Jacque looked up at him. “I believe you and I love you all the more for your patience. But it's not necessary. I'm ready, Fane. I'm ready to be yours in every possible way.”

Fane sat frozen at her words, then a slow grin stretched across his face. Jacque felt that grin from the bottom of her feet to the tips of her red hair. He stood up and Jacque watched as he began blowing candles out until there were only four left burning, one in each corner of the room. Fane stepped close to Jacque. She tilted her head back to look up at him as the candle light danced shadows across his face. Jacque's breath caught as she saw Fane's eyes glowing wolf blue.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently, then whispered to her, "I can't believe you're here, and you're mine." His body shook with emotion as he stared into her eyes. "I love you, Jacquelyn Lupei. I will love you until my last breath."

She took a shuddering breath as she felt him untie the robe and slowly push it off her shoulders until it fell in a gentle heap on the floor at her feet.

Fane never took his eyes off hers as he pulled her into his arms. As his lips met hers Jacque trembled at the skin to skin contact. She felt his hands on her back, his fingertips lightly moving over her skin. Fane pulled back and they were both breathing hard as he continued to torture her with his gentle caresses.

Fane chuckled at her thoughts. "It's not meant to be torture, love," he told her gently. He pulled her closer to the bed and then tilted her chin up with his fingers to look him in the eyes.

"I would make love to you now, Luna." Fane's eyes continued to glow as he stared intently at her. And as Jacque felt his love pouring through their bond, wrapping around her and filling her up, she knew she was ready, ready to be Fane's mate. Finally.

"Then why are we still talking?" Jacque whispered. He pulled her onto the bed with him and into his arms, arms that would always hold her, always protect her, and always wrap her in love.

Epilogue

Jen and Sally sat at one of the tables in the gathering room, the celebration slowly coming to an end. After Fane and Jacque had left, Alina and Vasile had thrown one hell of a party in honor of their son's mating. Jen had danced until there were blisters on her feet. She had eventually taken off the ridiculous sweater that Decebel had demanded she wear but she had felt the weight of his stare on her all night. Even now as she listened to Sally ramble about all the pack members she had met she could feel his eyes on her.

Jen looked around the room for what felt like the hundredth time trying to find the gold eyes that she knew kept her in their view. But just like the other ninety nine times she could not see him.

"Are you listening to me, Jen?" she heard Sally ask her. Jen turned back to her friend and saw her eyes narrow. "Who ya looking for, chicka?"

"No one," Jen lied.

"Uh-huh, sure. And I'm your freaking fairy-god mother."

"Well, I wish you would get on a couple of my requests then instead of sitting around here yapping," Jen teased, hoping Sally would just drop it.

"He's awfully protective of you, and possessive," Sally continued, ignoring Jen's attempt to change the subject.

"Sally, it's not going to happen, okay? In case you've forgotten he happens to be a werewolf and I am human. So," Jen didn't get to finish as she was interrupted by a voice from behind her.

"That's not completely true." Dr. Cynthia Steele pulled out one of the chairs at their table and sat down.

"What's not completely true?" Jen asked cautiously.

"You aren't human…"