"Decebel is still inside there, Jen. He still loves you and wants you."

"Oh, he wants me, he made that perfectly clear. But the insufferable ass also told me that he may never love me again, but we would just have to make the best of it."

Jacque turned to Sally. "See, told ya. Dominant male – poof! – stupid words."

"I know he hurt you. And you have every right to want to castrate him. But deep down, Jen, you love him. He's yours just as much as you are his. Please think about it. We love you, we don't want to lose you," Sally pleaded.

Jacque and Sally both wiped away tears as they watched Jen close her eyes in obvious frustration.

"Can I be alone, please?"

The girls knew Jen must really be hurting if she wanted to be by herself. Jen hated being alone.

"We'll be right outside the door. We love you, Jen."

Jen nodded. "I know. I love y'all too."

As Jen lay there looking up at the ceiling, she felt a tear slide down her cheek as she listened to the painful howl of a wolf – her wolf. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to never see him again. However, the truth was she was dying without him, and not just because she hadn't had his blood, but because it was tearing her apart inside to not have him near. The only thing that kept her from crying out for him was her pride. Okay, so that would be a really stupid reason to die. She could imagine what Jacque and Sally would put on her tombstone:

'Here lies our stubborn friend,

Though she loved him and really tried,

she met her all too early end

because of foolish pride.'

Yep, that's about how it would go. And still she lay there with her lips shut tight and pain in her heart. Tears caressed her cheeks where loving hands had once done the same.

"He won't eat, Vasile." His mate's voice was filled with worry.

"He's pining for her. I think if she dies, he will die as well, regardless of the Blood Rites." Vasile wasn't trying to be disrespectful of Jen's situation, he was just stating what was.

"You need to talk to him. You need to fix this."

"Luna, I'm Alpha, not God."

"Oh, now you want to act like you can't do everything? Now is not the time to back off. Jen, just as Sally and Jacque, is like a daughter me. I won't lose her. Go deal with this Vasile. Now."

Vasile looked into Alina's eyes and saw the determination there. He also knew that if he did not heed her words he would pay for it.

"Okay, Mina. I will talk to him."

She let out the breath she had been holding, kissed her mate gently, and then pushed him in the direction of the door.

Vasile found Decebel in a small shed behind the house the Fae were letting them stay in. Peri had used her magic to make the shed warm on the inside when Decebel had been placed in there, still under the bindingspell.

"What are you doing?" Vasile asked firmly.

Decebel looked up at his Alpha in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm sitting here unable to move and I feel like I'm dying. What am I supposed to be doing?"

"You need to deal with this, Decebel."

"I told you what I said to her. She will never forgive me." Decebel shook his head, looking down at the ground. "I don’t deserve her forgiveness."

"Do you know how many times I have hurt Alina? How many times my dominant nature has allowed stupid words to fly out in anger?"

"You and Alina know each other, love each other. That's different."

"You love Jen. She loves you. There is only one difference –"

"It's kind of a doozy. I don’t remember her." Decebel interrupted.

"You are pining for your mate. Not just your wolf, but you. You won't eat, you're giving up. And you aren't even bonded yet. If that's not love, then what the hell is?" Vasile crouched down in front of his Beta and looked him in the eye. "I'm going to unbind you. You will go to her tonight. You will make this right. She needs you, and more than that, you need her."

Decebel closed his eyes and nodded once. Immediately he felt unseen bonds fall away and he could move again.

"She told me she never wanted to see me again."

"Decebel, neither you nor Jen ever do what the other tells them to. It seemed to be working for you both, why change it now?" Vasile winked at Decebel, who looked very confused at his Alpha's words.

Before Vasile walked away he gave one more order. "Eat something. She is going to need your blood."

Decebel winced at the knowledge that he hadn't taken care of his mate. He had left her broken, in pain, and needing him. Wow, what a catch he was. He snorted a disgusted sound at himself, then headed inside, anxiety filling him as he wondered what his mate would say.

Chapter 19

Decebel pushed the door open gently and entered her room. She was asleep, her breathing even and calm. He walked slowly and quietly to the side of the bed and knelt down as he looked at her beautiful face. Her blonde hair fanned out across the pillow and Decebel couldn't resist picking up a few strands and bringing them to his nose. He breathed in deep, pressing the soft strands to his face. As he took in her precious scent, cinnamon and vanilla, he realized something. He remembered that scent.

A sharp pain suddenly pierced his mind and he felt like his brain was trying to burst through his skull. Images began flying through his mind, almost like movie clips. Seeing Jennifer on the side of the road, her body badly burned; a hospital bed, her eyes narrowed in anger; rolling an IV pole down a hospital corridor with Sally chasing her; tumbling naked from a steam-filled bathroom.