train, the unmated females all rely on you to protect them. How is having a mate any different?" Alina questioned.
"I have backup when it comes to all those you just named. You know as well as I do, Alina, that when it comes to your protection Vasile is the end all. If you are left unprotected, if your protection fails, Vasile will be the one responsible. That's part of being mated, bonded. Vasile alone considers himself responsible for your safety. I don't want that responsibility again."
"You are willing to spend your entire existence spiraling further into darkness because you are afraid of failure?" Cynthia asked, unable to hide her disbelief. "You would pass up something that others consider precious and an honor? Not only that, but you would doom her to live with only half her soul. Really? That's what you are willing to sacrifice?"
Decebel was growling at Cynthia when she finished.
"You don't understand. You aren't a male of this species; you aren't an Alpha. Have you any idea what's like to watch the one you loved and were bound to protect die in your arms because you didn't get there fast enough? DO YOU?" Decebel snarled.
"Decebel." Vasile didn't raise his voice, but his words were full of power.
Decebel backed down but his body shook with anger at Cynthia's words, knowing they were the truth.
"This is what I would have of you, Beta." Vasile faced Decebel, making it a formal command. Anything less wouldn't get Decebel's cooperation. "You will be part of Jen's security. If you don't want to pursue this possibility, fine. I suggest that you wait and see if she finds her true mate at The Gathering. If she does not, then you will take part in seeing if she's your mate through the methods this document has shed light on. You will not leave Jen to the fate of being only a shell of what she should be. Do you understand?"
Decebel growled but nodded his head. He finished formally, "As you say, so shall it be."
Decebel turned to leave, but Vasile spoke up before he could make it out the door. "Decebel, you are choosing this. If you so much as breathe on another wolf at The Gathering because of Jen, you will suffer the consequences."
"Understood," Decebel acknowledged. He walked out of the room, leaving with not only more questions but complete and utter confusion.
Decebel knew that the moment he saw another wolf put his hands on Jennifer he would not be able to control his wolf, yet he had stupidly agreed to guard her. He was doing the very thing he wanted to avoid. He was her protection. Damn his Alpha and his meddling.
Jen paced her room like a caged animal. She couldn't believe what a fool she had made of herself, but at the moment all she had been able to think about was getting away from a certain wolf.
She was so screwed. How had she gotten to this point? She'd been telling herself over and over that he wasn't an option. She might as well have had a license plate made as many times as she had repeated it to her heart. Yeah, well her heart was doing its own thing because it didn't give a royal, flipping, fat pig that Decebel was supposed to be off limits. Something in her reached out to him. Every time he was near her she just wanted to rub up against him and curl up in his lap. Can we say coming unhinged, boys and girls , Jen thought.
Back and forth she paced. "Okay," she said to the empty room, "Mate Fest 2010 is the answer. I have to really, really try to find my mate." Once again her heart piped in its two cents while Jen was telling it not to waste its money. Decebel is our mate , it told her. "Nope, not happening. I'm not listening to you. La la la la la la." Jen plugged her fingers in her ears and closed her eyes. It was at this point that Sally walked in.
"Who are you not listening to, exactly?" Sally asked, looking around the room.
Jen swung around, dropping her hands quickly. "Hey, Sal. What's up?" she asked, reaching for calm but falling five thousand feet short.
"Yeah. Well, about
"I have backup when it comes to all those you just named. You know as well as I do, Alina, that when it comes to your protection Vasile is the end all. If you are left unprotected, if your protection fails, Vasile will be the one responsible. That's part of being mated, bonded. Vasile alone considers himself responsible for your safety. I don't want that responsibility again."
"You are willing to spend your entire existence spiraling further into darkness because you are afraid of failure?" Cynthia asked, unable to hide her disbelief. "You would pass up something that others consider precious and an honor? Not only that, but you would doom her to live with only half her soul. Really? That's what you are willing to sacrifice?"
Decebel was growling at Cynthia when she finished.
"You don't understand. You aren't a male of this species; you aren't an Alpha. Have you any idea what's like to watch the one you loved and were bound to protect die in your arms because you didn't get there fast enough? DO YOU?" Decebel snarled.
"Decebel." Vasile didn't raise his voice, but his words were full of power.
Decebel backed down but his body shook with anger at Cynthia's words, knowing they were the truth.
"This is what I would have of you, Beta." Vasile faced Decebel, making it a formal command. Anything less wouldn't get Decebel's cooperation. "You will be part of Jen's security. If you don't want to pursue this possibility, fine. I suggest that you wait and see if she finds her true mate at The Gathering. If she does not, then you will take part in seeing if she's your mate through the methods this document has shed light on. You will not leave Jen to the fate of being only a shell of what she should be. Do you understand?"
Decebel growled but nodded his head. He finished formally, "As you say, so shall it be."
Decebel turned to leave, but Vasile spoke up before he could make it out the door. "Decebel, you are choosing this. If you so much as breathe on another wolf at The Gathering because of Jen, you will suffer the consequences."
"Understood," Decebel acknowledged. He walked out of the room, leaving with not only more questions but complete and utter confusion.
Decebel knew that the moment he saw another wolf put his hands on Jennifer he would not be able to control his wolf, yet he had stupidly agreed to guard her. He was doing the very thing he wanted to avoid. He was her protection. Damn his Alpha and his meddling.
Jen paced her room like a caged animal. She couldn't believe what a fool she had made of herself, but at the moment all she had been able to think about was getting away from a certain wolf.
She was so screwed. How had she gotten to this point? She'd been telling herself over and over that he wasn't an option. She might as well have had a license plate made as many times as she had repeated it to her heart. Yeah, well her heart was doing its own thing because it didn't give a royal, flipping, fat pig that Decebel was supposed to be off limits. Something in her reached out to him. Every time he was near her she just wanted to rub up against him and curl up in his lap. Can we say coming unhinged, boys and girls , Jen thought.
Back and forth she paced. "Okay," she said to the empty room, "Mate Fest 2010 is the answer. I have to really, really try to find my mate." Once again her heart piped in its two cents while Jen was telling it not to waste its money. Decebel is our mate , it told her. "Nope, not happening. I'm not listening to you. La la la la la la." Jen plugged her fingers in her ears and closed her eyes. It was at this point that Sally walked in.
"Who are you not listening to, exactly?" Sally asked, looking around the room.
Jen swung around, dropping her hands quickly. "Hey, Sal. What's up?" she asked, reaching for calm but falling five thousand feet short.
"Yeah. Well, about
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