Blood Rites

Jacque turned her head slightly and did what no other would ever be able to do when this Alpha was at this point, she looked him in the eyes. "Yes, I am yours." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Fane pulled his power in and all of a sudden it was like a weight had been lifted and they could breathe again.

"Note to self," Sally coughed to clear her throat, still trying to drag air in, "never anger an Alpha."

"Good call, Sherlock," Jen said sarcastically as she fell back on the bed, taking in deep breaths. She threw her arm across her face and tried to calm her racing heart.

Jacque looked around. "Everyone okay?" When everyone nodded in agreement she turned and looked at her mate.

"Sit," she told him firmly.

Fane's eyes continued to glow and Jacque noticed his human hands had claws. His wolf was still here to play. Good to know, she thought.

Fane growled, or rather his wolf growled. Jacque blew her breath out in exasperation. "Mate, you have made your point, we all submit and yadda yadda, now will you please sit down next to me?" When Fane didn't acquiesce, Jacque turned and looked at Alina as if to say 'fix it'.

Alina walked over to where Fane stood and he turned and growled at her. Alina bared her throat, careful to keep her head lower than his and to not make eye contact. "The wolf is in control right now, Jacque, so until Fane can pull him back some he is going to respond just like an Alpha wolf in the wild."

"What do we do then?" Sally asked.

"Everyone just stay calm," Alina told them. "Nobody but Jacque can look at Fane in the eyes right now, and keep your head lower than his," Alina explained.

"Well that's not hard to do, he's a mountain with legs, albeit a hairy mountain," Jen muttered to no one in particular.

Jacque turned her notice back to Fane. She took his hand, drawing his attention from his mother. He looked down at her and she could see his eyes soften. She stood up slowly, gingerly, because despite her rapid healing she was still in pain, especially when she moved.

"You sit," his mate told him.

"No, I stand."

"Me Tarzan, you Jane," Sally mumbled.

"Snap, you beat me to it. Nice going, Thelma." Jen grinned at Sally.

"I learned from the best, Louise."

"Damn straight." Jen and Sally bumped fists and turned to look at Jacque who had cleared her throat louder than necessary.

"What?" they both said in unison, shrugging their shoulders.

"I swear I have my own tweedle dee, and tweedle dumb." Jacque rolled her eyes and turned once again to her mate. "What can I do to help you?" Jacque spoke through their bond, hoping to soothe the wolf, who was still the one manning the boat.

"Touch," was the wolf's response.

Jacque nodded her head in acknowledgment to his response. She took his hands and placed them around her waist, she wrapped hers around his waist and then put her hands up under his shirt so that her skin was touching his, then she lay her head on his chest and listened to the beat of his heart. She felt him lay his cheek against her hair, and could hear him breathe in. Jacque knew he was taking in her scent, which for some reason comforted him. She ran her hands up and down his back enjoying how smooth his skin was, how strong he felt.

"I love you," Jacque whispered into his mind, pouring every ounce of emotion into those three words. She felt his deep rumble in his chest and knew that this was what he needed, just as wolves sought comfort through touching each other, Fane's wolf needed to feel her, a physical reminder that she was his, she was safe.

"Mulţumesc, Luna, doar poţi să-l calm (Thank you, Luna, only you can calm him)." Jacque exhaled a deep breath at the sound of Fane's voice in her mind.

She pulled back just enough to be able to look at his face. "Welcome back," she whispered to him. Fane turned her so that his body was shielding her from view and he placed his hands on either side of her face and just looked at her, like he was trying to memorize her every detail.

"Dragostea mea, Aş dori să vă sărut acum (My love, I would kiss you now)." Fane spoke so softly that Jacque nearly missed it.

"What did you just say?" She asked, cocking her head to the side quizzically.

"I said I wanted to kiss you now."

"Then why are we still talking?" She asked with a wicked look in her eyes.

Everyone in the room ceased to exist at that point, the only thing Fane could see was Jacquelyn's waiting lips. He leaned down at the same time that she stretched up on her toes to meet his eager lips. Usually when he kissed her it started gently, but not this time. Fane let go of her face and wrapped his arms firmly around her, pulling her close to his body. Jacque ignored the stinging pain that having him so tight around her caused because for this she would burn all over again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched even higher on her tiptoes trying to get closer, if it was even possible. She felt his tongue slide against her lips and a moan escaped her lungs. She heard Fane's low growl in response. Jacque pulled back, and breathing hard she looked around Fane's shoulder, remembering they had an audience.

"They're gone," he whispered, his breathing just as labored as hers.

"No wonder you were getting hot and heavy." She grinned.

"The key words there Luna are 'were getting,'" he told her as he gently led her to the bed where she had spent the last month while her body desperately tried to heal. Healing was not the thing her body needed right now.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you when I held you."

"Wolf-man, if you are gonna hurt me like that, by all means hurt me." She laughed when he fake growled at her and bared his teeth.

She sat down on the bed and leaned back against the pillows at Fane's prodding. He leaned across her, propped up on one arm, careful to not put any weight on her legs. With his free hand he reached up and pushed her hair away from her neck, he ran his fingers down her collar bone and back up to her neck. Jacque shivered at the sensation of this hand on her skin. He continued to trace this same pattern from one collar bone to the next and back up to her neck.

"I love touching you." She heard his deep voice in her mind.

She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling a groan from him."I love hearing you make those kinds of noises, and I love even more that I'm the one who causes them." Jacque couldn't believe how candid she was being with him, and how unembarrassed she was. But she wasn't, not anymore, this was Fane, her mate, her best friend, her love, and the last person in the world she would ever need to feel embarrassed in front of.