Chapter 24

Fane looked over at Jacquelyn who was lying on her bed. She was still grinning over Jen’s Lion King reference. Fane was so thankful she had friends with such great senses of humor. Laughing could get you through a lot.

“How are you doing, Luna?” Fane asked her.

Jacque looked at him and smiled sweetly. “I’m doing. How are you?”

“I’d be better if you were closer to me,” Fane replied.

“Where did all this boldness come from?”

“When I realized I could lose you at any moment, I decided I wouldn’t waste any time I have with you. And seeing as how I love being close to you, touching you, I feel it’s a major waste when you aren’t next to me.”

“Oh, well, in that case…” Jacquelyn paused as if to think about it. “Nah, I’m too comfortable to move.”

Fane laughed, caught off guard once again. He went over and sat on the bed next to her. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed circles, just enjoying her nearness.

“Keep that up, and I’m gonna be sound asleep,” Jacquelyn told him with a sigh.

“I will rub your back for you every night if you like, my Luna,” Fane told her.

“What does Luna mean?” Jacquelyn asked not for the first time.

“It means moon in Romanian,” Fane answered.

“And why exactly do you have a pet name for me that refers to a big, round space crater?” Jacquelyn asked skeptically.

“It is an honor to be called Luna, and only an Alpha female earns that title.”

“There’s just a small problem with that, you know, just a minor little thing really.” Jacquelyn paused. “I’m not an Alpha female, Fane.”

“Awe love, but you will be once we are bonded,” Fane pointed out.

She didn’t respond. He rubbed her back and listened to the hum of the fan motor. He was trying very hard not to intrude on her thoughts. He wanted her to share with him without him having to fish it out of her brain.

“So, why is it an honor to be called Luna?” she finally asked.

“Because the moon influences many things on this earth. For instance, the moon controls when the tide rises and falls. And you, as the Alpha female, will have great influence with your mate and with the pack. No other female has the influence you will have. When I call you Luna, I am telling you I recognize how important you are to me and our pack.”

Jacquelyn just stared at Fane for a few breaths. “Wow, I was thinking you were gonna say something about how like the moon I light up the darkness in your life, yadda, yadda. You know, something sappy.”

“I could say something sappy if you want,” Fane told her.

“No, no, I’m good with what you gave me. I don’t see how I could possibly be all that influential, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Jacquelyn told him.

“You will see, one day, and probably sooner than you think, how the Alpha female is like the moon,” Fane said as he continued to rub her back.

After a while, Fane decided sitting up was no longer comfortable and laid down next to Jacquelyn. He folded his arms in front of him and laid his head on them so he was looking right at Jacquelyn’s face. She had fallen asleep during their silence, and Fane was content watching her sleep. He hadn’t realized how tired he was from worrying about Jacquelyn all night and found himself drifting off as well.

Fane woke with a start. He blinked rapidly to clear his sleepy eyes, he realized the room was dark. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to see what time it was, 8:00 p.m. He looked over to where Jacquelyn laid, but she was gone. He put his hand on the spot where she had been and felt it was still a little warm, so she had not been up long. He drew on his wolf hearing to listen to the house, which was silent.

No reason to panic…even though a house that is supposed to contain three teenage girls is totally quiet. His mind reflexively sought out Jacquelyn.

“You do have a good reason as to why you are not in this house, right, Luna?”

Fane could feel her blocking him from her thoughts, which meant she was up to no good. Why was he not surprised?

“Why on earth would you think I was up to no good?”

Fane grinned to himself at her false innocence.

“Where are you love, and what mischief have you and your sidekicks gotten into?” Fane asked her.

Fane could tell by her silence he wasn’t going to like what they were up to.

“We were bored so we climbed up on the roof to look at the stars. See, it’s not that bad, is it?” Jacquelyn responded.

Fane let out a slow breath, trying to control the strong protective instincts that were a part of his genetic makeup. He knew she was fine, but what if she slipped and fell? What would he do if something happened to her? Get a grip, Fane. You can’t put her in a bubble.

“No, you can’t put me in a bubble, but because I know it would make you feel better, I will come in from the roof. See, I can be reasonable … but don’t always count on it,” Jacquelyn teased him.

“Thank you, Jacquelyn, you are right. It will make me feel much better if you come back in.” Fane was so thankful his mate cared about his feelings and concerns. She didn’t know it yet, but those qualities would be a treasure to an Alpha who would often feel as if he were bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Fane got up and headed downstairs to see if he could find something to eat. He was hungry, and his wolf was hungrier. Fane found some bread and lunch meat and put together a decent sandwich. Suddenly, he heard an ear-splitting scream.

Fane dropped his sandwich and took off. He threw open the front door open and was instantly hit with the unmistakable smell of Canis lupus. His lips pulled back in a snarl as a low growl began to build in his throat. Fane’s wolf pushed to be let out. His mate was in danger and he wanted blood.

“Jacquelyn, where are you? Are you alright?”

For a moment, there was no response, and it was enough to cause Fane’s hold on his wolf to waiver and his eyes phased. He could feel the rest of his body shaking with the need to phase.

“I’m okay, just in shock. We’re in the backyard. Please come,” Jacquelyn told him.

Even though she said she was okay, he could tell she was scared. Fane ran around the side of the house and came to an abrupt stop. Fane understood now why they had screamed. About ten feet from Jacquelyn’s back door were four dead animals. Fane walked to where the three girls stood. He stepped in front of Jacquelyn, placed his hands on either side of her face, and made her look at him.

“Are you alright? Did you see anyone?” he asked her.

“There was no one out here. We had climbed down from the roof and were fixing to go into the house when we noticed a shadow on the ground. When we came over to investigate, we saw those,” she said, pointing at the four still bodies on the ground.

Fane looked over at Sally and Jen and saw they were both just staring at the animals. “Are you two okay?” he asked them.

Jen slowly turned her head to look at him. “Is it just me,” she asked, “or are there four carcasses in Jacque’s backyard? And if so, is this Lucas’s way of threatening her?”

Fane stepped away from Jacquelyn and went over to inspect the four animals. He noticed right away there were no bullet wounds or arrow piercings. There were, however, tears in the animals’ jugulars. These four had been killed by wolves, they were all clean kills, and there was no damage to the rest of their bodies. He also noted they were laid out in order of size, smallest to largest. The first was a rabbit, next a fox, then a small doe, and last a large buck deer. Fane let out a low growl. Jacquelyn walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm, and it was enough to calm him.

“This is no threat. It is an offering and a demonstration,” he answered.

“Offering for what and to demonstrate what exactly?” Sally asked.

“Lucas is offering Jacquelyn kills from his hunt, a peace offering of sorts. He is also demonstrating his ability to provide for her and the pack. He wants her to know he can take care of her should she become his mate. It is a wolf thing, so to speak,” Fane explained.

“Okay, first of all, EWW!” Jacquelyn started. “Second, why in Sam Hill would I want four carcasses laying in my backyard, and three, what the hell am I supposed to do with them?”

“I’m thinking bonfire,” Jen said.

“Uh-uh, nope, that would stink,” Sally retorted.

Fane pulled out his phone and dialed Sorin’s number. Sorin picked up on the first ring.

“Da,” Sorin said.

“Am ceva ce am nevoie să faci. I have something I need you to do,” Fane told him.

A few moments later, Fane put his phone back in his pocket. He had explained to Sorin that he wanted him to take the four animals over to the car dealership where he had purchased his motorcycle and put them out front. After a brief silence, Fane pulled his phone out of his pocket again and dialed another number.

“Da?” Fane heard, as his Alpha answered the phone.

“Unde eşti tu? Where are you?” Fane asked him.

“Your mother and I have just landed in Newark and are boarding the plane for Houston. It’s a little less than four hours from here to there. How far is Coldspring from Houston?” his father asked.

“A little less than an hour,” Fane answered.

“We should arrive at Jacquelyn’s between 1:30 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. What has happened?” Fane’s father asked with concern lacing his tone.

“The Alpha, Lucas Steele, broke the challenge rules by harming Jacquelyn. Sorin stopped me from killing him, and now he has left four dead animals in Jacquelyn’s yard.”

Fane heard his father growl. “How did he harm your mate?”

“I wasn’t there to protect her.” Fane tried to swallow down the shame he was feeling. “He saw the markings on Jacquelyn’s back and neck, got angry, and grabbed her arms hard enough to leave bruises. Îmi pare rău că te-am părăsit, tată. I am sorry I failed you, father.

“Tăcere, Silence. You have not failed me, son. You had no choice but to honor the rules of the challenge. You don’t have time to sulk over what happened. Do you hear me?”

Fane took a deep breath. He knew this is what he needed to hear, and he was thankful that he had decided to call his father.

“I hear you, Alpha,” Fane answered.

“You have a fight to prepare for and a mate to protect. What happened is past. Take the anger you have over this and use it to fuel you during the challenge, but do not dwell on it.”

“Thank you, Tată, father. I will see you soon.”

Fane took Jacquelyn’s hand and led her toward the house. “Ladies, I don’t think our furry friends need an audience any longer,” he told them as he held the back door open for them.

Without saying anything to each other, and without any conscious choice, they all went and sat in the living room. Jen and Sally each took an end of the couch while Jacquelyn and Fane sat on the loveseat. Fane was absently tracing the markings on Jacquelyn’s neck when Sally finally broke the silence.

“What now?” She asked Fane.

Fane was staring at Jacquelyn and had to make himself pull his gaze away to look at Sally.

“My father and mother will be here around 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. Tomorrow he will call Lucas to make him aware of his arrival, and then they will set the time and place for the challenge,” Fane explained.

“Are you nervous?” Jen asked him.

Fane felt Jacquelyn tense at the question.

“Inima mea, va rog sa nu faceti griji,” Fane thought to her.

“I have no idea what you just said, but I have a feeling you are telling me to chill out. Am I right?” she asked him.

“I didn’t exactly put it like that. What I said was, my heart, please do not worry.”

Turning to look at Fane, Jacquelyn said, “How can you tell me that? You are going to fight another wolf to the death, and you tell me not to worry. Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

“Jacquelyn, I am not without defenses. I am from a strong bloodline, I am a dominant, and I stand to be Alpha to the largest pack of Greys in the world. All of these things make me stronger, and I have found my mate. Please, love, I don’t want you to be upset,” Fane implored her.

Jacquelyn didn’t say anything. She just stood with her back to Fane, head down, looking utterly defeated, and the pain coming from his mate broke Fane’s heart.

“I think a hot bath is in order. What do you think, Sal? Hot bath for the wolf princess?” Jen asked Sally with a look that said get up off your butt.

Sally was a quick study. “Yep, most definitely. A hot bath is just what the doctor ordered … or something like that.”

Fane watched helplessly as the two girls took his defeated and worried mate upstairs, away from him. His wolf was protesting, and so was the man. We should be the one comforting her. She is ours to protect and love. Fane began to step toward them but stopped abruptly when Jen pierced him with a stare and gave a short nod of her head that was most definitely a command for him to back off. He couldn’t help the growl he let out.

“Don’t you growl at me, White Fang. I’ll have you neutered and declawed so fast you won’t know what hit you,” Jen retorted.

Fane cocked his head to the side, looking at her, and then shrugged his shoulders. “At least you got the species right.”

Fane let the girls go without further protest and sat back down on the loveseat. He let out a deep breath and laid his head back. He was tired and, to his chagrin, he was worried. Not worried about winning the challenge. He felt confident he could beat Lucas so he wasn’t worried about that. He was worried about Jacquelyn wanting to watch. The fight was going to be violent and messy. Fane could only imagine how scary it would be for her. He was learning when his Luna was angry, she tended to be impulsive in her reactions. His only consolation was that his mother would be there to keep Jacquelyn from doing anything that would put her in harm’s way. The thought of something happening to her caused him to be short of breath like he was having a panic attack. Okay, Fane, get a grip.

After several deep breaths, he started to calm down. He closed his eyes and tried very hard not to slip into Jacquelyn’s mind to see if she was okay. It took all the manners his mother had beat into him not to listen to her thoughts. Instead, he laid there humming a tune from one of his favorite artists. Believe it or not, Fane, a Romanian, was a country music fan. Who knew? It was a song he wanted to share with Jacquelyn because it described so well how he felt. Soon, but not tonight. Tonight, she didn’t want to be with him, but soon.