by Quinn Loftis
“I take it you explained why I am wanting her to do that?” Vasile asked Fane.
“Yes, I explained that she couldn't have my scent on her. What about clothes?” Fane asked.
“I’ve gotten that taken care of,” Lilly said. “I bought her brand new things and took them to the Henrys'.”
“Oooh, did you get her a shirt that says 'Team Fane' on it? ‘Cause that would so rock,” Jen said, grinning.
All eyes turned to Jen. Sally slapped her on the arm, Jacque just rolled her eyes, and Vasile cleared his throat which brought everyone’s attention back to him.
“Second, the challenge starts at ten pm. Fane, I want you and the rest of the Pack there at eight thirty. I want you to know your battlefield, so to speak. You need to look at the ground, check for any soft spots, holes, or sharp objects. Knowing your battlefield can give you an advantage over your opponent. I want you to check it in both forms, wolf and man, understand?” his father asked.
“As you say,” Fane responded.
“Lastly, Mina and Lilly, I need you to prepare for the bonding ceremony. I thought about waiting to bond them until we get to Romania, but after observing Fane’s reactions, and especially after the challenge, I think it would be best for all involved if it happens as soon as possible. So the evening after the challenge, Fane and Jacquelyn will be bonded,” he announced.
Jacque started having difficulty breathing as soon as she heard Vasile say for her mother and Alina to prepare for the bonding ceremony. Now she was coughing and trying to suck in air through her closing windpipe. Jen jumped up and began pounding on Jacque’s back, hollering, “Cough it up.”
“She wasn’t eating anything, you dip weed. Quit hitting her,” Sally told Jen as she jerked her arm and pulled her back down to sit.
Finally, Jacque was able to get enough air to speak. “Don’t I get a say in when the bonding thingy happens?”
Vasile looked at her like she had grown horns out of her head. “No,” was all he answered.
“NO? What do you mean no? I mean, cripes, I’m the one bonding my life to a wolf for all eternity. I’m the one getting bitten, I’m the one being hauled off to a third world country, so NO is not good enough!” Jacque was standing now and had actually stomped her foot.
“Nu-i doar stomp piciorul? (did she just stomp her foot?),” Jacque heard Dorian say, although she had no idea what the words meant.
Fane growled at him, causing the wolf to lower his head in submission. Then Fane turned to Jacque. “It’s not a real good idea to yell at an Alpha, Luna,” he said as gently as he could. He realized a little too late he should've just kept his mouth shut.
“Oh, this is fixin’ to get good,” Jen whispered to Sally, who promptly shushed her.
Before Jacque could completely blow her top, Vasile spoke. There was a push to his words that made everyone, including Jacque, shut up and listen.
“I am Alpha. I know what is best for my pack. Fane is a ticking bomb right now and I will not have him kill one opponent who is in competition for you only to face five more. If you do not want to bond with him, I will not have him risk his life tomorrow. We will just move you and your mother somewhere out of Lucas’ reach. If you do want to bond with him, then you will do it when I tell you to. I’m not asking you to jump in bed with him.” Jacque flushed at his words. All the while Fane was growling and trying not to glare at his Alpha. “I am asking you to calm the beast that is raging inside of Fane. You are his other half, Jacquelyn. Only you can complete him. Are we clear?” Vasile asked after his speech.
Jacque had tears streaming down her cheeks. Good grief, when did she become such a cry baby? The thought of Fane gone, not with her, took her breath away. She did want to bond with him, it was just a shock of it all. She felt so ashamed at her outburst, realizing it had come across that she was rejecting Fane. She turned to look at him. He stared back at her, stark honesty written all over his face. Fane wanted her, he wanted her for however long they had together. How could anyone turn that down, unconditional love?
“I’m sorry,” she began. Fane surged to his feet and roared, storming out of the front door. The other wolves whined and cowered and Alina hung her head, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Jacque was a little confused, then the light bulb hit. Naturally, Jen was ahead of her.
“He thought you were saying you were sorry that you didn’t want him, genius,” Jen told her, sounding very put out.
Jacque jumped up and ran after Fane. She made it out the front door and saw he was nearly across the street.
“Fane! Wait!” Jacque called after him still running, “I wasn’t,” huff, huff, pant, pant, “saying I didn’t want you,” Jacque told him breathlessly. “Please, how...” Jacque took another deep breath. “Crap, hold on. I can’t breathe,” she told him. Once she caught her breath, she continued, “How could you possibly think I don’t want you?”
Fane had his back to her, head bent, shoulders slumped in defeat. He didn’t answer.
“Dammit, answer me!” Jacque yelled at him as she grabbed his arm and jerked him towards her. She saw that tears had filled his eyes but hadn’t spilled over yet. It hurt her to know she was the cause of those tears.
“Do you want me?” Fane asked her.
“Yes,” Jacque answered without hesitation.
Fane stepped forward, towering over her. She took an involuntary step back.
“Then why do you have a problem bonding with me in two days?”
“It’s not that I have a problem with it, Fane. I was just taken by surprise. You were raised knowing that one day you would bond with someone in a way that is so far beyond what humans do. I was not. It’s just a lot to swallow. But I’m good, I’m okay, I had my little fit and yes, I stomped my foot, but I’m ready to move forward,” Jacque told him, hope filling her eyes.
Fane took her hand and brought it to his lips. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he kissed her hand. Jacque’s breathing sped just a bit, noting the predatory gleam in his eyes.
“So we are good, yes?” Fane asked her.
“Nope, babe. We are great,” she answered, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. Fane growled and pulled her close. Jacque giggled and batted her hand at him.
“Stop that, wolf-man. We’ve gotta go explain to the others that I wasn’t rejecting you. Your mother was having a break down,” Jacque told him. Fane took her hand and pulled her quickly towards her house. As they entered the living room, Jacque saw that Alina hadn’t moved, but Vasile was now sitting next to her with his arm around her. At the sight of Fane, Vasile stood and stepped away from Alina. Jacque rushed to Alina and knelt down in front of her.
“Alina, please. I wasn’t rejecting Fane. I didn’t get to finish what I was saying before he jumped up and took off. I was saying sorry for the little two year-old fit I threw. Apparently I didn’t get them all out of my system as a child. I want to bond with Fane, I will bond with him right now,” Jacque started to say, but Alina’s head snapped up and she put her hands on either side of Jacque’s face.
“You can’t bond with him yet, child. Once you are bonded, your fates are tied to one another's. If Fane is killed in the challenge, you will die as well,” Alina explained.
“Hells bells, I forgot about that. Well, I intend to mate with him.” Jacque paused when Alina tried to cover a laugh with a cough and Fane rumbled low in his chest. “What did I say?”
“Well, Sherlock, you sort of threw out there that you were planning on doing the horizontal mamba with fur ball here,” Jen said, pointing her thumb at Fane.
“The horiz..” Jacque started to say, sounding confused. Then it hit her what she had said – mate not bond. Crap, she thought, blushing so badly her face was hot.
“I wasn’t talking about, I mean I wasn’t, that is to say I-” Jacque was trying really hard to correct her mistake, but she was thoroughly embarrassed at this point.
Fane walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “And here I thought you were so shy,” he teased her.
Jacque pulled away quickly and put her hand on his chest as if to hold him back. “Uh uh, buddy. You back up and keep those paws to yourself. I meant to say I will bond with you once the challenge is over. Bond as in b-o-n-d. Clear?” she asked him.
And repeating what she had said to his father, he answered with a very sly, very suggestive grin. “Crystal.” Then to seal it, he winked at her.
“Holy crap. Is it hot in here, or is it just the freaking fine Romanian prince? Cuz I am so, so burning up! I mean, did anybody else see that wink and that smile? He wasn’t even doing it to me, and I’m all hot and bothered. I mean geez, man!” Jen said, fanning herself.
The three wolves on the floor were trying very hard not to laugh, but it just wasn’t working. Vasile wasn’t even trying to disguise his laughter, and Alina was beaming. Even Lilly was laughing. Well, great, Jacque thought. Everyone saw her man make a pass at her and she couldn’t even enjoy it with all these butt heads laughing. Then, because she saw the grin on Fane’s face that could only mean he was listening to her thoughts, she began laughing too.
Chapter 30
Fane pulled Jacquelyn closer to him as he held her in her bed. The night had gone so quickly and he refused to close his eyes knowing that in the morning she would leave and he would not be able to hold her again until after the challenge. Her scent swirled in the air around him, her heart beat in rhythm to his own. Mine, his wolf told him. Yes, he agreed, she is ours. Not realizing it, he began to hum the same song he had been humming for the past two days.
“What song is that?” he heard Jacquelyn ask.
“You’re going to laugh at me if I tell you,” he told her, grinning to himself
“Why would I laugh at you?”
“It’s a song by Willie Nelson and Kimmie Rhodes. Yes, I’m Romanian, I’m a werewolf, and I like Willie Nelson,” Fane said, sounding forlorn.
“Well, admitting it is half the battle,” Jacquelyn teased.
“It’s a song that makes me think of you, of us.”
“Will you sing it to me?” she asked.
“Only if you don’t laugh,” Fane agreed.
Jacquelyn didn’t say anything in response and Fane took that as his cue. So he began to sing to her.
“Put your arms around me,
Listen to my heart beat now.
If you want to love me,
Baby, I can show you how.
Love me like a song,
Sweet as a melody,
Learn all the words to me,
And sing along.
Find the harmony
The rhythm and the rhyme to me,
On and on,
All night long,
Love me like a song
I want to be the melody,
You can’t get out of your head.
Think of me as words of love,
A poet might have said and,
Love me like a song,
Sweet as a melody,
Learn all the words to me,
And sing along,
Find the harmony,
The rhythm and the rhyme to me,
On and on,
All night long,
Love me like a song.”
While Fane had been singing, Jacquelyn had rolled over to face him and was watching him, tears streaming down her face.
“That was beautiful. Your voice is absolutely beautiful. Thank you,” she blubbered on and cried even harder.
Fane pulled her tightly to him and kissed her forehead. In between kisses he whispered to her, “Un pretios (precious one), dragostea mea (my love), va rog sa nu strige (please do not cry).”
But Jacquelyn continued to cry and it just seemed to get worse. “I don’t know what on freaking earth you are saying, I just know that it isn’t supposed to happen like this. You’re not supposed to meet the love of your life only to have them have to go fight some delusional werewolf, with the possibility of him dying. Dammit, it’s not supposed to happen like this.” She sobbed and sobbed.
Fane felt the tears that had been hiding in his eyes finally spill over, he could feel the wetness run down his flushed cheeks. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to fix it or make her feel better. So he decided to just be honest.
“I’m scared,” he whispered. “I’m so scared. What if I lose? What if the other wolves attack and my father and the Pack aren’t able to protect you? What if I lose you? I can’t lose you, it would kill me. I don’t want you there tomorrow, because at least if you aren’t there they can’t hurt you,” Fane told her as he let the tears fall, completely unashamed. This was his mate. He had only just found her, he loved her, he treasured her, and he would do anything to protect her.
Jacquelyn looked up at him. She took her hand and wiped away his tears. Leaning forward, she kissed each eye. For a moment they just looked at each other, as if to memorize each other’s face.
“I’m scared, too,” Jacquelyn told him. “If I could fight Lucas for you, I would. I don’t want to see you hurt. I can’t even begin to think of seeing you die. How am I going to do this tomorrow, Fane? I’m so scared that we won’t have all the things I’ve imagined having with you.”
At those words, Fane couldn’t help the images that ran through his thoughts and he heard Jacquelyn weep as she watched them in her mind.
Fane and her at the bonding ceremony, with their family all around them. Then Fane and her in a room alone, one of his hands cradling her head, the other resting on her waist, him leaning down and biting her neck to complete the blood rites.
Jacquelyn shook with sobs as she continued to see his thoughts. She and Fane were walking through a beautiful house, hand in hand, then they were wrapped in each others arms, tangled in bed sheets with passion in their eyes. Then Jacquelyn was in a hospital bed, Fane was holding her hand, her belly was swollen with child. Next she saw Fane rocking a baby to sleep as Jacquelyn sat watching. Then they were wrapped in each other's arms, laughing, kissing, touching, loving.
Fane’s shoulders shook as he wept, crying over what might never come to be.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I shouldn’t have let you see all that. When you mentioned thinking of all we could have, it made me think of the things I too have dreamt about having with you.”
The next thing Fane heard was a whisper so soft he almost missed it.
“Fane, make love to me,” Jacquelyn said, almost too soft for even wolf ears to hear.
Fane froze. This was the rock and a hard place no man wants to get into with a woman. If he says no then he’s rejecting her and she will be embarrassed. If he says yes, then he’s a jerk because he’s taking advantage of her vulnerability. Jacquelyn would not have asked this of him if it were just another night, and he would not make love to her until she asked him when there was no threat to any lives and nothing was creating passion that might not be as fervent as it seemed at that moment. Now, how exactly do you word that to a seventeen year old female who already has self-esteem issues? Good luck with that, Fane, he thought.
“Jacquelyn, look at me,” Fane told her. “I want to make love to you, are we clear on that part?” he asked her.
“Yes, we’re clear. There’s a 'but' coming on, isn’t there?” she asked.
“We are both really emotional right now. I don’t want you to do something that you will regret tomorrow night after the challenge. If I win, and I plan to, you will be sad that we didn’t wait. I want the first time to be special and perfect for both of us. Please don’t think I’m rejecting you, because you have absolutely no idea how hard it is to say no to you,” he told her honestly.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” Jacquelyn said, wiping away what was left of the tears on her cheeks.
“Are you mad at me?” Fane asked cautiously.
“No, I’m not. I’m a little embarrassed 'cause you know how awkward I am when it comes to the whole physical aspect of a relationship,” she t
old him.
“Why are you embarrassed by it? You do realize that it will be fun, right?” Fane asked her, grinning widely.
“Why do you like to say stuff like that knowing it’s going to make me blush?”
“Because it’s cute,” Fane told her honestly. “I won’t make love to you Luna, but since we are both awake I will most definitely take advantage of your beautiful lips,” Fane said just before he wrapped an arm around her and flipped her onto her back. Jacquelyn squealed and laughed as Fane leaned over her. He bent down and gently kissed her lips. Jacquelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her. He rumbled in his chest at her boldness. Fane’s left hand was cradling Jacquelyn’s head while his right hand was gradually rubbing her thigh, moving slowly up to her waist. Fane was quite proud of himself for telling Jacquelyn he would not consummate their relationship, but as he lay there in her arms, feeling her lips on his, their bodies pressed close, he hoped she wouldn’t make him wait too long after the bonding. She will probably want a human wedding first. He growled at that thought. It was probably going to be awhile before they mated. In that case, he better slow down. He eased off her just a bit and pulled back from her lips. They were both breathing hard.
“Is something wrong?” Jacquelyn asked him, looking very worried.
“No, everything is very right. I just need to slow down a little, my honor only goes so far. Wolf or not, I’m still a guy and you are a very fine girl,” Fane told her with no shame.
“Oh, I see. You were getting all worked up, only to realize all worked up is all there is. Am I right?”
“Yes, Luna, you are brutally right. Can I be brutally blunt?” he asked her.
“By all means,” she answered.
“At what point do you plan to make the same offer?”
Jacquelyn laughed at that. “You’re worried about how long it’s going to be before we do the deed?”