Blood Rites (7 page)

“An arranged marriage?” Dr. Thomas still
didn’t sound convinced.

“Yes well, things are different in other
countries. But you see, Jen will be turning 18 in just a few weeks
and that is why Decebel is here now, because…”

Before Sally could continue to dig her deep,
dark grave Decebel stepped in. “You will tell me how she is.” Sally
glared at him and he reluctantly added, “Please.”

Sally decided Dr. Thomas just wanted to be
done with them because he finally relinquished. “Your friend is not
conscious yet and I have no way of knowing when she will become so.
It is actually a blessing for her to not be awake to experience the
healing process of burns. She has suffered burns over 70% of her
body.” Sally couldn’t help the squeak that emitted from her throat,
she felt her knees go weak and might have hit the floor had
Decebel’s hand not steadied her. “Most of the burns are on her left
side and her back. There was quite a bit of glass and small bits of
metal imbedded in her back and arms that we had to remove one at a
time, that is what took the longest. She will need to be
transferred to our burn unit where she will have daily debridement.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it, she is in for a long, painful road
to recovery.”

“What about scarring?” Decebel asked. Sally
realized she should have been the one asking the questions since
Jen was like a sister to her, but she couldn’t seem to get her
mouth to work.

“It will be extensive. What? Will she no
longer meet your desire for a mail order bride?” Dr. Thomas said in
obvious disdain for the idea of Decebel and Jen’s impending
marriage, which was fake of course.

Sally felt like cold water had been splashed
on her face at the doctor’s comment. She felt anger like waves
rolling off of Decebel. Damn temperamental werewolves. She reached
up and placed a hand on his arm, a gesture she hoped would convey
her desire for him to bring it down a notch.

“Ok, well, thank you Dr. Thomas. Can we
follow them as they transport Jen to the burn unit?” Sally asked,
her arm still on Decebel in silent warning.

“That will be fine. The nurses will notify me
as soon as her parents arrive and I will be going over her
treatment with them.” Dr. Thomas gave Decebel one last sharp look,
for good measure Sally assumed, but when Decebel narrowed those
yellow eyes on the doctor he abruptly turned around and, with
hurried steps, walked away.

They brought Jen out on a gurney shortly
after the doctor’s nervous departure. After the little display
Decebel had put on, Sally was surprised when he gave her only a
passing glance. Decebel looked away quickly and turned to look
Sally in the eye. “I am going to go let Vasile know what is going
on with Jen. You will go with her, I will send Alina to come up
with you.”

“Ok, can we pause this little sitcom for just
a second because just a moment ago you were all, this is my
betrothed, blah blah blah, and now you are just leaving her in my
care? I don’t get it,” Sally told him.

“You don’t have to get it,” Decebel almost
growled at her.

“Just one, all I want is one blasted wolf who
isn’t a bossy, grumpy hair ass butt head,” Sally muttered to the
ceiling as she turned to follow the gurney. “Is that too freaking
much to ask.”

She wasn’t positive but she thought she heard
a muttered yes from Decebel.

Fane saw Decebel coming down the hall towards
them. He assumed this meant they had given him news on Jen. Why was
it taking so long with Jacquelyn? Just as he was going to ask
Decebel what he knew, the door to the room Jacquelyn was in opened
and a short woman who looked to be in her mid to late thirties
emerged. She wore her hair short in a practical manner, and her
eyes spoke of someone who had seen too much grief in her life. None
of that held Fane’s attention as soon as he caught the woman’s
scent. His head spun around to his father. He saw that Vasile’s
stare was intent and he too was assessing the air. At his father’s
barely apparent nod Fane confirmed what he had initially thought,
this woman was a
Canis Lupis
.

“Who is the guardian of Jacquelyn Pierce?”
the woman asked, scanning the group that had gathered around her.
As her eyes fell on Vasile, Fane thought he saw a slight
recognition in them.

Lilly stepped forward, her steps heavy with
worry and fear.“I am her mother Lilly Pierce,” she answered.

“I’m Dr. Cynthia Steele.” Lilly’s quick
intake of breath did not go unnoticed at the sound of that name.
After all, it had only been 24 hours since Fane had killed Lucas
Steele. “I need to discuss your daughter’s condition with you.
Would you like to go somewhere private?”

Fane let out a low growl that had Dr.
Steele's head jerking around to look at him.

“We don’t have to go anywhere,” Lilly
explained, “everyone here is family to Jacque.”

Before the doctor could continue Vasile
stepped forward. “Dr. Steele, we need you to be clear with us about
everything you know about her condition. Do you understand what I
am saying?”

“You don’t have to pull that Alpha crap with
me, Vasile Lupei, I know who you are and I know who your pup is,
considering he killed my brother only a day ago,” she snapped at
him. Fane and Decebel tensed at the tone of voice the woman was
brave enough to use on their Alpha. Vasile just took it in
stride.

“You are correct,” Vasile confirmed, "my
-"

Fane interrupted him. "Yes, I killed your
brother and I am sorry for your loss, but I am not sorry for
protecting my mate from someone who tried to take her from me."

"Protecting your mate? If she is so protected
Fane Lupei, then why is she laid up, burnt to a crisp in my
hospital?" Dr. Steele's voice was like a slap in the face.

Fane's eyes were glowing as power lashed
around him, causing Dr. Steele to lower her head although it was
not in true submission.

“Could we please get back to my daughter? We
can deal with the werewolf crap in a minute,” Lilly said as stress
laced her voice.

“My apologies,” Dr. Steele told her. “Jacque
has suffered burns over 65% of her body, most of which are third
degree, but some are second degree burns. Her right leg is broken
in two places below her knee, her hip dislocated, and fragments of
glass had to be pulled out of her arms. She is stable at this time,
but she has not woken up from the anesthesia we gave her for
surgery. I don't know that she will wake up anytime soon.” She
paused for a moment and when nobody said anything she continued. “I
haven’t done anything to her leg, I wanted to wait to see what her
body's healing process is. Since she is half wolf she is going to
heal faster than a human. Her skin should heal completely with no
scars, her leg I’m not sure, but I was worried that if I put pins
in it that it would heal too rapidly and those pins would be a
hindrance not a help. There is one problem that I'm not sure what
the outcome of will be.”

"What problem?" Lilly whispered

"Jacque was given a human blood transfusion
before I was able to get here. I don't know how her blood will
interact with it, or if it will hinder the healing process. It's
not something I've ever encountered."

By the time the doctor was through talking,
Alina was holding a weeping Lilly in her arms. Fane had reached out
to the wall for support as he felt the air sucked out of him. “I
need to see her. Now.” Fane's eyes were glowing and his hands
shaking at the amount of effort he was having to exert to keep his
wolf under control.

“That isn’t going to be possible until she is
transferred to the burn unit,” Dr. Steele told him.

“I don’t think you heard me right. I need to
see my mate now.” Fane’s eyes continued to glow and his skin
tingled with the need to change.

Dr. Steele’s jaw tensed briefly but she
quickly composed her face. “Mate? Don't you think you both are a
little young to be deciding something permanent?"

“I cannot, nor do I want, to change what fate
has chosen for me. She is mine and you will either take me to her
or I will tear this hospital apart to find her.”

She stood still, defiant, before she finally
said, “Fine, follow me." Fane grabbed Lilly’s hand as he went to
follow the doctor, giving her a small smile of reassurance.

They entered the operating room and then
walked past the table that he had seen Jacquelyn on when they had
forced him out of the room. Dr. Steele then pushed open another set
of double doors bringing them into an area where there were
multiple rooms encased in glass so that those who occupied them
were clearly visible. There was a large round desk in the middle of
the room that seemed to serve as what Fane would consider the
command center. Fane took in a deep breath and although there were
tons of smells of sickness, cleaner, worry, he could still pick out
the cotton candy fragrance of his mate. He pulled Lilly along as he
followed the path of her scent, no longer worrying about following
the doctor's lead. He passed three glass rooms before he finally
was standing in front of hers. He slid the door open to her little
room and let Lilly step in before him. She rushed to Jacquelyn’s
bedside and immediately started talking to her, holding her hand,
brushing the hair from her face. Fane stood back and watched
silently, giving Lilly time with her daughter. His wolf was so
restless, anxious to be close to their mate, to touch her and feel
the life flowing in her. He nearly growled at the idea of waiting
even a minute more. At last Lilly turned to Fane. “Do you want me
to step out?” Fane hated to ask that of her, but he needed a few
minutes alone with his Luna.

“Yes, please.” His voice was strained as he
held himself back. Lilly nodded, gave Jacquelyn a quick kiss to her
bandaged hand and then stepped out of the room, sliding the door
shut behind her. At last it was just him and Jacquelyn. He walked
slowly to her bedside, afraid that the moment was just a mirage and
would evaporate before his eyes if he so much as breathed too
deeply. But when he got to her side she was still there, not a
figment of his imagination, but real flesh and blood. Fane leaned
forward and gently brushed some hair from her bandage wrapped face.
He placed his nose as close to her neck as possible without
touching her and breathed her scent in deep. Her scent was like a
soothing balm, it caressed his wolf, calming him and helping him to
clear his mind of the dread that had been his constant companion
since he had felt Jacquelyn’s pain and fear through their bond.
Then he kissed her lips so lightly that he barely felt their heat
and whispered her name. “Jacquelyn.” First out loud and then
through their bond.
“Jacquelyn. Please hear me, my love, wake up
for me.”
Fane didn’t know if it would help but he had to try.
After waiting several minutes, Fane realized that she wasn't going
to wake up, at least not right then. He heard the door behind him
open and turned to see Dr. Steele and Lilly waiting patiently.

"We are going to transfer her to the burn
unit, her friend is there as well. They will both have to undergo
multiple debridements to remove the dead skin so that the new skin
underneath can heal," Dr. Steele explained to them.

"Can I stay with her?" Fane asked, never
taking his eyes off of Jacquelyn.

"You may visit, but you cannot stay in the
same room with her. There is too great a risk for infection."

Fane didn't like that answer but he wanted
what was best for his mate. Whatever it took for her broken body to
heal was what he wanted for her.

"When do you think we will know if the human
blood is going to affect her, or how it will affect her?" Fane
asked the doctor.

"There is no way to know, Fane. I know that
is not what you want to hear. Over the next few days as her body
begins to heal, her wolf blood should increase the speed of that
process. If it doesn't then we will know that quite possibly the
human blood is hindering it."

Chapter 7

Jacquelyn’s
wounds showed much improvement
over the next week, but Fane still continued to pace the waiting
room area as he had since the day of the accident. He was beginning
to feel like a caged lion ready to pounce on easy prey. He could
tell that everyone was picking up on his edginess because they all
seemed to be avoiding him like the plague. He couldn't help it, it
had been a week since the accident and still neither Jen nor
Jacquelyn had woken. They were both going through daily
debridements and although it did appear that Jacquelyn's body was
healing a little more quickly than that of a human's, it wasn't
quick enough for Fane. He felt helpless. His wolf was restless and
desired to be near their mate. He hated not being able to be by
her, protecting her while she was in such a vulnerable state, but
there was nothing to be done about it. He continually tried to
reach out to her through their bond, but all he got was darkness
and silence.

***

Dark silence occupied the space his Luna’s
voice once filled, but he spent the second week attempting to pull
her from the enigmatic place she resided. His concentration was
broken when Decebel said, "I wish there was something I could
kill," as they sat in the family waiting area on the burn unit
floor, the same chairs they both had taken up residence in for the
past two weeks.

"I could go for a kill right about now," Fane
agreed.

Fane was pleasantly surprised to discover
that he and Decebel, despite a huge age difference of 107 years,
got along quite well. Up until now Decebel had always just been his
father's Beta to him, a powerful wolf, and when he was younger
actually quite scary. But as they had spent the past two agonizing
weeks waiting in the hospital, they had at times been each other's
only company and so had begun to get to know one another. Fane was
glad for Decebel's company, otherwise he might have already torn
down the door to where Jacquelyn lay too still for his own liking.
Fane wasn't sure how much more waiting he could take before he
demanded to be allowed to be with Jacquelyn all the time. It was
getting harder and harder to convince his wolf to be patient.