by Quinn Loftis
"Pretty much," Cynthia answered.
"Huh, who knew?" Jen's eyebrows rose as she considered her options.
"The problem is, and I don't know if he has talked with you about it, but Decebel is reluctant to push it."
"Well, if by talk you mean cornered me in the hall and tactfully told me he couldn't kiss me because, and I quote, 'it's not that simple, Jen,' then sure, he talked to me." Jen rolled her eyes at the memory of Decebel's words.
"What is it with men and their inability to commit?" Cynthia wondered out loud.
"I don't know that it's their inability to commit so much as they're just scared witless."
"Witless?" Cynthia smiled.
"Yeah, I'm trying to clean up my potty mouth."
"How's that going for you?" Cynthia teased.
"It's painful, but necessary." Jen winked at her. "Well, I don't really know what I can do about the B-man. I'm not saying I don't want to look into it because there is obviously something there – it's practically beating us both over the head. At the same time I can't make him do anything. Freaking stubborn flea infested punk."
Cynthia stood up from where she had been perched on Jen's bed. "You better get ready for tonight. All your bags have already been put in your closet, and the pack paid for some extra nice clothes for you to wear as well."
"How'd they know my size?"
"That's what nosy friends are for, Jen." Cynthia grinned as she headed for the door. "My advice to you, dormant – when a dominant won't do the necessary thing because other things in his life have made him leery, it may be necessary to force his hand."
Jen cocked her head to the side. "That has potential for disaster written all over it, doc." Jen smiled. "I like it!"
Cynthia laughed as she pulled the door closed behind her.
Jen headed for the closet and she started humming. She realized as she stepped into the closet that she was humming Katy Perry's “ET”. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the song. "Yaaaa, no, don't need to go there." And even alone she blushed at the memory of the pictures Sally had showed her from that utterly embarrassing morning. Thankfully Decebel had yet to bring it up, and Jen definitely would not be opening that particular can of “what the hell was I thinking.”
She started flipping through the clothes that had been hung by whoever had drawn that particular straw. She had to smile. Jacque and Sally had definitely had their grubby little paws all up in this little endeavor. It was apparent that they were dressing her to either make Decebel pant like the wolf he was, or to drive him insane with jealousy. This was going to be fun indeed…probably the understatement of the century as far as Jen was concerned. She grabbed an outfit and headed towards the bathroom. This time she was humming Natasha Bedingfield's “Strip Me”.
"I'm so messed up in the head." Jen laughed out loud.
Dillon Jacobs stood with his pack on the far left side of the large gathering room. He had yet to talk with Jacque because he wanted to let her get settled in. Then word had gotten around that Decebel had attacked Thad's Beta, so he had gone and talked with Vasile, who assured him things were most certainly out of control. Not the answer Dillon had been hoping for, but Vasile said it was a necessary evil. Dillon responded by saying the Americans were rubbing their pension for drama off on his pack. Vasile had simply laughed him off.
Dillon had decided that he better warn his wolves to be on alert for any retaliation from Thad's pack. His next warning had been for the unmated males of his pack, and had gone something like, "And for goodness' sakes, stay the hell away from Jennifer Adams. She's the blonde flirty one. If she heads your way, I had better see you running for the hills like your life depends on it. Because, frankly, it does." Of course, his more dominant wolves had seen this as a challenge and asked why, if Decebel and Jen weren't mated, did they not get to see if she was a potential mate for one of them? Dillon had calmly but firmly explained that Decebel was, in his own right, strong enough and dominant enough to be an Alpha of his own pack. Out of loyalty to Vasile he served him. In other words, he would wipe the floor with their hides if he felt challenged. Dillon did not come all the way to Romania to witness a bloodbath, and he certainly hadn't brought his mate to put her in harm's way.
Back in the present, Dillon felt arms slip around him from behind, bringing a smile to his face. He turned to look into his mate's eyes.
"How you hanging in there, Alpha mine?" Tanya asked him.
"I'm just ready for this week to be done. Preferably without loss of limbs or life."
Tanya smiled. "Such an optimist. Is Jacque just the same?"
"Sickeningly so." Dillon chuckled. "She really is a positive person. You're going to like her."
Tanya sighed. "The pertinent question is, will she like me?"
"Mate, what's not to like?"
Tanya laughed at her mate's teasing, thankful that he was beginning to loosen up a bit. She suddenly stiffened in his arms and Dillon turned his head to see what had caught her attention. The Romanian Pack had arrived and Jacque had just spotted them. He watched as she smiled and waved. He read her lips as she mouthed, "I'll come visit shortly." Dillon nodded and turned back to his mate.
"She said she will be over shortly, so you have a small reprieve to fret and worry some more, my love." Dillon grunted when Tanya retaliated by poking him in his ribs.
He saw the three other Alphas who had been involved with organizing The Gathering and decided it was time to take their seats.
He indicated towards the table that had been assigned to them. "Shall we?"
"Don't suppose we can bail out now?" Tanya asked, only half joking.
"Nope, I'm afraid we have dug our graves and now must get coffins measured for us."
"There you go again, ever the optimist." Tanya took the seat he pulled out for her and watched as the rest of their pack followed suit, ready to hear what the night's activities would be.
Chapter 14
Victor, Alpha of the Bulgaria pack, stood at the front of the room. Raising his voice so everyone could hear, he announced, "If everyone would please take their seats so we can get started. The quicker we get the business over with the sooner we eat."
A group of males at a table to his left all beat on the table and gave loud whoops at the mention of food.
Victor motioned for them to quiet down and waited a few more moments to allow everyone to get seated.
Jen went to reach for her chair at the table that had a sign in the center with elegant script that said Romanian Grey Wolves Pack. Before she could pull it, another hand reached past her and quickly slid the chair out.
"Allow me."
Jen turned abruptly, caught off guard by Damion's sudden appearance.
"I'm sorry, Jen. I did not mean to start you."
Jen couldn't help the grin. "You mean startle me."
"Oh. Um, yes. Startle you," Damion repeated. He backed up just a step and, without shame, looked her up and down.
Well, Jen thought, let's not be shy then. She knew what he saw. The black top she picked out was off the shoulder on one side, so one arm and half her back was left completely bare. It was encrusted with crystal rhinestones, which began at the top and continued on down, growing sparser as they went. The other arm was sleeved and came to her hand at a point and had a loophole for her middle finger to slip in. Her hair was up in a twist, beset by crystal rhinestone dangly earrings. She wore her, and her best friends', signature low-rise Lucky Brand jeans and there was a hint of flesh revealed when she moved. Black, high heel boots completed her ensemble.
"You look stunning," he told her as he took her by the hand and lifted it to turn her in a circle. "Let me get the whole effect."
Jen couldn't stop the blush that she knew was rising clear from her bare shoulder to the tips of her ears. When she was facing him again Damion grinned, and it was one of those easygoing grins that you can't help but smile back at. So she did.
Then, as if just remembering what he was doing, he motioned to he
r chair,."Please, have a seat. I just wanted to come by and make sure you were okay after this afternoon's -" he paused, and Jen beat him to it.
"Disaster?" she offered.
"Exactly. Your Beta was very upset."
Jen snorted. "Understatement. I'm fine. No matter his temper, B would never hurt me."
"B?"
"Yeah. It's not for what you might think, although I am tempted at times. B for Beta," Jen told him with a wink.
Damion grinned and pushed her chair in as she sat down. He leaned over her shoulder, too close for her comfort. "Save me a dance tonight, won't you?"
Jen was so tense at his nearness that she finally just nodded to get him to move back. He straightened up and walked away just as Decebel arrived.
"What did he want?" he asked Jen, then looked at her for the first time. His eyes glowed immediately. Score one for the little man, Jen thought. Decebel recovered quickly. "What are you wearing?"
"Let's deal with both of these absurd questions one at a time, fur ball, because they each deserve equal amounts of grief. First, Damion asked me to marry him and have his babies. Lots and lots of babies," Jen told him with a completely straight face.
Sally nearly choked on the gum she'd been chewing and Costin, who was standing next to Decebel, began to cough.
Decebel growled.
"I'm considering it," Jen addressed Sally. "I mean, what do you think, Sal? It's not like I've had any other offers and who knows if I will ever find my true mate. Gosh, if I can even have a true mate, that is."
Sally was trying desperately to keep a straight face. "Well, you don't want to rush these things, Jen. After all, you are only eighteen."
Jen tapped her chin as if to really think about it. "That is true. But if I hook up with Damion now, just think of all the little flea catchers we could make together. Think about how some would have my blonde hair and his – OWWWW!" Jen yelled.
Her head snapped around to look at who had pinched her. To her utter surprise it was Alina, and there was a gleam in her eyes Jen had never seen.
"Jen, tone it down just a little, okay?" Jen knew this was her Luna speaking, not Fane's mother. It was her first glimpse at Alina really putting her foot down.
Jen nodded and turned to look at Decebel. The smug look on his face erased all chance of toning it down. "And second, I'm wearing what was hung in my closet. Which was bought and paid for by this pack, and I look awesome. So unless the words that are fixing to come out of your mouth are, Jen, you look awesome, or Daaang girl, you are hot – I would even accept, I like your shirt, Jen – unless it's along those lines, I strongly suggest you just keep that muzzle of yours closed."
She turned back towards the table, looking anywhere but at Decebel, who had taken a seat next to her. She could feel the anger pulsing from him; it was nearly tangible. She wondered if anyone else was picking up his vibes as strongly. Whatever, she thought, I'm done dealing with him for today. Jen decided right then that she was going to have fun tonight, and that was that.
Jen maneuvered to look at the front of the room along with everyone else, when a tall, lean man began to speak.
"On behalf of the other Alphas who helped arrange this historic meeting, I want to say thank you to everyone for coming. My name is Victor. I am Alpha to the Bulgaria Pack. My mate is Adrianna." He indicated a tall slender woman who stood briefly from her seat and gave a small wave.
"As your Alphas have told you, the purpose of this Gathering is to allow unmated Canis lupis the opportunity to meet others whom they otherwise might have never met. Let's face it, the odds are stacked against us when it comes to finding our true mates. Some have been looking for centuries, to no avail. It is our sincerest hope that many of you will indeed find your true mates among those here." Victor paused as another man walked up to the front. "I want to introduce you to Thad. He is the Alpha to the Serbia Pack, and the mastermind behind The Gathering."
Thad thanked Victor and turned to address the room.
"We understand that we took a risk in bringing so many unmated males and putting them in such a confined area with females. Rest assured we have taken measures to protect everyone and those who do fight will request a proper challenge. The challenges made will not be to the death, but to submission. We did not come here to lose pack members. Make no mistake, there will be severe consequences for those who do not control themselves and their wolf." Thad looked over to Victor's mate and motioned for her to join him. "Now I will turn it over to our event coordinator, Adrianna."
The tall she-wolf made her way to the front and Jen noticed how graceful she was as she walked, so feminine. She was very pretty with long, dark chocolate hair, thin lips, and big brown eyes.
Jen realized she was able to see Adrianna way too well for the distance at which she was sitting. This is getting weirder and weirder, she thought. Going to have to have another chat with Cynthia.
"Tonight will be one of three nights that we meet as a complete group. On the other nights, each pack will have its own meal in a designated location. If you are so blessed and meet your true mate and want to have a dinner alone, you may request one via the drop box at the entrance to this room. Simply write your request, the time you wish to eat, and where. It will be arranged.
Now, your Alphas have each been given an itinerary with your specific schedule on it. Please follow the schedule. We have arranged it so that every female and male will have a chance to meet in one of the group settings. If this seems a little too planned for you, I will tell you there is a method to our madness. You see, an idle, unmated male werewolf is a potential problem. So we have attempted to avoid the problem altogether by ensuring there is something for you all to do at all times. If you are not having a group activity then you will be with your pack.
Tonight's festivities are simple – we will dine together as one big family. Then the room will be cleared for dancing and mingling.
Those are all the announcements for now, so without further adieu, dinner is served." As she announced dinner, women and men carrying trays of food were suddenly bustling about the room, setting down dishes and drinks on tables.
Jen looked over at Sally. "I'm having serious Hogwarts deja vu."
"I'm so with you."
The room settled down into quiet murmurs as people began filling their plates with food. As Jen reached for the salad bowl at the same time Decebel did, their hands touched. Jen jerked hers away so fast that she dropped the bowl. Thanks to werewolf reflexes, Decebel caught it before it spilled all over the table. Jen never even looked his direction. She was angry. So angry, in fact, that she didn't understand why she was sitting next to him.
She looked at Sally and waited until she caught her eye. Then she motioned between them with a small hand movement. Sally knew Jen very well and understood instantly what she wanted.
Sally nodded “okay,” because she also knew that Jen was a major hothead. She might do something she would regret if she continued to sit next to Decebel while obviously angry with him.
Jen stood up and grabbed her plate. Decebel started to say something, but Alina once again stepped in. She placed a hand on Decebel, drawing his attention, and simply shook her head. Decebel growled but let Jen pass without engaging her.
Sally stood as well and walked around, swapping chairs with Jen.
"So, how does everyone like their rooms?" Jacque asked, trying to smooth over the tense moment.
"Our room's great. Isn't it, Mariana?" Crina piped in.
Mariana nodded and swallowed the bite she had just taken before she answered, "Oh, definitely great."
"Excellent," Jacque said awkwardly.
The rest of the meal was carried out in near silence with only minute amounts of small talk here and there. When the plates were cleared from the tables they were all directed to stand on the edges of the room while most of the tables were folded up and removed with most of the chairs.
Jacque grabbed Fane's hand and looked at Jen and Sally. "I've got to run o
ver and say hi to Dillon and meet his mate."
"You want us to come?" Jen asked.
Jacque shook her head. "No, I got this." This was something she needed to do on her own…well, on her own with Fane.
She found them in the same corner they had occupied earlier, standing and watching just as the Romanian pack had been.
"Hey, Jacque." Dillon's face brightened as he pulled her into an awkward hug.
"Hi, um, Dad," Jacque fumbled.
Jacque's hand tightened on Fane's as Dillon pulled his mate over to his side.
"Easy, love. You don’t have to be besties," Fane soothed through their bond.
"Did you just say besties?" she asked incredulously.
"Luna, I'm surrounded by three teenage girls. What do you really expect?"
"Huh, guess I shouldn't be surprised." She shrugged inwardly.
Fane chuckled.
Jacque brought her attention back to her father and his mate when Dillon introduced Tanya.
"Jacque, this is Tanya Jacobs, my mate and Luna of our pack."
Jacque smiled with what she hoped was a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, Tanya."
Tanya's smile was warm and genuine. "Dillon has told me a lot about you,"
