“Okay,” he told her, as he pulled her into his arms, “okay baby, you come with me, but you don’t step a foot away from my side.”

Jen nodded against his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. She was slightly disgusted with herself for needing him the way she did, but she was giving herself a pass because she was pregnant, and she was going to play that card anytime she began to feel crazy, weak, or desperate.

“I need you the same way. Are you disgusted with me?” Decebel asked her.

She looked up at him and, as usual, his good looks were nearly painful to look at. His amber eyes glowed possessively at her as his hand stroked up and down her back.

“You’re a dude, you’re supposed to need me,” she reasoned.

Decebel chuckled. “If we’re going to go with that logic then I think you would win in the needs category.”

“Why, because I’m a nympho?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you complaining?”

Decebel leaned down and kissed her gently, enjoying the privileges that came with being a mate and husband. “I would be happy to show you how not complaining I currently am.”

Jen laughed. “I think we’re supposed to be meeting in the gathering room remember? Just a second ago you were all ready to go ape shniz on some dudes.”

“Ape shniz?” Decebel smirked.

“I’m trying to curb the tongue since we’re going to have a rugrat running around repeating everything I say.”

Decebel smiled wickedly at her. “I’m sure I can find a way to keep your tongue busy so there is no chance of slipups.”

“I totally walked into that one,” she laughed.

“Totally,” he agreed, as he pulled her to their bed.

“Dec, really we’re supposed to go, like, now.” Jen struggled, uselessly against his hold.

“I told you when I took you as my mate that you would always come before the pack, before all others. Look at me and tell me you don’t need me.” Decebel watched her closely.

Jen looked down at her feet in a very uncharacteristically submissive act. Decebel tugged again and this time Jen went without a fight.

“I totally did not admit anything,” she told him as he kissed her.

“I know baby. I’m glad to take one for the team until you’re ready to admit that you need me with the same desperation that I need you.”

Jen laughed. “Take one for the team, that’s classic.”

“Jennifer,” Decebel growled as he tugged at her shirt.

“What?”

“Shut up.”

Jen started to speak but snapped her mouth shut when Decebel’s hands did what they did best.

“What do they do best beautiful?”

“I forgot, I think you should remind me.”

Decebel soaked up his mate’s laughter like a plant soaks up the rain after a longdrought. For that sound alone, he would be late to any meeting no matter the importance.

Q

“Fane, are you alright?” Jacque watched her mate as they stood in the gathering room. It was slowly filling up with more and more males and Fane’s posture grew more tense with every minute.

“I’m fine Luna.”

His face, his voice, his whole everything, told Jacque he was lying. He was anything but fine.

“Why won’t you talk to me?”

Fane turned and looked at her, glowing blue eyes bore into hers.

“This is not the time for words. Stay near me please.”

Jacque knew that look and that clipped tone. Fane’s wolf had taken over. She took a step closer to him and placed her hand on his back. He subtly leaned into it and that gave her a small amount of peace. He had grown exceedingly distant as the day had worn on and, to her surprise, hadn’t even tried to keep her from coming with him. She had tried several times to engage him in conversation, but each time he had simply grunted at her or given her one word answers. He hadn’t been mean to her, and he had been just as touchy as normal, if not more so, but Jacque and her wolf could feel that something was off in their mate and it was rubbing them the wrong way.

She continued to stand close to him, reassuring him of her presence as the room filled. She caught Sally’s eye when she and Costin walked in. Jen and Decebel were just behind them. Both males looked ready to rip some one’s head off with their bare hands. And, as curious as the other packs were about the females, one glance from Costin or Decebel and they dropped their eyes. Jacque hadn’t noticed until then that not a single person was facing her direction. Fane was obviously giving the males the same challenging look and it was working rather well.

Jacque gave a small wave to Crina and Elle who were standing across from her with Sorin and Adam. She hadn’t gotten to spend much time with them and hoped that they were recovering all right. They had both kept to themselves since they had returned and she figured that it was to have a chance to spend with the mates they had barely had time to get to know. Rachel and Gavril moved in beside the two couples and she saw Gavril give Fane a slight nod.

“How are things?” Jacque asked Jen as the two mated pairs came and stood next to she and Fane.

Jen glanced up at Decebel and then back at Jacque. “I’ve promised to be on my best behavior.”

Jacque smiled. “For once, I actually believe you.”

Sally laughed. “I guess there is a first time for everything.”

Sally’s laughter brought the rumbling room to complete silence. Everyone froze and their heads turned as a collective whole to where the three girls stood. Low growls rumbled in Costin, Decebel, and Fane’s chest, but the fascination with a gypsy healer was too great to be dissuaded by growling mates.