Chapter 5
was sitting quietly next to Jacquelyn as the ambulance, fire trucks, and police came blaring onto the scene. He didn’t dare touch her for all her burned skin. The ache in his chest felt as if a sharp wire had been wrapped around his heart and was being pulled tighter and tighter. He hadn’t even heard his father walk up, nor did he realize when the rest of the pack had arrived. Not until he heard Decebel’s deep growl did he finally snap out of his grief. Fane’s eyes jerked up as he saw the huge wolf kneel down next to Jen’s unconscious body. She was only in a sports bra and every inch of her exposed skin was burned, red, angry, and blistering. Fane didn’t know what to make of Decebel's behavior but that could be dealt with later, after Jacquelyn and Jen were taken care of.
Fane walked beside the gurney the EMTs had loaded Jacquelyn's damaged body on. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight. He didn’t care that he wasn’t a family member as the EMTs kept telling him, he was riding with her, and once he let them see the wolf in his eyes they quit arguing with him. Fane heard his father tell Decebel to ride with Jen. Fane could only assume that he had picked up on Decebel’s earlier show of emotion and decided to use it to his advantage for now. After all, a good Alpha always utilized his wolves to the best of their ability. Fane could only hope that his Alpha was utilizing the other wolves to figure out exactly what had happened. Sally and Lilly were being taken in another ambulance and Fane saw his mother climbing in to ride with them.
Fane’s father walked up to him just before they closed the ambulance doors. “I will follow you to the hospital. Sorin, Skender and Boian are going to stay here and see if they can get some idea of what happened and if it was truly an accident or not.” Fane simply nodded. His wolf was on the surface and Fane did not trust himself to speak for fear that he might let lose the barely contained rage that boiled close to the surface. In truth, at this moment anyone near him was in potential danger. That’s what you get when an Alpha’s mate is injured. The EMTs shut the ambulance door and a few moments later Fane felt the vehicle begin to move.
The ride to the hospital was tense, the air thick with Fane's fear and anger. Being in the small enclosed area without much room to move if he needed to defend his mate was making the wolf restless. The EMT who was riding in the back with Jacquelyn and Fane kept shooting Fane nervous glances. Humans often knew they were in the presence of predators when around werewolves, even though they didn’t know werewolves existed. When they finally arrived at the hospital, Fane was more than ready to get his mate out of the enclosed box and into a more defendable place.
The EMTs lowered the gurney to the ground and began rolling Jacquelyn quickly into the ER. They had a mask over her face, providing her life-giving oxygen to her deprived lungs. Her face, despite the burns on the side that had been closest to the flames, was ashen. Her arms hung limp at her sides and were covered in blisters from the flames that had raked over them. Fane felt a growl rising in his throat again and only kept it in check when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder and his Alpha’s power roll over him. His wolf submitted immediately. Fane continued to follow the gurney that carried its precious cargo and even continued on when they rolled her into the operating room. Just as he stepped into the room a hand came up on his chest, pushing him back. His response was swift. He snarled at the one who would dare come between him and his mate. Fane’s father was there in an instant. “I apologize for my son’s behavior. That is his fiancé’ and he is really worried,” Vasile told the doctor who was still brave, or stupid enough to have his hand on Fane’s chest.
“I understand he is worried but he cannot be in here, it’s a sterile environment. As soon as we have information you will be the first to know.”
“Thank you,” Vasile told him as he grabbed Fane by the arm, pulling him out of the operating room. Vasile let out a low growl, pushing his power into Fane to force his obedience. Fane reluctantly backed out of the room, never taking his eyes off Jacquelyn’s still form until the doors closed and he could see her no more. Just then they heard a loud crash and a ferocious growl down the hall. Vasile backed Fane against the wall and glared at him, using his Alpha power he told him, “Stay.” Fane’s wolf met Vasile eyes for three counts before they finally dropped in submission. With that, Vasile turned and took off, moving towards the vicious snarls. He came around the corner into another operating room to find Decebel crouched in front of Jen’s body which lay still on the gurney. “What the hell?” Vasile growled. Decebel was snarling uncontrollably, his eyes glowing gold. Several humans in blue scrubs stood in front of him in defensive postures trying to explain to him that they were trying to help her and had to touch her in order to do that. Decebel wouldn’t budge. His wolf was in control. Vasile stepped forward, gently pushing one of the blue dressed humans out of his way. He growled at Decebel and just as with Fane pushed his Alpha power forward. “Stand down Decebel, they have to help Jen.” Decebel didn’t move, he turned his head slightly giving a small view of his neck but it wasn’t total submission. “DECEBEL, MOVE. NOW!” Vasile snarled, throwing power at his Beta. Finally, with the Alpha order given, Decebel had no choice but to move out of the way. It was almost as if an invisible force was pushing him aside to allow the medical staff access to Jen. As soon as he was out of the way the humans moved into action quickly and efficiently, like a well oiled machine. Decebel watched, shaking with suppressed rage as they stuck Jennifer with needles and put a mask over her face that he assumed would give her oxygen. As soon as they started cutting off her clothing he snarled and turned, pushing Vasile out of the room, pulling the doors closed behind him.
“Decebel, what was that about?” Vasile calmly asked his Beta.
Decebel averted his eyes in submission as he answered his Alpha. “I was just watching out for her. You were with Fane, Alina was with Sally and Lilly. There was no one but myself to make sure the humans didn’t harm her.” Decebels words sounded true to Vasile, but he picked up an underlying emotion that he didn’t think Decebel was even aware of.
“Her family will be here soon, Alina has called them. When they get here you can let them take over her care. Until then I would ask that you stand outside this door and if the doctor comes out before her parents are here, get any information he has so you can pass it along. Are we clear?”
“I will deal with her family when they get here. We are clear,” Decebel responded, his voice emotionless, his expression hard.
“One more thing, Beta. Keep your wolf under control,” Vasile warned.
“Yes, Alpha,” Decebel answered as he backed up against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. He stood as a sentinel to the operating room where Jen was being cared for.
Vasile turned to walk away. Decebel watch him go, seeing him shake his head in confusion. Decebel was confused as well but he wasn’t in any shape to look too closely at why. Just leave it alone Dec, he told himself.
“What was that all about?” Fane asked his father as Vasile walked up to him. Fane was still standing exactly where Vasile had left him, in front of the operating room where Jacquelyn was being treated.
“Decebel was protecting Jen. He felt responsible for her since all the rest of us were elsewhere.” Vasile noticed his own voice didn’t sound like he believed what he was saying.
“Really? That’s what he said?” Fane asked skeptically
“I don’t know what to make of it either, but when I came around that corner into the room Decebel was guarding her, not letting any of the staff near her. When they began undressing her he shoved me out of the room,” Vasile explained, his brow furrowed, his voice heavy with disbelief even though he had seen it all with his own eyes. Fane didn’t know how to respond to that, but he knew he couldn’t worry about it right now because all he could think about was his mate. He just kept seeing her limp form, the only sign of life her breathing and pulse. No spunky attitude, no gentle touch. He closed his eyes, shutting off his emotions so he could keep his wolf in check.
“Fane, Vasile, where is Jacque and Jen?” Fane heard Lilly ask as she was walking towards them.
“Jacque is in this operating room and Jen is just down the hall. Decebel is guarding her door,” Fane told her. Lilly’s shoulders slumped and her head fell forward as silent tears fell to the floor. Fane walked up to the woman who had brought his precious mate into the world and folded her into his embrace. She squeezed him tight as if her life depended on it. Fane couldn’t help but think it should have been Jacquelyn’s father standing here consoling Lilly, but what had happened wasn’t his fault. He and Lilly had made the choice to stay together knowing that he would probably one day have to walk away. It still sucked.
Finally Lilly pulled back, she looked up into Fane’s face and patted his cheek, “Thank you Fane, thank you,” her voice hoarse with emotion.
Lilly backed up against the wall across from the operating room and slid down to the floor, prepared to stay there until the doctor came out with news of her daughter. Vasile walked over and knelt down in front of her. “Lilly, can you tell me what happened? What do you remember?” he asked her.
Lilly tilted her head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling, then squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to picture herself driving away from her book store, then she began to talk. “I had gotten a call from one of my employees.” She told him all about Jeff and the supposed irate customer that didn’t exist and how Jeff was gone when she arrived at the store. Then just before she started to tell him about the loud noise and losing control of the car she remembered the man that Jen had pointed out on the side of the road.
“Wait, did anyone see a tall man on the side of the road standing next to a blue car?”
Vasile shook his head. “There were no other cars Lilly, just yours. Did you see a man?” he asked her.
“Just before the loud noise and then me losing control, Jen pointed out this good looking guy on the side of the road. It looked like he might have had a flat tire or something. He couldn’t have been far from where the wreck was, he had to have seen it.” Lilly was beginning to sound frantic.
Alina and Sally had just arrived, hearing the end of Lilly’s comments. Alina knelt down on the opposite side her husband and took Lilly’s hand. “We will figure it out Lilly, it’s going to be okay,” Alina told her gently
Sally spoke up then. “She’s right, there was a man on the side of the road. He was tall, and big. I didn’t get a good look but according to Jen he was what she classified as a tall glass of somin somin,” Sally explained
Vasile looked up at Fane, who had been quietly listening to the girls describe what had happened. “Did you see anyone driving away as you approached to the girls? You were the first one there.”
“No, there was no one, only the girls,” Fane told him, bringing the image of Jacquelyn’s damaged form to the forefront of his mind. He closed his eyes and willed the image away.
“Sally, Lilly, you both are okay?” Fane asked them, trying to get his mind off the images of the accident.
“Just a few cuts, minor burns other than that we are both fine,” Sally answered. “I’m sure Lilly asked, but how are Jen and Jacque?” she asked
Vasile spoke before Fane could. “Jen is down the hall in the other operating room and they are treating her. Decebel is standing guard outside the door. Jacquelyn is in this one here. The doctors have said they will let us know something as soon as they can.”
“If you all have it in control down here I think I will go keep Decebel company while we wait for news on both of them,” Sally told them.
“I think that would be a very good idea,” Vasile agreed. Sally found this comment odd but didn’t respond, she simply turned and walked down the hall to find Decebel.
Everyone was quiet, none daring to break the silence as if the breach would somehow cause harm to Jen or Jacque. So they waited, like silent sentries waiting for news on their fallen comrades.
Once again the thought crossed Fane’s mind that waiting didn’t just suck, it was a complete and total bitch.