Blood Rites

  "What is with this mate business? Is it really so big of a deal that these werewolves are willing to gamble their lives?" Sally asked Alina.

  "To a human it seems unrealistic," Alina answered. "The idea of a soul mate, what we call a true mate. There are so many facets to the magic behind our kind. I don't understand it all, I just know what I've seen to be true. There is a darkness in the soul of a male wolf. He is designed to be fierce, unrelenting, protective to an extreme, and unforgiving. If a male does not find his mate, this darkness begins to take over and gradually he begins to go mad, unable to control the darkness that was once something that kept his family, his pack safe. Often males will describe it as being at war with their wolf." All three women were listening so intently that they didn't notice the male wolves that had gathered in the background, listening.

  "His mate is the light that keeps that darkness at bay. She fills the hole that has been growing ever larger in his soul. When the bond is completed between mates, their very souls merge, and the male will be able to leash the darker part of his nature and at last be at peace with his wolf."

  There was a pause of silence before anyone spoke.

  "What does the girl get out of it? I mean, that sounds great for him, but what about the hole in her soul?" Jen's question was nearly a whisper. Alina cocked her head to the side in a very wolf-like gesture, surprised that such a question had come from Jen.

  Alina walked over to Jen and placed her hand under her chin and tilted her head so that she was looking right at Alina's face.

  "She gets a man who will love her completely and faithfully. She gets a man who will not only save her life, but lay down his own to keep her safe. He will provide for her no matter the cost, he will shelter her against all the storms that come their way, he will be the one to bring a smile to her face when no one else can. She gets a friend, a lover, a mate, the only man in this world who can complete her and give her the other half of her soul."

  Jen wiped the tears away that had begun to fall of their own accord, not understanding why Alina's words felt like they were etching themselves on heart. She smiled at Alina. "Is that all?" she half heartedly joked, trying to shake off the intense emotions Alina's words had stirred in her. Alina leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead as she whispered, "In time, all will be revealed. Do not give up hope, for Jacque or for yourself."

  When Alina had stepped back to her spot against the opposite counter, it was then that Jen realized the wolves had been listening to Alina's words. She felt like a hole was being burned into the back of her head and she knew who was watching her. She turned slowly and caught Decebel's eyes. They were glowing and never wavered from hers. After several moments she finally tore her gaze away, not able to think under his intense stare. As she turned around, she saw Fane and the look on his face threatened to rip her apart. She hadn't thought about how his mother's words would affect him when his mate, the other half of his soul, was in the hands of another wolf.

  Vasile stepped forward and took Alina's hand as he addressed everyone. "The four wolves Dillon brought with him are innocent, they know nothing. So our next move is to go to Denver and speak with the rest of his pack." Vasile turned and looked at Lilly, his face softened as he stared into the face of a woman who was holding it together by a thread. "We are going to charter a jet. I'm not going to try to talk anyone out of going because it would just waste time."

  "Finally a wolf who knows when he's been beat," Jen said, reverting back to her sarcastic self. Vasile shot her a look that dared her to say more. Jen wisely decided to be fascinated by the peeling nail polish on her fingers.

  "The biggest hurdle will be Sally and Jen's parents. Lilly, you and Alina are going to have to go with the girls to let them know that we will be leaving immediately instead of in a couple of weeks. Tell them there has been a family emergency and we need to get back to Romania as quickly as possible." Lilly nodded, her face taking on a look of determination as she finally had a task, something to do instead of just waiting. She grabbed the car keys from the counter and motioned for the girls and Alina to follow her.

  "How do you think your parents are going to take this, Jen?" Sally asked her voice low.

  "Oh, probably about as good as that time we took tampons and hung them from the trees in front of Principal Stephens' house."

  "That good?" Sally asked sarcastically.

  "Remember, it's for Jacque. So do whatever it takes, Sally. I don't care if you have to pull out every guilt trip card in your arsenal, we will be getting on that plane to Denver. We clear?"

  "I'm with you," Sally confirmed. For Jacque she would do whatever it took to make sure she was on that plane.

  Fane walked up the stairs to Jacquelyn's bedroom and shut the door behind him. He took a deep breath, taking her scent in, letting it flow over him. He felt his wolf push, growling, looking for their mate in this place where they had whispered words of love, and shared their dreams for the future. Lying down on her bed, he buried his face in her pillow and it was there that he finally fell apart. Only with Jacquelyn could he ever let go. He remembered the night before the challenge when he had poured out his fears to her. He had laid his soul bare and she had welcomed him with open arms. His shoulders shook as the pain and emptiness threatened to break him. The past hours without being able to touch her mind, not knowing if she was okay had nearly brought him to his knees. He had listened to his mother speaking about the importance of a mate to the male Canis Lupis and now Fane felt like a knife was being thrust through his heart. The more she had talked the more it twisted, shredding muscle, arteries, veins that would send life-giving blood throughout his body. Jacquelyn was his heart and without her his soul would wither and decay, just like the muscles and organs without blood. Without Jacquelyn, the darkness he would unleash would be the likes of which has never been seen.

  Fane took a deep breath, trying to bring his emotions under control. He needed to think clearly and not allow his actions to be dictated by anger or fear, which would not bring his mate home safe. He sat up and wiped the evidence of his pain from his face. He wouldn't show the depth of his emotions to anyone but his Luna. Only she had the right to his deepest hurts, desires, fears. Only his Jacquelyn. He stood and walked towards the door and as his hand grasped the door knob, he heard in his mind a voice he would have killed to hear again.

  "Fane!" Jacquelyn's fear laced her words. Fane felt his heart in his throat as his soul reached for its other half. His wolf growled, snarling to be let loose.

  "Jacquelyn." Though he tried, he couldn't keep the desperation at finally hearing her, at finally feeling their bond no longer empty.

  "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Fane had to know. Though he couldn't do anything about it at the moment, he had to know.

  "I'm hurting, but not because anyone has hurt me. Logan has kidnapped me and Dr. Steele."

  "Are you still sick?"

  "Not as bad." Fane felt a pause before she continued. "I'll be okay."

  "Can you describe your surroundings to me? Maybe it will give me some sort of clue as to where you are." Fane knew it was a long shot, but then again there might be something that Logan had missed that would be just enough to give himself away.

  "The room we are in has no windows. It looks like a library or study."

  Fane waited, feeling her intent to examine her surroundings.

  "Okay, it looks like maybe it's a log cabin. The furniture is made out of some sort of wood and the walls are all wood like a cabin. I don't see anything else that would give any clue as to where we are." Jacquelyn's voice was beginning to sound panicky.

  "Luna." Fane gentled his tone to a whisper in her mind as he pictured himself caressing her face, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "I will find you. You are mine, I will always come for you."

  "Fane, hurry. Please."

  The please is what got him. His Luna didn't say please even in the most dire of situations, his Luna commanded. There was something she
wasn't telling him, but he wouldn't push her right now.

  "Jacquelyn, I need to let my father know that you have contacted me. We are leaving shortly to go to Denver to question Dillon's pack. We are hoping that he confided in one of the other wolves and maybe revealed where he was taking you," Fane explained, wanting her to understand if she didn't hear him it wasn't because he was gone.

  "Okay. If I'm able to figure out anything that I think might help, I will let you know."

  And because he could not tell her, he pushed the image of him kissing her to her mind as he whispered, "I love you, my Luna."

  "Fane, stay with me."

  "Always." His word was a solemn promise to her alone.

  Fane threw open her door and rushed down the stairs. His father and the other wolves were all gathered in the living room. He didn't see any sign of the girls and assumed they had not made it back yet.

  "Jacquelyn has contacted me through our bond," he announced, slightly breathless, not because of excursion but from the frantic beat of his heart, knowing she was alive and as of yet unharmed.

  "Was she able to tell you anything? Give you any clues to where they might be?" Vasile asked his son.

  "All she could tell me was that she thinks he has her in a log cabin. She said the room that she is in has no windows, but that the furniture is made from wood and the walls were wood like a log cabin."

  "Did she mention Dr. Steele?"

  "She said that Logan kidnapped them both. It sounded as if Dr. Steele was just as much a victim as Jacquelyn, but something about that doesn't sit well with me," Fane admitted.

  Vasile nodded. "I agree with you. I don't see Dr. Steele as the victim type. She's an Alpha female, she makes her own choices." Vasile looked at each of his wolves. "If you are not packed then do so now, and be quick. Dillon, I will leave you to command your wolves. I will not step on your authority."

  "I appreciate that, Vasile. I have already sent Dalton and Lee to get our things from the hotel, they should be back any moment."

  "At this point the only thing left to do is wait for Lilly, Alina, and the girls to get back."

  "Do you think Lilly can convince their parents to let them go with us?" Fane asked his father.

  "If Lilly cannot, there are few who can resist your mother." Vasile gave Fane a knowing smile, and for the moment because he could feel Jacquelyn's presence in the back of his mind, he was able to give a small smile back. It was true, after all. His mother always seemed to get her way. Somehow she was able to make people think that whatever it was she was wanting had been their idea in the first place. They went along with her with a smile on their face, completely oblivious. He had never seen her use it with ill intent, his mother was too kind-hearted for that. He nearly laughed at the thought of poor Sally and Jen's parents falling unknowingly under her spell.

  Fane felt Jacquelyn stir in his mind. "Share with me what is assuaging your anger, Fane."

  "My mother and your mother are at Sally and Jen's house trying to convince them to let Sally and Jen leave for Romania today. Obviously, that's not true but we have to tell them something so that Jen and Sally can come along, seeing as how they would hitchhike if we didn't bring them."

  "I see you are learning," Jacquelyn teased.

  "Funny, my love, but Jen said the same thing to my father." He could feel the humor she felt at this and he was glad he could give her some small amount of distraction.

  "What I was thinking was how my mother seems to have the ability to get whatever she wants; people just go along with her. I almost feel bad for their parents, with my mom there, there is no way she won't get them to agree to let the girls come and on top of that, they will think it's the best idea of the century."

  Jacquelyn was quiet for a moment. Fane couldn't pick up what she was thinking or feeling, her ability to block him was getting stronger.

  "Luna, you would tell me if he has hurt you." Fane made it a command instead of a question.

  "I see that distance doesn't affect your ability to be bossy."

  It didn't go unnoticed by Fane that she had dodged his comment.

  "Jacquelyn." He let her hear a growl in her mind.

  "Under the circumstances I am as good as can be expected, wolf-man. Tell me when you are around Jen and Sally, I could use a dose of their kind of medicine."

  "As you say, my love, so shall it be." Fane would give her the world if she asked it of him, and he would move mountains to make it happen.

  Jen and Sally sat in the backseat of Alina's SUV, both dumbfounded by what had taken place at their homes. One minute their parents were completely unsure about letting them leave and then the next Alina was hugging them and letting them know they were welcome to come to Romania any time. She even told them that Vasile and she would pay for it, and get this, their parents were eating out of Alina's hands like she was serving the best thing since sliced bread.

  "Thelma, could you please tell me what happened back there?" Jen mumbled, her voice in a trance like state.

  "I'm as lost as you, Louise," Sally said, looking just as confused as Jen.

  Alina smiled at the girls in the rear view mirror. "It's all in the presentation, girls. If you can set a flawed diamond in front of someone, at first all they see is the flaws. But if you pick it up and turn it just right in the light, suddenly the flaws fall into the background, bringing forth the radiance that lies behind those flaws."

  "Damn, she's good." Jen grinned.

  Lilly looked back at Jen and Sally and allowed a small smile to cross her face though it didn't reach her eyes.

  Alina suddenly got one of those far off looks that Jen and Sally recognized immediately.

  "What's the boss man have to say?" Jen asked, not caring at this point if it was her business or not. If it pertained to Jacque, then as far as she was concerned it was most definitely her business.

  "How did you know I was speaking with Vasile?" Alina asked, true surprise in her eyes.

  "You got the same look that comes over Jacque when she and her fur ball are using their mind mojo. Although, I did ask her once if she was constipated because she just sort of got a constipated look on her face." Everyone's eyes were on Jen by the time she stopped talking.

  "What?" she asked.

  Lilly let out a small laugh. "Thank you, Jen. I needed that."

  "That's what I'm here for, Ms. P. Your own personal comic relief." Jen looked back at Alina. "So seriously, what'd he say?"

  Alina looked at Lilly, her face softened as she said, "Jacque contacted Fane through their bond."

  Lilly took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she let it out. "Is she okay?"

  "Vasile says that she told Fane that Logan had not hurt her but that she was still in pain from whatever it is that was wrong before."

  "We never got a chance to talk to Dr. Steele about it," Lilly said to no one in particular.

  "Did she say if Dr. Steele was with her?" Sally asked Alina.

  "Jacque did say Dr. Steele was there and that they had both been kidnapped by Logan,"

  Jen made a clucking noise with her tongue. "I don't know if I believe that. Dr. Steele had a back bone. I don't see her being bullied by any wolf."

  "I'm with you, Vern," Sally agreed.

  A few minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of Lilly's house. They all piled out of the SUV and headed for the front door, which opened before they even reached it. Decebel stood in the doorway, looking as ominous as ever, Jen thought.

  "What, no kiss hello?" she goaded him, for some reason finding satisfaction when she could get a reaction out of him. Jen wasn't ready for the look he gave her in response to her remark. It actually looked as if he were considering kissing her. She scurried past him and heard him chuckle, which Jen decided not to acknowledge.

  Once everyone was in the house, crowded once again into the living room, Vasile went over again what Jacque had told Fane. Finally, he told them the plan for once they arrived in Denver.

  "Dillon and I decid
ed it would be best if we did not stay at their pack headquarters, especially since we will be questioning his wolves and some might think they are being accused of something. So we will be staying in a hotel close by. We will be taking my SUV, which holds 9 and Dillon's SUV, which holds 6, to the airport. Boian, you will ride with Dillon and his wolves. It is 2:00 p.m. Now, so by the time we load the plane it will be around 3:00 p.m. The flight is a little over 2 1/2 hours, so we should arrive in Denver around 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. Any questions?" No one responded so Vasile turned to Dillon. "Do you have anything you need to say?"

  "Not right now. I'm ready when you are." Vasile nodded his head and, without another word, headed towards Alina. Everyone took that as their cue to gather up their stuff and head out to their assigned vehicles.

  Lilly was walking through the house, making sure all the lights were turned off when she felt a gentle hand on her arm. She turned to find Dillon looking at her with eyes that were as haunted as her own.

  "I just want you to know I will do everything in my power to find her," Dillon told , and she could tell he meant every word.

  "Thank you," was all she could say. She didn't know what else to say. Here the love of her life stood right before her, close enough to touch, and yet he was forever out of her reach. But it was enough, Lilly decided, that he loved their daughter. Even if he couldn't love her, he loved Jacque and that would be enough.

  Once everyone was loaded into the vehicles, their bags all piled into the backs of each SUV, Sally took a minute to look at the seating arrangement. Vasile, Alina and Lilly were in the front, Sorin, Decebel, and Fane were in the back, and Sally and Jen were in the second seat with Skender sitting in between them. Sally looked around Skender to her wicked friend. "What are you up to, Lucy?" Sally whispered.