Fane walked up to her, towering over her short frame To her credit, after seeing him act like the animal he was, she didn’t take a single step back.

“You’re right, Luna. It’s time to talk, but your mom will start. Let’s go.”

With that, they were on his motorcycle headed back to Jacquelyn’s house.

Chapter 17

Jacque held on tight to Fane’s waist, laying her cheek against his back, taking in his warmth. She was nervous, but glad she was finally going to get some answers. That whole little scene at the park had freaked her out. She could not make sense of anything those guys had said to Fane, or vice versa.

The only reference she had of the term ‘Alpha’ had to do with dogs or wolves. And who were they to tell Fane he had to leave and what did they mean she already had a mate? The questions swirled around in her brain over and over again, yet she could find no explanation.

“Luna, are you ok?” Fane asked her, sounding worried.

She smiled, not able to help liking the fact that he worried about her. It felt good to be cared for, not that she wasn’t cared for by others, but it felt good coming from him.

“I guess I’m as good as can be expected. Don’t be alarmed if I freak out or have a melt down, it will pass,” she told him with only a small amount of teasing in her voice.

The truth was she was already on the verge of a panic attack. When those guys told Fane he had to leave, the mere idea of him gone actually caused her pain. How messed up is that?

Jacque closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. In and out, in and out. Whatever it is, whatever he tells you, you will not cower in a corner and shake like a frightened puppy, she told herself firmly. No, but I make no promises that I won’t pass out from shock. There is no shame in passing out, it’s simply the brain’s way of saying 'hold the stink up, I need to process this mess'. Jacque smiled at her monologue, wondering if other people talked to themselves like that. Probably not, but everyone’s got something, right?

Fane pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine. It seemed eerily quiet. Jacque climbed off his bike, taking the helmet off, and shook her hair out. She looked up to find Fane watching her.

“What?” she asked him.

To Jacque’s surprise, Fane actually blushed! He turned his head away from her and she saw the small smile that had appeared.

“Sorry, it’s just, um, well, you looked attractive shaking your hair out,” Fane stammered.

Jacque tried really hard not to laugh but was completely unsuccessful. She looked up at him and saw embarrassment in his eyes.

“Fane, you can’t possibly be embarrassed by thinking I’m hot. I practically drool all over you every time I see you. I should be the one embarrassed,” she confessed to him.

“Are you?” Fane asked.

“I guess maybe I should be, but throw me a bone, you are freaking hot. I can’t change that so I’m embracing it.”

Fane chuckled and told her, “You amaze me, Luna. Truly you do.”

It was Jacque’s turn to blush. “Thanks,” was all she could think to say.

Fane took Jacque’s hand as they were walking to the front door. She felt warmth spread up her arm and throughout her body just from holding it. When Jacque opened the door, she saw the man that had been the driver of the limo Fane arrived in just three nights ago, standing in her living room. Jacque froze, not really sure what to do.

Fane stepped around her and went to the man and embraced him just like they had done on the night he arrived. Okay, Jacque thought, I’m fixing to have a two-year-old moment.

“MOM!” Jacque yelled, “WHO IN KING ARTHUR’S NAME IS THIS MAN IN OUR HOUSE, WHAT THE CRAP DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU AREN’T TELLING ME, AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS THAT KEEP US SANE WHAT HELL IS GOING ON!”

In the kitchen Lilly Pierce closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It’s time, she thought to herself. She'd hoped this day would never come, that Jacque would grow up and have a normal life, never affected by her father’s blood. Apparently that had been too much to hope for.

Lilly stepped into the living room. “I guess it’s time for me to tell you the truth about your father,” she told her daughter.

“Why have you waited this long to say something? Were you ever going to tell me?” Jacque asked, the hurt evident in her voice.

Lilly sat down on the couch, hands folded in her lap, eyes focused on the floor. “Actually, no. I wasn’t planning on telling you as long as it never affected you. I figured there was no reason to add confusion to the pain of your father leaving.”

“Did you ever think that it wasn’t your choice to make?!” Jacque was yelling now, she was so upset and yet knew that her anger was disproportionate to the situation.

“Jacquelyn, calm yourself. She was just trying to protect you, not hide things from you,” Jacque heard Fane’s soft, comforting voice tell her. Unfortunately, it just fueled her fire.

Jacque turned on him. “Do not tell me to calm down! Everyone in this room seems to know something about my life that I don’t and frankly that just ticks me off a teeny, tiny bit, so back off!”

Fane held his hands up in surrender and took a seat across from Lilly on the loveseat. Sorin sat in the ugly winged back chair, leaving Jacque the only one standing.

She wasn’t ready to sit down so she started pacing around the room.

“I understand why you're angry and that you're hurt, but I need you to hear me out before judging me,” Lilly told her.

Jacque stopped and tried to wipe away the tears that were running freely down her cheeks. She turned to look at her mom and simply nodded her head. Her mom patted the couch for her to sit on, but Jacque took one look at Fane and knew she needed to sit by him.

“I’m sorry, love, it’s just that I see you hurting and all I want to do is comfort you. It’s MY job to comfort you. Please bear with me a little longer. Sit by me, calm the animal inside please.” Fane’s thought was so emotional that Jacque found herself walking over to the love seat and sitting next to him.

Jacque’s mom looked a little shocked, but as quick as it appeared it was gone.

“Jacque,” her mom began, “there is no easy way to explain this. There is no way that I can say it that sounds sane, so I’m just going to lay it out there, okay?”

“If you knew what my life has been like the past few days you wouldn’t even have to lead off with that. So as Jen and I like to say, slap me with it,” Jacque told her.