4
Jacquelyn’s wounds showed much improvement over the next week. Despite the improvement, Fane continued to pace the waiting room area as he had since the day of the accident, like a caged lion ready to pounce on easy prey. He noticed everyone avoiding him, but Fane didn’t care. A week had passed since the accident and still neither Jen nor Jacquelyn had woken. They both underwent daily debridements and, although it appeared that Jacquelyn’s body was healing quicker than that of a human’s, it wasn’t fast enough for Fane. He felt helpless. His wolf was restless and desired to be near their mate at all times. He hated he couldn’t stay by her side twenty-four seven, protecting her while she was in such a vulnerable state, but there was nothing to be done about it. He continually tried to reach out to her through their bond, but all he got was darkness and silence.
Another week passed and still Jacque didn’t return to conscious. Fane spent almost every waking moment probing her mind through their bond. Still nothing. His concentration was broken when Decebel said, “I wish there was something I could kill,” as they sat in the family waiting area on the burn unit floor, the same place they’d been stationed for two long weeks.
“I could go for a kill right about now,” Fane agreed.
Fane was pleasantly surprised to discover that he and Decebel, despite the modest age difference of only one hundred and seven years, got along well. Until now, in Fane’s eyes, Decebel had simply been his father’s Beta, a powerful wolf and loyal pack member. As a pup, Fane had been justifiably afraid of Decebel. But as they had spent the past two agonizing weeks waiting in the hospital, they had, for the most part, been each other’s only company. Through this, they’d gotten to know one another. Without Decebel’s companionship, Fane might have already torn down the door to Jacquelyn’s room and absconded with her unconscious body. Fane wasn’t sure how much more waiting he could take before he demanded to remain in the room with Jacquelyn at all times. It was getting harder and harder to convince his wolf to be patient.
Two more weeks passed. Fane marked the month anniversary of the accident on the calendar he’d placed at Jacquelyn’s bedside, praying to the Great Luna that the strength of tonight’s full moon would return his Luna to her rightful place at his side. He gratefully stood next to Jacquelyn’s bed during one of the limited visits allowed, and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her face. It was amazing how much she had healed in the past month. Her skin was still pink where the burns had been, but the new skin was smooth as silk. Dr. Steele had told him that Jacque’s leg was completely healed.
Dr. Steele had been forced to alter Jacquelyn’s medical records. Otherwise, such a clean and complete healing of a severely broken leg in four short weeks might arouse suspicions. But the doctor still seemed troubled by the human blood in Jacque’s veins. The girl had run a fever almost constantly over the past three weeks and her white blood cell count was elevated, which meant her body was fighting an infection. Whether that infection was from the burns, or had something to do with the blood, the doctor didn’t know. So, Fane continued to wait, and wait some more.
Before he left, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, and, as he did every day, he whispered her name through their bond. “Jacquelyn, come back to me.” He longed to see her emerald eyes staring into his.
And finally, someone heard his pleas. “Fane?”
He leaned closer, as if proximity would help with their mental bond. “I am here, Luna. Can you open your eyes for me?” he asked her, desperate to bring her back to this world.
She didn’t answer. He thought she’d slipped away again, but suddenly he was looking into a sea of green. His breath left his lungs as he saw the light in them slowly return. Fane didn’t realize he had shed any tears until she whispered in a dry, hoarse voice, “Don’t cry, wolf man. You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easy, did you?”
He could barely contain his emotions. “I want to hold you, Luna, but I don’t know where to touch you without causing you pain,” he confessed, the longing in voice obvious, even to himself.
“I’m so doped up I can’t feel jack so lay it on me,” she told him with a weak grin.
Fane leaned forward as gently as he could and placed one arm around her waist. He laid his head on her shoulder, placing his lips right against the bend in her neck. He kissed her as gently as he could, and his wolf rumbled in contentment.
“I missed you,” Jacquelyn said. Her voice was strained, and it broke Fane’s heart.
“I messed up, Jacquelyn. I left you unprotected, I could have lost you. My actions were inexcusable. How can you even say you missed me?”
“Fane, this is not your fault. Don’t go all Alpha on me right now. I need you more than ever.”
“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
The door to the room slid open and, true to his wolf nature, Fane took up a defensive posture in front of his mate. Maybe he was going to overreact for a while, but everyone would just have to deal with it. Lilly walked in with Dr. Steele at her side.
Lilly let out a shuddered breath and tears tumbled down her cheeks as she looked at Jacque. She walked forward as Fane stepped aside to allow her access to her daughter.
“So nice of you to return to the living,” Lilly teased, even though her voice quivered.
“Yeah, well, you would be lost without me, so I had to come back.” Jacque leaned into her mom as Lilly kissed her gently on the forehead.
“I love you, Jacque.”
“I know you do, mom,” Jacque responded. Fane recognized the inside joke the two women shared. Jacque had told him that Lilly always said Jacque was too big for her britches and Jacque continued to prove her right. At the sound of Dr. Steele’s voice, Lilly turned away from Jacque to look at the doctor.
“Good, she’s awake,” said Dr. Steele. “Jennifer has woken as well, about an hour ago.”
“How long have we been out?” Jacque asked. Her face showed a look of apprehension, as if she knew it had been longer than just a few hours.
“A month, Luna,” Fane told her gently as he brushed some hair from her forehead.
“A month? And I don’t even feel like I’ve had a good nap.”
A few nervous chuckles came from the group.
“Soon, you’ll be moved to a regular room. They generally house two patients. Since your friend just woke up, you can share with Jennifer. If that’s agreeable?
Jacque narrowed her eyes. “On the one hand, nothing would make me happier than to be with my friend. On the other hand, any chance for rest just went out the window. It’ll be like an extended sleepover.”
“And if history is any guide with you two, sleep will be the last thing that happens,” said Lilly.
“Laughter is the best medicine,” said Dr. Steele.
“I guess so,” Jacque replied, a weak smile joining her words.
Fane and Lilly stepped out of the room when transport arrived to move Jacque to the room she would share with Jen. As she wheeled past, she gave Fane a quick wink and challenged, “Race you to the sleepover.”