Blood Rites (22 page)

"Why didn't you call me and ask me to come and take
over for you?"

"I don't know, Decebel. I just didn't think they
would try anything."

Decebel snorted. "Have you not been around these
girls for the past month? Surely you've noticed their pension for
trouble."

"Hey now, there's no need to be hating on us," Sally
frowned.

"Speaking the truth is not hating, as you call it,
it's just stating a fact," Decebel informed her.

"Okay, so we know how they left, now we need to know
how they got back." Decebel glared at Skender. "Did you happen to
be at your post when the girls returned?"

"Yes, I was here both times," he answered, no less
nervous than before.

"What do you mean both times?"

"I mean both times. They didn't arrive back together
at the same time," Skender explained, "they arrived separately.
Sally was the first one back."

"I don't remember coming back," Sally told him.

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to. I found you knocked
out in the elevator."

Sally gasped and covered her mouth. Decebel didn't
say anything, he just waited for the wolf to continue.

"The elevator doors opened and no one stepped out, so
I ran over before they could close to see if someone was in there,
and there you were on the elevator floor. So I picked you up and
put you back in the bed. That's when I realized that Jen was gone
as well." Skender flinched at the low rumble coming from
Decebel.

"Pray tell, why did you not call me at this point,
Skender? Don't you think it was a pretty big deal that you found
Sally unconscious in an elevator and Jennifer missing?" By the time
Decebel was done talking, he was pacing the room, looking like he
was on the verge of throttling the poor wolf.

"I should have called you right away, but I decided
to wait and see if Jen made it back on her own. If she hadn't
returned shortly I was going to call you then. I see now in
hindsight that wasn’t the best idea."

"You think?" Decebel asked. "When did Jennifer get
back?" he growled.

"She came back about an hour ago in the company of a
guy in scrubs, she said his name was Matty. She was pretty drunk
when I inquired her about the guy. He got scared and hurried off.
Then I helped Jen back into their room and I've been sitting out
here ever since," Skender finished.

Sally was convinced if he had been in his wolf form
he would be cowering with his tail between his legs. Then again, as
she looked at Decebel and the obvious rage he was battling, Sally
had to admit she felt like cowering as well.

Decebel finally looked at Skender. "You can go."

Skender let out a breath that Sally didn't think he
even realized he had been holding. He turned to go but before he
could make it out the door Decebel told him, "Skender, I will not
forget this, and it will be dealt with once everything else has
been worked out. Understood?"

"Yes, Beta." And then he hastily shut the door.

Sally could feel the anger coming off of Decebel, it
was nearly tangible.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm not really sure at the moment," he answered
honestly.

"Well, maybe you should take a time out. Jen's not
awake for you to growl at and there's no sense in growling at me
now when you're just going to do it again when she wakes up."

"That's probably a very good idea. However, I will
warn you Sally, a time out will not cool my temper. If anything it
may become worse as I have time to dwell on all the possibilities
of Jennifer's little adventure."

"Okay, well, let's just not worry about that right
now. I mean, she obviously showed up fully clothed. Skender didn't
mention that it looked like she was disheveled or whatever, so you
can assume that she didn't let this Matt character de-flower
her."

"Sally, you're not helping." Decebel turned away from
both girls, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Look,
I'm going to check on Fane and see if they've heard anything since
I left. Please do not leave this room until I come back. Do you
think you can handle that?"

"Okay, Decebel, since you asked so nicely," Sally
responded, her voice thick with sarcasm.

Chapter 25

Fane
and Vasile were discussing the fact that
since Jacquelyn had gotten sick the situation with Dillon had
changed when Decebel walked into the waiting area.

"How are Sally and Jen?" Vasile asked his Beta.

Decebel sat down in one of the chairs across from
them and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "You're
never going to believe what those two got themselves into last
night."

"What have the two troublemakers done this time?"
Vasile asked.

"They came up with the bright idea to sneak into the
ICU to see Jacque, but their plan didn't quite hash out, if you can
imagine. Sally ended up unconscious in the elevator with no memory
of how it happened and Jennifer was drunk off her ass after having
spent the night with some mongrel named Matty." Decebel's voice had
gone deathly low at his mention of Jen.

Vasile let out a slow breath before responding, "Are
they both in one piece?"

"Yes, Alpha. Jennifer is sleeping off her wild night
as we speak and Sally is with her."

Fane looked at Decebel and then his father, his brow
furrowed in thought. "Why would Sally be unconscious in the
elevator?" Fane got an uneasy feeling and his wolf perked up,
something was wrong but he didn't know what it was. Suddenly the
urgency to have news on Jacquelyn's well-being overrode his sense
of propriety.

Fane stood up and walked towards the ICU door. He
began banging on it forcefully, not pretending at politeness. After
a few moments the doors opened and a nurse stepped out. "Can I help
you?"

"I want to see Jacquelyn Pierce." Fane's tone left no
room for argument, but apparently the nurse hadn't got the
memo.

"Sir, I know Dr. Steele told you that family and
friends are not allowed in the ICU due to the seriousness of the
illnesses. It further compromises their immune systems."

Fane noticed that the nurse's heart rate was
quickening and she had sheen of perspiration across her brow. Fane
looked past the nurse into the room behind her and saw that there
seemed to be a sense of urgency from the other staff. Several other
nurses were on the phones and there was a doctor pointing towards a
room, his face displaying obvious frustration. Fane called on his
wolf's hearing to catch what the doctor was saying. "How does a
patient just up and disappear? Have you tried to get in touch with
Dr. Steele?" That was all Fane needed to hear. He pushed pass the
nurse and her weak attempts to stop him. Fane heard his father
behind him, and Decebel was only a step behind Vasile.

Fane followed the direction the doctor had been
pointing to and stepped into an empty room saturated in his mate's
sent. He instinctively reached out to her through their bond, but
there was only silence in response. He turned back to the doctor
and knew his eyes were glowing based on his expression. Fane
grabbed the doctor by the front of his shirt and lifted him
effortlessly off the floor. "Where is Jacquelyn Pierce?" he
snarled.

"Fane, put him down," he heard his Alpha issue the
command but his wolf wasn't listening.

The doctor grabbed onto the wrist of the arm that
held him in the air, his mind threatening to shut down from the
fear pouring over him.

"I d-d-don't know," he stuttered. "I just got here to
do my rounds and when I went to see Ms. Pierce her room was empty.
I had the nurses check to see if she had anything scheduled for
this morning, but they can't find anything. We can't get a hold of
Dr. Steele either."

Fane could tell the doctor told the truth but was
reluctant to set him down, not wanting to give up an object to
direct his anger upon.

"Fane, set him down now," he heard his Alpha say
again and this time he obeyed. He turned and dared to look Vasile
in the eyes, earning a growl in warning.

"We need to call Dillon Jacobs," he told his Alpha
before he finally relented and dropped his eyes. Turning away from
the doctor, he stormed past Vasile and Decebel and back into the
waiting area they had just occupied. He didn't look to see if they
would follow, he knew they would. Fane watched as his father dialed
Dillon Jacobs' number and waited for him to answer. He picked up on
the third ring.

"Dillon," Vasiles' voice was low, "have you anything
to do with Jacque's disappearance?"

Fane and Decebel had no trouble hearing Dillon's
response as he yelled into the phone, "What the hell do you mean
she's disappeared!"

Vasile voice never changed in volume nor did it lose
the deathly edge. "I mean just what I said, she is not here. They
are unable to locate Dr. Steele as well. Are all of your wolves
accounted for?"

"All of my wolves are here at the hotel." Dillon
paused. "Wait, not all. Logan stayed at the hospital so he could
let me know of any changes."

"Then you know that Jacque was in the ICU?"

"No, I haven't heard from Logan. I assumed everything
must have been alright. Is she okay?" Dillon's voice was beginning
to sound frantic.

"Jacque got sick last night. Dr. Steele thinks that
because she received a blood transfusion of human blood her body is
attacking the human blood and in turn attacking her body. They took
her to the ICU, which was the last time we saw her, and now this
morning she is gone."

Fane was losing patience. He needed action, needed to
be doing something to find his mate. As Decebel placed his hand on
Fane's shoulder, he told his prince, "We will find her."

"There is no other option," Fane told him.

Fane and Decebel looked at Vasile as he ended his
conversation with Dillon. "He is on his way here. He said he would
try to get in touch with Logan."

"What do we do until then?" Fane growled in
frustration.

"Have you tried to reach out to her?" Vasile asked,
referring to the mate bond.

"Yes, she isn't answering. I can't even get a sense
of her presence like when she is sleeping."

"She must be unconscious. Dr. Steele probably sedated
her to give her some relief from the pain," Vasile said, voicing
his thoughts out loud. Then he reached out to his mate through
their bond.
"Mina, you and Lilly need to come to the hospital.
Jacque is missing."

"How is Fane?"
Her voice in his mind conveyed
all the worry that she was feeling for her son and his mate.

"He is coping for the moment, although I don't know
how long that will last. Come to me, meet us in Jen and Jacque's
room. I will explain everything once you are here."

"We are on our way, don't let him do anything he
will regret,"
Alina pleaded with her mate.

"As you say, my Luna, so it shall be done,"
Vasile answered formally, a vow to his mate to care for their
son.

"She's missing? Missing, as in gone?" Sally asked for
the third time.

"Yes Sally," Vasile answered for the third time, just
as patiently as the first time.

"Crap, crap, crap," Sally snapped as she walked over
to where Jen lay. She shook her friend none too gently. "Jen, wake
your drunk butt up." When Jen didn't stir Sally headed towards the
bathroom. "Desperate measures," Sally mumbled.

"This is going to get ugly," Decebel said, looking at
Vasile, not attempting to hide the smirk on his face.

Sally came back into the room carrying a cup of
water. She stood over Jen and shook her one more time. "Last
chance, Jen. Wake up!" Still she didn't stir. Sally tossed the
water right on Jen's face. Jen came to, sputtering and wiping the
water from her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. Her eyes
landed on Sally and the cup she held in her hand. The feral look
that came over Jen's face was all the encouragement Sally needed to
jump back just as Jen lunged for her. Decebel moved in a blur of
speed, wrapping an arm around Jen's waist to pull her back.

"I'm weighing the pros and cons of beating the crap
out of your skinny ass," Jen told Sally, her face still dripping
with the water from Sally's cup.

"I'm sorry, Jen but it's important. Jacque's gone,"
Sally told her, eyes pleading with her friend to hear her.

Jen pulled out of Decebel's arms as she asked, "What
do you mean she's gone?" She looked around the room until she found
Fane. She noticed his lips tightened and his eyes were glowing a
deep blue, which, had he not looked like he wanted to rip someone's
head off, would have been beautiful.

"She was not in the ICU this morning," Vasile
explained. "I have Sorin, Skender and Boain searching the hospital
and questioning the staff. Dillon is on his way and is going to
have his wolves help with the search."

"Wait a sec," Jen said, shaking her head. "So you
don't think Dillon has anything to do with this?"

It was Vasile who answered. "I won't know for sure
until I can ask him face to face, but when I spoke with him on the
phone he sounded genuinely caught off guard."

Just as Vasile finished talking, the door to the room
opened and Dillon walked in and just behind him were Lilly and
Alina.

"What is with werewolves and their lack of ability to
knock?" Jen asked. "I mean, seriously, does it have something to do
with the energy it takes to lift your hand and bang it against the
door? Or is there a general rule that all werewolves are exempt
from the common courtesy?"

The whole room stopped and stared at Jen. She looked
around and shrugged. "Well, I'm just saying."

Dillon ignored Jen's outburst and turned to Vasile.
"I did not have anything to do with this. I am not so low as to
take my daughter away from her mother under the cover of darkness
like some thief."