“She cleans up real nice,” Jen threw out there.
“Thanks for that, Jen,” Jacquelyn retorted.
Fane walked over to her and put his arm around her waist. She was beautiful to him. Hair all a mess, sleepy eyes – she was adorable.
“Tata, mama, nu-i asomarea (Isn’t she stunning)?” Fane asked his parents
“Intr-adevar ea este (Truly she is),” Alina answered.
“Would you care to share what exactly ya’ll are talking about?” Jacquelyn asked Fane through her thoughts
“I told them you were stunning and they agreed,” Fane answered.
Alina stepped forward and pushed Fane away from Jacquelyn, taking her into an embrace. “Jacquelyn, it is so wonderful to meet you. I am so thankful Fane has found you.”
“Thank you,” Jacquelyn said simply.
Then it was Vasile’s turn. He embraced her as well, but when he spoke to her it was in Romanian, “Ai mei sint fiii cealalta jumatate, el putina lumina, de o moarte sau viata te vor fi protejate de haita (You are my son's other half, his little light, by his death or life you will be protected by the Pack).”
After he said this, every wolf in the room responded, “Asa cum veti se, Alfa, ea va fi adoptata (As you will it, Alpha, it will be done).”
At that moment, a man walked through the front door. Everyone glanced over at him but the wolves. Jacque happened to catch the blush on Jen's face – she was obviously checking the guy out.
Jen forced her gaze back to Fane. “What exactly just happened? ‘Cause we all know there was some sort of pack voodoo going on.”
It was Fane’s father who spoke instead.
“That is something Fane can discuss with you later. Everyone, this is Decebel, my Beta.” He indicated the man who'd just walked in. “I apologize for rushing introductions and explanations, but right now we have more pressing matters. Jacquelyn, I need you to get your mother.”
“No need, I’m here. Believe it or not it’s kind of hard to sleep with a pack of wolves in your living room. I’m Lilly Pierce, Jacque’s mother,” Lilly said as she strolled into the living room.
Alina walked right up to her and hugged her just as she had Jacquelyn.“I’m Alina, Fane’s mother, and this is my mate, Vasile,” she told Lilly.
“It’s very nice to meet you both. Please make yourselves at home while you're here. Although, I’m not sure how we are going to accommodate all of you,” Lilly told them.
“Oh, I talked with the Henrys and they were more than happy to have whoever stay at their home,” Fane explained.
“So, what’s this pressing matter that needs to be discussed?” Lilly asked Vasile.
Jacquelyn turned to sit on the couch and started to pull Fane with her, but he did not move, nor did he let her hand go. She looked back at him in question and saw that he was staring at the other wolves in the room.
“Are you just going to stand there through this whole conversation? If so, then you’re on your own ‘cause I’m tired, I’m cranky, and I want to sit down…now, Fane,” Jacquelyn told him, glaring daggers at him.
Fane turned to the other wolves and waited expectantly. Although Decebel was technically over Fane, and at this point didn't have to submit, Fane could see in Decebel's eyes that he understood Fane's need for him to back down while his mate was here. Boain and Skender finally bared their necks and sat. Decebel did not bare his neck. Instead, he inclined his head, indicating he was sitting out of respect, not submission
Fane turned and bared his neck to his father, then pulled Jacquelyn over to sit on the couch.
“You are going to explain that later, right?” Jacquelyn whispered.
“Do I have a choice, Luna?” Fane asked.
“Point to you,” she told him.
Alina and Lilly both sat on the loveseat while Jen and Sally sat on the floor in front of the couch. Sorin was in his usual spot, the ugly chair, and the three wolves were all sitting on the floor around Sorin’s feet. They did not look happy. Vasile stood at the front of the room, looking out at everyone.
Jen looked over at Jacquelyn and whispered, “You know this really calls for some hot chocolate, right?”
Jacquelyn nodded in agreement as Sally stood up, saying, “I’m on it.”
“The challenge is to be tomorrow,” Vasile announced. “I will be calling Lucas Steele in a few hours to discuss the details. One thing that I would like to have set is the location of the challenge. I do not want it in his territory. It needs to be a remote location where there will be no chance bystanders will happen upon it. Do any of you know such a place?”
Jen and Jacquelyn spoke at the same time. “Field of dreams.”
Jen reached up and fist bumped with Jacquelyn. “Good call, Sherlock,” she said.
“All in a day's work, Watson,” Jacquelyn responded.
“What’s the 'field of dreams'?” Fane asked.
“It’s just an empty field out in the boondocks.” Jacquelyn answered.
“Okay, so why is it called the field of dreams?” he asked again.
“Jacque’s just embarrassed to say,” Jen told him. “It’s called the field of dreams because it’s where all the couples go on Friday nights and, ya know, hope their dreams come true, so to speak.”
Fane looked at his mate, and found her face nearly as red as her hair.
“Do you have personal experience with this field?” he whispered in her ear.
Jacquelyn slapped him on the leg, hard. “No, you possessive cave man, and you already knew that,” she growled, forgetting briefly that she had an audience.
“She’s a feisty little thing, isn’t she?” Fane’s father commented.
“Aveţi nici o idée (you have no idea),” Fane answered.
“Will there not be kids out at this field?” Vasile asked.
“Nope, they have it fenced off and gated. So we would have to do some B and E, if ya’ll are okay with a little law breaking,” Jen offered.
“What is B and E, love?” Fane asked Jacquelyn.
“Breaking and entering,” she answered.
“That’s not a problem,” Vasile told her. “Okay, good. Location is determined. The next thing I need to discuss is the challenge itself and how werewolf law works.” He paused as Sally walked back into the living room with mugs of hot chocolate and handed them out. Once she was seated on the floor, Vasile started speaking again.
“Jacquelyn, what I’m going to tell you now is not pleasant, but it is our way and our law. It is going to be hard for you to understand and to accept, but I tell you now as your Alpha, and yes I am your Alpha as you are my son’s mate, you must abide by these laws and rules. Are we clear?”
Jacquelyn looked at Fane. He could see the panic in her eyes.
“It is okay, love. He is only trying to keep you safe. Trust me,” Fane told her.
She held his hand and turned to look at Vasile. “Crystal,” was all she said.
Vasile nodded his approval and continued. “The rules permit that an Alpha who challenges another wolf may bring his first four wolves, but the rest of his pack must stay away.”
“What do you mean by 'first four'?” Sally asked
“A wolf pack is a hierarchy. You have the Alpha, the Beta, then your dominants and your submissives. From there they are put into order of their rank, usually just the first four are acknowledged. An Alpha’s first or Beta, as Decebel is, is basically the next in command – he is the next most dominant after the Alpha. And it goes from there, each wolf's position descending according to their level of dominance,” Vasile explained. “Does that answer your question?”
“Yeah it did, thanks,” Sally answered. Vasile tipped his head to her in appreciation.
“Now, the rules also allow for the challenged to bring his Alpha and first four, which is why I brought three Pack members, Sorin makes four. The only others allowed in attendance are the Alpha female and the female over which the challenge has been issued. No others will be permitted,” Vasile said resolutely. “I realize that each of you wants to be there with Jacquelyn, but I must make you understand it would be too dangerous. There are going to be ten wolves in a small area, two of them fighting for the right to take a mate. This will make the others edgy – women tend to do that to us males. If Fane is not the victor, it will be me and my wolves against Lucas and his wolves. It will be easier to protect Jacquelyn if our attention is not divided.”
Fane did not miss the way Jacquelyn’s face fell when his father mentioned the possibility of Fane not winning. He realized then that this next part of the conversation was going to be bad, very, very bad.Chapter 27
Jacque had to look away when Vasile mentioned that Fane might not win. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She was also scared beyond belief knowing that she would not have her friends or her mother there for support. Granted, she would have Alina and she was thankful for that, but she couldn’t help suddenly feeling very alone.
“You okay, luminita (little light)?” Fane asked her.
“No, wolf-man, I’m not,” she answered.
“Jacquelyn,” Jacque turned her attention to Vasile when he called her name. “I need to make some things clear to you that I imagine my son has not because of the ugliness of it. We are not human. Some of our ways follow the way of the animal we carry inside us. When I say this is a fight to the death, that’s exactly what I mean. If Lucas gets Fane by the throat and submits him, which is to say that Fane stops fighting, Lucas will still kill him. Some fights are fought until one wolf submits or is killed. This fight is not that way because a wolf will not give up his mate, so if another wants an un-bonded, mated female he must kill her mate.” Vasile paused to gauge her reaction and continued when all Jacque did was stare at him.