Blood Rites

"Jen, how you be over there?" Jacque asked, using the slang that was nearly second nature with her best friends.

"Wait for it," Jen said as she began the process of unwrapping her legs and arms. Sally had started humming the song from the game show Jeopardy.

"Sally, wow, it's you! I've always wanted to meet you."

"It's me what?" Sally asked Jen, curiosity thick in her voice.

"The mayor of Smartassville of course. You should carry a sign that says welcome to Smartassville, population: 1."

Everyone in the room was trying to cover their laughs with coughs when Lilly finally gave it up and laughed out loud. "I'm sorry, Sally, but you have to admit that was pretty funny."

"I guess, for someone whose brain cells have been cooked recently, it'll do."

Jen finally had her legs and arms unwrapped and there was a collective gasp in the room.

"I must not have been burned as bad as you because I don't even have blisters on my legs anymore, the skin is just raw and really red. The ones on my chest are almost completely healed as well. Somebody will have to look at my back and shoulders to see if they have healed as well," Jen said, sounding dumbfounded.

"What?" Vasile, Alina and Decebel all spoke at the same time.

Jen looked around the room at each of them, unsure. "I said, I don't even have blisters on my legs or chest anymore." She nearly squeaked when Decebel was at her bedside in a flash. For someone so big he was surprisingly gentle as he examined her skin.

"You will tell me if I hurt you." Decebel held her blue eyes with his golden wolf eyes.

Jen couldn't say anything, she just nodded. All she could focus on were his hands touching her leg and she didn't even try to hide the soft sigh that came out as he ran his finger across her skin. He went to pull the front of her shirt down just enough to see her collar bone but Jen slapped his hand away. "You didn't buy tickets. You don't get a free show, fine, drool worthy werewolf or not."

"Alpha, it is true, her skin is healing rapidly. Too rapidly," Decebel said, looking at Jen.

"Why are you looking at me like I've grown a second head again?" Jen asked him, confusion marked her face.

Decebel just stared before finally turning and walking away. As he walked past Vasile he said, "I will take first watch tonight at the door." And then he was gone.

Jen was confused and frustrated at the little scene that took place but she couldn't worry about that right now, she had bigger fish to fry. If there was anything bigger than Decebel that is.

"Why would I be healing so fast?" she asked Vasile.

"I don't know. We will just have to continue to monitor you. Maybe have Dr. Steele run some blood tests on you," Vasile told her.

"Okay, well, I guess I will call Dillon and let him know that he can come tomorrow if you're sure, Jacque," Lilly told her.

"I am sure. Avoiding him won't do me any good. I think I need some sort of closure or whatever else it is that psychologists call it." Jacque's voice betrayed the fact that she really was tired even though she was feeling better.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of Jen and Jacque taking naps and when they were awake they continually bantered with one another with Sally as the mediator. There was never a moment when Jacque wasn't touching Fane or vice versa, both of them constantly seeking comfort from the other.

Finally, when it was time to call it a night Sally secured some sheets and a blanket from a nurse and slept on the couch by the window. Fane pulled up two chairs and sat in one while propping his feet in the other.

"You are not going to sleep like that," Jacque told him skeptically.

"You are right my love, I am not going to sleep at all," Fane told her. "Don't try to convince me otherwise, we have a group of strange wolves in your town, one of which is the father you have never met. There is no way I will sleep under those circumstances."

"Well, tell us how you really feel there, white fang," Jen said sarcastically, laying down and pulling the covers up. She felt really cold for some reason and was beginning to shiver.

"Are you okay, Jen?" Sally asked, noticing that her friend was acting like she was cold when it was not cold in the room.

"I'm just cold all of a sudden. Could you get me another blanket, Sal?" Jen asked, her teeth chattering together.

Sally walked over and opened the hospital room door and stuck her head out. Decebel was standing just to the right of the door.

"Hey Dec, could you get Jen another blanket please?" Sally asked him. She could have done it herself but she was experimenting. What could she say? She was an opportunist.

Decebel stood up straight and turned to face Sally directly. Trying to look past her into the room he asked, "Why, is she okay? Is something wrong?" Sally raised a single eyebrow at him. "I mean if something is wrong we might need to get Dr. Steele or something, that's why I'm asking," he said, trying to look nonchalant.

"Uh huh, right. Well, I think maybe she just has a little fever. That usually makes me shiver. So if you would be so kind," Sally prompted.

"I will bring them in to you," Decebel said as he turned away to search for her request.

A moment later the door opened to the room, letting a stream of light in that shone across the white floor, making the room seem harsh and uninviting.

Decebel walked over to Jen's bed instead of handing the blanket to Sally. He spread the blanket out over Jen while she simply watched him in silence. Once the blanket was in place he turned and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Is he bipolar, schizophrenic, or is there some weird werewolf gene that makes you a jack ass one moment and then somewhat nice the next only to then throw you back into jack ass mode within a single breath?" Jen asked, turning to direct her question at Fane.

"I don't know what is going on with him, Jen. I apologize if he is causing you distress. I can talk with him if you'd like."

"Na, it's all good. If he keeps it up I will gladly tell him to get the proverbial stick out of his fine, furry butt." With Jen's final statement the room fell quiet and Fane began to hear one by one the even breathing of each girl that indicated they had fallen asleep.

Chapter 13

Standing in front of the window in the hotel suite that Colin had reserved for them, Dillon ended the call he had just received from Lilly and turned to his wolves. "I'm going to meet Jacque tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. All of you will accompany me to the hospital but only Logan and I will go up to the floor she is on, and only I will go into her room. Right now they are insisting that Fane stay with her while I speak to her, which I guess I understand. She doesn't know me, I would be leery as well."