[English] PRINCE OF WOLVES

Prince of Wolves
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Jacquelyn’s eyebrows rose in apprehension. “That bad, huh?” she asked him.

In response, Fane simply took her hand and pulled her up from the couch. He turned to Lilly and Sorin and told them, “I think the rest of this conversation needs to be between me and my mate.”

“I can understand that,” Lilly responded.

Sorin simply nodded his understanding.

Fane looked at Jacquelyn and said, “Lead the way, Luna.”

Chapter 19

Jacque continued to hold Fane’s hand as she led him up the stairs to her bedroom. Before they reached the top of the stairs she heard her mom yell, “Jacque, leave your door open, please. Mated or not, you are still living under my rules.”

Jacque laughed, so thankful for something that made her feel like she was just a girl with a boy, hanging out. Not a Canis lupus, not a mate, just teenagers.

“You got it, mom,” Jacque hollered back.

Fane could feel her relief and it made him sad that he was causing her life to change so drastically from what she had ever known. He wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to feel safe, cared for, and loved by him.

As they entered her room, Jacque let go of Fane’s hand and stepped away, putting some distance between them. She needed space, she was beginning to feel just a tad claustrophobic.

“You can sit in that chair or the window seat,” she said, indicating both places.

Jacque suddenly felt very nervous, being in her room alone with him felt so intimate, yet she couldn’t deny that she was very relieved that whatever he had to tell her was not going to be broadcasted to everyone downstairs.

“So, what is this other thing that marks the female as a mate? I’m assuming it has to do with the blood rites?” she asked him.

“You are correct, it is about the blood rites. The reason I wanted to speak with you alone is because it is the only part of the ceremony that is private,” Fane explained.

“Whoa whoa whoa, back up. I thought you said there was no taking it lightly stuff happening in this ceremony,” Jacque said a little frantically.

“Luna, I’m going to lay this out plainly for you. There will be no lies, half-truths, or bush beating,” Fane told her firmly.

Jacque tried, she really did, but she couldn’t contain the laughter.

“Meu inim?, would you please share with me what you find so funny?” Fane asked her patiently.

“It’s called beating around the bush, oh prince of wolves, not bush beating,” she informed him, still giggling despite her efforts not to.

“Oh, well, my mistake. There will be no beating around the bush any longer. We are going to call it what it is, so if you turn a lovely shade of red I will try hard not to find it adorable.”

“Fine, spit it out already,” Jacque answered, irritated by his little sermon

She planted herself on her bed, legs Indian-style, back straight, her hands folded in her lap. She was trying desperately to not be anxious but she was quite unsuccessful. Finally, Fane began to explain the blood rites, and he was right, what he told her made her blush so badly that she felt its heat.

“What I told you is true about the bonding ceremony. We do not have to consummate or make love, whichever you prefer to call it, in order to be fully mated. We do, however, have to exchange blood.”

Jacque cringed at that. “That’s really gross. You do realize that, don’t you? I mean, surely that can’t be good for a person.”

Fane gave her an “I’m not finished” look, and she abruptly stopped talking.

“There is no eloquent way to put this, it just is what it is. I will mark you and take your blood by biting you,” Fane paused, waiting for her reaction. She did not disappoint.

“YOU ARE GOING TO WHAT ME?” Jacque yelled, completely caught off guard by his revelation. I mean, she thought to herself, when he said exchange blood I was thinking finger prick, a little embarrassment because I’d have *****ck on his finger and vice versa, but biting me? That's in a whole 'nother category of embarrassment.

Fane walked over to her bed and knelt down in front of her. He placed his hands over hers and she instantly felt reassurance flow through her. She closed her eyes and let herself soak it up, embracing the comfort he was providing.

When she opened her eyes she was staring into glowing, crystal blue eyes. “How did you do that?” she asked him.

“For wolves, touch is a very powerful thing. It provides comfort and reassurance for them, and like other things, it is even more potent between mates. You needed my comfort and I could do nothing else than provide for you. When you need something, it calls to me. I can feel it, my wolf can feel it, and we are obligated to do what we can.”

Jacque tried not to think about that, but call her crazy – which at this point she was bound to be – she could just picture herself craving a Snickers ice cream bar in the middle of the night while a raging thunderstorm wreaked havoc. Here came Fane knocking on her window, soaking wet, with a Snickers in hand. That could be kinda handy.

Fane caught all of her little daydream and chuckled at her. “You really think the oddest things. You know that, right?”

“Let’s stay on track, wolf-boy. Bite me where exactly? Since this has to be done in private, I’m a little leery of the answer,” she told him.

“Relax, Luna. I’m not going to bite you anywhere that you might one day like,” Fane said.

Jacque knew he was just trying to get a reaction out of her and, much to her chagrin, it worked like a charm.

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“You just stop that thought right there. There will be no discussing of the future likes and dislikes of our maybe one day physical relationship, got it?” Jacque told him with finality.

“I will humor you for now,” Fane told her with a grin. “Moving along, love, I will bite you on your neck. Rest assured, Luna, I am a werewolf but at least I’m not a vampire. My bite will not last so long as to drain you of your blood, only long enough to take enough blood to swallow and leave my mark on you.”

Jacque was quiet for a moment. She took a deep breath, then said, “I’m not even going to ask about the vampire comment. I’m just gonna let that one slide by without so much as a wave or glance. What I will give my attention to is this whole leaving a mark on me bit. I get that when you bite me you'll get blood in your mouth and yada yada, but how are you going to leave a mark on me?” Jacque asked him with surprising composure.

“I’m not really sure how I leave a mark on you. I think it’s just a part of the whole supernatural part of bonding. The mark I will leave is the visual symbol that you are mated,” he explained. “The final warning to other males that you have been bonded is smell.”

“I’m going to smell? Please tell me I’m not going to stink, ‘cause I don’t do stinky, okay?” Jacque implored him.

“No, Luna, you are not going to stink. To other Canis lupus you will smell like me because you have taken my blood, and I will smell like you when I have taken your blood. Once we have consummated our mating, the smells will intensify greatly,” Fane explained.

“You just had to throw that last curve ball in there, didn’t you? Well, don’t get your hopes up ‘cause I’m not going to swing at it,” Jacque told him haughtily.

“So this whole biting thing is done in private. Why?” she asked.

“Would you like me to bite you on the neck in front of your mom?”

“Point to you. You’re right, there is no way that mouth of yours is coming near my neck in front of anyone, not my mom and especially not your parents,” Jacque said.

Oh crap, she thought, I have to meet his parents. She felt panicky at that thought yet she didn’t know why. She hadn’t been nervous when she'd met Trent’s parents. She heard Fane growl as he caught the thought of Trent in her mind.

“Oh shut up already, you over possessive, royal, Romanian pain in the backside. It’s not like I’m thinking about him biting my neck,” Jacque said sarcastically.

Fane stood up and sat next to her on the bed. He leaned closer and swept her hair away from her neck, revealing the markings on her shoulders and neck. Fane traced the marks and let out a low growl. Jacque shivered at his touch and found that she couldn’t quite keep her breathing even. Actually, she felt like she might pass out at any moment. What came next almost sealed her fate.

Fane leaned even closer and whispered in her ear, “I would hope you were not thinking of him biting your neck. I assure you that once I do you will never have need to think of another again.” And then he gently placed his lips on her neck. Jacque didn’t even try *****ppress the small moan that came out of her tightly closed lips. But naturally, Fane could not leave well enough alone. After he kissed her neck, he pulled his lips away playfully and gently nipped her.

Jacque jumped and turned to look at him breathlessly, putting her hands up as if to ward him off. “I, um...” She shook her head and rubbed her face with both hands as she struggled to get her thoughts and words to cooperate with her mouth. “Now I understand why that part is done in private. Thank you for demonstrating.”

Fane grinned at her wickedly. “I could demonstrate again. It is proven that people are most likely to remember things when done three times.”

“Nice try, Don Juan, but people remember things they are told three times, not things they do,” she countered.

“We could test out the theory to see if it applies to actions as well. I’m all for scientific study,” Fane teased.

“Well, you’re out of luck because I suck at science and therefore do not enjoy it,” she said matter of factly.

Fane leaned forward again and this time Jacque leaned back, but this didn't deter him, he just grinned and leaned closer.

“So you mean to tell me, my micul incendiu (little fire), you did not enjoy my demonstration? If you did not, then I did not do it correctly and I would feel obligated to try again.”

Closing her eyes, Jacque immediately thought of a wall shielding her mind and then she came up with plan. Evasion is not working, time to move on to plan B. If you can’t beat’em, join’em. Let me just see if I can give him a taste his own medicine and just maybe it will throw him off his game and then I can retreat. You know what Jen would call you right? she asked herself. Yeah, yeah. I’m a chicken s_ _ t, so be it.

Her plan of attack decided, Jacque stopped leaning back and instead leaned forward. This did indeed confuse him and make him back up a tad. Encouraged by the little victory, she got a little bolder and scooted her body closer to his. Fane’s brow furrowed and she could tell he was wondering what was going on, but he did not move, just sat very still. Jacque decided the angle she was currently in was all wrong for her scheme so she got up on her knees and scooted around until she was directly behind him. She was sitting on her legs with her feet behind her. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned close until her mouth was right beside his ear.

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Fane shuddered and that made her grin. Take that you little seducing hound, she thought to herself. She let her breath flow over his ear as she told him. “How do you like them apples, wolf-boy?”

Fane scooted forward to get away from her mouth and she could see the rise and fall of his back – he was breathing quickly. She found herself rather intrigued by his behavior. She could not think of a time that Trent had responded to her like that…Oops. She'd let her wall down during that thought.

Fane stood up so abruptly that Jacque fell forward and had to catch herself to keep from falling on her face. She looked up and saw Fane pacing her room quickly, in obvious agitation.

“Fane, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hear that. I wasn’t trying to think about the physical part of my relationship with Trent, I was merely comparing your reactions…” Jacque tried to explain, hoping to calm the wolf currently wearing a hole in her carpet.

“Jacquelyn, you are not helping,” he told her with a growl. “I realize you do not understand the intensity of my feelings for you, but I cannot change my nature. In the wild, wolves mate for life, and a male wolf will kill any who tries to take his mate. It is the same with my species. I realize this Trent,” Fane said his name in obvious repugnance, “was a part of your life and you can’t change that. It’s not that I dislike him as a person, it’s just that I am jealous of the obvious affection you felt and still feel for him. I don’t like the fact that you were intimate with him, when that is my right alone.” Fane closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths, pressing his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

When he looked up at Jacque, she could see the struggle going on inside him. He wanted to honor her and give her the space she needed because she had not grown up with his kind, he could not expect her to just accept his ways without compromise. But his wolf did not see things in such muted colors. He thought in absolutes. Jacque was his mate, she belongs with him and no other, her thoughts should be for him alone, and she should give herself to him completely just as he was giving himself to her completely.

Jacque got up off the bed and walked to him. This time she was not trying to beat him at his own game, she was not trying to seduce him, she only wanted to reassure him. In that moment, she realized she wanted to be his and she desperately wanted him to be hers and no other’s.

She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. Fane answered her unspoken thought. “I am only yours, my Luna. I was yours from my first breath and will be until my last.”

Jacque closed her eyes as tears ran slowly down her cheeks. She pulled him closer to her as his hands rubbed her back and he kissed the top of her head. When she pulled back to look up at him, he gently held her face. Then he did the sweetest thing Jacque had ever experienced.

Fane kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, and her nose; he kissed her chin and when she thought she couldn’t wait any longer, he kissed her lips. It was soft and slow and sweet. Jacque let out a soft moan and that made Fane growl. He increased the pressure of his lips on hers and the kiss became much more passionate.

Finally, Fane pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. To Jacque’s relief he was just as breathless as she, and it took him a moment to compose himself.

“I think it’s time for me to say good night, love, or my good intentions of keeping your virtue pure until we are bonded might take a backseat to my hormones,” he said honestly, completely unashamed at his obvious desire for her.

Jacque smiled at him. She didn’t want him to go. She didn’t want to be separated from him for even a minute, but she knew her mom would never let Fane spend the night, no matter if he was her mate or not.

“Sorin is staying here to protect you and your mom. If at any point you feel unsafe, call to me. I realize your mom is not completely comfortable about you and I being mated, but I need you to understand, your safety comes first and I will not leave you unprotected just to appease your mom. Do you understand this?” Fane asked her earnestly.

Jacque knew her mom would want her safe even if that meant Fane being at their house everyday, and that idea suited her just fine.

“Are you always this bossy?” Jacque asked him, ignoring his question.

“When it comes to your safety, yes, I retain the right to be bossy,” Fane told her. He hugged her close one more time, then let her go. Jacque immediately felt lonely without his touch. It shocked her because she felt close to tears. Good grief, Jacque, she thought to herself. Get a grip, he’s just going across the street.

“That is part of the bond, love. It is hard for mates to be apart for very long and not share their thoughts. A mate’s soul is not complete without the other and mates need that closeness, they crave it,” he explained to her.

“So what am I supposed to do while we are apart? I mean good grief, Fane, you haven’t left yet and I’m sad over the mere idea of you gone,” she told him desperately.

Fane placed his hand on her neck, on the very spot his lips had been earlier. “I will come to you the instant you ask for me. If I have to sleep on the floor right outside your door, I will do it if that’s what you need.” Then Fane said the one thing Jacque did not expect to hear.

“I love you, my Luna. I was made to love, protect, and provide for you. Never hesitate to tell me or ask me for what you need.”

Jacque stood up on her toes and kissed Fane firmly on the lips. She pulled away quickly and said, “You better go now, before I beg you to stay.” She turned him toward her bedroom door and pushed him out.

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She didn’t want to watch him walk away from her, as silly as that might be. Instead of using words, she sent him a picture from her mind. It was of him holding her close. She was tilting her head to the side like wolves do to show submission, like a female would do for her mate to fulfill the blood rites. She had absolutely no idea where the thought came from, maybe it was her subconscious letting him know she would submit to the blood rites ceremony. That’s news to me, she told herself.

In her mind she heard Fane growl in response and all he said was, “Soon, my love. Very, very soon.”

Jacque shivered at his words. “Oh goody,” she responded sarcastically.

Hey, what else would he expect from her? Sarcasm was her specialty.

Jacque went to her window and sat in the seat, staring out at the street. She was waiting for Fane to leave her house, so she could watch him walk across the street. Yep, she had it bad. She saw Sorin step out and then Fane. Sorin hugged Fane again. Man, they really are a touchy bunch, aren’t they, she thought. They talked for a few minutes. When they finally parted, Sorin positioned himself directly in front of Fane, put his hand over his heart, bowed slightly, and turned his head to expose his neck. The only response from Fane to acknowledge Sorin’s obvious submission was a curt nod. Then Sorin turned and walked back into Jacque’s house.

Before Fane turned away to walk back to the Henrys' house, he looked up at her window. At first Jacque wanted to duck away, embarrassed at being caught watching him…again. Then she figured, What the hey, how often do I get to hanker after hot Romanians?

“I would hope you don’t hanker after any other. Romanian, hot, or otherwise.… Luna, what does that even mean?” Fane sent her his thoughts.

“You’re really going to have to invest in a good dictionary and thesaurus. You know that, right?” Jacque responded.

She watched as he blew her a kiss and couldn’t help thinking how much she would rather have her lips on the receiving end of that kiss instead of his hand. She felt her neck tingle at the thought of his lips, and was telling herself to get a grip when she realized Fane hadn’t told her something. Jacque jerked her window up and leaned out.

“Fane, you conveniently forgot to tell me how I take your blood,” Jacque told him.

“I didn’t forget, I thought that would be obvious, love,” Fane told her. “You get to bite me back.” Fane winked at her, grinned, then turned to walk back to the Henrys'.

“If you don’t want to bite him, I will.”

Jacque turned to see Sally and Jen standing in her doorway. Sally lifted her right hand, which held a coffee mug. “Hot chocolate?” she asked.

“You better believe it,” was all Jacque said.

Chapter 20

Fane was smiling to himself as he walked across the street toward the Henrys' house. He hadn’t forgotten to tell Jacquelyn that she would have to bite him, he had just been waiting for the right moment. He was quickly learning that his Luna was unpredictable. He didn’t know if she would be happy about getting revenge over him biting her, or if the idea of having to bite him hard enough to draw blood would be the shove that pushed her over the edge. To his relief, she didn’t freak out…yet. She simply looked confused. He figured it would sink in in a little while and she would contact him later tonight.

Fane made it into the kitchen and then halfway up the stairs before he ran into Brian. “How was the date?” Brian asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“It was good. Jacquelyn is a wonderful girl,” Fane answered.

“So you gonna take her out again?”

“I hope so. I didn’t ask her tonight. I didn’t want to come across as obsessive or anything,” Fane told him and chuckled to himself. He knew he was beyond obsessed but, then again, she wasn’t just a girl he liked, she wasn’t just a crush, so honestly he was being pretty reasonable about the whole situation. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Fane thought.

“Oh, you had a phone call while you were out,” Brian told him.

“A phone call? Was it from my parents?” Fane asked.

“No, it was from Steven, the salesman from the dealership. He asked that you call him back tonight, that it was very important. I wrote his number down and taped it do your door.”

“Ok, thank you,” Fane replied absentmindedly as he continued on up the stairs.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Brian called to him.

“Yeah, see you,” was all Fane said.

When Fane made it to his bedroom, he saw the note Brian had taped to the door. He pulled it off and pushed the door open, closing it behind him.

For a moment he just stared at the piece of paper, not really sure if he should call his Alpha first. He decided he should call Steve first – then he could tell his father about everything.

He picked up the phone and dialed the number Brian had written on the paper. He listened to it ring four times before someone finally answered.

“Hello,” the voice said.

“I’m calling to speak with Steve, please,” Fane said politely.

“Hold please,” Fane was told. Fane waited for several minutes before another voice came on the line. He was trying hard not to think about all the scenarios that could play out under the circumstances, and unfortunately each was no better than the other.

“Is this the pup from Romania?” a deep voice asked.

“If by pup you mean the Romanian Prince of the Canis lupus, then you are correct,” Fane responded already wanting to growl. “To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” Fane asked.

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“My name is Lucas Steele. I am the Alpha of the Coldspring pack. I’m calling to find out why you're still in my territory, as you have not been sanctioned to be here. Not only that, but why are staying across the street from the female I have claimed as my own?” Lucas asked, his voice becoming a growl.

Fane’s eyes began to glow; he felt his canines lengthen and had to close his eyes to gain composure. This mutt had dared to claim Jacquelyn as his. If he came near his mate he would rip his throat out. Once he was calm and able to speak he responded. “There is no record of your pack. Therefore, I do not have to seek permission to be here. As for the female you are referring to, unless you can prove that she is indeed your mate, you have no claim on her.”

Fane heard a low growl on the other end of the phone. He waited for Lucas to respond and for a moment thought that the other wolf was no longer there. Then he heard him speak. “Are you trying to say that you can prove she is your mate?” Lucas asked.

“Da (yes),” was all Fane said in response.

Then he heard Lucas say the very thing Fane had been hoping to avoid.

“Then I challenge you for the bonding ceremony. You know how this works, correct? Even if you do, let me refresh your memory. Whether or not she does carry your marks, she is not bonded to you, and I have the right to challenge you for the bonding ceremony. If I win, this of course means you die, and I will take the female as mate. If you win, well, the outcome is obvious,” Lucas explained.

Fane took a deep breath. His Alpha was going to be livid. Jacquelyn was going to be even angrier when she found out she had to go to Romania. This really was not how Fane had expected to start his senior year in high school. Fane had to buy himself some time in order to get Jacquelyn and her mother out of the country, which meant she would have to go without him. He didn’t like that idea, but he would do whatever he could to keep her safe.

“I can do nothing else but accept. However, I have the right to request my Alpha be present at the challenge to ensure a fair fight, and because he is in Romania, it will take two days for him to get here.”

“I know the rules. You may call your Alpha to come and witness. However, during those two days Jacquelyn,” Lucas paused when he heard Fane snap his teeth together and growl, “will be under house arrest, just in case you were planning on trying to smuggle her out while we're waiting for your Alpha. I will have two guards at her house and you will not be permitted to see her during this time.”

Fane was quickly losing control of his composure, and Lucas Steele finally pushed him over the edge when he told Fane he would be stopping by Jacquelyn’s house the next day to tell her his intentions. Fane’s nails began to sharpen and grow, his face was beginning to lose its human shape as the wolf tried to push himself out. His mate was in danger, another male was attempting to take her from him, and he wanted blood.

“Fane, are you alright? What’s wrong? Something’s wrong so don’t try to tell me it’s not ‘cause I will kick your butt if you lie to me after that whole ‘there will be no half truths and lies and blah blah blah,’ so spit it out.” Fane heard Jacquelyn in his thoughts and it calmed the wolf immediately. Fane realized in that moment how precious having a mate was, for only she could tame his wolf.

“I will not tell you that nothing is wrong, Luna, but I cannot tell you what it is at this moment. Please trust me. Give me a few minutes and I will explain,” Fane told her honestly. He knew he was going to have to tell her, especially since this Lucas Steele was going to be coming to her house. At least Sorin was there and would protect her with his life – she was to be his queen one day, she was to be valued above his life.

“Fine, five minutes. Then I want you at my front door to talk to me face to face,” Jacquelyn demanded.

“I will be there,” Fane answered.

Fane hadn’t realized that Lucas was asking him a question since he'd been distracted by his mate’s thoughts.

“Do you understand the terms that I have laid out for you regarding the challenge?”

“I do,” was all Fane said.

“Then I expect to receive a phone call the minute your Alpha is here. My wolves will be at her house in one hour. You have until then to see her. I would advise you to not let my wolves catch you touching her. As you know, while the challenge stands you cannot attempt to bond with her or you forfeit.” The line went dead.

Fane paced around his room, pulling the wolf back. His nails returned to their normal length, his canines receded, and when he looked in the mirror he saw that, although his face had gone back to normal, his eyes still glowed ice-blue. Well, he thought to himself, I think that’s the best I can do. He felt his wolf stir as if to tell him he was lucky that was all that was left of the phase.

Fane had never felt his wolf that angry before. He and his wolf were in agreement that the idea of this other Alpha anywhere near their mate was infuriating. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage not going over there and tearing Lucas Steele in two. He looked at the clock and realized it had been four minutes since he had heard from Jacquelyn and because he wouldn’t put it beyond her to march across the street if he didn’t show up, he decided he’d better get over there.

For the sake of expediency and to keep from bothering Brian and Sara, Fane decided to take the window. Two stories might have been a challenge for a human but for a Grey, jumping was second nature. He leaped to the ground, then set off at a jog across the street to Jacquelyn’s.

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When he got there, she was already standing on the porch with a robe wrapped around her, foot tapping, and a look that would make even an Alpha Grey stop in his tracks. She was adorable.

“What the hell was that? Do you make it a habit to jump out of two story structures? Were you thinking, ‘hey the front door is such a typical way to leave a place why not mix it up a bit and fall out of the window instead’?” Jacquelyn fumed.

“Relax, Luna. I didn’t fall, I jumped. Jumping is second nature to me and I chose to do it because I didn’t want to bother Brian or Sara. How are you?”

“How do you think I am?” she asked sarcastically. “Here I am sitting, drinking my hot chocolate, explaining to my two best friends that I have to bite some guy, you know the usual, and BAM.” Jacquelyn clapped her hands together to emphasize her words. “I’m nearly knocked over by a wave of emotion or something,” she finished, sounding less aggressive and wearier than she had when she started.

Fane took her hand in his, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently. He felt her shudder in response. He hated that he was causing her distress and hated knowing it was about to get worse. He looked at his watch and realized he only had forty five minutes before Lucas’ wolves arrived.

“I need you to get your mom, love. I will get Sorin,” Fane told her.

“Why? What’s wrong, Fane?” Jacquelyn asked, obvious concern all over her face.

“Let’s get inside and get everyone gathered and I will explain. Bring Jen and Sally also, please,” Fane said as he led her in the house.

“Sorin is in the room down the hall from the kitchen,” Jacquelyn told him.

Fane liked that there was distance between the other wolf and his mate, but the logical part of his brain worried that it was too far for him to be able to protect her effectively.

Fane headed toward Sorin’s room as Jacquelyn headed toward the stairs to get her friends and mother.

Before Fane could even turn the corner to go down the hall toward Sorin’s room, his guard was already there. Sorin exposed his neck in submission to his Prince and asked, “Have you called your father yet?”

“Not yet. I want to talk to Jacquelyn and her mother first and let them know what is going on. The wolf claiming to be Alpha of this territory is sending Greys over here to watch Jacquelyn’s house. I don’t think he is aware that you are here, and we need to keep it that way,” Fane told him.

Fane and Sorin made their way back to the living room and saw that all four ladies were seated on the couch together. Fane wanted to have Jacquelyn sit by him but relinquished the idea, knowing she needed to be close to the people she trusted most.

“I trust you, Fane.” Fane heard Jacquelyn’s thought in his mind. She stood up and came to him. He took her hand and led her to the loveseat where they sat down together. That small act made Fane’s heart swell with love for his mate.

Lilly looked a little sad when she saw her daughter sitting next to Fane, but she quickly shook it off. “Fane, tell us please,” was all Lilly said.

“There is a pack of Greys here in Coldspring and the Alpha, Lucas Steele, has contacted me. He is claiming Jacquelyn as his mate.” Fane couldn’t help the growl that came out as he said this last part.

“The hell I am!” Jacquelyn yelled, abruptly standing. “I don’t even know this crack pot…” She looked at her mom. “Do I?” she asked, sounding less confident.

“No, Jacque,” Lilly answered. “I don’t know him either. Fane, have you seen him?”

“No, I have not met him in person.” Fane turned to Jacquelyn. “You will know him soon enough, meu inim?. He is planning on coming here tomorrow to tell you himself.”

“Just who the hell does this guy think he is? He can’t just march his furry butt up to Jacque's house and if he thinks he can, he has obviously underestimated my ability to go all kung fu on his hide,” Jen ranted.

Fane smiled at her, appreciating her loyalty to his mate.

“Will you be with me?” Jacquelyn asked him, sounding like she already knew the answer.

“No, love, I will not be able to. Lucas has challenged me for bonding ceremony, so I cannot be with you until after the fight. He is allowed to see you one time to let you know of his intentions, and then he is not allowed to see you either,” Fane explained to his mate.

“What do you mean he challenged you for bonding ceremony? What fight?” Jacquelyn asked incredulously.

Fane took her hand and pulled her down next to him. “Because we are not bonded, any male has the right to challenge me to be your mate, even if he is not your true mate. I have no choice but to accept the challenge. What that means, Jacquelyn, is that Lucas and I will fight in our wolf forms. The one left standing will be your mate.”

“When you say, ‘the one left standing,’ you’re saying the one left alive, aren’t you?” she asked him.

“Yes, love. The fight is to the death,” he answered.

Jacquelyn sat quietly for a few moments. Her head was down so he couldn't see her eyes.

“Are you alright?” Fane asked as he placed a hand under her chin and pulled her face up to look at him.

“No, Fane. I am most definitely not alright. I’m freaking out at the moment, if you must know. The idea of bonding or whatever with you was crazy. The idea of bonding with a total stranger, a stranger that happens to be a werewolf, mind you, is beyond my ability to be reasonable about,” Jacquelyn told him.

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“I second that motion,” Sally said.

“I third it,” Jen put in.

“You can’t third something you dork, you just say 'aye' to show you are in agreement,” Sally informed her.

Jen just stuck her tongue out at Sally and ignored her comment.

“You aren’t going to be bonding with anyone but me!” he growled.

“Yeah, yeah, beat your chest if you need to while you’re at it, Tarzan,” Jacquelyn said sarcastically.

“I’ve requested my Alpha be present at the fight. It will take two days for him to arrive. I was going to try and have Sorin smuggle you and your mom out of the country, but Lucas suspected as much and is putting your house under watch by his wolves. However, he is not aware that Sorin is staying here, so that is to our benefit. Should I lose…”

“You will NOT lose!” Jacquelyn said firmly.

Fane continued as if she had not spoken. “Sorin will get you and your mom to safety. You must promise me, Luna, that you will go with him and let my Pack keep you safe.”

“I will make no such promise because nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, is going to happen to you. If you get as much as a scratch on your handsome face I’m going to kick your werewolf a-” before Jacquelyn could finish Fane had his mouth on hers, kissing her firmly.

“Finally, I get some action!” Jen exclaimed.

When Fane finally pulled back from Jacquelyn, she looked a little dazed. She quickly recovered, however. “You just kissed me,” she said, her words full of confusion.

“I did, love,” Fane responded with a sly grin.

“In front of my mom!” Jacquelyn said, clearly embarrassed.

“And Sorin and your friends as well,” Fane pointed out, sounding smug.

“Don’t be a smart ass,” Jacquelyn told him.

Fane stood up and, looking at his watch, realized he only had ten minutes left with his mate. It infuriated him that he had to obey the rules of the challenge, but if he didn't he could wind up having to forfeit and lose her. The thought made his heart hurt. He pulled her up off the loveseat to him, and again not caring of their audience, kissed her like it might be their last. He held her face tenderly in his hands and tried to memorize her features, how soft her skin was. He pulled back abruptly and turned away, overwhelmed with such strong emotions he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to crush something; he wanted blood, the blood of the one who dared to take his mate. He was breathing hard and his eyes were glowing when Jacquelyn spoke.

“You kissed me again!” she said, stomping her foot like a child. “Is PDA a big thing with your pack, ‘cause that could be a problem,” she continued, but stopped as soon as Fane turned to face her.

Chapter 21

Jacque’s breath caught when Fane turned towards her and she saw his eyes glowing, like when you see an animal at night and light hits their eyes. They looked just like that. Freaky, she thought.

Jacque realized, once she got over the shock of his eyes, that Fane was on the verge of losing control. She wasn't sure what might happen if he didn’t regain control, and she could tell he was fighting for it as hard as he could. She didn’t know what to do or how could she help him.

Jacque was too busy staring at Fane to realize that Jen had walked beside her. “He needs you to tame the beast that is roaring inside him. Go to him,” Jen whispered and pushed Jacque towards Fane.

Jacque looked at Jen and then at Sally. She couldn’t believe something so profound had come out of Jen’s mouth.

Sally shrugged. “Who knew?” she said, answering Jacque’s unspoken question.

Jacque turned her attention back to Fane as she walked to him. She was close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. She reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. His eyes closed and he leaned into her hand like a dog begging to be petted. Jacque found herself smiling, but then felt his anger, fear, and jealousy flow through her. Fane’s eyes snapped open and he stared unblinkingly into her eyes.

“I have not meant to scare you. I would say that my wolf is the one out of control, but that would be a lie. The man is just as out of control as the wolf right now and that makes me very dangerous,” Fane shared his thoughts with her.

“You would never hurt me,” Jacque told him in complete confidence.

“No, it is impossible for a Grey to harm his mate. Others, however, innocent or not, cannot have that promise. I have to go, Jacquelyn. Lucas’ wolves will be here any minute, and in the state I am in I cannot guarantee I will be civilized with them,” Fane told her.

Jacque was shaking her head before he even finished speaking. “I don’t want you to go,” she whispered.

Fane pulled her to the side and turned so that his back was facing the others and she was shielded from their sight. He moved her hair away from her neck and kissed her in the same spot he had before, the spot where he would leave his mark. It better be his mark, Jacque thought.

“I love you, Luna.”

“What does Luna mean?” she asked him.

“I will tell you soon, but now is not the time. I must go before the other wolves get here.” He held her a moment more, then stepped away.

Jacque snatched his hand before he could get much further and pulled him to her. She looked him in the eyes, still seeing the wolf glowing there.

“I love you, but if you let this Alpha take me as his mate, I will die just so I can come kick your royal Romanian butt. Got it?”

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“Say it again,” Fane told her.

“Say that I'll kick your royal Romanian butt?” Jacque started.

“No, love. Say the first part,” Fane said adoringly.

It dawned on Jacque what he was talking about and it made her smile. She leaned in close to him and whispered, “I love you.”

“Thank you,” Fane said so softly she almost missed it. He kissed her on the forehead and turned back to the others. He looked at Sorin, who stepped forward and bared his neck again.

“You will protect her with your life or you will forfeit it,” Fane told him in a voice Jacque had never heard him use.

Sorin sank down to his knees. It didn’t look like he had meant to, it was like someone forced him there. She heard a whine come from Sorin and then Fane walked to him and laid his hand on his head. He said something in Romanian and walked to the front door.

Jacque rushed to follow him as he opened it and walked out. Just as she stepped out, a car stopped in front of her house and two men got out. Jacque grabbed Fane’s arm, not in fear for herself but fear for him. Fane instinctively took her hand without thinking about the fact that Lucas had said he didn’t want his wolves to see Fane touching her.

As soon as he touched her the other wolves growled, baring their teeth, their eyes glowing. Jacque’s breathing increased and her hand tightened on Fane’s.

Fane turned to her. “You have to let go, love. They are growling because I’m touching you.”

“I don’t give a flying sack of crap that they don’t like you touching me. I will touch who I want, I will bond with who I want, and I will not have mangy mutts growling at me in my own yard!” Jacque was yelling, had let go of Fane's hand, and was stomping toward the other wolves.

Fane was so surprised by her that he'd barely reached her as she got in the face of one of the wolves. She had her finger in his face and was yelling every expletive known to man and some not known, for that matter. Jacque had never felt so angry. How dare this Lucas whoever try to tell her what to do, dictate who could touch her, or challenge her mate.

The wolf she was yelling at was leaning back as far as he could to keep from touching her. She was no longer aware of her surroundings, she had tunnel vision, and the only thing she could see was this wolf in front of her who'd dared come in her territory. She didn’t pause to think about the fact that she had just called her yard her territory, she filed that away for later.

Jacque felt something touch her arm. She saw the angry face of the werewolf in front of her and heard him growl ferociously. She turned to see who had touched her. It was Fane. He was saying her name and trying to pull her back from the other wolf. Jacque realized they had an audience since everyone in her house had now come outside.

Jen was marching down the walkway and right into the other wolf’s face. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You think I’m scared of you?” she asked sarcastically. “I’m your worst nightmare. Just remember, we all gotta sleep sometime. Hope you can sleep with one eye open,” she winked at him and turned to walk back to the house.

Jacque finally let Fane pull her back to the house, then he stepped away from her, and though she tried not to let it hurt her, she couldn’t stop the stab of rejection she felt.

“I’m not rejecting you, meu inim?. Please believe that. I’m trying to protect you,” Fane told her through his thoughts.

She looked at him and nodded her head in acknowledgment as she watched him turn toward the other wolves. He walked past them and when he made it to the street he turned and told them, “If either of you touches her I will kill you and use your pelt as a rug.” And he left.

Jacque watched him the entire way until the door to the Henrys' was closed. One of the wolves standing in her yard walked up and bared his neck to her.

“Do you think it wise to bare your throat to the one who would see it torn out?” Jacque asked, surprised by sounding so confident and in control despite the emptiness she felt without Fane by her side.

“I bare my throat in acknowledgment of my Alpha’s mate,” the wolf told her.

“Then you bare it in vain because I am NOT your Alpha’s mate. If he kills every wolf on this earth I will still not be his mate,” Jacque growled.

“Go inside, my Luna. I can feel how tired you are,” she heard Fane tell her.

“I am just fine, thank you very much. I will go inside, but not because you told me to. I’m just tired of standing out here with these butt heads,” Jacque responded.

She heard Fane laugh. She felt his joy and that made her smile, which made the wolf in front of her **** his head to the side like a dog. Jacque blew a breath out in exasperation and turned to go in the house. Before she could make it in the front door one of the wolves spoke. “Lucas said to tell you he will be here at nine am.” And that was it.

When Jacque walked in the living room, everyone was seated with a mug of what she presumed was hot chocolate. Jen grinned and winked. She saw Sorin sitting in the ugly chair and realized he had not been outside. What's up with that? she thought.

“Why did you not come out to defend your prince?” she asked him, sounding a little more accusatory than she meant to.

“The wolves do not know there is a Grey in the house. If I had gone out they would have scented me immediately. We do not want to provoke them any more than we need to until we are a little more matched in numbers,” Sorin explained to her patiently.

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“Oh, right. Got it,” Jacque said with a nod.

Despite what Jacque told Fane, she was very tired. She didn’t know what time it was, and frankly didn’t care. She just wanted to lie down and sleep. Sally and Jen must've picked up on that because they got up and took their mugs to the kitchen and came back to lead Jacque upstairs. Jacque hardly noticed them help her lie down and cover her with a blanket. She had scarcely laid her head down before she was asleep.

Jen and Sally sat on Jacque’s floor. They were worried about her.

“I know she’s tough, but I think this is really wearing her out,” Sally said.

“Well, duh!” Jen responded. “Wouldn’t it wear you out if you'd just met the man of your dreams? Then it turns out he’s a werewolf, then it turns out you’re his mate or whatever, then it turns out there’s this other pack of wolves with a psycho, werewolf leader who wants you as his mate, and then it turns out…” Jen paused. “You get the picture.”

“When you put it like that, it is a lot to take in,” Sally agreed.

Jacque woke up to the sound of Fane’s voice, and for a moment she thought he was in her room, but quickly realized he was talking to her in thought.

“Luna, wake up please,” Fane said.

“Haven’t we talked about this whole 'waking me up way too early could be hazardous to your health' thing?” Jacque teased him.

“I’m sorry to wake you, love, but I wanted to talk with you before Lucas arrives.”

“Uggggh! I was really hoping this was all a bad dream,” she moaned.“Well, not you. I mean the part about this Lucas dude and the challenge.”

“I’m sorry, Jacquelyn,” Fane told her sadly.

“Ah well, that’s how it goes. I’m too irresistible for my own good.” Jacque tried to lighten the mood.

“That you are, Luna,” Fane replied.

Jacque picked her phone up to look at the time and saw that it was eight thirty. Crap. She needed to get up and get dressed. What do you wear to talk to a crazy, Alpha werewolf? she thought to herself.

“As much clothing as possible,” Fane answered her thought.

“I was thinking maybe I should wear that bikini you like so much,” she teased him.

“That would be a very poor choice, Luna. I want your marks covered completely,” Fane replied.

“I think a please is in order,” Jacque told him.

Fane growled but then relinquished. “Please, love.”

“Oh, all right, since you’re not being all jealous or possessive,” Jacque smarted off.

Jacque got up and tiptoed around her two best friends. She wondered if their parents knew they were at her house. She figured they must know or else the National Guard would be out looking for them. She stepped into her closet and flipped through the shirts she had hanging. She honestly hadn’t realized how many t-shirts she had with smart ass sayings on them. Go figure, she told herself.

The one she finally settled on made her smile. It was a black baby tee that had a picture of Edward from Twilight on the front and on the back the words, “Team Edward.” That made her laugh out loud. “Take that, you mangy werewolf.”

“You’re just too pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” she heard Fane say.

“Hey, get out of my head, you perv. I’m trying to get dressed.” Jacque feigned outrage.

“Sorry, love. I was just curious to see what you would pic. Your sense of humor is one of the things I love most about you. Please be safe, don’t provoke Lucas – oh, and maybe it would be wise to keep Jen away from him,” Fane told her.

“Good idea. I feel like I should say bye, or talk to you later, but that’s just weird,” Jacque told him.

“How about I just tell you I love you?” Fane asked her.

Jacque smiled. “I love you, wolf-man.”

The last thing Jacque heard was Fane’s deep chuckle. She could feel him pull away from her thoughts and she felt bereft. She took a deep breath and started going through her jeans and picked out a low-rise pair of cargo pants.

She walked out to the bathroom to dress and throw her hair up in a pony tail. She realized once her hair was up that the marks on her neck came above the collar of her shirt.

“Hells bells,” she huffed as she pulled her hair back down. She pulled her bangs out of her face and secured it back with bobby pins. “That’s as good as it’s gonna get,” she told her reflection in the mirror.

When she walked back into her room, Sally and Jen were both up, stretching and yawning. They both took one look at her shirt and cracked up laughing.

“You're my hero,” Jen told her.

“Kill 'em with sarcasm. I always knew that was your motto.” Sally still laughed.

“I’m sorry I crashed on ya’ll like that last night. I was just so tired. I don’t think I've ever been that tired,” Jacque apologized.

“Well, it’s not like you’re under any stress or anything,” Jen said sarcastically.

Jacque grabbed a pair of flip flops from under her bed and slipped them on. As she reached for her phone she heard Jen’s phone start playing the Jaws theme song. Sally and Jacque looked at her.

“It’s my mom's ring tone.”

“Nice,” Sally and Jacque said at the same time.

Jen answered her phone and then stepped out in the hall to talk to her mom.

“Do your parents know you're still here?” Jacque asked Sally.

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“Yeah, I called them last night. Your mom talked to my parents and Jen’s,” Sally answered.

“She did? What did she tell them?” Jacque asked.

“She asked them if they minded if we stayed the rest of the week for a final vacation before school starts. Just the girls, doing girl things like facials and pedicures and whatnot. They totally bought it and thought it was so nice of your mom. You know, to let us all get one final week of relaxation before our stressful senior year starts.” Sally put the back of her hand on her forehead and swooned.

“My mom totally rocks,” Jacque said.

“I totally do, don’t I?” Lilly said, standing in Jacque’s doorway.

“Hey, mom. What’s up?” Jacque asked her.

Lilly looked at her daughter’s shirt and gave her thumbs up. “Nice job on the shirt.”

Jen scooted in past Lilly and plopped back down in the floor. “My mom just wanted to know if she could bring anything over for us – brownies, nail polish. Ya know, girly stuff. I told her we had it covered. She told me to tell you thank you again, Lilly.”

“Your mom wouldn’t thank me if she knew the big bad wolf was coming over to play,” Lilly said. “Speaking of, Lucas Steele is here.”

Jacque’s mouth dropped open. “Here here? As in, in this house here?”

“Yes, Jacque, he is here here.” Lilly answered. “He's asking to speak with you in private.”

Without even thinking, Jacque reached for Fane’s mind. “He’s here.”

“I know, love. I saw his car drive up. Are you ok?” Fane asked her.

“I’m ok. I’m fixing to go talk to him. Be with me.”

“Always,” Fane responded.

Jacque asked Sally and Jen to wait in her room; she didn’t want them brought to Lucas’ attention.

As she walked into the living room, she saw him sitting on the couch, arms spread over the back, looking quite relaxed. Smug little fur ball, she thought to herself and was pleasantly surprised to hear Fane’s chuckle in her mind.

“Are you comfortable?” Jacque asked Lucas as she walked into the living room.

When he turned to look at her, Jacque was caught off guard by his eyes. They were two different colors. His right eye was crystal blue and his left green as ivy. He had brown, wavy hair that he wore messy, but she could tell it was a carefully placed messiness. He had a five o’clock shadow across a strong jaw line and when he smiled at her a dimple appeared on both cheeks.

“I am, actually. Thanks for asking,” he responded.

He had a deep voice, but not quite as deep as Fane’s. She had to admit he was an attractive guy. She heard Fane growl. “Chillax, wolf-man. I only have eyes for you,” she told Fane.

“Jacque.” The sound of her name got her attention. She realized Lucas was now standing in front of her and she had to look up to see his face. He was at least 6 feet, maybe a little taller. “My name is Lucas Steele. I’m sure Fane has told you that I am the Alpha of the Coldspring pack.”

“Yeah, he told me. He also told me that you are under some sort of delusion that I am going to be your mate,” Jacque retorted.

“I distinctly remember advising you not to provoke him, Luna. Do you remember that?” Jacque heard Fane's voice in her mind.

“I don’t know. Some things seem kind of hazy at the moment,” she responded vaguely. Fane growled again. I have a feeling he’s going to be doing a lot of that being mated to me, she thought to herself.

“I claimed you before he even knew you existed. You should be mine,” Lucas told her calmly.

Jacque was staring at him intently, trying to get a lock on how old he was. She could tell he was definitely older than her but she couldn’t tell how much older.

“How old are you?” she finally asked.

He looked a little surprised by her question. That’s good, keep him on his toes.

“I’m twenty two,” he answered.

“You do realize that I am not eighteen yet? That makes me jail bait.” Jacque pointed out.

“Human laws do not matter to Greys. Besides, I’m not saying we have to consummate our relationship, just that you will bond with me,” Lucas told her.

“You so did not just say that. I mean, good freaking grief man, is that all you wolves talk about?” Jacque asked, obviously annoyed.

Lucas looked a little confused and then caught on. “Are all human females this silly?” he asked her.

“I am not silly,” Jacque said indignantly. Then his eyes wandered down to the front of her shirt and she realized he'd noticed the vampire depicted there. She smiled and turned around to show him the back. Without thinking about it, she pulled her hair up so he could read the words.

At first she simply heard him smirk, but then she heard a deep, feral growl.

Jacque dropped her hair back down and turned around slowly. Lucas’ eyes were glowing and his teeth had grown quite long. His breathing was fast and she could tell he was struggling to keep his wolf under control.

“He wasn’t lying when he said he could prove you were his mate,” Lucas said, his words a little difficult to understand because of the length of his teeth.

Jacque’s eyes got big as she realized he had seen her marks. Just then she heard a ferocious snarl and realized that Fane had caught that last thought.

“I’m sorry, Fane. I was just showing him the back of my shirt and I forgot my marks,” Jacque told him quickly.