Fane moved before she finished her sentence, and he had his packmate by the throat and on the ground.

  “What are you doing with your nose near my mate, Boian, and why should I not snap your neck for being so near her?” Fane asked the wolf.

  “I meant no disrespect,” Boian answered.

  “I knew we were missing something. Didn’t I tell you, Sally? I said, ‘Hey Sally I think something’s going on downstairs.’ And what did you say? You said, ‘No, it’s just your imagination.’” Everyone turned to see Jen and Sally coming down the stairs. “Okay, Fane, we’re here. You can continue strangling whoever this fine piece of meat is.”

  Fane slowly let the other wolf up and stepped in front of Jacquelyn, not taking his eyes off Boian or relaxing his stance.

  “Would someone like to clue me in as to what in tarnation is going on?” Jacquelyn asked, trying to look around at the people in the room but unable to do so because Fane was right in front of her. “Fane, seriously dude, you have a great backside, but I don’t think this is the time for me to admire it. Could you please get your royal butt out of my face?”

  The other wolves in the room all tried to disguise their laughs with coughs, obviously finding it amusing that a little human would talk to the Prince of their pack in such a way.

  “You can park your royal butt in front of me, Fane. I don’t mind,” Jen told him with a wink, which only made the other wolves laugh harder.

  Fane growled but acquiesced to Jacquelyn’s wishes, moving to the side but remaining standing. It was not wise to sit in front of other dominant wolves. It made you look like prey.

  “Jacquelyn, Jen, and Sally, I would like you to meet my father, Vasil Lupei, and my mother, Alina Lupei.” Fane then turned to three other new additions to the room, one of them being the wolf he had disciplined. “And this is Boian, Skender, and Decebel. They are upper members of the pack.”

  Jacquelyn stood up, attempting to straighten out her shirt. She started to fix her hair but quickly abandoned the attempt. She walked over to Fane’s parents and extended a hand. Fane could see the nervousness in her eyes.

  “I’m Jacquelyn, Fane’s, um, well his, you know, um…” Jacquelyn tried to spit it out, but it just wouldn’t leave her lips.

  “My mate,” Fane finished for her.

  “Yeah, what he said,” she agreed. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m sorry you’re seeing me all sleepified and stuff.”

  “She cleans up real nice,” Jen threw out there.

  “Thanks for that, Jen,” Jacquelyn retorted.

  Fane walked over and put his arm around her waist. She was beautiful to him, even with her hair a mess and sleepy eyes.

  “Tata, Mama, Nu este uimitoare? Isn’t she stunning?” Fane asked his parents.

  “Într-adevăr este. Truly she is,” Alina answered.

  “Would you care to share what exactly y’all are talking about?” Jacquelyn asked Fane through her thoughts

  “I told them you were stunning, and they agreed,” Fane answered.

  Alina stepped forward, pushed Fane away from Jacquelyn, and embraced her. “Jacquelyn, it is so wonderful to meet you. I am so thankful Fane found you.”

  “Thank you,” Jacquelyn said simply.

  Then it was Vasile’s turn. He embraced her as well, but when he spoke to her it was in Romanian, “Esti jumătatea fiului meu, mica lui lumină. Prin moartea sau viața lui vei fi protejat de pachet. You are my son’s other half, his little light. By his death or life, you will be protected by the pack.”

  After he said this, every wolf in the room responded, “După cum o vei face, Alpha, se va face. As you will it, Alpha, it will be done.”

  “What exactly just happened? ’Cause we all know there was some sort of pack voodoo going on,” Jen said looking at Fane.

  It was Fane’s father who spoke instead.

  “That is something Fane can discuss with you later. Right now, we have more pressing matters. Jacquelyn, I hate to ask this of you, but I need you to get your mother.”

  “No need, I’m here. Believe it or not, it’s kind of hard to sleep with a pack of wolves in your living room. By the way, I’m Lilly Pierce, Jacque’s mother,” Lilly said as she strolled into the living room.

  Alina walked right up to her and hugged her just as she had Jacquelyn.

  “I’m Alina, Fane’s mother, and this is my mate, Vasile,” she told Lilly.

  “It’s very nice to meet you both. Please make yourselves at home while you are here. Although I’m not sure how we are going to accommodate all of you,” Lilly told them.

  “Oh, I talked with the Henrys, and they were more than happy to provide us rooms in their home,” Fane explained.

  “So, what’s this pressing business that needs to be discussed?” Lilly asked Vasile.

  Jacquelyn turned to go sit on the couch and started to pull Fane with her, but he did not move, nor did he let her hand go. She looked back at him in question and saw that he was staring at the other wolves in the room.

  “Are you just going to stand there through this whole conversation? If so then you’re on your own ’cause I’m tired, I’m cranky, and I want to sit down … now, Fane,” Jacquelyn told him glaring daggers at him.

  Fane was not going to sit down until the other wolves submitted first. He knew they were being stubborn because there were females in the room, and they wanted to look all big and bad. He also guessed his father was not going to intervene because he wanted to see if Fane could submit other dominates. Only one way to find out. I’ve had enough of this. He turned so that his body was facing each of them directly. He looked at each wolf—First Boian, then Decebel, and last Skender—until each dropped their eyes. Then Fane spoke in the voice they could not disobey.

  “Sta. Sit.” All three sat immediately, eyes still lowered.

  Fane turned and bared his neck to his father then pulled Jacquelyn over to sit on the couch.

  “You are going to explain that later, right?” Jacquelyn whispered.

  “Do I have a choice, Luna?” Fane asked.

  “Point to you,” she told him.

  Alina and Lilly both sat on the loveseat while Jen and Sally sat on the floor in front of the couch. Sorin was in his usual spot, the ugly chair, and the three wolves were all sitting on the floor around Sorin’s feet. They did not look happy. Vasile stood at the front of the room staring out at everyone.

  Jen looked over at Jacquelyn and whispered, “You know this calls for some hot chocolate, right?”

  Jacquelyn nodded in agreement as Sally stood up and said, “I’m on it.”

  “The challenge is to be tomorrow,” Vasile announced. “I will call Lucas Steele in a few hours to discuss the details. One important aspect will be the location. I do not want the challenge to take place in his territory. It needs to happen in a remote location where there is no chance bystanders will happen upon it. Do any of you know such a place?”

  Jen and Jacquelyn spoke at the same time. “Field of Dreams.”

  Jen reached up and fist bumped with Jacquelyn. “Good call, Sherlock,” she said.

  “All in a day’s work, Watson,” Jacquelyn responded.

  “What’s the Field of Dreams?” Fane asked.

  “It’s just an empty field out in the boondocks,” Jacquelyn answered.

  “Okay, so why then is it called the Field of Dreams?” he asked again.

  “Jacque’s just embarrassed to say,” Jen told him, “It’s called the Field of Dreams because it’s where all the couples go on Friday nights, and, ya know, hope their dreams come true, so to speak.”

  Fane looked at his mate to find her face nearly as red as her hair.

  “Do you have personal experience with this field?” he whispered in her ear.

  Jacquelyn slapped him on the leg, hard. “No, you possessive caveman, and you already knew that.” She growled, forgetting briefly she had an audience.

  “She’s a feisty little thing, isn’t she?” Fane’s father commented.

  “Nu ai nici o idee. You have no idea,” Fane answered.

  “Will there not be children at this field? Making their dreams come true?” Vasile asked, eyeing Jen.

  “Nope, the city recently fenced it off. It’s got a locked gate now. So, we would have to do some B & E, if y’all are okay with a little law-breaking, that is,” Jen offered.

  “What is B & E, love?” Fane asked Jacquelyn.

  “Breaking and entering,” she answered.

  “That’s not a problem,” Vasile told her. “Okay, good, location is determined. The next thing I need to discuss is the challenge itself and how werewolf law works.” He paused as Sally walked back into the living room with mugs of hot chocolate and handed them out. Once she was seated on the floor next to Jen, Vasile started speaking again.

  “Jacquelyn, what I’m going to tell you now is not pleasant, but it is our way and our law. It is going to be hard for you to understand and accept, but I tell you now as your Alpha—and yes, I am your Alpha as you are my son’s mate—you must abide by these laws and rules. Are we clear?”

  Jacquelyn looked at Fane, and he saw the panic in her eyes.

  “It is okay, love. He is only trying to keep you safe. Trust me,” Fane told her.

  She held his hand and turned to look at Vasile. “Crystal.”

  Vasile nodded his approval and continued. “The rules permit that an Alpha who challenges another wolf may bring his first four wolves, but the rest of his pack must stay away.”

  “What do you mean by first four?” Sally asked

  “A wolf pack is a hierarchy. You have the Alpha and then you have your dominants and your submissives. From there they are put into order of their rank. Usually, just the first four are acknowledged. An Alpha’s first, or Beta, as we call them, is the next in command. He is the next most dominant after the Alpha, and it goes from there to the second, third, and fourth, each one descending in their level of dominance,” Vasile explained.

  Sally nodded.

  “Now, the rules also allow for the challenged to bring his Alpha and first four, which is why I brought three pack members, Sorin makes four. The only others allowed in attendance are the Alpha female, Alina, and the female over which the challenge has been issued. No others will be permitted,” Vasile said resolutely. “I realize each of you wants to be there with Jacquelyn, but I must make you understand it would be too dangerous. There are going to be ten wolves in a small area, two of them fighting for the right to take a mate. This will make the others edgy. Women tend to do that to us males. If Fane is not the victor, it will be me and my wolves between Lucas and his wolves. It will be easier to protect Jacquelyn if our attention is not divided.”

  Fane did not miss the way Jacquelyn’s face fell when his father mentioned the possibility of Fane not winning. He realized then this next part of the conversation was going to be bad … very, very bad.

  OceanofPDF.com

  Chapter

  Fourteen

  Jacque looked away when Vasile mentioned Fane might not win. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She was also scared beyond belief knowing she would not have her friends or her mother there for support. Granted, she would have Alina, and she was thankful for that, but she couldn’t help feeling very alone.

  “You okay, puțină lumină, little light?” Fane asked her.

  “No, wolfman, I’m not,” she answered.

  “Jacquelyn.”

  Jacque turned her attention back to Vasile when he called her name.

  “I need to make some things clear to you. I imagine my son has kept these from you because of their ugliness. We Canis lupus are not human. Some of our traditions follow the way of the animal we carry inside us. When I say this is a fight to the death, that’s exactly what I mean. If Lucas gets Fane by the throat and submits him, which is to say that Fane stops fighting, Lucas will still kill him. Some fights are fought until one wolf submits or is killed. This fight is not that way because a wolf will not give up his mate. If another wants an un-bonded, mated female, he must kill her mate to have her.” Vasile paused. Jacque simply stared at him.

  How am I supposed to just stand there and watch another kill him? Jacque felt like she was about to be sick.

  “If Fane loses, you and your mother will have to come to Romania under my protection. Lucas will not give you up. He will expect you to become his mate. The only way to avoid it is to leave. Do you understand that?” Vasile addressed both Lilly and Jacque. Both nodded solemnly.

  “I’m sorry to speak of this so bluntly. Please do not mistake it for a lack of care. He is my son, remember. I will have to watch him fight and maybe die, without intervening. Even though I know I could save him, I am not permitted to. Believe me when I tell you I understand your fear and pain. As your Alpha, I must make sure you understand the possible outcomes and results of those outcomes.” As Vasile finished there was a small sniffle, and when Jacque turned in the direction of the noise, she saw it was Alina crying. Jacque’s heart broke, and her own tears began to spill.

  Jacque got up and went to sit by Alina, wrapping her arms around her. Jacque didn’t know what to say because she knew there was nothing to be said that would ease the fear. So, she just hugged her and cried with her. The room was silent, other than the soft cries from the two women who loved Fane so much. Tears streaked the face of both Sally and Jen. Lilly’s eyes were closed and her body trembled.

  Finally, Alina and Jacque pulled themselves together. Fane got up, walked to his mother, and knelt in front of her. He touched her face gently and whispered, “Te rog, nu plânge, mamă. Îmi frânge inima. Please do not cry, Mother. It breaks my heart.”

  Alina kissed Fane on the forehead. “I’m your mother. It’s my job to cry. Now comfort your mate before your Alpha begins to think you aren’t taking care of her,” she teased him, and then she turned to Jacque. “I can see already I am blessed beyond measure to have you as my son’s mate.”

  “Thank you. The feeling is mutual,” Jacque responded.

  Fane took Jacque by the hand and led her back to the couch.

  “Okay, I’m good. Let’s keep moving. What else do we need to discuss?” Jacque asked Vasile.

  “I think, for now, that is enough. I want Boian, Skender, and Decebel to go over to the Henrys’ and get some sleep. I need them at their best at the challenge.”

  The three wolves were up and moving before Vasile finished speaking, Jacque felt Fane relax as the three walked out the front door. She turned and looked at him questioningly. “Is it really that hard to be around them?” she asked, heedless of those around them.

  “We’ll talk about it later, Luna,” Fane told her gently.

  Jacque shrugged. She was tired and, frankly, didn’t want to think about the challenge anymore. Alina must have seen this in Jacque’s face because she tactfully asked her if she would like to take a walk with her.

  “Lilly, you don’t mind, do you?” Alina asked Jacque’s mother.

  “No, not at all. I think it will be good for her to get out of the house and away from all this testosterone,” Lilly told her.

  “Amen,” Jen and Sally said in unison.

  Jacque stood up, looked down at her wrinkled clothes, and realized she had slept in yesterday’s clothes. What a wonderful first impression I must have made to Fane’s parents.

  “Alina, let me take a quick shower. I feel all grimy,” Jacque admitted.

  “Go right ahead. Take your time. I would love to visit with your mom as well since we’re going to be family,” Alina said.

  “That sounds like a great idea. Alina, do you like coffee or hot chocolate?” Lilly asked as the two women headed in the direction of the kitchen.

  Jacque turned to Fane and told him she’d see him in a little while, but apparently, that wasn’t sufficient, because as she walked away, he followed her to the bottom of the stairs.

  “Jacquelyn, are you—”

  “If you plan on finishing that question with the word ‘okay,’ I just might save Lucas the trouble and strangle you myself,” Jacque growled at him.

  Sally and Jen walked past Fane and Jacque and up the stairs.

  “Man, Sally, you would think getting to sleep on the couch with her man would have put her in a better mood. Maybe he’s not as good as he looks if you know what I mean,” Jen said.

  “Jen, we really, really need to have a conversation about when to keep your mouth shut, and if you don’t, then how fast you should run,” Sally retorted as she followed her mouthy friend up the stairs.

  Jacque shook her head, feeling overwhelmed. She knew she needed to give herself a pep talk or a good kick in the ass, which was even more effective. She was not a “wuss,” dammit. She was not a frail, little flower that withered at the slightest show of bad weather. So, what on earth was her problem?

  “It’s the bond, Jacquelyn. It makes you feel things on a whole different level than a human. I know it’s hard to understand because it’s all so new to you. You aren’t weak, love. Your spirit recognizes that I am your other half, and it rebels against any notion of being separated from me. Just as my spirit rebels against being separated from you, and even worse, I’m constantly fighting to keep my wolf under control because all he sees is that you are our mate, you are in danger, and you need to be bonded to me,” Fane explained to her.

  Jacque lifted her head and looked into Fane’s beautiful blue eyes, eyes that she wanted more than anything to be what she saw every morning when she woke up and every night when she closed her own. Fane was right, she didn’t understand. She wanted to, but it’s like her brain couldn’t keep up with her emotions. She would just have to come to grips with it all and accept it, maybe then it wouldn’t be so scary.

  “Thank you, Fane. I can imagine it must be frustrating for you because I am so clueless. Crap, it’s frustrating for me because I know I must be frustrating you,” she admitted to him.

  “I am not frustrated, Luna. How could I possibly be frustrated with the one person who gives my existence meaning? If you begin to understand anything at all, I hope it’s that you have given me what every male Canis lupus longs for, needs, and can never be complete without. You, and only ever you, complete the very core of who I am. No, love, I am not frustrated with you. I am wholly, ardently, unabashedly in love with you.”