“I wouldn’t say that,” Fane mumbled.

Fane’s dad continued, saying, “There is a reason this has happened to you so young. She is part human, which means she can’t phase and she is weaker for that. Maybe she will need your protection in some way. Keep your eyes and ears open. Nothing happens by chance, there is purpose in everything.”

“But there are no Canis lupus in this area. What could possibly be a threat to her in this little, insignificant town?” Fane asked.

“Lesser words have preceded many a war, Fane,” his fathered answered ominously. “All will be well, fiu. Get to know her, be her friend. Keep your wolf in check and call me and keep me updated. Te iubesc (I love you), Fiul meu (my son).” And with that Fane’s father and Alpha hung up.

Fane sat there for awhile longer, going over in his head the things his father had told him. Jacquelyn had to have Canis lupus in her bloodline somewhere, and it was either very distant or a relative she did not know.

He heard the door open downstairs and caught Brian’s scent. He decided he needed to get some fresh air, preferably behind the handlebars of a motorcycle, and went downstairs in search of Brian. Maybe he would take him to a dealership to look at some used motorcycles.

Fane found Brian whistling an unknown tune in the kitchen while pouring himself some of the sweet tea.

“Hope you like sugar better than tea, because that’s about all you’re going to drink when you take a sip of that,” Fane told him with a smile.

Brian chuckled. “Yeah that’s how we do it in the south. It’s not really sweet tea, its tea flavored sugar.”

Fane laughed with him.

“I have a favor to ask, if you have time,” Fane started.

“Shoot.”

“My parents have given me money to buy a motorcycle but I need a ride to a dealership to look at some. Would you mind taking me to look at some bikes?” Fane asked.

Already nodding his head yes as he took a drink, Brian said, “Yeah, that’s not a problem. If you’re ready, I don’t have anything pressing. We can go now.”

“Ok, let me grab my phone. Give me just a sec,” Fane said as he headed toward the stairs.

When Fane got to his room, he picked up his phone and checked to make sure his wallet was in his back pocket. Then, just out of curiosity, he opened the curtains to glance out at Jacquelyn’s house.

Fane had to blink several times to get his brain to understand what it was seeing, and then he had to take slow, deep breaths to keep his wolf from growling possessively. For there, across the street to the right side of her yard, which, if she had a fence would be the backyard, was his Luna laying out in a skimpy bathing suit. That wasn’t the half of it. She was laying on her stomach and there at the top of her back, stretching out from shoulder to shoulder and up her neck to just below her hairline, were the markings that would fit his perfectly. Her markings were there on display for any male to see, not to mention her mom, if she came out. Without thinking, his mind reached for hers.

“You do realize that they only sold you ¼ of that bathing suit don’t you?” Fane said, trying to sound casual and not like the jealous monster he felt to be.

At first he didn’t get a response. As he was looking at her, he realized she must have fallen asleep, which was not a good thing because in this heat she’d burn terribly.

Fane focused on her and using an Alpha push, spoke, “Jacquelyn, wake up!”

Still, she did not move or respond. Fane was deciding whether or not to walk across the street and disturb her when she finally spoke to him.

Chapter 9

Jacquelyn heard Fane ask her if she had inadvertently bought only a ¼ of a bathing suit. So he's a funny guy, she thought. Two can play at that game. She’d been asleep up until that point, but as soon as he spoke to her she had woken up. For now, she continued to lie perfectly still, knowing he must be watching her. She didn’t want him to know she had heard him. The second time he spoke to her she felt a push that made her want to obey him. He soooooo did not just give me command, she thought indignantly. She was surprised when he didn’t respond to that thought. What Jacque didn’t know was that she was blocking him because she didn’t want him to be able to hear her.

It was a minute before she finally answered.

“I know it, right? And it still covers too much to give me a good tan with as few lines as possible,” she retorted with a smirk.

Jacque heard him growl at her. Was he actually jealous? If so, jealous of what exactly? He didn’t know her from Adam.

“I have told you before, you are my Luna,” she heard him answer her thought. She realized then that she hadn’t been trying to block her mind from his.

“And I’m telling you now I don’t know what that means, and I’m not your anything!” she growled back.

“If nothing else could you at least be mindful of the fact that you are going to burn if you lay out in practically nothing and fall asleep.” Fane sounded very annoyed.

What did he mean if nothing else? Was he implying that she was trying to lie out and show off her body to just any passerby? Jacque sat up and glared up at Fane’s window, and sure enough, he was standing there staring at her. Frustrated with herself for allowing his disapproval to actually bother her, she stood up and with as much sarcasm as possible, curtsied to him, then picked up her things and marched back into the house.

“Meu inimă, did you just curtsy to me?” Fane asked in astonishment and amusement.

“Well, seeing as how you seem to think you deserve something from me, I thought I would indulge you just a little, but I assure you my intentions were completely rude!” Jacque responded.

Jacque heard him chuckle at her sass.

As Jacque walked into the house, she set her things on the couch and went to the kitchen to get a drink. She hadn’t realized just how hot she had gotten while lying out in the sun, which didn’t make her happy because it only confirmed what Fane had said. “I mean seriously, who is he, the bathing suit police?”

“No, micul incendiu (little fire). I am simply trying to look out for you. Who knows what wolves lie in wait to pounce on unsuspecting sun-bathing beauties?” Fane said knowingly.

“And just what is that suppose to mean? Do you always talk so vaguely?” she asked in exasperation.

Just then she realized that their whole conversation had been thoughts back and forth to one another. Man, had her life gotten weird…no, actually it wasn’t just weird, it was bordering on bizarre.