When she finally stopped and just stared at him he couldn’t help but tease her. “Have you gotten your fill or do you need a few more minutes? I’ll be happy to let you study them if you’d like,” Fane told her with a wink.

“Yeah, I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?

“Well, if you are not going to take advantage of me while I am so vulnerable, I suppose I should get dressed.” Fane grinned.

When she didn’t respond or turn to leave Fane decided to shock her into action. He acted like he was going to unwrap his blanket. “Of course, if you want to watch me dress you are welcome to. Seeing as how you are my mate, you could even help if you’d like.”

Jacquelyn turned bright red and abruptly turned around to face the door. Fane dressed quickly and tried to keep his mind out of hers, although he was very curious as to what she was thinking about.

“Ok, love, you can turn around.” He was slipping his shirt over his head as she did.

“You know you’re beautiful, don’t you?” Jacquelyn asked him.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you, all of you. Your skin is beautiful, you’re all buff and built, your eyes are incredible. You’re just beautiful,” she explained.

“Well nobody has ever told me that, so no, I did not know I was beautiful. Thank you,” he said, placing his hand over his heart and bowing his head.

“You are exquisite. Did you know that?” he asked her.

“I wouldn’t say exquisite. I mean, I don’t think I’m Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts, but I suppose I don’t break the mirror,” she responded.

“No female I have ever seen holds a candle to you, Luna.”

They were quiet for a moment. Fane was looking at her face, her beautiful green eyes and endearing freckles. He let his eyes wander down her neck to her shoulders and then arms, where the red marks that were quickly becoming bruises caught his eyes. He growled low.

“Come here please, Jacquelyn,” Fane told her.

Jacquelyn had stepped back a step at the sound of the growl.

“I am not growling at you, meu inimă. I merely want to look at the marks that mongrel left on you,” he explained.

“It’s nothing. They don’t even really hurt anymore,” Jacquelyn fibbed.

“Jacquelyn, love, don’t tell me un-truths. I know when you aren’t being honest with me.”

“Who are you, Santa Claus?” Jacquelyn retorted.

“Just come here, please. Or do I need to come over there?” Fane asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“Pipe down, I’ll come to you.”

Jacquelyn walked over to him and he gently touched each arm where the bruises were. Jacquelyn flinched, unable to hide the fact that his touch hurt. Fane leaned down and kissed her arms gently over the bruises, wishing that he couldheal them. He had failed to protect her, his mate. She'd needed him and he had not been there.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I was not there to protect you. I should have been.”

“Fane,” Jacquelyn reached up and ran her hand down his check, “this was not your fault. You were not allowed to be there, and how was anyone to know that psycho fur ball would hurt his so-called mate? You have nothing to apologize for so just knock it off. Got it?”

Fane looked into her eyes and could see the sincerity there, no condemnation or anger, and he was so thankful. She was truly amazing, and she was his. Thank the moon that she wanted him because he would have hated to have to spend the rest of their lives pining after her.

“I am grateful that you do not condemn me. Nonetheless, you are my mate and I should always be there to protect you, which is why you will not be out of my sight until the challenge. I will trust no one to protect you but me,” Fane told her.

Jacquelyn began to remind him that her mother would not approve of this but he stopped her with a finger to her lips.

“I will talk to your mother. As I said before I will not put your safety second to her approval.”

When he removed his finger from her lips, she stepped forward and kissed him. When she stepped back Fane looked at her quizzically. “What was that for?”

“Just because I can, and I wanted to,” Jacquelyn told him simply.

“Oh. Well, in that case...” Fane grabbed her around the waist and tossed her on the bed, covering her body with his. Jacquelyn let out a squeak. He held his weight off of her by supporting himself on one forearm. Then he leaned down and nuzzled her neck with his nose. Jacquelyn began to giggle and push at his chest.

“Stop that, that tickles,” she told him, laughing. “I’m not kidding, Fido, you’re going to make me pee on you.”

Fane pulled his head back to look at her. Her eyes were crinkled with laugh lines.

“I’m a wolf, not a dog, love. And if I don’t get to pee on you, then you most certainly do not get to pee on me,” Fane teased her.

He leaned forward and kissed her gently, then a little harder. By the time he pulled away they were both trying to catch their breath.

“I think we better go downstairs now,” Fane told her, still trying to get his breathing under control.

Jacquelyn reached up and stroked his face and gently pulled him closer. “Or not,” she said just before she began to kiss him again.

Fane let it go on a moment more before he finally pulled away and stood up, pulling her up at the same time.

“As much as I would love to stay right here with you, love, Jen might come looking for us soon and finally get that show she’s been waiting for,” Fane told her as he winked again.