Piercing Silence (3 page)

He shrugged, something he’d picked up from
her. “I say annoyed; you say ready to rip someone apart limb from
limb.”

She shook her head at him and shooed him
away. “Go do what you gotta do, Alpha. I’ll be patiently awaiting
your return.”

He gave her a crooked smile as he opened
their door. “Baby, you don’t do anything patiently.”

Jen rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at
the closing door. “I put up with you, you butthead. That’s the
ultimate act of patience,” she called out and despite the shut door
she knew he had heard her.

“I swear if he wasn’t so yummy I’d push him
out a window,” she grumbled to the empty room.

Chapter 3

J
acque knew that Fane was going to be upset with her because
she’d closed her end of the bond, but it was necessary. If Fane
knew what she was about to do, he would be beyond livid―not that
she would blame him.

Jacque slipped the book she’d been reading
back onto the shelf in the library. She had to do some research
before she could put her plan into action. Thankfully, she’d become
very familiar with pack history after doing so much research
searching for information about the dark forest. She’d reviewed
many of the ancient books in the pack archives that had been long
forgotten. One of those books just happened to be about the
Fates.

She grabbed a jacket and her small bag
packed with supplies and headed for the back door hoping that she
wouldn’t run into Vasile or Alina. Jacque hadn’t realized she’d
been holding her breath until she was outside in the cool air. Fall
was quickly turning into winter and it wouldn’t be long until the
mountains around them would be blanketed in glistening snow. A
shiver crawled down her spine as she remembered the times in the
past year that they had to trek through the snow. There had been so
much that she’d done since meeting Fane―things that she would never
have done had she not been his mate.

Her heart took a nose dive for her toes as
she thought about all that she would be giving up if she was
allowed to follow through with her plan. Jacque shook her head,
unwilling to dwell on the negative. She was doing this for Fane,
regardless of what it meant for her.

She moved as quickly and as quietly as she
could with her six month protruding belly. Jacque was glad Jen was
not with her because she would no doubt be giving her a
play-by-play commentary on how hilarious Jacque’s pregnant butt
looked tromping through the forest. Then again, Jen would be
ripping her a new one for even considering what she had in mind,
not that Jen could talk. With all the half cocked, hair brained
ideas she’d come up with over the years, she really shouldn’t be
able to judge Jacque. When the frustration of an argument that
hadn’t happened began to bubble up inside of her, Jacque realized
what she was doing. “Holy crap, I’ve resorted to imaginary fighting
with Jen in order to justify my actions,” she muttered as she
stepped over a fallen tree. She felt her baby kick her as though
agreeing with her ridiculousness. Okay, so maybe she had fallen off
the deep end, it wouldn’t be the first time.

As the climb began to steepen, she crested a
hill and looked around her. The air felt as if it was being sucked
from her lungs against her will. Jacque’s head turned slowly as she
took in the forest around her. It was not the familiar forest that
surrounded her Romanian pack mansion. The forest where she
currently found herself was miles away. She turned to the right and
saw the pond that she had walked into while under the trance
Desdemona had placed on her. The same pond in which Fane had dove
into in an attempt to save her. How had she gotten that far from
the mansion in a matter of minutes? Peri had told them many times
during their journeys into the forest that the forest had eyes and
ears. Even though this was the human realm, there was still a
certain amount of magic present because of all the supernatural
beings that chose to dwell here. It shouldn’t have surprised her
that the forest had influenced her trek, but that didn’t mean it
wasn’t disconcerting.

In all honesty, she had no idea where she
was going. The book she’d been reading in the pack library had
given specific details on how to contact the Fates, but not a
precise location. The paragraph in question had read:

There is a way to contact the Fates, but you
do so at your own peril. The Fates are not to be trifled with and
do not like being summoned by mortals. But they occasionally choose
to answer if they feel the reason for contact is one that is worthy
of their attention. If you do decide to pursue them, then these are
the things you must know. First, you must be far from civilization.
The Fates typically choose to cross over from their own realm into
areas of our realm that are unspoiled by humans and their
industrialization. It is best to attempt to contact them near dusk
when the sun is departing to make way for its sister to take up
residence in her place in the sky. As with most requests made to
supernatural beings, an offering is required. A blood offering is
the most respected but be careful where you let your blood fall.
There are beings that will be attracted to the power the Fates
radiate and might come seeking out the source. You do not want your
blood to fall into the care of any who could use it against you.
Once you have picked a destination, you will make your offering and
then speak the following words:

I have come to request an audience with
those who know past, present, and future.

Humbly I ask to present my request to
you.

I give an offering, a sacrifice of
blood.

And I kneel awaiting your answer.

Jacque didn’t particularly look forward to
the whole sacrificing her blood part, but she would do what was
necessary. After another half hour of walking, she came to an area
where several large boulders protruded from the mountainside.
Several of them looked perfect to use as a table to set out the
bowl, towel, and knife she’d brought to perform the ritual. She set
down her bag and stretched her tired muscles, tilting her head back
and gazing up at the tree tops that towered above her. She’d spent
most of the day doing research, which had eaten up a lot of her
daylight, but she’d still made it in time to begin at dusk. The sun
was already commencing its slow decent and less light was filtering
through the branches to the forest floor. The forest was still and
an eerie silence surrounded her. Jacque rubbed her arms absently as
the hair seemed to stand on end.

She shook off the creepy sensation and
turned back to her backpack and began unpacking the things she’d
need. The book hadn’t said to bring a candle, but it hadn’t said
not to either. The woods would grow dark quickly and, though she
had her wolf to assist with seeing in the dark, the human part of
her felt safer with some sort of light to break through the
darkness.

Once everything was laid out on the
improvised table, Jacque took several deep breaths and shook out
her hands, attempting to rid herself of the jitters that had
suddenly began to infect her limbs. She knew the minute that Fane
had felt her nerves because she felt his push against the closed
bond. Picturing a solid brick wall in her mind, she fortified the
barricade between them. It sickened her wolf to cause such
separation between them and their mate, but she couldn’t risk him
breaking through. Part of her wanted to ask for his forgiveness,
but if everything worked out, he wouldn’t even remember her so the
request would be futile.

With one final glance up at the sky beyond
the trees, she confirmed that it was time to begin. Jacque lit the
candle. She’d even remembered a lighter, which was impressive given
her forgetful pregnant mindset lately, and then she picked up the
knife.

As she pressed the blade to the palm of her
hand and held it over the bowl to catch the falling flow of blood,
the words she’d memorized flew from her lips, filling up the
silence that had suddenly descended around her. Jacque felt as if
all of nature was holding its breath―watching, waiting, and
wondering―just as she was to see if the Fates would make an
appearance. And if they did, would they grant her request? Once the
words were spoken and her blood coated the bottom of the bowl, she
wrapped the towel tightly around her palm. From the kneeling
position Jacque had taken during the invocation, she bowed her head
and waited to see if her world would be changed forever.

Chapter 4

F
ane was attempting to focus on Decebel’s words but his wolf
kept pulling his attention back to their mate. Sweat broke out
across his forehead as feelings of sorrow, fear, and apprehension
swept through him. He also felt a rush of adrenaline that had his
hands twitching just a little, which meant it wasn’t his own
adrenaline he was feeling―it was Jacquelyn’s. Fane reached for her
again by mentally pushing against the wall between them, and―to his
utter shock―he felt his mate making it stronger, putting all of her
will into keeping him from getting through.

Something is wrong,
his wolf growled to him.

“What was your first clue?” Fane snapped,
not realizing he’d spoken out loud until Decebel questioned him.
Fane looked up, his unfocused eyes clearing and seeing the Alpha’s
concerned gaze roving over his face.

“Are you alright?” Decebel asked.

Fane nearly choked on a laugh. Was he
alright? No, he wasn’t. He was as far from alright in that moment
as he had been since the first time he’d let the memories break
him. But now he knew it was not simply his own problems that were
troubling him.

“Something is wrong with Jacquelyn,” he
growled, unable to hide his frustration.

“Is she hurt? Is the baby okay?” The Alpha
took a step toward him, his natural instinct to protect kicking in
full force.

“She’s blocking me. I can’t feel her; I only
know she is alive.”

Decebel’s frown grew even darker. “If she’s
blocking you, then she’s up to something. Our mates are notorious
for digging themselves into graves while making sure we remain
ignorant to their exploits.”

Fane’s gut told him that Decebel was right.
Whatever was causing the strong emotions in his mate, it was of her
own making. That didn’t, in any way, reassure him that she was safe
and okay.

“Why do the two of you
look like you’ve sucked on a pound of lemon wedges?” Jen asked as
she sauntered into the room with Thia on her hip. “Seriously dudes,
the ‘
I might have a grape in my butt I’m
squeezing
’ look just does nothing for you
two no matter how hot you are.”

“Jacque is blocking Fane from her mind,”
Decebel answered, sounding every bit as irritated as Fane felt. He
didn't bother to respond to her snark.

“Oh dear,” Jen crooned. “What is my
redheaded girl up to, I wonder?”

“Jennifer, if you know something it wouldn’t
be smart to keep it from her mate.”

Jen eyed her mate and Fane knew it was a
look that behooved Dec to shut his mouth. Fane had been on the
receiving end of that look many times from his own mate. Too bad
male werewolves were too hardheaded to learn.

Decebel blew a sharp breath as he pinched
the bridge of his nose. “You know how protective we are of our
females.”

“You say protective; I say bordering on
unhealthy psychopathic codependency syndrome. But let’s not get
technical or anything,” Jen bit out through clinched teeth.

To Fane and Jen’s surprise, Decebel didn’t
take the bait. “Do you know anything?” he asked simply.

Jen stared at him for several seconds before
responding. “You know it’s not any fun when you don’t react.”

“Perhaps, I’ve finally learned my lesson,”
her mate countered.

Jen snorted. “You, a male Canis lupus,
learning his lesson? That’s like saying it’s possible for penguins
to tap dance out of your ass every time you fart.”

Had Fane not been so concerned about his
mate, he would have given that point to Jen. He was sure one day
her witty comebacks would make their way into a book for all of
humanity to experience.

With Decebel left glaring at her, she turned
to Fane. “She didn’t tell me anything. I asked her how you were
doing, tried to give her some much needed bedroom advice, and
talked about girl crap you guys aren’t privy to know about. That’s
all. I didn’t get the ‘I’m up to something’ vibe from her at all.”
Jen paused and tapped her lip. Thia was attempting to grab her
finger, no doubt so she could shove it into her little mouth and
gnaw on it. “That is a little disconcerting. Somebody look out the
window and tell me if the sky is falling because that’s as likely
as Red being able to keep something from me.”

“Maybe she wasn’t up to anything. Maybe she
decided to do something after she left you,” Fane suggested,
sounding calmer than he felt.

Jen shook her head. “I still should have
sensed something. I’ve known her since she squeezed herself out of
her mom’s girly bits.” She walked over to one of the loveseats in
Decebel’s office and sat down putting Thia in her lap. The worry
that was marring her mate’s and Fanes’ faces was now mirrored on
her own.

Fane turned toward the door intending to
leave and go sniff out his mate, literally, but Jen’s voice stopped
him.

“Maybe I should go,” she said and stood and
handed Thia to Decebel. “Sometimes a girl needs a little space. And
if that’s what she’s doing, putting a little space between you two,
then you tracking her down might not go over real well.”

Fane’s wolf was practically roaring at him
to ignore the female and go after their mate. To his beast there
was no such thing as space between them. And though Fane knew that
Jen’s words could be true, he didn’t like to think that his mate
needed space from him.