Fane took a deep breath. His Alpha was going to be livid. This was not how Fane had expected to start his senior year in high school.

  He needed to get Jacque and her mother away from this lunatic. There was nothing else for it. He was just going to have to take them back home to Romania. It was sure Jacque wouldn’t take it well. He didn’t know how Lilly would react. She at least understood how dangerous Canis lupus could be.

  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,” Fane told him.

  “I know the rules. You may call your Alpha to come and witness. But during those two days, Jacquelyn …,” Lucas paused when Fane snapped his teeth and growled, but then continued without showing in any way he had noticed Fane’s reaction. “… will be under house arrest just in case you were planning on trying to smuggle her away while we await your Alpha. I will be coming by to inform her of my intentions. I will keep two guards at her house, and you will not be permitted to see her during this time,” Lucas explained.

  Fane was quickly losing control of his composure, and Lucas Steele finally pushed him over the edge. Fane’s nails grew and sharpened. His face began 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 it 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 her voice calmed the wolf immediately. Fane realized at that moment how precious having a mate was, for only she could tame his wolf.

  “Something is wrong, but I cannot tell you what right now. Please trust me. Give me a few minutes, and I will explain.” He knew he was going to have to tell her everything, especially since this Lucas Steele was going to her house. At least Sorin was there and would protect her with his life. She is to be Fane’s queen one day, and she is to be valued above Sorin’s 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 had been distracted by his mate’s thoughts.

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

  “I do,” 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.” Then 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,” I think that’s the best I can do. He felt his wolf stir as if to tell him he was lucky all that was left of the phase were glowing eyes.

  Fane’s wolf had never been that angry before. He and his wolf were in agreement that the idea of this other Alpha anywhere near their mate was infuriating. Fane was not sure how he was going to manage refraining from crossing the street and tearing Lucas Steele into pieces. Fane 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 is second nature. He leaped to the ground, then set off at a jog to Jacquelyn’s door.

  When he got there, she was already standing on the porch with a robe wrapped around her, foot tapping, and wearing a look that would make even an Alpha Grey stop in his tracks. She looked 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, ya know, throw some vava in the voom and fall out of the window instead’?” Jacquelyn asked sarcastically while trying to catch her breath from her little rant.

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

  “How do you think I am? Here I am, sitting and 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 had started.

  Fane took her hand in his, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently. She shuddered in response. He hated that he was causing her distress, especially since it was about to get worse. Knowing the wolves would be there soon, Fane didn’t have much time to waste.

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

  “Why? What’s wrong, Fane?”

  “Let’s get inside, gather everyone, 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 that was not yet affected by his possessive streak worried it was too far for him to be able to protect her effectively.

  Fane headed toward Sorin’s room as Jacquelyn went 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 there. Sorin exposed his neck in submission to his Prince and then 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 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 all four ladies seated on the couch. Fane wanted to have Jacquelyn sit by him, but he relinquished the idea, knowing she needed to be close to the people she trusted most.

  I trust you, Fane. He heard Jacquelyn’s thought in his mind, and as she said it, she stood up and came to him. He took her hand and led her to the loveseat. 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,” Lilly said.

  “There is a pack of Greys here in Coldspring, and the Alpha, Lucas Steele, 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 up. “I don’t even know this crackpot.” 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 inimă, my heart. 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 in 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 the bonding ceremony. 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.

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

  Fane took her hand and pulled her down next to him on the loveseat. “Because we are not bonded, any male has the right to challenge me to be your mate, even if they are 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 could not see what her eyes would tell him.

  “Are you alright?” Fane asked through his thoughts 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 remain reasonable,” Jacquelyn told him.

  “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 told 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 will request my Alpha be present at the fight, but 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 allow my pack to keep you and your mother 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.

  “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 looked at his watch. 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 did not, he could wind up having to forfeit and lose her. The thought made his heart hurt. He tugged her up off the loveseat, not caring about their audience, and 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. Fane 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, and she saw his eyes.

  OceanofPDF.com

  Chapter

  Eleven

  Jacque’s breath caught when Fane turned toward her and she saw his eyes glowing, like when you see an animal at night and light hits their eyes. Freaky. She realized once she got over the shock of his eyes, that Fane was on the verge of losing control. She was not sure what might happen if he did, and she could tell he was fighting for it as hard as he could. She didn’t know what to do or how to help him.

  Jacque was too busy staring at Fane to realize Jen had walked up beside her. “He needs you to tame the beast that is roaring inside him to kill something. Go to him,” Jen whispered and then pushed Jacque toward 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 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 smiled, but then she felt his anger, fear, and jealousy flow through her. Fane’s eyes snapped open, and he stared 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 guarantee. 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 shook 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 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.

  “I love you, Luna,” Fane told her.

  “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?” Jacque asked him.

  “Say it again,” Fane told her.

  “Say that I will kick your royal Romanian butt?”

  “No, love, say the first part.”.

  It dawned on Jacque what he was talking about, and it made her smile. She leaned in 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 forfeit it,” Fane told him in a voice Jacque had never heard him use.

  Sorin sank to his knees, and it didn’t look like he meant to. It was like someone had 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 then walked to the front door.

  Jacque rushed to follow him. 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 of 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 yelled. She let go of Fane’s hand and walked toward the other wolves.

  Fane was so surprised he’d barely reached her when she got in the face of one of the men. 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 dared to come in her territory. She didn’t pause at that moment to think about the fact she had just called her yard her territory. She would file that away for later.

  Jacque felt something touch her arm. She saw the 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. She didn’t bother to stop and look around to see if any of the neighbors were watching.

  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, hairball?” she asked sarcastically. “I’m your worst nightmare. Just remember we all gotta sleep sometime, so I hope you can sleep with one eye open.” She winked at him and then turned to walk back to the house.