“Can I have your attention?” Fane said, ensuring his voice was loud and deep. Immediately everyone stopped and turned to look at him. He noted that Gavril and Rachel weren’t present, nor were any of the children, which meant they must have been keeping watch over the sleepingpups.Perfect.
“We’re taking a break,” Fane said as he looked at everyone. Jen started to speak, but he met her eyes and growled. She immediately dropped her eyes, her mouth snapping shut. He could feel that he was radiating power. Fane hadn’t realized how worked up he’d been getting while talking to Adam. He wanted Crina and Adam to have some time to fix things. They needed it. And Fane missed his mate. She’d come to bed late the night before, exhausted, and had kissed him, then rolled over and fell asleep a minute later. His eyes met hers,and the minute she picked up on his thoughts, her face flushed. He forced himself not to smile. “During this break, we will all be engaging in some relationship enhancement time.”
“RET,” Lucian rumbled. “For those who might need a translation.” He glanced at Jen.
Decebel was already making a beeline for his mate. He scooped her up in his arms and headed out of the room without another word.
Fane turned to Adam, who was staring at Crina as if she held the secrets of the world. Crina was looking at the floor. Fane nudged Adam. “Go. Take her.”
Adam flashed to his mate’s side. He picked her up over his shoulder, which made her growl. Fane grinned as he saw her claws sink into Adam’s back. Adam flashed them away.
“Being with our mates, spending time together, is important. I respect that Jen wants this Christmas to be special,and it will be. But the point is not the decorations, the gifts, or anything else. It is being together. Get some rest—”
“Or not,” Costin said, his eyes glowing brightly as he walked over to Sally. Her eyes were wide with surprise. Apparently he’d made sure she wasn’t aware of what he was planning. He grabbed her hand,tugging herto the nearest exit. “Don’t wait up for us,” he called back, causing some of the others to laugh.
“Spend time with your mates,” Fane said. “I don’t know about the rest of you males, but Thursday isn’t going to cut it for me.”
Growls of agreement followed. Apparently, that was all Fane needed to say as Lucian and Peri disappeared a second later. Wadim, taking a page from Adam’s book, had thrown Zara over his shoulder, and she was laughing hysterically. “I’ve got a history lesson I’ve been wanting to teach my female,” he said as they left.
Sorin wrapped his arm around Elle and leaned down to whisper in her ear. Elle nodded as she looked up at him, her eyes filled with adoration. Then she flashed them from the room.
Drake and Bethany were nowhere to be seen, which didn’t surprise Fane. Males were extremely protective when their mate was pregnant. He was probably growling at her to rest.
Now, only Fane andJacquelynremained.
Chapter 4
“On the fourth day of Christmas my werewolf gave to me four hours of hotness, three growling males, two cursingpups, and a furball in a fir tree.
Okay, so it was longer than four hours, but I didn’t want to rub it in your face or anything.”~Jen
Jacque stared at her mate. He stood across the kitchen from her, his eyes glowing bright blue. Fane’s black hair was tousled, and he sported a feral smile. A sense of wildness emanated from him, and he was all hers. “I noticed you flashed in with Adam,” she said as he began to slowly stalk toward her. With every step he took, Jacque took a step away. “I thought you were supposed to be working with Costin.”
“Is Slate with Gavril and Rachel?” Fane asked, ignoring her comment. His eyes glowed brighter as he took a deep breath through his nose, no doubt taking in her scent, reveling in the subtle changes in her smell caused by his presence.
“He is.” She shifted on her feet, wanting to look away from the intensity of his gaze but also hoping to get lost in it.
“I’m going to give you a head start, my Luna.”Fane’s wolf rumbled in her mind.
Jacque’s eyes widened. Okay, so small talk was not on the menu for the evening. “Why would I need a head start?” she asked, poking at the hungry werewolf. Jacque was pretty sure she knew what the wolf had in mind for lunch, and it wasn’t a turkey sandwich.
His lips turned up in a wolfish grin, but it was Fane’s voice who spoke this time. “Run.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Jacque sprinted down the hall to the stairwell where she bounded up two steps at a time. When she reached their suite, she heard Fane running up the stairs. She laughed so hard she could barely turn the doorknob. She finally did, shoving it open and quickly shutting it behind her, turning the deadbolt. Jacque looked at the lock and laughed. As if something as simple as that could keep her mate away from her.
“You’re not even going to try to hide?”Fane’s voice purred in her mind.
“Maybe you’re the one who should be hiding,”she challenged. She heard the doorknob jiggle as he tried to get inside. Her heart pounded in her chest, and there was a stupid, huge grin on her face. Jacque loved that he could let all of his walls down with her and just be Fane.
“Luna, unlock the door.”His voice was gentle, but she’d known him long enough to know what he sounded like when he was growing impatient.
“Eager much,” she said, knowing his wolf senses would have no problem hearing her through the door.
“You have no idea,” he growled, which was followed by a thud. Jacque pictured him letting his forehead hit the door in his frustrated state. “I’ve been busting my butt building a sleigh that I really don’t want to build because I have a sneaky suspicion Jen has some nefarious plan to use it to get back at me and Costin because your bestie is certifiably insane. And I’ve got a male pack member who’s mate won’t let him touch her. He’s at a loss as to what to do. And, finally, I have a son who is way too selfish with my mate’sassets.”
Jacque’s mouth dropped open. She marched over to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open. Fane grinned triumphantly.
“I knew that last one would make you open the door.” He snatched her up in his arms and kicked the door closed behind him.
