Authors: Quinn Loftis
Just One Drop (25 page)
"I like mine with whipped cream," Jen said conspiratorially to the two she-wolves. Then she looked at Jacque. "What do you like yours with, Red?"
Fane spoke up quickly. "Don't answer that, Luna."
Decebel busted out with a loud laugh at the firmness in Fane's voice, and the girls all fell in line behind him. Fane didn't even crack a smile.
"So what brings the motley crew to see us?" Jen asked once the laughing was under control.
"We went to your room to check on you, but you weren't there," Sally told her.
"All of you?"
"You're pack." Marianna answered as if that was all that needed to be said.
Decebel's phone rang and Jen climbed up so he could reach his pocket. Since they were all super unnosy, they made sure to be as quiet as possible while he answered the call.
"They didn't?" Decebel asked.
The room was silent as he listened.
"Okay. Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Vasile." He closed his phone and looked up to find six sets of eyes glued to him.
"So is there a plan for this evening?" he asked casually.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Spill it, wolf."
Decebel grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She fell against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the freedom to touch her.
"That was Vasile," he said finally.
"Yeah, we sort of got that when you thanked him and used his name." Jen's eyes narrowed. "Try again."
"Testy tonight, aren't we?" Decebel teased.
"I think I liked it better when you were broody," Jen muttered, which only made him chuckle and squeeze her closer.
"Vasile informed me that the Alphas have decided to not subject me to any punishment for my actions against the mongrel who touched you." Decebel's words became rougher as he spoke.
"It would have made no sense for them to punish you," Fane told him.
"Why do you say that?" Jacque asked her mate.
Fane took her hand and tugged him to her, tucking her under his arm. "Any mated female who had been touched that way would have watched as her mate tore the offender limb from limb."
Jacque shivered at the menace in his voice.
Jen cocked her head at Decebel. "Aw, would the little furry wolf make a chew toy of the pervert for me?" she teased, squeezing Decebel's cheeks like she would a baby's.
Decebel gently removed her hands and took her face in both of his. "I will kill the next male who touches you. I'm done playing nice," he said, snapping his teeth together as his canines descended.
"Sally, get a hose." Jen grinned wickedly. "Because that was
so
freaking hot and I'm on fire."
Decebel rolled his eyes, but softened it with a smile.
“Ohhh nooo," Sally groaned. "I thought it was bad before the nympho had an outlet. Now she has her very own boy toy."
Decebel growled. "I'm not a boy toy," he said, clearly offended.
"Don't mind her, B. She's just sexually frustrated," Jen placated.
Decebel shocked the room into silence when he looked at Sally and dryly quipped, "Join the club."
Jen's face turned eight shades of red.
Jacque recovered first. "Bloody hell, I didn't know Jen had that color in her skin repertoire."
Crina and Marianna snickered while Jen tried to recover herself. She hid her flaming hot face in Decebel's neck. He rubbed her back soothingly and murmured to her in Romanian.
Note to self,
Jen thought.
Find out what he's saying… Correction, throttle wolf for joking about his needs in front of my friends, then find out what he's saying.
"So what are we going to do tonight?" Fane asked.
Jen sat up, having finally composed herself. "Isn't there some sort of something going on tonight?"
"Yes, but my father thinks it best that we lie low. Just until things simmer down."
"Well, my vote is that we hit up the mess hall first and foremost," Jen announced.
Sally rolled her eyes. "Here we go with the military lingo."
"Where does she get that?" Jacque asked, shaking her head.
"I can't decide if she was in special forces in a past life or if she was dropped on her head as a child." Sally shrugged.
"I definitely wasn't dropped on my head, Sally dear. My head is perfectly rounded, free of any discombobulation," Jen said haughtily.
Marianna, who usually stood quietly and observed, chuckled. "Only an American would describe the shape of her head as if it were some sort of special art form to be prized."
Jen stood up from the couch, straightening her clothes and tugging at her ponytail. She smiled brightly at Marianna. "Seriously, she-wolf. Are you looking at the same head I see in the mirror?" she asked as she made a circular motion around her head. "This is God's way of showing that he is indeed capable of creating perfection."
Jacque and Sally snorted as Fane and Decebel chuckled.
Jen looked down at Decebel as she heard him mutter, "Niciodata nu inceteaza sa el (she will never cease to amaze)."
"Have something to tell me, B?" Jen asked sweetly.
"Just that I have never beheld a head possessing such utter flawlessness, baby," he told her, dramatically bowing at the waist.
Jen narrowed her eyes. "Definitely liked you better as an ominous, brooding, fur ball."
His response was a wicked grin and a wink.
Chapter 20
"Ugh, if I eat another bite I'm going to be sick," Jacque groaned as she looked at the feast they'd all heartily dug into.
" I have to agree, Thelma." Jen leaned back in her chair, rubbing her belly. "I'm as full as a tick stuck to the flesh of a bull mastiff on a hot summer day."
Jacque shook her head. "I swear, Louise, you really know how to ruin a good carb-induced buzz."
"I aim to please, wolf-princess."
Crina stood and stretched as she looked around the room. "What do you guys say to a swim? There's bound to be a pool in this breeding facility."
"Good one, C. 'Breeding facility,' like it." Jen grinned.
Jacque sat up and looked at Fane, "What do ya say, wolf-man. Up for a swim?"
Fane nodded but didn't answer out loud.
"You in a bathing suit – like I could ever turn that down."
Jen watched the play between Jacque and Fane and knew they were using their bond. Something in her heart tugged. She wanted that intimacy, longed for it with Decebel. She turned to look at him and found him watching Fane and Jacque as well. He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned and met her gaze. Something unspoken flowed between them. Almost as if she could hear him say not to worry, their time would come. Her response was, “
are you so sure?”
at which he growled, this time out loud. Jen shook her head, amazed at how in tune they were with each other, and yet there seemed to be a vast chasm between them.
"I could go for a swim," Marianna spoke up.
"Yeah, I'm in." Jen stood up, stretching her stagnate form.
As they made their way out into the hall, Fane and Decebel both perked up.
"What do you hear?" Jacque asked just as Costin came around the corner, nearly plowing into Marianna.
"Oh. Sorry, Marianna," he told her as he caught himself. He looked nervous and he wouldn’t meet Fane's or Decebel's gazes.
Decebel stepped forward. "What's all the noise about?"
Costin shook his head as he looked at the floor. "Why do I always have to be the one to find things out," he muttered.
"Costin," Decebel warned.
Finally Costin looked up. He didn't address his Beta, instead he spoke to Fane. "I think we should get your father and a few other males."
Fane nodded. Costin took off at a run while Fane turned to Jen.
"Distract him."
Jen looked confused for a second, but quickly caught on as soon as Decebel moved in the direction of Costin, the direction of the noise.
Jen didn't know what to do to distract a six foot four inch male wolf that was ten times stronger than her. She wracked her brain as Decebel continued to move forward – he did so slowly, as if he were afraid of what he'd find. Fane was standing in front of him, trying to coax him to stay.
Then inspiration hit.
He's male,
Jen thought. She grinned.
"Hey, fur ball!" Jen hollered. There was a wicked gleam in her eye as she grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head, leaving her in a sports bra.
"This is so not good," Sally muttered to Jacque.
Jacque shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I swear we're going to have to duct tape her mouth and put her in a straight jacket."
Jen mock-sighed. "The sacrifices we make for our men."
Decebel turned at the sound of Jen's voice and she winked.
"Don't you want to hang around?"
Then she flashed him.
Costin was banging on Skender's door when Vasile stepped out of his room.
"What's going on?" Vasile asked.
Costin met his Alpha's eyes briefly. "We need all our males. Now."
Alina heard the wolf's worried voice and followed Vasile out. "What happened?"
"Decebel is going to go on a killing spree if he sees what I just saw without us to stop him."
"What have you seen?" Vasile took a step forward.
Costin quickly explained about Jen, Crina, and Marianna dancing while the males of the other packs videoed them.
"Alpha, it was not an innocent little dance. But our females didn't know they were being watched so they definitely weren't tempering their moods, if you know what I mean."
Alina was shaking her head in frustration. "So even though Decebel ordered them to delete the video, someone did not?"
"Correct. They are showing it in one of the movie rooms at this moment. It's packed with males. I think their thoughts are 'strength in numbers.' They figure Decebel cannot retaliate with so many of them present."
"They do not know he is an Alpha in his own right." Alina's voice was low.
"No, Luna. Decebel purposely allows others to underestimate him." Vasile's eyes snapped up as Skender, Boain, Dorin, Anton, and a couple other males ran up the stairs.
"You are aware of the situation?" Skender asked.
"Costin has just informed me. Since there hasn't been widespread panic, do I correctly surmise that Decebel hasn’t yet made it there?"
Skender and the males with him couldn't stop the chuckles. "He has been momentarily... distracted."
"Do I even want to know what with?" Vasile asked dryly.
"No, Alpha. You most definitely do not want to know," Skender replied.
"Fine," he snapped. "Let's go. Alina, please come and retrieve the females. And call Cynthia. We're probably going to have to tranq him."
It'd been a long time since Vasile had subdued one of his males in such a way, but Decebel was powerful, and he had found his mate and couldn’t bind her to him. That was a deadly combination even without adding unmated males to the mix. Vasile had underestimated Decebel's feelings towards Jen. That wouldn't happen again, if they all survived this.
The wolves followed their Alpha as he made his way down the stairs with a single, determined thought: he had to stop his Beta from destroying an entire pack…or two.
Jen's bra came up just as Skender and a slew of Romanian pack males rounded the now infamous corner. Fane cursed and turned away.
Skender and the other males' eyes hit the floor faster than humanly possible as they continued to run, but Jen heard Skender loud and clear as he passed by.
"Keep up the good work, dormant."
Decebel was so stunned that he hadn't moved. His eyes were glowing and he looked angrier than Jen had ever seen him.
Okay,
she thought.
At least it's working.
"Um... Kinda getting cold here, Dec." Jen squirmed.
Decebel moved faster than her eyes could track. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her into an empty room. He gently, but quickly set her down. Then he turned and stepped out.
Before he pulled the door closed, he growled, "Cover yourself, woman, and pray that I have regained control when I return for you." Then he slammed the door so hard it nearly came off the hinges.
"That went well," Jen grumbled as she pulled her sports bra back down. She stilled as the door opened, thinking that maybe Decebel had decided to punish her now – but Jacque, Sally, Crina, and Marianna walked in. Jacque tossed Jen the shirt she had discarded.
Marianna walked up to Jen and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I just wanted to touch the one who would purposely provoke the wrath of an Alpha," she told her, then stepped back with a shake of her head.
"He's Beta," Jen corrected as she pulled her shirt on.