"Someone would have to pry me from your arms, Fane," she whispered back with a small smile, which quickly turned to a grimace as her body throbbed.
Fane's heart clenched as he watched pain fill her eyes, hating that he could do nothing for her.
"Just rest, my love."
Jacquelyn closed her eyes and Fane pulled her close to his body, sharing his heat with her.
Just as they had arrived at the woods in silence, their trip back to the hotel was just as quiet.
Alina laid a blanket over Cynthia Steele's wolf form lying on one of the hotel beds. Vasile, Fane, and Lilly stood over her as they watched her begin to phase back to her human skin. Jen and Sally sat on the other bed next to Jacque's supine form and Decebel leaned against the back wall, his arms folded over his chest, looking even more ominous if that were possible.
Cynthia blinked several times as her eyes opened. She didn't know where she was, she just knew she was no longer in the woods, and she was alive.
"Cynthia Steele, we need your help," she heard a voice say to her.
She began to sit up. Her arm and leg that had been broken healed during her phase but they remained stiff and still ached. She felt the warm fabric against her skin. Realizing it was a blanket that covered her very bare self, she clutched it to her as she sat up fully to look at the room full of faces staring holes into her. She began to recognize the faces and then everything that had happened came rushing in.
"Where is Jacque? Is she okay? Is Logan still alive?" Questions flowed from her mouth like water from a faucet as her eyes darted from person to person.
It was Fane who answered her. "Jacque is alive but in severe pain. Please tell me how to heal her."
"She needs blood," Cynthia told him.
"She has already had blood." Fane's voice was deadly. "Logan forced his blood on her, she is not better."
"Not just anyone's blood, Fane. She needs your blood, the blood of her mate."
Fane stepped towards the bed as hope began to inch its way into his heart.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Scientifically, no, I'm not. But Fane, we are werewolves, science cannot explain us. In my gut I know it is your blood she needs. I don’t think one bite will do it since she has gone so long and her body has slowly been attacking itself. She will probably have to bite you several times over the period of a few days."
Fane turned to his mother. "Get her some clothes, please."
Alina brought Cynthia some sweatpants and a shirt and all the males stepped out of the room. Lilly and Alina helped Cynthia dress. Although her broken bones had mended when she phased, her body was still very stiff and sore. Nobody spoke as Cynthia dressed. Alina opened the doors and let the wolves back in. Fane walked over to Jacquelyn's side and stared down at her in silence. Everybody in the room waited, watching to see what he would do. Fane made a decision.
"Everyone, please leave," he requested without ever taking his eyes off of his mate. "She wouldn't want anyone to watch this."
Without a word, the room emptied and as soon as Fane heard the click of the door he sat down next to Jacquelyn on the bed.
"Luna, can you wake for me?"
Jacquelyn turned her head in the direction of Fane's voice. Her eyes opened. "Am I really here? Are you really with me?"
"Yes and yes," he answered as he lay on his side next to her.
She reached her hand to touch his face but pulled back in pain. Fane gently caressed her face as he turned her face to look at him.
"Dr. Steele says you need my blood, that you will have to bite me several times in order to fully heal." Fane paused before he continued. "Do you think you can handle biting me or would it be too much since you were forced before?" His voice got softer and softer as he spoke, his eye lids shadowed his eyes and his lips were held in a tight line.
"Fane, I didn't bite Logan. He bit himself and poured his blood into my mouth. Biting you will be weird but not because of Logan." Her mouth turned upwards as she tried to reassure him but she must not have succeeded because he still looked stricken.
"Fane, tell me what to do. Unless," she said, looking away from him as her voice quivered, "unless you don't want me to bite you."
Fane growled. "Why would I not want my mate to bite me, to take my blood?"
Jacque shivered at the anger she heard in his voice. "Because I've had his blood, because he tainted me," she sobbed out.
Fane began to wrap his arms around her but as his hands touched her back she cried out in pain.
Fanes eyebrows rose as he jerked his arms away. "What is it? Where are you hurt, love?"
Jacquelyn's eyes fell as her lips trembled. "He clawed my back when he saw my markings," she whispered.
Fane gently tugged her forward so that she was lying on her stomach. He began to raise the hem of her shirt. "I will be gentle," he told her, his voice tight and strained. As he continued to pull her shirt up, revealing more and more of her skin, he finally saw the angry red slashes that marred her beautiful body. They sliced from her neck to below her bra. Fane couldn't stop the low growl that rumbled in his chest at the sight of his beautiful mate's precious skin so angrily torn.
"His death was too merciful for the pain he caused you." His voice trembled, exposing the depth of his hurt for her. Fane leaned forward and gently kissed her injured back and neck. Pulling back and lowering her, shirt he helped her lay back on her side.
"I want you to take my blood. I am your mate. You will take my blood so you can get better and then you will take it so we can complete the Blood Rites."
Fane tilted his head back, bearing his neck to Jacque. "Your instincts should help you out, love. Just close your eyes and bite."
Jacque looked at Fane's neck, his beautiful smooth skin and the markings that ran across it. She couldn't believe she was going to do this, but she was in so much pain that she no longer cared. She did as Fane told her and closed her eyes. She scooted closer to him, leaning forward and gently touching her lips to Fane's neck. She kissed him once before parting her lips and pressing her mouth down. As her teeth began to apply pressure to his skin, to her surprise, she felt her incisors lengthen and then she was able to pierce his skin with almost no resistance.
She squeezed her eyes tight as the taste of Fane's blood hit her tongue. Instead of thr metallic taste she had been expecting there was almost a spicy quality to Fane's blood. She felt him pull her tighter against him and she tightened her mouth as she continued to swallow his blood. It should have grossed and freaked her out, but instead it felt right.
Fane closed his eyes as he felt Jacquelyn's mouth on his neck. His body stiffened briefly as he felt her teeth sink into his flesh. He couldn't describe the feelings stirring inside at the pull of her mouth if he wanted to do. It was something so private and special between mates. He let her continue to take in his blood for several minutes. When he thought she had gotten enough for this time he reached into her mind. The thoughts he found there gave him pause before he finally spoke to her.
"Love, it is enough for now. You may stop."
Jacque slowly pulled her mouth away from Fane's neck. She blinked several times as Fane's face slowly came into focus. His breath caught as he saw Jacquelyn's teeth. He lifted her upper lip to look at the incisors that had lengthened. "Interesting," he muttered. As he pulled his hand away he watched them retract.
"That was," Jacque paused as she swallowed and caught her breath, "intense."
Fane grinned at her, rubbing his hands up and down her back. "That's putting it mildly, Luna."
She looked into his eyes, enjoying being so close to him, once again being able to touch him, smell him, and taste him. "Will it always be like that?"
Fane cocked his head to the side at her. "I don't know, but you are welcome to find out anytime you want." He grinned and was encouraged to see a little smile on her lips.
"How are you feeling? Any better yet?"
"The pain has actually dulled quite a bit. It's still there bu
t it's not keeping me from breathing."
"Do you think you can move?" he asked her gently.
"As long as you aren't asking me to run through the woods from a crazed wolf," she teased. Fane didn't find it funny as he growled at her.
"I'm ready to take you home, to Romania. I want to be bonded to you, Jacquelyn. I want to complete the Blood Rites. If you are up to it, we were going to fly out tonight."
"What about my mom? Jen and Sally?"
"They are coming with us. My mother and your mother somehow convinced their parents. Do you think you can travel, Luna?" Fane was really hoping she would say yes. He wanted out of this country. It seemed like only bad things happened to Jacquelyn here. He wanted her home with him, where she belonged.
"I'm ready to be bonded to you, too. Let's do this." Jacque winked at him and he felt that wink all the way to his soul.
Fane stood up and began to go towards the door."Wait, where are you going?" Jacque asked him. He turned to look at her face and saw panic in her eyes. He realized then that his brave, sarcastic, fierce Luna had not walked away from this unscathed.
"I'm just going to let everyone back in to tell them we are going." He sat back down on the bed next to her and took her hand. "What is it, Jacquelyn?"
She hesitated but then looked him in the eyes with her chin held up. "I hate to be weak and to feel helpless, and I refuse to always be this needy, but right now the idea of you where I can't see you terrifies me. If that makes me pathetic then so be it." Fane could tell it took so much of her to admit her fear to him.
"None of what you just told me could ever make you pathetic and if you think that then you are going to think I'm completely psycho, because I'm never letting you out of my sight again, nor will another male ever be close enough to touch you."
Jacque couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped her lips.
"Why do you find this funny?" Fane asked, truly confused by her response.
"You can't very well keep every male away from me forever."
"Yes I can. I am the next Alpha in line. I'm the prince of the Romanian Grey wolves. If I say they are to stay fifty feet away from you at all times then that is what they will do."
Mischief glimmered in Jacquelyn's eyes. "Fifty feet? Are you sure that's enough? Maybe you should make it, I don't know, several hundred feet. That may be more reasonable."
"Are you making fun of me, Luna?" Fane asked with a low growl.
"Why yes, Fane, I am. However could you tell?"
Fane glowered at her as she smiled innocently, then surprised her by kissing her on the nose. "I'm glad to see that you haven't lost your sense of humor."
"Wolf-man, if you keep making outrageous statements like that then my sense of humor will only improve because I will have you to make fun of."
Fane stood and walked again towards the motel room door and as he pulled it open he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "So glad I could be of service to you, Jacquelyn."
Jacque turned bright red as everyone filed in, their eyes darting between the two.
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Jen asked. She looked at Sally. "That's what I've been doing wrong. I haven't been saying I wanted to be serviced."
Every male in the room coughed to cover up laughs as Sally swatted Jen's arm.
"I'm just saying, you learn something new every day," she said, winking at Jacque.
Fane shook his head, a smile on his face simply because his Luna was smiling.
Vasile was the first to recompose himself as he looked at Jacque. "How are you feeling?"
"A little better. I was telling Fane the pain is bearable."
"So you think you can travel? It's a long flight to Romania," Vasile told her.
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm ready to get off this continent. I'm convinced it has something against me."
Fane looked at Cynthia, who stood off to the side looking like she wanted to crawl in a hole. "Do you think it is okay for her to travel?"
Cynthia looked at Jacque and then at Fane. "If she says she feels up to it then, yes. If she begins to hurt badly again you will just need to give her more of your blood."
Jacque blushed as Fane looked at her with a wicked grin.
Jen looked between the two and then at Sally. "Do you see that fine wolf grinning wickedly at our best friend?"
Sally looked apprehensively at Jen. "Yes," she answered cautiously.
"I thought I told you I wanted one. Where is he?" Jen asked dryly.
"And I thought I asked if you wanted fries or tots with that and you said you preferred whipped cream. Much as it pains me to tell you this," Sally took Jen by the shoulders and looked into her eyes in all seriousness, "and you might want to brace yourself, apparently wolves don’t do whipped cream. They all said it makes their hair sticky."
Jen grinned at Sally as the entire room erupted into laughter, holding out her fist for her to bump. "Niiiiiice."
Vasile turned to Fane still grinning, obviously enjoying the lightheartedness after so many days of worry and fear. "Get them ready to go, Sorin has the plane waiting."
Fane nodded, still smiling. "As you say, Alpha."
Chapter 34
Jen and Sally boarded the private plane Vasile had charted. Jen whistled while Sally's jaw dropped open at the sight of such luxury.
"Sally, I take it back. I don't just want a wolf and whipped cream. I want a rich wolf with whipped cream.
"Ok, let me just write that down for you since you seem to think I'm your personal assistant," Sally responded, her tone clipped.
"You ever noticed how assistant starts with ass? Do you think that’s a coincidence?" Jen shrugged her shoulders as she raised her eyebrows at Sally.
"Oh, how I've missed my two snarky best friends," Jacque quipped as she boarded the plane, closely followed by Fane.
Jacque had begun to follow Jen and Sally when she felt Fane tug her hand. She turned back to look at him.
"Let me check the plane before you and your friends go exploring." He gave her hand a quick squeeze and then walked towards the back of the plane. Jacque noticed that there was a small hall that was blocked off from the front of the plane.
"This thing is huge. Where do you think that goes?" Sally asked pointing in the direction Fane had disappeared down.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Jacque said to her friends with a wink.
The three girls sat down on a plush seat that ran the length of one side of the plane. On the opposite side of the plane were bucket style seats, two to a row. Each set of two faced opposite another and there was a small table in between each set. Jacque counted three sets. To the right of her on the wall that separated the back of the plane from them was a large flat screen television and below that was a bar with various drinks in the glass case.
Fane came and stood next to Jacque, apparently finished with his inspection. Jacque, Jen, and Sally watched as the others began to board the plane. Alina and Lilly took one set of the bucket seats while Sorin and Vasile sat across from them. Jacque had to pinch Sally when she started laughing because Boain had attempted to sit on the bench seat next to Jen, and Decebel snarled something in Romanian at the poor wolf, causing him to pale and jump up so fast it looked like he had been stabbed in the butt with a hot poker. Jen acted as if she didn't notice.
Cynthia sat next to Skender across from the now trembling Boain and the frowning Decebel. Fane reached down and grabbed Jacque's hand, tugging at her as he indicated the bucket seats for them to sit in. Jacque stood up, motioned to Jen and Sally to join them in the seats across from each other.
With everyone safely buckled in, the plane began its journey down the runway, picking up speed until finally Jacque felt her stomach drop as the plane's wheels left the ground. As the plane rose higher into the sky Jacque felt like she was finally getting away from the nightmare that she had been living this past month. That is until the pain ripped through her again.
She leaned forward in her seat, arms wrap
ped around her middle as she laid her head on the table in front of her. She heard startled voices but could not make them out. Not with the sound of blood rushing in her ears as she tried not to scream out. She thought that since she had taken Fane's blood that she was better, but Cynthia was right when she said it would take more than one time. She felt someone undo her seat belt and then strong arms were around her lifting her. She curled her body into the strength that she knew had to be Fane.
Jacque didn’t open her eyes until she felt him laying her down on a soft surface. She didn't bother looking around, the only thing she wanted to see were Fane's eyes. She watched him as he stretched out beside her never taking his eyes from hers.
"You need more blood, Luna," he told her gently.
Jacque watched as he unbuttoned the first three buttons on his black shirt and pushed the collar back to expose his throat. As the pain continued to course through her body she barely registered that her canines had lengthened the moment Fane bared his throat to her.
Fane gently wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and guided her mouth to his skin. This time Jacque didn't hesitate. As soon as her teeth met his flesh she pierced it without a thought. Once again Fane's spicy essence poured into her as she closed her eyes and welcomed his healing blood.
Fane pulled Jacquelyn close, sheltering her with his body as she took what he offered.
He whispered in her ear using his native language, telling her how much she meant to him and how he could never imagine a life without her. And when he told her he loved her he felt her body tremble in his arms. She pulled back this time on her own and Fane saw the tear tracks down her cheeks.
"Why do you cry, love?" he asked her gently.
"I knew you would come for me, but I didn't know if I would be the same person when you found me."
Fane watched as she moved forward and he felt her tongue run across where she had just bitten him. As she pulled back he saw that her cheeks were tinged a soft red and as he ran his fingertips across her face he felt the heat on her skin.