Piercing Silence (16 page)

“Dammit!” Jen slammed her hand down on the
desk next to her. She heard Fane’s growl and Decebel’s answering
snarl but she ignored the posturing males. They could suck it for
all she cared. Her best friend was in labor; her other best friend
was off goodness knows where doing whatever dirty work Peri— Jen
froze as the fae’s name popped into her mind. Her head whipped
around to look at Vasile.

“We need a fae.” She was pretty sure she
looked half crazed as she stared down the Alpha, but she didn’t
give a damn. This was her best friend and her baby. She’d do a lot
more than stare the Alpha of all Alphas in the eyes if she had
to.

“I’ve had a little contact with Peri,”
Vasile admitted, “but not much, and from what I understand, the
situation they are in is quite precarious.”

Jen propped her hands on her hips and tried
hard not to growl. She failed miserably. “I don’t give a flying
piece of horse poo what their situation is. Jacque needs help and
Peri is the fae who can help her.”

“And Peri is who will come.” Alina’s voice
filled the room as she stepped passed a frowning Decebel.

The words had barely left Alina’s mouth when
the room filled with a bright light and then darkness. All of the
males tensed and growls filled the darkness.

“It’s good to know that nothing changes
while I’m gone.” Peri’s voice cut through the darkness and then the
light was back. The high fae stood next to the bed where Jacque
lay. “You males still have no sense of humor and you females can’t
seem to keep your asses out of the frying pan. Alina,”―Peri bowed
slightly to her―“you rang?”

“Jacque needs human medicine to keep from
going into labor and popping out a furless pup and you need to get
it for her,” Jen said before Alina could respond. Her arms were now
crossed in front of her chest as she stared down the fae.

“Well, hello to you too, Jennifer. No, no,
I’m fine, please don’t worry about me. And oh, Sally is doing great
too. We’re just having a good old time dealing with the mess
Lorrelle got us into before her much too easy death.”

Jen made a dismissive gesture with her hand.
“I don’t have time for your sister issues. You are standing on your
own two feet and Costin hasn’t called in the cavalry which tells me
you and Sally are hanging in there. She,” Jen said and motioned
toward Jacque, “on the other hand, is not doing quite as well.
Could we please focus on that?”

A small smile touched Peri’s tight lips.
“Jen, you are still just as lovely as ever. Like sitting bare assed
on a cactus, you bring such joy to my life.”

“Yeah and I’ve missed you like I miss my
last yeast infection,” Jen retorted.

“
Like I said, it’s good
some things do not change. Fine, Rachel,” the fae looked at the
healer. “What do you need?”

Rachel’s eyes were wide as she looked
between Jen and Peri. “I’m not sure the name of the medicine,” she
said carefully, obviously worried that Jen was going to fly off the
handle. “It’s a drug they use to stop the contractions of
labor.”

“Good enough, I’m sure I can coerce some
doctor to share his or her knowledge with me if you will―” Her
words froze as Jen moved quickly across the room until her hand was
clenched tightly around Peri’s wrist. “Um,”―Peri looked at Jen as
though she were a slimy bug―“what are you doing?”

“You think you’re going without me? Uh, no.
Besides you might need my help persuading the information out of
someone.”

“Or you could just look the information up
on the internet,” Decebel spoke up as he stepped into the room
ignoring Fane’s growl. “She doesn’t need you to tag along,
Jennifer.”

Jen’s eyes narrowed. “B, this is not the
time. I’m going to help get Jacque what she needs. Deal with
it.”

“Like I said, it’s good some things never
change,” Peri smiled.

“Good times, right?” Jen added.

“Sally and Costin don’t have quite the
entertainment value that you two do.”

“Your own fault for not inviting me,” Jen
pointed out.

“True enough,” Peri sighed. “But I’m here
now and, as always, you have not disappointed, Jen.”

“I think if we continue to sit here and talk
like Dec isn’t in the room seething over my lack of submission his
head my pop off his neck.”

Peri’s faced scrunched together. “That would
just be messy.”

“Then, perhaps, you should―you know―” Jen
made a popping motion with her hand as she said, “poof us out of
her.”

“I don’t go poof,” Peri said
indignantly.

“Maybe you should; it could be more
impressive then the bright lights.”

Peri shrugged. “Fine, we’ll poof.”

Jen saw the minute Decebel realized what the
pair was saying when his eyes widened and he started toward her. He
was too late. She and Peri were already flashing from the room.

Jen caught her balance as she opened her
eyes and saw that Peri had brought them to a hospital. She had no
clue which hospital, but there was no doubt that’s what it was as
people in white coats walked quickly through the halls and scrub
clad nurses rushed about with arms full of charts.

“I’m looking for the hospital pharmacy?”
Peri’s voice drew Jen’s attention. She turned to see the high fae
talking to one of the nurses in blue scrubs. “Yes, I’ve only been
working here a few days and I get turned around so easily.”

Jen wanted to roll her eyes. Peri was using
some sort of magic over the women who was smiling back at the fae
as though Peri had just shot her up with the really good pain
medicine. The woman answered Peri and gave her some vague
directions and then hurried on her way.

“You work here?” Jen smirked. “You have
about as much right being a caregiver as I do being—”

“A stay at home stripper mom?” Peri
interrupted.

Jen pursed her lips. “Ha, ha. My stripping
days are over.”

Peri motioned for her to follow. “Uh-hu and
so if Katie Peri’s E.T. suddenly started playing, you wouldn’t have
the sudden urge to de-robe?”

“Urge, yes,” Jen admitted. “I mean, come on,
the song has a sick beat. Who wouldn’t have the urge when it
plays?”

Peri nodded. “Good point.”

They rounded several corners and took two
stairwells before finally coming to a brown metal door with the
word Pharmacy painted on it in white block letters. Next to it was
a black square on the wall that required the scanning of a badge
for entry. Peri held her hand out in front of the black square and
the door made a clicking sound. The fae smiled. “Don’t mind if we
do,” she said as she pulled the door opened and motioned Jen
inside.

A short, balding man stood on the other side
of a long counter. He had a round, kind face with deep set eyes and
a small nose. His glasses sat perched on the edge of his nose and
Jen wondered how they didn’t just slip right off.

As the door shut behind them, the man’s eyes
looked up at them over the rim of his glasses. They widened
slightly but then his surprise was replaced with what she was sure
was practiced professionalism. “How can I help you ladies? Forgive
me if I don’t know your names. I’m rather new,” he said blushing
endearingly.

“Don’t feel bad,” Peri said good-naturedly.
“We’re both new too. In fact, so new that we left the chart for the
patient up stairs.” Peri glanced at Jen. “Do you remember the name
of the drug that doctor,” Peri said and glanced over Jen’s
shoulder, “um, Dr. Vagisile was requesting.”

Jen choked back the laugh
that nearly burst out at the
name
Peri had come up with. Jen’s eyes narrowed. “Dr.
Vagisile, the OB doctor, wanted something to help stop Ms. Cli
Tauris’ contractions.”

Peri’s eyes widened at Jen’s words but Jen
just turned and smiled at the pharmacist, whose face had turned a
bright shade of red. Wrapped in his white lab coat, he reminded Jen
of a tampon, which was just all kinds of wrong. She blamed Peri and
her stupid vagsile name for that.

“Yes,” Peri finally choked out. “Yes, the
drug to stop Ms. Tauris’ contractions.”

“Oh, um, that would be, yes.” The pudgy man
stumbled about as he messed with something behind the counter. “The
doctor is wanting…”

“He seemed to be quite in a hurry to stop
them.” Jen leaned forward and batted her eyes at the flustered man.
“Dr. V said she was just too early to be going into labor. So we of
course hurried down here to get him what he wanted as quickly as we
could. Ms. Tauris looked to be in all kinds of pain with the
writhing and screaming.”

“Well, if you were pushing a watermelon out
of your parts, you’d be writhing and screaming too,” Peri pointed
out. “I’ve heard that for a man it’s comparable to them passing a
kidney stone through their—”

“Terbutaline,” the pharmacist blurted out.
“He’s wanting Terbutaline.” He scurried off, his face growing
redder by the second.

“I think we made him uncomfortable,” Jen
said as she watched him hurry to the back.

Peri shook her head. “No, we were perfectly
pleasant. He probably just has to pee. We don’t make people
uncomfortable.”

Jen laughed. “Right, and men love it when
you talk about them squeezing stones through their man parts.”

The high fae shrugged. “I don’t see what the
big deal is. We females have to squeeze small beings through our
parts and nobody cringes or refrains from talking about it. Like we
enjoy thinking about popping a watermelon through our
who-hahs.”

Jen laughed as the pudgy pharmacists came
hurrying back. She patted Peri’s shoulder. “Never thought I’d say
this. In fact I was pretty sure I’d eat my own boob before I ever
said this, but I’ve missed you.”

Peri glanced over at Jen with a wry smile.
“Awe, Jennifer, I don’t get choked up often but when I’m chosen
over someone eating their own boob, well, it gets me right here.”
She patted the place over her heart. “As much as I’m enjoying our
bonding, I believe we have a patient waiting on us.” She snatched
the bag from the still beat-red man and took Jen’s hand. They
flashed right in front of the man and, based on his gasp, Peri
hadn’t bothered to shield him from their sudden disappearance.

When they reappeared in Fane and Jacque’s
room, Peri tossed the bag to Rachel but didn’t give Jen time to say
anything before she grabbed her again and flashed her from the
room.

“What the―” Jen huffed as they appeared out
in the hall and several feet away from Jacque’s door. Jen’s eyes
widened as she saw her mate come storming out down the hall. “You
know I’m about to get chewed on like his favorite squeaky toy,
right?”

Peri didn’t look the least bit concerned. “I
might care if I didn’t know that you thoroughly enjoy a good
chewing.”

“Jennifer,” Decebel growled but was cut off
by Peri.

“Save it, Alpha.” Peri held up a hand and
froze Decebel in midstride. “You can flap your disgruntled jaws
once I’m gone. I need information.” She looked back at Jen. “Has
there been anything unusual happening here?”

Jen frowned. “Be a little clearer, Peri
fairy. Unusual for us is sort of a staple.”

“No menacing looking freaks coming around to
make threats or stir mischief? No visits from the pixie king? No
Great Luna bringing warnings of the end of the world?”

“Wow, sounds like you guys really are making
some friends,” Jen said dryly. “No, nothing like that. Jacque got
herself into some trouble but it didn’t have anything to do with
any of that.”

“Good,” Peri nodded. “She made a motion with
her hand that released Decebel. “Please try to stay out of trouble
while we are attempting to bring order to the rest of the
supernatural world. I don’t have time to be poofing about rescuing
your ass.” And then she was gone.

“Well, she’s still her usual pleasant self,”
Jen grumbled as she met the frustrated glare of her mate.

“Do you want to check on Jacque?” Decebel
asked her in the voice that said what he really wanted to say
wasn’t nearly as cordial.

“You mean before you take me home and punish
me for my insolence?”

“You said it, not me.”

“You were thinking it.”

“Touche´.”

Chapter 18

J
acque wasn’t sure how much time had passed from the time she
collapsed to the time when the pain finally began to ease. She had
slipped in and out of fitful sleep brought on by Rachel’s healing
power. She couldn’t deny that she was thankful for those moments of
oblivion.

As her eyes fluttered open, the soft glow of
candlelight filled her vision, along with the face of her very
concerned mate.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her,
regardless of the fact that he could have just looked inside of her
mind himself. She appreciated that he wanted her to be the one to
tell him.

“Better,” she admitted. “But tired.”

“You had me worried.”

Jacque managed a weak smile. “That makes two
of us.”

They stared at each other for several long
minutes before Jacque finally broached the subject she’d so
diligently avoided before the crisis had hit. She knew it probably
wasn’t the time, but she needed to fix things.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come talk to you about
my worries, Fane. I’m sorry that I made a decision that involved
both of us, not to mention our pack, and didn’t think about how it
would make you feel. I just wanted to take away your pain.”

Fane brushed a finger along her jaw. His
eyes roamed over her face hungrily seeming to soak all of her in.
“I understand why you did it. I know what it’s like to want to
protect you from any and all pain and fear. I want us to be able to
be honest with one another without the other feeling like they have
to go to some drastic measure to fix things. Sometimes the best
thing we can do for each other is just to be there. Just having you
to hold, Jacquelyn, is the most soothing thing I could ask for. You
are more than enough to help me get through tough times.” He took a
slow breath as his warm, strong hand gently encircled her throat
resting across her collar bone. “I can face anything in this world
with you by my side. All I ask is that you trust that. Trust that
we were brought together for a reason at exactly the right moment
in time. I don’t think the fact that we were meant for each other
is necessarily going to make anything easier, but it does make it
all have more purpose.”