Just One Drop

"When hell freezes."

"And the people there finally get that glass of ice water they've been waiting on," Jen added.

Jacque reached around Sally, her fist balled. "I like that one."

Jen bumped Jacque's fist and winked. "I know, right? I came up with that one just now."

"Ooo, pretty and quick witted."

"What can I say, wolf princess? I'm the total package."

Decebel looked over at Fane. "A face tu fiecare a lua ce ei say?(Do you ever get what they say?)"

Fane smiled at his Beta. "Nu mai incerce sa, (No longer try)."

"Good call." Decebel nodded.

Jen looked over at Decebel, her eyes narrowing. "No talking in foreign tongue when around the Americans."

Decebel leaned towards her, the gleam in his eyes causing Jen to tremble. "But Jennifer, I thought you spoke Romanian." He looked around at Sally and Jacque. "Weren't you two under the impression that she spoke Romanian?"

Jacque and Sally nodded despite the daggers Jen was staring their way.

"That was thoroughly impressed upon us, wouldn't you say, Sally?" Jacque turned to look at her.

"Wait. Uh yeah, I distinctly remember a bar...vodka...and I'm almost positive Jen speaking in Romanian to the hot bartender." Sally was grinning from ear to ear as Jen's face grew red.

"I hope you two aren't attached to your undergarments because I just got the sudden urge to have a bonfire," Jen growled out.

"Note to self: hide underwear."

"Or you could just solve that problem by not wearing any." Jacque heard Fane's voice through their bond. Her jaw dropped open and her face turned bright red as she turned to look at her mate.

Jen looked at Sally. "Looks like Fane had a suggestion about the princess' undergarments. If I had my guess, I'd say he told her I couldn't burn them if she didn't own any."

If Jacque could've turned any redder she would have. "How? What..." Jacque stuttered as she looked at her blonde friend, trying to figure out how she knew what Fane had been thinking.

"It's a gift, Watson. But really what it boils down to is when it comes to chicks and underwear, guys will always say they don't mix."

Decebel coughed as he choked on his laughter while Fane had buried his face in Jacque's back, his shoulders shaking. Jacque and Sally both looked at their friend with open mouths.

"Another tidbit you might be interested in is when it comes to chicks and open mouths, guys -" Decebel leaned over and covered Jen's mouth with his hand and warned her with a glare to swallow her words.

"Thanks, Dec. That's usually my job," Sally told him. "But I was in such shock that I couldn't get my limbs to move."

Decebel inclined his head. "Is that why you always seem to stand so close to her?"

"It's of utmost importance that whoever is within her reach be ready at any and all moments to intercept what might come from that wicked tongue."

Jen was frantically trying to talk around Decebel's hand at Sally's comment. Decebel was quickly learning how Jennifer's brain worked, and could only imagine what she wanted to voice in regards to Sally's wicked tongue comment. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "I'm going to uncover your mouth. It would be wise of you to just let the wicked tongue comment slide."

Jen glared at him from the corner of her eye, and after a tense moment finally nodded once in submission. Decebel slowly uncovered her mouth, ready if need be to slap it right back over her lips.

The room began to get quiet and they all directed their attention to the front of the room. As Vasile welcomed everyone for coming and began to explain about the meeting he had with the other Alphas, Jen leaned over to Decebel. "You owe me. Sally walked right into it with that whole wicked tongue thing."

Decebel chuckled and whispered back, "For some reason, ţinere de meu inimă (one who holds my heart), I have a feeling there will be plenty of opportunities for you to embarrass your friends for questionable comments they innocently walk into."

Jen shrugged. "True enough, but you still owe me. And what are you calling me when you speak Romanian? You've said the same phrase to me twice now."

Decebel patted her leg, causing all sorts of tingling sensations. "Dar tu romaneste, Micul meu lup. (but you speak Romanian, my little wolf)"

"I know what lup is and I am not a wolf. Whatever else you said I'm sure is a load of crap as well."

"My sweet Jennifer." It was his turn to lean in close. He drew in a deep breath, taking in her scent. His eyes closed as a new smell hit his nose. It was subtle, but it was most definitely there. "I didn't notice it before but I assure you, your scent says you are most definitely wolf." My wolf, he heard his own wolf growl, but he kept those words to himself.

Decebel leaned back in his chair. He couldn't focus on what Vasile was saying, not after catching this new scent on Jennifer. He tried really hard to hide his surprise, but he was almost positive this new scent was the mate scent. There were several things that identified a female as a true mate to a male: the ability to hear each other's thoughts, the markings on the male changing, new markings appearing on the female – ones that matched the male's like a puzzle piece – and a scent that only the true mate would recognize.

The first two had definitely not happened between Jennifer and Decebel, but the scent, her scent had changed. It was very, very subtle and it was taking everything in him not to pull her into his lap and bury his nose in her neck. Yeah, he thought, that wouldn't freak her out. Decebel shook his head and tried to set aside this new development so he could listen to his Alpha.

"The Gathering is to take place in a month," Vasile was saying as Decebel tried to catch up. "I want every unmated female to choose one or two mated females from the pairs I have chosen to attend to act as their companions. These females will help the unmated prepare for the evening dances and should she meet her true mate they will also stand as witnesses."

"Do we have to go, Alpha?" Jen heard a pouty voice on the far left side of the room and craned her neck to see who had spoken. Vasile motioned for the wolf to stand and Jen watched as a petite girl rose from her chair. Her hair was cut short in a pixie style. She had big, expressive brown eyes and a small mouth. Her olive skin tone only added to her exotic look.