Sacrifice of Love
Page 1
Prologue
When I look in the mirror I see my face, my blue eyes, black hair, and strong jaw. But I dont recognize the figure staring back at me. Something inside me has changed, grown darker, and colder. My wolf rages inside, constantly fighting me for control. I know I mustnt give in. For if I do, chaos will come crashing down around us, along with lifeless bodies.
~Fane
Fane felt sweat dripping from his brow as he ran. His lungs burned with effort as he tried to suck in more air. He could see her just up ahead. She was crying and screaming for him to help her.
"I'm coming!" he yelled.
His footfalls pounded against the earth, seeming to fall in time with the beating of his heart. Every time he got close to catching up, she would be ripped from his grasp. He was losing her. He felt his wolf clawing to get out, raging, howling inside of him. Yet no matter how he tried, he couldn't phase. He felt helpless, and that feeling only fueled the burning anger deep inside of him. She was his. His to protect and over and over he failed her.
Fane sat up suddenly, gasping for breath. He blinked several times and looked around in the darkness of the room he shared with his mate. Another dream, he thought. Sleep continued to elude him. Along with it, the peace he so desperately wanted. He glanced over to where Jacquelyn lay, or should be laying, he thought with a frown. He closed his eyes and reached out to her through their bond. He found her sitting with Jen and Sally by the large stone fireplace in one of the sitting rooms in the Romanian mansion, a place at which she seemed to take refuge more and more lately. No fire burned. The hearth, like his heart, was cold.
Fane bit back the anger he felt at her for leaving him alone in their bedagain. But he knew he couldnt blame her. He knew he had been distant from her, knew that she ached for him to talk to her, to touch her, and yet still he held himself back.
Utter fury boiled inside of him; he needed to destroy an enemy that was not flesh and blood. But he feared that she would see this and he didnt know how he could explain that to her. How did he fight a memory? How did he defeat something that was no longer happening, but wouldnt let go of him? He was at a loss and so he kept her at arms length to protect her from what he had become.
It had been two weeks since they had defeated Desdemona and yet it felt as though it was only yesterday. Vasile and the other Alphas were doing their best to work together in a peaceful manner attempting to formulate a course of action. A new enemy had a risen just as the old one had fallen and the supernatural world now waited with bated breath to see what this new evil would bring.
Fane knew he should be helping his father and the others. He knew that it was his duty to lead and to set an example for others, but knowing and doing are two very different things. The cold truth was that his control was gone. Something in his wolf had snapped after seeing their mate trapped in her own mind. She had been experiencingthe worst kinds of violation and abuse and he had only been able to stand by and watch. Now it took every ounce of strength he had just to let her out of his sight. For the first few days after the battle he hadn't left her side. It was only after she threatened to have Peri put a binding curse on him that he relented to her demand to have time with her two best friends. But he was always in her mind, always attune to her whereabouts and safety. It angered her more that, though he demanded she stay near him, he would not let her in. The bond was open, but not where she could see into his heart. He remembered her exact words when he had finally relented to her pleas.
Im tired of being in this room, Fane, she had told him. She had been standing by the window gazing out longingly. She kept her back to him as she spoke. I love you, you know this, but I need more than just this.
I just want you safe, Fane had told her through gritted teeth.
She had laughed bitterly, Safe and caged are two very different things. You have got to get over whatever obsession it is you have with protecting me. We are in your fathers freaking house; I couldnt be safer.
Too many wolves.
She laughed again and turned to face him. Im done. Ive tried to be patient and understanding. Ive tried to talk to you, to get you to help me understand whats going on with you, but you wont let me in. Im your damn mate, your wife, and you wont talk to me. You can either get your crap together and respect me the way I deserve to be respectedor I will drag Peri into this mess and bind you. You wont be able to touch me, not like you normally do anyway, she spat out and Fane had felt as if she had slapped him.
Jacquelyn, his chest ached as he spoke her name and he took a step towards her.
Dont, she snarled as she held up her hand. You are going to fix this, Fane Lupei, and it better be sooner than later because Im this close, shed held up her hand pinching her fingers together with no space in-between, to packing my crap and finding a different room.
Fane would like to say that he didnt lose his cool. Hed like to say he didnt shred the sheets on the bed or throw the TV across the room, but hed be lying. Her declaration brought out his wolf. The idea of her leaving him, of not being in their room where she belonged, was more than his wolf or he could take. Jacquelyns eyes had widened, but there was more anger than fear in them when she had stormed from the room. That had been two days ago.
He hadnt known if she would come back that night or not. She had briefly spoken to him through their bond to let him know where she was but then she had shut him out cold. She barely spoke to him when she chose to be around him and what little she did was short and to the point.
When I look in the mirror I see my face, my blue eyes, black hair, and strong jaw. But I dont recognize the figure staring back at me. Something inside me has changed, grown darker, and colder. My wolf rages inside, constantly fighting me for control. I know I mustnt give in. For if I do, chaos will come crashing down around us, along with lifeless bodies.
~Fane
Fane felt sweat dripping from his brow as he ran. His lungs burned with effort as he tried to suck in more air. He could see her just up ahead. She was crying and screaming for him to help her.
"I'm coming!" he yelled.
His footfalls pounded against the earth, seeming to fall in time with the beating of his heart. Every time he got close to catching up, she would be ripped from his grasp. He was losing her. He felt his wolf clawing to get out, raging, howling inside of him. Yet no matter how he tried, he couldn't phase. He felt helpless, and that feeling only fueled the burning anger deep inside of him. She was his. His to protect and over and over he failed her.
Fane sat up suddenly, gasping for breath. He blinked several times and looked around in the darkness of the room he shared with his mate. Another dream, he thought. Sleep continued to elude him. Along with it, the peace he so desperately wanted. He glanced over to where Jacquelyn lay, or should be laying, he thought with a frown. He closed his eyes and reached out to her through their bond. He found her sitting with Jen and Sally by the large stone fireplace in one of the sitting rooms in the Romanian mansion, a place at which she seemed to take refuge more and more lately. No fire burned. The hearth, like his heart, was cold.
Fane bit back the anger he felt at her for leaving him alone in their bedagain. But he knew he couldnt blame her. He knew he had been distant from her, knew that she ached for him to talk to her, to touch her, and yet still he held himself back.
Utter fury boiled inside of him; he needed to destroy an enemy that was not flesh and blood. But he feared that she would see this and he didnt know how he could explain that to her. How did he fight a memory? How did he defeat something that was no longer happening, but wouldnt let go of him? He was at a loss and so he kept her at arms length to protect her from what he had become.
It had been two weeks since they had defeated Desdemona and yet it felt as though it was only yesterday. Vasile and the other Alphas were doing their best to work together in a peaceful manner attempting to formulate a course of action. A new enemy had a risen just as the old one had fallen and the supernatural world now waited with bated breath to see what this new evil would bring.
Fane knew he should be helping his father and the others. He knew that it was his duty to lead and to set an example for others, but knowing and doing are two very different things. The cold truth was that his control was gone. Something in his wolf had snapped after seeing their mate trapped in her own mind. She had been experiencingthe worst kinds of violation and abuse and he had only been able to stand by and watch. Now it took every ounce of strength he had just to let her out of his sight. For the first few days after the battle he hadn't left her side. It was only after she threatened to have Peri put a binding curse on him that he relented to her demand to have time with her two best friends. But he was always in her mind, always attune to her whereabouts and safety. It angered her more that, though he demanded she stay near him, he would not let her in. The bond was open, but not where she could see into his heart. He remembered her exact words when he had finally relented to her pleas.
Im tired of being in this room, Fane, she had told him. She had been standing by the window gazing out longingly. She kept her back to him as she spoke. I love you, you know this, but I need more than just this.
I just want you safe, Fane had told her through gritted teeth.
She had laughed bitterly, Safe and caged are two very different things. You have got to get over whatever obsession it is you have with protecting me. We are in your fathers freaking house; I couldnt be safer.
Too many wolves.
She laughed again and turned to face him. Im done. Ive tried to be patient and understanding. Ive tried to talk to you, to get you to help me understand whats going on with you, but you wont let me in. Im your damn mate, your wife, and you wont talk to me. You can either get your crap together and respect me the way I deserve to be respectedor I will drag Peri into this mess and bind you. You wont be able to touch me, not like you normally do anyway, she spat out and Fane had felt as if she had slapped him.
Jacquelyn, his chest ached as he spoke her name and he took a step towards her.
Dont, she snarled as she held up her hand. You are going to fix this, Fane Lupei, and it better be sooner than later because Im this close, shed held up her hand pinching her fingers together with no space in-between, to packing my crap and finding a different room.
Fane would like to say that he didnt lose his cool. Hed like to say he didnt shred the sheets on the bed or throw the TV across the room, but hed be lying. Her declaration brought out his wolf. The idea of her leaving him, of not being in their room where she belonged, was more than his wolf or he could take. Jacquelyns eyes had widened, but there was more anger than fear in them when she had stormed from the room. That had been two days ago.
He hadnt known if she would come back that night or not. She had briefly spoken to him through their bond to let him know where she was but then she had shut him out cold. She barely spoke to him when she chose to be around him and what little she did was short and to the point.
