* * *

  Jacque ran blindly, her arms thrown out in front of her, desperately trying to keep herself from running face first into a tree. She felt horrible for leaving Cynthia, but the thought of Logan getting his hands on her was just too much. She stumbled over a fallen tree branch, lurching forward but catching herself on her hands before she face planted. She pushed herself up again and started forward without bothering to dust off her hands.

  “Fane! Logan found us. I freaked out and took off running and left Cynthia behind. I don’t know where I am.” Jacque reached out for him, hoping that maybe he was close to her.

  “We are tracking him. We just passed the cabin about a mile ago. Keep running, Jacquelyn. I will find you.”

  Jacque nodded her head and then remembered he couldn’t see her.

  “Please hurry.” Jacque heard a loud howl not far behind her. “He’s getting closer.”

  Jacque tried to redouble her efforts, but her body decided to take that moment to seize up from the pain that had been coursing through her veins. She fell to the ground, spasms wracking her body. She rolled onto her side, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming.

  “Luna, what is it? I can feel your pain.”

  “The pain is getting worse. Whatever is happening to my body, it’s getting worse.” Jacque squeezed her eyes closed and tried to take slow, deep breaths. Pushing past the pain, she rolled onto her hands and knees and began to crawl. If crawling was all she could do at the moment, then so be it ,but she wouldn’t just lay there on the ground and wait for Logan to come rip her apart. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it far before she heard a low growl behind her. She turned her head to see a huge black and grey wolf standing and watching her. His head was down low, and all the hair on his large body seemed to be standing on end. Jacque turned, not wanting to have her back to him. She fell backward onto her butt. She tried to scoot back away from him, and he began advancing on her.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked him, hoping to perhaps distract him until Fane could find her. “Why would you want me when you know I am not your true mate?”

  Jacque squeaked when the large wolf before her transformed into a naked man.

  “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be alone? To be empty on the inside and feel like you are being consumed by it? That is why I’m doing this. I need a mate. There are so few females, and Fane is still a pup. He has plenty of time before the darkness begins to drive him mad. But me, I’m old. I need a mate.”

  Jacque kept her eyes firmly planted on his face while she listened to him. She could see the pain on his face, but after what he had done to her, she couldn’t feel sorry for him.

  “You have to realize that I will not make the darkness go away for you. You have to know that only your true mate can do that.” She tried to reason with him.

  “It will be better once we mate. That will make us one, and then the madness will be contained.”

  “Logan, it’s not going to happen. I am not yours! I will never be yours.”

  He lunged at her, pushing her onto her back. Logan grabbed her hands and pushed them down into the ground. Then he leaned forward and placed his nose against her neck. Jacque whimpered at his closeness, hating the feel of his skin against hers.

  “You don’t even smell like him anymore,” he growled. “You smell like me. Do you really think he is going to want you once he smells another wolf all over you?”

  Jacque looked Logan straight in the eyes. “Fane will always want me no matter what you do to me.”

  Logan snarled at her boldness but didn’t back away. He took her hands and raised them above her head, holding both wrists with one of his hands. He took his free hand and grabbed her chin, holding her face in place as he leaned forward. Jacque realized he was going to try and kiss her. She began thrashing wildly. He held her tighter, and she flinched at the pain in her wrists. He gripped her face tighter, and his lips came brutally down on hers. She thrashed her body, trying to throw Logan off, but he was too big. Before he could pull his lips away, Jacque opened her mouth and bit down hard on them.

  Logan snarled and released her mouth. Glaring down at her, Jacque shivered at the feral look in his eyes.

  “It’s like that, is it?” he asked her, pulling his hand back. Jacque realized he was going to hit her and tried to move her head out of the way. She squeezed her eyes closed, waiting for the blow. It never came. Instead, the weight that was Logan was suddenly gone as he was thrown from her body. Jacque opened her eyes to see Fane leaning over her.

  “Fane?” She whispered his name, and tears streamed down her face.

  “I’m here, love.” Fane reached for her but stopped when she cried out in pain.

  “It’s getting worse,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

  “We’re going to get you out of here just as soon as the others catch up. Try to--” His words were cut off when teeth sank into his arm. He growled loudly and turned to face Logan. Fane lunged for Logan and phased in mid air.

  “Fane!” Jacque yelled as she watched two large wolves clash in the air. Sounds of snarls, growls, and teeth snapping, filled the forest. Jacque pulled herself up so she could see the battle that raged before her. She gasped when Logan grabbed onto Fane’s side. He must not have had a firm grip because Fane slipped away. She was so entranced with watching Fane and Logan that she didn’t notice the five other wolves that slowly crept up to her. She started when she felt a cold nose touch her arm. It was then she noticed that Decebel was carrying Cynthia in her wolf form.

  “Decebel, is she alive?”

  “She is. She has two broken legs, but I think those are her only injuries,” Decebel said. “Jacque, we are going to take you to the car. Your mom and friends are waiting. Can you walk?”

  “I’m not leaving Fane,” she said firmly.

  The largest of the five wolves growled low at her. She looked at him and knew it had to be Vasile. The power flowing off him was unmistakable.

  “I’m not leaving him, Vasile. You can growl and snarl all you waaa...” Jacque couldn’t finish. She grabbed her stomach and tried to breathe through the pain.

  Decebel looked at Vasile. “Let me help him finish this. It would be over quicker, and we could get her out of here.”

  Vasile shook his big wolf head once and snarled. Jacque decided that must have been a no. They all turned their heads back to the fight when there was a loud howl. Jacque couldn’t believe the amount of blood that matted Fane’s fur. It was everywhere. She covered her mouth to keep from screaming out. Surely, that wasn’t all his blood. She prayed it was not his blood. She watched as Fane leapt forward and latched onto Logan briefly. Then, giving his head a quick jerk, she saw him tear away fur and flesh as more blood poured out of Logan. As she continued to watch, wanting to turn away but not being able to wrench her eyes from the battle, she realized that every time Fane lunged forward he would literally take another bite out of Logan. There were holes all over Logan’s body, and blood poured from his skin. The wolf was weakening from blood loss. She watched him stumble. Fane took advantage of Logan’s moment of weakness. He lunged, landing on Logan’s back and sinking his teeth into the other wolf’s neck. Fane began to thrash his head back and forth like a puppy with a new chew toy. Jacque heard a loud snap. Logan’s body went limp in Fane’s jaws. She realized that Fane had broken the wolf’s neck.

  Fane dropped the lifeless form and threw his head back and howled. Jacque flinched as the other five wolves and even Decebel in his human form howled in victory with him. As the howls died down, Jacque added her own howl, but hers was out of pain as once again she doubled over. This time, the pain was too much. She held her breath and felt tears seep from her eyes just before she passed out.

  OceanofPDF.com

  Chapter 18

  When Fane heard Jacquelyn’s pain-filled scream, he immediately phased back to his human form. He rushed to her side just as she lost consciousness. Taking in the bruises on her face and the teeth marks on her neck, he nearly lost his barely contained control. He reached for her body, pulling her up into his arms, and stood. He turned to look at his father who was still in his wolf form. “No matter Dr. Steele’s part in this, right now, we need her. I need to know how to fix my Luna.”

  Vasile gave a small snort and Fane took that to mean that his father would not take any action toward the doctor … yet.

  * * *

  Fane, Decebel, and the five wolves approached the vehicle where Lilly and the others were waiting. Fane’s eyes locked with Lilly’s. She rushed forward, tears running down her cheeks. She sank to the ground while Fane lowered Jacquelyn’s body in front of her. He helped Lilly lay Jacquelyn’s head in her lap and then quickly took a pair of sweatpants his mother was handing out for each of the wolves to put on.

  “Okay, girls. They are all decent,” Alina announced.

  Jen and Sally came around from the other side of the vehicle and rushed to Jacquelyn’s side. Both girls were crying. They looked their friend over, making sure she was really alive … at least for the moment.

  It took everything in Fane to keep from taking her from Lilly and holding her close to him so he could assure himself and his wolf that she was safe. Fane turned to his father as Vasile approached. “We need Dr. Steele awake.”

  “I will force her to phase once we are back at the hotel. Then she can tell us what we need to do to make Jacque well.”

  Fane looked up to see Dillon approaching. Fane couldn’t help the low growl that came from his chest.

  Dillon froze. “She’s my daughter.”

  “I understand that. Do not touch her while you check on her. I know that you want to make sure she is okay, but no male is to touch her.” Fane’s voice was lethal as he issued the order.

  Dillon nodded in acknowledgment of Fane’s request before kneeling down next to Lilly.

  * * *

  After a few moments, Vasile ordered everyone to regroup at the hotel.

  “Dillon,” Vasile said, turning to face the other alpha. “You may come back to the hotel, but I would ask that your other wolves stay away. Fane will not be comfortable with strange wolves around Jacque right now. As it is, he is on the verge of losing it.”

  Dillon agreed and told Vasile he would meet them at the hotel after he dropped his wolves off.

  Fane went over to Lilly and knelt down. “Can I take her, Lilly?”

  Lilly watched as Fane shook with the need to be close to his mate. She gently lifted Jacque’s head so Fane could slip his arm underneath it. His other arm came under her knees, and he stood up with her. He carried her to the SUV, not waiting for anyone else, and climbed in with her in his lap. He looked down at her face, brushing hair away from her once-pale cheek, now marred with a splotchy bruise. Fane reached for his mate’s mind.

  “Meu inimă, can you hear me?” Fane continued to run his fingers across her cheek as he waited for her response.

  “It hurts, Fane.” Jacquelyn’s voice was soft in his mind.

  “We are going to make you better. Can you open your eyes for me, love?”

  He watched as slowly her eyes began to flutter and then open. He sheltered her with his large body, not wanting anyone else to see she was awake, needing a few moments of her all to himself. He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently and whispered, “Don’t move right now; just let me look at you.”

  “Someone would have to pry me from your arms, Fane,” she whispered back with a small smile, which quickly turned to a grimace as her body throbbed.

  Fane’s heart clenched. He saw pain fill her eyes and hated that he could do nothing for her.

  “Just rest, my love.”

  Jacquelyn closed her eyes and Fane pulled her close to his body, sharing his heat with her.

  The return drive to the hotel was silent, just as their arrival had been. Before, Fane had been steeling himself for a battle against a foe he knew. Now, he was paralyzed because though he’d won the battle, another battle raged within his Jacquelyn--a battle against a foe he couldn’t see.

  * * *

  Alina laid a blanket over Cynthia Steele’s wolf form, which was lying on one of the hotel beds. Vasile, Fane, and Lilly stood over her. After a few minutes, the wolf fur began to phase back to human skin. Jen and Sally sat on the other bed next to Jacque’s supine form, and Decebel leaned against the back wall, his arms folded over his chest, looking even more ominous than usual … if that were possible.

  Cynthia blinked several times as her eyes opened. She didn’t know where she was, only that she was no longer in the woods, and she was alive.

  “Cynthia Steele, we need your help,” she heard a deep voice say to her.

  She began to sit up. Her broken appendages had healed during her phase, but they remained stiff and still ached. She felt warm fabric against her skin. Realizing it was a blanket that covered her very bare self, she clutched it to her and sat up fully to look at the room of faces staring holes into her. She began to recognize the faces and then everything that had happened came rushing in.

  “Where is Jacque? Is she okay? Is Logan still alive?” Questions flowed from her mouth like water from a faucet while her eyes darted from person to person.

  It was Fane who answered her. “Jacque is alive but in severe pain. Please tell me how to heal her.”

  “She needs blood,” Cynthia told him.

  “She has already had blood.” Fane’s voice was deadly. “Logan forced his blood on her; she is not better.”

  “Not just anyone’s blood, Fane. She needs your blood, the blood of her mate.”

  Fane stepped toward the bed as hope began to inch its way into his heart.

  “You’re sure?” he asked.

  “Scientifically, no, I’m not. But Fane, we are werewolves, science cannot explain us. In my gut, I know it is your blood she needs. I don’t think one bite will do it since she has gone so long and her body has slowly been attacking itself. She will probably have to bite you several times over the period of a few days.”

  Fane turned to his mother. “Get her some clothes, please.”

  Alina brought Cynthia some sweatpants and a shirt and all the males stepped out of the room. Nobody spoke as Cynthia dressed. Alina opened the doors and let the wolves back in. Fane walked over to Jacquelyn’s side and stared down at her in silence. Everybody in the room waited, watching to see what he would do. Fane made a decision.

  “Everyone, please leave,” he requested without ever taking his eyes off of his mate. “She wouldn’t want anyone to watch this.”

  Without a word, the room emptied. When Fane heard the click of the door, he sat down next to Jacquelyn on the bed.

  “Luna, can you wake for me?”

  Jacquelyn turned her head in the direction of Fane’s voice. Her eyes opened. “Am I really here? Are you really with me?”

  “Yes and yes,” Fane answered. He laid on his side next to her.

  She reached her hand to touch his face but pulled back in pain. Fane gently caressed her face and turned it to look at him.

  “Dr. Steele says you need my blood, that you will have to bite me several times in order to fully heal.” Fane paused before he continued. “Do you think you can handle biting me or would it be too much since you were forced before?” Fane’s voice got softer and softer as he spoke. His eyelids shadowed his eyes, and his lips were held in a tight line.

  “Fane, I didn’t bite Logan. He bit himself and poured his blood into my mouth. Biting you will be weird but not because of Logan.” Her mouth turned upward. She tried to reassure him, but she must not have succeeded because he still looked stricken.

  “Fane, tell me what to do. Unless,” she said, looking away from him as her voice quivered, “unless you don’t want me to bite you.”

  Fane growled. “Why would I not want my mate to bite me, to take my blood?”

  Jacque shivered at the anger she heard in his voice. “Because I’ve had his blood, because he tainted me,” she sobbed out.

  Fane began to wrap his arms around her, but as his hands touched her back, she cried out in pain.

  Fanes eyebrows rose, and he jerked his arms away. “What is it? Where are you hurt, love?”

  Jacquelyn’s eyes fell, and her lips trembled. “He clawed my back when he saw my markings,” she whispered.

  Fane gently tugged her forward so that she was lying on her stomach. He began to raise the hem of her shirt. “I will be gentle,” he told her, his voice tight and strained. As he continued to pull her shirt up, revealing more and more of her skin, he finally saw the angry red slashes that marred her beautiful body. They sliced from her neck to below her bra. Fane couldn’t stop the low growl that rumbled in his chest at the sight of his beautiful mate’s precious skin so angrily torn.

  “His death was too merciful for the pain he caused you.” His voice trembled, exposing the depth of his hurt for her. Fane leaned forward and gently kissed her injured back and neck. Pulling back and lowering her shirt, he helped her lay back on her side.