Just One Drop (14 page)

"Push it, or just give it a great big shove. Whatever gets the job done." She winked at him and then slid down into her seat. "I'm going to try and catch some Zs before we get there. I have a feeling I'm going to need my wits about me."

"That could be a problem, Jen. You have to have -" Sally started.

"Not another word, Sally." Jen's words were followed by snickers from the other girls, and then the vehicle fell silent.

Thad watched as his wolves set up the meeting room with chairs and tables for the packs. The American pack had already arrived and was getting settled into their rooms. The others were due to arrive any moment.

Thad's eyes followed the movement around the room but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't help but wonder if he would finally find his true mate among those who were coming to The Gathering. Two centuries was too long to be without a mate. Especially when the other Alphas were all mated. He wasn't a weak Alpha by any means, but it was a fact that a mated Alpha was a stronger Alpha. So regardless of his own strength, until he was mated he would not stand a chance against another.

Thad was pulled from his thoughts when the double doors to the large room opened. He watched as Vasile and his mate entered. Behind them he saw his Beta and Fane, the Grey Wolf Prince. The sheer size of them blocked any view of those who might be behind them. Thad was sure that was a tactical move on Vasile's part. His females would be well protected.
That could be a problem, but not insurmountable,
he thought.

"Daaaaang," Jacque whispered as the double doors opened and they walked into a large room. "Would you look at this place!"

"I feel like Beauty in Beauty and the Beast," Sally whispered to Jen. "You know, when she walks into the grand ballroom for the first time?"

"Well, you got one thing right, Sal," Jen murmured as she too took in her surroundings, "we are not short on beasts."

Jen tilted her head back at Jacque's prompting and her own mouth dropped open at seeing the height of the ceiling. That wasn't the only thing that had their mouths hitting the freshly waxed floor. Painted on the ceiling was a forest covered in shimmering snow. Somehow the artist had achieved a nearly three dimensional effect, and by looking at it you felt as if you were falling into the painting. Among the hills and trees there were wolves. Some were running, others lying quietly.

The theme was quite obvious once you picked up on it, Jen realized. There wasn't a single wolf alone. Each one was paired with another. And as she looked harder she could see that every pair was touching. The wolves running side by side were painted so that their tails intertwined as they ran, the ones sitting together had one tucked in close to the other, and those lying down had one wolf literally curled around the other, protecting, sheltering. It was beautiful, and the meaning was clear: wolves weren't meant to be alone. They were created for a mate.

Jen pulled her eyes from the compelling painting when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned just as Mariana was waving them all to follow.

“This handsome gentleman offered to show us to our rooms,” Mariana told them. Jen looked back and saw that Vasile was talking to some other guy who looked to be in charge of something. They probably weren’t needed. She looked at Jacque and nodded in the direction Mariana was headed.

“I’m in. You?”

“Lead the way,” Jacque answered.

Jen didn’t know if she should say something to Decebel, but she figured,
He’s got wolf hearing, surely he'll hear us leaving.
Not only that, but there was no way Fane would not keep tabs on his little she-wolf. So she shrugged her shoulders and followed the rest out of the large room. With her back turned she didn’t notice Decebel nod to Costin, a silent order to keep an eye on the girls until he could leave without appearing disrespectful.

“Vasile.” Thad raised his voice to be heard across the room as he made his way over to the Romanian Alpha. “So glad that you could come.”

“I want our species to thrive just as you do, Thad. Our pack appreciates you inviting and giving our single pack members a chance to possibly meet their true mates.”

Decebel felt his skin begin to prickle as Jennifer got farther and farther away from him. He was very close to simply ignoring protocol and going after her, but that would make Vasile look bad in the eyes of other wolves and he wouldn't do that to his Alpha. He just kept reminding himself that Costin would keep an eye on her and not let other wolves near her. Still, his wolf was restless.
This is going to be a long week
, Decebel thought.

"What time should I have my pack down for the gathering tonight?" Vasile asked Thad.

"We are to begin at six, so you probably want to have them down a little before to get seated. I will have two of my wolves show you to your rooms." Thad looked around Vasile at where the girls had been standing only moments before. "It looks like the dominant males have already made themselves known to your females." He chuckled.

Decebel growled, but before he could get much sound out Fane elbowed him hard in the side. Decebel coughed. He cut his eyes at Fane, who had the gall to wink. His red headed mate was rubbing off on him already.

After Thad and Vasile finished talking, Vasile turned to the pack members who had stayed with him. "Follow those two gentlemen, they will take us to our rooms." Vasile indicated two wolves standing directly in front of a large staircase in the entryway.

As they climbed the stairs, Vasile positioned himself in between Fane and Decebel. "I want you two and Sorin to go and make sure the girls stay out of trouble until tonight."

"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.

Fane laughed and patted Decebel on the back. "However I can help, Beta, I will. But I don't envy you when it comes to being responsible for Jen."

Just as they reached the door from which all the noise was coming, they heard – for the first time – male laughter. Decebel snarled as he grabbed the doorknob and threw the door open. Fane was right behind him, immediately searching the room for Jacque. He wasn't as angry as Decebel because he'd been able to feel Jacquelyn, and knew there was no danger.

Of course, danger isn't entirely what Decebel is worried about
, Fane thought.

Jen nearly rolled off the bed as she laughed. The two guys who had lead them to their rooms were hilarious, though it wasn't completely them. They didn't understand a lot of American sayings and when they repeated them or tried to use American slang, it came out really funny.

"So are you liking Romania?" the wolf called Damion asked her.

"Well, it's cold," Jen started, "but it's alright. We got to go out to one of the dives and dance. Costin over there," Jen pointed to Costin who was standing in a corner with his arms folded across his chest, looking way to close to being mini-me Decebel, "hooked us up with drinks. He even let me dance on the bar."

"Forgive me, but what is a dive? And how do you hook a drink?"

Jen, Sally, and Jacque couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up at his innocent question.

"Sorry, Damion. We aren't laughing at you," Sally explained when he began to look even more confused. "It's just we don't really think about how our words must sound to someone who doesn't use the same slang."

Damion waved her off, obviously not offended.

"So a dive is like a bar or club, you know, somewhere to hang out. When I said hooked up I mean like helped us out, or provided us with something."

Damion grinned and looked at his pack mate Adrian. "I think I like this term 'hook up'. What do you think?"

Adrian nodded. "So would it be correct for me to say I want hooked up you?"

That did it – even Costin's stoic façade fell apart. The entire room erupted into laughter. This time Jen did fall off the bed and landed next to Damion, who helped steady her just as the door flew open.

Jen looked up and the first word that came to her mind flew right out of her mouth, "Shit!" She slapped her hands over her mouth, which only made her lose her balance more and she fell forward,
across
Damion's lap.
So not good.

Jen watched in complete horror as several things happened at once. Decebel lunged for Damion as Fane, Costin, and Sorin, who had appeared out of nowhere, all lunged for Decebel. Jen felt herself be pulled back and she tumbled onto her butt.

"We haven't been here thirty minutes," Jacque said, sitting down next to her.

Sally pulled up some carpet on Jen's other side. "Wow, that's impressive."

Crina and Mariana, who had been sitting close to Costin, came over. "I guess I know where I need to be if I want free entertainment," Crina teased.

"Yyyep," Jen said with a pop on the "p." "Just call me prime time, because if this kind of crap follows me all week, my ratings are bound to soar."

Jacque snorted. "Lucy, esplain this mess." she used her best Ricky Ricardo voice.

"Ahh, Ricky, I just wanted to surprise you." Jen tossed back.

Sally laughed with them. Then the collective group of five cringed as Decebel got one good punch across Damion's face before the other males finally pulled him back.

Dang, he's strong
, Jen thought.

Decebel's eyes fell on Jen, which made her squirm, only she didn't know why because she hadn't done anything wrong. Jen continued to meet his stare and the longer she held it the angrier she got. Finally she stood up, causing Jacque and Sally to scramble to their feet, not wanting to be the only ones on the floor. Fane walked over to Jacque and took her hand.

"We need to go," he told her gently.

"Do you think it wise to leave just now?"
Jacque asked through their bond.

"Most definitely,"
Fane answered as he tugged her towards the door.

When no one else made to follow Fane and Jacque, Decebel growled, "Everyone out!"

Suddenly everyone was in motion. Jen grinned to herself as she began to head to the door with everyone else. She heard Crina chuckle behind her, obviously having caught on to what she was trying to do.

"JENNIFER." Decebel's voice wrapped around her, pulling her to a halt.

Damn Beta
, she thought.

"What part of 'don't touch another male' didn't make it through that thick skull, Jennifer?" Decebel's voice was deep and low.

Oh, hell no
, Jen thought.
H
e did not just imply what I think he did
. She whipped around and pinned him with ice blue eyes. "You know what, Decebel? I think this whole thing," she motioned between them, "is a conflict of interest. Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think it's detrimental to
your
health for you to be on my security detail."

"A conflict of interest?" he repeated sarcastically.

"Exactly. Your interest in me has caused your good sense to become conflicted, or impaired, actually. Wait, I'll do you one better than that – your good sense has kissed your ass goodbye on its way out the door, waving and smiling with well wishes."

Decebel stood dumbfounded at the anger in her voice.
Why is she angry?
he wondered. He was the one who had found her in another wolf's lap. Oh, that was not a good thing for him to dwell on. He felt his canines trying to lengthen and took a deep breath, pulling his wolf back.

"All I know is we are apart for five minutes and you're cuddled up next to some pup."

"Cu-cud- cuddled," Jen was so angry that she couldn't even get her words out. "If you would open your freaky glowing eyes and quit jumping to conclusions, you would have seen that I wasn't cuddled in his lap. I fell off the bed and landed next to him. You barging in surprised me and I lost my balance, that's when I ended up in his lap."