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  Decebel's smile was as wicked as any she herself had dished out to him. "Quit what, micul meu lup?" he asked as he continued to touch her.

  Jen growled and jumped up. She turned to look at him, but she wasn't angry. "So what do we do?"

  "I think you Americans call it hooking up." Decebel raised one eyebrow at Jennifer.

  "Do you really want to go there again?" she teased. "It would be more like hanging out, B. Hooking up tends to imply a more physical involvement, if you catch my meaning."

  "Consider it caught." He winked, which only succeeded in causing her heart to nearly stop.

  I have got it bad, Jen thought to herself.

  "So we just hang, talk, and see what happens?" she asked him as she leaned back against a post on the gazebo.

  "Sounds about right." Decebel stood and walked up to her. He left a little space in between them. A little more would have been better for Jen's comfort but she tried to act as if it didn't bother her.

  "I'm going to ask something of you, Jennifer," he told her seriously.

  "I'm listening." Jen tilted her chin up and gave him her full attention.

  "My wolf is not coping well with the idea of others near you, touching you. I realize that there is no getting around it, but he doesn't. For all intents and purposes he has claimed you, mating signs be damned,"

  Jen's breath caught at his declaration.

  "So what I'm asking is, for lack of a better term, reassurance in your -" Decebel searched for the right word. Jennifer beat him to it, as she often did.

  "Intentions, interest, attraction?" Jen grinned, she tended to go overboard on the vocabulary when she was nervous, which she was. Nervous, that is.

  "All of the above."

  "Okay. So I scratch your back, you scratch mine, right?"

  Decebel's head cocked to the side as he drew even closer. Jen realized that she had unleashed a monster with her unabashed flirting. The question was no longer could he handle what she dished, but would she survive what he poured out on her? If she were honest with herself she would say she didn't yet know the answer to that question. But where's the fun in being honest with myself?

  "I take that this saying means that you will need the same reassurance from me." Decebel placed his hands on her hips and pulled her away from the post and close to him. Jen gasped as her hands came up to his chest. Her breathing quickened and she watched his eyes follow her movement as she licked her lips.

  Is he going to kiss me? Am I ready for him to kiss me? Jen laughed at that question. Has Joan Rivers had enough plastic surgery to qualify as a plastic figurine? Enough said.

  "I wish the answer to that was no," she told him. "I don't like being the clingy, insecure chick."

  Decebel chuckled and she felt the rumble vibrate through her hands clear to her soul.

  "You are anything but clingy and insecure, Jennifer. Mysterious, confident, playful, beautiful, too sexy for your own good? Definitely. But never clingy or insecure."

  "Are you trying to rack up brownie points, wolf?"

  "Is it working?"

  "I'll never admit it." She winked at him.

  He squeezed her hips one time with his strong hands and looked into her eyes. "You will not doubt at any moment my intentions or interest in you. Are we clear?"

  "Crystal," she said absently as she watched his amber eyes begin to glow. It took everything in her not to grab the front of his shirt and pull his lips to hers. Decebel must have seen it written all over her face. He lifted one eyebrow in a silent challenge. She wouldn't be the one to make the first move, not with her wolf. Decebel chuckled, and much to her disappointment dropped his hands and stepped back.

  "I suppose I should escort you back to your room," he told her as he once again tucked her hand into his arm and began walking down the steps.

  Jen grinned. "You don't want to go back and dance?"

  Decebel looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I think we've both endured enough for the night. Don't you, micul meu lup?"

  "Oh, come on, B. Surely you aren't one to run away from a little excitement?" she taunted.

  "Being close to you is quite enough excitement for me, I assure you."

  Jen blushed. Okay, that is just going to have to stop. I am not some fainting violet, she growled in her mind.

  Decebel chuckled as if he could hear her inner monologue. The crazy thing was that she wanted him to hear her inner dialogue as bad as she wanted him to finally pull her to him and kiss her senseless. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, Jen laughed at herself.

  Decebel dropped her off at her door, but before he left he pulled her to him, wrapping her up in a snug embrace. He tucked his head into her neck and took a deep breath. She let out a contented sigh. If this was what Jacque experienced when Fane held her, she didn't know how she ever let him let her go.

  "Are you planning on taking a shower tonight?" he asked her, taking her completely off guard.

  "Moving a little fast, aren't we?"

  Decebel actually blushed. "I'm being selfish and a little underhanded, actually," he explained.

  "And what does me taking a shower have to do with it?"

  "Have you noticed how much Fane touches Jacque? Especially before they were bonded?"

  "How could we not? They were attached at the hip. Well, when she wasn't being fought over or abducted, that is."

  "Remember, we aren't human, Jennifer. When I touch you, because there is a certain amount of attraction between us, and because my wolf has claimed you, I leave my scent on you. It's kind of like a calling card to other males. I hugged you that close to put as much of my scent on you as possible without," he cleared his throat before finishing, "getting more physical."

  Jen made an "ahh" motion with her mouth. Then her head cocked to the side. "Do I leave a scent on you?"

  Decebel grinned. "Like my own personal perfume," he teased.

  "So you want to know if I'm going to take a shower because it will wash your scent off?"

  "That's correct."

  "I really would like to," she admitted reluctantly, because truth be told she liked the idea of having Decebel's scent surrounding her.

  Decebel released her. He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. "Then I will come see you early before we go down for breakfast. We can't be seen as being overly interested in one another. Although Vasile understands, the other Alphas do not."

  "Gotchya. So I'll see you in the morning, then?"

  Decebel nodded. "Sleep well, Jennifer," he told her as he raised his hand and gently ran his thumb across her lips, almost as if he were imagining what they would feel like if he kissed her. She wanted to dare him to find out but instead she smirked. Fat chance, that.

  Decebel smiled as he left her staring after him like a love struck teenager. "That's what you are, dummy," she muttered as she turned and went into her room.

  Sally and Jacque were lounging on her bed. No surprise there.

  "Spill the goods, Jen. Where have you been and why do you have that goofy ass grin nearly splitting your face open?" Jacque quipped.

  Chapter 16

  Jen spun in a circle. "I'm basking in the glow. Don't ruin my buzz."

  Sally sat up. "You've been with Decebel," she accused.

  "Been working on your sleuthing, Watson?" Jen asked with raised eyebrows.

  "Not really. There's just nothing, or anyone, who could make you look so smitten."

  Jen began undressing, not even caring that she had company. She was the immodest one and they were used to it.

  "Decebel told me he wants me and that his wolf has claimed me as his mate," she threw out there without any warning.

  This time it was Jacque who sat up abruptly. "Just like that? No 'hey, want to see a movie?' or 'I'm thinking we might have some intense mojo going on'? Just bam," Jacque smacked her hands together, "you're my mate?"

  Jen grabbed a pair of boxers and t-shirt. She figured she wasn't going to get a shower until she spilled ever
y detail to these two – not that she hadn't once demanded the same of Jacque.

  "I think we both just don't want to play any games. Well, not ones that are going to hurt us. You know I'm still going to make him work for it, but at least we both know where we stand."

  "So what else did he say?" Sally asked eagerly.

  Jen proceeded to go over – verbatim, she might add – her and Decebel's conversation. Jacque and Sally hung on every word.

  "So did he kiss you?" Jacque asked.

  "No," Jen's face fell, " he put his hands on my hips and pulled me close. And bloody hell, Jacque, you could have helped a sister out and prepared me."

  Jacque grinned. "It's good, isn't it?"

  Jen smiled wistfully. "Better than eating Godiva chocolate and watching Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt while taking a hot bubble bath. Which, yes, I have done…all of the above…at the same time."

  Sally laughed, "Only you would chance putting a television so near a bathtub."

  "We all have our vices, Sal," Jen said unrepentantly.

  "So the verdict is basically y'all are going to pursue this behind the Alphas' backs." Jacque more stated than asked.

  "I just love a good scandal." Jen beamed.

  "Especially when you're right in the middle," Sally added.

  "Don't you know it." Jen stood up from the chair she had been occupying while she recapped her evening. "Oh, one more thing," she added absently as she headed towards her bathroom to shower, "He told me he wanted his scent on me. So he's coming by in the morning early before breakfast."

  "Shut. Up," Jacque sputtered.

  "And how exactly is he going to accomplish this, Jennifer Adams?" Sally's motherly tone was sharp. Jen found it quite amusing when Sally got all protective.

  "Why Sally, how dare you." Jen laid on the thickest southern belle accent she could. "You imply that I would allow that wolf to put his paws on me."

  "Oh, honey, I'll do more than imply it," Sally retorted.

  "Then you know me better than I thought." Jen winked.

  "Jennifer!" Sally said, outraged. "I thought you wanted to wait."

  "Oh chillax, Polly Prude. All he's going to do is hug me. Geez, here I thought my mind was the only one that lived in the gutter. I didn't realize you were looking for real estate, Sal."

  Jacque jumped up off the bed. "Alright. Well, don’t do anything I would do." Jacque winked. "Of course, I'm licensed to,"

  This time Sally yelled Jacque's name. "What is with you two?"

  "We've got to get you a man, Sally," Jen threw out as she shut the bathroom door.

  "I don't need a man," Sally growled. "I have my hands full enough as it is with you two."

  "Well, maybe it's time you got your hands full of something else," Jen yelled through the door. They heard the rush of the shower starting.

  Jacque cackled. "Nice."

  Sally followed Jacque out of the room, and Jacque laughed more as she heard Sally mutter under her breath, "I'll show you need a man. Puuuhlease, you two need your mouths washed out with soap, or better yet bleach. No, no, actually. Bleach and soap."

  Jen emerged from the bathroom, clean and completely de-Decebeled, to a knock at her door. She told the little part in her that hoped it was said wolf to pipe down.

  She opened the door to find Crina and Marianna standing outside her door.

  "Hey ladies, what's up?" Jen asked and stepped back so they could enter.

  "Hope it isn't too late to come by," Marianna told her as they walked in.

  "I'm a night owl, so no worries."

  "Marianna and I were bored," Crina started.

  "Translation," Marianna interrupted, "Crina's bored. I'm dragged along."

  Jen grinned.

  "So we were thinking, you know how tomorrow we're supposed to go to the gym to learn self defense from the Serbia pack males?"

  "Yeah," Jen said, already interested in a possible scheme – oh, how she loved schemes.

  "There will be another group of females there as well, so I figure they'll probably introduce our packs. I – well, we," Crina said, looking at Marianna, who just snorted at her, "were thinking how funny it would be if when they introduce our pack we did some sort of cheer or dance or something. Like what you Americans do for your sports teams."

  "You're wanting to stick it to the man. I'm totally digging it."

  "Sticking what to what man?"

  "It's just a saying, when you want to rebel against authority."

  Marianna nodded.

  "You realize Vasile will be upset about this, right?" Jen asked.

  Crina gave a very Jen-like smile. "Never stopped us before."

  "Nice." Jen smirked.

  "For the record I'm usually the innocent bystander," Marianna added, but winked at Jen afterward.

  "Uh huh, sure you are. Okay, so let's do this." Jen paused. "Um, where are we going to do this exactly?"

  "The gym. It was empty when Marianna and I checked on our way here," Crina told her.

  "Lead the way, Thelma."

  "Who's Thelma?"

  Jen shook her head. "I can see a major movie night is in order."

  The girls made it to the gym without encountering anyone, for which they were grateful.

  "So Jen, were you a cheerleader in school?" Marianna asked.

  "No, I was usually one of the ones making fun of the cheerleaders. But I'm really good at rhyming and songs, so I'll come up with the cheer. Crina, I saw your moves on the dance floor. You and Marianna put together some moves, okay?"

  They nodded and got to work.

  An hour later, Jen had composed a complete cheer and Crina was perfecting the dance moves to go along with it.

  "Alright, let's do it from the top," Crina told them.

  They each got in their designated spots and on Jen's count, they started.

  "Shimmy, shimmy, shake, shake,

  We know you want some, of this cake.

  Shimmy, shimmy, bye, bye,

  Still others want, some of the pie.

  Careful boys don't get too near,

  It's not our Alphas you should fear.

  Grubby, Grubby, paws, paws

  You know you want to, break some laws.

  Double, Double, dog dare,

  You pant and growl, while you stare.

  Sorry but, we're not that easy.

  Turn around, if you want sleazy.

  Get it, get it, Got it, Got it,

  Too bad you can't, get up on it.

  Wolf, wolf, big, bad,

  Turn us down and we'll be mad.

  We may be fine, and smokin' hot,

  But gentle she-wolves we are not.

  Run, run, male, male,

  We know you want some of this tail.

  Hit it, hit it, tap it, tap it,

  You could not find it, if we mapped it.

  We told you once, now that's twice,

  We don't play fair, we don't do nice.

  Growl, growl, drool, drool,

  No pups with us, you silly fool.

  Watch us, watch us, run, run,

  Try to catch us, if you're that dumb.

  You can look, maybe even touch,

  We promise not to hurt you much.

  Boys, boys, don't run away,

  We've more games we want to play.

  Challenge, Challenge, Fights, Fights,

  Who will get, my Blood Rites.

  We know you each, have a plan,

  Catch us, catch us, if you can.”

  The girls were panting by the time they finished. They actually all had a pretty hard time keeping a straight face as they pulled off the moves. Jen was cracking herself up with her lyrics.

  As the girls continued to practice, changing up different moves to make it flow better, they were completely clueless to the gathering audience outside the gym doors. A couple males from the Serbia pack had been coming to work out in the gym when they heard the girls' cheer. They stopped to look in before they entered and were surprised to see three of the
unmated females from the Romanian pack.

  "We really should leave," one of the males said as he continued to watch.

  "Yeah, we should," his pack mate answered.

  There was a pause.

  "Go get some of the other guys. Oh, and grab my phone. Let's get this on video."

  Decebel lay in his bed after reluctantly taking a shower. He hadn't wanted to wash Jennifer's scent from his skin. But he took solace in knowing that he would see her, touch her again in the morning.

  After he dropped her off at her room he had gone to the workout room and ran off some of the adrenaline flowing through his veins after having been in such close proximity to Jennifer. He had to admit that he felt lighter, more in control now that they had talked and put all their cards on the table. He was relieved to hear that Jennifer felt as strongly towards him as he did her. Sometimes he wasn't sure. It felt so strange to him to feel insecure and worried that a female wouldn't like him. He grinned to himself. She did like him. A lot.