31

Fane pulled Jacquelyn closer to him as he held her in her bed. The night had gone so quickly, and he refused to close his eyes knowing in the morning she would leave and he would not be able to hold her again until after the challenge. Her scent swirled in the air around him, and her heart beat in rhythm to his own. “Mine,” his wolf told him. Yes, his wolf agreed, she is ours. Not realizing it, Fane began humming the same song he had been humming for the past two days.

“What song is that?” Jacquelyn asked.

“You’re going to laugh at me if I tell you,” he told her, grinning to himself

“Why would I laugh at you?”

“It’s a song sung by Willie Nelson and Kimmie Rhodes. Yes, I’m Romanian, I’m a werewolf, and I like Willie Nelson,” Fane said, sounding forlorn.

“Well, admitting it is half the battle,” Jacquelyn teased.

“It’s a song that makes me think of you, of us.”

“Will you sing it to me?”

“Only if you don’t laugh.”

Jacquelyn didn’t say anything in response, so Fane took that as his cue. He began to sing to her.

While Fane sang, Jacquelyn rolled over to face him and watched him with tears streaming down her face.

“That was beautiful. Your voice is beautiful. Thank you,” she blubbered and then cried even harder.

Fane pulled her tightly to him. He kissed her forehead, and in between kisses, he whispered to her, “una prețioasă, precious one, iubirea mea, my love, te rog nu plânge, please do not cry.”

But Jacquelyn continued to cry, and it just seemed to get harder. “It isn’t supposed to happen like this. You’re not supposed to meet the love of your life only to have them be forced to fight some delusional werewolf, with the possibility of dying. Dammit, it’s not supposed to happen like this.” She sobbed and sobbed.

Fane felt the tears that had been hiding in his eyes finally spill over. The wetness ran down his cheeks. He didn’t know what to say. Fane was clueless about how to fix it or make her feel better. So, he decided to just be honest.

“I’m scared,” he whispered. “I’m so scared. What if I lose? What if the other wolves attack and my father and the pack aren’t able to protect you? What if I lose you? I can’t lose you. It would kill me. I don’t want you there tomorrow because at least if you aren’t there, they can’t hurt you,” Fane told her as he let the tears fall, completely unashamed. This was his mate. He had only just found her, and he loved her, he treasured her, and he would do anything to protect her.

Jacquelyn looked up at him. She took her hand and wiped away his tears, and then she leaned forward and kissed each eye. For a moment they just looked at each other, as if to memorize each other’s faces.

“I’m scared too,” Jacquelyn told him. “If I could fight Lucas for you, I would. I don’t want to see you hurt. I can’t even begin to think of seeing you die. How am I going to do this tomorrow, Fane? I’m so scared we won’t have a future together.”

At those words, images ran through his thoughts, and he heard Jacquelyn weep as she watched them in her mind.

Fane and her at the bonding ceremony, with their family all around them. Then the picture jumped to Fane and her in a room alone, one of his hands cradling her head, the other resting on her waist, him leaning down and biting her neck to complete the Blood Rites.

Jacquelyn shook with sobs as she continued to see his thoughts. She and Fane walking through a beautiful house, hand in hand, then they were wrapped in each other’s arms, tangled in bedsheets with passion in their eyes, then Jacquelyn was in a bed that looked like it was in a hospital. Fane was holding her hand, and her belly was swollen with child. Next, she saw Fane rocking a baby to sleep as Jacquelyn sat watching. Then, once again, they were wrapped in each other’s arms, laughing, kissing, touching, loving.

Fane’s shoulders shook as he wept, crying over what might never come.

“I’m sorry, Luna. I shouldn’t have let you see all that. When you mentioned thinking of our future, it made me think of the things I too have dreamt about with you.”

The next thing Fane heard was a whisper so soft he almost missed it.

“Fane, make love to me,” Jacquelyn said, almost too soft for even wolf ears to hear.

Fane froze. This was the rock and a hard place no man wants to get into with a woman. If he said no, then he’s rejecting her, and she will be embarrassed. If he said yes, then he’s a jerk because he’s taking advantage of her vulnerability. Jacquelyn would not have asked this if it were just another night, and he would not make love to her until she asked him when there was no threat to any lives and nothing was creating a passion that might not be as fervent as it seemed at that moment. Now how exactly do you word that to a seventeen-year-old female who already has modesty issues? Good luck with that, Fane.

“Jacquelyn, look at me,” Fane told her. “I want to make love to you. are we clear on that part?” he asked her.

“Yes, we’re clear. There’s a but coming on, isn’t there?” she asked.

“We are both emotional right now. I don’t want you to do something you will regret tomorrow night after the challenge. If I win, and I plan to, you will be sad we didn’t wait. I want the first time to be special and perfect for both of us. Please don’t think I’m rejecting you because you have no idea how hard it is to say no to you,” he told her honestly.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Jacquelyn said, wiping away what was left of the tears on her cheeks.

“Are you mad at me?”

“No, I’m not. I’m a little embarrassed ’cause you know how awkward I am when it comes to the whole physical aspect of a relationship,” she told him.

“Why are you embarrassed by it? You do realize that it will be fun, right?” Fane asked her with a wide grin on his face.

“Why do you like to say stuff like that knowing it’s going to make me blush?”

“Because it’s cute. I won’t make love to you Luna, but since we are both awake, I will most definitely take advantage of your beautiful lips,” Fane said just before he wrapped an arm around her and flipped her onto her back. Jacquelyn squealed and laughed as Fane leaned over her. He bent down and gently kissed her lips. Jacquelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her. He rumbled in his chest at her boldness. Fane’s left hand was cradling Jacquelyn’s head while his right hand was gradually rubbing her thigh and moving slowly up to her waist. Fane was quite proud of himself for telling Jacquelyn he would not consummate their relationship, but as he lay there in her arms, feeling her lips on his, their bodies pressed close, he hoped she wouldn’t make him wait too long after the bonding. She will probably want a human wedding first. It was probably going to be a while before they mated. In that case, he better slow down. He eased off her just a bit and pulled back from her lips. They were both breathing hard.

“Is something wrong?” Jacquelyn asked him, looking very worried.

“No, everything is very right. I just need to slow down a little. My honor only goes so far. Wolf or not, I’m still a guy, and you are a very fine girl,” Fane told her with no shame.

“Oh, I see. You were getting all worked up, only to realize all worked up is all there is. Am I right?”

“Yes, Luna, you are brutally right. Can I be brutally blunt?” he asked her.

“By all means,” she answered.

“At what point do you plan to make the same offer?”

Jacquelyn laughed at that. “You’re worried about how long it’s going to be before we do the deed?”

“Well, since you put it so eloquently, yes, that is what I’m asking,” Fane answered.

“I want to be married first.” Jacquelyn held up her hand to keep Fane from saying whatever it was that was fixing to leave his lips. “Married in the traditional way, not just the werewolf bonding thingy,” she explained.

“You do realize our werewolf bonding thingy is more binding than your human marriage, right?” Fane told her smugly.

“That may be, my little furball, but I still want our relationship recognized in the eyes of normal people as legit. Got it?”

Fane grinned at her. “As you wish, Luna.”

“That’s what I like to hear, wolfman,” Jacquelyn told him as she yawned.

“Try to get some sleep, love. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow,” Fane told her and kissed her on the head.

He began to hum the song he sang to her earlier, and even though he so desperately wanted to stay awake, his wolf knew they both needed rest and helped push him into a deep sleep.