After a while, Fane decided sitting up was no longer comfortable and laid down next to Jacquelyn on her bed. His position was such that he was looking right at Jacquelyn’s face. She'd fallen asleep during their silence and Fane was just content to watch her sleep. He hadn’t realized how tired he was from worrying about Jacquelyn all night, and found himself drifting off as well.
Fane woke with a start, blinking rapidly to clear his sleepy eyes. He realized the room was dark. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to see what time it was – eight pm. He looked over at Jacquelyn and realized that she was no longer there. He put his hand on the spot where she'd been and felt that it was still a little warm. She'd not been up long. He drew on his wolf hearing to listen to the house and realized it was silent. There was no need to panic, he knew that, but he still didn’t like that fact that there were three teenage girls who were supposed to be in the house, yet it was quiet. His mind reflexively sought her out.
“You do have a good reason as to why you are not in this house, right Luna?”
Fane could feel her blocking him from her thoughts, which meant she was up to no good. Why was he not surprised?
“Why on earth would you think I was up to no good?”
Fane grinned at her false innocence.
“Where are you, love, and what mischief have you and your sidekicks gotten into?” Fane asked.
Fane could tell by her silence that he wasn’t going to like what they were up to.
“We were bored so we climbed up on the roof to look at the stars. See, it’s not that bad,” Jacquelyn responded.
Fane let out a slow breath, trying to control the strong protective instincts that were a part of his genetic makeup. He knew that she was fine, but all he could think about was if she slipped and fell. What would he do if something happened to her? Get a grip, Fane, he told himself. You can’t put her in a bubble.
“No, you can’t put me in a bubble, but because I know it will make you feel better I'll come in from the roof. See? I can be reasonable…but don’t always count on it,” Jacquelyn teased him.
“Thank you, Jacquelyn, you are right. It will make me feel much better if you would come back in.” Fane was so thankful that his mate cared about his feelings and concerns. He knew that she didn't know it yet, but those qualities would be a treasure to an Alpha who would often feel as if he were bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Fane got up from the bed and headed downstairs to see if he could find something to eat – he was hungry and his wolf was hungrier. He managed to find some bread and lunch meat and put together a decent sandwich. He was in the kitchen eating when he heard an ear-splitting scream.
Fane dropped his sandwich and took off toward the front door. He threw it open and was instantly hit with the unmistakable smell of Canis lupus. His lips pulled back in a snarl as a low growl began to build in his throat. Fane’s wolf pushed to be let out, his mate was in danger and he wanted blood.
“Jacquelyn, where are you? Are you alright?” Fane sent her the thought.
For a moment there was no response and it was enough to cause Fane’s hold on his wolf to waiver. His eyes phased, he could feel the rest of his body shaking with the need to.
“I’m ok, just in shock. We’re in the backyard. Please come,” Jacquelyn told him.
Even though she said she was okay, he could tell she was scared. Fane ran around the side of the house and came to an abrupt stop. Fane now understood why they'd screamed. About ten feet from Jacquelyn’s back door were four dead animals. Fane walked to where the three girls stood. He stepped in front of Jacquelyn and placed his hands on either side of her face and made her look at him.
“Are you alright? Was there anyone out here when you screamed?” he asked her.
“There was no one out here. We had climbed down from the roof and were fixing to go in the house when we noticed a shadow on the ground. We came over to investigate and we saw those,” she said, pointing at the bodies on the ground.
Fane looked over at Sally and Jen and saw that they were both just staring at the animals. “Are you two okay?” he asked them.
Jen slowly turned her head to look at him. “Is it just me,” she asked, “or are there really four dead animals in Jacque’s backyard?”
Fane stepped away from Jacquelyn and walked over to inspect the animals. He noticed right away that there were no bullet wounds or arrow piercings. There were, however, tears in the animals’ jugulars. These four had been killed by wolves, and they were all clean kills, there was no damage to the rest of their bodies. He noted that they were laid out in order of size, smallest to largest. The first was a rabbit, next a fox, then a small doe, and last a large buck deer. Fane let out another low growl. Jacquelyn walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm and it was enough to calm him.
“This is no threat. It is an offering, and a demonstration,” he answered.
“Offering for what? And to demonstrate what, exactly?” Sally asked.
“Lucas is offering Jacquelyn kills from his hunt, a peace offering of sorts. He is also demonstrating his ability to provide for her and the pack. He wants her to know that he is able to take care of her should she become his mate. It is a wolf thing, so to speak,” Fane explained.
“Okay, first of all, EWW!” Jacquelyn started. “Second, why in Sam Hill would I want four carcasses laying in my backyard, and three, what the hell am I supposed to do with them?”
“I’m thinking bonfire,” Jen said.
“Huh-uh, nope. That would stink,” Sally responded.
Fane pulled out his phone and dialed Sorin’s number. Sorin picked up on the first ring.
“Da,” Sorin answered.
“Am si eu ceva am nevoie de tine sa faca (I have something I need you to do),” Fane told him.
A few moments later he put his phone away having explained to Sorin that he wanted him to take the four animals over to the car dealership where he had purchased his motorcycle and put them out front. After a brief silence, he pulled his phone out again and dialed another number.
“Da?” Fane heard, as his Alpha answered the phone.
“Unde eşti tu (where are you),” Fane asked him.
“Your mother and I have just landed in Newark and are boarding the plane to come to Houston. It’s a little less than four hours from here to there. How far is Coldspring from Houston?” his father asked.
“It’s fifty five miles, so a little less than hour,” Fane answered.
“We should arrive at Jacquelyn’s between one thirty and two am, then. What has happened?” Fane’s father asked, concern lacing his tone.
“The Alpha Lucas Steele broke the challenge rules by harming Jacquelyn. Sorin stopped me from killing him and now he has left four dead animals in Jacquelyn’s yard.”
Fane heard his father growl. “How did he harm your mate?”
“I wasn’t there to protect her,” Fane told him with obvious shame in his voice. “He saw the markings on Jacquelyn’s back and neck. He got angry and grabbed her arms and gripped her hard enough to leave bruises on both arms. Imi pare rau am ratat ai, tatalui (I am sorry I failed you, father).
“Tacerea (silence). You have not failed me, son. You had no choice but to honor the rules of the challenge. You don’t have time to sulk over what has happened, do you hear me?”
Fane took a deep breath. He knew this is what he needed to hear and was thankful that he'd decided to call his father.
“I hear you, Alpha,” Fane answered.
“You have a fight to prepare for and a mate to protect. What has happened is past. Take whatever anger you have over this and use it to fuel you during the challenge, but do not dwell on it.”
“Thank you, Tata (father). I will see you soon.” Fane ended the call.
Fane took Jacquelyn’s hand to lead her back into the house. “Ladies, I don’t think our furry friends need an audience any longer,” he said as he held the back door open for them.
Without saying
anything to each other and without any conscious choice, they all went and sat in the living room. Jen and Sally each took an end of the couch while Jacquelyn and Fane sat on the loveseat. Fane was absently tracing the markings on Jacquelyn’s neck.
Sally finally broke the silence. “So what now?” She directed the question to Fane.
Fane was staring at Jacquelyn and had to pull his gaze away to look at Sally.
“My father and mother will be here around one thirty or two. Tomorrow he will call Lucas to make him aware of his arrival, and then they will set the time and place for the challenge,” Fane explained.
“Are you nervous?” Jen asked him.
Fane felt Jacquelyn tense at the question, the anxiety came off her in waves.
“Inima mea, va rog sa nu faceti griji. (My heart, please do not worry),” Fane thought to her.
“I have no idea what you just said, but I have a feeling you are telling me to chill out. Am I right?” she asked him.
“I didn’t exactly put it like that. What I said was, 'my heart, please do not worry'.”
Turning to look at Fane, Jacquelyn said, “How can you tell me that? You're going to fight another wolf to the death and you tell me not to worry. Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”
“Jacquelyn, I am not without defenses. I am from a strong bloodline, I am a dominant and I stand to be Alpha to the largest pack of Greys in the world. All of these things make me stronger and I have found my mate. Please, love. I don’t want you to be upset,” Fane implored her.
Jacquelyn didn’t say anything, just stood with her back to Fane, head down, looking utterly defeated. It broke Fane’s heart.
“I think a hot bath is in order. What do you think, Sal? Hot bath for the wolf princess?” Jen posed to Sally with a look that said 'get up off your butt.'
Sally was a quick study. “Yep, most definitely. Hot bath is just what the doctor ordered…or something like that.”
Fane watched helplessly as the two girls took his defeated and worried mate upstairs, away from him. His wolf was protesting, and so was the man. We should be the one comforting her, she is ours to protect and love. Fane began to step toward them, but stopped when Jen pierced him with a stare and gave a shake of her head that was most definitely a command for him to back off. He couldn’t help the growl he let out.
“Don’t you growl at me, White Fang, I’ll have you neutered and de-clawed so fast you won’t know what hit you,” Jen retorted.
Fang cocked his head to the side and then shrugged his shoulders. “At least you got the species right.”
Fane let the girls go without further protest and sat back down on the loveseat. He let out a deep breath and laid his head back. He was tired, and to his chagrin he was worried. Not worried about winning the challenge, he felt confident he could beat Lucas. No, he wasn’t worried about that. He was worried about Jacquelyn wanting to watch. He was sure that she had no idea just how messy it would get and he knew it would scare and anger her. He was learning that when his Luna was angry she tended to be impulsive. His only consolation was that his mother would be there to keep Jacquelyn from doing anything that would put her in harm's way. The thought of something happening to her caused him to be short of breath, like maybe he was having a panic attack. Okay, Fane, get a grip, he told himself.
After several more deep breaths he was beginning to calm down. He closed his eyes and tried very hard not to slip into Jacquelyn’s mind to see if she was okay. It took all of the manners his mother had beat into him not to listen to her thoughts. Instead he laid there, humming the tune of one of his favorite artists. Believe it or not Fane, a Romanian, was a Willie Nelson fan. Who knew? It was a song that he wanted to share with Jacquelyn because it described so well how he felt. Soon, he thought. Not tonight. Tonight she didn’t want to be with him, but soon.
Chapter 25
Jacque lay in the tub her two best friends had filled with hot water and bubble bath. She felt bad for walking out on Fane like she did, but she was hurt, scared, and worried. No amount of telling her she shouldn’t worry was going to make it better. Tears ran down her cheeks as she imagined all the horrific possibilities of what could happen at the challenge. He expects me not to worry. As if, she thought.
She stayed in the tub until the water became cool. As she dressed and combed through her curls, she was trying to decide if she should go to Fane or just go to bed. If she were honest with herself, she would do what every bit of her was craving to do. To crawl up in his lap and let him hold her, to spend as much time with him as possible. It really truly was a no brainer, as much as she loved Jen and Sally, a hot Romanian prince and, as fate would have it, her soul mate was waiting for her. She knew what Jen would say, something along the lines of, “If you don’t go to him, you better believe I will.” Yep, mm-hmm, that’s what she would say. Okay, decision made. She winked at herself in the mirror as she turned to leave the bathroom.
Before she went down to Fane, Jacque stuck her head in the door of her bedroom to tell Sally and Jen thank you and let them know she would be downstairs. But before she could even open her mouth to speak, they were already answering her unspoken thoughts.
“You’re welcome, we love you, you love us, we’re the best friends ever, and all that sap,” Jen said without looking up from the magazine she was flipping through.
“Yes, we’re okay if you go down to Fane. No, it won’t hurt our feelings, and we all know if you don’t, Jen will,” Sally said with a wink.
“True dat,” Jen threw in there for good measure.
“Ok, you two are the best friends ever. I mean that. I’ll be back in a little while,” Jacque started.
“Don’t hurry on our account. You know we'll want details, and if you come back up here with nothing juicy, I might just throw you out the window. Any questions?” Jen said, again without looking up.
“You haven’t looked into that medicine we’ve talked about, have you?” Sally asked her sarcastically.
“Details, ok. Got it,” Jacque said as she turned to go.
As she got to the top of the stairs and began to descend, she heard Jen yell, “Don’t think I won’t know if you’re lying. I know how many bases you’ve been on, you red-headed puritan. I will be able to tell fact from fiction.”
“Oh, shut up already,” Sally scolded.
Jacque laughed and shook her head. She knew that what Jen was really trying to do was lighten the mood. Jen knew how hot-headed Jacque could be, and if she went to Fane already upset it would be hard for her to calm down and be reasonable. Being reasonable just wasn’t one of her stronger attributes, much to Jacque's frustration.
As she walked into the living room, she saw that Fane was still sitting on the loveseat. His arms were stretched out on the back of the seat, and his head was resting back. His eyes were closed and because his breathing was so slow and even, it was hard to tell if he was awake.
“I like the smell of your shampoo,” Fane said suddenly.
Startled by his unexpected words, Jacque tried, without success, to suppress the squeak that emerged from her. Fane had not moved, nor had he opened his eyes. He just continued to sit there all calm and collected. Jacque rolled her eyes and went around to the couch to sit down.
Fane slowly raised his head and pinned Jacque with those piercing blue eyes. Her heartbeat sped up and her breathing got a tad bit more shallow. She had to look away from him before she made a fool of herself by drooling. Yeah, that would be so cute, Jacque snorted to herself.
“Does being near me repulse you, Luna?” Fane asked her
Jacque knew she must look confused, because, frankly, she was. How could he possibly think he repulsed her? If anything he should be the one repulsed.
“Why would you ask me that?” she asked him.
“I know no other reason why my mate would choose to sit away from me instead of by my side,” Fane told her, sounding so formal and old fashioned.
“Oh throw me a bone, Fane,” Jacque said in exasperati
on. “Did it occur to you that maybe I just needed some space because it’s hard for me to think when I get close to you?”
Fane grinned, obviously pleased with her comment. He stood up slowly, rising to his full height so that Jacque had to tilt her head back to look up at him. He walked around the coffee table that separated the two couches and sat down close – revision, Jacque thought – he sat down very close to her.
“So are you having a hard time thinking now?” he asked her softly.
With a shuddering breath, all Jacque could do was nod her head.
“Why did you come back down here, meu inimă? I didn’t think you wanted to be around me,” Fane told her.
Jacque tried to scoot away from him, but it was in vain because he just scooted with her. Dang stubborn werewolf.
“At first I didn’t want to be around you.” Jacque noticed his head lower at her words and quickly explained, “I didn’t want to be around you because I didn’t want to hear you tell me not to worry or that it was going to be ok. Then I realized none of that really matters, what matters is being with you, spending time you. I hate when we are apart. I’m sorry if that sound desperate, but it’s the truth.”
Fane wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.
“Thank you, Jacquelyn. You have no idea how hard it was to sit here on this couch and not come to you, and even harder not to seek out your thoughts. I love you. I’m sorry if my words upset you. I’m here if you want to worry, not worry, or anything else. I’m here,” Fane told her in all sincerity.
Jacque closed her eyes, soaking up the feel of him against her, the safety she felt with his arms around her, and the warmth pouring through her from his words. She didn’t know how she had gotten to be blessed to be Fane’s mate, but she was thankful beyond words.
“As am I,” she heard Fane’s thoughts in response to her own. It made Jacque grin.
They sat there in silence for quite awhile. Every now and then Jacque would hear Fane humming a tune she couldn’t place. Eventually, Jacque curled her feet up on the couch and leaned her head onto Fane’s chest. Fane grabbed the blanket that was thrown across the back of the couch and covered her.