“A word, furball,” Jen said before walking into the dining room. She obviously expected him to follow, which he did.

  She turned and pinned him with a stare equal to the one Jacquelyn had already given him.

  “I’m going to say this one time, and only once. It would be very wise of you to listen up. If there is anything, and I mean anything, even if it’s something like you have an extra toe or whatever, anything at all you are not telling Jacque, you had better come clean. What you did was so, so, so not cool. Do you get that? You have walked into her world and pulled the proverbial rug out from underneath her feet. She deserves to know the truth about everything. If there is some weird mating ritual, then I’m giving you fair warning, ’cause in case you haven’t noticed, she’s a little touchy about the whole physical part of a relationship. If you don’t tell her now, you’re liable to end up as a rug in front of her fireplace. Are we clear, Cujo?” Jen asked.

  “Very, very clear. I didn’t mean to—,” Fane started to say.

  Jen held her hand up to silence him. “Save it, fleabag. I’m not the one you have to convince. You make Jacque happy, that makes Sally and me happy.”

  “Jen, are you done laying down the law with my mate yet?” they heard Jacquelyn ask.

  “I suppose I’m finished,” Jen said. But before she was out of the dining room, she added, “For now.”

  Fane watched Jen walk out of the room, thankful she had not lived up to her reputation of inflicting pain. When she was no longer in sight, he went back to Jacquelyn. She was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. Her glare wasn’t quite as harsh as when she was sitting in the chair, but it was still a glare, nonetheless.

  “Jacquelyn…” Fane started, but Jacquelyn started shaking her head.

  “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I just want to get something to eat. I want to get away from those wolves that just came into my living room, and then I want to go lie in my bed and brood. Whatever you have on the tip of your tongue, just save it.”

  Fane had been so engrossed in his conversation—well, his scolding rather—with Jen that he had not heard or smelled the other wolves come in. He growled as his eyes phased to his wolf sight.

  “I understand,” Fane said. Again, Jacquelyn tried to silence him, but this time he would not submit. “No, Jacquelyn, you are going to listen to what I have to say.” Jacquelyn’s head snapped up at the tone in Fane’s voice. He tried to soften it, but by the look on her face, he was unsuccessful. “I understand you are mad at me, and rightfully so, but for the moment I need you to please trust me and do as I say. We are going to go to the kitchen and get something to eat, and then we are going to go up to your room. If you don’t want me in the room with you, that is fine. I will sit in the hall. As long as the other wolves are in the house, you will be close to me,” he finished with a low growl.

  Jacquelyn took in a sharp breath when she finally noticed his eyes had phased. She walked over to him and took his hand and placed it against her cheek. She closed her eyes, pressing her face against the palm of his hand and whispered, “Yours.”

  Fane leaned down and blew warm air on her neck, putting his scent on her. Then he kissed her lips softly. “I love you,” he told her gently.

  “I know,” Jacquelyn said in reply.

  Fane pulled his hand away from her face and took her hand. He led her into the kitchen and deftly made two sandwiches. He grabbed a bag of chips and two bottles of water from the fridge, then, turning to Jacquelyn, he told her, “I want you to walk in front of me, please.”

  Jacquelyn acquiesced to his wishes without argument. They walked through the living room, and as they did, she could feel the eyes of the other wolves on her. Fane snarled at them, and Jacquelyn saw them all drop their gazes immediately. Fane was holding it together by a thread. He needed to bond with his mate, or he was likely going to wind up killing one of these wolves.

  Once in Jacquelyn’s bedroom, he eased up a little. Knowing she was safe and with him helped calm him and his wolf. They both sat down on the floor, and Fane spread their makeshift picnic in front of them.

  “Do you want me to sit out in the hall?” he asked her.

  “No, you dork, I’m not going to make you sit in the hall even though I’m not very pleased with you,” Jacquelyn told him. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. Tell me about these other wolves. Why did you go all postal on Boian when he got in my face, even though he wasn’t doing anything?”

  Fane took slow breaths, calming himself. Jacquelyn didn’t realize how valuable she was to a Grey male. He had to help her understand, but to do that, he had to stay calm.

  “You are a female.”

  “Spot on there, wolfman. Any more bright revelations to share?”

  “You didn’t let me finish, Luna.”

  “Oh, my bad, please do continue,” Jacquelyn said.

  “You are a half Canis lupus female, able to mate with a male. The female to male ratio for werewolves is somewhere around thirty males to one female. To put it simply, you’re in very high demand. Now, yes, you have found your mate, but the catch is, you are not bonded to your mate. No Blood Rites have been performed, no mating has taken place, and to unmated males, that makes you fair game. Naturally, around other unmated males, I’m just a little territorial when it comes to you. I can never show weakness to another dominant wolf. For them to see weakness in me means I’m vulnerable. And vulnerability to a wolf means easy prey,” Fane explained.

  “Is that why you would not sit down until they did?” Jacquelyn asked.

  “That’s correct. A more dominant wolf’s head is never lower than the less dominants. As for why I took Boian to the floor, he was closer to you than he should have been, and he scared you. For those reasons, he needed to be disciplined. He now knows not to go near you, or I will kill him,” Fane said matter-of-factly.

  “Isn’t that a little over-the-top?” she asked him.

  “Not when it comes to Canis lupus. Unmated males can be volatile and unpredictable. Giving them boundaries helps them keep their wolf in check. The other reason is a mated female is not to be touched by another male unless her mate says it is okay. That is just another way to prevent fights. I know it doesn’t make sense to you and seems archaic, but there is an animal that lives inside us, and that animal has to be kept under control. The human part of me is what kept me from tearing Boian to shreds. The wolf would not have shown mercy, which is what sets us apart from full-blooded wolves,” he answered.

  Jacquelyn didn’t say anything. She just took bites of her sandwich and chewed slowly, obviously in thought. Fane ate his sandwich as well and let her think about what he had told her. He knew it was a lot to take in, but he also knew she had a right to know everything.

  “So, did I freak you out?” he asked her.

  “Fane, sweetie, I’m way past freaked out, but I’m dealing,” she answered.

  Fane finished his sandwich and then stretched out on her bedroom floor, arms behind his head. He let out a big yawn and closed his eyes.

  “I’m gonna take a nap if you don’t mind. Could you please stay up here until the other Greys leave?” he asked her, trying very hard to not sound like he was ordering her around. See? I’m learning.

  “Since you asked rather than demanded, I will stay. I’m kind of tired too.”

  Jacquelyn stood up and stretched, then kicked off her shoes and climbed up onto her bed. She laughed when Fane turned and propped himself up on an elbow, looking at her questioningly.

  “You’re just gonna let me sleep on the floor, Luna?” he asked her incredulously.

  “Well, you are a wolf. I don’t think it’s a good idea to start the habit of you sleeping in the bed, you know, with all the shedding and whatnot,” Jacquelyn teased.

  Fane stood up, unfolded his tall form, and stalked forward, eyes squinted, looking every bit the predator. Jacquelyn squealed and started to get up off the bed, but before she could, Fane wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back down. They were both laughing and breathless when Fane looked down into Jacquelyn’s eyes. He kissed her on the forehead, settled in next to her, and pulled her close to him. Once again, he started humming his favorite country song until they drifted off to sleep.

  “Should we wake them up?” Sally asked Jen.

  “Yeah, but first we should draw on their faces. We could put paw prints on Jacque’s face and claw marks on Fane’s,” Jen said laughing. “Get it? Paws, ya know ’cause he’s a wolf.”

  Sally was looking at her like she had grown an ear on her forehead.

  “Oh, never mind,” Jen said as she batted her hand at Sally.

  “You are one disturbed little girl, you know that, right?” Sally asked her sarcastically.

  Jen gave Sally a “go to hell” look and then said, “Just wake them up already. Fane’s dad said he needed to talk to all of us, and I’m guessing that means the prince and princess here.”

  “There’s no need to wake us up, you dip. Nobody could possibly sleep with Thelma and Louise standing over them gabbing. And if you had drawn anything on our faces, I would personally make sure the entire school knew you had a third nipple,” Jacque told her crankily.

  “Who has a third nipple?” Fane perked up.

  “Oh, bring up the word nipple and you’re all ears, furball. And you,” Jen said, pointing her finger at Jacque, “know I don’t have a third nipple, so how can you possibly tell people that?”

  “I know that, but do they? And how exactly would you disprove me? Flash the school at a pep rally?” Jacque asked, sounding victorious.

  Sally laughed and Fane grinned.

  “Man, she so got you pinned, sista, ha!” Sally pointed at Jen and gave Jacque a fist bump.

  “Okay, fine, whatever. Both of you get your royal arses up. Fane, your dad wants to talk to everyone down in the living room,” Jen told them. Then she grabbed Sally by the arm and pulled her out the door, muttering as they went, “What the hell? You’re supposed to be on my side now that Jacque has to side with her furball all the time.”

  “Hey, I side with the victor, Thelma. So next time, win and I will be in your corner,” Sally told her with a wink.

  “Why do I have to be Thelma? I’m more of a Louise personality,” Jen whined.

  “Seriously, do you want to argue about what movie characters we are going to be?” Sally asked her in amazement.

  “I’m just saying,” Jen retorted, holding her hands up in surrender.

  Jacque stood up and lifted her arms in the air, stretching. She looked down and saw that Fane was watching her intently.

  “What are you looking at, oh prince of wolves?” Jacque asked him.

  “I’m looking at my beautiful mate, and are the nicknames ever going to stop?” Fane asked her.

  “Hmmm, well I guess I could… Nope, sorry, there are just too many possibilities, and I like to explore my creative side,” Jacque said in mock seriousness.

  Fane stood up, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her hair. Jacque leaned into him, loving the way he felt against her and the way he smelled. She noticed the clock on her dresser said 6:30 p.m. and her stomach tightened. They had slept the day away, and every minute that went by brought them closer to the challenge. She closed her eyes and squeezed Fane tighter, wishing she could just whisk them away to somewhere safe with just a thought. Geez, you would think with all this werewolf stuff there would be some way to teleport or something, but nooooo, that would be too weird—not like werewolves weren’t weird or anything.

  “Guess we better head downstairs,” Fane said.

  She pulled away from him, put on her best smile, and nodded her head. Fane took her hand and they went downstairs. Everyone was seated already, and oddly enough, they were all in the exact spots they had been that morning. The other Greys were sitting on the floor. Fane didn’t hesitate to sit down on the couch.

  “What did you need to talk with us about, Tata, Father?” Fane asked.

  “Just some finalizations of the plans for tomorrow. First, I want Jacquelyn to shower over at the Henrys’ in the morning.”

  Fane put his hand on Jacque’s knee before she could protest. “It’s so you won’t have my scent on you. It will provoke Lucas and his wolves much more if you smell like me,” Fane explained.

  “Oh, alright then,” Jacque said out loud. Everyone looked at her. “Dang, I always do that, and then I look like a crazy person talking to myself.”

  “I take it you explained why I want her to do that?” Vasile asked Fane.

  “Yes, I explained she didn’t need to have my scent on her. What about clothes?” Fane asked.

  “I’ve got 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, and Jacque just rolled her eyes. Vasile cleared his throat, which brought everyone’s attention back to him.

  “Second, the challenge starts at 10:00 p.m. Fane, I want you and the rest of the pack there at 8:30 p.m. I want you to know your battlefield, so to speak. You need to look at the ground, check for soft spots, any 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 seeing Fane’s reactions, and especially after the challenge, I think it would be best for all involved if they are bonded as quickly as possible. The evening after the challenge, Fane and Jacquelyn will be bonded,” he announced.

  Jacque had started having difficulty breathing as soon as she heard Vasile say that her mother and Alina were to prepare for the bonding ceremony. Now Jacque 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.

  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.”

  “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, and I’m the one being hauled off to a third-world country, so NO is not good enough!” Jacque stood up and stomped her foot.

  “Ea doar stomp piciorul ei? Did she just stomp her foot?” Decebel asked.

  Fane growled at him, and that caused 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. The look on her face made it clear to everyone he should have 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, and 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 have him face five more. If you do not want to bond with him, then 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 in Fane. You are his other half, Jacquelyn. You and only you can complete him. Are we clear?” Vasile asked after his speech.

  Jacque had tears streaming down her cheeks. Good grief. When did I 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, that’s all. She was ashamed at her outburst, realizing it had come across that she was rejecting Fane. She turned to look at him, and 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 down unconditional love?

  “I’m sorry,” she began. Fane surged to his feet and roared, storming out 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 lightbulb hit. Naturally, Jen was a step 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, striding toward the Henrys’.

  “Fane! Wait,” Jacque called as she ran after him. “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, his head bent, shoulders slumped in defeat. He didn’t answer.

  “Dammit, answer me!” Jacque yelled at him as she grabbed his arm and jerked it to turn him toward her. Tears 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.