"If you are eighteen, Jen, you are an adult. I can't make you stay here. If you want to leave, if you really think that is the best thing for you, then you can go. I will allow you to use the pack plane to get back to the U.S. if that is truly what you want," Vasile explained.

Jen cocked her head to the side, eyes narrowed at the Alpha sitting calmly in front of her. "Just like that? No trying to convince me to stay, or telling me not to give up, or yada yada yada bull crap?"

"No 'yada yada yada bull crap'," he agreed.

"Huh, okay then. Let's do this," she stated.

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Is that a problem?"

Vasile picked up the phone, never taking his eyes off her. "Sorin, could you please come to my office?"

Jen took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Vasile's desk. Resting her hands on the chair arms, she couldn't keep her legs from bouncing up and down as she waited for Sorin to arrive. Vasile didn't say anything while they waited and that was just fine with Jen. She didn't want to listen to any more reasons about why she should stay. She heard the door open and close, and then Sorin stepped up beside her.

"What can I do for you, Alpha?" he asked Vasile.

"Jen has decided that she wants to go back to the U.S.," Vasile began, and to Sorin's credit he didn't so much as flinch in Jen's direction. "Could you please arrange for the plane to be ready? Get her things, drive her to the air strip, and make sure she gets on the plane safely."

"Of course." Sorin answered as if Vasile hadn't just told him Jen was leaving only two months after arriving.

As Jen stood up, she stopped Sorin from leaving with a hand on his arm. "Please, it's not necessary to get my things.” Sorin started to object but Jen cut him off. "Really, I'm good to go. Right now." She turned to Vasile, looking for some sort of confirmation that this was okay. After a moment of looking into her eyes, Vasile turned to Sorin and nodded once.

As they began to walk out of the office, Jen turned back to Vasile. "You won't tell anyone, will you? I mean, will you let me call them once I get back to the States?"

Vasile smiled gently. "I won't say a word."

She let out the breath she had been holding. "Thank you."

Jen sat in the passenger side of yet another Hummer, wrapped in a parka Sorin had grabbed. "What is with you wolves and Hummers?" she muttered grumpily.

"They do well in this climate," Sorin answered, never taking his eyes from the road.

Jen glanced at him briefly, then looked out the passenger window. Her mind wandered to a certain tall, dark, gorgeous werewolf that she so desperately wanted to see, yet longed to stab in the hand with a butter knife at the same time…funny how that temptation seemedto apply only to him.

Vasile waited until he heard Sorin pull away from the driveway before picking up his phone again. "I need to speak with you." He listened to the voice on the other end. "No, not necessarily right this minute, just in the next hour would be good." Ending the call, he immediately dialed another number and waited for an answer, a voice came on the line. "Stall," was all he said.

Vasile leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. He shook his head as he chuckled. Alina was going to scold him for meddling, as she would call it, but he was Alpha. It was his job to meddle, and he was good at it.

Chapter 2

An hour and a half later…

Fane held up the piece of paper his father handed him. He looked at his father, then back to the paper in his hand. "You want me to tell my mate that you waited an hour and a half to inform me that her best friend left to board a plane headed back to the States?" Fane growled.

"I did not wait. I called you the minute she left. You didn't arrive for an hour and a half," Vasile answered, completely unruffled by the growl in Fane's voice.

"With all due respect, Alpha, you could have mentioned the reason you wanted to see me."

"No, I couldn't. I told Jen I wouldn't say a word," Vasile emphasized.

"Jen didn't catch that little loophole?" Fane asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Don't you think you ought to tell your mate what's going on? I don't know how much longer Sorin can stall the plane before Jen figures out something is going on."

Fane's head snapped up at his father's words. "She hasn't left yet?"

"Do you honestly think I would let her leave?"

"Luna, I need to speak with you. Could you please come to my father's office?" Fane sent Jacque his question through their bond. It had become so strong since their mating that she was a constant presence and comfort in his mind.

"Why do I hear worry in your voice, wolf-man?" Jacquelyn asked him suspiciously.

Without answering his mate, he glared at his father. "I will get you back for this, Alpha. Just to warn you ahead of time."

Vasile winked at his son. "A little lesson in dealing with conflict with your mate will be good for you."

Fane looked at his Alpha in amazement. "Father, you do realize who I'm mated to, right?"

Vasile cleared his throat. "You do have a point there." But he still offered no apology for his nonchalance in the matter.

The door to the office flew open as a frustrated looking Jacque stormed in with a worried looking Sally right behind her.

"What's going on, Fane?"

"First, it's not as bad as it sounds," Fane began.