Chapter 15

Sally rushed forward, shoving Decebel out of the way. She put her hands on Jen's chest and closed her eyes. She pushed with all her might, magically looking into her friend's fragile body. Sally gasped. Jen's lungs were full of fluid. She was drowning in her own blood. Sally didn't know how she did it, didn't understand it, but she thanked every being she could think of for the power she had flowing through her. The blood in Jen's lungs was being absorbed into her body, emptying gradually until none remained. Sally pulled her hands back and opened her eyes. Still Jen did not breath.

Sally laid her ear on her chest - no heartbeat. She turned to Costin. "Put her on the floor, now. I need to do CPR and I can't do it on a soft surface."

Costin obeyed, ignoring the snarls from Decebel, who was being restrained by Cynthia.

Sally tilted Jen's head back like she had learned in their health class and pinched her nose. She pulled her chin down opening her mouth and then placed her mouth over hers. She gave two short breaths, watching as Jen's chest rose. Then she placed her hands just below her diaphragm and began compressions. Sally could barely see through the blur that her tears caused. She continued alternating breaths with chest compressions, getting more desperate as time went on. Jen remained unresponsive.

Decebel finally broke free of Cynthia and landed with a hard crash on his knees next to Jen. He leaned down, and when Sally finished the fourth round of compressions it was him who placed his mouth over hers and breathed life-giving air into her. Sally saw that his eyes were no longer glowing and realized that Decebel, the man, had overcome his wolf. She continued the chest compressions and listened as Decebel whispered in Jen's ear.

"You will not die, Jennifer. I won't allow it." He kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her nose and then her lips, so gently. "I want the chance to love you. Baby, don't rob me of that by giving up."

Decebel used the endearment that he'd used in the text messages he shared with Jennifer before the curse. After feeling how strongly his wolf felt about this woman, there was no doubt in his mind that she was his mate. He refused to lose her.

But she still did not breathe. Decebel breathed for her again and the tears from his eyes dropped onto her face. Blood covered her lips.

Decebel looked over to the Fae, who stood calmly though concern filled her eyes.

"What do I do? I won't lose her."

"Give her your blood. If you are her mate, your blood will give her body strength."

Without hesitation Decebel's canines lengthened and his eyes glowed. He tore into his wrist, biting down hard until the blood flowed freely. After placing a hand under her neck and lifting gently, he pressed his wrist to her mouth. Sally began to rub her throat to get it to go down.

When Decebel pulled his wrist away, the room was completely silent as all held their breath, waiting.

Sally felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest as she stared at her best friend. Breathe.

Decebel pressed his forehead to Jennifer's and squeezed his eyes shut. The tears wouldn't stop and his heart felt like it was being torn in half.

"Come back to me, Jennifer. I can't lose you - I refuse to lose you, dammit. You will live!" The last was a snarl.

Suddenly, she gasped and air filled her empty lungs. Her eyes fluttered open. Decebel watched in amazement.

"Jennifer?" Decebel brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.

"You don't remember me and yet you're still so damn bossy." Jen's words were a hoarse whisper, but they all heard her.

Decebel watched as she closed her eyes but continued to breathe.

Sally was shaking with relief and the adrenaline began to overtake her. Costin leaned down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and cried.

Cynthia asked Peri for clean sheets for the bed and towels to clean Jen up. As she and Decebel laid Jen on the bed, she looked up at him.

"Let Sally and I clean her up. We will take good care of her."

Decebel shook his head with a low growl. "I will care for her."

"Decebel, you aren't mated to her yet."

"She is my mate. I will care for her. Do not argue with me, female, I am your Beta and you will obey me."

Cynthia was a little shocked at his declaration since she was talking to Decebel and not his wolf.

"Cynthia, it's okay," Sally said as she began to wipe her tears away. "Jen isn't modest. It wouldn't bother her for Decebel to see her." She looked up at Decebel. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Decebel shook his head. "No, I want to be with my mate alone. She needs me. I may not remember her but I feel something, like my soul is being knitted back together. I think giving her my blood helped."

"Decebel, Vasile thinks you need to perform the Blood Rites in order to save Jen." Sally waited for his response and was surprised when he finally answered.

"I will do anything for her, but she has to bite me for the Blood Rites to take place. Drinking my blood is not enough."

"Maybe if you continue to give her your blood, she will get strong enough to stay conscious," Sally said in a hopeful tone.

Costin brushed Sally's hair from her face and smiled at her when she leaned into his touch. "You are amazing," he whispered to her.

She looked at him, confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you refuse to think the worst, and only think of possibilities that result in a positive outcome."

Sally blushed. "Jen's a fighter. She would be pissed if she thought I didn't think she could make it."

Decebel stood over Jennifer. She lay still but for the movements of her breathing. Sally had brought him several towels and a large blanket to put over her. She'd also brought him a large bowl with warm water in it, and washcloths to clean his mate. He leaned down to kiss Jen.

"I will be as gentle as I can, love," he whispered as he dipped the washcloth in the warm water. After squeezing out the excess, he began to softly wipe her face, removing any trace of blood. Then he washed her arms and hands and dried them. The entire time, Decebel talked to her. He told her about the life he remembered and how he didn't remember the good things. All the while he protected her modesty by keeping the blanket over as much of her as he could.

When he finally removed her shirt, the breath felt like it had been punched from his lungs and he fell to his knees at the sight.

The door flew open at the sound of Decebel's knees hitting the floor. His head snapped up immediately and he simultaneously covered Jen with the blanket. His eyes were glowing as he snarled at the intruder.

"GET OUT!"

Sally paled and after seeing that Jen was still breathing, slammed the door shut.

Decebel gently pulled the sheet back again and couldn't stop his hand from lifting and his fingers from tracing the markings that ran along her right side from under her arm to down below the waistline of the sweat pants she wore. Markings that were identical to his. At that thought his head jerked up and he quickly re-covered Jennifer. He stood and walked over to the bathroom attached to the room. He pulled his shirt over his head and looked in the mirror.

Decebel's eyes watched in wonder as his markings changed before his very eyes. The marks that covered the right side of his back and shoulder now began to move like a vine up the right side of his neck and down his right arm to the wrist. Several moments after the vine-like movement had stopped, Decebel continued to stare. He might not remember Jen, but his body did - his soul knew she was his.

He pulled his shirt back over his head and finished cleaning up his mate and getting her more comfortable.

As he covered her with a blanket after having dressed her in the clean clothes that Peri had brought him, he watched her chest rise and fall, taking solace in that sight. He moved to the other side of the bed and lay down, careful not to jar her. He propped himself up on his elbow, head supported by his hand, and stared at her beautiful face. She was still so very pale, but to his relief she did look better than when Costin had brought her through the forest.

There was a soft knock at the door. Without turning to see who it was, he said, "Come in."

Sally peeked her head in. "Are you both alright?"

"She is breathing, clean, and with me. For now, that will have to be enough."

Sally stepped far enough into the room that she could close the door behind her.

"Decebel," she started, then paused, trying to gather her thoughts. Still he did not turn his face from Jennifer. "Do you remember her at all?"

"My wolf recognizes her, knows her scent. But if you're asking if I have memories of her and I together, the answer is still no."

"Are you willing to do the Blood Rites with her?"

That question got him to turn and look at Sally.

He sat up on the edge of the bed, but left his left hand resting gently on Jennifer's leg.

"Have a seat, healer. We need to talk." Decebel motioned to the chair across from him.

When Sally was seated, her hands folded in her lap, Decebel met her honey brown eyes with his amber ones. He took a deep breath and let it out before he spoke.

"I will not do the Blood Rites without her fully conscious and making the choice herself."

"Not even to save her life?" Sally asked calmly, without any accusation in her voice.

"The Blood Rites are sacred, and intense. I cannot take that choice from her. Besides, she might not want to complete the bond while I do not remember her. Who wants to be mated to someone who doesn't know you?"

"But you will remember her once the bond is done," Sally implored.

"Says who? The Fae? She is not pack - she does not know of our ways, our magic." Decebel growled.

"At least think about it. Don't make any rash decisions while your emotions are so chaotic." Sally stood and stepped out of the room.

Decebel once again turned and laid down next to Jennifer. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath to get his emotions under control. As he lay there, Jason Gray's Remind Me Who I Am kept creeping into his mind and he couldn't get over how well it fit his situation. He laid his hand gently on her stomach and inched a little closer. In a voice that was surprisingly beautiful and haunting, Decebel began to sing to his mate:

"When I lose my way and I forget my name, remind me who I am."

Decebel's heart ached as he sung words that were truer than he cared to admit. He needed Jennifer. He needed her to remind him, to help him see what was hidden deep inside him. He needed her to love him, love him until he returned to her. He wouldn't leave her side until she did, until he looked into her eyes and saw all of her, knew all of her.