"Work away, my love."

"So, let me see if I'm catching what you're throwing." Jen sat up a little straighter as she faced Cynthia and tried to wrap her brain around what the good doctor was telling her. "According to this Alpha from way back, in order for the mating signs to become apparent there has to be some sort of catalyst?"

"Pretty much," Cynthia answered.

"Huh, who knew?" Jen's eyebrows rose as she considered her options.

"The problem is, and I don't know if he has talked with you about it, but Decebel is reluctant to push it."

"Well, if by talk you mean cornered me in the hall and tactfully told me he couldn't kiss me because, and I quote, 'it's not that simple, Jen,' then sure, he talked to me." Jen rolled her eyes at the memory of Decebel's words.

"What is it with men and their inability to commit?" Cynthia wondered out loud.

"I don't know that it's their inability to commit so much as they're just scared witless."

"Witless?" Cynthia smiled.

"Yeah, I'm trying to clean up my potty mouth."

"How's that going for you?" Cynthia teased.

"It's painful, but necessary." Jen winked at her. "Well, I don't really know what I can do about the B-man. I'm not saying I don't want to look into it because there is obviously something there – it's practically beating us both over the head. At the same time I can't make him do anything. Freaking stubborn flea infested punk."

Cynthia stood up from where she had been perched on Jen's bed. "You better get ready for tonight. All your bags have already been put in your closet, and the pack paid for some extra nice clothes for you to wear as well."

"How'd they know my size?"

"That's what nosy friends are for, Jen." Cynthia grinned as she headed for the door. "My advice to you, dormant – when a dominant won't do the necessary thing because other things in his life have made him leery, it may be necessary to force his hand."

Jen cocked her head to the side. "That has potential for disaster written all over it, doc." Jen smiled. "I like it!"

Cynthia laughed as she pulled the door closed behind her.

Jen headed for the closet and she started humming. She realized as she stepped into the closet that she was humming Katy Perry's “ET”. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the song. "Yaaaa, no, don't need to go there." And even alone she blushed at the memory of the pictures Sally had showed her from that utterly embarrassing morning. Thankfully Decebel had yet to bring it up, and Jen definitely would not be opening that particular can of “what the hell was I thinking.”

She started flipping through the clothes that had been hung by whoever had drawn that particular straw. She had to smile. Jacque and Sally had definitely had their grubby little paws all up in this little endeavor. It was apparent that they were dressing her to either make Decebel pant like the wolf he was, or to drive him insane with jealousy. This was going to be fun indeed…probably the understatement of the century as far as Jen was concerned. She grabbed an outfit and headed towards the bathroom. This time she was humming Natasha Bedingfield's “Strip Me”.

"I'm so messed up in the head." Jen laughed out loud.

Dillon Jacobs stood with his pack on the far left side of the large gathering room. He had yet to talk with Jacque because he wanted to let her get settled in. Then word had gotten around that Decebel had attacked Thad's Beta, so he had gone and talked with Vasile, who assured him things were most certainly out of control. Not the answer Dillon had been hoping for, but Vasile said it was a necessary evil. Dillon responded by saying the Americans were rubbing their pension for drama off on his pack. Vasile had simply laughed him off.

Dillon had decided that he better warn his wolves to be on alert for any retaliation from Thad's pack. His next warning had been for the unmated males of his pack, and had gone something like, "And for goodness' sakes, stay the hell away from Jennifer Adams. She's the blonde flirty one. If she heads your way, I had better see you running for the hills like your life depends on it. Because, frankly, it does." Of course, his more dominant wolves had seen this as a challenge and asked why, if Decebel and Jen weren't mated, did they not get to see if she was a potential mate for one of them? Dillon had calmly but firmly explained that Decebel was, in his own right, strong enough and dominant enough to be an Alpha of his own pack. Out of loyalty to Vasile he served him. In other words, he would wipe the floor with their hides if he felt challenged. Dillon did not come all the way to Romania to witness a bloodbath, and he certainly hadn't brought his mate to put her in harm's way.

Back in the present, Dillon felt arms slip around him from behind, bringing a smile to his face. He turned to look into his mate's eyes.

"How you hanging in there, Alpha mine?" Tanya asked him.

"I'm just ready for this week to be done. Preferably without loss of limbs or life."

Tanya smiled. "Such an optimist. Is Jacque just the same?"

"Sickeningly so." Dillon chuckled. "She really is a positive person. You're going to like her."

Tanya sighed. "The pertinent question is, will she like me?"

"Mate, what's not to like?"

Tanya laughed at her mate's teasing, thankful that he was beginning to loosen up a bit. She suddenly stiffened in his arms and Dillon turned his head to see what had caught her attention. The Romanian Pack had arrived and Jacque had just spotted them. He watched as she smiled and waved. He read her lips as she mouthed, "I'll come visit shortly." Dillon nodded and turned back to his mate.

"She said she will be over shortly, so you have a small reprieve to fret and worry some more, my love." Dillon grunted when Tanya retaliated by poking him in his ribs.

He saw the three other Alphas who had been involved with organizing The Gathering and decided it was time to take their seats.

He indicated towards the table that had been assigned to them. "Shall we?"

"Don't suppose we can bail out now?" Tanya asked, only half joking.

"Nope, I'm afraid we have dug our graves and now must get coffins measured for us."

"There you go again, ever the optimist." Tanya took the seat he pulled out for her and watched as the rest of their pack followed suit, ready to hear what the night's activities would be.