“Vasile.” Thad raised his voice to be heard across the room as he made his way over to the Romanian Alpha. “So glad that you could come.”

“I want our species to thrive just as you do, Thad. Our pack appreciates you inviting and giving our single pack members a chance to possibly meet their true mates.”

Decebel felt his skin begin to prickle as Jennifer got farther and farther away from him. He was very close to simply ignoring protocol and going after her, but that would make Vasile look bad in the eyes of other wolves and he wouldn't do that to his Alpha. He just kept reminding himself that Costin would keep an eye on her and not let other wolves near her. Still, his wolf was restless. This is going to be a long week, Decebel thought.

"What time should I have my pack down for the gathering tonight?" Vasile asked Thad.

"We are to begin at six, so you probably want to have them down a little before to get seated. I will have two of my wolves show you to your rooms." Thad looked around Vasile at where the girls had been standing only moments before. "It looks like the dominant males have already made themselves known to your females." He chuckled.

Decebel growled, but before he could get much sound out Fane elbowed him hard in the side. Decebel coughed. He cut his eyes at Fane, who had the gall to wink. His red headed mate was rubbing off on him already.

After Thad and Vasile finished talking, Vasile turned to the pack members who had stayed with him. "Follow those two gentlemen, they will take us to our rooms." Vasile indicated two wolves standing directly in front of a large staircase in the entryway.

As they climbed the stairs, Vasile positioned himself in between Fane and Decebel. "I want you two and Sorin to go and make sure the girls stay out of trouble until tonight."

"As you say," Fane and Decebel spoke at the same time.

When they reached the top of the staircase, Decebel's head snapped to the right. There was loud laughter coming down the hall.

He nudged Fane. "My bet is we'll find trouble down that way." He indicated the direction the giggles were coming from.

"Are we going to survive this week?" Fane asked Decebel wearily.

"What's this we crap? You're mated, you can go hole up with your woman. I, on the other hand, get to be smack in the middle of the festivities," Decebel said the word as if it were a disease.

Fane laughed and patted Decebel on the back. "However I can help, Beta, I will. But I don't envy you when it comes to being responsible for Jen."

"No doubt. She's a handful."

"You wouldn't have her any other way, would you?"

"Not on my life," Decebel admitted shamelessly.

Just as they reached the door from which all the noise was coming, they heard – for the first time – male laughter. Decebel snarled as he grabbed the doorknob and threw the door open. Fane was right behind him, immediately searching the room for Jacque. He wasn't as angry as Decebel because he'd been able to feel Jacquelyn, and knew there was no danger.

Of course, danger isn't entirely what Decebel is worried about, Fane thought.

Jen nearly rolled off the bed as she laughed. The two guys who had lead them to their rooms were hilarious, though it wasn't completely them. They didn't understand a lot of American sayings and when they repeated them or tried to use American slang, it came out really funny.

"So are you liking Romania?" the wolf called Damion asked her.

"Well, it's cold," Jen started, "but it's alright. We got to go out to one of the dives and dance. Costin over there," Jen pointed to Costin who was standing in a corner with his arms folded across his chest, looking way to close to being mini-me Decebel, "hooked us up with drinks. He even let me dance on the bar."

"Forgive me, but what is a dive? And how do you hook a drink?"

Jen, Sally, and Jacque couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up at his innocent question.

"Sorry, Damion. We aren't laughing at you," Sally explained when he began to look even more confused. "It's just we don't really think about how our words must sound to someone who doesn't use the same slang."

Damion waved her off, obviously not offended.

"So a dive is like a bar or club, you know, somewhere to hang out. When I said hooked up I mean like helped us out, or provided us with something."

Damion grinned and looked at his pack mate Adrian. "I think I like this term 'hook up'. What do you think?"

Adrian nodded. "So would it be correct for me to say I want hooked up you?"

That did it – even Costin's stoic façade fell apart. The entire room erupted into laughter. This time Jen did fall off the bed and landed next to Damion, who helped steady her just as the door flew open.

Jen looked up and the first word that came to her mind flew right out of her mouth, "Shit!" She slapped her hands over her mouth, which only made her lose her balance more and she fell forward, across Damion's lap. So not good.

The room suddenly plunged into deathly silence.

Decebel's eyes landed on Damion and then at Jen as she struggled to right herself from Damion's lap.

His eyes began to glow and, for the first time in a long time, his wolf won.

Jen watched in complete horror as several things happened at once. Decebel lunged for Damion as Fane, Costin, and Sorin, who had appeared out of nowhere, all lunged for Decebel. Jen felt herself be pulled back and she tumbled onto her butt.

"We haven't been here thirty minutes," Jacque said, sitting down next to her.

Sally pulled up some carpet on Jen's other side. "Wow, that's impressive."

Crina and Mariana, who had been sitting close to Costin, came over. "I guess I know where I need to be if I want free entertainment," Crina teased.

"Yyyep," Jen said with a pop on the "p." "Just call me prime time, because if this kind of crap follows me all week, my ratings are bound to soar."

Jacque snorted. "Lucy, esplain this mess." she used her best Ricky Ricardo voice.

"Ahh, Ricky, I just wanted to surprise you." Jen tossed back.

Sally laughed with them. Then the collective group of five cringed as Decebel got one good punch across Damion's face before the other males finally pulled him back.

Dang, he's strong, Jen thought.

Finally Decebel collected himself and shook the others off. "I'm fine," he said, holding his arms up in surrender.