11

Jen, Sally, and Jacque spent the next four weeks learning about different packs that were going to be present at The Gathering. They learned the names of the Alphas and their mates, if they had one. They learned about the different pack traditions and practices. Jen found it interesting that though there were some things that were universal in the Canis lupus world, packs were very individualized.
It was now two days before they left for the Transylvanian Alps and they, along with three other unmated females and eight unmated males, were in the large gathering room of the mansion to learn to dance.
"I don't need lessons on dancing," Jen muttered under her breath as she stood with Sally and Jacque against the back wall.
"I think Vasile wants the dancing to be PG rated," Jacque teased.
Jen faked indignation. "Excuse me, but my clothes stay on."
"Mostly," Sally mumbled, erupting a laugh out of Jacque.
"Oh, COME ON! That was one time!" Jen groaned. "I swear, lose your clothes at a party one time and they never let you live it down."
"Ooo, now this sounds right up my alley." Crina, the wolf who had spoken up at the pack meeting, came bouncing up with another girl. "Hey, we haven't formally met. I'm Crina and this brute is Mariana." Both girls gave friendly smiles.
Although Mariana wasn't really a brute, she was very tall. Standing next to the pixie Crina, she did qualify as classification brute.
"Hi, Crina. I'm Jen. These two yahoos are my best friends, Sally and Jacque."
Both girls bared their necks briefly at Jacque. It had been explained during one of their lessons that, although Jacque held no real power right now, the pack would show her respect for her place with signs of submission, such as baring their necks.
Jacque gave a single nod in acknowledgment of their submission.
"So, you ready for Mate Fest 2010?" Jen asked them.
Crina smiled. "Mate Fest?"
"It seemed so much more twenty first century than The Gathering."
Crina nudged Mariana. "I told you they would be cool, didn't I?"
Mariana smiled. "Yeah, boss. You told me." She looked at Jen conspiratorially. "She said anyone who could get Decebel all in a tizzy the way you do has to be cool."
Jen didn't just laugh at that, she cackled. "He makes it too easy."
Crina smiled with her and added, "Just so you know, I don't know what is between you two, but neither I nor Mariana have designs on him."
Jen sobered and looked at both girls. It hadn't dawned on her until that moment that there might be others in the pack who had an interest in Decebel. Before she could stop herself, she let out a low growl. Jen watched Mariana's and Crina's eyes get big and heard Sally's intake of breath, but before she could turn, a strong arm came around her waist and pulled her away.
"What the -" she started, but was cut short when a woman in the far corner hollered:
"Grab a partner!"
Jen was turned abruptly and found herself face to face with Decebel.
"Hello, Jennifer." He grinned unrepentantly.
"Decebel, so nice to see you. It's been what, three weeks since you've graced me with your presence?"
"Ahh, yes. About that – please forgive me for my absence. I've been working out your security detail."
"My what?" Jen asked cautiously.
Decebel took Jennifer's left hand and placed it on his shoulder, took her right hand in his left, then wrapped his free arm around her waist, drawing her close.
"Your security detail," he told her again, now much closer to her ear. "Vasile has placed me in charge of your security while at The Gathering, so I have been back and forth between here and Transylvania working out the kinks."
Jen made an “oh” motion with her mouth but said nothing else. She was actually in a small state of shock after not seeing Decebel for days on end. To suddenly have him here in front of her, this close, was a bit overwhelming. Although there was no way in Hades she would ever 'fess up to it.
They danced in silence for several moments before Jen blurted, "You're a really good dancer."
Decebel chuckled. "You didn't think that something that walked on four legs would be able to waltz?"
Jennifer grinned at him. Decebel could almost see the thoughts form in her mind.
"Actually, when in your four-legged form, waltzing would be rather similar to you in your two-legged form. Only, you wouldn't need a partner because you'd already have plenty of legs." Jen couldn't help the giggles that bubbled out at her own little joke. Decebel growled at her, but it was only half-hearted.
Their banter was cut off by another shout. "Switch!"
"Beta, may I cut in?" Costin, the wolf from the bar, stood next to a now frozen Jen and Decebel.
Decebel abruptly let go of Jennifer. "Of course." He nodded to the other wolf and walked off without a backward glance.
Jen watched as Decebel walked away and then looked at Costin.
"What crawled up his knickers?" she wondered out loud as she once again assumed the dancing stance.
"Aw, he's just a little sore that I stepped in. He doesn't share his things well."
Jen glared at Costin. "I am not one of his things," she ground out.
Costin chuckled but covered it quickly with a cough. "Of course, you're not."
The rest of the lesson was spent switching partners periodically. All the while, Decebel kept his eyes glued on Jen and whomever she happened to be dancing with.

"So, how do you feel about this whole Gathering thing?" Crina asked Jen.
After the dancing lesson ended, the five girls had all gone in search of hot chocolate and were now gathered around the dining room table.
"Honestly," Jen paused as she took a sip of her hot chocolate, "I'm kind of looking forward to it. It's something to take my mind off of other, I would like to say unsavory things, but mother of pearl if he isn't the savoriest fur ball this side of anywhere."
"Girl has got it bad," Jacque told Crina and Mariana.
"Decebel is hot, no doubt," Crina agreed.
Jen's head snapped around and a growl came from somewhere inside her.
Crina held her hands up in surrender. "Whoa, I'm not infringing on your wolf." She bared her neck to Jen and something inside her settled. It was freaking weird.
Jen shook her head, attempting to clear out the haze that filled her mind.
"Sorry about that. I don't know what that was but it was, man, I don't know what."
Mariana spoke for the first time. “It was you claiming what's yours."
"But there are no mating signs.”
"Here we go," Sally threw in.
Jacque nodded in agreement. "Once you get her wound up it's like watching the energizer bunny. Ya’ll better get comfortable."
"What if they just haven't appeared yet because you are a dormant?" Mariana offered.
Jen propped her elbows on the table and then put her face in her hands. "I've thought of that. But seriously, it's been several months since we met and in those several months, I was in a major car crash and burned, found out I had werewolf blood, moved to a new country, oh and turned eighteen. You would think that something in there would trigger, well, something."
"But it did," Mariana told her. "It triggered interest on both your parts, didn't it?"
Jen thought about her words.
"When did you really start to notice Decebel?" Crina asked.
"After I woke up from the coma. He came into my room to check on me. Which was bizarre, to say the least. I remember thinking 'wow, that is yummy'."
Sally laughed. "She practically had to wear a bib around him she drooled so much."
"Sally, how's that election coming for mayor?"
Jacque looked puzzled. "What?"
Sally shook her head. "Don't mind her. She's lacking in brain cells lately because they've been fried by hormonal overload."
Jen rolled her eyes and made a "W" sign with her fingers while mouthing, "whatever".
Mariana looked at her watch. "Well, it's getting late so I guess we should head out. Look for us at Mate Fest and we'll hang out. Us wallflowers need to stick together."
Jen smiled. "Sounds like a plan. It was really nice to meet both of you."
Sally and Jacque piped in their agreement and said goodbye as the two other females left the dining room.
"I guess we should call it a night," Jacque said, downing the last of her hot chocolate. "One day left before we head into the testosterone-coated hills of Transylvania."
All three girls rinsed their cups and headed to their rooms.

Jen had just reached her door when she felt it. Someone was watching her. There was no doubt in her mind who it was. She turned to see Decebel standing at the other end of the hall, staring at her. Neither moved for several minutes. Then he started walking towards her.
Jen didn't know whether to go into her room, run, or stand frozen and quite possibly pass out from lack of oxygen. His long strides ate up the distance between them quicker than she would have thought possible and suddenly, he was there – less than a foot away from her.
She couldn't speak. All she could do was stare into those amazing amber eyes.
Decebel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once again, he detected that small bite of cinnamon in her scent.
"Jennifer," he whispered.
"Uh-huh," was all Jen could manage.
Decebel's right hand came up and pushed her long blond hair back away from her face and neck. He leaned forward and placed his nose against her neck, just below her ear, and took another deep breath. Jen seriously thought she was going to pass out. This cannot be happening. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she was really awake. When Decebel pulled back, she saw that his amber eyes were now glowing.
"I don't know what's going on between us, tinier de meu anima," Decebel told her, his voice husky. "I will tell you it scares me."
"Scares you? How can anything scare you?"
Decebel chuckled as he gently cupped her face, his thumb tenderly caressing her jaw line. "There is much you don't know about me, Jennifer, much about my past that has shaped who I am today." He paused as he watched her. "I can't stay away from you, and now our blasted Alpha has made me your protector."
"And you don't want to be my protector," Jen interrupted with a whisper.
Decebel heard the insecurity in her tone, but admired her for not looking away from him when she voiced it. "The problem isn't that I don't want to be your protector, it's that I want to be more."
"Oh," Jen breathed out.
"I don't know how I'm going to get through this, this..." Decebel searched for the words.
"Mate Fest?" Jen offered, which brought a heart stopping grin from Decebel. She nearly swooned. You have got to get a grip, she told herself. Jennifer Adams does not swoon. Drool, definitely. Stare without shame, for sure. But swooning is forbidden. She decided her inner dialogue was really beginning to get out of control.
"Yes, this Mate Fest. I don't know how I'm going to get through it without killing another wolf."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Don't touch another male. Don't let another male touch you." Decebel's lips were tight as he spoke, betraying the carefully conveyed control.
"Okay, no touching. Got it."
Once again, they stared at one another in silence. Gradually Decebel began to lean into her and Jen realized he was going to kiss her. It was also then that she realized how desperately she wanted, craved that kiss. Her eyes drifted closed as she waited, and waited. What the—, she thought as she opened her eyes.
He hadn't moved any closer.
"Are you going to kiss me?" Jen asked boldly.
Decebel grinned, but it left as quickly as it had come. "I can't."
She frowned. "You can't, or you won't?"
"It's not that simple, Jennifer." Decebel started to pull back but Jen grabbed his hand and pulled it back to her face. She held it next to her cheek and let his heat seep into her. She had never felt anything better than his touch in her life.
"It is that simple. You either do or you don't. It's a choice, Decebel. Your choice. So, don't tell me you can't. Unless your lips are super glued to some object, they are up for grabs. So, what gives?"
"I think you need to speak with Dr. Steele, then you will understand what's at stake from something as innocent as a kiss."
He watched as that all too-familiar wicked gleam filled Jennifer's eyes. "Who says it has to be innocent?"
Decebel did step back this time and she let him go.
"Get some sleep, Jennifer. I'll see you tomorrow," he told her gently. After a small smile at her, he left.
"Okay, see you on the flip side."
Jen entered her bedroom after watching Decebel walk away until she couldn't see him any longer.
"See you on the flip side, Jen? Really?" she asked herself out loud. "Do you want someone to ask you to write an expert account on how to be effectively lame? Because let me tell you, blondie, you are all over it." Pathetic, she thought, I'm a groupie and I'm talking to myself. "Ughh."
She quickly went through her routine of getting ready for bed, the whole time remembering the feel of Decebel's flesh on hers, his breath on her neck. There was no way she was going to survive this with her heart intact. She knew that when this was all said and done, she would come out an empty shell if she didn't come out with Decebel by her side.
The real question she found herself facing after her little encounter with the fur ball in the hall was, how do you go about looking for a mate when you would rather be trying to convince the one you want to pursue what was slapping him steadily in the face?
"Yeah, good luck with that," Jen told herself.


"So, I guess I'll see you in a couple of days?" Jacque asked her dad through her cell phone.
"Yes. And I'm bringing Tanya. She really wants to meet you. You okay with that?"
"Yeah, it's cool. It was bound to happen one day, right? There's no time like the present," Jacque told him, her voice coming out unnaturally high. She felt herself settle as Fane wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed a gentle kiss on her neck.
"Thank you, Jacque. I know it's a lot to ask. So, I'll see you soon, then." He disconnected the call.
Jacque set her cell phone down on the bedside table.
"Well, this ought to be fun. It's going to be a cozy little meet and greet," she told Fane, frowning.
"It will be okay, Jacquelyn, it's a large estate. If you and Tanya don't get on there will be plenty of places for you to slink off to."
Jacque pulled out of his arms and turned on him abruptly. "Slink? I do not slink, wolf-man."
Fane smiled and winked. "I knew that would do it."
Jacque growled and tackled him to the bed. "So, you think if you prick my pride, I will be less likely to evade the confrontation I so badly want to avoid?"
Fane nodded. "That about sums it up."
"How well you know me already, pesky flea ball."
"Again, with the fleas." He growled and tickled her. Jacque squealed, unsuccessfully trying to fight him off. He finally relented and pulled her close.
"All will be well, Luna," he whispered.
"I know," she agreed, "but there's always a variable that isn't accounted for, ready to throw things off kilter. Then all is no longer well."
"Ahh, love. Where did such pessimism come from?"
"I guess Jen's worry is rubbing off on me. I just wish she and Decebel would fish or cut bait."
"Fish or cut bait? I'm not familiar with this," Fane told her, his brow furrowed.
"It means get on with it or move on. It's so obvious they are meant to be together,"
"He can't claim her without mating signs. She has to participate in The Gathering," Fane warned her.
"Then there will be a blood bath," Jacque told him somberly. "Because the first man brave enough to lay a finger on Jen is going to see firsthand what happens when another touches a mate. Signs or no, Decebel's wolf has claimed Jen. And Jen's wolf, what little there may be, has claimed Dec. Not to mention her heart."
Both fell silent as they thought about the consequences that were sure to come. But like a speeding train without brakes, nothing short of a miracle could stop them.