“Meu inimă, my heart, did you just curtsy to me?” Fane asked, sounding astonished and amused.

  “Well, seeing as how you seem to think you deserve something from me, I thought I would indulge you just a little, but I assure you my intentions were completely rude,” she responded. Jacque heard him chuckle at her sass.

  As Jacque walked into the house, she set her things on the couch and went to the kitchen to get a drink. She hadn’t realized how thirsty laying out in the sun had made her, which didn’t make her happy because it only confirmed what Fane said about getting too hot. “I mean seriously, who is he, the bathing suit police?”

  “No, puțin foc, small fire, I am simply trying to look out for you. Who knows what wolves lie in wait to pounce on unsuspecting sunbathing beauties?” Fane said.

  “And you aren’t one of these so-called wolves?” she asked him in exasperation.

  Just then she realized that their whole conversation had been thoughts back and forth to one another. Man, had her life gotten weird.… No, actually, it wasn’t just weird, it was bordering on crazy.

  “I didn’t say that,” he told her as his voice dropped to a deep rumble. “But if any wolf is going to be pouncing your way, it will be me.”

  “Okay, first of all, there will be no pouncing of any kind by anyone, wolf or not, and don’t you have something you need to be doing?” she asked him as she went upstairs to take a shower. Although all she had done was lay outside, she smelled like the outdoors and sweat.

  “Actually, yes. I am going with Brian to look at motorcycles. My parents gave me the money to purchase one so I will be able to get around on my own,” Fane told her.

  “Why not a car? And what if it rains? Won’t you get soaked?” Jacque asked.

  “I won’t melt, Luna. A little rain won’t cause me any harm. And they make rain gear I can wear when it rains. Why would I want to be cooped up in a car when I could be on a motorcycle with the sun on my face?” Fane explained.

  “You might be rethinking that when the Texas heat is beating down on your leather-clad body,” she answered and then wanted to kick herself for mentioning leather and his body in the same sentence because all that did was conjure all sorts of thoughts. “Puppies and cute little critters, Jacque. These are the things you must think about. Not hot, Romanian males on motorcycles wearing leather… AGH!” She growled while shaking her head and attempting to purge the tempting thoughts from her mind.

  Jacque began gathering clothes for the much-needed shower. As she walked into the bathroom and closed the door, she discovered she was reluctant to undress while they were talking through their thoughts. Somehow that felt way too intimate. As if sensing her discomfort, Fane asked, “Is something wrong? Did I do something to upset you … besides imply your bathing suit was a bit skimpy?”

  “No, no, I’m fine. Ya know just, um, got things to do is all. People and places, you know how it is,” she said awkwardly.

  “Jacquelyn, please tell me what is wrong,” Fane persisted.

  Jacque rolled her eyes. Couldn’t he just leave it alone? If she had to spell it out for him, she was going to be mortified. She could just hear herself explaining how she was sweaty from the sun and stank, needed a shower, and the thought of talking to him through their thoughts while she was butt-freaking naked was just a tad beyond her comfort zone. Fane must have caught her passing thoughts. Man, she really needed to learn how to block him out somehow.

  “I will leave you alone since you have things to take care of. Just so you know, I may be a teenage guy, with teenage hormones, but I assure you I am not dishonorable, nor would I abuse our thought connection,” he said with firm conviction.

  “I know you can hear my thoughts, but can you, like, see through my eyes?” she asked apprehensively.

  “No, but I can see the things you think. Just as you can see what I think if you want. Also, when your emotions are strong, I feel you and hear your thoughts very loudly, even when you aren’t trying to communicate with me. You might want to bear that in mind,” Fane told her.

  “How do I keep you out of my mind?” Jacque asked.

  “All you have to do is imagine a wall in your mind between mine and yours. I will not be able to get past it. The same goes for me if I don’t want you to hear my thoughts.”

  Jacque was surprised to find herself a little hurt at the idea of him not wanting her to hear his thoughts, but then she thought how absurd that was because everyone needed their own private thoughts.

  “Okay, I will keep all that in mind, and since we are in Mind Reading 101, could you answer me this? Who else can you do this with?” Jacque asked not realizing how jealous she sounded.

  “No one, meu inimă. Only you, just as you will not be able to do this with anyone else as well,” Fane replied. “Talk to you later. Be safe.”

  And just like that Jacque “felt” him leave her. She pursed her lips and frowned, wondering why there was a sudden emptiness inside her. She undressed and, without looking in the mirror, got into the steamy hot shower letting the water wash the empty sensation away. It was silly to feel so alone without him in her mind, she knew that, and yet she couldn’t shake the hollowness that was left behind in his wake. It just seemed so natural to talk to him, like she had done it all her life. She found it so odd she was jealous of the idea of him talking to another girl through his thoughts. She had only known him a day after all, but the thought irked her regardless. “Okay, Jacque,” she told herself, “move on to another topic.” She hadn’t heard from Sally and figured she’d better call her after showering to make sure she was still going to come over.

  Jacque got out of the shower. While she was toweling off, she turned and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She froze at what she saw. Without even realizing it, she reached out to Fane. “Fane, what the hell is on my back?” she screamed at him mentally.

  No answer.

  “Fane!”

  Still no answer.

  Calming down, she examined the design that looked like a tattoo and ran from shoulder to shoulder and up her neck. It was scrolled lines arching and curving, coming to a point at the nape of her neck. It was beautiful and feminine, and it was also very not there before she had laid out in her backyard. Had Fane done some Romanian voodoo on her? ’Cause she would so do some voodoo on his ass if he had.

  He still hadn’t responded to her after a few minutes, so she got dressed and combed out her wet hair and put mousse in it, pausing every few seconds to check her back. Yep, tattoo still there. Her phone rang. For a fleeting moment, she hoped it was Fane, but that would be ridiculous. Not only did he not have her number, apparently, he could just mind magic his thoughts to hers whenever he wanted. He wouldn’t call her on the phone. Shaking her head in frustration at her sudden obsession with the new guy across the street, she answered the phone.

  “So I’m thinking bikini, towel, tunes, and catching rays, you in?” Sally’s cheerful voice came through the phone.

  “You’re a little late, Charlie Brown. I’ve already cooked, rotated, and cooked some more. I just got out of the shower. So, am I to assume you are going to be able to come over soon?” Jacque asked, relief in her voice.

  “That’s the rumor. You free?” Sally asked.

  “Free, crazy, completely deranged… Take your pick.” Jacque answered.

  “I’m on my way over now. Be there in five,” Sally hung up.

  Jacque looked around her room and decided she needed to pick up from last night’s impromptu sleepover. She folded the blankets and laid them on the bed. No sense in putting them away since the girls were staying the night again. Her mind was restless, and she decided she needed to write out her thoughts. Sometimes writing down what was floating around upstairs helped her put things in perspective. She sat down and grabbed a pen and paper.

  * * *

  I’ve met a guy. Not just any guy, but a really unusual one. He’s from Romania, he is beautiful, he can talk to me through my thoughts, and I can talk to him that way also. It’s so unreal. To top it all off, I have these strange markings on my back that appeared out of nowhere. I don’t know what to even begin to think about the whole thing. But I know for the sake of my waning sanity I need to talk to him, face to face and see if he will answer any of my questions. My other problem is, I seem to be…

  * * *

  Jacque’s phone beeped, indicating she had text message:

  * * *

  Sally: @ coffee shop, frap moca?

  Jacque: def.

  * * *

  Grateful that her friend could recognize a much-needed caffeine binge when it was called for, Jacque turned back to her writing.

  …jealous over a guy I barely know. I feel like we are somehow connected, like we’ve known one another our whole lives. I also think my mom knows something. She’s been acting a little weird, or maybe I should say she’s been feeling weird since I can sense her emotions. Funny, I haven’t felt Fane’s emotions when I’ve been around him, which has only been one time, but I don’t feel them when we’ve been ‘talking’ either. I don’t know if it can possibly get any stranger, but I know since I just thought that, it likely will.

  * * *

  Jacque shut the notebook and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Fane Lupei arrived less than twenty-four hours ago, and he had managed to tip her world upside down. She felt completely out of control, and she hated feeling that way. Jacque wasn’t delusional enough to think she actually had any control in most situations, but she allowed herself to believe she did for the sake of her sanity. Somehow, Fane had ripped the rug right out from under her, and she could hear her butt hit the proverbial ground with a loud thud. Now, she was sitting on the ground after a good tumble, with the air knocked out of her lungs and stars dancing around her head. She was looking up, wondering what in the world had happened.

  As Fane got into Brian’s car to leave, he felt Jacquelyn’s alarm and heard her scream at him, “Fane, what the hell is on my back?”

  For a brief moment, he received a flash of the picture in her mind of her back. Though everything within him wanted to drink in the sight of his mate’s markings, he quickly shut her out. He’d promised not to intrude on her privacy. And though it broke his heart to leave her in a state of confusion and fear, he didn’t answer. If he said so much as a word to her right now, his wolf might compel the man to jump from Brian’s car, sprint across the street, and go barreling up Jacque’s stairs so it could see the markings with its own eyes.

  And some things were better said face to face. Especially if you’re going to be telling someone they have Canis lupus markings on their body because they have found their werewolf mate they didn’t know even existed. You know, the standard, ‘Hey, let’s get to know each other’, stuff. He flinched a bit when she screamed. Brian noticed and asked if he was okay.

  “Yeah, I’m good, just had some ringing in my ears for a minute,” Fane lied.

  “So, where are we headed? I know there’s a dealership on Grand Ave. Are you looking for anything in particular?” Brian said.

  “That will be fine. I’m not picky, and I’m good at working on them, so it’s okay if it needs a little fixing up.”

  “Alright then, let’s roll,” said Brian.

  As they backed out of the driveway, Fane found himself staring at Jacque’s house and thinking, if he looked hard enough, he would be able to see past the walls that separated them. Fighting the urge to slip into her mind, he wondered if she was alright or if she thought she was having some sort of mental break. It felt strange when she had called out to him. It was the first time she had done so without him first prompting her. His wolf was pleased she was turning to him for help. He was, after all, her protector. He quickly reminded the preening-animal part of him that she didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go. That got a growl out of him he had to disguise as a cough.

  Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the motorcycle dealership. Several bikes lined the storefront. After only a few minutes of browsing, Fane’s eyes fell on a solid black cruiser with wide wheels. Even the pipes, normally shiny chrome, were blacked out. Perfect.

  The motorcycle was used but still looked to be in good shape. Fane liked his bikes to be simple, nothing flashy or fancy. He just wanted to ride, not show off. A salesman walked out into the heat and went immediately to Brian. He was, after all, the adult. Brian shook his head and quickly pointed him in Fane’s direction.

  “Can I help you?” the salesman asked. In the next instant, he sucked in a sharp breath. Fane was positive he heard a low growl as the salesman abruptly stepped back a few steps, turning his head ever so slightly so that his neck was exposed to Fane.

  Fane looked at him, briefly confused, and then took his own deep breath. The smell hit him like a freight train and nearly caused him to phase: Canis lupus.

  Brian, thankfully, had begun to wander around the lot, not paying attention to them, so Fane stepped toward the salesman, Steve, his name tag said. Instinctively, Fane growled as his wolf perked up at the presence of another male Grey in the area that Fane had deemed his territory. And rightfully so since there was no record of a pack residing in Coldspring. Wadim, the Romanian pack historian, had specifically double-checked the area after Fane had informed him where his exchange program would take him.

  After a moment, the wolf named Steve asked, “Who are you? Why are you in the Alpha’s territory?”

  Fane wanted to scoff at the fool’s use of the in his sentence. As though his Alpha was THE Alpha. Steve had obviously never met Vasile. Fane’s head tilted ever so slightly as he took in the wolf before him. Unlike humans, Canis lupus could instinctively tell exactly where their opponent stood with them. If they were friend or foe, dominant or submissive, and even if they were mated. Steve was no match for Fane in the dominance battle, but this Alpha he spoke of might be a different story. He would keep his cards close to his chest until he knew more about the situation.

  “I wasn’t aware there were any Greys in this area,” Fane stated vaguely.

  “I wasn’t aware that I had to cater to a pup who showed up uninvited and unannounced, and with a human no less,” he spat at Fane. Steve couldn’t meet Fane’s eyes—he wasn’t dominant enough to do that—and it was obvious he wasn’t too bright. Perhaps it was time to show him just who the pup before him was.

  Fane’s wolf pushed to come out, and Fane let him come forth just a little. His power poured over him, and Steve felt it instantly and nearly bowed involuntarily as his wolf realized just how dominant Fane truly was.

  “I don’t have to dignify you with an answer, but just so you know what you have provoked, I will oblige you. I am the Prince of the Romanian Canis lupus. I am next in line to be Alpha, and I submit to no one but the Alpha of all the Romanian Canis lupus.” Putting as much push in his words as he dared without unleashing the full power of his line, he asked, “Who is your Alpha, and how long has there been a pack of Greys in Coldspring?”

  The man whined just a little but answered, “I have heard of your father. It is said he makes all Alphas bow just by his presence.”

  “Answer my question, Steve. Now.” Fane glared at him.

  “My Alpha is Lucas Steele. I have been a member of this pack for three years. I don’t know how long it has been active. Why are you here? You’re a teenager from another country? What could you possibly be doing in Coldspring, Texas?” Steve asked bewildered.

  “My business is not yours.

  “Okay, okay,” the man said holding up his hands. “I don’t want any trouble. What do you want, Prince?”

  “That black bike,” said Fane pointing. “How much?”

  “You want to buy a motorcycle?” Steven asked.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No, not at all. Do you want to test drive it?”

  “No. How much?” Fane asked again, ready to be done with Steve so he could speak with his father about the new developments.

  “Two thousand, five hundred dollars, and there is no warranty left on it. It has five thousand miles on it, the tires are new, never been in an accident,” Steve rattled off his spiel as if he were reading it from a piece of paper, but his face still held a look of bewilderment.

  Fane pulled out his credit card and handed it to him. As Steve walked off with the card, Fane realized he might have just made a big mistake. Steve now had his father’s full name and credit card number. That kind of information could be dangerous in the hands of a rival pack. But … given that there was not even a record of this pack’s existence, they probably wanted to keep a low profile. Stealing from the most powerful Alpha in the world would likely bring attention this mystery pack wouldn’t want.

  Brian wandered back over to where Fane was waiting.

  “So, did you find something to buy?” Brian asked.

  “Yeah, actually, I’m going to purchase that black one. It looks to be in pretty good shape. Do you think you could take me to get the license and do whatever else I need to in order to finalize the sale?” Fane asked.

  “That’s not a problem. Let me know when you are ready,” Brian responded.

  “Okay, mulţumesc, thank you, Brian. I appreciate your help.”

  “You’re welcome.” Brian smiled.

  Fane turned to see Steve coming across the lot toward him. “Everything looks good,” he said. “Could you step inside for a moment to sign these papers?”

  Fane simply nodded and started to follow Steve in the direction of the building. They stepped inside and Steve sat down at a table. The stiff set of the salesman’s shoulders told Fane that Steve did not like being reminded that a teenager was over him, at least in the world of the Canis lupus. Sitting in the presence of one lower on the scale could be a power play. It could send the message that he wasn’t threatened by the less-dominant wolf. Fane preferred to remain on his feet where he could move quickly if the need arose. So, he simply leaned down and signed the places Steve had marked. Once done, Steve stood back up and handed Fane the keys. Before Fane turned to leave Steve said, “I have a message from my Alpha.”