Out of the Dark (30 page)

Jacque
and Sally walked in only moments after Decebel had left. She could see him standing in the other room. He made sure she was never out of his line of sight and though part of her wanted to roll her eyes at his protectiveness, the other part basked in his attention and care.

She still had not composed herself when her two friends approached her bed.

"Okay, I have got to know what he said to put that look on your face." Sally's eyebrows were raised clear to her hairline as she looked at Jen.

That snapped Jen out of her temporary stupor.

"Get used to disappointment, Sally girl. I will never repeat what that pervert just said to me."

Jacque laughed." Oh, no." She climbed onto the foot of Jen's bed and laid out on her side. "If you think he's perverted now, just wait until the physical aspect of your relationship has a big, fat green light. I swear, having a mental link to your mate is like having front row tickets to a never-ending porno."

Now it was Sally's turn to drop her jaw and turn all shades of red. Jen couldn't help the bark of laughter that forced its way out despite her groan of pain afterward.

"How would you know? You've never seen a porno." Jen snorted.

"Well, I can assure you that it's not an after school special running through my mate's head 95 percent of the time."

Sally squeaked, "95?"

"Chillax, healer. I think you have a little time before your wolf claims you." The words were out of Jen's mouth before she could stop them. A deer in the headlights had nothing on the look on Jen's face.

Sally and Jacque spoke at the same time, "What?"

Jen backpedaled as quickly as she could. "I don't mean a fur ball – I just mean, you know, a guy. Who are all dogs so might as well call your future man a wolf. It was just an expression, force of habit since we are constantly surrounded by unnaturally fine, too good looking for their own good, flea-infested fur balls." Jen took a deep breath. "So, can we please get back to me and getting me ready to one of the said fur balls?"

Sally looked like she wanted to protest but Jacque quickly butted in, all the while giving Jen a “this conversation is not over” glare.

Chapter 20

Desdemona rarely lost her temper, but this was one of those rare moments. She had felt the curse break, so powerful that it had knocked her on her back. When she stood up her eyes were swirling like the sea in a storm and her hair whipped around her. A mutt had bested her. She grabbed the first thing she could reach and hurled it at the wall. A jar of goat hearts – no big loss, those were a dime a dozen.

She took several deep breaths, attempting to regroup. She would not let her emotions control her. Emotions were weakness, and there was no room for weakness in her black heart.

Someone had to be helping the wolves. There was no way they were more powerful tha
n
she, and no way they would have known what to look for in order to break the curse unless given a push in the right direction.

"So it seems the Fae have come out of hiding." A wicked smile crossed her beautiful, cruel face. "I wonder if they remember how to play. I dare say they will not find me the easy prey I once was." Mona was speaking into the wind, fueling her will, her anger, and the wrath she would rain down on those who attempted to stand against her. "Perizada," she spoke on the breeze. "You think I don't know that you are assisting the wolves? You think you can hide from me? Hear me now, Fae of old. I will tear your heart from your chest and feast on it while it still beats."

The laugh that poured from her chest caused grass to wither and animals to hide from the evil flowing from her mouth out into the night.

"Well, the first thing you need to do is write your vows." Jacque handed Jen a pen and paper .

"Come again?" Jen raised her eyebrows at Jacque.

"You remember Fane and I reciting the ones we had written along with the traditional ceremonial vows, don't you? Were you paying attention at all at my bonding?"

Jen tried to think back to that night and remembered being somewhat distracted by a certain, brooding wolf.

"I might have been a tad preoccupied," Jen confessed, honest without remorse.

When Jacque and Sally simply stared at her as she held the pen and paper, her eyes bounced from one to the other. "What?"

"Get to writing, you only have two hours and we still need to get you all cleaned up and beautified."

Jen blew out a deep breath, then stared at the blank piece of paper.
Vows,
she thought.
W
hat am I vowing exactly?
Jen closed her eyes and thought about when she had finally seen recognition in Decebel's eyes – the moment she'd realized he remembered her she had lost all control. Every bit of anger, fear, pain, love, relief, and joy had wracked her body.

Now she knew what she needed to say.

One hour and fifty minutes later…

Jen stood with the assistance of Jacque and Sally, and stared at herself in the mirror.

"I'm not going out there like this." The look on her face and the steel in her voice made it very clear that someone was going to have to drag her out of that bathroom.

"I look like Mary-Kate Olsen meets Jennifer Love Hewitt."

"Okay, I understand the Mary-Kate reference, " Sally's brow furrowed, “'cause you've lost a lot of weight, but I don't get Jennifer Love."

Jen rolled her eyes. "You see how skinny I am?"

Sally nodded.

"Okay, well look me up and down and tell me which of these things is not like the other?"

Sally's eyes scanned Jen over and over and her face was still blank. Jen blew out an exasperated breath. "Boobs, Sal. I still have big boobs," she said dryly.

Sally's face lit up like a light bulb had gone on. "Got it. Skinny like Mary-Kate, but stacked like Jennifer. Sorry, I kind of took the steam out of that, huh?"

"Well, when you have to explain the sarcasm then, yes, it sort of loses it's umph. No worries, I've got plenty more to go around."

Jen looked again in the mirror at the simple black dress that, from the front, was deceivingly modest. But the back, well, there wasn't one. It was open clear down to just above indecent. Peri had brought it to her and when she put it on the Fae snickered. When Jen turned in a circle to see why the woman was snickering she nearly choked. Not only was it backless, but it scooped in just a little on the sides, enough to show a few of the swirling marks that branded her right side. Decebel was going to be pissed. And that thought brightened Jen right up.

"Why are you grinning like the Cheshire cat?" Jacque asked as her eyes narrowed.

Jen raised her arm slightly on her right side so Jacque could see the marks peeking out.

Jacque rolled her eyes. "You really do want him to have a coronary, don’t you?"

Jen shrugged her shoulders. "Serves him right for being a punk earlier. I can't let him think that just because I'm bonding with him I will suddenly be this little submissive chick who is like, 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir'. He needs to understand that it will still be, 'let me open the door for you, sir, since you can't walk straight because I kicked you in the -"

"That's enough ranting, Jen, we get it." Jacque chuckled. "He has no clue what he's in for."

"If he did he'd be wishing his memory had never returned," Jen joked.

Jacque's face smoothed out and intensity filled her eyes. "Are you ready?" she asked Jen.

Jen thought about it for less than a second. "I've been ready for him since before I was born. I was created for him."

Jacque smiled. "I love it when I get to see these rare glimpses of the softy that's under all that nympho tough girl crap."

Jen rolled her eyes at her red-headed friend. "If you bust out in 'Lean On Me', I swear I will take what little energy I have and punch you in the eye."

Jacque tsked at her friend as she began to drag her out of the room. "My, my, Jennifer Adams."

"I know, my bitchiness knows no bounds."

"I was going to say I think you're hungry and sexually frustrated, but if you want to go with that then I'm down."

Jen stopped dead when she saw Decebel standing across the open room in front of a large fireplace. She didn't notice Cynthia, Crina, and Alina standing to her left or Sally and Jacque to her right. She didn't see Fane, Costin or Sorin sitting in various chairs around the room, watching, waiting.  She didn't even notice the two beautiful Fae that stood to next to the fireplace.

He was standing there, talking to Vasile, when all of the sudden he stopped, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply through his nose. His head turned slowly, straight toward her, and when he stopped, his eyes snapped open and met her stare. For a moment no one else in the room existed. It was simply Jen and Decebel. Neither of them moved. They simply stared, taking each other in, memorizing every detail like it could be the last time they would see each other. As her gaze wandered down his body, she noted that he wore a black v-neck sweater that formed tightly to his powerful shoulders and chest. The sleeves were pushed up slightly, revealing muscular forearms. He wore grey slacks that appeared to be tailored and black dress shoes. He could have just walked off a photo shoot for GQ. What made him more attractive was that he had no clue just how ruggedly handsome he really was.

Vasile cleared his throat and that broke the moment. Jen was suddenly aware that everyone in the room was staring at her.

She began to feel her legs shake, not used to carrying her weight. As if he sensed her growing weariness, Decebel crossed the room in several long strides and wrapped a secure arm around her waist. When his hand came in contact with her skin Jen felt him tense and slowly lean back to look at the back of her dress. He was growling and, since she wouldn't look at his face,
she couldn't be sure, but she imagined his eyes were glowing as bright as the hot July sun in south Texas.

Decebel looked up at the room and announced, "The males will sit on the left side."

Without so much as a whispered question Costin, Fane, and Sorin all took seats on the left side of the room. Decebel walked her to where he had been standing moments before, next to the fireplace. The entire time his hand was splayed wide over her right side, covering any parts of her marking that might be showing.

To Vasile's surprise, Decebel asked him to stand with his back to the room, with Jen and Decebel on the other side, instead of Vasile standing behind the couple and facing everyone. This, of course, made it impossible for anyone to see her side because it was facing the fireplace. Jen bit her lip and drew on every ounce of her willpower to not roll her eyes. As Decebel walked around her, she felt his fingers slip just inside the side of her dress and trail down, knowing he was touching her mark – his mark. Jen shivered and nearly kicked Decebel when she saw the side of his mouth lift in a triumphant half-smile. When he was finally standing in front of her, all memory of irritation fled as she looked at the utter devotion and love staring out at her from his eyes. His face had softened, even the glow in his eyes had receded slightly.

The room quieted as Vasile turned to address the others.

"Decebel is an Alpha in his own right. He led his own pack, was powerful and undefeated in challenges. For this reason his Bonding Ceremony will be as it would for an Alpha in the presence of a high Fae. It is the first time in a very long time that we are privileged to have the Fae with us during a bonding. Because of thi,s Decebel has asked for Perizada to participate in the ceremony which is only bestowed upon Alphas. "