Blood Rites

Damn that wolf, she thought as tears escaped her eyes. "Crystal."

"Good, now tell me."

Jacque decided she just needed to rip it off like a band aid and maybe it wouldn't hurt as bad. "He forced me to take his blood and then he bit me. I tried to fight him, Fane, I tried, but he was too strong. He clawed my back because he saw your marks." Before Jacque could stop herself she was pouring everything out. "He told me that tomorrow he is going to burn your marks from my back. I was afraid you wouldn't want me anymore because he bit me."

Jacque could feel Fane's rage emanating through their bond and she tried to reassure herself it wasn't directed at her.

"There is nothing that could keep me from wanting you. Nothing you could do or not do would stop me from being with you. You are mine, Jacquelyn. Mine no matter what." Jacque felt the tears run down her cheeks. She felt Fane's lips on her own as he sent her the thought of him kissing her, holding her.

"I miss you, wolf-man," she whispered.

"I'm coming for you. We know where you are."

"What! Where? Where am I? When will you be here?" Jacque couldn't believe what she was hearing. He'd found her. She knew he would, never doubted he would, but to hear it brought a relief she had never known.

"You are in Missouri in the Ozark mountains. We don't know your exact location but we arrived in Springfield a couple of hours ago and are on our way to Ozark now. If I have to search every cabin in the Ozarks I will find you."

"I know you will. I'll be waiting."

"Don't provoke him, Jacquelyn. You survive, do you understand? That's your job, to survive." Jacque could feel the intensity behind his words and knew what Fane was asking of her. To do whatever it took to stay alive. No matter what Logan wanted, Fane just wanted me alive.

"You just worry about getting here, let me worry about me. I need you, Fane. Be with me now, talk to me, and tell me how my mom is, and Jen and Sally."

Fane told her everything she wanted to know. He told her about how strong her mom was and how Jen was driving Decebel crazy. He told her how Sally had actually stood up to him about going with him to see Dillon's wolves. When he ran out of things to tell her about her friends he began to tell her about the history of the Grey wolves.

"Where did they come from?" she asked him.

"The legend is we were created by the goddess who lives in the moon. She is the great Luna. The wolves in Romania were growing extinct due to hunters killing for their pelts. In order to help save the species she combined the human spirit with the wolf spirit, creating the werewolf. She gave the human the power and strength of the wolf and the wolf the intelligence of the human. Since then the wolves have thrived."

Jacque thought about the legend and wondered if it were true. She figured anything was possible since werewolves even existed. That thought ignited another. "Fane, are there other things besides werewolves?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that, Luna?"

"At this point, wolf-man. the things that go bump in the night are the least of my worries." Jacque couldn't help but think that it was her own species that she needed to fear.

"Then yes, my love, there are other things besides werewolves. But I think right now you need to get some sleep. I will be there soon."

"Stay with me." Jacque yawned then flinched when she felt pain ripple through her body.

"Always, Luna. You are still hurting." It wasn't a question.

"Just hurry, wolf-man."

Chapter 32

Fane felt Jacquelyn slip off into a fitful sleep. He could feel the pain consuming her body and it was driving him mad. More than that was the thought of what Logan had done to his love. Fane was going to rip Logan's fangs from his mouth and then make him swallow them for piercing Jacquelyn's precious flesh. They had just arrived in Ozark, Missouri and Fane was keeping tabs on Jacquelyn's dreams. It was then that he caught glimpses of her memory of Logan, his arm pressed against her mouth, his teeth sinking into her back. Fane let out a howl in the vehicle that had everybody covering their ears.

"Pull over!" Decebel shouted to Vasile.

Vasile looked in his rearview mirror and saw that Fane was on the verge of phasing. He pulled over, and just as the vehicle came to a stop Fane was out the door and phasing in mid-air. Decebel was out right behind him. One minute a man, the next a huge, dark grey wolf with white paws.

Jen's breath caught at the sight of Decebel in his wolf form. It was the first time she had ever seen him. He was magnificent. She grinned at his white paws. She had new material. The wolf had socks. That was too rich!

She and Sally gasped as Fane turned on Decebel and snapped his huge teeth at him. Decebel dodged out of the way just in time. The two wolves circled each other, snapping and lunging but neither making contact. Then there was a third wolf and when he stepped forward and howled the other two hit the ground, heads low and baring their necks. He snarled at them both and then suddenly there were three very naked men standing on the side of the road. Sally squeaked and turned away. Jen had to pry her eyes off of the beautiful muscles that were Decebel.

"Coast's clear," they heard Alina say. "They went into the woods."

"Well, that was invigorating." Jen grinned.

Sally rolled her eyes. "You would think seeing three naked men was invigorating."

"There were three? Cuz, sista, I only saw one." Jen closed her eyes and again saw Decebel's bare back. The wolf markings across his tan skin were breathtaking.

"Fane!" Vasile growled. "What has gotten into you? And Decebel, what the hell were you thinking engaging him while he was like that?"

Fane snarled. "You don't know what he's done to her, what he's going to do if I don’t get to her."

"What has he done?" Vasile asked gently.

"I won't disgrace my mate that way. She is mine." Fane turned to Decebel. "My apologies, Beta. I know you were just protecting the females."

"I can't imagine what you must be going through, Fane. No apology necessary," Decebel told him, averting his eyes out of respect.

"Father, I will speak to the Springfield Alpha. I want to know where that cabin is and I want to know now."

"Fane, we will find her," Vasile started but Fane cut him off.