“How does a man protect his heart from a lust for power, greed, and self-indulgence? How does a man remain humble and able to recognize that the world is not his to create and command? I truly believe that the only way to protect myself from becoming one such as this is to give sacrificially of myself, my love, my time, and my possessions. If I am not doing these things, then how am I any different from the tyrant we now pursue? How can I say I am on the side of good, if evil reigns within?” ~Vasile
“You don’t have to do this,” Lilly told her daughter as they walked towards the chartered jet owned by the Romanian pack.
“Life is not about things we do or do not have to do; it’s about doing what we should do, about doing the right thing. There’s no reason for you to go home by yourself, especially after everything we’ve all been through.” Jacque didn’t break stride as she walked beside Lilly. She knew that her mom would try to talk her out of going, but that wasn’t an option and she wanted her to know that.
“Thank you.” Lilly reached over and squeezed Jacque’s hand and fought back tears that had been on the verge of falling since she had arrived at the Romanian mansion. It didn’t feel right to break down in front of her daughter. She was the mom, the mature grownup, and so she pushed away the hurt and disappointment and plastered on her things are fine face.
The mates of each of the females were the only ones allowed to accompany them to the airport and so Vasile, Decebel, Fane, Costin, Sorin, and Adam each stood with their mates while Peri and Cynthia stood off a little to the side, giving the pairs some space.
Jacque had no intention of dragging out the goodbye with her mate. They had said all they needed to and if she stayed too long he would just start his assault of reasons on why she should not be going without him.
“I love you,” she told him as she stood on her tiptoes and took his face in her hands. She gave him a firm kiss on his lips and when she pulled back she saw that his eyes glowed wolf blue. She got the distinct feeling that if she did not get her butt on the plane now he just might throw her over his shoulder and run.
“Be safe,” his words were a growl, but the hand that reached out and caressed her face was as gentle as if he were handling a delicate treasure. “You are priceless to me,” he told her softly.
Jacque took another step back and met her mate’s eyes one last time before turning and hurrying towards the jet. She didn’t look back for fear that she would run back into his arms and tell him to take her home. She needed to be strong for her mom. She needed Fane to know she was capable of taking care of herself and more than anything, she needed Fane to pull himself together. Having her with him didn’t seem to help. Maybe with her out of the picture, he would be able to figure out what he needed to do to move past the anger and hurt that was consuming him.
“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?” Costin asked Sally.
She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest. His scent wrapped around her and though she didn’t have the sense of smell that the wolves did, she still knew his scent and would know it anywhere. She never knew that the way someone smelled could stir such emotion and longing. She wished that she could bottle it and take it with her so she could have it when she needed his nearness.
“No,” she whispered softly knowing he would be able to hear her.
He let out an exhausted sigh and she hated that she was causing him such distress.
“I’ll be fine,” she told him as she pulled back and looked up at his all-too-handsome face. “I love you.”
He gave her one of his heart stopping grins, dimples and all, and she felt her pulse quicken. She wondered if that grin would still cause such a reaction in her twenty or even fifty years from now. As she stared into his hazel eyes where mischief danced, she knew it would.
“I love you too, Sally mine.” He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to him pressing his firm lips to her soft ones. He kissed her deeply, devouring the feel and taste of her. It was more than a kiss. It was a claiming. His heart was hers, just as her heart was his. He pushed every ounce of need, want, and love for her into that kiss and Sally felt it deep in her soul.
When he finally let her up for air, he gave her one last kiss on her forehead then gently pushed her in the direction of the plane.
“Go now before I chain you to my side.”
Sally took him at his word and turned and walked briskly to the plane, following the same path Jacque had just taken.
Jen watched as Crina said her goodbyes to Adam and Elle to Sorin. Neither of the males looked any happier than her mate did. The difference was that their tortured looks were because they didn’t want their mates to leave. Decebel’s tortured look, however, was for a reason unknown to her, which thoroughly pissed her off.
“Please try and stay out of trouble.” His voice pulled her eyes from the other two couples and she turned to face him.
“I don’t think many men like to see a pregnant chick strip, no matter how beautiful she is, so I don’t think you need to worry about that―for now.” Jen was trying her best to keep the snarkiness out of her voice. No matter how upset she was with her mate she didn’t want to leave on a bad note.
“Stripping is not your only talent when it comes to trouble, mate.” His eyes were narrowed at her but she heard the playfulness in his tone and that small thing loosened something inside her, if only for a minute.
“Don’t you just take comfort in knowing that you have a very long life to try and keep me out of trouble?” she teased back. And just like that, his guard was back up and it was like the past two hours hadn’t happened.
“Let me know when you land. I love you Jennifer.” He leaned forward and held her face in both of his hands. His eyes held hers for several heartbeats and then he pressed a firm kiss to her lips. She nearly fell forward when he released her, and had his hands not steadied her, she might have landed on her face. She glowered at him.
“I love you too, Decebel,” she said just as stiffly as he had. “Let me know when you decide to act like the mate who claimed me without reservation. Because this,” she motioned to him from head to toe, “is not working for me. I seriously liked you better when you refused to let me out of your sight. What happened to that, B? After I died, you told me you wouldn’t let me be away from you. So what happened?”
“Things change, Jennifer. Circumstances change. I love you. We’ve already been over this. I will come for you soon.” Decebel took a step back away from his mate and the look of rejection on her face ripped at his already shredded heart.
Jen made a motion to step towards her mate, but arms came around her to stop her. “Let it go for now Jen,” Cynthia’s soft voice penetrated the haze of anger and pain that had rushed over Jen when Decebel backed away from her. She nodded, met Decebel’s eyes, and then turned to walk away from him.
Decebel watched as his mate walked to the pack jet, her shoulders pulled back proudly, and her head held high. She wouldn’t cower, not his woman. No matter how her heart ached, she wouldn’t allow the outside world to know it. His hands clenched into fists at his side and the swirl of fear and regret churned in his gut. He should just let her go. There was no need to draw this out, but the further she got from him, the more desperate his wolf fought to be free, to run to their mate. To hell with it, he thought as he walked quickly to her.
“Jennifer,” his voice was rough with emotion and he knew that his eyes were glowing. She whipped around, surprised by him. He took advantage of catching her unaware and grabbed her face, pulling her to him. Her mouth parted instinctively as his tongue pushed in. Her flavor flooded his taste buds and he savored it swallowing her down and reveling in the response she gave him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer. He held her for a few seconds longer before finally pulling away and stepping back.
“I love you and I am still the man who claimed you. Never doubt that again.” Before she could respond he turned and walked away.
Jen looked over at Cynthia who looked as shocked as she felt.
“If anything, he’s still as bossy as ever,” Cynthia told her.
Jen grinned and they started towards the plane again, “And too sexy for his own good. If he were ugly I totally wouldn’t put up with it.”
“Shallow much?” Cynthia snorted.
“Oh no doc, not shallow, just painfully honest.”
They were all quiet as they found seats on the jet, each lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until Jacque jumped out of her seat and smashed her face against the window looking out with a terrified expression that they all were pulled from their stupors.
“FANE!” she yelled as she slapped her hand against the plastic window.
“What’s going on?” Jen asked as she made her way to a window to see what Jacque was so freaked about.
Sally’s breath caught in her throat as she looked out her own window. She felt as though her heart was going to beat straight out of her chest.
“They’re going to kill each other,” Cynthia murmured as they all stared in sick fascination at the fight going on between the two males, now in wolf form.
Firm arms wrapped around Jacque as she started toward the door.
“GO!” Alina’s voice rang loudly against Jacque’s ear and she cringed under the volume and command behind it. Jacque knew Alina was addressing the pilot, and as the plane began to move, she knew that Alina wasn’t going to let her go.
“I have to go to him, Alina,” Jacque told her Alpha as she struggled with her.
“No. You need to let Vasile handle it. They will not kill each other. They just need to get it out in the open and deal with it. They can’t do that with you and Sally there because they don’t feel they could protect you and face one another at the same time. This is a good thing, Jacquelyn.”
The plane continued to move, gradually gaining speed just as Jen shouted, “Oh! Wow that was a good shot, Fane.”
“Jen!” Sally growled.
Jen held her hands up. “Hey don’t get all pissy with me. As soon as Costin gets a good lick in, I’ll cheer for him; no need to worry that I’ll play favorites.”
Jacque finally let her shoulders relax and gave up her fight to get out of Alina’s arms. After several seconds, Alina let her go. She headed back to the window, knowing that what she was going to see would be painful. Though she wasn’t receiving the blows, there was nothing she could do to help her mate. And that was just as painful as any physical agony.
As the plane gained speed, the girls had to crane their necks to watch the wolves. Jacque reached out for Fane’s mind, but he had blocked her completely.
“He won’t let you in either?” Sally asked noticing the grimace on Jacque’s face.
Jacque shook her head. “They will be alright Sal,” she told her, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or the healer.
Sally nodded, but looked no more convinced than Jacque felt. So apparently her attempt had failed on both accounts.
They felt the plane lurch as the wheels left the ground and the jet rose into the air, taking them further from the fight and further from the males who so desperately wanted them to stay.
“I will say one thing about those males, there is never a dull moment.” Peri suddenly appeared causing everyone to jump.
“Blood hell,” Jen barked.
“Couldn’t you send out some sort of signal that you’re about to appear out of thin air?” Lilly asked.
“What do you want me to do...fart just before I appear so the smell alerts you?” Peri took a seat next to Alina and crossed her legs, appearing regal despite her crude words.
“Why do you say we would be alerted by the smell, rather than the sound?” Sally asked.
Peri smiled. “I think you humans call them silent but deadly.”
“That’s just gross. Could you please tell us something useful?” Jacque snapped, apparently not enjoying the banter.
“What would you like to know?” Peri asked her.
Jacque’s jaw tensed as she tried to maintain her composure. Her mind just kept jumping back to the vision of her mate lunging at Costin, claws and fangs extended, eyes glowing, and frothy saliva dripping from his muzzle like a rabid beast.
“Apparently the altercation was started because of a comment from Vasile,” Peri told them.
Alina let out a huff, “I told him to stay out of it. Tell me it was at least subtle.”
Peri grinned in delight. “Oh you should know better, Alina. Your mate is about as subtle as Jen is prudish.” That earned Peri a snort from everyone and a you’re just jealous from Jen. Ignoring them she continued, “He told Costin to kick Fane’s ass.” Everyone’s mouths dropped open and eyes widened, “and then he told Fane to quit running from his fear and anger and to deal with it. He told him that if he didn’t deal with it, then Vasile would deal with him. And then it was on.”
Jen let out a sharp burst of laughter that filled the cabin of the plane. “Alina, please tell me you tap that regularly because you have to admit, your man is hot.”
“Okay, first off, EWW!” Jacque pointed at Jen. “And second, why on earth would Vasile do that?”
Alina slid forward to the edge of her seat and placed her elbows on her knees. She took in a deep breath of air and then met her daughter-in-law's eyes.
“Because it’s the only thing that will help Fane get over this rage and fear inside of him. He is more dominant than Costin, though perhaps not by a great measure. Other than when we were in America, he has never felt the need to establish that dominance. As the son of the most powerful Alpha in generations, he has never been challenged on his home turf. But now he feels that Costin has wronged him. He needs to establish that dominance to help prove to himself that he can protect Jacque. The other reason is a simpler one. He’s a male, and he’s ticked off at another male. They resolve their differences with a physical fight. It’s that way with human males as well, is it not?”
Sally blew out a big breath of air, causing her cheeks to puff out. “This just sucks.”
“Seriously,” Jen agreed, then added, “if Vasile is going to start fights between hot, bossy, possessive werewolves, he should at least do it when we get front row seats, cause let me tell you my kicks are few and far between these days. I could use all the help I can get.” Jen’s voice was lighthearted and playful, but Jacque and Sally saw the pain in their friend’s eyes.
“Jen,” Sally said as she reached for her hand.
“Not ready to talk about it,” Jen said quickly and then looked at Lilly. “So your oaf of a man is the reason we’re on this little journey. Fill us in on what he did.” Jen’s statement effectively got the attention off of her and distracted her two best friends from fretting over their feuding mates. Two birds; one stone.
Peri rubbed her hands together as she nodded. “This is going to be so good.”
Lilly frowned. “You already know what happened,” she told the fae.
“Maybe, but the point is, one never tires of hearing about a king running like a scared rabbit while his mate throws things at him and berates him with a sailor’s mouth.”
“Get the popcorn,” Jen called out, “we are in for some wicked entertainment ladies. If their fight started out with that much foreplay, then the finish is bound to leave us all breathless, and maybe even satisfied.”
The group groaned collectively.
“What?” Jen asked innocently.
“Not everyone’s fights end with sex,” Jacque informed her.
“Oh well, then you guys are missing out. I mean seriously. That’s like saying Santa doesn’t need Rudolph and his shiny nose, or that the fourth of July doesn’t need fireworks, or that Harry Potter doesn’t need Ron and that bushy headed girl. I mean, it’s like…,”
“Jen,” Jacque cut her off, “we get it.”
Jen’s head shook vehemently. “Nope, sorry wolf-princess, you can’t possibly get it until you’ve gotten it, if you know what I mean, after having a knock down drag out with your mate. Then and only then, will you get it.”
“Was that clear as mud to anyone else?” Sally asked.
“I think she’s saying we need to have relations with our mates as often as possible, including after fights,” Crina said calmly.
Jen clapped her hands together with a loud yell, “FINALLY! Somebody gets it.”
“How long are you going to let this go on?” Decebel asked Vasile as they watched the two wolves battle it out. Thankfully, the pack had its own private hanger to house the jet, so there was no one to witness the snarling beasts tearing into one another.
“As long as it takes,” Vasile responded. “They won’t kill each other. They know that it would kill the other’s mate as well.” Vasile was calm and unwavering while the males around him growled or cringed in response to the fight before them. Vasile had thought it would be his job to step in and deal with Fane’s struggles, but the moment he saw the two wolves together, he knew what needed to be done. Fane needed to let go of his anger and Costin needed to prove that he was capable of taking Fane on, and that he could still be Fane’s pack mate and still care for him once this was over.
Vasile and Decebel both had to use their power to keep the other males from joining in. All of them were itching for a fight after having just watched their mates fly off to another continent without them. Decebel himself was fighting his own wolf, which longed to tear into any flesh that was available, but he wouldn’t give in to the desire. He didn’t need Vasile knowing what he had planned. He knew the Alpha would not approve.
Fane’s mind was covered in a haze of rage as he lunged at the wolf who had dared to touch his mate. His claws dug into flesh and it satisfied something in him to see the rich, red blood spill forth, matting the grey fur. He jumped back quickly, but not fast enough as he felt Costin’s teeth sink into his side. Even the pain from the assault was like a balm to the internal wounds that had been plaguing him for so long. Over and over they circled each other and over and over they ripped into flesh, but neither of them ever made a mortal wound. This wasn’t about death; it was about righting a wrong, healing the brokenness. Brokenness that had reached so far into Fane that he felt like he would never be whole again. Fane nearly stumbled when he heard a voice in his mind and it didn’t belong to his mate.
“You can only heal if you forgive, Fane Lupei, child of mine.”
The smooth voice wrapped around him and stopped his progress immediately. Fane closed his eyes and waited for the Great Luna to speak. When she didn’t, he acknowledged her.
“I’m listening,” he responded.
“Costin is your brother. He has not wronged you in any way. Dark magic has twisted your reality. Reach past the darkness, Fane. Grab hold of the light that your bonded mate gives to you and see the truth in the situation. No amount of blood shed will heal this wound. You have to choose to be healed.”
Fane opened his eyes and saw that Costin was standing across from him, still in his wolf form, staring at him warily. He had stopped his attack as soon as Fane froze and he was waiting for his next move. He noticed that there was no condemnation in Costin’s eyes, no hate or disgust. He simply stared and waited.
“I’m tired,” he admitted.
“I know you are. You are not alone. Let go of your anger and let those who care for you, those who love you, help you move past this.” He felt the warmth of an embrace and then she was gone.
Fane phased back into his human form and Costin quickly followed suit. All of the males were still, their breaths barely perceptible as they watched the two males.
“I know that it wasn’t real,” Fane finally spoke, “but even knowing that, I felt something inside of me break when I saw it.”
Costin took a step closer heedless of their nudity. “We all experienced it Fane. Our mates each went through the same thing but with different males.”
“How could you stand it?” Fane asked desperately.
“It hasn’t been easy if that’s what you’re thinking. But I realized that it would do more harm than good to dwell on it. Sally had hurt enough and I wasn’t about to add to her pain.”
Fane flinched at his words, knowing that he had caused his mate so much pain. He was supposed to protect her and instead he had pushed his fear and anger onto her.
Fane bowed his head to Costin and tilted it slightly, bearing his neck. “I ask for your forgiveness, packmate. I have wronged you. I have disrespected you and I have disrespected your mate.”
Costin instinctively let out a low growl at the submission Fane was showing. “There is nothing to forgive, but even if there was, you are forgiven.”
Fane let out a deep breath as he felt some of the darkness recede. The heaviness that had been weighing on his chest eased and he finally felt as though he could get air into his lungs. He turned to his father then and again gave his neck in submission. “Alpha, I apologize for losing control and not seeking out the help I needed.”
Vasile walked up to his son and patted his cheek affectionately. “It is not my forgiveness you should worry about.” Fane nearly fell to his knees as he thought about Jacquelyn. He had hurt her and now she was going back to Coldspring, so far from him. How could he make things right between them when he couldn’t hold her? How would she see the sincerity in his eyes if she wasn’t there with him?
“She will forgive you,” Costin told him as he took the sweats Decebel handed him, which he had retrieved from a storage locker along the wall. Like most of the places the pack visited frequently, it was stocked with spare clothes for just such an emergency. “Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or in ten years, but eventually she will.” All of the males chuckled goodnaturedly and Fane couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. His mate was hotheaded, but she didn’t hold a grudge. He might have to do some serious groveling, but he would prove to her once again that she was the most precious gift he had ever been given and he would treat her that way again.
Vasile turned to address the group and as soon as he spoke the humor fled from their faces.
“I know that you are all angry with me and Decebel. I know you think we’ve made the wrong decision. Only time will tell. But until then, we are not going to sit and wallow in anger or pity or even the pain that will accompany the separation. Once again, evil has reared its ugly head and we must be the ones to defeat it. For if we do not do it, who will?” He met each of their gazes and one by one they dropped their eyes. “You were created for a greater purpose, not just to love your mate, but to take care of the world we live in so that our mates will have a safe place to live and our children will have a safe place to grow up. So you have until we arrive back at the mansion to wipe the scowls off your faces and I think Jen would say, 'put on your game faces.' Our women will return to us, and when they do, we had better have good news for them or the Great Luna help us all.”
“Do you think the Great Luna could help us against the wrath of your American mates?” Sorin asked with a smirk.
“Knowing our luck, they would probably convince her to join in their cause to kick our posteriors,” Vasile retorted.
“Posteriors?” Costin asked as amusement danced in his eyes.
“My daughter in-law is Jacque.”
“Enough said.”