Just One Drop (6 page)

"Since you have obviously taken it upon yourselves to plan this without consulting me first," Vasile words were laced with power – even the Alphas on the screen could feel it and averted their eyes from the Romanian Alpha, "have you also set a date for The Gathering?"

"We meant no disrespect, Vasile," Dragomir told him. "You were in the U.S., busy with your own issues and we did not want to burden you with this until you were back with your pack."

Vasile gave a simple nod in acknowledgment of his words, but continued to stare them down while he waited for an answer.

"The date is set for one month from today," Thad answered. "It is to be held in the traditional location of the Transylvania Alps and the large estate mentioned in the decree has been updated and enlarged over the years. It is now being prepared for our arrival."

"I will concede you this," he began and the others let out a breath."But," Vasile continued, his voice calm and controlled, "if ever again you make such decree without my knowledge, without my input and without my okay, I will remind you why I am Alpha to the largest pack in the world. I respect you all as Alphas and I expect the same from each of you."

"As you have said, so shall it be." Each Alpha spoke in their own language, acknowledging Vasile's dominance.

"I will be in touch as the time draws near," Vasile told them just before he turned the screen off, effectively ending the conversation. He turned to Decebel. "Get Dillon on the phone."

Decebel nodded as he pulled out his cell and dialed Dillon Jacobs' number. He handed Vasile the phone as soon as he heard the other wolf's “hello”.

"Dillon, it's Vasile. When will you be arriving?"

"I thought I would come about a week before The Gathering. My mate wants to meet Jacque," Dillon explained.

"You and yours are welcome to stay here until it's time to go to the estate. I'm sure you will elaborate further on how this all came about and why you did not call and give me warning about what the others had been planning." Vasile's words, although firm, were not angry or cruel.

"We will talk when I arrive." Dillon paused. "When are you planning on telling the girls?"

"The sooner the better," Vasile responded. "Those three are nearly as hot headed as a full blooded Romanian she-wolf."

"I will call Jacque tomorrow, then." With that, Dillon disconnected.

Vasile rubbed his face as he finally relented and sat down in one of the empty chairs.

"Do they really expect Jennifer to go to this
gathering
?" Decebel spat the word as if it were some disgusting bug.

"I don't have a choice, Decebel." Vasile glared at his Beta. "Whether you and your wolf have accepted it or not, she is pack. No matter the amount of blood in her, she has Canis lupis in her veins and that makes her subject to our laws. Deal with it however you need to. Growl, throw a fit, allow your wolf to hunt, accept your attraction to her – do whatever it is you must, but get over it. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Decebel growled, but submitted by baring his neck.

"Skender," Vasile addressed the wolf who had been sitting quietly and observing as was his custom. "I need a list of all the unmated pack members."

Fane was catching glimpses from his mate's mind, though she was trying to block him. She still hadn't learned that now that they were mated it would take undivided concentration to block him. The little vixen and her two friends were causing quite a stir in one of the local bars. He saw Jen in her mind. She was on the bar…dancing. Fane grinned.

"What are you grinning about?" Decebel growled, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

"I think it's time we break up their girls' night out before Jen falls off the bar," Fane told him, and though he tried he couldn't hide the teasing laughter in his eyes as he watched his words penetrate Decebel's mind.

"She's in a bar?"

"Oh, she'll do you one better than that, Beta." Fane chuckled. "She's
on
a bar, as in dancing on a bar. The patrons are quite taken with her."

Vasile tried to hide his smile as he shook his head at his only son. "Fine. But hurry up and go with him or he'll tear the damn bar apart. I don't have the time or energy to deal with that mess."

"As you say." Fane winked at his father as he followed after Decebel.

"Luna, I'm giving you fair warning. Your little night out has been found out by the object of your taunting. Do you think it wise, my love, to bait a dominant male?"

Fane could feel her surprise at hearing his voice in her mind. He smiled; he loved surprising her. It was a nice change of pace as he was usually the one being surprised.

"Crap. Is he on his way here?"
Fane heard the anxiety in her voice.

"Hell is on his heels, love."

"You are enjoying this entirely too much, White Fang."

"Aw. Now, Jacquelyn, that is no way to speak to your mate."
Fane laughed.

"Just remember, wolf-man, I
will
follow through with my threat to have that dog house built for you. Now how long?"

"You wound me with your words, Luna."

"Fane, I'm not playing with you. How long till the brooding fur ball arrives?"

Fane did not bother to tell Jacquelyn that he and Decebel had been driving while they'd been conversing. The bar was only five minutes from the mansion. He grinned to himself as he and Decebel climbed out of the Hummer. Decebel had parked directly behind Sorin's vehicle, effectively blocking any chance for escape.

As Fane pulled open the door to the bar, he took in the scene and nearly lost his composure.

"You're looking stunning, Luna, if not a little under-clothed."
Fane watched as Jacquelyn's eyes, big as saucers, met his across the bar. He grinned wickedly. Raising his eyebrows, he whispered in her mind,
"Gotchya."

Chapter 7

As Sorin pulled into the parking lot of the small bar, all he could think was that Decebel and possibly Fane were going to skin him alive once they found out he'd let the three harpies talk him into taking them out. There weren't any clubs for the girls to go to, so they had helpfully suggested a bar.

Yeah
, Sorin thought.
I walked right into that one.

"This is going to be great." Jacque grinned as she opened the door and got out of the Hummer.

"I'm pretty sure I'll have a more positive attitude once I've been introduced to this wonderful friend called vodka I hear so much about in this country," Jen grumbled.

"Absolutely no drinking," Sorin announced.

All three girls stopped mid-stride and looked at Sorin, at each other, and then broke into laughter.

Sorin growled, which only caused them to laugh more.
This was a bad idea
, Sorin thought to himself as he pulled the door to the bar open. The dark interior was lit up briefly by the street light and sounds from inside filled the night as the girls walked in with Sorin bringing up the rear.

All three girls stopped and allowed their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then Jen took the lead and headed directly for the bar. Sorin picked up his pace and met her there at the same time.

"Hey, Costin," Sorin addressed the bartender who was also a member of the pack. " Nu alcool pentru art.hot. trei musketeers. (No alcohol for the three musketeers)"

Jen turned to Sorin. She raised an eyebrow and grinned wickedly. Sorin swallowed, not liking the look in the she-wolf's – no matter how dormant she was – eyes.

Jen looked back at Costin and smiled warmly. "Hey, Costin. I've seen you around the mansion but I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Jen, and these are my two best friends, Jacque and Sally." The girls smiled and waved at him.

Costin winked at them, causing them to blush. That wink was all the encouragement Jen needed. She leaned closer over the bar and batted her eyes at the young wolf. "So, we've been wanting a night out to, ya know, relax. Surely you can help a girl out?"

Costin smiled widely, then looked at Sorin who was dutifully trying to stare the wolf into submission. Much to Jen's amusement Costin winked at Sorin.

Jen slapped her hand down before she could finish. "Sally's older and hates being lumped in with us younger women," she covered while glaring at Sally, daring her to contradict her.

Sally looked at Jacque, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

Jen turned back to Costin, again smiling. " Unul deget mic a bea apoi atunci, dragoste? (One little drink then, love?)" she asked in nearly flawless Romanian.

Sorin was shocked into silence, as were Sally and Jacque. Costin recovered the quickest and poured three shots of vodka. He turned and looked at Sorin.

"Tu ai luat al tău chipeş plin, frate. (You have your hands full, brother.)," Costin told him with a grin.

As each of the girls picked up a shot glass they clinked them with each other's.

"Here's to hot Romanian wolves." Jen winked at the bartender, then downed the drink. All three girls coughed as the vodka burned their throats.

Costin chuckled. "It gets easier with each glass," he told her as he poured them all another.

Sorin growled in frustration. "Bloody hell, you better give me one of those. When Fane and Decebel skin me I want to be sedated a little."

Costin chuckled again. "It'll be okay, old man. They just want to have a little fun, and they're safe. Everyone here knows that she, " he nodded in Jacque's direction, "is the Prince's mate. No one will mess with them."

"It's not anyone messing with
them
that I'm worried about, Costin."

Costin watched as Jen hooked her iPhone up to the speakers of his stereo on the side of the bar. She cranked up the volume. As the music poured out she began to dance around the room. He watched as her body swayed in perfect rhythm with the beat, all those in the room mesmerized by the blonde beauty.

Costin looked back at Sorin. "You're going to need another one of these," he told him as he poured another shot. Then he poured himself one as all three girls began dancing around the room, picking different men to dance with.

Sorin watched the girls closely. Although Costin was correct in that all the bar patrons knew who these girls were and none would dare try anything, he was still going to catch hell.

"Remember how I told you about her getting drunk with that nurse in the hospital so that I could come see you in the ICU?" Sally asked.

"Yeah, what's up with that? Was that really necessary?"

"Okay, I will admit it wasn't our best plan, but that's not the point." Sally waved her off. "What I'm trying to explain is that after Jen's little escapade, I found her in the shower of the hospital room, singing at the top of her little inebriated lungs this Katy Perry song, only she replaced most of the words with werewolf terms. It was freaking hilarious. The best part?" She paused, eyebrows raised. "Decebel heard her!"

"Shut up!" Jacque slapped her friend on the arm.

"Didn't I tell you that part?" Sally asked.

"Um, no. I think I would remember that. I remember you telling me she walked out of the bathroom naked and you had to give Decebel a heads up."

"Oh, man. Now that was priceless. I don't know what he was saying but he was freaking out." Sally's words wound down as she let out a small sigh. "Man, good times."

Both girls watched as Jen got her groove on. Guys all around the bar cheered her on. No one touched her, especially with Sorin glaring daggers. Costin would hand Jen a shot glass every now and then, but she was so gone at that point that she didn’t even realize he was just giving her Sprite.

Jacque and Sally both turned to look at Jen who was now cat crawling across the bar, her perilously low cut top threatening to give up all its secrets.

Jacque's head snapped around as she felt her mate's power fill the room, and just behind him was a very large, very pissed off Decebel. Jacque looked back at Jen.
Crap
, she thought. He walked in just as one of the drunk patrons was got brave enough to stick a five dollar bill in the back pocket of her jeans. To his credit, he did it so carefully that his hand never made contact with her body.
Pretty impressive
, Jacque thought. She was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when the loud room was suddenly plunged into silence. Well, except for one drunk, singing Jennifer Adams. At this point she had busted out into "It Girl" by Jason Derulo.