Chapter 10
“So is that it?” Jacque asked, waiting to see if the Great Luna would now take her back to the present.
“Not just yet. I think it is important that you see the consequences of your decisions. Though you may still end up with your mate, the consequences will be extreme. In your reality, when Fane challenged Lucas, they were the only two wolves that suffered the consequences. Lucas was the only wolf that forfeited his life. In this reality, that will not be the case. Not only will many more die but the risk of revealing yourselves to the human world becomes very real.”
The Great Luna placed a hand on her shoulder and, in the blink of an eye, they were standing in Jacque’s room. Jen, Sally, and Jacque were all in various sprawled positions, all looking a tad worse for wear.
“Okay, so a year and a half ago when you finally came clean about what Lucas was, I thought I’d seen it all,” Jen said as she stared up at the ceiling fan as it rotated hypnotically. “I was so very, very wrong.”
Future Jacque nodded. Her eyes were wide and she looked very lost. “I don’t even know what to think.”
“So that stuff that main guy was talking about, what was his name?” Jen thought for a minute. “Vasile.” She snapped her fingers. “Yes, that was it. Was that stuff happening with you and the hottie who challenged Lucas? Were you able to hear his thoughts in your mind?”
Instead of answering future Jacque jumped up and jerked her shirt over her head.
“Okay, so just thinking about him has you so hot and bothered that you have to strip?” Jen asked as she sat up and watched her friend walk over to the mirror on her dresser.
Jacque hesitated before lifting her hair and turning so she could look over her shoulder. The breath whooshed from her body as her eyes took in the black, tattoo like markings that ran across her back from shoulder to shoulder.
Sally and Jen both stood and walked over to her. Their eyes were every bit as wide as future Jacque’s.
Sally was next to strip off her shirt and turned to look over her shoulder, pulling her brown locks out of the way. She too had markings; only hers were down the center of her spine.
Jen took a step back. “For the first time, I really don’t want to take my clothes off.”
Future Jacque rolled her eyes at her blonde friend and then jerked Jen’s shirt up. She turned her friend side to side looking her over. “There’s nothing.”
Jen let out a sigh. “Thank goodness for that. I thought I was going to be saddled to that cave man. I’m not saying he wasn’t hotter than the seventh level of hell, but let’s face it, his conversational skills need some serious work.”
“You never answer her question,” Sally said as she looked at future Jacque. “Could you hear his thoughts?”
Future Jacque nodded. “He apologized to me for making me wait.”
“I heard that guy who challenged Eli in my mind,’ Sally confirmed.
“You mean dimples?” Jen asked with a grin. “I bet he has girls falling at his feet begging him to let them lick those suckers.”
Sally frowned. “You are so disturbed.”
Jen shrugged. “There is nothing wrong with a good dimple licking if it happens to be on someone that looks like that wolf.”
Future Jacque slipped her shirt back on and Sally did the same. Jen headed for the door as the other two took seats on the floor.
“This calls for hot chocolate. You two are looking a little pale and we obviously have strategy to discuss.” She left the room, leaving Sally and future Jacque looking after her.
“She’s taking this rather well,” Sally pointed out.
Future Jacque nodded. “But then she took the 'whole werewolves are real' thing really well too.”
“That was just because she finally realized why you were being so weird.”
“True,” future Jacque agreed.
“How do you think Lucas is doing?” Sally asked.
Future Jacque pinched the bridge of her nose and slowly shook her head from side to side. “I imagine he is just sort of blowing a gasket. You know he doesn’t share well.”
“Or at all,” Sally added.
Jen was back several minutes later with a tray of coffee mugs and a package of Oreo cookies. “Okay, heifers, let’s get serious,” she said as she sat the tray down in the middle of their circle and took a seat. “What are we going to do if these. . .wait. . .what nationality are they? Russian?”
Future Jacque froze. Her breathing increased as her hands curled into tight fists. “Romanian,” she finally said.
“Did he just tell you that using his mind mojo on you?” Jen asked.
She nodded.
“Man, this crap just keeps getting deeper and deeper,” Jen muttered. “Okay, so what are we going to do if those Romanian wolves manage to win these challenges?”
Future Jacque looked at Sally. “Do you feel anything for Costin, the one who challenged for you?”
Sally paused before nodding. Her skin flushed as she took in a shaky breath. “It was like coming home,” she whispered. “The minute he looked into my eyes I just wanted to walk into his arms. It was both unsettling and wonderful at the same time.”
Future Jacque let out a small huff of laughter. “I don’t think I could have put it better.”
“Okay, hold up,” Jen said leaning forward as her brow furrowed. “I will admit that the idea of throwing myself in Tarzan’s arms definitely crossed my mind. But more than anything I just wanted to hit him in his too handsome, cocky face. I mean, I felt something, definitely a level of attraction that I’ve never felt before, but I wouldn’t say that it was unsettling and wonderful. I’m going to go with more along the lines of volatile and possibly a little bit dirty.”
Jacque laughed and smiled even wider when she saw the Great Luna smiling at Jen’s comment. The girl always did have a way with words.
“Why do you think they called me a healer?” Sally asked before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
Jen shrugged. “Beats the heck out of me. But it sounds like our men have been keeping quite a bit to themselves, which makes me just a tad perturbed.”
“A tad?” Jacque and future Jacque said at the same time.
“Fine, it pisses me off. Happy?” Jen conceded.
“Being honest with yourself is an important—”
“Spare me the psychobabble, Florence,” Jen growled.
“Florence Nightingale was a nurse, not a―” Sally started but was cut off by Jen again.
“Don’t care. I told you when you started taking those classes that I didn’t want you analyzing my every word or behavior.”
“Speaking of classes,” future Jacque interrupted. “When do yours start back?”
Sally and Jen both shrugged. “A couple of weeks. Summer gets shorter and shorter. I thought being in college meant longer breaks.”
“Are you still taking this semester off?” Sally asked future Jacque.
Jacque looked at the Great Luna. “Why would I take the semester off?”
The Great Luna turned her gentle eyes on the redhead. “Your mom hasn’t met Cypher. There are things you or your mother don’t know about her gift. Back in our reality, she is just discovering that the magic that is part of her mate’s people—the warlocks—has saved her from the ill effects that her gift can cause. But here, since she isn’t exposed to that healing magic, over time her ability to sense things in people has grown stronger and is affecting her ability to function in normal everyday life. You chose to stay home to help her with the bookstore.”
Jacque’s mouth had gone dry and her stomach was turning into one big knot. How could so much be affected by one little choice? Her mom needed Cypher, just as she needed Fane. And Jacque would be taking that away from her if she went through with her plan and the Fates granted her request.
As day turned into night, Jacque and the Great Luna stayed, listening to the girls talk, speculate, and attempt to plan a future with all of the new information thrown at them. Jacque appreciated the goddess letting her spend time in their presence. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed them all being together. It was obvious, looking from the outside in, that they found energy and confidence and security in being with each other.
It was after midnight when future Jacque’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and frowned. “It’s Lucas.”
“I can’t believe he waited this long to call,” Jen scoffed.
“He was probably trying to make sure those Romanian wolves weren’t anywhere around,” Sally pointed out.
Future Jacque answered it. “You’re on speaker phone,” she told him.
“Are you alright?” Lucas asked and it sounded as if he genuinely cared.
“I’m fine, Lucas, just a little confused,”
“Uh, try mega, freaking Disney World size confused,” Jen cut in.
“Is everything they said true?” future Jacque asked.
“I want to talk to you about it, but not over the phone. We’re down the street waiting for you three. I’m not going to let them keep us apart right before a challenge.”
“Isn’t that breaking the rules?” Sally asked.
Lucas chuckled. “When have I ever cared about rules when it came to my mate?”
Future Jacque frowned at the phone. “What will happen if they catch us?”
“Babe, trust me. It will be fine. I need to see you. Please come.”
Jen rolled her eyes and make a gagging motion.
“Don’t do it,” Jacque muttered under her breath, though she knew they couldn’t hear her.
“Okay we’ll come,” future Jacque acquiesced and ended the call.
“Why do I feel like this is the dumbest idea we’ve had since going to that club without telling the guys?” Jen asked as she stood.
“How were we supposed to know they’d flip their lids over a little dancing?” Sally asked.
“Let’s just get this over with,” future Jacque told them as she headed for the door.