Chapter 24

Peri turned to call Elle to her, only to realize the young Fae had disappeared.
"Excuse me for one moment," Peri told the group. She stepped out the front door and closed her eyes, reaching out to the council of her people. Her eyes snapped open when she received the information she needed. Her lips were tight as she pushed the door back open and entered the cottage.
"It appears that my people have need of Elle. I was going to send her to get Rachel and Gavril, but that obviously isn't going to happen. I must send some of you."
Vasile stood. " I will go."
"No." Peri spoke before Vasile's words were all the way out of his mouth. "You must not be compromised, Vasile."
"Can't you cloak us somehow?" Jacque asked.
Jacque noticed that Peri's lips did the tightening thing again and her eyes were glowing slightly. "It seems our friendly witch has been at work while we have been across the Veil. She has put a tracking spell on the Alps."
"Meaning?" Jen encouraged.
"Meaning anything or anyone possessing magic will produce a trail for her to follow."
"But aren't all werewolves magical?" Sally's brow furrowed.
"Yes, but dormants and half-bloods won't carry nearly as much magic on them as a full-blooded wolf."
This time Decebel dumped Jen out of his lap as he shot up off the couch before he even registered moving. "Don't even say what you are thinking."
Jen glared at Decebel as she pulled herself up off the floor.
"Okay, I'm going to forget you just dumped me on my ass since I can clearly see you are royally ticked off." Jen was standing on her tiptoes, trying to get in her mate's face. Decebel simply wrapped a big arm around her and pulled her out of the way, pushing her behind him.
"Jacque and Jen have the best chance of going undetected. Once they are with Rachel and Gavril, Rachel will be able to provide some small cloaking."
Every male in the room bristled at what Peri was suggesting.
"You want me to send two of my females into the forest – alone?" Vasile spoke slowly and his eyes began to glow. Alina placed a hand on Vasile's arm, trying to calm the Alpha.
Fane stood up and pushed Jacque behind him just as Decebel had done to Jen. Jen looked over at Jacque from behind Decebel and rolled her eyes. Jacque nodded her agreement with the sentiment.
"Maybe the decision should be up to the females in question," Jen announced from behind the wall that was her mate.
"No." Fane, Decebel, Costin, Sorin, and Vasile all spoke at one time, all in various states of amusement at Jen's comment.
Jen and Jacque were now good and pissed.
Jacque pushed her way around Fane as Jen did the same to Decebel. Each girl rounded on their mates and the room was silent as the two couples engaged in what appeared to be staring competitions. In reality, they were speaking to one another through their bonds.
"It's not happening, Jennifer. You can glare, rant and rave, cry, or stomp your foot all you want. You are not leaving this house."
Jen growled. A true growl. It only caused Decebel to smile.
Jerk, she thought to herself.
"Foreplay, baby, foreplay."
This time Jen did stomp her foot. She let out a snarl and turned to face Peri and Vasile.
"Jacque and I can do this. We aren't some helpless damsels in distress. If we aren't producing enough magic for the wicked witch to tail us, then we should be fine."
Decebel snorted behind her. "Fine? Mate, it's freezing out there. And werewolves aren't the only ones in the forest, or have you forgotten there are other things that go bump in the night?"
"You are very close to sleeping on the couch. Just want you to know that." Jen smiled to herself when she felt his shock and then his frustration at her comment. Score one for the mated/married chick who shouldn't, but could use sex as a weapon. Jen knew it wasn't nice, but, desperate times.
"That won't work on me, Jennifer. I'm not an eighteen-year-old virgin who is dying to get in his woman's pants."
Jen spun around so fast that her hair slapped any in the vicinity in the face.
"Did you really just say that?" Her hands had gone to her hips and her shoulders were pulled back.
"Oh man," Sally whispered to Crina, who had been sitting quietly beside her. "I've seen that look. You do not want to be on the other end of that look."
"You need to understand who you are mated to. I won't be manipulated so you can have your way. S-"
"You're right," Jen interrupted, “I'm glad you pointed it out to me. Since you are so experienced with the opposite sex, then there is no way me withholding it from you would bother you because you have memories of those other hussies to keep you warm at night. Thank you for that, my sweet mate. Since I know now that unlike other men who desire to be with their women," Jen sneered the word out, "you aren't easily swayed, I will have to find other things that might get this through your thick, flea-infested skull: I will not be dictated to, I will not be controlled, I will not be treated like some 18th century woman who walks two steps behind her man and only speaks when spoken to."
"Jennifer." Decebel took a step towards her.
"No, Decebel. Do not use that tone of voice with me. I'm your mate, your wife, your equal." She finished her words through their bond. "And I won't forget your words, my love. I won't forget your lack of eagerness for your woman."
"Jennifer, baby, I didn't mean I don't want you." Decebel's words fell on deaf ears because his mate had turned her back and blocked his thoughts.

The group spent the day resting and avoiding the elephant in the room. The males didn't want the females to go, the females wanted to stick hot pokers in the male's eyes. Yeah, it wasn't tense at all.
As darkness fell, one by one they all found their beds they had been sleeping in and called it a night. Throughout the day, Jen and Jacque had met eyes with Peri in looks that each understood were an unspoken message. Jen casually walked into the kitchen to get a drink before going to bed. Peri walked past and muttered, "Go into the bathroom, I will get you out." Jen didn't question how, she just got moving.
When she walked past Decebel, he stood and followed her. As they entered the room they would share, Jen thought about how she should feel weird that she was married now and her husband would be sleeping in her bed. But, she supposed, she was too angry to feel weird.
Married. The term passed through her mind. How the bloody hell am I going to tell my parents? Jen really didn't want to think about that right then, considering she had much bigger things on her plate.
Decebel took off his shirt and tossed it on one of the empty chairs. Jen let out a slow breath and tried not to drool at the well-toned body of her mate. She made a mental sigh of relief when he began to climb into bed with his pants still on. Saved by the Levi's, Jen thought to herself with a snicker.
Decebel spoke and she was surprised to hear true hurt in his voice. "Why do you continue to block your mind from me?"
"I'm mad at you."
"So, every time you are mad at me you will block me?"
"I don't know. I'm sure your punishments will vary. Variety is the spice of life."
Decebel growled at her, then quietly said, "It hurts. When you block me, it hurts me."
Jen closed her eyes at his words. She didn't want to make up yet, didn't want to feel bad for hurting him. But she did.
She climbed into bed next to him but didn't lay down. She sat with her legs crossed and looked at him. He lay on his back with his arm across his face, blocking her view of his eyes.
"Decebel, look at me." Jen tugged at his arm.
He allowed her to pull it away from his face but still didn't meet her eyes.
Jen got up on all fours and placed a hand on either side of his face so that she looked directly down at him. If he didn't want to look at her now, he would have to close his eyes. He didn't.
"I'm sorry," she said, genuinely meaning it.
Jen started to sit back up but Decebel put a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her face closer to his. He pressed his lips firmly against hers and they both sighed at the contact. Jen hadn't realized how empty she felt from not touching him all day. She leaned into him, taking the weight off her hands so she could run her fingers through his hair. Decebel growled and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him. As she submitted to his kiss, she opened their bond as well and felt his relief sweep over her. She really had been hurting him. That was the last thing Jen wanted to do to her mate. Tease him, yes. Drive him crazy, absolutely. Make him sexually frustrated, duh. But never hurt him.
"I'm sorry," she told him as she deepened their kiss. She opened her mouth when she felt his tongue brush against her lips and for the first time in her life Jen wanted to act on all the things she joked about.
Decebel pulled back. As much as he wanted his mate, now was not the time. He'd caught some of the thoughts drifting through Jennifer's mind and knew they needed to stop. He needed to stop.
Decebel watched as hurt formed in Jennifer's eyes when he pushed her back.
"Baby, this isn't rejection." He chuckled at her forlorn look.
"Then what is it? Did you really mean what you said? I mean," Jen waved her hands at him to stop him from interrupting, "I know you aren't a virgin, we've already barked up that tree. But did you really have to throw it in my face, Dec? Did you have to make me feel like my own mate doesn't desire me?"
Decebel rubbed his face as he let out a deep sigh. "Jennifer, if you had any idea how much I desire you, you would probably be frightened to be alone with me. I want you – in every way. But I don't want you to use my need for you, my desire for you, against me. Not when it's to get me to disregard your safety."
He watched as she processed his words. Decebel played with a strand of her long hair and waited for her to speak.

Jen sat there, staring at her oh-so-handsome mate and chewed on his words. He did want her, and based on that kiss his desire was evident. But he didn't want her to manipulate him. She realized then that she needed to get to the bathroom so Peri could get her out. So, no manipulation, fine. She could do that. He didn't say anything about being sneaky.
"Okay." She started to climb off the bed but stopped abruptly when she realized Decebel hadn't let go of her hair.
"Okay?" Decebel looked at his mate suspiciously. "That's it?"
"Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't use sex to manipulate you. It's childish. I can admit when I'm wrong Decebel, geez. It's just it happens so rarely that it kind of catches me by surprise."
Decebel chuckled but still wasn't convinced that everything was okay with her.
Jen could tell that Decebel wasn't buying her sudden agreement, so she crawled back up on the bed and as he propped himself up against the headboard she climbed into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.
"I know I'm difficult, B. But that doesn't mean I don't know how to be reasonable. And I understand why you pushed me away."
"You do?"
"Sure, I do. You're nervous. It's been a while and you're worried about being able to live up to my expectations. It's okay, we'll go slow. I'll give you as much time as you need." Jen was nearly biting her lip she was trying so hard not to laugh at the horror on Decebel's face at her words. She knew what she was saying was a load of crap, but she just couldn't resist. She'd felt like he didn't want her. She'd been hurt when he pushed her away. It wouldn't hurt him if he thought that she thought he was actually stressing over the whole consummation thing.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom and get ready for bed. Don't worry about me, okay? When you're ready, we can explore our physical relationship." Jen started to climb off his lap as she watched his mouth open and then close. As she reached the bathroom door, she heard him growl.
"Explore our physical relationship? Nervous? Worried?" With each word his voice got louder and the growling increased. By the time Jen had closed and locked the bathroom door, Decebel was at the door jiggling the door knob.
"Jennifer, open this door."
"Decebel, seriously. Can I have some privacy? We have not been mated long enough to pee in front of each other."
She heard him grumble something under his breath but he moved away from the door.
Jen stood there, waiting. For what, she wasn't sure. Then all of a sudden, the wall next to her just disappeared. Jacque and Peri stood directly in front of where the wall had been.
"What the -"
"Shhh." Jacque motioned to Jen to lower her voice.
Jen walked over to Jacque and the Fae and the wall reappeared as if it had never vanished.
"That is freaking wicked cool." Jen grinned at Peri.
Peri rolled her eyes. "Wolves. So easily impressed."
"So, are we planning our secret op?" Jen rubbed her hands together, looking very much the part of mischievous child.
Peri motioned for them to follow her. The front door opened soundlessly and closed behind them. Jen and Jacque both expected to begin shivering, but even though there was snow all around them, they felt no cold.
"I take it you're keeping us warm?" Jacque asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I can't very well talk to you two if your teeth are chattering incessantly, it's annoying."
"Alright then, Peri-fairy, tell us how you really feel." Jen rolled her eyes.
Peri ignored the comment. "The males in your pack will never let you two go on your own."
Jacque and Jen looked at each other and then at Peri.
"Yeah, we know that much. What we don't understand is why you aren't working your mojo to bind them like you did Decebel." Jacque decided that her words must have shocked Peri because the Fae took a step back.
"You want me to bind your mates?" she asked incredulously.
A chuckle emanated from Jen. "No, silly."
Peri took an audible breath and let it out, obviously relieved.
Jen smiled in return. "We want you to bind all the males.”