"Their bond is..." Sally paused, trying to find the word, "powerful."

"Knowing Jen, she probably told him she wouldn't bond with him if he didn't remember her." Jacque looked back at Sally. "If she told him that, that explains him going ape shit, and of course our meek little Jen sat here quietly and said 'yes, dear'…Not," Jacque finished sharply.

19 days post-curse

Days went by and still Jen remained unconscious. Decebel remained bound by Fae magic and Jacque and Sally rarely left Jen's side.

Five days after Jen and Decebel's blowout, Jen awoke. The first thing she saw was Jacque's emerald eyes, quickly followed by Sally's honey brown ones.

"Hey there," Jacque whispered.

Jen rolled her eyes, and unfortunately even that hurt. "Don’t talk to me like I'm a toddler, Red. And, Sally, get that damn goofy grin off your face."

She heard Sally chuckle from somewhere behind the curly red head blocking her sight.

"I would ask how you're feeling, but it must be better than before if you have the energy to boss us around." Jacque smiled and winked.

"It's the one thing in life that brings me pleasure, but don't read too much into it." Jen gently turned her head to look around the room, trying to be inconspicuous – yeah, that didn't work.

"He's not here."            

Jen felt her heart drop at Jacque's words. Jacque must have noticed the distress on Jen's face because she quickly added, "I mean, he's here, just not in this room."

"Why do I give a damn where the bloody hell he is after the mean-ass things he said to me?"

"Hey, Jen, how's that stop-cussing commitment going for you?" Sally asked sarcastically.

"I'm dying, Sally. I don't really give a damn about what bad words might come from my mouth. In fact, I know what I want you two brats to put on my tombstone. 'Jennifer Adams, 1993 to 20 -" She paused. "Is it 2011 yet?"

Jacque nodded. "Yeah, New Year's has come and gone. Turns out it doesn't stop for werewolf curses and dying mates."

"Huh," Jen muttered. "Go figure. Anyway, 1993 to 2011. 'Here's to all you werewolves. Come on, raise your glasses. All you flea-infested fur balls, you can kiss my ass.' Then put dot, dot, dot, followed by, 'Put that in your pipe and smoke it'."

Jacque and Sally were trying not to laugh considering their friend was in fact dying, but, seriously, only Jen would request something like that on her tombstone – and mean it.

"Jen, I refuse to put that on your tombstone." Jacque shook her head at her precocious friend. "And I refuse to discuss this because you aren't going to die."

"Well, I'm not doing the Blood Rites with that jerk."

"Decebel is still inside there, Jen. He still loves you and wants you."

"Oh, he wants me, he made that perfectly clear. But the insufferable ass also told me that he may never love me again, but we would just have to make the best of it."

Jacque turned to Sally. "See, told ya. Dominant male – poof! – stupid words."

"I know he hurt you. And you have every right to want to castrate him. But deep down, Jen, you love him. He's yours just as much as you are his. Please think about it. We love you, we don't want to lose you," Sally pleaded.

Jacque and Sally both wiped away tears as they watched Jen close her eyes in obvious frustration.

"Can I be alone, please?"

The girls knew Jen must really be hurting if she wanted to be by herself. Jen hated being alone.

"We'll be right outside the door. We love you, Jen."

Jen nodded. "I know. I love y'all too."

As Jen lay there looking up at the ceiling, she felt a tear slide down her cheek as she listened to the painful howl of a wolf – her wolf. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to never see him again. However, the truth was she was dying without him, and not just because she hadn't had his blood, but because it was tearing her apart inside to not have him near. The only thing that kept her from crying out for him was her pride. Okay, so that would be a really stupid reason to die. She could imagine what Jacque and Sally would put on her tombstone:

'Here lies our stubborn friend,

Though she loved him and really tried,

she met her all too early end

because of foolish pride.'

Yep, that's about how it would go. And still she lay there with her lips shut tight and pain in her heart. Tears caressed her cheeks where loving hands had once done the same.

"He won't eat, Vasile." His mate's voice was filled with worry.

"He's pining for her. I think if she dies, he will die as well, regardless of the Blood Rites." Vasile wasn't trying to be disrespectful of Jen's situation, he was just stating what was.

"You need to talk to him. You need to fix this."

"Luna, I'm Alpha, not God."

"Oh, now you want to act like you can't do everything? Now is not the time to back off. Jen, just as Sally and Jacque, is like a daughter me. I won't lose her. Go deal with this Vasile. Now."

Vasile looked into Alina's eyes and saw the determination there. He also knew that if he did not heed her words he would pay for it.

"Okay, Mina. I will talk to him."

She let out the breath she had been holding, kissed her mate gently, and then pushed him in the direction of the door.

Vasile found Decebel in a small shed behind the house the Fae were letting them stay in. Peri had used her magic to make the shed warm on the inside when Decebel had been placed in there, still under the binding spell.

"What are you doing?" Vasile asked firmly.

Decebel looked up at his Alpha in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm sitting here unable to move and I feel like I'm dying. What am I supposed to be doing?"

"You need to deal with this, Decebel."

"I told you what I said to her. She will never forgive me." Decebel shook his head, looking down at the ground. "I don’t deserve her forgiveness."

"Do you know how many times I have hurt Alina? How many times my dominant nature has allowed stupid words to fly out in anger?"

"You and Alina know each other, love each other. That's different."