“A week after Jacque and Fane's ceremony, Decebel had gotten in his Hummer and, without looking back, driven away from the pack mansion. And 62 days, 4 hours, and 22 minutes later he still hadn't returned. But who's counting?”

“Decebel looked over at Fane. "A face tu fiecare a lua ce ei say?(Do you ever get what they say?)"Fane smiled at his Beta. "Nu mai incerce sa, (No longer try).""Good call." Decebel nodded.Jen looked over at Decebel, her eyes narrowing. "No talking in foreign tongue when around the Americans."Decebel leaned towards her, the gleam in his eyes causing Jen to tremble. "But Jennifer, I thought you spoke Romanian." He looked around at Sally and Jacque. "Weren't you two under the impression that she spoke Romanian?"Jacque and Sally nodded despite the daggers Jen was staring their way."That was thoroughly impressed upon us, wouldn't you say, Sally?" Jacque turned to look at her."Wait. Uh yeah, I distinctly remember a bar...vodka...and I'm almost positive Jen speaking in Romanian to the hot bartender."Sally was grinning from ear to ear as Jen's face grew red."I hope you two aren't attached to your undergarments because I just got the sudden urge to have a bonfire," Jen growled out."Note to self: hide underwear.""Or you could just solve that problem by not wearing any." Jacque heard Fane's voice through their bond. Her jaw dropped open and her face turned bright red as she turned to look at her mate.Jen looked at Sally. "Looks like Fane had a suggestion about the princess' undergarments. If I had my guess, I'd say he told her I couldn't burn them if she didn't own any."If Jacque could've turned any redder she would have. "How? What..." Jacque stuttered as she looked at her blonde friend, trying to figure out how she knew what Fane had been thinking."It's a gift, Watson. But really what it boils down to is when it comes to chicks and underwear, guys will always say they don't mix."Decebel coughed as he choked on his laughter while Fane had buried his face in Jacque's back, his shoulders shaking. Jacque and Sally both looked at their friend with open mouths.”

“Some minutes or hours or days later, when I lay boneless and well satisfied, Ethan raised his gaze to mine again. His eyes were silver, his fangs descended. "There is no going back," he said, "Not after this.”

“How long do you think it's going to take Decebel to deal with the wayward wolf who touched Sally?" Jen asked Jacque casually as they sat in the now, nearly empty, gathering room. After Sally and Costin had left, Vasile and Decebel had agreed that it was time to call it a night. Jen and Jacque had been helping clean up, but just as Jen was carrying empty cups towards the trash, she had heard Decebel tell her to park her cute butt and not move. So she had parked it, dragging Jacque along with her to an empty table.”

“I know why she stormed out of here."Decebel's and Jacque's heads both whipped around. "You do?" they both asked at the same time.Fane raised an eyebrow at Sally's words.Sally in turn eyeballed Decebel. "Jen never really learned how to use an inside voice. So, Decebel, why don't you share how she asked you if you were involved with Crina, and how you never really gave her an answer but instead taunted her, and then nearly made her hyperventilate with desire."Decebel's head cocked to the side, his eyebrows drawn together. "How -""I would say it's a gift, but really I'm just nosy as hell. And damn, boy, the look you were giving her nearly had me in a puddle.""Shut up!" Jacque squealed. "Are you telling me Jen stormed out of here because he got her all hot and bothered?"Sally was grinning from ear to ear. Decebel looked like he would be perfectly happy if the universe would just swallow him whole."She was angry when she left," Decebel defended. "She left because she was mad.""Yeah, mad because she's got it bad for you, Sherlock," Sally told him, rolling her eyes."Really? She likes me?"Jacque laughed at Decebel's cocky smile."Um, if you aren't her mate that's not a good thing, Casanova," Jacque reminded him.Sally nodded in agreement, scrutinizing Decebel. "Let's just hope that she finds her mate at Mate Fest so she can get over you."Decebel took a step towards Sally. Fane stepped around Jacque and laid a hand on Decebel's chest, stopping him. "Easy, Beta."Decebel closed his eyes taking slow breaths, leashing his wolf. Then Sally's words worked past the jealous fog. "Mate Fest?" he questioned.Sally grinned. "Jen deemed it.""Naturally," Decebel muttered with a slight smile.”

“My bet is we'll find trouble down that way." He indicated the direction the giggles were coming from."Are we going to survive this week?" Fane asked Decebel wearily."What's this we crap? You're mated, you can go hole up with your woman. I, on the other hand, get to be smack in the middle of the festivities," Decebel said the word as if it were a disease.”