, the only sound the hum of the engine as they traveled down the mountain to the village. Decebel stared out the window into the darkness – he felt one with that darkness. The empty places inside him, and this unexplainable pain that was ripping him in half, drew him away from the light. He closed his eyes, searching for things that he didn't even know were lost. But he could feel that something was gone. Something very important and sacred to him was gone.
When they arrived in the village, Sorin saw Jacque and Sally standing in front of a large building. The lack of light on the street allowed the sky to twinkle with stars as far as the eye could see in every direction. The building, a tavern, was two stories and had a sharply pitched roof that glistened with snow. Five chimneys stood proudly from the roof and smoke billowed from them, disappearing into the cold night sky. The four windows on the second story flickered with light, most likely due to oil burning lamps or lit candles– making it evident that this town had no electricity. The first story boasted a large covered porch with two wicker chairs facing each other. Next to the chairs, two worn wooden benches sat on either side of the large door that granted access to the interior. A sign hung from the roof that declared the tavern name “Cîrciumă” (Tavern).
Very original, Sorin thought. His eyes swept back to the two girls huddled close together to keep the cold at bay. They waved the vehicles over.
After exiting the car, Fane walked over to Sally and Jacque. He needed to briefly fill them in before they could provoke Decebel with their usual abrasive remarks.
Sally and Jacque's mouth's both dropped open as their eyes fell on their Beta. They noticed his overly grim face and shadowed eyes. Fane quickly explained what had happened, but the subject was dropped as Decebel came near.
"There is a large gathering room at the back," Jacque told Fane, "but we're already at standing room only. Isn't there another group coming?"
Fane nodded as Decebel passed them. Once he was out of earshot, Fane went on. "We would have waited to be the last ones down, but Decebel is dangerous right now. We needed to get him here." His eyes fell on Sally, who took a step back at the look that he was giving her—a look that said he was about to drop a bomb in her lap. "We need you to work your magic on him. We don't know what happened. Sorin thinks it's a curse."
“What magic? I don’t have magic.” Sally's eyes widened. "How will I know what to do?"
Jacque took her friend's hand. "Every time you've needed to know something, your gypsy brain has provided it. Trust your gift."
Sally took a deep breath and let it out, puffing her cheeks as the air left her lungs. "Okay. Bring it," she said steeling herself.
"That's my little gypsy trooper." Jacque winked at her.
"Gypsy trooper, really?" Sally rolled her eyes.
"When Jen gets back I'll let her take over the nicknames and insults. But right now I think that she would want me to fill in for her," Jacque teased. She and Sally had decided to talk about Jen in the present and with a positive attitude, as if she would be returning at any moment. They felt that maybe if they pushed for a positive outcome it would happen. Thinking of the alternative just wasn’t an option.
"Fair enough." Sally nodded as she turned to follow the other wolves into the tavern.
She, Jacque, and Fane were the last to enter the back room. Oil burning lamps hung on the walls, creating a soft, eerie glow. The fire in the large stone fireplace crackled and popped as the wood burned with bright orange flames.
Jacque noticed the packs had created a semi-circle, facing Vasile and Alina at the front of the room. She then observed Decebel kneeling before them, shoulders slumped forward, head bowed.
"What's going on?" she whispered to Fane, deliberately not using their bond so Sally could hear.
"He's paying fealty to his Alpha. He does not remember that he is our Beta."
Jacque gasped. "You're kidding."
"Afraid not, love," Fane responded as he guided the two girls through the crowd. As he got within listening range he heard Decebel's soft words.
"I renounce my right as Alpha and in doing so dissolve the Western Romanian pack. I believe we should merge our packs and be one, as you have said – The Romanian Grey Wolves. I choose to be your second, to support you and no other. I will protect you with my life; I will protect my Luna before all others, as you have commanded; I will protect the pack; I will be faithful; I will be humble in this role you honor me with. Do you accept my fealty?"
"Decebel, look at me," Vasile told him gently.
Decebel raised his head and looked at the man who had mentored him and loved him like a son.
"I know that you do not remember, but I have already accepted you. You have been my Beta for a century."
Decebel began to shake his head, the glow in his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You have trusted me, just as you have trusted Sorin. Would I lie to you?" The question was also a challenge. If Decebel disagreed – essentially calling his Alpha a liar – he would be subject to discipline, or even a challenge.
"I know that you would never lie to me," Decebel conceded.
"Will you allow our healer to look at you?"
Decebel nodded once.
Vasile addressed the three Alphas that stood to his left.
"I would ask that you please take your packs upstairs. There are several large rooms available."
Dragomir and Victor started off towards their wolves.
Dillon took a step forward. "Do you need me for anything?"
Vasile shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but right now, this is a pack issue. I'm going to speak with you, Dragomir, and Victor in a little while to discuss the best course of action for your packs. I know your daughter is here, Dillon, but she is part of our pack. We are responsible for her now."
Dillon nodded. "I know. That doesn't make it any easier."
"Understood."
Dillon led his pack out and pulled the door closed behind him, all the while trying to accept that his role here just might be over.
Chapter 4
Vasile stood, more of his strength returning every minute. "Sally, come forward."
Sally took tentative steps to the front of the room and took a position next to Decebel. It didn't escape Vasile's attention that Costin was moving amongst the pack, following Sally's progression to the front.
"Everyone else take a seat. On the
floor if there aren’t enough chairs."
As Vasile had expected, the dominant wolves remained standing, as did their mates.
Sally looked up at her Alpha. "I don't really know what I'm doing, so I'm just going to touch him as I did you."
Vasile nodded.
"Decebel." Sally's voice was tentative.
Decebel turned his amber gaze on her, and though Sally knew he didn't remember her, it was still shocking to see the lack of recognition in his eyes.
"May I place my hand over your heart?"
He stood up, towering over the small healer. "You may."
Sally reached up and placed her small hand over Decebel's heart. She was not surprised by the strength she felt in his muscles or the way they tensed as she made contact.
She closed her eyes and let the knowing force inside her take over. She saw darkness. An entity flowing through his veins, moving through his body until it reached his brain, where it created a slimy supernatural film. Sally reached into the darkness, seeking its origin, its purpose. She gasped as she felt the wicked intent behind it. A curse.
No, Sally thought. Not a curse. Two curses. She pushed against them and briefly felt the magic behind it – dark magic meant to destroy memories. Not just any memories, but cherished memories, life altering memories.
Sally couldn't believe the curses' intricacy. The second curse bound Decebel as the sole wolf able to seek out Jen. She wondered why the one who cursed him would choose Jen's mate as the only one able to find her. He could track her, couldn’t he?
Cherished memories, she remembered. Decebel doesn't remember his mate.
Sally felt the wolf's pain as his very soul sought for the comfort of his mate. As Sally continued to look deeper into his unconsciousness, she saw that the memories were still there, but they were bound. Then she found something that she wasn't expecting.
The curse was for Fane.
Sally pulled her hand away, collapsed, and would've hit the ground had Costin not, somehow, been there to catch her. She pressed her hand to her head, feeling the darkness recede from her own mind. Costin helped her stand and kept his hands on her waist until he was sure she was steady. She looked up at him, brow furrowed. He grinned and winked at her as he stepped back.
Sally shook her head thinking it odd that Costin had been there to catch her.
Vasile cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.
"It is a curse. Well, actually, it's two curses," she began. "I'm going to try and describe this the best I can. It's kind of complex." She looked at Vasile, waiting to see if he had anything to say.
He nodded, indicating to her to go on.
"Right then. The first is some sort of memory binding curse. From what I could tell it has bound Decebel's good memories. And by good, I mean his precious and life-altering memories. So the mundane, everyday, hoo-ha stuff remains."
"Did she just say hoo-ha?" Jacque muttered.
Fane smacked her lightly on her butt. "Behave."
"I'm just saying. Jen would have loved that one," she said absently.
Taking no notice, Sally went on. "It appears that the curse started binding his good memories from the day of the death of his sister. My guess is that she wanted him to forget his mate. Anything important in Decebel's life that was positive is gone. It's why he doesn't remember becoming your Beta; it's why he doesn't remember new pack mates. I imagine he doesn't remember any matings either. The most important fact, I would like to point out, is that she made him forget his mate."
The entire room gasped. Each of them understood the implication of something so important as essentially losing your mate. If Decebel didn't remember Jen, what would that do to them and their bond? More importantly, how would she be found?
"The next curse is where it gets really messy. The curse makes Decebel the only one able to find Jen. It's almost like she's bound the pack through him. Also, I need to tell you Vasile, that the first curse had Fane's name on it. Decebel blocked Fane with his body and got hit with it."
Jacque wrapped her arms around Fane. "I don't know what I would do if you couldn't remember me," she whispered.
"You probably would beat me until I did remember," Fane teased, easing the tension in his mate.
Jacque snorted. "You know me so well."
Vasile stepped up to his Beta wrapped him in an embrace. "Nici un cuvânt nu-mi poate exprima gratitudinea pentru că mi-ai protejat fiul, (No words can express my thanks to you for protecting my son). We will fix this, Decebel. We will not stop until you have your memories back and Jen is safely by your side."
Decebel stepped back from the embrace. "Who is Jen?"
"She's your mate."
"I don’t have a mate. I don't care about the curse – there is no way in hell any wolf could forget his mate." Decebel shook his head.
As she watched her best friend's mate deny her, Jacque couldn't stop the tear that slid down her cheek.
"Decebel, I'm telling you, you have a mate. I would never say such a thing if it wasn't true," Vasile implored.
Sorin spoke. "You do have a mate. She's a little spitfire who drives you insane."
Other members of the pack began to nod, trying to convince their Beta.
Decebel continued to back away from the pack toward the door. He had to get out of there. He couldn't stand the weight of their stares.
"I HAVE NO MATE!" he snarled and turned, storming for the door. The crowd parted, some stumbling to get out of the furious Beta's way.
Sally and Jacque jumped as the door slammed shut so hard it rattled the walls.
Fane wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled her close. Through her tears he heard her whisper, "I can't imagine the pain he must be feeling inside, even if he doesn't know why. What if he never remembers?"
Fane rubbed Jacquelyn's back, attempting to calm her. "We won't give up until he does."
At that, her tears returned full force. "What about Jen? How will we find Jen?"
Sally came over, tears streaming down her face as well. "Just the loss of her memory is ripping his soul apart."
Cynthia, Crina, and Costin came over and surrounded the other three.
Costin watched the tears run down Sally's face and felt something inside him break. He stepped closer and took her hand. He gave it a comforting squeeze and then let it go, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. Sally looked up at him with red, swollen eyes. Her expression told him she appreciated the gesture.
Jacque pulled away from Fane and turned to Cynthia and Crina. "Where have you two been?" she asked wiping her eyes. She realized that she hadn't seen them since they climbed out of the Hummers.
"Vasile had us talking to the owner of the tavern about staying here. We slipped in about the time Sally was just finishing her healer stuff. We heard everything," Cynthia explained.
"So what's the plan now?" Crina asked.
"I think we need to wait for my father to let us know. He will utilize every tool he has, so don't worry, you will have a job." Just as Fane finished speaking, Vasile reached them.
The Alpha addressed Fane and Costin. "Sorin and Skender are to help you organize room assignments. I believe there are six rooms in the building attached to this one. Cynthia and Crina, show them where to go. Make it work."
Before they could respond, Vasile left the room.
Vasile decided to seek out the three Alphas before he went to Decebel. He figured his Beta needed to be alone to sort out the information Sally had explained.
He climbed the stairs and found them standing by the railing, deep in conversation.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Vasile politely said as they all turned to face him.
"Vasile, we offer our condolences for what has happened to your pack," Victor told him quietly.
"Thank you. We all appreciate your support. At this time there really isn't anything you or your packs can do." Vasile held up his hand to preemptively placate the Alphas." I don't mean that as an insult. Sometimes a lot of help winds u
p being a hindrance."
"Understood," Victor acknowledged. "We can arrange for some pack mates to take the vehicles back as we prepare to depart. We should be on our way by this evening."
Vasile looked at his watch. "With all that has gone on I hadn't realized it was four in the morning. If you and yours need rest, please take it."
All three Alphas shook their heads.
"We are doing well," Victor promised.
Vasile thanked them again and gave his goodbye. That done, he felt it was time to seek out his Beta and try to patch him up as much as possible. Vasile's blood boiled that someone – and not just someone, but a witch – had hurt one of his. There would be hell to pay.
After doing some searching, Vasile found Decebel sitting on a bench across the road from the tavern. Vasile walked toward him, looking up and down the road. There weren't any cars to disturb the silent night. The crunching of the snow under his shoes seemed to echo loudly.
The village was small, and very primitive in some ways. Though there was indoor plumbing, there was no electricity. Oil lamps lit the buildings and fires heated the homes. Vasile smiled to himself at the simplicity of life here. But even here, complexity and trouble found its way in.
Decebel looked up as Vasile sat down next to him.
"How could I forget my mate, Vasile? What kind of man does that make me?"
Vasile wrapped an arm around him, briefly giving him the comfort of touch and letting him know he wasn't alone.
"It makes you like the rest of us – vulnerable. No matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, we can't protect our mates from everything. We aren't omniscient or omnipresent.” Vasile sat back, contemplating. “I think part of the reason that she has been wiped completely from your memory is that you haven't yet completed the bonding ceremony or the Blood Rites."
Decebel snapped his head around. "What was I waiting for, an engraved invitation?"
Vasile chuckled. "It wasn't that simple."
"Is it ever with women?"
"Don't let my mate hear you say that," Vasile teased.