"So, I guess I need to apologize for being a complete ass," Jen told them, remorse written across her face.

  Sally looked up at her slowly. Her eyes were drawn together in a glare that would stop a grown man. "Look, Jacque. The prodigal wolf returns. Isn't that sweet of her."

  Jen winced at Sally's words, which were laced in sarcasm and dripping with vehemence.

  Jacque gave Jen a passing glance as if she were nothing more than a gnat. "Huh, so it is." And, she went back to her homework.

  Crap, Jen thought. She was going to have to grovel. How she hated groveling. "I really am sorry. I know that you guys were worried and that you're mad at me for being selfish."

  Sally sat up abruptly. "Worried, yes. Mad, no. Hurt, definitely. Jen, you won't talk to us about what's going on. You've been sulking around here for the past two months. You won't talk about the wolf blood thing, you won't talk about Decebel, and then you throw the hissy fit of the century and start packing your stuff, spouting off how you can't do it anymore. We are sitting in the dark twiddling our freaking thumbs." Sally's voice had slowly gotten louder as her rant continued. "I change my mind, we are mad. Hurt, mad, and worried."

  Jacque stared at Sally like she had grown a third eyeball while Jen was looking for a hole to crawl into.

  "I'm sorry, Sally. I don't know what else to say, but truly I'm sorry. I've just been so, crap, I don't know. Frustrated, scared, lonely-"

  "Lonely?" Jacque interrupted, obviously hurt.

  "Not because you guys haven't been there," Jen added, quickly. "I can't describe it. Okay," Jen stopped and sat down by her two best friends, "you want me to talk, here goes. When Decebel left after your ceremony, I felt like a hole had been cut inside of me. I don’t know how to describe it other than utter loneliness. I've been so stinking frustrated, because I don't ever get depressed over a guy. I mean, hello, I'm Jen. I don’t need a guy." She ran her hands through her long blonde hair in agitation. "But there I was, pining after a werewolf and I don't know why. I don’t understand why he just left like he didn't give a damn." Jen wiped the tears that were now staining her face. "And bloody hell, I'm sick of crying."

  Jacque sat up and took Jen in her arms; Sally wrapped hers around them both. The three girls sat there silently while Jen tried to get her scattered emotions under some sort of control.

  Finally, Sally broke the silence. "Well, you're forgiven. Just quit being so stubborn and talk to us, okay?"

  Jen nodded as she wiped the last of her tears away. "Talk, got it. I'm all over it, boss," she teased.

  "So, you going to spill what happened today? You know, with you and…" Sally hinted.

  "Between me and White Fang? Well, I will admit that when I saw Decebel I was shocked. As in 'what the hell do you mean a woman sat on a toilet so long that she became attached to it' shocked."

  "Oh, snap. I forgot about that. That was wicked." Jacque cringed.

  "Hey. Lucy, Ethel, focus," Sally, snapped.

  "Oh, right." Jen shook her head. "So shocked, because he was the last wolf I expected to see. To top it off, he was sweet. Which only ticked me off..." Jen trailed off, remembering how Decebel had momentarily gone to another place while looking into her eyes.

  "What?" Sally asked.

  "It's probably nothing, but there was one point when he was looking at me and he sort of zoned out. I had to say his name several times before he snapped out of it. Then I felt him pull back, if that makes sense. I mean emotionally. It was like he put a wall up between us."

  "Hmm, sounds like it's time for Sherlock to investigate," Jacque said.

  "Oh, by all means. We know your sleuthing skills are legendary." Jen rolled her eyes.

  "Hey, I'm just honing my skills," Jacque said, indignantly.

  "Whatever you say, Sherlock," Jen teased.

  "Alright, so spill the rest. What else did he say?" Sally asked, eagerly.

  Jen proceeded to tell them, at their insistence, word for word what was said between her and Decebel. And true to form, Jacque and Sally spent the remainder of the night dissecting the conversation. Jen swore they had it down to an art form.

  OceanofPDF.com

  Chapter 5

  Decebel lay on his bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face. Jennifer. Her scent was burned into his brain, and the hurt he had caused was etched in his memory. Her face had been clouded with it on the plane. For the first time in his long life, he was truly unsure about the path he was to take.

  The feelings that were stirring inside him towards Jennifer were foreign to him. The only thing he could compare it to was what he had felt for Cosmina, his younger sister. She had been the brightest light in his life. Sweet, kind, and gentle. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't feel the hole inside caused by her death. Somehow, when he was with Jennifer he didn't feel so empty, so alone.

  He kept waiting for the mating signs to happen, to hear her thoughts, for his markings to change. At the same time, he feared the changes. If the mating signs appeared, he would have no choice. He would have to claim Jennifer, and that scared him more than anything had since the day he watched his sister die in his arms.

  He thought back to that gruesome day, how helpless he had felt. Two wolves, one of which was her true mate, were courting Cosmina. After several months of more or less passive pursuit, they challenged one another. Cosmina had to be present at the challenge per pack law. Decebel had begged her not to go but she wasn't a rule breaker. Cosmina always did what was expected of her.

  The wolves fought and her true mate took pity on the other wolf and let him live. The losing wolf had gone feral at the idea of not having Cosmina and attacked her before anyone could stop him.

  A true mate would never be able to lay a hand on his mate; it went against everything inside them. Their wolf would sooner die than lift a hand against his mate. The wolf had decided that if he couldn't have Cosmina then no one could. Decebel had reached the wolf a moment too late; – Cosmina’s throat had been ripped and the blood poured out of her in a flood. Cosmina's true mate had been consumed with so much rage he became dangerous to the pack, and because it was Decebel's sister he was chosen to be the one to kill him. It wasn't uncommon to have to kill a true mate that hadn't been bonded yet. Decebel couldn't imagine wanting to live without his mate bonded or not.

  The rage that consumed Decebel had given him more than enough strength to kill the guilty wolf and he had torn him limb from limb. As he held his sister and watched the light fade from her eyes, she spoke her final words.

  "When the time comes, brother, don't fight destiny. Let it happen even if it doesn't happen the way you think it should." And then, she was gone.

  Cosmina had always had the ability to know things, future things. Nobody understood it and the pack had long ago accepted it.

  Now, as Decebel laid on his bed, his emotions a turbulent storm inside him, he had to wonder if she had been talking about Jennifer.

  He grabbed his phone off the nightstand to check the time. One a.m. He groaned. Tomorrow, – or today, rather, – was going to be miserable if he didn't get any sleep. As pack Beta it was his job to train the younger wolves. Even in the twenty first century, it was necessary for the wolves to know how to defend themselves, in human and wolf form.

  After the training, he was due to attend a conference call with Vasile. Some of the surrounding packs had called and asked to speak with Vasile, but didn't specify what it was about. When Decebel had asked if he had any inkling of the topic, Vasile nodded solemnly and told him that whatever it was he didn't think it was a good thing. Although packs tried to keep peace between themselves, there were times it was easier said than done. Werewolves were extremely territorial and it didn't take much for them to get in a pissing contest – no pun intended.

  With a frustrated sigh he grabbed the ear buds to his iPhone and put them in, then turned on Jason Walker's "Down." He normally listened to classic rock, but he needed something soothing to calm him tonight, something to help him focus. He closed his eyes and listened as the words of the song poured over him. As he listened, he felt like it had been written just for him. With every word, Jennifer's face became clearer in his mind. Her infectious smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief, the quick wit that could cut a person in half – or make them feel like the most important person in her world.

  Pictures ran through his mind of his time in the States when she was in the wreck, the fear that had ripped through him when he had seen her still form on the ground. He remembered feeling so out of control as the doctors tried to treat Jen when his wolf didn't want anyone near her. He let out a low growl as his mind wandered to her little stunt with the human male, Matt. Decebel clearly remembered the name Jennifer had whispered in his ear. He still hadn't talked with her about that night, about what had happened with this Matt character. He grinned slowly to himself as he finally began to drift off. He planned on talking with her very soon about Matt, and Decebel had a feeling she wasn't going to be too pleased about it.

  That just made his smile bigger.

  * * *

  "Jen, wake up." Sally pulled the covers off her sleeping friend, allowing the cold air to flow over her. "If you don't get up, I'm getting some water and we'll relive some of those fond memories from the hospital."

  "I really think you need help, Sally," Jen mumbled. "Throwing water in my face, throwing my suitcase out of the window, and you think I'm disturbed? It's time for the wicked witch to look in the mirror and ask who's the fairest of them all."

  Jen sat up and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes. "What time is it?" she groaned.

  "It's nine a.m. and we are supposed to meet with the tutor in thirty minutes. Get moving. We all know how long it takes you to become a person in the morning. I swear, you're as bad as Jacque," Sally admonished as she grabbed Jen's hand, pulled her off the bed, and pushed her in the direction of the bathroom.

  "Bloody hell, Sally. I'm up," Jen whined. As she closed the bathroom door, Sally heard her mumble, "Note to self, lock bedroom door at night to keep perky morning people out."

  * * *

  Jen stood in front of the bathroom mirror; a towel wrapped around her, and combed the tangles from her wet hair. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say she wasn’t nervous about today – she was beyond nervous knowing he was here. Decebel, the werewolf she couldn't seem to let go of, no matter what her mind was telling her. Her heart was giving her mind the finger.

  Jen jumped at the sound of Sally banging on the bathroom door.

  "Okay, sleeping beauty, let's go. You're not going to a beauty contest."

  Jen snatched the door open. "Try a different Disney character Thelma, 'cause in order for me to be Sleeping Beauty I would have to be asleep." Jen's words came out a little louder than she intended, but Sally didn't seem to be phased by it.

  "Okay, Jen. Talk. What's up?" Sally narrowed her eyes. Her best friend was wound tighter than a roll of fishing twine.

  Jen stepped out of the bathroom and headed towards the closet. She grabbed a pair of underwear and a bra from the dresser and began sifting through clothes. Finally settling on a pair of low rise Levi's and a warm fleece pullover, she stepped out of the closet and took a deep breath. "I'm nervous. Decebel's back, as in he's here in the mansion, which means the chances of me seeing him are much greater than when he was gone."

  Sally stepped up to her friend and wrapped her arms around her for a quick hug. "He's really gotten to you." It wasn't a question. Sally had never seen steady, confident Jen in such turmoil.

  "I need to do something, Sally. I don't know what but I can't stand this. I've never wanted a guy I couldn't have. As conceited as that sounds, truth is truth."

  Sally's finger was tapping her lips as she closed her eyes in thought.

  "Um, what's cooking in that sadistic brain of yours?" Jen asked, nervously.

  Sally's eyes snapped open. "I was just thinking that maybe if you met someone else, then you could get past your furry problem."

  "My furry problem? Really? You make it sound like I have abnormal leg hair growth or something." Jen rolled her eyes.

  "Look." Sally stopped Jen before she could walk out of the room. "Let's just give it a go. You, me, and Jacque. Tonight. We'll get Sorin to take us somewhere where there are going to be guys. Then you can do your thing."

  "My thing?" Jen asked, raising her eyebrows.

  "Yeah. You know, your thing. The hottie hunting thing."

  Jen laughed. "Man, it sounded like such a good idea at the time."

  Sally groaned. "Oh, come on, Jen."

  Jen interrupted her before Sally could continue. "Don’t. Don't do that whiny voice."

  "Then say you will go tonight," Sally challenged. "Or are you chicken?"

  "You really like living on the edge, don't you, Thelma?"

  "Hey, I'm just calling it how I see it." Sally shrugged.

  Jen growled as she threw her head back. Sally knew she couldn't stand to be called a chicken. Being a chicken was not in Jennifer Adams's list of things to do.

  "Fine, I'll go." She paused, thinking about Sally's idea. "I think a night out is just what the doctor ordered."

  "Excellent." Sally grinned, rubbing her hands together in suppressed glee.

  "Man, you scare me sometimes, Sal. Truly, you do." Jen grabbed Sally's hand and began walking towards the bedroom door. "Let's do this."

  * * *

  "If that tutor tries to cram anything else into my head, I swear it's going to explode," Jacque whined.

  "I feel ya. This three hours a day is kicking my super fine butt." Jen groaned, as she slid into a seat in the dining room. "I mean, I get that she has to get seven hours of school into three, but seriously."

  "I know, right?" Sally agreed as she laid her head on the table after taking a seat across from Jen.

  Jacque sat at the head of the long table and leaned back against the chair.

  "How are you, Luna?" She heard Fane's voice in her mind and felt his fingers run across her cheek. It made her shiver involuntarily.

  "Oh, ya know, aside from my brain feeling like it's going to become mush and ooze out of my ears, I'm great." She heard him chuckle which made her grin like an idiot.

  "I see you've been working on that constipated-looking face when you talk to Cujo," Jen teased.

  Jacque just rolled her eyes at her friend.

  "The girls are wanting to go out tonight. That okay with you?" she asked Fane.

  "Sure, what time? My father has a conference call that was supposed to take place this afternoon, but has been pushed back to later this evening."

  "That's fine. We were going to get Sorin to take us. They kind of want it to just be the girls."

  That really made Fane laugh. "I'm sure Sorin will be so happy to know that you all consider him one of the girls."

  Jacque laughed out loud, causing Sally and Jen to roll their eyes at her. "Sorry," she mumbled.

  "So you cool with that, wolf-man?"

  "I guess as long as Sorin is with you then I can deal with it. I love you, Jacquelyn."

  "Funny that. I was just thinking the same thing about you." Jacque felt Fane's lips against hers. She was still getting used to being able to feel him even though he wasn't with her.

  "Houston, we are clear for takeoff." Jacque grinned.

  Jen looked at Sally, then back at Jacque. "Did you smoke something this morning and not share?"

  Jacque rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I have to smoke something to get happy when I wake up next to Fane every morning?"

  "Okay, point to you," Jen said, waving Jacque off.

  "So, I take it what you were saying with the whole Houston reference is that we're a go for tonight? Operation 'forget bossy werewolf guy' has been green-lighted?" Sally asked.

  Jen covered her face and groaned at Sally's words. "Did you seriously just say that? Operation forget bossy werewolf guy? Really, Sally?"

  Sally nodded in all seriousness.

  "Well, if you're going to call our night out an operation – and you know how I love ops – at least get it right. It's operation 'forget freaking fine, brooding, bossy werewolf guy'," Jen supplied.

  "Good call." Sally bumped fists with Jen; glad to see her friend was regaining her snarky sense of humor.

  "Okay, girls. I think we need to head out and begin phase one of operation triple F, double B, WG." Jacque tried to say it with a straight face, but as soon as she realized that B and G rhymed in her little abbreviation, she lost the battle. Jen and Sally were laughing along with her as they all headed up the stairs.

  "What exactly is phase one?" Jen raised her eyebrows at Jacque.

  "Phase one, my dear, is to find your inner hoochie mama."

  "Ahh, I get it." Sally nodded. "It's all about embracing your inner skank."

  Jen shook her head. "I think the air is thinner here, because you two are clearly not getting enough oxygen to the brain."

  "Oh, come on. Give us a break. Out of all of us, you've got inner skank-embracing down to an art form," Sally told her.

  "True, very true, Sally. I am expert on all things skank." Jen was laughing as hard as Jacque and Sally when Decebel came around the corner.

  The three girls froze while Decebel continued forward until he stood in front of Jen.

  For a brief moment, they simply stared at one another. The intensity that flowed between them was strong and nearly suffocating.

  "I put your clothes and your suitcase in your room," Decebel told her.

  Jen took a step back, surprised at his words. Decebel had seen the clothes in her suitcase, and by clothes, she meant her womanly garments. She knew her face must be bright red because Decebel's eyes were glowing as she looked back at him. Before she could respond, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.