“What do you want me to do...fart just before I appear so the smell alerts you?” Peri took a seat next to Alina and crossed her legs, appearing regal despite her crude words.

“Why do you say we would be alerted by the smell, rather than the sound?” Sally asked.

Peri smiled. “I think you humans call them silent but deadly.”

“That’s just gross. Could you please tell us something useful?” Jacque snapped, apparently not enjoying the banter.

“What would you like to know?” Peri asked her.

Jacque’s jaw tensed as she tried to maintain her composure. Her mind just kept jumping back to the vision of her mate lunging at Costin, claws and fangs extended, eyes glowing, and frothy saliva dripping from his muzzle like a rabid beast.

“Apparently the altercation was started because of a comment from Vasile,” Peri told them.

Alina let out a huff, “I told him to stay out of it. Tell me it was at least subtle.”

Peri grinned in delight. “Oh you should know better, Alina. Your mate is about as subtle as Jen is prudish.” That earned Peri a snort from everyone and a you’re just jealous from Jen. Ignoring them she continued, “He told Costin to kick Fane’s ass.” Everyone’s mouths dropped open and eyes widened, “and then he told Fane to quit running from his fear and anger and to deal with it. He told him that if he didn’t deal with it, then Vasile would deal with him. And then it was on.”

Jen let out a sharp burst of laughter that filled the cabin of the plane. “Alina, please tell me you tap that regularly because you have to admit, your man is hot.”

“Okay, first off, EWW!” Jacque pointed at Jen. “And second, why on earth would Vasile do that?”

Alina slid forward to the edge of her seat and placed her elbows on her knees. She took in a deep breath of air and then met her daughter-in-law's eyes.

“Because it’s the only thing that will help Fane get over this rage and fear inside of him. He is more dominant than Costin, though perhaps not by a great measure. Other than when we were in America, he has never felt the need to establish that dominance. As the son of the most powerful Alpha in generations, he has never been challenged on his home turf. But now he feels that Costin has wronged him. He needs to establish that dominance to help prove to himself that he can protect Jacque. The other reason is a simpler one. He’s a male, and he’s ticked off at another male. They resolve their differences with a physical fight. It’s that way with human males as well, is it not?”

Sally blew out a big breath of air, causing her cheeks to puff out. “This just sucks.”

“Seriously,” Jen agreed, then added, “if Vasile is going to start fights between hot, bossy, possessive werewolves, he should at least do it when we get front row seats, cause let me tell you my kicks are few and far between these days. I could use all the help I can get.” Jen’s voice was lighthearted and playful, but Jacqueand Sally saw the pain in their friend’s eyes.

“Jen,” Sally said as she reached for her hand.

“Not ready to talk about it,” Jen said quickly and then looked at Lilly. “So your oaf of a man is the reason we’re on this little journey. Fill us in on what he did.” Jen’s statement effectively got the attention off of her and distracted her two best friends from fretting over their feuding mates. Two birds; one stone.

Peri rubbed her hands together as she nodded. “This is going to be so good.”

Lilly frowned. “You already know what happened,” she told the fae.

“Maybe, but the point is, one never tires of hearing about a king running like a scared rabbit while his mate throws things at him and berates him with a sailor’s mouth.”

“Get the popcorn,” Jen called out, “we are in for some wicked entertainment ladies. If their fight started out with that much foreplay, then the finish is bound to leave us all breathless, and maybe even satisfied.”

The group groaned collectively.

“What?” Jen asked innocently.

“Not everyone’s fights end with sex,” Jacque informed her.

“Oh well, then you guys are missing out. I mean seriously. That’s like saying Santa doesn’t need Rudolph and his shiny nose, or that the fourth of July doesn’t need fireworks, or that Harry Potter doesn’t need Ron and that bushy headed girl. I mean, it’s like…,”

“Jen,” Jacque cut her off, “we get it.”

Jen’s head shook vehemently. “Nope, sorry wolf-princess, you can’t possibly get it until you’ve gotten it, if you know what I mean, after having a knock down drag out with your mate. Then and only then, will you get it.”

“Was that clear as mud to anyone else?” Sally asked.

“I think she’s saying we need to have relations with our mates as often as possible, including after fights,” Crina said calmly.

Jen clapped her hands together with a loud yell, “FINALLY! Somebody gets it.”

“How long are you going to let this go on?” Decebel asked Vasile as they watched the two wolves battle it out. Thankfully, the pack had its own private hanger to house the jet, so there was no one to witness the snarling beasts tearing into one another.

“As long as it takes,” Vasile responded. “They won’t kill each other. They know that it would kill the other’s mate as well.” Vasile was calm and unwavering while the males around him growled or cringed in response to the fight before them. Vasile had thought it would be his job to step in and deal with Fane’s struggles, but the moment he saw the two wolves together, he knew what needed to be done. Fane needed to let go of his anger and Costin needed to prove that he was capable of taking Fane on, and that he could still be Fane’s pack mate and still care for him once this was over.