Chapter Sixteen

I came to with a feeling like every muscle in my body was sore. I never felt like this even after a grueling workout. It wasn't just the sore muscles. My body ached. I rolled over and Stefan's arm tightened to where I was pulled up next to him again just facing the other direction. I was burning up! I felt like my skin was going to melt off. I kicked the comforter off of me and subsequently kicked it off of Stefan as well who snuggled up closer which made my skin feel even hotter. So, next I stuck one leg out of the sheet in another attempt at cooling off, that didn't work.

"Sweetie," I cooed lightly. "I'm burning up over here."

Stefan grumbled in response and made no move to release me. For some reason that pissed me off so I roughly wrenched his arm off of me and jumped out of bed. I instantly felt cooler but it didn't last long. It got worse. Bad enough that I felt like my body was being burned I felt so hot, but I didn't feel any pain except for the aches and pains from my sore body. I needed a cold shower; that would cool me off. As soon as the cold water hit my skin it was like I didn't even feel it. Instead, I felt like I was in a pot of boiling water instead of a fire pit. Then a cold detached and logical thought entered my brain. Something, isn't right.

I raced into the bedroom still soaking wet, and getting a bit disoriented. I grabbed the sheet and yanked it off Stefan.

"Wake up, something is wrong." I said trying to stay calm but I knew a shred of panic had leaked out.

Stefan's eyes shot open, "What is it?" he asked worriedly, his hair a mess on top of his head, his legs splayed out carelessly and his eyes as wide as two baseballs. He instinctively took a smell of the room to sense danger. His face relaxed and he looked at me with a knowing smile. "Nothing is wrong, Jezzy, it is perfectly normal."

"Why do I feel like you are about to give me the period speech?" I asked raising a brow and straightening up and fanning myself trying to get my skin to cool down.

"Well, it is more the you are going through your first heat speech." He clarified.

My jaw hit the floor, as Stefan's smirk spread across his face where it was quickly replaced by a gaze of lust as he took another look at me from my head to my toes and back up again.

Stefan's arms wrapped around me, and instantly the flames in my skin dulled back to a feeling of melting skin. I lost all thought process and was lost to the feeling of Stefan's body as he gently picked me up and laid me down on the bed.

I felt his lips, his hands, and his body traveling and exploring all over my own. My wolf emerged within me as she controlled my body the way that I controlled our wolf form she controlled my human form. She wrapped our legs around Stefan's waist and kissed him back roughly, hard enough that we could feel teeth.

He looked down at us and smiled, but his eyes were amber, his wolf's eyes, as mine were ice blue. Our wolves needed no spoken words to communicate, only a look and I knew what that look said, as did Stefan because I knew I was returning the look. The look said ‘You're mine,' and I lost all coherency when our bodies joined. I howled. I didn't moan or whimper, I full on howled claiming to the whole pack that I was alpha female, Stefan, and his wolf were mine. Stefan echoed my howl with one of his own that blended with mine to make a perfect fifth chord. I don't know how long it took because time didn't make sense to me in this state, but I do know that the more that Stefan and I moved together the less hot I felt and the more pleasure I felt. Just as we climaxed our wolves marked each other, Stefan marked me on the neck where he had marked me before and I marked him on the chest.

We laid together for a minute, neither one of us needing to say anything as our wolves settled back down. Stefan was lightly trailing his fingers up and down my arm and he placed a kiss on my shoulder before he leaned up and kissed my cheek.

"We need to pack," he murmured.

"I know," I answered, "I spied on you last night," I smiled at the memory. "I'm already packed."

"How, we were busy after I came in?" he asked chuckling lightly.

"I've stayed packed since I got here out of habit. Lived like that for so long it's a hard habit to break." I stated, but tried to cushion the blow for fear of hurting his feelings.

"I understand." He said lightly, surprising me but I didn't comment.

"Do you need me to book flights?" I asked him.

"You could, or we could take the jet." He smirked.

I laughed aloud. "A private jet; now that is something I could get used to." I smiled thoughtfully.

I got dressed and made my way downstairs to get something to eat, because I was pretty sure the last time I ate was before the Louise incident. Stefan was still packing so I had plenty of time, and I was sure I was going to have to double check his bag to make sure he didn't forget his toothbrush or something. Men. I rifled through the fridge and found some leftover pork chops, chicken strips, rib eye steak, and some hamburger patties in the meat drawer. I found a salad in a Tupperware container, some yogurt, hummus, green beans, and roasted potatoes. My stomach growled at me as the scents of the various foods hit my nose. I decided that I would have steak, potatoes, and a salad and leave the rest for Stefan when he came down to raid the fridge while I double-checked his bag for him.

I wolfed down the food as soon as it emerged from the magical land of microwaves and didn't even care that my mouth felt scorched. I was that hungry. I was going to avoid an in-flight meal if I could. Did they have crappy meals on private jets?

Yes, they are basically tv dinners and I can eat twelve of them on my own and still be hungry in an hour. Stefan's remark had me grinning like a fool to myself with no one to see it.

"What are you smiling about?" Dean's voice startled me as I looked at the doorway from the patio.

"Something Stefan just said." I clarified chuckling to myself.

"Are you feeling okay, because Stefan isn't here?" Dean asked smirking.

"I'm feeling fine." I said rolling my eyes. "We are fully mated." I said smirking and expectantly waiting for his childish outburst.

He eyed my bag at my feet. "Where are you headed off to? If you're fully mated shouldn't you, I don't know? Stay with your mate?" He said smartly.

"Yea, I need to talk to all of you about this, something has come up so I'm not going to be able to make it to whatever pow- wow you had planned with the leather suit." I said seriously. "What was that about anyway?" I asked raising a brow.

"Come on, everyone is out here on the porch and I'll explain." Dean laughed.

I followed him out after he grabbed a couple drinks from the fridge and I noticed the cans all had masking tape on them with Rogue written in magic marker. I rolled my eyes to myself, I mean it wasn't like they would have cared if they just drank the drinks that were already stocked in the fridge.

"Jezebel!" Tommy's voice greeted me as I stepped outside. "Where have you been? Oh, wait I know, bangin' like bunnies up in the Alpha's cave!" he cackled.

"And I'm sure it took you this long to come up with that line, how sad you aren't more creative." I retorted, brushing off his comment.

Carlos just smirked while the rest of the guys laughed at Tommy's expense.

"You had something to tell us Jezebel?" Dean prompted.

"Yes, I don't know how much Jason filled you in on the documents we found about my parents, who really were adoptive parents that were hunters who abandoned me when they found out I was a shifter. Well we found my birth mother. Amelia Rezzorri." I started, but as soon as I said the name Rezzorri, Carlos hissed.

"A Rezzorri, you are a Rezzorri?" He asked me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "That's why you have such crazy amounts of power in you." He whispered to himself, more than to me.

"Well, Stefan contacted her father, my grandfather and he wants to meet me, so we have to get on a plane in a couple hours." I said checking my indestructible little pre-paid phone for the time.

"Be careful, I know the Rezzorri's won't let us accompany you, but just remember to trust your instincts." He coached me, making me feel like things were still normal and uncomplicated just for a moment.

"What is Jezebel royalty or something?" Tommy scoffed.

"If she is recognized as a Rezzorri, yes, she will be." Jason elaborated for Tommy.

I didn't want to admit it, but I had no idea that I could become royalty from this trip.

"Ulfric Rezzorri, says that if I am a Rezzorri he would know it when he saw me, and apparently, he and Stefan are friendly enough that His Highness wants us to have our mating ceremony there in Romania. So, it looks like I will be sending you pictures of the big day." I informed them. "Although, I was looking forward to seeing you in tuxes." I teased.

"You couldn't pay me enough to wear one of those damn things." Dean laughed.

"You would wear it, and be happy with it if you were in her ceremony and you know it." Jason commented lightly teasing.

"Yea, it is all about you on your day and if you batted those pretty lashes at me I would." Dean smiled that smile at me that reminded me of why I sought out his friendship the past few years. I smiled back, and realized how much of a family we all really were. They were my brothers. They were the only family I truly had over the years. We had suffered together, and persevered.

"Carlos, do you have my passport?" I asked. "I have a feeling I might need it."

"You're real one or the one for Romania?" he asked chuckling. "You have twelve."

"The one for Romania," I laughed. "Obviously."

"Yea, it's in my room with everyone else's. Apparently none of you can keep track of those damn things and I don't know why." He laughed. "I assume you want your Platinum card too?"

"Yes please, I don't know if I'm going to have to buy a new dress for this thing or not," I said sarcastically.

"Alright, I'll go get it." Carlos said laughing some more on his way in the house.

"Oh, Dean, what was the leather from hell suit for?" I asked.

"We are setting up an obstacle course for the pack hounds, thought you might want to demonstrate," he smirked.

"Oh that is tempting, but I don't see how that fits in with the suit."

"It's not really about the suit, it's about you in the suit, kicking ass." Tommy fist pumped the air.

I just shook my head at them. They were like a pair of twelve year olds.

"I don't know when I will be back, but I will call you when I land alright." I told the rest of the guys.

"You be careful over there, alright." Dean said giving me the ‘don't get into trouble without me look'.

"I'll do my best, but no promises." I smiled.

"Always check your corners." Tommy said pointedly. He always reminded me to do that since I had forgotten to one time, on one of my first missions out of the gate.

"I will," I nodded.

Jason stepped forward and wrapped me in an embrace. He was the big brother that I never had, and he always took care of me. I knew if anything happened he would be there as soon as he could.

"Don't forget, we are all a phone call away if you need us." Jason said and kissed my forehead.

"I know," I smiled at him. "I'll see you all soon." I said to the rest of them as Carlos came back with my passport and cards.

"Remember your manners." Carlos said as he handed me the passport with the documents rubber banded together.

This was how we said goodbye, there were no goodbyes really. Just promises to one another that said that we would see each other again. Goodbyes were too sad, and they knew by the way I had talked that I had no idea what may happen. It could be a few days until I saw them, or it could be a long time. You never could tell, life is like that sometimes and we knew that. So we didn't say goodbye, we promised we would be back.

"I will." I said as I went back in the house as Stefan came out looking for me. He nodded to my team respectfully.

"I'll keep an eye out for her." He promised. "I won't let anything happen to her."

My team nodded back, and Jason said, "You better not, or you have us to answer to." Jason said pointedly.

I stiffened inside the door waiting for Stefan to puff up, but he didn't. He nodded his head and said, "Understood, sir." And came back in the house with me.

I smiled happily at that, he was a lot calmer than he used to be. I knew we could do this, together. The Stefan that made me want to yank my hair out in frustration would have ruined our goodbyes and turned them into a fight. He was choosing his battles. I could tell that he didn't like to be talked to that way, but he knew that Jason wouldn't have said that if he didn't care about me. He would rather me have family that cares, than a team that could care less what happened to me. Stefan was finally thinking things through before he acted upon his feelings.

"I already ate, and I left you the rest in the fridge, go ahead and eat while I go pack a few more things." I said, noticing how domestic I sounded.

"I thought you already were packed." Stefan teased. "Did you forget something?"

"No, I'm double checking yours, because I'm sure you forgot something." I teased back as I made my up the stairs, not before Stefan smacked me square on the ass on my way out. I whipped my head back around and glared at him daring him to do it again.

"Careful, you'll bite off more than you can chew." I purred and sauntered off, making sure my hips rocked smoothly, giving Stefan a great show. I rolled my eyes to myself. Boys are so easy.

Yep, we are. I laughed to myself as I checked Stefan's bag, going through the checklist in my head that I had went over a hundred times. He needed another pair of socks, his razor; he had no emergency cash or traveler's checks, and no deodorant. I packed the socks, razor, and deodorant. I had the cash problem taken care of if we needed it. I had money in banks all over Europe. I didn't think I had any in Romania but I did have some stashed away in Moscow, I would have to check my account book that had all that information in it. Germany was probably closer than Moscow, and I had an account there. I shrugged my shoulders; I'd cross that bridge when we got there.

I came back downstairs carrying his bag and setting it next to mine.

"So, did I forget anything." He smiled proudly, obviously thinking that he hadn't.

I smiled back sweetly, "No, you remembered everything, even your socks, razor, and deodorant." His smile twitched a bit. "I do have to ask, exactly what are we going to do for money while we are over there?"

"I have it taken care of, I have accounts in Bucharest, I travel to Romania at least twice a year to visit." Stefan clarified and effectively dropped the inquiry about his packing abilities.

"Why so often?" I asked, there isn't much in Romania.

"My mother lives there." He stated simply as if it were no big deal.

I felt my skin grow cold and my face pale. I was going to meet his mother. What if she didn't like me?

"Do you enjoy surprising me with stuff like that?" I whispered, knowing he could hear me. "Future reference, give me some time before you spring something like that on me."

"I don't see what the big deal is, it's just my mother, she is going to love you." Stefan said indifferently.

How did he know she was going to love me, until I ran away, no one really loved me. The ones who started to ended up sending me away. I was never good with parents, I always left that up to the guys when we had to talk to them. I stiffly walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured myself a drink. When I had swallowed all of it, I realized it was whiskey. I poured a second drink and proceeded to drink that one. I thought to myself. It doesn't matter what she thinks. If she loves me fine, that is wonderful, if not, it wasn't like Stefan would leave me over something like that. I mean he still wanted me after I abandoned him for five years; he wasn't going to dump me because his mother thought he could do better. I was just being insecure. Yes, I was being insecure and a scaredy cat. I was an alpha; I could damn sure hold my own with the big wigs of shifter society. I had been trained for all sorts of situations, even high society combat. I could trade blows with the best of them and the most sophisticated. I slammed down another drink and grabbed my bag and headed to the car, which was a blue 1969 Ford Mustang Convertible.

Stefan didn't comment on my mood, he just let me stew about it as he continued to eat his chicken fried steak he had in one hand, with a forkful of green beans in the other. I grabbed Stefan's bag as well as I tossed them into the back seat.

I could do this. Technically she had no say so in what Stefan did. Once he became Alpha they could not tell him how to run his pack unless he was doing something terribly wrong. Stefan was a good leader. Since I was Stefan's intended mate, no one could tell us we couldn't be together, so I didn't know why I was worrying about it so much.

I just had to be myself. That's what they always tell you in situations like this, but I never really had someone to talk to about situations like this. It was always situations like, should we shoot the neck for the kill, or shoot the leg for information? I was utterly unprepared for meeting the parents, which a normal person would have been through this before. I was completely abnormal, which was the problem.

I love you, and that won't ever change. I heard Stefan's voice in my head and felt better. I wasn't angry with him really. I was scared because I hated uncharted territory.

I love you too.

Stefan got in the driver's seat and smiled at me, he leaned over and kissed my cheek even though I wouldn't look at him.

"You know we have a long trip, you can't give me the silent treatment forever." He teased.

"I know, I'm not giving you the silent treatment, I'm trying not to be scared to meet your mother." I clarified.

"She will love you, just don't let her see you squirm." Stefan advised.

"Once I'm there I will be okay, just distract me for now." I said finally looking over at him.

"Well, let's get this show on the road." He said smiling a boyish excited grin when he started the ‘stang. He revved the motor a couple times and his grin got bigger each time he did. I think mine did too. I laughed and my laugh was lost in the sound of the engine. No one made cars like this anymore, you just have to love American Muscle.

We peeled out of the drive spraying gravel as we did. I threw my hands up in the air in excitement and cheered him on howling to the skies my enjoyment. Stefan laughed and his eyes sparkled as he looked at me for just a second before he looked back at the gravel road that led us back to the rest of the world. I leaned over and pecked him on the cheek and settled back into my seat. I didn't bother with a seat belt, it's not like I couldn't survive if we did crash. If we did, I would be more worried about the car than I would Stefan because we could heal. The car would be a different story. Shifters may be real but ‘Christine,' is completely fiction.

"It's a two hour drive to the airport," Stefan said and turned on the radio to a classic rock station. ‘Highway to Hell' by AC/DC was playing.

I tossed my head back excitedly and yelled "I love this song!" and proceeded to sing it.

Stefan laughed at me, "Yea, who sings this song?" he asked quizzically.

"AC/DC!" I yelled back as if to say ‘duh'!

"So let them sing it!" he teased.

I let my jaw drop in a faux offended manner. He looked at me and just laughed at my expense. I laughed along and then proceeded to sing it louder and start doing the air guitar.

After the song finished ‘Hungry like a wolf' came on and at the same time Stefan and I both yelled.

"I can't stand this song!" and he switched the radio off. We laughed at one another.

Without the music on all I could hear was the wind, and the car, which wasn't a bad medley of sound, but it did leave me to my thoughts.

"So what else do you listen to?" I asked Stefan attempting at a conversation.

"All kinds, really, except some of this new stuff they are coming out with now, everything is auto-tuned and done on computers, I mean where is the musicianship in that?" he answered.

"I know, I like some of the dub-step, but they just don't make good music like they did back in the day. The seventies and eighties were where good music was." I said.

"Oh, I agree, I mean some good stuff came out of the eighties but not much, and what the heck were they thinking? I mean boy bands? Really? Grown men that sing like they have no balls." He ranted.

"I don't get it at all, I'm glad I wasn't allowed to listen to that crap when I was younger." I wish I hadn't have said that, because it brought all my fears back to me.

Stefan took my hand and turned my hand palm up. Then he started trailing his fingers up and down my forearm like the touch of a feather. It sent tingles all through my body and as I'm sure it's intended effect was to relax me and comfort me; it only made me think of dirty things. Stefan smirked at me and moved his hand to my thigh were he then ran his fingertips up my thigh from my knee to my waist. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, biting my lip to stifle a moan. I should not have worn shorts to travel in.

"Personally, I like to see how you react to me." Stefan said lustfully. I knew that seeing me like this turned him on too.

"You know two can play at this game," I teased. I got on my knees and leaned over to kiss his neck while one hand trailed down his chest to his waist and back up.

"Jez, honey, I'm driving." He said attempting to focus on the road.

"Are you saying you can't drive and play at the same time?" I goaded.

Stefan swallowed hard as he tried very hard to ignore me, then he smirked and his hand slid up my inner thigh and just barely brushed against my core causing an oh so slight moan to flow from my mouth into Stefan's ear as I buried my face in his neck to suppress it. Before I could even think he had unbuttoned my shorts. Fast as lightening, his hand slid down my front to my core as he started stroking me. He used his arm to ease me back into my seat as we neared the end of the gravel drive. We were still in secluded country thankfully, because I couldn't help but release a carnal moan through gritted teeth.

"I love it when you do that." Stefan said huskily as he turned onto the road, never once losing his rhythm that was driving me near erotic bliss.

I reached over and grabbed his thigh and squeezed as each wave of pleasure wracked through me. I was losing this game, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I folded my knees under me so my legs remained spread so he could reach me, because I did not under any circumstances want him to stop.

"If you can't take it, I can drive." I purred a sensual hum into his ear. He looked at me with a cocky smirk as he forced another moan out of me, but not before I managed to release his throbbing member downstairs. I leaned over and took him in my mouth. I heard Stefan release a hiss that encouraged me. It became a battle of the moans and groans as we teased the other, waiting for the other to give in. Normally, I would be pissed if he came before I did, but in this situation I was going to bet on it. I scratched my nails up and down his thighs and massaged the pits of his knees even used a hand to stroke him in between the down strokes of my mouth and caress his balls. What sent him over the edge was when my orgasm hit me my desire vibrated down the length of him. I felt the car swerve as I was coming back up to swallow and breathe, which caused me to land in Stefan's lap quite gracefully.

"If you think you are driving this car, you are going to have to just be disappointed. I still have a few tricks you don't know about," he smirked as he helped me back into my seat. I fixed my clothes and watched Stefan struggle with his pants and to cover himself because we were getting into heavier traffic. I laughed aloud and reached over to help, managing to get us situated as if nothing had happened when we merged onto the interstate and into the eyes of the general public. Any person in a medium sized vehicle would be able to look down and see us with the top down.

"When I move my toys over here, you aren't driving any of them, no matter how much you drool, beg, and whine." I promised as I crossed my arms, but couldn't stop myself from smiling.

I reached over to turn the radio back on, but Stefan slapped my hand away before I could touch it.

"If you want the radio on just tell me." Stefan said, his jaw set in a serious clench. He really did not like me touching anything in his car.

"I know how to work a radio in a '69 Mustang, Stefan." I growled.

"This radio has messed up on me ever since I got her, it's nothing personal, I just don't let anyone mess with it because there is a trick to it." He explained. I knew he was telling the truth so I didn't push it further.

"I would like the radio on, dearest." I said laying on the sugary sweet and fake tone, effectively telling him I did not like having to say so at all.

"Sure thing, shnuckems," Stefan said copying my overly happy tone.

I glared at him but he paid me no attention at all so I sank down in my seat and propped my feet up on the dash board just to piss him off.

"Please, don't put your feet on the dash." He pleaded.

I silently moved them so they were hanging out the window.

He didn't say anything about that. I officially hated this car.

How can you hate my car?

Because I can't move in it without you looking at me like I'm taking a knife to the interior.

I know, and I'm not looking at you like that because you are moving, I'm looking at you like that because I don't want anything to get messed up, it took me two years to fix this car with all original parts.

I understand that Stefan, but you forget, I know my way around a car too.

Cars are a little bit more complicated than motorcycles.

You know how cartoons have steam come out of them when they get angry, I think I did then.

"Stefan, I'm going to pretend you didn't think that." I said calmly, but I knew that he could sense the gravity of what I was saying.

"I didn't mean that, it just kind of slipped out," He said and he winced a bit.

"I will say, I prefer motorcycles, but I know cars as well, don't presume you know more than me about cars just because you have a dick." I said and I didn't say another word about it.

"I rebuilt this car, I think I know her better than you do." He said, getting angry as well.

"Do you really want to fight over this?" I said, copying the way he condescended me.

"I don't want to fight, but apparently you do." He yelled.

"Is that how it's going to be?" I asked him barely managing to keep calm. "We are going to fight about your fucking car?" I said sitting back up and scoffing at him.

"This car is important to me; you don't respect it at all. If you knew anything about cars you would appreciate it." He accused.

"I said I hated this car because you just became an ASS!" I roared back. "I can't drive, I can't touch the radio, I can't prop my feet up, hell I can't even move around too much without you having a mini heart attack about the leather interior, don't think I haven't noticed, so yea, I HATE YOUR FUCKING CAR! NEXT TIME, SEE IF YOUR CAR WILL FUCK YOU!" I yelled, not realizing we were at an intersection and since it was a nice day, just about everyone had their windows rolled down.

I looked around nervously biting my lower lip, feeling guilty for my outburst. I wasn't guilty for what I said, just the timing and volume.

A soccer mom with kids in the backseat glared at me for my language, her husband in the passenger seat looked at me lustfully. Two teenage guys behind us snickered at us, and an old man in an old pick-up truck next to us broke the silence.

"Young man, I've never owned a car in my life that paid attention to me the way I paid attention to it." He said, and he didn't belittle him he just offered up some wisdom.

Stefan looked down at the dash then at me, "I'm sorry, Jezzy, I really got carried away." He apologized sincerely.

"I forgive you," I smiled and pecked him on the cheek. As I started to pull away Stefan captured my lips with his and held me in place by grabbing a fistful of hair.

And you are the only one who will ever bring me more happiness than my cars.

Oh I know. I grinned against his lips as cars started to honk at us.

We sped forward, and arrived at the airport in what seemed like no time at all. The jet was already started up and ready to go. I really hoped it had been fixed since the last time I rode on it. I charged up the steps and into the jet excited to be travelling again. I loved going places which is why a rogue life had always appealed to me as opposed to pack life. Maybe, it was because I had always moved around and never stayed in one place long enough to get any friends as a child. I made myself comfortable in one of the spacious padded chairs and poured myself a glass of water. The jet had been fixed and it looked great. You couldn't even tell that there was a fight in there.

"How much did it cost to repair this thing?" I asked aloud to the staff and Stefan as he came in with his bag.

"Almost 10," Stefan said shrugging his shoulders. "I've had to shell out worse for similar cases."

I nodded my head approvingly at the job that had been done. It looked like he got it done for a fair price, and it looked great.

"Should you be drinking?" Stefan asked eyeing my glass.

"It's ice water, jerk." I answered rolling my eyes.

"Well, good, we don't have time to wait on you to get sober." He laughed. "When we land we have to go find some formal wear, for when I present you."

"Alright," I said. "I figured as much, is there any particular style I should stay away from, or color?" I asked.

"I don't know, I mean don't go in there looking like you are going to the club or the pole." Stefan said, "Although, you could get a dress like that to wear for me." Stefan grinned mischievously.

I gave him a sideways glance flirty smile and leaned back and crossed my legs very slowly and gracefully, as I watched him undress me with his eyes.

As much staff that was on this jet, and I knew for a fact the bedroom was not soundproofed, it was going to be a long, long flight.