3
Fane sat quietly on the ground next to Jacquelyn as the ambulance, fire trucks, and police cars came blaring onto the scene. He didn’t dare touch her for all her burned skin. He felt as if a sharp wire had been wrapped around his heart and was being pulled tighter and tighter. At some point, Vasile approached, but Fane didn’t hear him. Nor did he realize when the rest of the pack had arrived. Decebel’s deep growl snapped him out of his haze. Fane looked up and saw the enormous man kneel next to Jen’s unconscious body. The top half of her body was covered by only a bra and every inch of her exposed skin was burned, red, angry, and blistering. Fane didn’t know what to make of Decebel’s behavior but that could be dealt with later, after the girls were taken care of.
The EMT’s approached Jacquelyn’s body, but hesitated when he growled at them.
“Fane.” Vasile’s voice was a warning. With an exhale, Fane took a step back and allowed the paramedics to load Jacque on a gurney. He walked next to her to the ambulance.
“Sir, are you family?” one of them asked.
“Yes,” he barked before shoving past the man and climbing into the back of the vehicle. No one made a move to stop him. Fane heard his father tell Decebel to ride with Jen. Fane could only assume that he had picked up on Decebel’s earlier show of emotion and decided to use it to his advantage, for now. After all, a good Alpha always utilized his wolves to the best of their ability. Fane could only hope that his Alpha was using the other wolves to figure out exactly what had happened. Sally and Lilly were being escorted together into another ambulance, and Fane saw his mother climbing in to ride with them.
Fane’s father walked up to him just before they closed the ambulance doors. “I will follow you to the hospital. Sorin, Skender, and Boian are going to stay here and see if they can get some idea of what happened.” Fane nodded. His wolf was on the surface and Fane didn’t trust himself to speak for fear he might let loose the barely contained rage that boiled close to the surface. Anyone near him was in potential danger. The EMTs shut the ambulance door and, a few moments later, Fane felt the vehicle move.
The ride to the hospital was tense, the air thick with Fane’s fear and anger. The wolf was restless in such an enclosed space. The EMT riding in the back kept shooting Fane nervous glances. It was clear the man knew he was in the presence of someone dangerous. When they finally arrived at the hospital, Fane was more than ready to get his mate out of the enclosed box.
The EMTs lowered the gurney to the ground and began rolling Jacquelyn quickly into the ER. They’d placed a mask over her face, providing her life-giving oxygen to her struggling lungs. Her face, the half that wasn’t burned, was ashen. Her arms, covered in blisters from the flames that had raked over them, rested limply at her sides. Fane felt a growl rising in his throat again. Before he released it, a hand came down on his shoulder and his Alpha’s power rolled over him. Fane’s wolf submitted immediately, and the growl was stifled.
Fane followed the gurney that carried its precious cargo—his mate. He even continued when they rolled her into the operating room. Just as he stepped into the room, a hand came up on his chest, pushing him back. His response was swift—a vicious snarl at the one who would dare come between him and his mate. Fane’s father was there in an instant. “I apologize for my son’s behavior. That is his fiancé, and he is worried,” Vasile told the doctor who, through bravery or sheer stupidity, still held his hand on Fane’s chest.
“I understand,” the man replied. “But he cannot be in here, it’s a sterile environment. As soon as we have information, you will be the first to know.”
“Thank you,” Vasile told the doctor. The Alpha grabbed Fane by the arm, pulling him out of the operating room. Vasile released his own growl now, pushing his power into Fane to force his son’s obedience. Fane reluctantly backed out of the room, never taking his eyes off Jacquelyn’s still form until the doors closed and he could see her no more. Just then, they heard a loud crash and a ferocious roar coming from somewhere down the hall. Vasile backed Fane against the wall and glared at him. Again, using his Alpha power, Vasile commanded, “Stay.” Fane’s wolf met Vasile’s eyes for three counts before they finally dropped in submission. With that, Vasile turned and took off, moving toward the malicious snarls.
He came around the corner into another operating room to find Decebel crouched in front of Jen’s body, which lay still on the gurney. “What the hell?” Vasile growled. Decebel snarled continually, his eyes glowing gold. Several humans in blue scrubs stood in front of him in defensive postures, trying to explain they were trying to help the girl and had to touch her to do that. Decebel wouldn’t budge. It was clear to Vasile the man’s wolf was in control. Vasile stepped forward, gently pushing one of the humans out of his way. He growled at Decebel and, just as with Fane, sent his Alpha power forward.
“Stand down, Beta, they have to help Jen.” Decebel didn’t move. He turned his head slightly, giving a small view of his neck. A recognition, but not submission. “DECEBEL, MOVE. NOW!” Vasile roared, throwing his power unchecked.
Finally, with the Alpha order given, Decebel had no choice but to move out of the way, as if an invisible force had pushed him aside. With puzzled looks at Decebel and Vasile, the humans moved into action. They worked quickly and efficiently, like a well-oiled machine. Decebel watched, shaking with suppressed rage as they stuck Jennifer with needles and put an oxygen mask over her face. As soon as they started cutting off her clothing, he tensed and snarled again. Vasile grabbed him and pushed him out of the room, pulling the doors closed behind them.
He jerked his Beta in front of him and asked, “Decebel, what the hell was that about?”
Decebel averted his eyes in submission as he answered his Alpha. “I was just watching out for her. Everyone else was busy, and she was alone. I was the only one left to make sure the humans didn’t harm her.”
“Hmm.” Vasile made a noise of suspicion in his throat. He stared hard at Decebel’s eyes, trying to gauge the truth of his statement. There was no deception. But Vasile saw something else in the Beta’s eyes, something he wasn’t sure Decebel himself even detected.
“Her family will be here soon. Alina has called them. When they get here, you are to stand aside. Until then, I would ask you to remain outside this door and wait for information from the doctor. Are we clear?”
“We are clear,” Decebel responded, his voice emotionless, his expression hard.
“One more thing, Beta. Keep your wolf under control,” Vasile warned.
“Yes, Alpha,” Decebel answered as he backed up against the wall, folding his arms across his chest and standing sentinel.
Vasile turned and walked away, shaking his head in confusion.
“What was that all about?” Fane asked his father returned. Fane was still standing exactly where Vasile had left him, in front of the operating room where Jacquelyn was being treated.
“Decebel was protecting Jen. He said he felt responsible for her since the rest of us were elsewhere.”
“Really?” Fane’s voice sounded skeptical
“I don’t know what to make of it either. But when I came around the corner, Decebel was guarding her. He refused to allow the staff to touch her. I had to force him out of the room,” Vasile explained, his brow furrowed, his voice heavy with disbelief.
Fane didn’t know how to respond to that, but he knew he couldn’t worry about it right now because all he could think about was his mate. He just kept seeing her limp form, the only sign of life her shallow breathing. Gone was her spunky attitude, her gentle touch. He closed his eyes, shutting off his emotions so he could keep his wolf in check.
“Fane, Vasile, where are Jacque and Jen?” Lilly asked as she approached, her voice dragging Fane out of his thoughts. Though still a bit wide-eyed, and apart from a scrape here and there on her arms, the woman looked no worse for wear.
“Jacque is in this operating room,” Fane responded. “And Jen is just down the hall. Decebel is guarding her door.”
Lilly’s shoulders slumped, and her head fell forward as silent tears fell to the floor. Fane walked up to the woman who had brought his precious mate into the world and folded her into his embrace. She squeezed him tightly, as if her life depended on it. After several moments, Lilly pulled back. She looked up into Fane’s face and patted his cheek. “Thank you, Fane, thank you,” her voice was hoarse with emotion.
Lilly backed up against the wall and slid down to the floor, prepared to stay there until the doctor came out with news of her daughter. Vasile walked over and kneeled in front of her. “Lilly, can you tell me what happened? What do you remember?” he asked.
Lilly tilted her head back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. Then, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to picture herself driving away from her bookstore. “I had received a call from one of my employees.” She told him all about Jeff and the supposed irate customer that, apparently, didn’t exist and how Jeff had been gone when she arrived at the store. Then, just before she told him about the loud noise and losing control of the car, she remembered the man that Jen had pointed out on the side of the road.
“I remember a tall man on the side of the road standing next to a blue car,” she said. “Did you see him?”
Vasile shook his head. “There were no other cars around.”
“Jen pointed him out. Right after we saw him, there was a loud noise and then I lost control. It looked like he might have had a flat tire or something. He couldn’t have been far from where the wreck happened, he had to have seen it.”
Fane heard a hint of panic in Lilly’s voice. Alina and Sally walked up and Fane noticed that Sally, too, seemed mostly intact other than a few scrapes and bruises. Alina kneeled on the opposite side of her husband and took Lilly’s hand. “We will figure it out, Lilly, it’s going to be okay,” the Alpha female told her gently.
“Mrs. P’s right, though,” said Sally. “There was a man on the side of the road. He was big. I didn’t get a good look but, according to Jen, he was, and I quote, ‘a tall glass of somin, somin.’”
Vasile looked up at Fane, who had been quietly listening to the girls describe what had happened. “Did you see anyone driving away as you approached to the girls? You were the first one there.”
“No, there was no one, only the girls,” Fane replied, bringing the image of Jacquelyn’s damaged form to the forefront of his mind. He closed his eyes and willed the image away.
“Sally, Lilly, are you both okay?” Fane asked them, trying to get his mind off the images of the accident.
“Just a few cuts and minor burns. Other than that, we are both fine,” Sally answered. “I’m sure Lilly asked, but any news yet on Jen and Jacque?”
Vasile shook his head. “Jen is down the hall in the other operating room and they are treating her. Decebel is standing guard outside the door. Jacquelyn is in this one here. The doctors said they will let us know something as soon as they can.”
Sally nodded. “I think I’ll go stand with Decebel so he doesn’t have to wait alone.”
“That would probably be a good idea,” Vasile agreed.
After Sally walked away, everyone waited quietly, as if any breach of the silence would somehow cause harm to Jen or Jacque. Fane ground his teeth as he imagined his mate, burned and broken, lying unconscious on the operating table. The waiting didn’t just suck, it was a total bitch.
Sally stood across the hall from Decebel. Of course, in her mind, she knew he was a large man. But, alone with him now in the close proximity of the hallway as he stared at her, his stone-like features betraying nothing of his thoughts or emotions, he seemed impossibly huge. His only communication to her was a slight nod of the head as she approached him. Sally couldn’t help but think he was going to blurt out “me Decebel, you Sally” at any moment. She smiled slightly at the thought. It was a comment Jen would have appreciated.
Sally didn’t relish spending the next, who-knows-how-long, in complete silence, so she decided to at least give the man a try. “How are you doing, Decebel?” she asked.
Decebel raised a single eyebrow at her. It appeared he was considering the question. It looked to Sally as if the implacable mask on his face slipped for just a moment and she saw an emotion there she didn’t recognize. Fear, perhaps?
In a flash, the mask was back. “I’m doing fine. How are you?”
“Also, fine. Are you always this reticent?”
“I am guarding this door, which means I must remain sensitive to my surroundings. It can make me seem aloof.”
Sally raised her eyebrows now. “Two complete sentences in a row? Well, I’ll be. I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say. Wow, you were actually, like, explaining yourself to me and stuff. Jen would be so proud of you.” Decebel visibly tensed at the mention of Jen. “You know, I think she thinks you’re like the chocolate bunnies they sell at Easter. You know, all yummy on the outside but hollow on the inside.” Now Sally was pulling a Jen, herself. The girl’s mouth valve just would not close.
“She compares me to a bunny?” Decebel asked incredulously.
“Not in so many words. You have to understand, Jen likes guys. Well, she likes hot guys.” Sally noticed he tensed again at these words. Hmm, I’m going to have to do some sleuthing. “But she doesn’t date much because, despite her rough edges, she’s really smart and she gets bored easy. So, if the outside package is interesting, but the inside is crap, she’s remains content to ogle the package from a distance.”
Before Decebel could respond, the operating door swung open. Decebel pivoted, standing directly in front of a balding, middle-aged man with beady eyes and a severe chin. His eyes suddenly widened when he looked up at the obstacle before him. Sally guessed Decebel’s wolf must be looking out through his eyes because the doctor’s jaw dropped open abruptly. Sally stepped in front of Decebel and donned her sweetest smile. She looked at the doctor’s name badge before speaking.
“Doctor Thomas, how is Jen doing?” Sally couldn’t help the slight waver in her voice. Until now, she’d only feared the worst. Sally could only hope the doctor would not turn her fears into reality.
Dr. Thomas looked at Decebel and then back at Sally. “Are either of you family? Are Ms. Adam’s parents here?”
“I’m her betrothed,” Decebel said.
What the hell? Sally nearly sprained her neck as she whipped around to look at him, her jaw falling open. Decebel only glared at her, daring her to contradict him. She didn’t. But when she turned back to the physician, she could clearly see the skepticism written across his face.
Sally cleared her throat. “Decebel is from Romania. They do things differently there. You know, arranged marriages, that sort of thing.”
“An arranged marriage?” It was clear the doctor wasn’t buying what Sally was selling.
“Yes, well, you see, Jen will turn eighteen in just a few weeks. The ceremony has been planned by the families for some time and that is why Decebel is here now, because—”
“You will tell me how she is,” said Decebel, cutting her off. Sally glared at him. “Um, please,” he added.
The doctor let out a sigh. Sally didn’t know if his response was born out of a fear of what the large man glowering at him might do or a simple busy schedule that made the man want to get rid of them quickly. “Your friend is not yet conscious. I have no way of knowing when she will become so. But that is a blessing for now. She will heal and it will be painful. The more she sleeps, the better. Ms. Adams has suffered burns over seventy percent of her body.”
A squeak escaped from Sally’s throat. She felt her knees go weak. She might have hit the floor had Decebel’s hand not steadied her.
“The damage is most severe on the left side of her abdomen. There was quite a bit of glass and small bits of metal imbedded in her back and arms that we had to remove one at a time. That took the longest. She will need to be transferred to our burn unit, where she will have daily debridement. I will not sugarcoat it. She is in for a long, painful road to recovery.”
Sally wanted to ask more questions about the woman who was like a sister to her, but she couldn’t get her mouth to work.
“What about scarring?” Decebel asked.
Dr. Thomas sneered. “It will be extensive. What? Do you think she will no longer meet your desire for a mail-order bride?”
The doctor’s comments were like cold water splashing on Sally’s face, snapping her into action. She could feel anger like waves rolling off Decebel. Damn temperamental werewolves. She reached up and placed a hand on his arm, hoping to calm him.
“Ok, well, thank you, Dr. Thomas,” she said. “Can we follow when they transport Jen to the burn unit?” She squeezed Decebel’s arm, hoping he would say nothing else.
The doctor hesitated again. “That will be fine,” he finally said. “The nurses will notify me as soon as her parents arrive, and I will go over her treatment with them.” Dr. Thomas gave Decebel one last sharp look. But when Decebel narrowed those yellow eyes on the man, he abruptly turned around and walked hurriedly away.
A pair of nurses wheeled Jen out on a gurney shortly after the doctor’s nervous departure. After Decebel’s little display previously, Sally was surprised when he gave her only a passing glance. Decebel looked away quickly and turned to look Sally in the eye. “I am going to go let Vasile know what is going on with Jen. You will go with her. I will send Alina to come up with you.”
“Ok, can we pause this little sitcom for just a second because just a moment ago you were all, this is my betrothed, blah blah blah, and now you are just leaving her in my care? I don’t get it,” Sally said.
“You don’t have to get it.” Decebel’s voice was almost a growl.
“Just one,” said Sally. “All I want is one blasted wolf who isn’t a bossy, grumpy, hairy-ass, butthead,” Sally muttered to the ceiling as she turned to follow the gurney. “Is that too freaking much to ask?”
She wasn’t positive, but she thought she heard a muttered ‘yes’ from Decebel.
Fane saw Decebel approaching. He assumed this meant there was news of Jen. Why was it taking so long with Jacquelyn? Just as Decebel reached him, the door next to Fane opened. A short, middle-aged woman emerged. Her hair was bobbed, short and efficient. The woman’s eyes spoke of life that had seen too much grief. But none of that held Fane’s attention as soon as he caught the woman’s scent. Fane spun around and looked at his father. It was clear by the look on Vasile’s face that he, too, picked up on the smell—this woman was a Canis lupus.
“Who is the guardian of Jacquelyn Pierce?” the woman asked, scanning the group. As her eyes fell on Vasile, Fane thought he saw a slight recognition in them.
Lilly stepped forward, worry and fear etched on her face. “I am her mother.”
“I am Dr. Cynthia Steele.” There was a collective intake of breath from the group. After all, it had only been twenty-four hours since Fane had killed Lucas Steele. Now, they were faced with a doctor with the same last name? “I need to discuss your daughter’s condition with you. Would you like to go somewhere private?”
Fane let out a low growl and Dr. Steele furrowed her brow at him.
“We don’t have to go anywhere,” Lilly explained, “everyone here is family to Jacque.”
Before the doctor could continue, Vasile stepped forward. “Dr. Steele, we need you to be clear with us about her condition. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“You don’t have to pull that Alpha crap with me, Vasile Lupei. I know who you are, and I know who your pup is, considering he killed my brother only a day ago,” she snapped. Fane and Decebel tensed. This woman was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid to use that tone of voice on their Alpha. Vasile’s face remained impassive.
“Indeed, Dr. Steele,” said Vasile, “I’m sure you’re—”
“Yes, I killed your brother,” interrupted Fane. “And I am sorry for your loss, but I am not sorry for protecting my mate from someone who tried to take her from me.”
“Protecting your mate? If she is so protected, Fane Lupei, then why is she laid up, burned to a crisp in my hospital?” Dr. Steele’s words were like a slap in the face.
Fane’s eyes glowed and power lashed around him, causing Dr. Steele to lower her head. It wasn’t a submission to his authority, however, merely an involuntary response of her wolf in the face of one more dominant.
“Could we please get back to my daughter? We can deal with the werewolf crap in a minute,” Lilly said as stress laced her voice.
“My apologies,” Dr. Steele said. “Jacque has suffered burns over sixty-five percent of her body, most of which are third degree, but some are second. Her right leg is broken in two places below her knee, her hip is dislocated, and fragments of glass had to be removed from her arms. She is stable but she has not woken up from the anesthesia we gave her for surgery. I don’t know that she will wake up anytime soon.” The doctor paused for a moment to let her words sink in. When nobody responded, she continued. “I haven’t done anything to her leg yet. I wanted to wait to see how her body responds to the burn treatments. Since she is half wolf, Jacque is going to heal faster than a human. Her skin should heal completely with no scars, her leg, I’m not entirely sure. But I was worried if I put pins in it now, her werewolf blood would cause her to heal too rapidly. In that case, the pins would be a hindrance, not a help.” The doctor drew in a deep breath. “But there is another issue that may cause problems.”
“What issue?” Lilly asked.
“Jacque was given a human blood transfusion before I could get here. I don’t know how her blood will interact with it. It’s not something I’ve ever encountered.”
Lilly began to weep and Alina took the woman in her arms. Fane reached out to the wall for support as he felt the air being sucked out of him. “I need to see her. Now.” Fane’s eyes glowed and his hands shook at the amount of effort he was exerting to keep his wolf under control.
“That isn’t going to be possible until she is transferred to the burn unit,” Dr. Steele said.
“I don’t think you heard me right. I need to see my mate, now.” Fane’s skin tingled with the need to change.
Dr. Steele’s jaw tensed briefly, but she quickly composed her face. “Your mate? Don’t you think you are both a little young to make such a permanent decision?”
“I cannot, nor would I, want to change what fate has chosen for me. She is mine and you will either take me to her or I will tear this hospital apart to find her.”
The doctor stood still, her jaw clenched. A low growl came from within Fane’s chest. He took a step forward. “Fine, follow me,” Dr. Steele blurted and stepped backward, pulling the door open to the operating room without taking her eyes off Fane.
Fane grabbed Lilly’s hand, dragging her along and giving his future mother-in-law a small smile of reassurance. They followed Dr. Steele through two rooms before she pushed open another set of double doors, bringing them into a large open area lined with multiple rooms encased in glass so those who occupied them were clearly visible. A round desk in the middle of the room clearly served as a command center of sorts.
Fane drew in a deep breath. Although there were tons of smells in the room—sickness, antiseptic cleaner, human worry—he could still pick out the cotton candy fragrance of his mate. He pulled Lilly along as he followed the path of Jacque’s scent, no longer concerned with following the doctor’s lead. He passed three glass rooms before he finally stood in front of hers. Fane slid the door open to her little room and let Lilly step in before him. She rushed to Jacquelyn’s bedside and immediately started talking to her, holding her hand, brushing the hair from her face. Fane stood back and watched silently, giving Lilly time with her daughter. His wolf was so restless, anxious to be close to their mate, to touch her and feel the life flowing in her. He nearly growled at the idea of waiting even a minute more.
At last, Lilly turned to Fane. “Do you want me to step out?”
Fane hated to ask that of her, but he needed a few minutes alone with his Luna. “Yes, please.” His voice was strained as he held himself back. Lilly nodded, gave Jacquelyn a quick kiss to her bandaged hand and then stepped out of the room, sliding the door shut behind her. Finally, it was just him and Jacquelyn. He walked slowly to her bedside, afraid that the moment was just a mirage and would evaporate before his eyes if he so much as breathed too deeply. But when he reached her bedside, she was still there, not a figment of his imagination, but actual flesh and blood. Fane leaned forward and gently brushed some hair from her bandage wrapped face. He placed his nose as close to her neck as possible without touching her and breathed her scent in deep. Her scent was like a soothing balm. It caressed his wolf, calming him and helping him to clear his mind of the dread that had been his constant companion since he had felt Jacquelyn’s pain and fear through their bond. He kissed her lips, so lightly he barely felt their heat and whispered her name. “Jacquelyn.” First out loud and then through their bond. “Jacquelyn. Please hear me, my love, wake up for me.” Fane didn’t know if it would help, but he had to try. After waiting several minutes, Fane realized she wasn’t going to wake up, at least not then. He heard the door behind him open and turned to see Dr. Steele and Lilly waiting patiently.
“We are going to transfer her to the burn unit, her friend is there as well. They will both have to undergo multiple debridements to remove the dead skin so the new skin underneath can heal,” Dr. Steele explained to them.
“Can I stay with her?” Fane asked, never taking his eyes off Jacquelyn.
“You may visit, but you cannot stay in the same room with her. There is too great a risk for infection.”
Fane didn’t like that answer, but he knew it was best for his mate. Whatever it took for her broken body to heal was what he wanted.
“When do you think we will know if the human blood will have side effects?” Fane asked the doctor.
“I can’t say, Fane. I know that is not what you want to hear. Over the next few days, as her body heals, her wolf blood should increase the speed of that process. If it doesn’t, then we will know the human blood is hindering it.”