by Quinn Loftis
Sally paused before nodding. Her skin flushed as she took in a shaky breath. “It was like coming home,” she whispered. “The minute he looked into my eyes I just wanted to walk into his arms. It was both unsettling and wonderful at the same time.”
Future Jacque let out a small huff of laughter. “I don’t think I could have put it better.”
“Okay, hold up,” Jen said leaning forward as her brow furrowed. “I will admit that the idea of throwing myself in Tarzan’s arms definitely crossed my mind. But more than anything I just wanted to hit him in his too handsome, cocky face. I mean, I felt something, definitely a level of attraction that I’ve never felt before, but I wouldn’t say that it was unsettling and wonderful. I’m going to go with more along the lines of volatile and possibly a little bit dirty.”
Jacque laughed and smiled even wider when she saw the Great Luna smiling at Jen’s comment. The girl always did have a way with words.
“Why do you think they called me a healer?” Sally asked before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
Jen shrugged. “Beats the heck out of me. But it sounds like our men have been keeping quite a bit to themselves, which makes me just a tad perturbed.”
“A tad?” Jacque and future Jacque said at the same time.
“Fine, it pisses me off. Happy?” Jen conceded.
“Being honest with yourself is an important—”
“Spare me the psychobabble, Florence,” Jen growled.
“Florence Nightingale was a nurse, not a―” Sally started but was cut off by Jen again.
“Don’t care. I told you when you started taking those classes that I didn’t want you analyzing my every word or behavior.”
“Speaking of classes,” future Jacque interrupted. “When do yours start back?”
Sally and Jen both shrugged. “A couple of weeks. Summer gets shorter and shorter. I thought being in college meant longer breaks.”
“Are you still taking this semester off?” Sally asked future Jacque.
Jacque looked at the Great Luna. “Why would I take the semester off?”
The Great Luna turned her gentle eyes on the redhead. “Your mom hasn’t met Cypher. There are things you or your mother don’t know about her gift. Back in our reality, she is just discovering that the magic that is part of her mate’s people—the warlocks—has saved her from the ill effects that her gift can cause. But here, since she isn’t exposed to that healing magic, over time her ability to sense things in people has grown stronger and is affecting her ability to function in normal everyday life. You chose to stay home to help her with the bookstore.”
Jacque’s mouth had gone dry and her stomach was turning into one big knot. How could so much be affected by one little choice? Her mom needed Cypher, just as she needed Fane. And Jacque would be taking that away from her if she went through with her plan and the Fates granted her request.
As day turned into night, Jacque and the Great Luna stayed, listening to the girls talk, speculate, and attempt to plan a future with all of the new information thrown at them. Jacque appreciated the goddess letting her spend time in their presence. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed them all being together. It was obvious, looking from the outside in, that they found energy and confidence and security in being with each other.
It was after midnight when future Jacque’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and frowned. “It’s Lucas.”
“I can’t believe he waited this long to call,” Jen scoffed.
“He was probably trying to make sure those Romanian wolves weren’t anywhere around,” Sally pointed out.
Future Jacque answered it. “You’re on speaker phone,” she told him.
“Are you alright?” Lucas asked and it sounded as if he genuinely cared.
“I’m fine, Lucas, just a little confused,”
“Uh, try mega, freaking Disney World size confused,” Jen cut in.
“Is everything they said true?” future Jacque asked.
“I want to talk to you about it, but not over the phone. We’re down the street waiting for you three. I’m not going to let them keep us apart right before a challenge.”
“Isn’t that breaking the rules?” Sally asked.
Lucas chuckled. “When have I ever cared about rules when it came to my mate?”
Future Jacque frowned at the phone. “What will happen if they catch us?”
“Babe, trust me. It will be fine. I need to see you. Please come.”
Jen rolled her eyes and make a gagging motion.
“Don’t do it,” Jacque muttered under her breath, though she knew they couldn’t hear her.
“Okay we’ll come,” future Jacque acquiesced and ended the call.
“Why do I feel like this is the dumbest idea we’ve had since going to that club without telling the guys?” Jen asked as she stood.
“How were we supposed to know they’d flip their lids over a little dancing?” Sally asked.
“Let’s just get this over with,” future Jacque told them as she headed for the door.
Chapter 11
Jacque blinked several times to clear her head after the Great Luna once again moved them through time and space. She looked around to get her bearings, expecting to be with Jen, Sally, and her future self. Instead she was faced with the males of the Romania pack all stuffed into a large SUV. It was a lot of dominance squished into a small enclosed space.
“Why did I wait to come?” Fane snarled. “I told you I wasn’t going to like what I found,” he said shooting his Alpha a glare.
“You can’t dwell on what could have been,” Vasile told him. “You are here now and you know without a doubt that she is yours.” He turned then and looked at Decebel. “Why are you challenging for the blonde female?”
Jacque’s heart broke all over for Decebel as she saw him wrestling with the emotions he didn’t understand because, just like the first time, there were no mating signs between him and Jen.
“Honestly, Alpha, I don’t know. I saw that mutt touching her and my wolf nearly took over. I’ve never responded to any female that way. But I can’t get into her mind. There’s a connection, but I don’t understand it.”
Vasile stared thoughtfully at his Beta. “I’m sure there is an explanation for it. What happens when you win the challenge? Will you leave her here?”
Decebel growled. “Until I understand what’s happening, where she is, I will be.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Vasile muttered.
“I don’t know what you guys are fretting about,” Costin spoke up from the back of the vehicle. “We’ve found our true mates and we get to wipe the floor with some cocky wolves that need to be put in their place. How is this not a win-win?”
Sorin clapped him on the back as he shook his head. “The glass is always half full to you isn’t it?”
Costin shrugged. “Would you rather be like those two who both look like they’ve found a pit of vipers instead of their true mates?”
To Jacque’s surprise, Fane turned around so fast that she felt the breeze of his movement on her face. His glowing blue eyes and inhumanly long teeth had made an appearance as he narrowed his eyes on Costin. “Of course, I’m thankful I’ve found my true mate. But forgive me if it’s a little disturbing to find her in the arms of another wolf,” Fane snarled. His posture seemed to deflate as he sat back down. “I’ve already seen too much,” he said, more to himself than the others. “Jacquelyn doesn’t know to block her thoughts or memories and they’ve been together for two years. I don’t blame her. She knows that she is half Canis lupus, but she didn’t know about true mates. What I don’t understand is why her mother didn’t tell her about them.”
“We don’t know everything, son,” Vasile said. “I understand how hard it is to see your mate with another male, but until you know everything, you need to save your questions.”
“You’ve seen her thoughts about their physical relationship?” Decebel asked.
Jacque
saw the glint of violence in his eyes. It was something she’d seen before and something she never wanted to be on the receiving end of.
Fane’s jaw clenched as he gave a rigid single nod.
“You can at least be glad he is a wolf. If he was human, you wouldn’t be allowed to rip the arms that held your mate from his body.”
“Or gouge out the eyes that have seen what only you should be allowed to see,” Costin added a little too eagerly.
“Holy crap, they’re a blood thirsty group,” future Jacque whispered.
“You know how strong their protective instincts are. I am actually surprised they have had this much self-control, especially Decebel. The darkness is heavy in him. He has been too long without his true mate at this point.”
“We are not animals!” Vasile snarled at the males. “We do not lose control and act like ravenous beasts because of jealousy!”
Jacque was shocked when Fane growled at his father. “That is exactly what we are!” He smacked his chest with the flat of his palm. “I have a beast inside of me and he is a part of me. A part of me is an animal. Do not expect me to act like a man! He knew the rules. Jacquelyn maybe innocent in this, but Lucas Steele is not. He knew when no mating signs appeared that she wasn’t his, which meant she belonged to someone else, and he touched her anyway. He will be lucky if I don’t rip him apart piece by offending piece.”
Jacque noticed that Decebel’s breathing had increased with every word Fane spoke. The Beta obviously wasn’t unaffected by the description Fane was sharing so eloquently. Jacque herself was surprised by her mate’s anger. The first time she’d met Fane he had been so calm and in control. The man before her was more like the wolf; she gasped as the realization hit her.
“He’s dealing with exactly the same thing that he experienced in the In-Between,” she said to the Great Luna as she rubbed her forehead. “Bloody freaking hell! It wouldn’t matter what I did, he would still face the same thing.”
“But in this instance, he is dealing with reality, not some horrible trick of the In-Between. The things he has witnessed through this Jacque’s memories really happened.”
“Oh shit, please tell me I didn’t sleep with Lucas.” Jacque’s stomach churned dangerously as she thought about Fane having to see something like that in her mind.
“Not in the way that you mean,” the goddess reassured. Though, truly, it didn’t give her any relief. Even if Fane witnessed Lucas embracing her, that would be painful enough.
Her attention was drawn back to the males when Vasile pushed his power throughout the vehicle and had every man lowering their heads unable to move.
“I am your Alpha and you will obey me. The challenge is to the death. That is your recompense for the offense of him touching your mate. You will not be overly brutal in taking his life.”
“No disrespect, Alpha,” Decebel spoke but it sounded strained and painful. Jacque was surprised he could even do that much, but then she remembered that Decebel was an Alpha in his own right. He submitted to Vasile because he had not wanted to be an Alpha at one time. “It will take more than your command to keep me from destroying the male who had his hand on Jennifer. There are no mating signs, but my wolf recognizes her as his. No one touches what is mine, especially a male who knew better. He forfeited a dignifying death when he disrespected my female and me. Why should I show him any mercy?”
The males raised their heads slowly as Vasile pulled his power back under control. He met Decebel’s glowing amber eyes and Jacque saw in his face the compassion that her father-in-law was known for. “You, above all, deserve to finally have your mate. I know that and I understand how desperately you need her. Don’t let finding her turn you into what you fight so hard not to become. I concede that we have an animal, a beast, living inside of us, but the Great Luna also gave us the spirit of a man. We have the ability to reason, to think beyond the immediate moment. We have been entrusted with all of the strengths of the wolf and that of man as well. We cannot abuse that power. These wolves showed no self-control by attempting to take females that were not their true mates. Do not lower yourself to their standards by giving up your own self-control.”
“I can make you no promises,” Decebel admitted coolly.
The silence in the SUV was so tangible that Jacque was sure if she made a sound they would be able to hear her. Her mind was drawn back to the reasons she’d thought it would be best for Fane to have never met her and she realized how foolish she’d been.
Fane was her mate. He held the other half of her soul and she’d stupidly believed they wouldn’t have found one another regardless of how long it took. They were as inevitable as the rising of the sun.
She looked over at the future Fane. He was hurting, just as the Fane in her reality was hurting. The pain that she thought to save him from had still occurred.
He lowered his head and pressed his fingertips against his forehead. His shoulders were tight and she wanted so badly to reach out and rub the stress from him.
“I just need her with me,” Fane whispered into the silence. “I can handle anything as long as she is by my side.”
Decebel and Costin both nodded their heads, the looks on their faces making it clear that they completely agreed with his statement.
Decebel’s head snapped around to look out of the window and Jacque followed the direction of his stare. That was when she realized they were just down the street from her house. A small smile appeared on her face; she should have known they wouldn’t have been far.
“What the hell are they doing now?” Decebel growled as they watched the three girls step out of her front door.
The males waited until they were several houses away before they climbed silently from the vehicle and started to follow them. Jacque and the Great Luna were suddenly out of the SUV, without having to lift a leg, and walking with the males. They’d only gone about twenty feet when Vasile motioned for them to stop.
All of the males lifted their noses into the air and breathed. Snarls followed as they confirmed what Jacque already knew.
“Lucas and some of his pack are here,” Vasile said, speaking so softly that only werewolf hearing would pick it up.
Decebel started to continue forward but Vasile stopped him. “They will catch our scent as well if the direction of the wind changes.” He turned to Fane and Costin. “Can either of you track your mates through the mental bond?”
Fane nodded. “She doesn’t realize it, but I have complete access to her mind.”
“Not like he would have stayed out anyway,” Jacque muttered.
“Then we will follow them.” Vasile motioned for them to get back in the vehicle.
“We’re just going to let the girls go with those mongrels?” Decebel asked incredulously.
“A wise man not only picks his battles carefully but also his battlefield,” Vasile said, placing a hand on his Beta’s shoulder. “Trust me.”
After several tense heartbeats, Decebel nodded and loaded up with the others.
The Great Luna placed a hand on Jacque and they too were once again in the SUV with the males.
“Why would Lucas break the rules of the challenge?” Fane asked as his leg bounced restlessly. “He knows now that we don’t have to wait. We can attack immediately and it won’t be just the three we challenged.”
“Heck yeah!” Costin hollered. “A good brawl is just what we need. Well, really what we need is our females, but I don’t think they’re just going to jump in our arms and let us have our way with them, so a brawl is the next best thing.”
Jacque laughed as the others looked at Costin as though he’d lost his mind. Of all the males, Costin had always been the most laid back, but she’d seen that laid back did not mean submissive. Costin would hold his own with the best of them. His pretty smile and flirty ways only hid the aggressive, possessive wolf beneath.
Fane gave directions to Vasile as he searched through future Jacque’s mind. Every now and then he’d let out a muttered curse a
nd Jacque knew she didn’t want to know what it was that was causing that reaction in him.
“Are you going to make me watch this?” Jacque asked the Great Luna. “I’ve seen my mate in so many battles, but judging by his mind set right now, I don’t know if I want to watch him fight.”
The Great Luna looked back at her and Jacque knew she saw everything. There was no hiding her fears, her joys, her sadness, or pain. The goddess saw it all and Jacque hoped she’d have mercy on her.
Jacque felt her hand once again on her arm and again came the pulling sensation. She opened her eyes and saw that they were in the woods, but she knew instantly it wasn’t Romania. She heard the snarls and growls and turned to see a flurry of claws and fangs. So, she wasn’t going to be spared the violence after all.
“I have my reasons,” the Great Luna said as she moved closer to where the males fought. They were in various forms, some in their human bodies and some in their wolf. Jacque recognized Fane in his black wolf form with crystal blue eyes as he circled his prey.
It all seemed too familiar, except this time Decebel, Sorin, Costin, and Vasile were fighting as well. It was by no means a fair fight. Several of Lucas’ pack members had joined in and were double-teaming some of the Romania pack males, but they still weren’t as powerful and Decebel and Vasile who picked them off like flies.
Jacque heard her own scream and looked up to see her future self surrounded by Jen and Sally as they each watched in horror. The guys they’d been dating were fighting for their lives, and losing. Jacque blinked and suddenly she wasn’t looking out of her own eyes anymore. She was seeing out of future Jacque’s eyes and feeling her emotions. She felt her best friend’s hands in her own and heard her own heartbeat pounding like a drum in her chest.
She watched Fane fight and realized that though future Jacque didn’t know him, she couldn’t stand to bear the thought of him hurt. She was upset with herself for not being worried about Lucas, but she couldn’t deny her connection with Fane. So much confusion warred inside of her as they watched Fane lunge forward and grab Lucas by the neck and shake him like a rag doll. He released the wolf and jumped back out of the reach of Lucas' sharp teeth. They danced back and forth like that for a few moments with Fane scoring a bite here and there. Jacque realized that Fane was just toying with Lucas. And her future self realized it as well.