“No problem at all. Jacque is a one-of-a kind girl and we all love her. I don’t think I have to tell you to treat her good, you seem to have impeccable manners. Do you have a helmet for her or did you want to borrow our car?” Sara offered.

“That is most generous, but I did buy two helmets when I bought my bike.”

Once the Henrys left and Fane took a shower, he sat down to call his father again and see if they could come up with some sort of plan.

The phone rang one time and his father’s voice was on the other end.

“Da.”

“It’s me,” Fane told him. “I need to know what you want me to do. Do I need to request a meeting with this Alpha and find out what his interest in my mate is?”

“I have been thinking about it a lot and have decided to send Sorin back to you. I think his experience as a werewolf will be of some help, not to mention it will show them you are not on your own,” his father told him.

“As my Alpha, what are you telling me to do?” Fane asked him.

“I want you to protect your mate and her mother, but do not act on anything unless provoked. If it gets out of hand, I don’t care how you get your mate and her mother on a plane, but you do it fast,” his father said firmly.

“Okay, so when will Sorin arrive? And where is he going to stay?” Fane asked him.

“He should be there sometime around eight pm. You might find this interesting, but he is staying with Lilly Pierce.”

“That’s my mate’s mother,” Fane said, confused.

“I am aware of that. I guess it’s time for me to tell you, but you must wait to talk to Jacquelyn until after her mother tells her. She musn’t feel betrayed,” Fane's father explained. “I did a little searching and found out that your mate is indeed part wolf. In fact, she is half Grey. Jacquelyn’s father was a Grey. He and Lilly were together for quite awhile, although they never married. At some point in their relationship he decided to tell her about his origins because she had a special gift and knew there was something different about him. She actually received the news very well. After that, things were good, but one day Jacquelyn’s father came home, packed his things and left Lilly a note. All it said was ‘I have to go, I have no choice. I’m sorry.’ Jacquelyn’s father did not know Lilly was pregnant with his child when he left. I have since located him and found that he is with his mate, which is why he had to leave Lilly. You see, Lilly was not his true mate and even though he had feelings for her, they weren’t a pindrop compared to what he feels for his mate.”

“So Lilly has known this Jacquelyn’s whole life and never told her?” Fane asked him.

“She didn’t think she would ever have to. For all she knew, the rules did not apply to Jacquelyn because she is not full-blood. She knows who you are, Fane, and what you are. I called and spoke with her about what is going on and she took it really well. She agreed to let Sorin stay with them as he would be added protection,” his father explained.

“I know I can trust Sorin, but you know how hard it is for a male wolf to allow another to be so close to his mate, especially when the bond ritual has not been performed,” Fane told his father.

“I know it is going to be hard on you but you are going to have to set your wolf nature aside and recognize what will keep her safe. Still, I don’t know if Sorin will be enough of a deterrent to keep the other pack from attempting to take Jacquelyn.”

Fane growled at the idea of his mate in the hands of a pack to which she did not belong.

“How can they possibly want her when she is not a true mate to any of them?” Fane asked.

“I know it is hard for you to understand because you are so young, and you've found your mate so quickly, which is rare. Most go decades if not centuries before they find their mate. Female Greys are not abundant and after such a long time some Greys get desperate enough to settle for less and hope that over time their wolves will bond. What they don’t know, because they don’t remember what our ancestors have taught, is there is only one mate for each. Only one,” his father emphasized.

“Is Sorin going to need me to pick him up?” Fane asked.

“No, he is going to rent a car for the duration of his stay,” his father answered. “I will keep you updated as I learn things. You lay low, Fane. I don’t want my only son and the future Alpha of this Pack killed.” His father used his Alpha voice. It demanded obedience and could not be defied.

“Yes, Alpha,” Fane replied, recognizing that in that moment he was not speaking as son to father, but Pack to Alpha.

Fane hung up the phone and lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He decided to wait a couple more days before he confronted Lilly and Jacquelyn, but he was going to have to convince Lilly to tell her daughter. He would obey his father and not tell Jacquelyn before then.

Because he needed her touch, even if only mind to mind, Fane reached out to his Luna. “Are you awake, meu inimă?” He patiently waited for her response.

“Well, I am now. Is it customary in Romania to wake people at the crack of dawn?” she replied grumpily.

“It is not the crack of dawn, Luna. It is already ten thirty,” Fane told her.

“Oh, my bad. It’s moved up to still-too-freaking early,” Jacquelyn responded.

Fane chuckled at her grumpiness and found it rather endearing.

“So I take it you are not a morning person?” he asked her.

“I’m not a person until after noon, so make a note to yourself to keep your thoughts out of mine til then.”

“Duly noted. I will not seek you out until one minute after twelve,” Fane said jokingly.

“Aren’t you just so clever?” she retorted.

Fane wondered what she looked like in the morning, hair all a mess, rumpled clothes. He imagined she was adorable.

“I would rather you not see me first thing out of bed, nor imagine what I look like. I assure you, ‘adorable’ would not be the description you choose,” Jacquelyn told him.

“I believe how I see you is not really up to you, my Luna,” Fane said gently.

“What exactly does loona mean?” she asked him.

“I will tell you soon but not today. Rest assured it is a high honor to be called that,” Fane said. “I was planning on picking you up at five thirty. Is that too early?” he asked her. He hoped not because Fane would actually go pick her up now if he could. He so desperately wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. He wanted her to know him and he hoped that she liked what she learned. He wanted to be worthy of her because she brought him balance and control and love. Fane was careful not to let those thoughts be open to her.