Chapter 25
and Vasile were discussing the fact that since Jacquelyn had gotten sick the situation with Dillon had changed when Decebel walked into the waiting area.
"How are Sally and Jen?" Vasile asked his Beta.
Decebel sat down in one of the chairs across from them and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "You're never going to believe what those two got themselves into last night."
"What have the two troublemakers done this time?" Vasile asked.
"They came up with the bright idea to sneak into the ICU to see Jacque, but their plan didn't quite hash out, if you can imagine. Sally ended up unconscious in the elevator with no memory of how it happened and Jennifer was drunk off her ass after having spent the night with some mongrel named Matty." Decebel's voice had gone deathly low at his mention of Jen.
Vasile let out a slow breath before responding, "Are they both in one piece?"
"Yes, Alpha. Jennifer is sleeping off her wild night as we speak and Sally is with her."
Fane looked at Decebel and then his father, his brow furrowed in thought. "Why would Sally be unconscious in the elevator?" Fane got an uneasy feeling and his wolf perked up, something was wrong but he didn't know what it was. Suddenly the urgency to have news on Jacquelyn's well-being overrode his sense of propriety.
Fane stood up and walked towards the ICU door. He began banging on it forcefully, not pretending at politeness. After a few moments the doors opened and a nurse stepped out. "Can I help you?"
"I want to see Jacquelyn Pierce." Fane's tone left no room for argument, but apparently the nurse hadn't got the memo.
"Sir, I know Dr. Steele told you that family and friends are not allowed in the ICU due to the seriousness of the illnesses. It further compromises their immune systems."
Fane noticed that the nurse's heart rate was quickening and she had sheen of perspiration across her brow. Fane looked past the nurse into the room behind her and saw that there seemed to be a sense of urgency from the other staff. Several other nurses were on the phones and there was a doctor pointing towards a room, his face displaying obvious frustration. Fane called on his wolf's hearing to catch what the doctor was saying. "How does a patient just up and disappear? Have you tried to get in touch with Dr. Steele?" That was all Fane needed to hear. He pushed pass the nurse and her weak attempts to stop him. Fane heard his father behind him, and Decebel was only a step behind Vasile.
Fane followed the direction the doctor had been pointing to and stepped into an empty room saturated in his mate's sent. He instinctively reached out to her through their bond, but there was only silence in response. He turned back to the doctor and knew his eyes were glowing based on his expression. Fane grabbed the doctor by the front of his shirt and lifted him effortlessly off the floor. "Where is Jacquelyn Pierce?" he snarled.
"Fane, put him down," he heard his Alpha issue the command but his wolf wasn't listening.
The doctor grabbed onto the wrist of the arm that held him in the air, his mind threatening to shut down from the fear pouring over him.
"I d-d-don't know," he stuttered. "I just got here to do my rounds and when I went to see Ms. Pierce her room was empty. I had the nurses check to see if she had anything scheduled for this morning, but they can't find anything. We can't get a hold of Dr. Steele either."
Fane could tell the doctor told the truth but was reluctant to set him down, not wanting to give up an object to direct his anger upon.
"Fane, set him down now," he heard his Alpha say again and this time he obeyed. He turned and dared to look Vasile in the eyes, earning a growl in warning.
"We need to call Dillon Jacobs," he told his Alpha before he finally relented and dropped his eyes. Turning away from the doctor, he stormed past Vasile and Decebel and back into the waiting area they had just occupied. He didn't look to see if they would follow, he knew they would. Fane watched as his father dialed Dillon Jacobs' number and waited for him to answer. He picked up on the third ring.
"Dillon," Vasiles' voice was low, "have you anything to do with Jacque's disappearance?"
Fane and Decebel had no trouble hearing Dillon's response as he yelled into the phone, "What the hell do you mean she's disappeared!"
Vasile voice never changed in volume nor did it lose the deathly edge. "I mean just what I said, she is not here. They are unable to locate Dr. Steele as well. Are all of your wolves accounted for?"
"All of my wolves are here at the hotel." Dillon paused. "Wait, not all. Logan stayed at the hospital so he could let me know of any changes."
"Then you know that Jacque was in the ICU?"
"No, I haven't heard from Logan. I assumed everything must have been alright. Is she okay?" Dillon's voice was beginning to sound frantic.
"Jacque got sick last night. Dr. Steele thinks that because she received a blood transfusion of human blood her body is attacking the human blood and in turn attacking her body. They took her to the ICU, which was the last time we saw her, and now this morning she is gone."
Fane was losing patience. He needed action, needed to be doing something to find his mate. As Decebel placed his hand on Fane's shoulder, he told his prince, "We will find her."
"There is no other option," Fane told him.
Fane and Decebel looked at Vasile as he ended his conversation with Dillon. "He is on his way here. He said he would try to get in touch with Logan."
"What do we do until then?" Fane growled in frustration.
"Have you tried to reach out to her?" Vasile asked, referring to the mate bond.
"Yes, she isn't answering. I can't even get a sense of her presence like when she is sleeping."
"She must be unconscious. Dr. Steele probably sedated her to give her some relief from the pain," Vasile said, voicing his thoughts out loud. Then he reached out to his mate through their bond. "Mina, you and Lilly need to come to the hospital. Jacque is missing."
"How is Fane?" Her voice in his mind conveyed all the worry that she was feeling for her son and his mate.
"He is coping for the moment, although I don't know how long that will last. Come to me, meet us in Jen and Jacque's room. I will explain everything once you are here."
"We are on our way, don't let him do anything he will regret,"Alina pleaded with her mate.
"As you say, my Luna, so it shall be done," Vasile answered formally, a vow to his mate to care for their son.
"She's missing? Missing, as in gone?" Sally asked for the third time.
"Yes Sally," Vasile answered for the third time, just as patiently as the first time.
"Crap, crap, crap," Sally snapped as she walked over to where Jen lay. She shook her friend none too gently. "Jen, wake your drunk butt up." When Jen didn't stir Sally headed towards the bathroom. "Desperate measures," Sally mumbled.
"This is going to get ugly," Decebel said, looking at Vasile, not attempting to hide the smirk on his face.
Sally came back into the room carrying a cup of water. She stood over Jen and shook her one more time. "Last chance, Jen. Wake up!" Still she didn't stir. Sally tossed the water right on Jen's face. Jen came to, sputtering and wiping the water from her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. Her eyes landed on Sally and the cup she held in her hand. The feral look that came over Jen's face was all the encouragement Sally needed to jump back just as Jen lunged for her. Decebel moved in a blur of speed, wrapping an arm around Jen's waist to pull her back.
"I'm weighing the pros and cons of beating the crap out of your skinny ass," Jen told Sally, her face still dripping with the water from Sally's cup.
"I'm sorry, Jen but it's important. Jacque's gone," Sally told her, eyes pleading with her friend to hear her.
Jen pulled out of Decebel's arms as she asked, "What do you mean she's gone?" She looked around the room until she found Fane. She noticed his lips tightened and his eyes were glowing a deep blue, which, had he not looked like he wanted to rip someone's head off, would have been beautiful.
"She was not in the ICU this morning," Vasile explained. "I have Sorin, Skender and Boain searching the hospital and questioning the staff. Dillon is on his way and is going to have his wolves help with the search."
"Wait a sec," Jen said, shaking her head. "So you don't think Dillon has anything to do with this?"
It was Vasile who answered. "I won't know for sure until I can ask him face to face, but when I spoke with him on the phone he sounded genuinely caught off guard."
Just as Vasile finished talking, the door to the room opened and Dillon walked in and just behind him were Lilly and Alina.
"What is with werewolves and their lack of ability to knock?" Jen asked. "I mean, seriously, does it have something to do with the energy it takes to lift your hand and bang it against the door? Or is there a general rule that all werewolves are exempt from the common courtesy?"
The whole room stopped and stared at Jen. She looked around and shrugged. "Well, I'm just saying."
Dillon ignored Jen's outburst and turned to Vasile. "I did not have anything to do with this. I am not so low as to take my daughter away from her mother under the cover of darkness like some thief."
Vasile didn't say anything right away, but seemed to be weighing the truth in his words. Finally he nodded. "I believe you." Then he turned to Lilly. "Lilly, how are you?"
"Well, if you want the truth, I'm straddling the fence. One side being-what the hell and the other side- are you freaking serious. I just don't understand why we can't keep her safe. What are we doing wrong?" Lilly asked, on the verge of tears.
Fane walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Îmi pare aşa de rău (I'm so sorry)," he whispered. "I should have demanded to stay with her."
"Fane, it's not your fault. You may be a prince in your world but in mine you're just a teenage boy. Here they don't give special treatment to teenage boys no matter how good looking."
"Regardless, I could have forced Dr. Steele, but I was trying not to disrespect her in her territory. I won't make that mistake again," Fane promised.
Lilly looked at Vasile. "So what do we do now?"
"We need to narrow down the possibilities," Vasile told her. "First, Dillon, did you get a hold of your Beta?"
"No, I've left him several messages but he's not answering nor has he called me back."
"Has he been acting strange lately?" Decebel asked him.
"Not really. I mean, I kind of thought he seemed a little off but I just brushed it off. Logan is my most faithful wolf. I can't imagine him betraying me."
"We've been trying to get in touch with Dr. Steele but she isn't answering her phone either, and none of the doctors or nurses know where she is." Vasile's voice betrayed the frustration that he was trying desperately to keep in check.
"Okay, so what I hear you all saying is that we really don't know jack crap and have no place to start. Am I getting it right?" Jen asked.
"Jennifer." Decebel gave a warning growl.
"Do not growl at me, fur ball," she snarled at him. "I just want to make sure we are all on the same page." She turned and looked at Fane and asked, "Have you not been able to speak to her through your freaky mind voodoo?"
"No, my father and I think Dr. Steele sedated her because of the pain. If I could just get through to her..." Fane didn't finish as emotion washed over him. He closed his eyes, bowing his head and shut the world out as he pictured his mate's face in his mind. "Jacquelyn, can you hear me my love?" He waited, but still there was no response. For the second time since he met her she was beyond his reach, beyond his protection. The hole that was left in her place threatened to drag him into the darkness. He vowed then and there that whoever had taken her would die by his jaws.