"Jacque," Sally nudged her friend, and nodded in Jen's direction, "look at that face."
"Shit," Jacque muttered as she watched the evil wheels turning in Jen's brain.
"I would say it's hit every fan in this monstrosity they call a house," Sally replied automatically.
They watched as Jen walked over to Crina and Marianna.
"What's she up to?" Jacque murmured.
"I need y'all to do me a favor," Jen told the two she-wolves briskly.
"What do you need, pack mate?" Crina asked.
"I want to know the names of those who planned this."
"You have a plan?" Sally asked as she and Jacque joined the group.
"You bet your furless ass I do." Jen's eyes nearly glowed.
Marianna looked at Jen apprehensively. "Should we be afraid?"
"As long as you're standing on this side of the Jennifer Adams treaty line, you're safe.”
"Duly noted."
"Can y'all find out?" Jen asked again.
Marianna nodded. "I think I can. There's been a male eyeballing me. I think a little reciprocation might go a long way."
Jen's smile grew. It was beginning to become a very unnerving look.
"Excellent."
Chapter 21
Decebel felt groggy as he awoke. Shaking his head, he ran his hands across his face.
In a mad rush, memories flooded him and he jumped up with a snarl. But there was no one to respond, only four stone walls. Decebel walked over to the one with a door. He grabbed the handle and pulled. It was locked. He turned, taking in his surroundings. The room wasn't large but it was nicely furnished. A large, plush four poster bed with a deep green comforter and elegant gold drapes around the frame stood against the far wall. Across from the bed were two wing-backed chairs in the same green as the comforter. Above the chairs was a large mirror framed in antique gold with a wolf head carving at the top. There were no windows in the room.
Decebel growled. A gilded cage, he thought.
The mirror drew his eyes again.
"Why would a prisoner need a mirror?" he wondered out loud. The closer he got, the more he allowed himself to use his wolf eyesight. Finally, his face inches from the glass, he realized it was double paned glass. Someone was watching him.
Decebel snarled and hit the glass so hard that a small crack formed where his fist connected.
"Beta, calm down."
Decebel looked up as he heard his Alpha's voice. The speakers in the ceiling became obvious.
"Why am I locked in a room, Alpha?" Decebel growled.
"You aren't controlling your wolf."
"Control my wolf when those mongrels lust after my mate?" Decebel snarled, interrupting Vasile.
"You have no visible proof she is your mate. Let me handle this, Decebel."
"How is locking me up, keeping me from protecting her, handling it?" Decebel sneered.
Suddenly the door was thrown open and Vasile walked in. Decebel felt his Alpha's power pushing him to submit.
"I understand that you are only my Beta out of choice, not lack of strength. You chose this, Beta. You will submit to me, you will not disrespect me." Vasile's voice was deadly. "I love you like a brother, Decebel. I understand your need to protect her, but you have got to trust me. You don't have to like it, but you will obey my commands."
Decebel was shaking with rage. He was torn for the first time in his life. His wolf's only thought was to get to their mate, protect, claim, bond. But Decebel the man could use logic. He finally sunk to his knees and bared his neck. Vasile let out the breath he'd been holding and walked over to him.
"I'm not trying to defeat you, Decebel, I'm trying to protect you. You are strong, my equal, but I doubt either of us could take on four Alphas and their packs. Which is what will happen if you attack their males for ogling your pack mate."
"MATE," Decebel snarled.
"To us, yes, she is yours," Vasile said calmly. "Not to them. She doesn't carry your scent in her blood, she doesn't bear your marks or your bite, there is no mental bond. All of those things are strikes against you two."
"Perform the Bonding Ceremony, Vasile. Allow me to complete the Blood Rites. Then everyone will see that Jennifer belongs to me."
Vasile shook his head. "Allow me to speak with the other Alphas. There have been three true mates found today – maybe they will be willing to allow you and Jen some time to explore this without any other males in the picture."
"Why is it their business?" Decebel snarled. "What say do they have in my or her fate?"
"Normally, they wouldn't. But we came to a gathering where wolves are specifically looking for their true mate. The Alphas are looking out for the best interests of their males. If you keep Jen from the other males and she isn't your mate, then you might be dooming one of their males to a dark existence." Decebel started to interrupt but Vasile stopped him. "They don't see her as your mate, therefore they won't let you keep her to yourself. It's as simple as that. You claiming that there is some feeling between you and her is not enough for them."
Decebel's shoulders slumped in defeat as reality sunk in. He understood now why his Alpha had him locked up. Regardless of what the other Alphas thought, regardless of the lack of mating signs between him and Jennifer, he and his wolf had claimed her. No mated Canis lupis male would stand for another touching, ogling, pursuing, or flirting with his mate. He couldn't be trusted around the others. At the same time, the idea of Jennifer out there without him, as his mate would say – that is so not good.
"What of Jennifer?" he asked Vasile.
"She's with Alina and the other females. We will protect her, Decebel."
"I don't want another touching her. Can't you keep her from participating in these stupid activities?" Decebel spat the word as if it were the most repugnant thing.
"I'll see what I can do," Vasile relented. "I need you to get control."
Decebel nodded once. He didn't look up as Vasile left.
After several deep breaths, Decebel finally stood. He began to pace just as his wolf paced inside of him, thinking, plotting. The wolf was cunning and would not be caged, would not be kept from his mate.
Jen lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was restless, angry – No, she thought, I'm pissed. Angry doesn't begin to cover what I'm feeling.
She turned from side to side, repositioned her pillow a hundred times, and tried counting every animal that'd come out of the Ark. Nothing helped. She couldn't sleep, not when she knew Decebel was locked up. Vasile wouldn't tell her where. Smart wolf , she thought. Surely he wasn't in some dungeon or crude prison. Vasile would never allow one of his to be treated that way. But still, wolves were meant to be free, to run and roam. Decebel wouldn't handle being caged well.
Growling out loud, Jen reached for her iPhone. She plugged the headphones in and put them in her ears. Without scanning through her music, she just hit shuffle and waited. She grinned when Jason Derulo's "Fight for You" came on. Her grin widened when she thought about the plan she was putting into motion.
Oh, yeah. She'd fight for Decebel. Heaven help those who found themselves on the wrong side of the battle field.
The next morning, Jen watched as Marianna moved through the room over to where the Serbian pack was eating breakfast. She kept strict track of Marianna's progress as the she-wolf started up a conversation with the interested male.
Jen had asked why a wolf would show interest if the mating signs didn't appear. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when Marianna and Crina explained that in the past few years, when true mates had been found, it sometimes took several days for the signs to show up. When Jen started to go postal about it, Crina quickly added that it had never taken longer than four days. Decebel and Jen had been around each other for months.
Jen had then asked why no one had bothered to divulge that little morsel. Crina said that Alina had told them the Alphas didn't want the males being overly forward to any one female, just from attraction, for days with a hop
e that the signs would appear.
Jen's response: "Maybe it would be better to just neuter the males and nip all the posturing and peeing in the bud."
Costin had been within earshot and growled, then paled when Jen had looked at him and made scissoring motion with her fingers. As she did, she sang to the tune of Wheels On the Bus: "Scissors on the wolf go snip, snip, snip."
But now, Marianna was talking with the wolf who'd eyeballed her yesterday. He was handsome enough, tall and strong, like all Canis lupis.
"Hey," he said with a sly smile.
"Hi," Marianna answered with her own sweet smile. "What's your name?"
"Jovin. Yours?"
"Marianna." She batted her eyes. "So, you want to go somewhere?"
Jovin's face lit up. "Sure."
As he stood up and bid farewell to his pack mates, Marianna turned to the TFF and gave them a thumbs up. Now to get him to give up the goods. She rolled her eyes. I'm talking like the Americans now, she groaned.
She quickly schooled her face as Jovin took her hand and led her from the room.
"So, oh great evil one, what's your plan?" Sally asked Jen dryly.
Jen rubbed her hands together and grinned. "Well, it starts with strip poker,"
"Ahh, good grief. It always starts with strip poker."
"You remember what happened the last time she played strip poker?" Jacque added.
"This sounds good," Crina piped, folding herself down on the floor in Jen's room.
"Oh, come on. That was one time. I mean, seriously, lose one little game of strip poker..."
"Jen, it's always 'I only did that one time' with you." Sally sighed.
"See, that's good. Means I learn quickly." Jen shrugged.
"Unbelievable." Jacque threw her hands into the air. "She finds a way to justify anything."
"Do you want to hear my brilliant plan or would you just like to list all of my transgressions?"
"No." Sally held up her hands now. "We go digging in that bag-o-worms and we just might find something worse than the brilliant plan you're fixing to enlighten us with."
Jen glared at Sally. "If you're finished..."
"By all means."
Crina looked over at Jacque. "Are they always like this?"
"Believe it or not, this is good. They've considered counseling, but I think they're trying to work out their differences on their own."
"Okay, you hussies, listen up." Jen stood with her hands on her hips, steel was in her eyes. "As I was saying, it starts with strip poker. We need something that's going to keep them distracted for a while. That way, Jacque and Sally will have plenty of time to go through said wolves' rooms.
"Whoa, whoa. You lost me at Jacque and wolves' rooms." Jacque backed away.
"Well, if you think Fane will be okay with you playing strip poker with a bunch of unmated wolves, then by all means..."
"Okay, good point," Jacque conceded. "But what are we supposed to be looking for in their rooms?"
"Clothes," Jen stated. "All of them. I don't want them to have a stitch of clothing to put on. Linens, too. Sheets, towels, comforters. Gone, all of it."
"Won't they be able to just phase to their wolf forms? They won't need clothes." Crina put in.
"That's where things get complicated."
"More complicated than confiscating a bunch of men's clothing and somehow carrying it away without being seen?" Jacque asked sarcastically.
"Complicated because I'm going to have to talk to Cynthia. I'm figuring if they've got drugs to subdue werewolves, then maybe they have drugs that will prevent them from phasing."
Jacque grinned. "You wicked, wicked woman."
"I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I don't want them to think they can mess with what's mine and get away with it. So, although it may seem slight, they are gonna be humiliated."
Crina, who had been listening intently, raised her hand. Jen looked at her. "Whatchya got, she-wolf?"
"How do you know you'll win at strip poker?"
"Jen never loses," Sally said matter of factly.
Jen shrugged. "What she's trying to say is, I never lose."
"Okay," Jacque said slowly. "So, strip poker and a mass exodus of all forms of coverings." She cocked her head to the side. "What are we going to do with said clothes, towels, etcetera, etcetera?"
"How do you girls feel about a bonfire?" Jen winked. "Fire is my specialty, after all."
Sally groaned again. "Strip poker and fire. Does she ever learn?"
Jen started to pace. They were going to need help. There was no way Sally and Jacque could get all of the things from those rooms on their own. Think, Jen. Geez, you're supposed to be the schemer in this posse. She racked her brain. She needed someone who could move through the mansion freely. Someone they wouldn’t pay any mind to. There was no way they would let any of the females walk unbidden through the halls. No females, but a male could go where he pleased. Bahh, it's like we're back in the eighteenth century or something.
"We need a dude," Jen announced, then her head snapped around to Jacque. "Are you letting your fur ball hear all this?"
Jacque shook her head, even though she knew as soon as Fane found out he was going to be eight shades of pissed.
"Good, don't. You know he would lock us all up until this whole thing was done." Jen tapped her chin. "Who would be the easiest sell? Costin or Sorin?" she thought out loud.
There was a knock on the door. Jen walked over and pulled it open to see Costin's sweet smile. Costin it is.
"I was just checking to make sure you ladies were okay." He grinned. If Jen hadn't already been smitten with a certain out of control wolf she could see having the hots for Costin.
"Costin, the fates have chosen you," Jen said dramatically, reaching her arm out to indicate him to enter.
Jacque rolled her eyes.
"What is she doing?" Sally muttered.
"Getting all our asses hung out to dry," Jacque responded.
"Good to know."
Costin stepped in warily. "The fates have chosen me, huh? Should I even ask?"
"Well, you'll probably be deemed guilty by association anyway. Might as well dive in head first." Jen smiled sweetly at him. "Besides, I always say if you're going to do it, do it big."
He looked at the other girls in the room.
"Yes, she is for real," Jacque offered dryly.
"What do you need?" Then he huffed, "Just for the record, I will swear that you black mailed me into this."
Jen grinned. "I knew you were more than just a pretty face."
Costin snorted, raising a single eyebrow at her.
"We need you to help Sally and Jacque steal clothes, bedding, towels. Pretty much anything they could attempt to cover their glorious nakedness with." Jen was pacing the room as she spoke still trying to figure out the logistics of her plan. When Costin gave her a confused look, she added, “Oh, from the wolves who planned that little movie adventure.”
"Okay... First. I just want to say not only do I think this is a bad idea, but I think this is a seriously bad idea."
"Seriously bad," Jen repeated. "Okay, noted."
"Alright, say I go along with this and help. How exactly are we supposed to get all of those items out of their rooms?"
Jen stopped her pacing and blew out a loud breath. "This is what I've got. All of the rooms have windows in them, right?"
Costin nodded.
"Okay, so what if Jacque and Sally were to throw the items out the window to you? Then you could take them and make a pile out in the main yard."
"Okay, then what?"
"Then we light a match and watch 'em burn, baby." Jen's eyes narrowed and the smile that slid across her face made chills run down Costin's back.
The room was quiet for several minutes.
"So when are we supposed to do this and where are these wolves going to be?" Costin finally asked.
"Oh, yeah. You missed that part," Jen grumbled, then perked up. "Well, it starts with strip poker,
"
"Here she goes," Jacque muttered.
Costin's eyes widened. "Oh no, Jen. Huh uh, no freaking way. Decebel will rip my head off if he thinks I let you play strip poker with a bunch of males. There is no way that's happening. You can just forget your plan and wait for De -"
Costin was abruptly cut off when Jen stepped so close to him their chests touched. He tried to back up, but she grabbed the front of his shirt and held him in place.
"You listen up and listen good, fluffy," Jen snarled. "This is how my day has gone. I spent the morning dodging grubby paws, literally, only to have a grubby paw land on my boob and squeeze the hell out of it. I watch the wolf that is probably my mate fight said grubby paw dude and get all bloodied up. Then I got to lift my shirt in a room full of wolves to show off the oh so beautiful additions to my already glorious chest. Are you with me so far?"
Costin was smart and didn't so much as breathe.
"To top it all off, these walking flea motels videoed me and my girls without our knowledge when we were being less than ladylike – our bad. Then, after being told by Decebel to trash it and let it go, they put it on the freaking big screen and had a party – not our bad. I had to flash the whole damn pack to try to keep Decebel from killing the idiots, which means he saw the bruising and whatnot, and it will likely get me locked in a room until he decides he can handle other males being around me again. They got Dec locked up because he went all postal on them, which means I don’t get to be with him. I'm a girl. I can't challenge those idiots, they would wipe the floor with my ass. But I can get even. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Costin. You would do well to remember that." She let go of his shirt and stepped back, but held his stare. "I'm tired, I'm pissed, I want to see my wolf, and my chest hurts. You don't get to tell me that I can't retaliate against those who have wronged me. Are we on the same page yet?"