Chapter 16
opened the door to Jen and Jacque's room and walked in without knocking. At this point politeness was not at the top of his agenda. Decebel was standing against the wall, his look cold and promising death. Jen and Sally were sitting on one bed looking very confused, and Fane and Jacque were on her bed. Fane stood up abruptly when he saw the other wolf enter the room with his father.
"Alpha, who is this?" Fane asked him.
"This is Logan, Dillon's Beta. He has come to introduce himself to Jacque because he will be helping with guard duty," Vasile explained.
Jacque smiled and said hello but could tell something was wrong. She looked at Fane, who was still staring daggers at his father.
"Fane, I need to speak with you in the hall while Logan introduces himself."
Fane growled.
"Stop!" Vasile ordered. "Decebel will stay here, she will be fine."
Fane turned to Jacque and leaned down to kiss her. "I will find out what is going on, love. Will you be okay?"
"I'm fine, Fane. Go, do what you need to but then come back to me." She kissed him gently and smiled into his blue eyes. Fane gave her hand one last gentle squeeze and then turned to follow Vasile out of the room.
Logan stepped up to Jacque's bed and held out his hand. "Jacque, I am Logan, it's so nice to meet you."
Jacque smiled politely but her words were tense. "It's nice to meet you as well." Jacque had barely gotten the words out when they heard a loud growl and things being slammed about outside of the hospital room door. Jacque started to get up. "What the hell is that."
Decebel got to her before Logan could touch her. "Jacque, stay here please. Logan and I will be right outside to see what is going on."
"Okay, please make sure Fane is okay. He is blocking his thoughts," Jacque told him.
Decebel nodded and then turned back to Jen and Sally. "You two stay put."
"Once again I am reminded that I should be wearing a collar that says 'if found please call the bossy werewolf who thinks he is my owner at 1-800-butt-head'," Jen said sarcastically.
All three girls heard Decebel mutter under his breath, "Little, mouthy smart ass." As he followed Logan out of the room and into the hall, it was a complete wreck. Chairs had been thrown, glass in the family area broken, Fane had gone crazy. Decebel turned to Logan. "If anything happens to any of those girls, you will die by my hand after I have declawed and neutered you."
"I will protect them," was Logan's only response.
"HE CAN'T HAVE HER!" Fane yelled. His voice had gone guttural, his wolf pushing to take over. His claws had pushed through his fingers and his eyes were glowing wolf blue. His canines had begun to elongate.
"Fane, STOP!" Vasile growled at him.
Vasile had taken him down to the Emergency Room and was using one of the family holding areas to talk to his son. Alina and Lilly had gone with them.
"Ea apartine cu mine, cu ranita noastra (She belongs with me, with our pack.)," Fane pleaded with his Alpha.
"It's pack law, Fane. I cannot stop him."
"ARRGGGHHH!" Fane slammed his fist into the wall, punching a huge whole. "Nu ma intereseaza despre ranita legea, ce ti-ai legii. Ea este colega mea, sufletul meu si ma intrebi pe mine sa mearga intr-o parte din ei (I don't care about pack law, about your law. She is my mate, my soul and you ask me to walk away from her)." Fane grabbed a chair and threw it across the room, shattering the glass windows. He didn't even pause before a ripped the television out of the wall and threw it out the window, following the chair to its fate.
"Fane este de ajuns (Fane that is enough)." Vasile's power flowed over the room, driving Fane to his knees. Fane's shoulders slumped in defeat, his head hung. His hands were balled into fists, the claws that had begun to shift digging into his hands, cutting deep.
"What would you do if it was mama?" Fane's voice was so low that Vasile only heard it because of his wolf hearing.
"I would kill anything and anyone who kept her from me," Vasile admitted. "But Jacque is not in any danger, and it's not for forever, it's just two months and then you can complete the bond and blood rites." Vasile knew he was asking the impossible, he wouldn't want to be separated from his mate for even two days let alone two months, but Fane and Jacque were both still minors and not bonded. By pack law, Jacque's father had every right to do what he was asking. What could Vasile do?
"You can be with her during the day, but he asks that you don’t spend the night with her," Vasile told him, trying to speak as calm as possible, knowing he was prodding an already angry beast.
"El solicită? Vrei să spui că ţi-a spus, Alpha la cel mai mare pachet de lupi gri din lume, el vi sa poruncit, că nu am putut sta cu partenerul meu pe timp de noapte? (He asks? Do you mean he told you, Alpha to the largest pack of Grey wolves in the world, he commanded you, that I could not stay with MY mate at night?)" Fane growled.
"Înţeleg că sunteţi supăraţi, am înţeles sunteţi doare, dar eu sunt încă în stadiul alpha-ul tău, vă va prezenta la mine, Fane. (I understand you are angry, I understand you are hurting, but I am still your Alpha, you will submit to me, Fane). You know I will not let anything happen to Jacque, trust me. If not as your Alpha, then as your father."
After a few moments of silence Fane finally stood up and looked at his father. "I don't know if I can do that. You ask too much, Dillon Jacobs asks too much. I may not be the Pack Alpha of the Romanian Greys, but I'm more dominant than Jacobs.He will not take what is mine. I'm sorry, Alpha, but in this I cannot obey." Fane didn't wait for his father to respond as he turned and left the waiting area, headed back to Jacquelyn's room.
Jen and Sally came over and climbed onto Jacque's bed. "You got anything coming in on your reception, Jac?" Jen asked her.
"If you mean is Fane talking to me, then no, he's blocking his thoughts. I am getting intense anger, though. Whatever it is, Fane is royally pissed off," she answered.
"No pun intended, but" Jen laughed, "get it? Royally pissed, cuz he's a prince…anyone, no… no takers? Okay then."
Sally patted her on the leg. "Any other time, I would have totally given you props, but a werewolf just nearly tore the hospital apart, so right now props are all on hold."
"Noted." Jen clicked her tongue and winked in acknowledgment to Sally's statement.
Jacque was beginning to get a little panicked over the fact that Fane would not respond to her through their bond. What could be making him so mad?
"This is ridiculous," Jen grumbled as she began to rise off the bed and trudged slowly toward the room door, her IV pole in tow. She pulled it open and stuck out her head. Decebel was standing to the left of the door in his usual pose, arms across his chest, looking for all the world like he would be happy to rip someone's arms off given the chance. Be that as it may, Jen had to take two seconds, okay, maybe three to acknowledge that the man had a nice chest. Not an option, she told herself and decided that would have to be her mantra when she was around Decebel.
"Is there something wrong, Jen?" he asked her in an annoyingly calm voice.
"We just heard what sounded like a tornado ripping through this hall and you really want to ask me if something is wrong? Really? That's all ya got? Are you seriously going to stand there and act like everything is peachy keen jelly bean?"
Decebel raised a single eyebrow at her. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"
Jen growled at him. "Oh forget it," she said as she grabbed her IV pole and began to walk past him. "I'll find out what the hell happened without the help of Mr. 'I'm a big bad werewolf, I will eat you'." Her voice got deeper with each word.
As she passed him, in a voice so low she nearly missed it, she heard him mutter, "You might like it."
Jen whipped her head around, nearly losing her balance and knocking her IV pole over.
"Did you just make a joke? Because if you did then we need to get on the phone with air traffic control to tell them to be on the lookout fat little pigs with wings, and maybe even channel hell to see if the lakes of fire have frozen over."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he told her, his face dead pan as he gently took her arm and led her back to the room. He gently pushed her inside and pulled the door shut behind her.
Jen stood there completely dumbfounded.
"Did you find anything out?" Sally asked. Both her and Jacque were looking at their friend in expectation.
"I..." Jen couldn't get her mouth to spit out what her brain was trying to piece together, so she just stood there looking thoroughly confused.
Sally got up and walked over to Jen and began to help her back to the bed. "Is it just me, Jac, or does it look like little miss thang has been rendered speechless?"
"Never thought I'd see the day," Jacque agreed. "But for clarification purposes, Jen, snap out of it and tell me if you found out anything."
Sally snapped her fingers in front of Jen's face. This finally brought her brain back online. "Okay you," Jen pointed a finger at Jacque, who in turn pointed to herself and mouthed "me" to Sally. Sally just shrugged her shoulders. "I have no information to give you other than the hall is a mess, that is all I know." Jen then turned and looked at Sally. "I did however find out Decebel has a sense of humor…I think, maybe, sort of, crap I don't know."
Before Sally and Jacque could ask Jen to clarify, the door to their room opened and Lilly walked in, looking very tired.
"Mom, what's going on?" Jacque asked her mother.
"We need to talk."
"That's never a good sign," Jen said.
"Sally, Jen, you both need to stay and listen, this will affect you both."
"No Jen, that is never a good sign. The last time she asked you guys to stay I found out I was half werewolf," Jacque said, her voice wavering.
Before Lilly could get started there was a light knock on the door.
"Come in," all three girls yelled.
Alina walked in apprehensively. "Lilly I thought maybe I could help explain things if there were any questions."
"That would be great, Alina, thank you," Lilly told her.
"Ok," Lilly said, pulling up a chair to sit down. She placed her elbows on her knees and leaned her head down, running her hands through her hair. "let me get this out before Fane gets here because once he gets here no one will be getting near you, Jacque."
"Mom, you're making me nervous, what's wrong?"
"Dillon is invoking Alpha rights as your father because you are a minor," Lilly told her, frustration from her earlier encounter with Dillon leaking into her voice.
Jacque stared at her mother blankly, knowing she should be outraged she just wasn't sure about what exactly. "Alina, translation please," Jacque asked, turning to look at Fane's mother.
"First, I want you all to promise not to say anything until I have explained completely," she told them. "Do I have your word?"
"Word," all three said dryly.
"Dillon does not think you and Fane are old enough to mate."
Jacque started to interrupt, her face full of obvious outrage, but the look in Alina's eyes was pure Alpha and Jacque's mouth snapped closed. Alina nodded her head in approval and continued. "Since he is your father, it also helps that he is the Alpha of his pack, and you are under the age of 18, he can invoke what is called Alpha rights. Basically, he is saying he can keep you and Fane from becoming bonded until you are 18. He wants you to go back to Colorado with him and his pack for the next two months until you turn 18. He thinks that you and Fane need to mature some, that Fane is not ready to be a mate and protect you as you ought to be protected." After Alina finished talking, she waited for the inevitable but it didn't come. Instead, Jacque sat still as stone, her breathing even, her lips drawn tight in a straight line.
"Fane, I know you can hear me. I need you." Jacque sent the thought to Fane, allowing him to feel her anger, her fear and worry.
"I am on my way. You need to know, Jacquelyn, I will kill anyone who tries to take you from me. Anyone." Fane's voice was like death itself, cold, dark and unrelenting.
Jacque shivered at the sound of it in her mind. "Just hurry, please," was her only response to his edict.
"Well, if Jacque is not going to share with the room the fury which she is undoubtedly feeling, by all means allow me," Jen announced. "Dillon Jacobs and what furry army is going to try, and let me just reiterate that, as in will, endeavor, strive, aim, seek, and albeit unsuccessfully attempt to take Jacque away from us?"
Sally looked at Jen and couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "Your vocabulary never ceases to amaze. Just when I think all you know is profanity and perversion you come out with a speech worthy of Braveheart. Well done."
Jacque would have acknowledged her friends efforts to defend her had the door not flew open and a raging, pissed off werewolf prince walked in. His power swirled around them so strong that Alina let out a whine, sounding alarmingly like a wolf in pain. Even Jacque felt the dormant wolf gene in her wanting to submit to the power of the Alpha wolf in Fane. It was getting hard to breathe the air was so thick with his anger. He walked over to Jacque, whose head was bowed and turned so that her neck was bared. It was like she knew instinctively to submit so as to not provoke the dominant wolf and hopefully she would subdue him in her surrender. Fane's wolf must have been the one in control of the wheel because he leaned down over Jacque and growled low. He placed his face against her neck, breathing deep, and his voice was guttural when he spoke. "Mine."
Jacque turned her head slightly and did what no other would ever be able to do when this Alpha was at this point, she looked him in the eyes. "Yes, I am yours." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Fane pulled his power in and all of a sudden it was like a weight had been lifted and they could breathe again.
"Note to self," Sally coughed to clear her throat, still trying to drag air in, "never anger an Alpha."
"Good call, Sherlock," Jen said sarcastically as she fell back on the bed, taking in deep breaths. She threw her arm across her face and tried to calm her racing heart.
Jacque looked around. "Everyone okay?" When everyone nodded in agreement she turned and looked at her mate.
"Sit," she told him firmly.
Fane's eyes continued to glow and Jacque noticed his human hands had claws. His wolf was still here to play. Good to know, she thought.
Fane growled, or rather his wolf growled. Jacque blew her breath out in exasperation. "Mate, you have made your point, we all submit and yadda yadda, now will you please sit down next to me?" When Fane didn't acquiesce, Jacque turned and looked at Alina as if to say 'fix it'.
Alina walked over to where Fane stood and he turned and growled at her. Alina bared her throat, careful to keep her head lower than his and to not make eye contact. "The wolf is in control right now, Jacque, so until Fane can pull him back some he is going to respond just like an Alpha wolf in the wild."
"What do we do then?" Sally asked.
"Everyone just stay calm," Alina told them. "Nobody but Jacque can look at Fane in the eyes right now, and keep your head lower than his," Alina explained.
"Well that's not hard to do, he's a mountain with legs, albeit a hairy mountain," Jen muttered to no one in particular.
Jacque turned her notice back to Fane. She took his hand, drawing his attention from his mother. He looked down at her and she could see his eyes soften. She stood up slowly, gingerly, because despite her rapid healing she was still in pain, especially when she moved.
"You sit," his mate told him.
"No, I stand."
"Me Tarzan, you Jane," Sally mumbled.
"Snap, you beat me to it. Nice going, Thelma." Jen grinned at Sally.
"I learned from the best, Louise."
"Damn straight." Jen and Sally bumped fists and turned to look at Jacque who had cleared her throat louder than necessary.
"What?" they both said in unison, shrugging their shoulders.
"I swear I have my own tweedle dee, and tweedle dumb." Jacque rolled her eyes and turned once again to her mate. "What can I do to help you?" Jacque spoke through their bond, hoping to soothe the wolf, who was still the one manning the boat.
"Touch," was the wolf's response.
Jacque nodded her head in acknowledgment to his response. She took his hands and placed them around her waist, she wrapped hers around his waist and then put her hands up under his shirt so that her skin was touching his, then she lay her head on his chest and listened to the beat of his heart. She felt him lay his cheek against her hair, and could hear him breathe in. Jacque knew he was taking in her scent, which for some reason comforted him. She ran her hands up and down his back enjoying how smooth his skin was, how strong he felt.
"I love you," Jacque whispered into his mind, pouring every ounce of emotion into those three words. She felt his deep rumble in his chest and knew that this was what he needed, just as wolves sought comfort through touching each other, Fane's wolf needed to feel her, a physical reminder that she was his, she was safe.
"Mulţumesc, Luna, doar poţi să-l calm (Thank you, Luna, only you can calm him)." Jacque exhaled a deep breath at the sound of Fane's voice in her mind.
She pulled back just enough to be able to look at his face. "Welcome back," she whispered to him. Fane turned her so that his body was shielding her from view and he placed his hands on either side of her face and just looked at her, like he was trying to memorize her every detail.
"Dragostea mea, Aş dori să vă sărut acum (My love, I would kiss you now)." Fane spoke so softly that Jacque nearly missed it.
"What did you just say?" She asked, cocking her head to the side quizzically.
"I said I wanted to kiss you now."
"Then why are we still talking?" She asked with a wicked look in her eyes.
Everyone in the room ceased to exist at that point, the only thing Fane could see was Jacquelyn's waiting lips. He leaned down at the same time that she stretched up on her toes to meet his eager lips. Usually when he kissed her it started gently, but not this time. Fane let go of her face and wrapped his arms firmly around her, pulling her close to his body. Jacque ignored the stinging pain that having him so tight around her caused because for this she would burn all over again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched even higher on her tiptoes trying to get closer, if it was even possible. She felt his tongue slide against her lips and a moan escaped her lungs. She heard Fane's low growl in response. Jacque pulled back, and breathing hard she looked around Fane's shoulder, remembering they had an audience.
"They're gone," he whispered, his breathing just as labored as hers.
"No wonder you were getting hot and heavy." She grinned.
"The key words there Luna are 'were getting,'" he told her as he gently led her to the bed where she had spent the last month while her body desperately tried to heal. Healing was not the thing her body needed right now.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you when I held you."
"Wolf-man, if you are gonna hurt me like that, by all means hurt me." She laughed when he fake growled at her and bared his teeth.
She sat down on the bed and leaned back against the pillows at Fane's prodding. He leaned across her, propped up on one arm, careful to not put any weight on her legs. With his free hand he reached up and pushed her hair away from her neck, he ran his fingers down her collar bone and back up to her neck. Jacque shivered at the sensation of this hand on her skin. He continued to trace this same pattern from one collar bone to the next and back up to her neck.
"I love touching you." She heard his deep voice in her mind.
She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling a groan from him."I love hearing you make those kinds of noises, and I love even more that I'm the one who causes them." Jacque couldn't believe how candid she was being with him, and how unembarrassed she was. But she wasn't, not anymore, this was Fane, her mate, her best friend, her love, and the last person in the world she would ever need to feel embarrassed in front of.
"I'm glad you're finally catching on," he said in response to her thoughts.
Jacque tugged at his hair in retaliation to his eavesdropping.
He laughed. "It's not eavesdropping, love. I've told you it's being attentive."
"So do I have your attention?" she whispered as she traced his lips with her fingers.
"Undivided," he said, lips barely moving. He was mesmerized by his mate, her touch, the only thing that could bring his wolf to heel.
"Good, cause you might want to pay extra close attention to what I'm thinking right," she paused as she pictured in her mind what she wanted, needed from Fane, "now," she finished.
"I think I can handle most of that," he said as he kissed her fingers.
Jacque's brow furrowed. "Not all?"
"You’re a wicked, wicked woman. You know that, right?" Fane teased her as he leaned forward and kissed her neck, nipping gently where his mark would soon be.
"There we go with the whole 'soon' thing."
"Hush, my love. No more words," Fane said in between kisses on her neck, collar bone, and lips.
And there were no more for a long while.