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Kissed by Lightning

By: SilverDawn



Dear Readers, 

I hope there is someone reading. 

If you're looking for a quick sexual fix, I don't think this is the story for you, but give it a shot. There might not be anything sexual for a couple chapters, But I hope the build up is sufficient. 

I'm not sure what else to say but I'm a young new writer, never done anything like this before. I hope it becomes everything I dream it could be. 

**********

"Are you listening? Stef" Sasha's voice rang through the phone, snapping Stefani out of her daze. She looked out into the cafe, scanning the crowd before answering. "Yeah. Still here." Leaning on the counter she listened as Sasha pleaded her case. "Sasha, I really don't know. You know I'm not into that kinda stuff...," she admitted. Sasha was always trying to hook her up with her wild friends or drag her into her crazy plans, she had enough on her plate, the last thing she needed was to go out looking for trouble. 

"Please, please, please! He's so hot! His friend is hot too, I promise. We'll have a good time and we'll get drunk! Stefani, you have to come! For me?!" Sasha's pleading voice made her sigh in defeat.

"Fine! But if you two get all touchy touchy, I'm leaving." Her friends victory squeal, screamed out through the phone making her wince and pull away slightly. 

"You are not gonna regret this!" Her squeals continued for a couple minutes, a small smile pulling across my lips, her happiness contagious.

"Alright, alright, now let me get back to work before I get fired." Trying to bring down the high her friend was on currently, her own bubble of excitement forming. 

"Oh! Before I forget. Can you please wear something attractive tonight. I know how you can be, with your t-shirt and jeans."

Stefani rolled her eyes at the teasing tone in her friends voice, "There is nothing wrong with my jeans!" "Whatever! See you at eight." Stefani hung up before her friend decided to criticize her wardrobe some more. Tucking her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, she approached the front counter, pulling her ponytail tight. 

Stefani knew Sasha meant well, but she was tired of meeting these random guys, who turned out to be jerks only looking for one thing. Not that anybody was interested in that one thing with her, she was much to curvy for that. Stefani was one of the kind of woman who had lost faith in love through the many bumps of her non-existent love life. She absolutely hated being set up now, but she was a total push over. She smoothed over her black apron, making herself more presentable for her customers. 

She ran the few "attractive" outfits she could wear in her mind, as she began to organize the muffins. Smiling softly to herself, dread and excitement coursing through her body. The ringing of the bells snapped her out of her daze. Looking up at the incoming customer, she grinned. Her eyes met a pair of hazel brown eyes with silver rims. still the weirdest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. As the man approached the counter, she looked down at the bouquet of lilies in his hands. 

"Lucky girl who deserves those" She grinned while leaning forward to kiss the stranger on the cheek. 

"She's not lucky so much as stubborn. If she'd answer the phone like she was supposed to, I could have given them to her this morning." His voice was soft and musical, and every word seemed to be interlaced with amusement. The man held out the bouquet for her, Stefani couldn't help but grin even wider.

"I didn't hear the alarm this morning, I rushed to get to work, so I must have been a little distracted. Sorry Cole." Followed by a shrug while reaching for the flowers. "Take a break and come sit" He said in that 'I'm the boss' tone that always made her roll her eyes. "Tom, I'm going on break. Can you bring the usual, please" She called out back, as she came around the counter and went over to sit with Cole at the window table. 

She quickly looked him over as she took her seat across from him. His broad shoulders in that black Armani suit did wonders to his sexual appeal. His brown short hair was combed back, his large hand rested against the table patiently as he waited for her assessment to be over. He was huge at six foot two, even sitting down, he would always be the biggest man she knew. Finally her gaze went to his eyes, those mesmerizing eyes that regarded her with laughter. "So am I to your liking princess?" His smile grew as she took a second to think about it. 

"You will do, even if you are an old grumpy soul" He laughed hard as her teasing tone poked at his ego. 

She smiled softly, Cole was the brother and the family she never had. They'd met when she was seventeen, he just had this charm about him that made her trust him from the first moment they spoke. He saved her. There will always be something about Cole that made everything brighter. "They're beautiful. Thank you." Stefani's voice was soft as she leaned down to inhale the soft fragrance of the lilies. 

"Did you think I'd forget your birthday." She shook her head, "I've missed you." her voice was full of longing as she set down the bouquet gently on the table. 

"It has been a couple days... I'm sorry for not coming sooner, I was--Tied up with work" his tone hardened and his eyes lost their laughter. For a second she though about asking but he was always a little closed off about work things. He was wealthy for being so young, although she teased him for his old man personality, he was only twenty-eight but he made sure his work never interfered with their friendship. She looked up as Tom came over with their muffins, she could smell the sweet tangy scent of the blueberries with the dough, she shuddered as he placed them down. "Thanks kid" Cole's voice was calm and almost condescending. Stefani frowned but as the aroma of the pastry hit her she instantly forgot all about it. 

Biting into the little bundle of joy almost brought her to tears, her taste buds seems to explode at the contact. She moaned softly causing another fit of laughter from Cole. She didn't seem to notice how the muffins seemed to taste so much better, or how she was suddenly hearing the conversation across the loud room. "I see your love affair with muffins is still going strong" He said as he bit into his apple muffin, moaning at the taste as well. 

"Laugh all you want. He makes me happier than I've ever been." She teased, her chestnut brown eyes brightened as he almost devoured his muffin. 

"There's something I wanted to ask you" His voice got all serious again after swallowing down, which made her curious. He often took over the fatherly-older-brother role in her life, which she loved but she'd never tell him that. But when he got all serious and hard, it was usual something serious. 

"What's up?" Stefani straightened her back, dabbing at her lips with the napkin. Cole reached into his Armani front pocket and pulled out two flight tickets, setting them down in the middle of the table. "Is this a second Birthday gift?! You're outdoing yourself this year, mutt" She smiled at one of his given nicknames. He didn't smile, just watched her silently as she picked up the tickets. 

"What's in Quebec?" She was a little confused as to why Quebec would be his ideal birthday paradise, but Cole has always been a little strange. He didn't say anything, frowning, she read again. "Tomorrow morning? What do you have in mind Cole?" She was curious and a little cautious at his strange behavior. 

"The future." He whispered softly, so softly it could have been her imagination. "Will you come?" He asked almost pleading, there was something in his voice that made her think it was really important but she couldn't understand why. 

"There's so little time and I have to work. I promised I'd take over this week. I'm also going out later tonight, to that new club.. Fang! With Sasha. Why so last minute, maybe we could do it over Thanksgiving-" 

He cut me off, "I don't understand why you keep working in this tiny cafe. I offered you a high paying job, something you could be great at." He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, his athletic body screaming out in disapproval.

She sighed, he couldn't possibly understand what it was like trying to find a place in the world that was all her own. She was the independent creative soul who starved for a home but wouldn't take it when it was offered. She shook her head, "I like working here. Sure the pay is crap and I barely get by but.... It feels like home. I'm happy here." 

Stefani ran into the Moonlight Cafe by accident while apartment hunting, she'd stumbled into this little hidden cafe in this huge bright city, Montreal. It was love at first sight, the manager was usually a good guy, had even let her bake her muffins and other deserts while waitressing as well. It was humble, but it was all she had. 

"Stef, It's important. You turned twenty-five today... It's a crucial age for you and there's so much I want to show you. Just a couple days. I have this little cottage up there, you'll be safe there. There's so much-- Please just think about it, for me" He started pouting, trying to lighten the mood but there was this feeling inside her that something wasn't right. His pouting became too much and she broke out in giggles. 

"I'll have to leave the date early but for you anything." He smiled with relief and just as I was sure I'd crossed the finish line, he frowned and his eyes took on this eery yellow color, just as quickly it was gone. "Date?" his tone was harsh and suspicious. 

"Sasha," We both said at the same time, I smiled. "She really means well. It's only this once, and she swears that he's nice." Stefani's voice was almost a plead as her explanation came out, his approval meant the world to her. "That girl only gets you into trouble. You know what those boys are interested in?" His disapproval rang on every word, she winced slightly. Lifting her chin slightly.

"First of all, You've never even met her so you don't get to make that assumption. Secondly, Guys only want that from hot girls. Which we both know I'm not. So I'm going out to have fun with my friend for my birthday. That's it." His eyes pierced hers and she still had that urge to take in a breath, the usual reaction most people got when he went all intense in his gaze. He knew she was right, he'd never personally met Sasha, just heard about all her crazy schemes. 

"I don't like that place." Looking around, the women were ogling him like he was a rare piece of meat, with disgust she turned back to Cole. Stefani's eyes hardened, she pressed her lips together, clearly letting him know it was happening. 

"At least let me pick you up." He reasoned, Stefani smiled with victory. "Fine" with that said, she picked up her flowers, leaned down (not very far) to kiss Cole on the cheek. "I seriously don't like that place" He grumbled out, as she stepped back. "Deal with it, mutt. I gotta head home. I'll see around midnight" Those were the last civil words they would have for a while. 

****

Stefani looked down at her little black platform pumps and wondered if they were a good idea. The outfit was out of her usual attire. The black pencil skirt, hugged her curves like a second skin, with a violet silk blouse falling gently over her 38C breast and showing just a hint of cleavage, tucked into the skirt. Overall she looked very well put together. Her hair was a mass of curls around her shoulders with a small butterfly crystal clip that Cole had given her for her twentieth birthday, her makeup was a light glowing look with lavender eye shadow. She was nervous as she waited at the front of her small apartment complex for Sasha and 'the dates' to arrive. 

She was a bubble of excitement and nerves, her heart was beating rapidly and she was aching everywhere, given she'd ran down 5 flights of stairs in pumps. With a wary sigh, she turned as a black BMW zoomed to a stop in front of her. Stefani couldn't see who was inside due to the dark tinted windows, but she felt eyes all over her body and it made her really uncomfortable. 

Sasha stepped out of the front seat of the car, her blonde hair tied up in a pony tail. The silver hoops flashing in the dark. She was a stunning six foot one, thin model type of girl who wore sexy corsets and a tight mini white skirt on a Thursday night better than anyone in Montreal. 

"Salut Stef!" She squealed as she came over to wrap her arms around Stefani, she tried to look past her into the car, to check out the men. 

"They love your outfit. You look great!" Sasha whispered in her ear, just as she started dragging her into the back of the vehicle. Stefani didn't even get a chance to argue as she was jolted into a leather seat and right next to a very tall attractive man. 

"ummm.... Hi- erm. Salut" She stuttered as she tried to form a coherent conversation with this man. His eyes are distant and a startling green, like emeralds. His hair, short and brushed back with a lot of gel. "You must be Stefani" His voice sent a shiver up her spine, but she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. There was something in the way he said her name that made her hesitate before extending out her hand to shake his, the coolness of her skin made her gasp. 

"You must be...." She waited for him to introduce himself and took back her hand trying to find a way to make herself more comfortable. "My name is Varcolac, I know it's a handful so just call me V." 

Stefani nodded, only half hearing him as her head started to pound slightly. There was a smell in the car that was making her uneasy, she couldn't pint point it but something wasn't right. She smiled softly and looked back up at him, his eyes were roaming over her body. Why didn't she wear her jeans tonight, she silently cursed her decision. 

"We're here" Said a voice from the front, Stefani realized that she hadn't at all glanced at the front of the car or noticed they were moving. She nodded and went to open the door, but V was already opening it for her and reaching in with his hand to pull her up. She barely took in a breath as she looked at the club, It's red neon letters, screaming out 'Fang' to the world, there was a red carpet and ropes for VIP, and she couldn't deny the excitement of being treated so formally. 

The club was huge, with three floors, connected by stairs and elevators on both sides. neon colored lights broke the air, with repetitive patterns that made her sensitive eyes ache. She felt a hand at her back guide her to the elevators and all the way up to the third floor to the VIP area. She took a breath, scanning the massive crowd of sweaty grinding people. This was definitely not her scene but Sasha seemed to be loving every minute of it. She grimaced as the man that Sasha was with had his hand on her ass as if she was a piece of meat. That girl needed to get a grip on herself but with that thought came the realization that she had also dressed pretty out there, so maybe they both had to get a grip. 

Going over to the VIP was definitely a new experience for her, as she looked around, she noticed everyone was sort of secluded and she was really wined up for some reason, her body ready to spring if anything happened. V was sitting way too close to her, his hand draped over her back and one laying on her lap. Even though she kept putting it off. V waved to a waited and a bottle of some expensive- she presumed- alcohol was set in front of them, on the table. V passed her a glass and they made some sappy toast to the future, she could see his clear white teeth gleaming in the dark, setting off a bit of fear in her. 

"There is much to discuss little pet, you are going to be glorious" he whispered in her ear, causing Stefani to swallow down a whole glass of what she thought was champagne, but it was burning slightly as it went down. Trying to find a little space, she scooted further away clearing her throat. 

"What is it you do?" She asked trying to talk louder than the music. He only smiled and moved forward again, her head was spinning a little bit and she had to struggle to not jolt out of her seat as he pulled her body tight against his. "I'm-- in the hunting business." He laughed out the words in her ear, she closed her eyes slightly. 

"Relax. Just let your body go" He whispered but he sounded far away. She felt a familiar push in her mind, Cole. 

'What's wrong' His voice whispered in her mind, shaking her head, trying to push V away. 'Stefani! What's wrong? You feel foggy." His voice was full of concern and it was true her mind felt heavy. She looked around and tried to convey where she was. There was danger, she shouldn't be there, not with him. Looking over at V, he was staring out of their booth and into the crowd. She followed his gaze and gasped. There on the dance floor was Sasha with her tall dark haired date. Her corset was ripped open down the middle but still somehow stayed on. Her blond hair was in a messy ponytail, her usual electric blue eyes were closed with her head tilted back, her pink glossy lips were parted. The most shocking thing was her date had his hand up her skirt and wasn't trying to hide it. His mouth was firmly attached to one of her nipples. She shook her head, something wasn't right. Stefani stood up weakly, her black pumps shaky. She was gonna go help her friend if it was the last thing she did. 

A hand wrapping around her wrist pulled her down, snapping her out of her trance. "Leave them, she's a hot slut" V's voice was cold and hard as he spoke about her friend. She didn't even know it happened, but her hand flew and slapped him straight across the face. It was a fraction of a second, that he took the sting and his eyes gazed back up at hers. There was a frozen solid fury in those green eyes as he very harshly gripped both of her wrist yanking her down to his lap and slammed his mouth on hers. 

That's when panic set in, 'Fang, new club. Third Floor.' Was all she could send out to Cole. She struggled, she did, she was pushing him with all her strength but his hands were hurting her wrist. He let one of them go and she whimpered as it stung but felt her hair being yanked back hard. Crying out, she felt his tongue invade her mouth a second later, She wiggled in his lap trying to free herself, only coming up to feel his hard unrelenting cock beneath her skirt.

Stefani dug her teeth down hard over his tongue, pulled her head away. He groaned, with a jerk his hand fast like lightning slapped her face so hard she felt blood exploded on her tongue. He roughly pulled her up on her feet. "Stop it!" She shouted as he slammed her down on the table, only now noticing that the room was quiet and the only things she could hear was a loud moan. She struggled to get him off her. 

He was behind her, pulling her head up. "Look at your slutty friend. She wants that cock in her tight pussy. Watch her." His sick whispers filled her head, Stefani looked up startled. Sasha had hear legs wrapped around her date's waist as his cock piston in and out of her pussy. Sasha was writhing and groaning like a bitch in heat. Stefani looked away, her cheeks flushed and as bad as it was, her body was reacting to it. She was so engrossed in her shameful thoughts she didn't notice when V brought over a needle until he stabbed it deep into her neck and she let a loud wail spill from her lips.

Stefani screaming into her mind, could feel Cole on the other side like a fog. Her mind started spinning, V was extracting out a big needle full of her blood. She was shivering and a fever broke out over her face. V pulled her up, "Take her to the Van. I'll be downstairs in a couple minutes" His voice sending shivers up her spine as she started breathing harder, her vision was starting to get fuzzy. He pushed her hard and she fell into strong arms. 

'Stefani what's happening?' Cole's voice was barely a whisper, she struggled against the man, trying to stop him from taking her. Stefani let out a whimper across their bond, 'One man... the van... Sasha's in trouble... must help... Cole...I'm so tired..' Stefani fell unconscious, her voice was almost gone as it reached his mind. 


Kissed by Lightning Ch. 01



Dear Readers, 
I have readers! Thank you for the supporting comments. 
I understand that grammar is not one of my strong points, so I will try and look for an editor as soon as possible. 
Enjoy. 

*********

Stefani blinked her eyes softly, startled to see the sun streaming through the car window she was leaning on. She jolted upwards with a gasp remembering what happened, a sharp pain stung her on the left shoulder and she looked down to find her jacket soaked in blood. Letting out a hiss she sat up, looking around wildly. Lucian turned in the seat, directing his gaze to hers, up to that moment she was willing to believe that it had all been a nightmare but the look he gave her spoke otherwise. 

Her eyes teared up, a broken sob escaped her lips. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to avoid the bruise on her cheek. Stefani was a strong girl, whatever was going on she'd face it and find some way to overcome it. Her body shivered slightly, she could feel the drug finally had left her blood stream but it left her feeling weak and groggy. Also the blood loss might have to do with why her body felt so heavy. Her lips were dried and her skin felt clammy and a little too cold to be normal. 

"Where are we going?" Her voice came out in a little whisper, her throat was still sore. Stefani leaned back against the window again, looking out into the road they were on.

"To the O'Faolain. It's the largest pack up here in Canada. We'll figure it all out there" Lucian's voice was soothing even though his eyes were hard. 

"You're Stefani?" Johnson asked and looked back at her through the rearview mirror. She gave him a nod, she winced at the motioned caused her cheek to throb painfully. Her fingers came up to lightly caress the injured area, Johnson's eyes were drawn to it. "Who gave you that?" 

"From what I understand. A vampire." Her voice was icy and there was a slow building fury behind those words. Both men stiffened and the car sped up. "You're human, how did you get mixed up with them?" Lucian asked, his pale gray eyes looked at her suspiciously. "He was my date." She whispered, as she focused back on that night. 

It had been three to fours days since then, she assumed but her mind was still a little hazy. "Thank you, for coming to help us. Cole-- would have wanted this." Her voice choked up at his name and both men in the car stiffened at his name. 

She smiled softly thinking about him, the irony was that she should have seen this coming. Cole had always been the self sacrificing type and he had a natural protective streak when it came to her. The thought made her eyes water, It was her fault. 

"Stefani.. There are several things we should talk about. You will be interrogated in the compound as a safety precaution. We'll have the healers look over your injuries and get your shoulder patched up. You're stepping into our world and things work differently here. We're werewolves Stefani." Lucian spoke with an air of authority that reassured her, but she heard the underlying threat. 

"It's not like the legends and Halloween stories, we are not evil or eat humans. You will be safe with us. We'll decide what to do with you and what pack to send you to but until we figure out who has taken Cole, everything is going to be very strict." He sounded almost fatherly as he gave her the talk, her heart ached. Although Cole hadn't been blood related he was the only family she knew. 

"I just want to go home." Stefani's yearning made both men exhale a breath. Lucian's eyes met hers. "We'll speak to the Alphas of the four families and see what course of action will be taken. I gave my word to protect you. I know things are confusing right now but hopefully the Alpha will be able to better explain things." 

The car turned right and into an unpaved road among the trees, she could barely tell road from regular forest path. Stefani winced as the road got really bumpy, the small truck they were in was clearly not made for this kind of terrain. The wound on her shoulder was burning and she felt blood seeping out of her body, she pressed her hands against it to stop the bleeding. 

"Thank you." She whispered softly, focusing on the light breaking through the trees and how fantastic it was. 

"Sunlight doesn't affect you?" She asked trying to distract herself from the pain.

"No. Moonlight also doesn't control our transformations either. Silver is deadly to us if left inside the body for a long time, we're not cursed either. We're like the improved super human, with slight canine tendencies." He said with a smile, understanding her questions. Johnson seemed to roll his eyes at her questions. It must have been two hours that they were still on the forest path when Lucian spoke up. 

"Tell us a little about yourself," Stefani looked up at the rearview mirror, seeing their curious glances. "I just turned twenty-one a couple days ago. I work at the little moonlight cafe, in downtown Montreal as a waitress. I have for a couple years. Sometimes it's hard to get by on my salary but I always find a way to make it work..." She smiled at the thought, she'd give anything to go back to those every day life problems. 

"Cole always disapproved of my job choice, he even offered to give me a job at his firm. He always had this idea that he was somehow the boss of me, let me tell you. I quickly disabused him of that notion." 

Both men listened and asked a question here and there, which Stefani gladly answered. Her body was trembling a little harder now and she felt weaker but she simply bit her lip and pushed down the feeling. "How did you meet Cole?" Johnson asked what they were both dying to know. 

Stefani smiled, "He saved my life." She answered and looked out the window as the forest started thinning out a little bit. 

They turned a couple times, it honestly felt to her as if they were going in circles. It wasn't until they arrived to a tall black gate that she sat up a little straighter, ignoring the numbing pain. "Johnson here," he spoke to the little intercom, Lucian looked back at Stefani, taking in her pale bruised complexion. She had this weary resigned look that made him re-think coming to this pack. The pack Alpha wasn't exactly the most docile man and the young woman sitting in the backseat looked terrified beneath the strong exterior she was putting up. She had this sick complexion, as she took in the compound he felt an ache in his chest, she seemed familiar. 

Driving into the compound was something she would never forget. It was like a small city, with it's diving stores and homes. They drove further into the paved road of the compound, coming to a road that lead further into the forest, the bumps along the way causing hisses to escape her mouth. She focused on how weird it was to see wolves walking around with people, some in clothes, some fully naked. 

"We're almost there. Just hold on" Johnson sped up the car, Stefani felt strength leaving her as she fought down every little groan. There were no more buildings for several minutes. They came up onto a paved road that lead them to this huge mansion. It wasn't luxurious by any means, but it did speak of wealth and sophistication. They came up to the front doors, the car stopped, giving Stefani a couple seconds to try to adjust her aching body. 

Both men stepped out of the car as several people came up towards them to help, they appeared to be the working class. They all bowed their heads in respect to the men. Lucian went over to open the door for Stefani. She sat up lightly, looking up at him with a soft smile on her face. Soft tears running down her cheeks. 

"I've never been good with pain" Her voice was a whisper as he leaned down and helped her up on her feet. "I can carry you" Lucian offered but she shook her head, she didn't know much about wolves, but she understood that in the animal world, respect came to the strong. She had to hold her head up high and show these people she wasn't a weak little female. Johnson carried the bag that Cole had given them, and Lucian had her bag slung over his right shoulder, as she leaned into his left side. 

The couple attendants looked at her suspiciously, she didn't lower her gaze as they sniffed the air around her. Clearly scenting her blood which made them a little anxious. They walked forward into the house. Stefani looked around as Lucian lead her into the large foyer, the floor was made of dark marble and the walls were lined with dark wood. The expensive kind. It was a very beautiful home and she wondered who it belonged to. 

Walking was taking a lot out of her, but she pushed forward. They finally came to a stop in something that looked like a huge living room, as Lucian guided her to sit on one of the sofas, she let herself fall back and rest her cheek against the sofa. Her eyes closing. 

"You called for me?" An elderly woman stepped into the room, pushing a cart inside. Johnson motioned her to come over. "She's been shot. Silver. Left shoulder. She also has several other bruises. She's lost a lot of blood." Lucian's tone was hard as he stroked Stefani's hair. She barely noticed, not until he was moving her over and laying her fully on the sofa. 

The elderly woman came over and she opened her eyes. Smiling softly. "You're very pretty" Her words were slurred and she faded quickly. Lucian looked concerned, but could still hear her steady heartbeat. Elba, moved quickly, opening her jacket, revealing the big shirt soaked in blood. Elba took a deep breath as she cut it down to the young girls breast and started washing out the wound. 

"I'm going to find the Alpha, will you call the other Alphas to conference in. The Mactire's should probably be called in to come. It should be a couple hours, so we'll let her rest but we need her awake for that." Johnson proposed, Lucian agreed and got right on it, picking up his phone and making the arrangements. He kept an eye on Elba and Stefani. It was several minutes later that Elba spoke up. "She's going to be fine, Lucian. She just needs rest and nutrition." She picked up her things and started to push out of the room. Something told him that she wasn't going to be. He looked down at the unconscious girl, something about her was so familiar and yet he couldn't describe it. 



******

The O'Faolain Alpha was behind a slender body, as he thrust into her harder the woman moaned his name in pleasure. Her juices sliding down her toned thighs. His balls hitting her clit hard creating electricity to run up her spine. She was fully naked before him on her knees, while he still was fully clothed. It was a fast meeting as he picked up speed.

His thighs trembled slightly as he fully penetrated her pussy once before pulling out and ejaculating all over her back. He wiped his cock on her hard perfectly tanned ass, and fixed his jeans. The slender blonde was panting hard on the bed, completely spent. Rain looked down at her, not particularly pleased. Yes, the sex was good but nothing special. If he wanted to be honest, he didn't really care for it, or her for that matter. 

"Alpha." She whispered breathless and looked up at him seductively, making him cringe. "Go get showered and get back to work beta." His tone was cold as he brushed back his hair and walked out of the room. Walking through the halls of his compound, he acknowledge that he should probably break it off with Sarah, the blonde beta was stunningly beautiful and one of the strongest women in the pack but rumor had it that she insisted that he was going to be her mate. 

If there was one thing Alpha O'Faolain denied was the possibility of him ever mating to any woman. He'd seen the weakness in having a mate, how that crippled a man, could possibly be his death. He refused to be attached to a woman like that. His wolf growl inside him, as he paced back and forth in his mind. "You dog, no woman could handle us" He whispered to himself as he passed several omegas in the halls who bowed to him. 

It wasn't till he reached the foyer that he stopped abruptly. He sniffed the air, it took him a second to pick up on what was wrong. There was an intruder on his territory, he smelled foreign blood and he didn't like it. He stalked towards the meeting room, when he came up to his uncle standing between him and the door where the intruder was. "Alpha" His uncle bowed his head in respect. Rain growled. 

"What are you hiding Johnson? I smell an intruder on pack lands." His uncle took a deep breath. "Rain, there is a situation. You must let us explain, but the other alphas must be in conference as well." His uncle wasn't a man of many words, although he was concerned about the scent, he did trust his uncle, so he relaxed a bit. 

Rain took a deep breath, inhaling at the the scent, it was faint. His wolf was growling with anxiety. Rain fought to control his beast, it had been a very long time that his animal tried to push through and take control. "The Mactire's should be arriving in the morning, if you come with me. I'll introduce you." His Uncle held the door opened for him, as Rain stepped through, he heard a soft tinkling laughter ring through the air. 

Coming out into the lounge, he saw Lucian first. The big man was impossible to miss, he stood by a sofa, his back to them and he couldn't see anyone else until Lucian turned around. The first thing he noticed was that his light blue dress shirt was soaked in the front as if he'd spilled something. There was a huge grin on the man's face, his gray eyes hardened as he spotted the alpha. 

Another giggle broke through the silence and Lucian stepped to the side. Rain's eyes lowered and he gasped. He inhaled softly, letting a breeze of the woman's scent wash over him, Her brown eyes widen as they met his. It all happened in a matter of seconds, his wolf broke free and his body shifted out of his human form. Lucian and Johnson didn't even have a chance to stop him, as his wolf darted forward and slammed into the female, sending her sprawling to the floor. He heard her breath whoosh out as she hit the ground, she hissed in pain. 

Rain pressed his nose against her neck, inhaling her scent but as it washed over him he froze. There was cold terrified fear, mixed in with the sweet scent of strawberries with the metallic smell of blood . His wolf howled loudly, coming up to it's full height, the huge black wolf looked down at a set of terrified brown eyes, tears forming in her eyes, what startled him the most was the dark bruise on her cheek. He was about to shift when a brown ball of fur tackled him from the side and off the woman. 

Stefani was frozen to the floor, her breathing coming out in sharp gasps. Tears blurred her vision, she felt Lucian rush over and help her up. She looked at the two wolves in the room who suddenly made her realize how small the room had become. The huge black wolf was growling at the dark brown wolf who she knew was Johnson. 

She took a deep breath, "What is your problem! Are you a bloody dog! You can't just tackle people like that!" She shouted at him before she could stop herself. Both wolves looked up at her startled, Lucian was laughing softly. Stefani turned around and with the help of Lucian sat down on the sofa, she hissed as Lucian pulled the bandage off. 

"You're wound opened again. I'll go call Elba..... Will you be ok?" Lucian lowered himself to stare right into her eyes, she nodded, glancing at the huge black wolf with clear dislike. Lucian rushed out of the room. 

Rain sat back down on his haunches, his tail hitting the floor impatiently. 'Back off Johnson' Rain growled to the brown wolf. 'Rain she's human and injured. If you can't control yourself it's better to move her.' His uncle replied and he growled impatiently. Johnson stood between him and the girl, his wolf didn't like it. 'Don't forget who your Alpha is O'Faolain. I will control myself. I just don't understand what happened.' He said with a stern voice, trying to looking over Johnson at the female.

He took a better look and he growled again. Her cheek was bruised, her bottom lip had a cut, both of her wrist were bandaged. She was staring intently on the apple sauce she was eating, but he notice her wincing as she moved the spoon. His eyes moved lower to her shoulder, the large men's shirt she was wearing had a huge taint of blood, he wrinkled his nose and howled softly as her scent hit him again. She jolted slightly and glared at him. 

'We should shift outside, so we don't startle her.' His uncles' voice cut through his initial reaction to walk over to her. He nodded and keeping his eyes on her, he moved towards the back of the room, where'd they come from. He stepped out into the hall and shifted as his uncle leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. 

"What happened in there?" He asked curious, with a grin on his face. Rain growled at him, "Nothing, my wolf is just on edge at some intruder in our territory. You should watch your tongue uncle" His uncle only grinned and moved out of the way. Elba, the healer was rushing behind Lucian in their direction. Lucian held out sweatpants and T-shirts to them both, as Elba stepped into the room. 

"I see you still have problems controlling your wolf, young O'Faolain. I would appreciate it if you tried harder around the human. She is fragile, they break very easily. You'd do good to remember that." Lucian's voice was stern but Rain herd the amusement in his tone. With a frown they all walked back into the room. "Miss, I have clothes for you to change into. They might be more fitting." Elba's soft voice was reassuring but Stefani shook her head. "I'm alright with this, thank you." She politely turned the woman down, as she continued eating her apple sauce. Her shoulder was throbbing and the pain killers weren't helping yet. She took a deep breath as she saw Elba bow her head, she assumed that the men were back.

Elba quickly rushed out of the room, Stefani settled on the sofa as Lucian came around and sat next to her. "Feeling any better?" he asked concerned, stroking her brown hair lightly, her face was still pale white but she was getting some color back. "If no other supernatural creature decided to use me as their personal pin cushion I'd probably feel better." She said stubbornly, trying to eat her applesauce, she ignored the growl behind her. Lucian grinned.

"Well maybe now we can formally introduce you." Johnson smiled as she finally turned her head around slightly. Finally getting a good look at the man before her. She swallowed hard, he was beautiful. He had long black hair, loose around his shoulders. He was huge, taller than Cole and both men in the room. He had this cocky air about him in the way he stood. His dark brown eyes were smoldering and they pierced into her soul. She shivered slightly as he stepped forward, a little fear slicing through her but she swallowed it down. 

She stood up a little wobbly, her body still wasn't anywhere near full strength. "This is Alpha O'Faolain" Lucian spoke next to her and she froze. Her eyes stayed on him, outraged. "Is it normal for the Alpha to attack injured human females or is this monster harassment week?" Her voice was sharp and she saw him glare at her. 

Rain was trembling, the female dare speak to him with that kind of tone. Johnson stepped forward, laughing softly. "It seems it only took a little food and sleep to get you back into the world of the living" Rain looked over to his uncle, clearly both men must have lost their minds to tolerate her tone. He took a deep breath. "I apologize for the way I behaved, but I am not very good with trespassers on my lands. I hope this won't scar the little injured human female." The apology sounded sincere but what pissed Stefani the most was that it sounded more towards the men than her. She took a deep breath and sat back down, she hissed as her shoulder stung. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 01



"This is Stefani." Lucian smiled, glad to know there was some fire in her. It had taken a couple hours for her to wake up and then forced to start eating. The moment he mentioned his love of muffins she instantly perked up. She seemed like a whole different woman than what he'd seen. She was just a child and some of the things that were happening to her surely affected her, but he was glad to see she was trying to adapt. Rain walked over to the lounge and sat down on a love seat in front of them.

"Are you sure I can't have any muffins?" Stefani asked softly and looked up shyly at Lucian who grinned. "I don't think It would sit well with your stomach right now." Johnson spoke up, as he sat on a chair, checking his cellphone. She pouted and Rain had a strong urge to smile. She yawned and leaned back against the sofa. A couple seconds later she was sleeping deeply again. 

"Rain, The Mactire's should be arriving early in the morning. Would it be alright to have Stefani rest in one of the rooms. She's lost a lot of blood and will need her strength for the meeting." Lucian asked him politely. Rain looked over at the European man. Wondering if Darius knew his father was so far away from home and getting involved in his packs business. He nodded. "She can sleep here, It's here or a cell. You know how these drills are Faol." Rain answered, Lucian pressed his lips together clearly displeased but nodded. 

"Should I be asking what two Elders are doing running around taking care of a human female. Or that an O'Faolain elder left without a word to his alpha. As I'm sure Faol, has no idea his father is here. So I ask again. What is going on?" Rain's voice held steel. His wolf was restless and it came closer to the surface as he kept his gaze to the female. 

"I wish we could answer that question in easy terms. But there are no easy answers. We wish to wait till the rest of the Alphas are assembled. This might be a long story. We received a signal yesterday, a signal that hasn't been used in 400 Years. A signal that only elders know about, from a cabin in Quebec, bordering the O'Faolain territory and the Mactire territory. We went as called for. There was no time to explain or ask permission. We have our duties as elders, that's where we found her." Johnson replied with a sigh. Both men made eye contact as they silently spoke. Rain growled softly, careful not to wake up the sleeping beauty at Lucian's side. 

"Alright. I understand when some information requires patience. Uncle go make sure there are rooms ready for our guests. Lucian please go speak to your son, As alphas we don't enjoy being last to know, as I'm sure you remember." Lucian was about to interrupt when Rain spoke, "I will watch the woman. Just go." He picked up the control and turned on the TV, making sure to keep the volume low. Both men left with a cautious glance at him. 

Rain tried to keep his eyes on the game, he honestly tried but when a groan left the woman's lips, he snapped to her attention. She was trying to shift in her sleep but the wound in her shoulder must be hurting her. With a sigh, he walked over to her slouched form on the sofa. He hesitated before readjusting her to lay flat on her back, he covered her with a blanket quietly. When he was done, Rain looked down at her. 

She was stunning, a beautiful woman indeed but frustrating. Her wavy brown hair looked silky, her lips seem to invite him in. Her soft woman curves hidden by the blanket. He smiled as he felt his wolf shift closer to the surface and peek at the woman with curiosity. Rain growled at the wolfs intrusion but the wolf simply rolled it's eyes at his human counterpart. The Alpha couldn't understand the fascination with the human, so trying to ignore it. He turned off the TV and went up to his office. 

Stefani's sleep was restless, she couldn't hide from the images she was seeing, nor could she hide from the voices calling to her. She remembered Varcolac's green eyes with the promise of vengeance, could feel that somewhere out there he was looking for her. She would search for Cole in her dreams, struggling to come to terms with what happened, fighting to find his essence out there. Sleeping only left her more tired and weak than she was. She cried in her sleep, letting the stress and confusion overwhelm her. 

******

Varcolac picked up his glass of wine as the double doors parted open. He took a sip from his drink and watched as three of his men came in. He smiled with glee as one man was thrown to his feet. His body was limp on his floor, he reached down and yanked his hair upwards, inhaling sharply. 

He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Filthy animals. Where was the girl?" He asked, dropping his head back onto the tiled floors. One man stepped up, bowed low to the floor. "She escaped us, wolves came to her aid and ran off as we caught this one." His voice was strong but with that submissive tone that Varcolac enjoyed. He took his glass, drank down the red wine and smashed the glass to the floor. 

"An insipid little human female not only escaped you but did it with a pair of dogs! I believe the punishment should go to all of you! But.... because you have delivered me such a fine specimen, I will overlook it." He stood up, walking around the man on the floor. The three vampires bowed in submission as he walked towards them. 

"Take him down to the cells. Bind him in silver. Post guards, when he wakes up, have him sent to the first testing rooms." He ordered and walked out of the grand hall. Walking through halls, his expensive suit dignified his entrance even more and he flashed fangs to his servants, as they all rushed away from him. He opened another set of doors, walking down a long corridor and knocking on a door. 

As it opened, Varcolac looked up into a pair of furious red eyes. "We will get her back. Before the eclipse, we will have her." Rodan's voice held confidence, a wicked smiled formed on his face, his eyes glowed in the darkness. Varcolac smiled, his fangs gleaming, thinking of all the things he would do once he had her.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 02



Hello again, 

I just wanted to thank my First editor, who has been supportive and positive throughout this project *drumroll* 

mikothebaby. Thank you very much for everything. 

I know there are some grammatical errors on the previous ones but I can always come back and edit the ones I've already posted in the future. 

But I hope you guys don't get too impatient with me. 

Thank you for all the comments, good or bad. I appreciate the feedback. 

Enjoy. 

***********

Morning came streaming in through the windows of the mansion, lighting everything with a healthy glow. The forest was quiet and foggy as the cold started to creep in and the trees were shades of bright green and orange that had survived fall. The compound came alive with activity as wolves began to come out and begin their day with a run. The omegas in the mansion started the day with the usual chores. Everyone had a job and everything was in its place but there was something hanging in the air that was unsettling. 

Stefani jolted awake, breathing hard, conscious of the burning pain at her shoulder. She was panting hard, rubbing her head softly as she tried to forget the nightmares that haunted her sleep. She applied pressure to her shoulder, taking a sigh of relief when it felt a little better. She moved her legs off the sofa; took a deep breath and picked up her bag. She went over to the bathroom in the lounge. 

While she started taking a shower, Lucian and Johnson came in and sat down waiting for her to come out. Both were unsure on how they were going to approach the subject of Cole to the Mactire's. Meanwhile, Outside of the mansion, two hummers were arriving. The omegas rushed to the aid, picking up the luggage and leading the guests into the main living room. 

Stefani stepped out of the bathroom, washed and dressed. The clothes in the bag had all been Cole's, so she kept on the leggings and chose a white dress shirt because it smelled strongly of him. It honestly looked more like a dress on her, but she was glad to be in clean clothes at least. Brushing her hair back, she smiled at the two men she came to trust in the short time of meeting them. 

"You look tired... Did you not rest well? "Johnson asked and she shook her head, unwilling to speak about it. Lucian held out his hand to her, "We're meeting the Alpha upstairs. We are going to need you to stick by us at all times. There are certain people you are going to meet who might have a very violent reaction to you. I know you don't understand but just trust me." His voice was soft, she nodded. Stefani was starting to realize that much was out of her control or knowledge, so she was going to have to wait to get some answers. 

"We will have breakfast delivered to you upstairs" Johnson said and they walked her upstairs. Stefani got more time to look around at the great architecture of the building and the decor. The staircase was a grand thing, huge and lined with fine marble and wood. Strange combination but it seemed to add to the healthy earthy feel of the mansion.

They finally came to a room that looked like something straight out of the war room in a movie. More than a dozen screens lined one of the largest walls, with computers off to the sides. There was a long curved table with several comfortable seats facing those screens. She noticed one side of the table had plating set up with food and that's exactly where they guided her. Lucian and Johnson took up chairs to her sides, but they all stayed standing. 

"We stand, when greeting the alphas. You should refer to them as Alpha and we are referred to as Elders." Just as he finished the doors opened and Alpha O'Faolain stepped through, followed by Elba, the healer. 

"Good morning" The alpha was stern but courteous. Stefani just gave him a glare and dismissed him quickly. She instead approached Elba and said good morning quietly to her. The elderly woman smiled at her, wrinkled her nose in confusion for a second. She was about to speak when the doors opened again. Stefani looked past Elba and she choked on her breath. Her body trembled and tears gathered in her eyes. The figure standing in the doorway took her breath away.

"Alpha Mactire," Rain announced as he went over to the man and they embraced in a manly form. Behind him walked a beautiful dirty blonde (man or woman) with green eyes and a tall man with brown hair and brown eyes. Elba went over to embrace them leaving Stefani frozen to place, her eyes fastened to one specific man. The alphas held their own conversation. The people in the room seemed oblivious to her presence.

Lucian came over and turned her around, lowering his eyes to hers. Johnson stepped in front of them, shielding them both with his body. "Are you ok?" Lucian asked, concerned as her trembling didn't stop, her face paled and her lips shook. She turned around in his arms, this time Lucian released her, while rubbing his chin. He knew better than to restrain her. She took a peek before stepping careful from behind Johnson.

"Stefani, No!" Lucian was reaching for her but she was moving already. Her hands were shaking as she approached the alpha. Rain turned to face her as she approached. Expecting a rude remark, he was surprised to see her eyes glued to Hale. He took in her expression and he was at full alert. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she threw her arms around Hale and tucked her head to his chest. Hale looked up at Rain, bewildered. 

"Stefani that's not--" Lucian started as Stefani looked up the man she was holding. A couple silent seconds passed by. Her eyes teared up as they connected with that strange hazel brown with silver rims. She sobbed and stepped back, her hand to his chest. It all happened in only moments as no one understood, "You're not Cole!"

Hale Mactire looked down at the woman in front of him, her broken sobs cut through his heart and he didn't understand why. His eyes softened. "Rain, who is this?" Hale motioned without breaking eye contact with her. Lucian rushed to her side, his gaze falling to the three elders behind Hale. All seemed to be frozen with them. Johnson came forward standing between them as Lucian tried to calm her down. Elba, Lady Mactire and Faust Mactire sniffed the air and immediately growled. Stefani looked up at them in fear but she looked right through them, her mind spinning. 

"Faust, you are scaring her. Please Calm your wolves. You must let us explain!" Johnson tried to reason with them. He understood how wild they were right now, he noticed the look in their eyes. "She wears his scent O'Faolain, what sorcery is this!" Faust shouted at his elder friend, a fury burning inside him as he felt his mate's misery batter his senses. "Father, what has gotten into you?" Hale asked, not sure whether to watch the female behind the elders or his parents who seemed to be having a mental break down. 

"Enough! You are in my territory, you will behave accordingly!" Rain's voice slashed through the room, the alpha command in each word. 

"Mother?" Hale spoke bewildered as his mother broke out in sobs, his father embracing her tight as he glared at the human female. 

"The alpha's demand an explanation now!" Rain O'Faolain turned his gaze to his elders with fury. Rain didn't understand why Stefani hugging Hale had affected him so much or why his wolf howled in anger as her sobs broke through the silence but he was containing himself by pure will.

He walked over to the girl, spinning her around and shaking her by the shoulders harshly. She hiccupped and looked up at him with those large puppy dog eyes. He groaned. "What is wrong woman?" He demanded and her only response was to look at Hale, which angered Rain even more. He didn't like the way her eyes lingered on him. 

"It was all my fault" She whispered brokenly as she stepped away from him. 

"Alpha. Stefani bears the scent of their dead son." Elba whispered softly. Silence filled the air as Faust contained his anger and worked on soothing his mate. 

Hale looked up shocked, "What is she talking about?" When his parents didn't speak, he took a deep breath. "I am your alpha and I demand answers. Elders, you will speak!" He commanded his parents and they both felt the compulsion to do as he said. 

"You have - had a brother Hale. You were an infant, weeks old when your older brother... died. We thought it best not to mention it. We might have when you were older. We just never got around to it. We didn't want to open wounds that would cause unnecessary pain." His father spoke, his words directed to him. Hale couldn't believe it. He'd been alive for two hundred and fifty years and he had a dead brother he knew nothing about. 

"He never told me. He lied. Why didn't he say anything?" Stefani whispered to herself, forcing her crazy emotions to stop rushing through her. 

Hale looked up at her. "She bears his scent, she speaks his name. Only the elders know of your brother. Why?" His mother sobbed softly. Hale stepped forward, feeling a strange compulsion to the young female who sobbed. He didn't understand the compulsion but he did sense something familiar in her scent, or the scent she wore. 

"My name is Hale Mactire. I must apologize for my parents' behavior. We'd -- We'd appreciate it if you could share whatever you know of this man." His voice was soft as he regarded her. Stefani looked up into his eyes and smiled through tears. He opened his arms in an open invitation. 

Stepping towards him, Lucian tried to stop her but she brushed his hands away. She walked towards him and everyone held their breath. She looked up into his eyes and cocked her head to the side. She touched his hands, running them upwards to his shoulders. Silent tears ran down her cheeks, as she touched his cheek softly for a couples minutes. "He's alive." 

Her voice was scratchy. Moving away from him and towards his parents, she felt everyone eyes on her. "Stefani, that's not safe" Lucian spoke up afraid for her well being. 

"I deserve this one. To be their pin cushion. I feel like I deserve it." She smiled sadly as she reached them, picking up her shirt and inhaling his scent, which helped calm her. She stepped closer. "He's alive. Your son is alive." She bit her lip as the blonde woman stepped towards her and enveloped her arms around her. She could feel the woman smelling her shirt. Saw her husband, come forward and inhale the scent as well. Stefani tried not to tremble, but little shivers ran down her spine. The Mactire elders simply let their dead son's scent wash over their senses. Their hearts aching with joy. 

Johnson walked over to the group, placing his hand on her shoulder. Her teary gaze looked up at him and he froze. In those eyes, was the power to move a mountain, her soul pierced straight into his and softened his core. Clearing his head, he pulled Stefani out of their embrace with some difficulty. "She's a good girl. Be calm Mactire's." 

His voice was reassuring as he led Stefani back to her seat. "You are not a pincushion and you certainly don't deserve it" His voice was soft as it whispered in her ear. "Now, eat!" The rest of the people moved into the chairs, with the alpha O'Faolain at the head of the table. The computers turned on, different people blinking in their image. "We have a problem." Johnson said as he sat next to Stefani, keeping his gaze locked on her hunched figure. 

"Where is he?" Faust asked, his dark brown eyes gazing at her, no longer with anger. She wished she knew. Stefani swallowed hard, without giving an answer.

"A couple days ago, we received a signal, the one from the cabin up in Quebec." Lucian spoke this time, watching all the elders and their reaction. 

"You mean the Haven cabin." A feminine voice came through one of the screens. 

Lucian stiffened. "Yes Mate, Haven cabin." Murmurs broke through the room within the elders as all four alphas waited confused. Stefani looked up to the screen that spoke. A delicate woman sat in the image. Her light brown hair was curled and streaked with silver, her dark brown eyes bore into the man sitting beside Stefani. 

"Father, what are you referring to? And why was I never informed of your field trip?" A soothing voice came from the screen next to his mate's. It was man, a very attractive man, with long blonde hair and gray eyes like his father. With lean muscle and even sitting down he looked tall. 

Lucian sighed. "There was no time. It has been 400 years since that signal has been lost to all of us, the Haven name, only a whisper among legend now. We rushed, both Johnson and I, because our signal had been called," he answered, as he pushed the orange juice at Stefani who was staring at the food depressed. 

Rain gazed down at Stefani for a second, disliking her almost faded demeanor. He liked her much better when she was being a rude little brat. "Once we got there, we found them. Cole Mactire, in the flesh, much more refined and his scent altered slightly. We were both shocked and angry. We thought it was some sort of dark sorcery." Johnson tapped his fingers against the table nervously. 

"Then we met the human female, Stefani. It was all so fast. We must have been there max twenty minutes, before the Vampires descended on the cabin," Lucian spoke, noticing the way Stefani wrapped her arms around herself and started to shiver. Her skin let out a stream of icy fear that made his guts twist painfully. 

"I'm sorry." Stefani looked up at him, at his apologetic tone. He knew remembering was bringing back horrible memories for her, but he had to be as descriptive as possible. 

"It's ok. It's the only way" She responded and tried to swallow her fear. She stole a look at the O'Faolain alpha, who was staring at her. His body was coiled tight and seemed ready to pounce. Rain didn't like the smell of fear coming from the female, it made his wolf growl angrily. 

"We gave him our word that we'd get her out of there safely and bring her to the packs. That's what he wanted, protection from the packs. He caused a diversion so we could get away." Johnson spoke and looked at the Mactires. The parents stiffened. "We don't know if he survived." His voice was hard and contained. 

Stefani shook her head. "He's alive." 

"We can't know that Stefani," Lucian argued with her. 

"No! He's alive!" She stood and slammed her palms on the table, looking up at what were clearly his parents. 

"How could you know that?" Lucian's mate asked through the screens. 

She bit her lip, not sure she wanted to share that part of her life that she'd never spoken about to anyone. "I can feel him. I don't know how or why but we've just always been able to feel each other. He's far, but alive." Her voice was soft but determined. 

"It could be something else you're feeling" Lucian's mate said. 

She shook her head. "No! He wouldn't leave me. We've been through so much together. He promised he wouldn't leave me. Oh God! It's all my fault" She sat down, crying into her palms. Nobody knew how to calm her, how to approach her. 

It was Hale who finally stood up and kneeled by her chair. Taking her hands away from her face and forcing her to look at him. "We're going to get him back Stefani. Be calm. I won't rest till we bring him back but I'm sure he wouldn't want you to blame yourself for it." His warm hands wiped her tears and he gave her a warm smile. She could see the yearning in his eyes. 

"Cole mentioned something that is quiet unsettling. There is no way to know for sure... but Rodan is back." Loud growls erupted in the room and in several of the screens. Looking around it was only the elders. 

Rain rolled his eyes, more secrets. "I am really getting fed up with knowing things last minute," 

"Cole-- He mentioned that Rodan was an evil werewolf, or what your kind call rogue," Stefani spoke softly. Everyone's eyes turned to her in surprise. 

"Did Cole tell you anything else?" Lucian asked her. 

"He only mentioned Rodan briefly, but from what I understood, he's in league with a vampire, who is also rogue." 

"Why would he mention this to you?" Someone from one of the screens, who she didn't recognize asked. 

She took a deep breath. She showed everyone her bruised cheek as she took off the bandages around one of her wrists and raising it to her cheek. Her wrist was swollen lightly and different shades of purple and blue. "Because it was the vampire who gave me these," she replied. Everyone was silent as they swallowed down the sympathy. 

"Cole said a source had told him they were taking werewolves and supernatural beings and experimenting on them. That they were trying to make something but he didn't know what. He mentioned something in his safe that I should look for if anything happened to him. He said... he would make it safe for me" Her eyes watered, but she held the tears back. 

"Do you know the vampire's name?" Alpha O'Faolain asked her. 

Her gaze met his and she felt heat spread throughout her body as shame hit her. She looked away for a second. For some reason, she didn't want him to know what he'd done to her. She looked up into his eyes, her eyes hardening. "Varcolac." 



******

The meeting didn't last longer than that as alpha O'Faolain said he'd find out more from Mactire's safe and then get back to the alphas. Everyone had moved down to the smaller meeting lounge. Stefani sat quietly by the window staring out at the compound. Lucian and Johnson were speaking quietly to the other elders. Hale and Rain were sitting on the sofas watching Stefani intently. 

"Elders. We would like some background information. It displeases me that my own uncle would hide something from his alpha." Rain spoke and the room fell into silence. The elders gathered around the two alphas. Stefani kept her eyes focused on the forest surrounding the pack. Elba went to the front of the group, hesitating before looking at the two alphas. 

"A long time ago there were five royal families. O'Faolain, Mactire, Faol, Lupino and Haven. For centuries these families were the strongest, largest, most productive packs in the world. Haven was the strongest, lead by Drake Haven and Dawn Haven who led with a strong kind hand. It was prosperous; it was a time when alphas didn't need to be as strict or commanding, a time of peace." Her eyes dropped to the floor with nostalgia. 

"Then one day, a rogue, like no other came into play, Rodan. He was ruthless, merciless, and practiced dark arts. Our world had never encountered something of his nature... to that extent. Times grew dark as he terrorized packs throughout the world. He gained followers, wolves who gave up their minds to serve his evil purpose." 

Lucian spoke up, "We hunted, lured him into our trap. That was our mistake. We, as a whole, underestimated him and his abilities. He tricked us, made us believe he was weak and at our time of celebration, he kidnapped Lady Haven. For three weeks, Drake searched, almost driven to insanity by the loss. Throughout those three weeks, the attacks ceased." Taking a deep breath he looked at the alphas reaction. 

The elders let their memories flow as they remembered those dark times. Johnson spoke next, with a quick glance to his fellow elders, he took a deep breath. "One night, we received word that Lady Haven had been found. There were no details, one night she just appeared, that was always a great mystery to all of us. The families all came together to rejoice her coming home but something in the Lady was different. Something had changed. She didn't remember anything so there was no information to be had. But there were rumors, speculations that Rodan, experimented on her, tortured her till he broke her spirit, far beyond repair." His voice went still as he looked at Stefani, taking in her posture. 

Looking back to the two alphas, who were leaning into the story, he continued "It was all quiet for a while. We thought he was gone, that our peace could return. It was around this time that Cole Mactire was visiting the Haven pack for training. He was a warrior, one of the best. We all had high hopes for him." Elba looked up at Hale, smiled softly, remembering Cole's eyes just as clearly. Faust and Audrina Mactire held their breath and held their hands, their eyes on their son, Hale.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 02



"Nobody expected it and by the time we got notice, it was too late." Elba's voice lowered. 

"Over night, Rodan burnt the Haven pack to the ground. His attack was savage, straight to the point and it left no survivors. Even he was thought to be destroyed in that fire, as his scent seemed to evaporate on a corpse that was found. The bodies of Lady Haven, Lord Haven, and Cole Mactire were never found, but we searched for half a century until we deemed them dead." Lucian's voice was hard as he thought back at the shock and pain that news caused. 

"Over the years, Rodan's unexpected attack baffled us. We knew he held an attraction for Lady Haven. She was glorious; a force to be reckoned with but that night, a whole family, an entire pack was destroyed. From then on, the packs reformed. We all knew that those events and rogues like Rodan, had to be eradicated from the planet before they could destroy us all. Peace was non-existent for years as we struggled to rebuild all he had destroyed. Over time, we erased the memory of the Haven pack from common knowledge, all of us elders the last of whom remember so clearly. We never meant to hide anything, but we had assumed that the threat was gone." Elba's voice was a soft whisper, her head bowed to the alphas. 

"So your telling me I have a brother who has been thought to be dead for over four hundred years, who has suddenly come back from the grave and according to this dead brother a psychopath named Rodan, who's mission is to destroy the peace of the packs, is also alive and kicking it?" Hale's voice echoed in the room, he let out a growl at his internal emotional roller coaster. 

It was his mother who stepped out and with trembling hands spoke. "You're right to doubt, my son. You're right to distrust, but if it really was your brother out there, who says Rodan is back. Then it is the truth. Cole is honest to his core and is not fond of lies. He would want us to follow this through." 

Stefani turned her eyes towards Hale's mom and without a word got up and left the room. Lucian went after her when Rain interrupted. "Leave her. She'll be fine." Lucian conceded to the alphas decree. Rain stiffened and got back to business. 

"We need to learn as much as we can about this Rodan and about the vampire who is helping him. We will send out a team to recruit information from the local packs and consult the local witches. I don't want either of them to know we know of their existence. If this rogue pair has a royal prince, they will want to bargain, so we will play their game until it is our time to move. I don't want any more secrets. If you feel like there is something else you should be explaining to us, you should speak now." His voice was rough and held no room for discussion. Hale sat next to him, stiff as he tried to work his mind around the lie his parents had been living with all of his life. 

"The female mentioned something about a safe, I will handle that. I want everyone working over time, is that understood. If there are packs out there being terrorized, someone must know something! I will not be left in the dark. Back then, you might not have been prepared for battle and bloodshed, but today's alphas are all for that. We will not be left defenseless." He stood up and everyone in the room understood why the great alpha of the O'Faolain was so feared. He was ruthless and tactical. He left the room with most of the elders, leaving the Mactire's on their own. 

"Father, I want you and mother to return to the pack. You will lead in my absence. I will stay here for a couple of days." Hale's voice was monotone as he regarded his parents. Audrina, his mother, rushed to his side but he sided stepped her. "I can understand why you neglected to tell me, but my heart just can't understand why you kept him a secret from me. The alpha in me is enraged that you could withhold information. I will deal with you two when I get back." He turned his back on his sobbing mother and walked out of the room. Taking a deep breath as he went into the hallway leading outside, he followed her scent.

Stefani sat on a log, facing a small lake behind the huge mansion, beneath a huge oak tree, whose leaves rustled in the wind. She hadn't known where she was going but she just needed to leave that room and get some air. To get as far away from those people who resembled him so much, who reminded her of how much of a burden she really was. Gazing out into the forest was calming.

The lush trees were shades of orange and green that reminded her of the season changing. The lake reflected the clouds and the darkened skies. The air smelled thickly like pine, it reminded her of Christmas, which made her think of Cole, making her heart ache. 'Why did you lie to me? Why didn't you trust me? Was everything we shared a lie...' Her thoughts were in turmoil, the guilt wouldn't let her sleep or eat. She was going insane. 

Leaves rustled behind her, making her head snap back sharply in fright. She let out a breath, seeing Hale Mactire approach. Her eyes watered as they made contact with his hazel, silver eyes and she looked back at the lake. "May I join you?" Stefani shrugged her respond, moving over to the edge of the thick log to give the big man enough room to sit. 

For several minutes they both stayed silent, not saying anything but enjoying the scenery. From the corner of her eye, she could tell he was struggling with the emotions inside him. Her heart softened for him. She couldn't let Cole's little brother be in pain for something she had brought to light. 

Taking a deep breath, she let out a small smile. "It was a long time ago, when we met. I must have been seventeen or eighteen. It was dark, I was leaving night school. Of course, I've never been known for making good decisions which led me to walk alone in the dark lonely streets of the city. I was crossing the street and the rain was pouring so hard, when I saw two headlights from the corner of my eyes. I couldn't react fast enough. There must have been a second or two as I realized I was going to die. Then out of nowhere, my body was jolted forwards as someone pushed me out of the way." 

Stefani took a second and listened to the rustling of the leaves and the soft whispers of the wind as she recalled that night. "I watched as a big man, was hit by a car. I watched as the car sped away and I saw him laying on the road in a pool of blood. I remembered the way he opened his eyes and smiled at me. His eyes were freakishly beautiful, hazel with silver rims." Stefani looked up into Hale's wide eyes, smiling at him softly. 

"I cried that night as I held him, the way I hadn't allowed myself to cry for years. He was my dark haired angel, he was a mystery. He disappeared that night. Refusing to be seen by a doctor and I thought for sure I'd never see him again. Until he showed up at my foster home, refusing to leave until I spoke to him." She chuckled softly at the memory. Cole had always been stubborn, fighting with her until he got his way. She, of course, always gave in. 

"He became the only family I had. My whole life revolved around him. He took time out of his busy schedule to take trips with me, attended my graduation ceremony, put the down payment on my apartment. But the one thing I will always remember is how that night, when we first met, he looked up at me and I knew he must have been in a lot of pain but he smiled at me. He smiled and promised that I would always be safe. You see, he's always taken care of me, even when I got stubborn and refused his help and that smile has just always been stuck with me."

"I wish there was some way I could give back the time that you lost, I would give up that night to know that he was happy and safe with his family." Her voice shook with emotion, making Hale look down at the young girl with such tender feelings. 

"Don't be mad at them. You understand the reason of why they did it. You know, it feels like a big part of you is dying, when you loose someone so familiar to you. I can't imagine the pain they must have gone through and still, they held strong for you. They got past it, swallowed the grief to give you the love they couldn't give their dead son. I'm sure they look at you, to this day and see him, but most importantly they see the man you've become and I'm sure their proud of all you've accomplished." 

Taking a deep breath, she reached up to touch his cheek. "We're going to get him back. I don't know how, but I give you my word, that I'll bring back your brother." Her voice was determined, Hale's eyes watered as he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Stefani, bringing her close and laid his face in the crook of her neck. His brothers scent assaulting his senses, his body shook and he let out tears for the first time in years. 

Hale didn't know why her words affected him so much, or how she'd manage to go from a possible threatening stranger to someone who was bringing so much warmth and hope into his heart he was drowning in it. Stefani rubbed his back softly as she let out her own silent tears. It wasn't often that an alpha cried, much less in the presence of others but this little young human had the power to bring out his darkest emotions and heal them. He wept for several minutes before deciding, he would adopt her into his family. He would take care of her as his brother had done and she would always be safe, as long as a Mactire lived. Pulling away, he looked down at her, knowing how hard it must be to speak of his brother and knowing she did it for his benefit. 

"Will you allow me the honor of calling you sister?" His voice was gentle and he ran his fingers through her hair. She smiled. 

"I'm a pain in the ass as a sister and if you ever try to control my life, I'll have to kick the living daylights out of you. You can just ask Cole, after the last bruise I gave him; he couldn't walk for a week!" Hale burst out laughing, a free wild thing which made Stefani smile with glee. She couldn't help Cole at the moment, but she would do her best to make sure his brother was happy. 

Hale led Stefani back into the mansion, leading her to the grand staircase. "Where are we going?" She asked curious, her stomach growling in hunger. 

He smiled softly, "Alpha O'Faolain wants to speak to you. He says he's busy but to leave you in one of the rooms to rest and when he's finished he'll find you." Stefani grunted, pressing her lips in a pout which made Hale laugh loud, the omegas walking by were startled and rushed away. 

"He's really an incredible person. You just gotta give him a chance." She gave a little snort in disbelief, making him grin. "He grows on you." 

"I don't want him to grow on me. Actually I don't want him on me in any way." She said softly as he led her into a room which looked like a standard hotel room, with a soft luxurious bed. 

"I gotta go call my parents and apologize but I'll check on you later. You should rest, you look kinda pale. I'll have food sent over, ok." She only nodded, dropped off her bag on the bed and looked around. "Stefani... Thank you" She smiled at his genuine tone, and gave him a little bow of respect. As he left her, she went over to the window, looking out into the horizon. The dark clouds gathering. 

She shivered slightly as heat spread through her body. 'Where are you Cole? You can't leave us.' Her voice was low but she made sure to string every bit of emotion she felt and she still sensed his foggy essence. Stefani had this strange feeling that something was coming and she didn't know what but she had to be ready for it, looking down at her wound she decided a nap would be in order. Laying down on the bed, she rolled over into a ball and let her mind drift into a numbing sleep.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 03



Hello, 

I want to thank all of you for all your comments and support. 

Every time I read them, I get this huge smile on your face, good or bad. I like all of your honesty, so thank you. That being said, I want to apologize for the typo on Stefani's age. She's twenty-five.

Just want to thank my editor Mikothebaby again, for all her hard work and patience with me. 

******* 

Cole fought to surface the heavy drugged state he was in, only half managing to succeed as he heard Stefani's soft voice in his mind. He couldn't remember what had happened, but as he opened his eyes, his body tensed. Taking sharp short breaths to stop the spinning and push down the nausea as the smell of dried blood hit his nostrils. 

With a groan, he pulled against the thick silver manacles clasped on his wrist hanging his body from the ceiling. He let out a growl. He was in a dark room, his keen eyes took in every nook and cranny of the cell he was in and in the distance he heard footsteps. He waited. 

Varcolac stepped into the cell, his eyes meeting a pair of hazel eyes. He grinned at the flash of anger and recognition in the man's eyes. "You've been sniffing around dog." His voice was low, as he paced around the room. Cole simply grunted and from the corner of his eyes kept an eye on the vampire before him. 

"I know who you are Mactire. I know what you mean to the packs. But most importantly, I know you've been hiding something that belongs to us." He hardened his features, not letting the vampire see a reaction to his statement. Inside, there was a deep realization of what he meant. 

"You can deny it, but we'll get it back. In the meantime, we're gonna play a little game." His fangs gleamed in the darkness, his presence behind Cole making him recoil every muscle in his body. "How long do you think it'll take before you scream? I say maybe twenty" 

The cell filled with silence as Cole hardened his core, knowing things were going to get bad but in his mind, he looked down into Stefani's brown eyes, her warmth, her strength and he knew it was all worth it. Cole was about to block off his connection to Stefani when white stars burst behind his eye lids as a slash of fire burn down his naked back. He groaned, gripping the silver chains holding him tightly as his back was whipped raw. 

Stefani jolted awake, her lungs demanding air as she took in big gasps of air. Her eyes struggling to adjust to the dark room, fear crawled up her spine and settled itself heavily in her heart. A single tear slipped past her eyes, followed by a throbbing in her head. A warm hand rubbed her back, making her wince in pain. Looking back sharply, her eyes met a pair of dark brown eyes that burned right into her soul. 

"Alpha?" She whispered in confusion. Her eyes took him in. He was sitting right beside her, his large body taking up most of the bed. She took a deep breath to calm her beating heart. 

A frown crossed Rain's face as his title left her lips. He didn't like it. He wanted her to whisper his real name. "Are you alright?" His tone was soft and he was trying to sound as reassuring as possible. She looked away, falling back on the bed and laying down next to his big body. His body heat dwarfed the coolness of her skin, making her enjoy his presence for once.

"I don't know anymore." Her whisper almost went unnoticed. He looked down at her for a second before laying back down. Her skin against his made him shiver slightly as his cock got hard as a rock. He couldn't remember a woman ever giving him such a powerful reaction. He swallowed hard. 

"I just want to go home. I want everything to go back the way it used to be." Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes focused on the ceiling above them. She didn't know why she was telling him but something inside her trusted him. 

"You know you can never go back. You only have two options... and I really am sorry that this has happened to you" His voice was stern and guarded. Stefani let out a sigh. She had already figured this crazy monster world survived mostly because humans were oblivious to their existence. There was no way she could go back to her life with the knowledge she had, and she honestly didn't know if it was safe anymore. 

Stefani shifted and winced slightly at the pain. The painkillers had clearly left her system. Rain sat up, walked over to the cart at the far end of the room, picked up the pills and a glass of water and brought it over to her.

"The omegas must have left this here for you. They've also brought food." He handed her the pills, letting her take them and after a couple seconds he went over to roll the cart towards her. She sat on the bed as he revealed the food to her and pulled her towards the food. 

"You know, you're really pushy, no wonder your an alpha." Her voice was teasing and he saw the twinkle in her eye. He drew up a chair and sat across from her. 

"Mactire, he mentioned a safe with information. I want to know about that" His voice was in full control, the alpha needed his answers. She nodded and chewed on her sandwich softly. 

"I know where it is and the code, but I'm not just going to give it to you. I don't know what's going to happen but I need to get my affairs in order back home. I also want to get some stuff from my apartment. I would like a room for myself if this is to be the place I'll be staying from now on. Also, I would like to be informed of everything that is going on regarding Cole and the rogues." She crossed her arms and waited for him to agree to her terms. He glared at her. The stubborn little minx thought she could bargain with him. He could kill her easily and it would all be over. 

"I could just torture you for the information," he admitted truthfully. 

"You would have done so already." 

"You understand that you will need to be turned, it's either that or death. We can't allow you back into the human world. But I agree to your terms." His voice could cut steel and she already missed the soft side of his personality she had seen only moments before. She let out a breath but nodded. She'd find some way to cope with whatever being a werewolf meant. 

"I can have one of my betas take you back to your place and get whatever is in the safe. But have it clear, what's in that safe is the main priority. You'll be departing in the morning." She nodded and kept eating in silence. Stefani had this uneasy feeling that something bad was happening. Shaking her head, she looked up into his eyes. 

"You realize that I don't enjoy waking up to strange men in my bed, alpha. So please refrain from doing it again." Her voice was soft but the underlying tone made Rain stiffen. He simply gave her a smoldering look that made her want to swallow back the words and look away, but she refused to show him any weakness. She locked eyes with him. An electrifying tension filled the room, lighting up everything for a second before he stood up and stormed out of the room. A small smile pulled across her lips. 

*******

Rain was restless as the week went by. Stefani and his beta, Noah, left for Montreal. It had been a couple days and they should have been on their way back days ago, it still left him unsettled and he didn't really understand why. He kept thinking of the human female and it made him angry. His body ached, his wolf was pissed off and there was no pleasing him. With a sigh, he went off to find Sarah. 

He left the mansion in search of the female beta. He found her tumbling around in her wolf form, probably on her break and as he saw her, his frustration rose. He growled as his eyes met her cold blue eyes and instantly she shifted back to her human form. A warm heat spreading through her eyes and he noticed a shiver run through her body. "I was waiting till you needed me alpha," her voice husky and out of breath. 

Rain wrapped his hand behind her neck and pulled her lips to his, smashing them hard. Making sure she understood what he was interested in today. She understood perfectly and rivaled him in brutality. She worked fast on his jeans, loosening his cock from the confinements. He pressed his hands into her ass and lifted her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

Her blonde hair loose around her shoulders, he growled as he pressed her body into a tree. Sex wasn't something to be shy and his pack liked to watch as he took his women, it proved him to be a fitting male. But at that very moment his cock was hard more from his frustration at not having a certain brown eyed human, rather than lust for his beta.

She arched against him as he bit into her rosy pink nipples. His wolf was howling loudly, almost begging him to stop but he pressed on, pushing her higher up and with one quick thrust buried himself deep inside the blonde beta. Her pussy was boiling hot and it was fitting but not tight or loose. 

He groaned as he pumped in and out of her pussy. He heard tires in the distance but all his body cared about was reaching that finish line. Sarah moaned his name into his ear, and he pushed her head away and bit harder into her nipples. He opened his eyes and saw the dark escalade turn up into his driveway, but he didn't care. He wanted to cum so badly. She reached down to his shirt and split it open and grabbed at his hard chest.

He pushed harder making Sarah crazy with need. He pulled on her hair and she came hard, her legs shaking around him. He pulled out and came all over her stomach, some of his thick cum shooting up onto her breast. Her chest heaved up and down as she panted. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and her blue eyes met his gaze. He tried to feel something for her, he honestly did. But it just wasn't happening. 

He buckled his pants back up. "Go shower," he ordered, before she could speak a word. Then without another word, he turned around, yanked his shirt back into place and froze. 

Looking up, he met the pair of brown eyes he'd been dying to see. For a moment he saw a flash of jealousy and then it set on a cold mask of indifference. Her eyes shifted away from him as she walked into the mansion. The omegas pulled two duffle bags from the trunk and Noah waited patiently for his alpha to move. Rain felt a cold whiplash of guilt that made his stomach turn painfully. His wolf was soberly silent. 

"Noah, I was wondering when you'd grace us with your presence." His voice was filled with sarcasm. He bottled up all his emotions, sealing up every thought and feeling. 

"I was being pre-cautious, my lord. I feared we would be tracked. Stefani... she's waiting at the meeting room to show you what we've found." His report was short and he nodded, giving a command to an omega to find Hale. They both made their way upstairs to find Stefani sitting at the table, a black suitcase on the table in front of her. 

She was looking intently at the suitcase not even bothering to look up as they came in. Her face was devoid of any emotion. Rain took the head of the table and Noah the right as she sat two seats away to the left. 

"This was the only thing in the safe, alpha. We haven't opened it and we also picked up some stuff from Stefani's place." He nodded. 

"Open it." Stefani was struggling to keep her emotions under control and put in the lock code. It was her birthday. It clicked open and she held it wide open to them, picking up the stack of papers and set them down on the table. Rain reached for the papers. They were photographs, all of them taken in that private detective style, mainly of two men. The other photographs were of missing people flyers. Rain could see the resemblance that some of those people could be creatures and he growled. He looked up at Noah, who was looking through the pictures, then looked up at Stefani and their eyes met momentarily. 

"Give it to him" She stared at him for a second, biting her bottom lip. She brushed her hands over the healing bruise and let out a breath, reaching into her bag she took out a manila envelope and slid it across the table. 

"What is this?" His voice came out a little wary as he looked up at Stefani, trying to meet her eyes but her gaze was firmly attached to the envelope. He read the letter and growled. "This must be a joke?" Rain growled out as he looked up at Noah who was quiet somber. 

"We found it at her apartment. The stench of vampires saturated the air. We only got what she needed and we left as soon as possible. There was a shirt drenched in blood, it smelled familiar, had the Mactire scent." Stefani stiffened at the memory of walking into her small apartment and seeing a bloody rag laying across the dining table. She had burst into tears, almost going into a numb daze as she read the letter. She sobbed the entire time she packed. 

The door burst open as Hale Mactire strode in with Elba. Rain kept his gaze locked with Noah, their silent conversation not going very pleasant. "I'm so glad your back! Seriously there's so much you have to see on pack lands." Hale went straight to Stefani and hugged her from behind. She stiffened but smiled warmly and pressed her palms against his forearms. He sat to Rain's right and noticed everyone's stiff behavior. 

"What's going on?" Hale asked, hating that he'd had to ask for things lately. 

"There's been a ransom note sent." Rains voice sent shivers down Stefani's spine. He locked his eyes on her, even though she was looking everywhere but where he wanted, into his eyes. He handed Hale the document and he read out loud for Elba. 

"Let's just get to the point. I have someone you want, a Mactire heir. We demand a small payment of five thousand dollars. We don't wish to start trouble. We would like the human female in your company to deliver the payment so as to make sure we are fully secured that the transaction goes as planned. She should be human to present us the money. Sunset on the Friday of this week, at the circle. She comes alone."

His voice was hard and he stared at the paper dazed. He looked up at Stefani who was deep in thought. He could see her resolve as he remembered her words a couple days ago but now he was torn. "Things must always be complicated" He said and looked into the other alphas eyes. Elba shifted on her feet. 

"Alphas, we have to get him back. We can't allow him to spend more time with the rogues. He is from the Mactire pack, of pure descent, a first son. His powers are transcendent even more so with age. We could take precautions and bring warriors but we must get him back." Rain bit back his rude remark at the insolent elder but he also agreed. 

He looked at Stefani, her wavy brown hair pulled into a pony tail and the gray t-shirt she wore had a low v-neck that gave him an ample view of her collarbone. He looked at her and he couldn't imagine letting her go out to the vampires, leaving her vulnerable. But even he admitted some sacrifices had to be made. So then why did it feel like the wrong thing to do. 

"I agree. I'm just human, so there's not much they could want with me. I'll do it.' Her voice was steady and she was glad it didn't reveal her inner turmoil. 

Hale's fist turned white, "I can't let you do this..." His voice was soft but frustrated. 

"I'm not asking for your permission. Once you have him, he might have more information to provide you. Information you all know is needed. I'm doing this, alpha O'Faolain, alpha Mactire." She stood from her chair, her gaze meeting Rain's eyes. 

He saw determination. He nodded, his tongue lost somewhere in the bottom of this stomach, Hale growled. "Leave us!" He ordered both women out. Without a glance, Stefani picked up her bag and headed to her room at the compound. 

"We'll transfer the money and have it ready in two days. We need to work on the protection detail." Hale's voice had a calculating sense that Rain had always appreciated. "Why does it feel so wrong to let her do this?" He asked slightly confused at his own emotions. He was a protector and now he was forced to let her go just like that. But he admitted, he'd just met her, his brother... was crucial. Rain stayed silent, still looking out at the door, Stefani walked out from. Something wasn't right. 

It was a long walk to the compound. An elderly omega led her to one of the lower rooms. Noah had explained to her that she was now possibly lower than the omegas. She had no standing on her own in the pack and she understood. She entered the little room. It was really like a medium size room with its own small personal bathroom and a little desk. 

She set her bag on the bed and sat down, staring into space as she picked up several papers from her bag. Spreading them on the bed, her blood turned to ice. In every picture was a different angle of her. At the cafe, walking down the street, getting into the bus, having coffee with Sasha. Each picture had a target sign on it. At the far right there was a solitary index car with bold letters written in black, which literally made fear almost overwhelm her. "You belong to us" 

Looking up at the room, she let the tears pour down her cheeks. Everything had been turned upside down. She didn't understand but it didn't matter. She understood enough, the real exchange was her life for Coles'.

She trembled, part of her wanting to be safe but the greater part of her gave in easily. Cole Mactire had saved her life. He stood by her and loved her for so many years and she'd only been a burden to him. She was going to bring him back, even if it killed her. Her determination hardened her feelings a little. She also knew she couldn't tell them. They'd stall and hesitate because the vampires wanted something with her but she was past caring about her own safety. She just wanted Cole safe. She fell back on the pile of pictures, tucking into a ball while her body shook. 

She tried to focus on that, but her mind kept coming back to what she'd seen outside in the driveway. The alpha with his cock buried deep inside a lovely blonde, who panted his name in pleasure. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight that made her heart hurt so bad it left her breathless. 

She watched as Sarah came so hard she looked like her energy had fully left her. She watched as he pulled out and came all over her body. She remembered being jealous and for a second she wished it had been her. But that was insane. She sort of hated him... didn't she? She'd known him for about 24 hrs tops and there she went falling for the lunatic. She groaned and cried. It felt like some sort of betrayal. She shook her head, trying to push the image out of her mind. 

She looked down at the pictures, her face always in profile and she shivered. She wasn't anything special, she could never hope to capture the alpha's attention only some sick twisted vampire would be attracted to her.

She was losing her mind. 

She pushed away those feelings, tried to forget about the way the alpha made her heart beat faster and louder every time he was in the room or how his eyes pierced her soul, her heart. She willed her body to forget him, to put him away forever. She resigned herself to her fate.

'You are not alone, I'm here. Be strong. I'm gonna bring you home. Just hold on Cole,' her voice drifted over the weak link and she felt him. His heavy dull essence filling her with dread, she prayed he could last that long. She knew that he couldn't answer back but she could feel his disagreement so hard it snapped her out of her self pity party. 'It's my turn to protect you' she responded and set about to fix her room. 

**** 

Cole groaned, tears slipping past his eyes as her voice floated into his mind. He shook with dread, his mouth was dry and his throat was on fire. Looking around, the dim candle light showed the dungy cell in a new light, literally. It had been several days that he'd been stuck in the dark. They'd experimented on him, did something to him. He could feel the difference in his body. He was stronger but too drugged to do anything about it. His mind was slow and foggy and he struggled to keep his bond to Stefani blocked. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 03



He shuddered as the throbbing in his chest sharpened. His head hung lifeless at the pain. His wolf was as depleted as he was, but his animal fought so hard to come out but he couldn't shift. The drugs kept him from being able to pull off so much energy at once. 

He couldn't even think back far enough to when he wasn't in pain. The vampires kept him constantly hooked up to machines, whipped or drugged. He couldn't feel his back anymore as it had been ripped apart so many times that it was decorated like a chess board. He'd lost so much blood and his body wasn't healing fast enough. 

Varcolac liked to play his sick games with him, trying to force out information from him but he'd notice something smug about his expression the last time he had stopped by. In the back of his mind, he could feel the dull senses of his wolf, something was caging him. 

He pulled against the heavy chains, his body sore and heavy. He growled as a shadow stepped into the room. "Your stay might be much shorter than we had anticipated so I'm afraid we're gonna have to rush up your treatment." His voice was mocking as two huge vampires walked over to him, unhooked him from the chains and lifted him up and started to take him from the room. His mind was spinning, the motion making his stomach rock back and forth as the two men dragged him. 

The footsteps echoed down the hallway, he knew whatever was coming was bad. His eyes slightly parted and he saw a huge cylinder in the middle of a huge dark room. It had light blue fluorescent water. His vision blurred as the men brought him closer to it. 

Varcolac stood next to it, his dark expensive suit tailored to fit his body perfectly. His green eyes gleamed and he grinned as a needle was stabbed deep into Cole's neck. A small man in a white lab coat approached and punctured several black thin cords into his skin. Both men lifted him up the stairs on both sides and swiftly dropped him into the batch of water. 

Cole arched and screamed as the water hit him like a billion needles. His scream made the water pound slightly, his mind getting heavier. His throat burned as his body started changing. For a second, he actually didn't think he'd survive the pain exploding deep inside his body and he collapsed into oblivion.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 04



Dear Readers, 

It still freaks me out to say it ^^^. 

I'm sorry It's taken so long but I've been caught up in Accounting homework. I'm working on getting all my work edited currently, by a fabulous editor. ;) 

Can we all just send a big thanks to her, because she has been dealing with some stuff and still finds time to deal with my amateur writing. Xoxo to you. 

I hope you all fall in love with the characters the way I have. 

I've been going back to all your comments and they've fueled me to keep going. So thanks again. XD 

Sorry it's taken me so long, I'm starting exams soon and I'm working on my study abroad papers (not to bore you with details) but I'm swamped. I'll try to keep them coming as quickly as possible. 

*******

A very persistent knock awoke Stefani. Her eyes blinked opened and she winced as the sunlight burned her eyes slightly. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stood up and dragged herself to the door. Her eyes met a pair of silver rimmed-hazel eyes and gave a warm smile.

"Is it morning already?" Her voice was groggy. She turned around and headed for the bathroom. Her long white t shirt reached about mid thigh or higher and her breast perked up against the thin shirt. Finishing her human necessities, she walked back into the room, her eyes gazing over the foot of the bed cautiously and up to Hale's eyes as she sat on the bed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He smiled at her question. 

"If you have nothing to do, I thought I'd show you around pack lands." Hale's voice was commanding and she smiled. Pulling her hair into a messy ponytail, she nodded. 

"I'll meet you out front, try to wear comfortable shoes." He closed the door behind him, leaving her to get dressed. She took a deep breath, rubbing at her wound tenderly. 

Hale stood by the entrance of one of the omega living quarters, he watched as the omegas all began their daily routines, admiring their productivity and efficiency. The O'Faolain provided so much for his own people, there was a healthiness in the environment he admired. Hale though of ways of implanting some of that into his own pack as Stefani stepped out of the building and walked towards him. 

He smiled. She wore a soft white skirt with a brown long sleeved v-neck blouse. Her hair fell in waves of brown and gold around her shoulders. The wind tousled those locks of hair like a caress, she smiled at the freshness of the cooling air. He couldn't help his reaction, but she took his breath away.

"I want to show you something." Stefani followed Hale as he guided her through the busy compound. She kept close to his side but made sure to check out the place, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Everyone went about their tasks but always stopped to get a good sniff, which was a little weird. Hale led her behind several buildings and they came to a little gated area. It took her a second to realize there were cubs in the gates. It was a play pen. 

Her smile widened as he took her hand and led her into the play pen. There must have been about thirty or more little wolves, all different shades of brown or gray. They all stopped their tumbling and playing as Hale stepped forward. The cubs must sense that he was an alpha in his own right. The wheels in her mind turned, thinking of the psychology and physiology of a werewolf. 

"I want you to meet someone. She's a very special friend of mine. I'd like you all to be very careful because she's human and we all know they break easily." His voice was full of mischief so she let it go but stepped forward and gave them a small wave. She hadn't been trained in proper wolf etiquette so she hoped she came off as non-threatening as possible. 

The cubs approached her slowly as if regarding her as threat. She sat down on the grass and waited for them to familiarize themselves with her. She smiled as a little dark brown cub plopped down on her lap and yawned, burying it's little body on her thigh. She stroked his soft fur completely mesmerized. 

Laughter bubbled from her lips as several cubs threw themselves on her body, knocking her down with a lot more forced than she expected. They licked at her playfully. Her laughter drew attention from the wolves passing by, who watched at first with concern and then with a certain amusement and fondness. Hale leaned against the gates. 

Rain sat in his study, going over the tedious paperwork that came with being alpha. He had been up all night doing paper work, trying to keep his mind off things. Everything seemed to be in order as he signed all the documentation and permissions for the businesses working outside of the compound. Although he provided everything for the pack, some were always looking for things to do and he encouraged his pack to mingle with the human population. Only once they were trained and fully in control were they allowed that opportunity. He also had to make sure that they spend equal times at the compound. 

He was proud of the packs accomplishments and their thirst for knowledge. They were good honest people, who were only bettered by being together. His father would have been proud of all they'd accomplished. Placing the papers down, he stood, moving around the room. Going over to the huge glass wall to the right, he gazed out into the busy compound. It was his duty to protect his pack, his kin. 

A pair of brown eyes went through his mind, making him growl in frustration. She was just a human. A human he couldn't keep his mind off. He felt wretched knowing she had watched him with Sarah and if he thought about it, he was worried she would get the wrong impression. He frowned, walking back to his desk. Her opinion of him shouldn't matter as much as it did and that thought scared him. 

"Once Mactire is safe, we'll figure out what to do with her," he whispered to himself. His wolf howled, unsure of why his wolf reacted that way, he closed his eyes and pushed the feeling back. 

Dragging a giggling Stefani over his shoulder, Hale headed for the mansion. Having spend most of the day playing with the cubs it was about time they had some lunch. She wiggled around, tapped at his back furiously but couldn't stop the laughter from leaving her body. She had refused to leave the playpen, having so much fun with the cubs. A frown had crossed his face and he had picked her up without a thought, slung her over his shoulder and stomped away toward the mansion. 

She wailed as he growled in amusement. He had been frustrated at first. No one denied an alpha, it was a concept she didn't quiet understand, but as her laughter had filled him, that frustration turned into a strange form of happiness. He skipped around making her bounce and whine like a little kid. It made his heart ached that he'd never had a sibling to share a childhood with. 

They reached the driveway, he didn't slow down, just kept going

"Hale put me down this instant!" Her voice choked up as she tried to catch her breath from laughing and the position she was in. He shook his head, walking through the open doors held by the omegas. She hissed. 

"What will people think?! Put me down!" He completely ignored her, walking through the halls toward the dining hall. She struggled to away from his iron grip. 

"Alphas don't like being told no, you might want to keep that in mind next time you decide to deny an order from one," he teased her and she poked his back repeatedly. 

"No! no, no, no, no!" She chanted. 

"You need a good lesson in discipline young lady. I beat you by a couple hundred years so respect your elders!" He laughed as she snorted in irritation, he was reaching the set of double doors, leading to the dinning room when she smiled. 

"Just cause you're ancient does not mean you get the right to order me around, old man!" 

The room they entered fell into silence and all the people sitting in the long rectangular table waited for the alpha to blow up over the disrespect. Hale burst out laughing, walking over to table and meeting the gaze of the O'Faolain alpha whose gaze was boiling in rage for some reason. 

Lucian had a huge smile on his face as Rain looked over Hale and Stefani's plum behind. "She refused to come to lunch, so I had to persuade her" His tone was full of mischief. 

"Persuade!!" Stefani screeched as she started to pound on his back and kicked wildly. "Put me down you big old oaf!" She let out an irritated growl. He chuckled and plopped her down on the ground. 

"You just saved yourself a huge ass kicking buddy! Just cause your bigger doesn't mean I can't kick it!" She hissed as she made her way to a spot as far from Rain as possible, Hale looked at her hard for a second with a grin on his face. He took the spot at Rain's right. 

"I would ask that you not man handle my guest, Mactire" Rain's voice was icy cold as the omegas started bringing out their food. Stefani snorted, rolling her eyes. 

"I don't recall your manners being any better" She mumbled under her breath, causing loud and humorous laughter to break through the table. Rain pinned her with his gaze but she refused to meet his eyes. He let out a breath and dug savagely into his meal. 

Everyone at the table had their own smaller conversations. Rain at the head of the table watched and listened to all they had to say. Hale eat happily next to him, "So what have you been up to Mactire?" Rain's voice was disinterested but he was curious to hear what Stefani had done all day. She sat the farthest away from him and her gaze stayed on the table the whole time she ate her meal. 

"I took Stefani to the cubs. She seemed to connect with them. It was a pain to get her to leave. All the cubs took a great interest in her, even the troublesome ones."

Rain nodded, curious as to how easily the wolves had taken to her. "I hoped I haven't overstepped my boundaries by taking her there." His voice was full of concern but Rain knew as long as he had been there to protect the young it was acceptable. 

Stefani ate slowly, keeping her gaze to the expensive dark wooden table, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. A small headache forming in the back of her mind, she felt hot too and her mouth felt dry, no matter how much liquid she drank. Rubbing the soreness from her eyes she finished the little she had on her plate. As the group started to finish, most of them started to leave to their mundane daily routines. Leaving Hale and Rain engrossed in conversation and her to wander around the dining hall. 

She stood and walked around the grand room, she hadn't really gotten a good look of it, coming in. She went over to the large window wall, which looked out into the forest and the lake further down. Pressing her hand against the window she was quiet. She could feel him, like a distant star dimmed by fog. He had this heaviness about him that worried her. For a second, she contemplated telling the alphas. She honestly thought about it, but once she told them how deeply connected they were, she wasn't sure what their reaction would be, much less if they'd let her give the ransom. 

"If you want, I can give you a tour of pack lands?" A shiver ran up her spine, humming throughout her body, she felt lost in that daze that was his voice. Rain cleared his throat, snapping Stefani back to attention. Turning around, she met his gaze momentarily, looking around the room, Hale was gone.

"I wouldn't want to impose on you alpha. I know you have...duties to attend to," she kept her voice even. He stepped closer drawing her in his aura of warmth. 'Don't melt dammit!' she reprimanded her behavior and stepped back, bumping hard into the window. 

"You can call me Rain. That is my name." He growled softly, looking for her eyes as she tried desperately to avoid his. "My afternoon is free and I'd like to show you something." His voice left no room for argument and she nodded. He smiled and before he could stop himself he brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, making her tremble. Her lips parted, her brown eyes snapped up to his. Their innocence and honesty shocked him, forcing him to step away from her. 

Stefani was hesitant to leave with the huge alpha, but she really had no way of turning him down. She was even more hesitant as he started to lead her through the woods and away from the compound, in what seemed to be a long hike. She let out a breath. She really hadn't worn appropriate shoes, looking down at her flats but at least the long sleeve was keeping her sufficiently warm. 

They'd been hiking through random trees for hours in comfortable silence, he kept his distance from her, refusing to touch her or even look at her. She bumped into something hard, snapping out of her mind. Rain watched as she stepped next to him, he nodded forwards and her eyes followed, she gasped. 

It was a little cottage or a cabin, both words could have applied. It was smaller than any other building she'd seen in the compound, but it was secluded as well. It had this magical charm about it, almost seemed to be made from the woods. As if the little cabin blended into one with nature. He held out his hand to her, without thinking about it, she took it. 

Pleasure filled him as her skin touched his. He led her into his private cabin. He didn't know why he'd taken her there but he wanted to give her something for everything she'd lost. As they came into the cabin, he heard her awe, saw her twinkling eyes as they took every inch of the small cabin. 

It was actually huge compared to a normal cabin, he enjoyed the space. He had come here a lot when his parents had died. His heart ached at the memory. The kitchen was equipped with the latest but the living room/ dinning room was decorated in warm rugs and warm colors. There was only one bedroom, to the far right, the door that lead to it made of dark brown wood to match the rest of the decor. The room was his favorite, a huge king size bed with four dark posts of thick wood, the sheets made of fine champagne silk. The bathroom was smaller than the one back at the mansion, complete with a luxurious tub and a small shower. 

Stefani stepped further into the room, rubbing her arms softly to heat up her cold skin. The inside was gorgeous, like something out of a movie. It was cozy, personal and perfect. 

"Why did you bring me here?" She moved around the room, looking at the various frames filled with pictures of people and wolves, some made her smile. Some made her heart ache for a family she never had. 

"You can come here whenever you want. I know things will get difficult but you can always have a place to feel at home. I want you to understand that even though you are being forced into this life, you can find a way to enjoy it." He sounded sincere. She looked back at him with curiosity. "The pack rarely comes through this area, so there's enough privacy. I don't usually do this..." his voice faded and she nodded, looking around the room again. 

"Is it yours?" She could hear his hesitation. 

"My parents gave it to me, a couple months before they died." Stefani could feel his pain, she looked up into his eyes and she could see his soul. See how hard he struggled to hide it from her. 

"I'm sorry." 

Thunder broke the silence in the room and soon after lightning lit up the room. Stefani took a deep breath, sitting down on one of the chocolate brown sofas, tucking her legs in. Rain went over to the windows. He pursed his lips at the sudden change in weather. He looked over at her, he could probably make it back in no time, but she might take hours in this kind of weather just to get back, not to mention might get sick. Sending a mental message to Hale, he let him know that they'd arrive in the morning. 

"Looks like we might have to stay here the night." She had her eyes closed. Walking over to the sofa, he sat down next to her. 

"You aren't scared of thunder storms are you?" He was amused. Sometimes she seemed like a pissed off bitch or a female cub. 

"Of course not!" She scoffed, she wasn't. She was just unsettled from it, Cole had always been there with her, to calm her. They would sit on her small sofa, watching movies, as she curled up into his arms. Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of him and what they could be doing to him. Rain didn't like the teary expression on her face. She was clearly engrossed in her own thoughts. He smiled and draped one heavy arm over her shoulders dragging her body to his side. 

She stiffened but as thunder struck, she jumped and pressed her body tighter to his, leaning her head to his chest. She worked on controlling her breathing and her heartbeat. It was one thing to let Cole hug her this intimately, but it was a whole other experience with the alpha. His body was slightly bigger than Cole's; his body was hard and enticing. She pressed her ear to his chest, feeling his fast heartbeat and wondered about that. She felt soft flutters at the edge of her mind. Cole. 

"You know, whenever there was a storm, Cole would always come over and we'd sit and watch movies all night, till I fell asleep. I always felt safe with him. Turns out I didn't know anything about him. He's been lying all this time... how could I feel so safe with someone I don't even know?" The guilt, confusion and anger seeped into her voice. She wasn't angry with him but how could she not have seen it. 

Rain stroked her soft wavy hair, it felt like silk between his fingers. He could hear the pain in her voice. "It's taboo for us to inform humans of our existence. No matter how much he probably wanted to tell you, he probably didn't want to put you in any risk." 

That sounded reasonable but why did it still feel like she was missing something big. She let one arm drape over his stomach, in a loose embrace. 

"Thank you for letting me do this. It means a lot that you're letting me help" she whispered, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the way he ran his fingers in her hair. Rain couldn't answer, couldn't admit to her, much less to himself how desperately he or his wolf didn't want to allow her to step out into the circle unprotected, fragile and alone to face the vampires. The alpha in him understood and supported the decision. Cole Mactire was one of the first pure blood descendants, his blood alone held magic and the many years he'd had them would prove worthy, in the hands of the vampires that could be a disaster. 

"We're going to get him back. After that we'll figure out what to do with you." He answered honestly, his wolf stirred in anger but he was content to be holding her. He grinned at the beast, who had been irritable for days and his sudden change of attitude at being around her. 

Stefani refused to answer, fearing that her voice would crack or that she'd give too much away. She wouldn't be coming back she knew that much. She was trying to come to terms with it but she forced herself not to think about it. Lightning crashed, fillinging the room with its electric light, thunder roaring through the small cabin. Surely the small wooden house wouldn't stand up to such a strong storm. 

She snuck a glance up at Rain's face. She took a sharp breath when their eyes met. She would later blame it on her fear of storms, how he tried to console her and protect her from that fear, and she would grow to reject and crave it even more but at that moment, she couldn't stop from leaning up as he leaned down. 

He pressed his lips to hers, his hand firmly embedded to the back of her neck wrapped in her hair. She sighed in pleasure as his lips sought to devour hers. Heat rose inside her sharply, his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth that she wouldn't allow. He pulled back her hair making her gasp as he thrust into her, making her groan. She would have smiled at his dominance if her mouth had been freed, but she found herself with no desire to be free of him. 

Rain groaned, diving into her hot mouth was like plunging into liquid sunshine. She was sweet, soft and she gave herself fully to him. He slid his arm under her and straddled her on his lap, not once breaking lip contact. Her hands moved slowly over his tight muscular arms, letting one hand cup his neck as the other stayed firmly at his chest, right above his heart. Her hands burned at his skin, seemed to shoot right into his body making him tremble with need. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 04



His wolf growled and rushed to shift through, as he devoured her lips he fought to remain in control. She rubbed herself on his lap seductively, she moaned as he pressed her closer to his body. His hard cock jumped in his tight jeans, he wanted to bury himself in her body and stay there forever. The emotion overwhelmed him, he'd never felt that way about anyone before. Nobody he wanted as much. He growled into her mouth as she jolted in his lap from the thunder. She pulled away breathing hard, her eyes closed. 

Stefani struggled to control herself. Her heart was beating so loud, she was sure he must hear it too. Her cheeks were bright red and she brushed hair out of her face. There were no words to be said, she looked up at him shyly and he picked her up, bridal style. 

Carrying her into his bedroom, he settled her down on the bed. She crawled to the top of the bed. Her lips parted and he watched as her eyes widened as he took off his shirt, dropping it to the ground.

"Alpha" her voice trembled. He yanked her head up and kissed her senseless. He cringed at the words leaving her lips. He wanted to hear his name in that breathless tone not his title. Rain wouldn't think about his actions until later, he wouldn't realize how much she could mean to him, at that moment he just couldn't think past his lust. He wanted her, he had to have her. Thunder crashed around them but at that moment neither noticed. 

She kissed him back, there was only slight hesitation but she melted perfectly against him. She pulled him down on top of her with their lips still connected. She eagerly spread her lips for his invading tongue. It was her sweet moans that enticed him to go further. He groaned as his hands sought her breast, slipping under her shirt trailing his fingers softly over her skin. 

She arched easily into his touch, his hands burning a path on her body, making her burn. She didn't want to think about anything, she wanted to lose herself in him. She groaned, parting her legs so he could fit better between them. She ached and burned and she'd never felt like that before. She gasped out for breath as his mouth moved to her neck and moving lower. 

Rain knew he had to stop, he knew he shouldn't be doing this. His mind screamed to stop but his body ached for her, his mouth couldn't get enough of her taste. He felt her spread her legs, it took a second for his mind to register her arousal that's when he shifted. Stefani arched on the bed with her eyes closed, the weight on the bed seemed different. Peeking a look, she screamed. 

Lightning ripped through the room making the beast on top of her look even more ferocious. She pressed her hand to her beating heart and laid as still as possible. The wolf on top of her simply inspected her, it's eyes a hazel yellow color. She knew it was Rain in there but her fear couldn't be denied. 

He could smell her fear, a sour scent that left him unsettled. He couldn't understand how he'd lost control to the point that his wolf had snuck through. He could see her distress and how still she was under him. He jumped off the bed and paced in circles around the room, growling. 

Arguing with his beast, who was sadden at the thought of her scared, it was only a minute before he shifted back. He went looking for some sweats before coming back. Stefani was curled up under the covers, wrapping her arms to a pillow. 

He looked her over, ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry." He went from never saying those words to anyone, to constantly saying them to her. 

She smiled softly. "I thought you weren't supposed to man handle the guests" He sighed, crawling into the bed behind her. Hesitantly he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her back onto his body. 

She sighed softly and laid her head on the pillow. He knew the moment of passion was over, but for now he'd be happy to hold her till her fear left her. "Thank you for showing me this place. It was nice to get a chance to see it." Her voice sounded sleepy and he smiled not hearing the double meaning in her tone. 

"You'll be seeing a lot more of it," was his reply, "I wish" Soon they were both asleep, tucked in each other as the storm outside dimmed to rain. 

They didn't speak as they woke up and they hiked back to the compound in that same silence, both stuck in their troubling thoughts. 

How could she be so stupid to let herself get carried away like that? Her brother was out there struggling to survive and she was rolling around in bed with a werewolf alpha like a horny teenager! Her stupidity enraged her. She bit nervously on her bottom lip. The sun was bright breaking through the tall trees, a slight fog around the forest but otherwise a pleasant way to start the day. 

Rain watched Stefani from the corner of his eyes, his mind drifting back to their kiss. She was so receptive to his touch, so open and strong, he had frightened her but he knew with time she'd grow comfortable around the wolves. He shook his head, it was useless. He sounded like a fool, no woman should have this much power over him. 

With disgust he grunted and walked faster, knowing she'd have a hard time following him. Her strawberry scent washed over him and he craved to pick her up and take her on the forest floor so he walked faster. Stefani struggled to keep up. He must really be frustrated with her slow pace, the thought made her sad. 

She could see the compound up ahead. She knew whatever moment they had shared was lost in the past and she was glad for it. She had other things to think about but she couldn't deny the small part of her that craved him with all her being. He mumbled something and left her there by the road, he went towards his mansion. She walked towards her room in the omega quarters. Neither looked back.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 05



Hola, 

(Yes, that was spanish for hello :) ) 

I did promise they would come out as quickly as possible but it's the site that takes a while to review you know. But please be patient. 

I'm very happy that people seem to enjoy it, I have so much in store for you guys, I'm all giddy inside. 

Don't know if anyone reads these little italic sections but its a great stress reliever to speak back to you guys. 

*****

Stefani stared into the forest, the trees lined with a thick cold fog. It was late afternoon. The sun was on its way to the horizon and they only had a couple hours till the trade. The compound was a flurry off activity. The young, women and elderly were being taken some place where they would be safe. They didn't tell her where. She had wanted to say goodbye to the children but alpha O'Faolain had forbidden it. Her heart ached slightly at the thought of the big alpha. 

They had been avoiding each other ever since arriving yesterday. She had wandered around the compound getting to know some of the pack members. She came across some of the betas, who were very kind to her. The blond beta, his lover, she thought with distaste, had been rather nasty to her at some point, but she'd ignored the blonde bitch and kept walking. She had seen Hale very little as he had his errands to run. 

Mostly she had been left to her own, only seeing them at dinner, where she'd only taken bites. She stayed out of the conversations and only spoke when spoken to, but she watched all of them interacting with each other and she grew fond of each wolf. 

She was in one of the training buildings, sitting on a chair as the men around her packed weapons and protective gear. Her hand pressed against her cheek lazily. She was anxious. She could feel Cole closer. His essence was dim and slightly different. Before he had felt like a warm breeze in her mind. 

Now he felt more like waves, coming and going, but much more solid within her mind. She couldn't put her finger on it. Shaking away those thoughts, she realized that it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting Cole safely to his family. Lucian placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she smiled. "We're ready." His voice, like always, was soothing, which she appreciated. 

With a nod, she stood and walked silently behind him as he led her to a black hummer. "I won't be coming along. Johnson and I must stay behind to guard the compound but you take care of yourself child. We expect you back" Her eyes watered. She leaned up to give him a tight hug, kissed his cheek and thanked him for being so kind. Johnson stood behind him and got the same treatment. As five black hummers left the compound, Lucian and Johnson couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. 

She wore Cole's white dress shirt, tucked into a pair of black leggings with black and gray flat boots. Her hair was a mass of waves around her shoulders and her skin was a delicate pearly white. She looked around at the different men in her car who were dressed for battle. They wore thick vests, dressed in black and draped with deadly weapons. Maybe there would be a chance and they could take Cole and rescue her before it was too late, but she knew it was false hope. 

The alpha had chosen to drive in another car. She really wished she had been in his car. Hale was also in another car and she wondered why that was. They rode through the bumpy forest and she watched as the sky took on shades of pinks and purples. 

Rain drove fast, hitting every bump, with his eyes scanning the forest for the wolves that followed. He hated what he was about to do. His wolf growled and had fought with him every step of the way. Finally he had dominated the beast and sent him to a slumbering cage within his mind. The pack's vulnerable were safe and all they had to do was deliver the money. He had purposely kept her in another car to make sure Hale or he wouldn't go back on the plan. Once he looked at her face, he would crumble and he hated her for it. 

Stefani stepped out of the hummer as soon as it had stopped. The warriors around her lost themselves in the forest. Soon it was only Hale, Rain and her. Both looked down at her hesitantly. She tampered down her emotions, placing a solid cold wall as she stared at both of them. 

"I'm ready," Rain nodded, Hale handed her a heavy black duffle bag and she shifted her hands around. 

"We'll be in the woods behind you, in case anything goes off plan. We have no way of communicating, but you will hear our howls, if we think something is off. If we call you back, you are to follow the orders. Is that clear?" Rain's voice was cold and detached. He looked down at her with displeasure and her knees buckled. She nodded. 

There wasn't a clear pathway to the circle but the forest floor had been used so often the track was clear. Rain took off running into the woods, leaving Hale behind. 

"You're going to be fine. Just get in and out. Once we have him, we'll move in and take you guys out. Come back safe." His voice was soft, she gave him a smile. 

"I promised you alpha, that I would bring your brother back and I intend to do that. I'll be fine. You just take care of him. Do me a favor, will you ask Rain to take Cole to the cottage?" Her tone was soft and she refused to look up at him. He would know something was wrong from the look in her eyes, but she had no intention of coming back. 

With a final hug, they both went on their own way. Taking a deep breath she whispered 'Cole? Can you hear me?' she reached out with her mind and she could feel him so strongly she almost wept. 'I'm coming for you. We're gonna get you home Cole.' she reassured him. She walked for a couple minutes in the right direction and up ahead she could see the clearing. Looking around, she couldn't see the wolves but she knew they were out there. Somewhere out there was Rain and Hale, waiting anxiously for the lost Mactire. Stepping out into the clearing, she gasped. It literally took her breath away. 

The horizon was a mixed of pinks, purples and lilacs with the coat of dark sky behind it. The clearing must have been the size of a football field and she could hear rushing water nearby. In the center was a circle outlined by huge boulders, but what shocked her the most was the men on the other side. 

Cole was on his knees, with a leash around his neck. His naked body was marked and bruised to the point where she couldn't even make out his natural skin color anymore. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

'Cole. I'm here' she whispered. She saw his head jerk up, searching for her eyes. As they met, he let out a loud growl so strong it rocked her backwards, setting the forest in silence. 

'Leave! Stefani. Not safe...' His voice was weak in her mind but she shook her head and she stepped forward. 

"Glad you could make it." A voice echoed through the field. Her blood turned to ice as she met a pair of green emerald eyes. "And you brought your pets along." His voice was thick and sensual but it only made her skin crawl. From the place she stood she watched as wolves appeared all throughout her sides in the distance. She immediately found the biggest black wolf, who growled at the vampires on his territory. 

"This is how it's going to work. You move and we kill them both. The young lady will step forward to the center and he will meet her there. Once the payment has been accepted, you may come get it. If any of you mongrels move, they die. Is that clear?' Stefani took a deep breath and started walking forward.

Rain was struggling to keep calm. The few vampires on his lands made him anxious as well as angry. Watching Stefani walk towards said vampires was worse. He growled and paced anxiously. Mactire was struggling to get to his feet. The black leash around his neck was taken off and wrapped around his wrist instead. He was pushed forward and he stumbled, fighting to stay in balance. He could see the damage that the vampires had done physically to the man, he was unrecognizable and he could feel Hale's distress increasing. 

'Why are you here?' Cole shouted in her mind, making her temples throb in pain. She shrugged, little tears escaping her. She walked faster, the duffle bag stopping her from fully running but she made it into the circle about the same time he staggered in. She dropped the bag and rushed to his side. Unsure whether to touch him as he fell to his knees, she cried and wrapped her hands around his shoulders. 

"Run" He whispered hoarsely. She shook her head.

"I've been running all my life. For once, I'm going to stay and do something for someone else," she whispered into his ear. She looked up into those green terrifying eyes. He gave a slight nod and she cringed. Pulling away, she looked down into Cole's eyes. 

"I'm giving you back your family. I'm just sorry I could never truly be part of it." Her sobs were softer now and she straightened her back. Cole struggled to keep himself sane. The pain was so strong it had taken all his energy to simply walk to her. Her hands moved to his wrist and slipped off the leash. He groaned.

"Don't do this. Please Stefani... Sister," he begged, tears falling over his cheeks, tears he hadn't shed in his torture poured out now. She shook her head. She looked behind her to the two biggest wolves in the clearing. 

"I'm sorry... but it was the only way," she whispered. She could hear their howls in the night as they finally understood. 

"Come pet." Varcolac's voice made her cringe and she stepped away from Cole, who only groaned and tried desperately to hold on to her hand. She gripped the leash in her hand, taking a deep breath and numbingly moving forward. She could hear the growls behind her, could sense they were getting ready to attack but it wasn't until Varcolac spoke that she looked back. 

"If you move, we'll kill her." There was a thin man with his hand wrapped around a slender neck, blonde hair cascading down a woman's naked shoulder. It was Sarah. Rain howled in anger at seeing once of his pack so vulnerable and at seeing Stefani crossing the field to the enemy. Sarah struggled for breath, calling out to her alpha as the vampire dug talons into her neck. 

Stefani walked faster towards Varcolac. His eyes boiling pits of green, she shivered and straightened her back. 

"Let her go. You have what you came for. Please...Please. Let her go!" He smiled, flashing his fangs in her direction. He nodded and the vampire flung Sarah a good distance away, she screamed as she connected with the ground. Rain rushed to her, licking at her skin softly, shifting only to pick her up. Hale and a couple other wolves ran over to the fallen Mactire who mumbled incoherently. 

Varcolac wrapped his hand around Stefani's throat, leaned down and inhaled her scent deeply. 

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you dogs. I hope you enjoy your prince as much as I'll enjoy her." He laughed, she tried to step back away from him but when he wouldn't let her go, she spit in his face. His eyes turning a dark shade of red, his fist connected with her face so fast her body didn't get a chance to fully recognize what happened. 

One moment she was standing defiantly in his grip, the next she was laying on her side on the ground as her face throbbed in pain so strongly and she sensed that Cole had felt it. The wolves in the clearing growled threateningly. Rain tensed and gripped Sarah so hard she whimpered. Stefani sobbed in pain as a vampire picked her up roughly and threw her over his shoulder. 

"I'm going to enjoy breaking you bitch" Varcolac growled in anger, looking back and meeting Rain's eyes for a second before they vanished into the forest. 

Rain passed on Sarah's body to a beta as he stood at the circle, running a hand through his hair, he looked around. His mind not working as fast, wondering what in the world had just happened. He picked up the duffle bag with the money. 

This whole time, the vampires were really after her. They only used the money as a way to get her out here, vulnerable and alone and they'd played right into it. He looked up at the dark sky and screamed. His energy pulsed with anger, pushing the trees with such force they struggled to stay upright. Warriors had their instructions to take the injured to the healers but at that moment he couldn't care less. He wanted her back and he wouldn't rest till he had her back and his wolf agreed.

***** 

Lucian and Johnson waited patiently inside the main hall and silence hung thick in the air. They both sensed the pulsations emanating from the earth. It rocked the trees back for a couple minutes before everything stilled. Something was wrong and they both sat in suspense for what felt like hours until a heard of black hummers pulled up in the drive way. A couple male omegas rushed forward as a beta, stepped out with a blonde female in his arms. Lucian and Johnson both stood and waited for them to enter. They watched as three men struggled to carry a bruised scarred man up towards the entrance. Both men growled in outrage as they finally recognized Mactire.

Hale walked into the main hall, his face grim and they both watched the fury in his eyes. "What happened?" Johnson asked the question they all wanted answered. Lucian looked back out the window as a huge black wolf strode into the mansion heaving in anger. 

"I don't fucking know!" Hale's voice was rough and he sat, rubbing his face of the weariness he felt.

"Where's Stefani?" Lucian asked suspicious, a deep fear gnawing at his senses. 

"The vampires have her" Hale looked up into Lucian's gray eyes. Both elders growled in anger, the O'Faolain alpha still fought to control his beast even as he paced the room in wolf form. It took him several minutes to shift back. He stood naked and tense. 

"Mactire is injured but alive. I don't know how, but somehow Sarah was caught and she's being treated right now..." Rain said with an aggravated sigh. 

"We all need to get some rest. There's nothing we can do. We'll speak to Mactire as soon as he wakes up, I want him debriefed and I want our people brought out of lock down." Rain's voice was hard but they could all see the boiling emotions within his wolf. The betas in the room bowed and went to do as ordered. The four men in the room stood in silence. 

"She went with them? Willingly?" Johnson's voice was calm and collected but he couldn't hide his concern for the bubbly brunette. Rain plopped down on a sofa, his eyes glued to the ceiling. 

"I think the trade was really for her. She knew." Rain whispered to himself, cursing his stupidity. 

"I agree, somehow she knew. She walked right past Mactire, right towards that sick bastard." Hale spoke out, his words were harsh. He had adopted her into his family and not only had he lost her, he hadn't watched out for her.

"Mactire might know something about what's going on," Lucian spoke. All the men were in shock. It had only been a couple days and yet, having Stefani around was like breathing, it was just natural. 

The sudden loss left them all a bit unsettled. Hale flipped open his phone and called his parents with the news. 

Down at the medical center, the nurses struggled to strap down an unconscious Cole in order to drug him. His huge body was so tattered it was a struggle to heal them. His own healing abilities were kicking in but even then there were broken bones that would take some time to heal, the horrible maze of whip marks that ran across his back were difficult to clean and yet the unconscious Cole was struggling to surface the drugged infused state he was in. In the back of his mind he knew something was terribly wrong but he couldn't make any of his heavy limbs do as he commanded. Sarah was sleeping soundlessly. The bruises around her neck and back were healing slowly but she'd survive. 

The compound was silent even as the pack started to come out from the lower basement levels. They sensed their alpha was in a foul mood, could sense something evil in the air and it left everyone feeling anxious. The moon was high above but clouded by thick fog. No one would be getting a peaceful sleep. 

*****

Stefani was slumped over the back seat of a black van. Her wrists and ankles were bound by thick rope, her mouth covered with duck tape and each bump made her body jolt upwards uncomfortably. The bruise on her cheek throbbed painfully. She struggled to hold back the tears that clouded her vision. She felt herself growing further and further apart from Cole and even though she refused to admit it mattered, further from the O'Faolain alpha. The distance was choking her. 

She didn't regret what she had done. She would gladly do it again but she had a feeling that something bad was coming. The eerie silence in the car crawled up her spine almost petrifying her with fear. She closed her eyes shut, thinking back on the big strong alpha stepping out into the clearing for his blonde lover, pain slicing through her chest as her sob was muffled by the tape. 

It was at that moment that she made her resolve. She would fight. She wouldn't give in to these monsters. She heard a chuckle cut through the silence and felt a hand gripping her hair, lifting her up harshly as she looked into a pair of emerald green eyes. A few seconds later she felt a needle pierce her neck. She couldn't scream but pain engulfed her. She could feel the drug burning itself into her body. His hand tightened around her throat but before she could react she slipped into a terrifying oblivion. Varcolac smiled, his fangs gleaming slightly as he settled her trembling body back down, it had been a rather productive night. 

***

Rain sat on the edge of his bed frustrated that he couldn't go back to sleep. It was around five am and the compound wouldn't be up for a while, his mind was numb. He refused to let his thoughts drift to her, so he stood and worked on his morning routine before heading out. 

The forest was quiet. It was a rather cloudy day and it seemed the sun wouldn't show itself any time soon. Hale tossed in his bed at the mansion, his eyes fastened to the ceiling. He remembered calling his parents and informing them that Cole -his brother- was safe. Thinking about it, made his stomach turn. The words sounded alien to him even as he recalled the way his mother had cried and spilled praised to the Gods, etc. etc. Something was eating him up and he knew her name. He made arrangements for the pack so that his parents could both come up here and see their son.

Cole Mactire was being treated in the compound clinic. His wounds had been severe but already healing, he'd be up and running in no time. Hale planned to be at his side every moment to make sure when he awoke he got answers. He knew there were a lot of things that didn't add up, things they all needed to know.

He stood from his bed and got ready for the day, even though it was still early. It was only ten minutes later that he found himself walking around the compound. He didn't know where he was going but he looked around. It was the playpen he had brought Stefani to a couple days earlier. He thought back and remembered the way she had sat down on the soft grass and let all the cubs practically mow her over and he remembered fondly the way she giggled infectiously. 

He had adopted her into his family, had vowed to protect her. He also had watched her step out into the clearing and head for the vampires and it never crossed his mind that she would keep walking, that she would leave with them. The alpha inside him was growling for vengeance, wanting her back where it was safe. Judging by the looks of Cole, he shuddered to think of what they would do to her. For the first time in his life, he felt fear. 

Hours later, Cole surfaced the drug induced state he was in. It left him foggy and unsure. There was something familiar about his surroundings, his wolf could feel it. He groaned as the pain in his body became evident. He inhaled softly trying to avoid his aching chest, something was wrong. He blinked his eyes open and the light blinded him momentarily. It took him several minutes to grow slightly accustomed to the light but still his eyes stung as he had been in the darkness for so long. He licked his dry lips and looked around the room. It was some sort of clinic. He growled. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 05



He saw a blonde female at the other end of the room, sleeping peacefully. He could feel his strength coming back to him, he had to get up, had to get to her. 'Stefani!' He called out and met a black void, the drugs coursing through his body made it impossible to deduce if she was there. His body trembled as he heard a door opening. He growled as footsteps got closer. 

**

A brown haired nurse rushed through the halls of the mansion, her hair tied back in a small ponytail and her face flushed as she ran. She stopped at her alpha's office doors and hesitated only for a second before cracking the door open. She bit her lip as her eyes met a pair of cold brown eyes. 

"Alpha, please! You must come. The patient he has awakened and he's too strong. He just went crazy." Her voice was hysterical and afraid. Her alpha didn't think twice before rising and ushering her out and walking quickly through the hallways as she attempted to explain. Currently, two omegas were trying to pin the Cole down, but he had managed to escape them and who knows where he could be. Rain walked as fast as he could towards the clinic, calling out to Hale and his betas. 

Reaching the medical center, he took a whiff of the familiar, yet strange scent and followed it out towards the compound, growling as he thought of this man running around his territory. He ordered the omega nurse to go back to the medical center. He ran towards the scent. 

Hale and Rain both arrived at the same time and watched suspiciously as the figure of Cole Mactire was kneeled in the middle of the playpen, his shoulders slouched, his chest heaving heavily, his hair messy and the injuries to his body were healing at an alarming rate. Hale stepped forward but it was Rain who spoke first.

"You should be in the medical center, Mactire. My wolf doesn't agree with you being in the territory of our young." His voice was cold as steel but Cole didn't even flinch. He just stared at the ground, empty. Rain didn't have to look back to know that his betas had finally arrived, they just waited. 

He could smell her there only slightly but her essence was still there. Her joy had touched the grass below him and his heart ached. 

"Where is she?" his voice was rough, his throat burned. Hale stepped closer. Looking up at Rain they both hardened their expression.

"Cole, we have to get you back inside. You're not done healing." Hale's voice seemed to shake for a second. It was the first conversation he had with this strange man, his brother. 

He shook his head, "I want to see her. You will bring her to me" He looked up straight ahead, the men held their breath as Hale approached him again. 

"She's gone. The vampires have her now." It was Noah who finally answered his question, Cole stiffened and let out a piercing howl that cut through all of them and as soon as it came, he slumped onto the ground and passed out. 

Rain sighed. "Take him inside, he needs to heal." His betas struggled to pick the huge man up and carried him back towards the medical center. Several minutes of silence passed between the alphas. 

"You know he won't give us any answers, he seems like the stubborn type." Hale looked up at the darkened sky. 

"Mama will make him talk. I can't imagine any of her children ever truly keeping anything from her." He let out a sad smile that didn't reach his eyes. Both alphas nodded to each other and walked up to the compound. It wouldn't be until two days had passed that Cole would wake up again.

**** 



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 06



Hello, 

Thank you so much for being so thoughtful about my school work. It means a lot to hear you guys say that. 

You're all right, school is my life, but this... is it crazy that this is just as important to me. I've never done anything like this before and right now, it's the only thing keeping me sane. Seeing all your comments makes me want to better myself as a writer to provide the best possible work. But I also want to continue the plot. 

This might come as a shock but I don't have the story planned out to the last word. The story unravels to you as much as it does to me. 

I let it come to life they way it wants to, naturally. 

I know it might be slow and maybe lacking some common sense, but it's a different world. My characters are new and fresh and I completely agree that they require some more work to make them more realistic. 

I also know that the story sometimes moves slowly and it drives me insane, but sometimes there's so many details I want to offer you. 

I apologize if some of you don't personally don't like my way of writing, I am trying to improve those skills. 

Thank you so much for being so supportive.  

You guys are the reason why I work so hard, because I like knowing some how, some way I've made you smile or laugh, or feel sad for my characters. 

Xo 

A 

**** 

Stefani's body hung from silver chains connected to the ceiling causing her wrist to ached. Her toes barely touched the floor. She had awoken tired and thirsty, in a pitch black room. She took a deep breath, trying to ease the throbbing headache. There was a stench in the room she couldn't place and her heart started racing as fear began to settle in. 

With calming breaths, she forced herself to think rationally. She had no sense of time and wasn't sure how long she had been out. She only remembered the burning of the drug as it met her bloodstream and wrecked havoc on her nervous system, leaving her sore and exhausted. She heard footsteps drawing closer and she swallowed down the sobs.

"You shouldn't have left, Stefani" His voice cut through the darkness only seconds before the whip came down on her back. She screamed as white light burst behind her eyelids.

*****

Cole jolted up on the bed, covered in sweat. Panting heavily, he felt his heart racing in fear. It took several minutes as it dawned on him that it wasn't his own. 'Stefani!' His breath came out in hard angry pants. His chest didn't ache as much but there was a thirst burning his throat that made it difficult to think. 

His gaze was pinned to the ceiling. As his body healed from the physical torment his mind also healed. He was also clear enough to acknowledge something was wrong with his wolf, the animal was too quiet. No amount of calling was bringing him out of to the surface, which worried him. Letting out a sigh he sat back up, looking around the room for the first time. 

It was the medical center in the O'Faolain pack, whose alpha he didn't personally know. Cole knew what lay ahead was going to be an ongoing amount of obstacles. His rational mind tried to work the ramifications. How much should he reveal to the packs without going against his mission? 

Lucian walked into the clinic, to find Cole sitting up on the bed, looking out towards the windows apprehensively. 

"Cole." His voice was barely a whisper but Cole looked up, his eyes hardening. Lucian recognized the anger in his eyes, the clear disappointment. 

Lucian swallowed hard, "The alpha wants you to come upstairs. Now that you're awake, we can start the meeting." 

Cole wanted to beat the living daylights out of Lucian and Johnson. He had specifically left them to protect her and they'd fail her- they had all failed her. Lucian helped him dress and led him upstairs. 

Alpha O'Faolain sat at the head of the table with alpha Mactire on his left. Audrina Mactire and Faust Mactire sat by their son, their faces anxious. They had arrived last night and had almost begged to see Cole but Alpha O'Faolain had made it clear they would see him at the meeting. The O'Faolain betas sat all on Rain's right. Down at the end were Elba and Johnson, eagerly waiting. 

Although at the top of the hierarchy was the alpha, because they were the strongest most capable of defending the pack, and who led and ruled over the civilians. Most importantly the alpha was a defender, a protector, a provider. 

Rain watched the Elders present in the room. 

Elders, the oldest survivors of the royal family, gained wisdom and strength from years of experience and training. They held great power and knowledge that was lost to most of their kind. They were a different entity all on their own. Although they fell under the alphas command and dictate, they could still act on their own accord. Part of the pack and yet separate. 

They also had many secrets, knew things from the past that only they had the privilege to know and would reveal only if necessary. That was just the way they worked. Secrecy had kept them alive for so long. Rain hated secrets. He was an alpha after all. 

The silence in the room was uncomfortable as they listened to the heavy footsteps approaching the door. Audrina stood up as the doors opened. Lucian stepped through and stepped to the side and Cole Mactire stood in the doorway. His huge body barely fit in the doorway. 

Audrina's body trembled. She choked down her sobs, stepping forward slowly. Cole gazed his eyes over her, searching for the alpha's brown eyes. All the elders in the room sat stunned at seeing the ghost of the great Cole Mactire. 

His face was still bruised. His body ached as he walked by his trembling mother who couldn't hold down her tears. Faust stood and wrapped her in his arms, comforting her breaking heart. Cole sat at the opposite end of the table, meeting Rain's eyes without submission. 

Most people would look away at the sight of an angry alpha, but Cole Mactire was in no position to back down. Hale bit down his harsh comments as his parents sat back down. They were both clearly in shock. How could this man treat his parents this way?!

"Who are you?" Rain's voice cut through the silence, snapping Hale back out of his angry trance. 

Cole raised his eyebrow at the pointless question. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see his parents, clearly shaken. The bond to his parents that he had fought over the years to bury was still dormant within him. As pain cut through his soul he could no longer deny the yearning he had to have his family back. He took a deep breath. He had a mission and he couldn't afford to think about his desires right now.

"My name is Cole Mactire. First born of the Mactire Clan. Son to Audrina Mactire and Faust Mactire. About three hundred years old, I would say." His tone was defiant, bored and arrogant. 

Rain struggled to contain his anger. "You are in my territory wolf. You should respect the alpha that helped save your life!" 

Cole stiffened, "You should have left me right where I was. You fell into an obvious trap! I suggest you focus more on your abilities to make educated decisions rather than your territorial impulses." Rain pressed his lips together and rubbed his temples, forcing himself not to think of her. The room fell silent for a couple minutes. 

"We didn't know they were after her." Johnson spoke up, cutting the silence. 

Cole's eyes move to his, "Of course you didn't!" Sarcasm dripped in his tone. 

"You were told to protect her. What reason did you think that was for? Two hundred years I disappear and everyone seems to have become incompetent at deducing information. I trusted you with her life. Worse, I'm sure she came to trust you with her life as well." A small, sad smile pulled across his lips as he thought back on her personality. Always so trusting and warm. His heart ached. 

"Enough!" Audrina stood up, slamming her hands on the table, her eyes leaking tears as she looked down at her son. "You want to walk right over us. The parents who have suffered centuries over your death, fine! But you will respect the alphas. We want to hear all of it. Out with it." Her voice was hard and unrelenting. Faust had his hand on top of hers. He could feel the sorrow overwhelming her, but he could sense her strength as well. 

He looked up, finally meeting his mother's eyes and pain flashed through his eyes momentarily. Her dirty blond hair was styled short. A good look for her. Her green eyes melting everything inside him, but he forced himself to harden his core and look away. 

"I don't know how much they know," nodding his head towards the younger people in the room. Lucian nodded his head in affirmation, they knew enough. 

"Clearly I survived the fire those many years ago. He came in the shelter of night, with vampires, so many vampires They stopped all communication from going out, so there would be no call for help. The Haven pack fought hard, but in the end they were overwhelmed. Rodan, the rogue, was ruthless that night. He burnt everything to the ground, sparing no woman or child." Cole's eyes drifted, as he recalled that night. The fire burning away at the compound, the screams and howls breaking through the dawn's light still tormented him at night. The destruction, the deaths, all of it hung heavy on his conscious as it always had. 

"We watched as betas, thetas and omegas were slaughtered before our eyes. We managed to escape, Drake, Dawn and I. I argued that we should go to the Mactire pack and seek protection. They refused. Alpha Haven was almost at death's door, having lost great amounts of blood. He almost died. It was lady Haven, who cried so hard, screamed so hard, that I thought then that I knew true heartbreak. 

She begged me not to leave them, she begged me to help watch over him. So I stayed. It was my duty to protect them. I was determined to come back to the pack though, to set things straight and most importantly, to wipe that scum from the face of the planet." Cole let out a sigh, his anger bubbling under the surface but he held himself in check. 

"We all knew Rodan would search for us, if he though us to be alive. He wouldn't ever give up his search for Dawn. His crazy obsession would lead us all to our deaths......So we went into hiding." He looked back and remembered how hard it had been to give up his whole life, it had been a form of voluntary exile. 

"I didn't understand then what was happening. We knew we had to split up. So I went into the human world. I started a human life for myself, pulled myself completely from the grid in the paranormal world. For years, I didn't hear anything from the Havens." Everyone seemed to lean forward, a legend unfolding in front of their eyes.

"For almost two hundred years, there was no sign of them. Until about twenty-five years ago." His voice lowered to a thoughtful whisper. 

Audrina stared at him blankly, trying hard not to cry. "You were alive all this time and you never thought to come back?" Faust's voice was accusing. Cole shook his head at his father. They were all missing the point. 

"We couldn't! We just couldn't take that risk," Cole looked away, trying to forget the yearning that haunted him. He swallowed hard, looking up at the people in the room. He straightened his back, preparing himself for the part of the story he would never forget. 

"Drake Haven was my mentor. It was my duty to go back to them but It wasn't till they contacted me that I received my final assignment. I thought it was finally time to surface. To come back to the pack, but I was wrong. When I got there, I found something that changed my life forever, my very reason for living." He took a deep breath, looking up into Rain's eyes. Suspense was heavy in the air, and they all craved for what was next. 

"Dawn Haven and Drake Haven. Two of the most powerful creatures to have walked this planet, had a child." He paused for a breath. 

"Her name.... is Stefani Haven." 

*****

Cole sat on a tree trunk facing a small lake below. Her sweet strawberry scent subtle but it made his heart ache. 

He thought back to the meeting. The room had fallen into a shocking silence. Elba had been the one to stand up and call a break. The elders left the room rush. His parents gave him a second glance, which he refused to meet. The huge O'Faolain alpha and the Mactire alpha, who Cole denied to be his brother, had stared at him hard as he had left the room heavily. 

Taking a deep breath, her scent suffocated him. Burning down his throat and igniting a deep fire within his soul. 

He purposely put off trying to connect with her mind, refusing to let himself know exactly what she was going through. He was a coward. Shame filled him, hot and boiling under his skin. He groaned slamming his fist down on the trunk, the wood breaking underneath his fist.

"My lord. Please be gentle with the tree." A soft female voice fluttered through the silence. He looked back at the small dark haired omega. He sighed, seeing her eyes a terrified shade of brown. Her fear was like a bucket of cold water to his senses. 

"My alpha wishes you back in the manor. He has asked that I bring you to him." She hesitated, "Will you please come?" Her voice trembled, as if he would dare strike her. He shook his head and followed the small omega back into the mansion. Following her with distance, he could sense her distress but he hadn't done anything to provoke it. Omegas had this tendency of making him feel guilty for being strong. 

Walking through the halls of the O'Faolain compound he felt a need to see his own home, to see what had changed, what hadn't. The longing made his heart ache. 

Reaching the bottom of the huge staircases at the front of the manor, he straightened his back and hardened his heart, meeting the eyes of the alpha. 

"You called?" Cole's voice was cold and detached. His parents were off to the side with Hale Mactire. Cole took in his height, his hair, long as he once had worn his. A warrior, a defender of his people, the way he had been. His eyes were hazel with silver rims. It was eerie staring at his own eyes in the face of a stranger. 

He could see the similarities. He could sense the blood of the Mactire ran thick through his veins. There was no denying it, Hale Mactire was definitely his younger brother. 

Rain took a deep breath, straining against the magical bonds holding his wolf together. Dismissing the young omega, he glared at Cole.

None of the elders could understand why Rain was so out of control, but their ancient magic had helped to subdue his animal until he could better analyze the situation. Cole Mactire, was the only person who held answers. The fact that the last surviving member of the Haven pack had been within his grasp and he had let her be taken, bothered him on a deep level. He told himself that was the only reason why he cared as much as he did. 

"There's something I want you to see." Alpha O'Faolain answered and walked out, towards the general compound. Cole had no choice but to follow the alpha. He knew his parents were trailing behind, but the rest of elders were nowhere to be found. 

They came to a stop at one of the omega quarters, being led inside by Hale. 

"You kept her in the omega quarters?" Cole was not surprised at the degree of courtesy. 

"I see the courtesy in this place has not improved since the last time I was here." Cole's voice was filled with disapproval. Rain growled but Hale opened the door to her room and quietly led him in. 

Her scent saturated the air stronger than in any other place he'd been to. He let out a noise, something between a growl and a sob. He stepped further in. He sat on the bed, closing his eyes. He could almost see her walking through the room in her usual big t-shirt that he totally disapproved of. 

"Why did you bring me here?" Cole's voice was hard but it shook slightly. He looked around. Something was off. Both alphas stood at the closed door, looking at him anxiously.

"Do you think there's something here?" Hale asked suspiciously, both alphas were weary and concerned at Cole's strange expression.

He stood up, looking around the room. Going into the bathroom and checking out the installment, he stepped back out into the room. His eyes scanned the room. 

He knew her. She wouldn't have just left without saying a word. She was smarter than that. She must have left something behind, something that let him know what she had known. Cole walked over to the bed, reaching under the bed, his hand feeling for something. His eyes widened. 

'So predictable' He thought, as he pulled out a small black bag. Pulling the bag open, he dumped layers of papers out onto the bed. Both Rain and Hale stepped closer to get a good look. They were pictures, countless pictures of Stefani. Most of them had target signs on them that left chills on all of them. 

Cole picked up one of the pictures, "I remember this.... it was a couple months ago. They've been watching her for a while..." He let out a growl, his throat burned slightly at the thought of these monsters watching her from the shadows. 

"I thought you were protecting her? How did you miss this?" Rain's voice was thick with venom. 

"The same way you missed that she had these! The same way you let her walk out onto that field and get taken by bloody vampires!" Cole hissed in fury, his fists shaking at his sides. Hale picked up a little note card, with the bold red letters: 'You belong to us.' 

"She knew they were coming for her. She knew that's what the ransom was really for." He paused, "How did I miss this?!" Hale threw the note back down with disgust. Shame filled him. He recalled their conversation, she had promised to bring his brother back. All along she had known the price of that promise. 

Cole looked around, his eyes landing on a portrait on the bedside table. 

Cole with his arms wrapped around Stefani, his head resting on top of her head, both smiling mischievously. He remembered that day, the sun had been shining. They were at a park, having their usual picnic lunch when she launched herself at him, tickling him for taking her jelly sandwich. A little smile formed on his lips. He reached down to pick it up. He held it lovingly in his grasp. 

"You've been protecting her all this time, why? Is she your mate?" Hale's voice whispered across the room. His brother's voice was strange to his ears, yet uniquely familiar. Cole only shook his head. Turning around the frame and taking off the back, a small folded up paper was nestled behind the picture. 

"No. She's not my mate. She's the most important person in my life." He picked up the little paper, sitting down heavily on the bed, he read out loud. 

'Cole, if you're reading this, it must mean I'm gone, so you're safe.

Forgive me, I didn't want it to come to this, but there was no progress on getting you back. I had to do something!

I found the pictures in my apartment, along with the note.

Cole, they've been watching me... for a while. 

What do they want? I don't understand? Why me? 

I've been so lonely, so confused, and so lost. I can't distinguish between my nightmares and reality anymore. I feel like I'm loosing my mind.

Cole, you should have told me about your life, about what you were. I wonder if I meant anything to you. In the many centuries you've lived, I wonder if I made any impact in your life. But it really doesn't matter anymore. 

I'm going with him tomorrow Cole. You deserve another chance to be with your family. You have a little brother Cole. He has your eyes and your parents..... They've missed you so much. They're good people, you were right. 

I do like them. 

Please be safe, Cole. There's still so much I don't understand but I'll be strong for you. 

Cole...

Please forgive me. You've done so much for me over the years, all I've ever been was a burden to you and this is the only way I can pay you back. I'm giving you, your family back. T




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 06



Take care of Hale and Rain. They're good men, honest, loyal, and fierce. Watch over little Emily, she's an omega, she was kind to me. I wish I could have met your wolf, I'm sure I would have liked him too. 

Don't come looking for me, please. 

This is what I want. How it has to be. 

Be happy, mutt. 

Love, 

Your Lily' 

Cole shook with uncontrollable anger and sorrow. She had known and she willingly sacrificed herself for him. To give him back the family she thought he needed. He growled in pain, retreating into his mind. He looked for the connection leading to her. 

He sensed it, she felt like liquid sunshine fluttering in the darkness. He yanked back the barriers that kept them safely separated. White light burst through his mind as pain engulfed every inch of his body and soul. He fell to his knees with a groan. Hale and Rain rushed over to see what was wrong but got pushed back by a pulsation emanating from Cole's body. 

Having felt the pulsations, Audrina and her mate barged into the room. "Cole!" Her voice echoed through the room. Both alphas were sprawled on the floor, getting up as her eyes fell on her son. His hunched trembling figure, screaming out in pain with his head to the floor. She understood only slightly but she rushed towards him anyway. Before her mate or her son could stop her, she launched herself at him. Tackling him to the floor, his eyes shut, pain lines creasing his face, she cried, "Let her go! You will kill yourself. You have to pull back. Cole, my son. Come back. You're safe, we will bring her back but you have to pull back." 

"There's nothing you can do," she whispered in his ear as he shook. 

Cole heard his mother's soft voice in the void that was his mind. Through the white hot agony racing through his veins, he could feel his mother's undying love for him in waves, soothing the worst of the sting. 

Stefani's pain crippled him so badly he held on tightly to his mother's essence, anchoring back to reality. After several minutes of struggling, he pulled all the way back, shutting out Stefani's mind from his own. Most of the pain left, but there was still the sting of it in the back of his mind. He shivered, sweat covering his skin. His mother's green eyes, stared down at him with love and tears. 

"Momma," he whispered, pressing his forehead onto her shoulder as she held him. He felt Stefani's confusion, her loneliness. She had also sensed him. Although she had pleaded for him to leave, when he did, she had felt the bitter cold pain of his desolation. That feeling would haunt him forever. 

"What the hell just happened?" Rain shouted impatiently. He was tired of being the last to know things, of being surprised. It was Faust who stepped forward. He placed a hand on Hale's shoulder to calm himself from ripping his mate into his arms. 

"That was the young girl's mind connection to our son and that was only a taste of the pain she was experiencing at this very moment." His voice was cold and distant, something boiling deep inside those brown eyes of his. 

*** 

Stefani fluttered her eyes open to a room full of darkness. Her side was plastered to the cold floor, her hair a mess of curls around her head. 

It was several seconds before a deep burning ache started at the bottom of her spine, crawling up towards the top of her shoulder blades. She muffled the sobs bubbling in the back of her throat. Her body trembled and twitched from the aftermath of the ruthless session.

She didn't remember passing out but she recalled his laughter burning her ears as she cried out for it to end. She recalled for a brief second feeling Cole all around her. She had pleaded for him to leave her mind. She had sensed his pain echoing her own, creating a harmony of numbing agony.

But when he left, her heart had throbbed so hard, the pain was nothing compared to the feeling of desertion. Tears spilled past her eyes, falling soundlessly to the floor. The black silk dress was cooling against her burning skin but nothing was calming her nerves. She bit her lip as she struggled to sit up. Wincing and crying out as her back merged into a maze of boiling fire. She kept her arms around herself and focused on her breathing. 

Breath in, Breath out. She chanted. 

She had to get her act together if she had any hope for survival. She wouldn't give up without a fight, but as the resolve formed in her mind, she felt her confusing building. 

What did they want with her? 

She looked around, hoping to find a way out or some kind of weapon to protect herself, but found nothing. Her eyes were not able to adjust fully to the darkness, so she mentally went over her injuries. 

Her wrist ached from where the shackles had bit into her skin. Every muscle in her body was tight and sore. She was tense, ready to spring even as weak as she felt. Her cheek throbbed painfully, reminding her of that day. 

Her concept of time was all shaken up. She could have been knocked out for days and wouldn't know it. 

She thought back to the clearing, looking up at the ceiling, she thought mournfully, would he be thinking of her? Dropping her head to her hands, the thought of him made her chest ache painfully, the thought of both of them. Her hair fell around her, covering her face and she stiffened as she heard a door creak open. 

"You're awake?" An unfamiliar voice echoed through the room. She pushed back harshly on her legs, crawling backwards. A shadow crossed the room. She couldn't make out who it was but she kept moving back until she slammed into a wall. Her back burned in protest, but she bit her lip and choked back a groan. The shadow got closer, she tensed as it stopped. For a couple of minutes, she just watched his shadow, unmoving and menacing. 

"Welcome home" His voice was restrained as if he was holding back. 

"Who are you?" She swallowed hard and demanded an answer. He hesitated briefly, before stepping into the lighter shade of the room. 

"I'm your father." She gasped and looked up to meet a pair of red eyes that took her breath away.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 07



Dear readers, 

I want to apologize for taking so long. 

I just finished up finals, with two weeks lack of sleep and horrible eating habits I'm afraid I didn't get much writing done. 

I hope there're still people reading. 

There's still so much of the story to be told, and I am debating whether I should keep it short... 

I know the frustration at wanting to read something and not having it available. It's agonizing. I check up everyday on my favorite authors to see if they've posted, to my disappointment they haven't. So I can empathize. 

Thankfully I've started winter break and I'll have a couple weeks to write. I'm hoping I don't suffer writers block anymore -.- 

I'm dying to let you guys in on the secret with this story! 

I hope you like this chapter, and maybe it makes a little more sense. There's a new element thrown into the mix that wasn't mentioned before hopefully i explained it clearly enough. 

I wish everyone a fantastic holiday. I hope you are all spending it with the people you love and eating tons of good food. 

P.S_ I love cliff hangers. Sorry XD 

*

Smile because you're beautiful. 

Smile because out of all the people in the world, you are unique, and the world is better for having you in it.

I don't know who you are, but with the holidays right around the corner. I'm grateful for having all of you in my life. 

Thank you. 

Happy Holidays

****************************

Rain paced his office, his angry stomps resonating in the big room. He ran his hands anxiously over his face, his head throbbed slightly. There were so many things that just didn't add up, so much information he was missing. No matter how hard he made his betas work, they were one step behind these bastards. 

There was a knock at the door, interrupting his thoughts. He grunted his reply and walked over to his desk where he plopped down onto his leather chair. 

Sarah's blond hair was the first thing he saw. Her voice was low and seductive, in the past it had its arousing effect. Currently he felt nothing for the blond bombshell. He straightened his shoulders. She walked across the room, her hips rolled sexually. He brushed his hands through his hair irritated. She reached his side and leaned against the desk in front of him. She gave him her best smile. 

"Thank you for saving me, Rain." He cringed at her tone. She leaned down as if to kiss him but he replied harshly.

"I am your Alpha. You will address me as such." Sarah could feel the tension in the room. She could sense that her usual charm wasn't working. Biting her lip nervously, she straightened her back and took a stronger approached. Moving things on his desk she sat down, crossing her legs. Her short skirt hiked up revealing her perfectly tanned thighs. Rain didn't even look at her, as he let out a hiss. 

"How did the bloodsuckers get to you?" 

Sarah stiffened slightly. She looked away. 

"One moment I was standing guard at my post. Next thing I know I was dragged from behind. My wolf didn't even sense them coming...." Sarah's voice was low and even, but her eyes never met his. 

"The last thing I remember was being in the middle of the field with that vampire's hand around my neck and then slamming to the ground." She leaned back. Letting her blonde hair fall behind her shoulders, she pushed her chest out. 

"We got what we went for, so I would consider it a productive exchange." Her nonchalant tone infuriated him. Rain's fist tightened around the arm seat in anger. 

"You're an ungrateful Bitch! Stefani begged for your life to be spared. She gave up her freedom and you're heartless enough not to care." His tone filled her with shame, pain cut through her heart at the disgusted tone in his voice. Her wolf howled in pain at her alpha's displeasure. 

"She has a name now?" She answered viciously. Hopping off the desk and moving further away from him. She noticed the little things she had overlooked before. His body trembled, his eyes glowed a golden yellow, causing her wolf whimper in submission. Her heart throbbed. He championed some filthy human girl. She growled, snapped her face away from him. 

"I can't even look at you right now!" He growled with impatience. 

"Is that it? You found a new piece of ass to bite and you throw me away!" His eyes burned into her gaze. 

"Get out." His voice sent a chill down her spine. She straightened her back and stomped out of his office. Sarah's eyes watered. She made it outside the manor before she let her skin shatter and her wolf took over. She ran into the forest. 

Rain let out a breath. He really needed a break. Sarah was a force of nature. He could hear her howls and through his alpha bond, he could sense her despair. The part of him that was her alpha cared a little bit. But for some reason, the way she spoke about Stefani made him furious. 

Sarah had once been very beautiful. In his youth, he had found Sarah sweet and tempered the way a female should be. Truth be told, she was everything he'd wanted in a woman. For a while, he'd even thought of mating her. After all, she was a loyal beta and most of the time she did what she was told. 

When she had first crawled into his bed, he had known she was very promiscuous. She had been with several men before him and even after him. Wolves weren't shy about sex and his pack was very liberal in that aspect, which he supported. He, himself, only indulged in Sarah occasionally, only to sate the lust of his beast. He'd learned not to let his emotions get involved with a female. Yet he couldn't deny the pull he had towards Stefani, the stubborn, rude, frustrating human with the most beautiful brown eyes that took his breath away. 

There was another knock at the door. He groaned. His wolf shifted impatiently, growling softly within his mind. He really needed to get some rest. The door opened. Rain raised an eye brow at his visitor, slightly shocked. 

Cole stepped into the alpha's office, and shut the door. 

"I feel honored by your presence." Rain's voice dripped with sarcasm. Cole's only answer was to sit in one of the chairs in front of the alpha's huge desk. The silence stretched on for a couple minutes. Rain began checking some papers as Cole simply studied him. 

"We have to get Stefani back." Cole's voice cut through the silence. Slicing deep into Rain's subconscious, waking up the beast inside of him. Rain leaned back, studied Cole, taking time to calm his animal. He let out a breath. 

"Where do we begin Mactire? You have us completely in the dark." Rain's voice was calm, his expression gave nothing away. 

"I know that it'll be easier if all the alphas are present. Up to this point, you have no reason to believe anything I say but believe this. We have to get her back before the next full moon." His voice was rough and his gaze never lowered. Rain found himself growing respect for the lost Mactire. Cole Mactire was within his right to be an alpha himself but it didn't look like he was interested in any sort of position in his pack. Rain understood that. 

"Is it because she's a Haven?" 

Cole shook his head, unsure of how much to discuss on the topic. Looking back, there was a lot even he didn't understand. All he knew was that she would play a key role in their future. 

"I've already started the arrangements to have the four royals families gather. The omegas have already started rehabilitating the great hall. That should be enough space with far enough distance from the pack. Just so we have this clear, I don't like to be kept in the dark. Take a couple of days but I will need to be debriefed on the situation before we present it to the other alphas." 

Cole was impressed with the efficiency that the current alpha O'Faolain ruled his pack. He found himself liking the big alpha, but he kept those comments to himself. 

**** ****

The compound was a flurry of activity, all the omegas and thetas working furiously to get everything together for the big meeting in a couple of weeks. There was so much to plan out and so little time. 

Cole stood at the edge of the indoor training field and watched as Hale Mactire- his brother, and alpha O'Faolain walked out into the field. The Mactire, O'Faolain and Elba Lupino - the elders sat a bit further away, watching. 

It had taken a couple of days, but Cole had convinced the alpha to grant him permission to the training grounds. It had been such a long time since he trained properly, he had been eager to see the training field. The training field was a cave deep in the forest, hidden and only known to those of royal blood. 

Everything was more complicated than anyone expected, the alphas had to be ready. That was one reason why he'd insisted the royal alphas met. 

It was a large cave with rows of fire lanterns along the walls. A large fountain in the middle, and a sky light had been carved at the highest point of the cave. It was mainly used for training purposes. 

"You know the legends. The stories told at bed time. You've trained your gift, used it to the best of your abilities." Cole stepped forward.

"In the beginning of time, our families were granted gifts that have been passed down from generation to generation, only inherited by the strongest. It is every family's duty to keep their own gift a secret from all the other packs and in the past, that has worked but there is need for change." 

Faust Mactire stood. "What is the meaning of this?" His eyes burned into his sons eyes. Cole had been avoiding them for days, refusing to get caught up with family drama. Cole ignored his fathers question and continued. 

"We have to work together. We have to learn to use our abilities in a different sense. It was Drake Haven, who helped me realize that. He said something that I'll never be able to forget." He let out a sigh. 

"One day, the earth will burn. One day, the sky will fall and crash against the sea. On the last day, white light will fall from the heavens and burn away the sins of every being in existence. There is no balance in division. There is balance only in unity. When all the elements unite there will be glorious bliss. So there is hope." Cole closed his eyes, thinking back to his mentor's words. They filled him and energized him. 

Faust stood silently. He recalled the odd Haven alpha that had been a silent beacon to all the other alphas. He had been resilient and a force to be reckoned with. His words weren't said to be taken lightly. 

"We can't be set in our old ways anymore. We don't have that luxury. I've asked you to call this meeting because we need to grow stronger as equals, not as different packs. The rogues, they're looking to make something stronger than us. To make a weapon that can defeat us. What they don't know is that when we stick together, we're invincible. But we need to learn from each other. " 

Cole raised his hand, palm facing his face. Blue fire burst at his hand for a second before disappearing all together. Cole hesitated, "I am light, that's my gift. That is the gift of the Mactire Pack" 

Silence fell over the training grounds. The elders sat in shock. It was taboo for a royal member to show his gift to another pack. It was a secret well kept, not even the pack members ever truly knew the powers of their alphas. It was never done. Secrecy was considered the safest form of action. To watch one of their own freely giving it away was unsettling. 

Rain's eyes fell on Cole Mactire, shaking his head with disbelief. He didn't know why but he understood the meaning in Cole's words. He knew wisdom when he heard it. 

A blue light emanated from Rain's chest, moving over his shoulders and to his right hand. 

"I am wind." His voice carried throughout the cave. His fingers twitched lightly, his eyes glowing a soft yellow, his wolf shifting closer to the surface. Rain wasn't the kind of man to show off, so he left it at that. No need to further demonstrate. It had been a while since he had used his gift in the presence of anyone. 

His father had been a strong alpha with the same gift. He had led with a firm and gentle hand, guiding his people through the new era. Then, his father had met his mother and had been better because of it. But it was his gift, this power over the air and his love for Rain's mother that had been his ultimate downfall. Rain pushed the painful thoughts away, glancing at Hale Mactire who stood rigid in front of his brother. 

Hale clenched his fist as they burst into warm colored flames. He met Cole's eyes. He got a nod from his brother and the fire disappeared. 

"We have a lot to learn from our respective element and about each other." Cole's voice was hard. He straightened his back, his eyes traveled over the cave. He felt something shifting inside him, a strange calling. His wolf had shown itself but only vaguely. It was weak and foggy, as if there was something blocking him. He was too afraid to attempt a shift. He was afraid that whatever the vampires had done to him had affected his transformation. 

Deep down there was a growing fear in the pit of his stomach. Something was definitely wrong. 

****** 

Stefani blinked her eyes open. Feeling the cold rock against her back, she let out a hard breath as soreness beat at her senses. She was disoriented. It took her longer than usual to regain her composure. She didn't know long she had been out for but she had woken in a different room once again, wearing a different gown.This one was s silk turquoise dress, reaching her ankles. She sighed warily, growing tired of their pointless games. 

They knew exactly what they were doing, they knew exactly how hard to push. She couldn't quite understand how. That scared her the most. They wanted to break her; that much she could tell. She closed her eyes as they filled with tears. She had lost track of time, had been kept in the dark for so long. She was in and out of a drugged state or being whipped into oblivion. Her body trembled slightly. Time seemed like a fickle thing when you were a prisoner of darkness. 

She was trying to stay strong, to fight, but everyday the fight was horribly torn out of her. Blinking her eyes open to meet the familiar darkness, she struggled to sit up. Her body was heavy, several spots throbbed in pain but she pushed back the feeling. 

She sat there, in the silent darkness, trying to keep herself steady. 

She heard the lock turn on the door and held her breath. A couple minutes must have passed, her ragged breathe the only sound in the room.

"How is my daughter today?" Rodan's voice drifted through the darkness. She cringed at the thought. She heard his footsteps followed by several others. 

"You are not my father!" Stefani hissed and tried to slide her body backwards. The thought of a monster like him being her father disturbed her. A part of her refused to admit it, but a little part of her wondered if he was telling the truth. Could she be the daughter of a monster? If she was, what did that make her? 

A hand materialized out of the darkness wrapping around her throat and lifting her whole body off the ground with ease. She gasped for breath, her brown eyes clashed with a pair of red seething eyes. 

"I created your soul, girl. You will respect me!" His voice was low but filled with anger at her insolence. She could almost smile at his reaction. 

"What do you want?" She forced her voice to stay calm, she refused to show him any fear. 

Rodan pushed her backwards and she fell into two pairs of hands that gripped her tightly. She winced as they moved. Dragging her heavy body between two men, they followed Rodan through the halls. Her head throbbed slightly but mostly she felt clear headed. 

The halls were lit by candle light, but even then it was dark and eerie. She swallowed hard, making sure to remember the intricate design of the hallways. 

"We've been waiting a long time for your arrival." His voice seeped into her skin and filled her with disgust. She struggle against the men, but no amount of moving around delayed them. 

After several minutes, they came to a set of double doors that parted as they neared. She swallowed hard and snuck a glance at the room with lowered eyes. In the center of the room was a cylinder like aquarium. Big enough to fit several people and filled with light blue fluorescent water. It gave off an unsettling glow in the dark room that set her whole being on edge. 

There were some men in lab coats and large machines which all seemed to be connected to the tank. 

Rodan walked back to her, wrapped his hands around her throat. She stared into his eyes unflinchingly. He had the strangest expression on his face. 

"You look so much like your mother. So much like her, yet completely different.... You're tainted with that man's essence." His voice dripped with venom and he tightened his fist, blocking her breath. Stefani struggled to breathe even as her mind made the connection. 

He knows my mother?! 

"But you are my creation. So that must mean a part of me is in you as well." There was a softness in his voice that terrified her. Tears slipped past her eyes even as she clawed at his hand. In a moments notice, he let go. 

Stefani wobbled, gasping for breath. Her chest expanded roughly to take in all the extra air she was gasping for.

"I would appreciate it, if you didn't manhandle our guest, wolf." Stefani stiffened slightly but remained on her feet. It was Varcolac's voice that filled the room. 

She swallowed hard, turning around to find him standing in all his terrifying glory. His green eyes gazed over her neck apprehensively. Stefani stepped back, his presence giving her the chills. 

He smiled and his fangs gleamed in comparison. Stefani looked away refusing to meet his lust filled gaze. He walked over to her with measured steps. 

His palm reached up and grabbed her cheek, dragging her eyes back to him. She watched as he lifted his free hand to his face and he pierced the skin at his wrist. She watched as dark liquid poured from the wound, she was frozen in place by the hand that held her face. Varcolac pushed his wrist to her lips. 

Stefani struggled to move back, even as Varcolac tangled his hand in her hair and yanked her head back. She felt the iron filled blood seep into her mouth and she shook her head, trying her best to keep his blood from her throat. 

Suddenly her nose was covered and her air was gone. She swallowed. Their laughter filled the room as his blood rolled down her throat straight into her system. She cried, her tears mixing with his filthy blood. After what felt like gallons of blood, she collapsed into a set of arms that dragged her towards the weird looking aquarium. 

Her body jerked as needles pierced the tops of her arms and her thighs. She had no energy left to fight them. Her body felt hot. Her eyes rolled lazily back into her head and she heard their voices. Through blurry vision she saw Varcolac lean heavily against a chair as Rodan held her in his arms. 

"It is said, that when the world was created, the Gods granted the four strongest creatures gifts, skills and talents that would help them lead and protect their kin. It is said that they limited those gifts so that no one creature would gain full power, because true power lays in polar opposites co-existing as one. What isn't told in legend is that the Gods also created a weapon so powerful that they feared it would be too tempting for some to resist. So they locked it away, and created a key which they divided throughout the world, with little clues guiding to it's discovery." 

Her foggy mind couldn't comprehend what they were saying. 'Key?' She wondered lazily. Everything blurred in front of her, her head thrashing around. She felt her chest burn, wanted to get away from it but couldn't move her body. His blood was doing something weird to her. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 07



"The Gods have always worked in contradicting ways. They feared it, but coveted that power at the same time. They weren't brave enough to control it. But we have managed a way to tame all of its glory. We have found the keys, now it's just a matter of uniting them." Someone's voice spoke again but she was so far gone she couldn't tell who it was anymore. 

Stefani didn't hear anything else. Her body was falling. Falling so fast and then it was submerged in water. She let out a muffled scream as the water pierced her skin like needles. Her mouth filled up with water causing her to gag. She shook furiously, tried to open her eyes but couldn't conjure up the energy to do so. Her head throbbed painfully. 

Fear seeped into her soul as she curled up into a floating ball. 'Cole' her mind whispered and across the distance that separated the two. She hoped he could hear her. She was so tired but recognized that she was loosing the fight. 

Varcolac sat on a chair and leaned back heavily, letting out a hard breath. He'd given her more than enough blood to start the turn but doing so had weakened him. Rodan walked over to V, as he ordered the few scientists to leave the room. 

"I did not think her prepping had to be so severe." Rodan's voice was low, Varcolac gave him an annoyed glance but he kept his eyes mainly on Stefani's curled up form in the water. Her brown hair rippling through the water. The silk material of the dress melted easily into the fluorescent color of the water. She was like a water elemental. She was beautiful to him. 

"We had to prepare her body for the change. The weaker she is the faster it'll be for my blood to do its work. We need her mind and body to accept the change willingly or she, like the others will fail." 

"She is not like the others!" Rodan's voice dripped with anger.

Varcolac nodded, his fingers tapping lightly at the arm rests. "I had anticipated that we would have more time before the full moon, so if it seems like everything is rushed you must deal with that. We have given her the drug with enough time that her genetic wolf transformation can be stalled long enough for her to be turned. It is the drug that keeps her wolf gene from overpowering our vampire DNA." 

"You must understand, turnings are messy and inconvenient, it would take weeks for her to come out of the pain infused coma she'll be in during the turn. We only have a couple days left until the full moon. Thanks to our scientists we have been able to come up with a substance that quickens the turning and lessens the mental damages. I suppose you can say that the blue liquid is like an electric shield that keeps the wavelengths of her mind untouchable from the bloodlust of vampire blood. Most of our previous experiments without it have ended up in the participant becoming completely unstable." 

"It was silly to try what only a Haven could withstand." Rodan walked further from Varcolac, heading out. 

"How can you be so sure that she will survive it?" Varcolac ran his fingers through his short black hair impatiently. 

Rodan hesitated and looked back at V. "I engineered her soul to withstand the vampire gene. As I infused her mother with all that negative energy and tampered with her genetics. I knew then that a child of her line would carry on that trait. That's why I let her escape, because children can only be achieved within true mates. I needed that child to be born. My child." 

The silence stretched out in the room. "So that's how I know that not only will she survive this but she will be glorious. She is my greatest creation." Varcolac didn't miss the obsessive tone, or the way his red eyes pierced into Stefani's slumbering form. V pursed his lips together and gave him a dismissing nod. 

Rodan left the room without a glance, and walked through the dark halls. As he walked back to his study, he looked around the halls with approval. They had created the best location. It had taken almost one hundred years but finally they'd managed to turn those old mining sites into their perfect headquarters. Hidden underneath the earth and safely secured form all prying eyes. Headquarters ran over for thousands of kilometers, stretching far and wide beneath the forest, filled with holding cells with their prisoners. 

Rodan walked further into the darkened halls stopping at a pair of black metallic doors that split open as he walked closer. Walking into his study, he sat behind his desk in a huge brown leather chair and leaned back with satisfaction. Bookshelves lined both walls and there was a huge flat screen TV mounted on the wall facing his desk. 

Rodan was so close to the power he had craved for so long. His plan was finally coming together. They just had to find the sanctuary. In a week or two, there would be an eclipse. Where the moon would cover the sun and the creatures of the night would be at their most powerful. In that exact moment the key would turn the lock embedded into the rock and let loose that power. His body trembled with anticipation. His face animated with excitement and the scar that ran from his eyebrow to his jaw line seemed to give off shadows. 

"Soon" He whispered.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 08



Happpy New Year!

So I just discovered that I can post things on the About me section of my profile to let you guys know any updates. hehehe 

Well I just wanted to thank my new editor *drumroll*--- BatteriesNotIncluded!!!!! Who's been helping me with my chapters. 

I had to say goodbye to my old editor and it's taken my a while to find a new one. :) 

I'm so sorry for leaving for so long, I ran into writers block which I'm still fighting and I've had midterms. Thankfully I've been doing really well. 

I hope you all know that I don't plan on leaving this story unfinished so If I run into a bump I'm going to keep going, even if it takes me a while. :) 

I think you're all going to hate me by the time it's over but I'm like trembling with excitment. 

Here's chapter 8, not the best I admit but it's preliminary to the rest you know. :) 

Wishing everyone the best. I hope some of you are willing to wait till the very end. :) 



___________________

***************

Rain, in his wolf form, was racing through the woods. The trees blurred past him, as a howl erupted from his muzzle. There was a sense of despair filling every ounce of his essence. His lungs expanded and contracted with his labored, angry breathing. The wolf didn't slow down until his little cottage came into sight. He came to a total halt in front of it. 

For a couple of minutes, the wolf just paced in anger, unsure of where the aggression was coming from. Rain tried to reason with the beast. 

Out of thin air, a woman appeared at the entrance of the cottage with her back facing him. Her skin was luminous in a silver gown, which glowed subtly against the earthy cottage. Her brown locks of hair cascaded all the way down to the back of her knees and were woven with white crystals. 

He was convinced that the strange woman must be a light fairy, bright and ethereal.

Unthinkingly, the wolf stepped closer. He watched as the woman stiffened, her head turning slowly in his direction. A pair of golden eyes met his and thunder cracked in the sky. As the tension between the two grew, his wolf became agitated and ran forward. In a fraction of a second, she offered him a sad smile and then faded from existence, as he crashed against the cottage door. 

Rain jolted awake. Leaning forward and shaking the slumber from his mind, a soft wind tussled his dark hair. His bare chest heaved for breath. Looking around the dark room with his heightened senses, he could see everything in the room was trashed. 

There were pieces of wood scattered around the room and papers gliding through the air. It was a total mess. He groaned. His element must have reacted to his dream. It'd happened a couple times before, when he was a pup. 

For Christ sake! What was happening to him?!

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he opened the balcony doors without a thought. Letting the negative wind leave the room, he picked himself up and walked out onto the balcony. Leaning both hands on the railing, he looked out over his sleeping compound. The balcony had a magnificent view of the pack lands. 

The entire third floor of the manor was remodeled to be his living quarters. Only three people had access to his place. It was equipped with its own kitchen, living room, library, office and security room, which monitored all of the cameras and sensors. It was his space and he'd never allowed anyone up here. 

The night air hugged around him, caressing him like a seductive whisper. He let out a hard breath. That girl was haunting his dreams. Haunting his beast and every part of his soul. 

"Stefani..." He whispered in a tone he didn't recognize. His voice carried through the night. The thought of her brought the despair he'd felt in his dream right back into his consciousness. He walked back into his room, the curtains fluttering behind him. A growl rumbled in his chest. His skin trembled as his wolf chewed at the barriers that held him back. 

A growl ripped from Rain's throat, as a pulse emanated from his body, sending everything in the room in all directions. He felt his wolf rush to the front of his mind. As he ran forward and leapt from the balcony, his human skin exploded and changed. Landing swiftly, four black paws dug into the dark soil. His untamed energy manifested in visible blue fluorescent light seeping from his paws and fluttering around him like tendrils in the wind. Both Rain and his wolf managed to tame that energy back and the light faded away. 

In the blink of an eye, he was gone. The black wolf ran through the woods and sped through the trees with precision. Within minutes he came to a halt at the foot of the cottage. The wind hugged him close, embracing him in its billions of particles. The wolf took deep breaths to calm its quickened heartbeat and changed quickly. 

Rain's naked human body was comforted by the moonlight for a second before he entered the cozy cottage. The image of Stefani in a translucent moonlight dress was scorched into his mind. 

Rain walked through the living room and headed for the master room. Opening the door, he was assaulted by her scent which saturated the air. It ignited his beast in a way nothing ever had. Rain struggled to keep the savage animal at bay while he found a pair of sweats. He sat down at the foot of the huge four post mahogany bed and rubbed his face. 

Closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing, her scent burned itself straight into his soul. He recalled the way her soft, supple body had arched against his; the way her silky hair felt wrapped around his fist; her soft lips embracing his, and the way her hot mouth engulfed his tongue. 

He groaned as his cock threatened to burst the seams of his sweats. He shook his head. When he had looked down at her in his wolf form, she was clearly terrified, but her body reacted to him. Her sweet arousal had been enough proof. Every part of her was drawn to him, just as he seemed to be drawn to her. 

He ran his fingers through his inky black hair. 

It was so simple. Right in front of his face from the very beginning! He'd been too distracted to pay any attention to his wolf's reaction to her. 

As much as he wanted to deny it, Stefani Haven was his true mate. 

Did it make him the biggest asshole in the planet to take so long to realize that? He definitely thought so. 

His wolf sat down impatiently in his mind and grunted in agreement. Rain's logical mind tried to get a grip. He was Alpha, one of the most feared creatures among the world of the paranormal. He had control over the wind element and could kill with a mere thought. Yet the idea of having a mate terrified him. He'd lived for so long, he'd seen so many things that he'd come to believe he didn't need or want a true mate. His wolf chuckled as best as a wolf could, at the idiotic idea. 

Honestly speaking, there had been a muted spark of hope that he'd find the one person to share his eternity with. He'd grown lonely and bored. 

He shook his head. 

No. He didn't want a mate. He couldn't. 

His father, the person he'd idolized his whole life, died trying to protect his mother from a pack of rogues. They shouldn't have been able to overpowered a royal alpha pair, but his mother had been half way through her second pregnancy. It had made her vulnerable and a liability.

From what they gathered, his father put up a good fight but the moment his mother had been taken hostage, his father ceased. The safety of his mate was his priority. He literally sat there and took it. 

Rain had been overseas in the Lupino pack and in the last seconds of their lives, they sent him an unwavering amount of love through their bond. It brought him to his knees even an entire ocean away. They bonded him with their love and hope, settling the heavy chains of alpha on his soul. 

In the end, his father, mother and unborn sister had died. Love had done nothing to save them. It was that love that left him alone for the rest of eternity.

He would never forget that day. The memory still haunted him. 

He had unleashed his power, coming close to destroying most of the Lupino compound had he not been restrained by the alpha at the time. 

Since that day, he kept his element under lock and key, refusing to use it unless necessary. He'd locked away his heart in the same dark place within his subconscious. 

Love had no place in his world. It would weaken him, creating a liability he didn't need. He held great respect for other true mated pairs, for women as well but he avoided commitment like the plague. 

A pair of soft brown eyes slid into his mind and he hissed. His eyes burned and his fist clenched tightly. He couldn't hide from it any more. Stefani was definitely his mate and the fates weren't being kind to his commitment sensibilities. 

As he finally accepted that fact, it felt as if the world suddenly tipped on its axis. Heavy chains settled upon him, in which the most important thing was her safety. 

His blood heated, as his chest expanded, drawing in a deep breath. 

He'd let his true mate be taken by bloody vampires! He fell back on the bed, his arm covering his face. 

"Please forgive me." His voice trembled. His heart throbbed painfully. He'd seen what they had done to Cole, he didn't even want to imagine what they'd do to her. He howled, his beast drowning in shame and rage. 

If he'd realized earlier maybe he could have avoided this situation. He should have fought for her, he thought bitterly. 

He'd never forgive himself for his actions but he could only move forward. 

His body glowed a soft icy blue. His pupils dilated and his irises changed to an icy gold. "I'm going to get you back, mate. I just hope it won't be too late."

********

Several Hours later. 

Cole walked into the empty training grounds. He made sure no one was there, before sitting down in the center of the field. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, searching for his wolf in every corner of his mind. He could sense the animal in his mind, but it was muted somehow. Cole could feel it reacting to his presence so he decided to just talk to the wolf. 

"I'm sorry I've kept you locked in for so long, but you understand that it was necessary. We had to keep her safe." His words were soft. There was no response, only a low burning anger. 

"You are a part of me, as much as I am a part of you. I don't know what they did to you, but we're going to fix it. I'm going to make it better." He felt the wolf draw closer in acceptance. 

There was a strange burn in his chest and a hunger that no amount of food or water had quenched. He swallowed hard. In the back of his mind, he felt like there was something he was missing. 

Cole let his wolf come forward but as close as his wolf was to the surface the shift wasn't happening. Cole breathed a little harder, pushing at the change to happen but nothing. The wolf whimpered in his mind. 

The wolf was a part of his soul. Something tangible that he could touch with his mind and the change was like an explosion of those two minds colliding and transforming. It had taken a lot of patience and self control to keep his animal at bay for over two hundred years and now the possibility that he could never shift again was horrifying. 

Was it something the vampires had done to him? Or was it caging the animal over the years?

Opening his silver rimmed, hazel eyes, he stood up. Staring up at the cave ceiling, he let out a breath. 

"Stefani... I should have shown what I was. Now I may never get the chance." 

He was never going to forgive himself if anything happened to her. He'd taken an oath to protect her, to keep her safe and now she was too far out of his reach. 

He prayed that he would get her back in time. 

He felt a soft wind ruffle his short brown hair. He stiffened and turned around as the alpha's voice called out his family name. 

"Mactire." 

Rain found Cole standing in the middle of the field. As he walked over to the older Mactire, he smiled softly. He wondered if he should tell Cole of his earlier epiphany but thought better of it. Cole was jumpy enough as it was. Telling him that he'd found his true mate in Stefani, well, that probably wouldn't be the best conversation to have right now. 

"The alphas are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. After that we have about three days to the full moon." Rain's voice was hard edged but with a twinge of respect, which surprised Cole. 

With a nod, he took a deep breath. Cole understood what the alpha needed. 

"A few weeks ago, before this mess ever happened, I was told that the rogues were getting restless. I knew they were coming for her but I put off hiding her because, well, she's as unmoving as a female wolf protecting her cubs. I knew she'd refuse to leave unless I gave her a reasonable explanation. So I waited until her birthday to ask her, that way I could use the celebration as an excuse. I thought I had more time. I didn't imagine they were already on the move." Cole explained.

"The rogues, Rodan and Varcolac, were experimenting with paranormal creatures, trying to make a hybrid creature that could hold both the soul of a wolf and a vampire." He continued.

"That's impossible! No creature could withstand the blood lust of both creatures. Not to mention that they're natural born enemies. They couldn't coexist." Rain's voice was bewildered. A wolf and a vampire! It was blasphemy.

"That's what I thought too. However, regardless of what we believe to be true or not, if they were to succeed it would be catastrophic. A creature capable of both would be unstoppable, uncontrolled. It would put everyone and everything in danger." Cole shook the thought from his mind. 

"You think they'll try that with Stefani?" Rain asked in a menacing tone, his wolf shifting closer to the surface as his eyes turned a shade of gold. 

"I don't know! All I know is that we can't leave her with those bastards. We can't afford to let them succeed with their experiments. Dammit!" Cole ran his hand through his hair anxiously, taking a slow deep breath he continued.

"They're going to bring her to the circle on the full moon for her first change. They probably won't bring a full army, they'll want to stay hidden. They'll expect that we'll be too distracted with our search for her and we won't count on them coming onto pack lands." 

Rain rubbed his face anxiously, his eyes burning a low golden color. 

"So it's safe to assume that you have a source on the inside." Rain's comment was clearly a statement and not a question. 

"I haven't heard from them since their last report." Cole knew something must have happened to them, but he tried to keep a positive mind about it. 

Cole studied the alpha with close scrutiny. There was something odd about Rain. It was as if he'd just discovered something important. He attempted to ignore it and continued to speak. 

"The meeting tomorrow must be geared towards the destruction of their operation and finding Stefani. I can't do it alone, and even your pack won't be able to do it alone. The four royal packs have to work together. The alphas have to learn more about their powers and use that to our advantage. There is more to their plan than I've been able to uncover. I know that creating the ultimate creature is not their ultimate goal but regardless what that true goal is, we have to stop them at all cost." 

Rain let out a hard breath. 

'Cole...' A soft whisper broke through Cole's mind. For a brief second, he felt her all around him. Her essence, sweet and bright, embracing him and then it was gone. Cole stiffened, his hands balled into tight fists bursting with blue flames. Anger swept over him in waves. He closed his eyes, struggling to control his erratic emotions. 

"Cole!" Rain's alpha command cut through his emotional struggle. 

The fire died down and he shook his head apologetically. 

"I heard her. Stefani" 

*** 

Stefani screamed into the darkness that surrounded her. It had been gradual at first and suddenly the fire had burst, consuming everything in its path. It ripped her soul apart, tearing at the connections that held her entire personality whole. Her essence was being shredded by fire and all she could do was scream as it tore her in all directions. 

She was so deep into the darkness, she didn't think she'd ever come out. Her mind had stopped fighting. Now it just accepted the torment. Her soul cried, but no one heard. She curled into a ball, weeping as the storm of fire swept over her again. Suddenly, the darkness took on a reddish tint as hunger ripped through her. She screamed.

The blue fluorescent water that she floated in, pounded slightly. The monitors along the walls took notice of it and alerted everyone in the room that the change was almost complete. Varcolac sat in his throne-like chair, his short black hair brushed back, with his green eyes staring intently at Stefani's curled up form.

A wicked smile spread across his face. His fangs peaked through his lips, as the water pounded again. It had been several hours since they had deposited her in the tank and yet her body was accepting the change faster than any other he'd every witnessed. In a couple minutes, she would emerged from the coma-like trance she was in and the next phase would begin.

Stephanie shifted, her body uncurling slowly. Her eye lids fluttered rapidly and the water pounded so hard, it rattled the glass encasing her. Her body trembled almost violently. Varcolac inched forward in his seat, looking fascinated by the current events. 

Everything happened quickly. Varcolac held his breath as her eye lids lifted slowly. He found himself staring into a pair of black vampiric eyes. They pierced into his soul for a moment just before the glass tank exploded. He shielded his face as glass flew everywhere. 

Stefani was limp on the ground. The wet black silk dress clung to every curve on her body. Varcolac could see the slight differences in her body. Her body was skinnier and toned. Her brown hair was now black as midnight and her skin looked baby smooth. He smiled and walked over to her. Picking her up swiftly, he looked down at her slumbering form. 

"Welcome home, Pet." His voice filtered through the fogginess that was her mind and she didn't know why it scared her so much. She only knew that the fire had faded to a low burn. 

Varcolac took her to one of the cells in the dungeons. Laying her softly down on the ground, he moved a stray lock out of her face and looked up at the terrified figure crouched across the cell. With a smile, making sure to flash his fangs, he walked out. 

The hunger would consume her when she woke up. Leaving her a snack was his way of welcoming her into his family. 

When a vampire shared his blood with another they became connected by blood for all of eternity. His powerful ancient blood would grant her immortality and powers. That is, if her mind had survived the turn. Not many did. 

He found himself hoping that she would. 

Stefani was laying on her back, little shivers rocking her body, as she struggled to the surface of her heavy mind. She swam upwards and a dark wave would push her back down. Her body was heavy and in the end she just rode out the waves. 

There was something she had to do, but she couldn't remember what it was. For a moment, she tried forcing herself to remember. Her mind proved too tired, and the darkness consumed her again. 

*******

Cole stood by one of the glass walls in the main dining hall. His eyes focused far off into the forest, as if looking for something. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip. Although he shied away from tapping into his connection with Stefani, he saw the way it fluttered in his mind. Something was definitely wrong. Her light at the back of his mind, was now muted as if there was something blocking him. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 08



After talking with the alpha they had both decided to head back to the manor, to await the royals to start their arrivals. He'd noticed the way the alpha had tensed whenever he mentioned her name. 

He let out a nervous breath. 

He'd never been religious, but in that moment, he begged whatever greater being was out there for her protection. For it to protect her in the way he never could. To protect her soul. 

He felt a familiar presence behind him, but didn't bother to turn around to greet him. He hardened his heart while taking a deep breath. He knew this would happen eventually. The thought that it was happening now wasn't a happy one. 

"Hello, Brother." Cole greeted in a dry tone.

Cole turned around slowly, his eyes took in the large stature of the Mactire alpha, his brother. His long brown hair was tied back, the way he had done so when he was a warrior. His eyes were hazel with silver rims, the same that he'd seen for the past three hundred years in the mirror. 

"Cole." It was an unfamiliar name on Hale's tongue. As he stood in front of his brother, alone, he didn't know how to react. He looked out the glass wall, watching as the wind rattled the leaves. 

"For a human, Stefani was very brave. All she thought about was bringing you home. I never understood why, but she was desperate to get you back to your family...to us." His tone was soft as he remembered the promise she'd made. 

Cole stiffened, biting on his tongue as he stopped breathing for a second. 

"When I took her away from her parents, those many years ago, she was only a baby. I had no knowledge on what to do with a child so I chose to leave her at a church so that the human nuns would take care of her. I realized my mistake when they shipped her off to that place." Cole's voice was filled with regret and Hale simply stood quietly as he gathered his breath. 

"She spent most of her life being bounced around orphanages. All I could do was watch from a distance. I couldn't risk being found. In the end, I thought the best place for her was with the thousands of nameless children and places like that. I was sure they would never find her. It wasn't until she was seventeen that I was forced to approach her. The little idiot was walking alone at night, and almost got hit by a speeding vehicle." 

"She cried for me that night. I was a complete stranger to her and yet her soul cried for me as I bled in her arms. I didn't understand her then. I left her that night, but when I came back, she welcomed me with a warm smile. From there it was easier for me to take care of her as I became her friend. I helped financially in whatever way I could, I helped her graduate high school and get out of that horrible orphanage she was in. I gave her as much as I was allowed by her pride and little by little, I got to see the woman she was becoming. Deep down I knew that I could never give her the one thing she desired. A family, her family." Cole leaned his back against the glass, running his fingers through his short hair.

"I'm the one who placed that haunted look in her eye. You see, as a child, she was always neglected because she was different. She spent a lot of time alone and when she started to open up and make friends, she got sent to another orphanage. Sometimes I would catch her staring off into space, remembering things from her life, and her beautiful warm eyes would fill up with tears. I also know that she spent some time living in the streets as a teenager and I'm sure that's how she became so resilient. She's grown up to be such a beautiful person, regardless of all the struggles and challenges she's faced." A smile pulled at Cole's lips. Closing his eyes, he felt the soft pulsing light of her essence in the back of his mind.

"I've made so many mistakes with her and I know there's no power on this earth that can forgive my sins. I made an oath to protect her and I failed. Now she's in the hands of the very monsters I was supposed to keep her from." He was full of anguish and he didn't hide it from his brother. Cole couldn't imagine exactly how Stefani would have reacted to Hale, since they looked so similar. Stefani must have trusted him. She trusted everyone. The little idiot. He thought warmly. 

"We're going to get her back, Cole." Hale entreated.

"What will be left of her when we do?" Cole lamented.

Hale was silent as he thought that one over. Although he didn't know the man in front of him, his soul recognized him as one of his to protect. As alpha, it was his duty to do so. Their eyes met as a bond formed between them. It was the bond of an alpha to his pack member, and Hale would honor it. 

Cole smiled softly. His little brother was a fine man, willing to sooth his pain even though they were strangers. The alpha bond surprised him, but didn't bother him as much as he thought it would, Hale was a good alpha. 

"She'll be who she's always been. Believe in her, brother. That's all we can do for her right now."



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 09



*******************************

Hi Everyone! 

Sorry for the long wait. School has been crazy lately. 

I've had this chapter finished for about two weeks but It took me forever to find a worthy editor. :) 

Now I have, but now I have several. 

I'd like to thank my new editors. 

Hopefully, I won't scare them away. Maybe I'm such an iffy writer, I scare em all away! Yikes! heheheheheh

(Drumroll) 

>Metalarmada. 

> Mr. Miller (I don't remember his username, but I will write it in shortly) 

They have both been patient, kind and productive while helping me pull this chapter together. :) It's a bit different than the usual but I hope it's satisfactory. 

If there are any comments you may have, please don't be shy and share them. I take everything you guys say into strong consideration. There's actually been some comments that are changing the dynamic of the story. It's headed in a new direction and although it might get bumpy. I have faith that it will be glorious. 

So please leave comments. Let me know what you think. 

Good? Bad? It's all constructive criticism for me. 

Thank you for all the readers that are still coming back. Thank you for all the loyalty you've given this story. 

While I was writting this chapter, I found myself listening to the lonely by Christina Perri. Over and over. Just a thought. 

( This will also be the last chapter for now. So Sorry- Please don't hate me!) 

*******************************

Rain sat at the head of a long onyx table. His huge body framed by an even bigger chair. His dark hair tied back and his brown eyes hinted with flecks of gold as his wolf came closer to the surface. Rain sighed with frustration. All the different alphas and elders had arrived throughout the day. All had been settled within the great hall. It was a mansion in it's own right. Everyone always assumed his manor was a "mansion" but in comparison to the great hall it made his manor look like nothing but a fancy cabin. 

The great hall had been made for war. It ran over thousands of kilometers, with huge imposing walls and the finest security measures. Rain rarely had use for it. It was large enough to fit three of the largest packs in the world and then some. But Rain valued privacy, or the illusion of privacy. Being Alpha meant that his life was for the wolves, and he liked it that way. Wolves needed to know that their alpha as leader and protector had their best interest at heart. That as Alpha he did everything he could to succeed in both. They were a large family, in which he was the head chief and he took his position seriously. 

But there was still something wonderful about being able to go up to his private rooms where only certain people had access. Everyone needed some alone time and even though he rarely got any, it was the small moments in his life when it was silent that he found pleasure. 

He looked over at the men and woman in his care and he grimaced. He didn't know how to approach the subject. There were many things that were unclear, no facts were concrete and the idea of waiting ducks while the enemy trespassed on his land with his mate wasn't a favorable one. He grimaced, his was going to be a very long meeting. 

The meeting was of the highest confidentiality, only Alphas and Elders were invited. At a later time it would be decided who else was to be informed of the situation. Currently it was important that all Alphas were informed so that they each made their own judgment on how to protect their packs. 

Cole wasn't in the main hall yet. The plan was that Rain would tell him when to make his appearance. He knew that it was the elders who would react most strongly. Thankfully the Mactire elders sat by their son quietly and hadn't given any indication of distress. Hale Mactire lounged in his chair, with a nonchalant air. Rain appreciated that in the end, clearing his throat, he rose up followed by Hale. 

"Alpha, elders thank you for coming. I'm sure you are all wondering why we've called for this and rest assure there is reason. I would like to first ask of you to have an open mind and hold all questions until we're finished. This story is not mine to tell, it's his." 

The huge double doors opened wide as Cole strode into the room. Silence fell quickly as the elders laid eyes on the imposing figure of the deceased Mactire brother. The other alphas had heard of him at the video conference but didn't know much of him. The elders stared at him as he walked towards them and back to the Mactire elders in awe. Cole came to stand next to Rain and Hale. 

"Many of you might know him as Cole Mactire. The eldest son of the Mactire pack." He let the silence hang for a couple seconds before continuing. 

"I shall introduce the court. The European Pack led by Alpha Darius Faol, his Elders Lucian and Eanna Faol. The Eastern hemisphere with Italian Descent Alpha Dominick Lupino, his Elder Elba Lupino. Alpha Hale Mactire leader of the Southern hemisphere, his Elders Faust and Audrina Mactire. Finally, my trusted advisor and current Elder Johnson O'Faolain." 

Each person rose as they were called forth and Cole nodded grimly, his pokerface on. Rain motioned for everyone to sit. Cole sat to his left, in front of his brother. Cole focused on memorizing the faces he didn't know. Dominick lupino looked every bit the Italian type, with all the dark features and bulky appearance. His brown hair was cropped short and also had a slight bump of a crooked nose, from fights he assumed. He was average height. Now that he thought about it, Elba looked oddly familiar to her alpha. 

Darius Faol was a complete opposite with the blonde hair of his father, gray eyes and an equally tan complexion that most wolves had. He was lean as opposed to Dominick's bulk. He looked very much so like his father. He had slight features of his mother though. Eanna sat with her back straight. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail lightly streaked with silver and her dark brown eyes bore deep into Cole's cold eyes.

"How is this possible?" Eanna Faol broke the silence, sitting at the edge of her seat next to her mate Lucian. 

"It is a long story mate. One that will have to wait." Lucian patted her hand affectionately, understanding the erratic emotions flowing down their mate bond. Eanna was opening her mouth as Cole interrupted. 

"It is better now than later. They must understand the severity of this situation." 

Rain nodded, choosing to stay silent. In the royal court, they were all equals. All great alphas of equal rights, but Rain was the head of the court, something he had gained over the many years of honing his skills, body and mind. He didn't see himself as greater than anyone else, he just took it as his job description to have everyones best interest at heart. It was in his very nature. 

With that thought, Cole went off into a history he fought hard to forget. While Rain's mind drifted to a pair of brown eyes, pink pouty lips, creamy pale skin and brown locks of hair. 

********

The cell was dark and cold. The metal bars encasing each cell was heavily enforced with charms that shocked anyone who came near it. The dungeons stretched out as far as they eye could see, each cell filled with it's own individual monster or more. Stefani was laid out on her back. Her black hair curled around her head as she laid unconscious. At the far end of the cell was a small female figure curled up against the corner shadows. Fear shook her body with tremors as she watched the slumbering vampire in her cell. 

Looking around at the other cells, she could almost taste the concentration of fear in the air. It tingled in the back of her throat even as her own blood thirst beat at her senses. Her body was still trying to heal itself from the last round of torture at the keepers hands. She shuddered, tucking her head by her pulled up knees. It wouldn't be long until the young vampire would awaken from the turn and there was no doubt that she'd be thirsty. She'd be in agony until her first drink, it was natural of course. 

She choked up a little as she thought back on her older brother. They cut off his head in front of her, that was the price for treason. She had been locked up ever since, without a sip of blood. Letting her hunger torment her and now they placed her with a newly turned vampire. That was how it would end for her.... 

Drained by one of her kind. 

Although she was terrified, cold and starving as she looked down upon the glorious face of this newly turned woman and felt a sense of dread settled upon her. They were succeeding. If she awoke and her mind was still sane...... They would win it all. Caroline couldn't allow that to happen. 

Everything her brother had done to penetrate the defenses of the rogues, learn as much information as he could and deliver it to the girls' protector, would be in vain. She couldn't allow that to happen. She made a promise to her brother.

Looking up at the unconscious girl, her red eyes blazed with deathly purpose. 

***

Several hours later 

Stefani was floating in a sea of darkness, unsure of why her body felt so heavy, she just rode out the waves. Through the fogginess she tried to think, but the threads of her mind were so severely torn, her whole essence throbbed with confusion. There was also a red tint to everything and a fire burning in her chest that made it difficult to think of anything else. 

Although her body needed more blissful rest, her mind couldn't rest with the growing inferno in her chest. Steadily she came closer and closer to the surface but the closer she got, the hotter her body became. Her eye lids fluttered rapidly as she broke out from the sea of her subconsciousness. 

She jolted upwards, dragging air into her lungs. Hunching over, she grabbed at her chest in pain while shivers rocked her frame. Tears poured from her eyes, rolling down her face. She felt surrounded by real darkness, but was too afraid to look around. 

Minutes ticked away endlessly as she dwelled deeper into the heat in her heart. 

"When you first change, the hunger will batter you until you feed." 

Stefani snapped to attention as she heard the comment, she crawled backwards, away from where the voice had come from. Her heart was beating so loudly she could hear it in her ears. 

"I'm not the one you should be scared of" 

"Show yourself!" Stefani's rough voice echoed in the dark cell. She grasped at her throat, it felt as though she'd been screaming for a long time and now her vocals threatened to collapse within her. 

"Do you remember anything?" Stefani focused on the soft voice, it was a girl. She relaxed slightly but then thought about what the girl had asked. She tried to think back at the last thing she remembered but all she could think about was the fire that had overwhelmed her, had ripped her apart. Fresh tears gathered in her eyes while she wrapped her arms around herself. 

"I don't" Her voice was a broken whisper. A reflection of how she felt. Broken, and lost. 

"My name is Caroline. I'm going to help you" Her voice was a melody by now, almost hypnotizing. A pair of red eyes pierced hers and she shivered slightly in fear. 

"Can you remember your name?" As her voice got closer, it was easier to distinguish her shadow from the darkness. 

Stefani thought about it for a second. The hunger became stronger but she forced it down. Her vision blurred for a second as she realized she didn't know her own name. How could that be?! 

"No" It came out as a soft croak. 

Caroline approached slowly, her own injured body refusing to move faster. She could tell that the girl was scared but what shocked her the most was the lost shattered expression on her face. Caroline hadn't been able to see her eyes yet, because the girl kept them lowered but her pain was almost tangible. The poor girl. 

Caroline crouched down low to the floor, holding back a groan as her tattered body refused to move on. She let out a hard breath. 

"Do you feel the hunger?" Caroline asked, knowingly. The same hunger was beating at her senses relentlessly but she was much older and could control it in a way that the new turn in front of her couldn't. Caroline could see the girl's body shaking, the way she hugged herself as if to keep the fire from exploding. Caroline could see the signs clearly because she'd been going through the same thing for weeks. There was no escaping that kind of pain. A small part of her ached with sympathy.

"Is that what the pain is? Hunger?" Stefani's mind was spinning slightly as Caroline got closer. She felt almost intoxicated by the other woman's scent. 

"Yes. You're probably feeling a little intoxicated right now because I'm so close. That means you're hungry for blood." 

Caroline's voice was almost a whisper and it took several minutes for Stefani to understand what she meant. She shook her head in denial.

"I just want food." Even as she spoke, deep down Stefani felt a shift inside her, as if knowing that she was hungry for blood, caused her body to crave it even more. She hunched over, taking in sharp breaths trying to calm the bubbling inferno in her chest. 

"You went through a big change, little one. You can deny it all you want but the hunger will consume you and eventually your desire will cause you to bite the first thing in your path." Caroline's voice became even lower, if that was possible. 

"What am I?" Stefani's rough voice gave away the fear she felt and Caroline had to force herself to be strong. 

"Right now, you're a Vampire" 

Silence fell in the cell. Water drops echoed through the creepy tunnels they were being kept in. Stefani stiffened momentarily, her face growing warm. She recalled the way everything in her mind had turned red as if blood was all her mind could think of. She remembered the fire that shattered her soul. There was also no denying the soreness in her body, as if she'd been changed somehow. Even if she didn't recall what she had been before. Closing her eyes, she focused on trying to remember something. Flashes of blue florescent water came to mind, the way it suffocated her, filling her lungs with liquid flames. That's all she could remember. 

"Is that what you are? Why your eyes are red" The eery red eyes of Caroline fell on her. 

With a simple nod of acknowledgment she continued. "Our eyes only turn red when we are desperately in need of blood, but with a steadily diet of blood, our eyes go back to the way they use to be before the change. Your eyes are red now too." 

Stefani nodded.

"I'm sure your eyes are still sensitive. Which is why you're still having problems with the dark but eventually you'll be able to see as well in the dark as in daylight." Stefani nodded slowly. She leaned back against bars behind her and let out a breath. Her mind tried not to focus on the changes her body must have suffered, she felt them all. She felt raw. As if she had been ripped open, turned inside out and left out naked to the world. 

Several minutes must have passed as her mind became a little more stable and she started asking questions. 

"Where are we? Why are we in a cell? Why are you here? Why am I here? What's going on?" It all tumbled out of her in a rush. She tried to catch her breath as Caroline let out a bitter laugh. 

"Calm down child. We have still have some time for that. Just try to rest." Caroline ran a hand through her messy curls. 

"I can't go back to sleep!" Stefani almost screamed out, even as her vocal cords strained with the effort. She couldn't go back to the nightmares and the flames. 

"Please." Her whimper started cracking at Caroline's wall.

With a sigh, Caroline leaned back against the rock of the far wall and looked up at the ceiling. 

"Somewhere in Northern Canada, underneath the dark forest. We're in the dungeons of the rogues headquarters, which is part of a series of underground mines. I don't know the exact location only certain people are allowed to physically drive up here. The rest of us, we're required to materialize." 

Stefani's head was spinning slightly. "Materialize?"

"It's a form of transportation, I guess you can say. It's hard to explain. I'm still young myself, an elder would explain this in more detail but I don't think you'll be getting a crash course on vampire life so soon. After all they want to keep you vulnerable." Caroline's voice died in a whisper. 

"To keep me vulnerable? Why? Who would want that?" Her voice trembled as she asked, a shiver ran down her spine. 

"The rogues."

"What is that?" 

"All the supernatural beings describe a rogue of their own kind to be someone who has lost his way among the sane. Led by dangerous reckless tendencies all rogues are usually killed if they can't be rehabilitated. Most of them can't be. Turning rogue for a vampire is to give in to our inner darkness. The part of us that makes us monsters." 

She paused before continuing. "We just happen to be in captivity of two of the worst rogues in history." 

Stefani shook her head trying to clear out the fog and the hunger that crawled beneath her skin. 

She heard the words but her mind was having trouble understanding everything. The synapses in her head must have been damaged at some point. 

"Why are we here?" 

"I betrayed them." 

Caroline's eyes pierced Stefani's and she shuddered as she watched the pained expression in those fire red eyes. Her own eyes were drooping, as a heaviness came upon her. 

"And you're here to kill me." Caroline's voice was shaky but with an underlying tone of acceptance. Stefani's throat closed up as the fire intensified. She must have heard wrong.

"What?" Her whole body was so heavy and she was so tired. Maybe sleeping wasn't such a bad idea after all. Tears gathered in her eyes. She didn't want to go back to the darkness but it seemed pointless to fight something she had no control over. The last thing she heard was Caroline's voice whispering. "You should rest."

******

Stefani lifted her eye lids softly as she took in the overwhelming darkness. It seemed to her like it was all a nightmare, the kind she couldn't wake up from. She rubbed her palm softly over her eyes, trying to take away the drowsiness she felt. 

Thankfully the awful burn was settled in the pit of her stomach for the moment. Her body also ached a bit less, her body had begun healing. 

She looked around the cell, her eyes only capable of adjusting a tiny bit. In her blurry mind she tried to go over her conversation with Caroline, the bizarre conversation. A part of her had a hard time understanding and believing but there was something in her gut that told her that the best thing to do was accept it and find a way to survive. 

Although her body was weak and heavy, she wasn't going to give up. Startled at her own thoughts, she wondered where the sudden misplaced courage came from. 

"I'm glad you got some rest" Caroline's soft voice filtered through her mind softly. 

"He's going to come for you soon. I can feel the darkness shift as he gets closer. We all can. The seers whisper while we sleep. They wanted me to warn you." Caroline's voice was rough as her hand wrapped around a flimsy rock by her feet. The seers were a pair of young twins who had been trapped in the dungeons for their ability to see into the divine, which often showed them the past, present and future. Although they were all prisoners, they had found loopholes to communicate with each other, not enough to help them escape, but enough to help them survive. 

Caroline let out a sigh, this was their only shot of getting to her before they did. 

"You mustn't believe anything he tells you. He will lie, cheat and play you like a puppet until you give up what he most desires. Don't let him win over you little one. Try to remember who you were." 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 09



"What does he want with me?" 

Caroline shook her head. Even she knew very little of the situation. Nothing that would help her. The girl was doomed to a fate worse than death and the only way to stop them was to kill her. But looking into the girls bright red eyes, Caroline felt it almost impossible to do so. 

The image of her brother being beheaded entered her mind. She shook her head, trembling. 

"Be strong" 

Footsteps seemed to echo through the dungeouns. Caroline could see the other creatures scattering to their hidden corners, into shadows to hide. She bit her lip nervously. 

Stefani could barely move. She simply laid back against the bars, letting her hair fall over her shoulders as if to shield her face from the coming rogue. 

"I see you're awake" A man's voice echoed through the darkness. Stefani watched Caroline stiffened even as her own spine went still. 

Stefani inched back, with the dim candle light she could see a shadow of a man. A tall man. She heard keys jingling and saw the barred door creak open unpleasantly. 

In a blink Caroline was hissing angrily like an animal from her corner. Startling Stefani out of her daze. 

"I had though you would have fed by now little one." The disapproval in his tone rang in her head making it throb. She put her head down trying to control her breathing. 

Varcolac walked further into the cell, his eyes devouring her lithe pale body, the black silk dress was still damp and clung to her like a second skin. He licked his lips with anticipation. His eyes flickered quickly over the prisoner and without a second glance he reached down, hoisting Stefani's body into his arms. She didn't struggle, probably because she was still too weak to do so. He smiled. She fit almost perfectly in his arms. 

"We'll be back for you later, traitor."

Hissing erupted in the cell as he walked out and locked the cell. Stefani's head rested on his shoulder and her body was cold to the touch. A small shiver ran over his body at the feel of her skin. It had been a long time since he felt such innocent flesh. 

"Who are you?" Her soft whisper was rough. Her hazy vision traveled through the walls, trying to catch a glimpse of her surroundings. 

Varcolac walked the dark empty halls to his chambers in silence, disregarding her questions and her trembling body. Stefani wasn't sure what was happening. It all passed by so fast. Every instinct in her body told her to run as fast as she could away from him, but her body was too physically exhausted to do so. 

Entering his chamber, Varcolac set the young vampire down on a chair, tying her wrist and ankles with heavy chains. The bindings on her wrists were connected to the ceiling. She lazily glanced up at the contraption. 

"Why are you doing this?" Her soft voice filled his head like a drug and he smiled. 

Stefani let her body relax onto the chair even though her throat felt like it was burning and her wrist and ankles were weighed down by the chains. Her mind was a spinning mess, loops of images crossed her mind at such a rapid pace she couldn't decipher them all. 

Varcolac walked across the room, to pour himself a generous amount of whisky. He looked up at his little one with a wicked smile. Drinking a bit he let some of the whiskey burn down his throat in the most pleasurable of ways. He walked back to her, watching as her eye lids fluttered rapidly, she must be remembering things. He took of his suit jacket, revealing the white business shirt he wore. He rolled up the sleeves. 

With vampire speed, his hand connected with the side of her face in a loud smack, throwing her head to the side. He had to distract her. Usually when a turn survived past the blood lust most of their memories were momentarily lost, which worked to his advantage. They had time to mold her and shape her as they needed before she retained her memories. 

She would also be easier to control with her mind as raw as it was now. He smiled. 

Stefani looked up at the man that slapped her, fury boiled in her veins. She felt her eyes focus in on his smiling face and she hissed. Her mouth parting enough for her fangs to elongate, her pupils dilated thinning to slits completely hiding the red irises. 

He patted her head affectionately. "I'm glad to see you survived the trauma, little one." Varcolac's amused tone only stirred her anger, causing her to pull at the shackles hard enough to break skin. 

His green eyes pierced hers. He moved his hand lower, using his index finger to touch down her cheek. He made his talon extend and when she noticed how sharp it was she stilled. 

"That's right. You're going to behave." His voice was low, with the kind of seductive twinge to it that made her skin crawl. She could feel the sharp knife-like-talon run across her chin, tracing her lip moving its way lower to her neck. 

"I can sense your fear little one. I can feel your anger... Isn't it glorious?" Stefani swallowed hard. 

"Don't touch me." Her voice trembled. 

"Ah. You're going to be difficult... Well you'll pass out soon anyway." Varcolac moved away, dragging a chair facing her. 

"Do you want to know your name?" 

"You mean it isn't Little One?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice like syrup. Her hair was a mass of dark curls over her shoulders, her vision was becoming a little blurry and she cursed silently. Passing out every hour was getting to be really annoying. 

He smiled, his fangs peaking through his lips making her wince. 

"You'll keep coming and going until you feed. The transition is traumatic and it'll take several weeks for you to get adjusted to your new body unfortunately the time for your first change will be upon us in a couple of days. I will take you back to your meal and you may feast upon her blood before we depart. Consider it a parting gift." 

"I will not drink anyones blood." Her voice was slurred. The darkness was sweeping lower, grasping at her consciousness. Varcolac pressed his lips together and the metal chains attached to her wrist began to pull, dragging her upwards. 

"Little one, you will become a miracle. Created by rogues, born from children of the moon. Raised by humans and within you, will live the soul of two wild feral creatures. I must be honest, survival isn't guaranteed for you. The chances are slim but if this works, you will be the key to unleashing an even greater force upon the world." His tone was full of reverence, as if he was speaking of a god. 

"You must understand little one, that the essence of what you have become will not rest until your mind has been consumed or you are presented to the altar. The power will call to you, draw you in before it releases you of the madness. You must obey when summoned. You must always obey." His voice barely a whisper through her foggy mind.The chains rattled and Stefani's limp form hung by the chains, her toes skimming the floor. 

"What's my name?" She whispered. 

Varcolac hesitated. "Rose" 

Stefani's throat closed up and she swallowed hard as consciousness left her. 

****************

(From now on Rose= Stefani from) 

Varcolac sat back in his huge black silk bed and watched Rose's limp form hang from the ceiling by the chains. Her tight pert nipples were pushing hard against the silk material due to the chill in the air. He licked his lips deviously. It had been thirty minutes at most that she had been unconscious and he just sat back and watched her silently. 

His wounded mind, as all the rogues mind became, was foggy. She reminded him of his own Rose. The one he lost, such a long time ago. That fire burning behind her eyes was familiar. She was beautiful and delicate like a Rose, but he knew better than to trust any intentions of a female. Every rose had its thorns. 

He shook his head. Forcing the painful memories away as he looked her over. 

"Sweetest Rose. My Temptress. You'll be mine. Forever mine." He whispered. A slight maniac look crossing his eyes. He ran his hand through his dark hair. 

He rose with vampire speed standing next to her, he nuzzled her neck. Running his lips softly over the pulse of her veins. It sung to him. The sweetest melody, begging for him to take her. His hand rose, cupping her breast gently. She stirred slightly, as if trying to pull away from him. 

He pressed his lips tightly. 

He ran his hand into her black locks, gripping her hair tightly into the position that he desired. 

She let out a soft whimper. Her foggy mind trying to comprehend the pain at the back of her head. She murmured softly. 

He smiled. His green eyes roaming over her supple body. 

"You will deny me nothing"

He dove in, sinking his fangs deep into her neck. Her eyes opened and a loud scream ripped from her throat as the pain of his fangs had yanked her out of her slumbering rest. She groaned in pain, pulling at the shackles at her wrist as little rivers of blood sliding down her arms from the effort. 

Her screams fueled him as he sucked her essence deep into his mouth. Drinking greedily from her, as her struggling dimmed, before pulling back. Grinning with satisfaction. Her body was even paler than it had been before, he rejoiced. 

He ran his palm up to her cheek. Rose cringed. Tears rolled down her cheeks softly, but her red eyes boiled with pain filled fury that made him tremble. 

"That's right little one. Cry for me." 

She shook her head. His one hand was still wrapped in her hair uncomfortably and his other placed harshly on her cheek. She was repulses at his very touch. In her mind, it felt wrong. He shouldn't touch her like that. She couldn't remember if she was a virgin but she didn't think she was.... regardless she wanted nothing to do with him. 

"Don't touch me" Her voice was a whisper. She felt her head swim from the blood loss. 

"I can do whatever I want, Rose. You're mine." 

"No!" 

"I will show you. You will learn." Grabbing her hair tighter, he slammed his lips firmly on hers. Moving along her soft pink lips teasingly, he wanted a response even as she tried to pull away from his caresses. Her struggling got him even hotter. 

His lips moved softly to her chin, down the pale column of her neck, his tongue lightly licking at her skin. She whimpered, her fingers wrapping around the cold metal chains. Her chest was boiling in heat even as her soul froze from his touch. It seemed that every stroke of his touch cut deeper at her tattered essence. 

"Cry little Rose. I will not stop this time." His chuckle filled her with icy fury. 

"Don't touch me!" She screamed out horsely, pulling her legs up and kneeing him in the chest. He stumbled backwards, his green eyes flashing dangerously. She watched as his pupils expanded slightly, almost covering the green completely. 

"I won't ever be yours. You're nothing but a sick bastard who preys on the pain of others. You're worthless! You're trash!" She whispered steadily. Whatever happened he would not break her! He wouldn't! 

'Be strong' Caroline's advice floated in her mind. 

He let out a hiss, stepping closer. How dare the little girl strike him! How dare she speak to him like that! He felt fury rolling over his skin, teasing him like flames. He smiled at her guts though. He sensed her fear but her courage was almost impressing. Almost. 

"You little bitch! You're going to learn to respect me!"

He was in front of her in the blink of an eye. His hand gripped at the straps of her dress. She struggled for a second before he tore the flimsy garment with his bare hands. The ripping sound causing her lips to part in surprise as he took in her nudity in front of him. He took that as his opportunity and with his extended talons scratched down her left breast downwards across her tummy before resting at her hip. 

She screamed. 

Rose cried out in pain as the burning of the cuts seeped into her sensitive skin. She felt the blood drip down her skin. Her throat was dried and aching and she craved to lick up every bit of blood. She cried harder. She was a monster! 

He laughed snapping her out of her self pity.

He was the monster! 

"Is this really the only way you get women. Tie them up and torture them. You're one sadistic fucker." She laughed without humor, a bitter kind of laughter. 

Varcolac's temper rose. He could barely contain himself from ripping out her throat but he knew she was trying to provoke him. 

He leaned forward to her ear, his hand trailing down softly down her stomach. "When I'm done with you, there will be no part of yourself you'll recognize. You'll be begging me to fuck you like every other slut. Now be a good girl and shut up" He yanked hard on her panties ripping them off her body and shoving them hard into her mouth. Her eyes widened and pulled softly at her restraints. Her body was just too weak to do anything. 

Tears slipped past her eyes and rolled down messily down her cheeks. He was humiliating her, she could see the pleasure in his eyes. She knew his threats were real too. She begged god for strength to survive what was coming. She watched as he took several steps back and started to unbutton his shirt. She swallowed hard. Noticing the strange tattooed symbols over his left forearm. 

This couldn't be happening to her! She cried harder.

She shook her head and begged for it not to happen, although the gag only muffled her. 

Her head was swimming in fog the further he got and every step he took closer, every time he touched her skin, it was being branded into memory. There was no way to escape the nightmare that was tormenting her. There was no rescue coming for her! She was alone, naked, bleeding, cold and there was nothing she could do. She put her head down as he started to yank at his belt rapidly. 

Varcolac was taking his sweet time watching Rose's torment. Watching her eyes fill with dread as she realized the inevitable. Her naked bloody body was shaking, fear drifted off her body, filling the entire room with her scent. Yet, he smelled no arousal. Usually bitches were slightly aroused by then. He frowned. He'd have to try harder to please her. 

He stepped closer and Rose tried to move back even as the chains restrained her. 

He placed his palms at her hips, moving them upwards to her breast. She arched and moved teasingly in hopes to get away from him, but his bruising grip only tightened. She whimpered, begging softly for him to stop. Even muffled he understood her. He knew her. 

He pulled her body against his nakedness. His hard cock pressing softly at the swell of her tummy. He leaned down, dragging one of her light brown nipples into his mouth. Yanking on the little pebble harshly, until one fang dug deeply into the milky swells. She cried out into the gag, her vision blurry through her tears. 

She closed her eyes, trying to will the sensory overload to disappear. But in her mind, she saw herself being slowly covered with dark black splotches over her skin at every place he touched. 

One hand moved lower to her pussy, slipping a finger over her dry slit. He hissed. She was dry. He looked up at her closed eyes, her despair clear in every line of her face. Her long eye lashes causing beautiful shadows on her cheeks. His other hand moved to her back, dragging his index finger talon up her slender spine making her tremble even harder. 

"I want to see your beautiful eyes, little one." He whispered seductively. 

With an eery synchronization his hands moved to the back of her thighs as he lifted them higher. Rose opened her eyes, trying to wiggle away from him. She was astonished when he lowered onto his knees before her. She shook her head in denial. 

He grinned wickedly as her sex was right before his perfect face. She cried harder as he came closer and inhaled deeply, dragging out the humiliating. 

"You smell wonderful little one, just like a Rose." He spoke only seconds before his mouth descended on her skin. His tongue teasing and playing with her clit as he smothered her pussy. If she wasn't going to get wet, he was going to have to lubricate her himself. 

He dipped his tongue into the slit of her pussy, dragging out her natural taste. He moaned as he used his lips to suck in her skin as well. He gripped her thighs harder as he ate her out with more enthusiasm. 

She wiggled, trying to push him away but her position made it impossible. The shackles at her wrists were pulling painfully at her skin, rubbing her wrists raw. 

Varcolac was enjoying his feast. He moved his mouth lower, making sure to lick her asshole playfully, gaining her disapproving wails which only spurred him on. 

"If your a good girl I'll fuck your mouth too." He smiled as she shook her head harder, turning his head to the side he pierced her inner thighs with his fangs. She screamed into her gag. Her mind which had been loosing focus momentarily, was viciously brought back to the present. 

She sobbed pitifully as he stood, his hands bringing her thighs around his waist. Frankly he could wait no longer. He'd waited weeks to sink himself into her body, to devour her essence and he would wait no longer. He rubbed his penis at the entrance of her slippery pussy, teasing her. 

She looked up into his eyes as if her puppy eyes would deter him from his decision and for a second the sadness in those eyes almost did. Until a fat tear slipped down her cheek like a diamond and he shoved his thick meat into her body. 

Rose didn't think pain could be so deeply engraved into her soul. It seemed to surpass the bodily pain he was causing as he fucked her like the monster he was, and it turned into something tangible. Her head rolled back in shame as she screamed out. His body seemed to pierce at every bright thing in her soul and extinguish it. 

Her body was numb, as he grunted and groaned. Every noise and every touch was marked in all the nerves of her system. 

Varcolac couldn't believe how tight and hot she was. She wasn't wet like she should have been but that couldn't be helped. She was still the best fuck he'd had in a while. He looked down at her tilted head and her shut eyes. He wanted to see her eyes, he wanted to hear her screams. He pulled out her panty gag and her sobbing filled the room within seconds. 

He laughed darkly as he pulled out and slammed back in. His restraint at the edge. He was on the verge of cumming and he rejoiced at the feeling. Such sinful desire should be forbidden. 

"Rain!" She sobbed, not knowing who the name belonged to but her heart ached desperately for who ever it was.

Varcolac couldn't believe she was screaming out another man's name, especially that dog's! He hissed angrily, sinking his fangs into the other side of her shoulder only to wound her, not to drink. He pulled out quickly both from her shoulder and her pussy. 

With a mental push, the chains dropped. Her limp form fell hard to the floor with her knees beneath him. He gripped her hair in one hand and shover his dick into her mouth roughly in one smooth fluid motion. Her red eyes piercing his filled with fear and despair. 

"No man will ever want you after me, Rose. Who could want the tainted body of a vampire like you. No one but me. Now suck me darling. You're mine forever" His tone seemed to lower down to the kind of affection you had with a pet. Rose cried harder as his cock almost hit the back of her throat but he wasn't nearly that long. He tasted foul, of disease. She had to force herself to breath and not throw up. 

She sobbed as he throbbed in her mouth and grunted, followed by his explosion of cum. He pushed hard into her mouth, forcing her to swallow. 

He held his dick in her mouth for a second, letting her remember this moment. 

She would never forget him. 

He pulled out of her slowly, enjoying the plop noise. He hissed down at her low hooded eyes and slammed his palm into her cheek, her body falling over. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 09



He smiled as she curled slowly into a ball. Her naked, bloody body was shaking and he watched as her eyes rolled back and she passed out. Content that he'd done a good job he walked over to his closet to choose his next outfit. It was crucial that he wore his best clothes when she awoke. 

**** 

Cole sat impatiently in his chair, anxiety washed over him. His knuckles tightened noticeably on the table as the Elders and Alphas around him discussed the steps that needed to be taken.

"We have very little proof to what you claim Mactire. You claim that Rodan is alive but we have not seen or heard anything on the matter. If he has survived for so many hundreds of years, we would have seen something by now. We can't deny that there is trouble brewing with these vampires but we don't see a reason to alert all packs and start mobilizing for some kind of war. Any type of defense on your part does not need to involve all of us." Darius Faol spoke clearly and with every bit of sense that everyone could agree with. So far no sighting of the rogue had been seen, these disappearances had to be investigated throughly before any decision could be made. 

"I know what I speak of is true!" Cole could do nothing but grind his teeth in frustration and glare at the gray/gold eyes glowing back at him. 

"He has reason!" 

Arguments broke out through the room but throughout all the noise, most of the elders sat in silence, looking at each others direction.

"What If I'm right?!" 

"We can't act too harshly" 

"How can we trust that she is theirs!" Eanna hissed. 

Cole growled in anger as his eyes glowed gold, it was the first moment he sensed his wolf so closely, it almost felt as it used to. 

Hale closed his eyes, rubbed at the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He peered his eyes open to glance at his mother who sat stoically. There was a dullness in her usually brilliant green eyes that had him narrow his eyes in suspicion. His Alpha tendency to demand for answers rearing it's ugly head up. At the same time his wolf grumbled in agreement. 

"Audrina. Is it possible? Can it be done?" Hale's voice was hard as he looked down at his mother. Nobody blinked at him calling out her name because he was indeed the Alpha and if he required answers he would get them. 

Audrina looked up into the eyes of her son, for a second she saw past him. Thinking back on those times. She remembered the short time that she had seen Dawn Haven after her abduction. The haunted looked on her face, the physical changes she suffered through. The difficulties of her transformations. She glanced back at Elba and Eanna, who looked back at her with a serious expression. 

"It is not possible to bind a wolf and a vampire to the same soul. No creature could survive that. No wolf could ever survive that." Everyone let out a deep sigh. 

"No one except... maybe a Haven" Her voice was a whisper, her hands clasped together on her lap. Everyone gasped, looking back at her.

"Audrina!" Eanna growled, her eyes turning gold. 

"They need to know sisters! If what my son says is true, and Rodan is back with an even greater foe what chance do we have of victory if we are shadowed by lies!?" She spoke back. 

Elba brushed a silver stray hair back into her bun and let out a sigh. 

"She is right Eanna." Elba spoke as she stood, followed by the other two female elders. 

"What the hell is going on?!" Lucian and Faust exclaimed of their mates. 

"We were not completely honest before but we did not think that it was of any importance." Audrina whispered, looking down sadly at Cole, who could only stare back in surprise. 

"It was such a long time ago. When news of Dawn being found came to our packs, we were all filled with overwhelming joy. She had been such a crucial part of the female Alphas. She was our light. As the pack alphas gathered around to celebrate her coming home, one night of the five days of celebration, she called us to her chambers as the men were off to a run" Elba briefly motioned to the other women.

"Something you have to keep in mind is that no one knows exactly how the Haven pack came to be. They were not originally with the four descending families, who were granted the gifts of protection. The Haven pack was just one day suddenly there, and Dawn Haven and Drake Haven were always a mysterious pair. So when Dawn called for us, we were intrigued. She didn't speak much. She feigned ignorance but we could see the haunted look in her eyes, the kind of haunting that you know has changed your soul. We were concerned and it wasn't until she asked of us a favor that we realized how deeply the problems laid." Audrina spoke softly, her eyes watering slightly as she thought back at her friends broken plead. 

"What did she ask for?" 

"She wanted to be infertile" Eanna whispered. Silence fell across the room. To any wolf the gift of cubs was such a blessing, it was ingrained into their DNA to reproduce. It was one of the many joy's of mating. To imagine someone willingly asking to destroy the possibility of procreating, especially an alpha pair, doomed the pack and the mates bond to instability. 

"She had already figured out a way of accomplishing this feat. Although our bodies heal quickly, an injury might do it but it would be difficult to explain the injury to her mate. So She had stocked up on human blood and she wanted us to guide a transfusion. We didn't know what she hoped to accomplish but she talked about the genetics, saying that it wouldn't change her, no way to become human, but it would dilute her blood enough that no child could be born of her body. She mentioned that she was different, that she had been changed somehow and that she couldn't explain it because she didn't remember much but she knew that he had not just let her go in vain. Rodan was too smart for that. It always came back to genetics though." Elba spoke up somberly. 

"She begged us. She pleaded for our help but didn't explain why it was so important...... We we're all frightened and still relatively young. It's what she wanted and although we fought for hours, we agreed. So we left to the Haven cabin for a night, claiming that we needed female time and we drained her of blood only to infuse her with human blood. It was painful, she was in agony for hours. We didn't have any kind of medical drugs and although her wolf was very weak, it was our combine telepathic abilities that helped us keep her wolf at bay." 

"We came back to the Haven compound and pretended like nothing happened. We don't know if she told her mate, but she didn't seem to be inclined to that, saying that he had suffered through enough."

"How could she be their daughter if she was infertile? It doesn't add up." Eanna glared at Cole, who sat calmly but underneath boiled with anger. 

"But it is also entirely possible that her stronger wolf DNA eventually won out the human DNA which explains the many hundreds of years that they stayed hidden without cubs and all of a sudden twenty five years ago, they ended up with one" Cole replied just as harshly. 

"But she's human? We smelled her!" Lucian spoke out, confused at the situation and angry at his mate for keeping something so important from him. He sensed the deep sorrow over her deed and that cut him deep. 

For several minutes everyone in the room, whispered suspiciously with endless theories. Which only served to aggravate Cole more. Rain threw him a narrowed look before glancing around the room. 

"She has been bonded!" Cole hissed and for a second his eyes took a reddish tint that unsettled everyone in the room. Shame filled his soul. 

Ten horrified gasps replaced the commotion in the room. Uproar erupted seconds later. 

Bonding involved a blood connection to keep a wolf dormant. It was a practice that had been used for punishment centuries ago, so far back that no one in the room could think back far enough to ever had seen it used. It was a painful process for both parties involved, in which one party remained with its wolf and the other had it's animal literally caged within their subconscious. 

It also helped to connected the mind of the receiver and the anchor to ease the madness, until the wolf was released, which in most cases they never were. It was worse than death, the person became like a shell, numb and empty, a black void that had the possibility to consume one's soul unless the anchor was strong enough to sustain the backlash. It was a sticky mess, and it had been banned for centuries, decades even. 

"Enough! There will be silence!" Rain stood up and roared as his palms slapped down on the table echoing in the large hall. His breath coming out in hard pants as he towered over the table.

"Explain yourself Mactire! To who? This could destroy her! Why are we just finding out about this now?" Rain's eyes had turned such a deep shade of gold that Cole found himself almost transfixed by them and his teeth where getting sharper by the moment. Hearing that your mate had been bonded was just about as worse as it could get and it was not something he enjoyed just finding out about. 

"I'm her anchor. She was bonded to me." Audrina gasped the loudest, looking at her son with horror. Unable to believe that he would subjugate himself to that. 

"I told you that when I was summoned by Drake, they had a baby girl. I spent a week with them. That baby girl was a mirror image of her mother, so soft and pink. She wasn't born a cub but she did smell of wolf. When Drake and Dawn brought it to my attention what they intended for me to do, I was appalled. I rebelled for a week. There was no way I could do something like that to a child, no older than days. She was an infant! But I knew that they would not have asked if it was no somehow important." Cole put down his head in shame, running one hand through his hair. 

"Oh Cole" Audrina whimpered as she searched for her mates' hand on top of the table. 

"There were witches at the ritual to help intensify the bonding. She needed to as human as possible and it was the only way to do it. I was the only person who could accomplish it. She had been given to me to protect and if she had been raised as a wolf they would have found her at every turn. There would have been no place safe on this planet for her to hide. It had to be done! Now that I hear this I can understand why Dawn was so desperate to have this done to her own child. She understood that the possibility existed that if the rogues found her, they could potentially succeed. They would have an indestructible warrior in their hands. There was no choice. So I bonded her wolf and ripped apart her soul in two." He bit his lip as he felt the dim light of her essence in the back of his mind. 

It was dulled and so far from his reach that it only added to his load of guilt. Something was happening to her and he had no way of getting to her. He had left her defenseless, had led the rogues right to her and now he suffered to drown under his shame. 

He had retold as much of the story as he could. There were certain aspects that he couldn't quiet divulge to the mass. He looked over at his parents with disgrace heavy in his heart. His mother had the same regal glow that she'd always possessed, with her short dirty blond hair and green eyes. He couldn't deny the tightness in his chest at the sight of her. She was beautiful. His father was the same strong dominant male that he remembered, his long dark brown hair and brown eyes screamed of power. Their bond was easy to see and the bond to Hale, his brother was clear. 

He also sensed their distress, the horror, the fear in the room. 

"We need to get her back. In a couple days is the full moon. They'll be bringing her here for the change, the circle will guarantee that her change be led by the magic rooted into the ground." Cole voice was rough as he looked up into Rain's furious eyes. 

"We have no way to know if they are changing her into a vampire as we speak but we know that they will come here and we need to be ready. This time, I will not sit by and let the rogues step into my land. We have heard what needed to be said and now we need to come up with solutions." Rain was in full Alpha mode, that which made him the fiercest alpha would aid him in his quest. Nothing would stand between him and his mate. Not even a blood bond. 



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 10



Hi everyone,

I'm so excited for this chapter, I've really put a lot into this chapter.

I wanted to thank my editor Metalarmada for all his help and he's been so quick on editing too. :)

I guess I should warn you that this chapter probably isn't for the soft hearted. (There's no rape)

I wanted to thank all my readers for keeping up with my updates and having faith this story. This is obviously not the last chapter and I'm currently starting chapter 11. I've been keeping up with everyone's comments and I have to admit, I'm humbled. There's no better way to describe it. When certain kinds of people do a small act of kindness for a stranger, like me, well how could I not be humbled by that? To have my fellow writers defend the work and my readers who are willing to put up with my clumsy messy dark writing. I admit I'm soft hearted myself and it's been rough for me to see some of the less constructive criticism on my work but that doesn't mean that I've lost faith in this story. I love my characters and my story and I wouldn't change anything I've writing. So thank you for sticking around with me. <3

I think what people don't understand, is the love and the care that writers put into a character, into a plot, regardless of how dark and vile it is. I didn't understand either until I started writing. I don't blame anyone for what they've said, I simply respect it and I try to find a way that I can make up for it in the future.

I haven't myself been in a position to experience all of what has happened so literally. But I guess what I was trying to show was the bumps. The bumps in life that have a way of breaking us, the kinds of moments that can change who we use to be or even make us forget who that was. Life to me is chaos, it has it's darkness but there wouldn't be light without dark. I might not be religious but I believe in that. I believe that this story can go one of two ways and I hope that through the struggles, the tears, the blood and the pain, my characters will be able to soar. I want to be able to offer people hope. I know it's fiction and all in my imagination but maybe there will be one person out there, who's hurting and my words might touch that person enough to ease enough pain, to give them light.

I love feedback and comments so keep writing to me. There's nothing more fantastic to me than listening to your comments/advice/criticism. 

******

Varcolac picked up the unconscious form of his Rose from the floor. Her naked body was draped over his arms as he walked out of his rooms and into the dark corridors. He had chosen a deep burgundy dress shirt with black slacks, with his hair brushed back, and he smiled deviously.

His body was still buzzing from the explosive orgasm he'd received from her sweet body. Licking his lips, he came upon two set of double doors that parted easily and, without missing a beat he strode inside. He could see the clear signs of distress mar her delicate features and he was pleased to see that her body was still taking a long time to heal itself. It would take a while for his marks to completely fade from her skin.

Coming up to a metal table in the middle of the dark room, he laid down his princess, he willed candles to light up all across the room. Moving at vampire speed he restrained her wrists and ankles to the table just as the doors opened again. He didn't need to look back to see who it was.

Rodan

"I hope you didn't excessively damage our guest, Vampire?" Rodan's rough voice cut through the silence, Varcolac only looked down into the face of his Rose with a sick satisfaction.

"She handled me all too well, Wolf. You need not be concerned." His voice dripped venom, finally looking up into the eery red eyes of the wolf.

Rodan remained silent for a brief second as he inspected Rose's tattered body. "I can take it from here, Vampire"

Varcolac looked down at Rose's pale skin, now covered with dark bruising and cuts, he smiled. Taking slow and even steps, he left the room.

"I'll come for her tomorrow at midnight for her feeding."

Rodan watched the doors close behind V and struggled to contain his natural instinct to get rid of the bloodsucker. He leaned over to pull on the thick cable cords on the floor, carefully wrapping a single cord to each one of Rose's limbs and neck. She winced as his fingers grazed her skin making him smile triumphantly.

After many hundreds of years of plotting all the pieces were finally falling into place.

Rose saw flashes of images as her mind came in and out of focus. Her body was a live wire of pain. No nerve left untouched and the burning in her throat managed to consume everything else, until her mind saw things in a tint of red. As darkness swept down and engulfed her, she had no energy left to fight it.

Rodan walked over to one of the machines by the wall, he flipped on all the switches, carefully taking his time. His red eyes sparkling as he looked back at her unconscious body. Pressing down on the biggest red button on the board, only a few seconds passed as static broke the silence which was followed by her hollow screams.

*****

The group had adjourned, already having spent most of the day strategizing and planning a defensive attack. It had been a real pain to deal with some of the more cynical wolves but in the end a contingency plan was made. The next couple of days were specifically for training. Rain had his war advisors on the case, all of them moving with stealth to meet this upcoming deadline.

Rain stood in the center of the training field, watching as the fellow alphas and elders gathered around. Cole stood stiff as he watched his own mother step onto the circle they had formed. It was Rain's decision to have everyone train their powers together, he knew that uniting them would give them an advantage.

Moving his gaze around the group, his eyes settled on Cole who stood a couple feet to his right.

"Pair up. We'll start with hand-to-hand combat without changing into your wolf. Use your abilities if you have them and learn how to block them if you don't. The rogues won't play fair, so keep that in mind."

Rain's gaze fell onto Cole's, who nodded. He'd pair off with Rain first. Silently the group broke off into their own little pairs and scattered around. The training field offered them more than enough room to practice in.

Cole and Rain stood facing each other, both had unreadable expressions on their faces.

"Do you feel her?" Rain's voice bordered on emotional when he spoke. He cleared his throat and watched as Cole's fist clenched.

"I can sense her in the back of my mind but the connection is strained." Cole and Rain began to circle each other.

Rain's brown eyes bore in Cole's hazel brown eyes with silver rims.

A horn sounded through the silence and the training began. Cole clenched his fist and moved in for a strike but was easily dodged. Fire burst from his fist as he used the heat trajectory of his body to send Rain flying backwards. Rain landed on his feet softly, in the blink of an eye he was shoving Cole straight into a rocky wall with a wind pulse. Rain stood straight and cracked his knuckles as he walked over to where Cole was struggling to come back up.

"Let's see if we can get you back into shape." Rain grinned slightly and their training began. All around them the other pairs were grunting and groaning from the impacts. Fire, water, earth and wind erupted through the room within each individual battle.

Cole's eyes blazed gold for a brief second before throwing a spinning kick that made Rain step back as he jumped back on his feet.

"Didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders." Cole grinned as his pupils expanded slightly. He ran straight towards Rain, so fast that it surprised him, within seconds he picked up Rain and threw him across the room, clashing into the group with Johnson and his mother.

Dust floated in the air as Rain got up, growling slightly with the challenge he ran at Cole and Cole ran to meet him half way. They both collided hard and spun over the ground, both equally matched. Cole felt fire rush through his veins but he could only make the fire spread over his fist. So he used that as a weapon against Rain, getting a couple good punches. Rain on the other hand struggled to keep his element in check, even as he created invisible hands of air to use against Cole who all but grunted at each hit.

Around them, the other groups were in a better shape. All focusing on using their energies in the most productive way. Audrina kept her eyes on Cole and deliberated disrupting their "training" which clearly looked more like a fight.

"You must let them resolve their own problems, Mate" Faust's voice was like velvet through her mind and she nodded facing Johnson as he threw a high kick her way, she dodged and struck out with her own leg.

Rain and Cole were both sweating and panting as they once again collided on the ground. At one point of the training it became personal. All the frustration that Rain had inside was slowly leaking out with each hit to the Mactire. His breath came out in a rush as Cole kneaded him in the stomach, even as he punched him in the face hard enough to send him flying several feet back.

Cole looked up at the frustrated face of the Alpha O'Faolain and let out a sigh. His body was sore and tired from the exercise and he was still trying to heal. It was going to be a long day.

********

Rain stood outside in the balcony, looking out into the woods, the sun was close to falling over the horizon. He had washed and cleansed some of the larger injuries from the training, making sure to wrap them all securely.

His quarters in the great hall was luxurious and spacious. Twenty-five people could have lived in his suites with enough room to be comfortable. He itched to go back to his own manor. He let out a heavy sigh.

A soft knock came from his quarters and he walked back inside. He had summoned Cole, after all, there were things that had to be discussed.

"Come in."

Cole stepped through the door. He was sore as hell and wasn't looking forward to this conversation. He knew that this whole bonding business was going to come back and bite him in the ass.

"Rain"

Cole didn't speak a word, simply walked out into the balcony and looked out over the woods in awe of the scenery for a moment.

"Why?"

As their eyes met, Cole sensed his resentment, he swallowed hard.

"There was no other choice and if you'd known the Havens you would understand. When they told you to do something there was always a good reason." Cole felt a shift beneath his subconsciousness, as his wolf tried to come closer in defense. He shook his head.

"I didn't notice." Rain's voice came out as a rough whisper that surprised Cole into a blinking blur.

Cole looked at him for a moment noticing some kind of pain flash through his eyes. Rain purposefully avoided his gaze.

"I didn't notice the signs, when she came to us. She was wounded and frail and her scent was human. I never imagined that she would be bonded." There was a sense of misery that stroke Cole deep as he wondered on the sudden change of heart of the O'Faolain Alpha who was known for being cold hearted.

"Why do you care?"

Rain shifted, his short brown hair ruffled in the wind. His broad shoulders straightened for a moment as he stood up to his full height and bore down his gaze at Cole.

"She is my mate."

Cole's spine stiffened. Disbelief crossed every fiber of his being at the confession from the huge alpha but he heard the underlying emotion that Rain tried so hard to contain. Cole cleared his throat several times, opening his mouth to speak but closing it automatically not knowing what to say.

Only the wind through the trees could be heard as both men stood in the Alphas' balcony.

"I spend most of my time trying to avoid her or jumping at her because I didn't know what unsettled my wolf. I didn't realize until it was too late. I let her get taken by the rogues. I didn't pay attention." Rain ran his hand through his hair frustrated.

Cole just stood there in shock as silence fell upon them again.

He swallowed hard as he watched the dejected emotion written all over Rain's body language. Stefani was the only family he'd had for years. It was her bright, ethereal personality that brought him out the depths of despair. He had been alone for so long until the little bundle of joy was placed in his arms. He had watched her grow up most of her life, into the beautiful resilient young woman that she had become. He had also felt her emptiness. The emptiness that came with being separated from your wolf, the curse that he'd place upon her in her infancy. That weighed heavily on his soul. He looked at the male in front of him, his strength and vitality and let out a breath.

From the time she had grown into a teenager he also knew that she was not his fated mate. She was beautiful and alluring but she harbored only the strongest of sibling feelings in him. He recalled that Dawn Haven had hoped that he would end up becoming her mate at some point, but he had always know that she was fated to be with a mate who could bring her out of the depths of the hell he'd helped to put her in.

Cole reached out to place a hand on Rain's rigged shoulder and spoke. "I hope you have better luck with her than I've had my friend."

Rain looked startled. He had though the Mactire eldest would be furious.

"I can feel her Wolf essence trapped within my soul as her Human self grows older and she gets dimmer. I apologize Rain. I don't know what problems this will cause for a possible mating, or even if mating is possible. I also don't know what would happen if I released the bond. I can only hope that when we get her back, she is safe and unchanged."

Rain let out a frustrated breath as he felt his chest constrict. He didn't understand the feelings running through him. He didn't want a mate, but the thought of not being able to mate with her, rocked him to his core.

He'd spent so much of his life, turning off emotions. He couldn't handle the deaths of his parents, the people he'd loved and respected most. He couldn't deal so he shut down, it was the way his self-preservation worked.

His wolf sat patiently in his mind, somber at the thought. It was then that he realized all the agony he had placed his wolf under. A creature who only wanted the simple things in life. Even now, Rain's human self could sense the creatures need to protect and provide for his mate. To join with her and create beautiful pups. He rubbed his face anxiously, he couldn't let all this foreign emotion overwhelm him. He would deal with it when Stefani was back, until then all his energy had to be focused on her safe return.

"Tell me more about her?" Rain asked softly. He watched as Cole looked out into the darkened woods with a light smile.

"She's trouble." Leaving both men filling the silence with their laughter as Cole began his tale.

*******

The following day Varcolac arrived punctually as the large double doors to Rodan's play-room parted. He paced himself as he watched Rose's limp body hanging from black wires several feet off the floor. He admired the careful craftsmanship of the wires as they wrapped themselves around her arms, neck, legs and torso. Her body hung at an odd angle with one arm raised above her head and the other pressed to her body, her beautiful black hair cascaded over her lifeless face. He saw the bruising on her cheek and the slashes he'd made across her upper body and a smile lit up his face.

"Have you made any progress, Wolf?"

Rodan simply smiled and nodded as the wires started to loosen around Rose's body, while lowering to the floor. As her toes skimmed the floor, the wires loosened completely and she fell to her side like dead weight.

Varcolac walked over slowly to her side and picked her up in his arms. There was no reaction. A frown pulled tight at his forehead.

"You have not damaged her beyond repair, have you?" He asked nonchalant but inside his mind was a flurry mess of violence.

Rodan walked around the center table and looked down at the slumbering Rose in his arms. "That remains to be seen."

Varcolac set his lips in a tight line as he spoke. "We'll depart tomorrow morning."

As he walked the halls, once more with his Rose, he took complete liberty to watch her. Her pouty lips were a shade lighter as was her whole entire complexion. He could sense her exhaustion had pushed her deep into her numbed mind.

He walked with very little sense of direction. Simply staring. She looked nothing like his Rose but she was his, regardless. She ignited the strongest of emotions within him and although he neglected to believe it, he felt softer emotions for her too. A small twinge of guilt flashed through his eyes as he looked over her tattered body, but just as fast as it made it's presence known, the rogue fury shoved it down before he could analyze it further.

It took him several minutes to reach his destination, he sent out a call to one of his servants to meet him at the dungeons. The darkened halls only illuminated by candle light were cold, he only noticed because Rose's body began to tremble almost violently.

He finally reached one of the main cells, with a thought, the barred door slid open, granting him access. He placed her on the small mattress at the far end of the cell and dragged a soft wool blanket and wrapped it around her shivering form. He frowned. He didn't care to understand where such tender actions were coming from.

"My lord. You called for me?"

He took several minutes of silently looking down at Rose's slumbering form before looking back to gaze into a lowered pair of lightly-tinted red eyes. The small brown haired girl looked up, awaiting her duties. He tilted his head towards his prisoner.

"Clean her up and dress her. You don't have much time, so get to work." He said in a harsh tone, he noticed her nod and flinch as he walked past her. He smiled as he quickly materialized to a different section of the dungeons to pick up her meal while sending a thought to one of his warriors to pick up the traitor.

He grinned wickedly at the small bundle at the corner of the cell. He saw perfectly in the dark but it was the soft candle light that illuminated the untamed blonde hair, making it impossible for it to be hidden from view. The cell doors slid open with a horrible creek and the prisoner squeaked like a mouse.

In a blink of an eye he was beside her, in another he had her thrown over his shoulder and she barely had time to gasp in surprise. He grinned and started to run through the wide maze of the dungeons. Her screams filled his soul with satisfaction.

It took him a couple minutes to reach the other side of the dungeons, where his precious prisoner was being held. He grinned wickedly as he stopped in front of the cell he'd just left. The naked girl over his shoulder was limp and panting heavily from his unexpected speed. Stepping quickly into the room, his gaze admiring the handy work of his slave. Rose wore a red silk gown that covered her from neck to wrist, the ends of the high neckline and wrist were woven into intricate designs of black lace. He smiled content, flashing his fangs to the small vampire girl.

"You have done well. You're free to go."

A flash of relief swept through the slave girl as she made haste to leave the dungeon cell. She gave a small glance back at the slumbering female on the dingy mattress and swallowed hard. Soon she was swept up by the darkness and she was gone.

Rose's delicate face was pulled into a small frown, even in her sleep she looked unsettled. He shook his head while walking to the other side of the cell, dropping the girl on his shoulder rather roughly, she grunted from the impact. He crouched down, staring into her frightened cerulean blue eyes with his own emerald green eyes. He could see the dark purple bruises along the column of her neck, shoulders, arms and legs. She trembled as he reached up with his hand behind her to reach for the shackles. His hypnotizing gaze keeping her immobile as he worked to get her hands and ankles restrained. The restraints were very limited in the amount of movement that it gave the bearer.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 10



"If you wake her up, you'll suffer. So be a good girl and stay quiet." His voice was a melodic whisper through the silence.

He ran his hands over her arms to her shoulders, he pressed one hand to her mouth while growing his talons on the other and sharply running them down her right arm. Her screams were muffled by his hand.

Standing up to his full height, he maintained his gaze on hers. He smelled her fear in the air mixed with the scent of her blood like a bouquet of roses blooming in the spring. He flashed his fangs.

The human female sobbed into her hands. She looked over to the slumbering figure across the cell. She could only see the shape of a body, her human eyes only gave her that.

He had to wait several minutes before a warrior materialized into the room. He was a dark skinned bulky creature with soulless black eyes, standing up to 7 feet. Over his shoulders he carried the brown haired traitor. With a nod from his leader, he went to the side of the blonde and dropped Caroline onto the cold hard surface, quickly restraining her with the shackles. The young vampire, was groggy as her head lolled from side to side, there was a small gash in her abdomen, that saturated the air with her blood.

"You may go." The warrior bowed to his king and left just as fast. Varcolac smiled, stepping towards the cell door as it slammed shut, he leaned against it.

With a flick of his wrist, Caroline jolted forward, gasping for breath. When he released her, her piercing red eyes glared up at him and she hissed in anger, he spoke.

"I'm glad you're awake for this wonderful occasion." His voice seemed to echo through the halls, dragging out the darkest fear in both of them.

**********************************************************************************************

Rose held the skirt of her dress higher as she jumped over a fallen tree trunk. She panted hard but pushed forward. Her heart was beating hard in her chest as she struggled for breath. The wave of nausea and exhaustion that hit her almost brought her to her knees. Her head spun and she rounded a tall pine looking tree and she pressed herself against the trunk and steadied her breathing for a moment. Her skin felt clammy. She remembered night falling as they arrived at the edge of the woods and although her vision was a little clearer, the full moon above her gave plenty of light.

She looked behind her, her vision catching shadows moving rapidly in her direction. She wrapped the ends of her dress over her arm and jolted into a run. Her hazy mind knew she couldn't outrun the vampires, her best bet was to find a stream, dilute her scent and lose them. She heard water crashing against shore somewhere in the distance and she followed the sound. She looked behind her rapidly as she heard his laughter echo through the trees. She ran faster. Her whole body objected against the action but self preservation gripped her heart tight, forcing her to move faster. Carefully dodging trees and branches she tried to push her dark hair out of her face as it bounced all around her.

There was heavy layer of fog over the forest that chilled her to bone. The trees around her seemed to expand and intermingle. She had no way of knowing if she was moving forward and not in circles, she could only hope. She'd been running for hours, sensing the thirty or more vampire soldiers following her like predators. She, the prey. She kept looking back over her shoulder like a heroine in a horror movie fleeing the villain.

Her mind drifted back to the beginning of this ridiculous chase. Someone had picked her up and tossed her out of the van roughly. The drug they had shot into her system before they left was finally loosing it's hold on her. He made her stand on weak knees. "Run" he hissed flashing his fangs and in a second she turned and ran into the forest.

She heard twigs breaking coming from only a few feet behind her on the left. Another sound from even closer on her right. She felt her fear like a tangible object rising into her throat. The fear snapping her out of her thoughts, looking wildly in that direction she caught a flash of light reflect a pair of fangs and she dodged underneath the low branches of the trees. Using her hands to push through the branches, she grunted as a branch hit her low in the abdomen, knocking the breath out of her. She took a moment to orient herself, the after effects of the drug made her dizzy and the loss of breath made her head throb.

Varcolac's mocking laughter cut through the silence again, serving as a reminder to why she had to keep moving. The woods became thicker the further in she ran. The loose branches scratching at her face, arms and torso but she ignored them. The tears forming in her eyes blurred her vision. Ahead she saw a small parting of the trees and warm moonlight seeping through, she let out a hopeful sob. Her wounds had opened up again from the strain and she was bleeding fiercely. She took a deep breath, using the last reserves of strength to run faster, she jumped high over the last fallen bark in her path and tumbled over onto warm cool sand.

Her heart soared as she raised her eyes to the lake before her. For a moment everything slowed down, her harsh breath came out in heavy puffs, messy locks of midnight black hair fell around her shoulders and part of her face. Soft waves crashed against the sandy shore caressing her with it's sound, the moonlight shone brightly over the water and for that moment she felt connected with the magic all around her. As far as the eye could see there was water, beautiful delicate water at the far edges she could see the edges of the dense forest. She could never have imagined how the few seconds that she kneeled on the sand, gazing out into the water would fill her with such a strong sense of freedom. Her lips trembled. She took a deep breath, willing her muscles to loosen as she started to stand.

A twig broke behind her and before she could react something yanked her hair viciously and threw her backwards. She screamed as the air rushed past her before her body slammed into a set of trees, with a cry she dropped limp to the ground. Her head was spinning, out of the corner of her eye she saw a shadow move and taking a sharp glance in that direction, she had a second to comprehend, as a soldier kicked her out from the trees and back to the sandy shore.

The wind was knocked out of her as she tumbled over the sand far enough to reach the shore of the lake. She laid on her side for a second, gasping for breath as the waves crashed around her. Her heart beat hard for a second, she felt the familiar shift at her gums and as a foot was descending over her, her arm shot out to deflect it. In a blur she found herself crouched low, spinning her leg out catching the vampire and dropping him to his back with a grunt. As he surged forward, she lifted and clocked him in the face, knocking him out.

A sharp tug at her ribs had her hissing in pain. Her vision sharpened in an instant, she looked up at the vampires approaching her through the wet hair that fell around her face. Her body surged forward, fist held back, in a blink of an eye she was slamming that fist into the face of a dark haired vampire sending him flying several feet back. The others descended at once. She found herself kicking, spinning, jumping and using her fists.

"Enough" Varcolac's voice ignited a fury within her as she turned in his direction with the same intent to beat the shit out of him. Before she even had a chance to move towards him a whip slashed out and gripped her right wrist, then her left, a third wrapping around her neck. She was shoved roughly to her knees and dragged towards him. She let out a hiss as his hand came out and slapped her cheek. The force rocking her to the side but the whips kept her tightly in place.

He crouched low to her eye level, inspecting something in her eyes for a second. He reached for her chin, forcing her to look directly at his green eyes.

"Absolutely fantastic." He let out a breath. Stefani's pupils had dilated exponentially, no red could be seen. Her body was running out of adrenaline even as she pulled harder against her restraints.

"That was fun but you forget. I'll always find you."

Before she could react she felt a presence directly behind her and a needle pierced the side of her upper arm sharply. She cried out. Her head spinning. The drug was different but non-lethal. It spread through her system like venom as it shook her from the inside out. Her fangs retracted and her body fell prey to the pain all through out her body. She whimpered and felt herself falling forward. She laid on her stomach breathing hard, her eyes unfocused. She shivered from the cold. In the background she heard a rumbling sound, like a growl but none of the vampires could make that kind of noise. It confused her.

"Cover her. We have to keep moving."

She felt something being draped over her, then someone was picking her up. Through her blurry vision she caught glimpses of the water and the sand, her heart seemed to break as she felt herself moving away from the bit of hope she had found. The soldier carrying her wasn't gentle. She found her body being hit by several stray away branches or twigs as he ran. They had put on a black robe on her body and even tucked the hair into the hood that covered the tops of her eyes.

Her eyes shut as she rode out the waves of the drug. She could tell that the drug was meant to be temporary and not completely incapacitate her. She started sobering up after several minutes of their run. She also sensed that they had arrived to their destination when they slowed.

"Give her to me." Varcolac ordered the soldier and he came over to deposit Rose into his arms. He cradled her body almost tenderly. The black robe fit her perfectly and he smiled confidently.

"You're going to be magnificent, Rose." Varcolac spoke softly, knowing that she was awake and just dazed at the moment. He grinned as he saw the clearing up ahead. Rodan shifted and put on a robe, quickly catching up to him.

"We don't have much time. We've managed to infiltrate their perimeter but we can't be sure on how long we'll have before they come snooping." His voice was cut short.

"I'll handle the wolves, worry about getting through the ritual." Varcolac 's fangs grew sharply. He was itching for a fight. He glanced at Rodan, watching his stoic expression while those red eyes glowed slightly in the dark.

He sent out a thought to his warriors, ordering them to get in position. As they broke through the line of trees that led them to the clearing he felt Rose shift in his arms uncomfortably, his hold tightened. Three warriors behind him paced quietly behind them. He used his speed to reach the clearing first, followed by his warriors and finally Rodan arrived.

"Set her on her knees at the center. Everyone else out." His growled out with a wicked grin on his face. They could all feel the thrill of the moment, they had been waiting on this for centuries. With a nod his warriors stepped to the edges where huge rocks created the circle, which in fact was a huge space. Varcolac dropped her on the groan and she grunted.

"On your knees." He commanded but she simply laid on the ground not responding. He growled with impatience and wrapped one hand around her throat, squeezing tightly while lifting her. She gasped for breath trying to loosen his grip. Her body was more responsive as the drug started to wear off. He let her neck go, lifting her chin. She looked up at him with her dim red eyes while he positioned her on her knees. Her arms hung lifeless by her sides as she looked up at him numbly. He tipped the hood back, revealing the damp black locks of her that shone in the moonlight. He ran his fingers through her hair before dropping low to the edge her robe, pushing that off her shoulders, the robe fell easily and pooled around her. The silk red dress shone like a beacon as it reflected the moonlight.

"I'll come for you once we're finished. Be a good girl, my sweet Rose." He brushed a talon over her cheek, making her tremble and leaned down to place his lips on hers for a brief second. She faced the side they had emerged from and watched as he rapidly left the circle. Her eyes moved over the shadows shifting behind the trees, their red eyes piercing hers. She glanced at Rodan who was kneeling by one of the huge stones surrounded the circle in prayer. She felt numb as the after effects of the drug sent shivers down her spine.

Her head fell to the side a little as she looked down at the lake that was visible from where she kneeled. She could hear the waves crash over the sand, smell the freshness of the forest and underneath that she smelled her blood. The scent stirred the ache in her throat making her swallow as memories collided into her mind. She hunched forward bringing her hands to her chest as tears fell from her eyes. She hissed in pain as a sharp tug at her abdomen began to burn.

Rodan held his fist together as he began the incantation words for the ritual. The full moon was high above them, perfectly positioned. As he finished the first part a bright yellow energy surged from where he kneeled and moved quickly to surround the entire circle, like fire. He grinned. Looking up at the female, he could see the clear signs of pain etched on every line of her face. The black curls around her and the blood red silk she wore made her look like the goddess of death that she was.

He began again, summoning the magic of this place and her heritage to come forward and claim her. A daughter of the moon, his greatest creation.

She heard Rodan's voice get stronger as he chanted words she had no hope of understanding. She heard the stillness of the woods around them. She heard the faint growls behind her that intensified with each moment.

'Don't give up' Caroline's weak voice drifted through her mind like a whisper making her eyes snap open. She looked around as her mind began to clear.

"This is wrong" She whispered to herself, the same phrase she had spoken hours earlier.

At the same moment growls erupted through the clearing behind her and an impressive amount of wolves and men emerged. Rose was oblivious to what was happening even as Varcolac shouted something and she saw vampires leaping out of the trees and rushing in her direction. The soft yellow light that surrounded the circle grew high, it looked like a wall of flames.

She knew she had no energy left. That her body was injured to the point of exhaustion and she still suffered from the after affects of both the drug dosages they had given her previously. She knew she was outnumbered and highly at a disadvantage but she wasn't going to give up. She would never give up!

She lifted her chin, forcing her unsteady legs to work with her as she began to stand. Then she hit a wall. Her arms were gripped tightly and yanked her back to her knees. She gasped looking down immediately. Bright yellow energy rose from the ground beneath her and wrapped around her forearms, keeping her in place.

She looked up meeting Rodan's eyes and screamed in anger while thrashing forward trying to get loose. The energy was relentless as it slammed her back to her knees. She cried out as little shocks emitted from the energy.

****

Rain in his sleek black wolf ran through the clearing, heading straight for his mate. His gold eyes saw nothing but her delicate figure kneeling in the middle of the circle wearing an astonishing red silk dress with black lace at the edges while her hair cascaded around her. The moonlight seemed to fall right on her like a spot light, making her impossible to miss. He couldn't see her face but he heard her screams, saw her struggles against the energy that held her down. He couldn't begin to describe the rush of relief and anger that rushed through him as he first laid eyes on her.

He noticed the vampire flock that emerged from the woods and growled loudly, sending out directions to his betas and warriors. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw two vampires heading towards him, he dodged just in time before their deadly talons could cause damage. His wolf growled and attacked, merciless to the creatures that had taken his mate. As he tackled down one of the vampires and dug his teeth into its neck and beheaded the creature he sensed a power surge spread through the whole clearing. He reached deep inside himself and summoned a wind. The fight broke out as wolves and vampires collided in a messy brawl. Gunshots broke the silence, howls and growls followed.

He had to get to her but the vampires just seemed to keep coming. 'Cole!' He shouted in his mind as another vampire came his way.

'I know. I got her.' His voice in his mind was clear and steady. He sensed the stealth in his mind and he grunted as the vampire bit the side of his tummy and they tumbled to the ground. He howled.

'Noah. Report' Rain sent the message through the link they shared mentally, as he and a dark skinned warrior circled each other. The vampires eyes were pure black, his fangs were elongated and his talons were curled at his sides.

'Beta team is almost in position, Duncan and Alec have their squads covered. We'll send you the signal as we arrive.' His Second in Command's report was quick and he scanned the minds of his warriors making sure to guide them in how to attack and defend better.

Cole walked through the mess of Wolves and Vampires. His hair ruffled softly in the wind. He saw several of the Alphas unleashing their abilities, his fist tightened and burst into red flames. He had ignored the questioning glances as he suited up in armor rather than shifting. Lifting up the hand that carried the gun he shot at the Vampires in sight. His eyes trained on the kneeling form of Stefani, moving slowly to the vampire who stood before her outside of the circle with his arms crossed over his chest he growled. His eyes also laid upon the man with the black robe at his side. Rodan

The ground rumbled beneath them as the Lupino Alpha, Dominick, began a series of Earthly attacks, startling the bloodsuckers. He grinned at the confused expression on some of the vampires.

Rose panted hard, quickly realizing that it was hopeless to struggle against the energy. Her mind was still foggy and slow so as she looked around, she noticed the fight breaking out around her, her eyes widened. There were huge hairy beasts that resembled Wolves but much larger. She also noticed the different elements at play which she found rather confusing. She winced, her head throbbed painfully at the strong sense of Deja Vu . Shaking her head, she looked up at a frowning Varcolac, who looked around and positively glowed of disapproval. The wind had picked up and was rushing through the clearing in angry swoops.

"It's time" Rodan spoke and stood. Rose trembled, her black curls flying all around her. She swallowed hard and watched as his lips moved silently. She gasped as the ground beneath her began to pound softly at first but quickly increased in strength. The energy around the circle pulsed, the wall of yellow energy flames around the whole circle grew higher. She cried out but the wind stole the breath from her. Energy flowed from the ground and floated upwards making a circle around her body. The energy moved softly, unaffected by the wind and moved gently as if it was underwater instead. Her eyes widened as a stray flow of energy came at her piercing the spot right over her heart shooting bolts of electricity into her body. She screamed. The energy around her body surged and slammed upwards and solidified into a solid wall of yellow light.

Rain howled as he heard Stefani's scream, watched as the yellow energy brightened and he rushed to her but before he could even reach her a Vampire tackled him down. He growled, snapping his strong jaws at who ever had stopped him from his course.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 10



'We're in position' Noah's voice drifted through his mind and he sensed the glorifying sensation.

'Attack'

Cole stiffened as pain flooded his whole body, he fell to his knees, panting. He heard Stefani's screams and let out a piercing howl of his own. There was a pain right over his heart and he clutched at his chest.

Rodan stepped next to Varcolac. "Something isn't right." Varcolac frowned at Rodan's confused tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"The shift should have already begun."

Howls erupted from behind them as ten ravaging Wolves jumped from the trees. Warriors materialized before them, stopping them from reaching their masters. Neither one spoke, each had their own troubling thoughts as they gazed into the circle of light.

Rose let out another raspy scream as the energy seeped into her body and soul. It seemed to find every edge and erupt in fire. Her eyes widened, her gaze focused on the Moon right above her, tears fell down her cheeks. The energy pulsing into her chest didn't relent, it kept pushing. She sensed that it was looking for something but couldn't and she sobbed.

Cole looked down, positive that someone must have ripped out his heart but instead there was a faint yellow light emanating from his chest. He shut his eyes and roared in pain. In his mind he sensed the light that was her essence which grew larger and larger until everything in his mind was blinded by light. He held on as he felt her essence being ripped out of him. He held on.

He sensed her, through the pain he got a wisp of her essence and he choked. The agony and pain he glimpsed within her would have brought him to his knees if he hadn't already been on the ground. Guilt washed over him, it was the bonding that the yellow light in his chest searched for. The part of him that had been a warrior rebelled against the idea of releasing her animal. It was his duty to protect her and this world but as he groaned into the ground, her tinkering laughter filled his memories and he shouted her name. His hold on her essence slipped from his grasp and he fell into a pit of darkness as his body slumped down to the ground.

The show of light before them was mesmerizing, the wolves tried not to be distracted as they continued their attack. They all heard her screams and even the Vampires weren't completely unaffected, which gave them the perfect advantage. The Beta Team that had emerged from the back had encased the fight, now the Wolves were all around, pinning the Vampires closer together. The Alphas howled while releasing a series of combined attacks with their abilities.

Rose screamed as the energy brightened in to a deep silvery white. Her chest jolted forward as the energy changed and started filling her.

In her mind one voice spoke but there were thousands of voices intermingled with that voice. "We grant you passage, daughter of the Moon."

She opened her eyes as her body began to glow a soft white. Her mind zipped rapidly along the swirling energy current, unable to catch a coherent thought. Then came the disorienting, tumbling sensation like falling head over heels again and again. Around her sounded a million voices trying to pass along messages but she couldn't comprehend them. Confusion took her over. Images flashed like shocking spots of light, creating a surreal strobe effect. Her human consciousness combated aggressively for dominance against several days of tormenting vampire awareness.

As she flew through the current of energy in a vague, floating, almost disinterested way she realized that Varcolac had lied. Her name was Stefani. Wave after wave of battling images washed over and through her, threatening to drown her. It felt like the Rogues stood behind her in waves pushing her to forget who she was and become who they wanted. But this was about what she wanted. She couldn't give up.

Eventually, the sense of attack eased. The brutal haze surrounding her mind began to clear slightly. She struggled to the point of mental exhaustion against the wealth of images and information that flowed through her. It was too much at once yet she sensed she was winning. So she began to feel more stable, focusing on categorizing the information flooding in. She felt herself merge completely with the identity she had forgotten, she realized she had been victorious.

What she thought felt like hours had been minutes, while the fight went steady around her.

The silver energy around her settled on her body. Vibrating every molecule to the point where she thought she would burst. Pain flooded her body with a final scream her bones began to shift and her mind tumbled into an empty space and she felt something push forward to the front of her mind. The light around the circle exploded sending all the Vampires back, while the Wolves accepted the wave of energy with glee.

Varcolac and Rodan stepped forward, their eyes trained on the figure in the center of the circle in shock. Silence fell through the clearing, all eyes on her.

Stefani opened her eyes and noticed the difference in her vision, everything seemed clear and although her body was sore it didn't burn with pain. She struggled to get up but something felt odd, looking down at herself she saw two white paws digging softly into the dirt. She yelped, jumping backwards a bit, tumbling over her own tail which she suddenly became aware of. She looked around confused, a sense of dread washed over her as her eyes landed on a pair of green eyes and red eyes. She stepped back whimpering as best as a wolf could.

Rain watched transfixed as he watched her stumbled through her first shift. He saw the confusion in her body language and his wolf panted, happy to finally see his mate. She had white fur that eased in the wind. She was also small, probably half the size that he was. A teenage wolf would be bigger, he rationalized, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but getting to her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the limp form of Cole on the ground, unconscious. The huge black wolf shook off his fur as he walked forward.

Growling and howls erupted through the clearing, Stefani watched the vampire before her yell something and hiss angrily while stepping towards her. Before he could reach her, Rain and three other huge wolves appeared in front of her, growling. He looked around and roared to the sky. Rodan, with his red eyes zoomed in on her with a frown, placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke lowly to V.

Stefani's eyes watched him as he took a second to consider what Rodan said before turning back to her. His eyes a deep red, she trembled in her wolf form.

'Be strong' the soft words floated through her mind and she let out a roar that rocked them back on their heels, her hackles rose. Varcolac hissed, flashing his fangs.

"I'll see you later, Rose" He growled and gripping Rodan's arm, they were gone. The vampires in the clearing followed. Howls of victory erupted around her and she let out a heavy pant and dropped to the ground. Bright silver light flashed and she was left naked curled on the ground.

Rain turned back as the silver flash caught his attention, small growls erupting from his muzzle as he approached. His golden eyes took every inch of her skin and let out a whine. He shifted.

Stefani was laying on her side, hunched towards the ground. Rain fell to his knees before her, his hands trembling as they reached for her. He wanted to touch her but at the same time he didn't. Her body was covered with black, blue and green bruises. There were dark coloring marks over her back and by her ribs was another set of marks. Her wrists and ankles were burnt from restraints. Her black curls covered most of her upper body. There were scratch marks over her the plump curve of her ass and strange prints of rope around her arms, torso and legs. He swallowed down the disgust and anger towards the Vampires, he roared. Wind gathered around them and he sensed his warriors whine in submission sensing his anger, they moved back slowly.

The Alphas and Elders approached and gasped at the extensive damage to her body, then all let out a soft whine.

Hale approached slowly, not wanting to startle the O'Faolain and he sent out a thought but Rain ignored him. Hale swallowed down his Alpha instincts to hunt down every Vampire in existence and behead them as he took in the damages to her body.

Rain inched closer, dipping his hands under her and lifting her into his arms. He looked down at her exposed front and let out a deep growl. There was a wide slash mark running from her left breast down across her tummy to her hip which was bleeding. He saw the small cuts along her face and body, probably from the woods. As he positioned her better and her head fell lifelessly to his chest, his eyes zoomed in. There were puncture wounds along the column of her neck and the opposite shoulder. He trembled with a fury he didn't know could posses.

"Gather our injured. Everyone back to the compound. She needs a healer.' Rain walked forward, numb. Around him, his warriors did as he commanded. The Alphas and Elders headed back to the compound, except the Mactire's, they hovered over their fallen Son as three warriors picked him up. His mate had returned but in the back of his mind he knew something was very wrong.

********



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 11



Hello Everyone,

This chapter is a little slow, just letting everyone know. There are new characters introduced and yes they have character development possibly in the future. :)

I hope you guys enjoy it. Like I said it's a slow one.

Wanted to thank my editors for being so supportive and helping me get through yet another chapter. :)

Dudewithapen2- You've been wonderful through this editing process.

Metalarmada- Hope you feel better. He's been banged up a bit so I hope his meds are working.

Thanks for all the comments (all constructive criticism)

And thank you to all of my readers. I think one of the most important aspects of this whole experience is the fact that it could go anywhere at any point it time. It's like our own personal roller coaster in which we all wait patiently for the next loop. You guys, the readers, are the ones that encourage me to keep coming back. To push past everything said and done and keep writing. I write for myself but I dream for you and I just want to share that dream with you. So have a faith. I can't stop or force anyone to stay and read something they don't enjoy. In fact, I say you should go find something that moves you and makes you happy.

I"m just send ch.12 to my editors so I'll have to wait and see when they'll get it back to me. I'm also starting on ch.13. I swear, I can't even sleep anymore so anxious to reach the end. I'm sooooooo excited hahahaha but I got wait like the rest of you too.

Well I want to wish everyone an amazing week.

Don't forget to leave me a comment bellow. I love all kinds of feedback. ^.^

*********************************

One of the largest entertaining rooms had been turned into a huge infirmary station while warriors poured in carrying the wounded. Hale Mactire approached Rain, who leaned heavily against one of the walls by the doors. He watched the alpha's troubled gaze, it was the first time Hale has seen Rain show this level of emotion.

"Did you see her body?" His voice was cold and detached. Hale frowned. He remembered Stefani's abused body clearly, making his wolf growl dangerously.

"She is safe now. We need to focus on that."

Rain took a glance at the Mactire alpha and let out a sigh. He let a moment of silence build for a couple of minutes while he inspected the healing on his warriors.

"Inform the council that I've called for the priestess of the local witch coven to help in the protection of the compound, as well as reading her memories. I've also contacted an elder vampire friend of mine, so we can discuss the situation. Hale, I don't think-" Rain's comment went unsaid as a small elderly omega called out his name in distress. He straightened and met her half way.

"It's the girl, my Alpha. Please, you must come. They refuse to be separated. Hurry Please!" She almost fell to her knees had Rain not reached out to steadied her, with a nod both he and Hale followed.

Stefani and Cole had been placed in the same rooms in a separate wing while most of the healers dealt with the inflow of injured, only two had stayed behind. As they were moving Cole out of the joint room they had both began to thrash in pain, making it impossible to move either of them.

As Rain and Hale walked into the large medical room, he noticed Stefani laying on a bed in one corner while Cole laid in the opposite corner. Both seemed to be reacting almost in tune with the other's pain. Cole's parents stood around him, several betas had to pin him down to the bed, his body coming in and out of shifts.

Rain focused on Stefani as her body writhed. Inhuman noises-the sounds of the tortured-came from the throat. Her fingers and heels dug into the mattress beneath her and the several omegas around her tried restraining her body. Tears spilled from her closed eyes. Rain walked toward her on autopilot, unsure of what he was doing. The omegas parted, letting him closer to her. His hands touched her skin and she mumbled in confusion but calmed down noticeably. In the same moment Cole had also calmed for that moment.

Rain brushed a hand over her bruised damp cheek and leaned down placing his lips on her forehead. She sobbed his name and it shattered him. Something inside him seem to break at her condition. Every one of her screams ripped through him. Surprising him with the level of intensity he felt for her. She clawed and fought, but he simply pressed his hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving.

He ordered the omegas to leave him to his privacy and settled for running his hands over her scarred body gently, mumbling soft words to calm her. It took several minutes for her thrashing to cease. In the end, her body gave out and she rested. Rain looked down upon her, taking a moment to notice the darkness of her hair. It wasn't the only changes to her body. She was thinner and leaner even underneath the pile of bruises he could tell. He let out a sigh and settled himself on a chair next to her bed.

"The fevers are starting my alpha. We can take it from here." His brown haired pack healer, Carol, informed him as she brought over a table with a large basin and several pieces of cloth.

"Give that to me." Rain picked up a small cloth dipped it into the ice cold water and soothingly placed on it her quickly heating forehead. He didn't notice the curious glances his healers gave him but he noticed Stefani's body jerking from the cold. It was going to be a long night.

For the next couple of hours Stefani slept. When she opened her eyes, her brain felt thick. Feverish. She couldn't hold onto a solid thought. She saw a familiar figure with brown eyes gazing upon her. A dark expression crossed his features as he brushed a hand over her cheek. Wherever it was she was lying. Before she could speak, the man put something cold and wet against her forehead and she wanted to protest, but it was surprisingly soothing. Her tongue didn't want to cooperate and the fire in her chest was muted but present. Then she closed her eyes in attempt to clear her vision with a slow blink because she started seeing two of him.

All around her, she sensed an unimaginable amount of voices speaking from different directions. She couldn't hide as they screamed at her. She couldn't sense her body and yet she felt pain, as if her entire essence radiated agony. A sharp tug at her chest had her unconscious mind concerned.

When she reopened her eyes, the man was clearer. Rain. He looked as handsome as she recalled in her fuzzy memories. Even in her foggy state and though she didn't know him well, she recognized the lines of worry on his face. He held a cup with water for her and propped her up enough that she could sip. The liquid felt like a miracle against her dry throat and yet it didn't quench the thirst she felt. Tears filled her eyes for a second and she closed her eyes to bring the flashes of images into focus. This time when she opened them, Rain was wearing a different shirt and he looked like he'd just stepped out of the shower. Her brain finally clued in that she was blacking out rather than blinking, it was the best she could do as her thoughts scattered.

The voices were relentless but over time they became more like an addictive melody, beckoning her from the dark, a siren's call. She whimpered. Through the masses of voices she felt the muted presence of Cole's energy in her body like a ghost. She sensed his suffering and through her foggy mind she somehow understood the cause. She had to get to him. She was the only one that could help but the voices were relentless and there were so many pouring freely into her, it felt like she would drown.

Stefani slowly lifted her eyes open and saw raw emotion flash though Rain's eyes. She wished the fog in her brain would clear so she could ask him what was wrong. She looked beside her. She was in some kind of hospital, on a bed. Her vision grew more indistinct when she tried to see beyond the bed. There were only a few splashes of color around the room. Were those people? But then Rain held a glass of water to her lips and assisted her in drinking it, and she suddenly didn't care. He laid her back against the pillow, her mind cleared for a moment. "Have to help Cole," she whispered.

He frowned. She tried to say more, but her eyelids felt like weights and she once again faded.

This time, she dreamed.

She stood at the edge of a cliff, fog and darkness filled everything in sight. The wind teased at her hair, causing the wild locks to fly around her. From the shadows Varcolac and Rodan stepped forward, smiles on their faces.

"We have won." They whispered. She wanted to run but there was no where to go. In the distance behind them she heard the siren like voices, calling out to her and it dawned on her that a strong part of her was drawn to them. She screamed.

"You must answer the call, Rose or you will die. You must open the gate." Voices flew around her. She fell to her knees, sobbing. Her lips parted and she felt her fangs lengthen in her mouth, she cried harder. She looked up as a loud growl filled the darkness. It was a small white wolf that seemed to glow in the dark. It stood facing the rogues, growling with it's hackles raised. The rogues laughed and the wolf howled to the darkened skies. Thunder rumbled and a moment later lightning fell from the sky at the rogues.

"The pain will never end unless you open the gate," they whispered. Stefani screamed. Strike after strike of lightning fell, making the rogues retreat. The wolf turned to face her. She saw it's deadly red eyes staring back at her, it's front canines longer than the average wolves, appearing more like fangs. Suddenly it was jumping at her. Stefani stumbled back and fell over the cliff into a sea of darkness. Her scream died in her throat as she jolted upward on the bed. Stefani panted hard. She felt a bit more coherent and took a moment to noticed the huge weight on her chest that strangely hadn't been there before.

There was only a dim light on in the room against the high ceiling. Slowly she lifted her head, she was thankful for the small amount of light even as she struggled to get past the stinging in her eyes. Now she could focus on the entire room. She noticed Cole laying on the opposite side of the room, hooked up to machines.

Looking down at herself for a moment she noticed she was covered only with a sheet. She noticed the burns, the scars, and the bruises along her body and bit her lip from crying out. For a while, she simply sat and stared off into the room. Blurry memories from her mental nebulousness slowly filtered back to her. But looking around she didn't see sign of Rain anywhere and part of her wonder if it had been a hallucination caused by the after affects of the drug.

The exact circumstances that had led her to this bed weren't clear but she knew her body was recovering. There was an icy fear that followed that thought.

Someone had left a glass of water on the bedside table an arm's reach away from her. She carefully lifted the glass to her lips, finishing every drop and yet her thirst was still strong. When she set it back down her hand shook. She was obviously still weak or maybe it was fear?

She heard the soft beeps in the room, noticing that one set of beeps were hers and the other were Cole's. She noticed that his heart beat was unsteady and weak. She swallowed hard. The omega male in the room, still hadn't noticed she was awake as he kept looking over charts.

She heard the doors open and several people entered but she couldn't tell who it was because there was a sheet curtain that blocked her view of the door.

Faust and Audrina Mactire stepped around their son's bed quietly, both had unshed tears in their eyes as they saw his fragile state. They knew his heart was beating slower than it should be. Hale followed soon after, taking a moment to look over his brothers bare chest and back up to his face. He had just met his brother and now there was a strong possibility of loosing him, the idea unsettled him greatly. An eerie silence fell across the room.

"I need to help him." Stefani voice was a raspy whisper as her throat burned. She knew she had startled the Mactire's because they all stiffened in unison. Her eyes were glued to Cole's form.

Hale turned first taking a glance at Stefani. She clutched the sheet to her chest like a shield and her eyes were glued to his brother's lying form. He gasped as he took a moment to look at her lowered eyes. They were red. Deep pools of hell fire red. He swallowed hard. His alpha mind moving swiftly through the meaning of that. She looked up at him for a moment, saw the disgust in his eyes and averted her eyes quickly. As his parents turned around, they had the same reaction.

Stefani's heart constricted painfully. She recalled the soft tempered alpha and the few moments they had spent before she was taken. She guess that her eyes must have been blazing red due to her hunger but she refused to acknowledge anything else until she helped Cole. The Mactire's were frozen to the ground, unable to make a coherent phrase. She let out a breathless sigh and began to shift, taking off the ends of the cables on her chest. Her legs shook as her feet touched the cold floor and she wrapped the sheet securely around her body to hide her nakedness. She ignored the sting of the material against her skin.

Her body felt like a noodle she thought while she wobble by the bed a couple times before walking slowly to Cole's bed. Tears filled her eyes as she saw Faust step in front of her before she could reach his son.

"It would be best if you stayed away from my son." His voice was clipped and hard. His brown eyes were blazing in fury.

"I'm the only one who can help him." She coughed from the ache in her throat. Audrina stepped forward to stand beside her mate.

Stefani saw their resentment. They though this was her fault, sadly she didn't blame them. "We don't have time for this. Let me help him!" She looked up at him, imploring him with everything she had. Her eyes stung as moisture filled them.

"Mother. Father. Step aside." Hale ordered quietly. His gaze never leaving her. He saw the pain behind her red eyes. He knew that she sensed their reactions and felt shamed for it. His parents growled softly, their eyes flashing gold. She stepped closer to Cole's bed. She almost broke down while her gaze took in his abnormally pale complexion, the sweat breaking out over his skin, and the lines of pain and worry over his face. She placed a hand on his cheek.

"There is no sign of injury but he still won't react to any of our healers. He's been in a coma for two days." The male in the room spoke up, while glancing at the charts. He send out a quick message to a beta, letting them know she was awake. She nodded.

"It's his soul." She whispered. The people in the room frowned. She didn't understand it herself, but she knew that somehow the connection that she and Cole had shared was gone but something had been left behind, a bit of essence within her that belonged to Cole. She knew she had to give it back. Stefani also sensed that foreign element in him. Something the rogues had done to him that had changed his biology slightly. He needed something only she could provide. She shifted closer.

"I tried to be strong, Cole." She whispered numbly as she began to crawl up on the bed, moaning softly at the pain it caused. Her body trembled in shock as she felt the contact of his body. Horrible blurry images flashing through her mind. She felt his parents move to stop her but Hale held them off. They growled.

She straddled his lap, keeping the bed sheet around herself. She placed a hand over his heart where she felt a shock of energy. "Cole, you have to wake up. Please. Don't leave me alone with these people. Cole come back." Tears poured down her cheeks. She felt a shift in her upper gums and cried harder. Bringing her wrist to her lips, she slid a sharp fang through the skin. Small rivers of red slid down over her skin onto the white sheets. The wolves around her growled. The fire in her chest ignited with a fury while pain rolled through her in waves.

"What are you doing?" Audrina asked shocked at the metallic sting in the air. Stefani shook her head and moved forward before anyone could stop her, she placed her bleeding wrist to Cole's mouth. She felt his lips part.

"My life is yours to take, Cole. I free you." She sobbed while opening her mind and through their skin to skin connection she pushed the small essence she had of him into his body.

She sensed someone shift behind her but she pressed her wrist tighter to his lips and prayed that her blood was making itself into his system. Faust and the omega had to hold back his mate in her wolf form as she shook trying to get at the whimpering girl on top of her son. Hale shouted for her to stop but Stefani didn't listen. She felt his hard grip over her arm yanking her back but before she could go far, Cole's eyes blaze open with a confused fury and gripped her wrist tighter to his mouth. At that exact moment, his heart beat spiked several minutes later it settled normally.

Hale gaped at his brother who sucked greedily from Stefani's wrist. The scent of blood was thick in the air and he mentally shouted for Rain to come. He stared dumbfounded as Stefani trembled almost violently as if the skin to skin contact was more agonizing than the cut itself. He noted that Cole's eyes were focused on her wrist as if nothing else existed. Stefani placed a hand on his head, patting him lightly. He saw the blood rush from her face and the unsettling noises of his brother drinking her blood filled the room. Faust Mactire was now looking just as shocked as he felt. He sensed Rain closer and shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

Her world began to dim rapidly and within seconds she was falling over him. Her head on his shoulder, her hair tumbling around both of them. Through her hazy vision she saw a shadow enter the room, a pair of beautiful golden eyes blazed through her darkened vision. Relief was the last thing she felt as she tumbled into a dark abyss.

Rain growled as he saw Stefani curled on top of Cole. He stomped closer, rage leaving him in waves. It took him a second to realize what was happening and he roared in fury. Cole had Stefani's bleeding wrist pressed tightly to his mouth as he sucked greedily. He saw her unconscious, pale abused body and yanked her up and out of his bed in seconds. Hale had to pin down his brother as he began moving to drag Stefani back to him. He could see the fogginess in his eyes. As if he acted out of instinct rather than choice.

His brothers mouth and chin were covered in blood. Cole laid back and closed his eyes and let sleep take him. When his breath evened out his mother shifted back and ran over to him. Sobbing loudly.

Rain held Stefani almost tenderly as he brought her back to bed. Figured the moment he leaves her side, she'd get herself into trouble. He cursed. It was worse than he originally thought. Thankfully, his vampire friend would be arriving in the morning and might have a better idea on how to deal with this. He looked back at Cole, a lot of things making sense now. He shuddered.

"Little fool." He whispered hotly against her ear and set her down, gently. She turned, leaning towards his voice. He smiled. The omega healer came over, checked her pulse and wrapped up her bleeding wrist. He brushed her hair away from her face and placed a cool towel on her head. Shaking his head at his own actions, his fist clenched.

"Hale." Rain called out to him, they needed to talk.

******

The Mactire elders requested Cole to be placed in a separate room, which Rain respected. He could scent their fear and their resentment. He also had Stefani moved to a more secure location. Leaving her in one of the infirmary quarters that locked from the outside for protection. Everyone in the Grand Hall was rushing with a job to do. The injured were healing up fast and on the way to rehabilitate. All foreign Alphas and Elders had their own pack duties to deal with so they pretty much stayed out of sight but within pack lands.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 11



He let out a heavy sigh. Stuck in the huge office at the Grand Hall, he found himself wanting to be back in his cozy office back in the compound. Two days had passed and the witches and the vampire elder were schedule to arrive later in the day and one of his omegas had informed him that Stefani had awaken last night. He hadn't stopped to check on her due to the overwhelming stacks of paperwork he had to take care of.

But If he was being honest, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing Stefani right now. It made his wolf furious to be away from his mate but Rain held the beast back. Rain let out a sigh. It was best to just give her space for the moment. To give himself time to come to terms with the foreign emotions that battered him.

Cole had yet to awaken, but the pack healers were positive that he was just resting now. Stefani on the other hand was proving difficult. She wouldn't sleep, eat or accept anyones touch, not that anyone neared the black haired beauty. Rain knew he needed to see her but the man he'd always been relented. He couldn't.

****

Stefani sat curled up against the wall on her bed, lost in thought. Her eyes glued to the opposite side of the room. Her black hair was chaotic but she felt clearer than she'd felt in a long time even if most of her memories were vague and blurry. She had no concept of time and she couldn't tell what time of day it was since there were no windows, she was thankful for that. Her eyes were too sensitive for any kind of light. Her eyes drifted down to the broken lamp scattered around the floor and her mind drifted again.

The first thing she had noticed when she woke up yesterday night was the blinding light that made her hiss in pain, there was a small explosion and darkness purged the room. She was numb when the nurses entered the room and offered her something to eat, she refused after noticing their flinching. She averted her eyes immediately, asking them to leave. They had left a pair of sweats for her to wear and although the texture made her cry out every time she moved, being naked hurt almost as much. She couldn't stand the sight of her bruised body.

Stefani let out a small breath, bringing her arms around herself. Closing her eyes, she pushed past the wave of pain that battered her senses and focused on the foreign swirling energy inside her as well as the odd shifting she felt. In her mind, she felt a foreign essence that baffled her, especially when it pushed at her mind like a tangible force, startling her. She shut her eyes and pushed back forcing the essence to retreat. She leaned back heavily on the wall thankful that her wounds weren't raw pain anymore but had healed enough to just be sensitive.

She felt so lonely. Cole was probably still asleep, needing more time to recover than she did apparently. She wondered if he'd still want to see her after everything that had happened. Hale hadn't stopped by either and she remembered the horror in his face when their eyes met, she didn't think she could bare that at the moment. Rain also hadn't stopped by once. She smiled sadly.

"Better that they stay away. Safer." She whispered to herself, recognizing the dangerous burning in her chest. She knew she had to feed, it was the never ending waves of pain that reminded her of the monster she was.

"What did they do to me?" Her broken whisper ended in a sob. In the back of her mind she felt the voices like a lullaby calling out to her. She also recognized her reaction, her body hummed in acceptance, reacting to the call. She didn't understand why this was happening to her. She felt like only moments ago she had been a normal young adult with everyday problems, a job and the belief that there was nothing under her bed at night. This nightmare had her world turned upside down and off an axis. Everything she had once believed in and lived for had been viciously yanked from under her in the blink of an eye.

There was a hesitant knock at the door that snapped her out of her trance. She wiped off her tears and watch the door part slightly. She winced from the light.

"Stefani?" A soft feminine voice called to her. She didn't answer just waited patiently. As the small omega entered the dark room, Stefani's lip trembled.

"Emily?" Stefani whispered to herself and as the girl closed the door, she knew she had heard.

Emily gazed up the broken whisper and her heart melted. She noticed the broken lamp on the ground and bit her lip. She could see perfectly in the dark but it left her unsettled. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out two thick candles and walked closer to the huddled form of Stefani. She placed the candles on the bedside table and lit them on. The warm light emanating from the candles lit up the room only slightly but enough to settle Emily's nervousness. She took in the curled up shape of the young girl and let out a sigh while climbing onto the bed. Stefani pushed harder against the wall as if trying to get away.

"I'm not going to hurt you, my lady. I just wanted to see how you were doing." She stuttered softly, trying to make eye contact with Stefani who looked everywhere else but at her. Emily took a moment to openly look at her. Her once brown hair was now midnight black, her skin was a pearly white that seemed to glow and she looked thinner and leaner. Although she looked a bit too thin. Her bright red eyes were what captivated Emily the most. She was beautiful, even as beat up as she was. There was a trickle of fear as she recalled the rumors that spread wide across the compound and shook her head. Her wolf rumbled in her mind disagreeing with her decision to be here after all her Madam Alpha had advised them to stay away from Stefani. But the Madam Alpha hadn't forbidden them from entering the girls chamber, probably because the pack was too suspicious and afraid to even think of it. Emily on the other hand took full advantage of that loop hole.

Stefani pressed her lips tighter together in panic. The burning in her chest intensified as she got a whiff of Emily's scent. She took deep breaths to stabilize her erratic heart beat. "I've been better," was the only response she could give.

Emily smiled softly and sat indian style on the bed in front of her. "I brought you something." She reached inside the pocket of her dress and pulled out a little pudding cup with a plastic spoon. Stefani's red eyes followed her every movement.

"I remembered you said you liked banana pudding." Emily offered her a warm smile and offered it to her and watched as her red eyes filled with tears. Stefani shook her head.

Stefani immediately took notice of Emily's fallen expression. She swallowed hard and reached up to get the pudding cup, quickly setting it beside her on the table.

"Maybe, I can eat it later." Her voice was still raspy and weak and her vocals ached from the strain. She smiled weakly, the first real smile, she could recall having. Emily was the only person who'd approach her not with fear but with genuine care. She sensed her apprehension but felt no disgust like she did with the other omegas. She shuddered as Emily's scent hammered through her senses.

Emily smiled back. Her own eyes filling with tears.

"I was so worried, my lady. No one would tell me anything." Emily shuddered as a small tear ran down her cheek. Stefani was perplexed, her own aches and pain forgotten for a moment as she watched the small werewolf cry for her leaving her baffled. She fought the tears back reaching out to place a shaky hand on the omegas cheek. She had to brutally forced herself to ignore the overwhelming hunger that erupted inside her from that small touch.

"I'm sorry I worried you. I'm alright now." Stefani whispered the lie and offered her the biggest smile she could force. Emily nodded and laughed softly. Stefani smiled and thought back. Even before this whole nightmare began, Stefani didn't have many friends, it was odd to find someone who genuinely cared for her among the people who had looked at her with revulsion. It touched her heart deeply.

"Are you going to get in trouble for being here?" Stefani asked while going back to wrapping her arms around her chest, making sure to pull up the covers with her. It gave her a fall sense of protection as if the sheet could protect Emily from her growing hunger.

"I don't think anyone saw me come in. So It should be fine. I over heard the other omegas talking. They say that you're not eating or sleeping and it worried me." Emily spoke softly and hesitated towards the end. Stefani nodded but sensed that the omegas were saying much more than that but chose to ignore it.

"Are you healing well, my lady? Is there anything you need?" Emily sat patiently, watching the young girl in front of her. She saw the weariness in her face and the lines of pain along her eyes. She was so pale and shaky. Emily couldn't have known how their close proximity was the main cause for those signs.

Stefani swallowed hard, her body trembling. In her mind a pair of red and blue eyes floated by making her voice shaky. "I'm fine but Emily...You have to leave now and please don't come back."

Emily was confused. Shaking her head she didn't know where this was coming from.

"It's not safe to be around me, Emily." Stefani cleared her burning throat, seeing the tears in the little omegas warm yellow eyes made her sick to her stomach. Emily nodded and averted her eyes. Stefani was going to speak when the door opened, startling them both. Emily's eyes widened and looked back fearfully.

Stefani swallowed and pressed herself tighter to the wall. They watched as Hale Mactire stepped in. Emily looked back at Stefani and moved off the bed. Nodding her head at the alpha, she quickly left the room.

Stefani stared of into the direction that Emily left for a moment before looking down at her knees.

Hale closed the door after the omega left, he was curious to see her nearness to Stefani without any fear. He moved closer into the dark candle lit room, looked down at the remains of a lamp and pressed his lips together. Placing the small tray of food he had brought on the table beside her, he sat at the edge of the bed.

She remained stubbornly quiet, avoiding his gaze at all cost. He let out a breath.

"Cole's doing much better. He's resting but the healers think that he'll be waking up soon." Hale's voice was soft and he hoped to get a reaction but she just stared at her pulled up knees. He took several minutes watching her.

"Can you please stop staring at me?" Her voice was rough and shaky. It made his gut tighten and his wolf growled displeased. He ran his hands through his hair frustrated making her flinch. He pondered on that. Her body reacted as if he had meant to strike her. He felt his anger rising.

"Will you look at me?" He asked her. She hesitated but took a deep breath, swallowing hard as his scent greeter her like a punch to the gut. Slowly she lifted her chin, she looked at his perfectly tailored business shirt, his hair was loose and partially on one shoulder. Finally her eyes landed on his hazel silver rimmed eyes and she fought hard against the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Hale gazed into her red eyes, which were unsettling but he'd gotten over his initial horror. Half of her face was covered in bruises, lines of pain creased her face, she was pale as a ghost with bags under her eyes and yet she still looked breathtakingly beautiful.

"What do you want?" Stefani's voice was cold as she regarded him apprehensively and he swallowed.

"The council needs to know what happened to you."

For a moment, her eyes glazed over as if memories assaulted her and she couldn't help but watch. When she glanced back at him, she looked down again trying to hide the tears from him.

"I get images here and there but nothing that could prove useful to you. So please. I want to be alone." She let her head drop against the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. Ignoring his presence. She couldn't bring herself to speak anymore, couldn't let the nightmare become real by talking about it. Most importantly, the more she spoke the more of his scent got inside her. The pangs of hunger beat at her relentlessly and she fought to keep herself in check.

"Stefani, I don't usually make requests. I know it must be hard but It's critical that you tell us what you know. If you can't tell me, we're going to have to do find another way to do this! Stefani. Please." Hale was frustrated. She didn't reply simply stared at her knees in silence, her body trembled. Every alpha instinct within him wanted to shake her for answers but he saw the pain in her face. The haunted look in her eyes that spoke more than anything she'd said and a part of him didn't want to know anything at all. He let out a breath.

"I brought you a warm broth." Hale's gut clenched painfully. He'd heard that she was refusing food and he knew that for her healing to speed up she had to build up her strength. There was a little voice in his head that told him he was missing something big but he pushed the thought aside. She didn't even acknowledged his offering. They sat in silence for a while, until she laid down and curled up under the covers, gazing at the candles.

"Please leave." Hale hesitated before standing slowly and walking out without a word. They'd have to resort to plan B.

Stefani was curled up on her side, watching the dim light of the candle. Every time she closed her eyes she saw things she didn't want to remember. She still felt his hands over her body, heard his laughter and remembered the pain. She clenched her thighs together. Her mind drifted further, she heard their cries and the memory of blood running down her throat made her tremble. Even now as grief racked her, her body craved that sweet substance it needed to survive. She cried harder. She wasn't going to drink blood ever again, even if it killed her.

******

Several hours later.

Duncan approach his alpha carefully. Rain had been on edge over the past three days making it insufferable to be around him. Even though he'd spend most of his time by the young girls side, his betas got the brunt of his frustration.

"I don't think I've been that insufferable, my friend." Rain gave a humorless laugh as he motioned his beta to come forward.

Duncan smiled and spoke gently. "My Alpha, the witches have arrived. Noah is waiting with them in the main hall and the vampire elder you spoke of has entered pack lands and is making his way here."

Rain nodded briefly, standing up to his full height and rolling his shoulders from their stiff position.

"Let us go welcome our guests, shall we Beta?" Duncan's brown eyes lightened.

"Of course, my Alpha."

They walked swiftly through the halls of the grand hall, talking about the arrangements to be made at the compound that Duncan was overseeing. His alpha was pleased that things were running smoothly. As they reached the front hall and came down the grand staircase, both men found themselves smiling. The witches were a sight to behold.

The high priestess of the local witch coven was beautiful. Lithinia stood at 5"7 with a thin athletic build and adorable dimples. Her eyes were jet black and it fit nicely against her light brown skin. Her long black hair was braided back with gold gems embedded into the coils. Around her neck was a flexible hoop made out of hammered gold. The hoop scooped down to just below the start of her breastbone. Her gown extended from the edges of that gold hoop and was composed of a black silk fabric that covered her from the middle of her breastbone to pool beneath her feet. The top back of the garment a thin strap of the same material that crossed beneath her shoulder blades to connect it on either side. Below that the grown scooped to her lower back. Black and Gold sandals covered her feet, the thin straps starting from her ankles and wrapped around legs to just a couple of inches below the knee, although you could only see the tips of her shoes over the edge of her dress. At only thirty years of age beauty and power radiated off her in impressive waves.

There were also two figures standing at her sides, her sisters and most trusted advisors.

Syfien, who was around twenty-five years old, stood at 5'6 with a hand on her hip. Her hair was a dark brown and was styled in short curls, grazing the top of her neck. Her light brown skin and light brown eyes were a startling combination. She had six piercings along one ear and a nose ring that flashed in the light. She was covered in a flowing gown of gray that covered only her left shoulder in a thin strap of material caught by a jeweled clasp, leaving the other shoulder bare. The gown covered her all the way to the tops of her feet but curved flattering around the borders. She wore black sandals that also strapped around the ankles to the knees.

Ostara the youngest, at twenty years old, stood at 5'7 with her arms crossed, a small frown on her face. She wore the same gown as Syfien but her sandals were gold. Her hair was a light brown and her skin was darker in comparison to her sisters. There were tribal dark tattoos that started at the inner corner of her right palm by the thumb and curled upwards in a mixture of vines and swirls to reach the elbow.

All three witches looked as if they've stepped out of Pocahontas and into the current world. They made a wonderful tribal sight.

"I am glad you could come on such short notice, Priestess. It's always a pleasure to see you are well" Rain's voice boomed respectfully through the room. His eyes gazed into the pair of warm black eyes. The high priestess nodded solemnly. Noah stood by them and nodded to his alpha and was dismissed along with Duncan.

"Ladies. You are looking radiant as always." Rain flashed a smile at the other two witches, who blushed.

"We are always glad to help you, my lord. There is much work to get done and we would like to start as soon as possible. I would like to see the girl." Lithinia had no problem getting straight to the matter. He smiled softly at her bluntness and asked them to follow him.

"She has just recently awakened and we are giving her some time to herself. She has been through a lot. The council would appreciate if you began with the protection spells around the compound and the Grand hall, while we wait for Cole to awaken." Rain's voice was hard and he glanced down at the witch who was nodding.

"The council will gather for dinner and it is my hope that we will be able to introduce Stefani to you afterwards. You understand what I need?" Rain brought them up to the open inner court yard which was a huge rectangular open space that was used mostly for training. Its lush trees and grass glittered from the overcast in the sky. The hallway broke out around the court yard and it's columns seem to give the court yard a forgotten ruin type of look.

"Yes, my lord. My sisters and I will begin the protection spells right away and we'll meet you for dinner. Please inform everyone to stay away from this place while we work." Ostara and Syfien walked out into the open area and took in a deep breath, setting down their bags. Lithinia walked over to her sisters as Rain walked further away.

The three sisters who looked almost identical, made a circle and held out their hand to the other. Energy sparked through them as they connected their magic.

"Can you sense her pain, Lithinia." Syfien's delicate voice was a whisper in the wind. Ostara shrugged, her talents didn't lie in empathy. Lithinia looked up at the sky for a couple of seconds.

"I can sense her power, sister. It's as I feared. If we have any hope of winning against this evil, we must work fast." Her voice was layered with power, her black eyes emitting energy. A soft wind surrounded them.They closed their eyes and the chanting began. The ground beneath them pulsed.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 11



******

Rain walked hastily back up to his office but felt a pull towards the infirmary that had him walking in that direction subconsciously. The infirmary consisted of several complicated hallways of clinical rooms. It took him several minutes to reach it. He walked past the omegas rushing by him and as he reached his destination. He grabbed the doorknob and froze. His eyes glued to the door in panic. His wolf howled inside him, rumbling in approval to come closer to it's mate.

Inside, Stefani sat up startled. Her body vibrated with an unknown emotion. She held an arm around herself as she felt his presence behind the door. She didn't know how she knew that it was him but her heart seemed to lodge itself in her throat. She held her breath waiting for him to come in. She felt a shift inside her, that unfamiliar essence trying to push forward, she shut her eyes. When she reopened them it was because she knew he was gone. Her eyes watered, her shoulders fell.

Rain didn't know what he was doing. He'd stood in front of her door for minutes and something inside him had him stumbling backwards as if the doorknob had been hot coils. He shook his head and headed back to his office. He was loosing it.

*****

Cole felt like he was surfacing a deep dream. He struggled against the wave of exhaustion but finally managed to pull through and reach the surface of his mind. As he became aware, he also sensed the presence of his wolf. He gazed into a pair of golden set of eyes who were thrilled to be back. His joy reached no bounds as he hugged the essence of his wolf closer to his soul.

He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly to get rid of the sleep. There was a soft lamp light by the bed he was lying in. It was of the softest textures, his body just seemed to curl up into the material. He noticed that everything seemed to be working properly but there was this heavy weight on his chest and a lightness that followed. Contradicting sensations that set him in a wide range of chuckles.

His mind was lightly muffled but as a pair of familiar brown eyes entered his mind, he jolted upwards on his bed. Which caused the machine at his side to beep uncontrollably, sending a glare to the machine, he rubbed his hand over his face.

'Stefani'

The door slammed open and Audrina ran into the room scared to death that something had gone wrong but was happily startled by Cole, who was sitting up in bed looking as bewildered as she felt. She screamed happily and ran over to him and tackling his body back into the bed. She sensed her mate close on her tail and heard his disapproving chuckle.

"Mother" Cole whispered lovingly as his grip tightened on his mother after her surprising attack. He nuzzled her neck, trying to get her full scent. His heart almost imploded from joy. It'd been such a long time since he felt her like this and it didn't matter how many centuries old he was, he'd always be her baby. Faust watched happily although resentful that his mate was rubbing herself in another males scent but due to the circumstances he pushed his wolf back. He sat patiently in the chair by the bed and smiled warmly.

Audrina dotted on him and cried as she slapped him repeatedly for scaring her. That's how Hale found them. He smiled warmly.

"Glad to see you're awake, brother." Hale's voice was warm and as he looked down at his smiling brother, he felt a wave of tension flow into him. How was he going to react to Stefani? How were they going to explain what happened earlier? He rubbed his face frustrated and walked over to his father, who met his gaze and nodded in understanding.

After several minutes had passed of the warm family reunion. Cole was propped up against the bed with his mother by his side who kept patting his arm lovingly.

"Where's Stefani?" He drank full gulps of water as he spoke. Audrina tensed. Cole arched an eye brow in consideration.

"She's awake. Still resting. You'll get to see her after dinner tonight, If you are up for it?" Hale's tone was short and left no room for question. Cole felt icy prickle his spine. He heard the tension in Hale's voice. Looking around, no one in the room met his gaze.

"I want to see her now. Has something happened?" He asked, panic flaring in every instinct he had.

"Son, we can discuss this-" Cole interrupted his father by disagreeing. His mother stood up and held her hand to her mate.

"I have never been very patient. If you won't tell me, I'll go find her myself." His voice was defensive, he moved his body over the edge of the bed prepared to stand. Faust stood as well to stop him.

"You will see her later. That is final." She avoided his gaze and he smelled her fear but didn't understand why. His mind was still foggy.

"What did they do to you?" Hale's voice broke through the silence and Cole felt dread wash over him. He looked up at his brother, his own eyes filled with panic.

"I don't remember much." Cole cleared his throat, moving around the room, looking for clothes to wear. Finding a pair of sweats and a business shirt he let out a breath.

Audrina and Faust glanced at each other worriedly.

Hale took a moment to watch his brother apprehensively. "Dinner will be served soon. Get dressed and meet us at the dining hall." He spoke over his shoulder, sending a thought to his father to keep quiet for the moment.

Cole watched his brothers retreating body and chewed on his lip nervously.

"I'll find you some decent clothes for tonight, Cole" Audrina's voice was steady. Her green eyes gazed at him warmly but he saw fear behind that gaze. She grasped her mates hand and dragged him out of the room.

Cole sat on the edge of the bed. His mind drifting over the memories he'd force himself to forget. His mouth became dry and he swallowed hard, shaking his head. He couldn't let those memories overwhelm him again. Dropping his head, he gripped a fistful of hair, in his mind his wolf let out a piercing howl that left him shivering.

********

The dinning hall was big enough to host the Council and their guests. To one side there were plush sofas and a black grand piano. Glass windows from ceiling to floor lined that whole side while creamy champagne colored walls covered the rest. There was a huge rustic fire place behind the long table, it was the biggest source of light in the room, apart from the solitary candles scattered around. It had a rustic classic look to it. A glittering chandelier of three tiers hung from the high ceiling. The room hadn't been used since Rain's parents reign. It was made for royalty, which the council closely resembled.

Rain leaned heavily on the chair as his stuffed stomach begged for a break, his chair was at the end of the table while the fire place behind him crackled with heat. He patted his tummy affectionately, looking around the room he noticed all the males doing the same as their mates or family members reprimanded them. For a long moment, everything seemed normal. Cole sat to his right, the three witches sat to his left and Darius sat next to them. Hale sat next to Cole and Eanna and Lucian sat next to Darius and so on. The long table was filled with the left overs of their grand meal. He recalled the reaction most alphas had to the beautiful witches, he had almost choked on his food. The witches were witty and had a natural beauty to them. They weren't finished with the protection spell but they had laid down the basis for it. Apparently protection spells took more than an hour of hocus pocus. They would be staying with him for a couple days until it was complete.

It had taken a while to settle everyone down, so dessert could be handed out. He sensed the tension drift slowly back over the room. Especially when the double doors parted and three vampires strode in, escorted by his betas. He had brief doubts about housing wolves, vampires and witches under the same roof as Rain stood and met the vampires half way.

"You started dinner without us, wolf. Isn't that against proper etiquette." Raven Romanus's voice was like thunder as it boomed over the large room.

Rain grinned and reach forward as both men gripped each others forearms and offered the other a small bow.

"I did not think you would find our menu selection appetizing." Rain smiled and stepped back, gazing over the group.

Raven Romanus was an Elder vampire next in line to transition into the vampire council. He stood at six foot three with broad shoulders, packed with lean muscles and although he was only inches shorter that Rain, the way he held himself made him look feet taller. Of course that arrogance seemed to be a vampire trait. He had the oddest angelic appearance that always seemed to stun Rain. He had long bright blonde hair, porcelain white skin, gray blue eyes framed by thick blonde lashes. His facial structure was smooth, with narrow features and full lips. Even with the edges of a dark tattoo peaking out over the left side of his neck onto his jaw, he looked like an angel. Vampire beauty was one of their most noticeable features, none could compare to their mesmerizing looks. He wore a black business suit with a startling red tie. He looked the formidable CEO part dead on.

Behind him stood a man who looked to be a replica of the Elder with some minor differences. They shared the same body build, the younger man was only an inche shorter, probably six feet. His skin was the same creamy white tone but his bright blonde hair was cut short and styled in messy waves. His eyes were gunmetal gray and were framed by thick dark lashes. He wore black slacks with a messily tucked black business shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. He had an almost annoyed expression on his face that made Rain smirk. There was no doubt that this man was the Elder's blood.

It was the young woman who held onto the strange man's arm that drew in his gaze. Her short brown hair in a pixie cut with blood red tips reached her bare shoulders, which were an unusual golden tan complexion. Usually vampires had pale skin. She was short with the company she kept but she must easily could be 5"8 in stature. Her body was filled with luscious thin curves. Her brown eyes had gold flecks within their depth and they were filled with amusement at the reaction she caused. She seemed to have stepped out of Arabian Nights, wearing a gown of Fuchsia silk. The top of the gown was a strapless sweetheart neckline bodice that held her golden tanned breast that seemed to be seconds from spilling over. It was skin tight through the waist while the loose skirt of the dress had two slits that reached the hips, one to the outside of each leg allowing her long bronzed legs to be shown as she moved. There was a henna tattoo of a star on her right thigh. It was enough to be provocative but not trashy. The way she held her shoulders back spoke volumes of her upbringing. Only a pureblood vampire would be so comfortable wearing such a revealing gown to a wolf pack.

Rain's gaze lifted to his friend as he motioned them to join the others at the table.

"When you called, I had been tasked with watching over these two." Raven motioned to his company. The male grunted in annoyance and the female simply smiled as her companion held a chair out for her to sit.

"This bad mannered male is my youngest brother, Luciano. The beauty beside him is lady Katrina Morvant. Her parents have left her in my care for the time being and I've found that her abilities might prove useful."

The witches squirmed uncomfortably at the startling beauty of the vampires but mostly because witches and vampires didn't get along. In fact both species had an almost explosive hatred for the other. Lithinia's black eyes met the Elder's strange gray blue eyes and felt her face flush slightly. The smirk on his face was enough to have her balling her fists in anger. It was dam near impossible not to react to his deceptive beauty. Her sister, Ostara patted her thigh with amusement. Lithinia would have gagged from the humor radiating off her youngest sister.

Rain nodded solemnly, the reminder of why they were all here brought back to the front of his mind as he send a message for Noah to bring Stefani. He began his own introduction of the council and the witches.

Raven sat back and nodded to every wolf in the table as they were introduced. He had to force himself to give them eye contact, while his mind kept drifting back to the three witches seated by the alpha, one witch in particular. He'd sensed them the moment they had stepped into the room. It was hard not to.

He huffed in annoyance as Rain introduced the dark haired beauty- erm, witch as the priestess followed by the other two. He was seated at the other end of the table, opposed to Rain. He nodded to the witches in modesty but otherwise dismissed them all together. He sensed the younglings beside him shift uncomfortably. Minutes ticked by in silence.

"Seems like we are all on edge tonight, my friend." Raven's light tone seemed to take the brunt off whatever everyone was feeling but inside the Elder was a cross wire of thoughts. Rain had been brief and evasive, he'd invited vampires onto his land and he'd emphasized the need to keep this confidential, all of which could only be due to unpleasant news. This was bound to become a lot of work. The Elder rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. The scent of all the prey in the room didn't bother him but he knew the younger vampires beside him must be feeling it, even though they had taken precautions by feeding back in the car.

"It seems that we have a common enemy, a rogue named Varcolac. Perhaps you have heard of him?" It was the wolf elder Johnson who spoke. Raven tensed at vampire speed, which no one picked up on. He forced his face to remain unresponsive. Beside him Luciano and Katrina hissed under their breath, looking towards him for some kind of explanation.

"How can you be certain that it is him?" Raven's tone was no longer light but was lip tight. Rain leaned his head towards the witches.

"Our dear priestess might be able to link memories and portray them to us. In which case, you would be able to identify this....creature and give us usable information. I called you because I needed you to know the situation that I am sure your council is not unaware of but somehow is avoiding. We will not be so lenient with this rogue." His voice lowered to a growl, making the witches wince.

"Who's memories will you be linking?" Luciano finally spoke, his voice was a choir of a soothing melody that seemed to drag calmness into the room.

"If it really is Varcolac that you are dealing with, my best advice would be to back out quietly." Raven interrupted his brother while meeting the gaze of the O'Faolain Alpha.

"That is not an option."

Cole pushed his chair back and stood. Before anyone could speak, the double doors parted again. Raven noticed everyone's hard expression and turned to look at the arriving guest and found himself startled, which for an Elder was a hard task to accomplish. He heard his brothers intake of breath and even the unfazed Katrina stiffened. Cole moved but found Rain's hand gripping his forearm, Cole growled. Rain's gaze was honed in on her figure. He swallowed hard, his wolf pressed hard against the restraints that kept him back. The three witches rose and moved around the table. His mind wandered. Was this the right way to do things?

*********

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think. Where do you think this should go? What do you want to see happen? Who's your favorite character, why or why not?

I love any and all interactions with you guys. :)

Night. ****



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 12



Hi, 

(echo) 

To the people left:

I've struggled writing this chapter. Trying to take all of your comments into careful consideration as well as trying to still be me.

I hope I've found a middle ground.

This past sunday, my aunt passed away. It's been difficult but I tried to pour myself into my work. So It probably came out a little gloomy. 

I know there's a lot of things I have to work on, grammar, plot, structure etc. I also admit ch. 11 wasn't my best piece of work. :) Hopefully this chapter can make up for some of that. 

I won't give up. 

I feel like... I always let go before I even try hard enough to accomplish my goal, But I can't do that here. Not with this. So please, Don't let me go. Keep commenting, giving me your honest feedback, have a little faith. At the end of the day, It's all of you that give me the strength to keep attempting. 

It's a little sad, I guess that's my only warning. Everything else should be ok. 







Kissed by Lightning Ch. 12



"You don't feel her hunger the way I do, Luciano. The poor girl hasn't been fed properly since her turning. If she isn't stabilized, she'll cross. Your blood merely pulled her steps from the edge." His elder abilities allowed him to see her physical state clearly while she touched his markings. 

"Let me do it, Elder." Katrina spoke softly, her hands still moving over the girl's torso, which was heavily injured. He shook his head. 

"We need you for healing. You must retain your strength." He could already see the signs of weariness on her face. Katrina gave an obedient nod. 

"Alright, Little one. First lesson. How to feed while masking the pain." He saw the tension in her face. 

"When you pierce the skin, you must focus your energy into flooding my system with pleasure and doing it slowly. This way your donor will not sense pain. Take your time." For some reason this brought a fresh round of tears, confusing them. Her free hand weakly held his wrist up to her mouth, and she cried. She took a deep breath, her body urging her to take the sweet substance into her body, but emotionally she suffered. Her foggy memories were clearing, and she remembered Varcolac whispering that the faster it was done the less pain was caused. She shut her eyes and sunk her fangs into his wrist, making sure to pour her whole soul into erasing his pain. As blood flooded into her mouth, her taste buds seem to explode. She moaned. Fire rushed through her veins in electric jolts, but she didn't understand why his blood was affecting her so differently. She swallowed greedily, aiming to sate the fire within her.

Raven shut his eyes and hissed. His body trembled as she fed. Her inexperience was a huge reminder as warmth and pleasure rolled through him. He'd been without a woman for centuries, refusing the joy of a woman's body. When the girl had bit into him the floodgates of pleasure were yanked wide open, drowning him in a sea of orgasmic bliss. He struggled not to embarrass himself in front of all these people. 

"What's wrong?" Katrina's voice broke his deep thought. 

"She doesn't yet know how to control the emotions, and they're flooding into me." He spoke through gritted teeth. He felt his cock pulse in his slacks. The desire to cum was strong. He cursed loudly. Rain growled, and gripped a hand over the Elder's arm. Rain scented the Elder's arousal, and his wolf jumped up to the challenge with a fierce violence. Stefani was Rain's mate!

"She needs a bit more, Rain. Have everyone sit on the sofas." Raven hissed as he brought down his head to her forehead. Several minutes went by, and the wolves had parted and avoided them, while heading to sit on the sofas. They were surprised at the level of intimacy that feedings involved. More than several of them blushed and had to look away from the scene. Audrina put her hands on Cole and dragged him with them. 

Katrina was finished with the most vital injuries on Stefani's body. She quickly went to Luciano's side and placed one palm over his heart and the other hand over the wrist that Stefani had bit. He ran his hands over her hair as if the connection soothed his weakened state. She nuzzle his neck, forgetting for a moment where they were. 

Overlooking the overwhelming pleasure he was not prepared for, Raven sensed his power flowing into her freely, and he felt her dim body brighten back into vitality. He shut his eyes and urged her to open her eyes and stop. She would be of his blood now, carrying an Elder's power within her. 

Stefani's eyes opened lazily, she withdrew from him and kissed his wrist affectionately. She looked up at him shyly. He let out a hard breath and watched her red eyes fade into startling brown gold, even more mesmerizing than Katrina's. It was like watching blood drain into sunshine. Raven nodded his approval. Rain cleared his throat as Stefani fell back against his arms, her eyes closing. 

He looked up into Rain's concerned eyes. 

"Her body is rebooting. She will waken momentarily." Raven picked up the girl in his arms with all intent of taking her to the sofas to sit. His body was a bit weakened from her feeding, but his Elder blood was regenerated in moments. Rain blocked his path, however, reaching out to get the girl. Possessiveness was not a trait he recalled Rain having. Raven smirked and handed him the girl. She curled up in his arms, cooing softly at his warmth. 

Raven walked over to the lounge sofas and let himself drop next to his brother and Katrina, who he noted sat noticeably close to each other. He gazed into the group around them. Rain walked quietly to his seat and tucked Stefani by his side. He made sure to sit near enough to Cole, so when Cole reached over and took a hold of Stefani's limp hand, Rain smiled. He understood how much Cole needed to re-establish a connection with her. She was like his little sister. He also didn't want to explain to her why she was waking up on his lap, which is why he'd tucked her at his side. He felt heat creep up into his face at the knowing look that Johnson sent him. 

"You have no right to keep the vampire infant here." Raven decided to break the silence.

"We didn't know anything until we got her back three days ago, and she'd suffered fevers for the first twenty-four hours. Then I saw her eyes. They were a fiery set of red, and that's I had my suspicion but how was I to know." Rain let his hand rub over her arm. He remembered when she first broke through the fever and opened her eyes. The startling red had looked like firelight. Her beautiful eyes captivated him and even when it dawned on him that she might be half vampire, he felt no sense of horror. He just wanted to curl up beside her and protect her, the way he was doing now- more or less. 

"When we leave, she is to come with us." 

Cole growled, unwilling to believe that she was being taken away from him by bloody vampires again. Rain hissed in anger, tightened his grip over her arm. 

"She stays here. That is not negotiable." He spoke through his teeth. 

"Don't be ridiculous. She's a vampire, a completely different species! You certainly don't know the first thing about infant vampires. They are volatile, unstable and in need of constant feeding. Most times bottle blood is not enough to sate them, and I doubt your wolves are willing to offer themselves as a snack." Katrina was the one that spoke, anger ringing in her soft voice. How dare they speak to an Elder like that! She was outraged.

Raven watched Rain closely. His first concern was Rain's possessiveness over the little vampire. His second was that there was more to the story than they were telling.

"She will not make it through the week without proper guidance." Raven's statement made several people in the room stiffen. 

"That's why I had hoped you would stay with us to guide her through this, old friend." Rain let out a small sigh. He knew this aspect of her new biology wasn't something he could help with. 

Raven ran his hands through his messy hair. It didn't look like he had much choice. 

"What are you not telling us?" The suspicion in Raven's voice was clear. He glanced around noticing the absence of the witches, they must have departed to take care of their priestess. He forced himself to focus on the matter at hand and not on his misplaced concern for the witch that prickled the back of his mind. 

"A couple days ago, when we rescued her from the rogues, was her first shift." Rain spoke as his gaze clashed with the Elders. 

"What do you mean shift?" Luciano asked unsure of what they were talking about. His body was working hard to regenerate blood and with so much prey around, he sat uncomfortably. 

"As in shifted into a wolf." The silence that fell was uncomfortable while everyone in the room began to understand the meaning behind the recent events.

"It's impossible! Clearly she is a vampire!" Raven's outraged filled the silence. He looked desperately down at the young girl within the Alpha's embrace. 

"Her parents are wolves but she was raised human. She is currently the first hybrid in history." Cole swallowed hard, hating the fact that he could have had a part in this by bonding her wolf spirit. Of course, Rain didn't divulge that fact because the particular ability was a well-kept secrets among the wolves. 

"This is outrageous!" Katrina exclaimed, baffled.

"Impossible," Luciano hissed.

Rain let out a tired breath and began telling them the story from the beginning. 

*******

Varcolac paced his quarters. His hands balled into fist, his fangs extended and throbbing. He gazed at the chains that dangled from the ceiling and hissed angrily. He couldn't believe they had taken his Rose. He still felt her heavily imbedded into his soul as his little one. He had done nothing but lash out in anger over the past couple of days. Rodan had also released his own anger as soon as they got back, dragging out several of their lovely prisoners and using them for his pleasure. 

Varcolac had felt her consuming hunger, her pain, her confusion and he was ecstatic over her despair. But tonight he had felt that hunger satisfied, and his connection to her was muted somehow. It angered him. He knew she hadn't fed on her own what worried him is that an Elder had fed her and was the cause for the break in connection. He couldn't let her train enough to become a problem. They had worked hard to break her, and the longer she spent with the wolves, the more dangerous she became. The only solution was to break her emotionally. She was partially human, therefor over ruled by emotions. It wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish. 

In a couple of weeks, the alignment of the planets would happen, and they needed her. She was the vessel to open the gates to unleashing the power they craved, but it wouldn't work unless her soul was filled with sorrow. 

'Bring all of the witches to me.' He sent the thought to his warrior and to Rodan. A plan was forming in his mind.

"You won't get away from me that easily, pet." In the darkness, he plotted. 

*******

(I won't give up by Jason Mraz- I listened to it, until the end on repeat. :)

All three vampires looked at each other as Rain finished his story. Katrina had a nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach, but even then she sympathized with the girl. She had treated the girls superficial wounds, but had also tried to heal the wounds that had somehow penetrated into the memory of her skin. Katrina probably understood the kind of physical pain she must have suffered at the hands of the rogues better than anyone. 

The wolf council had to know all the details of what had happened to her, which is why they waited while she came around. For her interrogation to begin.

Luciano was trying hard to work all of this in his mind. A hybrid, an unstoppable soldier. A hybrid who now also had an Elder's powerful blood running through her system not to mention her Sire's potent blood. He didn't know what was worse. He looked over at his brother, whose tight stoic face showed no emotion.

Raven looked down at the girl and shuddered. He knew that his powerful blood was running through her system changing her slowly. He also knew that it had probably been a huge mistake to grant her more power than she already possessed. But a strong part of him also acknowledged that he didn't regret feeding her. Some empathetic part of him; the fact that it existed alone was a miracle, couldn't turn away from her like many others had. 

He sensed her in his system and by the minute that sensation grew. Elders usually refrained from feeding others. Even siring was only used to turn mates due to the potency of their blood. The power of an Elder unleashed upon a newly turned vampire was bound to be disastrous, more so in this case.

She would forever be connected to him. Although not on the level that she was connected to her Sire, but she was undoubtedly part of his family now. There would also be the talents that she could develop as a side effect, and he sighed sadly. It saddened him how quickly her whole life had been turned upside down in a matter of weeks. 

He could barely control his anger at the thought of what that piece of trash had done to her. He knew that no one in the room had as much knowledge of vampire psych as he did, especially torture tactics. He was also hard pressed to explain his connection to the rogue. He dreaded that conversation. 

Raven sensed her coming closer to the surface and smiled. 

Stefani was floating, and it was the first time in a long time that she remembered coming out of a dream that way. As she rose closer to the surface, she felt that odd shifting in her mind and once again push it back. Her senses spread wide as she sensed the gathering of people in the room, smelled them and thankfully the fire pit in her chest had cooled. Only a small muted tug of hunger remained. Easily ignored. Her body was excruciatingly sore, but she was thankful that a lot of her major injuries had healed. 

She felt a warm hand on hers, and a body pressed to her other side and although their combined warmth made her feel safe, her body trembled in shock. The feel of a man's body against her, set a panic so deep in her gut she jolted forward with her eyes snapping open. 

Time seemed to stop and everyone turned their eyes to her. Her mind was throbbing slightly as she began to feel tugs at her. She frowned. 

"What your feeling is normal. It's the bonds you have with the people around you. Just take a couple breaths and sort out where you choose to go, little one." Stefani glanced up at the vampire with warm gray blue eyes who spoke, the one who had saved her. Her eyes stung as she looked to her side and found Cole's gaze intently on her. 

She wanted nothing more than to jump on him and smother herself in him. He was the only family she had after all and this whole time she'd been fighting to survive for him. Even as the thought crossed her mind, she pulled her hand away from his. She loved him deeply-he was her brother but her irrational mind was still knotted up. She couldn't bring herself to approach him at all.

She swallowed hard and snuck a glance at Rain's brown eyes who looked down at her, and she could have swallowed her own tongue and not cared. His eyes were melting everything inside her in a pleasant way, but it was too much too soon. His hard muscular body pressed against her made her want to kiss him and throw up. It wasn't him, though. She could recognize that her mind was sick.

Her lower lip trembled as she pushed away from him, letting her hands linger on his thigh for a second. She hoped that he understood that it wasn't anything he did. She looked up at the vampires, and the strange tugging grew warmer as she gazed into those gray blue eyes, but she didn't understand the connection. Some part of her thought that she should be terrified of all vampires after what she'd experience but she couldn't bring herself to hate them. She stood weakly, aware of everyone's unnerving gaze on her. She approached them. Raven held out his hands to her with a welcoming smile. 

"You feel a connection to me because I am an Elder, Little one. My blood runs through your veins. Therefor I am a part of you now. Our connection will also partially mute the connection to your Sire." Stefani tensed at the thought but took several breaths and walked closer to him. She carefully placed her hands on his and struggled not to hyperventilate from the contact and found that it was easier to do so than she imagined. He noticed the tightening in her eyes and guided her closer while releasing her hands. 

"Please don't call me that." Her voice was a whisper meant for him and he nodded in understanding. A strange rage began to build inside him.

Stefani looked at the beautiful vampire who had run her warm hands over her skin while erasing her pain and all of a sudden it wasn't so hard to choose where to go.

Katrina was a little shocked when the girl came to her, and although she was outraged at her biology, one look into the girl's brown gold eyes and a smile tugged at her lips. She reached her hands up and guided the girl to her side. Stefani smiled sadly as she felt the girl's warm healing energy pulse into her from her hands. 

Rain struggled to contain his emotions. She left his side to go to the vampires again. He felt a sting in his chest that he quickly chose to ignore. He offered her a warm smile and began to introduce everyone in the room. He saw her weariness and sighed. 

It took a while to go through everyone's name and title, but he managed it without cutting back on time. He was pleased when he noticed lady Katrina stroking Stefani's hands in reassurance. His people hadn't offered her any kind of sympathy during the past days while the vampires had risked their own lives to help ease the pain only they had noticed within 20 minutes of meeting her. They were pushing their own biases aside to help her get through this nightmare. He found himself wondering who the bigger monsters were sometimes. 

Hale was the one to speak up after Rain. 

"I apologize on behalf of the Council for pushing the witches on you, Stefani, but I hope you can understand how important your memories are. Will you be willing to share them with us?" His voice was reassuring. Stefani sensed his sincere apologies but it didn't make it any easier to agree. With a nod, her body trembled, and Katrina's warm hand tightened on hers automatically, giving her strength. 

"I'm sorry I left the way I did, but I knew that you would have stopped me if I had told anyone what I knew. But Cole never deserve to be in that situation and I would do it over again in a heartbeat if I had to. He's the only family, I've ever had." Stefani tried to make her voice a little stronger, even if she had to fake it. She heard Cole's intake of breath, and even though she couldn't sense him anymore, she knew he blamed himself for everything. She smiled, pleased that she could still read him so well even without having their connection. 

"I know your mother won't let you beat yourself up for this crap, Cole. It wasn't your fault." Stefani whispered, sneaking a glance to Cole who had tears in his eyes. Before she lost her nerve she kept talking. 

She forced herself to pretend she was talking to herself so she wouldn't lose her false sense of bravado. It could be more descriptive that way. They needed as much information as she could provide but her memories were so erratic it was hard to piece things together. It took her several minutes and a couple of deep breaths to begin. 

"I remember being shoved into the back of a van. They tied my ankles, my wrists and duct taped my mouth. My face throbbed from the first hit and I could feel myself growing farther and farther away from Cole, deeper into the woods. I was trying to self coach myself through it, telling myself to be strong. I didn't notice when they stuck a needle in my neck until it was too late. All I remember after that is the way the drug burned itself into my body. I must have blacked out sometime after that." 

Stefani took a deep breath. Her gaze focused on the floor as her hand lingered over her cheek while the memory cleared in her mind. She felt everyone's unease and almost smiled at how much worse it was going to get. 

"The first time I woke up, I was chained to the ceiling. It was pitch black and I remember the stench in the room. It was so humid and cold. The whippings started later, and I must have blacked out at some point. Honestly, I kept loosing track of time. I was always kept in the dark. Always alone." Stefani's voice dropped to a whisper as her body remembered the savage beatings. 

"When I came to, I was disoriented for a while. I simply laid on the ground in pain. I didn't understand what they wanted with me. Why they didn't just kill me?" Stefani brought her arms up to hug herself. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 12



"That's when I first met the other rogue. The man with the red eyes. He told me he was my father." Stefani shivered, thinking back on him. 

Growls erupted in the room, but Stefani barely noticed. 

"He is not your father!" It was Cole's voice who stood out the most, and she looked up at him, questions erupting in her mind. He looked away from her in shame, and she almost stopped to ask him what he meant. 

"He said he created my soul, and that made him my creator." Stefani's voice was cold and detached. She refused to deal with Cole's statement until this was done.

"I couldn't believe it, but I spent a lot of time thinking about it, thinking of all the things in my life that had made me a freak and how it could be explained by that. It was a hard pill to swallow, that I could have been created by a monster like him. Honestly, the very idea that there was any part of him inside of me, disgusted me. I didn't want to believe it and for a long time I didn't." She grinned sadly. She was so pathetic and weak. Every person in this room could have put up a better fight. That knowledge seemed to cut at her heart.

"They made sure to keep me drugged, beaten, or unconscious most of the time and I think I was losing a lot of blood, which explains why I kept passing out. I remember telling myself that soon my body would give out, and it would be all be over. But they knew exactly how to play against my human defenses, beating me until I couldn't feel and yanking me back until I did. When I came to again, they were moving me, and It was the first time I was awake when they moved me. I was just so tired. I didn't even fight when they dragged me to another room." Stefani looked up, letting a hard breath out of her body. If she didn't look around, it was easier to focus on detaching herself from what she was saying. 

"Rodan said I looked a lot like my mother." Her tone was flat but they could all sense the longing in her voice. Her face scrunched up as that specific whisper made its way through the visuals in her head. 

"I didn't even notice when Varcolac showed up. He kept flashing me his fangs because he knew it scared me. I remember when he grabbed my hair and I tried to fight him, but he was so much stronger. He sliced his wrist in front of me and pressed his wrist to my mouth. I couldn't get away. He shut my nose so I'd be forced to swallow." Stefani remembered the taste of his blood on her lips, running down her throat, and she gagged but forced herself to go on. 

"I must have drank half a gallon before he let me go. After that It was hard to breathe, and I couldn't think clearly. My body was so heavy. I didn't understand what was happening when they put these needles on my arms and thighs. I was so confused. I can hear Rodan whispering but I didn't really understand what he's saying.... I kept coming in and out of it." Stefani's eyes moved back and forth a she searched the memory, trying to understand the mumbles in the background. 

"He said there was a weapon and a key....No, there are several keys. He said he had found them.... and then there's something about no one creature being able to hold the weapon. I think.... I heard them talking, I think Varcolac was worried that I wouldn't survive. Rodan, the man with the red eyes, he said that I would. I was a Haven, whatever that is." Stefani's head throbbed as she pushed her mind harder to remember the exact words but everything was so blurry. She didn't notice every wolf in the room stiffen from the comment. The doubt that they still harbored settled a bit as they heard that piece of information. 

"They dropped me in this neon blue-looking water. I was so scared, I'm not even sure how I was breathing underwater, but I just remember being in pain for a long time. It felt like I was being consumed in fire, but I never knew where one wave ended and another began. There was also this hunger that exploded in my body suddenly. So confused. I don't understand what they're doing." Stefani trembled as her mind cleared enough to see flashes of images she had dreamt of while delirious. 

"Every time I blacked out, I fought to come back. I fought to stay sane, but my body was so tired and bruised. I felt the memories in my head fall away. There was no way I could have won." She took a deep breath. 

"When I woke up I was in a prison cell. I didn't remember anything. It's like I had amnesia. I didn't know my name, where I was, how I got there. I didn't know why my body hurt so much. I didn't know why I was so alone. All I knew was that it hurt to breathe, and I was hungry. The pain just wouldn't go away, regardless of how I sat or what I did to ignore it." Stefani's eyes watered. The feeling of being lost, confused, damaged and unsure of everything was deeply engraved into her mind. Never in her life had she ever experience that kind of confusion. Her memories made up everything she was. It was baffling looking back at memories as if through some else's eyes, only they were her own. She didn't even understand how it was possible she could have forgotten everything. Now that she remembered her old life it was a huge headache trying to merge the person she had been for a couple of days with the person she had always been. 

"There was a woman with me in the cell, when I woke up. Caroline. She explained about the hunger, the confusion and the pain. She said she was going to help me." Stefani leaned back against the sofa heavily. 

"I was so scared but I remember thinking--" Stefani hesitated and snuck a glance at her audience. Katrina rubbed her leg softly, giving her the strength to continue. "I remember thinking that she smelled really good, and how it made the pain in my body get worse." She let that comment sink into everyone's mind before continuing. 

"She told me it was normal after the change, because I was hungry. She told me I was a vampire, like her. At first, I was hesitant, but I guess that because I was literally empty of memories, it was easier for me to believe it." Stefani's voice was a terrified whisper that made everyone in the room stiffen. 

"She told me the rogues had us prisoners in the dungeons. Somewhere in northern Canada, underneath the dark forest. It's part of a series of underground mines and tunnels. She didn't know the exact location because only certain people were allowed to drive up there. Everyone else materialized. I don't really know what that is. Caroline said that they wouldn't teach me how to do it, to keep me vulnerable." 

Rain sent a message to his betas, letting them know to start background checks on that general area. All the other council members also had their top warriors on it. 

"Did she tell you anything more apart from her name?" Luciano spoke softly so as to not startle her. They wondered who this vampire was. She shook her head. 

"She said she betrayed them...then everything went black." Stefani bit her lip, unwilling to tell them Caroline's last words to her. 'You're here to kill me' The words floated through her head like angry chants. Tears blurred her vision. 

Cole frowned. He remembered flashes of the painful neon blue water and the beatings he went through. And he hated that she had to go through the same treatment he suffered. He didn't like where her story was headed, and it took everything in his soul to keep himself on the seat. He wanted to go and yank her into his arms and keep her safe. It was his duty! He snuck a glance at Rain who's face was masked in cold precision. He let out a breath. It probably wasn't any easier for Rain, who was clearly emotionally closed off in general, to hear all of this from his mate's mouth. 

"What happened after?" It was Elba who asked. The elder's wolf was growling inside of her, wanting to cause damage to those bloodsuckers who had taken the girl. She was just a child, and although she knew that as a whole they had to be strong for their people and the hybrid in front of them couldn't possibly be allowed to live, she cried for her. She was a child who had gotten caught up in a world she had been oblivious to only weeks before, taken and turned without choice. All because of her parentage. 

Stefani stared at the floor with a dead expression that made everyone frown. She let the silence build as she gathered her thoughts. She had to trust that she could finish this, regardless of how difficult it was. 

"Somehow, I felt worse when I woke up. Caroline said I couldn't trust them. That he would lie, cheat until I give up what he most desired. She told me to remember who I was. That I couldn't let him win. I remember it so clearly." She recited as the images in her mind intensified in clarity. It felt like the memories coming were the most vivid ones she remembered and her soul cried out. 

"That's when I heard the footsteps, before I could even give it much thought, someone was picking me up. I had no strength left to fight him." She bit her lower lip. Raven stiffened next to her, and the tension in his body flowed uncomfortably into her. The whole room was silent, and a big part of her just wanted to hide from what was coming next.

"He wouldn't answer any of my questions. My whole body felt like it was burning, and I remember hating the feel of his arms around me. I didn't even really know we were moving until he chained me to the ceiling again. He was happy that I survived. He kept running his hands over my cheeks and my hair, using his talons to scare me. He said it was going to take a while for my body to become adjusted to all the changes..... I remember....." Stefani swallowed hard and forced herself to be strong. She could see Rain from the corner of her eye and his cold expression made her chest tightened painfully. Did he care at all?

"He called me a miracle, that if I survived, I would be the key. He said it would call before it released me of the madness. I remember him telling me that I had to obey when summed or it would rupture. He kept calling it destiny." The disgust in her tone made everyone nod. The council glanced towards each other, all aware of the real danger that could be caused by her existence.  

"The last thing I remember was him calling me Rose." Stefani let out a small breath, gathering her strength. She had to finish. Hysteria bubbled in her gut, and she felt a shifting inside her head that made her dizzy. Raven stiffened next to her, his eyes lowered to the ground, as his mind raced, suddenly it dawned on him why he couldn't walk away from her. Why she seemed so familiar. It took her several minutes to get herself under control, and he forced himself to keep listening. 

"Do you need a break?" It was Johnson's voice that broke her trance. She shook her head fiercely. She had to finish. She couldn't hold onto the poisonous memories anymore. 

"I woke up to his fangs buried in my throat. I struggled then but he just held me tighter. My body kept getting weaker while he drained me. I couldn't do anything to stop him..... When he finally stopped, I could barely think in coherent sentences, but I remember his smile. I think he liked it when I cried, and it made me angry. I felt a violence, I didn't know I had bubbling inside me...... He kept saying I was his. That I would learn." Stefani choked on a sob, and her hands flew straight to her throat. She knew Katrina was about to ask her to stop, but she couldn't. Now that she was reliving every moment, she had to get it out so the images could stop tormenting her. 

"I kneed him while I fought but the chains held me in place, so I couldn't run. I couldn't do anything! My wrist ached so badly, and even then I pulled harder, trying to free myself but I couldn't. I couldn't." Stefani mumbled, her words becoming more erratic as she tumbled deep into a pool of sensations. 

"He ripped off my dress, and he must have scratched me with his talons because I remember thinking that he must have stabbed me. I was bleeding, and the fire in my throat seemed to get worse. I screamed but no one heard. No one helped me. No one came.... I can still hear him laughing at me, and it made me so angry. I lashed out, and he just hit me, over and over until I stopped." Stefani's eyes were flashing bits of red and moving rapidly over the images that flooded over her. She stared off into the other side of the room, everyone fading into the background as her body rocked back and forth softly. 

"He was talking, and I kept crying. For a moment, I convinced myself that it was some kind of sick dream, that I would wake up, and I would be safe. I told myself, it would all work out like in the movies I'd seen." She laughed, a dark and hysterical laughter that rocked them to their core. 

"I tried to fight. I swear I did, but he was stronger....Oh God! He touched me! He put his hands on my body! He did things to me......He put his mouth on---" Stefani's choked as her lungs seemed to stop working and she couldn't breath. She couldn't finish and she felt weak for it. Her erratic tone had seeped into people's skin, and growls erupted in the room. Luciano gripped Katrina's hand tightly, and Raven held his breath, trying to contain the bloodlust that ripped through his wilder side.

Cole was vibrating. He could literally see his own skin rippling over him. His wolf was dripping with bloodlust craving to get out. He didn't want to hear anymore. The broken tone of her voice said it all. He knew then that he'd never be able to forgive himself for any of it. He should have been there. He should have saved her. 

Even Eanna, the cynical one, was openly shivering in the protective arms of her mate. Johnson looked back at Rain and frowned. 

Rain sat rigidly against the sofa. His wolf was making so much noise he found it hard to hear anything other than that and his raging heartbeat, but he kept his face a reflection of stone. It was like the small emotional part of him was too numb to react. He stood, moving swiftly towards the table to pour himself a drink. His hands trembled, and he ignored what everyone must be thinking of his careless actions. But he couldn't watch her face as she spoke anymore. Couldn't face his own guilt. But he felt his heart drop lower and twist in his gut. 

In that moment Stefani didn't see anyone else but Rain as her breath whooshed out of her. She saw him move to the table away from her. She saw his stiff pose and his cold exterior, but she had seen the horror that flashed through his carefully calculated expression for a second.

She thought she had experienced all kinds of pain and rejection, but at that moment, when he walked away from her, it was a completely new emotion: her soul felt like a cube of ice. She had expected heartbreak to feel like a break, at the very least a crack, but instead it was replaced by a cold, numb feeling that had her rising to her feet. 

She'd thought that after everything she'd been through, she had come to know grief and pain, that there was no other way she could be hurt, but what she experienced at that moment couldn't compare to any of it. It was like something in her soul was twisting and ripping until it grew back into something deformed. Her eyes on his back, the words tumbled from her mouth in a clumsy rush, before she could stop them.

"I begged! I begged him to stop but he--- he used my body until I felt pieces of my soul shatter.... He held me so tightly, I could barely breathe, and even then I tried to fight. Even then.. I couldn't stop him. I couldn't. So I just closed my eyes and tried to forget the pain, but I couldn't outrun it. There was no place to hide from his touch.... 

But I remember at one point, when I felt him pierce my soul and take it from me, I screamed your name!!! I didn't even know who I was! And I screamed your name.... I called you! Why? Why you...." Tears poured down her cheeks, but she felt numb. She had even stopped sobbing. She had stopped feeling anything but the cold that flooded her heart and her soul. Everyone turned to look at Rain, who stood straighter. 

Rain was an emotional wreck. It was only the hundreds of years that he'd trained as a warrior that contained his wolf. He heard her sweet voice as she told him of the horrible nightmare she'd barely survived. His heart seem to give out as he understood what she was saying. She had screamed for him, through the distance and through her amnesia. She had called out to him when she'd sensed another reach for her soul. Instinct had her reaching for him, the other half of her soul.... 

He was a bastard, and he knew it. He swallowed down the whiskey, unable to turn and face her. Shame filled him. He would never be good enough for her. 

Stefani's body shivered, he didn't even turn to face her. She didn't blame him, but she couldn't deny how it hurt to be rejected by him so openly. It only served to confuse her even more. She barely knew him, so why did it matter so much to her? But how could she forget the way every shattered piece of her soul had cried out to him? A man she barely knew!

"He was so angry..... He dug his fangs into my shoulder to mark me before dropping me to the ground. He took my mouth... used me over again. When he was finished, he hit me so hard, I heard the ground crack...... Then he left me there." She stuttered over the words. 

She heard herself saying them out loud, she saw the images in her mind and now she understood the reason why her body was reacting negatively to any kind of contact. But even then, she found it hard to believe that it had actually happened to her. That any of those memories belonged to her at all. 

"He said he was the only one who could ever want me because I was like him. Because I'm a monster, too." Stefani wrapped her arms around herself. Her knees wobble and she felt everyone stand as if they thought to come forward and comfort her. She winced violently and stepped back. 

Her arms wrapped around herself as she trembled. Her brown golden eyes blending dangerously into red, gazed at his back, filled with tears that overflowed her eyes. Her lips trembled, and her gaze lowered.

Rain took a deep breath and finally turned around. He gasped. Stefani was standing right in his line of sight, while a dozen pairs of golden eyes flashed in his direction, as every wolf threatened to shift. The vampires were standing behind Stefani ready to catch her were she to break apart. 

It suddenly dawned on him as her mesmerizing brown golden red eyes tried to avoid his, that they had reached her too late. She had broken apart long before they got to her...But she was his. Every glorious abused inch of her was his. It was at that moment that he truly accepted it. 



"I couldn't stop him..." She whispered numbly and let her head drop. She couldn't bear to look in his direction anymore, couldn't bear to see his disgust. He stepped forward, and she took a step back.

Rain moved without meaning to. Her soul was crying to his, and he didn't want to hold back anymore. His whole body moved towards her like a magnet. Stefani shook harder, but before anyone could say a word, Cole stepped in front of her. Rain stood several feet behind him, his fist clenched tightly. 

"This was not your fault! So don't you dare blame yourself for this. He took advantage of you, and you are nothing like that animal!" His voice was seconds from a shout, and his body shook. He looked down at her huge beautiful eyes, and he felt his wolf cry brokenly for her. He moved to place his hand on her cheek, but she flinched back, and he stopped inches from her face. Everyone held their breath. 

Katrina had tears running down her cheeks. Her own race was responsible for all this grief! She felt her fangs elongate and throb with vengeance. She tried to contain her anger as she purposely overlooked the way she had wrapped her hands over Luciano's wrist subconsciously. 

Stefani looked up at Cole for a second before lowering her gaze, shame filling her heart. He was looking at her with such intensity though, she couldn't fully look away. She swallowed hard. Her skin burned even though he wasn't touching her. Her tears fell silently as she stepped an inch closer to him and reached up to the hands that were held inches from her face. She didn't touch his skin, but raised her hands right outside of his and tilted her head to the right, leaning a bit closer to his hand but still not making contact. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 12



"I could use a muffin right about now." Cole's back stiffened. He saw the haunted look in her eyes, but also saw her strength. She wanted to get past this and saw that a part of her didn't believe she could. But he saw his Stefani buried under that pain. She was a fighter, and he was going to drag her back kicking. Even if it took centuries, he vowed, he would bring her back. He burst out in laughter, and she chuckled softly. Everyone in the room was confused. Johnson and Lucian smiled softly, recalling her obsession with the pastry and understanding the significance to the pair. It was their way of reconnecting. Even though they weren't blood related or bonded, they were siblings, in every sense of the word.

It was Raven who interrupted the warm moment and placed a hand on her shoulder. Cole's eyes snapped up to his. It was clear that she didn't like to be touched but she didn't flinch as she had with everyone else. It dawned on him that she didn't flinch at all with the vampires as she did with them. He frowned, pondering on the significance. 

Stefani felt his touch, and although some part of her was repulsed by the general touch, the vampire part of her was soothed by his warm hand. She felt his energy flowing into her, and she looked up at him confused. Raven didn't attempt to explain it to her but led her back to the sofa and motioned for everyone to sit. He knew there was more to the story, and before she could have any chance at healing, she needed to get it all off her chest. 

Raven was centuries older than anyone in this room and he could hide his horror and rage easier. She needed his strength not his pity. He was better able to mask his own emotions to help her deal with her own, and that's what he planned to do. He smiled softly and held her hand. Looking into her eyes, he sighed. Her pupils seemed to dilate a bit, and a warm ring of red filled her eyes. This is why he had stayed away from infants, messy little creatures. They had to be fed every couple of hours, especially when under any kind of stress. He tilted her chin up when she started to look away, ashamed.

"Do not be ashamed of what you are, Stefani. You need only ask." He whispered for her ears alone and held up his wrist. Her eyes widened. How did he know? 

"The suddenness of any kind of strong emotion will bring forth hunger during infancy." He smiled warmly, and moved his huge body to shield her from everyone's gaze. 

"Drink," he ordered and she leaned up to his exposed wrist, licking at his throbbing vein before sinking her fangs into his skin. He was better prepared this time for the onslaught of pleasure that filled him. He just rode out the waves, letting out a breath as she pulled at his vein gently. As his blood filled her system, he got a clearer sense of her emotions, and he, an Elder could have shuddered.

There were so many violent emotions raging inside the little hybrid that he wasn't sure how she was keeping it together. She pulled back on her own, sealing the wound shut. She looked at him shyly, her golden eyes seemed like deep pools of pure sunshine. He flushed over her gaze. She whispered a soft thank you, and they both turned to face the group. 

Rain stood before them for a moment with his fist clenched but walked past them to his seat in the end. Cole was able to breathe better now that he knew she was going to be alright. He was confident of it. It would be hard, and maybe it would take years. But even If he lost faith in all else, she was the one thing he would always believe in.

Stefani took a deep breath and rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. She felt Katrina's hand running over her hair softly, sharing her warmth. 

She smiled softly as she finally took in the angry painful gazes that met her, but this time they weren't technically intended for her. There were several people who voiced that this meeting should be held until she got some rest, but she shook her head. She couldn't go through this again. She had to get it out and over with. It was the only way she was going to move forward. 

She had been angry at the wolves for putting her through all of this, but as she looked at each one of them and sensed their sympathy. She couldn't bring herself to hate anyone. She didn't want them to hurt the way she did, so she did the only thing she knew how to do. 

"I don't know how or when, but I'm not going to let him win...He may have stolen more from me than I had, but somehow, I'm going to be ok..... So please don't cry. Let's just finish up so we can all go rest." She spoke softly. If it hadn't been such a gloomy moment, they would have laughed. The tortured, brutalized hybrid was trying to soothe their emotions. Everyone in the room pushed aside their own prejudice and belief and swore to protect the small child that held her chin high for their benefit. She saw the change in their eyes and took a deep breath. 

"I don't really know what happened after.... I can't say I passed out or woke up because it felt like a bit of both. All I remember was being in a dark room and seeing a pair of red eyes before my body was engulfed in shocks. It came and went like waves, testing out my defenses. It must have been hours, but the current that passed through my body never stopped. I don't know what they did to me, but I kept hearing electricity buzz all around me. At some point it all blends into white noise, and I was blinded in white light." Stefani's hand tightened over Raven's.

"When I woke up again, it was freezing, and I knew I was back in the dungeons.... I was curled up on a dingy mattress, and I knew that I wanted to go back to sleep but something was wrong... very wrong. The fire in my chest seemed to have exploded inside me at some point. Felt kind of like lava racing inside my body. I trembled, and I could barely think without being dizzy.... I heard his voice, felt the way his eyes devoured my body, and I threw up." Stefani's voice drifted as she fought hard to regain her breathing. 

Raven's blood was helping to stabilize her, but it was pure terror that gripped her as the next memory came. She leaned down, and she spoke without thinking to pause, while her mind flew back into the memory. The memory she had purposely repressed. Now she knew why. 

****************************************(Flashback) 

"You may go." The warrior bowed to his king and left just as fast. Varcolac smiled, stepping towards the cell door as it slammed shut. He leaned against it.

 With a flick of his wrist, Caroline jolted forward, gasping for breath. When he released her, her piercing red eyes glared up at him, and she hissed in anger, he spoke.

"I'm glad you're awake for this wonderful occasion." His voice seemed to echo through the halls. 

Stefani's eyes fluttered wildly as she struggled to open her eyes. As she crawled up to the surface, she became more aware of her body and its current state. A small part of her just wanted to crawl in a hole and sleep off the pain, but at the same time, she knew something was wrong. She also felt the familiar burn in her throat as a tangible ailment and no longer able to ignore it in her sleep, she pushed harder. Maybe more oxygen would dull the pain. 

Gradually, she fought the waves exhaustion and finally her eyes began to part slightly. Seconds later her body seemed to jolt violently, as if it had hit pavement. Every particle in her body twitched in agony. She couldn't hold back the whimpers that escaped her as she tried to roll over. She curled into the fetal position, taking short labored breaths, but the aching fire in her throat didn't lessen. In fact, this seemed to make the fire intensify at the center of her chest. 

She trembled uncontrollably for a of couple minutes. There was a frost in the room that she couldn't describe, and it seemed an odd contrast to the active volcano within her. It took her several minutes before slowly lifting her eyelids and looking around the room- or cell. Her vision was still partially cloudy, but she could see some semblance of bars at the far end of her vision. 

Her mind was a knotted mess of images and sensations. She let out a long painful sigh as her head cleared up a bit and she was able to get a better sense of where she was. A second later she felt eyes all over her body and tensed. 

"Seems like our little princess is ready to play." His voice cut through her nervous system like lightning. The kind she had feared all of her life. 

Her body trembled as she wrapped her weary arms around herself. She was frozen, unable to move or make any coherent sounds. Her mind went through a play-by-play of the sessions she had withstood with both rogues, and all she could do was just stared wide-eyed at the bars in front of her. Reliving it. 

"Sweet Rose, let me look at those pretty red eyes." The sweetness in his tone did nothing but twist her stomach in knots until she was forced to jolt forward on her hands and release the nonexistent contents of her stomach over the edge of the mattress.

While her body calmed down to just a terrifying buzz, she looked down at her shaky silk -covered arms for a second before taking in the other noises in the room. She ran the back of her palm over her mouth. A muffled sob was floating delicately through the air behind her. At the same time her senses also recognized a mouthwatering aroma in the air that had her swallowing hard and daring a peek behind her. 

She stiffened. Varcolac was leaning comfortably against the barred door. He had a wide grin on his face. While his green eyes were suffocating her back into despair, she made a point to looked away from him. Her vision was still blurry, but she saw the two strained figures chained to the wall. 

"Isn't this a cozy reunion!" His cheerful glee made her flinch. Through her peripherals she saw both of the chained figures flinched, as well. They were girls.

The never-ending reminder of what a monster she was intensified. Stefani gasped softly while clutching her throat. She shut her eyes tightly, wishing desperately to be anywhere but there. She shook so hard, her teeth began to rattle from the force. 

The hand softly pulling her chin upwards startled her. She found herself looking up into a pool of emerald eyes that held her transfixed. His hand on her chin spread chaos through every nerve ending in her body. She was frozen even as he pulled her up onto unsteady feet. She felt the silk material draped over her aching skin, while fear flooded her veins like ice, making her useless as he pulled her along. Until her eyes descended on a pair of teary blue eyes that reminded her fondly of the sky. She blinked rapidly as a wave of foreign emotion washed over her. 

As if she had touched fire, she snapped away from his hands, stumbling backwards, struggling to keep herself on her feet. 

"Don't touch me." Her intention was for it to be full of conviction but in truth it only came out as a rough whisper. Her vocal cords were too raw for more volume. 

He simply smiled knowingly, his gaze moving lower over her body. Although she was covered from head to toe, his heated eyes roamed over her as if she stood before him naked. She felt exposed, and her disgust caused her stomach to twist painfully again. She whimpered. 

"I know of your pain, my sweet. You'll feel better after you've fed, so much better. Come. They're ready for you" He reached over to her, and yanked her unwilling arm into his grasp, walking her over to stand before the two prisoners. Her eyes were adjusting better even if her mind was still a foggy mess. She recognized Caroline's red eyes as they looked up into hers. 

"Caroline." She gasped softly. 

"I'm glad you remember the little traitor. She has done us a great harm, precious. It is up to you to punish her." She looked up at him startled and tried to yank her arm out of his bruising grip. 

"I won't!" 

"You will," he snarled and shoved her roughly to her knees. Her sensitive body ached painfully even as the hunger in her body battered her to the border of agony. 

"Stefani... is that you?" A raspy melodic voice whispered into the darkness. Something in Stefani seemed to recognize it, and her breath caught in her throat. 

"Who is-" Varcolac interrupted Stefani's stutter. 

"I have warned you about speaking, slut!" The mystery girl recoiled from his voice in fear, pressing her body harder against the wall behind her. 

"Stop it! You're scaring her!" Stefani's voice was barely audible but she managed to shove his legs backwards, surprising them both as he flew back and slammed into the barred door. 

Varcolac shook his head in frustration. He stalked his way to Stefani's kneeling body and wrapped his hand in her dark hair. She screamed out and struggled against his hold. He dragged her over to the chained blonde. Beside them, Caroline hissed and struggled against the chains. Stefani looked up. She was only a hand span away from the terrified blonde who smelled so sweet. The hand in her hair tightened painfully, and she whimpered, her hands trying to claw at his hand. 

"Drink!" The snarl that left his lips frightened her to the point of numbness but it was the delicious smell that entranced her. Stefani looked into the soft blue eyes of the girl and watched the heavy tears pouring down the blonde's cheeks. She felt her own cheeks become moist with tears. 

Stefani felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. Her hands reached forward to the girl. Her left hand sensed the warm liquid on the girls arms, probably from a recent injury. 

"Don't!! You can't let him win like this! You need to stop!" Caroline shrieked, her head thrown back as her fangs elongated in anger and pain. Stefani heard but couldn't stop from moving her hands upwards to the mysterious blonde girl's neck. 

"I didn't think I'd see you again.... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The girl sobbed violently. Stefani's vision turned red as Varcolac's fist tightened, and he pushed her closer to the girl. 

"I don't want to do this.... Please stop!" Stefani sobbed. She didn't know who the girl was, but the little broken piece of her that was left rejected the very idea of what was going to happen. 

Varcolac laughed. Stefani felt an odd shifting sensation along her upper gums and her tongue pricked something sharp and her taste buds tingled from the drop of blood. She sobbed along with the girl. Even Caroline was crying. Stefani recognized the change in her mouth for what it was and was repulsed by it.

"The faster you do it, the easier it will be on them. Drink, Little one." His tone was light and teasing. 

Stefani couldn't stop herself from apologizing over and over, even as she felt Varcolac's fingers slip softly from her hair as she leaned forward. Her mouth opened wide, and her fangs throbbed painfully. There was a second where her lost humanity shifted beneath the weight of her vampiric consciousness, and she saw a vision of the blonde, blue-eyed prisoner smiling up at her with an open expression of love and faith that made Stefani howl in agony as she thrust her fangs deeply into the girl's neck. 

She had no training of any kind on how to feed. How was she to know that the moment her fangs pierced skin there would be an unbearable amount of pain for the barer, and the uncontrollable urge within her would make the blood lust intensify. All that she knew was that her taste buds exploded in ecstasy as she slurped noisily at the sweet liquid pouring into her mouth. Her body felt like an empty shell that was overwhelmed by a rush of energy. 

Her mind shut down, ignoring the laughter, the sobbing and the screams, but in the back of her mind every moment was engraved into memory, ensuring that she would never forget that moment. The heat within her body erupted to impossible lengths and as pain racked her body she swallowed faster, her whole body curled up closer to the limp body of the girl chained to the wall.

"You have to stop! You'll kill her!" Caroline's voice hit her mind like whiplash. Stefani paused for a moment as her red-tinted mind worked to comprehend the words. She lifted slowly, pulling her mouth away from the savory drink. She was so dizzy. 

Stefani braced herself from falling over from the rush of adrenalin in her body by placing both hands on the wall to the sides of the female. She took several breaths before looking up and found the girl's head hanging sideways, her body slumped against the wall like dead weight. She could hear the heavy low rhythm of the girl's heartbeat and the dullness of her skin. Her eyes widened. 

"Stefi..." the soft whisper cracked through her mind and Stefani started to shake. The girl's eyes began to lift slowly. The blue of her eyes was surprisingly dim but beautiful. The girl's pupils were dilated and unfocused. Tears filled Stefani's eyes. 

Sasha looked up at the woman she considered her best friend. Stefani's eyes were light red, and the pupils were drawn into long, thing slits. Her lips and chin were painted in what must be her blood, but although Sasha was terrified she felt no fear towards her friend, only love. 

"Don't cry, Stefi...I love you.... Be strong." The girl's last breath came out in a weightless sigh as her eyelids closed and her body slumped against the wall. Stefani shook her head, confused. 

"This is wrong..." Stefani whispered softly as she tucked a piece of hair behind the girl's ear. Her hands trembled.

"Wake up....." Stefani mumbled. She shook her gently, then harder. Stefani cried out, slamming her fist into the wall behind the girl. 

"Please wake up!" Stefani sobbed.

It felt like hours had passed but the whole ordeal really only took a few minutes. Varcolac stood behind her, his body alight with a sick happiness that made Caroline's body shake in disgust. 

Varcolac grunted and moved to grab the back of her neck and drag her towards Caroline. Stefani didn't even fight as her eyes were glued onto the blonde's lifeless body. 

"I can sense your hunger, little one. Drink." Varcolac encouraged, his thumb massaging the back of her neck. Stefani cried harder, unable to deny the pull that her hunger created in the pit of her tummy. Pain radiated all through her body regardless of all the blood she'd already had. 

"Caroline, I don't know how to stop. What do I do?" Stefani broken whisper affected the vampire more than she'd care to admit. Caroline had watched the violence in the young vampire's feeding, the desperate urge she couldn't have had any way of controlling. There was such agony in the Stefani's face as she began to realize what a monster she had become, but underneath that she saw a young terrified woman who was lost, confused and alone. Caroline could only feel a desperate sympathy for the girl. Her path would only get harder, and she prayed that the gods would give her strength. Tears slipped past her own eyes and fell down her cheeks. 

"Don't ever give up." Caroline gave her a smile while exposing her neck. She closed her eyes. Soon she would be reunited with her brother, and she would no longer be alone. In a way she was glad that her life ended at the hands of the girl because Stefani would care that she was gone. Caroline was sure of it. 

Varcolac gripped Stefani's neck harder. He reached around and gripped her chin, making her mouth part. Stefani struggled, trying to move away, using her hands on the wall to push away from Caroline's body. Before she knew what was happening Varcolac was forcing her mouth and her fangs deep into Caroline's neck. Her mouth drew in blood automatically; it was the nature of such beings. The rush flew through her again, spreading over every particle in her body until all she could think about was blood. 

Varcolac released her. There was greater pleasure coming from watching her act on her own than being forced. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 12



Caroline twitched as the girl's fangs were painfully embedded into her throat. "I'm gonna be with my brother soon. My dear Zachary." She whispered as her body began to dim.

Stefani calmed after several gulps. Her mind was better able to comprehend what was happening this time. Caroline's body relaxed and Stefani tensed, no longer allowing herself to take any more of the precious substance from Caroline. 

"I had no doubt that you would be glorious but nothing could have prepared me for the pride. You've done well, Little One." He patted her head lovingly. Filled with sorrow and anger, she pulled away with a roar. It echoed down the halls and pierced every being at headquarters. 

Varcolac grinned as he walked towards the opened door and stepped out of the cell. His final testament of love was finished. He'd let her spend those last few moments alone. 

Stefani hugged Caroline's body to her own, while sobs racked her body violently. Her tears mingling with the blood covering her chin and neck. She let out a long cream until her voice broke and she sobbed. 

****** 

Stefani crumbled. She stumbled off the sofa onto the floor and screamed. Her fangs lengthen as she sobbed. Everyone in the room sat still, unable to move as they processed the scene she so just vividly described. Cole and Rain moved to her without thinking. Raven held her hand tighter when she tried to pull away. She let her head drop onto his knee as her body shook violently. He had never had to work so hard to contain his other side as he did in that moment. 

What that bastard had put her through was beyond monstrous. Raven's eyes glanced up to the young vampires who looked an inch off the edge of going feral. He let out a hiss, forcing them to focus. Their pupils were drawn to slits tight over their irises, their fists were shaking, and they had to step back a moment to control their base urges, especially around so much prey. Raven ran his hands over her head. Her terrified screaming sobs ripped viciously through the silence in the room. 

Rain reached her first and dropped to his knees beside her as Cole reached them. He had his own tears in his eyes. He had never personally met the exuberant blonde, Sasha, but he recalled how important she was to Stefani, and he cried, for the fact that she had been placed in that position, to kill her best friend, without even knowing it.

Stefani didn't know what she felt. Was it a shatter, a tear, a numbing freezing kind of pain? She didn't know, but whatever the agony was rocking her body until her teeth clattered together, it was flooding every inch of her soul. She'd thought Rain's rejection had sealed her off in a frozen tomb, but this-- this kind of grief- this had no name. No description came close to the agony rocking her. 

Stefani looked down at her hands but didn't see them. Monster! Her conscience screamed at her, and she shook. She was. 

Rain was restraining himself from touching her, knowing it would only bring her more pain, but he struggled. Wolves were affectionate by nature, and sensing her despair as close as he was made him ache to comfort her. He saw Cole struggle with the same problem. Raven was the only who could mildly touch her without setting her off. Rain growled in anger as he watched the Elder's hand running soothingly down her hair. Cole cried beside her, resting his back on the sofa next to the Elder's feet as well. 

"It's going to be ok, Stefani. You're going to be ok." Cole chanted over and over. But he couldn't be sure who he was trying to convince. 

Luciano wrapped his arms around his best friend, Katrina, as she sobbed into his shirt. He knew she had some kind of empathetic sense that allowed her to tap into the girl's emotion and he knew she had no control over it. He felt his own fangs throb in vengeance. The anger he felt towards the rogue for causing the girl so much pain was strong but knowing that he was also the cause of Katrina's pain at the moment made his anger boundless.

He'd search the whole planet and rip the monster apart with his bare hands for the act alone. Katrina was reaching for the girl, even as he held her tight in his embrace, unwilling to let her go. Her whole essence was screaming to end the girl's pain, which however muted traveled down into her. She let the emotions take over her as she shivered in Luciano's arms like an infant. Her best friend since childhood was always there for her, and she trusted that. She didn't trust how much more the broken girl could take without being lost forever, and the thought seem to break her heart further. She couldn't believe they'd only met the girl a couple hours ago. 

"Leave us." Rain shouted in anger and waved the council to disperse. He sent out a small message to Noah, Duncan and Alec, his betas, that he was going to be unavailable for the night.

He had let this happen. He hadn't listened to his wolf when he met her, pushing her away because she confused him. He had let her get taken, beaten, raped and forced into something she had no way of controlling. If she ever forgave him, he would not forgive himself...

Rain didn't think himself needing of a mate, but as he looked down at her tear-striken, pained expression, he knew that she needed all he could give, just as much as his soul craved anything she had left. He just hoped he wasn't too late to heal her.

Everyone left the room in a numb haste as the girl's screams echoed well past the dining hall even with the doors closed. The mated pairs held each other for warmth and the non mated pairs held each other anyway. No one would sleep peacefully for nights to come. 

Stefani sobbed against the Elder's legs. Her hands balled into fists in her hair while her mind danced close to a fine line she knew she shouldn't cross. In her mind, she heard the painful broken howls of a wolf, and she cried harder as the creature's emotions rolled into her, creating a symphony of pain. 

"Sasha!" She sobbed desperately. The memory of her friend's frightened expression, and the way her body fell limp against her while she sucked it dry would be engraved into her mind forever. Every word Sasha said to her rang in her ears, sending another wave of violent grief crashing down over her, ripping a final scream from her before her vocal cords gave out. Her world tilted on an axis that would never right itself and she knew nothing would ever be ok. 

And she wondered.... How was she ever going to surpass this? 

********** ****************** Author's Note ******************************

I've been listening to I won't give up by Jason Mraz. Not the words per say but the melody.. It breaks my heart (in a good way)( I think I'll base a chapter on this song in the future... ) and it makes me cry like a baby. 

I've read this chapter over and over and over and over (disregard my grammar) and I come out of it dying for a good ending. Don't you? 

I can't make promises because as all writers know, stories change. They grow. 

This story is it's own breathing, suffering, loving thing that lives so deep in my heart, I can't help but love all of you just because you've taken the time to read up to this point. Wether you're a fan or not. Thank you for keeping tabs on KBL. 

I've learned several things from this chapter and from the next chapter... 

I've lost people in my life as I'm sure you've lost someone too. I think it's one of life's beautiful things, when we learn to grow and heal from those wounds. And it's taken me a long time to accept that I can't call up those people anymore... That they aren't in an over extended vacation.... especially now, I struggle to think of them without tears. 

So I guess, In a way. I'm dedicating this chapter to the one's we've lost, to death, to distance, to lies, to anger, to love. To that person you're thinking of right now, who brings tears to your eyes. 

( I also hope no-one get's insulted by any of this. Honestly, I'm speaking from the heart)

I think In a way, I have more appreciation for my characters, because they suffer, because they feel. Because it can't be rainbows and sunshine all the time. (That would just be exhausting and unrealistic) Because through them, I can be myself. 

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go. 

– Author Unknown



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 1



Hi Everyone, 

^.^

I'm sorry It's taken so long for me to post. 

My final exam is coming up and I've been cramming like a lunatic.... That and a whole bunch of other real life issues have been popping up. 

I guess the first thing I should address is that I'm so completely moved and humbled by everyone's encouraging comments. I wish I could thank you all personally for all the support you've given me. There isn't a day when I don't come back to the comments and let all of your words fill me up. You guys are the best possible audience a girl could ask for. You always make me smile, especially when I'm down, I hope that maybe KBL can do that for some of you. 

( And Yes, I'm a girl for those who didn't know hahaha) 

I can't say it's been easy for me. Nothing ever is. But I'm in a good place and even though there are some gray areas in my life, KBL will always be the brightest shinning part of my life and something I can't give up on. I really am sorry I've made you guys wait so long. I've also been suffering from some writers block which thankfully is starting to dissipate. 

This chapter isn't very long or exciting as the last, I warn you all. I do have more writing material finished but I really need to go over with a fine comb and edit it. Especially because there will be a lot of training and fighting in the later scenes, speaking of which- I'd like to know if anyone would like to share some knowledge on those aspects. 

For those who are looking for a quick fix, this story may not be for you but I think you'd be surprised to enjoy some of it. 

I'd like to thank my wonderful, patient editor- ManyOysters, who is crazy busy with his own life but still makes time to do wonderful edits on my erratic work. 

OHHH, i almost forgot. Chapter 13 will be broken up into two parts. Just be on the look out for that. 

With love, 

Me. 

*************

Lithinia was on the bed allowing her body to heal; the room had a quiet atmosphere in the early hours of dawn. Outside, the wind was still, and the animals still slept. The world was now sound-free and peacefully silent. But in the sleeping confines of the witch's mind, there were voices. They spoke to her in jumbled masses, their whispers and words a mixed-up mess. The priestess found herself floating in darkness as something blurry took shape up ahead. 

There was a blazing fire that emanated waves of heat as it grew, its red and orange hues undulated like waves in the darkness. Behind it were blurry shapes shadowed by an abnormal glowing light. Lithinia floated towards the fire. Even as she neared it and watched the blurry figures take on human shapes, she couldn't identify any of their features.

Lithinia stepped forward into the room, her feet now firmly planted on the ground. The vision around her solidified. She realized it wasn't a room at all but a cave: an enormous cave, stretching the length of two football fields, its ceiling so high it was barely visible. Bioluminescent mushrooms, algae and exotic-looking planets carpeted the ceiling and part of the walls. A waterfall against one wall flowed into a river that ran through the center of the cavern. The sparkling river divided a huge island from the rest of the cave floor. It was the island that was surrounded by an impenetrable wall of fire. 

Lithinia sensed the magic that pulsed from the ground in steady beats, resonating within her, as it recognized her power. She was humbled. Whatever this place was, it was sacred and pure. But, it only took a second before it turned hellish. The air grew so heavy it became hard to breath. Lithinia closed her eyes and gasped for air. She'd never been so affected by a vision before. 

Her eyes snapped open as the ground shook beneath her and screams pierced her ears. She caught glimpses of the weary, familiar faces of the wolves and vampires she'd met recently desperately battling black and red-eyed vampires. Her sisters, who usually stuck to her side, were nowhere to be seen. Ignoring the fear that rose in her chest, she crept forward. Lithinia knew there was something she needed to know but everything was moving so quickly, she could barely grasp onto any specific image or the feeling behind it. The vision seemed to flicker in and out of focus until it settled again. 

Suddenly she caught a glimpse of a startling pair of eyes. She gasped. Lithinia could only catch a glance through the flickering fire between them but the girl's whole body radiated like a white star. 

'Priestess. It's time.' There was an undertone in the feminine voice that was strangely familiar but it was layered with multiple voices on top of it as if millions were speaking through her and with her. Lithinia took several moments to understand what she had said. That voice was strangely captivating, almost hypnotic. 

The female's voice set an unsettling hum through Lithinia's body that she identified as magic. Magic so strong and pure flowing from the girl's voice and into her own body that Lithinia could do nothing more than stand in awe. Around her the sounds of war grew louder. 

Lithinia sensed the presence of several spirits seconds before, the countless voices filtered into her mind, letting the importance of their words flow into her. 

Spirits had never before attempted direct contact with her in such a way or interfered in a vision.

'You must let destiny run its course.' The spirits whispered.

It felt like centuries before their presence left her, but in truth, only the span of a heartbeat had passed. Falling to her knees on the soft grass, something drew her gaze upwards. 

The abnormal light from behind the fire grew until Lithinia was forced to look away. She felt her magic pulled out of her without her control, reaching out to every member to whom she had a connection. 

A moment later as the female's voice whispered in her mind, 'Protect them,' the blinding figure stepped forward. Lithinia could only watch baffled as a pulsing explosion came from the glowing girl's body, causing the rocky cave to collapse over them. Then everything went dark. 

**

With a sudden start, Lithinia woke from the startling vision and sat up in a feathered bed that was far softer than her own. Her fine black hair waved about her face like a wispy halo. She let out a shaky breath and the hair around her face danced. 

She understood. 

"Lithinia?" Ostara's worried voice made Lithinia smile. She turned to find her youngest sister rushing towards her. 

"Hello little sister..... Where is she?"

Ostara reached over to her sister and helped her into a more comfortable sitting position. "You've been unconscious for two days, sister... I'm so glad you're awake." Lithinia gave an acknowledging nod and waited for her sister to continue. Lithinia smoothed her black hair behind her shoulders, her black eyes met her sister's gaze warmly as Ostara brought a cup of water to her sisters lips.

"From what I understand, the girl, Stefani, has spent the whole time with the vampires. She's been refusing to leave or speak with anyone else.... The council's meeting today and while you're there, Syfien and I can go over to the main compound and begin purifying the grounds... Speaking of which, Syfien has become rather annoying due to her empath senses, so you might want to dampen your own abilities, so you won't be as affected." 

Lithinia smiled at Ostara's irritated tone. Ostara had always been the impatient one of the three. Unable to sit still and wait for things to happen she was definitely the kind of witch to go out and do it herself. It was a charming quality that could become worrisome if not constructed properly. When their parents had passed away five years ago, they'd left both sisters' care in her hands, and she took that responsibility seriously. She'd taken in her younger sisters at the age of twenty-five and even though they were only several years apart, five to Syfien and ten to Ostara, she'd raised them as her own. 

Now Ostara was a calm, most of the time, twenty-year old witch and as fragile as she was determined. Her tough exterior was only a defense mechanism that she'd adopted after their parents' death. She had been fifteen when it happened and had suffered greatly. Lithinia sometimes feared she'd sheltered Ostara to the point of it becoming damaging, but in her heart she knew Ostara could overcome any and all obstacles. That was just the kind of witch she was. 

"Where is our dear Syfien?" 

"Meditating in the court yard. You know how she likes to zone out before a big ritual." Ostara let out a frustrated breath that made Lithinia chuckle. She was glad for the update and stretched out, she gave a low grunt, feeling her muscles contract painfully. 

Syfien was the more sensitive of the three, but there was a special brightness in her soul. She was the first to defend the weak, and the first to burst into a fit of rage or tears over the flimsiest of things. Her empathetic senses had grown exponentially since she had turned twenty-five, almost overshadowing Lithinia's own abilities in that aspect. It also made Lithinia the one most capable of understanding Syfien's struggles. 

Empathy was a gift that was not to be taken lightly. Without the proper spells in place, the emotions of others could prove dangerous to an empath's psyche. Syfien suffered from lack of attentiveness at times, which hindered her with the protection spells, which in turn made her great emotional fits legendary and frequent. Nevertheless, Syfien retained an aura that radiated calmness. She brought joy and peace without chanting a word or using her magic. Lithinia loved her sisters with a motherly ache and held them as dearly as she did her coven.

Lithinia let out a sigh. 

"Come my priestess. I'll help you bathe. We have to get you fed, dressed and to that meeting... Wouldn't want to keep the vampire elder waiting," teased Ostara, giving Lithinia a big grin. Ordinarily Lithinia appreciated seeing this side of her younger sister, which she didn't show to many people, but at the moment it seemed wildly inappropriate. Her cheeks flushed pink, but she said nothing. Ostara gave a laugh and helped the priestess to her feet. 

*********** 

On the opposite side of the building, separate quarters had been reserved for the vampires. They were housed in a spacious apartment, far enough that it didn't make the wolves or the vampires overly uncomfortable, but close enough to reach the main hall in minutes. Cole's family was the closest to them, housed in a similarly large suite. 

Luciano leaned against the dark stone of the balcony and looked absently toward the woods. His bare chest tightened as he thought back on the past two days. His elder brother had settled the infant in the empty room of their suit. And, of course, Katrina had spent the full two days locked up with the girl.

He frowned. Luciano acknowledged her recent absence bothered him more than he'd care to admit out loud. They'd been almost inseparable since they met hundreds of years ago---she was his best friend after all. The only reason it bothered him so much was because he knew infants could be uncontrollable. He also worried that her empathetic senses were biting off more than she could handle with this one. He brushed a hand through his blonde hair in frustration. 

He should be more concerned with the current situation and what this meant to his people, rather than his best friend's absence. The tattoo-like marking on the back of his left shoulder pulsed softly, bringing him out of his thoughts. But before he could acknowledge it, the most beautiful sound in the world broke the silence. 

"Good morning. Luciano." Regardless of how long they'd known each other, Katrina's voice still made him shiver. There was something sinfully seductive in every tone of her every word. He'd learned to just let it brush over him and wait till its effects passed. 

His body automatically turned toward her voice. He walked into their quarters and swallowed hard. She was in the kitchen, struggling to reach for something in the cabinets. Katrina was wearing tiny pajamas. They were gray silk, reaching only to mid thigh, and as she stretched, the edges teasingly moved higher. He was used to her revealing wardrobe, but he'd never seen her in pj's without a robe. His eyes roamed over her long, lean golden legs and up to her tight ass. He looked away ashamed, cleared his throat and tried to ignore the way his fangs had grown.

Without thinking, he walked up behind her and took out the box of cereal, setting it down on the counter next to her. He forced himself to control the heat that crept up his face and toward his groin but couldn't make himself move away from her tantalizing scent. Katrina smiled, oblivious to his thoughts and simply let his minty scent envelop her. Neither one noticed how still they'd both become.

She turned to face him, and their sudden proximity surprised them both. She could feel the heat of his breath brush against her skin, making her breasts perk up. Katrina swallowed hard. The marking on her thigh warmed noticeably, and she saw it glow lightly. Giving him a smiling nod, she moved past him to get the milk, hoping he hadn't noticed the way her cheeks lit up.

"She likes cereal." Katrina explained without needing to hear the question. Luciano nodded blankly. It felt as though his mind had been momentarily stunned. He shook himself out of it and walked over to get bowls, spoons and a large tray. He'd been too long without a woman. That was it. 

Opposed to what most people thought, vampires could eat regular food. It wasn't detrimental to do so, and it was initially done out of social habit. Eventually, after several long decades, most vampires left the habit all together, but Katrina still loved regular food. In fact, it was the trait that had caught Luciano's attention more than anything else when they'd first met. She genuinely loved food with an obsessing passion that bordered on becoming unhealthy. They both knew it was their vampire metabolism that kept her so fucking gorgeous! He frowned at the thought. When had he started thinking about her like that? 

"Will you join us?"

"Will she allow it?" 

Katrina nodded, placing all the stuff on the tray. Luciano reached over to pick up the tray before she could even think about doing it herself. He was always the gentleman. As they walked, she glanced at his lean, muscular chest and felt her cheeks tingle with warmth. Would it kill him to wear a shirt?!

They walked into the guest room. He pressed his lips together tightly as he scanned the room. It looked like the other rooms, except it didn't have its own bathroom. It was a medium-sized room with a pair of windows that extended from floor to ceiling on one side draped by brown and white curtains. A queen-sized bed sat at the end of the room covered in brown and white sheets with too many scattered pillows. 

Stefani was curled up against one of the windows. Her hands held the dark curtains to the side as she looked out. The room had little streaks of sunshine coming in through the curtains but otherwise there was no other light. Katrina led him to the bed, and she began to fix all the stuff she'd brought. No one spoke, and he simply sat on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. 

He smiled at Katrina, who was so focused on setting the three separate bowls, spoons, and napkins, that she was biting her lower lip subconsciously. It was an endearing quirk, if not slightly arousing. He let out a frustrated sigh as heat washed over his body. He needed to get laid. 

Katrina had really been the one who got him to eat as much as he did. His family wasn't one to indulge in food often, maybe on certain occasions but when he met Katrina that changed. Eating became a daily habit for him. She liked to try out different recipes and have him test them out. He winced at the memory of a couple dishes that had been a complete disaster to his digestive system. 

"Come eat, young lady, before it gets cold." She scolded like a mother hen which caused Luciano to laugh. Who knew she could be so maternal? 

Stefani looked in their direction as if noticing them for the first time and gave them a small smile. Luciano thought that was a good look for her. She came over and crawled on the bed at the opposite edge of where Luciano sat. Stefani picked up a bowl and began to prepare her breakfast. 

"I wasn't expecting that we could eat regular food." Her low voice surprised him. She hadn't spoken a word to anyone other than Katrina for the past two days. He'd forgotten how strangely captivating her voice was. While Katrina's voice was like smooth molten fudge to his ears, Stefani's voice was electric. Katrina smiled and glanced at Luciano teasingly. 

"Are you kidding! It's a very popular habit in my family." She snickered to herself as she took a huge spoon full of her fruit loops. Luciano rolled his eyes and poured the milk. 

"By that she obviously means herself! Her parents just watch her eat most of the time. She's a total fatty." Luciano grinned in amusement at Katrina's shocked expression. Her mouth hanging open so wide he could see her food. 

"Ew! Shut your mouth, pig." He laughed harder as she swallowed hard and growled in annoyance. Tilting her chin away from him in mock anger. 

"Watch your mouth, Lucia." Her tone was light as she used the nickname he despised. Luciano hissed under his breath as he felt warmth settle over his cheeks, he glanced shyly in Stefani's direction. Stefani watched their teasing and found herself chuckling. They bickered like an old married couple. 

"That's what everyone says! As if I'd ever marry this fatty, I'd go broke with all the trips to the market." Luciano picked out the thought from Stefani's mind without even meaning to and responded automatically. Honestly, he couldn't picture being mated to anyone. The moment the words left him though, he frowned. 

"Well, you're not my type at all, so I wouldn't marry you either! I'm not into girls, Lucia." Katrina teased but Stefani sensed the pang of hurt in her voice as well as the strange expression that flashed through Katrina's eyes for a second. Stefani found it odd but before she could comment on it she tensed at Luciano's reaction. 

Luciano's face darkened a bit and his anger rose unexpectedly. He just shoved more food into his mouth to keep himself from saying something he'd regret. Katrina simply laughed it off knowing she'd won but Stefani couldn't help but stiffen at his reaction. She forced herself to calm down. They were the good vampires! She told herself and almost groaned out loud. She would have never guessed she'd ever had that kind of thought outside of a romance novel. 

She took a spoon full of her own fruit loops to disctract herself from the direction of her thoughts and let out a contented sigh as her stomach settled. She chewed softly and was pleasantly surprised that her stomach seemed to appreciate the substance. She'd always been a food lover, she thought with a smile. 

Stefani could admit to being a little tense when Luciano came in but found herself relaxing at his easy going personality during their meal. She'd had two days to cry her eyes out and feel sorry for herself, it was time to move forward. 

Stefani was holding on by a thread but every minute that passed she felt a little clearer. Emotionally, she knew something had been damaged, maybe beyond repair. There was an overwhelming grief that tore at her even now, in the small insignificant moments of the day. Still, over the last couple of days, she'd felt an icy layer come over her, sheltering the delicate shattered pieces of her soul that were left. It made her need to survive a little stronger. 

Katrina was surprisingly very good company to keep, she was like Sasha in many ways. And although it hurt to be around her sometimes, it helped Stefani's sorrow ease. Never leaving her side for a moment, Katrina had focused on nothing but healing her body and mind for the past two days with an unrelenting determination that had left them both exhausted. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 1



Stefani had cried most of the first day, but once she'd stopped, Katrina had been able to instigate conversation, forcing her to deal with her grief. Stefani found herself talking about her rough childhood and how she met Sasha. They both knew the guilt Stefani carried would be with her forever, but Katrina was convinced that Stefani had enough strength to help herself heal from it. Katrina had managed to break through the wall Stefani had started building and helped her begin to deal with her grief in a positive way. It would a be long time before she could look at herself in the mirror without being disgusted, but she wanted to do right by someone. And in order to do that, she had to move forward. 

"I hope you're feeling better..." Luciano commented softly. He swallowed more of the sugary cereal, enjoying the tingling sensation of his taste buds. Stefani watched the cereal floating in her bowl absent minded and nodded slowly. 

"I've stopped crying so that's improvement.... I guess." Stefani answered dully. Luciano hated seeing the defeated look in Stefani's expression. Moreover, the emptiness in her eyes hadn't left since that night in the dining hall. He saw the frost that lay across her eyes like a shield and found it disturbing. Stefani might be accepting her situation but it would be a long time before she ever came to find peace with it. The realization saddened him. 

Katrina moved closer and placed her hands on Stefani's shoulder. He saw Stefani's eyes shut close and knew that Katrina was sending her precious healing energy. He kept eating silently but kept mental note of how much energy Katrina was losing. 

"Thank you." Stefani whispered and continued eating. 

"Don't mention it. Just so you know, we're going to be receiving more bagged blood soon, so you can feed. It might take a while to get your thirst under control but you have all of us to help you now, so chin up, little vampire." Katrina's voice was comforting. Stefani looked up at both vampires and gave them a smile. She was happy that she didn't have to always feed off the source and that this bagged blood was available. It made the whole process much easier on her, emotionally speaking. Katrina had explained that although she would still need to feed from Mr. Romanus frequently while she was an infant, it wouldn't be forever and that made her a bit more cooperative about the whole thing. The best thing Stefani could do for the moment was, adapt and learn how to survive. 

"When will Mr. Romanus be back?" Stefani's voice was low. Katrina had explained that because he was an elder, his powerful blood had forged a connection between them. She had also explained a bit about the archaic structure of vampire society and stressed the appropriate manner of addressing an elder. Stefani could understand most of what she'd said but mostly she was beyond grateful towards the elder. Ever since she'd fed from him she could only sense Varcolac dimly in the back of her mind. 

Luciano sensed his brother's shielded essence on pack lands through his family link. An elder's essence radiated so strongly any vampire in the state could have felt his presence, if he didn't shield properly. It was only because they were blood that he could sense him at all. He knew his brother was heading to the council meeting and it could be hours before they were finished. 

"He's heading to the council meeting, but I'm sure he'll be back the moment he's finished." This made Stefani pause to consider his words. They must be talking about what to do with her.

She didn't really understand what was happening, not even the nurturing Katrina spoke much about the situation, but Stefani felt it. The unease and tension hung in the air like a tangible force, weighing heavily over her shoulders.

But it was the strange sensations happening inside her that unsettled her the most. She couldn't place her finger on it, but something shifted and crawled inside her soul. From the moment she'd woken up the first time she could sense it, it was electric almost, the foreign feeling was like a warm buzz coursing through her veins. She also knew that it had nothing to do with her new vampiric nature. Whatever it was, it didn't belong. There was also the strange friction that sometimes became unbearable. It felt like two opposing magnets were within her. Sometimes it felt like they were fighting to get out as pressure built both in her chest and head. She'd purposely avoided mentioning it to anyone. Stefani supposed that after the trauma she'd experienced, her imagination was just grasping at nonsense. The mind was a powerful thing after all. 

Even as the thought crossed her mind she felt foolish. After nothing short of turning into a being she didn't believe existed, how could she pretend the paranormal didn't exist? Or the possibility, that there could be something foreign and unexplainable within her? 

In truth, Stefani just didn't want to imagine anything else being wrong or different with her. Denial is bliss after all, she thought drily. Forcing herself to put it out of her mind, she kept eating, picking at the banana. There was still so much she had to learn. She was blessed to have these vampires to guide her. Stefani smiled at them. 

They spent the whole morning joking around, while Katrina and Luciano lightly teased each other, which made her laugh more than she thought she could. In those precious moments she was able to focus on the good in her life and forget the nightmare that it had truly become. 

********

The sky was a muddy shade of gray as thick clouds gathered over the compound. In this time of year it wasn't odd for storms to pass by, but there was something oddly unsettling about the rumbling behind those clouds. There were sets of warriors in both human and wolf form, along the edges of the compound placed for the protection of the pack. The cubs were being kept indoors as a precaution, but apart from that, the pack went about its business like every other day. 

Thunder purred in the sky, an unnoticed thin purple fog came over the clouds. Power gathered around a specific point within the storm, giving off a strange glow. 

********

It was midday when Rain found himself pacing the conference room impatiently. The other council members were scattered around the room. Cole leaned against the glass wall, looking out into the woods and at the darkening skies. The rest of the Mactires' watched him with concern. 

"What troubles your mind, pup?" Rain sensed the vampire's presence as soon as he entered the room. The elder's power was shielded but even then, the air felt thick with his unmistakable essence. Rain brushed his hair out of his face, ignoring the elder's question and walked over to take his seat in the huge leather chair at the head of the table. His eyes were more golden than brown since his wolf remained closer to the surface than usual. It infuriated him that it'd been two days since he last saw her. He saw her beautiful golden brown eyes in his mind and his chest ached painfully. 

"I can assure you. She is safe with my younglings." Raven took his seat calmly and noted the irritation of the alpha wolf. Seated to Rain's right was the witch that had troubled his sleep. Her pale complexion concerned him like a pricking needle in the back of his mind. She was looking in the opposite direction with a concentration that bordered on a scowl. Raven grinned and had to forced himself to respect the privacy of her thoughts. 

Raven let his eyes roam over her long braided black hair that hung over her shoulder. She was dressed in a simple black sundress that made his unshed fangs throb. He shook his head at the heat that coursed through him. Clearing his throat, he got back to business. 

"Katrina has been working on healing her body as well as her mind. It is taxing for them both, but Katrina... is also quite capable of protecting herself. Luciano is also with them for the moment, for added protection. Not to mention, she's in the main manor of one of the largest wolf packs. I'm sure she will be all right for the moment. So settle down, pup." 

The ends of Rain's lips threatened to lift at the Elder's teasing label. With anyone else Rain might have been tempted to spill blood, but the vampire had such a strange humanness that it never ceased to baffle him. Rain's wolf raised its hackles, excited to play with the vampire. Even if it landed him on his ass most of the time, Raven was a challenging opponent, his wolf whole heartily enjoyed sparring with the vampire. 

Rain let his shoulders relax. They had to discuss how to proceed.

"Maybe not now but someday, she'll want to know why you left her to starve. She might even come to compare you with her captors. And it's something I've wondered about myself." Raven managed to keep himself in check at the overprotective instincts that rose inside him as he remembered her ravaging hunger from a couple nights ago. He knew the bond they shared was instantaneous and as strong as any sire-infant connection,to prove it, his natural instincts flared up at the thought of her. He already felt like an overprotective father to the little hybrid. 

"There is no excuse, and no amount of apology will ever do, but how could we have known? We barely got her back unscathed. She's possibly the first wolf-vampire hybrid in history. How were we to know how her body would react to either wolf or vampire? Her very existence, as it stands, wouldn't even have been considered a possibility a couple of weeks ago. An unimaginable myth. When she first woke up, the healers tried to get close, and she reacted almost violently to all of them. She wouldn't accept food of any kind or even company.

Was I supposed to shove food down her throat, which wouldn't even have sated her hunger? I must admit to being guilty. I should have known, but I didn't even see her myself. I didn't imagine! I was so busy trying to get up to date with all of the pack business and keeping my pack protected that I foolishly overlooked her situation. I saw her eyes and imagined that maybe it could be possible for her to be part vampire, but a part of me didn't want to believe it." 'The part of him that also couldn't stand to believe he'd failed her.' Rain let out a hard breath. His fist clenched on top of the desk. 

Raven nodded understandingly before his gaze moved over the council members, and he didn't need to read anyone's mind to know they felt the same. Their guilt clung visibly to the surface of their eyes. 

"Although I am in acquaintance with several vampires, I can't pretend to know your kind. I didn't even know you could digest food until lady Katrina asked for some..... My point is that I couldn't have known how to deal with this situation. Neither could anyone else because she is one of a kind. Anything and everything we do is blindly done. We have no way of knowing how her biology will be affected..... All I can do now, is hope that in the future we work harder to understand what has happened to her and how to deal with it." Rain paused, his eyes glowed a molten gold as his wolf looked out over the room of elders, alphas, witches and vampire. 

"That is all I can hope for, as well, my friend." Raven's gray-blue eyes met Rain's with sympathy. He had a lot of respect for the golden-eyed alpha. Rain knew he'd made a mistake, but rather than waste time dwelling on it, he was trying to move forward and fix things. Raven could respect that. 

Rain found the elder's approval very liberating, and with a sick twist of humor realized that Raven had become something of a mentor to him. 

Although wolves and vampires usually weren't overly fond of each other, Raven had found many things worthy of respect and inspiration within the young wolf. When they met all those hundreds of years ago. Rain had been lost. He had lost his parents and was placed as alpha before he had even began to really understand what that position meant. 

In his wild, young adult life, he'd been reckless and clumsy with his title. It wasn't until he'd met the elder vampire that he had learned some kind of humility and control. Raven had beat him half to death for his recklessness. Rain had attacked first, so he never held it against the vampire. Raven had taken one look at Rain's broken spirit, picked him up and carried him to his home with no hesitation. Throughout the years, as Rain learned to be a strong and steady alpha, and he had, in part, Raven to thank for giving him the push in the right direction. Both alpha males gave each other an approving nod before resuming the silence. 

Cole thought briefly on the conversation he'd had with his parents earlier. They'd told him about the incident with Stefani while he was in a self-induced coma. He had been outraged at first, unable to believe the behavior they depicted. But in his gut, he had known something was different about him. The connection to his wolf felt different since he'd woken up a couple of days ago. He'd been able to shift perfectly, which he couldn't do before, but it was as if his animal was a little more savage, a bit more wild, almost bloodthirsty. The council had been informed, and although he sensed their surprise and horror, it didn't bother him. He was something of an anomaly now, fully wolf with a small percentage of vampire savagery. In a sense he had become a hybrid like Stefani. Tests confirmed that his wolfed heritage was intact. He imagined that it was more of a spiritual obstacle he'd be faced with as he sensed a foreign darkness, the vampire nature, shadowing his wolves every thought.

Cole shook those thoughts out of his mind, moving over to take his place by his brother's side. He was surprisingly enjoying the company Hale provided. His brother was a formidable alpha with a kind heart and a strong back bone. Hale was born to lead. A twinge of nostalgia hit Cole as he remembered the aspirations he had once had of becoming Alpha. Of course, that was no longer his path, but the memory was bittersweet regardless. 

Rain ordered in tea and coffee for his guests. He turned to the priestess and gave her a small smile. She's healed faster than the average human thanks to her spells and magical herbs, but there would still be aches in her body that no spell could heal on such short notice. She was human after all.

The young priestess was already tired. The energy she had needed to place the simple reinforcement spells around the Alpha's Great Hall had taken their toll. She still hadn't finished the full protection barrier around the pack lands, and it looked like it would take a least a couple days for that to happen. In the meantime, the reinforcement spells would alert her to danger and would momentarily confuse any wonderers. 

She took a deep breath, knowing that her input in today's meeting wouldn't be welcomed but was crucial. She felt her sisters' essence inside her as they spoke to her through their mental link. They were at the compound (which was only miles away from the Great Hall) purifying the grounds. Basically, a lot of chanting and meditating. She had taught everything she knew to her younger sisters, but it felt like the wrong thing to do, letting them go without her. They were stronger together. She couldn't shake the bad feeling she had, but Lithinia wasn't sure if it was due to the vision she'd had or something else. 

Her family came from long a line of powerful witches and as the firstborn, the deities had granted her a deep well of powerful magic that at thirty years she was still figuring out. The coven they were a part of consisted of several magical families and stray witches and even some redeemable warlocks. To humans, her family were thought to be gypsies. In the spirit of blending in and not bringing attention to their paranormal nature, that suited them just fine. 

Lithinia looked around at the group around her, memorizing faces. It always shocked her how young and beautiful everyone appeared. None of them looked older than their late twenties with flawless features. She was probably the oldest in appearance in the room. She sighed in annoyance. Witches were mortal and aged more like humans, although slower with the use of magic. 

As her eyes took in everything in the room, the magic in it revealed itself to her . The connections between the people in the room appeared as brightly colored waves from one person to the next. The Mactires' family bond was a soft red rope of layers that ran from the elders to their children, although the connection they had with Cole, the eldest seemed thicker: it was a strange, captivating red-blue. The same went with the other families, which she saw as bright colors of green and blue. 

The connection line that the wolves all shared was an almost blazing gold line. Her own line to the O'Faolain alpha was a thin lavender light that pulsed as she acknowledged it. She also noticed the thinner lines of lavender that reached out to every member in the room. She smiled to herself, her essence wouldn't link herself to anyone who was deceitful. She found it reassuring that her company was genuinely in the light. 

Heat crept into her cheeks as she looked at the one thick line of midnight black with blue that connected itself from Rain O'Faolain to Raven Romanus and no one else. It wasn't what she had expected to see. Vampires weren't inherently evil as the world depicted them to be; they were just more bloodthirsty and wild in their feral nature than most creatures. But that line was like midnight sky with twinkling blue stars. It was beautiful not evil. It made her lungs constrict almost painfully, the longer she gazed at it. 

Lithinia also recognized the way her lavender light tried to approach the dark vampire line but would change paths and travel elsewhere. It didn't feel like her essence couldn't reach his because he was evil. It felt more like her essence shied away from his because of its strength, which puzzled her. She wouldn't force it, but she sneaked a glance in the vampire's direction. He was engrossed in conversation with an elder sitting beside him but he had the most arrogant smile on his face, as if he knew her thoughts. 

Connections successfully happened only when nature took its course, she told herself. She ignored the small ache in her chest as a small feeling of rejection floated into her. That was ridiculous! She did not need the acceptance of a bloody vampire! Witches and vampires didn't get along. End of story. She stubbornly looked away. 

All the guests made themselves comfortable at the long table and drank the warm tea. Rain rubbed his hand over his face. The signs of sleep, or lack thereof, were written all over his face. Looking around, she noticed that everyone else looked a bit unsettled but better rested than the O'Faolain Alpha. She wondered why that was.....

Rain couldn't help but feel that Stefani should be in the meeting. She should have a say in what was happening. Her life had been brutally ripped from her with no control or understanding by the rogues. The council was basically doing the same thing, dooming her to whatever fate was agreed upon without her approval. His golden gaze burned into the Mactires. Even Cole had agreed to have her stay out of it.

The meeting began with a slow progression as they all spoke out the problems. Rain shut down the idea of termination before anyone could think it through. Everyone had different takes on how the situation should be dealt with, but they all agreed about the severity of the situation. The rogues would want to get her back to finish their evil plans, which couldn't be allowed to happen. The second problem was determining Stefani's stability. Her hybrid status made it difficult to determine. 

"What of her training?" asked Raven, midway through the meeting. He had simply been sitting back and watching things unfold. He had listened intently to everyone's arguments and formed his own conclusions. It angered him how little they thought of her as a person, referring to her as the hybrid or the girl. He knew she needed to learn to protect herself. She had to get stronger to face the adversity that would be her life. He noticed the same anger radiating in Rain and Cole, their eyes blazing gold. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 1



"We can't allow her to become stronger. We don't know what she is?! We could be playing right into the rogues hands by giving her all the tools to wipe us out," asserted Dominick Lupino. 

"Can't you see she's just a child! She is not a weapon sent out to destroy anyone. Will you leave her defenseless against the darkness that seeks to claim her?" Raven's voice was close to a snarl. He glared openly at the Italian alpha. Raven Romanus had lived hundreds of years before the canine in front of him was born and his elder energy released into the room in a heated rush. 

Lithinia gasped as the energy hit her, her eyes flashing to the angry vampire. There was no doubt that the battle of dominance had been won by the vampire. The Lupino alpha growled and looked away in anger. She released a small amount of magic, letting her energy flow through the room, sending a calming aura. 

"Do not use your tricks on me, witch." As his icy voice shot at her, she winced back. Her title on his lips was like throbbing venom. She immediately pulled back on the reigns of her energy. Something resembling pain seemed to ache inside her, and she didn't understand why he affected her so much. Lithinia pressed her lips together and averted her gaze. 

A couple of hours later, Eanna Faol stood and began to conclude the meeting. 

"The Council has agreed that there is no need to have all the Alphas present. The Mactire Alpha has offered to stay along the O'Faolain, but Faol and Lupino will return to their packs in a week's time. They have agreed to leave several warriors behind for added protection. It is our intent to begin testing the girl's progress. As Rain stated earlier, we have no way of knowing what she has become or what she can do. It is in the council's best interest to make sure that this hybrid is safe to keep alive. Obviously termination is a last resort, if it comes to the conclusion that she in unmanageable and dangerous to the paranormal population. We will of course protect her as well as give her means to protect herself, at least until the immediate danger has passed--- the planet's alignment and this power gate. Afterwards, the council will reconvene to see where she belongs." She did nothing to hide her fears or her hesitation about the whole situation. 

Rain bit the inside of his lip as the priestess beside him stood. Her hands placed firmly on the table and asked permission to address the council. 

"I understand your fear.... I have known this moment was coming since my transition.... I didn't know when, how or what exactly was going to happen. But I saw her coming." Lithinia took a deep breath. She straightened her back, forced herself to take a deep breath. 

"First you must understand, when a witch is transitioned into a high priestess, as part of the transition she receives a vision. From our deities. These visions tend to be of great importance, world-survival important. In mine.... I saw her." Lithinia recalled the vision perfectly. She hesitated to go on, visions were always hard to explain to non-seers. 

"I didn't exactly see her shape... I had no idea what she looked like or what she would be. But I saw fragments of her soul. I saw the pieces that she was and what she would become... the fragments that symbolized two opposing creatures. It was at that moment that I understood that she was to be taken care of.... Protected. Nothing happens by coincidence, and she didn't just fall into our lap as a burden. She was meant to meet all of us..... because we must ensure her safety to the temple gate by the planet alignment. We are to ensure she safely opens the gate. It's her destiny" Her voice wavered. 

Several seconds later everything erupted around her. Some wolves even jumped to their feet in disagreement. She gazed into several pairs of outraged golden eyes, but a prickling feeling ran up her spine, distracting her from their reactions. She frowned, trying to locate where the feeling had come from. A wave of nausea washed over her as something forcefully pushed against her. 

Raven was on his feet and behind her in half a heartbeat. He had seen the confusion and discomfort that had swept over the witch's delicate features. Her words had shocked him, and he felt the same outrage the others felt, but unlike a wolf, his mind worked in much more subtle ways. He placed his hands behind her just in time as the witch stumbled back into them. He guided her to sit back down, and she didn't even react to his touch. Strangely he did. His body buzzed with an electric energy. 

Rain moved as he saw her fall to her chair and couldn't keep the shock from his face as the vampire elder stood behind her in a blink of an eye. 

"Something is wrong..." She mumbled to herself. There was a chaotic mess thrust upon her mind as if there was a frenzy in her thoughts that didn't belong there. She tried to connect to her sisters but as the connection opened, her eyes widened. 

"They're here." She whispered to no one in particular. 

A warning vibration thrummed through him hard, fast, and suddenly. A growl ripped from Rain's throat as he stood. At once, he was opening his mind, sending a whiplash-like wave of his alpha command out to his warriors. His men were communicating with him, reaching out to him. He focused on Noah's mind, Duncan's mind and Alec's and he dove in without hesitation. The compound was under attack!

"Compound Attack." He struggled to contain his outrage. The meeting forgotten, he shifted without a second thought. He slammed through the door, slid gracefully over the slippery hallway floors and ran full speed towards his pack. He sent out alerts to all the warriors in the Great Hall to meet at the compound. His betas were already moving the young and injured to safety. 

After Rain's furious exit, every wolf shifted in fury and ran after him. Raven dragged the witch off the seat and into the corner behind him. He knew how volatile wolves could become while shifting. The witch was the most vulnerable in the room, and he couldn't help but protect her. 

Rain briefly sensed the other packs' alphas and elders on his tail. He dashed through the long halls in fury. A thin blue light swirled from his feet as his element came forth, boosting his every pace with strength. He let out a roar as he rounded a corner and slammed out of a window into the forest floor without stopping. His vision was tainted with red.

In the Great Hall, the strange force was still trying to penetrate Lithinia's defenses. She'd never sensed so much unconfined anger with such animal savagery behind it at such close proximity and was thankful for the wall of flesh that had blocked her from it. Raven sent his brother a quick message, sending him out to the compound to help defend the wolves. He let several minutes pass as he focused on controlling himself. Something about Lithinia's nearness was making his body hum uncomfortably. 

"Stay here." He didn't bother looking back at her, he simply moved forward to give her some space. He knew he'd have to run because materializing within pack lands was impossible. Something about the energy in the ground grounded his essence too deeply. 

"No." 

He whirled on her in shock, no one defied him. Lithinia gasped at his heated gaze but returned his scowl seconds later, refusing to be bullied into submission. She was the priestess of one of the most powerful witch covens on the planet. Nothing would keep her from her sisters. Not even this elder vampire with the melting gray-blue eyes. 

"This is not a request, Witch."

"I agree. My coven sisters are out there. I will go to them. That is not up for discussion." 

He bore his gaze into her black eyes and saw the flicker of something that had his body heating up with an unfamiliar rush. He couldn't waste anymore time arguing with her. As it was they'd wasted enough time. If he ran at full speed, he would reach the compound at the same time the wolves would. 

He held out his hand for her. She hesitated but saw the determination in his features. She arched her eyebrow but placed her hand in his, finding it hard to ignore the spark of electricity that rushed through them from the touch. Unexpectedly, he yanked her up into his arms a second later. A small squeak escaped her. 

"You better hold on." He grinned as her arms went around his neck almost immediately, and, to his surprise, with no hesitation. His fangs throbbed painfully in his mouth. He sensed her gut trust in him but forced himself to ignore it and the satisfaction it gave him. 

He sensed vampires, a lot of them. In a blink, they were gone. 

*******



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 2



Happy Holidays!!!!

I have to apologize for the long delay.

I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple people who are interested in helping me edit.

If it is the end of the world, which I hope it isn't, I wanted to at least post something up for you guys to read.

:)

Lets hope the world doesn't end so I can finish this.

Forgive me if this chapter has less than perfect grammar.

Please keep commenting and sending me your feedback. There's still a lot to do with this story and I hope you'll all be here with me to see it through.

Again,

I want to wish everyone happy holidays! Keep your families close and have a great time.

Xo

*******

The strange darkened clouds above the compound quickly erupted into a purple swirling portal with a black hole in it's center; From which dozens of vampire rogue warriors dropped in synchronization. Their blazing red eyes took in the compound with deadly purpose and their blood thirst seeped into the air. The warriors that had been stationed around the compounded were in wolf form and charging at the incoming vampires with furious growls and no hesitation. The front figure sent out a nod and the vampire warriors ran forward with no mercy, tackling down the furry beasts.

The betas sent out orders to contain the vampires and linked to their alpha while he sent out instructions, as the first unexpected large fire covered boulder flew from the portal and clipped the side of a building, sending chunks of debris and fire spreading over the compound.

Syfien and Ostara were at the edges of the compound within the trees, trying to avoid detection. Syfien had a frown on her face as she gazed up towards the portal. Ostara was looking around cautiously as she put up a shield around them for added protection.

"There're too many vampires coming through..... Our best bet is to close it." Syfien whispered to herself as baby blue light glowed in her palms forming a long wide blade. Ostara followed her example and a soft orange light covered her palms until two silver guns formed in her hands. The bullets worked as poison to the vampires but would disintegrate if it touched a wolf without harming them. It wouldn't kill a vampire but it would momentarily slow them down unless the bullet was removed. Ostara grinned.

Syfien closed her eyes and willed their gowns to be replaced by leggings and tank tops. Ostara's light brown hair was tied up in a high pony tail. She looked up at her older sister's worried gaze who was focused on the purple fog-like-portal in the sky. Syfiens' short dark brown hair was pinned up in a tight bun revealing the intricate piercings along her ears. Syfien turned back sharply to her sister and leaned forward to press her lips to Ostara's ear.

"We'll wait for our priestess to come... For the moment we find the center point and find a way to counteract those fire balls." Ostara nodded and appreciated her sister's focus, knowing it was rare.

"Don't let down your shield, Ostara." Syfien whispered as she pressed her lips to Ostara's dark caramel cheek and stepped back. Taking a deep breath, they both walked out of the woods and into what had become a battle ground. Their eyes lit up as their magic rushed to the surface. Vampires rushed to them from both sides. Just as fast a set of wolves surrounded them, blocking the vampires attack.

Syfien swallowed hard as one of the wolves snapped a vampires head off with his sharp teeth. They really had no way of knowing how much the wolves understood while in this form but they were glad to see the wolves guarding them and not having them as first course. Ostara let them know their intentions before moving and the woven circle around them broke off as they pushed back against the vampires.

Syfien slit down her blade with purpose, struggling to meet the vampires speed and only thanks to her added spells was she able to dodge their talons. Ostara held up her guns and let it rip with impressive precision. The tattoos on her hand pulsed, feeding the guns with more energy. They walked back to back, moving towards the point below the portal where they felt was the raw energy, the center point. Unfortunately, that meant right in the middle of the oncoming swarm of vampires.

Syfien let out a frustrated breath as she blocked one of the vampire's attack and moved in to attack, as expected the vampire dodged and stepped back. The bloody beast was relentless but she could feel his surprise at her speed and agility for being a human. 'That right bloodsucker! I'm not just a pretty face.' Syfien thought dryly as she continued to move, with Ostara at her back.

Ostara was glad for their spells, it gave them enough speed to defend themselves from vampires, a regular human wouldn't have stood a chance. Even with the spells, she knew they were barely making it through. The wolves were really the ones who kept most of the vampires back.

It took them several minutes to reach a location with enough raw energy to set up a shield. Without pause Syfien's light brown eyes closed and her blade faded as a series of chants fell from her lips. Ostara moved around, having to cover for her sister as she was focused on building the shield. Ostara let out another round of shots, hitting most of her targets. Ostara grinned with glee a, she was thankful she'd stayed up so many nights playing call of duty.

Syfien had most of the shield placed. Her fist were balled at her sides, a thin baby blue light surrounded her entire body. Once Ostara felt her sister's surge of power, indicating that she was finished with the shield she leaned her shoulder against her sisters' and the guns faded as a light blue shield came up around them like a dome. The vampires found their shield impenetrable and both sisters smiled, pleased at their obvious frustrations. The wolves around them dispersed throwing themselves back into the fight.

The purple fog above the compound expanded and it was a second too late before they realized a medium size fire ball was falling from the portal and aimed towards one of the buildings. Syfien screamed as it fell from the portal and rushed past them. Everyone dodged out of the way as it crashed landed with a resonating boom, sending everyone back with a pulsating wave of fire.

A furious growl erupted from the momentary silence, shaking the ground beneath them. Both witches looked back to see a furious, huge black wolf followed by other wolves closer to his stature. The Alphas! The power radiating from his figure set of chills through the witches. Soon the furious wolves were snapping their massive jaws and clawing down vampires faster than the eye could follow.

Relief surged through them as their eyes fell on their priestess, cradled in the arms of the vampire elder. The priestess energy surged as she sensed their blood magic. Lithinia turned her eyes and immediately zeroed in on her sisters beneath the blue glowing dome. Lithinia smiled with pride even as her cheeks turned pink at their curious glances staring at the vampire holding her. Her arms tightened around the elder subconsciously.

"Thank you Elder... You can put me down." Lithinia's voice was soft as it brushed over his skin and he couldn't restrain the shudder that threw his body on a loop. Raven frowned. He knew well enough that she'd try and walk through the fight to get to her sisters. He rolled his eyes but didn't even try to hide his grin as he moved. In a split second he stood before the strange glowing dome. Raven chuckled while Lithinia felt her lungs constrict as they struggled for air again in surprise at his speed. His eyes narrowed at the vampires around them while his elder power rose in a steady rush. They backed away in fear within seconds.

Raven set the young priestess down and patted her into the dome. She looked up at him and for a second it felt like everything faded. There was such intensity in those eyes, he felt his fangs throb at her gaze. He stepped back and caught a set of talons coming his way without breaking the gaze with the priestess. Yanking the hand forward and severing the head from it's body with a precision only an elder could execute. He saw her eyes change and melt into a shade of lavender that awed him but he found no fear from his actions. Odd little witch! He thought with a grin.

Lithinia forced herself to listen to what her sisters were telling her but the elder's power hung so thick in the air, it felt like it enveloped her in it's grasp until she found it hard to think. His gray-blue eyes felt like magic as they stared her down. She sensed their strange connection but was baffled by it. She knew this was the center point of the astral portal around them, she let her magic seep out of her in a steady rush. Her sisters positioned themselves around her, back to back, in a loose triangle. She knew her eyes were changing and watched the fascination in the elder's eyes, a shot of pleasure rolled through her.

Lithinia sensed the witches holding the portal open on the other side. She also knew they only had to close the portal for the vampires to disappear. But she couldn't avert her gaze for a minute as he deflected any and all blows coming at him without breaking a sweat or their gaze.

Ostara began to chant in a low whisper, causing sparks to rush through them as she began the spell.

"They can't take anything into the portal but as you can see they are as tangible as you and I. There are several witches holding the portal open on the other side. They're using their magic to channel those fire balls.... We'll do what we can to close the portal. Just let the alphas know to keep them contained to this one area. Once the portal is closed, the vampires will fade." Lithinia's voice was soft as she regarded the elder. He nodded and sent the thought to Rain, who spread the info to the rest of the pack. The vampire didn't move away from the witches, determined to stay around them and defend them.

"Are you sure you're up for this, priestess." Syfien whispered from beside her. Lithinia's eyes felt deeper into those gray-blue eyes and she bit her lip. She knew what was required of these spells, the amount of energy needed could be lethal unless executed perfectly and her body was still recuperating. But as she looked deeper into the vampires eyes, she felt a heady rush of courage fill her.

"I'm stronger with you here," was her only reply but at that moment she didn't know whether she was talking about her sisters or the vampire. Odd as that was.

Syfien felt raw energy rolling through her now that her priestess magic was here. Ostara felt it too but didn't comment as she kept her chanting even and fluid. Her mind opened the connection to the air around them, she felt her tattoo pulse softly.

"You haven't healed, priestess. Is this really the best way to handle this?" Syfien spoke in rushed tones as her eyes wildly took in the scene around her, the edge of the compound was a flurry of fire, dirt and as more vampires fell from the black hole above them.

"It has to be... I'll concentrate on making sure no more vampires come out and averting the fire balls. Syfien, once the portal starts to close just focus on sowing out the portal. Ostara make sure to guide your energy into the after effects... A portal like this will set off a power wave. Be ready." Lithinia knew this would be difficult, there must be a dozen or so witches on the other side of the portal. She could even feel their attempts to penetrate the shields to her mind. She saw concern flash through the elder's eyes before a set of vampires took it upon themselves to distract him. They had no chance of harming him and knew it but would only manage to avert his attention. A small flash of concern went through her too. She hadn't attempted something like this in quiet a while but she shook it off. She always welcomed a good challenge.

Ostara's chest glowed orange as she turned around in her spot to face Lithinia's back. Syfien began to chant and Lithinia felt the waves of magic roll over her as she gave herself to the feeling. Her eyes lids fluttered as Syfien's energy thicken, filling her body like syrup. Syfien turned around as her chest also glowed a bright blue. Both sisters eyes were closed and the colored glow fell into their hands and they held it out in front of them.

Raven knew something was about to happen, he only moved his eyes away from the strange lavender eyes to see the orbs of color in the other witches hands. He watched as Lithinia cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders back. He frowned. There was an electric buzz in the air that rolled off the group, startling him. He moved closer until he stood right in front of the priestess again, just in case he was needed. There was a prickling in the back of his mind momentarily but he ignored it, focusing on the scene in front of him. He watched Lithinia begin to chant, he could hear the words but found it impossible to understand what she was saying. Witch tongue.

Syfien and Ostara gasped as they felt their priestess wield their magic into herself. Lithinia grunted but continue chanting while their magic pushed into her, filling her with boundless power. Her body trembled and she looked up into the gray-blue eyes for a moment. She felt the energy building at the bottom of her feet, rising steadily over her body in a lavender glow that covered her body. Her eyes snapped up to the portal and she let out a scream as power blasted from her body and up into the dark pit of the portal. Syfien and Ostara continued to feed their priestess power as they individually drew power from their given elements.

Raven stiffened as he saw the thick lavender light pulse steadily from the witches' body up into the portal. Her body shook lightly from the waves of power. Her eyes were glowing brilliantly, like two brilliant suns. Raven stood frozen to the ground. Never seeing such a beautiful sight before.

Thunder broke through sky and several lighting strikes hit the ground, which everyone found difficult to avoid. In the clearing everyone saw the strange light of lavender pulsing from under the strange blue dome. The vampire's master sent them instructions to get rid of them and all the vampires turned and headed for them. The wolves predicted this would happened and ended up creating a barrier surrounding the witches. Rain sent out commands to his warriors as they finally took the civilians out of the general area. He was at least thankful that it happen in one the most open area of the pack. It was at the edges of the compound, closer to the woods and only a few buildings were damaged. His sight was still tinted in red as he struggled to rein in the beats fury.

There were vampire bodies thrown across the ground carelessly and only several wolves had been injured but were quickly healing. Rain's jaw fell open as saliva dripped down to the ground. His anger only fueling his beast's strength as he sent out a gush of wind pushing past the vampires. He felt the other elements present but they had no need to really use them for such a battle. It was only to be used as a last resort but Rain was beyond caring. They'd attacked the weakest point of his pack, his civilians. The people he was blood sworn to protect. He would feed the ground with their blood until his wolf was satisfied. Rain roared as three vampires tackled him down but found them thrown off him before he could move, by the young Luciano. Who's shirt was spattered in blood.

Rain huffed in annoyance as his eyes narrowed on the ring leader of the group. His paws dug into the dark wet soil before running in the bloodsuckers direction. In the back of his mind he wondered How the day had gone so wrong?!

*****

*****

Katrina curled her hair up on a stylish bun, letting one small bang brush down the side of her face, the red tips curling just below her chin. She placed her hands on the bathroom counter as she took in a couple of short breaths. She was becoming weaker with each passing moment and the low supply of blood was an added set back. She let out a sigh, wishing Luciano was there. She bit her lip nervously as she thought on Luciano's quick departure.

She had been getting dressed when Luciano's hushed tones behind the door startled her, telling her to stay in the room with Stefani while he went to the compound, certainly it alarmed her. There was a stiffness to his voice that sent warning bells through her. She'd have to wait until he got back to ask what was happening. Now she just had to make sure that Stefani was ready for the day. She was determined to give Stefani a relatively normal day even if it killed her.

She had chosen a gray gown for the day's activities. It was one of her more conservative outfits yet slightly more seductive than any other. It was an off the shoulder silk dress, leaving her right shoulder bare, it hugged her body like a second skin. The slit along her right side parted when she moved, revealing her toned leg. She had chosen to wear a pair or black and silver roman flat sandals that wrapped around her calfs all the way up to her knees. Adorning her neck was a gold choker.

She patted her cheek softly trying to bring some color back into her skin. The last two days she'd spent healing Stefani had taken a lot out of her. What the elder and Luciano didn't know was that she kept feeding Stefani healing energy just by staying close to her. Usually the gift of healing required touch but there was something intrinsically empathetic about the way her ability worked.

For it to work the fastest she had to physically touch a wound but if her empathetic senses were triggered she could easily send out massive amounts of healing energy, she had to at least be in the same room though for it to work. The truth was, there was something so raw about every emotion that Stefani was feeling. Every wound although healed remained engraved into her soul, still openly aching and bleeding. Katrina found it impossible to turn away from her.

Katrina felt depleted as exertion beat her senses. She'd managed to hide it from Luciano well enough but soon it would become too hard to hide. She let out a sigh, leaving her room in deep thought.

Stefani was sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of orange juice, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt. Her long black hair was braided down her back casually. She felt Katrina approach her as a small wave of healing energy slipped into her. She smiled sadly. She doubted anyone knew she sensed Katrina's healing wave. She just knew and felt certain things but couldn't quiet explain how. Her smile widened as Katrina moved around the counter, picked up an apple and bit into it with ease. She was simply stunning. The dress she wore looked like it was perfectly sowed for her body. Stefani though Katrina must look like a roman goddess. A small part of Stefani felt a little jealous of her beauty, she'd never look that way.

"So I was thinking, we could go explore this place. It's pretty huge you know. Who knows the secrets we'd discover." Katrina let her excitement spill over as she talked endlessly about all the adventures that were waiting for them. Stefani appreciated the vampire's willingness to keep things as close to normal but sometimes it felt like she was being kept in the dark from something big. Another one of those feelings she couldn't describe.

Stefani was about to answer when a small shock trickled down her spine. She stiffened instinctively. Her eyes widened as a horrible sensation filled her gut, slowly she brought her hands up to rub heat into her arms. Katrina frowned as Stefani's fear washed over the room.

"Something's wrong." Stefani mumbled as she felt a heat wave hit her back and she turned to face it. Her eyes darted over the large living room and the open balcony trying to find the source. Stefani saw nothing until a soft purple light at the edge of the balcony caught her eye.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 2



Stefani stood, trying to catch a better glimpse of what it was. Katrina came to her side and they both stared baffled as the purple light grew twice it's size in a matter of seconds. Stefani turned her gaze to Katrina wondering if this was another vampire thing no one had told her about. There was an underlying current that made her tremble. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Stefani swallowed hard.

Katrina stepped in front of Stefani as the purple light grew at an increasing pace, filling the entire balcony. There was something captivating about the light. The feral part of her was soothed by the strange light but another part of her was urging her to get out. Stefani heart was beating so loudly it made her ears throb.

"We need to get out of here." Katrina whispered and started backing up with Stefani in toll. A pulse emanated from the light and all the doors were covered with a thin sheet of purple light stopping them in their tracks. Katrina hissed. Her gaze flipping back to the strange light.

It was too late when they finally realized that it must be some kind of portal, as something was thrown through the portal and it caught the light for a second. It was only Katrina's fast reflexes that caught the dagger aimed at her heart. Katrina hissed and stepped completely in front of Stefani, holding the dagger by her side.

Katrina swallowed. Stefani was stiff behind her, her body trembling as her heart beat erratically in her chest. They both frowned as a dark hooded figure stepped through the purple light and into the living room, followed by five more. Standing in their living room, covered in black from head to toe and strapped with deadly looking weapons. Stefani saw their blazing red eyes and cringed back.

For a second everything froze. Stefani let out a small breath and watched everything happen in slow motion.

Katrina bounced a couple times on her toes, her body positioned in a typical offensive karate stance. The men widened their stance in response and one by one charged at them. In that same heartbeat, Katrina shoved Stefani back into the kitchen with a tap of her hand. Katrina dodge two fists that came her way and a set of talons, spun and high kicked one of the men, sending him flying back into the purple fog. She deflected two more slashes before she missed and a blaze of pain bloomed along her right arm. The momentary distraction was enough opening for one man to kicked her into a wall.

Stefani felt the air rush out of her as she bumped back hard into the refrigerator and realized how fast they were moving. Another lost breath and a hand yanked her hair from the side. Her eyes snapped to the dark hooded figure as her body was violently brought to the side and thrown over the counter, slamming into the dinning table and rolling off to the floor. She let out a moan as her body throbbed. She let out a breath and lifted herself up. The tops of her gums throbbed as she felt her fangs lengthened. The room spun with a red haze.

*************

Lithinia felt her knees wobble under her as she struggled to keep the energy flowing steadily. The witches on the other side of the portal were relentless as they tried to counterattack their spell and every stroke of their magic hit Lithinia like whiplash. She knew she wouldn't last very long but she pushed harder anyway. The small sound of pain escaping her mouth didn't escape her sister's notice but they knew the connection couldn't be broken until it was finished or their sisters life force would be in jeopardy. They hoped it wouldn't come to that but their priestess energy was so low they didn't see how she would last much longer.

Syfien felt her sister's exhaustion beat at her and tried to send her more energy, that's the best they could do for the moment. They'd already manage to stop the witches from sending in more warriors and the fire balls had been averted every time they appeared. Ostara released a wave of her own magic and blasted the things right out of existence. Syfien was concentrating on channeling the energy of her sister's power to make the portal smaller and smaller.

Lithinia threw her mind into the vortex of power rushing upwards and found the signature essence of the witches. She was angry for what they were doing but she felt their pain and their fear rolling down every wave of power they released. They knew they were loosing, they were no where near as strong as she was but that wasn't what made them push at her so strongly. She realized a moment later that they were trying to reach her mind, to tell her something. She dove deeper, trying to understand, unwilling to fail.

Lithinia sensed another witch, separate from the group, who was holding another portal open. She probed trying to get through but the wave of power coming from the witch made her jolt back. Lithinia only got a brief sense of a dim red spark before she was shoved back viciously into her own body and finally she understood, the witches had tried to warn her.

This portal was only meant to distract them while they had opened a smaller one elsewhere and they'd fallen for it.

Dear god!

She couldn't speak, was unable to as pulse after pulse of power left her body. She couldn't even warn her sisters because she had to close off all connections to pull this off. Lithinia's chest opened up to the sky as more energy left her in a heady rush, she felt her knees crumble beneath her and she fell. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist as she forced herself to push the portal smaller and smaller.

She wouldn't fail but she didn't know how much energy she had left to give.

****

There were five men left, three focused on Katrina while two stuck with her. In a moment everything started to move again. Katrina was cornered on the opposite side of the room and she seemed to be putting a good fight. As she considered that, two figures came at her.

Stefani allowed instinct to guide her as she did a back flip over them, landing on the table. She didn't stop to think as the men turned to her and she kicked up the vase at one man, hitting him straight in the face. The noises filtered in then as if time was now moving along side them and not in slow motion.

The hooded figure came at her again. Stefani jumped back off the table, swallowed hard as the man tore the table apart with his talons. His red eyes flashing dangerously at her. She held up her fists, finding her balance. He was infinitely bigger and stronger and she knew her chances were slim but she would fight regardless. No way in hell was she going back to that place.

He came at her then, in a flurry of motion that was barely visible to her vampire sight. She let her body move naturally as she dodged the oncoming attacks. She was so focused on deflecting she only saw a shadow in the corner of her eye a second before she was kicked viciously and her body was slamming into a wall. She didn't know exactly when she screamed but her ears were ringing from the pitch.

Stray hair was falling around her face and her sight was spattered with black spots. There was that strange shifting inside her that created sparks of electricity all over her. Whatever the energy was, it was reacting negatively to this attack and pressure was rising through her body at an alarming rate. She panted and brought her eyes up as she pushed off the wall only to be crushed back into it. A second later a burst of pain seared her abdomen and she screamed. Her vision turning red. The scent of her own blood filled the room and it seemed to stop time.

**********

Raven stiffened, his gaze spinning wildly back to the great hall. He let out a roar. The prickling feeling in the back of his mind intensified and finally he understood exactly who it belonged to. For a moment he let his mind push into hers, his ward and he hissed as he felt talons dig ruthlessly into her abdomen. He saw a pair of red eyes and the edges of a purple fog by the balcony.

Talons came at him, he dodged and attacked without pause. Within seconds his brother appeared at his side quickly disposing of the vampire. His mind still in hers, he saw her blurry vision and Katrina's body slammed face first into a wall. Raven withdrew sharply and called out to the Rain.

"This was a distraction! They've gone after her!" He hissed, feeling the other alphas hesitation. Rain's ears perked up at the vampire's words, his golden eyes looked up in the great hall's general direction and back at the smaller but still existent portal in the sky. His jaws enveloped the neck of the ring leader, he spit out the offending creature.

His pack. or His mate.

His betas pushed into his mind sensing his struggle, urging him to go to her. They would handle what was left of the fight. Which wasn't much as most of the vampires had fallen and the witches had stopped any more from coming out. He jumped high into the air far above the fight, letting the wind catch him. As soon as his paws hit soil again, he was off in a flash.

Luciano stiffened, meeting his brother's gaze. There was something urgent in those eyes that made fear clench in his gut. 'Katrina!' Before he could think of moving, five vampires attacked. Luciano roared, slicing his talons through flesh and bones. Raven acted just as quickly. Their vicious stealth shocking most of the surrounding pack members.

Luciano was gone a second later, Raven followed. Their speed blinding to anyone but a vampire. They ran side by side through the wild forest, dodging trees and jumping over fallen logs. They caught up easily to the enormous black wolf who surprisingly matched their pace easily.

************

Katrina wiped off the blood from her cut lip with the back of her hand. Her chest ached as Stefani's pain invaded her senses. Katrina dodged another set of talons. She gripped the back of his hood bringing her knee up to the man's face and crushing his skull into her knee cap. She hissed as a hand wrapped around her hair and yanked her back and through the air. She shifted her body so her feet would hit the oncoming wall and she used the momentum to bounce back at him. Her talons coming out in deathly slits as she severed his head from his body.

Flipping around she landed on her feet and quickly struggled to maintain her balance. Knowing she was in trouble as her exhausted body threatened to give out and unable to heal her own injuries due to her exertion, she bled. Even for a vampire, she wouldn't last much longer. Katrina looked over at Stefani. She was held up against the wall, her screams piercing every part of her soul as the vampire was digging his talons into her stomach.

'Luciano!' Katrina screamed in her mind but she knew it was hopeless, she had no mental link to him or anyone on this pack. Her slowing reflexes only saw his shadow before he was wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and in a flash she was slammed face first into a wall. The same wall Stefani was pinned to. Katrina screamed as another set of hands wrapped themselves around one wrist, squeezing with so much force it brought tears to her eyes.

Stefani watched as two men pinned Katrina to the wall, her back to them. She saw their fangs elongate and her eyes widened. Ignoring her own pain, she lifted her legs up, planting her feet on the male's chest and kicking him back. Stefani slid down with no grace. The impact sending painful jolts to the bleeding wound at her side. She stumbled upwards as she stood and moved towards Katrina.

From the corner of her eye she saw something coming at her and managed to duck by throwing herself towards the center of the living room. Her body landed painfully onto the small decorative table. With a groan, she looked back and saw a piece of the broken dinning table now imbedded into the wall and swallowed hard.

Stefani managed to roll and flip herself up just in time as a foot came crashing down against the table. Stefani threw a spinning kick which he dodged. Sweat dripped over her face with exertion as she panted hard. She noticed the black-rope he was twirling in his hand and hissed.

The male holding Katrina spun her around and slammed her body back into the wall. The wall around her cracked inwards, molding around her body. Katrina had tears running down her cheeks but she bit her lip hard, refusing to give these bastards the satisfaction of hearing her cry.

The vampire held her neck so tightly she started seeing black spots but managed to catch glimpses of Stefani's body moving with incredible speed. Katrina looked at the men before her. The other man was holding onto one of her wrist against the wall with an unbearably tight grip. She tried to shake them off as a savagery rose insider her boiling over. Everything that was Katrina refused to be held down. She heard their laughter behind her and it enraged her.

"We only have a couple minutes left." The man holding her throat spoke to the one fighting Stefani. For some reason that statement brought an overwhelming terror through them both. Katrina struggled to untangle herself from their grasp but the hooded warrior just slammed her deeper into the wall. She cried out, her fangs throbbed in anger. She felt her eyes prickle with a fresh round of tears.

Katrina saw a sick glee flash through both of their red eyes before she even knew what they were doing. With an almost fluid motion, both men sunk their fangs into her at the closest available flesh. One into her forearm and the other into the juncture between her shoulder and neck. A scream ripped from her throat.

Stefani ran at the man, feeling her nails lengthen to knife like points. Dimly she heard Katrina's shattering scream. Before she could move in her direction though something wrapped around her legs, bringing them together and causing her to tumble to the floor over the broken pieces of glass. She didn't see the kick to her ribs come but felt the air whoosh out from her and it intensified the pain in her lower body. She rolled to the opposite side sobbing. Her attacker leaned down to tied her wrist together and placed something in the waist band of her pants. Stefani sobbed even as she squirmed over the pieces of glass, she tried to loosen the bindings.

Katrina's head rolled forward as the men sucked greedily at her blood, she felt herself growing weaker. When the third man approached, she couldn't hold back the sobs. Both men pulled back but licked at her wounds with a sick fascination. They dropped her harshly beside Stefani, who seemed to be bound and bleeding into the floor.

Katrina numbly took notice of these things as the men flipped her on her back, and crawled over her. They came at her faster than she could see with her slowing reflexes. A pair of fangs dug into the curve of her neck, another on her thigh, right above her given mark. The last pair of fangs sank into the soft curve of her hip.

"Luciano!" The scream dragged itself from the bottom of her soul in desperation and yearning. Katrina's body trembled in shock violently at first but as they fed from her, her reactions became gentler. The room spun and she knew they were taking more than she had. Her head turned to the side and she met Stefani's wide eyes. A fog came over Katrina as she felt herself floating further and further away.

Stefani felt anger rise from her gut. A strong and vicious thing that had her body shaking. It took a moment for her to realize that it was the strange energy within her pushing to get out.

She saw the dimness of Katrina's eyes and her mind flashed back to the bubbly vampire's personality. Someone like her didn't deserve this. None of them did.

It would stop!

Stefani let the wave of heat roll over her body and grunted from the pain. She shut her eyes and threw herself into the inferno inside her. Seconds later, her eyes snapped open and she rolled onto her back. Her body convulsed violently. Inhuman noises issued from her throat as her body was bathed in a soft golden light, intensifying by the second.

It looked like ghostly liquid gold was spilling from her body in waves from no where in particular, falling around her like a blanket and moving closer to the vampires. She panted as her chest constricted, more liquid gold slipped from her like fog, finally catching the attention of one male, who pulled his fangs back and watched the light show. He found himself almost mesmerized with what he saw. The girl was withering on a bed of shattered glass with gold fog spilling from every inch of her body.

Katrina felt so weak. She couldn't react to what she was seeing. There was no fear, no surprise, no pain, just numbness.

Is this how it would end? She didn't want to die without seeing Luciano. Her daddy and her mommie.

She didn't want to die!

Katrina let out a resigned sob and shuddered as a hand crawled up her other leg and one groped her breast. She closed her eyes and pictured a pair of gray eyes.

'I should have told you....' was the last thought she had as she plundered into a dark abyss.

A growl ripped through Stefani's mind at the same time a hiss responded and it seemed like those two opposing magnets were colliding within her. She screamed and the light surrounding her became too blinding to watch.

Stefani screamed louder. Her back arched higher and something exploded from her, disintegrating the three vampires and everything around them shattered. Blowing out the balcony, taking the purple fog with it. She felt a familiar essence approaching and smiled.

They're coming, Katrina...Hang on..

Stefani's head fell to the side as her blurry gaze caught Katrina's closed eyes, her chest tightened and darkness consumed her.

***********

Luciano and Raven allowed Rain to take lead as he commanded staff out of their way. Luciano heard his name screamed with his exceptional hearing. It seemed to all of them that they were moving in slow motion even as they ran through the intertwining halls at blinding speed.

They were minutes from their living quarters when they felt the earth tremble beneath them with a rocking force that made their movements slower. A massive explosion resonated through the halls and they pushed harder.

***********

Lithinia felt darkness coming closer and she wanted to scream in frustration. She wouldn't have enough energy to close the portal, she was too weak. She panted hard. Even as the thought was crossing her mind, a golden line of electricity traveled under the ground and suddenly shot into her body like a shot of adrenaline. Her head reared back, the thick line of lavender turned a dark shade of purple before changing into a multicolored rainbow that expanded to the width of the entire dome.

Lithinia struggled to bypass the sudden onslaught of unbidden energy that didn't belong to her. She screamed out as the last wave of her energy left her and went flying back into her sisters.

The sky rumbled with thunder and her sisters focused on their tasks beautifully. Moving in synchronization with their chants and their movements. Within seconds the portal vacuumed itself into nothingness and all the vampires vanished as if they'd never been there to begin with. Ostara made sure to contain the power pulse that was released as a result to a simple strong wind that rocked the debris out into the forest.

Lithinia felt the energy leave her body as fast as it came, bordering on pain and she slumped forward while darkness overtook her. Syfien and Ostara fell to their knees around their priestess panting hard. Checking her over quickly to make sure she was all right. They sensed that it was exhaustion that took her under and they let themselves relax. The shield shattered around them.

Finally it was over.

The wolves howled in victory. Some of the council approached the fallen witches and circled them protectively as the betas began to get everything in order.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 2



Syfien giggled as a wolf came closer sniffing and licked at her face, which she took as gratitude. Ostara made a gagging noise that had both witches bursting into laughter.

******

Rain's heart was pumping blood furiously as he moved. His rage barely contained, his massive jaw snapping in fury. As the three creatures reached the vampire's wing, they didn't stop to gaze at the debris that covered the halls but they slowed speed. Finally arriving to their quarters, Rain entered through the door way first and his roar disrupted the silence.

The first thing the vampires noticed was the thick heady aroma of blood that hung in the air. The entirety of their suit was nothing but debris. Feathers and dust floated thickly in the air, while everything from the sofa to the kitchen supplies were wrecked into pieces. The wall had cracks and dents, of what appeared to be the molded shape of a body and half of the dinning table embedded into it. Stefani was bounded and was laying on pieces of glass with a large pool of blood around her. Across from her was Katrina with piles of dark ash around her.

Rain in wolf form shuddered above Stefani in visibly contained rage.

What shocked Luciano into numbness was the sight of his best friend, Katrina. What remained of her gray dress was ripped and drenched in blood. Her skin was a strange shade of gray. Her lips had a slightly blue tint to them and from where he stood, he knew she wasn't breathing. Luciano's heart stopped and his breath lodged itself in his throat, his body moving forward on auto pilot.

"Katrina?" Luciano called out to her. She would wake up any second and give him a dazzling smile. He waited what seemed like an eternity and listened for a heart beat that wasn't there. Her vampire healing should have already started working!

Rain shifted with a roar. His naked human body shook with fury as he ripped of the ropes on Stefanis' body. Raven didn't stop to think but moved directly to Katrina's fallen body even as Stefani's essence called out to him. Stefani would be safe with Rain for the moment but Raven sensed Katrina's essence fading fast.

Luciano stumbled over to his brother and Katrina. His hands shook as he reached for her but he didn't hesitate to moved her upper body over his lap to shake her.

Rain sent for the healers as he lifted Stefani's body off the pile of glass and moved off to the side, making sure to brush off the piece of glass on her back. He leaned against a wall before sliding down and cradling her body over his lap. He let out a relived sigh.

"Katrina!" Luciano's voice had a hysteria, he'd never heard in it before. Raven placed a hand on his brother's shaking shoulder.

"You have to feed her. Quickly... There's no time left."

In the blink of an eye, Luciano made a deep gash at his wrist and pressed it to her lips. He tried to ignore the coldness of her skin or the way her body stayed limp in his arms. Luciano rocked her body closer to his and hoped his blood was running down her throat. Tears filled his eyes and poured shamelessly down his face. His blurry gaze moved over her torn bleeding body and for the first time in his life, he prayed.

Luciano didn't look away from her for a second. Her beautiful face was empty and her skin was paler than he'd ever seen it. Her eyes were half closed and dull. His eyes were drawn to the numerous bite marks on her neck, her thigh and her hip, along with the remains of clothing that clung to her body. He screamed furiously into the air. His body shaking with a fury he never knew he could possess. Grief poured over him like waves.

In less than an hour, his whole life felt like it was crashing down around him, and he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Luciano couldn't give up on her!

As minutes ticked by and she didn't stir Luciano let out a roar and his body shook as grief poured off him in waves. He held Katrina's limp body tighter.

Raven went off looking for the few bags of blood he had left and brought them out to his brother, so he could regenerate more blood to feed her. Luciano bit into a bag quickly, going through two more bags before setting them down. Several minutes went by of dead silence as he rocked Katrinas body tenderly.

Rain leaned heavily against the wall and pressed his lips together. The vampire's agony was palpable, clearly written on his face and Rain hoped the female survived. Although with the amount of blood that soaked her gown, he didn't see good odds. Rain looked down at his mate and saw the wound at her side had already started to heal with alarming speed. He couldn't explain how he knew Stefani was just resting but his wolf seemed positive of it. Noah sent him a quick message, letting him know that the portal had been closed, there were only several injured and that all the damage had been contained. Rain let out a breath with relief. His pack and his mate were safe.....for now. Reaching out with his mind, he sent out orders to his warriors.

Lucian had to cut into his wrist again as it healed and brought it back to her mouth. Leaning forward he pressed his lips to Katrina's temple and whispered hotly against her ear, letting his tears fall over her cheek. He didn't know he could feel this strongly for someone until the idea of never hearing her laughter again hit him. He tightened his grip and pressed his cheek tighter to hers.

This can't be real! Luciano thought numbly as he wrapped himself around her body. He hissed as a burning ache spread through his heart. He let out a scream.

Katrina!! Come back to me!



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 3



Hey!

I'm so sorry it's been so long since I'm posted! Schools been crazy!

Apart from the crazy writers block that's been dragging me down, Its been hard to find a stable, decent, cool editor to work with me :(

I'm honestly not even that bad!!!

But anyway! I wanted to thank Felicia for helping me edit this chapter and working through my bad grammar! :)

I also look forward to this summer break because I'm gonna be finishing up this story in a couple more chapters! So I'm excited about that!

To those of you who are still hanging around, Thank you. I know I've been a difficult writer and maybe I'm not 5 star but I'm just trying to bring something from my heart you know.. damn that sounds corny ahhahaha

I definitely understand that it's hard to get back into the flow of a story if it's taken so long but I suggest you read the last chapter just to review ^.^ and maybe you'll get the feel for it more. This chapter is also a bit long.

I hope you guys enjoy it.

Don't forget to leave me comments and feedback!! I love it all!!!


*********** **************

Rain leaned heavily against the wall and heard the vampire's scream. The man's agony was palpable, clearly written on his face and he hoped the female would survive. Although with the amount of blood that soaked her gown, he didn't see good odds. Rain looked down at his mate and saw the wound at her side was already starting to heal at an alarming rate. He couldn't explain how he knew Stefani was just resting but his wolf seemed positive of it. Noah sent him a quick message, letting him know that the portal had closed, there were no injured and that all the damage had been contained. Rain let out a breath with relief. His pack and his mate were safe, for now. Reaching out with his mind he guided his warriors in what to do next.

Luciano cut into his wrist again as it had started to heal and quickly brought it back down to her mouth. Leaning forward he pressed his lips to Katrina's temple and whispered hotly against her ear, letting his tears fall over her cheek. He didn't know he could feel this strongly for someone until the idea of never hearing her laughter again hit him. He tightened his grip and pressed her tighter to him. This couldn't be real!

This couldn't be real! Luciano thought in shock and cried numbly as he wrapped himself around her body. He hissed into the silent room.

Katrina! Come back!

**************

What felt like hours for the group as Luciano's grief tore through his body was really only moments. It was a the time of moment that had the power to steal your breath completely as the heaviness of the situation burned itself into your skin.

"Guess I scared you huh?" A choked whisper fluttered through the silence causing him to pull back and look down sharply. Luciano gasped. Katrina's eyes were closed but fluttering and her blood stained lips were moving tenderly over his now healed wrist. He choked down a hysterical laugh and rubbed at his eyes. Not caring that both men in the room were witnessing his weakness.

She was alive!

Katrina's eyes opened. Her strange yellowish brown eyes had a thin red line around them that melted him to the core. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything so---- inspiring.

"Beautiful." Luciano whispered roughly, unable to hide the grief in his voice.

"You know this dress reminded me of your eyes....Guess I'm going to have to buy a new one...." Even though Katrina tried to make her tone light it was a low, broken whisper that caused his chest to clench painfully. His blood boiled in anger at her current state even as relief flooded his entire system. Luciano ignored the jumble of raw emotions he'd never experience feeling at this level before, putting that aside he needed to focus on her. She was alive and he sent a silent prayer that it wasn't a dream! 

Luciano chuckled and pulled Katrina up higher onto his lap, cradling her closer to him. Her head rested on his shoulder weakly, small tremors rocked her body from shock. Katrina let his minty scent wash over her as she relaxed and strangely it soothed the worst of her pain. Already she could feel her body healing, slowly but surely.

Luciano nuzzled her neck, running his fangs up the column of her neck, to her ear hoping to keep the words private. "Don't ever do that to me again brat...." His strained tone made her eyes tear up even as her body began to heat up at his proximity. It was a confusing reaction.

"Don't hog her, Luciano." His brothers teasing tone didn't irk Luciano as it usually did. He straightened while Raven came around to crouch in front of them. Katrina was too weak to do anything but glance in his direction.

"You realize, your father will attempt to kill me for this." Katrina broke into a sobbing laugh that had both men concerned. Once she calmed down, Raven brushed a hand over her cheek and held up a bag of blood for her. Luciano took the bag from his brother and brought it up to Katrina's mouth, letting her pierce the bag on her own. Her eyes closed and she sighed contently. It was at that moment that Luciano allowed himself to finally relax.

She was going to be fine.

Luciano looked around the room, noticing the splatters of blood and the strange piles of dark ash. The soft gulps emerging from Katrina's throat as she fed did not escape his notice and he felt heat rise over his face. Raven followed his brother's gaze with a frown, moving over to inspect the offending substance. Several quiet minutes passed before he spoke.

"It's Vampire ash. What's left of them anyway." He spoke for both Luciano and Rain's benefit. Rain looked up at the vampire elder, who's suit was perfectly intact, not a spot of blood on it after the brutal fight. The only indication was his blonde hair slightly ruffled from the run.

"How is that possible?" Rain asked. They'd all heard the explosion but that didn't explain why the vampires had turned to ash while the girls had stayed mostly intact.

"It was her...." Katrina's voice was a little thicker, the empty bag of blood forgotten on her lap. All eyes turned to her as she spoke. Katrina frowned and tried to piece together the last things she had seen.

"There was gold light everywhere.. It was coming from her body like fog. It was the strangest thing and it tingled when it touched me.... It was so strange and hard to explain in words but somehow I know it's what saved me." Katrina's gaze lifted and moved over to Stefani's sleeping form on the alphas lap. She ignored the strange tingle of her mark.

Three wolves walked into the suite cautiously and waited for the alpha to acknowledge them. It was the medical team he'd sent for.

"Come. We'll move to my quarters and discuss it there." Rain stood, unwilling to hand Stefani over to anyone and waited until the vampires were ready to follow him out. He left strict instructions to lock down this side of the wing and have guards at the door. The healers followed behind him, fussing at him to see the girl.

Katrina complained as Luciano rose with her in his arms. She blushed when his heated gaze bore into her and he slapped a bag of blood to her fangs to shut her up. She fed without struggle, allowing her body to accept the much needed substance.

Raven chuckled and walked past his brother to walk beside the large naked alpha carrying his ward. He found it a little disturbing how comfortable Rain felt about being naked around them. Wolves were definitely too liberal in that department. He let his eyes gaze over Stefani, gladly noticing that her injuries were healing. But in the back of his mind he knew that this would set her back emotionally. That had probably been the intention and knowing Varcolac as well as he did, that was probably the right assumption.

It was a long walk to the alpha's quarters, which was on the upper floors. Rain didn't usually bring guests but he wanted these particular guests close by for the time being, so the best place to keep them would be his personal suite. He missed the quietness of his own suite back in the compound and being away from his pack weighed heavily on his thoughts.

Luciano and Katrina stayed quiet the whole way. Luciano held her tightly to his body which kept her a constant state of quiet arousal. Considering she'd almost died moments ago she thought it was an absurd thought. She trembled and nuzzled her lips over his neck, taking in more of his scent.

*****

Varcolac sat on this huge throne like chair, his chin tilted down slightly with irritation as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. His fangs throbbed painfully through his parted lips. The stench of blood and ash filled the room, covering it with a thick gray fog. He opened his eyes and looked down at the unconscious figures before him.

He struggled to contain his anger as the only prisoner conscious stepped forward. The young witch trembled but straightened her back and looked up to meet his glare defiantly.

Varcolac hissed at her insolence but enjoyed watching the witch flinch away from him.

"You have failed me witchling."

"We were not expecting witches to come to their aid, my lord. Especially not a high priestess! We did as you asked and we reached the girl successfully. They have received your message!" The young witch raised her chin a bit but kept her tone submissive. There was a certain fire in her green eyes that contradicted her tone.

Rodan stepped forward to the right of the vampire rogue and his red gaze burned into the witch. Varcolac's eyes narrowed in his direction as he let out a heavy sigh.

"For your sakes, let us hope our message was properly understood. Take them back to the dungeons. Make sure to give this one, another round in the labs." Rodan's voice was clear and soft but dripping with venom. He grinned as two vampires yanked the young female back and dragged the rest of the females out of the hall.

Varcolac ran a hand through his hair frustrated, a small smile tugged at his lips as the witches struggle against his warriors.

"If there's one thing we can count on, is that wolves are predictable creatures. To save her, they'll have to set her free."

Rodan grunted in annoyance and without a second thought walked out of the room, leaving Varcolac to his thoughts.

"The dogs will bring you right into my hands.... We'll be together soon, little Rose." He whispered to himself and tried to reach her through their bond again. She was muted but he sensed grief pouring over her in waves. He grinned.

Maybe their mission hadn't been a total failure.

*******

Cole ran up the halls of the great hall with Hale by his side and his parents behind them. His mother had complained when he rushed off but he ignored it. He'd been neglecting Stefani for too long. That was going to change as soon as he got to her.

The fight had sent shots of adrenaline through his body that he hadn't experience for hundreds of years. It was liberating to fight along side his wolf. He felt like he'd finally come home but couldn't deny feeling like he'd fail Stefani. None of this was fair to her, he had to get his shit together and focus on her.

Now that the fight was over and he'd heard the alpha and the vampires had rushed off mid-battle, he ran like death was on his heels back to the great hall. He couldn't begin to imagine losing her again! Shaking his head from those thoughts he ran upwards to the Alpha's quarters, surprised that the guards allowed him through but figured that Rain had sensed him coming.

Cole's breath left in a rush as he slammed through Rain's double doors. The entire Mactire family filed into the huge living room and followed the alphas scent to his main room.

Rain looked up not surprised but annoyed at the loud entrance. He was sitting down on the ground outside the bathroom door with Luciano on the other side. Raven was sitting on the alpha's bed, drinking some of the darkest wine he found in his kitchen.

"What happened?" Cole's alarmed voice made the vampire elder smile in appreciation. This other wolf seemed as worried about his ward as he was. Maybe there was hope for the dogs after all!

"They're getting cleaned up." Rain nodded his head back to the bathroom they guarded. He motioned for the Mactire's to come in and make themselves comfortable. He stared at Audrina's petite form walk through his large room and over to them. She only glanced at him momentarily before stepping into the bathroom to help the girls, surprising most of them. They'd all sensed her previous resentment towards Stefani and wondered what had changed.

Katrina had demanded she take a quick shower before they even thought to ask any questions of her but as Luciano placed her feet on the ground, her body had given out. The argument then became how to get her cleaned up without her having to stand. It was out of the question to have anyone bathe her and thankfully Rain had a huge tub which solved the problem quickly. Luciano had placed her gently in the tub and Rain followed by placing a still unconscious Stefani in with her, nodding to the vampire with caution.

While Katrina cleaned them both up, the three males had unwillingly left the room to give them privacy, but the men decided to go no further than the door. So they decided to just sit outside and wait until they were called for. He barely had time to sit down and relax before the Mactires' had barged in.

Rain couldn't deny the jealousy that flashed through him as he thought of his mate in a bathtub with another female but he knew they needed this. He would never understand the female mind! He thought with a grunt. Thankfully, they'd only been there for about twenty minutes.

Rain let his head drop back and let out a depressing sigh. "I found this tucked in the waist band of her pants." Rain threw the piece of paper at Raven, who caught it easily.

"Coordinates" Raven spoke in a somber tone and his eyes met Rain's still golden eyes. The room fell silent for several minutes as they let that sink in. The rogues had left them a message...a location.

"We'll deal with it in the morning." Hale's tone cut through the silence. He leaned heavily against the frame of the door. Too much had happened today.

"I don't want Katrina touching Stefani... Is that clear?" Luciano stared off into space as he spoke. Rain arched an eyebrow, not quiet understanding what the young vampire was implying. Raven's eyes bore into his brother's before looking up at the bathroom door in deep thought. The Mactire's also found this confusing.

"Katrina will use her healing energy to heal the girl. She'll do it subconsciously without even thinking about it, when she needs to focus on healing herself. In fact, I'm sure she's doing it as we speak.... I rather not give her more opportunities to do so and just keep them separate for the moment." He let out a frustrated breath as he ran a hand through his hair. Luciano didn't know how to protect that girl from her own empathetic abilities. She was not cut out to be a vampire! She was way too bright.

His emotions felt raw and exposed, being kept separate from Katrina at the moment felt like talons were piercing his heart. He didn't understand it and decided to ignore it but couldn't deny that his whole existence had just shifted on its axis. He couldn't quite know whether this change was for good or bad.

Rain understood and even if he wanted Stefani healed, he knew the vampire should focus on healing herself before anyone else. It humbled him to know Katrina tried so hard to work on his mate. Rain would have to find some way of repaying the vampire.

Several long minutes later, the door opened, bringing both men to their feet in surprise. Audrina's eyes looked up at the O'Faolain alpha as his gaze bore down into her's before moving to the bundle she carried in her arms. Stefani was cradled in his grip tenderly, wearing his black silk robe. Rain reached down to pull her up from Audrina's grip and held her body up to his. He nuzzled Stefani's neck for a moment before moving away from the door, allowing Audrina to walk out. Audrina had a small smile on her face as she asked Luciano to go in and walked off to give her mate a kiss. Hale and Cole grinned at their parents PDA. Some things really didn't change.

Cole moved over to follow Rain as he walked out to the living room. Rain sat in the middle of the largest black leather sofa. Positioning Stefani over his lap, her head tucked to his shoulder, he made sure the robe was securely shut from prying eyes. Cole sat down to his left and reached out to grab her limp hand. Rain tensed but said nothing until Raven sat to his right and petted Stefani's damp hair gently. Rain's wolf growled in anger and then in annoyance as neither male removed their offending contact. Hale laughed.

Luciano frowned at his brother, who followed the group out into the living room. He swallowed hard and walked quickly into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him before his breath lodged itself at the base of his throat.

Katrina was sitting sideways at the edge of the enormous bathtub with one of her legs still in, her wet dark hair fell easily to the tops of her shoulders. Every inch of her amazing body was naked and dripping with water. An irresistible sight.

He tried to avoid looking at the distinct fang marks that had yet to heal but couldn't control the fury that rose. Luciano felt his chest constrict painfully as she turned her eyes to him. There was a bit more color in her face and her piercing brown-gold eyes still had pupils thinned to slits as they pierced into his soul. Katrina reached out a hand to him, not needing to use words.

Luciano moved to her side before he could stop himself and felt his body tremble slightly as her body heat warmed him. Katrina looked up at him and he broke. He would have given her anything she asked for in that moment, as long as she kept looking at him like that. Like they were the only two people in the world and in his mind they were.

"I didn't think wearing the alpha's robe would be fitting." Katrina let out a small cough as her throat burned and she wrinkled her nose in distaste. Her body shivered and she told herself it was because of the chill but frankly having Luciano so close while she was so very naked and wet was wreaking havoc on her.

Damn right! Luciano thought with a frown, moving out of the room at lightning speed to drag a shirt from his suit case, an omega must have brought in earlier. It didn't occur to him that he completely dismissed her own suitcase until he picked out a lace pair of panties from it. He stepped back into the bathroom a moment later, carried his shirt and underwear over to her.

Katrina's eyebrow rose as she reached over to bring a towel around her body, patting herself dry. Her cheeks were burning and she refused to look up at Luciano. She could feel his eyes moving over her bare skin and heat pooled between her legs. She hoped he couldn't tell. Quickly slipping into the bit of lace, she faced him.

Luciano helped her stand when she was dry. He looked into her eyes as he peeled the towel off her body with a swift yank and helped her slide her arms into his shirt. A line of electricity seemed to erupt around them as he did the buttons in the front slowly. He didn't know what was happening to him or why he was reacting this way but he noticed her reaction as well. She swallowed visibly and her fangs peaked out from her lips, teasing him with their adorable sharpness.

Luciano held his breath as he ran his hands up over her stomach, over the swell of her breast, to her neck. She stumbled closer, placing her hands on his chest. He was in a trance as he gripped her neck tightly and brought his mouth down over hers.

Fire broke out over them. Katrina pushed her weak body onto her tiptoes to reach his mouth better as he wrapped his other arm behind her small waist to yank her tighter against his hard body. She moaned into his mouth and his tongue took full advantage. Katrina felt like she was drowning in the hottest sweetest fudge and would have gladly died in it. Surprisingly her entire body tingled as healing energy coursed through her in brilliant waves. Instinctively, she pushed some of that energy toward him. The emerald light that flared around them went unnoticed.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 3



Luciano couldn't think as her body pressed up against his but he felt the wave of healing energy that flowed into his body. There was a desperate need for her that solidified in his gut. He had a moment to wonder why he'd never done this before!

Had he been insane?!

Luciano groaned as her fangs nipped at his lower lip shyly and he dragged his hand to her ass and hauled her up higher on him. She squealed into his mouth in surprise and he grinned. He pushed her backwards until she bumped against something hard but continued to ravish her mouth as he picked her up and set her down gently on the counter and stepped between her parted legs. It felt to him like a frenzy had taken over. Luciano tried to rationalize this overwhelming need for her to his lack of a woman's touch lately. And now the need to take her was riding him like a demon from hell. His mind thought one thing to possess her.

Mine!

For god's sake he was acting like a freaking wolf!

But he couldn't have cared less. It was at that moment that he finally understood the scent he hadn't been able to place since they'd known each other. She tasted of oven baked cookies with melting chocolate and vanilla spice. He wanted to devour her and he planned on doing so for a very long time.

Katrina jolted back and out of the kiss as his hand touched the sensitive fang mark on her thigh. In a blink, bile rose in her stomach and she saw his eyes open in heated confusion before she moved at blinding speed and found herself kneeling over the toilet, throwing up violently. She sobbed and dimly felt a hand wrapped in her hair, holding it away from her face. She sagged against the toilet when she was finished and felt a pair of arms come around her, lifting her and moving her back to the counter.

Luciano's hand trembled, as he filled up a glass with water and handed it back to her. He stood watching the silent, numb tears slide down her cheeks. He couldn't begin to describe the different emotions that filled him. Katrina avoided his gaze as she took big gulps, washing her mouth from the foul taste. He cursed himself for being such an imbecile! She'd just been literally ravaged by monsters and an hour later he was doing the same. He was no better.

"I'm sorry, Luciano"

Luciano had the strangest urge to kiss away the sadness in her tone and he did. He pressed his mouth to hers, even as she winced back. Luciano wrapped his hands in her hair and refused to let her go. Her entire body was buzzing with energy as it regenerated strength and she couldn't understand why kissing him had that effect but it seemed to stimulate her healing energy in strong beats. She felt a little stronger. He pulled back brushing a hand over her cheek and instinctually she leaned into his touch with her eyes closed. Pure male satisfaction bloomed inside him. He'd put that flushed look on her face and those lips were swollen and red from his kiss. He let out a hard breath as he smothered down the animalistic need to claim.

"As soon as you're better, I plan to kiss you again..." His soft threat made her smile while he dragged his arms under her knees and joisted her up back into his arms. Katrina looked down at her hands and swallowed hard as a prickling in the back of her mind pushed through. Her secrets almost tumbled out of her mouth like word vomit.

How could she admit the truth to him? The secret she'd been keeping from him for years, unwilling to share them. Luciano walked in silence into the living room with a wide grin on his face. Katrina had the decency to blush at the male satisfaction on his face and the curious looks the others sent their way. He moved over to a love seat and sat down with Katrina on his lap, his arms wrapped around her waist refusing to let her go. She sighed.

"Glad you decided to join us." Raven's amused, knowing tone brought a blush to both of their faces. Nothing escaped the vampire elder.

"My parent's are coming....." Katrina whispered as her eyes rose to meet the vampire elder. Raven stiffened momentarily and looked over at Rain who tensed as well.

"They must have sensed her pain... I hope you can grant them permission onto pack lands, Rain. I'm afraid they won't be very reasonable until they see she's ok but I wouldn't want any trouble." His voice was tense and Rain nodded. He trusted Raven wouldn't ask him to bring in anyone he didn't trust himself. But the frown that remained on the elder's face disturbed him.

"They'll probably be arriving tomorrow the latest."

Raven let out a depressing sigh but looked over to Katrina who was curled up on his brother's lap and thought on how close they'd been to losing her. Rain nodded, his hand rubbing Stefani's thigh lightly. His wolf purred softly at finally having a moment to touch his mate, even if she was unconscious and there were so many unmated males around him. His wolf seemed to at least understand the connection she had with the vampire and Cole.

Rain looked up to meet Katrina's eyes. "What happened?"

Katrina smiled sadly and leaned her head on Luciano's shoulder as her gaze dropped to the slumbering hybrid on the huge Alpha's lap.

"Everything happened so fast... It must have been a good half hour after Luciano left but I knew something serious must have happened... We were eating in the kitchen and I finally managed to get Stefani to agree to come with me exploring. I was really looking forward to giving her a normal day.... I just wanted her to feel normal. I wanted her to forget... for one day." Katrina's voice harden, her eyes snapping away in anger, while her hands balling into fists.

Everyone in the room sympathized with what she'd been trying to do. The wolves in the room more so than anyone else, this was because they had not even thought to approach the situation in the way that Katrina had.

"I remember seeing Stefani tense up. I smelled her fear, that's what first alerted me to trouble. She started looking around.... Frankly, I thought it was an infant thing or even a hybrid-wolf thing but as it turns out this weird purple fog appeared at the edge of the balcony. I remember how odd it was....But I couldn't take my eyes away from it, even as it grew, I felt compelled to get closer... Stefani's shaking was what snapped me out of it... She was frozen cold. I think she might have been in shock or something. I tried to get us out of there but the fog let out a pulse and all the doors were covered in that odd purple as well. It locked us in." Katrina touched her chest lightly as she remembered the strange compulsion she had towards the light.

"Thanks only to my reflexes I caught a dagger aimed at my heart a second later. That's when I knew we were in trouble. Six vampire warriors stepped out from the fog. They were rogues. I could see their red, blood thirsty eyes locked on both of us.... I'd never felt like prey in my life until that moment but what really worried me was Stefani. She was shaking like a leaf and even thought she was mostly healed, she still needed more blood and training to be anywhere near ready to defend herself and I---

Katrina gasped for air.

She took a deep breath to steady her heart. "I'd been healing her continuously for the past two days. The last time I fed was the day we arrived. I was weak and I knew I was in trouble but I'm a skilled fighter... I should have been able to handle a couple vampires.... I should have been able to protect her." The disgust in her voice was palpable to everyone in the room. Raven sympathized with her. He knew Varcolac would have sent only the strongest, blood thirstiest warriors. He knew better than anyone that she stood no chance even at her full strength but kept his comments to himself. She didn't need the criticism.

Luciano tightened his hold on her, unable to speak as guilt flooded him. He should have been there for her, no... he should have been there for both of them.

"I shoved Stefani behind me and into the kitchen... Elder, they moved incredibly fast, even in vampire standards.... I dodged a couple swipes, managed a good kick at one and sent him flying back to the fog... But I wasn't fast enough and-- one struck my arm. Next thing I know I was crashing into a wall..

"I- I was on my feet again as they cornered me. They managed to sink their fangs into me a couple times but otherwise I was holding my own. It wasn't until I saw Stefani that they started getting through my defenses...I was so angry.... I think they threw her over the table. I heard her grunt as she hit the floor." Katrina looked back at the fuzzy flashes of memories and tried to sort the speed at which they came at her. Rain growled under his breath. Luciano fought to temper the anger rising in his chest but couldn't control the way his fangs lengthened and throbbed painfully with rage.

"I kept trying to move closer to her but they just pushed me back... Bastards!" She hissed in frustration as her more logical mind began to filter through. She had been a tactical fighter but she'd let her guard down and had acted instinctively. She'd let her fear for the vampire infant to cloud her judgment, that wasn't the way she'd been trained to think.

"I saw her fighting... I could see the confusion and fear in her face but she never let that slow her down. It was like something inside her just woke up and moved instinctively. I only caught glimpses of her. She was so fast....

"Faster than any infant vampire I've ever seen but even with that speed, the vampires had every advantage. I only saw her again when her body crashed into the wall. One of the hooded vampires was digging his talons into her stomach. I was so angry, I smashed one guy's face into my knee... But as fast as I had been the others were faster. Next thing I know another one threw me to the wall but I managed to launch myself back at him... I ripped his head from his body.... Even then, I knew I wouldn't last much longer. My body felt like it was going to give out and I wasn't healing properly. I kept bleeding. It was slowing me down." She took in a deep breath. They all felt a sick satisfaction at knowing she'd gotten rid of the two vampires swiftly.

"There was so much blood.... Stefani's screams distracted me for a second. But that second was all it took....." Katrina's voice lowered to a shaky whisper. She didn't look up to the pair of flashing gold eyes or Raven's angry gaze, much less Luciano's.

"One of them wrapped a hand around my throat and slammed me into the wall... I- I couldn't breathe. I tried to fight but my body was too weak.Then there were two vampires holding me to the wall and slamming me into it. But I kept my mouth shut.... I wasn't going to give those animals the pleasure of hearing me scream." Her voice dripped venom and outrage as she remembered the pain that had exploded in her body as her body hit the wall. She felt Luciano's body tremble under her and she forced herself to continue.

"They turned me around to face them... I caught glimpses of Stefani again. Her shirt was drenched in blood but she kept fighting. I didn't really see much after that as they started to feed from me....... It hurt.... I didn't- I never knew it could be like that." Katrina choked down the sob that rose in her throat. She'd never felt so used, as they stole her blood. No! Katrina shook her head refusing to continue the thought. She was strong! She would get over this. Her fists clenched and unclenched.

Luciano felt his vision narrow. He wanted to spill blood. The very thought of anyones fangs but his sliding into her beautiful body had him trembling in rage.

"I tried sending a call but I have no link to anyone here. I couldn't reach you....." Katrina's voice had softened and she gripped Luciano's shirt tightly, remembering the way she'd called out to him but only felt emptiness. Luciano stiffened. He knew, she was referred to him. He closed his eyes and swallowed the guilt.

"Everything was so blurry.... I was falling to the ground and they were biting me again... I just-- I felt numb. I saw Stefani again. She was thrown over pieces of glass, I felt her pain. She called out to me.... She was sobbing, desperate to reach me, but I was so tired...so weak... I wanted to heal her, to tell her it would be alright and I remember thinking that I didn't want to die. I couldn't die without seeing my parents..... without seeing Luciano." She finally forced the words out and flushed. His heart was beating so strongly he could hear it in his ears.

All he heard was that she'd called out to him.... In her last dying breath she'd fought against fading because she wanted him! And he hadn't been there for her... He shut his eyes, pushing back the warm emotion that bloomed in his chest accompanied by overwhelming guilt.

"Like I told you before.... I saw her-- she was covered in gold light, only it looked like water or maybe fog.... I- I don't know. It tingled when it touched me like low level electricity but it felt familiar and warm..... Then everything went black but even as I faded and I felt my heart beat slower.... I felt that tingling gold light holding me... It refused to let me go.... Next thing I know, I was surrounded by that smoky mint and I knew Luciano had come... He's always there when I need him." Katrina smiled softly, letting herself melt back into his embrace. Luciano couldn't control himself anymore. It was like he'd been possessed the moment he saw her lifeless body.

It was like he was possessed now.

Luciano gripped her arms tightly, swearing he'd apologize for it later. Katrina snapped up to look at him, one look into those eyes and he slammed his mouth down over hers. He wrapped a hand in her hair, keeping her in place as he let the emotions wash over him. He felt tears come to his eyes as he got lost in her cookie taste and the feel of her all around him. She tasted like home. She was brilliant and alive. He'd almost lost her! The thought had him trembling.

Katrina forgot about the crowd around her and simply let herself feel. For the brief moment they kissed, she felt whole, safe and cherished. Most importantly, she could lie to herself and believe she could be with him forever because his kiss claimed her so completely, like he'd never let go. Her hands reached up to wrap in his hair.

Raven coughed impatiently as the young vampires made out unashamed for several long minutes, causing the wolves to chuckle in amusement. Luciano pulled away, his cheeks warm. He didn't look up at anyone, just ran his finger over her parted swollen lips and gazed into her eyes. He felt drunk. His body was on a high he'd never experience with any other woman. It amazed him the romantic intensity of his emotions for a female who'd been strictly his best friend hours earlier. Truthfully, he'd never imagined he could feel this way about any female, much less Katrina.

Katrina looked away and blushed. She felt her parents' weak link as they tried to reach her but couldn't and she struggled to contain her tears. She wanted to stay in Luciano's arms as long as she could but her family's broken connection unsettled her.

She also knew she'd have to tell him the truth soon enough... For now, she wanted to live her lie a little longer.

Rain smiled at the vampire girl and stood, holding Stefani at a better angle. Raven and Cole stood beside him... It was only late afternoon but he knew they all needed rest.

"When Stefani is up to it, we will bring her to the council as we discuss her training." He spoke to the Mactire elders and dismissed them. Cole stayed behind, ignoring the Alpha's command. Raven brushed his lips over Stefani's forehead tenderly, chuckling at Rain's discomfort. Raven found himself in deep thought as he gazed at her for a second before bidding them goodnight and leaving the chambers.

"Thank you, Katrina.... for protecting her. Please, get some rest. I look forward to meeting your parents and telling them what a wonderful daughter they've raised." Rain's tone was gentle as he regarded the beautiful vampire. She offered him a dazzling smile. Katrina was older than the wolf by a couple years but his approval of her lifted a weight of her chest that she wasn't aware had been there to begin with. Her eyes watered slightly and she nodded at the big alpha. Who only pointed in the direction of the guest rooms before walking towards his own room.

*******

***********

Katrina was afraid to breath as Luciano picked her up and walked with her to one of the rooms. Her cheeks were warm and she felt her fangs throb. Her body was tired but all she could think about was kissing a certain gray eyed vampire some more.

What's wrong with me!? She thought drily.

The room was a bit more luxurious than the previous room she'd been in. The bed was a queen with a fluffy white comforter and matching pillows.

Luciano laid her down gently after dragging the covers back. Smiling as she rolled over and sighed happily. He brushed a hand over her cheek and walked back towards the door.

"Luciano.... Don't leave me." Her voice was a whisper that had goosebumps breaking out over his skin. He froze, unsure of what to do. He was being ridiculous! He'd been alone with her before so what was the problem now?!

Now...

He knew how delicious she tasted.

That was the problem! He grimaced.

"I don't want to be alone right now." Katrina hid her face into one of the pillows. She didn't hear him moving but wondered if he was considering leaving her. Luciano let out a sigh and walked back to the edge of the bed. Katrina scooted over a bit and looked back over her shoulder at him. His gray eyes melting into silver pools of heat. Luciano took a deep breath and grew a pair of balls as he slid himself into the bed behind her.

For modesty sake and to keep his sanity, he stayed a good several inches away from her, even though half of his body was threatening to fall from the bed. His cock was already hard and throbbing and he hadn't even touched her! This was going to be a nightmare.

Katrina didn't know if she was frustrated or amused at his behavior. He was acting like he'd combust if he touched her! As if he'd never touched a woman before! She grunted in annoyance.

Katrina knew all about his wild, sexual escapades. The whole court knew him as the bad-boy-casanova of their generation with a very obvious set of commitment issues. He went through more women than she even thought was possible. But she also knew that she was the only woman in his life that he'd kept around as a friend. Which was probably because she was the only one he hadn't slept with..

After all he'd always seen her like a little sister and ofcourse she'd fallen madly in love with him from the start and doomed to never have the feeling returned. Yes, their relationship was cliché. She let out a sigh and bit her lip nervously. The bitter thought made her chest tighten. If only that was the only problem in their relationship.

Truth be told, Katrina's parents had given her an ultimatum several years ago. They were desperate to keep her safe and although they would never admit it, they were craving grandchildren. Her older brother wasn't properly mated yet regardless of his age and her younger brother was still too young to even be considered, so they thought to marry her off instead. They had a list of suitors she was to choose from and at first they were dead set on this arranged marriage idea.

Katrina would only mate for love. Of course she threw an ultimatum of her own at the very thought. So they had come to a compromise after several long years of arguing. At the end of this year, if she didn't find a good enough suitor to mate of her choice, they'd choose one for her or the alternative.... which wasn't an option to them. Of course she had roughly twenty years to find that someone but the opportunity never arose. She'd been on adventures with Luciano, certainly too busy to find a suitable mate and the one man she honestly wanted would never see her as anything more than a little sister or a good lay.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 3



Katrina knew she wasn't being very fair to Luciano but he'd said it himself. He'd rather walk through demon fire than attach himself to any female. Plus she could never ask that of him. He was wild and untamable, a force to be reckoned with. That's what she loved about him, his free spirit. his vitality and desire to live every moment passionately. In truth, she'd never take that away from him nor would she ever ask him to give it up, even if her life depended on it. He was destined to roam the earth free, while her destiny led her in the opposite direction, away from him. Towards a life filled with boundaries, rules, and limitations.

Katrina shut her eyes as the reality she tried to forget hit her. She knew her parents had only her best interest at heart and she knew their true motive to their ultimatum. Even as hard as they tried to hide it from her, they were really only afraid to loose her forever.

After all, she was a born maiden and all maidens only had two choices.

If she didn't mate before her maturity, she'd have to join the ranks of the Sacred Maidens. The maidens were a special class of female vampire healers who were bred and harnessed from maturity to serve the race. They were considered members of the aristocracy, though they were more spiritual royal than anything else. Maidens were secluded from the rest of society due to the rarity of their abilities. They were kept for the mortally wounded civilians, feeding any unmated elder and a last resort for breeding the strongest warriors, if the need arose. Not all female vampires were born maidens but only a rare few were born with the mark in the shape of a tear drop.

When an unmated-marked-maiden female reached a certain age, it was said that their abilities spiraled out of control and would become dangerous and unstable to those around her. Something about the elite group kept the healers energy in check without turning them rogue but they were kept completely separated from the entire society as well as the rest of the world.... Never to be seen by a family member or friend again. In order to be protected, Maidens were kept in exile for the rest of their existence with the sole purpose of serving the race.

To their society, it was seen as a great honor to produce an offspring that was blessed by the gods to be possibly claimed by the Sacred Maidens. This blessing was also a curse, as society secretly shunned them for being different, for being powerful. It came with a high prestige for the families but only the families really understood the incredible sacrifice it meant.

It meant relinquishing all family ties and connections, devoting oneself to the greater good. There was nothing more selfless. It was the greatest blessing was the greatest curse thrust upon the chosen ones and their loved ones.

For thousands of years, marked females were found and claimed by the maidens unless they were mated and their powers safely controlled. Katrina didn't agree with the system but it was just the way things were... it was the way their society functioned. This was the only way for them to survive because of their unique powers.

Only the council members and elders knew the location of the sacred maidens, who only ever saw patients. The cold truth was they were prisoners and Katrina wasn't one to be held down, not by her people and certainly not by a man. Her parents knew that finding a mate was the best thing for her vivacious spirit but she'd wagered her options carefully over the last couple of years.

Several years ago with no suitors of her own, she started to lean towards their crazy list. Men just seemed to dematerialize away from her before she even had the chance to dazzle them. That was the main reason why she was a virgin at two-hundred-and-forty-nine. But it wasn't until today that she reached a decision... It wasn't until she'd come close to losing her life that she could come to terms with her own destiny.

As the silence filled the room, Luciano wondered what she was thinking about. He knew she wasn't sleeping but she was very quiet, it was almost uncomfortable. He frowned at that thought.

There was something she wasn't telling him and that bothered him. He could feel the cloud of secrets hanging around her. He'd seen it in her eyes over the last couple of months, sadness in her eyes that he couldn't understand. It set off a painful, twisting feeling in his gut.

He saw her shift and turn around to face him. Her eyes were wide and beautiful and to his utter humiliation, he reacted by staring at her like an idiot.

"Luciano.... I'm cold." Those were the first words she'd spoken in a while and they were thick and sultry. She cleared her throat and shivered to emphasize her previous statement. Luciano thought briefly that maybe she was trying to kill him as he slid himself cautiously closer to her, dragging an arm over her hip and pulling her closer to him. He sighed as her body fit itself perfectly into his.

Why hadn't he ever noticed how good she felt?

Katrina let her head drop to his chest, relishing the feeling of his arms around her. Her parents would arrive in the morning and she'd have to tell them her decision... it wasn't something she was looking forward to.

"Katrina. Is there something you need to tell me?" Katrina stiffened instantly, wondering if he'd read her thoughts. She took a deep breath and moved up on her elbows to look at him. There's no way he could know. Looking at her he let himself relax.

"I'm just hungry." Katrina hated lying to him. She hated that she never had the guts to tell him what she was but how could she? He'd never look at her the same and she couldn't handle his rejection. She would wait, enjoy these moments together and keep them as treasures for the rest of her life.

He frowned, his eyes searching hers.

"Always thinking about food!" He chuckled to himself as she elbowed him in the ribs hard enough to make him choke. He sat up, leaning back on the headboard. Katrina didn't expect him to believe her, much less offer to feed her, but it looked like he was doing both. She smiled warmly and crawled up beside him and reached for his wrist.

Luciano felt his spine stiffen at her touch. He pulled his wrist away from her and she watched him confused.

"I thought-" He interrupted her by dragging her boldly over his lap. She straddled him without a thought and looked down at him curiously. It felt so normal. So good. Luciano reached up to cup her cheeks and stare into her warm eyes. He knew that if there was anything he wanted more at the moment, it was to feed her the right way. The way she deserved. She reached up to cup his hands over her face and leaned into his touch. Something about his warm touch filled her chest with butterflies.

"Feed." He ordered, dragging a hand into her semi dried hair.

"I don't understand." Katrina was truly baffled. How was she going to feed If he kept moving his hands around? He chuckled and brought her face closer to his. She watched as he titled his head back, offering her the curve of his neck, where the strongest vein throbbed. She shivered.

What?!

Katrina moved a bit higher on his lap and heard his intake of breath. She paused for several minutes before her hands went up to his shoulder. Under her palms he shivered slightly in discomfort. She brushed her lips over his neck, pressing small kisses all the way up to his ear.

"I can't take this from you, Luciano....I can't." She whispered hotly even as it tore her on the inside. She wanted nothing more than to sink her fangs into his neck but he'd never allowed anyone to feed from there. Always rejecting the intimacy it created. She never knew if it was a phobia or if he was just turned off by it but the fact that he was offering it to her now.... Well she rather not read into it. She sat up, forcing her body to calm down.

Luciano couldn't help the jolt of anger and hurt he felt. "You know I've never allowed anyone to feed that way..." He mumbled as he turned his head back to look at her. Katrina licked her lips and his eyes narrowed at the move. His gray eyes glowing in the dark like silver lit pools.

"So don't be a spoiled brat and do as you are told." Luciano hissed as his fingers tightened almost painfully in her hair. He watched the outrage that crossed her face. He saw heat rise over her cheeks with anger as she opened her mouth to reply, he slammed her mouth down over his.

Katrina was stunned. He'd called her spoiled when she couldn't accept something so precious to him. But as his tongue dove into her mouth and flicked at her fangs, she growled. He was teasing her! She tried to push him away even as her own tongue fought his. He grinned through their kiss at her pointless struggle. He felt her hips subconsciously rubbing over his lap trying to get closer and as his hands travelled over her clothed body, he felt her hard nipples. She wanted this as much as he did.

Luciano pulled back, running his hands down the sides of her body to grasp her ass. She panted softly. Her warm breath tickling his lips and it took every ounce of his self control not to take her then.

She looked so fucking gorgeous, so fucking his.

Sitting on his lap with his shirt and the lace panties he'd chosen. Her hair surrounding her like a halo, her lips red and swollen from his kiss and the fact that she was saturated in his scent thrilled him to no end. This was right. Everything from her hair to the look in her eyes that screamed his name, it was right.

....Mine!...

"Take from me. Katrina. Don't deny us both what we want." He pressed his forehead against hers and rubbed at her nose affectionately as he spoke. Although he liked taking control, he wanted her willingness more. He needed her to need this as much as he did. She smiled softly and pecked his lips again. He moaned as sparks erupted inside him from the innocent touch.

Katrina slid her mouth down to his neck and licked at it teasingly and nibbled on his skin, hearing him hiss in frustration. His hands on her ass were squeezing almost painfully. Luciano realized that he'd never wanted to feed anyone else as much as he wanted to feed her in that moment.

Katrina slid her hands up into his hair, angled him in the right position, mumbled soft thanks and gently pierced his neck. Luciano roared as she sucked at his vein. His cock throbbed so hard it bordered on agony and he found himself precariously close to the cumming. Pleasure rolled through him as Katrina drank from his body. He struggled hard to contain his own hunger for her as his fangs lengthened and throbbed. His darker side demanding he feed and mark her as well.

*********

Katrina made sure to take only what she needed before pulling back, oblivious to his current state of arousal. With her eyes glazed she let her head drop to his chest to let her body rest as his sweet blood charged through her body. Luciano trembled at her soft coo as he ran his hands over her back soothingly.

Luciano smiled at her reaction and let his thoughts drift. Katrina was like a child in many ways even if his body disagreed. She'd always been more human than vampire the scent of oven baked cookies was emphasis of his thoughts. She was sunshine and everything he strived to become but would never accomplish. Katrina was life; pure, head strong, passionate, un-relentless and he realized bitterly that she wasn't made for the harsh, cruel society they were a part of. She deserved the universe at her feet. The madness of his thoughts and feelings left him dizzy and unfocused.

Katrina was without a doubt on another other level far from anything this life could give her, even from him. Luciano nuzzle his fangs over her neck affectionately. It was a physical pain to withhold from biting her, especially when she bared her neck a little wider for him in encouragement. She couldn't afford to lose any blood she had and if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't worthy of drinking from her vein. Without thinking he rolled them down onto the middle of the bed, keeping his body wrapped around hers.

"Sleep.... I got you." Luciano whispered in her ear hotly and she let herself marvel in his minty scent as she dreamed.

************* *********

Rain tucked Stefani into his bed, taking a moment to brush back her damp hair. His fingers moved down her cheek softly. He narrowed his eyes as Cole plopped down on the other side of the bed with a sigh. It took him a couple minutes to reign in the beast's instinctive fury at the male's actions.

"We can't tell her." Cole's gaze was glued to the other side of the room as he spoke.

"She has a right to know...." Rain sat at her side, he smiled when she shifted closer to him.

"You don't know her like I do. Rain....."

"I'm aware of your bond!" Rain hissed, his eyes flashing gold furiously. His wolf ripped through his mind in furious growls. His chest tightened almost painfully at the thought of another male having such a close bond with her. A bond he might never be able to match. It confused him how much he seemed to want this bond with her when days earlier he could have sworn he wanted nothing to do with her. This stranger with the electric gold eyes and clouded past had flipped his whole world upside down.

Cole sat up straighter, his eyes filled with sympathy. He could understand what the alpha must be feeling and he respected Rain's strength to hold back his wolf under the circumstances. Cole could see Rain's skin rippling as his wolf raged to break free but he would even to go against an alpha, because Cole knew her better than she knew herself at times.

"She's always been strong, far stronger than anyone I've ever met but emotionally...she's fragile.... She's had a hard life, Rain. She's been alone, judged, and tormented for being different in the human world. Now that she's back to the world she was rightly born into, she's to be the subject of more judgment and torment for being something that is out of her control. A creature formed of two beings she thought to be mythical!

"A couple of weeks ago she was just an ordinary human girl with ordinary problems! Stefani knows she's different, she always has... I've seen it in her eyes. I also know she'll deny it and fight it to her dying breath...Rain. She's gone through too much... If we tell her that this unholy power lays dormant within her waiting to be released and that it will let loose and even greater chaos on the world...

"That and the knowledge that she is the first hybrid ever created in history, honestly I'm afraid of how she'll react. If she discovers how truly different she is---No! Stefani needs time to become strong enough to fight what's coming, to heal. When the time is right, we will tell her." Cole's gaze landed on his adoptive sister. In the back of his mind Cole knew this might be a huge mistake on his part but every protective instinctive he had, wanted to shelter her from this as long as possible. As big a mistake as it felt, he couldn't deny the pull to shelter her just a little bit longer from the inevitable truth of her existence.

"I can see your point but it doesn't mean I have to like it.... I will inform the council. We'll have to start as soon as possible." Rain spoke in hard tones, his eyes watching the frown on Stefani's sleeping face.

"Leave us. Mactire. I grow weary of the topic." Rain stood and walked to his walk-in closet. His tone revealing some of the tiredness he fought to hide.

"Do I need to remind you to behave yourself," Cole stood and watched him apprehensively.

"It seems I've reached the limit of my patience.... Shall I demonstrate how I became alpha to the most dangerous pack in the world." Rain snapped and swiftly tugged at a different pair of sweats and changed his shirt. Silence fell over the room and he stepped out to find Cole standing by the door. A soft breeze fluttered through the room. No doubt Rain's doing.

"Take care of her. O'Faolain."

Rain let out a breath when Cole finally decided to leave. He looked down at the unconscious form of his mate with longing. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with her but his alpha duties called, so with a groan he walked into his study and dialed a familiar number.

********

Stefani floated above a dark chamber. She grimaced at the countless thick black wires that held her body high above the floor. It was like watching a movie screen, like some kind of out of body experience. She must be reliving a memory.

Stefani glanced around and swallowed hard at the huge metal machines positioned around the room. Rodan was off to the side, tinkering with the control panel. Stefani took a moment to float closer, curious.

She closed her eyes as a familiar buzzing filled her ears, moments later her own screams pierced her ears. Stefani let herself move further away from the picture. She watched as wave after wave of black and purple electricity was shot through her body. This was creating a symphony of white burning agony that she remembered all too clearly.

She didn't want to see this!

Stefani screamed in her mind to the rhythm of the screams echoing her memories. There was a tingling tug in her chest before darkness consumed her.

*******

Hours later, Stefani eased into consciousness slowly. It was like surfacing from a perfectly performed swan dive. She blinked her eyes open in confusion and winced as light blinded her. Instinctively she tucked her head into a warm pillow and took a deep breath. Something primal inside her seemed to move closer to the surface, intrigued at the scent that surrounded her. Stefani felt the pillow drag her closer and she frowned. Pillows didn't move! Stefani peeked her eyes open and her breath caught in her throat. Her breathing spun out of control for a second as she stared up into a warm pair of golden eyes.

Good Lord, he was huge. And stacked!

Stefani swallowed hard as her eyes roamed over his hairless body.

Rain's upper arms were the size of her thighs. His abdomen was ribbed as if he were smuggling paint rollers under his skin. She could feel his legs pressed up against her body and they felt thick and corded. And his sex was as big and magnificent as the rest of him was pressing tightly and intimately to her stomach.

Rain's warm arm was draped over her waist his long black hair was loose and fell easily over his tan shoulder. Heat swamped her face when her eyes glanced up to meet those golden orbs and she felt herself melt a little. It felt like he was looking into her soul....

'Monster!'

Stefani winced as the word hit her she averted her gaze in shame. It only took moments for her body to start shaking as panic rose from his touch. She dared another glance up into his eyes, unsure of how to say what she needed but was relieved when he lifted his arm and moved back, giving her space. Her eyes stung as bile rose in her throat.

He knew about what Varcolac had done to her...he knew and surely he was disgusted by her... She thought sadly and curled up into a ball, dragging the sheets to her neck.

They both sat in silence. It was discomforting to feel his eyes roam all over her body. She closed her eyes and gathered some courage. It was about time she came to her senses and started acting like a grown up. She had to move forward. Regardless of what she thought.

"Didn't I tell you that I don't like waking up to strange men in my bed, Alpha." Her voice was only a whisper but it was cold and detached. Rain's eyes narrowed at her nonchalant tone but he let out a small grin as he recalled the last time he'd been in her bed.

"Stupid little girl, you're the one in my bed." He snorted as his gaze took in the delicate arch of her neck, her naked collar bone and his cock throbbed. Rain watched in fascination as a wave of pink rushed up from under the sheets to her cheeks and her red eyes lowered shyly. He watched as her gaze scanned the room quickly and grimaced.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 3



This was certainly not her room.

"You know... kidnapping is highly frowned upon where I come from." She mentally cursed when her voice wavered. Disgusted with her own reaction at his nearness she glared at him. The arrogant prick was smiling at her discomfort and there was a steady pulse of anger that rose inside her.

Rain knew he was going to regret this later but his wolf needed her scent like he needed his next breath. He leaned down to her, ignoring her trembling and moved his lips to her ear. His wolf buzzed with excitement.

"Good thing you're in my world, little girl." Rain whispered hotly, taking a moment to breathe in deeply. Her strawberry scent filled his senses and he shivered. Her scent had changed subtly, a strange blend between vampire and wolf that enticed him closer. Rain struggled to push his wolf down from claiming her as he leaned back, sending a grin in her direction.

Stefani hissed in frustration. Before he could react she was placing her hands on his chest with the intent to shove him out of the bed and the next thing he knew his body slammed back into a wall, stunning them both. Rain grinned as he brushed off debris from the walls that covered him and stood.

Stefani sat up and looked down at her hands in shock and back up to the dent in the wall. Rain walked back to the bed and she briefly glanced at the bulge in his black flannel pants. She made sure to press the sheets to her chest tightly and look away.

"I'm sorry! I-"

Rain paused her mid sentence, with a wave of his hand and frowned at the tears pooling in her eyes. He grinned as a pulse of air ripped the covers from her body and into his hands. She yelped but gathered her wits and yanked a pillow to cover herself from his hungry gaze. Pleased that the hurt look in her eyes was gone to be replaced with a heated glare, he chuckled.

"Now we're even."

Stefani squealed as the door slammed open but before she could move or hide, Rain was yanking back the pillow and draping the sheets around her, possessively. She hissed in his direction, placing a hand to her erratic heart. Rain looked up to see Raven with his arms crossed, frowning in their direction. Stefani's eyes warmed as a wave of reassurance washed over her at his presence and she sighed.

"I hope you weren't trying anything with my ward, dog!" Raven's outraged voice brought a chuckle to the huge alpha even as he moved back and held his hands up in defeat.

"I was the victim in all of this!" He grunted in annoyance as the vampire elder walked up to his mate and ran a hand over her cheek. Stefani leaned into Raven's touch slightly and stuck out her tongue at the alpha. She almost laughed at the small pout on his lips. The situation was definitely comical.

"As if I would believe that!" Raven shook his head and glanced down at the little vampire and found himself smiling at the mischief that filled her red eyes. Rain growled softly in defense and ran a hand through his loose hair.

"Don't mind him, Mr. Romanus. He's always grumpy in the mornings." She giggled as Rain growled in her direction.

Rain's hands clenched into fists, he was beyond annoyed. They were taking about him as if he wasn't in the room! He took several breaths to calm himself. Their little ranting had given him a rush of adrenaline that had him hard as a diamond but more importantly he was ready to fuck and claim that tight little body. His wolf desperately wanted his mate to submit to them but the timing wasn't right.

His beast was clawing to get out and play. Rain let out an exasperated breath. He didn't know when his wolf had turned into a docile pet when it came to her! He smirked when the wolf growled at his thought.

"I've noticed... how many times have I told you to call me Raven! You make me feel ancient!" The vampire elder scolded in a fatherly tone which made her smile.

"How is she?" Stefani's voice was soft, like a child who was too afraid to hear the answer. Raven smiled and gave her a nod. Stefani let out a hard breath it felt as if a weight had been lifted of her chest. Katrina was safe.

"As soon as you are up and ready we'll gather in the living room to have a chat. I'm sure there are a lot of things Alpha O'Faolain has to explain to you. But before that, we need to get you fed." Raven sat down on the bed, facing her ignoring the threatening growl that ripped from Rain. A male vampire was sitting on his bed with his naked unmarked mate! Fury ripped through his body.

Not allowed!

She is ours!

Mark her!

BloodSucker he Will not touch her!

Mate her! His wolf thought furiously.

Stefani reached out to pick up his wrist but hesitated and looked back at Rain who had a scowl on his delicious looking face. She poked one of her extended fangs with her tongue and gave him a shy smile.

Rain looked down into her red eyes and his chest tightened. Without her speaking a word he understood and forced his wolf to find control. He found it fascinating how one look from her gave him an impossible well of strength to do the impossible. To hold back the primal urges of his wolf as her needs canceled out whatever anger or jealousy he might have. All that mattered was her safety and she needed to feed. It was an inevitable aspect of her life.

Doesn't mean I have to like it! The wolf thought dryly but ultimately retreated to the back of his mind.

He kneeled on the bed, moved over to their side and sat beside the big vampire elder. Rain placed his hand on the champagne colored sheets and waited for her to make the next move. Stefani bit her lip nervously as she reached for his hand. Both men watched as her hand trembled and hesitated before slipping into his larger hand, fitting perfectly. She beamed at both of them.

Stefani felt a strange spark shoot through her entire body from the contact of their skin. Although part of her wanted to shy away from any kind of touch, she held still and found it easier to do as time passed. That small touch meant it was possible for her to move on, to surpass the trauma. It gave her hope. Pleasure shot through his spine as Rain realized how important his touch was to her.

Raven lifted his wrist to her lips and she licked at the skin before her fangs pierced his skin. Immediately, his blood exploded in her mouth in a rush of heady power that sent tingles running down her spine. Remembering to mask the pain by sending him pleasure instead, she took moderate gulps. Stefani didn't move her gaze from Rain's golden eyes as she took in the blood. She was mesmerized by the molten lava of gold that captivated her so strongly. She was even more surprised that he wasn't disturbed or disgusted at her feeding but only resigned and annoyed. She could have laughed but found her mouth full of blood. Maybe friendship between them was possible after all.

Rain knew it was irrational to feel jealousy at a time like this and he managed to swallow it down remarkably well. Even then, his mind conjured up countless scenarios of torture to inflict upon the vampire beside him for enjoying it so damn much. Rain felt the waves of euphoria leave Raven in heated spurs every couple of minutes. It annoyed him that it was Raven's blood that was sustaining his mate and not his.

Stefani was his mate. Dammit! If she needed to feed, it should be him providing it for her!

But there was something primal in her unwavering gaze that locked on his eyes as if they were the only two people in the room and it almost made him forget about the other male in the room. Almost....

The curiosity and surprise in her eyes made him tightened his hold on her delicate hand. As her glazed eyes watched him, her thumb moved soothingly along his palm as if she sensed his inner turmoil. It meant she was healing from the nightmare she'd survived. It might take a while before he got to indulge in one of her kisses, much less have full on sex with her, but it wouldn't be forever. His wolf let out a grunt in his mind that brought a smile to his face.

Rain was strangely fascinated with the way the red irises pulsed and melted away to reveal brown golden eyes after several minutes of her feeding. The gold in her eyes seemed electric almost as if composed of millions of small golden-yellow sparks melting together.

He should be used to the gold. After all when a wolf was close to the surface human eyes turned gold but he knew the shade in Stefani's eyes had nothing to do with her wolf. It was the unnatural power that was dormant inside her that caused such a startling color.

That in itself was mesmerizing. Truthfully speaking, everything about her was so different, so awe-inspiring and fresh. She took his breath away at every turn. When she finally pulled back and released Raven, Rain's arm shot out and shoved the elder off his bed. He watched transfixed as her little pink tongue caught the small drop of blood at the corner of her lips. He would have groaned out loud if it hadn't been for Raven's loud curse.

Stefani blinked and looked down to find Raven rubbing his behind and frowning at Rain. Rain in turn was glaring back and appeared too pleased to have caught the elder in a moment of weakness. There was a moment of agonizing silence before a laugh bubbled from Stefani. Her shoulders shook as she laughed wholeheartedly for the first time in what felt like forever.

Both males in the room glanced up at the giggling hybrid then smiled. Her laughter seemed to fill the room with a lightness that was hard to describe. She was like sunshine. She was warm and electric and simply necessary for his survival.

It surprised Rain how much he felt for her in such a short amount of time. It baffled him. He didn't know how to deal with this level of emotion. It was probably why he was fucking it up so royally.

Raven picked himself up with a chuckle and smacked Rain in the back of the head, causing Stefani to fall back and roll over in a new set of giggles. Rain only grunted but was literally frozen to the spot. Rain sensed the vampire leaving the room but he felt like he was in a trance as her laughter filled his ears. He had never heard her laugh that way before, completely open and pure. He knew she was laughing at their ridiculous behavior but he couldn't careless, for the moment, the haunted look in her eyes was replaced by joy and he ached to keep it that way.

Rain ached for her in ways he'd never ached for anyone before. She confused him and infuriated him at times but it all became insignificant when one of her smiles flashed his way. Rain would gladly give her the universe on a stick if it meant keeping her smiling at him for another minute.

He was pathetic!

With a grunt Rain stood up and went over to pick up a stack of clothes for her. He had to get out of the room before he did something he'd have to apologize for later. His cock throbbed painfully as it strained against his pants. He frowned and dropped the clothes at the edge of the bed.

Stefani forced herself to stop laughing before she suffocated and marveled at how light she felt. For a moment she felt like herself. For that second, she'd forgotten all the paranormal bullshit that was consuming her life she felt like the person she used to be. Then it all crashed around her in seconds so she simply closed her eyes.

"Get dressed. Breakfast will be prepared soon." Stefani glanced up to watch as Rain disappeared into a large walking closet shutting it closed.

"Jerk!" She mumbled under her breath and reached for the pile of clothes he'd left her. She felt a small smile pulling at her lips.

Rain let out a frustrated breath and leaned against the wooden panels of the closet and smacked his hands over his face. If he had any hope to win over the girl, he'd have to take things unbearably slow. He'd have to find some way to keep himself from bending her over and ----

He shook his head to stop the images flashing behind his eye lids. His wolf roared in his mind as it made its needs clear. His body trembled as his beast fought to take control. Gods! Rain groaned. His arousal was becoming painful and holding down his beast became exhausting. This was going to be a hell of a ride!

*********

(Several hours later)

Katrina leaned against what was left of a black iron gate and let out a shaky breath. A cool breeze teased her hair as her eyes gazed out into the forest. The prickling in the back of her mind was stronger, which could only mean one thing, her parents were close. She watched Luciano through the corner of her eye. Who stood by her side, scanning every nook and cranny of the forest in front of them.

The alpha O'Faolain had led them to the very back of the grand hall, which consisted mainly of the abandoned section and desolate ruins. When she had asked about it, he only shrugged. This place was older than any living member could recall, much of it was a mystery. Everyone had marveled at how large the place really was. It was like a castle or a fort.

Katrina knew he didn't really trust her kind with the exception of the elder and only because of him had he been generous enough to offer her parents' permission to come into pack lands. She was grateful. Her body had healed for the most part but she still felt the haunting that swamped her like a heavy cold blanket. She'd been so close to losing it all. The thought had tears prickling at her eyes.

Rain made sure to keep several betas following them for insurance. He trusted Raven enough to know they wouldn't be ravaging vampires but something about the elder's demeanor was giving him the chills. The elder was tense and itchy waiting for some kind of fight that was coming and felt resigned to it. He looked back at Stefani who was sitting on the ground, leaning against what was left of a rock column with closed eyes. His hands clenched into fist. Rain struggled to contain his wolf's protective blood thirst. Neither he nor his wolf felt comfortable having her around any other vampires any time soon.

Stefani gazed up at the cloudy skies and rubbed her palms together trying to gather warmth. She was finding it easier to tuck away her feelings, easier to function with the emotional turmoil inside her. At some point while she had been changing earlier, in those quiet lonely moments, she'd made a decision. She was going to swallow down her fear and survive. Stefani wouldn't allow herself to be weak like that again. It was time to grow up. Stefani lowered her eyes to the group around her.

Before they had left this morning, Raven had taken a couple minutes to explain how deep the connection a vampire parent to their offspring was and who they were waiting for. While Katrina's soul had battled death, her parents, deeply connected as they were, most likely had sensed her pain, even a world away. Raven had also stressed that because of how close Katrina had truly come to dying, the connection they shared must have been severed significantly. Unable to feel her presence entirely, It was only natural for her parents to be driven to desperate measures to be assured of her safety. It had taken a while for Stefani to digest what he was telling her.

It was easy to see Katrina's unease but her longing was crystal clear. She needed her parents as much as they needed her. Stefani felt a small tug pierce her heart.

Stefani had never known a parent's concern. She had never felt a mother's love, or a father's strength. She'd been alone for a long time with the exception of Cole, who'd been the closest thing to family she had. Now that their connection was gone she found herself feeling utterly alone, worse was that she felt unworthy of it. She wondered if that's what Katrina and her parents felt like. If it was that desperate need that drove them to walk across enemy boundaries to reach their loved one. Stefani couldn't hide her own longing in those thoughts.

Luciano, Katrina and Raven stood behind a set of broken iron gates while Rain stood between them and her. The betas were close by but with enough distance to give them the privacy they needed. They had been waiting for a while in silence. Rain stood with his legs braced apart and his hands clenched behind his back. His long black hair was pulled tight to the back of his neck by a piece of brown leather. His body clad in a black fitted shirt and camo pants. He was glorious against the overcast sky. Stefani had to pushed away the butterflies that bloomed in her gut as she thought back on his naked upper body.

Stefani shook her head. She was incorrigible! She thought drily. After everything she'd been through, everything she'd done and lost. Romance had no place left in her life. Even if someone could come to love her and accept her, knowing the monster she truly was, she never would and Rain....as beautiful and breath taking as he was, had made his feelings clear. He'd turned his back on her, not wanting to reject her, probably afraid to hurt her feelings with his disgust. She had no choice but to accept it.

Truth was, even if they'd been in the human world with normal human concerns... someone like him just didn't end up with someone like her.

Stefani heard a growl and jolted forward, looking around wildly for the source but as the growling continued, she realized the growling was coming from her mind. That was odd she thought.

Stefani let out a sigh at the impatient angry rumbling in her mind but tried to ignore it for the moment as her enhanced vision caught Katrina and Raven stiffen simultaneously stepping forward. Stefani brushed herself off as she stood.

*******

Katrina felt a shiver run down her spine as Luciano took hold of her hand and squeezed. She had to force herself to take a deep breath as a black jeep roared into a halt in the small clearing they were in. Katrina felt her chest tighten painfully as she felt several pairs of eyes land on her through the dark tinted windows. A heavy silence fell over the woods, even the wind died down.

Katrina's breath lodged itself at the base of her throat as her mother stepped out of the vehicle. Katrina took in the familiar shape of her mother's heart shaped face, her white luminescent complexion and her blue watery eyes before letting out a small gasp. Her mother's light brown hair was tied back in it's usual pony tail and she wore a fitted blue gown made of the finest silk. Her mother was a small woman, about 5"4 in height. Katrina didn't see the other doors open a couple of seconds after, as Jennifer Morvant, her mother, held up her arms in her direction. Katrina didn't know she had moved until she fell against her mother's small frame as a sob ripped through her.

Katrina didn't mind that there was a wolf watching her current moment of weakness, she didn't care that Luciano was witnessing it either. The moment she opened herself up to their connection, the violent emotions within her burst through the surface and Katrina just held on tighter. She laughed as the flare of their family bond snap back into place and she could sense them all again. Jennifer's hands trembled as they ran soothingly over her daughter's back, her own tears running down her cheeks.

Katrina pulled away from her mom, kissing her cheek softly turning her gaze to the two men behind her mother. Her brothers, Katrina look up at her younger brother, Joshua, his blue eyes an exact replica of their mother's eyes. His long dark brown hair fell over his shoulder in that rugged look she was used to. He wore his usual pair of jeans and white tee.

She grinned at the small piercing over his eyebrow and gazed tenderly at the thin pink scar that ran from his left cheek and slipped down to his neck. Katrina chuckled as he flashed his fangs in annoyance and stepped over to pulled her into his arms. She pressed her cheek onto his chest and smiled through her tears. Their overwhelming wave of love poured freely into her through their bond.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 13 Pt. 3



"Big sis, I think you're getting shorter..." Joshua choked up with emotion as he held his sister tighter. She could feel his fear and joy through their physical connection and jabbed him in the ribs playfully.

"You better watch it, brat!" She felt lighter than she had in days. After a couple of tminutes in her brother's tight embrace. Joshua let her go and stepped back as their older brother, Katrok stood before her.

Katrina looked up into Katrok's blue-green eyes. He was taller than she remembered probably 6"2 and although his complexion was a little off, it was still that creamy pale that her family shared. Usually most people thought her brothers were twins, their resemblance was uncanny apart from their obvious differences, he had a darker more reserved shadow over his features that was hard to explain.

Katrok's short black hair was smoothed back. He stood before her in jeans and a t-shirt. Katrina was baffled at his casual wear. She hadn't seen her brother look this casual since-- well never! She noticed the lines of exhaustion on his face and concern filled her.

Katrina didn't breath for a moment, unsure of how to react to her elder brother. He'd never been one to indulge in emotion, much less publicly but she ached for his warmth. She felt a push of subtle encouragement from her mom and smiled.

Katrok had been the one who trained her, who harnessed her body into a lean muscle machine since she could walk. He had pushed her physically. Hhe had forced her to be strong and unrelenting. She got her rugged edges from him. Katrok was a force of nature but most importantly he was like a second father to her. Suddenly she felt like she had failed him, like all the time he'd spent on training her had been pointless.

"Brother..." Katrina whispered in shame.

Katrok snorted in annoyance and brushed a hand through his hair before speaking. "Katrina. Come here."

Katrina was startled but smiled softly at the arrogant tone in her brother's voice. Something he'd clearly gained from their father. She stepped forward and squealed in shock as Katrok's hands landed on her shoulders hard and ran down to her hips a second before joisting her up. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tucked her head in the crook of his neck. Katrina let out a sob when his arms wrapped around her and held her tightly. His acceptance of her set off little sparks of joy throughout her entire being.

Katrina laughed, letting herself enjoy the rare moment. A couple of silent minutes passed before she felt her brother tense. She pulled back and looked down at him and followed his gaze to the other side of the door and her heart stopped. She dimly realized her brother setting her back on her feet releasing her. Katrina narrowed her eyes as a wave of foreign fury rolled into her.

She took several gasps of breath as the pressure built realizing what was the reason her brother had tensed so quickly.

Her father! Rubios Morvant was 6"3, built of pure solid muscle with an even complexion that was lighter than her own. His short midnight black hair was brushed back and like always he was dressed impeccably in a tailor business suit. His usual brown-yellow eyes had turned an eery shade of red with black lines that she'd never seen before. His massive body was rigid and tense as he glared ahead. His talons were fully extended and clicked together as his hands shook.

Katrina took a deep breath coming back to the present. She looked back at the vampire elder who stood in the same manner, tense and rigid. She took a couple steps closer to her father when she saw him flinch, she stopped. It dawned on her that her father's energy was building to incredible heights as fury rolled through him in spurts.

"Romanus." Rubios hissed while his fangs lengthened threateningly. Raven didn't react except to wave a hand to calm the big Alpha Wolf behind him.

Raven could feel the man's energy reaching critical points. His red eyes were streaked by black as he struggled to keep from crossing and Raven could only sigh. This was to be expected.

"Morvant. My Apologies...I take full responsibility for the harm to your daughter." Raven felt Stefani's confusion and forced himself to ignore it for the moment. He needed to resolve this in the most civil manner possible without bringing any attention to the hybrid far behind them.

"You think an apology is enough Romanus! I felt her die. I felt my little girl fade away from our connection, Raven! I felt her die! Someone has to pay for this!" Every word was laced with venom and pain that was palpable to all of them, even Rain was affected. Rubios stepped forward as his talons flexed and sharpened into blades. Raven felt Luciano step beside him.

"No! Daddy! That's not--"

"Silence!" Rubios interrupted her with a roar but refused to look at her. Katrina stepped back at the whiplash from his tone. She heard Luciano's growl and sensed his anger towards her father, among the many other erratic emotions that were steadily flowing into her. Katrina trembled. He'd never spoken to her like that.

Rubios was filled with so much agony and rage, it boiled in his veins threatening to take over every ounce of sense he possessed. He kept his bond to his mate shut tight, to prevent her from feeling it but he could sense her disapproval at his reaction. His gaze moved to the younger Romanus brother.

"Is this how you protect her?!"

Luciano growled. He flashed his fangs in their direction even as guilt sliced through him. He let his eyes wonder over to Katrina, who had her gaze firmly planted on her father.

Raven stepped forward and spoke quickly. "The responsibility lays with me. You will leave him out of this." He could feel his own anger rising.

Katrina knew the whole situation was getting out of hand. Even though both elders looked cool and composed, she felt the buzzing sensation of energy snapping through the air. There'd be a blood bath soon if she didn't stop this.

Katrina was between them in a blink, standing tall and proud between the two elders. She was facing off against her own father and all of his rage. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head. "My lord." Her voice was clipped as she strained to keep her emotions in check. Katrina closed her eyes to stop her tears from spilling.

Rubios couldn't ignore his vicious nature and it's demand for blood but as he looked down at the figure of his daughter, he felt some of the anger ease.

"I will not have them be made responsible for my weakness, sire. It was not their fault... I did not defend the way I was taught..... If- If you wish to place blame then set your sights on me, my lord, for I am the one who has failed you, not they." Katrina spoke clear without raising her eyes from the ground. She spoke as the middle daughter of the Morvant house to the direct Head of the Morvant house as etiquette in their society dictated she behaved. Her tone was filled with respect and reverence. She hated every second of it but Katrina held her breathe refusing to move from her position as the silence stretched out.

"Your manners have improved child. But perhaps in the future you will remember that I am your father first.... Stand aside, Kella."

Katrina felt her heart beat erratically at the forgotten nickname. Kella. 'Little Star.' But it was the coldness in his voice that made her heart ache. Her father had never said the beloved nickname in such a way before and it cut her deeply.

"You will not to hurt them---"

"You will step aside, Katrina. I will not say it again."

Katrina bit down hard on the inside of her cheek and felt blood fill her mouth. She'd spent her whole life being daddy's little girl, while her brothers were used to his hard demeanor, she had never taken on the full brunt of his fury like this.

"Katrina. It's alright. Your father is within his rights to demand this challenge." Raven's comment went ignored. Luciano forced himself back onto his heels. He felt rage at her submissive position and fury as he ordered her around. He locked his jaw painfully, forcing himself to calm down.

"I will not."

"I should have married you off when I had the chance, at least then you wouldn't have been here with him, unprotected." Her father's words cut deep into her heart. Katrina saw her mother flinch at his words. She saw the stunned look that crossed her older brothers's eyes.

Luciano moved forward without knowing he had moved until his brother's arm shot out to restrainhim in place. His fangs were shed and throbbing as he hissed in fury.

"I will not be married off... to anyone. Ever! That is my choice you will not take it from me father...." Silence fell heavy over the group Katrina knew she'd accomplished her goal. Jennifer stiffened, while her chest was constricting painfully, understanding the full meaning of her daughter's words. Rubios let out a breath then shut his eyes, letting the anger settle down as he opened the bond to his mate, needing the connection.

Rubios let his gaze catch the beautiful blue eyes of his mate he had felt the strain of their daughter's choice heavily on their reflection. His sons had openly confused expressions on their faces that made Rubios stiffen even more.

"My lord... I am here now.... Please, say it again, without the anger." Katrina had not looked up to see her parents reaction but she didn't need to as their emotions flowed clearly into her. She shut her eyes and felt her mark pulse softly along her thigh. A clear reminder of the power she held. Of who and what she was.

She didn't sense her father move at all until his arms were wrapping around her bringing her up against his body. "My little girl... I'm here now, Kella. You're safe." Rubios whispered against her forehead. Katrina stiffened for a second before giving herself over to the emotions rocking her. Wrapping her arms and legs around him like she used to do when she was a little girl, she sobbed. He ran his hands soothingly along her hair, whispering apologies for his behavior.

"Daddy, I'm sorry." She choked on a sob as he kissed her cheeks to shush her. Katrina felt his warm essence around her. In his arms, she was cherished, protected and loved. Her gentle daddy held her tight as she cried.

It was only moments later when she felt her mother's delicate hands running down her arms and her brothers presence joined in as well. She felt surrounded by love and it made her laugh in delight.

She was alive!

It occurred to Katrina that she owed this feeling in its entirety to a hybrid and her best friend. She had no idea how she would repay them. She only knew that no matter what her choices were.....everything would be alright, because at the end of the day, she'd survive. She'd find some way to survive.

********

Stefani had to look away from the tender moment as it touched something deep inside her. To watch the love between mother and daughter, siblings and finally, the love of a father and a daughter... something inside her ached and she found it difficult to breath again. Everything she'd ever wanted had been denied to her, everything she'd worked so hard to create was ripped from her. Stefani ached to have a family like that, her soul cried for the tenderness they showed. She wanted something normal. But----

She toyed with her hands to keep herself from getting chocked up. She could hear Katrina's soft laughing sobs and felt a pang in her heart. The vampire had been so close to dying and if she had, it would have been her fault. Stefani thought sadly. She couldn't let that happen again. Stefani shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

She had freaked out earlier when she felt the spike of both vampire elders' energy and hearing someone threaten Raven had caused a buzzing inside her. There was an urgent need to protect him that had encompassed her every thought. He was a stranger to her but now suddenly, he'd become the closest thing to family she had in this crazy nightmare.

Straightening her back, Stefani lifted her chin then gazed at the Morvant family with Katrina at its center. They seemed to gravitate around her like she was the sun. Stefani let out a breath and smiled. She would focus on the things she had now, not envy what others had, because that would get her nowhere.



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 14



Hello, 

It's been so long since I've posted. I don't know if anyone is still reading but I hope you are. 

I've been in search of an editor from the site but so far no dice. So I'm posting this without having one because I'm dying to post it. Later on, I'll probably come back and fix all the grammatical errors etc. So I apologize in advance for that. 

I have the next two chapters ready and I've already gotten so much done. I'm just desperate for a good editor right now. I'm aiming for somewhere around 20 chapters total but no more. 

I've missed writing and I've missed these characters. Let's get back into it, shall we. 

Please leave me your comments, feedback and your email.

I love hearing your thoughts. 

***************

Having left the Romanus family to their emotional reunion behind, Stefani found herself walking quietly beside Raven as they followed Rain through the massive tunnel that lead out into the training grounds. Frankly, she was glad to be away from all the brazen show of emotion.

Stefani tried hopelessly not to look around wide-eyed but the training facility she'd been brought to was huge. Bigger than huge. It was an enormous underground cave that ran for miles. It was like stepping back in time to the ages of Roman warrior arenas. 

There were lit torches illuminating the cave walls, huge cement blocks separated certain parts into different sections. Parts of the cave wall were uneven, caved in and ragged. 

Stefani snuck a glance back at Cole, who walked behind them. She took in the weariness along his eyes and a sad smile spread across her face. The look on his face was familiar, at least that hadn't changed. Maybe training her to fight would ease some of his worry and bring them closer again. 

Initially, she'd been shocked when Cole offered to help train her. She could understand the need to learn emotional control over this creature she'd become than actual fighting skills. Physical activity had never been a top priority in her life. 

'Guess that's gonna change now. Ugh.'

Stefani took a second to think about the situation rationally, something she'd been trying to do since this nightmare started. She'd somehow been turned into some type of mythological vampire-werewolf creature thing. 'Can't believe I just thought that.' Stefani wondered if there were many people -erm- creatures like her. She really had no way of knowing. There were many questions floating around unsaid but she felt too nervous to ask for answers.

Rain stopped half way in the training grounds. His fist clenched subconsciously as he turned to watch Raven's tight expression. Stefani's heart seemed to clench painfully as her golden gaze took him in. He was huge, around six foot six, with broad shoulders and zero ounce of fat on his perfectly sculpted body; paired with that wonderful golden caramel skin and smoldering dark brown eyes. He took her breath away. His long black hair was tied back with a small cord and she found herself wondering how it would feel wrapped around her fingers as she--

"You may use whatever equipment you need. Do not to overwhelm her unnecessary.. I must attend to some things back at the compound. I expect you won't be late for dinner." Rain's voice was a silent warning and he waited for the vampire elder to give a confirming nod before turning his attention to Stefani. His eyes warmed the slightest bit as he regarded her, not that she could tell. Stefani felt almost hypnotized as Rain's gaze fell down on her and immediately she let her gaze drop to the ground. Her cheeks flooded with warmth.

Rain felt air constrict in his chest at her crestfallen expression and rosy cheeks. He had every intention of saying something encouraging and motivating but the moment her beautiful eyes met his and moved away, every resolve he had was gone. He couldn't find his voice and it frustrated him. She left him speechless. 

It took a couple seconds longer for his tongue to work. 

"Give them hell." He gave her a warm smile and walked back into the tunnels. A small trickle of wind touched the side of her face, rustling her hair and she leaned into it softly. She let out a hard breath. 

After that long and somewhat tense moment, the vampire elder, Raven introduced her to every weapon in Rain's arsenal. There were long swords, short swords, daggers and every kind of blade in between. There were throwing stars, darts, guns and similar weapons, and at least four different kinds of bows. There were maces, axes, lances, spears and pikes. She was convinced Rain owned every kind of weapon invented. 'Talk about over the top!'

"Why would a wolf need to learn about weapons? Don't they just shift, bite and stuff?" 

Cole chuckled and shook his head. Raven said with a warped sense of approval in his voice, clearly amused at her idea of a werewolf. "Offense and defense are interrelated. Regardless of how many sharp teeth you have, it's important for you to understand each and every one of these tools. After all, you must know what you are defending yourselves against to be effective." He waited for Stefani to give him a short nod in understanding before continuing. 

"You will need to learn these weapons and their purposes. You will need to become familiar with their weights and balances and the ways each of them work. Only by doing so will you be fully prepared to defend yourself against them."

"But first," he continued, and stared right at Stefani. "You must grow strong enough to wield them." 

At the conclusion of Raven's first lesson of: 'all things sharp and dangerous,' they moved into a warm up routine. Raven had designed a regiment specific to develop her latent abilities. A routine of weight lifting, body sculpting and cardio exercise to target her vampire nature and because Cole had joined them, he would engage her in a mediative Tai Chi to help ease the wolf's aggression. At another day Rain would train her targeting her wolf abilities. 

Thinking about the training to come filled Stefani with dread. She understood why they needed her to train but anxiety overwhelmed her. The unmovable force that was Raven Romanus radiated with it from his tense posture, this was important; but she couldn't help but worry that she'd disappoint every one with her lack of grace and impatient personality. 

Sigh

"We'll begin with something simple." Raven said while he picked up speed and beckoned her to follow him. Stefani easily matched his speed as he led her forward to the center of the training grounds. He gestured for her to sit on the ground. 

"Clear your mind. Find your center. You are neither to move nor make a sound for two hours. Every time you do, the time will start again and again until you complete the two hours. I'll signal when you're done. Now find a comfortable position..... Time starts now."

Raven's cold tone made her stiffen but she quickly caught on and she concentrated. Stefani first assumed that this would be an easy task but as the moments ticked on, she started to feel restless. There was an itch above her knee that she fought to ignore. She resisted the urge to move for another five minutes before she couldn't take anymore. 'Maybe he won't notice if I scratch my knee,' She contemplated. Her hands were already on her lap.... If she could just... Her hand started crawling slowly towards her knee when-

"Time starts again," Raven said drolly. Stefani groaned mentally but told herself to push forward. It couldn't really be that hard. 

Boy, was she wrong. 

It was mid afternoon by the time she finished the training. The time had to repeat from the start seven times before she finally completed the whole two hours. Stefani moaned as she stood up, her muscles had gone numb from the lack of use, her stomach was starting to rumble in protest and her face was covered with sweat. There was also the low burn at the back of her throat reminding her that she had to feed. The constant reminder of the monster she was. 

Well, at least it's over. 

"You better get used to this. You'll have to repeat this part of your training every morning." Raven told her as he handed her a bottle of water. Stefani's groaned out loud before she could stop herself. 

"This is supposed to teach you self-control and discipline. It comes natural for vampires to stay still, to be disciplined. We're unmovable forces but it's opposing force, the restless wolf side of your anatomy will make that difficult. We still have no way of knowing which side will be most dominant but you're own lack of control speaks volumes of how much training you'll need." Raven didn't lighten his tone one bit. He handed her the truth as he saw it and if it hurt she had to swallow down her pride and accept it. 

Stefani kept silent and nodded in acceptance. He was right. She looked around the cave and found Cole going hard at a punching bag. She'd never noticed the amount of strength and stamina contained in his body before. It was magnificent. It was one of the few changes in him she had recognized, he was a little less tame than the man she'd come to know. Here, in this cave, surround by his kind, he was completely in his element and it radiated from him in waves. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. 

"You must be hungry... I've mentioned that as an infant, you'll need to feed every couple of hours but to control the hunger, we're going to make your body wait." 

Stefani let out a frustrated sigh and waited for further instructions even as her body shuddered at the thought of no blood. The low burn was definitely making its presence known. Her unshed fangs throbbed slightly at the thought. A pair of familiar sad blue eyes floated through her mind and she fisted her palms, forcing herself to ignore the burning ache. 

Raven led her to a matted section and started showing her warm up moves. After ten long minutes of warm ups that did nothing to distract her hunger, Raven issued the next order. "You'll have to run around the track until you can't run anymore. Running with speed is about letting your body move without thought. You must embrace your vampire gene and once you've accomplished this we'll have real speed on our side." 

"Wait! I thought you were going to teach me how to fight?! And why isn't Cole helping me?" Stefani asked annoyed. She was sore, tired and hungry and the thought of running until she passed out wasn't a pleasant one. 

Raven shook his head, almost impatiently. "This is about testing your limits. About finding out how far you can push your body before giving out. How much effort you're willing to put on improving your abilities. As a vampire, one of our biggest strengths is our speed and you've already shown to be quiet fast. Now we're going to find out how much further you're willing to push. How badly does your body want this?

And I can't teach you to fight if you don't know how to move like a vampire." 

Stefani bit her lip and forced herself to calm the nerves that were buzzing through her body. Maybe it was anger, hunger or grief or a combination, she didn't know which, but there was something off about the way her body felt. She felt mentally drained but he was right. She had to push harder. In the back of her mind she felt the shadow of the monster who created her and the thought of being captured again sent ice through her veins. Never again. 

She would be strong. 

She closed her eyes for a second before letting out a breath and getting into position. Stefani let her body move forward without thought. She knew she was moving faster than the average human eye could see but to her, everything was in slow motion, as if she had simply stepped forward. It was a disconcerting feeling, to move so fast only the wind could touch you. Even though she was moving in circles, she felt free.

After a while, Stefani smiled, pushing a little harder at the power in her legs. She looked around the cave and let her supernatural gaze move over every nook and cranny along the walls. There was no way to explain it. No way to explain the utter thrill rushing through her at the speed and control she found in that moment. Every one of her senses was exponentially heightened and focused. Everything else fell away, nothing could touch her. She felt giddy with the sensations coursing through her. 

Stefani made a split decision to go faster and everything stopped. One moment she was moving faster than light and the next she slammed into an invisible solid wall. She didn't even fully register what was happening until a blast of electricity rocked her body and she slammed onto the ground in a panic seizure. Dimly she heard Cole's surprise gasp and seconds later felt Raven's strong hands at her shoulders drawing out the electric energy. She screamed as her mind was thrown into a downward spiral and her body exploded into a thousand particles.

Stefani felt herself drowning in a sea of darkness she couldn't escape. She kicked her legs through the thick water and fought to keep herself above the water line. She gasped for breath and screamed for help as her lungs burned with liquid fire. It felt like she was stuck in one of her nightmares. Wave after wave hit her forcing her under, the cold seeped into her bones as she screamed. 

Around her sounded a million faint voices clamoring at her, seemingly trying to pass along messages. But she couldn't quiet hear them and none of them made any sense. Confusion over took her as the voices grew louder. The sounds enveloped everything around her, making her head throb sharply. She fought for breath as a strong wave took her under again. 

The next moment, Stefani screamed as her body jolted forward, gasping for breath. Her eyes snapped open and brightness blinded her. As she regained her sight, she looked around and realized she was back at the training grounds. She shuddered. Sweat trickled down her forehead over her cheek and down her neck. She wiped at her forehead as she felt a rustle of wind and looked up to see Raven crouched next to her. Seconds later Cole was crouched on her other side. 

Her mind was still spinning as she took in short breaths. Everything felt grey. She heard their voices muted in the background, only saw their mouths moving but couldn't make out a sound. Her ears felt stuffed with cotton, her vision was grey and slow. Seconds later, her synapses seemed to snap together and she came back to reality sharply and in HD as Cole placed his hand on her arm. 

A searing slap of white pain burst through her body and noise exploded in her ears. Her fangs extended with a hiss and she yanked out of his grasp violently. Later she realized that if it wasn't for Raven's holding her back, she would have taken a chunk out of Cole's hand. 

Stefani's skin burned where Cole had touched her and vile rose in her throat. She looked away from Cole's tortured expression and she swallowed down the nasty substance. The horrible taste left her mouth dry and her ears ringing. 

"Can't handle it yet." Stefani coughed roughly and hoped he understood. She took several breaths trying to calm her racing heartbeat. 

"What happened?" Her voice was rough and dry. She placed her hands to her head, trying to soothe the spinning and block out the light. 

"You just disappeared! Poof, into thin air! Vanished! Longest five minutes of my life! Don't ever do that again!!" Cole shouted and ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. Stefani looked up at him horrified.

"You materialized. Where did you go?" Raven was a rush of questions as he forced her into a sitting position to rub her back softly. He frowned at her expression.

"Materialize? I don't-- I don't understand. Go where? What happened?" Stefani's babbling had Raven worried. He let out a breath. 

She would have bawled were she not terrified of what lurked in the answers. Stefani wished she could cry, but nothing came. She couldn't even cry for Sasha anymore. She was too scared and helpless to cry. Crying meant you still had hope and Stefani was running out. 

"He's right. You vanished, for lack of a better term. That's what materializing is....." Raven's soft remark had her attention snapping back the elder. 

Raven looked up at Cole and hesitated, he felt uncomfortable revealing so much vampire information with the wolf present. "Materializing is like our form of transportation. It allows us to move between places undetected. It's very difficult to explain. Basically, our bodies split into countless particles and travel through space in an instant. It's tricky and it takes centuries to master a proper technique. A vampire must know where he wants to go and what it looks like to succeed at this. We can't just go anywhere.... Infants especially don't have enough energy to achieve it but....." 

Stefani wrapped her arms around her shoulders, taking a deep breath. Her mind wrapping around the significance of his words. She tried to think back but couldn't remember much about what happened. There was no way she had purposely materialized but she recalled the way the energy burst had pulsed through her right before she felt her body exploding. She swallowed hard. 

"Where did you go?" Cole asked as he let all this information sink in. 

"Honestly, I thought I was having a nightmare.... It felt real but not at the same time. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose. I don't really remember what happened... One moment, I'm running and I hit something. Next thing I know I was under water and there were voices.... So many voices.... But I don't think I went anywhere. Not really." Stefani shook her head to clear the clutter. She felt so tired. She just wanted to sleep. 

Raven kept the surprise and worry out of his face as he helped her up. He handed her to Cole who tried hard not to touch her again as he guided her to the water station. His mind raced on. It's not that an infant couldn't figure out how to materialize, it's that they physically could not. The amount of energy that a vampire needed to safely materialize to and from a location even for a second could only be achieved by a fully matured vampire. The energy required for such travel was exponential and draining. It was impossible! 

There was something else bothering him...

Raven narrowed his eyes at the weariness around her eyes, her pale complexion and the fatigue she was trying to hide. Even though her body had gone through some changes and major injuries, her vampire and wolf biology should have healed her and kept her energy replenished. It didn't make sense that she would tire out so easily. 

The whole situation worried the elder to a magnitude he was hesitant to share. He'd have to contact someone about this. 

Raven couldn't explain what happened. One moment he was tracking her with his eyes and as unbelievable as it sounds, loosing sight of her, which was hard to admit for an elder. Her speed left him speechless. She had complained about being tired but still managed to move at a speed much faster than any matured vampire could.

He missed what initially happened in a blink, but he saw her body thrown back as electricity covered her body and she fell to the ground convulsing. It had taken him that same nanosecond to reach her before her body disappeared in his grasp. It was minutes of the longest anxiety before she reappeared at the opposite side of the room, to his relief. Raven chose to ignore the cold primal fear that sliced through him as she vanished. Raven could admit that in the many long years that he'd lived, he'd never felt that certain emotion. He found that he didn't like it at all. Not one bit. 

"I think it's best if we keep what happened between us for now... There's no need to raise alarm to the others." Raven found his way back to his ward. Swiftly, he brought out a bag of blood from the back duffle bag at her feet. "Drink." He ordered and moved his hands to her shoulders. Stefani didn't think twice as she pierced the bagged blood with her fangs and took hard gulps. The hunger in her body was becoming a physical ache and it took several bags to sooth it. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 14



She let out a contented sigh after her last bag and looked up at Raven, who's sight was trained on the far side of the training grounds. Her hands trembled slightly before she pressed them hard against her abdomen and closed her eyes. 

"Okay. Let's keep working." Stefani gave Cole a small, strained smile when he started to make a fuss. She ignored him. She needed to do this. 

Raven looked down at her before giving a short nod. Although his expression was perfectly calm and untroubled she could sense his unease through their blood link. His concern pulsed inside her like a living thing. She thought about saying something to ease his concern but thought better of it. She was worried their connection was stronger that it should be. 

What the hell was wrong with her? 

Stefani bit her lip and forced herself to stand onto wobbly knees. Shaking herself off she gave him a pat on the arm before darting forward to speed around the track. The elder kept a trained eye on her speed, watching for any signs of abnormality. Her fatigue concerned Raven, she wasn't supposed to be tiring so easily but after that little stunt, it was understandable. Her determination was admirable though. He was proud. 

This time she kept her speed at a constant level where she sensed was safe. Running felt like second nature, she didn't really have to think about it so instead she focused her thoughts inward. It was amazing the amount of space in her new supernatural mind, how much wider her capability for storage and cognitive thinking was. 

There was a burst of energy simmering below the surface of her consciousness, it felt raw and angry. She could feel it pulsing and undulating like waves, she kept her consciousness as far from the energy as she could and focused on running faster. She let out a hard breath. 

It was going to be a long day. 

******

Rain settled himself against the large chair at the head of the dinning room table, the large fire place flickering behind him. His fingers drummed impatiently on the table as his gaze burned into the dinning room doors. They were late. 

He'd spent all day taking care of paper work. Keeping himself busy with pack business in hopes that a certain gold eyed hybrid wouldn't overwhelm his every thought. His wolf growled in anger at his human counter part. The beast couldn't understand why he wasn't the one training her and he certainly didn't appreciate the vampire being over thirty minutes late to dinner. He'd made himself perfectly clear when he informed him that they were expected at dinner. 

With murderous thoughts in mind, his gaze flicked up towards the massive double doors as they parted. His gaze narrowed as he saw the pale exhausted complexion of the owner of his obsession who leaned heavily on Raven's body for support, as if she couldn't walk without his support. He stood up and rushed to meet them as they reached the table. Rain pulled back a chair and winced as Stefani dropped herself like a rock. She gave him a small smile. He glared at Raven who took the seat next to her and only smiled at his annoyance. 

Rain tapped his fingers impatiently against the wooden table as his eyes watched the people in the room. The wolves chatted enthusiastically with the new vampires which made him smile, the only ones missing were the witches who were out on pack grounds running a spell. He was glad everyone was getting along. Stefani remained quiet throughout the meal, picking at her plate with disinterest. From across the table he could see the way her hands shook slightly, his eyes narrowed. 

"How was the training?" Katrina asked as she stuffed her face with a chocolate cake. Rain's ears perked up at the chance to hear Stefani speak. He didn't miss Stefani's glanced at the vampire elder before answering with "tiring." Katrina's soft laughter filled the room. Rain was surprised what blood and a good night rest could do for a vampire. The vampire female seemed almost one hundred percent healed. 

"The elder can be a little demanding at times but it'll get better. You're body just has to get accustomed to all the changes." She offered in encouragement. Stefani smiled warmly as her gaze traveled over the Morvant family. Who only slightly picked at their food and watched Katrina with love in their eyes. Stefani let out a sad sigh and excused herself. 

Rain watched Stefani walk out of the grand dining room at such a slow pace he was almost alarmed. Once Raven thought she was out of ear shot, he gave them specifics on her training. 

"After tomorrow, she should be a little more prepared to work with you." Raven nodded at Rain. Raven didn't want to say too much in the presence of the other vampires. The council hadn't decided to make it public knowledge of her hybrid status, so it was wiser to keep it shut and for the moment the elder gave them the time they needed to figure it out. Raven and Rain simultaneously took a quick look at Rubios Morvant who's gaze trailed after Raven's hybrid ward. His nose twitching slightly. The vampire was old, he probably sensed something wasn't right about that vampire infant. Rain would let Raven deal with this. 

Rain made a quick toast as dessert was being finished. He took a second to look at the Morvant family and the wolves present. He approved of the new alliances they've made. 

The head of the Morvant family, Rubios placed a warm hand on his daughters arm. 

"Alpha O'Faolain, Thank you for your hospitality but we'll be leaving after dinner. There's work to be done. But we're thankful for all you've done to help our Katrina." His six foot three was huge in comparison to his shorter daughter. Rain smiled and nodded. The less vampires on their land the better. 

"I'll have some of my betas escort you out of pack lands." 

A while later after the vampire family had taken their leave, the witches arrived in time for dessert. Their priestess, Lithinia approached Rain, her body draped in a beautiful green dress that pooled around the floor. Her hair was up in a modest bun and her black eyes watched him with intent. To her the O'Faolain alpha would always be a beautiful male specimen, he took her breath for a second. After all, she was only human. She informed him that they still needed to finish the protection spell around pack lands but that once they were done, it would be safe enough to travel. 

Discreetly Raven watched as the witch made her way out of the dinning room with her sisters. He couldn't keep the grin out of his face at the seductive sway of her hips as she walked. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath and her lavender scent washed over him and his fangs throbbed painfully in his mouth. Witch. 

Soon after, Rain walked through the halls, heading towards his room following the direction of Stefani's scent. They had to stop the rouges from finding this weapon so a decision had been made. A group of his best warriors, the three vampires and two alphas would travel too scout out the location of the coordinates. 

Rain wasn't going to sit by and watch as his world was taken over by two rogue. If he had to search the ends of the world for the monster that hurt Stefani, he would. He'd kill them for laying their hands on her, for her suffering, maybe then he could start to redeem himself in her eyes. If it took the rest of his life to earn one of her smiles, he'd happily give her the world. He just had to make her see that and stop acting like a bloody pup around her. 

He walked in to his quarters, taking off his shirt and tossing it messily on the floor. His gaze landed on Stefani. She was sprawled out on the couch, her breathing was deep and she had a little frown on her pretty face. Rain smirked as he picked her up, cradling her to his chest and moved her to his room. She pressed her face against his chest and made a little cooing noise that made his heart clench painfully. She's certainly easier to deal with when she's asleep. He snorted at his own thoughts.

He ignored the heat that flashed through as he pulled off her shirt revealing all her smooth porcelain skin. Certain that she wouldn't like waking up with a dirty shirt, he dragged out one of his shirts and dressed her. He sat at the edge of the bed looking down at her as she stretched and curled up on her side, facing him.

Rain picked up one of her hands and ran his thumb over her knuckles. His wolf purred and paced, waiting for the chance to pounce on his slumbering mate.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you... I've been a terrible mate. I wouldn't blame you if you never gave me us a chance but I won't ever give up.. I know I've made a mess of things and I've been an idiot. I just wish you could see, that you could understand... You constantly frustrate and baffle me and every time I look into your eyes you steal my breath away. 

You've managed to inspire me, challenge me and turn my world completely upside down. I've always been a smooth talker but when it comes to you, I turn into a tied tongue pup. My little minx. You've totally bewitched me and I find myself helpless to your charm.

Stefani... my beautiful hybrid. I'm going to stop them. I'm going to make it safe for you. And maybe someday you'll smile back at me. Maybe someday I'll be worthy of you. Or I'll die trying. I swear it." His voice was rough as he gazed down at her. A soft wind slipped in from the balcony, trailing over her skin making them both shudder. 

***** 

On the third day of her training in the early morning hours, Stefani found herself in a small clearing in the woods. She groaned as she rolled her shoulders back. Raven had driven her to the point of exhaustion with his training the night before. She'd never worked out so hard in her life and apparently just because she was this mythical creature with powers didn't make her immune to exhaustion. 'How unfair was that!'

"Good morning." Cole's happy voice snapped her out of her daze. Stefani paused, barely looking at Cole and pressed her palm against her chest. Her fluttering heart was trying to squeeze through her ribs. 

For god's sake, don't these people own shirts?! 

Cole, Hale and Rain stood on the other side of the little clearing. Her attention though was solely focused on Rain, who leaned against a tree with nothing but a pair of low-hung faded blue jeans. A lot more than six feet, he was just that much taller than her that she had to look up to meet his gaze. He was broad shouldered with thick corded arms and a very defined chest. He hadn't shaved in a couple days and you could see a roughness to his whole demeanor. The lean musculature of his body was perfectly accentuated by his golden skin. His inky hair was damp, probably from a shower and left loose over one shoulder. Rain was exotic and hardened, even when smiling that goofy little smile when he thought no one was looking. 

Not that she noticed or looked...much.

Sasha would have said that Rain O'Faolain had presence- and she would have said that without the benefit of seeing him in nothing but a pair of faded jeans. The thought of her human best friend brought a painful tightening feeling in her chest. Her eyes stung a little and she shook her head. She had to clear her throat before replying with a short. "Morning." She almost groaned from the sound of her high pitch squeak.

God! She was pathetic. 

"I hope you got some rest. Today, I'm going to teach you about defense. By now you've realized that you're stronger and faster with more heightened senses than a regular human but that doesn't mean you should rely on those abilities alone. It's important to develop the right skills to be paired with your new abilities." Rain explained as he walked to stand in front of her. 

"Keep two things in mind. First, defense, is nonviolent. Meant to neutralize attacks rather than retaliate. Second, always take a moment to analyze your opponent, catch his strengths and weaknesses, use them to your advantage." He rubbed his palms together and waited until Stefani gave an understanding nod. 

"The point of defense is to use the attackers energy and momentum against them." Cole said as he tapped Hale on the shoulder and they stood facing each other too.

"The movements are circular, using the hips rather than the upper body." 

"Guess my hips are finally good for something." Stefani quipped. 

Cole chuckled, punching her lightly in the shoulder. Atta girl! He thought. Rain grinned and oh, it was sexy! His brown eyes turned a shade of gold that made Stefani blush.

"Okay. So no upper body."

"Correct. So if someone tries to hit you, you block and push their arm or foot beyond, so that the extension throws them off balance. Alright. Now, pretend that you're going to slap me."

Stefani did, swinging her arm slowly just in case. Rain's arms came up as he sidestepped, blocked hers without hurting her-he was going slow too- and then pushed her arm farther into the arc so that she was forced to lean forward. Stefani realized that her center of balance was gone, she couldn't retaliate, and neither one had gotten hurt. 

Rain grinned and Stefani let out an irritated breath. 

Here we go again.....

They started slow- only a tad bit faster than the example exercise he showed. Thankfully, Stefani's new and improved genetic status apparently made her a quick study. It reminded her of some dance classes she had taken at the orphanage when she was a kid. Once they got the basics down Rain picked up the pace and her confidence increased. 

On the sidelines, she was acutely aware of Cole and Hale starting their own little sparing session.

Two hours later, Stefani was sweating and breathing a little hard. Rain had only sent her sprawling once so far and she was feeling pretty confident as they circled each other, him instructing and she following the instructions. 

That was of course, before he sent her sprawling on the forest ground for the second time. And the third. Somewhere between two and three they stopped to discuss how to take a fall so she wouldn't hurt herself. The advice helped -- a little. The fourth time she knew it was coming, and managed to get her leg in, around his. If she was going down, he was coming with her. She wasn't going to be the only one with bruises on her butt tomorrow. 

They landed in a tangled heap and not in a graceful, sexy way either. Rain landed on top of her-hard- and knocked the breath from her lungs. He swore. She hissed. 

Stefani was almost afraid to look up at him, convinced he was going to be pissed. 

"Nice move," he remarked drily with just a hit of humor. "You hurt yourself more than me."

Stefani was trying to ignore the twig trying to dig itself into her kidney but still managed to grin, although it felt more like a wince. "I'm good that way." 

He pushed up on his elbows, but his chest was still on hers. Stefani could feel his heart pounding, could feel his every warm breath. One of his legs was between hers, and she tried very hard to ignore the lovely pressure of his thighs. He was so big, all around her, he completely overwhelmed her senses. 

From this close, she could make out the pupils of his eyes- a dark solid black surrounded by solid gold. She could see her face reflected in their shining blackness. God- she was a mess! Rain didn't seem to mind. She saw nothing but open appreciation in their bright depths as he kept gazing at her lips. She liked it but it worried her. It seemed so sudden, this attraction to her and she wasn't sure if she could trust it. 

One of his hands- those beautiful, strong fingers of his- was right over the curve of her hip. Tight and tingling, her body was anxious for him to keep touching her but she knew it wasn't a good idea. If he kissed her- if he started something serious- she'd let him and she wasn't ready to go there yet. 

Especially not on the forest floor with Cole and Hale watching from a few feet away!

Stefani pushed at his shoulders, even though her fingers were itching to dig in and hold on. Rain lifted his head and gazed down at her, all heavy-lidded and delicious-looking, but her resolve was firm. And oh boy, so was he. 

Firm that is.

Stefani cleared her throat. "You're kind of heavy." 

He didn't speak, but his gaze was almost tender, as if he understood the chaos in her mind. She heard his voice in her head as clearly as if he had spoken out loud. 'Sorry.' Finally, he rolled of her completely and a chill rushed up the front of her body where his warmth had been. He stood up quickly and offered her his hand. She looked at it for a second before giving in and letting him help her up. It took her a second to realize she had full blown body contact with him and her body hadn't reacted negatively. It made her smile wider. 

Rain raked a hand through his hair, pulling the silky black strands back and off his forehead. He let out a hard breath and wouldn't meet her gaze. He cleared his throat before speaking and she could have sworn his cheeks had a light pink tint to them.

"Let's move on."

She tilted her head, watching him for a second before turning to look behind her. Her gaze narrowed as she took in a deep breath, scenting the air. 

"Hello Elder." She whispered as Raven stepped out from the line of trees, followed by Luciano and Katrina who waved enthusiastically at her. She felt the wolves surprise and it took her a second to process that to them they must have appeared out of thin air. 

"Hello Stefani." The vampire elder spoke with the kind of power that was palpable. Like always he was dressed impeccably in a dark business suit. His longish blonde hair seemed to have a glow in the noon light, and his grey-blue eyes met hers but she knew he was watching every nook and cranny of the center field. Always on guard. 

Katrina bounced happily towards Stefani, carrying a small black cooler. She was wearing black leggings with an off the shoulder silk blue shirt that accentuated her golden skin. Her brown eyes showed nothing but strength, and her healing energy rolled through her in waves, which she accepted gratefully as it flooded her system. Luciano leaned against a tree, his gunmetal grey eyes were zeroed in on Katrina with a closed off, almost irritated expression. He was a younger replica of the elder, even with his short-spiky blonde hair.

"What brings you all out here?" Hale asked curious. Raven nodded towards Katrina as she tossed Hale a water bottle, which he caught with no effort. She gave some to the other guys too. 

Must be nice having perfect hand-eye coordination. Stefani thought dryly. 

Guess I have that now too huh.

She brought forth her fangs when Katrina handed her a bag of blood. 

"Someone was getting hungry." Raven answered and ran a hand through his hair. Stefani felt her face grow warm, as she drained the bag in her mouth. Rain gave a little snort behind her, which made her look back at him. 

"If you're done snacking. I'd like to get back to training here. You are welcome to watch of course." 

Luciano gave an annoyed grunt but didn't move, Katrina went to sit on the foot of the tree he leaned on and Raven stood as if the world was his to take. They must have nothing better to do. 

Rain beckoned Stefani to come forward. A breeze passed through, rustling the leaves. goosebumps covered her skin as it touched her. The different scents around her seemed to blow through her and she caught each and every one of them. 

"Alright. Now we're going to bring your wolf forward. It can be a little tricky at first but once you get it right, it's as natural as breathing. 

Ready. Close your eyes..... Relax. Breath in through your nose and find your center."

Stefani did as she was told. She took a second to loosen every muscle, every nerve, every sore section of her body and concentrate on slowing everything down. Little by little, her body obeyed. Now if she could only find this center everyone kept talking about, she'd feel much more confident. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 14



Sigh.

"Very good. Now, pull your wolf out to the surface towards you. When you find her, It should feel like a smooth transition. You have to embrace this part of your change to bring her out. Keep breathing. Call for her." Rain's voice was like melted butter on a blueberry muffin. Her mouth watered. She concentrated on calling out to her wolf. 'I sound crazy!' She thought with a mental eye roll. 

It took a couple minutes before she felt a shifting consciousness within her mind. It was kind of weird to feel another living conscious inside of you. Kind of made her feel-

Wait! 

Stefani frowned. In her mind she felt the beast rising swiftly, an electric animal golden gaze piercing hers. She shivered as the buzzing in her body began, kind of like what happened back at the cave, synapses firing at an alarming speed pushing at the boundaries of her restrain. It was a tugging sensation that sent jolts down her spine. 

She stepped back with her eyes shut, trying to calm down the buzzing as well as bring forth the wolf. It felt as though they were intertwined, both rising steadily. Tangled together in a heap of chaos. 

"Stefani?" It was Cole's voice in the background that she held on to, in order to push out the cold paralyzing fear spreading in her gut. 

"I - don't... It doesn't feel right. Something's wrong." Stefani gasped as sweat began to cover her forehead. She heard a soft growl in her mind, she focused in on it and an image started to form. She saw White. Like snow.

It was all white, the wolf- her wolf. Stefani almost smiled as she kept calling out to her but the tugging feeling squeezed her heart painfully. She stumbled backwards with a gasp. She heard the rustling around her, people getting closer. 

"No!" She gasped, halting them in their steps. Rain watched the strain on her face and frowned. Shifting shouldn't feel wrong. It was tricky but not painful. Above them, the clouds darkened, thunder rumbled in the distance. 

A long jagged cut ripped down the side of her face as her wolf fought to escape the buzzing energy that held it prisoner. Stefani grit her teeth together, the pain was unexplainable. Everything slowed down around her, she literally felt the wolf tearing out of her skin. She cried out as another scrape ran down her spine and along her legs, bringing her to her knees. Agony flooded her system and her eyes snapped open. Her vision was blurry with dark spots as she heaved for breath. 

Rain rushed to her side, kneeled down beside her, using his wolf to try to breach her mind. Cole and Hale rushed to her as well shocked and horrified at what they were watching. The vision of Stefani on her knees, covered in blood, literally being ripped into pieces from the inside was disturbing. 

"Stay-Back!" She struggled for breath as blood poured out of her. She could feel the energy she tried so hard to ignore, bubbling upwards, rushing inside her, filling every part of her until it threatened to break free. It was that violent, destructive energy that terrified her. She shut her eyes and saw her wolf spring free, rushing at her. Something inside her snapped and she screamed. Lights burst behind her eye lids. Lighting fell from the sky, hitting a spot near her, startling them. 

Stefani's hands clawed at the ground as if she could dig herself out of the agony ripping inside her. Eventually talons grew and fur started to cover parts of her. Anguish stormed through her as more lighting fell from the sky and finally her wolf burst free with a pulse of energy and blinding light that sent everyone flying back. 

The white wolf erupted, the shift violent and bloody. She panted furiously, her vision was unfocused and every muscle in her body shook from exertion. She turned her head and saw white bloodied fur. Stefani took a step forward as lighting fell from the sky and hit the ground to her right, causing her to tumble and fall on her belly. She panted rapidly, her heart beating furiously inside her chest. Fear consumed her.

"Stefani!" Three voices seemed to call out her name simultaneously. Cole and Rain were the first to get to her. They both looked at each other in horror and then back at her. Rain couldn't speak as his white wolfed mate lay shivering on the ground covered in her own blood. His wolf howled loudly inside him, begging to be let free to comfort her. 

"Stay back!" Rain growled at Raven and the other vampires as they closed in on them. Silence fell over the field and only the pouring rain that fell over them filled it. He sent out thoughts to have the medics waiting at his chambers. 

Stefani whimpered, her tail tapped patiently at the ground. Dimly she felt raindrops all over her body and it felt soothing. It helped to center her through the after shocks of the pain. 

Rain's eyes glowed brightly as he shifted. In seconds a huge black wolf stood protectively over his mate, glaring at the trespassers. 

'Stay away.' He sent out the snarling though to Cole and Hale. Who hesitated but did as he asked, their hands went up. Nothing got between a furious male and his mate. His wild gaze moved to the bloodsuckers. Rain's black wolf paced back and forth as the vampires stepped back. 

"Rain-" Cole cut off Raven as he started to speak. 

"This is probably a good time to mention that Stefani is Rain's true mate. And this is the first time that his wolf has seen hers. He's feeling a tad over protective, so we all need to back away and give them room. If anyone can help her right now... It's Rain." 

Rain stepped closer to his mate, whining softly when she didn't react right away. He nuzzled and licked at the blood on her fur, cleaning her. He bumped his snout against hers, growling softly at her dazed expression. 

Speak. Mate. 

Stefani lifted her head in a daze and bumped into something black. She growled in defense and without thinking started wiggling away. It took her a second to realize the something-black was Rain in his wolf form. He was massive in comparison to her. She must have been half of his size, maybe less that that.

'At least I'm small as a wolf.' She thought dryly. 

Her vision was improving a little but her entire body felt raw as she tried to push through the painful fog in her mind. Her body throbbed painfully but tried to stand on two-erm- four legs-paws but managed only to stand for a couple seconds before her legs gave out under her. Stefani whined loudly. Clearly frustrated. 

Rain panted, excited to see his mate moving again. He howled in joy and bumped against her again and licked her. The little white wolf snapped at him, which he dodged expertly. He bounced around her, edging her on. Stefani's wolf growled in annoyance and it took her a couple of tries before she got her feet under her, enough to sit back on her haunches and look around. 

Rain was boiling with unexplainable excitement as she looked around with those wide, electric golden eyes with streaks of red. Her ears perked up, catching all the sounds around them. He felt like a little kid with a new toy. Not that she was a toy, females were to be respected. Her tail thumped happily behind her. Rain huffed and puffed and pranced over to sit in front of her. His tongue dropped out of his mouth, giving her a silly grin, as best as a wolf could. 

Stefani lifted her backside slightly and looked away from him. Ignoring him, even though he did smell really really good, but focused on the leaves rustling through the trees. Now that the pain and confusion were easing down, she was experiencing a different kind of view of the world. She looked down and saw her furry white paws covered in blood and she wiggled her paws into the soil beneath her. She was acutely aware of some type of small animal moving around in the bushes and her mouth watered. Everything felt new and strange but magical. 

Woah! I'm a freaking wolf! The human though amused her and she puffed a little in a chuckling manner. 

Cole let out a laugh at Stefani's high poised stance. She acted more like a stuck up pussy cat than a wolf. Hale rubbed the back of his neck, transmitting back to his parents on the situation. 

Raven watched the interaction between the wolves and found himself smiling, he could almost read her every emotion through her body language. She was playing hard to get. He could have laughed at Rain's flabbergasted expression. A wolf of his caliber wasn't used to females rebuffing his advances. 

Rain growled and bumped his paw along her side gently, trying to get her attention. When that didn't work he jumped back on all fours and circled her. 

The wind picked up her scent and brought it to him, enveloping him in everything that was her. He leaned forward and started licking at her bloodied fur, she tensed but after a moment she just let him do as he wished. His keen ears picked up the little purrs escaping her and his wolf happily continued. Secretly, Rain was leaving his scent all over her in any way he could. He chuckled as best as an animal could. He thought he was so sneaky. Although his wolf was adamant about claiming her, he forced the beast to understand that it wasn't the time. So cleaning and comforting her was a happy compromise for them both. She needed their strength and guidance.

Stefani shivered as Rain's wolf tongue moved over this strange new body she found herself in. It was strange but not bad. She could sense her wolf thought it was very, very pleasant. She had a couple quiet minutes to enjoy his soft licking and the cool rain falling over them. 

As soon as all that curious energy came, it was gone. Drained out of her in seconds as the tugging sensation inside of her intensified again, coming like a wave and dampening all her senses, until she could only feel, see and hear the buzzing energy inside of her swirling like angry lava. Her body fell forwards and she panted lightly. Rain was startled by the sudden change and nuzzled her again. His golden gaze watched her tenderly, she closed her eyes whimpering and let weariness take her under. 

Rain looked up at Hale and for a second an understanding formed between them.

"Let's go." Hale spoke gently. 

Rain looked back down at his mate and whimpered at her dead weight. He could hear her labored breathing and even her erratic heart beat. He could also sense the waves of tiredness that came off her body. It concerned his wolf greatly. He huffed and wrapped his jaws around the scruff of her neck and lifted her up. She weighed next to nothing but let out a small whimper. He took careful care of his mate, making sure not to harm her as he carried her back to the great hall. 

**************** 

Katrina kissed her brothers goodbye and watched as they got into the vehicle with a small smile. She stepped over and hugged her mother fiercely, shushing her when she started to complain about her staying. She was eager to check on Stefani's situation and was equally eager to get through this conversation. 

"Kella... Are you sure this is what you want? We can still find someone. If you come with us now we can still find you a good mate. This isn't your only choice." Her fathers stern voice warmed her heart, even as she felt it tearing apart. She'd ask the elder and Luciano to let her say goodbye alone for this reason. She had to make her parents understand. Her father looked down at the two most important females in his life and he couldn't help but feel he had failed his little star.

"There won't ever be anyone for me like that. This is the only way."

Her mothers blue eyes were filled with unshed tears as she covered her mouth and hugged her again tightly. 

Her father gazed in the direction of the Grand Hall with a tight expression. 

"Luciano-"

Katrina felt her body tense as she cut off her father. 

"This has nothing to do with him!" She hissed under her breath. She felt her heart squeeze painfully at her blatant lies. Which she knew they both saw through. The pity was clear as their emotions filtered into her. 

"You haven't told him." Her mothers sad voice made shivers run down her spine. Katrina squared her shoulders, looked up at her parents as her decision crystalized inside her. Some part of her grew hard and cold at that moment when she finally realized she made a decision. 

Before the year was up, she'd go through the claiming ceremony and join the Sacred Maidens. 

"I've made my choice. Please let Katrok and Joshua know. Have all the arrangements made. I'll be home soon. I love you both." Katrina leaned up to give her father a kiss on the cheek. He wrapped his arms around her small curvy body and whispered all the beautiful things every daughter wanted to hear. Her mother cried silently as she wrapped her arms around her too. 

"Thank you." Katrina whispered. 

**************************

Stefani became aware with a jolt. Her eye lids popped open in confusion. She felt the soft silky sheets beneath her but couldn't quiet figure out how she got there. She opened her mouth to yawn. Startled as her tongue moved over something sharp, too sharp, she sat up sharply. Looking down she saw white paws firmly planted on the mattress beneath her, instead of the human skin she was accustomed to. She yelped, skidding back and tumbling down the bed and crashing onto the night stand. Growling at the stupid table. The skittish, nervous wolf bounced up on all fours backing away from the bed, her senses bombarded by thousands of new sensations. She shook her snout, trying to clear up the junk in her head. She felt something pushing at her mind, fighting her for dominance. 

She looked around the room, feeling trapped and panicked. She bumped against something flat. Must be a door. Stefani didn't even sense Rain awaken until he spoke.

"Breathe. Little wolf. Just breathe." His voice felt like warm honey and captivated her every attention. Her entire frame shivered and swayed slightly as she listened to what he said and focused on her breathing. She looked up and finally noticed him. He was sitting up on the bed, the sheets half tossed off his body. Even in this animal form, she could appreciated the magnificent specimen of male perfection that was Rain O'Faolain. Her wolf seemed to agree. The word 'Mine' whispered through her foggy mind..

"That's a good girl. Stay Calm. I know it all feels strange and new but you've gotta trust me. I need you to sit back and just listen to my voice okay. I can sense how confused you are and-- 

Rain didn't get to finish as the door across the room swung open and a very grumpy vampire stood in it's place, startling both of them. Stefani's body moved without thought, holding her stance, her shackles raised and she hissed. Unbidden fury ripped through her. The wolf side of her was full in control as it hissed furiously at the intruding vampire. 

Stefani's human mind tried to make the connection that it was Raven, she shouldn't be hissing at him but every nerve in her body felt raw and new, every sound spooked her, his loud entrance had set her on edge and her body was only reacting in defense. Raven only straighten his shoulders and looked down at her, his gaze was soft as if she didn't faze him at all. He stepped forward and Stefani felt her body whooshing forward towards him, teeth bared. She met empty air where he should've been and only managed to bump into a wall- hard. 

Rain winced at the wolf's clumsy attempts and grinned as she got back on all fours and looked for the elder who was now across the room from her. She bared her teeth and he felt his chest tighten as her canine teeth elongated and took on a longer thinner shape, closer to that of a vampire fang. Odd. But sexy.

"Be calm! He means you no harm little wolf. Think for a moment." Rain stood and stood in front of the elder, blocking Stefani's view of the object of her aggression. His hands were extended forward in a peaceful manner but rage consumed Stefani's vision. A blood thirst she couldn't quench. Her loud growling filled the room. 

"Leave us!" Rain hissed in Raven's direction. Hoping that the elder would trust him to do the right thing. Raven puffed up a little and in a blinding second was gone, with the door closed behind him. 

"Stefani! You must sooth your wolf. Reason with her. Be calm!" He never raised his voice while he tried to reason with her. He took note of the way her hackles raised and her whole body vibrated with aggression. It been a while since he dealt first hand with such an a erratic pup. 

Stefani tried to sooth the spinning in her mind that demanded blood but with no target, the blood lust seemed to spin out of control. It frightened her to think she could hurt someone. To hurt Rain. She had to get out! Away! Her eyes seemed to plead him for a second before she let out a piercing howl and dashed forward, expecting him to move, her body hurled out, crashing through the balcony doors. 

Rain's surprise took only a second before he threw himself out behind her, shifting in mid air. His frustrating little mate wasn't going to escape him that easily. 

Silly mate, Alpha loves a good chase. 

Stefani was a blur through the darkened woods. She didn't know where she was headed but her paws were moving on their own. She knew Rain was right on her tail, he was much larger and she was still weak but he let her continue running, sensing it was what her wolf needed. She was grateful for it. 

She came to a halt clumsily and tumbled over her own feet. Rain huffed in amusement and bumped against her to help her back up. She could dimly sense his laughter in her mind. She growled. 

'You must be the clumsiest wolf ever.' Rain's soft voice floated into her head. She huffed and made a point to ignore the huge beast. She realized they were at Rain's cabin. 

He brought her here once, when she'd first come to the compound. Shared a piece of his history with her. The little enchanting cabin seemed magical under the moonlight. The green moss covering the small house helped it blend into it's woodland surroundings. 

Rain shifted and stood proudly in all his naked glory, which made Stefani look anywhere but him.

"We've come full circle then, little wolf." He spoke as he gazed at the cabin fondly. He went and opened up the door and waited for her to come inside before closing it. Stefani's wolf was on full alert, her ears perked up taking up every noise. She found herself amazed at all her new senses. Rain simply ushered her into the bedroom and sprawled himself on his kingsized bed. 

That bed, she remembered quiet well. Stefani remembered kissing him and the way his touch made her burst in flames. She'd also met his wolf officially for the first time on that bed. Completely terrifying her but even back then she'd found herself totally ensnared by him. Rain patted the spot next to him and she yawned loudly before hopping up on the bed next to him. 

"You're tired. You can rest now. You'll be safe here." He whispered as he moved on his side and dragged her whole wolf body next to his. She made a little puffing noise at being told to go to bed but she found the adrenaline rush from earlier leaving her in a rush. She still couldn't find her voice. Couldn't verbally tell him to piss off and stop ordering her around. 

"Don't argue with me. Sleep little wolf. I got you." Rain took a long deep breath. Taking in her beautiful mixed vampire-wolf strawberry scent. His wolf paced, growling with need but Rain would not let his wolf ruin another moment on this beautiful bed. It only took a couple minutes before Stefani let sleep take her under. Rain spent most of the night running his fingers through her white fur and listened to her purr. 

*******

Stefani was aware. She opened her eyes to blinding light. It took a second before her eyes adjusted and she realized it was a dream. The woodland seemed ominously quiet around her. Sitting up and looking down at her hands, she saw perfectly smooth human skin. Stefani looked up meeting her own electric gold eyes reflected in the body of a pure white wolf.




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 14



Leaves danced in the high boughs, blocking out the sunlight forming a cage around them. The wolf sunk low to the ground, letting out a hard breath, looking up at her with troubled eyes. 

The wolf let out a soft whine. Stefani looked around startled as her vision took a blood red shade and thousands of leaves fell around them. 

"What's happening?" Stefani desperately crawled towards the wolf, reaching out to touch her softly. 

'Dying' The soft voice filtered through the air around them. 

"Who?" 

'Us' Another whine. 

Stefani's breath caught at the base of her throat. Confusion overtook her as pressure started building in her head. 

"You won't survive long in this state." A female voice startled her and Stefani looked back to find a ghostly figure of a woman standing a couple feet from the pair. There wasn't a distinguishable feature to her. She was transparent but her eyes were kind and filled with a grief Stefani couldn't understand. 

"What are you talking about?! Who are you?" Stefani angled her body to cover the wolf who seemed too tired to stand. She'd protect her wolf. 

The woman in front of her smiled sadly as if she understood the gesture. 

"You're path will not be an easy one, child. You'll need her strength and that of your vampire to get through it, but you must not shift again. It's too dangerous. Your powers are too unstable. 

There's never been anyone like you. Never in our history have we seen anything of the sort. You are a gift of the Gods. Our miracle. You will change everything. 

Right now, your wolf is fighting a battle against the vampire within you. Your wolf was anchored for so long, I'm afraid the vampire has gained a stronger hold over you. They're tearing you and each other apart...."

"Who are you? How do you know this? What does that mean?" Stefani's hand trembled. She closed her eyes as a dizzying feeling overwhelmed her. Something was building inside her and it terrified her. The worst part was that this stranger knew what she'd been trying to deny this whole time. 

"There isn't much time... There's something else inside you.. Not the wolf, not the vampire. This energy inside you will only get stronger and your body will get weaker. Your wolf.. She is tied to the energy you've felt, that's why you can't shift again. They're connected. 

You're dying. When the time comes, you will understand what you must do. It is the only way the two opposing creatures within you will coexist. " 

"Who are you?! How do you know all of this." 

The ghostly figure placed her hand over her heart, her eyes were sad and troubled. Stefani wanted to say more but the pressure choked her, rocked her back on her heels and made her gasp for breath. 

"I know you're confused. You're so human in your thinking. There's so much you don't understand. I wish I could explain-- But I've said too much already." The ghostly female grew confused and the air around her vibrated with energy. 

"You don't have a lot of time, child.... The voices, when they come just let them flow. The more you resist the more they will feed on you. But don't let them in completely. They will devour you." 

Stefani heard what the woman was saying but there was a piercing noise in her ears she couldn't shake. The woman seemed to understand. 

"The witch calls for you.... They will try to stop you but they don't understand. This is your destiny. Fight this." The woman faded into the world around her. Stefani tried to find her wolf and groaned as her hands met cold soil instead. She cried out as the pressure in her head exploded. 

*********************************



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 15



It's getting late and I really should be sleeping but my mind is running and spinning all at once. Just couldn't stay away. Do you guys ever feel that way too? 

Finally got an editor!! yay! Thank you, trggrhppy. 

He's put up with all my 'too late emails- and moments when I fall from the planet.' 

I'm not disappearing, just been really sick lately but I'm still writing. 

All Hail '"Nyquill" (Seriously) 

I love all of your feedback and comments. 

Good and Bad. So don't be shy and drop me a comment! 

Thank you. 

"Love is brightest in the Dark" 

********** 

Stefani woke up with a jolt, air flew into her body in a rush. Somewhere in the back of her mind she dimly realized she in human form as her own pale hands clasped at her throat waiting for the pressure to fade. Several heart beats later and her vision focused, she became aware of the others in the room. 

The first pair of eyes she saw was a pair of smoldering dark brown eyes that made her stomach tighten. She swallowed hard and forced her eyes away from his. The high priestess was closest to her, the witches' black eyes were piercing and unsettling. Her black hair was tied up in a simple bun. The other two witches stood behind her, each a hand on their priestess shoulder, lending her energy Stefani assumed. She felt Raven as he sat next to her on the bed. His long blond hair was brushed back very stylishly and his gray blue eyes were warm. She could sense his power surround her. 

Raven handed her a bag of blood before anyone could speak. She knew her eyes would be a bright blood red at the moment. She pierced the bag quickly, letting the warm blood quench some of the burning in her throat. Raven ran his hands soothingly along her back, drawing out her erratic energy into himself. 

"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Stefani looked sternly around her as she held the empty bag in her hand. 

She finally took a second to look around and realized she was in Rain's cabin. On that wonderful enormous bed he'd pinned her too that last time they were here. In seconds the memories flooded her and she swallowed as blood rushed to her cheeks and she whole heartedly avoided Rains gaze until he spoke. 

"It's safe to say you won't be shifting into a wolf any time soon." His voice was husky, warm and left goose bumps all over her skin. She couldn't help herself. She looked up at him and like every other time, her heart stalled. 

There were no words to describe Rain O'Faolain, none she knew anyway. He was magnificent, an Adonis come to life and like a God he leaned against the edge of the bed as if he owned the universe. His warm brown eyes looked at her unguarded and warm. Although the telltale signs of exhaustion creasing around his eyes were obvious, a healthy golden glow surrounded him. The dangerous power of his beast coiled inside his body was apparent in the golden shade of his irises. His mouthwatering earthy scent surrounded her and suffocated her simultaneously. He was tall, wide and muscular, this man commanded a room by merely existing and the white button down-rolled up sleeves made him look as if he'd stepped out of a wet fantasy. 

Lithinia, the priestess cleared her throat, trying to defuse the heat that spread throughout the room. Stefani blushed and looked away from Rains' heated gaze. The small telling grin on his face was more than she could handle. Lithinia's gaze seemed more amused than anything, which irritated her immensely. 

"The alpha called us over when your body shifted back into it's human form but were unresponsive. We had to merge our minds with yours to bring you back. You were in a sort of coma like trance. Probably due to exhaustion. You're body went through some pretty violent changes shifting from what I gather. You should recuperate after some blood and time." 

From behind Rain stepped out Cole. His familiar face filled her with warmth. His voice was a calming force, he'd always been her rock. "We think your shifting has been compromised because of the vampire side of you. That's the best we've been able to come up with as to why the shift was so violent. I've never seen anything like it. No transition is supposed to be like that." 

Stefani took a second to digest what Cole said as well as piece together the things she'd dreamed about. The memory was a little foggy but was it real? 

"So there really is no half wolf-half vampire being out there?" She couldn't hide the self-deprecation in her voice. 

Rain spoke before anyone else could. 

"There has never been anyone like you in this lifetime. You were created to be extraordinary." 

'Oh Boy!' 

Stefani choked up on all the unexpected emotions rising inside her. His words made her tingle and for the first time she felt special. A good special. It was all too much to take in at once. 

He'd manage to turn her fears of being a freak in an already freakish world into something completely amazing. She wasn't an idiot and still felt so out of place it ached inside her but with a couple words, Rain had managed to sooth a bit of her heart and mind. She didn't understand why his words affected her so strongly but suddenly she realized she cared a great deal about what the wolf alpha had to say. 

She nodded in his direction in thanks and smiled as a grinning Cole punched him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. Stefani was happy to see Cole fitting in so quickly with his kind, after all he'd been born into this world. This is where he belonged. The thought sobered her up. 

"We're leaving in a of couple hours but we'll give you some time to rest up. We have to stop whatever they're planning. " Rain's smile was tight as if he was worried on how she'd handle the news but some part of Stefani understood. She knew it wouldn't be over for anyone until they were dead. She nodded, slowly rubbing at her arms. Raven handed her another bag which she took gratefully and pierced quietly. 

Rain ushered everyone out of the room and told them they'd meet up back at the compound later. He let out a hard breath as he shut the door on their visitors, finally alone in the cabin with his mate. He smiled. 

Rain thought back to the morning, He'd woken up to a very naked, very tempting human mate. Sometime throughout the night she'd shifted back with no dramatics and as he tried rousing her, Stefani had been completely unresponsive. Her body pale and lifeless hanging in his arms was branded into his brain like so many other images of her. He'd immediately called for the witches, hoping some of their magic could help. 

The arrangements on pack lands have been made and his beta second in command, Alec was acting alpha while he was away. Ariana was Alpha female and was already prepped for his departure. His sighed and walked into the kitchen, starting on breakfast for his hungry mate. 

*** 

Stefani was glad for the pair of jeans and long sleeve that had been left for her to wear. She did not want to walk around in the alpha's shirt. Alright, maybe she did, a little. She brushed her fingers through her dark hair and forced herself to be brave and walk out into the living room. Her eyes immediately moved to the chocolate brown sofa. The last time they'd been in this cabin during the thunder storm, Rain had kissed her. He'd touched her in all the right places and made her body light up like a sparkler. She touched her lips softly as the memory flooded her mind. 

Shaking her head from the thought, the smell of bacon made her mouth water and she felt a satisfied rumble inside her. She placed her hand over her heart. In her mind she saw her white wolf, the beautiful tortured creature who knew was dying and could do nothing to stop it. 

"I hope you're hungry." Rain called out from the kitchen. 

Stefani followed his voice into the kitchen. It was an open kitchen, leading to the dining area. It was fully equipped with the latest technology, high counter tops, bar, and a huge marble island in the middle, dark browns covered the room. His back was to her as he moved expertly around the room. He wore a simple pair of jeans and a white button down, rolled up at the sleeves. His long black hair was bound at the back and his golden skin glowed in the morning light. 

"Hope you like pancakes. Go ahead and get settled down at the table." Rain's voice always did funny things to her heart and she smiled warmly and made a point of ignoring him. Stefani wasn't one to sit idle so she set out the cups and drinks as Rain finished the last couple of pancakes and brought them over to the beautiful dark wooden table where he'd already set the eggs, bacon and fruit spread for them. 

Rain took the head of the table as Stefani sat to his right. 

"It smells amazing! Who knew the big bad wolf could cook!" Stefani was surprised at her teasing tone. She blushed as he laughed, genuinely surprised by her response. 

"My mother was a strong believer that a male should be able to feed himself and his family. She taught me everything I know." Rain smiled in her direction as he handed her a bowl of fruit and Stefani struggled to remember to breathe. His smile lit up his face. Those warm golden brown eyes stared down at her and she felt the world melt away until only he existed. His scent surrounded her, goose bumps covered her skin as her eyes fell down to his lips. She remembered the way he'd felt against her that one night at this very same cabin. 

"Stefani." His voice was thick and rough as if he was struggling to get the words out. It took her a millisecond before she snapped her attention back and coughed, trying to hide her embarrassment as she took the bowl and filled her plate. He gave her a smoldering smile. The asshole knew the effect he had on woman. Frustrated, Stefani growled as she stuffed her face with some of those deliciously warm pancakes. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her as it melted in her mouth. 

"This is freaking amazing!" 

Rain chuckled. "I'm glad it meets your approval." 

"Omygosh! Bless your mother!" She said taking another bite. He laughed even harder and enjoyed the simple moment with her. In his mind his wolf sat happily watching her eat what they had provided, his tailed wagging happily. For a second, he could believe that it was just the two of them. No alpha, no female hybrid who carried shadows just as deep as his own. Right here, they could just be Rain and Stefani. 

He gazed out into the living room, its warm colors and rugs reminded him of his parents but mostly it reminded him of the night long ago he'd spent here with the small human girl who'd flipped his life upside down. Rain remembered the way Stefani's fear of thunder had her crawling all over his lap in fear. Her warm lips meeting his, her dark brown hair wrapped around his fist as she exposed her neck to him in submission. The night before she left him. He took a swig of his coffee and tried to brush off the memory. 

His wolf practically salivated with the thought of getting his claws back on her. 

"Last time we were here. You knew what would happen... You were saying goodbye..." It wasn't a question, it was meant as a statement. Stefani looked up at Rain who was staring at the same sofa she'd been looking at earlier and her heart squeezed painfully. 

"Seems like so long ago doesn't it." Stefani whispered. Rain looked back at her, his eyes piercing into hers. Her eyes still had that red rim to them indicating she still needed more blood but the strange electric gold was back. Rain felt the static energy between them electrifying the air around them. 

"It feels like I was a completely different person then... Getting Cole back, that was all that mattered." Stefani broke his gaze and moved her eyes to the sofa. To her, that sofa represented a moment in time when she'd been different. A time when she was blissfully unaware of the monster she was destined to become. Where she had been just a small human who was overwhelmed by the all-consuming alpha she couldn't stay away from. She'd been naive to think she could have done everything on her own but looking back she had no regrets. She would do it again to save Cole. 

She'd give her life again. She also didn't regret kissing Rain that night. 

Everything inside her seemed drawn to him, his touch was branded into her memory just as much as the horrible nightmare she'd survived. And although she didn't understand why she was so connected to him, he was part of a past she would never recover. A single moment in time when she'd been happy, alive and whole. 

"You didn't deserve to be blindsided like that. I- I should've trusted you with what I knew... But I was scared. Scared for Cole. Scared for myself. Scared of you... I can't apologize for what I did and I don't regret it. It was the only way for me." Stefani looked back at him. Although she felt like a shell of a person who she once had been, this was her way of moving forward. 

She would never be the same girl from a couple weeks ago working at a coffee shop as a waitress with friends and her tiny apartment. She'd never be that woman again. She brought the orange juice to her lips, letting the fruity drink distract her thoughts. 

Rain regarded her calmly. She seemed so strong and resigned to her fate. And she was all his. Without thinking he reached for her, placing his hand over hers. She gasped and looked up at him sharply. 

"You were brave and courageous that night. Don't ever doubt it. Yes, I wish you would've have told me and trusted me but I don't judge you for your actions. You did something many humans wouldn't do. You sacrificed yourself for family, that's the most humble, honest expression of love there is. Stefani, I'm in constant awe of you. At your strength and resolve to move forward. You're a survivor. Surely my world has brightened because you have entered into it. The truth is I've never been good with words and I always seem to fuck them up royally around you. I know there isn't anything I can say to take away what you've been through and how I've failed you. But I hope in the future you'll be able to trust that I am here for you, should you ever need anything. 

As long as I'm alive you will never spend another moment alone or in the dark. No one and nothing will ever hurt you again, I swear it. I'm going to find the monster that did this to you and rip him apart till the soil runs deep with his blood. He will never hurt you again. Little wolf, Little vampire... and don't ever doubt how precious you are to all of us. You are our future." 

Stefani was speechless. Her heart was drumming too fast, too hard against her ribcage. She could feel her wolf's happy energy fill her body. Her eyes burned with tears as they gazed up at him in shock. His hand dwarfed her own and his touch didn't make her skin crawl. There was no doubt in her mind that he meant every word he spoke. How could she doubt him when he looked at her like she was the sun rising over the horizon. Which was ridiculous. 

Rain looked down at his young hybrid mate, he reached over with his other hand and brushed away the tears that fell down her cheeks. His heart almost exploded out of his chest when she leaned into his touch with only a fraction of hesitation. Blood rushed to his ears making them ring as his eyes fell deeper and deeper into her golden-red eyes. 

She was beautiful. She was his. 

His wolf howled loudly in his mind, shouting. 'Mine.' Rain smiled wider as she hesitantly moved her other hand on the table to hold his. 

Stefani smiled 

"Thank you." She whispered. From the bottom of her heart she meant it. Like before his words soothed a big chunk of the grief that was drowning her it was incredible how a couple of words from him managed to have such a monumental effect on her emotional state. For a second she started to believe everything would be okay. That she would be okay. For once, she believed it and little pieces of her broken heart started to heal back together. 

Rain had lived a long time and it took him until this moment to feel a connection with another being in a way that he'd never experience before. It was magic. He was irrevocably hers. Now he just had to convince her of it. He brushed a strand of her dark black hair behind her ear and moved back to his meal. 

"Now eat up or it's gonna get cold." 

****** 

Katrina leaned against a tree, gazing out into the thick of the forest, her yellowish eyes took in her surrounding with precision. She bit her lip nervously as she glanced at Luciano and the elder in the distance. She thought back to the conversation she'd had with her parents before they left. She had expected their resistance, felt it through her empath senses. She sensed their anger, their grief, and fear. But she was glad her family had stayed as long as they did. It meant not having to face Luciano after the bathroom kiss or her feeding. Now that her family was gone... She'd have to face all of it. 

There were moments where she'd hated her abilities, hated what they made her, what the cost of having them meant. But then she thought back on how she'd help Stefani heal through her grief and trauma and Katrina knew she'd been given this mark to help others. 

She looked at Luciano who walked in her direction and smiled. Katrina knew too well that he might never forgive her, he might never understand the choices she'd make. But for now, she'd live every moment she had left. 

She met him halfway, holding onto the strap of her bag. Luciano's grey eyes left goose bumps over her skin. His perfectly messy blonde hair looked like gold in the sunlight. He took her bag without thought like a gentleman. She grinned and walked back to the main entrance of the Grand Hall, where most of the wolves were loading equipment into the black hummers. 

A calling howl broke through the calm and every wolf stood and listened. She assumed it must be the Alpha. She could hear their movements in the forest, approaching. Fast. 

In a heartbeat, Raven stepped to her other side watching the forest with a smirk on his face. 

"Looks like our little hybrid is winning." Raven said highly amused as he heard from the distance, Stefani's giggling. The sound was refreshing. Raven's link to her undulated in waves reacting to her happy state. Katrina smiled and waited patiently to see the outcome. 

Raven went over to help the witches load up their stuff to Katrina's amusement. She yelped as a burst of air burst through them and watched Stefani blink in front of them a second before a huge black wolf erupted from the line of trees. Katrina hadn't even seen him coming and that was truly impressing. Katrina laughed as she fought to tame her short wind kissed hair. 

"Did you guys see that?!" Stefani waved and appeared in front of her a second later, her joy contagious. She was finally getting the hang of her speed. She wore simple jeans and a loose long sleeve. Her cheeks were rosy pink and her black hair was pulled back into a pony tail. 

"Looks like I won huh?" Stefani smiled as the black wolf huffed in annoyance and trotted over to his betas. His tail whipped behind him. Katrina burst out laughing at the sight. 

"Doesn't look like Alpha O'Faolain handles losing well." Luciano chimed in and nodded in Stefani's direction. 

"He's just grumpy 'cause I wouldn't ride him on the way back. Seriously! I doubt vampires ride on werewolves. I was only trying to save his reputation." Katrina laughed at the cheeky infant. Where was the shy, tormented vampire she'd seen only days ago. 

Stefani smiled. 

Raven had a funny way of blinking in and out of spots with his speed so Katrina wasn't surprised when Stefani yelped as he popped up next to her. The elder had the nerve to smile, fangs peaking and everything. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 15



"We've loaded up the blood bags. We should have enough for you to feed regularly and still keep us replenished." 

And he also had a way of killing the mood. Katrina felt the air shift as Stefani seemed to draw into herself again. Her smile was tight as she nodded in thanks and headed over to the wolves. 

Rain pulled on a pair of cameo pants, threw on a black t-shirt and combat boots as his beta, Noah brought him up to speed. Noah's short military styled black hair was a bright contrast to his sparkling blue eyes. His body was ripped and looked every bit as commanding as he expected his betas to be. Noah's light personality never seemed to amaze him. How a tracker of his caliber kept that lightness about him made him even more important to Rain. 

Rain brushed his hands back over his long dark hair. A wide smile crossed his face as he heard Stefani's cheeky responses. His wolf was still fussing about his mate refusing to ride him back to the grand hall where all his warrior were meeting up. She had shaken her beautiful head and asked in what direction she should run. She said it sounded ridiculous to have a vampire riding a werewolf and although he pointed out she was part wolf she ignored him and refused. He wanted nothing else than to feel her soft hands gripping his fur as they rode the wind. 

Although running after his quick little mate, chasing her through the woods had been almost equally satisfying. Her speed impressed and fascinated him. Her unguarded expression as she flew past the trees with precision and very little effort as he followed suit excited him. Her twinkling laughter ringing in his ears had made his heart ache to hear more of it. Her scent surrounded him, teased him as she was a hair fraction out of reach, it thrilled the beast inside him. 

Noah's bright blue eyes watched Rain with glee. His alpha was totally bewitched by the little hybrid and he found it warming to see his leader so... well there was no words to describe Rain O'Faolain but he was glad for the change. 

"We're ready to depart, alpha. We're sending a dozen of the best trackers and another dozen warriors from both the Faol and Mactire pack. The hummers have been loaded per your request and we've mapped out the route via satellite images. There's nothing but woods according to the coordinates but we're keeping constant surveillance in the area." 

"Good. Have the trackers and warriors depart. I want them to set a perimeter near the location before we get there. I want our techies here working double time, eyes and ears everywhere. If a bear takes a crap I want to know about it. Have them check for any chatter through the net about hybrids and the vampire network. If anything catches your attention report back to me. Have Johnson and Lucian meet Alec so they can discuss the protection plan of the compound I've laid out. Also have this place cleared out, when we get back we'll be heading back down the compound. Don't forget to update me on how our wounded are doing, I want them up and running as soon as they are well. I want this place on lock down while I'm gone, Noah. No one comes in or out without my explicit consent. We don't know how deep this has gone and I'm not willing to risk it. Keep our family safe while I'm away." 

Noah bowed his head in respect, crossed his forearm over his chest. 

"Done. Be well Alpha. Let the moon protect you and yours." 

Rain nodded and gave his old friend a pat in the shoulder. 

"Let's head out." Rain's growl vibrated through the clearing with military precision his wolves stepped up and into their assigned hummers. He would be driving with Stefani, Cole, Raven and the other vampires. The witches would be driving in the hummer with Hale and another of his betas, Duncan. 

Stefani glanced over at Rain shyly as Lucian, Johnson and several of the other wolf elders said their goodbyes to her and wished her luck. She felt Rain's gold eyes on her as she got into the hummer and looked out the tinted windows, she couldn't help but frown. She'd miss the small quiet moment they'd shared at the cabin already. She had a bad feeling in her gut. 

****** 

Rodan stood in front a prison cell in the deepest part of the dungeons. His blood red eyes watched the unconscious female chained to the walls with a possessive look. Her light brown hair had grown uneven but even then she was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his long existence. Rodan groaned as a whiplash of pain slashed through his body reminding him of his weakened body. He held onto one of the bars of the cell to support his weight. 

He was running out of time. 

"I suppose all those centuries ago you didn't expect that merging vampire DNA with your own would lead to your own deterioration. Although that seems the only logical result to be expected." Varcolac's voice filled the darkness. Rodan hissed in his direction and fought to gain some composure before the vampire. Varcolac's emerald green eyes sparkled with amusement in the dark as he watched the females labored breathing. 

"You've tried this experiment on hundreds of creatures and they've all fallen to insanity. You were the first creature to survive as long as you have and I'm sure that's only because you feed from this pair constantly. If our little hybrid can't infuse us with the power we seek, you won't survive. But you already know that." Varcolac stood in the shadows, watching and taunting the rogue wolf as he straighten his shoulders and saw his pupils enlarge. 

"She will open the gate and give us what we want. I'll kill her myself before letting her ruin our plans." Rodan's hiss dripped with venom. Varcolac ran a hand through his dark hair and he felt something inside him shift. 

"All the pieces are in place. They'll be here soon." Varcolac looked down at the familiar shape of the female's face and licked his lips. He couldn't wait to have his little one back in his arms. 

*********** 

In another dark corner of the dungeons, a witch leaned heavily against the stone wall behind her. Heavy manacles wrapped around her wrist and neck chaining her to the wall. She grimaced as she watched one of the guards drop an unconscious white haired girl in one of the cells next to hers. Melody. 

The witch, Kala closed her green eyes, focusing on her breathing and ignoring the ache in her muscles from the last round in the labs and channeled her power. She was weak but had enough energy to heal the shivering girl next door. She took a deep breath and weaved her energy across the bars of the cells and reached out to the girl. Melody let out a small whimper. 

In Kala's mind she saw her emerald green spirit travel over to the small girl with the beautiful white hair, wrapping around the girls torso and limbs. Kala bit her lip as she focused her energy to replenishing some of the girl's broken body. It wouldn't be enough to heal her completely but enough that she'd wake up soon. 

It was a long steady process, feeding another being her energy to heal them while not disturbing their mind. A seers mind was a nasty place for a witch to enter without guidance. The amount of power in their minds could drive anyone not suited insane with only a touch. 

Kala knew this girl well and was constantly amazed at her strength. As she worked, Kala sensed the separate conscious that watched over her work. The white haired seer had a sister. The seer twins. She'd never met the other particular twin, the rogues kept them separate for a reason but Kala had always felt her presence while she healed Melody's body. Kala's sensed the other twin's grief and fury every time. 

Melody was not a woman of many words. She was often somber and quiet but Kala had seen Melody's eyes flash violet filled with passion, anger or grief as she experienced a vision. She knew from Melody that her sister's name was Aria, the younger of the two. 

Melody's violet eyes snapped open, startling Kala. Although not fully conscious she whispered. 

"It's coming." 

Kala pulled against the restraints holding her, understanding the seers meaning. Their salvation was finally coming. 

Kala bit her lip as fury rose within her, she used that extra bit of energy and fed it to the little seer. Melody groaned and fell back to oblivion. Kala vowed. 

Once she was free, she would kill the two responsible for this. 

They would all pay. 

*********** ********* 

Rain picked up a water bottle and watched as Raven guided Stefani off into the woods. They traveled all day yesterday and all throughout the night to early morning hours, finally stopping at the midway point camp site. From here they'd have to go by foot, the forest around these parts were too dense for them to travel by car. Rain saw the weariness of the witches faces as they pulled out of the cars and straight into a tent to sleep. They were human after all. 

The young vampires hadn't said much on the way here and had pretty much followed the vampire elder deeper into the forest as he led Stefani. They'd be helping Stefani train. 

Rain thought back on his mate. She'd been quiet the whole ride, deep in thought watching the trees pass them by. He knew something was wrong and it was driving him insane that she wouldn't speak of it, not that he blamed her. Rain had driven as fast and smooth as he could. 

He rubbed his hand over his face and walked into the command tent. His best trackers were already pulling out maps and drawing out the easiest paths to get to the coordinates. Rain straightened his shoulders and started working on the best plan of attack. He'd get his mate through this if it killed him. 

*** 

Stefani leaned against Raven as he led her through the trees. Sweat covered her face and her hands shook. She felt that odd electric energy bubbling beneath the surface and she savagely fought to keep it from rising. In a blink she was seated on a tree bark and in the next breath a bag of blood was piercing her fangs. She felt the cool blood flow into her body, easing her aches. She closed her eyes and leaned against Raven who stood next to her. 

"What's happening to her?" Luciano asked as he watched the trembling hybrid. Katrina reached out to her to find out. Stefani lifted a hand stopping her as she drained the last of the bag. 

"I'm fine." Stefani whispered. The last thing she needed was the empath wreaking havoc in her mind. Katrina nodded, her lips tight as she scanned Stefani's aura. 

"I think I just got car sick. I'm okay." Stefani assured them as she wiped down her hands on her jeans. Raven watched her carefully, his gaze moving over the small lines of stress on her brow. 

"Alright. You two go back to camp. We'll head back after training." Raven took off his blazer and set it down on the tree bark. 

Luciano straightened while he met his brother's gaze for a second before guiding Katrina back to the camp site. 

"Thanks." Stefani let out a sigh of relief as she brushed the weariness from her face. 

"You're getting worse." Raven spoke when he knew the other vampires were out of reach. Stefani looked up at him surprised for a second before nodding. Raven's gaze bore into hers. He was centuries older than most creatures around here and now through their blood link he could feel the discrepancy within her. She'd been naive to think she could fool him for a minute. 

"It's strange, being in this body that once was so familiar and not knowing anything about it now. Every day it gets a little harder, waking up and walking around like nothing is wrong... Rationally, I understand that I'm a vampire and a werewolf but I don't feel like either. I know I'm different and I know there's something wrong... I'm not blind. But I don't know what it is or what to do. " 

Raven leaned against a tree and watched Stefani, carefully choosing his next words. 

"They worry about you. They're young. By keeping you in the dark they hope to protect you." 

Stefani stood. 

"I've been in the dark my whole life... Nothing can protect me anymore. Not from him and not from what I've become. Let's just do this." She walked down the uneven path of trees to a small clearing. Raven loosened his tie and was beside her in the next second. Raven was impressed at her brave and awed by her wisdom. She might not know everything now but she had a strong sense of intuition. 

"Close your eyes. Keep them closed and let's begin." 

Stefani had a second to take a breath before she felt the air shift with the vibrations of Raven's sharp movements, she dodged. They'd been practicing like this for a while, keeping her slightly at a disadvantage and forcing her to defend herself. The vampire elder had ramped up her lessons and this new hybrid mind of hers was soaking up every bit of information she was taught. Raven swung his leg and she twirled out of his way. 

"Too close. Clear your mind." Stefani nodded and focused in on herself, ignoring the darkness. She would get stronger. She would never be helpless like that again. She bit her lip and charged him. 

***** 

Katrina was nestled among the branches of a much taller tree, essentially isolated from the rest of the world. The tree had a few long hanging branches which she easily jumped up to. She scrambled up the tree as gracefully as any vampire would. Wearing black lycra pants helped. When she reached the top, she simply sat among the green leaves and basked. She gently touched the leaves she could reach and ran her fingers over the tree's textured bark, while watching small insects crawl and birds build nests. She listened to the different sounds the wind made when it streamed through the branches. With Luciano, Raven and her family hovering like mother hens, it was rare to find quiet moments like this lately. Who knew she'd be dragged into quite the nightmare by visiting the elder's brother for the season. 

"You never mentioned your parents were considering marriage." Luciano said from his perch on a nearby branch, interrupting her thoughts. Her lips curved into a sad smile as she glanced at the gorgeous vampire. With his blonde hair arranged casually in a rather choppy cut around his handsome face, his dark gunmetal grey eyes framed by those thick dark lashes and those perfectly proportioned lips, Luciano was the embodiment of drop dead gorgeous. 

"It wasn't worth mentioning," she responded, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. Luciano nodded as he considered this while she continued, "As if I would ever agree on an arranged marriage to a chauvinistic, self-centered, bureaucratic Moroi. You should have seen the ultimatum I gave my parents when they brought it up. " 

He smiled, a full toothy grin at her outraged tone. "I can imagine Moroaică. I'm sure you made their life hell, surely it is they I must feel sorry for." 

Katrina laughed to hide the hurt. Her heart ached. Ached viciously with the things she didn't say. All the things she would never say to him. 

"Even though they've just left, I know you miss them already. I promise, when this is over we'll go to their home in New York and visit. " Luciano took a piece of a stray leaf and rolled it between his fingers. Katrina avoided his gaze but couldn't fight the little flutter in her stomach at the word 'we.' 

"There will never be a time where I don't miss them. I'm so glad to be well understood." Katrina let herself fall backwards without thought. She smiled as wind rushed past her hair, blowing it around her face. A fraction of a second later she was flipped over and landing gracefully at the base of the tree. She wasn't surprised when Luciano was already leaning against the tree, a wide grin on his face. 

"Let's go visit the witches. I hear the young one can keep up with a vampire." Katrina smoothed out her tussled hair and avoided his gaze. She started out towards camp and before she knew it there was a yank at her wrist and she was pressed up against the tree. Luciano slapped his hands besides her head, caging her in. 

"Katrina. I know you've been using your family as an excuse to avoid me. Did you think I wouldn't notice? You won't even look at me..." His tone was rough and she looked down at her traitorous hands gripping his shirt. Her body ached for him. 

"Dammit! Kat, look at me!" Katrina straightened her shoulders. The ache around her chest held so tight she fought her inner monster viciously for a next breath. She could do this. Just like all other times she'd been around him, she shoved every ounce of emotion she felt and buried it in the pit of her stomach, the effort so strenuous her hands shook. She plastered on her most convincing smile and looked up at him. 

"It's been a little overwhelming with everything that's happened and then my family showing up... My mind has just become a little scattered. Forgive me." She whispered. 

Luciano watched her eyes for any trace of insincerity and although she sounded genuine, there was a coldness to her eyes that was unnatural. Luciano couldn't deny the tightness in his gut telling him she was holding something back. She never kept secrets from him. 

Her scent surrounded him, the warm sugar cookie scent and her beautiful pouty lips called out to him. Her tan, perfectly polished skin made his hands ache to grab her. Her beautiful yellow eyes were full of emotions he couldn't read or understand. For all the Moroaică, females of his kind, that he'd known and taken pleasure in, Luciano had never seen eyes so full of life. So full of things that left him speechless. 

Luciano leaned down towards her and somewhere in the back of his mind it dawned on him how natural it felt. As if the universe had made her specifically for him and the monster inside him. A ludicrous idea. 

He missed the panic in her eyes so deep in thought and a second later she was standing on the other side of the tree. He only noticed because he found air where her lips should've been, making him look up. He hadn't heard her move and considering he was at least a century older than her, should've been impossible for her to do. Odd. 

Silence filled the space between them. Luciano raised his eyes to meet hers, watched her finger linger at her lips absentmindedly as if she couldn't stop the action. 

"I- We shouldn't." 

"Kat." Luciano hissed out the words through his teeth. His voice tortured as if it was a physical ache that she'd rejected him. The monster within him lashes out viciously against his human counterpart to be freed, to possess the tempting wench who drove him to the edge of fury by this dismissal. 

Forcing herself to push him away felt wrong to Katrina, the darkness within her lashing out within her. Katrina stepped back. She just couldn't. She couldn't kiss him again and pretend everything was okay. Pretend she wasn't deceiving to him or herself. She couldn't keep up the lies at all if he kissed her. Luciano wrecked her every time he was near, his kiss would absolutely destroy her. 

This is how it had to be. 

"What happened before was just a moment of weakness on both of our parts, Luc. I'm still me and you're still you. Nothing has changed." She was glad her voice sounded so nonchalant as if she didn't care at all. So far from the truth. 

Luciano watched her silently and couldn't force himself to speak, could barely hold back from ravishing her to hear her words. So he let out a small annoyed grunt. 

I know who you are! He thought harshly. Hating that he seemed to lose his voice around her, he looked away from her in disgust with himself. Luciano prided himself on the fact that he was always in control with the females he saw, not that he would ever throw Katrina in as one of those, she was just a friend. His best friend - -Okay. The 'only' friend who was a female. 

But that didn't seem to matter anymore. He couldn't keep it together, he could barely control himself around her 'after that kiss'— His hands balled into fist at his side at the memory. He was losing his mind. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 15



"Are you so desperate for a woman that you'd kiss me? Common Luciano! Don't be ridiculous. Let's just pretend it didn't happened." Katrina's voice came out rushed and teasing as she turned and disappeared into the woods. 

Luciano stared after her for a couple seconds. He'd used the same words under similar circumstance regarding females, so he should feel relieved that she felt this way but if he was honest with himself, he only felt disappointment. He was a hypocrite. 

He heard the shakiness in her voice as she struggled to get the words out. He saw the panic, she tried so hard to hide, flash across her face as she ran away from him, because that's what she was doing. She was running away. Luciano knew. He even understood why she would. Dammit! He didn't even know what he was doing himself. 

He was a bastard. A cold, self-centered Moroi. The kind of male she should stay away from. 

Part of him wanted to chase after her. Actually, every particle in his body screamed to drag her back by the hair, pin her to the ground and ravage her until she came in his mouth and took all the useless words back but he couldn't force himself to move. Luciano was frozen to the ground, right underneath that poplar tree. 

He had never felt so out of control around a female before and he felt particularly bewildered by this one. Katrina with her beautiful smile, delicious scent, unnerving appetite for food he couldn't stomach, her bright laughter and snarky attitude. Katrina. She made him crazy and he wondered how long he'd felt this way. 

'She's practically your sister!' He berated in his head and even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie. It was true that maybe earlier on in their friendship he had taken on a brotherly role with her but there wasn't a time where he hadn't forced himself to ignore how alluring she was, how totally edible she smelled. At some point when he subconsciously realized how much he valued Katrina, he'd shoved and locked her into an untouched, forbidden, righteous part of his soul, telling himself it was insignificant. 

Looking back now, it was probably why he'd spent most of his young life ravishing most of the available female population of his kind, to desensitize himself of needing her. He'd fucked just about anything that walked in a skirt with a frenzied need. He flaunted the faceless, nameless females, that he could now barely recall and although he enjoyed every minute of it, Luciano now saw his actions with clarity. He lashed out in a sexual haze when the female that man and monster furiously ached for, was right under his nose and completely unobtainable to him. 

His mind went automatically to the image of her lying lifeless on the ground a couple days ago. He remember feeling something crack inside him as he held her in his arms, not hearing a heartbeat or a breath coming from her and grief tore through him. When it seemed he had lost her, his mind had yanked back the bullshit story he kept telling himself until all he saw was Katrina. She was all he ever saw. She was all that ever mattered and obviously she saw him as the self-centered, arrogant player that he was. 

'And wasn't that a cliché.' He thought with disgust. 

Luciano pressed his forehead against the cool bark of the tree and struck his hands to it, hard enough to make the tree croak in protest. 

'What the hell do I do now?' He questioned bitterly. 

**************** 

Katrina knew he wouldn't follow. He wasn't the type. 

She'd run away like a child, too afraid to face him, too afraid to face how he made her feel and absolutely terrified to face him while she deceived him. He would never forgive her for the secret she kept. 

Katrina knew Luciano felt some kind of attraction for her. He was a hot blooded male who hadn't gotten laid in weeks, Luciano fucked anything with a skirt, and on top of the guilt he must feel from what happened, it was a natural reaction that he'd try and blow off some steam with the closet female he could find. That's all it was to him and at the end of the day when he walked away, she'd be the one left broken. She went over and over the thought as she moved through the trees. 

Coward. 

The dark voice floated around her head. Katrina shook, fisting her hands. 

She needed to keep her distance from him... 

But she wanted him near. 

She wouldn't be able to stay strong if he got any closer. 

She'd die if he didn't. 

'No! He could never commit like that you. It's not who he is or what he does. This is the best thing to do for the both of you... Don't get too close.' Katrina mentally berated herself. 

Katrina forced herself to step forward. Every step she took to nowhere in particular, led her further and further away from him. Inevitably, it was the only path left for her. 

She stepped out into the camp, watching the flurry of activity around her. Steadying her breath, she went in search for another bag of blood. 

******* 

Several hours later Stefani fell back against the sleeping bag and groaned. Her shoulders ached, her thighs burned and her hands felt like sandpaper. Not to mention she felt like she hadn't showered in days. 

Training with the vampire elder, Raven, always left her physically aching and mentally drained. They spent all afternoon well into the night honing her skills and pushing her boundaries until she could no longer block. By the time they'd come down to the camp site the wolves had set up a tent for her and Katrina to share while they slept the night. In the morning they'd start travel by foot. 

Katrina sat quietly in the corner of the tent, brushing her short hair absentmindedly. Her shoulders and collar bone were bare in the tank top she wore and her golden skin seemed to glow in the darkness. Of course, Katrina always looked like she was glowing lately, Stefani wondered if anyone else could see it. Vampires! Stefani smiled at the random human thought. 

"I thought becoming a vampire-werewolf meant I was in excellent physical condition. Then how come I feel so freaking exhausted!" Stefani twirled a lock of raven black hair between her fingers as she pondered out loud. 

Katrina smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Well it does but your body has been through so many violent changes, I'm sure it's going to take some time to catch up. And anyone training under an elder would be sore, vampire, werewolf, or hybrid without exceptions." Her voice twinkled in Stefani's ears and she wondered why her voice affected her the way it did. There was something about Katrina that was different. It'd taken a while for Stefani to pinpoint it but she could feel it in the air around her. 

Stefani pouted and sat up as a particular delicious scent drifted up her nose. Katrina smiled knowingly from where she sat and ignored her as Stefani stepped out of the tent and found a nervous looking alpha. Rain. 

"Hello." Rain looked down at his golden eyed mate and smiled. He sounded lame but the smile on her face almost made him forget how lame. Almost. 

"Hi." Stefani brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ears. 

"I know it's been a long trip so I imagined you'd want to bathe, I had an area cleared and secured so you could do so. If you follow me, I can lead you there. " Rain's gaze never wavered and he sounded genuinely concerned and still Stefani hesitated. She shook her head and smiled at him. His golden eyes showed nothing but kindness and warmth. His huge broad shoulders blocked out the woods until there was only him in her sights. His black hair was draped over one shoulder and he stood as if he owned the world and still managed to make it look humbling. 

"That sounds amazing! Thank you." She let out a little breathless whisper. Stefani let Katrina know where she was going, although the vampire had a huge stupid smile on her face as she walked out. Obviously Katrina had heard. Stefani was still trying to wrap her mind on the acute sense of hearing as one of the many perks of being a paranormal creature. She followed after Rain through the small path in the forest at a rather human pace. 

Even though she was kind of like them, they'd clearly created the path for her. She could hear the sound of running water get closer and her hunch was proved as Rain held a small bathrobe and a little bag which he handed to her before leading her out to the small bank leading up a river. Stefani held her breath as she looked around. The sound of running water filled her ears and she saw the small little indentation that had been created in the river which allowed the fresh water to run freely but seemed safer to stand in. 

"I can't go far so I'm going to sit behind this rock to give you privacy, if you'll allow it." His tone was rough but comforting. She nodded and waited as he sat behind the boulder bordering the small pool. His wide frame wasn't blocked much by the boulder but it offered her enough sense of privacy. If you considered that she was going to get butt ass naked in the middle of the woods with two dozens of wolves who could be roaming around the darkness. Yep! Totally private. Stefani shuddered nervously. 

Okay! 

But she could see perfectly clear in the darkness now and would spot movement before it happened and her hearing was so acute she could hear for miles. So without thinking about it she stripped off the pants and t shirt and dipped her body into the little pool of water. She groaned as the cool water hit her aching muscles. 

"Good?" His voice was warm and soaked deeper into her bones than heat. Stefani felt a shiver run down her spine. Her hands flattened over her collar bone. 

"Amazing! You're a genius. Thank you." She whispered, letting her head fall back against the edge of the small pool of water. She gazed up at the dark star filled sky as she dipped her hands in and out of the water, brushing off the grime of the day. They spent several minutes in companionable silence. It was comforting. She looked down at her hands and she thought back on how much she'd progressed. 

Stefani recognized the darkness within her, the shadows within her mind like a closed door beckoning to her from its depth. The grief and rage that filled her simmered beneath the surface fueling the oddly hypnotic current that ran through her like electricity, not to mention the burning thirst at the base of her throat aching for blood. 

So many things that clung to her like a shadow throughout the day but only in quiet moments like this, when she was alone and in the dark, did she let herself think about them. Think about what she'd done and what she'd become. 

Stefani looked up at the beautiful marvel above them and wondered if she had ever seen a sky so full of light before. Rain's voice startled her and brought her out of that dark place she'd ventured to. 

"There's toiletries in the bag. I also brought you a snack. Figured you might be hungry after your training." Rain leaned back against the rock separating him from his mate, he let out a small sigh. He looked up at the sparkling night and smiled. His wolf purred with contentment. He felt his beast come up to the surface of his mind, sharing his vision and watching everything with a predatory glance. 

Seconds later he heard the rustling of the plastic and smiled as he heard her burst of laughter. The sound of it filled up the silence with the most beautiful thing he'd heard in his existence. He grinned. Gotcha! 

Stefani was surprised at her own laughter but smiled as she gazed down at the small blueberry muffin she'd unwrapped from a plain napkin. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and she ignored it. She looked up in his direction and without even trying she could make out his shape in the darkness. Rain. He was the biggest of his kind she'd yet to see, it was impossible to miss him. She realized she would always find him in the darkness. 

"Thank you." Stefani whispered as her eyes moved and she watched the millions of twinkling stars above them. 

*********** 

As the sun rose, the camp became a bustling of activity, the alpha O'Faolain was overseeing the preparations for their departure as their companions readied themselves for the trip. It shouldn't take them long to reach the peak point they'd located which was several miles off into the depth of the forest. 

The vampires would travel the fastest and the wolves would follow, the witches had proved to be the most concerning, since they were human. Rain had only fussed about it for a second before having harnesses brought in. He'd have them ride three of the strongest warriors he had. Which didn't concern him, the three witches had charmed themselves into his pack. 

Their strength and determination to protect the pack from the attack by the rogue vampires had earned them respect by all members of the pack and he'd received many volunteers who would carry the human witches. They would have to make frequent stops on their behalf. They'd been the first to head out early morning hours to give them a head start. His wolf seemed to surface in his mind and listen from afar as he heard the Mactire wolf approach his mate. A small growl rumbled in his chest. 

"Hey brat! You ready to see my glorious wolf form?" Cole Mactire ran a hand through his short brown hair. His hazel brown eyes with silver rims looked down at his adoptive sister with amusement. Stefani gave him a small smile. Cole was a little hesitant, they still hadn't sat down and had a proper conversation since she'd been rescued and he worried he might scare her off in that form. He ached to reconnect with her but found himself a little at odds on how to do so. 

His wolf howled loudly, excited at the prospect of bonding with his sister. For so long, she'd been the only thing that mattered in his life, she was his to protect, his little sister and that didn't seem to have changed now that he was back in his world. 

"Alright! Let's see this impressive form of yours." 

Cole grinned, stepping out of his sweats and tossing aside his t shirt, he stood naked and proud. Stefani looked everywhere but at him as her cheeks turned pink. It was still awkward to see him naked and so obviously unaffected. Wolves! And even though she was half wolf, she wouldn't be caught butt ass naked in front of a whole pack of weres anytime soon. She felt her face grow hot. She'd seen too many naked people lately. 

"Relax! Wolves aren't bothered by nudity, it's just natural for us to be in this form." Cole teased her and walked a couple steps back and allowed his wolf to come forward as he embraced the change. 

"Clearly no one around here seems to mind! Too much bloody skin if you ask me!" Luciano's disgruntled voice rumbled from behind them as Stefani laughed. She watched in awe as Cole's big body shifted. Fur covered his body, bones popped, enlarged and rearranged in seconds. Effortless. He was beautiful. And tall! His warm brown hair looked silk in the sun light. Should she touch it? It was much easier to allow herself to relax around this form, her body wasn't reacting in shock to his proximity, and she saw that as progress. 

Her mind automatically went to her own change and for a second fear rose within her. She felt her own wolf shift and become more present in her mind. She looked down at Cole who sat and watched her cautiously, his huge head cocked to the side. He was almost at eye level when he sat up like that. He was toned and heavy muscled, he was born a warrior. There was no doubt that this was where he belonged. 

She found herself fascinated by the recognition in those huge, brown and silver rimmed eyes that looked back at her. He was a monster by human standards and those vicious looking canines weren't there for decoration but his eyes still belonged to the man she'd grown up with for most of her adult life. The human Cole she'd adored. She found it easier to merge the two creatures and allow herself to fully accept him this way. 

"Looks to me like you're a pretty impressive specimen." She offered as he seemed to puff up and expand his chest at her praise. She laughed softly. Cole looked relieved, if a wolf could look relieved, he approached her calmly and wasn't aware he was holding his own breath until he felt her touch and it all rushed out of him. Stefani didn't know why she felt comfortable with him like this but his fur was as soft as it looked. 

It still ached inside her when she thought of how he'd lied to her, how he'd kept such a huge part of himself secret from her. Even so, he was the only family she'd ever known. 

"Who would have thought, I would be standing in the middle of nowhere, petting a huge werewolf. Much less you being that werewolf..." Stefani's voice trailed off as she realized how quiet it was. Looking up startled she noticed most weres had stopped to watch the interaction. She swallowed and petted Cole's head gently. 

Cole whined softly as he heard her words. He was pleased she wasn't afraid of him, although by now she would have become pretty used to their wolf forms but he was pleased nonetheless. He bumped his head into her hand seeking a firmer touch. 

Cole found it amusing when he heard Rain's growl in the background. He shook it off, licked Stefani's palm and wadded off to find his brother. Stefani glared at Rain's interruption, at least he had the decency to look embarrassed. She couldn't understand the Alpha! Honestly she didn't understand men in general but the O'Faolain alpha particularly baffled her. Rain turned from them and called out to this warriors, who were mostly shifted and ready to depart. 

They set off into the forest immediately after packing everything up and hiding their vehicles among the trees. 

***** 

Several hours later, the vampire elder, Raven was perched on a high branch counting the seconds till his ward appeared. He wore simple slacks and a dark button down shirt, he had a traveling bag over his shoulder. The sky was full of orange and purple hues, close to sundown if he took a guess, they'd been running for most of the day. He taken advantage and started training her on increasing her speed, with caution. He could hear the wolves several miles behind them and Luciano, Katrina and Stefani fast approaching. They'd eventually caught up and surpassed the first group of wolves who had departed with the witches. They'd stopped a couple times to appease their young human companions but had pretty much kept an even steady pace towards their destination. 

While wolves traveled by ground, vampires moved much quicker through trees, which was something to get used to for the new turned hybrid. Like always Stefani left him breathless with her record speed learning. She took it all in stride and baffled them all by her speed. He wasn't at full speed but he kept just out of reach to push them all to the max. He was proud at Luciano and Katrina who seemed to have taken to the lesson too. 

Stefani was perched into a neighboring branch and smiled at the elder. She'd been the first to arrive, beating Luciano and Katrina to their surprise. They all heard the wolves move tactfully through the forest. Raven was only mildly surprised when Rain burst through the forest beneath them. It would seem the alpha wanted to play along. The impressive black beast tapped on the bark of the tree and barked at them. Raven smiled which the vampire elder seemed to be doing a lot lately, odd for one of his kind. 

"Looks like we've got a wolf on our tail... Alright. If you don't mind, Rain you go on ahead. We're going to have Stefani track you." Raven pushed off the branch, effortlessly appearing at another one. He watched Stefani's concentrated expression as she recalled everything Raven had taught her about tracking. She gave him a nod and the huge wolf disappeared back into the woods. 

Stefani closed her eyes and opened her senses. She could feel so much when she focused in on herself. As every sense in her body became sharper, she realized she could hear Rain's steady heartbeat. It surrounded her. Pounding as hard as her own heartbeat. Her eyes snapped open and she flew through the trees. She didn't particularly know where she was going but she scented the air, looking for his delicious scent. His earthiness. She smiled, her fangs peeking through, a predatory gaze in her eyes as she ran faster to catch up with him. He was far quicker than she expected him to be. Both beasts inside her warred for dominance in the chase, her wolf howled loudly in her mind and her darker vampire side smiled wickedly in the dark. They both seeked to Claim. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 15



Stefani felt a buzz pass through her body and she came to a screeching halt. The buzz felt familiar. Just like the last time... She swallowed, perspiration covered her face and she looked around anxiously through the darkened woods as unwanted fear clawed up her throat. Stefani sensed something coming and she was powerless to stop it. 

In an instant it hit her. Stefani hissed, her knees buckled to the ground from the force of pain exploding in her head. She grounded her teeth together and groaned. For a second her mind ripped apart, noise filled her and for that second she drowned in pain. Voices spoke loudly in her head, she had heard them before but there were so many and they blended together like white noise. She couldn't feel the cool soil beneath her or the twigs breaking into her tightened grip, she didn't feel her body. She was nowhere and she was everywhere. She was alive with electric energy that filled up every particle in her body to a point she knew surpassed what she could handle. 

And just as fast as it came, it was gone. Stefani gasped violently for breath and fell forward onto shaky hands. She groaned softly, shaking her head of the dizzying that still stayed with her. 

She didn't sense Rain arrive but felt his warm hands pressed against the back of her neck, forcing her to take deep breaths. His scent surrounded her soothing the viciousness of the beasts inside her. Her vision was blurry for a moment before they focused on those beautiful golden eyes. Then her mind snapped back into place, her body drained and shaky. The first thing she noticed was all that smooth naked golden skin he was not shy to show off. 

Rain looked into Stefani's eyes, watched the range of emotions that flashed through them as she came back to him. He didn't know what happened but clearly she'd been distressed over something. The moment he'd heard her sharp intake of breath, he'd rushed to her side. His wolf growled as he stalked her, waiting to find an enemy to destroy only to find her amid some sort of panic attack. 

"You're naked." Stefani whispered. 

Rain's lip tightened, he'd deal with this later. For now, he would use every second to get his elusive mate to warm up to him until he figured out what was wrong with her. 

"I know." 

The way he said those words had blood rushing to her face. His eyes were filled with heat as they looked down at her making her skin prickle. Her mouth dried up as she tried looking anywhere but him. Rain smiled knowingly and moved his hand to cup her cheek. She automatically leaned into it, her breath hitched. He ran his thumb softly along her cheek, she realized his touch soothed her. Her heartbeat was calming and her skin didn't feel as clammy and sick. Her eyes snapped up to his as she realized he'd touched her again! And she hadn't freaked out! Rain seemed to realize this at the same time she did and moved his hands away from her in shock. She looked down at her hands, expecting to see some trembling but nothing. Her mouth hung open as she caught a glimpse of his- 

No! Don't look. Stop it! The wolf purred as it tried to get a better look of his cock but Stefani would have none of that. Her gaze snapped up at the sky and stayed there even as she felt her fangs throb in her mouth. Rain laughed, helping her stand on shaky feet. She was so... human. 

Stefani blushed a deep red and avoided his gaze. "Are you alright?" Rain brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and she nodded. 

"We should get back." Rain's stepped away from her and shifted back into the huge black wolf. She was amazed at his grace, the beauty of his every movement. She may not know a lot about were-folk but she could tell he was one of a kind, a rare specimen. He was enormous. 

Rain's wolf whined softly as he grazed her leg, rubbing its scent all over her. He growled lowly when she touched the top of his head, running her fingers delicately over his ears. 

"Such a strong wolf. Beautiful." Her voice came out as a whisper. She felt herself hypnotized by his silky black hair running through her fingers. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized, she could hear his heartbeat, she sensed the warm blooding pulsing through his veins and she felt his golden shaded eyes train on her face as she touched him. She smiled at his puffed up stance, as if her compliment honored him. Men! 

Rain was in heaven. His mate touched him willingly, praised him and without saying granted him her trust. 

Ours! Claim her! His wolf's thoughts were a mixture of lust, gratitude and affection. In such a short time this woman had ensnared both man and beast. 

Rain felt a growl emerge from his chest at her touch and he savagely fought it down to keep from scaring her. He screamed at his wolf in his mind. He would not let the beast scare her away again. 

"It's alright Rain. I'm not afraid of your wolf. Don't censure him." Stefani's voice was soft and delicate as her fingers continued to run through his hair. He peeked up gently in her direction, his huge golden eyes looked at hers back and forth, looking for something. 

Rain heard the truth in her words and her actions. She did not hesitate while stroking him, her voice didn't shake and her beautiful golden red eyes were weary but sincere. His wolf let out a soft whine and bumped her harder with his huge head. Stefani laughed. 

"Alright. Should I run or ride you?" Rain knew she meant that in the most innocent of ways but that didn't stop his cock from turning hard as a diamond and grinning as best as a wolf could. He turned sideways offering her a ride, his eagerness was clear. 

"Alright. Alright. But only this once." Stefani couldn't stop the grin plastered on her face as she climbed over him and settled herself at his back. She leaned forward, hugging her body to his, running her delicate fingers through his thick black hair. She slowly rubbed the area beneath his massive jaw. 

Rain couldn't contain the howl that erupted from his chest as his body catapulted forward earning a squeal from her. Stefani couldn't stop the bubbling of squeals and laughter spilling from her lips. This was a completely different sensation to running on her own. Feeling Rain's powerful body beneath her, the strange flow of wind that seemed to lift them inches above the ground, the soft light blue light undulating from Rain's paws. It was the oddest thing. 

Rain ran through the woods headed around the camp. He let his power come forth as it lifted his body slightly off the grounded making his pace even smoother. The wind moved against them as if they were flying. His wolf growled deep as they got closer to camp, he didn't want it to end so soon. 

Hearing his mate's laughter in his ears, smelling her shock turning to surprise to delight left Rain speechless. He slowed his pace a fraction as he burst through a line of trees, higher than he'd planned before turning to land on a high edged rock by the camp. His black wolf stood tall and proud with his mate astride him. Stefani's wind kissed hair fanned out around her shoulders like a dark halo, her fangs peaking wickedly through her smile, her eyes seemed iridescent as if it was back lit by molten gold. Stefani's wolf howled loudly in her mind in tune with Rain, who let out his own vicious howl, a call to his pack. Those who were in wolf form lowered and showed their bellies, those in human form kneeled. For a moment silence pierced the air and only the sound of the crackling fire sounded in their ears. The only ones who didn't kneel or show submission were the Mactire's but they lowered their heads in respect. Which was proper etiquette. 

'My brothers, sisters, be calm.' Rain sent out the thought through his link to his pack members. 

Rain took in deep breath, his gaze moving over his pack with pride, meeting the eyes of the bewildered vampires who sat by the fire watching them. He jumped to the ground, loving the feel of Stefani's hands tightening around his fur. He marched straight to the vampires, lowered himself and waited for Stefani to step down. 

Stefani turned to him and rubbed his ears affectionately one last time before walking over to join the vampires. 

"Thank you." 

Raven watched the pair interact silently. His link to her was muted, so he couldn't judge the level of her emotions. He looked away and caught the eyes of a particular witch priestess. For a second he felt a flick of desire run through his body right before she severed the connection and walked into the tent she shared with her sisters. 

"Turns out he caught me." Stefani said as she sat down heavily next to Katrina onto one of the tree barks they were lounging on. Katrina smiled and patted her hand softly. 

"Wolves can be particularly sneaky." Katrina joked and received several laughs and grunts in both wolf form and human form. Luciano smiled tightly and watched the fire before them. 

******



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 16



Hi, I hope you're having a good night. Looks like we're all night owls on here. 

I know it's been a while. Thankfully, I've been having more time to write and I've been pushing through my writers block. I just want to say thank you, to all the wonderful people who've sent me emails, you know who you are. I read them all. Reading your thoughts and comments breathes life into me. To see someone just as passionate about my characters, the way I am about them, is...well there are no words. None of which I know of anyway. 

I love your feedback and comments. 

Good and Bad. So don't be shy and drop me a comment! 

Thank you to my Editor, 'trggrhppy.' Thank you for making sure my writing is legible. 

~Enjoy~ 

"Inside all of us there's a wild thing." 

***** 

CH. 16 

***** 

Lithinia stepped out from behind the large weeping willow, who´s weeping, pendulous branches swept the surface of the ground. Even with the darkened skies the leaves remained a bright green with the familiar hue of blue on the underside. She hurried to sit beneath its cozy cover of secrecy. The magic in the air suffocating her with its heady call. She couldn't let a night like this pass. Sitting cross legged on the ground and finding her center, she began. 

Raven sat on a branch above, watching silently as the witch fell deeper and deeper into concentration. He had sensed movement in the camp while most slept and too few kept watch. Taking no chances he set off to find the reason of alarm only to find a mischievous little witch prowling around suspiciously. He convinced himself he was only following her out of principle, nothing more. 

Raven´s shrewd eyes took in her long black hair, usually tied up in a bun or a braid, was now loose and disheveled. Her skin a light caramel complexion and although he couldn't see her eyes because they were closed, he knew they would be a deep black tone that blended almost seamlessly with her pupils. The human was around thirty from what he could tell and the dim aging signs on her face in no way diminished her allure. Her body was tight and toned, he imagine she was quiet agile. Not that he noticed, much. 

From his vantage point, high atop the tree, he saw the swells of her breasts hiding under that ghastly lose grey sweatshirt she had on and his mouth watered. Hideous thing she wore though. 

Being used to only the best money could buy, the vampire society was shrewd at best, him included. Raven wouldn't have looked twice at anyone wearing that outfit once 

upon a time. That seemed to no longer to be the case. He knew Lithinia looked better in silk, which she wore on a daily basis with the sole purpose of tormenting him, he was certain. He took a silent moment to admit that something about the witch called his lust on a level he hadn't experienced in centuries. Even with that monstrosity of an outfit. 

Lithinia. 

She was but a breath in his universe. A fragile rare instant, human and beautiful. 

Raven heard her soft spoken words and knew she´d begun chanting and was surprised at the speed even his own ears fought to catch. 

¨Salix babylonica¨ 

Raven had spent a long time with an animosity towards witches that rivaled the one his kind had for wolves, although his had long waned since meeting Rain, witches were still a sour topic to the oldest of vampires. This made tension between his kind and witch kind exponential. Treaties held on by threats and the possibility of war was always just beyond the horizon. The vampire society didn't think much of the witch kin. They were anomalies, neither supernatural nor human, they were in-betweeners. Mortals shunned by their own kind and abhorred by his. Naturally, they weren't held in good regard. 

He´d never seen a witch perform a spell but assumed they were vile and repulsive, filled with blood magic and gibberish. He found himself genuinely surprised and almost charmed as the witch drew her incantations. He could feel no ill intent or blood magic in her spell and the gibberish she spoke seemed poetic somehow, not causing any alarm in him. And although most witches were not-to-be-trusted- power-seeking-deceiving-abnormalities in this world, Lithinia was different. She was charming when she wanted to be, tenacious beneath all that fragile, dark human skin, paired with a keen Intelligence that sparkled in her eyes and bold courage beyond a doubt. He had no words worthy of her. 

Raven watched her push the boundaries of her magic to save a pack of wolves that had very little association with her. She defied and challenged him when she felt her sisters were in jeopardy. He imagined she would defy him to her last breath which thrilled the beast in him. She faced a horde of blood thirsty rogue vampires without batting an eye. She was absolutely without doubt delusional but she had spunk. 

Raven smiled as he recalled the way her eyes had sparkled a beautiful lavender color as her power made itself known. He´d been mesmerized, completely enthralled by her strength and her beauty. She was an exceptional creature. 

Unable to stay away from her any longer and without hesitating he let himself drop below, directly in front of her. Not a leaf out of place. His fangs peaked dangerously from the grin on his face. He took the moment to lean against the trunk of the tree and admired her openly. He was sure she wouldn't appreciate his open perusal. 

"Isn´t it past your bed time, human?" He almost burst out in laughter when she jumped up a couple feet in the air, completely petrified. Her momentary fear filled the air like acid, making him highly uncomfortable, his amusement forgotten. Even the beast disapproved of the scent. Odd. 

Lithinia took in big gulps of air, her knees wobbly and the erratic beat of her heart pulsed between her ribcage, for the moment unwilling to calm. She glared at the shadow of a vampire which she knew all too well. There was no one in the world to her quite like Raven Romanus, the only vampire elder she´d ever met. 

Her sight wasn't very useful in the dark but she could sense his power pulsing beneath the layer of her skin. 'How had she not noticed him? Or felt him approach? Was this a sign of her weakened power?' 

Lithinia bit her lip absentmindedly, forgetting the elder vampire too soon for his liking. He could see the thoughts whirling in her mind like a sand storm while she kept silent. He let out a breath. It irritated him and he couldn't for his life explain why. 

"I am centuries older than you, child. When I shield my power, only an elder vampire could sense it. It is not a testament of your power, it simply means you and your power are but infants." His voice was detached and disinterested, irking the witches´ nerves. Lithinia was in part relieved it had nothing to do with her and equal parts enraged at his terminology and dismissal of her all together. She could deny the little piece of woman inside her who ached at the thought that this fine specimen of a creature, considered her a child. Her blood boiled. 

"I don´t know who you think you´re talking to but you will respect me. I don´t give a rats ass how long you've been dead or how high and mighty that makes you feel. I will not accept contempt from the likes of you, Moroi. Do I make myself clear?" 

Raven was moving before either of them knew it. His hand wrapped around her delicate throat spinning her to slam her back against the tree trunk. He winced at the sound the tree made in protest. His fury barely contained. The monster inside him demanded retribution for the way she'd spoken to him and the man ached at the feel of her delicate skin beneath his palm. 

He felt his fangs elongate without his consent, his eyes turning a shade of black and as he watched the small little human he expected to see fear in her eyes and only found rage. 

In the dark depth of her eyes he saw the fury his words caused, he also saw her resignation. Lithinia knew she was only human and in a match of physical strength she would never be the winner. But what made him pause was the strange spark of lavender he saw. Lust? 

Her eyes were bare to him, honest and raw. She held nothing back in that gaze. He snarled and forced himself to push away from her. Raven ran his fingers through his messy blonde locks of hair frustrated. 

Lithinia let out a breath, eyeing the vampire elder cautiously as she forced back the torrent of power she had called forth ready to use if needed. Her hands shook slightly. The smell of him surrounded her, seeping into her skin and into her bones, leaving her dizzy and balancing precariously close to a line she shouldn't cross. She watched the vampire pace a couple of times, taking in deep breaths. She was pleased to know she was the reason he was so out of sorts. 

"Do you make it a habit of following human women around?" 

Raven found his voice clogged at his throat and for a second he just watched her. Openly. Knowing it was too fast for her human senses to capture. 

"When those strange human women go trotting at night in foreign land, then yes." 

Lithinia brushed her fingers through the ends of her hair, a nervous tick maybe. His eyes zoomed into the delicate caramel colored fingers and he got hard instantly. He cleared his throat. 

"You should get that habit checked out Elder. I'm busy." And just like that, the magic between them evaporated as her voice became distant and cold. The voice of a witch priestess. 

"What brings you out here?" 

Lithinia paused for a moment, debating how much to share. She found herself hating the idea of omitting the truth in his presence. Odd. 

"I must cast a cleansing spell. The moon is strong tonight. It enhances the spells strength... Would you like to see?" 

Her offer surprised them both. Her offer startling her as it came out. Lithinia noted the small flash of surprise in the elder's eyes before it was replaced by its usual iciness. 

Lithinia sat once more, not giving it much thought, gesturing for the elder to sit. Once she faced him on the ground, having those breath taking eyes of his on her persona, made her queasy with nerves. 

"Cleansing spell for what?" 

Lithinia bit her lip. Unsure of how much to share yet again. This was something she hadn't even brought up to her sisters in fear of worrying them. Her chest ached softly and she let out a frustrated sigh and brought up her palms. 

A large globe sparkled above her cupped hands. The elder's breath caught as the globe filled with a startling lavender light. She took a second to appreciate the vampires beauty bathed in the light that the innermost part of her created. 

He was magic, every inch of him. Nothing compared. 

"This is a witches' center. It's an astral projection of the magic within me. The magic granted to me by the universe, by our gods and the spirits. The rule goes that a witches' center must be in perfect harmony for the magic to flow organically and be of any use. Otherwise, it runs rampant and out of control." 

Lithinia's great ball of lavender pulsed like ripples on water. It's warmth seeping into her hands and spreading over her skin. To be so close in proximity to another being made it even more hyperactive. It seemed to like the vampire elder as it danced within its globe confinements. Lithinia smiled at Raven's wide eyed expression. Pleasure filled her. 

"There are no words... Any that I may know would not do it justice." 

Lithinia almost swooned if it wasn't for the heaviness attached to the glowing orb of light that kept her rooted to the spot. 

"Look closely. Tell me what you see?" 

Raven's keen eye sight took in every strange angle of the lavender light orb. At first he could see nothing out of sorts, until he saw the sparks. The golden light swirling and swooshing through the organized lavender light in spots. It seemed to run rampant among its fellow particles of light. It became chaotic in the globe instead of flowing like she had said it should. 

"The gold light. I take it that it does not belong to you." 

Lithinia let out a small frustrated sigh and shook her head. Her eyes also followed the unfamiliar spark of gold that would appear and disappear within its depths. 

"Ever since the fight at the compound, there's been this foreign energy, trapped within mine. I'm not sure where it came from or what kind of magic it is... It's dormant but even now, I can feel it resonating inside me. It's disrupting the flow of my own energy, creating chaos within my center. I've tried everything I could think of to get rid of it but so far all my attempts have failed. 

Nights like these, filled with magic straight from the core of our earth, enhanced by the force of the moon can aid in spells that normally would have no effect. The weeping willows are known for having a sentient connection to that type of magic. By drawing from its connection I can tap into its power, harness it to exponentially enhance my cleansing spell. With any luck drawing out the energy." 

Raven sat and listened to her intently, drinking up every bit of information she eloquently gave to him. His mouth was pressed in a tight line. 

"At least that's the theory anyway." Lithinia's black hair fell over her shoulder sheltering part of her face from his gaze. 

"Well let's not waste any more time." 

Lithinia rolled her eyes at the elder's bossy tone. She smiled and paused to take a breath. 

Lithinia closed her eyes and centered her essence as easily as taking her next breath. The lavender orb of light above her hands pulsed softly in reaction. She felt the wave of her power fill her toes and rise over her. The incantations fell from her lips with precision and grace. 

She asked the weeping willows wise guidance and strength as she drew in the heavy power of the moonlight into herself. The world faded and her spirit was bathed in silver light. The spell vibrated within every inch of herself, flowing freely. 

Raven watched silently as the witch fell back easily into her spell casting. She was a natural, the way her essence calmed and called for magic. The air around them grew thick as the powers she summoned rushed forwards. He could see it in the way her orb of light pulsed and undulated in her hands and taste it on his tongue. It was the oddest sensation. Totally bewitching. 

Lithinia opened her eyes when the sufficient amount of energy filled her. Her eyes were a bright shade of lavender and her gaze fell heavily onto her center. Rays of silver light burst through the weeping willows leaves grazing at the orb. Lithinia used her energy to guide the moonlight rays to seep into her lavender orb. It's powerful light seeking out this invading essence. 

Lithinia's witch tongue poured through her lips. The orb rose higher until it floated between the pair sitting on the ground. Thousands of silver strands of light pierced the orb creating a disco ball effect. Lavender and gold sparks surrounded the enclosed spaced within the weeping willows center. 

Lithinia's fist tightened in her lap as the torrent of energy flew erratically inside her in beat with the orb pulsations. Raven sat in wonder at the light show around them. His eyes took in every moment and branded itself into his memories. 

Raven stiffened as he felt the rushed of energy peak and wind surround them, faster than he felt was safe. He looked back at Lithinia who's gaze was firmly locked on the orb. They both felt the rise of energy as it reached its climax. He heard her gasp a second before he spotted a bright gold spark over taking the lavender light followed shortly by a pulse explosion forcing him to shield his eyes. The force of the wind barely grazed him but he knew it must have affected the human female. 

Lithinia was momentarily knocked down by the rush of wind from the power pulse. Perspiration covered her face and her hair was messy around her. She felt the vampire's hand draw her back up to a sitting position and brushing her hair out of her face. 

"Are you alright? Did it work? How's your head?" 

Lithinia pressed her thumbs to her temples for a second. Her human body drawing itself inwards to recover from the magical out lash of the spell. Silence followed making the vampire above her edgier. She could sense his tension but just couldn't bring herself to admit it. She closed her eyes and looked within herself. Even then the odd power swirled within her, somehow stronger than before. Upset it had tried to be cleansed. 'What the fuck is going on?!' She thought frantically. 

"Lithinia! Answer me!" Raven's cool fingers brushed over her forehead, he poured healing energy into the dazed witch. 

"That's never happened before..." She whispered 

Lithinia looked up at Raven, who stared intently at her. But she didn't see him, she saw past him, her mind moving miles and miles ahead. 

"It should have worked..." 

Raven sat back on his heels and waited for her to regain her composure. Lithinia pressed a hand to her chest calming her raging heartbeat, with a sigh she stood up. Brushing her hair back and smoothing out the creases on her sweatshirt she let her eyes fall back up to the vampire elder. His eyes were warm and comforting, however ridiculous that sounded. 

"There's nothing more I can do tonight. I should get some rest before camp wakes up. Lead the way vampire." Lithinia gave him her best smile and patted him on the arm and made her way back to camp. Raven fell in step easily with the witch. There wasn't much he could do to help with her particular problem but even he found it disconcerting. 'Where had this foreign energy come from?' What the hell was going on around here?! 

****** 

Rain's black wolf form dodged trees and boulders enjoying the run after his cheeky mate. His sleek fur ruffled against the wind. He sensed his beta, Duncan, Alpha Mactire and Cole not far behind with the rest of his warriors following. He could only catch glimpses of her dark black hair among the green leaves high atop the trees and it set his heart beat on a rush. 

The wind furled around him, carving his body through the woods and with a pulse he felt his given element give him a speed burst as the wind rushed him forward. He heard the sound of her heartbeat fluttering like a humming birds wings, a sound that was engraved into his soul. It was the single most beautiful sound in the world. His wolf growled as he sensed the presence of the other vampires, their scent made his mouth water. Vampires provided fun sport for his animal who chuckled at the bloodsuckers attempt at avoiding him. 

Stefani pressed her body against the trunk of the tree, letting the cool bark sooth the worst of her fever. She heard Rain's footsteps in the distance and they echoed softly in her ears. She'd been feeling out of it the minute they touched down in these god forsaken woods but the further in they ran the worst it was becoming. Soon it'd be impossible to hide, if she hadn't reached that point already. Her skin itched and her head felt feverish. She did well at hiding it and worked equally hard at blocking out the empath and the vampire elder from sensing it. She looked around at the woods surrounding her. The high tops shielded the worst of the sun light the deeper they got and it just made it look creepier. She had a bad feeling about this and it gnawed at her gut like a blister. 

'You can't hide from us.' The buzzing whisper shot out like a bolt of electricity within her mind and she froze. Her eyes snapped up and she forced her body to calm the fluttering buzz within her. She shook her head, panting from the force rushing through her. 

Katrina sensed it too, the darkness around them. The stench of evil perpetrated the soil far beneath them, the woods were unnaturally silent around these parts and she was sure that all the creatures in company could sense something was off around here. It felt like a buildup of energy was charged under the ground within the currents of magic and were waiting, building up to some unforeseeable climax. She raced past the trees, forcing her legs to catch up to the hybrid, her mind only half concerned on Luciano who ran beside her. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 16



A scream broke through the silence, alarming all those who heard it. Rain howled and picked up speed dragging up his power and splitting the massive wind that pushed at him, barking orders to his warriors to say back. Raven's alarmed gaze met Lithinia's a second before he disappeared into the mist. 

Raven arrived seconds before Rain broke through. Stefani was hunched over on the ground in front of them, her arms wrapped around her torso as she shook violently. Moans blending into growls escaped her as her body trembled. Katrina, Cole, Luciano and Hale arrived next. Panic sliced through them all. 

Rain shifted in the heart beat it took for Raven to start approaching her. 

"Stay away!" Her shriek stopped them. Rain watched his mate lower her forehead to the ground and shake in discomfort. Whatever was happening to her was clearly something internal but the thought of his mate in pain, made his blood boil. He stepped forward towards her, approaching her slowly. 

Stefani gasped for breath as she battled the wave of energy rising within her. She shut her eyes, felt tears fall down her cheeks and could do nothing against the onslaught of power. She didn't sense anything around her, the world faded to black the only thing she was aware of was the live wire inside her body that sparked energy. To her it felt like a combustion of fire racing through her body, searching for a way out, pushing and thrusting at the barriers of her mind. 

A warm hand touched her shoulder making Stefani inhale sharply as the wolf in her awoke and howled in a mixture of agony, anger and awareness. In the back of her mind she dimly knew it must be Rain who braved coming near her. 

Stefani arched, lifted her blurry vision and let out a piercing wail as gold mist drifted from her body. The pressure in her head intensified, unrelenting and unforgiving. 

Katrina's stood in horrified awed as she watched the gold mist simply materialize around the hybrid as she screamed. She sensed Raven moving forward and her arms shot out! 

"No! You can't go near her like this!' Katrina's eyes didn't leave the trembling girl before them. It was the same mist as before when she'd incinerated those other vampires, it didn't seem to affect or concern the alpha but Katrina knew, Stefani would kill them all if she snapped. 

Stefani felt it seeping out of her, no longer under her control, the electric energy bubbled upwards and out of her, ripping out of her soul. She forced herself to stand on shaky knees. Her only thought of getting away, far from them. Protect them. 

Rain only had a moments notice before he felt the wind pick up, he sensed the abnormal shift in the air as it drew in towards them from all directions. A second later he watched Stefani's body launched across the distance and crash into a set of trees. No clear indicator of where it had come from. He pulled the wind tight to him, his palms glowing soft blue as he rushed after her. 

Stefani only felt her body smashed by an invisible gust of wind followed by her body crash landing against a tree trunk. Pain exploded in her body as she heard a break in her bones. Dimly she heard the many voices echoing her name, unsure of where or whom she drew into her mind. She wrapped her arms around her body as she was lifted and thrown once more against her will. The dark spots clouding her vision did nothing to ward the murmur of voices clamoring in her mind. 

Stefani gasped as she fought for breath, her hands drawing against her throat in panic. She raised herself onto her knees, tumbling trying to escape from the unseen force attacking her. But she knew, there was no escaping the force within herself. 

Raven ran, attempting to catch her as her body lifted a third time but the speed her body was thrashing around without cause was too fast for him to catch. Rain was howling as he tore through the broken debris left behind by his mate in hopes to reach her but it was futile. She was materializing in and out of existence, faster than she should have been able to move. 

Lithinia's chest was tight as she heard the Stefani's wailing as the golden energy around her suffocated her. She closed her eyes and climbed off the wolf who carried her. The witch looked over at Katrina who seemed frozen to the ground. Lithinia focused in on her energy, struggling to channel it properly for a second and without her sisters to stabilize her energy she moved slower than she should. 

Katrina looked back at the witch priestess who had finally arrived, their eyes met and in that instant they shared a mutual understanding. Katrina took a deep breath and opened herself up to the power she was born to. The mark on her thigh tingled as she felt her body explode into a million particles. 

Lithinia closed her eyes as the vampire disappeared and she centered her power, touching her fingertips together she started chanting, channeling her power. 

Stefani felt herself being pulled into a million directions, just as soon as she felt herself whole, she exploded and reappeared, like falling down the rabbit hole. All at once she was consumed with pain and only the wind could touch her. She cried out as the energy beat erratically against her senses, leaving her raw and brutally vulnerable then something solid clashed against her and she was whole again. 

Luciano had jumped up and followed his brother trying to catch the chaotic hybrid and hadn't noticed when Katrina was suddenly gone. He only noticed when out of thin air Stefani and to his surprise, Katrina fell out of a ripple in the sky and crash landed in the distance back to where they'd started this crazy mess. 

Stefani groaned as her body arched on the ground, finally solid her body caught up with her injuries. The golden mist expanded and undulated around her like a snake. Lithinia acted as soon as they crash landed, focusing on her power to create a dome of power to keep both females under it. She would block out whatever had triggered this episode. Katrina shook herself off and gasped from the amount of energy she used to reach Stefani. A moment later she crawled over to Stefani, straddled her body and used the force in her body to smash the curvy hybrid into the ground, struggling to hold her down. 

Stefani involuntarily let out growls and hisses as she felt the restrains, her eyes bled a bright red and she screamed as she tried to get from under whoever held her. The muted conscious part of her fought against the force trying to dominate her, she cried out, not wanting to hurt whoever was trying to help her. 

The wind picked up around them, the stormy clouds above them rumbled with thunder and lightning lit up the darkened skies. Katrina screamed as Stefani's talons pierced her upper arm just as Raven, Luciano and the other wolves arrived. Katrina struggled to pin the hybrid down, sweat covered her body as she felt the rush of her power fill her and even so Katrina knew it wouldn't be enough. The golden light snaked around her, crackling around her and stinging her vampire skin. 

"Do it!" Lithinia screamed! Katrina leaned forward, pierced her wrist and pressed the bleeding wound into the hybrids mouth. She closed her eyes, letting the witches calming incantation drift inside her and pulse within her own dormant power and drain into the hybrids system. It was a long shot, but Katrina knew her blood pumped with maiden power should at least calm the effects of this episode, enough to give Stefani enough clarity to keep the power in check once more. 

"Katrina!" Luciano screamed. Raven restrained him from moving forward. Unable to go to her, he was resigned to watch her fight this. Rain watched from the sidelines, his hands balled up into fists as he smashed again against the lavender dome shielding his mate from him. His wolf howled in anger but he knew this was the only way to get her back under control. 

They watched as the golden mist lit up like golden star bursts before it exploded in a massive pulse of power. Lithinia was thrown back and landed safely in the arms of a vampire elder, Katrina felt herself slip and was thrust violently away from Stefani. The wolves shielded their eyes against the bright light and struggled to keep their positions, some opted to move behind the trees to avoid the pulse. 

**** 

Stefani drifted quickly into consciousness. One second she was dormant and the next she was aware. She jolted forward, clutching her side, her body throbbed in pain. She licked her lips, her vision foggy. She looked around wide eyed and in shock at the destruction around her. Trees in every direction crushed and scorched. For a moment she was disoriented, unsure of what was happening or where she was. Her body was drained and weak, she struggled to calm her erratic heartbeat. 

Then her vision focused and cleared. Relief filled her, closely followed by suspicion, irritation and a healthy dose of rage. There was a twinge in the back of her mind, something she´d been denying all along. The suspicion she hated admitting. 

They knew. 

They knew what was wrong with her. They had to know. And frankly she was getting tired of being last to know. 

Stefani felt Katrina beside her, her openly anxious expression only made Stefani's suspicion crystalize. 

¨It's alright. You're okay now.¨ Katrina´s soothing voice helped calm the erratic buzz in her body. Stefani felt Katrina´s soft healing touch graze her senses and she breathed easier when her body no longer felt fatigued. 

¨What's happening to me?¨ Stefani's tone was accusing and border line hysterical. Her eyes were a bright red as she pierced Katrina´s wavering gaze. 

¨Stefani...you've been through a lot recently. I imagine you´re body is still adjusting to all the changes. Trauma is a natural reaction for what you've been through.¨ 

¨You all must think I´m some kind of idiot. This doesn't feel normal...What just happened, that— It can´t be normal!¨ Stefani emphasized "this" by flinging her arms around, showcasing the surrounding mess her episode caused. 

¨Stay calm. Don´t let the rage control you.¨ 

Stefani hissed in the vampires direction, her fangs elongated and throbbed with anger. A red fury shadowed her vision. She felt her hands tremble, talons long and knife sharp grew from her fingernails. 

"Answer me!" 

Rain's answer called from the distance, slicing the tension between the two females before Katrina had a chance to speak. 

"You're right. Nothing about this situation is normal." 

Stefani turned her red gazed fury in the O'Faolain's direction. Her breath still ragged, she calmed as those warm golden eyes met hers. The sincerity and warmth she saw in his gaze made her even angrier and simultaneously calm, it was an odd sensation. The vampire inside her paced in agitation. The effect he had on her made her edgy and uncomfortable. 

"You are the first born of the Haven mated pair. Two of the most feared and respected Alphas to have crossed our history. When you were an infant you were anchored to another, stripped of your wolf heritage to keep you as human as possible, in order to keep you safe." 

His footsteps were steady and confident as he approached his furious mate. He was tired of keeping things from his mate, who had every right to now, to hell with the others. To hell with it all. 

She was all that mattered. 

"We don't have all the details but our best guess is that because of your suppressed wolf gene the rogues were able to sire you. Part wolf, part vampire and yet more. You are the first and only one of your kind. Everything we are dealing with here is new because there has never been anything like you." 

Stefani's knees trembled beneath her. She saw the truth in his eyes and beneath it all, he only confirmed what she'd known all along. She swallowed hard and looked around. Her eyes went directly to the healing wound on Katrina's shoulder, the disgust she felt at her own actions waged war with the anger she felt. 

Lithinia watched the spiritual strings that connected the creatures around her. All of them shone bright in their different shades of color and yet the small hybrid before her sucked up all those connections. As if each line struggled to make a simple strong connection with her, they were just drawn involuntarily in by the strength of her aura. It was odd. She took special care while sending weaves of calming spells into their emotional connections. She took a deep breath and stepped away from the vampire elder who held her by the waist. 'Don't think about him! 

"Everything that has happened now and before you were born have happened for a reason, to lead you to what you have become now. In two days' time the planets will align briefly, creating a perfect channel of power which you have the strength to tap into. When this happens you must open the temple gate, this is the only way the misbalance within your two opposing creatures will stabilize. Or at least that's the theory anyway. This is what you were born to be, the reason why the rogues abducted you." Lithinia enforced the calming spell in her words, trying hopelessly to reach the scared female before them. 

"Wait- What?" 

"I know how this must sound to you and I realize it's all been rather forced upon you but please you have to understand- 

"Don't pretend to understand what I'm feeling!" Stefani's voice was hard as her eyes regarded the witch who spoke. The woman was clearly delusional if she thought Stefani was some kind of magical key who was going to open any mythical door. Except— 

As Stefani ranted in her mind, the seductive whispers clamored at the back of her mind, beckoning, leading her to some invisible end. She remember their voices, V's voice in her ear, Rodan's laughter and the electricity that tortured her body as they proclaimed the same thing the witch was saying. Stefani saw the truth in her eyes and heard the conviction in her voice. The witch meant every word, which meant that to them, she was a new species to be studied, worse a key to unlocking this mystical force. That's what they all saw. The monster who would fulfill this prophecy. 

Stefani looked back at Cole who watched her sadly and she winced. She knew that expression all too well. 

"You knew?... All this time?! Why didn't you say anything to me!" Stefani's voice rose an octave. There was no hiding the hysteria and pain that laced through those words. Her eyes bore into Cole's. 

"Stefani, we- I thought this was the best thing for you. To let you get accustomed to what you'd become... I didn't want you to have this crap on your shoulders too. We still aren't sure of all the facts. Please, understand-" 

"This is true. This is her destiny." Lithinia interrupted coldly. Cole growled in the witch's direction. Ravens fist tightened and his vision narrowed at the insolent wolf. 

Stefani's vision blurred and burned with the tears. Her trembling fingers rubbed the moisture away. Her throat burned, her chest heaved. 

"Are you serious!? You thought it would be better to keep me in the dark, to let me get comfortable in this skin I know nothing about just to hit me with it now!? Now that my body is decomposing! How long were you going to wait to tell me about this, till I stumbled onto this fucking gate or better yet, were you going to wait till I went completely bat shit crazy? 

"Stefani please, If you just listened- 

"Anything else I should know about? A twin sister or maybe I was really born a frog? No seriously, anything else you think I can't handle Cole?!" Stefani panted as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders, the fury insider her rose swiftly shaking her. The betrayal stung worse than her own disgust. 

"And you know what the worst part about this whole fucking situation is? Is that it was always you that I trusted! And you've been lying to me from the beginning. About your heritage and my parents. You knew my parents?! And now this! About my own fucking body! I had a right to know! I had every right to know! And you- You should've known better." Stefani shouted, her venom pointed directly at Cole, who's face looked crestfallen and ashamed. Then her gaze fell on the others surrounding her. She forced herself to ignore Rain's gaze. She couldn't handle him right now. Cole's betrayal felt heavy on her soul or whatever was left of it to claim anyway. 

She pressed her trembling hands to her forehead, the pressure intensifying, built on the anger and sorrow washing over her. She felt betrayed, used, and horrified. None of them knew what she felt, what she was going through. They didn't understand. 

"Stefani, we were only - 

"I don't want to hear it!" She shouted cutting off the vampire female, who's healing energy surrounded her and frankly pissed her off. 

"I just... I need to be alone." Stefani turned, the soft wind caressing her face only angered her because the touch felt familiar. His strength brushed against her and she sobbed, covered her mouth and ran. 

Stefani ran past rows of trees and fog, not at her fastest but fast enough to get away from them. She just needed silence, to be alone. There was so much noise in her head. Everything moved around her in slow motion, she knew she was running faster than light, tears streaked down her cheeks. Her emotions made her careless and she didn't see the fallen log coming till she tumbled right over it landing harshly on her knees. 

Stefani sat back onto her heels, her head fallen back as she gazed up at the thick cover of the trees, and the peak of darkened sky above them. She brought her arms around her body, shaking as she sobbed quietly. Reality crumbled around her. 

Dimly she realized it wasn't them she was running from. After all, no matter where she went or how far she ran, she couldn't get away from herself. It was this whole situation she'd been thrown into that she wanted to escape. 

Out of her control. Even her own body, which she didn't understand or control anymore, constantly betrayed her. It was just things on top of things she couldn't handle. And even so, Cole had been wrong to keep this from her. 

Cole speaking as if he knew her parents, the fact that he'd kept that from her too. That all of them kept her in the dark about this "destiny" she was supposed to fulfill; Why? Because they didn't trust her? Feared her? 

Why? Did they know about the voices that took over her body and tortured her while she slept? Could they somehow see how debilitating the rampant energy inside her was becoming? Did they know her wolf was dying and she was too weak to do anything about it? 

'Monster...' 

Stefani tormented with this in mind, missed the tussle of movement behind her until she sensed a pair of eyes on her. She snapped back, her fangs elongated, throbbing and starving for blood. Her eyes met a pair of golden eyes. 

Stefani looked away and choked out the words, "I want to be alone." 

Rain in his huge wolf form jumped off the log and paced around her. She avoided his gaze, the anger still very much present in the bottom of her gut held her paralyzed. Stefani's accusing gaze was something Rain was very much expecting. He heard the sobs that wrecked her body before he made his presence known. Her pain tearing a hole inside him and he spent the silence fighting his own instincts to give her the time she needed. After what seemed like hours, which he sensed she had no idea had passed by, he couldn't stay away. Even when she glared at him like that. 

Several minutes passed by in silence, before she spoke. "I just keep thinking that this must be the way the universe is punishing me for what I've done. And I keep thinking if I had just been stronger, I could have been different. I could have saved her! I wish I had been stronger. I wish I was strong now. 

And I'm selfish and a coward because deep down... I just want to be me again! I want my best friend back, I want my old life back and I want to hate Cole for what he did to me! For lying to me for years! And I can't. I can't." The anguish and shame in her voice was hard to swallow for Rain. He stepped closer. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 16



"The worst part is that even with the truth, I don't know who I am anymore... And I don't think I'll ever know who that is again..." Stefani felt numb as the words tumbled out of her mouth. The silent wolf before her watched her with such open, warm eyes. She felt his pity to the bottom of her broken soul. It pissed her off as much as it tore her apart. 

"I'm sure that's how you must see me. Insipid, little monster who can't get her shit together." Stefani choked on the despair clawing out from the depth of her soul, her sobbing shook her body violently and all she could hear was the sounds of her wails echo in the silent forest. 

At some point strong human arms wrapped around her body, holding her tightly as she cried. And she couldn't stop, she just let herself feel. Rain's heart beat was against her ear and his warmth surrounded her, enveloping her as he dragged her onto his lap. 

Rain held his mate and opened himself up to their connection. The careful laid out barrier he'd set so he could take it slow with her, tore down with each of her cries. His broken mate clawed at him in despair as her fragile mind tore itself inwards. And he could do nothing but hold her. 

He whispered soft words into her ear, pressing his face against her dark hair and rubbing his hands down her back in soothing circles. Her fear and anger seemed to seep into him. His entire soul opened up reaching out to the woman that belonged to him, just as he belonged to her. 

Rain ran his hand through her hair, to her neck, relishing the feel of her warm skin beneath his palm. He tilted her chin upwards, her eyes had bled into a mixture of gold and red, captivating him completely. Her lips were pink, pouty and soft from the moisture of her tears. Her dark hair was tousled and her skin looked sickly pale covered in dirt and still, she was the most beautiful creature he'd laid eyes on. 

"I know you're hurting and even so I can't begin to fathom what you feel. I've made so many mistakes since we met and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. But you will listen when I say that you are none of those things. You, wonderful, brave woman, are my true mate. And I will forever be here to bare your struggles, to love you and to protect you from harm. You will never be left in the dark again as long as I walk this universe." Rain's soft breath caressed Stefani as his beautiful words shocked her. 

Rain watched her eyes widened as clarity sunk in and before she had a moment to think he wrapped his hand in her hair, tiled her face and slammed his mouth onto hers. The heat between them was like whiplash, his wolf and his soul burned at the touch. For a moment he thought she would push him away but relaxed when she kissed him just as feverishly as he felt. 

Stefani's mind was quiet and in the eerie silence of the woods, she felt herself light up like a star as Rain's lips devoured her. She felt his power coiled in the tight muscles beneath his skin, under her palms. She found her hands crawling into his hair to keep him in place. The sadness, the anger, the fear all vanished. There was only Rain. 

*********** 

Katrina's chest rose and fell hard as she forced her body to calm the raging energy inside her. Releasing her usually pent up power was draining and usually left her unsettled for several weeks after. Her parents had warned her that using her maiden abilities would weaken her barriers eventually unleashing it, creating havoc. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and dimly admitted the end was coming soon, she could barely keep it under wraps anymore. Somewhere in her mind she knew unleashing her power like that was risky... but the alternative, watching Stefani be torn apart by her own alien energy was unfathomable. Katrina herself didn't understand her own reaction to protect the young hybrid and yet she'd done it. She looked out in the direction Stefani had vanished in and guilt swamped her. 

"What the hell was that Katrina?" 

Luciano's voice was strained and hard, forcing Katrina to look back in his direction, she was used to this lie. She winced at the thought. 

"Katrina, go find my ward. We have to keep moving. Luciano go gather up Rain's warriors, he must have instructed them to hold back. We'll wait for them to return before continuing." Raven was used to his orders being followed and he knew without question that Katrina did not want to answer that question to his younger brother. He had seen the fatigue in the young vampire's eyes. It was best to avoid this confrontation. Too much was at stake. 

Katrina nodded in the elder's direction and vanished in a blink. Luciano's fist tightened as he watched her go and held back his retort. He also vanished in the opposite direction. 

Raven stepped away from the young human witch who seemed fatigued herself and let out a breath. 

"Are you alright?" His tone was usually warm and he watched Lithinia's expressions captivated by her beauty. He brushed a hand over her cheek as he waited for her answering nod. 

"Just drained. My core is all off, without my sisters working as anchor it can be hard to syphon my power." 

"We need to figure out what to do about this rampant energy buffering yours." 

Lithinia watched the beautiful vampire and was left breathless by his magnetic pull. His kind was always too beautiful and young looking to be normal. It took her a second to remind herself of that. He was a vampire. She was a witch. She stepped away from his touch, needing her balance back. 

"She's getting worse, the hybrid. I can feel her energy distorting. While she was in the dome, I could sense the erratic energy. Your healer barely got her back, I'm positive that it was Stefani's own conscious that broke through momentarily. This humanity she seems to be holding on to is what's keeping her sane. Even that is deteriorating, I doubt she will be able to snap out if there's another surge. She won't last much longer..." 

"And you're sure that this gate is the only way to bring balance to her energy?" 

"It's the only thing that can merge her two beings in peace. We won't know anything for sure until we get there and see how she reacts. Either way, she has no choice in this matter. This is her destiny after all." Lithinia's cool voice made Raven apprehensive. The witch spoke in riddles that greatly annoyed him, and even so he found her adorable to look at. 

"And you don't believe we get a choice in any of it. To go against our destiny?" 

"There is something greater at work here than any of us understand. In some things, we just have no choice. There are certain things that are fixed points in time, in history, in life, things that must happen in order for the universe to move forward. This just happens to be one of those moments. And she just happens to play a role. I think she's known that for a long time and after this, she just can't deny it to herself any longer. She has to see this through. Yes, it's unfair and I feel bad for her but there is a bigger picture. Someday she'll understand that, someday maybe we all will." 

Raven stayed silent. Absorbing what the witch had to say and although he could understand her words, he was a vampire full and through. He believed in making his own choices, living by his own drum. No one would ever tell him what his destiny was. He just couldn't wrap his mind around that type of perspective she described. Stefani's reaction was well deserved, they had all known her breaking point was coming, he'd seen the fatigue and reservation on her face. And yet he'd allowed her to be kept in the dark for the same reasons the wolf, Cole described. 

Her mind was cracking and all they could do was watch and wait till she broke. All of them leading her into the mouth of a darkness she might not be able to come back from. He didn't know if he believed in fate or destiny very much, and his long years alive on this grey planet had stripped his faith but he prayed to whatever greater power in the universe existed that the female hybrid could choose her own fate. 

*********** 

Rain carried his unconscious mate, tightly to his chest as he walked through the woods. His naked body glistening from sweat and dirt as he looked down at her slumbering face. Her breathing was heavy and her heartbeat was erratic. His mind drifted back to the kiss they'd shared. She'd kissed him furiously, holding nothing of herself and finally letting him in, giving back as much as he wanted to take. She finally knew the truth about everything and he couldn't help but feel relieved on that note. Even if he felt equally troubled about her condition. 

Rain knew the elder would have sent someone to get them, both men knew they couldn't stop. They still had ground to cover, and her episode had delayed them and was enough proof to her deteriorating condition. They couldn't afford a mistake so close to their destination. His best hope was that they could find the gate, and her dual nature could be stabilized. He would lose her if he didn't do this and he might lose her still if he did. Both outcomes were unacceptable. 

Rain sensed the wind around him and with a thought he used it to warm the strange atmosphere in these woods surrounding them. His steps were long and quick. His wolf remained close to the surface, the animal's instincts were on high alert as they made their way back to the group. Rain was only slightly surprised when Katrina appeared beside him. Their vampire speed made him wince in surprise and he saw the tips of her lips turn up at his reaction. 

"We are on our way, vampire." Katrina smiled at his tone as she gazed down at the slumber female. 

"Luciano has gather up your warriors so we could all depart together. We've got ground to cover." 

"Can you heal her?" 

"I'm doing my best but I'm afraid her body isn't responding to me the same she did a couple days ago. She's been blocking me somehow. I will keep trying." Katrina's sad tone made him tense. If she couldn't help Stefani sustain her own mental barriers, her mind would deteriorate much faster. As it was, Katrina could feel the waves of the erratic energy living inside the slumbering hybrid getting stronger. 

"When are we expected to arrive at our destination." 

"If we manage to cover ground tonight without stop, tomorrow afternoon. I'll speak to the witches." Rain held Stefani's body tighter to him as he easily matched Katrina's pace. He could already hear his pack. Their several heartbeats unified and beat as one as they waited for him to return. It gave him comfort to be surrounded by them. He smiled gently, at the thought of his extended family. The many men and women who fought with him and saw him as their leader. He would protect his pack, mate, family and his friends at all costs. 

As they reached the group that awaited them, his eyes connected with Cole's. The remorse and regret was evident in the older man's eyes. Rain wouldn't say I told you so, but really he'd warned Cole about hiding this from Stefani. Her reaction was as expected. Her whole world had shattered and fractured repeatedly and without pause since she'd arrive that first day to his compound all those weeks ago. They had all made many mistakes in the way they handled it all he could hope for was to learn from this and life the rest of his days, bringing laughter and love to this beautiful female. 

It seemed like he'd spent a lifetime knowing Stefani when in reality, it had been less than two months. He looked down at her. The beautiful long lashes that casted shadows along her cheeks, the rosy color of her lips held him transfixed, her rounded cheeks were soft and warm. He refused to let her go until one of his betas, Duncan approached him, reminding him that he could not lead their pack though the woods with an unconscious body above him. With a vicious growl he unwillingly handed Stefani over to Raven, who had come out from the set of trees behind them. The elder vampire held Stefani bundled to his chest with care. Raven sent Rain a firm nod and walked over to his brother and Katrina. Rain let out a breath, the animal beneath his skin, growling as his mate drew further away from him. 

He let out a breath, his animal creating havoc within him. Running his hand down his face, he brushed off the feeling and wagered with his animal that there was no one more equipped to protect their mate than the vampire elder. It took several minutes for him to calm his wolf down before he broke into a calmed expression and faced his warriors. 

His body elongated and shifted, he sent out the thought, quickly and with no room for argue to his pack. "We need to make up for lost time and reach our next point by nightfall. We'll stop once to rest, the warriors riding with the witches will stop twice at most. We'll push through the night. 

Keep an eye out for each other... Something isn't quite right here. Move in sets, I don't want anyone isolated or left unprotected at any time. Report anything suspicious." The woods seemed eerie. Something was definitely off around these parts. The thick fog didn't help alleviate that sensation. 

****** 

Stefani recognized that she was in a dream as she stepped out into a hallway, the walls were grey and badly lit. There was a stench in the air she found horrifyingly familiar. She swallowed hard and kept moving forward. She felt a tugging in her gut, drawing her deeper and deeper into the halls. The floors were cold cement beneath her bare feet. 

The voices came a little later, countless of voices thundered through her, their suffering battering her senses. 'So that's what the voices were.' Stefani cringed as her shaking hands pressed into the walls, steadying herself, she took a deep breath. Even though her fear pulsed beneath her skin, her fangs elongated and throbbed as the monster inside her fought against the barriers of her mind. She pushed forward. There was something she had to see. 

Up ahead there was an entrance, she could feel the cold draft pushing against her as she approached. Stumbling in, she expected to see a room but rather found herself in another hallway lined with prison cells. The voices pushed against her, she felt it like a physical blow. She struggle to remain standing beneath their onslaught. 

A small whimper drew her attention, forcing herself to push away the strength of the voices filling her head as she blindly followed. 

The small sounds of pain were strained and distant. That whisper carried enough pain to make Stefani shutter, bringing back darkened memories. She understood those noises, could empathize. The kind of pain she'd endured, that she'd live through was tattooed under her skin, forever a reminder of her weakness. The cold seeping through the floor chilled her to the bone. She could feel her teeth chattering, her arms wrapped around her torso. 

Her body remembered the damaged it went through even when her mind fought to forget. She would never escape the beatings, the starvation, the feel of fangs piercing her skin against her will, the utter abuse of her mind, her soul and her body. No, that's something she would never forget. Stefani kept walking quietly, closer to the pain-filled whimper that drew her attention. 

They'd taken her, abused her, changed her into a creature no one understood or accepted. The monster who was her sire had watched as she drained her best friend dry, committed her to this life. He'd turn her into a monster and a murderer while she'd been weak and useless to fight against it. Stefani closed her eyes as her body came to a halt. Moving her gaze over to one of the cells she saw a small shadow move within the darkest corner. She swallowed down the fear that threatened to overwhelm her. 

"Who's there?" Her voice echoed off the walls, merging with the loud voices still crowding her mind. The shadow stood, standing at Stefani's height. Stefani pressed her back against the wall behind her. Her terrified gazed was stuck on the moving shadow standing before her. 

'Lessi.' Stefani's hand drifted upwards to her throat, soothing the worst of her bloodthirsty. The word was soft, tired. It was a female. 'Lessi.' 

"Who are you? What does that mean?" Stefani saw the female shake her head. There were no definite characteristics that she could see. It was just a shadow, an illusion and yet, she felt real. The sensation of pain and grief drifting from her shadow touched her in waves. 

'Not what. Who.' 

"Who are you?" 

Stefani shuddered as the figure moved and motioned to her surroundings and something in the air shifted. Stefani looked ahead at the countless cells along the hall, her eyes widened. One by one pairs of glowing eyes lit up the dark. There were hundreds. And suddenly she wasn't in the hallway anymore but floating in the darkest night she'd seen and hundreds of glowing eyes surrounded her. They light up the sky like the brightest of stars. Her body pulsed. The voices grew louder, stronger. Their erratic energy and suffering seeping into her body making her weep. She reached out to them, regardless of her pain, of her fear. She would ease their suffering. 

''Help,' 'Find us. 'Hurry.' 'Save us.' 

Thousands of voices shouted in her mind and she was useless to stop them as they pierced her. Beneath the noise she heard her wolf howl in agony, the vampire inside her thrashed and fought her for escape. She felt herself reach out to the glowing eyes around her weeping for them. "You will be our salvation but we, we will be your end." 

Stefani's eyes shot open as she gasped for breath. Her body fought to jolt forward but the pair of strong arms wrapped around her body stopped her. She struggled for breath. Her head swam in nausea. She felt grey. Her consciousness taking a moment to catch up with what was going around her. She sensed the cool wind graze her with the softest of intentions. 'Rain,' was her first thought. She thought she could hear her whispered name on the wind that touched her. She could feel him all around her and she sighed. 

Stefani closed her eyes and let herself relax for a moment in the Elders embrace. Her body felt feverish and heavy. 

"We've been traveling for several hours. I thought you wouldn't mind waking up in my arms." Stefani smiled. "I'm sorry I hurt Katrina. I acted without thinking. It was not my intention to hurt her..." Stefani's eyes closed, "Doesn't mean any of you are off the hook." Raven smiled at his little ward. His body moving at light speed through the forest. He made sure to move slow enough for most of the wolves to catch up. "She's fine. She's actually a little pissed she didn't block better. Who knew you could best a female her age. She's a little warrior, she'll live." 

"I can hear you." Katrina's frustrated hiss made Stefani smile. She couldn't see the healer vampire but she could sense Katrina close by. Raven brushed her forehead and frowned. He lept up to a high branch, stopping for a moment letting Stefani's body soak up the cool wind. 

"You're body temperature is higher than it should be." 

"Lots of things aren't as they should be. Don't stop. I can sense the wolves approaching and we're not close enough to our stopping point. I'll regain my strength soon enough to move on my own." 

Raven's face tightened, nodding he let their bodies fall off the branch and he swiftly turned them into the direction they were going. His body jolted forward with Stefani tucked safely in his arms. 

*******



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 17



The end is coming soon. I've been writing up a storm for weeks and finally. Finally, I'm ready to give you an ending. Few chapters left. 

A very big thank you to 'Inverted Fool' for editing this chapter. Your positive comments have given me a great confidence boost. Thanks so much for lending your valuable time to proof read this chapter. 

***** 

Cole sat in his wolf form, alert and tense as he gazed up at the group settling in for the night. It was past midnight and the fog had thickened as the night progressed. The woods were oddly quiet in these parts, setting his beast on edge. Cole's wolf wouldn't settle, his breathing was hard as he drug his paws in the cold soil beneath him. His eyes watched the O'Faolain's pack, their movements cohesive as they set up a small camp for the night. They wouldn't be there for long, just a couple hours for them to recover their strength. He watched his younger brother Hale, the tall Mactire alpha, radiate strength. Cole's wolf smiled. He found himself proud of the brother he'd just recently met. Hale stood to the side talking to the witches glancing at his older brother once or twice, sensing his older brother's unease. 

Cole focused inwards, letting his animal stay vigilant around him as he thought back on Stefani. He'd held her days after she was born. He could remember the small little bundle wrapped in lilac as she had opened her beautiful large brown eyes and he'd vowed his life to her. He'd heard her first cries, watched her tiny hands grip his large fingers. He agonized for days afterwards as she cried relentlessly when he'd taken her away from her parents. 

For most of her years Cole had watched over her from afar, wishing and craving to be near her. Eventually, his loneliness and selfish need for his past made him get closer to Stefani and he had proudly witnessed her grow into a beautiful, courageous and kind woman. The brightness of her soul cleansed him of his guilt. The irony was that as her anchor he'd carried the soul of her wolf within him, allowing for their telepathic connection, all the while he kept her oblivious to who and what she was. 

Everyday around her had been a torture and a blessing. She represented the only light in his life and his greatest guilt. Cole shut his eyes, his muzzle tilted downwards, his ears back in resignation. He was a selfish asshole, a coward! He told himself that he avoided speaking to her about any of this in fear of adding to her stress, he wanted her to get used to her situation before throwing a rock at her already unstable sanity. But he knew better. He was afraid... 

How could she ever understand? Much less forgive. She was right to feel betrayed by him. He'd lied to her for years about everything, even if it was for her own protection. He lied about everything. He let out a sigh. 

Cole had spent years gathering information on the rogues and their movements to protect her, successfully finding a vampire to infiltrate the lair and feed him information, making sure they wouldn't find her. He'd spent those years looking over his shoulder constantly while keeping Stefani oblivious in the dark. He knew that informant was long dead and that weighed heavily on his heart as well. The mental connection they once shared, had been gone since the night of her first change. When he finally unlocked her wolf, he'd lost the little piece of her soul that lived inside him and returned it to her. The way it should be. 

Cole lost track of how much time had passed. His mind churned inside him. The wolf bristled at his human's emotional dilemmas. It was much simpler for the animal. He would track down the biggest animal that breathed in these woods and present Stefani with it. That would make her happy and all would be right. His adoptive pack mate would understand. Cole ignored his wolf's idea with a sigh. Humans were much more complicated than that. 

He felt the air around him shift and Stefani suddenly appeared seated next to him. He flinched violently and growled. He paced in front of her, startled. Her face was drawn tight, the edges of her eyes were strained in pain at his reaction. Her eyes followed his every movement. The beast looked at her for a second before approaching to sit next to her again. The silence between them was palpable as the cold wind blew. Stefani's gaze was firmly planted on a far away place. "Don't shift. I just want you to listen, and when I'm done I'm going to leave and you will not follow." Cole took a moment to process that before settling down and accepting her terms. 

"I've spent so much of my life alone. Always wondering what I could have possibly done as a baby to be abandoned, who the irresponsible people who gave me up were. I grew up full of anger and grief." The self-deprecating tone made Cole shiver. "I was angry for the loss of the mother and father I would never have. I was surrounded by children and adults who didn't know how to handle what I was. Something inside them wouldn't accept me and I never understood. I never knew. 

The night terrors that plagued me, the speed at which I learned, the strange things that happened when I was around, It all seemed normal to me. But everyone around me knew, somehow that I was different..." She took a deep, shaky, breath. 

"I was alienated. Forgotten. I spent years alone, hating myself and the life I was born into." Stefani's black hair was loose and floated around her, shielding her eyes from him. "For some time, I left and I lived on the streets, I was so sure I could make it on my own... That didn't last, I was found and taken back to another orphanage. I hated that one more than the others because there I finally learned to let go of this idea of a family and love. " Stefani wrapped her arms around her knees. Her breath came out in small shudders. 

"I never told you but the night you found me, the night you saved me from that car. I was running away from that place. I had finally given up. " Stefani's hands tightened as she sensed the wolf stiffen beside her. "I lived my entire life bouncing from orphanage to orphanage. I- I was tired." The self-deprecating smile on her face said enough of the internal war raging inside her. "I was full of rage, self-hatred and sorrow... 

I never saw the car coming but for a second I embraced the silence, the possibility of fading from existence. I wanted to die. No one would miss me, if I did..." Cole whined, bumping his snout against her knee. She ignored him and continued to speak. "Then you appeared, almost as if by magic, my guardian angel. That night, your blood soaked my skin. I felt your harsh breaths and the groans of your pain and through all of that, you smiled at me. This brilliant smile that has forever haunted me. At that moment, I hated myself. Completely and whole heartedly. I was selfish and stupid for thinking that way. As you faded before me, I knew that I couldn't let you die. You showed me how short life was and within seconds of me realizing that, you stood and faded into the night." 

Stefani turned her gaze to Cole. His bright wolf eyes shone that taut gold in the dark. Her own golden red eyes were hardened, as if resigned. "I didn't come looking for answers, the time has passed for that. I wanted to explain, to tell you all of the things I've wanted to say... You changed me. You set my course onto a new path and even if it was only for a little while I was happy, I felt normal. I don't regret a moment of what's happened nor do I blame you for any of it. Cole, you're the only family I've ever known, the only family I've ever grown to love. I don't care who my parents were or weren't. I don't even care that you've lied to me the entire time we've known each other. None of that matters... There's just no time left for that. Yes, I wish things had been different and that you'd discuss this with me but there's no use in thinking like that. We can't undo the past." 

"That being said, that doesn't absolve you of what you've done or haven't done. The choices you've made, the choices I've made will stay with us forever. Accept it. We might not go back to what we used to be and that's okay. It might take some time but moving forward is all we can do. All we can hope for... 

I came because I needed this, not to make you feel guilty or sad. The truth is, I can't go on tomorrow knowing there's this tension between us. Whatever happens, I want you to know that I choose love. I don't want to let fear dictate how I live my life anymore, I won't ever live like that again. So, let's just get through this next part and we'll see where that takes us. You'll see. Have a little faith and everything will work out the way it has to." Stefani stood, patted his head gently, brushing down his tall ears. Her smile was soft as she met his gaze. His eyes flashed, the gold fading and showing those wonderful silver rimmed eyes of the man she knew and loved. She felt the sadness and anger she'd been holding onto fall away like the leaves surrounding them. 

With that thought she moved away towards camp. Leaving him to his thoughts. 

Stefani felt the wind touch her and she leaned into it as her vampire speed took her high atop a tree. She sensed Rain all around her. His essence filled her and warmed her. She looked far ahead into the darkened woods below. The expanse of nature filled her with a calmness she shouldn't feel. She thought back to Cole and smiled. She didn't say those things for him, she did it for herself. It's not that she wasn't upset or angry but Stefani realized that holding onto those ugly feelings was choking her up inside. The rift between them needed to be mended and she had to let all of that go. She had to let go of the torment, of her fear and sense of betrayal. She didn't have much time left, she wouldn't spend her moments filled with anger or resentment. That was no way to live. 

Pressing her cold hands onto her cheek, she felt the feverish skin rattling her senses and watched her skin ripple and push dangerously. The energy swarming inside her buzzed. Waiting. Wanting out. Stefani closed her eyes and prayed. Prayed to the high moon, to the wind, to the universe and asked for strength to face whatever came and for it to spare them all. She begged for the strength to protect the people she loved. For once, she would protect them. 

* 

Raven sat against the trunk on a high branch, his gaze falling on the witches sleeping beneath him. He tapped his long fingers on his bent leg and let out a hard breath. He felt the wind shifting, gathering around him and knew it was Rain's doing. The alpha wolf was probably soothing his mate. The thought of his ward was sobering. The hybrid infant was splintering and he could do nothing but watch. He knew it wasn't in his power to reach her, that was someone elses job. Once again he'd be forced to sit back and watch life unravel. The dark creature within him softened towards her, confusing him even more. He couldn't understand his reaction to her or the witch. It seemed he was growing soft after so many millennia alive. He let out a sigh. 

"Whatever is coming, won't be good." Luciano's voice drifted up from the lower branch he leaned against. His younger brother always seemed oddly intuitive for one of his kind. Luciano was bred for war after all and even so his intuition had always been freakishly accurate. Raven heard the dullness of his voice and thought back on his brother's odd behavior. Something else was bothering the vampire male. 

"We have been up against worse, have we not brother. It'll work out the way it's supposed to." Raven's voice was low and drowsy but he knew his brother's keen senses could hear him. He heard Luciano's quiet hum, he was deep in thought. 

"Is something bothering you Luciano?" 

"It's just a quiet night. I can't deny the dark feeling in my gut... It has me on edge." 

Raven thought on what his brother was saying quietly. He brushed his hair back. Looking up, imagining the star filled night through the thick fog. "For now, we must wait. If the rogues show themselves we must be careful of our move. Varcolac usually has more pieces at play than he lets on. It's no coincidence he let her go but we both already knew that... Get some rest, Luc, Katrina will be upset if you aren't well rested. " 

Luciano nodded in understanding, something strange crossing his features as his gaze moved below to where Katrina was curled up. His eyes narrowed taking notice of her skin glowing subtly in the dark, nudging something in the back of his mind. He didn't understand the feeling and he let out a frustrated breath. She'd made her feelings clear to him and he needed to get his mind on straight. Luciano touched his bottom lip lightly, remembering the feel of her mouth on his. He forced his hand into a fist and brought it to his side. He had to forget that kiss had ever happened. 

***** 

Lithinia sensed the moment her deep slumber turned into something else. She looked around and found herself surrounded by trees. Soft light broke through the covering of leaves. Her dark straight hair was unbound and moving with the wind. She wore the same clothes from the day before, a dark navy dress that parted at the calves. Her feet were bare as she moved through the trees. 

'Priestess.' 

Lithinia spun towards the voice. Her shoulders lifting as her gaze fell on Stefani's red glowing irises. Her dark hair was curled and perfectly framed her face. Her skin was pale and glowing softly. She seemed ethereal in this form, almost godly. Lithinia sensed the energy in the air and shivered. 

'How are you doing this?' Her voice echo through the dreamland the hybrid had created. Stefani looked around confused and shook her head. Her eyes blazed with a strange determination. A strange wind picked up and curled itself around her body, a light blue light surrounding her skin. She placed a hand over her heart, eyes moving elsewhere while lost in thought for a moment and she whispered Rain's name. Lithinia watched. She reached out with her magic, testing at the edges of this dream and was surprised to find her powers useless. She wasn't in control here. The next words to leave the female hybrid surprised Lithinia and simultaneously terrified her. 

'We need to talk.' 

***** 

Morning came soon enough. Rain spent the better half of the night twirling his fingers, using the wind to caress his mate. Through the wind and his wolf's mind he could feel the softness and the odd warmth of her skin. He could smell her scent all around him. The few hours he'd slept he'd spent in a warm cocoon of air that smelled of her. He kept her in the same air bubble with his scent throughout the night. He'd even sensed when she'd finally given in to her exhaustion and fell asleep. His stubborn mate had muttered his name in her sleep and his heart swelled and ached for her. 

He wanted to go to her. To drag her away from this place, keep her safe and yet here he was ready to set out onto a course he knew he couldn't stray from. He'd seen it in her eyes, her sanity fracturing. He saw clearly, the effort and pain she was suffering keeping it together. He couldn't deny it any longer. Whatever control the gate could provide for her would be her salvation. Or her doom. It was yet to be seen but Rain vowed to move the heavens to make sure it was her salvation. Nothing would take her away from him again. 

Rain stood, rolling back his shoulders and stretching out to lessen the tension in his body. His animal was coiled up tight. He gave his neck a hard rub trying to sooth the nerves in his body. 

"You seem tense Alpha." Stefani's soft voice made him smile. He moved his eyes upwards, trying to find her among the branches. 

"I didn't sleep well. I've become used to having your warmth beside me. My wolf doesn't like being far from you." 

Stefani dropped before him. Her gaze fell calmly upon his face even as her insides melted at his gaze. His bare shoulders were broad and strong. She sensed the power beneath his skin. She could see the wolf shift forward inside him as his eyes took on a golden tint. She felt a small blush cross her face at his words. She still had trouble believing she was his mate. That someone as magnificent as this male was somehow destined to be hers. She wasn't anywhere close to accepting a mate bond. Her body still reacted violently to males but Rain had somehow wormed his way through her defenses. She no longer felt panic while in close proximity to him. She'd also made out with his totally naked body yesterday like a hussy, so obviously her trauma didn't extend to him. Stefani looked away, feeling the blood rush to her face. 

Rain smiled. His sexy toothy smile evidence that he knew full well the effect he had on her. Then he advanced. Stefani felt a rumble inside her and gasped as his hands touched her arm, moving swiftly up towards her shoulder and over the arch of her neck. Rain's hands fisted in her hair gently and before Stefani could protest he dragged her body boldly against his and pressed his lips over hers. 

Her body lit up from the inside, glowing like a beacon, she could feel the warmth spread from her toes to her head. His mouth burned on hers, hot and heavy. Through one kiss, he yanked her into the present and planted her feet heavily to earth, it was life affirming. It reminded her she was alive, not a shell of a person, but alive. She placed her palms against his chest, his accelerated heart beat beneath her palms, her small nails digging into his skin trying to bring him closer. Rain explored her mouth, he teased and dominated her, played her body like an instrument. 

For several heartbeats she could only feel Rain. His scent and his strength radiated around them enveloping her in its hold. She sensed his beast beneath the surface of his kisses and heard her own wolf growl in contentment. Rain chuckled against her mouth and she blinked up at him confused, until she realized she must have done that out loud. Heat pooled in her belly. 

"Mine." Rain's hot whisper against her ear left her panting, even as his kiss left her breathless. This man... God! He was sex, heat and he tasted like home. Stefani leaned into his touch, shivering as his teeth nibbled against the arch of her throat. She felt needy and hot, something she wasn't used to feeling. She pressed her thighs together and knew she was dripping wet for him. She purred at his petting. Rain smiled. His wolf howled inside him, pushing his human counterpart to claim their mate. Rain held back. He wouldn't let this moment pass him, he wouldn't scare her away again. Stefani might not be ready to mate and he knew he had to move slowly. Soothe her scars, chase away her fears, prove to her he could be trusted and most importantly prove to them both that he was worthy of her. Rain would give her all the time in the world until she was ready. Until then, he couldn't get carried away. 

He pecked her lips gently, once, twice and groaned as he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers. Her face was flushed, her lips swollen and glistening. Her beautiful golden swirled eyes looked up at him and Rain's inner animal trembled. She was his. He felt unfiltered joy rush through his spirit. This is what he'd been missing from his life. Her. 

"Good morning, Rain." Her soft whispers made him smile. She was breathless, dazed and thankful for that reprieve, kissing Rain quieted her mind and gave her peace. Sweet peace, if only momentarily. 

"We have to talk about us." Stefani smiled at his rough tone and stepped away from his hold, needing the distance from him. She nodded and smiled at him. 

"We will. But not now..." 

Rain hesitated but in the end nodded reaching for her hand. He pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist and led her toward the center of the camp. "That's fine. But Stefani, I'm your mate. Whether you believe it or not, I'm here to stay and I'll spend the rest of my days proving it to you." He whispered into her ear and kissed her temple. She couldn't stop the silly smile his words caused. She wasn't sure if she could believe them yet but it made her insides tingle. Something between them felt tangible and powerful, growing stronger the more time they spent together. For once, she felt like she'd found home. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 17



**** 

After a quick rundown of their strategy and packing up the camp, Rain gave the orders for the day and they started their trek, knowing full well they'd reach their destination by the afternoon. It was a couple of hours deeper into the woods, down the valleys and past what she assumed used to be a rapid river what was left was huge bouldering rocks. They'd made great time and they moved as a unit. 

Stefani could sense the heartbeats of the creatures around her. The loudest were the wolves, the numerous heartbeats were tuned to Rain's and beat at the same pace. The witches had their own fluttering beat, which was much dimmer and delicate, she was proud to be able to distinguish the difference between human and creature. The vampire's heartbeat was much slower and calmer, and she tapped into them the easiest. She maintained speed by focusing her energy on their calm almost frigid essence but the only sound she actively sought out was Rain's. Even through the massive heartbeat of his pack, she could hear his individual heart clearly. His wolf's hard pace did nothing to accelerate his heart, proving the great power and stamina he must have. She flushed at the memory of that heartbeat beneath her palms. 

The vampires kept a pace much slower for the benefit of the wolves carrying the witches, they didn't let their frustration show, much. Stefani ran over the branches nearest to Katrina, who wore a new gown. 'Where the hell did the vampire hide extra clothes?' Stefani wondered. Katrina wore a cool sleeveless navy blue gown with a turtle neck top and matching short gloves. It reached her knees and it's material molded against her thin curves perfectly. Stefani had watched her strap on a set of daggers to her inner thighs. Katrina was something straight out of a movie, she ran like a wind nymph. Her short- red tipped hair flashed dangerously around her making for a fierce look. There was no doubt in her mind that Katrina was bred for war. Stefani took notice of her own attire and recognized how dull she looked in comparison. She was ready for stealth, wearing black leather pants and a long sleeved black jacket. The boots she wore had a small titanium heel and were meant to be effective when attacking an opponent. Raven had produced the clothing for her, which actually explained the color palet. She kind of wished she had a pop of color. Stefani shook her head, clearing her silly thoughts. 

Rain made sure to keep his pace fast, leading his pack and most importantly keeping track of his elusive mate. He listened as her hard breathing ran above him and when she shifted from branch to branch he made the subconscious decision and moved after her instinctively. Even though it was daylight, the clouds covered most of the sunlight. The trees around them were lush and wet and smelled moldy which was strange to him and his beast. The trees here just didn't smell right. 

The witches, held fast and steady as they gripped onto the fur of their designated wolves. Syfien felt exhilarated as they raced through the woods. Her wolf wasn't the fastest but he was strong and kept up surprisingly well. Whenever she felt him tense, probably due to his alpha's unease, she would pet his throat and use a calming weave to settle his beast. 

Ostara on the other hand, felt the whole experience to be cumbersome. She wished she could keep up on her own without the need of the wolves, though she appreciated her wolf's speed. She held onto the harness and focused her energy on tasting the strange essence around them. Her magic hovered within her, ready to be call forth at a moments notice. She watched her priestess and elder sister up ahead making sure to drain some of Lithinia's tension away. Something had seemed strange in her elder sister's mood this morning. Lithinia had said very little and simply stared off into space, her mind was elsewhere, which concerned Ostara greatly. Her sister was rarely as spaced as she seemed today, absentmindedness was Syfien's forte, not Lithinia's. Ostara smiled at the thought. Behind her closed eyes she could sense something pulsing ahead of them. Initially it was beneath the ground, then within the trees until it shifted into the air around them, hovering, waiting. She'd never experienced anything like it and wondered if it was a power of great good or great evil. She prayed to mother earth that it was not the latter. 

Stefani felt a strange humming feeling cross her senses and cleared her throat. She shook it off, figured it was her already ill body. With her acute vampire eyesight her gaze fell on a small rock in the distance, several miles away. The little stone was harmless enough and sat at the base of a great wide tree. Stefani couldn't explain why her eyes were drawn to that one spot, but time and again, that's where her eyes would land. She felt Rain push up his speed, causing them all to do the same. Although the woods around here were creepy and oddly silent, no animal was in sight, which was even stranger. She could feel Rain's wind touch her, surround her completely and it soothed her inner buzzing. The energy within her calmed subtly settling into her gut. The vampire inside her mentally paced, edgy and agitated. 

It wasn't until she started hearing warning bells in her head that her steps faltered, and in that nanosecond she felt Luciano pass her. His gaze was trained ahead and his perfectly chiseled face was clear and smooth, stoic almost. His body was muscular but lean, like that of a swimmer. He was a captivating creature to watch, no wonder Katrina was so taken by the vampire. 

Stefani looked around as she moved. Raven was higher above and ahead of them, more in tune with the pack alpha. Stefani let herself fall to the ground, feeling a calming sensation by being in contact with the soil. She would run amongst the wolves instead. She moved in seconds, startling the wolves around her who hadn't expected her appearance. Oblivious to their discomfort, Stefani's eyes once again locked on the small rock she'd seen as they approached and swallowed hard. 

Something wasn't right. 

Raven noticed the second Stefani touched ground and slowed, waiting for her to pick up speed again. Below, he noticed Rain do the same. His eyes scanned his surrounding knowing there was no threat present. He felt his brother, Katrina and the rest of the wolves catching up to them. Maybe she needed a break, her body required more rest and blood in it's current state. He considered this briefly as he waited for her to catch up. 

Rain pushed into Duncan's vision, while in this form their minds became one and Rain being Alpha gave him the ability to push into any one of those minds at will. He watched Stefani run through the woods alongside the wolves. Her beautiful black hair snapped behind her like the tail of a dragon. Stefani on the other hand was running but wasn't really seeing anything. Her speed sometimes made everything blurry around her. She knew to avoid bumping into one of the wolves but the pressure in her mind was bothering her. She felt the beginnings of a headache and pinched at the bridge of her nose and groaned. She heard Rain's bark, could sense that he was calling out to her but he was dim, in her background. 'What's happening to me?' She wasn't overly worried because the buzzing energy inside her was in place and calm for the moment. The scent of fresh river water filled her senses. 'Where is that coming from?' It was soothing, lulling her into a calm. She moved ahead. Her head cleared for a moment and her gaze locked on Rain, who had already passed the point she'd been fixated on. Just a couple more steps and she'd cross the little boulder. Almost immediately after she did, her body started shivering, alerting Stefani. Her hands trembled and she felt pressure against her mind again with every step she took away from the rock. She struggled for breath, everything around her fading. Suddenly and without conscious thought her body came to a halt. She felt herself cross over an energy line beneath the ground as a calm sensation entered her. Ice cold water rushed through her veins, she felt something take hold of her consciousness and yank her downwards. Stefani wanted to scream as fear gnawed inside of her but found her lips lightly closed. She felt her consciousness fall and everything went dark. 

***** 

Rain heard Stefani stop and his wolf came to a screeching halt too. Then he and Raven moved in sync to see what had caused her to stop. The group around them more slowly, a lot slower in comparison, sensing something had changed. Rain ran back towards his mate. Passing his warriors on the way, he could see her body in the distance and in just minutes reached her. He saw her eyes were closed, hands to her sides and she was oddly still. He huffed and felt the vampire elder fall behind him. Rain shifted back into his human body as the vampire elder stepped forward addressing her. 

"Stefani? Is everything alright?" Raven looked at his ward's stiff body and noticed her breathing was calm and even, almost as if she was sleeping. His eyes looked around and didn't see any direct threat. He could feel the pack closing in on them. When she didn't respond, Rain placed a hand on her shoulder. Raven heard Rain's sharp intake of breath and was beside him instantly. 

Rain looked down at his mate and was stunned to see her dual colored eyes. Her right eye was glowing red and the other glowed a splendid solid gold. Her gaze was empty and somehow he could feel her absent stare as if she was looking through him, not seeing him at all. 'What the hell?' A thought mirrored in the vampire elder who was equally concerned over her eye color change. His elder bond to the girl was muted, almost as if in suspension. 

"What has happened?" Lithinia's voice filled the silence, she spoke to no one in particular, waiting for a response, she felt the ground beneath her pulse steadily, could sense that the vibrations were coming from beneath Stefani. She rushed to dismount the wolf to investigate. 

"Stefani? Stefani, can you hear me?" Rain gripped Stefani's shoulders and forced her to look up into his eyes. His wolf growled at the empty expression in her eyes, she wasn't even blinking. A chill went down his spine. Those familiar eyes held nothing of the woman he knew. Lithinia reached them and watched the girl with curious eyes, her magic reaching out to sense her immediately recoiling as she was pushed back viciously by a power burst . Stefani snapped her attention towards the witch, her eyes narrowing. It was Katrina's hands that kept Lithinia from falling from the jolt. Silence filled the clearing as seconds ticked by. Tension filled Stefani's empty expression then faded and she looked back in Rain's direction, dismissing the witch. 

""You are going in the wrong direction."" Rain stumbled backwards. It was Stefani's mouth but the voice that came through was definitely not Stefani. He didn't know what it was. It didn't sound male or female. The voice was layered with multiple voices, as if many people spoke through her mouth, something he'd never heard before but it made his skin ripple and his spine stiffen. 'Not natural.' Lithinia moved forward trying to look into Stefani's set of red and gold eyes while the pulsing beneath the ground made her tremble slightly. 

"What are you?" Stefani turned West from the direction they'd been heading, ignoring the witch's question. At that moment, everyone simultaneously noticed the strange way Stefani was moving almost robotically, as if her body were being moved instead of moving on it's own. 

"Has she been possessed?" Luciano finally voiced what they all wondered. Lithinia shook her head negatively. "I don't think this is a possession. It doesn't quite feel like that." 

They all watched as Stefani's body stepped forward and, to Lithinia's human eyes, she simply disappeared. In seconds movement exploded all around Lithinia, strong male hands pushed her out of the way as the alpha jumped into the air. She heard Rain's growl as his skin exploded and his wolf emerged mid air following after Stefani. Raven roughly placed Lithinia on the back of a wolf and the vampire elder disappeared after Stefani. To Lithinia's human senses, it all came back seconds after and fast. Sounds exploded in her head, the wind rocked her and she winced as a blast of heat hit her. The group broke into action following the seemingly possessed hybrid as she headed in another direction. 

"Stefani!" The vampires shouted after her. Raven could see her just a couple feet ahead and was surprised when she managed to keep ahead of him even when he was using his top speed. It wasn't possible that this infant could out run him! Raven hissed, his fangs throbbing. The tension within the group was palpable, especially when Rain started howling after his mate. 

Rain pushed his body hard to chase after his mate. He flanked her side and noticed the empty expression in her face. She didn't react to his howls nor to Raven's calling, it was as if her body moved without consciousness. 

Stefani jumped off a high branch and hit the ground running, bringing her palm up to her lengthened fangs and slashing a deep gash along the length of her hand. Rain howled so loudly in anger that he felt the trees shake from the force. The wind brought the scent of her sweet blood urging the group forward. 

"Stefani! You must stop." Katrina shouted, pushing off a low branch as she used her healing energy in weaves, sending them out hopefully toward the hybrid. But her weaves would fizzle and dissolve as soon as they left her own skin. She hissed as one of the wolves carrying a witch passed her by, taking her by surprise. Cole and Hale howled after her, trying to catch her attention as they ran harder. 

Stefani's body was rigid, scarlet dripped down her hands and touched the ground. She leaned her head back before jumping high and smearing blood among the tree trunk. 

'One' 

Raven caught up with her for a fraction of a second, his fingers almost grazing her dark locks before she vanished back onto the ground. Stefani ran fast, her body weaving back and forth between the thickest set of trees. Her hand automatically moved to smear against another large trunk in her path. 

'Two.' 

The strange voice coming from Stefani spoke again, louder this time, speaking to no one in particular. The woods around them got thicker, the fog heavier and the small rays of light did nothing to brighten up the mood. 

'Three' 

Another tree marked with her blood and this time the tree took on a strange glow. Raven passed the tree following closely to Rain. His keen eyes took on the strange sight of the tree but didn't have time to inspect it. 

'Four' 

Stefani pressed her hand to the last tree in the set. Her red and gold eyes pulsed slightly as her feet raced forward. It was at this moment that the drumming began. The group startled as they felt the strange drumming beneath their feet. The strokes strong, steady, and calling. Just as suddenly as the drumming started, Stefani's body halted. Rain and Raven broke through the cover of trees first, surprised to see the huge dark opening of a cave. Stefani stood frozen again, Her contrasting eyes were fixed into the dark abyss. The vampire elder took hold of her arm and yanked her back, staring at down at her. 

"What are you doing?" Raven's voice was low and teetered on angry as he looked at Stefani. Rain huffed as he pushed the vampire to the side, rubbing his fur on his mate. He whined urging her to look at him, to see him. Stefani moved her blank gaze to him, the same see through stare watched him, not a hint of the Stefani he knew was there. Katrina, Luciano and the witches broke through the clearing, finally catching up with them along with the rest of his warriors who circled the area, staying vigilant. 

Rain shifted. His bones rearranging and popping allowing him to return to his human form. His wolf gladly gave over if it meant bringing his mate back to herself. He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes searching for a trace of the women he knew. Lithinia and her sisters gasped as they dismounted and touched the ground, the power filled within the soil was immense, practically overwhelming. It was thick and heavy, weighing them down. Lithinia kept her glances short as she watched the stoic hybrid and her lack of movement. 

"Stefani, why are we here?" 

'"It's almost time.'" 

Rain forced his body not to react to the multilayered ominous voice coming from that sweet mouth. For a second he saw something flicker in her eyes, but just as soon as he noticed it disappeared, he wondered if he'd imagined it. 

"Who are you?" 

'"We have many names.'" With that, the voice and Stefani turned around walking towards the cave. Rain growled, his naked body glistening with perspiration and radiating frustration. One of his men handed him a pair of sweats, which he slipped on easily as he followed after her. He was cautious as he stepped into the dark mouth of the wet cave, the high rock ceiling was cast in shadows. "Duncan, stay close to the witches." With a nod, four of his warriors moved around the witches, guiding them into the cave. Duncan stayed close to his Alpha, his first and foremost mission as beta was to keep the stubborn man safe. Duncan's eyes narrowed as he watched Stefani walk aimlessly into the darkness. This woman was nuts and she made Rain equally so. He prayed to Luna that it would work out. 

Syfien looked around and swallowed, the creepy cave looked hundreds of years old, 'aka unstable as crap.' The cold wind that breezed through made her shiver, she stepped closer to Ostara whose face was calm and calculating. Syfien grunted as her foot slammed into a heavy rock and she almost ate the floor, if it wasn't for the thick heavy arm of a werewolf stopping her. She puffed and thanked him quietly. She knew the only ones who couldn't see clearly in the dark were she and her sisters, everyone else saw perfectly.'Totally unfair.' With that in mind she let her magic rush through her as she lifted her palms and released small light orbs. They floated upwards towards the tall rocky wall and looked like light blue fireflies as they surrounded the group. 

Katrina clapped and oohed at the charming little lights surrounding them. She saw perfectly in the darkness, having forgotten completely about the humans lack of eyesight in the dark, but she found something undeniably charming about the little lights, it was like walking through stars. She smiled absentmindedly. Lithinia looked back at her sister, who was happily releasing the small lights, and she smiled to herself. The lights definitely helped their movements inside the cave. The deeper they moved, the longer she wondered if Stefani knew where she was going at all. On the surface it seemed like a regular cave. Creepy, cold and yet there was something more, the strange drumming beneath her feet grew stronger as they progressed. She rubbed her arms trying to keep the cold out. The deeper in they went, the narrower the cave became, until they were walking in what seemed like a hallway. Up ahead Stefani's body moved heavily, her feet dragging. "Where do you think she's going?" Ostara asked, her voice echoing through the cave. She felt her face flush at everyone's narrowed gaze in her direction. Lithinia reached over and gripped her hand tightly in reassurance. 

"As all foreseeing as you see me, I truly don't know what the future holds little sister, but it is my belief that she is headed where she needs to go." Lithinia's eyes were trained in Stefani's direction. Ostara gave a small nod to her elder sister and kept up her pace. She bristled slightly as one of the wolves placed a hand on her arm to keep her from hitting a jagged edge sprouting from the cave wall. Even Syfien's lights couldn't replace proper sight. She thanked the wolf, Alex, and carried on with the rest of the group. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 17



The silence became oppressive the longer they walked, everyone simply cautious and curious as to their destination. Stefani's body was tense and moved sluggishly through the cave. Rain was a breaths' span behind her, his eyes roaming every crevice and corner of the space before them, vigilant for any danger. There was no doubt in the priestess voice as she spoke to her sister, and Rain wasn't sure if he was comforted, or worried about that. He kept his steps even and at pace with Stefani's unhurried ones. His wolf paced restless within, confused and furious at the feeling of his absent mate. 

They rounded a corner which led to a small alcove, up ahead he could see a small cenote, with nothing significant about it. He smelled fresh river water but could hear no sound, except the echoing silence of the cave. He sensed Stefani's burst of speed before she actually moved, and in seconds she had crossed the space and was facing them from the far edge of the cenote. Rain stepped forward, glancing around, wondering why they weren't moving forward but could see no sign or reason to stop. Stefani still stood hollow and stoic, her gaze trained on the pool of water in the cenote. She heard no sound, felt nothing, spoke no words as she reached her palm up to her face and with her fangs sliced deeply into the skin. Rain growled, moving towards her as she held her palm over the pool of water, watching as her blood dripped into the water. 'Five.' She whispered as Rain's hands wrapped around her arm bringing her body tightly to his. His hand held her smaller palms tightly, waiting for them to heal. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Rain stared down at her. Anger boiled in his veins at her lack of reaction, he fought for control of his animal while she stood empty, cold and staring blankly at the water. His hands tightened on her shoulders enough to get her attention back at him for a moment. Her hollow gaze looked up at him, the red and and gold eyes disturbed him. There was something in the reflection of her eyes that he couldn't place, something inhuman. 

"Rain," Lithinia's breathless whisper drew his attention momentarily. He noted everyone's stiff form and followed their gaze to the surface of the pool in the cenote before them. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the reflective surface rippling and moved in a circular motion, the stain of her blood growing and undulating in unnatural ways. He could sense a strange wind pick up in the alcove they stood in. A strange echoing rung in his ears as wind passed thorough them. He winced, mesmerized at the strange way her blood moved like a living snake in the water, spreading and tainting the water a deep red. 

"Does anyone else think this is strange?" Cole snorted at Ostara's bewildered tone. He was pretty sure they could all agreed that this whole situation was completely strange. Syfien scolded her younger sister quietly "You create deadly weapons with your spiritual energy and you find this strange?". A couple of wolves snickered at the witches side conversation, most of them unsure of what to do at the moment as the awkward silence carried for several minutes. 

Raven gazed at Stefani who seemed entranced by the blood-tinted water, just as most of them were. He felt the strange rush of wind that blew through them and the pulsing beat beneath their feet and wondered if this is where she'd been leading them all along. The vampire inside him, his darker side, was uncomfortable by being out in the open like this. Something in Stefani's eyes didn't sit right in his gut. He saw her move a fraction of a second before she intended to. In that same second her body dove into the cenote expertly and without reason. "What the—" Katrina gasped as Rain stepped forward, shouting orders to half of his warriors to stay behind and threw himself after her. 

The burst of activity that followed left the witches a little out of sorts as they watched the three vampires dive in after Stefani and Rain, followed by the two Mactire wolves who were unsure of why the were diving into the red tinted water. Syfien could have sworn it was only a few feet deep. Lithinia stepped at the edge and spoke quietly. "Syfien build an air bubble around us. Ostara work on our speed... She's opened a portal." Lithinia could feel her sisters magic on her skin, little tickles across her skin filling her with power as a light blue film covered her. Her eyes flashed lavender as her sisters stepped forward and beside her, their own eyes glowing respectively and they dove one after the other. 

Diving into the red tinted water was strange, there was no sense of being in water because there was no current in the underground cave they were in. There was no movement in the water around them. 'How strange.' Syfien thought as she looked around wide-eyed. She was glad her spell was so efficient, she really could breath normally and the small lights surrounded them still. Syfien forced herself to focus through the tight spaces, the walls were jagged and unfit for people to swim through and could be a serious problem if she spaced out. The witches, with the use of Ostara's speed spell, were able to catch up to the rest of the group rather quickly. The wolves had a thick dark blue light surrounding them, similar to that of the witches, Lithinia guessed that was Rain's doing. Cole and Hale swam nearest to each other, making sure to use the surrounded cave walls to give them a boost while they moved. 

Rain used the oxygen in the water to envelop Stefani, Hale, Cole, himself and the 6 of his warriors, letting them breath underwater. It wouldn't last forever, the process was draining, especially for so many people. He could only hope Stefani knew what she was doing. He was glad he didn't have to worry about the vampires, they were lucky enough to not need the oxygen. Rain frowned as he used a burst of air to push him closer towards Stefani. Her body moved quickly and determined as if she knew where they were headed. This was just too strange. Watching her body move, while those red/gold eyes shone bright and with no recognition in them. He reached out to her trying to grab her ankle uncaring of whether she kicked him or not. She moved expertly and with ease through the water avoiding him. 

Katrina was glad her body didn't need oxygen as she swam gracefully. Unsure of how much time was passing by, she was sure they'd been down here for at least twenty minutes. Her hair floated around her face wildly, her gown swirling behind her, using each stroke to move her swiftly through the water. It was a rather magical feeling especially having Luciano swimming right beside her, unwillingly to leave her side. She snuck a glance in his direction and wondered about his tight expression. His dirty blonde hair moved softly in the water. She bit her lip and looked forward. 'No.' She put effort into kicking harder to speed up, they had to get to Stefani. 

Rain was impressed with how quickly she moved through the maze of tunnels of the underground caves, her dark curled hair floated behind her and for a second he envisioned her as a water nymph. He growled when he saw her rising up to the break the surface several meters ahead of him. Thankful to have reached some sort of opening he sped up to reach her, and watched her leave the water before him. He sent messages to his wolves, pushing into their minds to ease their anxiety, letting them know they'd be out of the water soon. 

Moments later, Rain broke through the surface, his long hair falling to one side as he looked wildly around for his mate. His wolf pushed to the front of his mind turning his eyes gold, using his better vision to see in the dark. He gasped as he found Stefani standing several feet to one side her body still, drenched clothes hugged her every curve. What startled him the most was the strange circular flat rock that stood before her. He pushed himself to the edge of the cenote and lifted himself out, following after her. Rain looked up at the strange ensignia that was meticulously carved into the rocky wall. It was a huge circle, flat and polished with a maze of swirls and eight huge symbols sketched on the outer edges. He reached her side as he heard the others finally break out of the water. 

Raven and Cole reached them first, followed by Katrina, Luciano, and the rest of the wolves. They were just as surprised as he had been at what they saw, standing in silence. With a thought, Rain's fingertips lit up, the blue glow causing the water to blow off from their clothes. Cole and Hale both lifted up their fire covered fists and Cole said, "Stefani. Why are we here? What is this place?" While he asked this Cole met Rain's worried gaze as they considered her silent stiff form. It didn't even look as if she heard him, as if she wasn't in there at all frankly. 

The witches took a little longer to break out of the pool's surface finding the rest of the group standing by what they recognized as a door of some kind. The strange glow of red and blue flames startled Lithinia but quickly faded from her mind as she looked up and found the elder vampire's eyes on her. She reached for Raven's hands as he lifted her up and out of the cenote. Her body momentarily pressed up against his, which flustered her, and for that heartbeat she could ignore the small chuckles of her younger sister. Raven gave her a small smile and set her steadily on her feet, then he faded from her view and stepped next to Stefani in the next second. Raven could heard Lithinia's fluttering heartbeat and it made the monster inside him hiss in pleasure. How strange to react such a way to a witch. 

* 

Stefani floated subconsciously without thought or worry. Her body was warm and groggy. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten there, how long she'd been there or where she was. She was weightless and floating amongst light. She could feel a breeze coming through, as if the wind was trying to reach her. Familiar. 

A pair of brown eyes crossed her mind and she squinted trying to remember. There was something she had to remember, some place she had to be. She mumbled and curled into a ball. Her mind felt heavy, even as she floated. 

There was something she had to remember, something important. Stefani's mind struggled to think back on what she was missing. She felt so warm. 'Rain!' She gasped, jolting forward. Stefani fought against the lethargic feeling that covered her mind, she fought for breath, struggling to snap out of it. 'Rain.' Forcing her eyes open, she cried out at the brightness surrounding her. She felt the soft brush of the wind against her skin coming from nowhere in particular and she sighed in pleasure. He had to be near, she had to get to Rain. She tried to think back to the last thing she remembered but couldn't form a solid thought. Her mind was foggy like walking through quicksand. The harder she fought to think, the deeper she seemed to fall. She couldn't see, couldn't sense a thing around her but her essence still reached out to him. Maybe it always would. Stefani reached inside herself to grab onto the essence of her vampire and used her vampiric strength to fight against the exhaustion that beat at her. She would find him. 

'Rain.' 

Rain's whole body stiffened as Stefani's voice whispered his name into his ear. He knew that voice, but his eyes were firmly glued to her face, and her lips hadn't moved. He looked around, with his back to the strange carved wall. Her face was empty as it looked behind him, no sign of life in those eyes except— for a second he thought he'd seen a spark in those eyes. He stepped into her line of sight, still no response, his wolf growled inside his mind at her easy dismissal. He placed his hands on Stefani's shoulders, moved a hand to her chin, angling her face up to meet his and slammed his mouth down onto hers. He saw her eyes widen and light up like two brilliant suns. Both irises swirled then faded into their strange but more familiar golden eyes, her pupils expanded and contracted. Rain shut his eyes and let himself feel, his arm coming around to her waist. 

At the same time Stefani felt herself shoot up towards consciousness. One second she was enveloped in light and the next she was aware of his teeth sliding deliciously over her lips. Stefani let out a gasp that melted into a groan. His huge body was sheltering hers. She felt the small water drops falling down her back and neck as Rain tilted her neck to get a better position and she closed her eyes. When Rain felt her return his kiss, a wildness inside him burst and he lost himself in the fever of her kisses. He felt his anxiety dissolving with relief, followed immediately with a fiery need to be inside her, to be moving in her, feeling her. Whole. Alive. Present. Everything faded. There was only her. 

Rain forced himself to a calm, holding the reins on his wolf as he tore himself from her lips. He felt his body buzzing everywhere their bodies touched, and looked down at her bruised lips, parted and gasping for breath. Her cheeks were flushed as blood rushed to her face, and as she looked at him her eyes blinked rapidly. Rain felt himself relax seeing her eyes look normal again. 

Stefani struggled to calm the heat in her body, sensing the people around them. It took her several quick breaths while she simply pressed her forehead into Rain's chest and eased her breathing to match his own. Rain ran his soothing hands through her hair, all the way to the bottom of her back. She purred. 

"As much as I hate to break this up. Would someone ask her where the hell we are?" asked Ostara. Stefani stiffened as she heard Ostara's voice break through to her mind, realizing now that she had been enveloped in stiff silence. But now that the silence was broken, Stefani jerked backwards looking around with bewilderment. 

Her gaze flew over the small cave around them, the pool of water behind her, the group of people surrounding her, and looked down at her hands. They were dry but she could feel how cool they felt, as if she'd been some place cold for a while. She reached up to touch her hair and stepped back wildly, sensing the wet strands. 

"What the—Where are we? How did I- How did I get here? We were out- in the woods? I was- we were—" 

"Stefani. Breathe. Stay calm. It's going to be okay." Rain's voice was oddly calm as if dealing with a crying child. Stefani lifted her gaze to meet his and took a moment to notice the strain in his eyes. Something was wrong. She saw the fear and concern in his expression. She swallowed, holding a hand to her throat as her thirst built due to her anxiety. She nodded in his direction, looking around trying to understand where they were. She could tell most of them were mildly wet, she could smell it all around her. 

"What do you remember?" Raven asked, watching her with narrowed eyes. 

"I was— I was running. There was a rock. I mean-I kept seeing this rock in the distance and the closer I got, the harder it was to look away. My head started hurting but I was okay. I didn't feel- I mean- I— I don't understand. How did I get here? That was just a second ago. I felt something... some kind of energy in the ground. A pulse. And the rock. I don't understand. What is this place?" Stefani heard somebody sigh in resignation. She looked up for Raven, his essence always calmed her, and immediately he was at her side. 

"You went all Emily Rose on us, with your body acting possessed,and your eyes changed color. Then you took off in another direction and led us here, to a cave." Cole spoke first. His tone was cold and controlled, he only used that tone when he was worried but didn't want her to know. Raven's cool hands rubbed some of her tension away. She shivered, stepping back and wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't. I don't remember any of that. I was sleeping or dreaming. I don't know one moment I was there and the next... It was bright. I was floating. Sleeping, when I felt the wind touch me..." 

Rain stepped towards her, wanting to reach out to her, unable to stay away. Something behind him caught her eye. His broad body had covered her gaze before. With her vampire speed she found herself stepping away from him and towards the huge carved wall before her. Her breath caught at the base of her throat. The buzzing energy inside her jolted, buzzed as if recognizing something important. Stefani let out a deep breath. 

"What is this?" Rain blinked, looking back at her while hiding his shock at her speed and her question. Raven and Katrina closed in towards her. Lithinia walked closer to inspect the wall as well. Stefani pressed her palm to her chest, feeling for her beating heart. "I feel it. Something is in here." Stefani whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Raven looked up unsure of what could be behind it, all of them followed that train of thought even as Stefani imagined they would. Even so, she had intended a completely different meaning to the statement. They thought she meant behind the carved wall, but she felt something inside herself, pushing, calling out to her, could feel the familiar lethargy crawling up inside her like hands dragging her energy downwards. 

"We need to figure out what do. We can't just stand here till she goes all robotic again." Hale spoke up earning a loud growl from a furious Rain. "What we need to do is figure out what the hell is behind that wall." Rain's voice was tense. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea." Ostara chimed in while Syfien responded in disbelief. "Are you kidding?! We came all the way here, Ostara! The planets will be aligning in an a hour! There's isn't any time left!" Lithinia kept her eyes trained on Stefani, who was trembling and looked baffled at what she saw. Ignoring her sisters bickering. "Get a hold of yourselves." Raven hissed. His brother stepped closer to Katrina. His elder voice affecting the vampires clearly. The rest of the group shook it off. "We need to tear that wall down. We're here for a reason. We are not leaving until it's done." 

Stefani reached forward with shaky knees, oblivious to their arguing. Her hands trembled as they approached the wall, the wolf and vampire inside her both argued against it. Everything happened relatively quickly. The second her hand touched the wall a light pulse exploded from the tips of her fingers, rippling out and filling in the carvings on the wall. She didn't hear Cole or Rain's gasp of surprise or Lithinia's groan as power assaulted her senses. Stefani didn't know what was happening, but her eyes were glued to the now golden symbols on the huge wall. The symbols called out to her, entrancing her and she felt her energy deplete, her legs tremble under her weight and then her body collapsed into familiar hands. 

Rain held Stefani cradled against his side while he took a look at her body. Her eyes were wide as she watched the now golden symbols and carvings on the wall pulse. The whole group was startled as the ground shook, a horrible crackling noise that filled the quiet room. The change was violent. Raven moved quietly and stood beside the priestess, shielding her with his body. Luciano wrapped an arm around a reluctant Katrina and saw a couple of the wolves do the same for the other witches. They all watched mesmerized as the wall in front of them crumbled before their eyes, dissolving piece by piece, falling inwards. 

'Open sesame.' Stefani's silly thought crossed her mind as she took a look at what the crumbling rock had revealed. She could feel her body throbbing, drained and exhausted. She still sensed something pushing inside her mind and fear crawled up through her stomach. She swallowed and held onto to Rain, letting his scent wash over her, giving her strength. She would face this. She wouldn't fade away again. She couldn't. The wolf inside her howled as the energy peaked, piercing her mind like a knife. She cringed with the pain. If she could relate it to anything she knew, it would be the beginning of a really nasty migraine. But this was much different. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 17



Stefani braced herself as Rain swept his hands under her knees and lifted her, she watched as Syfien opened her palms, releasing soft lights and watched them float up into the dark crumbling entrance. "Let's go." Stefani's voice was small as she motioned Rain to move forward. The vampires were the first to cross over, jumping swiftly over the crumbling rocks. The rock around them moved and shook, debris falling from the ceiling urging the group to move faster and into the unknown. Syfien's enchanting lights floated through the gap, filling the darkness. 

Lithinia scurried forward as she walked onto a patch of grass in this new chamber of the cave that they found themselves in. Power pulsed beneath her feet, power like she'd never felt before. It took her breath away. From the corner of her eyes, she saw both of her sisters fall to their knees causing everyone to rush towards them in aid. She felt Raven's warm hands brush against her back, holding her in place. Lithinia groaned. Closing her eyes, finding the well of her power and shut her mind off from the essence around her as much as she could. Several seconds later, her breathing calmed and she straightened rushing on shaky knees to her sisters. She focused her energy into feeding them strength, guiding their magic to wrap around them, shielding them from whatever power laid dormant here. 

"What's happening?" Ostara groaned, once she was able to speak again as she fell back onto her heels. "Whatever is dormant here is overwhelming us." Lithinia answered, running her hands down her sisters hair. Ostara and Syfien both nodded at their priestess and struggled to maintain any semblance of normalcy. Even Lithinia struggled just breathing out the words. 

Lithinia looked up at Rain and let out a shaky breath. "I imagine you can all feel the strength of this place as well. We are more in touch with earth's magic therefore more susceptible to whatever lies dormant here. We will be fine as long as we stay focused... I've never— I've never felt anything like this" Lithinia finished in a whisper, looking at her hands with broad curiosity. While most of them saw only her hands, she saw the auras in the atmosphere, saw the flow of magic in the air, and it was everywhere. Surrounding them, from the ground, the air, clinging to their skin, brushing past them as if testing them. Even as the group stood unaware it was happening and, to some degree, they could all feel something felt odd here. 

Lithinia smiled a brilliant wide smile as the strands of magic surrounded her, almost as if hugging her in welcome. This place was not evil or good. It transcended either. She could feel it in the air and in the grass below. This was a sacred place, pure of taint. 

Stefani trembled in Rain's embrace, her head tucked into his shoulder as he held her above the floor. He held her closer. She watched the three witches kneeling on the ground and couldn't help but be affected by their silly smile. She understood what Lithinia meant. The power here felt so strong it literally shook her body. Something was urging her to move, her body felt like a frenzy of billions of bees inside, buzzing to escape. Her skin itched and she twitched with the need to move. She pushed at Rain, silently telling him she wanted to stand. Rain ceded to her wishes, gently lowering her feet to the ground. 

The moment her feet touched the ground, a wave of power exploded from her body, pushing the group back. Stefani gasped. Something warm rushed through her, she gasped again as something powerful grabbed ahold of her. Her body was bathed with a golden light, shining so bright that Rain and the others had to cover their eyes to avoid the sting. Light traveled from Stefani and moved like ripples onwards past the grass, over the walls, to the high ceiling. Luciano stared, unwilling to tear his gaze from what was happening. He was oblivious to the fact that he was the only one unaffected by the light. Something inside him flashed, causing the monster inside his mind to pause as if trying to recall something just out of reach. 

A second later, Rain opened his eyes once he sensed the light fade from Stefani. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon her. She was beside him, wearing a floor length white gown with a loose v neck that wrapped around her shoulders loosely. It's loose sleeves reached her wrists but he could see something beneath them glow against the material. The sheer white-silver material of the dress sparkled like twinkling stars, he'd never seen a material like it. She was wrapped in a silver glow that moved as she moved. Her long black hair fell in curls down one shoulder and her head was adorned by a delicate, silver diamond encrusted headpiece that trickled down her hair, as if the diamond themselves were woven into her hair. The headpiece fell in a curve over the top of her forehead. She looked like she'd stepped out of Arabian Nights. Her eyes were brushed with a silver powder and her pupils were enlarged and were slit much like a cats. 

Stefani looked down, bringing her hands up and looking around herself unsure of what had happened. One second she'd seen her body light up and the next she stood with a dress and barefoot on the grass. She looked up at Rain's baffled expression and felt her cheeks heat up. She could feel everyone's eyes on her and it made her uncomfortable. The group around them were mesmerized at Stefani's regal attire. For a moment they all had a feeling something greater was at work here. They were left speechless. 

"It seems we've arrived. " Lithinia said, as she smiled, moving her gaze away from the illuminated Stefani. She looked around and felt a twinge inside her mind. 

*****



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 18



I've searched the words, to bring this to a close and I can't find any worthy. It has been a long journey for me, personally and spiritually. Most of you may pass through here and only see words but to me and maybe to some, this is a world of its own. Where we lived, rejoiced and cried with these characters. Believe me. I know it is far from perfect but I thank you, the readers for sticking through it with me. For believing in an ending you deserved. Kissed by Lightning will mean more to me than you might ever know and at least for tonight, it's brought me to you. In your homes, on the bus, at work, in class. You bring my story to life by reading. It was never me. It has always been you who's made Kissed By Lightning breathe. Thank you. Thank you for living this with me, for allowing me to touch a small piece of you. 

I hope to hear from you, your feedback, your thoughts and any and all questions. I'm not sure when I'll start to write again but hopefully it will be soon so stick around to see what happens next. 

But finally. The end is here.  

Quick thank you to my wonderful editor, 'Inverted fool,' who has pushed me beyond the boundaries of what I thought I could do. He's helped me shape this story and grow as a writer. I hope to work with him in any future writings.  

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  

"My biggest fear is not that we are  
inadequate, 
our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure, 
it is our light not our darkness that frightens us."  

© [Angie Jaimes] [2015] [Kissed By Lightning] All rights reserved. 

*** 

"It seems we've arrived. " Lithinia smiled as she moved her gaze away from the newly clothed Stefani. She looked around and felt a twinge inside her mind, something about this place looked familiar. 

Raven helped Lithinia stand. Duncan and Alex, the wolves who'd carried her sisters, helped support the other witches. Raven's gaze drew back to Stefani, whose eyes were oddly bright, her slit pupils unsettling him. Lithinia looked in awe at the impossibly large cave they were in. Luciano stepped up to Katrina, placed a warm hand on her lower back, ushering her forward. 

"What is this place?" Cole asked in awe. 

Rain drew his eyes away from Stefani, and like most of the group, finally gave the cave a look. It was an enormous cave, stretching the length of two football fields, it's ceiling so high it was barely visible. Unlike the dark cave they came in through, there were bioluminescent mushrooms, algae and exotic-looking plants carpeting the ceiling and part of the walls. The longer he watched them the brighter they glowed. They heard rushing water in the distance, and his eyes could make out a waterfall on the far wall that fell into a small river flowing through the center of the cavern. 

Stefani let her mind wonder over the cave's exquisite beauty. It's high ceiling was carpeted by beautiful plant life that glowed iridescently. She looked down as she walked, noticing the grass glowing brighter wherever she stepped. She giggled and skipped forward, twirling around, causing ripples of light that flowed from wherever she stepped. She saw the strange mist that followed her, tendrils of magic that materialized, flowing around her arms and torso, even circling her ankles as she walked. Stefani smiled knowing she was the only who could see it. 

When Stefani twirled to a stop she heard the rushing of water in the distance, something inside her began pulling her forward. "I think it's a little up ahead," She whispered, uncaring of whether they followed or not. She knew they would follow her regardless so she let herself speed up. She couldn't deny the feeling of calm that pulsed inside her, even though the cool grass against her feet and the feel of the air against her skin was strange, this felt familiar. 

The further they walked, the larger the room seemed. The size seemed physically impossible to her, knowing that this cave was hidden beneath the surface of the woods they'd just been in. 

Up ahead there was a large waterfall, falling from a crack in the ceiling, into a pool around what looked to be a small island in the center of the cavern. Stefani sensed the magic that pulsed from the ground in steady beats, resonating within her. The buzzing energy inside her jerked in reaction then settled. Her eyes widened and she realized that the energies were compatible. 'Odd.' 

Stefani felt a strange burning sensation around her throat, followed by release in her mind and it burst open. She cringed as a massive foreign presence anchored into her and she fought for breath. She knew that something was coming. Rain rushed to her side the moment he saw her falter, while she drew into herself in momentary pain, and he could do nothing but watch. Something in the air around them shifted and vibrated, strong enough for him to feel it. Growls erupted from the wolves and Katrina stepped against Luciano's back, dagger in hand, tense and ready for whatever came. 

Rain watched closely as a very intricate, dark, bruise-like-tattoo formed around Stefani's throat seemingly out of nowhere. A black mist erupted before them and Stefani gasped as she felt a tug at her consciousness and a dark presence filled her mind. Her eyes widened at the familiar sensation. That could only be- 

"Hello, Little One." Stefani's head snapped up as her body jerked backwards into Rain's arms. Varcolac's voice made her cringe. Bile rose in her throat. Rain's hand tightened around her waist as her eyes finally met the emerald green eyes of the man that still tormented her sleep. Varcolac. He stood before them with an unconscious woman across one arm. Stefani bit her tongue and straightened her back, refusing to let him intimidate her. She didn't know how he'd gotten here, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her fear. From the corner of her eyes she saw the white haired rogue Rodan step out from behind Varcolac's shadow with a second unconscious woman draped over his arms. Cole bristled, his eyes narrowing at the rogue who'd taken everything from him. Hale placed a strong hand on Cole's arm to keep his brother in place. Hale could feel the man's anger building, his beast shaking the surface of his skin. 

Raven noticed the dangerous tension building in the air and moved Lithinia's body behind him, hoping to protect her better. His eyes moved over the small battalion of enemies that stood behind Varcolac. It seemed his friends were highly outnumbered. 

Varcolac looked down at his Little One. His eyes roamed over her body, picturing her glorious naked skin beneath his, until he heard the vicious growl from the male holding her. His gaze moved up to meet the furious golden gaze of the famous O'Faolain alpha. He smirked. 

"What do you want?" Rain's voice tore through the silence, his broad shoulders held back tightly. He let his wolf come to the surface of his mind, held back only by his human skin, ready to attack at a moments notice. 

"It's good to finally meet you dog. Don't you see our mark?" Varcolac motioned towards the bruising stain now growing over Stefani's throat, a mark which definitely hadn't been there hours ago. Rain growled, feeling himself come undone with the rage building inside him. Stefani placed a soft hand over the arm holding her, calming him. 

Raven tensed, unsure of what the mark looked like, but felt unease wash over him as he imagined what it might be. He wanted to beat himself up for being such an idiot. Of course Varcolac would use something evil like this. 

"You had a witch blood spell her so that you could keep track of her, giving you a direct link to her location, a target to materialize to. Clever. But then again, I wouldn't expect otherwise." Raven stepped away from the witch and walked out into Varcolac's line of sight. He smirked at the sight of Varcolac's momentarily shocked expression. 

"A blood spell?" Cole asked unsure of the meaning. 

"Well this is a surprise! When I sensed a block, I never imagine the esteemed Romanus elder would be the one responsible... It has been a long time my friend. Ironic that you'd be the one to bond to the vampire hybrid I sired." Varcolac sneered and everyone's eyes focused in Raven's direction as he walked to stand in front of Stefani, carefully shielding her body from the rogues gaze, his fangs gleaming dangerously in the dark. 

"It appears it hasn't been long enough. The council will not approve of what you've been doing Varcolac, especially with this mongrel." Raven let his eyes wander to the average wolf man standing beside Varcolac, assuming he must be Rodan. He was maybe 5'11, with white/gray hair, there was a vicious scar running from his eyebrow to jawline, and his blood red eyes were full of madness. 

"You would be amazed to know who founded all of this, Raven. You cannot imagine how we've grown! We even found a witch strong enough to perform the blood spell without dying on us, which is rare, as you know. Imagine how many we had to go through just to find this one. Quite a nasty business, but look at how well it turned out! The second Stefani found this place her essence dramatically changed and," he snapped his fingers, "Just like that, here we are." He threw the dead weight of the witch's body and they watched as she hit the ground violently. Raven's eyes narrowed at Varcolac's words, his body coiled tight. Lithinia's eyes moved over to the fallen witch, a twinge of empathy for the woman. In the back of her mind, she knew a witch of that caliber was rare, even she, as head priestess, would struggle with creating a blood spell on vampires. 

"But where are my manners. Let me introduce you to my colleague. A long time ago, he went by the name Rodan, as I'm sure some of you must know. Now if you excuse us we have matters to attend to, don't we little one." Varcolac's eyes changed to black as he raised his hand to find Stefani slipping her hand onto his. Rain and Raven gasped, not having seen her move before she took his hand. Cole and Duncan stepped forward, Rodan's eyes met Coles, and recognition filled his eyes. "How glad I am to see our treatments did not break you, then again you've always been a formidable warrior, eh Mactire. I suppose our little reunion will have to wait." Rodan's slick smile made them tense, there was something sinister in the slick smile. Hale growled at the man who so openly taunted his brother. He was the Mactire Alpha and regardless of their age difference, Cole was his to defend! 

A tear rushed down Stefani's cheeks, she screamed inside hating the contact of Varcolac's skin on hers, but could find no voice or strength to defy him. The pulsing bruise collaring her neck was somehow taking control of her actions, moving her to his will. She whimpered as he leaned down, inhaling the fragrance of her skin. "Don't touch her!" Rain growled after the rogue. Stefani couldn't look back at him but her eyes moved over the short haired female on the ground beside her, the witch who cast this horrid spell. Her body lay on the ground unmoving. Stefani could only hear a shallow heart beat and knew the woman wouldn't live long. She wondered how many hundreds had suffered at the rogue's touch. How many lives had he destroyed?! 

"And just to ensure you all don't make too much of a fuss, we brought you gifts, although the venom in their veins won't keep them alive for long. You'll have to get through my men to retrieve them." Varcolac showed them his back as he motioned Stefani to follow, his fellow rogue vampires parting as they walked through and away. Rodan and one of the large vampires stepped forward and placed the gifts, a female and male, on the ground with their backs to them and their faces hidden by manes of hair. 

The rogue vampires before them were large, covered in black leather, some wearing capes, their talons were extended and matching black or red eyes. Some wore intricate markings along their faces and arms and their blood thirst was obvious. If you asked they couldn't place it, but they all sensed there was something different about these rogues. "It's such a pity to leave her this way. But you know I'll be back for her. Watch her for me Cole. " Rodan teased as his eyes sparkled in Cole's direction.  

The air in the cave was charged with energy, the male testosterone overwhelming. Lithinia gave her sister a look and immediately the three witches began building their own magic. They each reinforced their speed spell. The markings on Ostara's forearms tingled as she let her magic build. Her eyes flickered and glowed a bright orange as orange semiautomatic pistols appeared in her hands. She felt the weight of them and smiled. Syfien closed her eyes, calling out to her magic, feeling it rush forward inside her and a long thin blade materialized in her hand. She felt it pulsing in sync to her magical energy. Lithinia felt for her own power, letting it bathe her in it's strength. She felt it seeping out of her pores as it covered her skin lightly, becoming a shield she would use. The three of them knew that amongst the group, they were the most susceptible to losing against a vampire. After all, a vampire's speed was hard to match, but thankfully their spells worked in such a way that it allowed them to move at a similar pace. Lithinia looked at the bodies on the ground and made a mental note to reach them first. 

Cole felt his body tense as he moved forward, his eyes glued to the couple on the ground. His hands shook with anger. Such was his focus that he missed the dagger flying at him until Raven stood before him and caught it, sending it back to the vampire rogue who threw it, hitting his mark with deadly results. "Whatever you have planned won't work Varcolac! This will not bring back your Rose!" Raven called after the rogues. 

"She was taken from me. I will bring her back!" Varcolac's dark voice filled the silence, the madness in his words leaving them all baffled. Unsure of his meaning or Raven's connection to the man, they watched as the three figures walked further and further away. 

Cole's hands visibly shook. His eyes roamed over the two bodies in front of him, his subconscious already knowing who those bodies belonged to. The woman's red brown curls were cut unnaturally short and the man's dark hair was left ragged, long, and unkept. The unconscious man's broad naked shoulders were crisscrossed in scars. Cole couldn't see their faces, but he would recognize their bodies for as long as he lived. 

"You've had them all this time... What— What have you done to them?" Cole growled as his body erupted and his wolf burst free. He dove towards the rogue but was caught easily mid air by a vampire. Everyone immediately burst into action. Rain and Duncan ran forward, dodging the vampires as their wolves also burst free. Rain, in his black wolf form, used the wind to slam down three rogue vampires who moved to attack him. Raven jumped high towards Varcolac, Rodan and Stefani as they continued to walk away from them and closer to the waterfall. He let out a growl as two vampires rushed him, blocking his path. He hissed, his fangs extending, and he let his vampire come to the front. 

Katrina stuck close to the witches to shield them. Reaching for her daggers she threw them flying at blinding speed, to strike one of the vampires who'd tried to approach them. Katrina moved fast and blocked the talons heading for Syfien's throat, kicking the vampire, his body was thrust backwards. "I'll stick with you. Let's get down to those two." The three witches nodded and fought their way to the bodies on the ground. 

Luciano hissed as he saw one of the rogues closing in on Katrina. He reared back and used his speed to slash the man with his talons before the rogue could reach her. Ostara shot at one persistent vampire who kept materializing from place to place. She was frustrated, she hadn't hit him once and usually her aim was true. Something about these vampires was unusual. They moved a lot faster than she was used to, their movements were energized with different magic. 'What are they?' 

While the rest of her group fought the rogues, Stefani fought against the mental shackles that had been placed on her. No sound escaped her, but she knew Varcolac could feel her struggling. 'You won't get away with this!' 

"My Little One, we already have." Varcolac's voice whispered against her ear. She watched them approach the waterfall and could feel the moisture of the water on her skin. The air was stale. Now that the rogues had appeared the one calming energy around her was mistrustful of their darkness. Stefani raged, her vampire and wolf both seething at the thought of their darkness tainting this place. This sacred place that had called for her, had welcomed her. 'Varcolac and Rodan would not win.' She vowed, blinded by her rage. 

"You can fight us all you want, but if you do, you'll never have the chance to meet your parents," Rodan' taunted. He walked at pace with both of them, although his complexion spoke volumes of his deterioration. Stefani tensed at his words. 'Parents?' 

Varcolac laughed. "Yes, Rose. We left your mother and father for your little dogs to play with. You see, we had them injected with snake shifter poison, one of the most lethal poisons in existence. It tenderizes the meat from the inside out, bursting their organs and bones until they're dead. Very messy stuff. I thought we would bring them to you, offer up their dead bodies as a gift." 

Stefani felt her body buzzing, the usual violent energy inside her ascending in anger, and this time she didn't fight it down. She let it build, embracing it's burn. 

Stefani had spent years never knowing who she'd come from, and now she walked away unknowingly from the two people who'd brought her into this world, only to find out they were dying. She wanted to turn back, to look at the bodies, even though she knew they'd been tossed onto the ground. She had passed them and hadn't even looked at their faces. She wanted to scream. Tears pricked her eyes. 'Monsters!' 

"Do not worry Little One. Once you've giving us the power we want. I will revive them for you and give them back to you. Would you like that?" 

She snarled internally. hating Varcolac for whatever delusions he had. The three of them stopped as they reached the edge of the stream that flowed from the waterfall. Stefani's eyes immediately landed on the little mound in the center, it looked like a small island, surrounded by the stream on all sides. There were carvings on the stone island before her. She imagined they matched the ones from the outside wall. 

Varcolac looked at Rodan, who smiled in his direction. Rodan knew this is what he'd been waiting for his whole life. This moment. He could feel it. Could feel the energy grazing him. It was all around them, and in a moment, when the female hybrid unlocked it's core, it would burst unbidden and unrestrained. That's when he and Varcolac would step forward to claim it, become one with it. Then they'd be the most powerful creatures to ever walk the surface of the planet. His pupils dilated in anticipation. The wolf inside Rodan howled, clawing his mind, eager for blood. 

Rain tore off the head of a vampire, blood dripping down his muzzle as he searched for Stefani. He narrowed his eyes in frustration. They'd made progress taking down the rogues, but she was still further ahead. He howled, slamming into the body of another rogue vampire to clear a path as he ran forward towards them. Something hard struck him from the left, tossing his body against the rocky wall. Raven stopped the oncoming vampire from attacking Rain while the wolf shook off the rock debris that covered him. He noted the almost uncontrollable fury in the rogue vampires and knew they were to far gone to be reasoned with. 'What did Varcolac do?' He wondered in horror, even as he tore another of the creature's head from its shoulders. He looked back and found Lithinia and Katrina working steadily over the unconscious couple laying on the ground. Luciano, Ostara and Syfien shielded them from the attacks from the rogues coming at them. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 18



Rain growled as his soul screamed for her. 'Must protect, Stefani.' 

Varcolac's eyes contracted as his eyes faded from black to his usual sparkling emerald. Immediately Stefani tumbled to the ground gasping for breath, feeling the burning collar around the skin of her neck begin to fade as he let her go from his control,. 

"This won't work with you under my control. This is something you must do willingly." 'He's insane if he thinks I'm going to do anything willingly.' She thought drily. Stefani winced as she felt the throbbing pain in the back of her mind as it rushed forward, rising throughout her brain. As if his tight control had been the only thing standing in the way of the voices that threatened to overwhelm her. As the pain grew, it scorched everything in the path of her mind, and she sensed the madness begin. Voices exploded inside of her head, she cried out in pain, her fangs dropped and throbbed in agony. The energy that lay dormant inside her now hummed, vibrating hard enough to shake her skin. Stefani watched with terror as her body vibrated so rapidly she was literally watching the particles that made up her organic material fade. 

"You know what you have to do." Rodan yanked her back to her feet and tossed her forward into the water. In Stefani's mind everything dimmed, the voices screamed louder for a second and then blissfully her consciousness faded the moment her knees hit the water. 

Silent moments passed for her while her body lifted from the water, her head fell forward and a wind picked up around her. Her body floated as if gravity held no dominion over her. Her long black hair and the white, translucent twinkling gown she wore floated around her calmly, oblivious to the chaos around them. 

Several minutes later, Stefani's body lowered enough for her toes to touch the surface of the water, sending ripples of power out, stunning everyone who watched. She walked forward over the surface of the water. Her eyes opened, one gold and one blood red, they glowed brightly as if backlit. Once again her features took on a vacant expression while she walked calmly over the water. The silver mist surrounding her thickened as it seeped out from the water beneath her, tangling her in its' hold as she moved. 

Lithinia worked hard on the injured woman laying on the ground while Katrina worked on the male beside her. Her hands were placed over the woman's forehead and torso. She used her energy to search for the toxin and worked on extracting it wherever she found the poison. Her eyes closed and she forced herself to focus on saving the woman, who was fading faster as time passed. Lithinia heard her sister's intake of breath, then felt the power burst and immediately knew it was from Stefani. Even so, she could not miss a moment of focus, or the woman would die. 

Ostara hissed as one of the rogue vampire's talons managed to pierce her upper shoulder. She was thankful for Luciano who shoved the rogue out of the way before he could do any more damage. The burning in her shoulder stunned her as she panted hard. Tears gathered in her eyes. She heard the whimpers of a wolf in the distance and she forced more of her magic to load another round into her magical semiautomatic pistol. The markings on her arms pulsed, and with the help of a spell, she ran dodging the vampires, until her gaze fell on a rogue vampire who was holding down one of the wolves, it's talons deeply embedded in the wolf's side. Ostara lifted her palms, unrelenting as she shot the creature dead, then rushed to the side of the bleeding creature. Ostara shushed him while she placed her palms gently over the wound on his side. The wolf watched her with dull eyes. Ostara groaned as her magic pulsed from her hands into the wolf, knitting back the tissue, dulling his pain. Her strength didn't lie in healing, but she had to trust that for now it'd be enough to keep him from death. She picked up her pistol and shot at another vampire rushing towards her. Catching him in the leg, she smirked at his furious hiss. "Look at the big vampire injured by little old me. Is that all you got vampire?" The rogue came at her once again, and she put a bullet between his eyes to finish him. 

Syfien was on the other side of the cave, moving her baby blue gaze away from her younger sister who'd left to help the wolf. Syfien used her blade to draw magic lines on the ground, building a barrier against the rogues. She circled her priestess and the healer vampire with the barrier. By herself it'd be hard to build such a large shield, but using the magic lines created by her blade she'd be able to draw power from the ground to sustain the shield. She brushed the sweat from her forehead, panting from the effort it took to use the multi-magic for this purpose. 

Cole and Hale worked together, circling a rogue and tag teaming them. They made a fierce duo. Cole's fury roared to life as he felt Stefani's power pulse coming from the woman he considered a sister. Hale roared as he tore the arm from one of the rogues, only to be tossed by another. Cole growled, jumping on the rogue's back with his full weight. 

Raven watched as Stefani reached the center island, her bare feet moving swiftly through the stone to stand in the center. The vacant expression on her face showed that once again someone else was in the drivers seat and she wasn't conscious of what she was doing. Rodan tossed his coat aside and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, nodding to Varcolac, whose eyes were glued on the hybrid. They moved in sync and stepped into the stream, which was deeper than they imagined. Varcolac had been warned to stay at the same pace as Rodan, as it was important to enter the altar while Stefani was in the middle of the process of opening the gate. As they approached, they both noted that Stefani stood in the inner circle of the island and the surrounding area was marked by several foreign symbols. She stood her ground, facing ahead but unaffected. Her features were comatose, like a zombie. 

Suddenly Stefani lifted her wrists and pierced both of them with her fangs. She held her wrists up, as if in offering. The blood from the wound lifted and floated around her, just like in zero gravity, until it surrounded her. The ground beneath her pulsed, drumming steadily to a beat none of them could understand. Varcolac and Rodan reached the small island as Stefani's head fell back, her dual gold and red eyes blazing in the darkness. Her empty eyes watched above for something that no one could see. The two rogues stood tall before her and they stepped in unison into the inner circle that she was in. 

Stefani waited patiently as the power of the earth accumulated beneath her. Somewhere in the greater universe 8 stars aligned, their individual power building into a crescendo that blinded those who could see the waves. The seemingly translucent magic lengthened, connecting all 8 stars, and Stefani's body jerked. The floating blood from her wrists rained down, where it landed sparks of gold and silver lit up the darkness. 

The ground beneath her lit up and silver liquid climbed up her body, beginning at her ankles, then moving swiftly towards her knees. Stefani's body shook as tremors ran through her body. The vampire inside her hissed and the wolf howled simultaneously as the force of their power merged the two consciousness's together, harmonizing their incompatible energies. Stefani felt herself tumbling downwards. In the past there was no way she would have been able to fight against the onslaught of power surrounding and filling her. She saw the wolf/vampire inside her and reached for them, unwilling to let go of that part of herself even as her human soul sizzled. 

A wailing scream pushed past her lips as her mind woke up. Fury filled her. Her eyes snapped open, the color bleeding out of them as fire erupted around the island, a solid wall of fire, closing them in. Her fangs lengthened as fury overtook her.  

Rain growled, as his paws hit the edge of the stream he saw glimpses of Stefani's figure through the fire. He raged as another vampire tried to pierce his skin with his sharp talons. He dodged, making sure to keep his gaze towards his mate. His sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness, eager to sink themselves into the rogues flesh. No one would stand between him and his mate. He'd kill them all.. His wolf agreed as they tore the life from the rogue before them. Raven reached for Rain, calming the beast. He looked for a way to reach the island but could see no way through. The flames were hot enough to burn even at this distance, he couldn't image the heat from actually being on the island. He frowned as he contemplated the problem. 

Stefani stood facing the rogues, her wails were unrestrained as the liquid silver light moved past her hips and over her stomach. She could feel the particles of light attaching themselves to every molecule in her body, tearing them apart. She panted as the rogues came forward from different directions. She wanted to fight, to push them away, now that she'd woken up. Stefani cried out as each of their hands fell onto her shoulders. She struggled forward as the powerful energy passed her breast and moved up towards her shoulders. She knew the moment they were touched by it because they froze, unprepared for it. Both Varcolac and Rodan tensed as the silver light moved over their hands, up their forearms and shoulders. Stefani hissed, the energy pushed harder, climbing against her throat. The blue red flames around the island grew higher. 

Lithinia continued to pant as she knelt beside the now slumbering but safe woman and man. She'd managed to remove all trace of the toxin, at a great cost to her own body. She looked up to see Katrina reaching towards her, placing a cool hand over her forehead, and sending an energy weave into her spirit. "How do you still have the energy for me?" Lithinia whispered. She received only a sad smile from the vampire, who was only able to give her enough to stand, but no more. Both of them felt the heat from Stefani's fire ring erupt at the same time, and both winced from it's strength. Before Lithinia could comment, Katrina pushed the witch back, removed a blade from the straps over her thigh then used it to deflect the talons of an incoming vampire rogue. She grunted from his strength and dodged his attacks. 

Katrina needed one opening. She grunted. 'Got you!' Katrina thought victoriously as she danced around his moves, kicked out his knee cap, then slammed her elbow to his face. As he fell she slit his throat and he died before he hit the ground. 

Lithinia watched as Katrina jumped high into the air, a moment later was caught mid air by Luciano, then they both fell onto two rogues who were circling a pair of wolves. Lithinia swallowed hard, they were a formidable couple. She brushed the sweat from her brow and looked around for her sisters. Her desperate gaze couldn't find them, she sensed them near by but was unaware of when they'd left her side or where they were. 

Luciano's talons dug into the vampire's chest, blood washing over his hands as he grasped the man's heart and yanked it from his chest. A wide grin broke over his face as the man fell and he threw the offending thing over his shoulders. They were all worn down and hot. Sweat ran down his back as he looked up at the flaming wall ahead. 

Luciano sensed movement to his left and recognized talons heading for him. Luciano prepared himself to attack when his vision was interrupted, as he saw Katrina's hair whipping behind her as she intercepted and kicked the rogue vampire to the wall. She jumped to the rogue and yanked him into the air by the throat then threw him back in Luciano's direction. He smiled, tensed his body and met the flying man half way, tearing his head from his shoulders in one swift move. 

Katrina stepped to his side, pausing for only a second, her hand brushing over his cheek, and in that short moment there was more emotion in those eyes than he'd ever seen from her before. Then just like that, she was gone, as she moved onto the next rogue in her sight. Luciano hissed, unwilling to leave her, so he followed after her, intercepting a rogue heading her way and killing it. As Katrina and Luciano attacked, their wolf allies joined in working together to get rid of them. 

Stefani's head fell backwards as the silver like liquid covered her vision, and filtered into her mouth, trickling into her throat, filling her insides like jello. In that moment, her body pulsed. The rogues beside her were also covered head to toe in the liquid silver and pulsed beside her. 

**** 

Darkness surrounded Stefani like a suffocating blanket. The strange silence filled her and dimly she realized it had worked. The gate was open and flowing freely into her, changing her DNA make up. Yet, something was wrong, she felt it in her soul, an emptiness. A strange, frighteningly empty place opened in her soul, a cold, barren, aching place, where the suffering of countless creatures filled her. Anguish burned like concentrated acid, searing into the deepest, most guarded part of her soul. Rage and something else rose up to greet it. Strong, wild and violent, that dreadful energy swelled inside her, straining against the confines of the barrier within her mind. 

'Rain,' she screamed for him. Needing him. She realized that Rain- even unarmed and in his human form- was her living shield against the dark. Not Cole, not Raven, not fang or weapons, or even the devastating power that lived inside her now. Rain, himself. Her wolf and vampire agreed, calling out for their mate. In the darkness she finally realized, understood fully, what it meant for Rain to have another part of her soul. He was her mate. He was her armor. He was her light. Just as she was his. With him by her side, no force in heaven or earth or even the darkest shadow was stronger. With him, through him, she was the being that the universe had birthed her to be. The power that shone brightest when the darkness reached it's peak. 

Rodan and Varcolac might have made her what she was physically, but that did not mean she had to fulfill their purpose. Desperately, she reached for every ounce of power that she could summon- not just from the vast source that welled up inside her, but from everyone around her, every wolf, vampire and witch that stood beside her, to every person with whom she shared a connection. She channeled that power, not through the body chained in the physical world, but through her soul, deep within the universe that she floated through. 

The realization came soon after. There was darkness in her. She could not deny it. But there was darkness in Rain, too, and it didn't make him evil. It didn't make him less worthy of love. All magic comes from the many gods of the universe. Stefani let the light fill her and released her fear. For Rain's sake she forced herself to face everything in her own soul, the gentleness of the wolf, the savagery of the vampire and the fragility of the humanity she'd grown up as, the light and the darkness. She confronted it, accepted it. And then she threw open the barriers around her soul, allowing the gate to fill her with what it desired. 

Without fear, without shame, without reservation. She understood that to be with Rain, she had to let him go. To save him, to save all the innocent that called out to her, she had to do this. Had to willingly accept everything the universe needed her to be, and abandon everything she once had been. 

Her head, her body, her entire being felt as if it were on fire. Pain gripped her with stabbing, thorny hands. White agony crowded her vision. Tremendous pressure strained her senses, relentless and intensifying beyond her capacity to bear. She screamed again, a shriek of anguish, denial, and fury that reverberated with wild force through consciousness and soul. 

The lifelong unseen barrier within her mind snapped. Power, hot, violent, and immense, poured through the gap. All at once, her body lit up and she could only sense warmth. Could feel the unfiltered joy of the universe as it latched onto every particle of her soul and body, and she felt herself explode. 

Across the vast universe all-powerful beings stood and took notice as the youngest Chosen was at last born. 

****** 

A silver mist surrounded Stefani, enveloping her body in magic, saturating her skin, her breath, her bones, filling her being until the vast magic growing in every cell of her body overflowed and merged. Her form dissolved in an explosion of pain and bliss. The brilliant energy that was Stefani changed. What emerged from the transforming mist however, was neither wolf nor vampire but more. A creature of pure light, as blinding as the great sun. Violent tremors shook the ground beneath her feet and all around the cavern. 

Stefani's eyes snapped open. She threw her head back as the magic rushed to fill her. It didn't feel like she expected it to. It wasn't dark, evil or twisted as they'd all quietly assumed. It wasn't sickly sweet and corruptive like she'd imagined. It was electric and exquisite, glorious and frightening all at once. Stefani reached out for more, drawing it to her effortlessly until she felt as if her body was gone and she was a living flame. 

She was magic, pure, hot, and deadly. She was a newborn goddess who had discovered that she could do more than just rail against those who had harmed her. 

'They had taken her, used her, and abused her. Destroyed her family. Destroyed thousands of lives that now clamored inside her and implored for justice. 

She would destroy them.' 

Stefani stood in the center of the altar, born anew. Her eyes were unreal, so brilliantly unusual. They seemed colorless. They were crystal clear, yet white and silver all at once. They looked exactly, and sparkled like diamonds, multi-faceted, beautifully cut, with the color of platinum behind them setting off their beauty. Her eyes enhanced every movement as they caught the light. She blinked her thick, black, curved lashes over them. Her face was shaped in the familiar delicate curves of a heart, the soft-bow lips and she had a slim nose that ended in the slightest upward tilt. The silver mist surrounding her now clung to her every part, as if it was a part of her. 

She looked around to the tall flickering flames that surrounded them. She could see Rain clearly through the flames, knowing he could not see her. Stefani could feel him. His essence pulsed strongly within her newly born raw senses. There were also the the multitude of cries from the innocent, the wronged and corrupted souls, each singular voice calling out to her soul, demanding vengeance from within her mind. 

Stefani looked back at the two rogues who stood immobile, still covered by the silver light. She noted the gate's energy connected them, holding her in place along side them, and she let out a resigned breath. The same energy that changed her, connected their spirits to hers, and although they were unlikely to pass unscathed through the eye of the gate, she knew that if she didn't do something soon they would achieve what they desired through force. She could already feel Rodan's energy dissipating from the power of the gate. 

The power that could only be hers. 'Fools.' 

Stefani straightened her shoulders and, without much effort, lifted the source of her magic. Her eyes filled with tears. The edges of her mind expanding, and no longer was she the wide-eyed human- hybrid creature. She had transcended. There was so much she now understood, so much her mind now grasped. Her gaze moved upward, begging the mother of the universe for strength as her energy built. 




Kissed by Lightning Ch. 18



** 

With a roar of fury, Rain swung around, throwing the rogue off of his back. Without warning, a blast of power slammed through Rain, so fierce and so raw that it made his wolf form stagger. 

Stefani. He spun to face her direction and froze in his tracks. Raven stood behind him, equally staggered by the strength of the power emanating from behind the flames. Lithinia looked up, the familiarity of all of this settling in her bones a second before she caught a glimpse of a startling pair of eyes. She gasped. Lithinia could only catch a glance through the flickering fire between them, but the girl's body radiated like a white star. 

Even through the flames, they could see the power crackling around her figure like a nimbus, tendrils of lightning reaching to the high celling above them, and all around them through the fire. Its crackle and pop charged the air with electricity. 

Rain shifted, his body growing tall into his human form as he watched in awe of her newfound strength. "Stefani!" he whispered. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes as her incandescent form grew brighter. 

He couldn't make out anything more than her figure through the flames. But he could feel her presence; taste her brightness, with his every breath. She was light. She was glorious and unstoppable. Her power pulsed in the air, showering his every cell with dazzling brightness and searing, electric heat. He could feel himself being pulled towards that brightness, wanting to join with it, to surrender to it's essence. He desired to be unmade and transformed, as she had been. What she had begun, they could not- would not halt. Whatever lay ahead, he'd face it by her side. 'Stefani. Mate of mine.' Rain turned back to her and reached out with all of his senses, hoping, praying she'd hear him. 

Relief washed over Rain as Cole stepped beside him, grasping his shoulder in understanding, obviously affected by the power display in the same way. The rogues would not win- could not win against this- against her. 

"Hear me! For all the helpless before your evil, We have come. We are wrath, the rage of the living. We are vengeance, the fury of the dead. We are the light that will stand forever against your darkness!" Stefani's blazing light grew from behind the fire. Her voice was a crack of thunder. "We are liberty, the hammer that breaks all bonds." There was an undertone in the feminine voice that was familiar but it was layered with multiple voices on top of it, as if millions were speaking through her, and with her. 

Stefani reared her head back and howled, the fire bursting upwards, sealing her with the two rogues in a cylinder of flames. Rivers of light swirled around Stefani's body, spinning faster and faster, as her power rose and grew even larger. The visible lightning expanded. 

Everywhere her lightning touched, evil and darkness dissolved, the vampire rogues faded like glowing sparks. What remained of their existence floated up, some looked like small, sparkling globes, but most were dark red and black, similar to embers that rise from a fire. The sparks floated towards the light that was Stefani, joining her light, feeding it. Just as Stefani could channel the energy of those around her and channel it through herself, now she could absorb all evil, unmaking the darkness and channeling it's power into light. Stefani smiled a brilliant smile. She would protect the people she loved, and the many others who needed her. 

The group shielded their eyes as the brightness grew, astounded by her fierce radiance. Lithinia fought for breath as a voice pierced her mind and understanding overwhelmed her. 

'Priestess. It is time.' 

The female's voice set an unsettling hum through Lithinia's body that she identified as magic. Magic so strong and pure, flowing from the girl's voice and into her own body. Lithinia could do nothing more than stand in awe. Around her all sounds dimmed and panic set in. "No!" Lithinia screamed, rushing forward towards the fire dome. Raven grabbed her arm tightly, urging her backwards, unsure of her uncaused reaction. 

The brilliant light from behind the fire grew until Lithinia was forced to look away. She felt her magic being syphoned out of her without her control, through the conduit of that tiny spark of golden foreign magic she hadn't understood. And now awareness dawned on her as that foreign energy belonging to Stefani that had laid dormant until now, unleashed and syphoning Lithinia's own magical power within seconds and violently reaching out to every member with whom she had a connection to. Lithinia saw those souls behind her minds eye as bright sparks, at least a dozen lights lit up in her mind. She recognized her sisters, the vampires and the wolves before she tumbled once more. Hundreds of those same sparks light up farther across her spirits eye, leaving her in a daze. She gritted her teeth from the insufferable pressure building inside her fragile human body and fell to her knees. Her magic flew like a torrent whiplash snaked around her group, leaving her weak. In the distance she heard her sisters intake of breath, Katrina's scream, and Rain's echoing call. 

A moment later, Stefani's altered voice whispered in her mind, 'Protect them.' Then the blinding figure of Stefani stepped forward into the circle as they all watched in awe. Her eyes warmed and Lithinia could only stare, wide-eyed and baffled, as a pulsing explosion came from the glowing girl's body, thrusting Lithinia's human body back as her witch magic burst like a dam in response. The rogues behind Stefani roared in anger as they exploded in response to her release. Lithinia screamed, looking around with blurred vision as the cave collapsed. And then everything went dark. 

****** 

Rain floated in space. There was darkness all around him. He couldn't recall how he'd gotten there or why he was there. 

'Stefani?' He felt her all around him, could taste her on his tongue. Just like that, she appeared shrouded in silver light. She was Stefani, the loud mouthed, human girl he'd fallen in love with. She looked just as she had when he'd first met her. Human. Her natural, dark brown hair reached a little past her shoulders, along with the thick curvy body and the simple warm brown eyes, she was still the woman he remembered so fondly. He never thought he'd see her in this form again. 

Her eyes sought out his and gentled. She gave him a dazzling, tender smile. 

'Forgive me, Rain. I have failed you.' The words weren't spoken from her mouth but brushed across his mind, a whisper of regret sighed upon the faltering threads of their unclaimed mate bond. 

"No. Stefani. No. You've never failed me. You've been strong, courageous. You could never fail me. Stefani, I love you..." Tears flooded his eyes, blurred his vision even as joy flooded him at the sight of her. Finally they were free. He wanted to move towards her but couldn't find the strength. Tears sparkled in her eyes, and fell down her cheeks unrestrained. She moved closer to him, her small hands reaching up to touch his chest briefly, as he watched her cry silently. 

'I will protect you, my wolf, no matter what becomes of me...' The whisper in his mind triggered something inside him. He had fought enough to recognize death. Her soul had slipped from her flesh and was beginning to fade. She moved further and further from his sight, until she was nothing but a spark of brilliant light in the distance, like a star. He reached out to her, his soul screaming for her. For the human woman, turned hybrid who'd stolen his heart. A brief scorching pain spread through his chest, his vision faded and Rain was no more. 

***



Kissed by Lightning Ch. 19



Epilogue. 

"Love, 

After all, 

Always said more about those who felt it 

Than it did about the ones they loved." 

***** 

Rain heard someone calling his name, but he couldn't make himself respond. His body was a strange blend of numbness and incessant tingling. Hot pain seared across his chest and then faded. Everything was grey. He felt like he was floating. 

Then he heard someone urgently speaking Stefani's name. His wolf surged. 

"Stefani," he said suddenly, his eyes flying open. He was on his feet a fraction of a second. His gaze absorbed everything in as little time as it took to get to his feet. Duncan was beside him in a seconds notice, his betas expression was strained. Rain looked around wildly, they were back at the entrance of the cave amongst the woods. The cave now torn and fallen in on it self. He stood in the mists of the debris of rocks and trees. He didn't understand how they were here. The three witch sisters were all on the ground, Lithinia was not moving and the vampire elder sat on his heels perched above her. His twelve warriors were on different states of shifted, unshifted men and women laying against trees, looking relatively unharmed, and avoiding his gaze. Katrina was draped over a large rock unconscious, Luciano was reaching for her. Hale held Cole's shoulder tightly as Cole trembled above an unfamiliar couple on the ground. 

The group noticed him a fraction of a second, before he spoke. Raven stood from his spot on the ground. 

"Where..." Rain trailed off, moving forward though the debris. His throat tightening with fear as he looked around but couldn't spot Stefani. He suddenly pulled at his wolf's essence, the animal was strangely quiet. Realization slowly began to penetrate as he listened to the wind brush across the wreckage. 

"Rain—" Raven began. 

"No!" he shouted. 

Rain heard the terror in his own voice. But he refused to hear what he knew the vampire Elder was going to say. 'No. Oh, God, no. Please.' He couldn't bear to hear anything other than the thought that Stefani would be okay. 

"We haven't found her body, Alpha." Duncan said, his voice subdued. 

And then a soft voice whispered, "She used Lithinia's power." 

They all turned and looked at Syfien, who was now sitting, propped up by Alex, a wolf. She studied her sister with clear brown eyes. Her small tan hands wrapped around her elder sister's. Those lovely eyes filled. "She channeled Lithinia's power to transport us out of the cave. I think in order to keep the rogues there, she had to... " 

Cole and Hale closed their eyes and bowed their heads, making Rain's heart seize like a ball of ice in his chest. Fighting the urge to close his own eyes to brace himself, he pushed past the panic and spoke, "Why aren't you looking?" He was involuntarily running this hands up and down his arms as though he could rub feeling into them. He could still smell her sweet strawberry scent. He swallowed hard against the impact her scent had upon his fragile grasp on his feelings. "We will find her!" 

"Alpha, the cave collapsed in on itself. We've been running for an hour looking for signs of her." Duncan responded, his voice even more solemn than usual. He exchanged glances with the others. "Raven can't feel her." 

When rain continued to look blank and desperate for a clear explanation, Raven reached out and covered his shoulder with hand. "I can no longer feel her. Our connection is gone," he explained softly. "Rain, I am so sorry. Such a connection can only be ruptured if...The cave collapsed, this is something no vampire infant could survive." 

*** *** 

Something no vampire infant could survive. 

Raven's words echoed in Rain's mind. They became sort of a mantra. After, all he reasoned Stefani was more than a vampire. 

But he knew. 

Katrina was awake and healed enough as she walked towards them of her own volition. Blood covered half of her face but it didn't seem to bother her. She stood to the side, her arms around Luciano, who was equally covered in dried blood. Ostara was awake and had a nasty looking bruise over her tattooed arms, and blood covered the top half of her shoulder. Their eyes were all centered on Rain's still form. 

When all of his pack had once again come back from their search and had found nothing, Duncan had spoken the words quietly to him. Rain knelt, called forth his wolf and prayed to the gods. He spread his senses, used the wind to search for a heart beat or her scent. 

But he knew. 

Hale stood beside Cole to support his brother as the man broke apart. Tears shed down his face as his lungs heaved for breath. The bodies of her parents, recovered and safe, were unconscious near the Mactire brothers. 

And he knew. 

What he'd experience was real. He knew he'd seen her in his mind. In the darkness, her soul found him, reached out to him, the other half of her soul releasing him from their fragile connection. 

And he knew. 

He would survive this, because they'd never properly mated. Such possibility of a connection had been severed forever. If he could survive the rogue fever that would consume him, he and his wolf would live. But that was not a concern to him. 'No.' He would suffer far worse than the mere rogue fever, because he would live through the rest of his life knowing his mate had died while he was hopeless to save her. 

Yes, they all knew Rain would grieve for his entire existence and they would do whatever was in their power to help him survive it. Rain prayed to the gods with everything human and wolf in him that he'd wake up and find this to be a nightmare. He tried to send his wind further, brushing against the trees and the soil, searching for her. He could feel it all, every slumbering creature and plant but not her. Even when they'd been apart, when she'd been taken, he had at least sensed her. He had sensed that they would be soon together again. Now, there was nothing. 

And he knew. 

Rain sat in self-enforced numbness, willing the others around him to help him search for her body. His hands were clenched in front of him, like he knelt in prayed, which was exactly what he was doing. He looked out at the fallen cave entrance, the high rocks clustered around each other. He listened for her with his mind with an equal intensity. 

And the pain began. Physically he only felt the searing burn in his chest but was too numb to feel anything else. 

And then a gust of wind drew in flocks of fallen leaves. 

And it shattered him. 

Before he could project the thought and thus prompt someone to stop him, he scrambled desperately over to the cluster of rocks on his hands and knees. He lifted one and tossed it to the side, digging through the debris. And simply allowed himself to feel. 

"Oh, God—Stefani!" his voice broke. 

When digging through them himself was too slow, he brought forth the winds to break through the stone, bringing forth nothing short of hurricane winds. The agony he sensed in his wolf became his own, an uncontrollable anguish that pierced his heart and soul. He howled. And when the pain came crashing down to the wolves in connection to him, and the empaths in the vicinity, the sensation was so intense that there were audible gasps and soft cries. 

He would have done anything to bring her back. Every moment of silence, of knowing she wasn't there ripped through him. He clawed and fought refusing to let her go to the earth. 

The aching emptiness where Stefani's' light had lived inside him was now a drowning abyss. He could hear voices calling his name in the distance but the words did not penetrate the thick fog of despair. He'd failed. He'd failed Stefani. He'd failed his pack. He'd failed her parents. Stefani. He'd failed the world. 

Because of Rain's emotional outburst, Cole had fallen to his knees, his body bursting into flames as grief tore through him. Hale was the only one who could approach his brother without being burnt and focused on channeling the flames without injuring anyone. Hale let himself grieve over the smiling female he'd met as well. Duncan and the other wolves called out to their alpha, unwilling to let him grieve alone but unable to approach him through the severity of the winds. Raven picked up Lithinia's unconscious body and noted the tears that streamed unrestrained down her cheeks, even subconsciously she must feel his pain. The vampire elder moved further back behind the trembling trees, knowing Rain needed to grieve but cautious of the violent winds. Ostara and Syfien both wept along with Rain and Cole. Rain's savage grief unbearable to witness. 

Katrina's stood to the side, with Luciano's arms wrapped around her as sobs tore through her. Her empath senses, unable to close entirely to his ragged grief, left her raw and vulnerable to it. She wailed against Luciano's chest. Unable to control her emotions, she simply let Luciano take care of her as her knees gave out she fell to the ground and he followed. Luciano held his best friend as she wrapped herself around him, crying in a way he'd never seen, and he understood it was Rain's grief that tore through her. 

And all Luciano wanted to do was drag her away. Run as fast and as far from the grieving man as he could, all to save her this pain. But he knew Katrina had held the hybrid girl close and it was her own grief that resonated so strongly with the O'Faolain Alpha. There was nothing that Luciano could do but support her. He ran his hands through her short brown, red tipped hair and breathed in her scent. His whole body shuddered just to know she was safe and alive. He ignored the twinge of heat that spread through him, as a strange presence shifted in his soul without his knowledge. Luciano held on tighter to Katrina as her body trembled. Rain let out a piercing howl and it echoed through the distance. 

The woods fell silent, numb and everything stood still as the earth bled and grieved over it's child. In the far distance, high above the clouds, past the layers of atmosphere and into the vast star covered universe, 8 twinkling stars pulsed and sang a melody of welcoming. 

They sang the name of a child long forgotten. 

Something unlocked and released, a wave of power aiming to awaken all of it's children. 

Things would change after this day. 

And the Universe thought, 

nothing would ever be the same. 

***** 

"And I knew... 

I knew I was born to be his. 

But I could no longer exist in his universe. 

And he could never belong in mine." 

~ Stefani (KBL) 

© [Angie Jaimes] [2015] [Kissed By Lightning].



Kissed by Lightning



Cole was parked in his car, focusing all of his energy. He could feel his beast fighting to surface as her fear slipped into his mind. She was drugged and she was being brought outside. He had a better shot at getting to her there, than rushing into a club infested with vampires. Cole let out a growl, his eyes turning yellow as he spied a big man coming out the back door with a limp form in his arms. He watched as he threw her roughly in the back of the van and he couldn't help but step out of the car. They had made a big mistake taking his sister. With long confident strides he walked over to the van. It only took one moment for the vampire to burst into flames before he even realized what happened. 

Cole knew he had to move fast, snapping the door off the van with his un-human strength, he only took a second to look over Stefani as he picked her up, a deep fury boiling inside him at the very thought of those filthy animals touching her. In under five minutes he had her strapped in, backed the car out of the alley and into the streets. 

That's when the shame hit him, he should have protected her better, he should have taken her away a long time ago. She slurred softly in his mind, ' snot your fault' making him smile softly. Even unconscious she felt when he was in turmoil. He took a deep breath, working on his control as he sped through the dark roads. 

Varcolac stared angrily down at the broken door of the van, scenting her so strongly but not there at all. He growled hard, looked back at his men. "Find her! Bring her back! Bring them both back!" He growled out his orders and stepped into the club. 'Bring the friend when your done' He sent out a message to his driver who now currently was buried deep into the little blonde. 'Yes sir.' He moaned out in his mind. Varcolac was enraged, he had her, he kissed her and then the little bitch had slipped away somehow with the aid of a wolf. He thought with disgust. "I tried to play nice" He whispered to himself before vanishing into the shadows. 

********

It had taken two long days to reach the cabin up north in Quebec. Cole was dressed and showered, sitting firmly next to the fire place, his shoulders slouched as he leaned forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the metal box sitting on the table, with two blinking red lights. Cole looked around the room, his heart fluttered softly as he took in the dark wood that made up the whole cabin. 

The little standard kitchen was packed with food, the living room was actually just a big room with an area for the huge bed, living room and dining area. It was small and cozy, but most importantly it was the dividing line between two of the strongest pack in the northern hemisphere. He just hoped help would arrive soon. With that thought he looked over at Stefani's limp body on the bed. 

Her body was layered with sweat, her breathing was hard and labored as she struggled to surface from the drug infused state. For two days, she suffered fevers and headaches and body pains that wouldn't let her rise from the deep slumber. Dreaming of darkness and a pair of seething red eyes that haunted her, she fought against it, she cried for it to be over and it was only late at night that she jolted awake. The air whooshing out of her as she choked and struggled to contain her trembled body. Looking down she found herself wearing a large mens shirt tucked into a pair of black leggings. 

Cole rushed to her side, after waiting patiently for hours for her to come to, it was a relief to see she was mostly unharmed. He rubbed her back softly as he handed her a glass of water. Her hands trembled as she rapidly drank down. 

'What happened!?' she thought what she didn't dare to ask out loud. She took a deep breath, looking around at once. Cole didn't say anything simply sat in front of her and watched her. "Where are we?" Stefani's voice was rough, she rubbed her cheek softly as it throbbed in pain. 

"Cabin up at Quebec. We should be safe here for now." Stefani's eyes widened, "this is isn't a dream.." she said as if everything was just hitting her all over again. He shook his head. She looked down at her hands, her wrists were bandaged but she could still feel the sting from his grip. 

"Sasha. What happened to Sasha?" Stefani's voice shook, her head was throbbing. Cole stood up, walking over to the fire place a little bite far off. The room was cozy and well decorated but she was mostly concerned at the dejavu feeling she was getting from the place. 

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out. Stef... there's a lot I have to tell you. There's so much you need to know." Cole sat down, rubbing his face. Stefani pulled herself up on her feet, her knees wobbled for a bit before she started walking towards him. 

"What happened? What are you talking about? I'm so confused..." Her voice lowered down to a whisper as she sat at the foot of his chair, looking up at him. 

"I know this is going to be hard to believe but two days ago you were in a club filled with vampires. The men that were going to take you, were vampires. I know it sounds insane, but just hear me out." His voice sounded far away, in that no-nonsense way. A shiver ran up Stefani's spine at his words, her logical mind tried to argue against it but looking back at the last solid memory she had. The whole night had been really strange from the moment she got in the car, the people were different, and there was something about V that had her nerves in a frenzy. Most importantly Cole was the only thing in her life that resembled any form of family to her, if he told her something she knew it would be the truth. 

With a deep breath she nodded. "Ok, I'll bite, but if they were vampires why didn't they drink my blood or whatever, I mean. What do they want?" Cole looked out the windows for a second as if contemplating how much to tell her, he was holding back. 'You better start telling me everything mutt. I'm not a kid and you're starting to freak me out with all this secret shit,' she sent out to his mind, noticing him smile slightly at her teasing tone. She had missed using their bond, She had stopped asking question a while ago about how or why they could do this. 

When she had turned twenty she accidentally spilled her guts about a hunky guy to his mind and that had shocked them both, she blamed it on the alcohol but after trying it back and forth, she had simply admitted that they both had this freaky ability to communicate like that. They didn't do it often, unless it was really important because it just felt intrusive but she could feel something important on the edges of his mind.

"The vampire you met, at the club. His name is Varcolac, he's what his kind call a rogue. He's evil, has been for a long time. Unfortunately he found a friend who's equally as nasty, sort of like his business partner, people call him Rodan, who happens to be a werewolf." He took a deep breath, looking down into Stefani's slightly cynical face, noticing the dark bruise and cut lip, swallowing down the anger threatening to blow up. 

"I've only been able to find some information on the whole thing but certain creatures are disappearing without a trace and I have sources who have passed down that they're doing some freaky experiments on them. They're trying to make something, we just don't know what."

" I've been on my own so It's been difficult to gather information but if they get their hands on what they want... Let's just say humans will have something to fear. I know it all probably doesn't make any sense but it will soon. Stefani.. Stef I'm going to make you safe." His voice seemed to carry some emotion she couldn't comprehend, shaking her head she got up and paced around the room. 

"What does this have to do with me? Why am I not safe?! What the hell is going on?!" Her voice rising a little bit as her throat burned slightly. She felt nausea assault her body, she heaved for breath. "I know you feel strange and you've felt strange since you woke up a couple days ago and I promise it will all be clear but right now we need to wait. There are people coming, they will know what to do. You just have to wait, I can't answer those questions right now. Just calm down" She shook her head as Cole reached for her and started rubbing her arms in that soothing way that always made her calmer. Looking up into Cole's amazing eyes, she felt herself tear up. 

"You're the only thing that's ever been safe for me... I'll try to be patient, but I don't want any secrets between us. You're my brother Cole. So just don't forget that," her long thin fingers poking him in the chest. He smiled, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead like he'd done many years ago. 

"Alright, but promise me you'll try to stay out of trouble." He sounded more like the Cole that she knew, so she let herself relax a bit. Stefani closed her eyes as her body started heating up again, "I don't feel so well..." Now that the adrenaline was gone, she felt her body completely out of energy and foggy from the remains of the drug. Before he could answer to her pale stricken complexion, there was rustling from outside that froze them both. He looked at her and motioned her to be silent. 

"There's a bag under the bed with clothes for you, go hide over there. No matter what you hear, stay quiet." He whispered in her ear as he himself went towards the door. Stefani rushed over to hide, trying to ignore her trembling fearful body as he listened to the door. There was a knock, then another. Stefani watched as he slowly cracked the door open, holding her breath as a cold breeze streamed in from outside. 

"I've been waiting," his voice was hard and calculated, a tone she'd never heard before. He held the door open, all she could see was darkness and then someone stepped in the doorway, setting her blood on ice.

Through the door, stepped a man who seemed huge. He was about Cole's height but there was something about this man that spoke of a certain power. The way he held his chin up and his shoulders back. His hair was long waves of dirty blonde, his eyes were gray and held great wisdom. He was gorgeous, but clearly older, almost with that George Clooney sex appeal. He had this strange shocked expression on his face, as if he'd seen a ghost but he stepped into the room without question. 

After him stepped another man, this one was a little taller, but was less bulky and he had short brown hair, military style. He had soft green eyes and as he held Cole's gaze his eyes watered slightly. Stefani pressed her body closer to the cold floor and was silently confused at the men's reaction but also scared at their size. 

Stefani closed her eyes as her head started spinning again, she pressed her forehead against the cold tile floor. She heard footsteps approaching the bed but she was so tired, she could barely make any movements. Looking up, she saw Cole looking down at her with a reassuring smile but there was sadness in his eyes. 'I had hoped that it would never come to this lily.' His sad tone made her heart ache especially since he used her cherished nickname. He leaned down and helped her up as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his torso, tucking her face to his chest not wanting to face their visitors. 

'I don't understand' She whispered in his mind. 'I know'. 

A cough behind her made her conscious of their position, and she stepped to the side, looking up into the men's eyes. They were drawn to the bruises covering her face, she noticed their hesitation. The big one with green eyes was about to speak when Cole interrupted them. 

"I know you have questions but they're gonna have to wait till later. I called you here because we need protection, she needs protection." Stefani looked up at Cole, leaning on him for strength. "We thought you were dead." The one with blonde hair whispered, "Your family thinks your dead!" The other said, both men getting increasingly angry. Their words made no sense to her. Cole had said he had no family, he said they were dead. The room grew colder and the big men were trembling with so much anger, it terrified her. A loud growl erupted from the room, it took her a second to realize it was coming from Cole. 

"You're scaring her" he hissed, she pressed herself closer to his side. 

"Who is this?!" Green eyes turned to me in anger. "Her name is Stefani, Johnson. There's no time to explain. I know you're angry and that you must have risked a lot just to come out here. But we need to get out of here soon. We've being tracked." His voice was calmer now as he tried to reasoned with them. Stefani felt a little dizzy, there was this tight feeling in her chest. 

"Vampires are tracking us. They'll be here soon and we need to get to safety. There's information that I have regarding all the shifts in energies and the disappearances, back in my safe. I'm afraid, Rodan is back." With that last sentence, both men stiffened. "Impossible" they both hissed in unison. "He's dead!" The man Johnson spoke. 

"I was dead too" 

A loud thud hit the roof, rocking everyone out of the unsettling silence. Cole moved into action, spinning Stefani around, throwing a jacket at her. Grabbing a bag from the closet as more thuds could be heard from the roof. The two men started to take off their clothes, which honestly was freaking Stefani out. "Everything you need is in the bag." Cole threw a bag at the blonde man, who was fully naked. A window burst open, causing her to scream. Cole rushed over to Stefani, wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. 

"I need you to be strong. Things... are going to get really rough. Stefani. I swear I never thought it would-- please forgive me. Be strong lily. You have everything you need, Fight." Stefani felt tears gather in her eyes, she didn't understand. She still felt hazy from the drugs. 

"Lucian, take her to the packs, just watch over her. She's my life, please protect her. Save her." His tone was breathless as he dragged Stefani to Lucian's arms. The man- Lucian, with the blonde hair, gave him a nod with a resigned expression. 

"We can beat them Mactire." Johnson argued, Stefani focused on his words and not his nakedness. Someone was trying to take the door down, bullets whipped passed the windows and the four of them tried to duck. "It's more important to have her safe than to win this fight. O'Faolain, you make her safe. I'll hold them off as long as I can." Cole refused to look at Stefani again, her face was streaked in silent tears at his words. 

"No!" She screamed as Lucian started pulling her towards the corner of the room, she struggle against his grip. Holding out her arms to Cole, trying to reach him as he walked away from them and towards the door. He slammed the door open and without a glance he threw himself into the dark chaos outside. Stefani sucker punched Lucian in the face as he stepped back from the impact, she jolted forward, tumbling around, focused on reaching him. More shots were fired and she was thrown against the wall as a bullet hit her left shoulder. She cried out, felt her world spin as the pain overtook everything. She felt a strong pair of hands lift her and then push her down to straddle some sort of animal. 

"Hold on tight!" Johnson screamed as she tried to clutch at the thick hair beneath her fingers. Suddenly they were air bound, as the big animal leaped out of the window with a growl and sped off into the woods. Her mind was whirling in circles, she sobbed as she felt further and further away from Cole. She clutched at the furry beast beneath her and noticed how fast they were moving. Air whipped past her so fast it hurt her bruised face. 

'Cole! Please come back! Please don't leave me! Cole!' She screamed in her mind as she heard a howl echo through the woods. It was dark and she couldn't make anything out in the dark, but she sobbed. Her shoulder was on fire, looking to her right she saw a furry beast running along side them. She tried to get a better look but couldn't see very well so she let her cheek drop against the fur. "Please go back for him. Please" She whispered as everything faded to dark. 

Cole was held between two big body builder looking men, a collar around his neck. His body limp and dirty with streaks of blood. The vampires holding him hissed as they felt their wounds healing. "Filthy animal," spit out the third man, who stepped out from the shadows. "Take him back to base. The boss will want him prepped." He walked over to Cole and punched him right in the gut, dragging a groan from him.