Then Fane was pulling away. She wrapped her arms around his neck. desperate to pull him back, but Fane was stronger and continued to pull back until he could see her face. Jacque saw the tears that ran down his cheeks and felt the intensity of his stare into her heart. The look changed abruptly to concern as he looked at her neck. He reached for one of the towels he had laid out and dipped it in the warm water, squeezed out the excess, and brought it to her neck to clean away the blood. She couldn’t help the wince that crossed her face as the water touched the wound. Fane gently turned her face to his. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. I mean, it hurt for a moment but then...” Jacque didn’t know if she could even put into words how it had felt once the pain had subsided.

“Then what, my love?” he asked.

Did he not know? Could he not hear her moans and feel the emotions rolling off of her? Fane stepped closer, his body brushing up against hers. “I felt your desire,” he whispered. “I heard you, my love. I just want to hear you say it. You so often avoid this topic altogether I was beginning to think maybe you weren’t attracted to me.”

Jacque let out a breathless laugh. “Liar,” she teased him.

“After the initial pain, it felt good. No, it felt freaking awesome.” Fane chuckled at his mate, but Jacque continued on undaunted. “I have always desired you, Fane. I’ve just never been comfortable talking about it. But rest assured after feeling your mouth do that on my skin,” Jacque shuddered at the memory, “I without a doubt desire you, wolf-man.”

Fane decided not to torture her any more with questions about her physical affections for him. Instead he reminded her that the blood rite still wasn’t complete. “Are you ready, Luna?”

Jacque took his hand and led him over to the bed. She pushed him down to sit on the edge. With him sitting and her standing, her face was level with his neck. Jacque watched as Fane undid the buttons on his white dress shirt until they were all open and then shrugged the shirt off. She looked at him and although she had already done this twice, this time it felt different, more intimate. Fane turned and exposed his neck as she had done for him. Something deep inside Jacque stirred at the sight of the bared neck. She felt a desire to mark it, claim it, to claim him. She leaned towards Fane and placed her arm around his strong shoulders. She kissed his cheek and down his jaw to his neck just as he had done. She kissed him down to where his neck met his shoulder. At that point instinct took over, the wolf blood in Jacque came forward to claim their mate. Once again, as she had felt the first two times she took Fane's blood, Jacque felt her teeth lengthen just a little and when she ran her tongue across them she realized they felt much sharper. Before she could stop to think about it she opened her mouth and sunk her teeth deep into Fane’s flesh. She heard a groan coming from Fane’s chest and then the low growl she hadbecome accustomed to. Fane wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Jacque closed her eyes as she tasted Fane's blood. She felt something, like her very soul was being knitted into Fane's. The bond, she thought, the bond was complete.

After a couple of minutes she felt Fane pulling her away, reluctantly she relented. Neither of them spoke for several seconds. Jacque kept her eyes closed as her breathing slowed. When she opened her eyes to look at Fane she saw the blood running down his neck. Just as he had done, she wet one of the towels and gently wiped the blood away. Fane sat there quietly, watching every move she made. Finally Jacque couldn’t handle the silence anymore. “What are you thinking?” she asked him.

“You don’t have to ask, Luna, you could just look.”

“I know, but I want you to tell me. I want you to share your thoughts with me without me invading your privacy,” Jacque explained.

“I am your mate, Jacquelyn. We are bonded. You have every right to invade my mind, but if you want me to talk then that’s what you shall get.” He grinned at her and grabbed her hand to pull her on to the bed next to him. Fane scooted until his back was against the headboard of the bed.

When he reached to pull Jacque up against him she started to resist. “I want to be able to look at you while we talk.”

“In a moment, Luna. First let me hold you. I can feel our bond growing stronger now that we have shared our blood. My blood is in you now and you will always carry my scent. Let me and my wolf hold you and enjoy our scent being all over you.”

Jacque rolled her eyes but acquiesced to his wishes. “Your mom was right when she said you were possessive, overbearing barbarians.”

“I never claimed otherwise, my love,” Fane teased her.

He pulled her close and she rested her head on his chest, her legs tucked up against his side. Jacque felt a rumble in his chest and a smile quirked her lips as she thought about her telling him he purred.

“I do not purr, mate, I rumble.”

Jacque glanced up at Fan., “Your wolf is doing that more and more you know?”

“The bond is strong now. You will feel him and hear him more easily now. He is very smitten with you, you know?” Fane told her. Jacque laid her head back on his chest and enjoyed Fane’s hand rubbing up and down her arm.

“You were supposed to tell me what you are thinking, remember?” Jacque asked.

“I’m thinking about how in awe I am of you, of your ability to take all that has happened since we met and still smile, tease, take me as your husband and mate. You could have turned away from me, running for your life.” Fane paused for a moment and Jacque just waited patiently to see if he would say more. “I’m thinking that I am the luckiest wolf in the world to have found such an amazing mate.”