tone in their native language. Something was seriously wrong.
“Alpha,” Dalton said.
Dillon’s head snapped up. His eyes were glowing brightly with his wolf, and Dalton felt the need to bow his head under the weight of his alpha’s dominance. He lowered his eyes as he continued to speak. “Adam brought us back. Volcan has been dealt with. Cyn showed up in Peri and Lucian’s home and explained that the Romania pack Keep has been attacked by the Order. Because of that, they felt it was time we all returned to our packs.”
“The Keep has been attacked?” Dillon asked, his voice a deep growl.
“That is what Cyn said. She said it was bad,” Dalton explained. “But Peri would not allow us to go and help. She and Lucian said we had to return to our packs.”
“That’s not their decision to make.” Dillon’s wolf was snarling. “But I do wonder why they didn’t send for help.”
Dalton motioned toward Fane. “I imagine it has something to do with why he and Decebel are here and not in Romania.”
Jewel stepped closer to Dalton, but she didn’t attempt to hide behind him. “I hope I can help with … whatever needs to be done,” Jewel said. She’d noticed Fane, too, and Dalton could feel the magic in her. Her innate need to heal, to fix the pain that was within any wolf, was drawn to Fane’s obvious pain.
“What happened?” Dalton asked as he glanced back at the two Romania pack members.
“Vasile and Alina are gone.” It was Decebel who answered, though he didn’t lift his head or take his attention off of Fane.
“No,” Dillon growled so loud that the room vibrated with his rage.
Dalton felt as if the air had been punched from his lungs. He had no idea what he’d been expecting them to say, but it hadn’t been that.
“Let’s step into the other room,” Dillon said as he turned and headed for the hall leading to a smaller sitting room. Aidan followed, and Dalton and Jewel fell in step behind him.
“Where is the rest of the pack?” Dalton asked once they were out of the den.
“Training,” Dillon said as he turned to face Dalton. His eyes were still glowing, though they seemed to have dimmed a bit. “We need everyone in the best possible fighting shape, and it gives them a way to get out their aggression. Everyone is a bit tense.” He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing briefly. When they opened, the man was once again fully in control. “I’ll give you a quick recap.”
Dalton listened as Dillon told him about traveling to Arizona and the Order being forewarned they were coming. He told about how the Romania pups had been taken captive along with their mothers and Costin, which he’d also heard from Cyn. He explained how Ludcarab, the elf king, had apparently risen from the dead and was once again in charge of the Order. Alston, the high fae, had been corrupted by power and was determined to seize a gypsy healer for the Order. Once the battle in Arizona had ended, they’d each felt it important to check on their packs and then regroup for a plan to rescue the pups.
“I should have checked in with Vasile. I hadn’t heard anything for a week, but I thought no news was good news, or as good as it could get at this point,” Dillon said, his voice full of regret.
“Do you really believe that would have changed anything?” Jewel asked. Dalton was surprised she spoke up, but then she was a logical thinker. She would look at the situation from the side of facts, not emotions. “The Great Luna created the wolves, right?”
Dillon nodded, his intense gaze on Dalton’s mate.
“If she knew the time of your birth, planned for you to be created, then she also knows the time of your death. If it was time for Vasile and Alina to die, then there is nothing that anyone could have done to change it. And I apologize if I sound callous. That isn’t my intention. I truly am sorry for your loss.”
Dillon glanced at Dalton and then back to Jewel. “You’re right, but that doesn’t make it any less painful or make me think that things might have been different if they’d had more help.”
Jewel nodded. “I understand. Despite the fact that I’m analytical, I know what it’s like to feel like there should have been something I could have done to make a bad