Prince of Wolves
Page 79
Jacque is in her room, Fane. She isnt awake yet. She apparently passed out at the challenge and has been out ever since, Lilly told him.
Fane closed his eyes and squeezed them against the tears that threatened to spill. His mate, his love, broken because of him, but not with Lucas either. She is ours, he heard his wolf say. As our Alpha said we did what we had to. Fane turned from the crowded living room and walked up the stairs to Jacquelyns room.
As he opened the door, he used his wolf vision because the room was dark, only a night light shining. He made his way over to her bed and sat down on the edge. She laid there, hands folded across her stomach, so still. Fane leaned down and kissed her forehead. He took a deep breath and let her scent fill his lungs. He kissed both cheeks, he kissed her nose and her chin, and then he kissed her lips. He had tears running down his face and he was trembling. He wanted to hold her but didnt want to startle her awake. Slowly, he pulled away from her, and as he sat up he realized her eyes were open, really open, like very wide open.
Jacquelyn screamed and threw the covers over her head. Ive finally gone crazy. His death pushed me over the edge. Here Ive been teetering all along, and then BAM, Im in the middle of crazy ground. Jacquelyn was mumbling to herself, not totally hysterical but definitely on the verge. Fane thought hed better catch her quick before she really did lose it.
Chapter 34
Luna, youre not crazy, Im really here. Im not dead, love, it was fake. I was faking it in order to lure Lucas into a false victory, Jacque heard the hallucination that was Fane say.
She wasnt going to fall for that. Fane would've told her that he was going to do something like that. He would have never allowed her to be hurt so deeply.
Jacquelyn, please. Its really me. I didnt - he paused and took a deep breath. Jacque was caught off guard by this show of emotion from a hallucination, not that she had much experience with hallucinations, thank goodness. She pulled the covers down just enough to be able to see Fane. His head was bowed so he didnt know she was looking at him. I didnt tell you I was going to pretend to die because His shoulders shook with sobs. The tears fell and wet his hands.
Because what? Jacque couldnt help but ask.
Fanes head snapped up and then he cried more. Luna, Im so sorry. I didnt mean to hurt you. Please know that it killed me. I didnt tell you because I needed your reaction to be real, so that Lucas would believe he had won.
Jacque sat in stunned silence. She couldnt believe it, she just could not believe it. It was the second time that night that she was in shock about something she was so sure would never happen. Her emotions were at war. Partof her was like, Who gives a flying flip because hes alive. Hes here and he can hold you like Dorian had earlieroops. Damn, Im always doing that.
Fane caught that thought. Dorian had held his mate, held her close. He started to growl but abruptly stopped when Jacque sat up, leaned forward and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down.
Fanes arms wrapped around Jacques waist and when he pulled her tighter she let out a sharp yelp.
Whats wrong? Whats happened? Fane asked her, frantically running his hands over her.
Its nothing, just a little sore from the against-my-will retreat tonight. I got a few bruises from being restrained, thats all. Jacque told him, playing it off.
When his hands ran across her stomach she winced, even though she tried so hard not to. Fane growled and slowly raised the hem of her shirt and exposed her stomach. His growl got much, much deeper. What the hell happened to you, and who the hell did it? Fane growled out.
Fane, its nothing. It's - Jacque tried to explain, but was cut off when Fane snarled at her.
Its NOT NOTHING! You have a bruise as dark as night and as wide as a 2x4 across your stomach, Jacquelyn. Fane paused to think about what he had just said and then it hit him. Whose arm is that, Jacquelyn? Dont argue with me, Luna. Whose arm is it? You can tell me, or I will discipline each wolf down there instead of just the one.
Jacque sat back up and to Fane's surprise, pushed him. He was caught off guard and actually fell off the bed onto the floor. Fane looked up at her in shock.
Listen up. Your pack restrained me so that I would not get killed trying to kick Lucas ass. I was trying to kick his ass, in case you forgot, because you didnt tell me you werent really dead. So, you arent going to discipline anyone. You are going to accept that I have a bruise across my stomach, my arms, my shoulders, my shins because YOU chose to keep ME in the dark. Are we clear? Jacque was breathing hard from her outburst.
Fane lowered his head then looked up at his mate. Crystal, he told her and grinned.
Good. Now come back up here and show me how sorry you are, Jacque told him playfully.
Fane crawled back onto the bed. He pulled the hem of her shirt up once more, exposing her stomach. He suppressed the growl, and then kissed the bruise from one end to the other, taking comfort in the feel of her flesh.
Okay, stop that. Its tickling me, Jacque told him as she laughed.
Fane pulled her shirt back down and gently wrapped his arm around her. He laid his head on her chest and listened to her heartbeat, it was music to him.
Fane closed his eyes and squeezed them against the tears that threatened to spill. His mate, his love, broken because of him, but not with Lucas either. She is ours, he heard his wolf say. As our Alpha said we did what we had to. Fane turned from the crowded living room and walked up the stairs to Jacquelyns room.
As he opened the door, he used his wolf vision because the room was dark, only a night light shining. He made his way over to her bed and sat down on the edge. She laid there, hands folded across her stomach, so still. Fane leaned down and kissed her forehead. He took a deep breath and let her scent fill his lungs. He kissed both cheeks, he kissed her nose and her chin, and then he kissed her lips. He had tears running down his face and he was trembling. He wanted to hold her but didnt want to startle her awake. Slowly, he pulled away from her, and as he sat up he realized her eyes were open, really open, like very wide open.
Jacquelyn screamed and threw the covers over her head. Ive finally gone crazy. His death pushed me over the edge. Here Ive been teetering all along, and then BAM, Im in the middle of crazy ground. Jacquelyn was mumbling to herself, not totally hysterical but definitely on the verge. Fane thought hed better catch her quick before she really did lose it.
Chapter 34
Luna, youre not crazy, Im really here. Im not dead, love, it was fake. I was faking it in order to lure Lucas into a false victory, Jacque heard the hallucination that was Fane say.
She wasnt going to fall for that. Fane would've told her that he was going to do something like that. He would have never allowed her to be hurt so deeply.
Jacquelyn, please. Its really me. I didnt - he paused and took a deep breath. Jacque was caught off guard by this show of emotion from a hallucination, not that she had much experience with hallucinations, thank goodness. She pulled the covers down just enough to be able to see Fane. His head was bowed so he didnt know she was looking at him. I didnt tell you I was going to pretend to die because His shoulders shook with sobs. The tears fell and wet his hands.
Because what? Jacque couldnt help but ask.
Fanes head snapped up and then he cried more. Luna, Im so sorry. I didnt mean to hurt you. Please know that it killed me. I didnt tell you because I needed your reaction to be real, so that Lucas would believe he had won.
Jacque sat in stunned silence. She couldnt believe it, she just could not believe it. It was the second time that night that she was in shock about something she was so sure would never happen. Her emotions were at war. Partof her was like, Who gives a flying flip because hes alive. Hes here and he can hold you like Dorian had earlieroops. Damn, Im always doing that.
Fane caught that thought. Dorian had held his mate, held her close. He started to growl but abruptly stopped when Jacque sat up, leaned forward and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down.
Fanes arms wrapped around Jacques waist and when he pulled her tighter she let out a sharp yelp.
Whats wrong? Whats happened? Fane asked her, frantically running his hands over her.
Its nothing, just a little sore from the against-my-will retreat tonight. I got a few bruises from being restrained, thats all. Jacque told him, playing it off.
When his hands ran across her stomach she winced, even though she tried so hard not to. Fane growled and slowly raised the hem of her shirt and exposed her stomach. His growl got much, much deeper. What the hell happened to you, and who the hell did it? Fane growled out.
Fane, its nothing. It's - Jacque tried to explain, but was cut off when Fane snarled at her.
Its NOT NOTHING! You have a bruise as dark as night and as wide as a 2x4 across your stomach, Jacquelyn. Fane paused to think about what he had just said and then it hit him. Whose arm is that, Jacquelyn? Dont argue with me, Luna. Whose arm is it? You can tell me, or I will discipline each wolf down there instead of just the one.
Jacque sat back up and to Fane's surprise, pushed him. He was caught off guard and actually fell off the bed onto the floor. Fane looked up at her in shock.
Listen up. Your pack restrained me so that I would not get killed trying to kick Lucas ass. I was trying to kick his ass, in case you forgot, because you didnt tell me you werent really dead. So, you arent going to discipline anyone. You are going to accept that I have a bruise across my stomach, my arms, my shoulders, my shins because YOU chose to keep ME in the dark. Are we clear? Jacque was breathing hard from her outburst.
Fane lowered his head then looked up at his mate. Crystal, he told her and grinned.
Good. Now come back up here and show me how sorry you are, Jacque told him playfully.
Fane crawled back onto the bed. He pulled the hem of her shirt up once more, exposing her stomach. He suppressed the growl, and then kissed the bruise from one end to the other, taking comfort in the feel of her flesh.
Okay, stop that. Its tickling me, Jacque told him as she laughed.
Fane pulled her shirt back down and gently wrapped his arm around her. He laid his head on her chest and listened to her heartbeat, it was music to him.
