The Burning Claw

by Quinn Loftis

  “I love you,” Lucian added before slipping out of her mind.

  “I know, wolf. And oddly enough, I love you.” She heard his chuckle, though it sounded like he was far away.

  Jacque rubbed her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling. She, Jen, and Peri had been talking for over an hour about their plan to go and check on Sally. Hopefully, if all went well, they could attempt to slowly bring her memory back. Jacque was exhausted, but she was also very excited.

  “You two had better keep this blocked from your mates, at least until they’re too far away to do anything about it,” Peri warned the two girls for the hundredth time.

  “Why are you acting scared of our mates?” Jen laughed. “You aren’t really afraid of them.”

  “There are other things to dread besides injury or death,” Peri told them. “And enduring your pissed off mates is one of those things.”

  Jacque couldn’t fault her there. When their mates got wound up about something, they took all of their normal annoying tendencies and intensified them to an almost unbearable degree.

  “Are you ever coming to bed, Luna?” Fane’s voice in her mind startled Jacque and she sat up abruptly.

  “We got to wrap this up,” Jacque said as she whirled her finger in the air.

  “Daddy missing Mommy?” Jen asked with a wink.

  Jacque held up her hand to her best friend. “It’s too late for your perverted mind.”

  “What better time to be a pervert than late at night?” Jen challenged.

  “She’s got a point,” Peri said with a single brow raised.

  Jacque rolled her eyes at the fae. “If you’re agreeing with Jen about when being a pervert is appropriate, it’s time to head home and have play time with your white wolf.”

  “Jacquelyn?” Fane growled.

  “Hold your bloody horses,” she snapped sounding harsher than she’d intended.

  “I don’t have any bloody horses. I don’t have any horses. I have a wolf who wants his mate—now.”

  Jacque grumbled as she stood to her feet and stretched her hands over her head. “So, the guys head out tomorrow super early—” Jacque began.

  “We will leave two hours after them. That will give them plenty of time to have covered some significant ground,” Peri said.

  “And you’re sending Cyn away so they can’t bully her into coming and getting us?” asked Jen.

  “She and Thalion are already on their way back to his realm. They need to keep an eye on his father.”

  “I’ll talk to my mom and Alina about—” Jacque started, but the sound of her cell phone ringing cut her off. She pulled it out of her back pocket and didn’t bother to look at the screen. She had a pretty good idea that it was Fane. “What?” she huffed.

  “Alina and I can take care of Slate and Thia,” Lilly’s voice came through the phone smooth and gentle.

  “You saw something?” Jacque asked. Peri and Jen were both on their feet at her question.

  “You and Jen have to be with Sally, especially when Costin finds her. It is imperative that you be with her,” Lilly said in a desperate voice.

  “Mom,” Jacque said. “What did you see?”

  “Tell Vasile that he has to find Costin. There’s going to be more bloodshed before they find him. But if they don’t find him in time, he will cross the line and he won’t be able to come back.” Lilly paused and let out a mournful sigh. “So much darkness surrounds him. He’s empty. He’s aching for her. I felt it, Jacque, in my vision. I felt what Costin is feeling. It’s…” She swallowed thickly. “It’s awful.”

  “They’ll find him. They will,” Jacque assured her.

  “I’ll be there before you leave tomorrow,” Lilly told her. “I love you.”

  “Thanks, mom. I love you too.”

  Jacque disconnected the call and slipped the phone back into her pocket. “Mom says we have to be with Sally.”

  Peri didn’t look pleased by the information. “That doesn’t mean your mates will be okay with the situation.”

  “Okay with what?” Fane’s voice said from the doorway.

  “With us having a multi-pack orgy. We’ve planned one for the fall and we’re trying to pick a theme,” Jen said conversationally as if she was talking about shopping for a new summer blouse. “We were thinking of doing like a Village People thing, but that just seemed a bit cliché. So I think we’re just going to play up the whole beauty and the beast thing.

  “Jacquelyn,” Fane growled. His eyes had turned a bright blue as he closed the distance between them. “Make her stop talking.”

  Jacque turned to look at Jen and then back to Fane. She was about to ask if he was serious, but he surprised her by sweeping her up in his arms. He turned and carried her from the room without a backward glance. Jacque stared back at them helplessly as her mate carted her off.

  “Are you okay?” she asked him as he walked up the stairs to the floor where their suite was located.

  He looked at her, his eyes still glowing, and then buried his face in her neck. Fane took in deep breaths as he continued to walk. Jacque didn’t know how he wasn’t walking into a wall, but then his mouth started moving against the flesh where his bite was located, and her mind couldn’t think clearly.

  They reached their door and he pushed it open as he pulled back and looked into her eyes. It worried her that his wolf was still looking back at her.

  “I heard what your mother said about Costin,” Fane said finally. He set her on her feet on the ground but didn’t step away from her.

  Jacque’s stomach dropped. “How much did you hear?”

  Fane’s head tilted, an action that reminded Jacque of exactly what his wolf would do. “Just the part about Costin and how awful he feels. Was there something else?”

  “She said that you guys needed to find him quickly,” Jacque said as she turned toward the nursery. “Is Slate—” she started to ask.

  “Mom’s got him. She wanted to let us get a good night’s sleep. She has everything she needs. There was frozen milk, so I gave her that.”

  Jacque nodded, disappointed that she didn’t get to hold their son before she went to bed.

  “How are you feeling?” Fane asked her. His eyes were intense and he watched her closely.

  “I feel fine,” she told him honestly. “I can’t even tell that I had a baby…or nearly died.”

  He growled at her mention of their near death. “Do you?” Fane paused and took a step closer, placing both his hands on her waist. Touching her seemed to bring him a measure of calm that he really needed. “Do you feel up to…” His breathing hitched as Jacque’s mind caught on to what he was asking.

  She felt her skin heat up and trembled when Fane ran a finger across her blushing cheek. He seemed mesmerized by her. His eyes were roving over her face as if he was trying to memorize it.

  He leaned his head down until his forehead was pressed against hers. Jacque could feel his warm breath on her face. His finger continued to trail across her jaw, down her neck, and across her collar bone. As he reached the swell of her breast, his chest rumbled. “I need you,” he told her simply.

  Fane’s voice was thick with emotion and guttural with his wolf. There was so much he was trying to convey to her in those three little words. Jacque pulled her head back and then took the hand that was still resting on her hip. She linked their fingers together and then pulled him to follow her. Fane trailed her, his other hand grazing her hair and back, into their room.

  Jacque was trembling as she turned to face him once again. The bond was open and all of Fane’s emotions were filling her, adding to her own intense feelings.

  “You are so beautiful,” he murmured as he pushed the hair away from her neck. His hands trailed down to the front of her shirt and he began unbuttoning her blouse. Jacque was shocked to see Fane’s hands shaking as he slipped button after button through the little holes. As soon as the last one was undone, Fane reached up and pushed the shirt from her shoulders. She let it slide d
own her arms, the fabric brushing against her sensitive skin causing her to shiver.

  “Are you cold?” he asked her as he pulled his own shirt off and then pressed their bodies together, skin against skin.

  Jacque shook her head but couldn’t get any words out as she closed her eyes and just let herself feel. Every nerve ending was lit up and her body hummed with the desire that her mate was building in her. His fingers trailed over her skin, moving up her arms, down her chest, and across her stomach. She sucked in a breath as she felt his mouth against her shoulder. He pressed his lips over and over to her skin, swirling his tongue out and nipping her with his teeth. Jacque bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

  “You don’t have to be quiet, Luna,” Fane whispered against her ear. “I want to hear how I affect you.” His hands moved to finish undressing her and, with every piece of clothing that fell to the floor, Fane would stop and worship whatever skin was exposed before moving on to the next piece of fabric.

  By the time he laid her down on their bed, Jacque was begging him to move faster but he never did. Fane was methodical in his pursuit of her. He kissed each fingertip, sucked on the inside of her wrist and elbow, and massaged her calves and thighs as he touched her.

  “I love you,” he whispered as he covered her flushed and needy body with his own. His blue eyes met hers and never left as he made love to her.

  Fane was fighting for control of his wolf. Touching his mate was only making the wolf push harder to take control, but the man wouldn’t relinquish this time. He reveled in her body, her perfect form. He was in awe of the fact that she carried their child and was able to provide life for him. As he looked down at her, his breath caught. She was a sight to behold. Her hair splayed out around her like a rippling red sea. Her skin was flushed and glistening as it responded to his every touch.

  Jacquelyn’s lips parted slightly as she sucked in air, trying to catch her breath. Fane couldn’t describe what had come over him; he just knew that he needed the connection with his mate. He needed to feel her, to hear her, to see her, and to taste her. Jacquelyn denied him nothing. She offered herself up as she felt his need through their bond. Fane didn’t hide anything from her. She was well aware of his desires and how he longed for her.

  He made love to her for hours until they were both spent and could do nothing more than hold each other.

  He whispered to her in his language and, as she snuggled closer, she asked him, “What did you just say?”

  “I said you humble me with the gift of your body, your heart, and your soul.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead as Jacquelyn let out a contented sigh.

  “Sleep, my love. You’ve earned it.”

  She laughed and pinched his stomach. “Don’t gloat, wolf-man. It doesn’t suit you.”

  “You suit me,” he told her, as he pulled her tighter against him. Mine, his wolf huffed into his mind as both man and wolf basked in the scent of their mate and the feel of her against his skin.

  “Yours,” Jacquelyn whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

  Decebel watched as his mate entered the suite they used when staying at the Romania pack. She looked tired, but no less beautiful and desirable than always. She moved about the room—slipping off her shoes, grabbing an empty glass that sat on the end table and taking it to the kitchen, and then stopping in the kitchen. Her back was to him and he frowned as she leaned forward, rested her head on the countertop, and began to cry. Her shoulders shook with emotion and her hands grasped the counter with such force that her knuckles were turning white.

  “Jennifer,” Decebel called as he strode across the room to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up and then turned her to face him. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head as more tears fell and she pressed her forehead to his chest. He clenched his jaw as he held his weeping mate, unable to fix whatever it was that had his mate in tears.

  “Please, talk to me, Jennifer.”

  “I just can’t believe Peri found her,” she finally managed to get out around the gulps of air. “I want to see her. I want to see with my own eyes that she’s okay.”

  He ran his hand gently down her hair as he attempted to soothe her. “I know you do, baby. And you will. Be patient.”

  “When has that ever been one of my virtues?” she grumbled. Her small hands were wrapped around his shirt, holding him to her.

  Decebel chuckled. “You have many other virtues,” he told her.

  Jennifer snuggled closer as the tears began to dry up. “I’m tired, Dec.”

  He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Decebel helped her undress and slip on one of his t-shirts that swallowed her. He loved seeing her in his clothes; it was almost as good as seeing her without any clothes—almost.

  “Your mind is having impure thoughts, lover,” she teased him as she wiped away the last bit of moisture from her eyes.

  Decebel wanted to keep the tears at bay, and if seducing his mate would keep her mind and emotions under control, then it was certainly no hardship for him. “Are they really impure if they’re about my mate?” he asked as he took off his shirt and then his pants. He pulled back the covers on the bed and watched as she climbed in. The shirt rose up, exposing more of her silky thighs, and his thoughts went from impure to completely inappropriate.

  He slid in next to her and reached for one of the legs that had tempted him and pulled her closer. Decebel placed the leg over his hip and his hands grasped her waist. He pulled her over until she was nearly laying on top of him.

  “Comfortable?” she mumbled against his chest. Her lips were soft as they moved against his skin.

  Decebel grunted at her, too focused on his hands trailing over her to bother answering. She shivered as he pushed the t-shirt up further. He smiled. He loved how she responded to him.

  “I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

  “You don’t ever have to miss me, baby. All you have to do is tell me you need me and I’m yours.”

  He felt her smile against him. “If I did that, then we’d never get anything done.”

  His own smile widened. “You are quite insatiable.”

  “You love it,” she growled as she climbed up his body until she hovered over him, boxing him in.

  “Maybe,” he shrugged. “It’s been a while so I can’t really remember.”

  She lunged down and clamped her teeth on his neck just hard enough to get his and his wolf’s attention. “Then perhaps I need to remind you,” Jennifer purred after releasing his flesh.

  Decebel trailed his hands up the backs of her thighs, pulling the hem of the shirt up as he moved. As the hem reached her neck, she ducked down allowing her head and arms to slip free of the shirt.

  He growled his approval as he pulled her face to his. “I think a reminder is definitely in order.” Decebel’s lips collided with hers. It was the first of many kisses that night. He wrapped her in his arms as she loved him and thoroughly reminded him of just how much he loved her insatiability.

  Chapter 18

  “I’m lost. I’m lost to the darkness, lost to the pain, lost to the desire to kill everything in my path because there is no light to lead me. My light is gone. My soul is incomplete. My wolf, in his grief for the loss of his mate, has given himself over to the monster inside. Everything I feared has come true.” ~Costin

  Sally stretched as the morning light streamed into her bedroom. It had been another rough night as dreams of wolves plagued her. She didn’t understand her sudden obsession with the animal, at least in her subconscious. Not that they weren’t beautiful and majestic, but she’d never had a thing for them before. It just seemed so random…and yet not. Then she remembered her experience on the beach and mentally added one more thing to her growing list of WTH.

  She glanced at her phone and saw that it wasn’t even seven a.m. She groaned and threw herself back onto the bed. Why was she up so early? After last night’s late night with Jericho, she assumed she w
ould have no problem sleeping in today. Apparently, she was wrong.

  The bathroom called to her in more ways than one, so Sally dragged herself from the bed and handled her business before going into the kitchen and fixing herself a bowl of cereal. Once she was finished with breakfast, she laid around the house, attempting to keep herself entertained by reading. The more she tried not to worry about the dreams, the headaches, and Jericho, the more agitated she became.

  “Jericho,” she whispered. Her emotions for him were so confusing, especially after last night. Something had changed in him. He was always touchy, but last night he’d been determined to move their relationship to the next level. Sally had never had a guy try to touch her chest before or run his hands up the inside of her thighs. She’d pushed him away and he’d taken the rejection like a gentleman, telling her they could go as slow as she needed. She wanted to say that her speed was frozen molasses and see what Jericho said to that, but as usual she kept her mouth shut. The only reason she’d been brave enough to push his hands away was because she had had to swallow down bile as soon as he touched her so intimately. She had nearly barfed all over him.

  Sally felt bad for him. He deserved a girl who cared for him as much as he cared for her. She liked him. He was funny, playful, and very handsome. But she didn’t think she liked him liked him despite the fact that he was quite the kisser and his touch was pleasurable, when not in places that his hands didn’t belong, Sally still couldn’t muster up any romantic feelings for him. That begged the question then, why was she dating him? Why didn’t she just tell him that she wanted to be friends and only friends?

  “Cause you’re a fraidy cat,” she grumbled to herself.

  By the time she needed to leave to make it to the bar in time for the start of her shift, Sally had worked herself into a pretty high state of apprehension. She would be working with Jericho tonight and anytime they worked together he touched her about every three seconds. And every time he touched her, she felt as though she was giving something to him that belonged to another.