6

Sally waited in the hospital room as her two best friends were brought in on rolling beds. She stood, anxiously twisting her fingers together. The worry she had been feeling for the past month was etched on her tight lips and raised eyebrows.
“Oh, come on, Sal. If you keep looking at me like I’m a sick puppy you found in a ditch, I’m going to smother you with a pillow in your sleep.”
“Bloody hell, here I thought I was the reigning female dog in this posse.” Jen grinned at Sally.
“Bloody hell? Female dog?” Jacque raised her eyebrows at her usually snarky friend.
“I’m trying to clean up my potty mouth. You know how near-death experiences change how you live and what not.” Jen shrugged.
“Jen, bloody hell is profanity. You know this, right?” asked Sally.
Jen looked at Sally and rolled her eyes. “Only to the British so it doesn’t really count.”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that,” Jacque said dryly.
“I thought you two would never wake up,” said Sally. “Jen still looks like a mummy all wrapped up in bandages and you look like a freshly cooked lobster.” Sally pulled a chair in between their beds.
“I was just getting my beauty sleep.” Jacque looked over at Jen and grinned. “I don’t know why she refused to wake up.”
“I had plenty of reasons to stay unconscious. But, Jacque, your innocent little mind wouldn’t be able to handle the dreams that kept me from returning to reality.” Jen yawned and patted her mouth.
“You don’t know, maybe my subconscious is more adventurous than my conscious.”
“Well, in that case, as a favor to Fane, we will knock your ass out the night of your bonding ceremony,” Sally said dryly.
Jen laughed, but it came out more like a strangled cough. “Don’t make me laugh, my lungs are charbroiled. I feel like a Burger King hamburger, always cooked over an open flame.”
“Your way, right away, baby,” Jacque added.
“There are so many better ways to use that comment than on a stupid hamburger commercial,” Jen said.
“And she’s back,” Sally teased.
“I need to say thank you. You guys saved my life and I just want you to know I love you both and I will be forever grateful,” Jacque told them as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
“You would have done the same for either of us, Jac,” Sally replied.
“Well, now that you are forever in my debt, I will have to think of ways to put your gratitude to good use,” Jen teased.
Sally and Jacque both laughed and rolled their eyes at their forever obstinate friend.
Jen looked around the room, appearing to realize it was just the three of them. “So where is the wolf entourage?”
“They all left just before they wheeled you two in. Vasile took a phone call out in the hall and when he came back, he called everyone out. But he told me to wait here for ya’ll,” Sally explained. “I figure it must be important if it got Fane away from his woman. He has refused to leave the hospital for even a minute since she was brought out of the operating room.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised her Hottie McWolfman is glued to her side. She was nearly freaking killed,” said Jen.
“You did not fare any better.” A gruff voice caused their heads to turn toward the door, and they saw Decebel in the opening. Sally saw Fane push around him to come to Jacque’s side. She also noticed Decebel staring at Jen as if she had grown an extra appendage on her head.
Jen glanced at Jacque and then at Sally, searching for some sort of clue as to what to say. But neither could throw her any bones. They knew about as much as she did about Decebel, and it added up to zero, zilch, and nada.
“Ooookay, and you would be here why?” Jen asked him with obvious confusion.
“I’m here to guard you. I mean guard all of you. Not just you, but each one of you at the same time, not alone—”
“Yeah, I got it,” Jen interrupted. “No need to hurt your poor struggling little brain any further.”
Decebel’s head jerked up to look her in the eyes. Sally watched the exchange and saw what she could only describe as hurt in the large man’s eyes. Had Jen’s words hurt him? Jen swallowed thickly but said nothing else. After several seconds, he turned and looked at Fane. “I will be downstairs for a few minutes. The Alpha will stand guard with Alina.” Without another word or glance back, he strode out of the room.
All three girls let out a deep breath none of them had realized they’d been holding.
“Would one of you yahoos like to explain to me what has his tail in a twist?” Jen asked, looking from person to person, waiting for some plausible explanation.
“Okay, one,” Sally said holding a finger up, “we have no clue. He has just been like that since we got to the hospital a month ago. And two, did you just say his tail was in a twist?” Sally asked, repressing laughter.
“If I did, it’s only because half my body has been deep fried and I feel like someone beat me with a sledgehammer. I may not exactly be firing on all eight cylinders. So, that said, I am allowed some dumbass remarks. Lay off me, Polly Perfect, or I’ll have M&M’s personalized with your phone number on one side and for a good time on the other,” Jen threatened irritably.
“And she’s back again,” Sally grinned.
“That’s a bit much to put on a tiny piece of candy,” said Jacque.
Jen flipped them both off.

Yep, Jacque thought, we’re going to be okay. Jen’s being a female dog, as she put it, Sally is egging her on, and I’m in the corner staying out of the line of fire laughing my butt off. Things will be back to normal in no time. Jacque looked up at Fane as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
“What was that for?” she asked him.
“For every smile I see on your face, I will kiss you,” he told her lovingly.
“What do I get for a laugh?” she asked, her voice thick with suggestion.
Fane grinned at her, flashing those amazing dimples. “I don’t think now is the appropriate time to demonstrate that, love.”
Jacque thrust out her bottom lip, attempting to pout, which only made Fane grin bigger.
“So, what was so interesting in the hall?” she asked.
Fane hesitated just long enough for Jacque to wonder if he was being totally honest. He had his thoughts closed from her, which also made her wonder what was up.
“It’s nothing big. My father got a call from a pack that is driving through the area, and he likes to make us aware when another pack is about.”
Something in Fane’s forced, nonchalant tone confirmed to Jacque that Fane was hiding something. She chose not to get angry. She was simply too exhausted, and she knew his only goal was to protect her, even if it was just from a fly wielding a toothpick as a sword. Fane would not leave her unprotected ever again. She had a feeling the number of fights they were going to have in their long lives had just increased exponentially.
“So, Jen, how’d it go with your parents once you woke up?” Sally asked. “They were here constantly while you were checked out.”
“Oh, it went fine, but I can’t handle my mom being all emotional and hovering. You both know I don’t do hovering.” Jen rolled her eyes.
“Ah, yes, the hovering. Your mom does tend to hover when she is upset,” Jacque agreed.
“I wouldn’t call it hovering, actually,” Sally said thoughtfully. “It’s more like full blown nose diving. You almost have to duck for cover when Jen’s mom comes at you and she’s worried.”
“Hence, why she is no longer here,” Jen acknowledged. “It took some convincing, but with a little help from Alina we got her and my dad to think it would be better for them to let me get some rest and, unless something is wrong, they will come up tomorrow night.”
Jen looked at Fane thoughtfully before asking, “Does your mom have some sort of ability to make people do what she wants?”
Fane chuckled. “My mother has always been able to get people to see things from her point of view. My father says it’s an art the way she can work people around her. I don’t know, you will just have to ask her.”
Fane squeezed Jacque’s hand. “How are you, Luna?”
“Considering I’ve been burned to a crisp, my leg crushed like it was run through a blender, and glass sprinkled in my skin like I was a cupcake, I’m pretty stinking good,” she told him with her lips turned up in a smile that nearly melted his heart.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“What’s not to love?” she teased.
“Indeed,” Fane muttered under his breath.

Decebel stepped back into the room and, without looking at anyone, he walked to Jen’s bed. “Are you alright?” The words revealed some sort of emotion, but Jen couldn’t tell what because his tone of voice was just as gruff as ever.
Jen was getting frustrated with his odd aloofness toward her. Just like earlier, she handled his coldness with what she did best—flirting.
“I could be better,” she told him with a slight pout. Out of the corner of her eye, she winked at Sally, who was giving her a questioning look.
“What does that mean?” he asked even more gruffly, if that were even stinking possible.
“It just means that my circumstances could be improved, which would make me feel better,” she told him innocently.
Jacque was in her bed with her hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her laughter as she watched her friend work her magic. The funny part was Decebel had obviously never met anyone like Jen. He didn’t look like he knew what to do. Jacque had a feeling uncertainty was not an emotion that Decebel often felt.
When he didn’t respond to her, Jen crooked her finger at him, indicating she wanted him to move closer. When he agreed and leaned down, Jen grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him forward until he had to put his hands on the bed to support himself. She yanked his head down until his ear was next to her mouth. She whispered something and Decebel’s body tensed, his muscles rigid with statuesque grace. After a moment, he stood up, took one last look at Jen, and, without a word, turned and walked out of the room.
Jen burst out laughing as soon as the door clicked. “Man, that was rich,” she said, still giggling.
“Would you like to share, my wicked little friend? What you did to poor Decebel?” Sally asked, with one eyebrow raised.
“A lady never kisses and tells.” Jen grinned and winked at Sally.
“There are two obvious problems with that statement,” Jacque started.
“Yah, yah. I’m not a lady, and I didn’t kiss him, blah blah. Details, details, my dear Watson,” Jen said sarcastically.
Jen grinned to herself. She couldn’t believe the boldness of the words she had whispered to Decebel. But it served him right for being such a butthead to her. She was just messing with him. After all, it meant nothing, so what was the harm? She ignored the nagging little voice in her mind trying to contradict her thoughts.


***

“He’s on his way here, as in now?” Lilly asked Vasile. Her voice was frantic.
“Apparently. Dillon said he would be here in ten minutes,” the Alpha replied.
“Did he say what he wanted?” She forced the panic down and steeled her voice.
“He said he wanted to talk with you and meet Jacque.”
“Yes, but we both know there must be more to it than that, Vasile. He could have just called. Dillon has to have an ulterior motive to travel all this way. I have no doubt he wants to meet Jacque, but that’s not the only reason he has come,” Lilly said.
“Decebel is going to go down with you to meet him. I don’t think Dillon would hurt you or allow harm to come to you, but I want Decebel there to get a feel for things. I have called Sorin, Skender, and Boian and asked them to scout the hospital to see if they can get a look at Dillon’s men,” Vasile explained.
“I’m ready when you are, Lilly,” said Decebel. The statement caught her off guard because she wasn’t sure if the large man had ever spoken to her before. First time for everything.
She drew in a large breath and let it out slowly. “Ok,” she said after a moment. “Let’s do this.” She rolled her shoulders as if she were getting ready for a fight.
“She has worn off on you, too,” Decebel said as the pair stepped into the elevator.
“Who has worn off on me?” Lilly asked.
“Jennifer. She always says strange things at inappropriate times. I notice you do it, too. She’s like a virus…that won’t stop spreading,” He muttered the last part to himself.
“Maybe. But if Jen is a virus, then she is the only one of her kind in existence. And she’s worth all the pain she causes,” Lilly said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
Decebel growled something indiscernible but said nothing else. As the elevator doors opened, he put a hand in front of Lilly so she couldn’t exit. He stepped out first and looked around, then motioned for her to emerge.
She chuckled. That might be a bit much. “What happen to ladies first?” she teased, just trying to expel her nervous energy. She knew the answer, but she just needed something to keep her busy for a few minutes before she saw the man she had once loved with every fiber of her being.
“I don’t know what idiot thought it was best to allow a woman first entrance into a room. How can he know the room is safe for her if he does not check it out himself first? It’s much more chivalrous for him to enter before the lady, therefore ensuring he will bear the brunt of any surprise attacks,” Decebel explained. At first, Lilly heard disgust in his voice, but then it turned almost tender. Almost. He might just make a fine catch one day, minus the grumpiness and bossiness that seems to plague all things furry.
A few minutes later, the glass doors at the front of the hospital slid open. Dillon stepped through and looked around. Decebel moved in front of Lilly—one of those I must protect little female, hear me roar moments—but Lilly pushed him aside, never taking her eyes off Dillon. She knew pain and a reflection of betrayal must be clearly visible in her eyes, but it would have been futile to try to hide her feelings. The pain was seventeen years old, but it was genuine and powerful pain, nonetheless.
Lilly straightened her spine and strode forward, trying to cloak herself in confidence she didn’t feel. Decebel trailed just behind her, a silent reminder to Dillon she was protected.
Dillon spoke first. “Lilly, it’s good to see you,” he said with sincerity. The genuineness of the statement only made his presence worse. She knew he was truly happy to see him. He probably even missed her. She appreciated it, but he was still off limits. He still belonged to another woman. Sometimes Lilly just wanted to give life the finger.
“It’s good to see you, as well, Dillon,” Lilly forced through a fake smile. “I don’t want to do small talk. We both know you aren’t here to catch up, or to reminisce about old times, so just come straight to the point.
“I know about our daughter.”
“I gathered that much. What do you want?”
He didn’t answer right away. Lilly saw a pained expression cross the man’s face. “I understand why you didn’t tell me about her, but I—”
“I was going to tell you that night. But coming home to a letter instead of you changed things a bit. It’s kind of hard to tell the father about his unborn child when he’s not there.”
“You could have found me easy enough.”
“Oh, no, it wasn’t my job to hunt you down and tell you what you walked out on. You made the choice to leave.” Venom laced her words.
Dillon tilted his head to the ceiling, closing his eyes. He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he looked at Lilly again, she could tell he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.
“I didn’t want to leave. You know I didn’t have a choice. Lilly, I would have stayed, I would have married you, been the father Jacque deserved. I would have—”
“I know that, ok, but that is not what this is about.” Now, it was Lilly’s turn to take a deep breath. She had to admit she was being a tad unfair. Lilly knew from day one about the mate bond, and she knew one day Dillon would leave her because of it. Knowing that, she still chose to be with him. But knowing the loss was coming didn’t make it any less painful when it happened. “You want to meet Jacque, I am fine with it if she is. But it isn’t my decision. It will be completely up to her. I will tell Jacque you are here. If, and only if, she is agreeable, then I will introduce you. But don’t expect an immediate answer. You’re going to have to give her some time to process this, Dillon.”
He shook his head. “I know it’s a lot, but I want to see her today. I need to speak with her. Now that she knows she is half wolf, I’m sure she has questions. There are important things she needs to know about being a wolf.”
“She has plenty of people to tell her about being a wolf,” Lilly snapped at him, letting her frustration at the situation get the best of her.
“Right, like the pup who allowed her to be harmed?” The contempt in his voice was obvious.
Decebel growled low and stepped forward, pushing past Lilly’s arm. “You will not disrespect the prince, he has done nothing wrong.”
Dillon stared at Decebel for several moments. Both refused to break the gaze or submit to the other’s dominance. The tension in the air practically gave Lilly goosebumps. But she’d been around wolves long enough to know better than to intervene. The slightest provocation or misunderstanding could result in two gigantic wolves fighting to the death in the hospital’s lobby. She doubted the hospital’s rent-a-cop security guards could handle these two in their human forms, much less if they phased.
Seconds turned into minutes. Neither man blinked nor moved a millimeter, not even to shift his weight. Finally, perhaps, Lilly guessed, because he knew he would never see his daughter if things turned ugly, Dillon spoke. “I was wrong to assume the accident was his fault, Beta. I meant no disrespect. But you have to understand that, as her father, it was difficult to learn that my daughter was injured while in the care of another wolf.”
“You may be her father, but only in blood,” Decebel shot back at him. He turned to Lilly and took her arm. “We will go back and discuss this with Jacque and let you know something in the next hour.” Decebel didn’t give Lilly a chance to say anything more, he simply took her by the arm and started dragging her to the elevator.
“Bossy much?” Lilly glared at him as the elevator doors closed with a ding. “Why did you tell him we would contact him in an hour, Decebel? That will not give Jacque much time to think about whether she even wants to consider meeting her father.”
“The longer it takes for her to decide, the longer he hangs around. You said it yourself earlier. Dillon has some ulterior motive. I think he has some plan in mind. He isn’t being completely honest about why he is here, I could sense it,” Decebel explained.
“What do you mean, some plan?” Lilly ground out as the elevator reached Jacque’s floor. Again, he stepped out first and Lilly followed.
Decebel didn’t answer, he just walked to the girls’ room. Vasile and Alina were waiting outside it.
“What did you learn?” Vasile directed the question to Decebel.
“He repeated what he told you on the phone. He wants to meet his daughter to explain what it means to be a wolf. But he wasn’t telling the whole truth. I could tell he was hiding something,” Decebel said.
“I don’t understand how you could tell all that,” Lilly spoke up.
Decebel looked at Lilly. “You lived with a wolf for some time. You know we are highly attuned to nonverbal cues. Increased perspiration, dilated pupils, flared nostrils. All signs of deception. Dillon, being a wolf himself, can probably mask those things well. But I think seeing you affected him more than he anticipated. He wasn’t protecting his emotions as well as he normally would, especially for an Alpha.”
“So, what does he really want?” asked Vasile to no one in particular.
“That’s the sixty-four-dollar question,” said Lilly.
“No,” Alina interjected. “The sixty-four-dollar question is whether what he really wants has anything to do with your daughter.”
Just then, the door to the hospital room opened with a slight, but noticeable, creak. “What does who really want with Jacque?” Jen asked as she stepped into the hallway.