Jacque assumed Zara must have been speaking to her mate through the bond … or maybe Wadim was just being nosy. Probably the latter. He was a mated male wolf, after all.
“Thank you.” Zara smiled at him. Wadim simply stood there, a few feet from where Zara was, staring at her. Zara’s eyes darted from Jacque to Bethany and then back to her mate’s.
“Is this awkward for anyone else?” Bethany asked. Definitely a broken filter.
“You’re pregnant,” Jacque pointed out. “Everything is awkward for you.”
Bethany snorted and replied dryly, “Funny, real funny. Won’t be so funny when you’re knocked up and trying not to have to turn sideways to get through a door.”
“Been there, done that,” Jacque sang.
“I totally knew that, just had a momentary lapse in brain function,” Bethany shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I can hear my brain cells yelling, ‘Please help, we’re dying.’”
Jacque glanced back at Wadim, who now had a small grin on his face, though he was still staring at Zara. “Learning a lot about being knocked up?”
Bethany’s eyes widened. “Mother of trolls, are you pregnant?”
Zara’s face was blank as she reached for an ornament, her shoulders stiff as she walked to the tree and looked for an empty spot that wasn’t too high up. “No, Bethany, I’m not pregnant. Pretty sure there has to be some flower pollinating going on for there to be any new flowers growing.”
Wadim let out a low growl that caused Jacque’s eyes to snap to him.
“I’m just going to continue growing this brain cell killer and try to keep my trap shut.” Bethany rubbed her swollen stomach.
“Zara, can I speak with you?” That Wadim asked out loud was not lost on Jacque. Either he was doing it for their benefit or Zara was ignoring his use of their bond.
Zara glanced up at the top of the tree where it was still empty of ornaments. “We have a lot to get done. We can talk later.”
“I would really like to speak with you now.” Wadim’s hands fisted, and then he shoved them in the pockets of his jeans. His jaw was clenched tight, and his eyes bore into his mate, who was acting completely oblivious, but her shaking hands gave her away.
Zara’s eyes flashed up to his. “We don’t always get what we want, history boy.”
Burn. Jacque reached into the box to grab another ornament, only her hand came up empty. She glanced down and saw she’d used them all. Saved by the box. “Wadim,” Jacque said, keeping her voice light, “would you mind grabbing another couple boxes of ornaments from the main living room?”
Wadim didn’t take his eyes off of his mate as he answered. “Of course, Alpha.” His body was stiff as he turned on his heel and headed out of the sitting room.
“Zara,” Jacque whispered. “Are you okay?” She felt like she was having déjà vu from the day before when she’d asked Crina the same question.
The girl hesitated before answering. Her mouth opened, but yet again, she was interrupted as Wadim came striding back in, carrying two boxes of ornaments stacked on top of one another. He set them down gently, which was surprising considering his eyes were glowing with his wolf, and he looked like he was ready to chew someone up. Then he headed straight for Zara. Wadim took her face in his hands and leaned down. He pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. He pulled back and then, just as quickly, leaned down further to her neck and nipped her. It was hard enough that Zara gasped and then growled at him. The historian jumped back before she could smack him with the hand that was already flying through the air.
“You bit me,” Zara snarled. The girl was still unable to phase due to the pack magic Vasile had used on her. But Jacque had a feeling that if Zara could, she would have been in her wolf form with her hackles raised.
“You denied me,” Wadim snapped back.
Zara’s eyes narrowed. “You denied me first.”
Jacque had no idea what she meant, but Wadim obviously did because if it was possible, he grew even tenser. Jacque could practically feel the frustration rolling off of him. Wadim was rarely upset and never with Zara. He took a step toward her, but Jacque stepped in between them. Apparently, she felt like playing chicken with a pissed off werewolf.
“Maybe we should take a break,” Jacque offered.
“That’s a great idea,” Wadim said, his voice rough with his beast. “Zara, let’s go take a break.” Each word was bit out through gritted teeth.
“My bad, I forgot that you guys don’t get signals. Blunt. Have to be blunt,” Jacque said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “What I meant to say was ‘Wadim, Zara needs a break … from you’.”
Wadim’s eyes slowly shifted to look at her. Jacque felt her wolf push forward as the male stared directly in her eyes. She knew her own eyes were probably glowing now. She pulled on her power and Fane’s as well. Jacque didn’t like forcing Wadim to submit to her, but things were getting intense and neither of them was backing down.
A moment later, Fane came storming in. She could feel his gaze, but she would not drop her eyes from Wadim’s. He was going to lower his eyes first, even if they stood there all day.
“I’m not trying to keep you from her,” Jacque told him. “She just needs some space.”
“Wadim,” Fane said, his voice low as he stepped close to the male and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look at your female.”
Wadim finally dropped his gaze from Jacque’s, but she didn’t stop staring at him. Her wolf wasn’t angry, but she wanted to make sure he understood that she wouldn’t submit to him, no matter how pissed he was about his mate.
“Wadim, please,” Zara said from behind Jacque. “I’m talked out.”
After several more tense minutes, Wadim finally nodded. “Later then,” he said, and it sounded very much like a command.
Fane watched as Wadim left. “What was that about?”
“You were in my head, wolf-man. You know as much as I know.” Jacque shrugged and then opened the next box of ornaments.
“Zara,” Fane said, looking at the she-wolf. “Is everything okay?”
Jacque turned to look at her.
Zara glanced down at the ornament in her hand. She turned it this way and that, catching the lights on the glitter covered glass. “It will be,” she answered vaguely.
Fane brushed his lips against Jacque’s forehead and then left. Jacque turned to see that Zara was climbing up the ladder so she could reach the higher part of the tree. “I’ll talk to you guys about it,” Zara said without looking down, “but we might as well wait for girls’ night because I don’t want to repeat myself.”
Jacque glanced at Bethany, who simply shrugged.
Looked like girls’ night was going to be more of a relationship intervention. Jacque smiled to herself. Wasn’t that what girls’ night always turned into?
Chapter 6
“On the sixth day of Christmas my werewolf gave to me six packs of Oreos, five satisfied smiles, four hours of hotness, three growling males, two cursing pups, and a furball in a fir tree.
Yes, there was hot chocolate, and it might have been spiked, but there were more than six of them, so it didn’t fit in the verse. I’m trying to make it work, people. Just keep singing and smiling, singing and smiling.” ~Jen