Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

My Thoughts:

What is a guaranteed way to cause the wolf inside the man to completely lose it and force dominance? Attempt to harm his mate, heck, for that matter, just touch his mate…and that is what Fane saw just as Jacque slammed the wall up in her mind, Lucas lunging after Jacque.

At that point, Fane’s wolf didn’t care about rules, or protocol, he simply wanted to rip Lucas’ throat out and be done with it. Now I would have been all for that, but we would have missed out on some gut wrenching moments, so no complaining about this now.

Fortunately, Fane was able to rein things in by hearing Sara moving around downstairs. Granted he wasn’t able to be 100% in control, but it was better than the wolf running amuck through the streets of Coldspring.

I suspect what truly kept Fane’s head in the game at this point was the knowledge that Lucas had violated the challenge rules, in doing so; Fane would now be able to be with Jacque during the remaining two days before the challenge. As long as Jacque wasn’t hurt, this was actually a good thing.

Ok so here is my rant for this chapter begins:

::soapbox::

The rules state that if one of the challengers is the “true mate” and the other challenger attempts to cause the female physical harm (I’m going to just ignore the fact that it specifically says physical harm nothing about emotional…) that instead of being banned from seeing his mate before the challenge, he is allowed to stay with her and protect her.  Ah, hello?! Does anyone else feel that there is something just hugely wrong here??? I mean seriously, if the challenger is capable of causing harm to the female before they are mated, what makes you think he won’t hurt her once they are?! Why on earth would anyone ever think it was ok to allow it to continue? I mean if Fane had violated his part of the agreement, by seeing her before the challenge, he would have forfeited her forever. However, Lucas attempts physical harm and he simply has to deal with Fane getting to spend the next two days with her before the challenge?!  WTH?!

Then, as if that isn’t enough to just make your blood boil, when Fane lands in front of Lucas the first thing Lucas says is:

“If you touch me you forfeit the challenge.”

Seriously?!  You touched Jacque and all you have to do is just suck it up and let her actual mate stay with her for two days, Fane even just touches you (and doesn’t rip you to shreds as he really wants to do) and he forfeits?! Again I say WTH?!

::endsoapbox::

Now Fane is in the street spouting Romanian to the man in front of him, wanting nothing more than to turn said man into coleslaw and what does he do, looks over and sees the red marks on Jacque’s arms. Oh so not a good thing.

…his wolf won. Three words but so much meaning to them; Fane saw the marks on Jacque’s arms and the man checked out. The wolf took over and that was it. It could have ended so much worse for a lot of people here.

Enter Sorin! Lucas didn’t know Sorin was in the house, so that must have been a bit of a surprise. However, Sorin kept Fane’s head together and his teeth off of Lucas.

Lucas doesn’t necessarily agree that he violated the charges, but marks are marks and Sorin explains that it doesn’t really matter what Lucas thinks, reality is what it is. So Lucas grabs his guys and leaves.

I have to laugh at Jacque; she gives Fane grief about telling her to go inside while he is in wolf form. Sometimes our girls just don’t know when to shut up and roll with it. You would think she would be more focused on the fact that Fane was now able to be with her. 

It is funny though; Jacque is all independent and knows her place in the world until it comes to intimacy. Then she is shy and uncomfortable. I love how she blushes every time she has talk about the bonding ceremony, or how she enters her bed room with her eyes shielded to give Fane clothes. It is very sweet that she has this shy, innocent girlie side to her.

Now we begin to really see the irrational guilt that the males have. Fane feels guilty as he looks over the bruises on Jacque’s arms. He feels guilty because he failed to protect her. Forget the fact that he was not able to be there because of challenge rules. He knows his job is to protect her, but I’m sorry it isn’t possible to protect her 24/7 unless you never let her out of your sight. This, btw, will never be the case with Jacque, or any of the girls for that matter.

Fane is thankful when he sees that Jacque doesn’t judge him, condemn him, or even become angry with him because he wasn’t there. That she is actually understanding and the voice of reason by pointing out the rules being in the way of him being with her. This happens a few times in the series. Irrational guilt followed by doubt followed by apologies. Not just with the males, but a lot of it is the males. Makes me wonder, do we spend a fraction of that time being concerned about our own relationships? Do we admit when we have short comings even when there are real circumstances preventing us from doing what we believe to be our best? Do we tell the person we are sorry, even if it appears we are being irrational in our guilt? Yeah, I know – random side bar…I digress.

Favorite Lines:

Sometimes life just threw you a bone when you needed one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh crap, he’s talking in Romanian. That means he’s pissed doesn’t it? They always talk in their native tongue in the movies when they’re fixing to kick somebody’s a-“

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He knew he needed to calm down but when he glanced over and saw the red marks on Jacquelyn’s arms, his wolf won.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh right, sorry. I just get so carried away. I’m good, carry on.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What you think does not play into what simply is. It is time for you to take your pack and leave.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You gotta be kidding me. You’re bossy even when you’re in wolf form.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“EWWWW! You have GOT to stop kissing me in public. Really, it’s getting out of hand,”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“No touching while you’re standing in nothing but a blanket,” she told him, trying to sound firm but not able to wipe the grin off her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

Things We Learned:

• Fane was able to see Lucas lunge at Jacque before she managed to get the wall up
• Lucas touching Jacque, in a threatening way, violated the challenge rules
• Because of the violation, Fane will now be able to stay with Jacque
• If Fane touches Lucas before the challenge, Fane forfeits
• Male Canis Lupis feel irrational guilt when it comes to the protection of their mates

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

My Thoughts:

This is such a hard chapter to read. Not because it isn’t good, but because it is so emotionally charged. Things “get real” for Jacque et al. Fane starts to lose control, Jacque learns (with a push from Jen) that her touch can sooth the savage beast in Fane, and we see a fierceness come out of Jacque that we’ve not seen before.

Jacque has no qualms about getting into the Coldspring wolves’ faces and she stands up to them with such strength and fire that you just know it was a sight to behold.

Preparing for her meeting with Lucas, Jacque keeps her style and sense of humor by wearing a Team Edward t-shirt. (I actually have one of these!), and you have to give her props for being bold enough to wear something like that on first meeting this crazed Alpha.

The t-shirt ends up being key to the events that are set in motion. Because Jacque really wants to rub the whole vampire thing in the wolf’s face, she forgets that she has markings to protect. Lifting her hair so Lucas can read the back of her shirt just starts the trouble. The thing is though, without that chain of events we would have missed out on some very key moments for Jacque and Fane – so the outcome was worth the scare.

Fane catching just a glimpse of Lucas losing it, through Jacque’s bond with him, causes his wolf to lose it, at this point all bets are off.

Jacque has no problem letting Lucas know that she has no intentions of ever being his mate, and Lucas, who temporarily lost it, scratches Jacque. Now granted, it wasn’t a bad wound or anything – but it was enough to really put a damper in his plans, as well as really piss off a few people, i.e. Lilly.

I also love how Jen and Sally show up and have Jacque’s back. These girls let nothing, and I mean nothing come between them and their friends without one hell of a fight.

Favorite Lines:

Jacque looked at Jen and then at Sally. She couldn’t believe something so profound had come out of Jen’s mouth.

Sally shrugged. “Who knew?” she said, answering Jacque’s unspoken question.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You think I’m scared of you?" She asked sarcastically. “I’m your worst nightmare. Just remember, we all gotta sleep sometime. Hope you can sleep with one eye open,” she winked at him and turned to walk back to the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If either of you touches her I will kill you and use your pelt as a rug.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you think it wise to bare your throat  to the one who would see it torn out?” Jacque asked…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fane growled again. I have a feeling he’s going to be doing a lot of that being mated to me, she thought to herself.

Things We Learned:

• Jacque’s touch soothes Fane’s wolf
• Jennifer has depth
• Jacque tells Fane she loves him
• Jacque is not someone you want to piss off
• Lucas Steele is about 6 feet tall, has brown hair, 1 blue eye and 1 green eye

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

My Thoughts:

Warning – I’m very passionate about this chapter LOL

Ah Lucas, I’m assuming that he is mentally unstable – because he is one of the reasons I just want to pull my hair out and say “WTH?!” If someone is not your true mate, the darkness cannot be taken away just because you want it to be. So why, why, why does he feel he has the right to challenge Fane? I realize that at this point he hasn’t seen Jacque’s marks, but come on! He has obviously seen her, obviously been close enough to her to figure out that she is Canis Lupis – and there are no signs of her being his mate! What other reason could he have for challenging Fane than he is mentally unstable?

Alas I am getting ahead of myself, at this moment Fane is just calling him – but I know what this is leading up to and it pisses me off! :breathe:

Don’t you love it when Lucas tells Fane that he is not sanctioned to be there?! Lucas hasn’t gone through the proper channels to register his pack, but he is giving protocol lessons to the Prince of the Romanian Wolves?? Puhlease!

When Fane beautifully puts Lucas in his place, Lucas has the audacity to ask Fane if he can prove she is his mate…well duh and then the SOB challenges Fane for bonding rites.

Ok – so now I’m at the proper moment for my rant…WHY?! Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that Lucas had of won – well first that would have been a really crappy story line on QL’s part, but put that aside, would he really want to attempt to bond (don’t even think of mating) with someone who was not his true mate after watching him kill her mate?! Jacque would have killed him. Even if he did go through with the ceremony, they wouldn’t have bonded – it isn’t how it works, he wouldn’t have erased the knowledge from her very being that he was not meant to touch her. She would kill him, and until the moment she did she would hate him. Did he think he would get past that?

Ok – I’m going to move past this now, but it will come up again in Blood Rites, so just giving you fair warning now.

I love how Fane thinks about how is Alpha will be livid but Jacquelyn will be even angrier – now just how angry is it once you moved beyond livid?  Would this be the Bill Cosby definition of a conniption? Well this is what I imagined – Jacque having a conniption – have that picture in your mind and think about it for just a moment.  Doesn’t that sound like a fun time?

Fane, to his credit, immediately starts planning on getting Jacque and her mother out of the country.

Lucas explains that he will have guards outside of Jacque’s house to make sure Fane doesn’t do anything stupid, like get her out of the country. He will have them there in an hour, so Fane has that time to speak with Jacque for the last time until the challenge. 

During this discussion, Jacque has figured out that something is going on and she is beginning to freak just a little. Fane has assured her that he will come explain things, and she gives him 5 minutes. That had to be a very long 5 minutes for her…knowing that something had his emotions going haywire, but not knowing exactly what. She also has no idea that someone can challenge him, to the death, for her – imagine if she did realize this danger was out there just how freaked out she would have been at this moment?!

Ok So Fane has ended the call, made it to Jacque’s and told her to gather everyone while he grabs Sorin. Sorin is already on his way to meet him and asks Fane if he has called his father. This is one in tuned body guard. He was aware there was an Alpha calling worthy event taking place. Immediately you like this guy (if you didn’t already).

The little gesture that Jacque makes of getting up and moving to be with Fane as he is about to explain what is happening was very heartwarming. It is as if instinctively she knows how to be an Alpha’s mate.

I love that Fane puts a plan in place to get Jacque and Lilly out of the country if he should lose. I also love that Jacque will not acknowledge that this is even a possibility. Her declaration is sweet and one you feel to your very core.

I also love that Jacque can maintain some sense of herself through all of this. As Fane shows her how he feels about her through his kiss, in front of everyone she is shocked by the public display. I love this about all of the girls, regardless of the situation, they are who they are.

Favorite Lines:

“There is no record of your pack. Therefore, I do not have to seek permission to be here. As for the female you are referring to, unless you can prove that she is indeed your mate, you have no claim on her.” (IN YOUR FACE)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You can’t third something you dork, you can just say ‘aye’ to show you are in agreement.” Sally informed her.

Things We Learned:

• Lucas Steele is the Alpha of the Coldspring Pack, and he has claimed Jacque
• Lucas challenges Fane for Bonding Ceremony rites
• Fane will call his Alpha to come – requiring 2 days
• Lucas will have his men guard Jacque during the 2 days waiting for Vasile to arrive
• Lucas will be visiting Jacque’s house to introduce himself and explain his position
• Fane’s wolf is beyond angry
• Sorin is intuitive
• Jacque trusts Fane
• The challenge is a fight to the death
• Fane is putting a contingency plan in place in case he loses
• Fane has to obey the rules of the challenge or forfeit and lose her
• Jacque solidifies that she is not a fan of PDA