Sacrifice of Love (11 page)

“Jennifer,” his voice was rough with emotion and he knew that his eyes were glowing. She whipped around, surprised by him. He took advantage of catching her unaware and grabbed her face, pulling her to him. Her mouth parted instinctively as his tongue pushed in. Her flavor flooded his taste buds and he savored it swallowing her down and reveling in the response she gave him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer. He held her for a few seconds longer before finally pulling away and stepping back.

“I love you and I am still the man who claimed you. Never doubt that again.” Before she could respond he turned and walked away.

Jen looked over at Cynthia who looked as shocked as she felt.

“If anything, he’s still as bossy as ever,” Cynthia told her.

Jen grinned and they started towards the plane again, “And too sexy for his own good. If he were ugly I totally wouldn’t put up with it.”

“Shallow much?” Cynthia snorted.

“Oh no doc, not shallow, just painfully honest.”

They were all quiet as they found seats on the jet, each lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until Jacque jumped out of her seat and smashed her face against the window looking out with a terrified expression that they all were pulled from their stupors.

“FANE!” she yelled as she slapped her hand against the plastic window.

“What’s going on?” Jen asked as she made her way to a window to see what Jacque was so freaked about.

Sally’s breath caught in her throat as she looked out her own window. She felt as though her heart was going to beat straight out of her chest.

“They’re going to kill each other,” Cynthia murmured as they all stared in sick fascination at the fight going on between the two males, now in wolf form.

Firm arms wrapped around Jacque as she started toward the door.

“GO!” Alina’s voice rang loudly against Jacque’s ear and she cringed under the volume and command behind it. Jacque knew Alina was addressing the pilot, and as the plane began to move, she knew that Alina wasn’t going to let her go.

“I have to go to him, Alina,” Jacque told her Alpha as she struggled with her.

“No. You need to let Vasile handle it. They will not kill each other. They just need to get it out in the open and deal with it. They can’t do that with you and Sally there because they don’t feel they could protect you and face one another at the same time. This is a good thing, Jacquelyn.”

The plane continued to move, gradually gaining speed just as Jen shouted, “Oh! Wow that was a good shot, Fane.”

“Jen!” Sally growled.

Jen held her hands up. “Hey don’t get all pissy with me. As soon as Costin gets a good lick in, I’ll cheer for him; no need to worry that I’ll play favorites.”

Jacque finally let her shoulders relax and gave up her fight to get out of Alina’s arms. After several seconds, Alina let her go. She headed back to the window, knowing that what she was going to see would be painful. Though she wasn’t receiving the blows, there was nothing she could do to help her mate. And that was just as painful as any physical agony. 

As the plane gained speed, the girls had to crane their necks to watch the wolves. Jacque reached out for Fane’s mind, but he had blocked her completely.

“He won’t let you in either?” Sally asked noticing the grimace on Jacque’s face.

Jacque shook her head. “They will be alright Sal,” she told her, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or the healer.

Sally nodded, but looked no more convinced than Jacque felt. So apparently her attempt had failed on both accounts.

They felt the plane lurch as the wheels left the ground and the jet rose into the air, taking them further from the fight and further from the males who so desperately wanted them to stay.

“I will say one thing about those males, there is never a dull moment.” Peri suddenly appeared causing everyone to jump.

“Blood hell,” Jen barked.

“Couldn’t you send out some sort of signal that you’re about to appear out of thin air?” Lilly asked.

“What do you want me to do...fart just before I appear so the smell alerts you?” Peri took a seat next to Alina and crossed her legs, appearing regal despite her crude words.

“Why do you say we would be alerted by the smell, rather than the sound?” Sally asked.

Peri smiled. “I think you humans call them
silent but deadly
.”

“That’s just gross. Could you please tell us something useful?” Jacque snapped, apparently not enjoying the banter.

“What would you like to know?” Peri asked her.

Jacque’s jaw tensed as she tried to maintain her composure. Her mind just kept jumping back to the vision of her mate lunging at Costin, claws and fangs extended, eyes glowing, and frothy saliva dripping from his muzzle like a rabid beast.

“Apparently the altercation was started because of a comment from Vasile,” Peri told them.

Alina let out a huff, “I told him to stay out of it. Tell me it was at least subtle.”

Peri grinned in delight. “Oh you should know better, Alina. Your mate is about as subtle as Jen is prudish.” That earned Peri a snort from everyone and a
you’re just jealous
from Jen. Ignoring them she continued, “He told Costin to kick Fane’s ass.” Everyone’s mouths dropped open and eyes widened, “and then he told Fane to quit running from his fear and anger and to deal with it. He told him that if he didn’t deal with it, then Vasile would deal with him. And then it was on.”

Jen let out a sharp burst of laughter that filled the cabin of the plane. “Alina, please tell me you tap that regularly because you have to admit, your man is hot.”

“Okay, first off, EWW!” Jacque pointed at Jen. “And second, why on earth would Vasile do that?”

Alina slid forward to the edge of her seat and placed her elbows on her knees. She took in a deep breath of air and then met her daughter-in-law's eyes.

“Because it’s the only thing that will help Fane get over this rage and fear inside of him. He is more dominant than Costin, though perhaps not by a great measure. Other than when we were in America, he has never felt the need to establish that dominance. As the son of the most powerful Alpha in generations, he has never been challenged on his home turf. But now he feels that Costin has wronged him. He needs to establish that dominance to help prove to himself that he can protect Jacque. The other reason is a simpler one. He’s a male, and he’s ticked off at another male. They resolve their differences with a physical fight. It’s that way with human males as well, is it not?”

Sally blew out a big breath of air, causing her cheeks to puff out. “This just sucks.”

“Seriously,” Jen agreed, then added, “if Vasile is going to start fights between hot, bossy, possessive werewolves, he should at least do it when we get front row seats, cause let me tell you my kicks are few and far between these days. I could use all the help I can get.” Jen’s voice was lighthearted and playful, but Jacque and Sally saw the pain in their friend’s eyes.

“Jen,” Sally said as she reached for her hand.

“Not ready to talk about it,” Jen said quickly and then looked at Lilly. “So your oaf of a man is the reason we’re on this little journey. Fill us in on what he did.” Jen’s statement effectively got the attention off of her and distracted her two best friends from fretting over their feuding mates. Two birds; one stone.

Peri rubbed her hands together as she nodded. “This is going to be so good.”

Lilly frowned. “You already know what happened,” she told the fae.

“Maybe, but the point is, one never tires of hearing about a king running like a scared rabbit while his mate throws things at him and berates him with a sailor’s mouth.”

“Get the popcorn,” Jen called out, “we are in for some wicked entertainment ladies. If their fight started out with that much foreplay, then the finish is bound to leave us all breathless, and maybe even satisfied.”

The group groaned collectively.

“What?” Jen asked innocently.

“Not everyone’s fights end with sex,” Jacque informed her.

“Oh well, then you guys are missing out. I mean seriously. That’s like saying Santa doesn’t need Rudolph and his shiny nose, or that the fourth of July doesn’t need fireworks, or that Harry Potter doesn’t need Ron and that bushy headed girl. I mean, it’s like…,”

“Jen,” Jacque cut her off, “we get it.”

Jen’s head shook vehemently. “Nope, sorry wolf-princess, you can’t possibly get it until you’ve gotten it, if you know what I mean, after having a knock down drag out with your mate. Then and only then, will you get it.”

“Was that clear as mud to anyone else?” Sally asked.

“I think she’s saying we need to have relations with our mates as often as possible, including after fights,” Crina said calmly.

Jen clapped her hands together with a loud yell, “FINALLY! Somebody gets it.”

“How long are you going to let this go on?” Decebel asked Vasile as they watched the two wolves battle it out. Thankfully, the pack had its own private hanger to house the jet, so there was no one to witness the snarling beasts tearing into one another.

“As long as it takes,” Vasile responded. “They won’t kill each other. They know that it would kill the other’s mate as well.” Vasile was calm and unwavering while the males around him growled or cringed in response to the fight before them. Vasile had thought it would be his job to step in and deal with Fane’s struggles, but the moment he saw the two wolves together, he knew what needed to be done. Fane needed to let go of his anger and Costin needed to prove that he was capable of taking Fane on, and that he could still be Fane’s pack mate and still care for him once this was over.

Vasile and Decebel both had to use their power to keep the other males from joining in. All of them were itching for a fight after having just watched their mates fly off to another continent without them. Decebel himself was fighting his own wolf, which longed to tear into any flesh that was available, but he wouldn’t give in to the desire. He didn’t need Vasile knowing what he had planned. He knew the Alpha would not approve.

Fane’s mind was covered in a haze of rage as he lunged at the wolf who had dared to touch his mate. His claws dug into flesh and it satisfied something in him to see the rich, red blood spill forth, matting the grey fur. He jumped back quickly, but not fast enough as he felt Costin’s teeth sink into his side. Even the pain from the assault was like a balm to the internal wounds that had been plaguing him for so long. Over and over they circled each other and over and over they ripped into flesh, but neither of them ever made a mortal wound. This wasn’t about death; it was about righting a wrong, healing the brokenness. Brokenness that had reached so far into Fane that he felt like he would never be whole again. Fane nearly stumbled when he heard a voice in his mind and it didn’t belong to his mate.

“You can only heal if you forgive, Fane Lupei, child of mine.”

The smooth voice wrapped around him and stopped his progress immediately. Fane closed his eyes and waited for the Great Luna to speak. When she didn’t, he acknowledged her.

“I’m listening,”
he responded.

“Costin is your brother. He has not wronged you in any way. Dark magic has twisted your reality. Reach past the darkness, Fane. Grab hold of the light that your bonded mate gives to you and see the truth in the situation. No amount of blood shed will heal this wound. You have to
choose
to be healed.”

Fane opened his eyes and saw that Costin was standing across from him, still in his wolf form, staring at him warily. He had stopped his attack as soon as Fane froze and he was waiting for his next move. He noticed that there was no condemnation in Costin’s eyes, no hate or disgust. He simply stared and waited.

“I’m tired,”
he admitted.

“I know you are. You are not alone. Let go of your anger and let those who care for you, those who love you, help you move past this.”
He felt the warmth of an embrace and then she was gone.

Fane phased back into his human form and Costin quickly followed suit. All of the males were still, their breaths barely perceptible as they watched the two males.

“I know that it wasn’t real,” Fane finally spoke, “but even knowing that, I felt something inside of me break when I saw it.”

Costin took a step closer heedless of their nudity. “We all experienced it Fane. Our mates each went through the same thing but with different males.”

“How could you stand it?” Fane asked desperately.

“It hasn’t been easy if that’s what you’re thinking. But I realized that it would do more harm than good to dwell on it. Sally had hurt enough and I wasn’t about to add to her pain.”

Fane flinched at his words, knowing that he had caused his mate so much pain. He was supposed to protect her and instead he had pushed his fear and anger onto her.

Fane bowed his head to Costin and tilted it slightly, bearing his neck. “I ask for your forgiveness, packmate. I have wronged you. I have disrespected you and I have disrespected your mate.”