“Okay, Decebel, since you asked so nicely,” Sally responded, her voice thick with sarcasm.

  When Decebel arrived, Fane and Vasile were discussing the fact that since Jacquelyn had gotten sick, the situation with Dillon had changed. Vasile broke off the conversation to greet his beta. “How are Sally and Jen?”

  Decebel sat down in one of the chairs across from them and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “You’re never going to believe what those two got themselves into last night.”

  “What have the two troublemakers done this time?” Vasile asked.

  “They came up with the bright idea to sneak into the ICU to see Jacque, but their plan didn’t quite come to fruition, as you might imagine. Sally ended up unconscious in the elevator with no memory of how it happened, and Jennifer was drunk off her ass after having spent the night with some mongrel named Matty.” Decebel’s voice had gone deathly low at his mention of Jen.

  Vasile let out a slow breath before responding, “Are they both in one piece?”

  “Yes, Alpha. Jennifer is sleeping off her wild night as we speak, and Sally is with her.”

  Fane looked at Decebel and then his father, his brow furrowed in thought. “Why would Sally be unconscious in the elevator?” Fane got an uneasy feeling and his wolf perked up. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what it was. Suddenly, the urgency to have news on Jacquelyn’s well-being overrode his sense of propriety.

  Fane stood up and walked toward the ICU door. He began banging on it forcefully, no longer feigning politeness. After a few moments, the doors opened and a nurse stepped out. “Can I help you?”

  “I want to see Jacquelyn Pierce.” Fane’s tone left no room for argument, but apparently the nurse hadn’t gotten the memo.

  “Sir, I know Dr. Steele told you that family and friends are not allowed in the ICU due to the seriousness of the illnesses. It further compromises their immune systems.”

  Fane noticed that the nurse’s heart rate was quickening, and she had a sheen of perspiration across her brow. Fane looked past the nurse into the room behind her and saw that there appeared to be a sense of urgency from the other staff. Several other nurses were on the phones, and there was a doctor pointing toward a room, his face displaying obvious frustration. Fane called on his wolf’s hearing to catch what the doctor was saying. “How does a patient just up and disappear? Have you tried to get in touch with Dr. Steele?” That was all Fane needed to hear. He pushed past the nurse and her weak attempts to stop him. Fane heard his father behind him, and Decebel was only a step behind Vasile.

  Fane followed the direction the doctor had been pointing and stepped into an empty room saturated in his mate’s scent. He instinctively reached out to her through their bond, but there was only silence in response. He turned back to the doctor and knew his eyes were glowing based on the man’s expression. Fane grabbed the doctor by the front of his shirt and lifted him effortlessly off the floor. “Where is Jacquelyn Pierce?” he snarled.

  “Fane, put him down.” He heard his alpha issue the command, but his wolf wasn’t listening.

  The doctor grabbed onto the wrist of the arm that held him in the air, his mind threatening to shut down from fear.

  “I d-d-don’t know,” he stuttered. “I just got here to do my rounds, and when I went to see Ms. Pierce, her room was empty. I had the nurses check to see if she had a procedure scheduled for this morning, but they can’t find anything. We can’t get a hold of Dr. Steele either.”

  Fane could tell the doctor was telling the truth, but he was reluctant to set the man down, not wanting to give up an object upon which to direct his anger.

  “Fane, set him down now,” he heard his alpha say again, This time, he obeyed. He turned and dared to look Vasile in the eyes, earning a growl in warning.

  “We need to call Dillon Jacobs,” Fane told his alpha before he finally relented and dropped his eyes. Turning away from the doctor, he stormed past Vasile and Decebel and back into the waiting area they had just occupied. He didn’t look to see if they would follow; he knew they would. Fane watched as his father dialed Dillon Jacobs’ number and waited for him to answer.

  “Dillon,” Vasile’s voice was low, “have you anything to do with Jacque’s disappearance?”

  Fane and Decebel had no trouble hearing Dillon’s response as he yelled into the phone, “What the hell do you mean she’s disappeared!”

  Vasile’s voice never changed in volume, nor did it lose the deathly edge. “I mean just what I said. She is not here. They are unable to locate Dr. Steele as well. Are all of your wolves accounted for?”

  “All of my wolves are here at the hotel.” Dillon paused. “Wait, not all. Logan stayed at the hospital so he could let me know of any changes.”

  “Then you know that Jacque was in the ICU?”

  “No, I haven’t heard from Logan. I assumed there had been no change to her condition. Is she okay?” Dillon’s voice was taking on a note of panic.

  “Jacque got sick last night. Dr. Steele thinks that because she received a transfusion of human blood, her body is attacking the human blood and, in turn, attacking her body. They took her to the ICU, which was the last time we saw her. Now, she is gone.”

  Fane was losing patience. He needed action, needed to be doing something to find his mate. As Decebel placed his hand on Fane’s shoulder, he told his prince, “We will find her.”

  “There is no other option,” Fane replied.

  Fane and Decebel looked at Vasile as he ended his conversation with Dillon. “He is on his way here. He said he would try to get in touch with Logan.”

  “What do we do until then?” Fane growled in frustration.

  “Have you tried to reach out to her?” Vasile asked, referring to the mate bond.

  “Yes, she isn’t answering. I can’t even get a sense of her presence like I do when she is sleeping.”

  “She must be unconscious. Dr. Steele probably sedated her to give her some relief from the pain,” Vasile said, voicing his thoughts out loud. Then he reached out to his mate through their bond. “Mina, you and Lilly need to come to the hospital. Jacque is missing.”

  “How is Fane?” came the reply. Her voice in his mind conveyed all the worry that she was feeling for her son and his mate.

  “He is coping for the moment, although I don’t know how long that will last. Come to me; meet us in Jen and Jacque’s room. I will explain everything once you are here.”

  “We are on our way, don’t let him do anything he will regret,” Alina pleaded with her mate.

  “As you say, my Luna, so it shall be done,” Vasile answered formally, a vow to his mate to care for their son.

  * * *

  “She’s missing? Missing, as in gone?” Sally asked for the third time.

  “Yes, Sally,” Vasile answered for the third time, just as patiently as the first time.

  “Crap, crap, crap,” Sally snapped as she walked over to where Jen lay. She shook her friend none too gently. “Jen, wake your drunk butt up.” When Jen didn’t stir, Sally headed toward the bathroom. “Desperate measures,” Sally mumbled.

  “This is going to get ugly.” Decebel smirked at Vasile.

  Sally came back into the room carrying a cup of water. She stood over Jen and shook her one more time. “Last chance, Jen. Wake up!” Still, the girl didn’t stir. Sally tossed the water right on Jen’s face. Jen gasped. She began sputtering and wiping the water from her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. Her eyes landed on Sally and the cup her friend held in her hand. The feral look that came over Jen’s face was all the encouragement Sally needed to jump back just as Jen lunged. Decebel moved in a blur of speed, wrapping an arm around Jen’s waist to pull her back.

  “I’m weighing the pros and cons of beating the crap out of your skinny ass,” Jen told Sally, her face still dripping with water.

  “I’m sorry, Jen, but it’s important. Jacque’s gone,” Sally told her, eyes pleading with her friend to hear her.

  Jen pulled out of Decebel’s arms as she asked, “What do you mean, she’s gone?” She looked around the room until she found Fane. She noticed his tightened lips. The man’s eyes were glowing a deep blue, which, had he not looked like he wanted to rip someone’s head off, would have been beautiful.

  “She was not in the ICU this morning,” Vasile explained. “I have Sorin, Skender, and Boain searching the hospital and questioning the staff. Dillon is on his way, and his wolves will help with the search.”

  “Wait a sec,” Jen said, shaking her head. “You don’t think Dillon has anything to do with this?”

  It was Vasile who answered. “I won’t know for sure until I can ask him face to face, but when I spoke with him on the phone, he sounded genuinely caught off guard.”

  Just as Vasile finished talking, the door to the room opened, and Dillon walked in. Just behind him were Lilly and Alina.

  “What is with werewolves and their lack of ability to knock?” Jen asked. “I mean, seriously, does it have something to do with the energy required to lift your hand and bang it against the door? Or is there a general rule that all werewolves are exempt from common courtesy?”

  The whole room stopped and stared at Jen. She looked around and shrugged. “Well, I’m just saying.”

  Dillon ignored Jen’s outburst and turned to Vasile. “I did not have anything to do with this. I am not so low as to take my daughter away from her mother under the cover of darkness like some common thief.”

  Vasile didn’t say anything right away, but appeared to be weighing the truth of the other alpha’s words. Finally, he nodded. “I believe you.” Then he turned to Lilly. “Lilly, how are you holding up?”

  “Well, if you want the truth, I’m straddling the fence. One side being, what the hell and the other side, are you freaking serious? I just don’t understand why we can’t keep her safe. What are we doing wrong?” she asked, clearly on the verge of tears.

  Fane walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Îmi pare aşa de rău. I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I should have demanded to stay with her.”

  “Fane, it’s not your fault. You may be a prince in your world, but in mine, you’re just a teenage boy. Here, they don’t give special treatment to teenage boys no matter how good looking.”

  “Regardless, I could have forced Dr. Steele, but I was trying not to disrespect her in her own territory. I won’t make that mistake again,” Fane promised.

  Lilly looked at Vasile. “So, what do we do now?”

  “We need to narrow down the possibilities,” Vasile told her. “First, Dillon, did you get a hold of your beta?”

  “No, I’ve left him several messages, but he’s not answering nor has he called me back.”

  Decebel grunted. “Is that common?”

  “No, Logan has always been solid.” Dillon paused, apparently searching his thoughts. “Has he been a little off lately?” The alpha muttered to himself. A few moments ticked by. “No,” Dillon finally told them. “He is my most faithful wolf. I can’t imagine him betraying me.”

  “We’ve been trying to get in touch with Dr. Steele, but she isn’t answering her phone either, and none of the doctors or nurses know where she is.” Vasile’s voice betrayed the frustration he was trying desperately to keep in check.

  “So, basically we don’t know jack crap and have no place to start. Am I getting it right?” Jen asked.

  “Jennifer.” Decebel gave a warning growl.

  “Do not growl at me, fur ball,” she snarled at him. “I just want to make sure we are all on the same page.” She turned and looked at Fane and asked, “Have you not been able to speak to her through your freaky mind voodoo?”

  “No, my father and I think Dr. Steele sedated her because of the pain. If I could just get through to her—” Fane didn’t finish as emotion washed over him. He closed his eyes, bowing his head, and shut the world out as he pictured his mate’s face in his mind. “Jacquelyn, can you hear me, my love?” He waited, but still there was no response. For the second time since he met her, she was beyond his reach, beyond his protection. The hole that was left in her place threatened to drag him into the darkness. He vowed then and there that whoever had taken her would die by his jaws.

  OceanofPDF.com

  Chapter 14

  Logan rubbed his eyes and tried to push away the sleep that threatened to take away his consciousness. He looked at the clock and saw that he and Cynthia had only been driving for two hours. So far, the unconscious redhead lying in the backseat had yet to stir. Logan’s phone had been ringing periodically for the past hour. He knew who it was without checking the caller ID. By now, Dillon and Vasile, along with the others, were probably trying to piece together the events of the night that led to the disappearance of Fane’s mate. They were probably puzzled by Dr. Steele’s absence, and Logan wondered how long it would be before Vasile decided to question her pack.

  “We need to stop soon so I can check Jacque’s IV,” said Cynthia, breaking the silence. “She probably needs another dose of sedative.”

  Just then, Jacque stirred and issued a painful sounding moan. Logan pulled the SUV over immediately; he couldn’t risk Jacque reaching out to Fane. He had heard from Dillon that she and Fane could share their thoughts. Although that might have deterred another wolf, Logan knew if he completed the Blood Rites with Jacque, her bond with Fane would break … or at least that’s what he hoped would happen.

  He watched as Dr. Steele got out of the vehicle, opened the back door, and fumbled with Jacque’s IV. While the doctor administered more of the sedative, Logan weighed his options, trying to determine if they should continue traveling by car, or if he should charter a small plane once they reached Dallas. Luckily, Logan had a pilot’s license. As long as he could find an available plane that met his license’s restrictions, he could get them to Colorado much faster. He nodded, mind made up, and watched as Cynthia checked Jacque’s pulse and respirations. Apparently satisfied the sedative was working, the doctor shut the door and climbed back into the passenger seat.

  “I’m not sure a road trip to Colorado is the best thing for Jacque,” Cynthia told him. “I have enough sedatives for the entire trip, but being curled up in the backseat of a moving SUV isn’t exactly the ideal situation to speed up the healing process.”

  “As a matter of fact, I’ve just decided that it would be better for us to fly rather than drive all the way to Colorado. She can rest on the plane.”

  “Fly?” Cynthia asked. “Something tells me a flight attendant is going to object to you carrying an unconscious girl onto a plane and then dumping her next to a window seat.”

  “Not to worry. I have my pilot’s license. We should be in Dallas in another hour and a half. I’ll rent a plane, and we will fly the rest of the way. Does your cabin have a field nearby where I could land a small plane?”

  She appeared to consider the question for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, there’s plenty of pasture and farmland close by. I’m sure we can find something suitable.”

  “Excellent.” The stars were once again aligning for Logan. He couldn’t help but think fate was on his side.

  * * *

  Cynthia sat back in her seat and closed her eyes, hoping to discourage any further conversation. She was here for Jacque and that was all. Once the girl was well, the doctor was going to get the heck out of Dodge.

  “Vasile, I’m ready to get out of this joint,” Jen told him as she sat on her bed. “I mean, seriously, my skin is almost healed. It’s really pink, but there are no more blisters. I’ve already called my parents and told them the hospital is releasing me and Jacque, so …”

  “So, what?” asked the alpha.

  “So … now I just need you to work your werewolf mojo and make that happen.”

  Decebel coughed, attempting to cover a laugh. Jen glared at him. “What are you laughing at, exactly?”

  “I just don’t understand where you learned to talk like that,” he replied.

  “It’s a gift. Now, quit laughing at me.”

  “As you say, Jennifer, so shall it be,” Decebel told her, his eyes never wavering from hers.

  Jen’s breath caught as she noticed his gold eyes begin to glow. She turned away abruptly, needing to put distance between her and the wolf who was constantly ruffling her feathers.

  “I will see what I can do about getting you released, Jen, if you think you are ready,” Vasile told her.

  “I’m way past ready. We’ve got plans to make. We can’t be just sitting up here twiddling our--”

  “JEN!” Sally abruptly cut her off.

  “What, Sally? Thumbs. I was going to say twiddling our thumbs. Wow, girl, where is your mind?” Jen asked her with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. Much to Jen’s delight, Sally’s face turned bright red.

  “You might not want to mess with me, Jen. I’ve got the goods on you and you don’t even know it. So, go on and rub me the wrong way, I dare you. See what happens.”

  “What are you talking about, Sally?” Jen asked, and there was actual worry etched across her face.

  “I’m sure everyone would love to be serenaded by a highly inebriated Jennifer Adams,” Sally threatened.

  “Sally, maybe this isn’t the best time…,” Decebel began.

  “This doesn’t concern you, Cujo,” Jen snapped.

  Decebel growled.

  “Actually, it kind of does concern him,” Sally said, “since he was the object of your affection during your little performance.”

  Jen’s face turned a shade of red that Sally swore she’d never seen on her best friend … like ever. Then she saw a look in Jen’s eyes she didn’t recognize. She’d seen Jen angry plenty of times before. This was something different. Sally decided maybe Decebel was right, and that she needed to save this ammunition for another time. “Jen, let’s just call a truce, okay?”