“Pack members talk, Vasile. You know how it is. A group of wolves together is worse than a beauty shop when it comes to gossip. So naturally, when I heard that there had been a challenge given to the strongest Alpha’s pup, and it was in Lilly’s home town, I checked into things.”
Dillon did not mention that he'd had Logan following Jacquelyn, or that he'd been at the scene of the accident. He didn’t think Vasile needed those details.
“We are on our way to the hospital now. Would you please ask Lilly to meet me in the entrance? And I would ask, Vasile, that you not let Jacque know I am here yet.”
“I will let Lilly know, however, I will not guarantee that she will see you." Dillon started to interrupt but Vasile cut him off. "Jacque has been unconscious for a month. Lilly has been through hell for that month, she is stressed out enough right now. Nevertheless, I will let her know. If you get here and she isn't waiting in the lobby, then call me tomorrow, we will go from there. However, I must know, how is your mate going to feel when Lilly sends you home in a pine box, because you have to know this isn’t going to go well,” the Alpha told him.
“I will deal with Lilly. I have five of my wolves with me, my Beta and my first four. We are not here as a challenge in any way to you or yours. I simply want to meet my daughter,” Dillon told him, his voice never betraying the subtle lie. He didn’t just want to meet her, he planned to take her home with him.
“Understood,” Vasile answered. "I would ask that you and your wolves lay low, and treat this as if it were my permanent territory. In other words, don't give me a reason to regret having let you remain here. My Beta, Decebel, will be waiting with her as he is the most neutral party when it comes to Jacque and I think you will need some neutrality while you are, as you said, dealing with Lilly. You will have to let me know how that goes,” Vasile said in sarcastic amusement. “What is your ETA?”
“My Beta says we will arrive in ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes, how courteous of you to give ample notice of your arrival.” Vasile had hung up before Dillon could respond to the jab.
“Did that go as you expected?” Logan asked him.
“Pretty much, although Vasile seems very calm for such a dominant Alpha. Those are often the most deadly ones. They never betray their emotions, so one never knows what their next move is.”
“Sounds like he would be a good poker player,” Logan said dryly.
Dillon didn’t acknowledge his Beta’s words, instead he thought about the best way to keep Lilly calm enough to let him see Jacque before he dropped the whole 'I’m here to take my daughter away' bit. Unfortunately there were no bright ideas that fell from the sky, nor had he come across a book called how to appease the lover you scorned for dummies.
They pulled into the hospital parking lot. It was packed, so Logan had to park the rental a good ways away from the front entrance.
“I’m going to go in and talk with Lilly. I want all of you to stay here. She is already upset about Jacque being unconscious for so long and having me here is adding insult to injury, so I don’t want to freak her out more by having a pack of unknown wolves descend on her.” Dillon knew that talking with Lilly would probably be harder than talking to Jacque. He had history with Lilly. The kind of history that leaves a wound on your heart that will never heal. It scabs over, often repeatedly, but when the scab comes off it is just as raw and painful as the day the wound was inflicted. Dillon was lucky, he had his mate, whose presence often held the scab in place. Who did Lilly have, he wondered.
Dillon was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of Logan’s voice. “At what point to you plan to claim the rights of an Alpha regarding a minor?”
“I will decide that after I meet with Lilly,” he told him.
Without another word Dillon opened his door and stepped into the warm Texas heat, and though it was hot, that was not what had him sweating. He shut the car door and turned to walk to the entrance of the hospital. At that moment he truly couldn't say what would be worse, facing a lover that you had hurt, or chewing on a mouthful of thumb tacks. When Dillon reached the entrance and opened the door the first thing he saw was Lilly’s beautiful face. He knew then that he would much rather chew thumb tacks any day over facing the betrayal in her eyes.
Chapter 10
Sally was waiting in the hospital room as her two best friends were brought in. She stood anxiously, twisting her fingers together. The worry she had been feeling for the past month was etched on her tight lips and raised eyebrows which put wrinkles in her forehead.
“Oh, come on Sal. If you keep looking at me like I’m a sick puppy you found in a ditch I’m going to smother you with a pillow in your sleep." Jacque winked at her friend despite her tough words.
“Bloody hell, here I thought I was the reigning female dog in this posse.” Jen grinned at Sally.
"Bloody hell? Female dog?" Jacque raised her eyebrows at her usually snarky friend.
"I'm trying to clean up my potty mouth, you know how near death experiences change how you live and what not." Jen shrugged.
"Jen, bloody hell is profanity. You know this, right?"
Jen looked at Sally and rolled her eyes. "Only to the English so it doesn't count."
"I don't even know how to respond to that," Jacque said dryly.
“I thought you two would never wake up. Jen still looks like a mummy all wrapped up and you look like a freshly cooked lobster," Sally told them as she pulled up a chair in between their beds.
“I was just getting my beauty sleep." Jacque looked over at Jen and grinned wickedly. "So what took you so long?" Her implication was clear.
"Oh, Jacque, your innocent little mind wouldn't be able to handle what was going on in my head that kept me from returning to reality." Jen yawned and patted her mouth demurely.
“You don't know, maybe my subconscious is more adventurous than the conscious version."
"Well in that case, as a favor to Fane, we will be sure to knock your ass out the night of your bonding ceremony," Sally said dryly.
Jen laughed, but it came out more like a strangled cough. “Don’t make me laugh, my lungs are char broiled. I feel like a Burger King hamburger, always cooked over an open flame.”
“Your way, right away, baby,” Jacque added.
“There are so many better ways to use that comment than on a stupid hamburger commercial,” Jen said in chagrin.
“And she’s back,” Sally teased as she watched life slowly seep back Jen’s eyes, body, and overall demeanor.
"I need to say thank you. You guys saved my life and I just want you to know I love you both and I will be forever grateful," Jacque told them as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
"You would have done the same for either of us, Jac," Sally told her.
"Well, now that you are forever in my debt I will have to think of ways to put your gratitude to good use," Jen teased dryly.
Sally and Jacque both laughed and rolled their eyes at their forever obstinate friend.
Jen looked around the room, noticing that it was just the three of them. “So where is the wolf entourage?” she asked Jacque.
“They all stepped into the hall just before they wheeled you two in. Vasile took a phone call and when he came back he beckoned for everyone, but told me to wait here for ya'll,” Sally explained. “I figure it must be important if it got Fane away from his woman. He has refused to leave the hospital for even a minute since she was brought out of the operating room,” she told Jen.
“For some reason I can’t say I’m surprised her hottie Mcwolf man is glued to her side. She was nearly freaking killed,” Jen exclaimed.
“You did not fare any better.” A gruff voice had them all turning towards the door. Jacque saw Fane push around Decebel to come to her side. It was Decebel who had addressed Jen’s words, and Decebel who stared at Jen like she had grown a extra appendage on her head.
Jen glanced at Jacque and then at Sally, looking for some sort of clue as to what to say, but
neither could throw her any bones because they knew about as much as she did about Decebel, and it added up to zero, zilch, and nada.
“Ooookay, and you would be here why?” Jen asked him with obvious confusion
“I’m here to guard you. I mean guard all of you. Not just you, but each one of you at the same time, not alone,” Decebel stumbled along.
“Yeah, I got it, no need to hurt yourself further,” Jen told him sarcastically.
Decebel’s head jerked up to look her in the eyes. Jen saw what she could only describe as hurt. Had her words hurt him? She swallowed and felt a knot forming in her throat at the cold look in his eyes. After several seconds he turned and looked at Fane. “I will be downstairs for a few minutes. The Alpha will be standing guard with Alina.” Without another word or glance back, he strode out of the room.
Everyone in the room let out a deep breath none of them had realized they'd been holding.
“Would one of you yahoos like to explain to me what has his tail in a twist?” Jen asked, looking from person to person, waiting for some plausible explanation.
“Okay, one," Sally said holding a finger up, "we have no clue, he has just been like that since we got to the hospital. And two, did you just say his tail was in a twist?” Sally asked with repressed laughter at her friend.
“If I did it’s only because half my body has been deep fried and I feel like someone beat me with a sledgehammer. So, that said, I am allowed some dumb ass remarks. Lay off, Polly Perfect, or I’ll have M&M’s personalized with your phone number on one side and for a good time on the other,” Jen threatened irritably.
“And she’s back again,” Sally grinned.
Jen flipped her off.
Yep, Jacque thought, we’re going to be okay. Jen’s being a female dog, as she put it, Sally is egging her on, and I’m in the corner staying out of the line of fire laughing my butt off. Things will be back to normal in no time. Jacque looked up at Fane as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
“What was that for?” she asked him.
“For every smile I see on your face I will kiss you,” he told her lovingly.
“What do I get for a laugh?” she asked, her voice thick with suggestion.
Fane grinned at her, flashing those amazing dimples. “I don’t think now is the appropriate time to demonstrate that love.”
Jacque thrust out her bottom lip, attempting to pout, which only made Fane grin bigger.
“So what was so interesting in the hall?"
Fane hesitated just long enough for Jacque to wonder if he was being totally honest. He had his thoughts closed off, which also made her wonder what was up.
“It’s nothing big. My father got a call from a pack that is driving through the area, and he likes to make us aware when another pack is about.”
Something in Fane’s nonchalant tone told Jacque that Fane was hiding something. It didn’t make her mad because at this point she knew he was going to try to protect her, even if it was just from a fly wielding a toothpick as a sword. Fane would not leave her unprotected ever again. She had a feeling the number of fights they were going to have in their long lives had just increased exponentially.
"So Jen, how'd it go with your parents once you woke up?" Sally asked. "They were here constantly while you were checked out."
"Oh, it went fine, but I can't handle my mom being all emotional and hovering. You both know I don't do hovering." Jen rolled her eyes.
"Ah, yes, the hovering. Your mom does tend to hover when she is upset," Jacque agreed.
"I wouldn't call it hovering, actually," Sally said thoughtfully. "It's more like full blown nose diving. You almost have to duck for cover when Jen's mom comes at you and she's worried."
"Hence why she is no longer here," Jen acknowledged."It took some convincing, but with a little help from Alina we got her and my dad to think it would be better for them to let me get some rest and unless something is wrong they will come up tomorrow night."
Jen looked at Fane thoughtfully before asking, "Does your mom have some sort of ability to make people do what she wants?"
Fane chuckled but shook his head no. "Not unless she hasn't told me. My mother has always been able to get people to see things from her point of view. My father says it's an art the way she can work people around her. I don't know, you will just have to ask her."
Fane squeezed her hand. "How are you, Luna?"
"Considering I've been burnt to a crisp, my leg crushed like it was run through a blender and glass sprinkled in my skin like I was a cupcake, I'm pretty stinking good," she told him with her lips turned up in a smile that nearly melted his heart.
"I love you," he whispered.
"What's not to love?" she teased.
"Indeed," Fane muttered under his breath.
Decebel stepped back into the room and without looking at anyone he walked across the room to Jen's bed. "Are you alright?" The words revealed some sort of emotion but his tone of voice was just as gruff as ever.
Jen was beginning to get frustrated with his odd aloofness towards her. What the hell, she thought, if he doesn't care why even freaking bother to ask. Just like earlier she decided to handle his coldness with what she did best, flirting.
"I could be better," she told him with a slight pout. Out of the corner of her eye she winked at Sally, who was giving her a questioning look.
"What does that mean?" he asked even more gruffly if that was even stinking possible.
"It just means that my circumstances could be improved, which in turn would make me feel better," she told him innocently.
Jacque was in her bed with her hand over her mouth trying to muffle her laughter as she watched her friend work her magic. The funny part was that Decebel had obviously never met anyone like Jen. He didn't look like he knew what to do. Jacque had a feeling that uncertainty was not an emotion that Decebel often felt.
When he didn't respond to her, Jen crooked her finger at him, indicating that she wanted him to move closer. When he acquiesced and leaned down, Jen grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him until he had to support himself on the bed with his hands and his ear was next to her mouth. Sally and Jacque watched her whisper to him and suddenly Decebel's body tensed, his muscles rigid with statuesque grace. After a moment he stood up, took one last look at Jen, and without a word turned and walked out of the room.
Jen busted out laughing as soon as the door clicked. "Man, that was rich," she said, still giggling.
"Would you like to share, my wicked little friend, what you did to poor Decebel?" Sally asked her with one eyebrow raised.
"A lady never kisses and tells." Jen grinned and winked at Sally.
"There are two very obvious problems with that statement," Jacque started.
"Yah, yah. I'm not a lady, and I didn't kiss him, blah blah. Details, details my dear Watson," Jen said sarcastically.
Jen grinned to herself. She couldn't believe the boldness in the words she had whispered to Decebel, but it served him right for being such a butt head to her. She was just messing with him after all, it didn't mean anything so what was the harm. She ignored the nagging little voice that was trying to contradict her thoughts.
Chapter 11
After Fane had gone back into the room with the girls, Lilly had her mini panic attack and was able to calm down when Alina told her she would slap her if she didn’t. “So he’s on his way here, as in now?” Lilly asked Vasile.
“Yes, as in now. He will be here in about 10 minutes,” he told her.
“Did he say what he wanted?" This time her voice was stronger, more determined.
“All he said was that he wanted to talk with you and that he wanted to meet Jacque.”
“Yes, but we both know there is more to it than that, Vasile. He has to have an ulterior motive to travel all this way. I’m sure he wants to meet Jacque, but that’s not the only reason he has come,” Lilly told him.
“Decebel is going to go down with you. Even though I don’t
think he would hurt you or allow harm to come to you I want Decebel to get a feel for things. I have called Sorin, Skender and Boian to see if they could scout around the hospital parking lot and get a look at Dillon’s men,” Vasile explained.
“I’m ready when you are, Lilly,” she heard Decebel say, which was really weird because she couldn’t recall a time when Decebel had ever spoken to her. There was a first time for everything.
“Ok, let's do this,” Lilly said, rolling her shoulders as if she were getting ready to fight.
“She has worn off on you, too,” Decebel said to her as they got into the elevator to go to the lobby.
“Who has worn off on me?” Lilly asked him.
“Jen. She always says these weird comments that make no sense to the situation, and I notice you do it too. She’s like a virus that just keeps spreading.” The last part was said more to himself than Lilly.
“If she is a virus than she is the only one of her kind in existence, and she’s a virus I would catch any day,” Lilly told him, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
Decebel growled something imperceptible but said nothing else. As the elevator doors opened, Decebel put a hand in front of Lilly so that she would not exit before him. He stepped out and looked around and then motioned to her to emerge, evidently deciding it was safe.
“What happen to ladies first?” Lilly teased, just trying to expel her nervous energy. She knew what the answer was but she just needed something to keep her busy for a few minutes before she saw the man she had once loved with every fiber of her being.
“I don’t know what idiot thought it was smarter to let a woman enter a room before him. How does he know if it is safe for her to enter if he does not check it out himself? It’s actually a much more caring act to go before her, therefore ensuring that nothing will harm her,” Decebel explained, his tone of voice at first sounded with disgust and then it was almost tender when he finished speaking. He might just make a fine catch one day, minus the grumpiness and bossiness that seemed to plague all things furry, Lilly thought.