Decebel was visibly shuddering in the corner as he attempted to keep his wolf under control.

"Decebel, calm yourself." Vasile commanded.

"Did he leave any marks on you?" Vasile turned back to Jen.

Inwardly, Jen cussed because she'd really been hoping to avoid this part.

"When you say marks..." Jen started vaguely.

Before Vasile could comment Decebel was at her side, turning her to face him. Although he was very gentle with her, his touch was firm, determined.

His hand, now steady, came up and stroked her face.

"The truth, Jennifer. Did that mongrel leave any marks on you?" Decebel's words were so soft. She could tell he didn't want to have this conversation in front of everyone.

"I'm not sure. I haven't really had the opportunity to check."

"Check," Decebel said simply.

Jen's jaw dropped open. "W-what, here? Now?"

Alina walked over to Jen and pulled her to the side. Decebel looked back at every male in the room and growled. They instantly all turned their backs. He glanced back at Jen. Alina was helping her lift her shirt. When Jen noticed him, she stopped her shirt from going any higher.

She cleared her throat. "Wolf, you haven't earned any special privileges. So unless you're handing out Benjamins, you don't get to watch the show."

At the moment his thoughts about her were far from inappropriate, no matter what part he saw. But he understood she didn't feel comfortable with him seeing her unclothed. He relented and turned around.

The other girls walked over to form a semi-circle around her while he waited impatiently. He nearly spun when he heard Sally's gasp.

"Damn," Sally murmured.

Alina looked up at her mate; she was growling. "She's bruised and she has claw marks."

"Bloody hell," Jacque gasped as she leaned around Alina.

Crina covered her mouth to keep from blurting out the f -bomb.

Marianna shook. "That's going to be there for a while, Jen."

Jen rolled her eyes as she watched Decebel twitch as he tried to keep from looking.

"Your play by play is really helping keep everyone calm, guys," Jen said sarcastically. "Just chill out. It's not like I'll have his marks on me forever."

She realized the mistake of her words a second after they were out of her mouth. Decebel's wolf would consider that as the other wolf marking her, claiming her. Jen knew he hadn't been – he was just a perverted guy.

Decebel pushed all the girls out of his way and was standing in front of her faster than Jen could blink. She froze as she looked up at his face, his dark features accentuated by anger. She felt him pull her shirt down to cover her. She still couldn't move.

"Once again, Jennifer, you make light of something that is serious." Decebel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why?"

"I'm not saying what he did was okay, but I could have handled it. He was just being a guy. He saw an opportunity to get some free action and took it. I'm perfectly capable of kicking a guy in the balls, B. I didn't need you to go all fangs and claws on him."

Every guy in the room cringed at Jen's words except Decebel. He was unmovable at this point.

"He was just being a guy? He was just BEING A GUY?" Decebel roared. "He touched you! He had his hands on you, on your -"

"Girly bits?" Jen offered oh so helpfully.

Decebel's mouth tightened. "Yes, Jennifer. He had his hand on your girly bits. That is not 'just being a guy,' that's being an ass."

Jen should have just shut up and cut her losses, but backing down had never been her strong suit.

Jacque watched, fascinated by the argument ensuing in front of her. She didn't think either of them truly realized how passionate they were about each other. Though, she wasn't sure they were going to survive their mating without one of them strangling the other. The words that Jen was spewing at the moment were seriously taking the odds of survival out of her corner.

"Are you mad because he got there first, wolf? 'Cause if that's the case I feel it necessary to remind you that your opportunity is coming."

The sputters, coughs, and curses that rippled through the room were punctuated by Sally surprising everyone with a loud, "What the HELL, JEN? Shut up."

Jen didn't take her eyes off of Decebel as she answered what was certainly rhetorical. "What? I'm just reminding him that, ultimately, I'm his."

"Yeah, well, emphasizing that another wolf had his hands on you at all, not just that it happened in front of your mate, is not really helping matters," Sally shot back.

Decebel's hand came up as he squeezed his eyes closed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, holding on by a thread.

"Alpha." The word was a plea.

"Mated pairs, please take the girls back to their rooms. The rest of you head back to your rooms."

Everyone was in motion except Jen and Decebel. Vasile was the last to leave the room. Before he closed the door he looked back at Decebel, who didn't look away from Jen. "I understand why you did it, Beta. It may be that because he left marks on her skin you won't be punished for your impudence."

Decebel watched Jennifer return his stare without flinching. He couldn't remember a time in his long life that he had been this angry. He started to shake with the urge to phase, remembering the wolf's hand on his mate.

Jennifer took a step towards him, completely undaunted by his lack of control. She placed her hands on either side of his face and before he even realized it, stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

Decebel wished he could say that he hesitated to consider the consequences of their actions, but in that moment nothing could have calmed his wolf the way that intimate touch did. His arms went around her small waist, pulling her closer. As her body met his Decebel tilted his head to deepen the kiss. He heard her moan and growled in response. When their tongues met he nearly smiled. She hadn't hesitantly tried to slip it in his mouth, not his woman. She plunged confidently, daring him to respond.

He felt her wince when he pulled her closer, her chest tightly pressed to him. That brought his thoughts back to her injury. Possessiveness surged forward, muddling his brain, and his kiss turned desperate. He lifted her by the waist and pressed her against a wall, never once taking his lips from hers.

Jen wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up, then wrapped her legs around his waist. This bold move allowed him to push through the fog. He gentled the kiss and after a few small lingering ones, pulled back.