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When Worlds Collide Ch. 01

By: JazCullen



 Wow! Such comments on the other two stories in this world have left me stunned. You guys are great! Thank you so much! Here is the opening gambit of Rafe's tale. It can most probably be read as a stand alone but reading FTI & TA gives the reader a better feel for a lot of the characters because they are already introduced in those stories. Be warned though...yes it is about Rafe, Aaron too and the other Weres, but Everyone is in this tale. The reasons for that will become clear as the story unfolds but there will be moments when the light is shining on other characters who have had their story told already. I hope you all enjoy it as you have the others. Thanks again for your feedback! My thanks also to WorldHistoryBuff who edited this chapter for me. As always, it is greatly appreciated.

* 

Lacey Hollister stood patiently in line, almost at the head of the queue for entrance into the ultra private, secretive club called Wicked. It was a warm night which was just as well considering she was wearing the skimpiest outfit she could find. 

Her tall, lithe frame was sporting a little strappy top in crimson and the smallest black micro mini she could squeeze into. Her incredibly long legs were bare and her feet were encased in three inch high patent red heels making her even taller than her usual five feet eight inches.. 

Her friend Jennifer had told her it was a sure fire way to gain access into the secretive club. She hoped her friend was correct because she really wanted to get inside badly. She had heard everything and anything went on in the club and she wanted to see it for herself. 

She watched more people being rejected from the door and felt her hands turn clammy with nerves. It was almost her turn to be inspected and she couldn't stop her heart from beating faster inside her chest. She shook back her waist length platinum blonde hair and ran her clammy palms down the side of her skirt as she stepped forward.

The enormous bald bouncer ran slightly bored eyes slowly down her body and then jerked his head signalling her to climb the half dozen steps up to the entrance. She gave him her most winning smile and quickly skipped up the steps in case he changed his mind. She pushed open the door and headed inside.

She hesitated, in the entrance way letting her eyes adjust to the sudden darkness which was interspersed with flashing strobe and glowing neon lights which pulsed to the heavy beat of the dance track blaring around the room. It was a photosensitive epileptic's worst nightmare come true and she was glad she wasn't subject to that crippling condition. She needed this so badly. She needed to be able to let her wild side loose and forget about everything in her more recent past. 

Three months of being holed up in Jennifer's tiny basement flat had almost driven her insane. The first month hadn't been so bad. She had been healing then, her body slowly repairing the damage Richard had done. She had been too terrified to leave her sanctuary too. She knew Richard would be looking for her. Richard had constantly told her he'd never willingly let her go, that if she left, he'd do everything in his not inconsiderable power to bring her back.

The second month had been tolerable enough because she was still frightened enough to want to stay hidden from him. It was really only the last month the cabin fever had set in. There had been no sign of Richard and her fear had lessened enough to make her crave the need to get out again, to try and start rebuilding her life.

She moved slightly further into the room as the door behind her opened and more lucky people arrived to get what was possibly their first glimpse of the most coveted place to be seen in at the moment. It was the type of place Richard would never think to look for her, so she was reasonably confident she was safe enough.

Jen had said she'd try and stop by later on. She was working late tonight and would maybe be too tired once she finished work. Her friend was an up and coming hot shot lawyer and had worked to get the most stringent restraining order she could against Richard. She was certain it would keep him at bay but Lacey wasn't so sure. The expression on his face that day in the hospital was burned into her memory. It promised dire retribution as the police had escorted him from her room.

She shuddered slightly and moved away from the wall towards the bar area. She didn't want to think about it anymore and she really needed a drink, a good stiff one which would block the bad memories which were threatening to invade her mind and take away her enjoyment of this first foray back into the world of the living. 

Rafe Hanlon reclined in his soft leather chair and surveyed the bank of walled monitors in front of him. The club was into its second month of being open, and so far things had been going really well, spectacularly well in fact. The slightly secretive nature of Wicked was its main attraction. People wanted to know what went on behind its closed doors and were often turned away before entering. It seemed to entice them to want to come back and try again for entry, and within two weeks of opening Wicked had taken on a life of its own.

It was pretty much a regular club like many others. Okay, it was Were owned and run, but the humans who frequented the place didn't know that. They had no idea that they mixed with Weres from many different animal packs. Hell, even a few vampires frequented the place, mainly because Annie and her vampire Caleb had come to the opening night. It appeared Caleb was widely respected in his community and his acceptance of the local Weres decision to suddenly branch out into the human business community, had fostered an almost friendly truce between Weres and vampires.

Rafe smiled fondly as he thought of his sister and her vampire boyfriend. Little Annie was breaking down so many barriers in the supernatural world and she had no idea she was doing so. She saw the good in everyone, treated them accordingly and everyone invariably fell under her spell. Hell, she'd even managed to tame Caleb's best friend Demetri. The vampire had gone from being a major prick into almost as good a friend to him as Caleb. Granted, a certain leggy brunette called Mara was mainly responsible for Demetri's more agreeable personality. 

Rafe sighed deeply remembering a time when he had been so like his sister, always seeing the good in people. A lot had happened since he was that person. A year had passed since he had last been known as Rafe Armand, older brother to Annie and Millie, building labourer and all round pacifist. 

A year since his entire life had been turned upside down and thrust into a direction he hadn't wanted it to go in. A rogue Were had bitten him while he was camping and thrust him into the life he was now living. He had had a hard time reconciling himself to becoming a wolf. He had done some pretty stupid things at the time and would most probably have died if it hadn't been for his sister and the understanding of his pack leader Jared Hanlon, the man who now called him brother.

It wasn't such a bad life overall. A lot of changes had happened in the pack and attitudes were changing almost daily. Jared had claimed Millie as his mate and she was just as much of a force to be reckoned with as his sister. She retained her apartment in the city and still worked her job, leading by example to the rest of the pack. 

Slowly more and more of the xenophobic wolves were leaving the compound to start new lives in the city. They were spurred on by the twenty odd new matings which had occurred when the first wave of younger Weres had dived headfirst into the changes to the pack laws. 

The pack had been slowly decreasing due to segregating themselves from humans so much that three quarters of the pack never found mates to have children with. It had been Millie's reluctance to give up her human life to mate with Jared, and also Rafe's inability to accept losing his human family which had instigated a lot of the changes. 

Now there were new Were owned businesses springing up in the city from hotels to restaurants to nightclubs and even a bespoke furniture making business. The pack was finally coming into the twenty first century as it slowly branched out from the local area into neighbouring cities. .

Which was how Rafe came to be running Wicked. Rafe Armand was publicly 'dead' in his own city therefore unable to be seen by the locals there. When the opportunity came up to open a nightclub in the next city over, Rafe had volunteered to run it. Jared had been unsure if it was wise seeing as he was supposed to be dead, but his death had been reported only locally so he had eventually been able to talk his Alpha into it.

He was Rafe Hanlon now and he was brother and beta to the Alpha. He had all new documents which would pass the most stringent checks and even had a fake history all mapped out. At Wicked he could walk among humans without the fear of being discovered.

He sighed deeply again as he ran his brown eyes slowly over the various monitors. The door behind him clicked open and he didn't need to turn his head to know it was Aaron, his closest friend. The tall blond beta invariable went wherever Rafe went. His jovial company was always appreciated too. Nothing ever seemed to faze Aaron. He took life as it came and usually always had a smile on his handsome face. He was a dreadful man whore but Rafe forgave him his faults. He was Were born and therefore saw nothing wrong with bedding a different woman each night until he found his mate.

"The club's busy tonight," Aaron said sitting down on the edge of the desk. He didn't need to tell his friend that, it was obvious from watching the monitors. "Plenty of talent out there, Rafe," he grinned wickedly. "You should get your ass downstairs and have a little fun for once."

Rafe rolled his eyes and grinned back at him. "Do you ever think of anything besides sex, Aaron?" he asked drolly and his friend laughed loudly.

"You mean there's more to life than sex?" he quipped laughing. "Damn it, Rafe. Don't spoil my fun!"

Rafe laughed and turned back to the monitors. A flash of something bright had caught his eye and he leaned forward slightly to see if he could catch what it was. There it was again, a flash of platinum blonde hair being tossed over a shoulder as a tall woman reached the front of the queue to be let inside the club.

Aaron wolf whistled loudly. "Get a load of those legs," he said, his voice full of appreciation as they both ran quick eyes over the woman who was running her palms down the sides of her extremely short skirt. "I wouldn't mind having those wrapped around me tonight."

Rafe growled low in his chest and shot a dark look at his friend before turning back to the door monitor. He picked up the handheld radio on his lap and spoke into it quietly. "Let the blonde in."

The bouncer nodded almost imperceptively and then jerked his head towards the door. Rafe watched intently as the woman smiled and hurried up the steps , an expression of relief on her beautiful face. He felt his heart turn over when she smiled and his groin reacted instantly. His wolf growled restlessly and he smothered down a deep sigh and sat back in his chair. There was no way he was going to give in to the primal urge he felt deep inside him. He didn't care how beautiful the woman was; Rafe Hanlon would not be ruled by his wolf. 

Aaron watched Rafe's face intently as he tracked the woman's movements through the ub,recognising the expression on his friend's face. His wolf was interested in the woman and he was very unhappy about it. She was possibly even Rafe's mate, but it was hard to tell because he wasn't close enough to scent her. He stifled a sigh and turned back to watch the blonde head towards the bar. Even a year on Rafe still fought his true nature. Oh, he was much more comfortable within himself than he once had been and almost seemed truly happy at times but there was still something which made him fight his wolf with a vengeance.

Rafe watched silently as the blonde ordered a drink and then turned to survey the room with open curiosity. Not only was she stunningly beautiful but she had a body made for sin. It wasn't hard to see, not with the lack of clothes she was wearing. Full generous breasts threatened to spill out of her little red midriff bearing top. The flashing lights glinted off something shiny at her navel, most probably a piercing of some kind. 

She had curvy hips which lusciously stretched the tight micro mini skirt that barely covered her deliciously rounded ass and nether regions. And then the legs began and just went on and on and on. They were long and shapely, her thighs rippling slightly as she moved. It was plain to see she was tall despite her stiletto heels and she obviously kept in shape too.

Rafe stifled down a groan as he felt his cock twitch hard in his jeans and his wolf growled again. He ruthlessly pushed the animal down. He would not be dictated to by a bloody animal. If he bedded the woman it would be because he, the man, wanted to bed her, not because he was reacting to some primal mating instinct.

"You want her, Rafe?" Aaron asked with a slight smile tugging his lips. "Because if you don't then I might go try my luck with her." He laughed loudly when Rafe shot him a murderous glare and growled at him before he suddenly looked startled and backed down.

"Do what you want, Aaron," Rafe snapped dragging his eyes from the woman and once more going back to the other monitors. 

Aaron shrugged and took him at his word. He knew Rafe was fighting a losing battle with himself and he was more than willing to help his friend realise it. If that meant risking getting his ass kicked by his friend later, then he'd let him do it. He slipped out of the office and headed quickly downstairs.

Lacey was on her third scotch and had just ordered a shot of some weirdly named concoction of alcohol when the tall blond man appeared at her side. He quickly ran his eyes over her and smiled before turning to the bartender to ask for a glass of scotch.

"Sure thing, Aaron," the bartender smiled. "Place is jumping tonight."

"It is that, Ben," Aaron smiled turning slightly to look at the woman at his side again. "The view just got better too," he grinned cheekily and the blonde turned her head sharply to look at him. She had the most amazing light green eyes he'd ever seen and his grin widened.

"Hi, I'm Aaron," he said. "Haven't seen you in here before. First time?" He knew it was but he wanted to hear her voice to see if it was as spectacular as the rest of her. He was really disappointed Rafe was attracted to her. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the club tonight and he would have liked to have gotten to know her a little bit better.

"Lacey," she replied after a short hesitation. Her voice had a husky lilt to it which was very sexy sounding. "And it is my first time here. I've been...busy the last few months. First night out on the tiles, so to speak." 

The man at her side was pretty gorgeous and she wasn't averse to talking to him. He was just over six feet tall with shaggy blond hair and light blue eyes. His physique was powerful but not too powerful. He had little laughter lines around his eyes and mouth which seemed to indicate he smiled a lot. Plus the bartender seemed to know and like him. He looked like he could be fun to hang around with.

His blue eyes twinkled and he smiled. "Out on the tiles," he repeated with a little laugh. "Sounds like you're out to have a good time tonight, Lacey." 

His open appreciation wasn't lost on her and she suddenly wished she'd worn something a bit less revealing. It wasn't that she didn't find him attractive because she did. What sane woman wouldn't find a hunk like him attractive? But she wasn't looking for a man tonight, just as bit of fun. A few drinks, a bit of dancing, nothing more than that.

"I'm not looking for anything other than a little drinking and a bit of dancing, Aaron," she said honestly. "I've just come out of a pretty bad relationship and men are not top of my list at the moment."

He smiled again and threw back the remainder of his scotch. "That's fine with me, Lacey," he grinned reaching for her hand. "Let's dance."

She let him pull her onto the dance floor smiling at his enthusiasm. He reminded her of an overgrown puppy, all bouncy and playful with a little hint of badness to him. She decided to trust he was willing to accept her boundaries, so she loosened up and began to gyrate to the heady beat of the music filling the room. She was halfway drunk already, the lack of alcohol she'd had over the last three months lowering her usually high tolerance to the stuff. She let Aaron pull her close, closed her eyes and swayed against his body as she surrendered to the music.

Rafe couldn't stop the low growl which erupted out of his throat as he watched his friend talk to the blonde briefly and then drag her onto the dance floor. He had seen Aaron in action many times before and knew how easily he found it to pick up women . The blonde was swaying suggestively in the tight circle of Aaron's arms and Rafe could feel his anger start to swiftly rise . He never wanted, in his entire life, to do anything so badly as he wanted to march down to the dance floor and rip the woman away from his friend. 

"She is not our mate," he growled out furiously to his wolf, dragging his eyes away from the screen and turning his back to the wall of monitors. He rested his head in his arms on his oak desk. He was not going to submit to his bloody wolf. He refused to be ruled by it. If the blonde wanted to be with Aaron then so be it. A minute later he groaned in defeat and rose from his chair, striding swiftly from the office.

Aaron barely contained the smile on his face when he saw Rafe stride angrily out of the door marked private. He was making a beeline straight for him and he quickly guided Lacey from the dance floor and back to the bar, forcing Rafe to have to change directions. He ensured there was enough distance between himself and Lacey by the time his friend reached them.

Lacey was confused when Aaron suddenly pulled her from the dance floor and back to the bar. She looked at him quizzically but he just smiled a wide smile, settled her back onto her bar stool and moved slightly away from her. She was going to ask him what was wrong but suddenly there was another man at their side. She blinked slowly as she looked up at him.

Dear God, the man was enormous! He was well over six feet tall and was so wide in the shoulders and chest she wondered if he suffered from the strange genetic disorder which made people grow into giants. His eyes were a deep brown colour and they were narrowed as if in anger. His face was ruggedly handsome and extremely pleasing on the eye even when he was scowling as darkly as he was now. His dark brown hair was longish, almost reaching his shoulders and just as scruffy as Aaron's. He looked big and intimidating and he was glaring at the man at her side who didn't seem the least bit bothered.

"Rafe," Aaron smiled cheerily. "Come meet, Lacey." He turned to the woman at his side. "Lacey, this is my best friend Rafe. He runs this place."

Lacey. The name tantalised Rafe as did the wonderful scent of ... coconut? He hated coconut! But the scent of it on her skin was the most amazing thing he had ever smelled. His wolf howled as he stared down at the woman before him and inhaled deeply as his greedy eyes roamed over her beautiful face. Her eyes were amazing. They were such a light green shade they were almost colourless. They drew him in as if tempting him to look into her very soul. He was aware of nothing but Lacey. The flowing mane of silky silver, blonde hair. Her long thick black lashes, her clear pale skin, her wide generous lips almost begging him to kiss her. Those lips were moving suddenly and her breathy, husky voice washed over him.


When Worlds Collide Ch. 01



"Pleased to meet you, Rafe," she said quietly and he knew in that instant he was lost forever. She was his. His mate. His love. He wanted to howled his joy to the moon as he tumbled so completely and irrevocably in love with her.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lacey," he heard himself answering slightly breathlessly as he reached for her hand and placed at light kiss on her knuckles. God, her skin was so soft and tasted so delicious. He had to fight hard to stop himself from licking the back of her hand.

"Erm, can I have my hand back?" Lacey asked with a touch of concern in her tone. The man towering over her was looking at her as if he was ready to throw her down on the floor and ravish her in front of everyone. She felt a shiver run down her spine and a jolt of electricity spark deep inside her at his touch and she automatically panicked. 

Richard's touch had once done this to her and she had surrendered to him. It had been the biggest mistake of her life. Now there was another man calling to her very soul and she wanted to run screaming from the club. Richard had almost destroyed her. Hell, he'd almost killed her. She couldn't allow another man to have that kind of power over her again. She shivered again but this time it was in fear. This man Rafe scared the living daylights out of her.

Rafe scented her fear and frowned. He dropped her hand and took a step back to give her a little room. Had he done something to make her fear him? He was pretty sure he hadn't. He glanced at his friend and saw an equally confused look on Aaron's face. He, too, must have scented Lacey's sudden fear.

"My apologies, Lacey," Rafe said with a gentle smile. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

She seemed to give herself a mental shake and managed a slight smile. "It's nothing personal, Rafe," she answered softly. "As I was telling Aaron a little earlier, I've just come out of a bad relationship. You kind of remind me a little of my ex."

Rafe's frowned deepened into a fully fledged scowl and his chest rumbled with a deep rage. Someone had hurt her? Some man had laid his hands on this beautiful, fragile woman and hurt her?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything," Lacey said hastily when the man before her suddenly tensed and gave an honest to God growl. He looked pretty frightening as he loomed over her and she could feel her breath start to come out in little pants as her fear escalated. She didn't know him so she didn't know how to try and talk him down.

"Rafe," Aaron said quietly, laying a hand on the big man's arm as he saw the increasingly wild look in Lacey's eyes. His touch seemed to shake his friend out of his sudden fury and he slowly relaxed.

"My apologies once more, Lacey," Rafe said quietly, his expression smoothing out. "My ill humour wasn't directed at you. I was angry at the thought that someone had hurt you."

Lacey stared up at him and blinked slowly as she tried to relax. For some reason she believed him. Maybe it was just because she wanted to. Maybe if she believed hard enough then he wouldn't hurt her like Richard had. She suddenly wanted to go home. Coming out had been such a bad idea. Tonight was clearly showing her that she wasn't ready to be back out among people. Her need to run and hide was so strong it was all she could do not to run out the club. 

Feeling her flight instincts kick in, she suddenly turned her head and looked around the club. Was Richard here? She could sometimes tell when he was near. "I have to go," she said hopping down from the stool.

Rafe instinctively went to stop her, his hands reaching to block her path.She cried out and flinched away from him, her eyes widening in her face as her fear scent grew stronger. "Lacey, I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly.

She swallowed hard and searched his face intently before she slowly forced herself to relax. "I really have to go," she said a bit more forcefully.

Rafe was torn in two. One part of him wanted to keep her close and find out just who had hurt her so he could go and repay him in kind, while the other part could see how rattled she was by his presence. Something was scaring her badly and he wanted to protect her from whatever it was but the longer she stayed in his company the more agitated she became. His wolf demanded he protect her at all cost. Rafe forced his wolf down.

He sighed and dug a business card out of his back pocket and asked the bartender for a pen. He hastily scribbled his private cell number on the back of the card and held it out to her. "If you need someone to talk to, please call me," he said quietly. "My private number is on the back. I don't know who you're frightened of Lacey. I'd like to know so I can help you but I understand you don't know me and probably have trust issues right now. If he comes anywhere near you again, call me."

Lacey stared into his face for a long moment and then hesitantly took his card. He seemed genuine enough but then Richard had too at the start of their relationship. "Thanks," she managed to get out despite the dryness of her mouth. The taste of fear always made her mouth go dry. Sometimes she was unable to speak she became so frightened. She turned to leave.

"Lacey," Rafe called and she turned back to him. "What's your last name?" 

She stared at him a moment and considered lying or just not answering. "Hollister," she finally answered and hurried away before he could stop her again.

"Follow her, Aaron," Rafe said quietly. "Make sure she gets home okay."

His friend stared at him in stunned silence for a moment and then shook his head. "You're going to trust me with your mate's safety?" he asked incredulously. There was no question in his mind that Lacey Hollister was Rafe's mate. It was written all over the big man's face.

Deep brown eyes met light blue ones. "I frighten her, Aaron," Rafe replied sadly. "She's more relaxed around you. Plus I know you won't do anything that would make me regret placing my trust in you. For now I need to keep my distance from Lacey until she feels less threatened by me. You're the only one I can trust to take care of her until she lets me in."

Aaron nodded and slid gracefully from his bar stool. "I'll keep her safe for you, Rafe," he promised and then turned and hurried after Lacey before she got too far ahead.

___

"Boss, I think we've got something."

Richard Graves' head shot up and he looked up from his desk to see one of his tech guys hovering at the door to his office. "Tell me," he barked his blue eyes cold and hard as he stared at the man.

Clive Hobbs shifted under the cold blue stare and was thankful he had good news to report for once. His boss didn't like failure and was quick to punish anyone who let him down. He swallowed nervously. "Someone just did an online search on Lacey Hollister. We couldn't get an exact location of the IP address but it's close, somewhere within a twenty mile radius."

Graves sat back with a thoughtful look on his face. "So, she did go running to her friend after all," he said thoughtfully. He'd had the cunt lawyer Jennifer's house staked out for weeks but there was no sign of Lacey there. He had only pulled the surveillance three days ago and the moment he did Lacey had surfaced enough to get someone curious about who she was.

"Get a detail back at the lawyer's house," he ordered. "She must have lain low there and only just ventured out thinking it was safe now. I don't want any action taken, just surveillance. Let me know as soon as there is a positive sighting of her."

He ignored Clive as he disappeared out the doorway. His cold stare dropped to the framed picture on his desk. Lacey was smiling up at him, her arms wrapped around his waist as he draped an arm over her shoulders. The photograph had been taken at the start of their relationship. They looked the perfect couple, him with his short dark hair and blue eyes, her with her long blonde hair and green eyes. 

He had been so proud to have her by his side. His beautiful woman. Then she had turned into the bitch from hell. It was little things at first. She would balk when he asked her to wear a certain dress when they were going out to a function, she would contradict his choice of wine at a meal, she would refuse to eat the food ordered. It seemed the more he tried to educate her on the finer things in life, the more she argued with him, resisting his help.

Of course, he couldn't allow her defiance. He knew what was best for her and was only trying to help her. He remembered their first truly serious argument. Lacey had refused to get changed to go out. Angry words were exchanged and she'd called him a controlling prick. He had punished her for her disrespect. He hadn't liked doing so but she had to know her behaviour was unacceptable. 

Naturally he had made sure any marks were not visible, only striking her on her body. He'd had to spend a bit of time on her punishment until she was truly sorry for her defiance but he had been patient in teaching her the error of her ways. Afterwards he had wiped away her tears and made love to her, letting her know he forgave her wilfulness. Tenderly he cleaned her up and helped her into the dress he had laid out for her.

It had been the start to her disobedience, a disobedience which had grown almost daily after her cunt lawyer friend had moved back to the city. She had challenged him many times after that and he had carefully and lovingly shown her that he was not a man to be trifled with. She belonged to him and she would behave in the manner he wanted her to. No one challenged Richard Graves. Especially not his woman.

He smiled slowly as he closed his eyes briefly and replayed the memories of his hands on her soft skin. He hardened instantly, reliving every shrill scream, every moan of pain, every breathless plea for mercy. 

He opened his eyes and stared at the photograph for a long time, finally picking it up and running a finger down Lacey's face. "Soon we'll be back together, Lacey," he whispered softly. "Once I get rid of Jennifer everything will be just the way it was and you can come home to me." He kissed the glass tenderly and settled the picture frame back down on the desk with a wide smile on his face. ___

Lacey was sure she was being followed. The hairs were standing up on the back of her neck and she felt her sixth sense kicking into overload. She kept twisting her head around sharply but whenever she did the street behind her was empty. She was almost home. Two more streets and she could lock herself safely in Jen's apartment. She hoped her friend was home from work, Sshe always felt so much stronger when Jen was around. She hated feeling this weak, but despite everything Richard had done to her she was determined she would come out of it a stronger person. The only way to do that was to confront whoever was following her head on.

She twisted her head again and thought she saw the figure of a man duck behind a wall. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest and she felt her fear kick up a notch. "Who's there?" she demanded loudly, her voice shaking. "I know you're following me. I'll call the police!" She grabbed her cell phone from her bag and waved it in the air. Just as well whoever was following her didn't know her battery had died.

Aaron sighed loudly and stepped out from behind the wall. She was damned difficult to follow, almost catching him out numerous times which was kind of disconcerting considering he was usually so fast. Lacey seemed to have some kind of built-in radar or something. "It's only me, Lacey," he said soothingly. "Rafe wanted me to make sure you got home okay."

"Aaron?" she asked tentatively and then relaxed slightly as he stepped under a streetlight and she could see him more clearly. "You scared the shit out of me, you moron!"

He smiled ruefully. "Not my intention," he answered. "I didn't want you to think I was some weirdo following you around but ended up managing to do so anyway. You're pretty good by the way. No one's ever managed to spot me track them before." He grimaced the moment he said it and wasn't surprised to see her eyes narrow sharply.

"Do you make it a habit of 'tracking' women?" she asked suspiciously.

He laughed softly as he reached her side. "I don't normally have to track women," he grinned cheekily. "They usually follow me. Me and my friends tend to do a lot of hiking and stuff in the woods. We track each other in a competitive way. Only Rafe has ever beat me so the fact you caught me out so easily is kind of embarrassing. You won't mention it to Rafe the next time you see him?" He lied smoothly and knew he sounded genuine. The best lies always contained a little truth in them. She didn't need to know they competed in wolf form to hone their skills.

Those amazing green eyes seemed to look deep inside him as she tried to decide whether he was a friend or foe. She finally fully relaxed.

"I only stay two streets away," she said quietly. "You can walk me the rest of the way." She didn't know why she instinctively trusted the tall blond man but she did. Maybe it was because she just didn't want to walk the rest of the way on her own. She was really spooked tonight. She should have taken a taxi home instead of walking in the first place even though the club wasn't that far from Jen's place. It was almost suicidal for her to be alone on the streets. She should have had more sense.

They started walking again and she glanced curiously at Aaron. They were almost of an equal height with her in her three inch heels. She was used to being taller than most men. "So, do you always do what Rafe tells you to do?" she asked curiously.

Aaron seemed to consider it for a moment and then shot her a wide grin. "Pretty much so," he admitted. It was hard not to follow Rafe's orders. Despite being new to the pack and the most recent beta to be promoted, Rafe's latent Alpha tendencies seemed to elevate him above the other betas. That and his even newer status of being the Alpha's adopted brother. There had been no conscious shifting of power within the beta hierarchy it had just sort of happened and no one had contested it.

She was silent for a moment and then cocked her head to the side as she looked at him. "You seem sure I'm going to see Rafe again even though I haven't made up my mind if I'll go back to the club."

Aaron grinned. "He really likes you," he answered rather carefully, not wanting to scare her off with anything he said. "He might look like a moody bastard but he really is a great guy. I'm sure you'll like him too once you get to know him."

They were almost at Jen's flat so Lacey stopped and turned to look at Aaron with sharp eyes. Rafe made her uncomfortable for all the reasons she'd already examined in her frightened mind. "What are you, his pimp or something?" she asked slightly waspishly, her fear making her sound harsher than she meant to be.

Aaron threw back his head and laughed loudly. "Why do you want to know, Lacey? Are you looking to change yours?" he countered cheekily running his eyes up and down her body with a wicked glint in them.

She blinked at him for a moment and then she started to laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed and meant it. She did know it was a very long time ago. "I think I like you, Aaron," she finally said once she got her laughter under control. 

"Good," he smiled happily. "You should laugh more often, Lacey. It really suits you."

She sobered instantly and her expression turned guarded. "I haven't had a whole lot to laugh about recently," she admitted. 

Aaron's eyes narrowed as he looked at her thoughtfully. Someone had hurt this beautiful woman pretty badly and he felt angry on her behalf. It wasn't his place to ask her about it but he couldn't help himself. "Who hurt you, Lacey? Give me a name and Rafe and I will go find him and teach him the error of his ways."

Aaron's innocent use of the phrase Richard always used when he was beating her brought a stab of fear deep inside Lacey and she automatically stepped back from the sudden tenseness and violence she felt coming from Aaron. It was instinctive and she saw the tall blond man's eyes narrow further as he noticed it.

Aaron forced himself to relax and smooth out his features into a more congenial expression. "You don't have to tell me," he said softly. "It would probably be better if you did so we knew what we were up against but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. You don't have to go through this alone, Lacey. Rafe and I will protect you from whoever hurt you. All you have to do is let us."

She wanted to, she really did. Something in Aaron's eyes told her she could trust him and his friend but she was frightened. Richard Graves was psychotic. He was an incredibly rich psychopath who could make people disappear at the drop of a hat. She didn't think she could bear it if something happened to Aaron and Rafe because of her. She might only just have met them but she was already starting to like Aaron immensely and he seemed convinced that Rafe was a decent man too.

"Don't get involved, Aaron," she said quietly. "You'll only end up getting hurt and I don't want that on my conscience. I live just here so I'm going to head inside now. Thank you for walking me home."

He looked like he was going to protest for a moment and then his head turned slightly and he stiffened perceptively. "Lacey, is there anyway whoever you're running from could know you would be staying here?" he asked quietly.

She reacted to his sudden stillness, stiffening herself. "He might have sent someone to check out Jen's apartment but it's been months now," she whispered feeling more spooked now than she had earlier on. Her flight instincts were kicking in again and she had to work to keep her gaze on Aaron's and not to start looking around.

Aaron could sense eyes on them. He had sighted a large black SUV with blackened windows a few car lengths down the street and it was making his hackles rise sharply. He smiled reassuringly at Lacey, keeping her gaze locked to her. "Lacey, I want you to smile as if we're having a perfectly pleasant conversation and then I want you to go inside," he instructed quickly. "When you get inside I want you to call Rafe's private cell and give him your address. Tell him I said to bring some backup. He'll know what to do."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear.

He grinned cockily at her. "I'm going to go have a little chat with some people not too far away. There's no need to be frightened, Lacey. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself until Rafe gets here. "

"Aaron, don't," she whispered pleadingly. "Come inside with me and wait until Rafe gets here. Don't stay out here alone."

He smiled gently and brushed a strand of hair back from her face. "Don't worry about me," he smiled. "Now go inside and do what I told you and I'll be just fine. Trust me, Lacey."

She nodded almost numbly as the fear inside reached fever pitch. She could see he wasn't going to be dissuaded by anything she said. She turned and hurried into the apartment.

Once inside she grabbed her cell and hunted for the card Rafe had handed her. It took three attempts before she could dial the number successfully, she was starting to shake so badly.

"Hanlon," a voice barked over the phone.

"Rafe?" she asked shakily.

"Lacey," he growled sounding really alert. "What's wrong? Is Aaron still with you?"

"You have to come quickly," she stammered. "He said to call you and tell you to bring backup. He said you'd know what he meant."

"Give me your address," he answered writing it down as she told him. "Has Aaron gone to investigate whatever set him off?"

"I told him not to," Lacey moaned. "I told him to wait for you but he wouldn't listen to me, Rafe. He just told me to go inside and call you."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 01



"We're on our way, Lacey," Rafe said soothingly. "You're not far away and Aaron can take care of himself. Just stay inside your apartment and don't let anyone in unless it's me or Aaron."

She opened her mouth to speak and a sharp cracking noise filled the quiet night.

"Lacey!" 

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 02



 Wow! Again! I can't believe how many comments I got on the first chapter of this story. I didn't know the Weres were that popular LOL! You guys caught me off guard there. I tried to answer everyone I could but if I missed someone out, I'm sorry! It was kind of hectic! Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the first *** WorldHistoryBuff, my thanks again for editing for me!

* 

Matt Reed sat in the black SUV and watched the couple on the corner talking. It was most definitely the mark standing with the big blond man. He quickly pulled her photograph out the glove compartment just to double check but he was sure it was her. He turned to the man at his side.

"Call the boss, Jon," he ordered. "Give him an update."

His partner Jon Lester pulled out his cell phone and dialled Graves. "She's been spotted, boss," he said quietly. "She's currently with a big blond man standing just outside the lawyer's apartment."

Graves cursed loudly down the phone and he had to hold it away from his ear for a moment. "Yeah, boss, understood." He terminated the call.

"He's pissed she's with another man," he told Matt. "Said we're to take the bastard out at the first available opportunity."

Reed watched the girl go inside and the man turn and look directly at the SUV. "Looks like that will be sooner rather than later," he answered tersely picking up his weapon from the dashboard. "I'll do it. You hang back just in case he gets the jump on me."

He stepped out of the SUV his gun hidden in the waistband of his jeans. He watched the other man approach with a slight smile curving his lips. He seemed totally unconcerned, even slightly cocky.

"Don't you know it's not very nice to scare ladies?" he smiled as he approached. "It's one of my pet peeves. One of the few things that really piss me off."

"You just made a very bad mistake, asshole," Reed countered with his own smile. "The lady is spoken for and her boyfriend is not pleased to hear you're sniffing around."

Aaron resisted the temptation to shift and rip the man's head off. There was more chance of finding out what was really going on if he let the dickhead in front of him feel like he had the upper hand. He stopped when he was a few feet away from him and grinned. "Seems your employer is mistaken when it comes to his girlfriend," he remarked coolly. "As far as the lady is concerned she's a free agent."

Reed couldn't believe the stupidity of the man in front of him. He thought it was only woman who were supposed to earn the title of 'dumb blond'. Obviously he was very much mistaken. "You dumb asshole," he laughed. "You have no idea whose woman you're fucking with, do you? You surely can't know otherwise you would never have started sniffing around her in the first place."

"Why don't you enlighten me then and I'll see if I give a shit?" Aaron retorted, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He couldn't see in the SUV but there had to be at least one more person inside. The man in front of him was too relaxed to not have any backup.

Reed opened his mouth to respond and then closed it. It probably wouldn't matter if he did tell him Graves' name but he hadn't gotten to be so good at his job by being careless. In the exceedingly unlikely event he and Lester came off badly in this encounter he didn't want to point an arrow straight to his boss. He doubted Lacey would willingly give up the name either. Graves had her well beaten into submission.

Aaron sighed in disappointment and shot the man a brief smile. "I had hoped you'd tell me more," he said quietly. "Obviously you're not going to so I'll have to get it out of your partner instead." He let his wolf rise up enough to give him the extra speed and manoeuvrability he wanted without having to shift. There were too many residential properties in the area to risk someone observing a full shift. 

He watched the man tense further and then pull out a large gun,and his smile broadened at the certainty he sensed rolling off him. "You think that gives you the upper hand?" he laughed softly.

Reed was slightly perplexed by the complete lack of fear in the man before him. It made his eyes narrow as he tried to evaluate why the big blond wasn't cowering in fear at the sight of a gun. Was he truly just dumb or did he have some ace up his sleeve? He nodded imperceptively at the SUV and saw the man's eyes narrow slightly as if he had caught the movement.

A loud shot rang out but Aaron was already moving, rolling to his right and coming up behind the first man before he could react. His arms circled the man's neck and he jerked hard, snapping his neck in one quick movement and using his body as a shield when the second man dived out of the SUV firing wildly in his direction.

Two of the bullets passed through the body in front of him and entered his chest cavity and he hissed at the sudden pain though he kept his feet. He threw the body towards his second assailant and dived behind the protection of the SUV. A quick perusal told him one of the bullets had gone deep and was close to his left lung. He was bleeding quite badly already and would most probably pass out soon. He hoped Lacey had called Rafe like he'd told her to.

___

Rafe was moving even as he spoke to Lacey on the phone, her address clutched in his hand as he hurried out his office down to the main floor of the club. He was almost through the private door when the sound of the first shot rang over the phone.

"Lacey!" he screamed hoarsely, a feeling of such fear and dread rushing through him, it almost brought him to his knees.

"It's not me," she shouted quickly as she hurried over to the window to look outside. "It's Aaron! Someone's shooting at Aaron. Oh God, I think he's been hit, Rafe!"

"Get the fuck away from the window, Lacey," Rafe ordered tersely his heart hammering as he pushed through the door into the nightclub proper. He nodded quickly to Ben behind the bar and held up three fingers and then two as he hurried outside. "Stay down somewhere safe," he said slightly more calmly into the phone. "We're on our way now."

He jumped into his Jeep just as Ben, Michael and Peter hurried out to join him. "Here's the address," he barked tossing the paper in his hand at Ben. "Ben, you're my backup. Mike, Pete, you two find a safe place to shift and stay in the background in case we need you."

The Jeep shot off as he finished giving his orders. Ben jumped into the Volvo which had been behind Rafe's Jeep and followed him almost instantaneously. Michael and Peter took the second Jeep behind that and followed too, though as instructed they were scouting for a secluded area to pull over and shift.

It took less than three minutes for Rafe to get to Heriot Row. He screeched the Jeep to a halt, his keen gaze taking in Aaron's sluggish movements as he crouched behind the SUV, using it as a shield against his attacker. He let his wolf drift forward and jumped quickly from the Jeep. Ben was just a fraction behind him.

The human man automatically spun in their direction as they swiftly approached, his gun aiming at them. He seemed unsure as to who to shoot first and they used that to their advantage, darting in different directions and making his decision more difficult for him. Rafe noticed Aaron collapse to the ground onto his back and heard his friend's groan of pain. The attacker fired at him in that moment of distraction, but he moved instinctively and the bullet passed him by mere centimetres before it buried itself into the tree behind where his head had been a fraction of a second before.

Ben struck the moment the man decided who to fire at. He agilely jumped and landed behind the surprised human who was trying to turn to face him. A quick snap of his neck and the street turned silent for a brief moment before Aaron groaned low in his throat, bringing Rafe and Ben running to his side.

"Fuck, it's bad, Rafe," Ben said quietly staring at the bloody wounds in their friend's chest.

"Too used to hanging around big bastards," Aaron groaned with a tortured laugh. "Didn't stop to think the bullets would go through that skinny human and right into me." He coughed loudly and spat up some blood.

Rafe frowned deeply as Peter and Michael ran up. He didn't know if they had actually shifted or not because they were back in their human forms. "Get Aaron to the compound," he said tersely, his voice full of worry for his friend. "Call ahead so the doc's ready for him and let Jared know what's happened."

"What the fuck has just happened?" Peter asked his expression confused as his agitation roiled off his stocky body in waves. Rafe stared at him for a moment and then realised they had no idea what was going on.

"Fine, I'll call Jared," he barked. "Be careful when you lift Aaron. I think the bullet's nicked his lung. Don't do any further damage!"

"Is he going to be okay?" Lacey asked shakily and Rafe's head snapped around to see the tall blonde standing a few feet away. His first feeling was relief that she was okay, his second was anger.

"I told you to stay inside," he ground out. He could see how shaken she was. Her eyes were round with shock as she nervously took in the sight of the dead bodies in the road and Aaron being carefully picked up by Peter and Michael. 

"I only wanted to see if Aaron was okay," she answered quietly and Rafe could see how hard it was for her to try and keep herself together. He sighed deeply and pushed his anger down.

"He's going to be fine, Lacey," he said with more confidence than he actually felt. He turned to Ben. "Clean this mess up and then take care of the club. I'm going back to the compound."

Ben nodded as Rafe gently took Lacey's arm to pull her away from the blood and death and headed over to her apartment.

"You should have stayed inside until I came to get you," he said with more gentleness this time. "There could have been more of them out there. You could have been hurt."

"Like Aaron was?" she said tiredly running her hands wearily over her face as they entered the apartment and she sank slowly down onto the armchair just inside the front door. "He should have listened to me," she groaned softly.

Rafe didn't entirely disagree with her but he wasn't surprised by Aaron's actions. He had tasked him to keep Lacey safe and he had acted accordingly even if it was a bit reckless not to wait for backup to arrive. Aaron had done as he'd asked and now his life hung in the balance. Rafe couldn't shake the huge weight of guilt which settled over him. This was why he never wanted to be an Alpha. He didn't want this level of responsibility for other people's lives.

He moved further into the room closing the door behind him. A quick perusal showed the basement apartment was quite small. The main door opened into the sitting room and he could see a smallish kitchen through one door and a short hallway through another which probably led to the bedrooms.

He hovered close to the chair Lacey was sitting in, his eyes scanning quickly out the window as he watched Ben dump the two dead bodies back into the SUV and then head over to the Volvo and drive off.

"Can you move further into the room please," he said quietly and listened as she rose away from the window and moved to sit on the sofa closer to the kitchen. He relaxed slightly but never stopped looking out the window.

"Why was Aaron shot, Lacey?" he asked softly. "Who are you running from?"

Lacey stared at Rafe's back. The apartment suddenly seemed so much smaller with his huge presence in it. He made her feel incredibly nervous but she also felt safer having him close by. "You shouldn't get involved," she answered with a bit more strength in her tone as her fear decreased. "I told Aaron the same. This is nothing to do with you, Rafe."

Rafe stiffened at her words and let out a slow breath. He turned his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye before he turned back to the window. "This has everything to do with me," he answered quietly. "No one will ever hurt you again, Lacey. Not as long as I live."

She swallowed hard at the total certainty in his voice. She could hear the power and determination in his voice and she felt her panic start to rise again. His tone was so like the one Richard used with her when he was determined to make her do things his way.

The acrid scent of fear assaulted Rafe's nostrils and he had to fight down a burst of anger. "I'm not him, Lacey," he said quietly, dearly wanting to know who he was so he could go and kill him. "I would never do anything to hurt you. I only want to make sure you're safe, which it's clearly evident you're not here. I want you to come back to the compound with me so we can protect you."

"You just expect me to get up and go to some compound with you?" she asked incredulously. "I don't even know you, Rafe. You're just some guy I met in a club less than an hour ago. Why in God's name should I trust you?" 

He finally turned from the window to look at her. Her blonde hair had fallen over her shoulders and there was a spark of strength in her stunning eyes. He almost smiled as he watched her back stiffen under his gaze. She was such a contradiction. One moment she was almost ready to pass out from her fear and the next she was finding her inner strength from somewhere. She was a fighter and right now she was ready to fight him.

"You're in danger here," he finally said. "Let me take you somewhere safe until this mess can be sorted out. You really do have nothing to fear from me, Lacey." He tried to inject as much sincerity into his voice as he could. He wanted her to trust him. Hell, he needed her to trust him.

Her response was cut off by the front door opening and Rafe cursing as he spun around quickly and caught the intruder in a tight headlock. He heard a woman scream and then Lacey was running towards him.

"Rafe, it's okay," she cried anxiously. "It's Jennifer, my friend. This is her flat."

Rafe released the woman immediately and pushed her towards Lacey as he slammed the door shut quickly, locking it. He cursed himself for not doing so earlier. Anyone could have just walked in.

"What the fuck? Lacey?" Jennifer Swift said slightly shakily, her hand rubbing her throat lightly as she stepped back from the huge man at the front door.

Rafe turned to look at the new woman in the apartment and quickly appraised her. She was about five feet four inches in height and had a curvy build. She was dressed in a business suit and her black hair was piled on top of her head in some weird bun style women in the business world seemed to favour. Her eyes were green like Lacey's yet hers were a deeper shade, almost teal. She was obviously frightened from her scent but she was masking it quite well and looked ready to jump to her friend's defence in an instant. That fact alone made him smile and instantly warm to the woman.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said sincerely. "There's been a bit of an issue tonight and I thought you were part of it."

Jen turned instantly to Lacey, her eyes going wide. "He's found you?" she gasped.

Lacey nodded and flicked her gaze between Jen and Rafe. She didn't think her friend would say too much, not knowing exactly who Rafe was, but she was hoping to somehow manage to convey to her that she wanted her to keep quiet.

Rafe watched Lacey carefully and his smile broadened. Strength in numbers. She obviously felt so much safer with her friend being present. "Perhaps you would enlighten me as to who 'he' is?" he asked the dark haired woman. "Lacey is being stubbornly tight lipped about it."

Jen squared her shoulders as she turned to look at the huge man. "I don't know who you are, Mister, so I'm not likely to be telling you anything," she said somewhat more bravely than she felt.

Rafe's lips twitched again and he shook his head with a weary sigh. He was really getting nowhere with either of these two women. "Let's just say I'm a friend and I want to help Lacey," he said quietly. "My name's Rafe Hanlon and I run Wicked, the nightclub, which is where I met Lacey tonight. I had a friend escort her home because she seemed frightened of something and two men were waiting outside the apartment for her. If Aaron hadn't intervened who knows what would have happened."

Jen paled and rubbed at her stomach as she moved to sit on the sofa. 

Lacey stared impassively at Rafe for a long moment and then moved to sit next to her friend. She had initially decided not to leave with Rafe but now seeing how shocked and frightened Jen was she was quickly re-thinking that decision. Richard's threat to hurt Jen came back to her, and she was suddenly terrified for her friend. He most probably knew Jen had hidden her away from him by now, and she was certain he would come after her.

"Jen, Rafe wants me to go somewhere safe with him, to some compound or something. I wasn't going to go, but if he knows I'm here now and you helped me, you know he'll do something terrible, not just to me but to you too. I'm going to go with Rafe and I think you should come too."

Jen gaped at her friend in shock. "I can't just vanish, Lace. I've got a job and clients I need to help." She looked at the man Rafe and then back at her friend. "How do you even know who this man is? How do you know he hasn't been sent by 'him'?"

"Because I saw his friend get shot trying to protect me," Lacey answered in a hushed voice. "And I recognised the two men who were watching the apartment. It's not safe to stay here anymore, Jen."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Lacey," Rafe said thoughtfully. "It's not safe for either of you here anymore. I suggest you go and pack a bag of essentials while I bring the Jeep closer to the apartment. Best be quick about it because I want to get out of here before anyone comes to see why those men haven't reported back in. Lock the door behind me."

Lacey found herself automatically obeying Rafe as he slipped out the door quickly. She turned to hurry to her bedroom to pack, Jen on her heels.

"Lace, you don't even know this man Rafe," her friend said urgently. "Why are you doing what he says and why do we need to go somewhere with him? I have friends, other places we could go to if you're worried about Graves coming here."

"Just pack, Jen," Lacey answered stuffing clothes into her suitcase and grabbing at her toiletries. "Did you miss the part where I told you I watched Aaron get shot? Do you want to put any of your friends in danger of that happening to them? I don't know who Rafe and his friends are but they managed to take care of the two men Richard sent and they were two of Richard's best. We'll be safer if we go with Rafe and his friends."

She stripped off her clothes and threw on a pair of jeans and a button down sweater before tying her hair back at the nape of her neck with a hair clasp.

Jen found herself packing even though she had no idea of what was going on. She didn't understand how Lacey could follow a stranger's instructions with such readiness and was worried it was Richard's conditioning to obey an alpha male kicking in. Her friend had done just about anything Richard asked her to do because of his subtle mind control over her. It appeared this Rafe man was doing the same.

"Lacey, will you stop and explain this to me?" Jen tried again as she pulled her suitcase into the hallway. "Why do you trust this man?"

Lacey stopped and looked at her friend seeing the worry clearly on her face. She smiled sadly and stroked her friend's startled face. "Maybe it's because I know without a doubt Richard will kill you if you stay here, Jen. If protecting you means I have to trust Rafe then I'll trust him."

Rafe was pleased to see the two women had packed and were waiting for him almost impatiently. Finally the seriousness of the situation seemed to be registering with them. He had scouted the area quickly and there were no signs of any new activity near the apartment.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 02



AUTHORS NOTE: so here's the second chapter, a bit edited but still with the same direction. Comment please! I love the feedback, so please give me as much as possible!

C8ER2U

November 25th 1955

Wilbur gon have my head.

My sister turned white as a sheet when I came back with the baby. My poor baby, her lips turnt blue out there in all that cold. My God, how long was she out there? Whole way home she silent. Starin up at me with them big blue eyes. Got ink black hair. So much of it too. She beautiful. 

And someone done threw her away. 

Soon as I got home I kicked the door in and hollered for my sister, she minds my kids when I work. The baby had finally fell asleep in my arms and it scared the hell outta me. Cause I didn't know if she was gonna wake up. Soon as my sister saw me standin there, jacket open, white baby in my arms she lost all her color. Look like she gonna fall out her senses. 

I yell to her, "Boil some water or somethin!"

She snap to and run off. Baby still layin there not movin. She still so cold. I run up to the room and get the thick blankets from the bed and wrap her in them. I'm talkin to her, tryin to keep her on this earth. I pray, "God don't take her yet."

I done made up my mind that she mine. Don't matter if her birth mama didn't want her. This mama do. 

My sister comes in with the basin of water and I tell her to fill the tub with it. I take her to the bath and I unwrap her so careful. I test the water for her. Too hot. Sent Ethel, that's my sister, back down to get some cool water. I take a cloth and dip it in the water, and wait for the cloth to cool. Then I start runnin it over my baby. Her eyes opened now, and God how she cryin. 

"Hush baby," I say.

She still cryin. Four of my boys come rushin in the room. They peekin around the door tryna catch a glimpse of the baby.

"Thought you hadda work today mama?" My youngest boy Perceval asked. 

"Get outta here! All a ya! Git!"

My heart is thumpin in my chest. I can't breathe fast enough. 

Jesus just let her be okay. She don't deserve this, she deserves a better life. Please God. Don't take her. 

Ethel got the pail of water and we add it to the tub. I strip the blankets off and put her in the basin. She screechin' so much. I'm so scared for her. 

I strip down. Take off all my clothes and I get in the tub with her, holdin her to me. She stop cryin. Thank you jesus, she done stopped cryin. She just lookin at me again with them big thoughtful blue eyes and I love her. Just like that. I love her.

I held her like that, till she turn pink, and the water got a chill to it. Had Ethel bring up more hot water for us. I give her my breast. She must be starving, she latch on quick and fell right to sleep. I stayed like that, holdin my baby to me and realized I gotta somehow convince my husband that she's our child. I got so scared. What if he don't love her like I do? What if he don't understand? But where else could she go?

Willy gon have a fit. 

Can't afford to feed ourselves, let alone the eight kids we done had. He gon only see another hongery mouth. But I can't let her go. Jus can't. 

After a while I start dosin off. Ethel wake me up and offer to take the baby from me. I can't let her outta my arms. Like I'm scared sum else bad gon happen to her. I kiss her tiny sleepin eyes and give her to ethel so I can get up. I put on my big flannel night gown and get into bed. Ethel hands me back my child. She put a diaper and one of Cora's blankets on her. I lay her up to my breast. She stirs a bit then goes right back to sleep. 

I hear Cora fussin in the other room and I go to get back up. Ethel laid me right back down. 

"Don't you worry bout none them kids, I'll take care of em. Y'all just rest up now, been a rough mornin," she said closing the door behind her. 

I pray again. I thank God for this Gift he's given my family. I thank God for Ethel. Then I fall into much needed sleep. 

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

"Who this?"

I come flyin awake and almost forgot about the baby sleepin on my chest. 

Almost.

Wilbur standin over me like I'm in my grave, starin back and forth at me and the white child in my arms. My heart is beatin around in my chest again; Wilbur looks like he gon rip my head off.

"Why you ain't workin up at the Caulfield's? And who this baby?"

"She ours now," I say. I look down at her and she still sleepin there all angelic like. 

"She who?"

Now, there are certain things that happen in your life that you have no way to prepare yourself for. Your mama can tell you all about the birds and the bees, tell you all about your monthly visitor and things. But there just some things that no one could ever prepare ya for. 

Like, explainin to your husband why you need to keep the white child you found in the trash. Where's the bible passage for that? Who would be the one to talk to about that?

"Woman, you betta answer me!"

He looks so tired. Like he carryin the weight of the world, and I just added a bit more on his shoulders. 

"Willy," I say sitting up. I look over at the sky and realize for the first time it's evening. We done slept the day away and my stomach is growlin. 

"I said she ours."

I let the words hang in the air and Wilbur is staring at me like he might slap me. I don't blame him. If he'da pulled this kinda thing on me I'da slapped the black off him. But he didn't, I'm the one who brought this situation into our house. And I just can't help but love her. I can't. 

"You think we can afford this mess? You think I like workin from can't see in the morning till can't see at night? You think you got time to just play house when you got eight chillren of your own runnin round here? You got Ethel runnin round here takin care them chillren you birthed! Now you stealin babies from them high floutin' white folks? You tryna get yo ass thrown in jail?"

"Willie I ain't never stole nothing in my life! Now, keep yo voice down! You gon wake the poor chile and she done been though enough today," I say lowerin my voice. I sit up, still clutchin her to my chest. She was startin to fuss a bit, so I rocked her while Wilbur watched.

"I found her. I was on my way over to the Caulfield's when I heard her. She was in the trash Willie."

I look into his eyes. I can see his body sag a bit at what I said. 

"She- she was in the trash?" he asked confused. He sank into the rocking chair behind him and it was like someone had deflated him. 

I look down at the sleeping child in my arms, her tiny lips suckin on an invisible nipple, her eyes dancin

Behind her eyelids like she lookin for somebody in her dreams. 

"I'm right here," I say. 

I look up and Wilbur starin holes through the both of us. 

"Willie, she a gift. A gift from God, and somebody done throwed her away. Soon as I laid my eyes on her in that trash can, I just knew I couldn't leave her there. I snatched her up quick as I could and brought her home. I just couldn't turn my back on her, It's the way she look at me. Like she knows who I am already. Like she know I'm her mama."

"That's fool talk!" he yelled at me. She wakes up at the sound and stares up at me. She all eyes and hair. Big watery blue eyes and wild black hair. Her eyes got so much love in them I feel my heart might burst.

"Jus hold her," I say walkin over to him. 

He hops up out the chair like I asked him to cut his own eyes out. He shakin his head no but I'm not taking no for an answer. I grab his arm and tuck her into it. She wide awake now, lookin right up at Willie. He starin back down at her and it aint hard for me to see the love in em. She reaches her lil pink hand up swingin it at him and he sits again, taking her tiny hand between his hard, calloused fingers. 

I sit back on the bed and watch em. 

As rough and as mean as Wilbur'd like you to think he is, he just as soft and as gentle as a teddy bear. Reason I love him so much. He loves each child we bring into this world as much as the first. He a kind and loving man. Sometime I'm so proud to call him my husband and I don't think I could ever be more proud of the man I married than today. When other men woulda had me drop the child off on some church steps somewhere, he ready to open his heart to her. And his home. He a good man, my Wilbur. 

He stands up, still starin at her, and hands her to me like he don't really wanna let go and I understand. 

"Okay," he says. 

He still starin down at her, the way he stared at Cora when she was born. Like he'd do anything to keep her safe. 

"What you gon name her?" he asks finally looking at me and I realize for the first time I ain't never gave her one. I been to busy callin her 'mine.'

"What do you think I should name her?" I ask him. 

He kneels down in front of me, his knees crackin and popin all the way down. A testament to the hard work he does in them factories. He stares directly into her eyes and she reaches for him again. He smiles, and she coos at him. 

"Evelyn Rebecca," he says to her and then looks back up at me.

"After her mama."

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

September 30th 2004

"There are three different classifications of levers: first second and third class. Each of these levers work with three key elements. The effort, the fulcrum and the resistance, or weight."

Caiden was seated in his new class: Kin401 The joys of kinetics. It was anything but joyful. 'Professor know it all,' was a boring, monotonous asshole. He'd fallen asleep twice and he'd only been here for just over a half hour. What he needed to be doing was paying attention and taking notes like everyone else in here. They all seemed to be furiously jotting down every word the man said. Maybe he needed to bring in a tape recorder or something. Wait, was he even allowed to do that?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a crash at the back of the lecture hall. He looked up behind him and there she was again, bending to pick up her dropped books. Two weeks with nothing and in a matter of hours she was everywhere he went. He was so glad he'd switched from the arts to this. It meant he'd see her that much more often.

"Miss Lewis, glad you could finally join us," the asshole said. 

She was scanning the room for a seat and Caiden waved to her, glad he'd sat his bags down in the seat beside him. 

As she clumsily made her way over to him, he noticed the professor staring a hole in her head. He'd decided he didn't like the man. Something about the way he looked at Reign rubbed him the wrong way. 

"Miss Lewis, maybe you'd prefer explaining lever systems to everyone?" he announced. 

She took her seat slowly and began opening up her bag retrieving books and a laptop. She began to speak, loud enough for all to hear but not making eye contact with anyone. 

"First class lever systems. The fulcrum is in the middle, the effort is on one end and the load is on the other. An example in everyday life would be a see saw, or the head with the upper trapezius muscle being the effort, C-1 or the atlas is the fulcrum and the cranium being the load."

Caiden didn't understand a word coming out of her mouth. With the fulcrums and the Trapezius and whatnot. But he was in awe of her knowledge. Even with being a half hour late, she knew a hundred times more than he did.

"Second class lever systems. The fulcrum is at one end, the weight is in the middle and the effort is at the other end. An example of this would be a pair of sciss-"

"That'll be quite enough Miss Lewis, I think I can take it from here." the proff said interrupting her. She just shrugged her shoulders and powered on her laptop. 

"Hey," Caiden whispered to her. She smiled at him.

"Hey, what'd I miss? And since when are you in this class?" she asked lifting an eyebrow at him. 

"Nothing you don't already know apparently," he said grinning. 

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned her attention back to the professor. 

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

"You wanna grab something to eat?"

They were walking down the front steps of the science building heading off campus. Neither one had another class until after two. 

"Uh," she looked up at him like she might run off again. Aww hell, not this again. 

"What? What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just, I'm kinda ballin on a very strict budget right now. As in, I've already done my grocery shopping for the week and there's no money left over to 'grab something.' I mean, I can cook fo-"

"Sold!" he said interrupting her and practically dragging her in the direction of her apartment. 

"You don't even know if I can cook or not!" she said chuckling. 

"Of course I do, it ain't nothing you can't do!"

She looked up at him as though she had all kinds of rebuttals for that statement. But instead she just smirked, and kept walking. 

By the time they got to her apartment building she was acting jumpy again. Her hands were rattling her keys around as she tried to unlock the front door. Thankfully, someone was coming off the elevator at the same time and let them in. once on the rickety elevator, it seemed she was trying everything not to make eye contact with him. Her hands were gripping the rails and every bump the elevator made seemed to make her worse. 

He was so confused. This girl was hot and cold at the same time. When the doors opened up, she tore out of the elevator to her apartment. 

"You alright with me coming here? Cause if you don't want me to I'll leave. It's alright."

She stared up at him with a confused look on her face.

"Why would you think I don't want you here? I invited you remember?"

"Well I kinda invited myself, but you been actin all jumpy again, like you don't really want me around so-"

"Oh, jeez I'm sorry. It's just, I'm claustrophobic.'

She was looking at her shoes, like she was ashamed. 

"I take the stairs, everyday so I don't have to deal with the whole rickety elevator thing. It just looks like it's about to fall apart."

She looked back up at him with a half smile on her face. 

"It was what you said earlier; 'It ain't nothing I can't do.' It just got me thinking. I decided to face one of my fears today, and I'm... well, thank you," she said trying to hide her smile. Caiden pulled her into a hug, right there in the hallway and couldn't believe how good this woman felt in his arms.

"You coulda just told me," he said into the top of her head.

"I was scared if I told you, I'd back down and take the stairs," she said quietly into his shirt. She slowly pulled away, not really looking at him again. She turned to her door and unlocked it. 

When they walked inside she disappeared off somewhere and he took in her apartment. It was small. A shoebox to be exact. And it was somehow still sparse even with the lack of space. The kitchen, living room and dining room were all one and the same. There was a desk for her laptop, a small table with two chairs, and in the middle of it all was a small washer which attached to the sink. No sofa, no tv, just a desk, table and a washing machine. 

She reappeared from what must've been the washroom and she stared at him in a strange way. 

"You make my appartment look even smaller," she stated shyly.

"How long you been here?" he asked looking around again. 

She walked into the kitchen area and he marvelled at how her faded jeans hugged her so sensuously. 

"About a year and a half," she said nonchalantly. 

"What? When you plan on decorating the place?" he asked laughing. 

"When someone gives me the money to, otherwise I got everything I need right here I guess."

She looked at him again, another strange look on her face. He was about to speak when she interrupted him. 

"I'm sorry, I know I'm being real weird today, it's just. I realized this is the first time I've ever had a dude up in here with me."

She blushed at her own admission and he smiled as he walked closer to her.

"Is it everything you thought it'd be?" he asked leaning against the counter, a grin tugging at his lips. 

She rolled her eyes. 

"Oh it's something alright."

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

They each ate huge bowls of the creamiest broccoli soup Caiden had ever tasted. She had a plate full of biscuits in front of them and he'd eaten about seven of em. Neither one spoke as they ate and it was a comfortable silence. 

Once he was done, he picked his bowl up and licked it clean.

"Lawd Jesus! Chile ain't got no home trainin!" she said in a thick southern drawl. 

He smiled at her and stretched out dwarfing the small chair. 

"Least you ain't gotta clean it now," he said laughing. 

"Eeew, that's just gross!" she said trying to suppress a grin. 

She picked up their bowls and placed them in the sink. She turned and was about to say something to him when her phone began to vibrate and sing. 

"Sorry, just a sec," she said answering the call.

"Hello?" came her sweetly husky voice. 

Caiden was sure she wasn't trying to be sexy at all. In fact, she was really nervous around him which stroked his ego quite a bit. But damn if there wasn't something undeniably sensual about her. It was in her tone of voice, in her subtle movements, in her pretty light eyes. 

"Dylan, calm down. Dylan, what happened?"

Her voice took on a more worried tone and she glanced at him quickly before turning away.

"Did he-did he hit you Dylan?" she asked quietly, trying not to be heard. 

Caiden stiffened in his chair and sat up. Violence made him very uncomfortable. His skin began to crawl, and against his will memories began to flash before his eyes. Brushing the thoughts away, he stood up and walked to the small window trying to dispel the thoughts from his mind. Instead he tried to occupy his mind with thoughts of Reign. 

"Dee, girl I just don't know why you fuck with this dude. He's a lame! Where does he get off throwin temper tantrums, cutting up furniture! I'm the one who bought that sofa! Girl you better tell him he owes me money! And not the money you been supplyin him with either, I mean his own damn money! The shit he work for!"

Her neck was rolling, and she was pacing the small kitchen area. There was so much 'tude coming from that area he was glad he'd come to the window. He watched her though, taking in her stance, one arm holding the phone up to her ear, the other folded under her breasts pushing them up slightly. Her back had a slightly exaggerated arch causing her ass to stick out that much more.

"Well I mean it! I TOLD you about this dude! What happened to the last chick he was with?"

Her head swivelled and she threw her free hand in the air. 

"Oh, now you gotta go huh? Tell that nucca I want my damn money! And I hope he hear me too!"

She angrily hung up, hauled back and was about to throw the phone when she caught sight of Caiden again. 

"Whoa! Hold on now!" he said his hands up in front of him. She blanched, despite her caramel coloring and set the phone down on the counter turning her back on him.

"You okay?" he said slowly coming up to her. 

"Yeah," she whispered, then turned abruptly not realizing how close he'd gotten. 

"Actually no, I'm not okay. I'm pissed the fuck off that's what I am."

She walked the short distance to the table and leaned into it, putting some distance between the two.

"Listen I don't expect you to want to hear me bitch about my girlfriends and their poor choices, so if you wanna leave it's alright with me."

She said this without making any eye contact at all, and he could tell without her saying so that she didn't want him to go. 

"You see me goin anywhere?" he said grinning. 

She took a deep breath and expelled it, tapping her foot on the linoleum tile that covered the designated 'kitchen area.'

"I just, I mean, I'm just so damn mad at her! Walking right into a bad situation from the beginning. Eyes wide open like she could..." she trailed off. 




When Worlds Collide Ch. 02



Her face was closed, her arms were folded under her chest again and that tapping foot was the only sound in the tiny apartment. 

"Dylan, that's your girlfriend?" he asked putting emphasis on the word girl.

Her face softened a bit and she looked like she wanted to smile, but didn't.

"Yeah, her mother had a thing for Bob Dylan. Told her he was her father for the longest time, 'cept she black as soot, I don't know how she believed something like that."

Her arms fell to her sides, and her chin quivered for the slightest moment before stopping. She swallowed long, and dug her hands in her front pockets pulling her jeans deliciously low on her waist. 

"If it's one thing I know, it's that you can't tell people how to live their lives. You can give people all the advice in the world, 'splain, things to em real easy, make everything clear as day, but you can't stop em from making their own decisions."

He'd surprised himself with that one. Especially since the words came from a place he was trying his best not to visit. She was staring at him, a strange look on her face yet again as she took what he'd said in. He was about to add to his statement when his phone rang. His phone singing a song by Ludacris. Splash waterfalls. 

He felt embarrassment creep up his neck as he pulled the phone from his back pocket and answered it. 

"Hello?"

"Boi! Where you at?" 

He smiled.

"Never mind where um at. Whatchuwant?" he said, his southern drawl thickening that much more.

"You near a TV?" 

"Calvin," he said running his hands over his forehead. "I ain't got time for this mess, I ain't gon watch another jerry springer ep-"

"Naw! Go on, find you a television wherever you at! I promise you'll wanna see this!"

Caiden looked up sheepishly at Reign, who was staring at him curiously. He turned the phone away from his mouth and spoke to her.

"Sweetheart, you got a television in here somewhere? My brother has decided to pick now to make me watch something probably very stupid on tv."

She stood, running her hands self-consciously through her hair. 

"Yeah, in my bedroom I have a tv."

She showed him into her tiny room and he regarded the space. She'd somehow fit a queen sized bed in this little room. She had a dresser, and a 32 inch tv sitting on top of it. But what this room had that the others didn't was pictures. Picture frames ranging from very small to huge covered her walls. Photos of her, dancing, laughing, photos of what he assumed to be friends and family. 

"You find a tv yet?" came his brothers very annoying voice interrupting his survey of her room. 

"Yeah I found one, and this better be good too!" he said trying to fake anger. 

"Okay," his brother said, ignoring his tone. "Turn it to your local news station. I think it's channel 5?"

"How the hell you know that?" Caiden asked taking a seat on her bed to flip through the channels.

"Nem mind how I know. You there yet? Shit! You gon miss it!"

He turned to channel 5 and watched as the aging news anchor talked about the state of agriculture in Gordon. Absolutely riveting information. He was about to tear into him about his long distance bill when the man switched topics.

"In other news today, the Worthington Warriors got another much needed addition today when they added safety Calvin Williams to their Roster. June lee has the story."

"Well I'll be dammed."

He almost dropped the phone. Reign came and sat down on the bed beside him and he was barely aware of her. 

"Thanks Tom. The spirit of the Worthington Warriors has been resting on this mans shoulders for some time now, but the weight of such a responsibility has definitely taken it's toll."

They showed his coach, Don Jackson as he barked orders at his players. He was like a bulldog, all kinds of bark and just as much bite. They then switched to a shot of one of Caiden's away games that he was particularly ashamed of. They'd given up countless interceptions and played like a bunch of pussies. They showed one such interceptions, resulting in him getting his ass tackled. Hard.

"But things are looking up for the 72 year old football team with the addition of this man."

The screen changed once again and there he was, in the middle of Gordy stadium, doing an interview.

"Calvin! you're here? You're in Gordon?" he yelled jumping up from the bed.

"Shooot, you see me on tv? You ain't never seen no nigga fly as um is!"

At the use of that forbidden word realization hit him. He looked down at Reign, a look of pure confusion on her face. It might as well have been a big question mark. He looked back at the television, at his brother. His skin was dark. Real dark. Quarter to midnight dark. He was towering over the little Asian reporter, bending down to answer her questions. 

"Where's your brother?" she asked scanning the screen. 

He knew it was confusing. They were literally night and day, but that was his brother. The interview was ending and they showed him leanin with it and rockin with it. Caiden bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. He hated that shit, and Calvin knew it. Reign looked between him and the screen comparing the two. She couldn't have been more confused if he'd said the Asian reporter was his mother. He decided to just be straight with her. 

"That's him right there. That's my brother."



When Worlds Collide Ch. 02



There was also no sign of any police which made him angry. Shots had been fired and men had died in this residential street and not one person had picked up the phone and called the police. Such lack of caring would never occur in a Were community. Lacey could have died here tonight and not one of her neighbours would have given a shit about it. His anger started to turn into an almost homicidal rage and he had to work really hard to push his wolf back down. Their mate had been threatened and the animal didn't want to go quietly.

He worked on it while he loaded their cases into the back of the Jeep. By the time he came back to get the women from the apartment he had successfully quietened his wolf. "Both of you slide into the back seat," he said as he took Jen's keys and locked up her apartment as the two women headed to the Jeep.

The coast still looked clear but he didn't want to take any chances. The back windows were tinted and would hide them from any prying eyes. He pulled the Jeep out of the residential street and headed towards the city limits. Both Jen and Lacey sat quietly in the backseat but he could see they were frightened and confused. His eyes met Lacey's in the rear view mirror and he tried to smile reassuringly at her as he pulled out his cell phone and tossed it back to her.

"Hit the first speed dial for me and put it on speaker," he said casually.

Lacey did as he asked and then leaned forward so the phone was closer to his mouth.

"There better be a bloody good reason why you're calling at one thirty in the morning," Jared Hanlon barked sleepily down the phone and Rafe grimaced slightly.

"Mike and Pete haven't arrived at the compound yet?" he asked with more than a hint of concern in his voice. He heard his alpha draw in a quick breath.

"Should they have?" he asked, instantly alert.

"They're bringing Aaron in. He's been shot pretty badly. I told them to phone ahead to the doc so he'd be awake and alert when they got there."

Jared cursed loudly. "What the fuck? Hold on a second, Rafe." There was a sound of rustling bedclothes and a female voice mumbling sleepily and then Jared could be heard talking quietly. "Mills, honey, run down and see if there's any sign of Aaron being brought in. He's been shot. Make sure that Luke's awake too."

Rafe heard Millie's gasp and then he had Jared's full attention again.

"Report!" Jared barked down the phone and Rafe filled him in as quickly as possible. He didn't mention anything about Lacey being his mate but he knew his Alpha would automatically pick up on it and understand why things had gone to shit so quickly.

"I take it you're bringing the women to the compound?" Jared asked after a slight silence. He sighed when Rafe confirmed it and muttered under his breath about Armands being a complete pain in his ass but there was no real heat in his voice.

"Fine, I'll see you when you get here," his Alpha said about to hang up. "Wait, hold on again, Rafe." 

Rafe heard Millie talking in the background and then came Jared came back on the phone. "Millie met Luke's wife on her way over to ours. They took Aaron straight to the doc. He's with him now."

Rafe let out a sigh of relief. At least Aaron was in the best hands possible. "Thanks, Jared."

The call was terminated and Lacey held onto the phone just in case it rang or Rafe needed to make another call. She was confused about what she'd heard so far and a quick look at Jen showed she was equally as confused. Just what was this compound and why had they taken Aaron there instead of to a nearby hospital? The Jeep was speeding out of the city and towards the neighbouring one. It was a long distance to take a badly wounded man.

Rafe seemed loathe to speak anymore so she eventually settled back against the seat and squeezed Jen's hand reassuringly. She really hoped she'd made the right decision agreeing to go with Rafe. She was starting to wonder if she'd fled one nightmare only to land right in the middle of another.

Rafe pulled into the compound and headed straight towards Jared's house which was slightly detached from the other buildings. Most of the downstairs lights were on so he was sure his alpha was there and not down at the medical building.

"What is this place?" Lacey asked as they stepped out of the Jeep. The compound looked like it was just a bunch of log cabins of various different sizes in the middle of a deep forest. She had seen no sign of any boundary fences on the way in. Even though it was dark and the middle of the night, the moon was full so she was sure she hadn't missed any kind of enclosing fence.

A rustle off to the left startled her and she thought she saw some kind of wild animal peering at her before it disappeared. She couldn't stop the little shiver of fear which went through her as Jen gasped in shock. She must have seen it too.

Rafe ignored her question though he paused from taking out their suitcases and glared into the trees. "If I find out who's pissing about out there I'm going to jump on them with both feet," he growled irritably, slamming the back door closed. He turned to the two women. "This way," he grunted and headed up to the front door.

"Did he just tell off a wild animal?" Jen whispered shocked and Lacey shrugged. It had certainly looked that way. Just who the hell were these people? Some weird nature loving hippy sorts? Rafe didn't strike her as the hippy type but the compound setup was really strange. The two women followed him silently into the house. 

Lacey stopped just inside the door. The rather rustic looking log cabin was in fact a spacious home. Granted there was a lot of wood around but there seemed to be numerous proper rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms up the wooden staircase. She actually quite liked it. Rafe was setting their suitcases down on the floor when a tall woman appeared on the upstairs landing.

She smiled broadly when she saw them and practically glided down the stairs. Her black curls came to her shoulders and looked as if she'd just dragged her hands through them. Her cobalt blue eyes practically shone as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Rafe, you've been gone too long," she smiled wrapping her arms around the big man's waist and giving him a warm hug.

Rafe smiled fondly and kissed Millie on the top of her head before he tousled her hair. "I'm a victim of the club's success," he replied quietly.

"Bollocks," she laughed. "You're still running as fast as your long legs can carry you and you know it. You forget I can see right through you." She stepped back and looked at the two women curiously, glancing back at Rafe when he didn't deny her accusation.

"Are you going to introduce me?" she asked archly with a raised brow.

"You know I don't like repeating myself," he answered brusquely. "I figured I'd wait until everyone was present." 

Millie regarded him with narrowed eyes for a long moment and then sighed and turned towards the study. Rafe trailed after her as did the two women.

Jared's study was one of the larger rooms in the house. The tall dark haired Alpha was sitting behind his desk listening to the end of Peter and Michael's report on what they'd witnessed. His handsome face was set in a deep frown which lightened slightly when Millie crossed towards him and perched on the arm of his leather chair. His arm automatically snaked around her waist and he gave her a quick smile before he turned back to the two men.

Rafe motioned for Lacey and Jen to have a seat on the black leather sofa underneath the window opting to stand at the end closest to Lacey while he waited for Jared to be finished with his friends. The two women were being remarkably quiet. He had the distinct impression it wasn't a usual occurrence for either of them. Still they were in rather unusual circumstances at the moment.

He glanced down at Lacey and she turned to meet his eyes. He gave her a slight smile and then turned as Jared dismissed Pete and Mike.

"So, what exactly have you gotten us involved in, Rafe?" Jared asked slightly caustically, his displeasure evident in his tone and the expression on his face. His blue eyes practically bore a hole through Rafe and he shifted slightly uncomfortably under Jared's penetrating stare.

"Don't quite know yet," he answered slowly. "Still trying to find out all the details. How's Aaron?"

Millie's eyes clouded slightly and Rafe felt his heart thud loudly in his chest. "He isn't dead?" he asked with more than a touch of concern in his voice.

"No, he's hanging on at the moment but the doc's worried," Jared answered stroking Millie's hip soothingly. "It looks like the bullet missed his lung on entry but his subsequent moving around to evade being shot again caused it to move and nick his lung. It's fifty/fifty at the moment."

The Alpha's own concern was evident. Weres healed quickly from most things but Aaron had lost a lot of blood before reaching medical attention. There was a good chance he could die and Jared hated losing any member of the pack. Aaron was one of his betas and a good friend. His death would hit the whole pack hard as well as Jared.

"Aaron's too stubborn to die," Rafe said with a small smile. "He'll pull through just so he can tell the ladies all about his near death experience and charm them into his bed." 

Millie smiled slightly and her concerned expression cleared a bit. "Introductions, Rafe?" she asked.

Rafe introduced the women. He omitted any titles when introducing Jared and Millie. They were human after all and there were still pack laws to uphold though how they were going to do so with the two of them hiding out in the pack was a bit of a headache. But it was Jared's headache now not his. Which was probably why his Alpha was so pissed at him right now.

Jared was pissed and pissed big time. One of his betas was fighting for his life, two humans were dead, two of his pack had shifted in a residential area and he had two human women on pack lands. He couldn't imagine anything else that would make the situation any worse.

He eyed the two women intently. Rafe was practically sitting on top of the blonde Lacey and he'd sent Aaron to make sure the girl got home safely so it was obvious that she was his intended mate. She appeared to be the target in whatever was going on.

"Lacey, we need to know who you're frightened of," he said softly. "It's the only way we can help you." He watched her curious green eyes flit towards her friend for a moment and then she turned back to him.

"Look, Jared, I'm sorry about Aaron, I really am," Lacey sighed. "He seems like a really nice guy. I told him not to get involved but he wouldn't listen to me. I'm not trying to get you and your friends involved in anything. This is my problem."

Millie smiled softly at her and rose to go and sit beside her. "It became our problem the moment Rafe made it his," she said gently. "We're a very close knit community and we look after our own and that extends to their friends too. You're not responsible for what happened to Aaron. He knew the risk he was taking when he acted so please don't feel guilty about it. He'd go right ahead and do the same thing over again if he had to. Just tell us who you're running from and we'll fix the problem for you."

Lacey jumped up and paced towards the door. She wanted to run out the door and keep running. These people were so strange. They were so intense and intimidating, even Millie. She was feeling boxed in and she didn't know what to do. Stay or go? If she left, Jen would go home and Richard would hurt her. If she stayed something else was going to happen. She didn't know what it was but she knew it would be something so monumental her life would never be the same again.

"Just tell them, Lace," Jen said speaking for the first time. "What more harm is it going to do? Their friend is already hurt. We can't go home because he knows where to look for you now. You know he's never going to stop. It won't matter where you go he's going to follow you over and over and over until there's nowhere left for you to hide. These guys here are huge and scary looking. Maybe if he gets a little visit from them he'll finally give up."

Lacey gasped and looked at her friend. Jen was the last person she had expected to try and convince her to tell. "He said he'd kill you if I told anyone, Jen," she whispered.

"Kill me," her friend laughed hoarsely. "He's only using me to get you to keep quiet. He's manipulating you just like he's always done. I only packed and came here with you because you were so desperate for me to. I'm not scared of that prick. I never have been and I never will be. He won't touch me."

"He will, Jen," Lacey groaned her expression anguished. "He's already tried." She stopped abruptly her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes going wide when she realised what she'd said.

Jen stared at her as slow realisation dawned on her face. She shook her head in denial. "Tell me it wasn't him, Lace," she said horrified. "Tell me it wasn't him who almost beat you to death in my apartment three months ago."

Rafe let out a loud growl and stiffened as red hot rage coursed through him. Someone had almost beat her to death? Three months ago when he was so close to her getting the club ready to open. He growled again, his expression turning murderous until he felt Jared layering his command tone heavily over him.

"Rafe!" Jared said loudly. "Either calm down or fuck off out of here until you do!"

Rafe gave himself a mental shake and saw Jen standing beside Lacey at the door. They were both looking at him with frightened expressions and he realised he must have looked and sounded pretty scary to them. "Sorry," he mumbled staring down at the floor. He gave Millie's hand a grateful squeeze when she reached for him.

Jared took a deep breath and motioned for Jen and Lacey to retake their seats. They eyed Rafe apprehensively for a moment and the big man growled in frustration and strode around behind Jared's desk to place him as far away from them as possible. It seemed to settled them down as they both returned to the sofa.

Lacey bit her bottom lip and glanced quickly at everyone in the room. She had to make a decision and she had to decide now. What was the best way to protect Jen? Her fear told her it was to go back to Richard. If she went back willingly then she was sure he would leave Jen alone. If she went back to Richard he would eventually kill her. She was certain he would do so. He'd already lost complete control once. All eyes were on her and she dropped her head in her hands so she didn't have to look at them.

"I met Richard two years ago," she said dully. "He was the perfect boyfriend. Tall, dark, handsome, exceedingly rich, charming and attentive, sophisticated. He was perfect in every way. I fell for him instantly. I used to lie in bed at night and wonder how I could have gotten so lucky to meet someone as perfect as him." She laughed bitterly keeping her eyes on the floor as she twisted her hands in her lap.

"That was until the first beating," she continued. "I didn't want to go out to some function and I certainly didn't want to wear the dress he'd picked out for me. We got into an argument. I called him a controlling prick and he punched me in the stomach. He spent a good half hour enlightening me on why I was going to wear the dress and attend the function. Then he forgave me by having sex with me. I wore the dress and I went to the function."

Jen reached over and gripped her friend's hands in hers to lend her some support. The total self loathing in Lacey's voice tore at her heart. She looked at the other people in the room. Millie looked horrified, Jared looked angry and sympathetic, and Rafe looked like he was ready to commit murder. None of them looked at Lacey with any kind of disgust or disapproval. She wished her friend would look up too and see that she didn't have to feel so ashamed about what happened to her but she kept her eyes lowered.

"I tried to leave him but by that point I was completely isolated from all my friends," Lacey continued in a monotone. "I was brought up in various foster care homes and had no family to turn to. All I had was Richard so there really was nowhere to go. The abuse went on in cycles until Jen moved back home. She called me up out of the blue and at the sound of her voice I just started weeping. Finally I had someone I could talk to, who I could tell what was happening to me. She encouraged me to leave Richard and I did one day while he was at work. He had beaten me the night before so I had bruises on my body. Jen took photos of them and got a restraining order on him. He went completely mental but he had to back off when the police were called."

Lacey closed her eyes and swallowed hard as she held on to Jen's hands for dear life. It was so hard to talk about this to strangers. She could only imagine what they must think of her staying with Richard for so long. 

"Richard blamed Jen for me leaving him," she said quietly. "I was hiding out at her apartment one night when he came looking for Jen. He thought if she was out of the picture I would come home to him. Instead of finding Jen he found me there. We got into an argument and he told me he was going to kill her. I was so scared for Jen I lost control and hit him with a table lamp. It didn't even faze him. He started beating me and I must have blacked out because when I woke up I was in hospital with broken ribs, a broken arm and bruises just about all over my body. Richard was in the room with me. I was sure he was there to finish the job but he really only wanted to make sure I would keep my mouth shut about my attacker." She paused for a moment, frowning in concentration.

"It wasn't even that he was afraid of the police," she whispered. "He seemed almost contemptuous of them, as if they couldn't touch him. He was more interested in fucking with my head. He told me Jen would die if I opened my mouth and I believed him. I lied to the police and they went down the route of thinking the attack was meant for Jen, a disgruntled client or something. I didn't even tell Jen the truth because I knew she'd make me go to the police and tell them it was Richard. I'm so sorry I lied to you, Jen."

She raised her eyes then to look at her friend and saw she was silently crying. She was surprised to find she was crying too.

"It's okay, Lace," Jen whispered wrapping her arms around her friend. "I don't care that you lied. I had suspicions it was Richard who had hurt you but I didn't want to push you into admitting it. You were so badly hurt."

She rocked her friend, stroking her head soothingly as she started to sob quietly. "That was three months ago," Jen said, taking up the tale. "Lacey couldn't leave the apartment the first month because she needed time for her body to heal. She was too afraid to leave once she was healed. Last night was the first time she's left the apartment since the attack and he found her straight away. The man is a psychopath. He's never going to let her go." 

Rafe couldn't stay away from Lacey any longer. Her soft weeping was breaking his heart and his wolf was screaming bloody murder at what had been done to their mate. His fury fought for dominance with his tender side and he strode quickly around Jared's desk to kneel at her feet.

He gently disentangled her from her friend and cupped her face gently in his big hands forcing her to meet his eyes. He looked into her distraught face and his tender side won the battle. "He will never hurt you ever again, Lacey," he said fervently wiping at her wet cheeks. "I promise you I will make him regret every single time he laid as much as a finger on you. I will keep you safe."

Lacey stared into Rafe's eyes and read the promise in them. She believed every word he said to her and she felt a faint flicker of hope. Maybe Rafe really could protect her from Richard? He seemed sincere. He seemed to care greatly about her even though they had only just met. She wanted to have faith in him so badly but she was frightened to give in to hope. "I don't want him to hurt anyone else," she whispered tearfully.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 02



"He's already hurt me in ways you don't understand, Lacey," Rafe answered quietly. "Now I'm going to hurt him back. By the time I'm finished with him he'll rue the day he was ever born." He tentatively pulled her into his arms and let out a little sigh as she let him hold her. She leaned against his chest and he inhaled her sweet scent as his heart beat wildly in his chest. She was his woman and he would protect her with his dying breath. 

Jared and Millie watched Rafe take the first tentative steps to claiming his mate. It was not going to be an easy road for Rafe to convince the fragile woman that she could trust him. Jared's eyes flicked to Jen who was watching the couple too with a surprised expression on her face.

"Richard who, Jen?" he asked quietly and the dark haired woman turned to look at him.

"Richard Graves," she answered slowly.

"Fuck!" Jared growled loudly.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 03



Who said knowledge was power? Sometimes revelations are not all that's hoped for! Oh, and the vampires are back :-) *** Really hope you enjoy this chapter *** Many thanks once more to WHB for editing for me!

Chapter Three

Jared paced restlessly across his study floor. It was five in the morning and he was awaiting news on Aaron's injuries. He'd sent Millie off to bed a couple of hours ago after promising her he would wake her with any news. She had taken the two human women with her and settled them into rooms for the night.

Apart from leaving him briefly to carry the women's suitcases upstairs and make sure Lacey was okay, Rafe had spent the last few hours with him sitting silently on the sofa, his handsome face wearing a deep scowl.

"You're absolutely sure she's the one?" Jared asked for the twentieth time. He knew the answer to the question but he couldn't stop himself from hoping for a different one this time. The black look his beta gave him made his shoulders slump and he ran his hand through his long black hair and sighed loudly.

"I really didn't think this night could get any worse, Rafe," he ground out, his voice full of anger, but also resignation. "You do know what this means, don't you? You do know who Richard Graves is?"

Rafe scowled darkly and nodded his head. He knew exactly who Graves was and he knew why his Alpha was so torn at the moment. Graves was only one of the wealthiest men in the country. He was like a demi-god in the business world and was rumoured to be a personal friend of the President. He was so high up the untouchable list that everyone cut him a wide berth. It made no difference to Rafe. Graves was a dead man walking and had been from the first moment he had beaten Lacey. 

"I don't suppose you're going to let me talk you out of this, are you?" Jared asked tiredly. He knew he could order Rafe to walk away from the fight and keep Lacey close to the compound for her own protection. He also knew Rafe was more than capable of shaking off any command he laid on him. The fact he no longer did so was more out of respect for his Alpha than his lack of ability to do so.

"Would you walk away if Graves had done the same to Millie?" Rafe countered irritably. He watched Jared's lips tighten in a thin line of displeasure. He knew his Alpha was unable to speak the lie which hovered on his tongue. He would do the exact same thing and he knew it.

Jared sighed deeply again and threw himself down into his leather chair, once more running a hand through his thick locks. "This is a right mess, Rafe," he groaned. "You know this can put the pack in danger. Getting to Graves isn't going to be easy. There's a good chance our true nature will be discovered."

Rafe frowned and shook his head. "It doesn't have to be that way, Jared," he answered slowly. "I can take Lacey and Jen and hide them someplace safe. The pack doesn't need to be involved in this. I can get Graves on my own."

Jared looked at him as if he was nuts. "The pack is already involved in this," he said angrily. "We killed two of Graves' men tonight and Aaron is fighting for his life. The moment Graves goes to check on the apartment he's going to know the girls have outside help. You're going to go after him which means I'm going to have to support you or risk you either getting hurt or being exposed at his hands. You really think I can let you go after him alone? Christ, Millie and Annie would have my balls if I even suggested it."

Rafe stood up angrily and turned to look out the window. His big body was tense and his hands were clutched in fists at his sides. "I can't let him live, Jared," he growled low in his chest. "You know I can't. You would never let anyone live who had hurt Millie the way that bastard hurt Lacey."

Jared almost snarled when his friend got that point in again. He was furious because he knew he couldn't argue with him. He would do exactly as his friend was planning if anyone hurt his Millie. Each and every member of the pack would do the same for their mate. Their wolves would demand it of them and there would be no reasoning with the beasts until it was achieved. Whatever else he was about to say was cut off when a knock sounded on the study door and Luke, the resident doctor entered.

The doc looked tired and old. His sandy hair was unkempt and he had weary lines on his face. He looked at both men for a silent moment and then he smiled. "He's going to make it," he announced and Rafe and Jared let out huge sighs of relief. "It was touch and go but the bleeding has stopped and he's starting to heal. He'll be out of action for at least a week though as his body regenerates."

Jared strode from behind his desk and thumped the doc on his back. "Luke, you have my eternal gratitude," he said wholeheartedly, a wide smile splitting his handsome face.

Luke beamed back at his Alpha. "Aaron did most of the work," he smiled. "He's one right ornery bastard when he wants to be. Actually opened his eyes at one point and told me today wasn't a good day to die because there were too many beautiful women out there he hadn't made love to yet."

Rafe emitted a loud laugh as relief washed over him. He hadn't known what he would have done if Aaron had died because of him. He was sure his friend would fight hard to stay alive but there had always been a chance the damage would be too severe for him to recover from.

Luke left and Jared smiled at Rafe. "You should get some rest," he said quietly. "I'm heading back to bed myself. Millie will want to hear the good news."

Rafe nodded. "I'm going to head down and check on Aaron and then I'll get some sleep." He turned and strode out of the study.

Jared slid gratefully into bed beside Millie and gathered her into his arms. She murmured softly in her sleep and buried her head in the side of his neck. "Aaron okay?" she mumbled sleepily.

"He's going to be fine," Jared whispered softly stifling a low groan as his woman draped her warm body over his. His cock stirred as usual and he dampened down his desire as he cuddled into Millie's softness. He was dead beat. His body may want to make love to the delicious woman at his side but his tired brain just couldn't keep his eyes open.

"I'm so glad," Millie sighed. "Love you," she murmured before slipping back to sleep.

"Love you too, baby," he whispered letting sleep claim him too.

___

Lacey came awake slowly, aware she wasn't at home because she was sprawled over a bed which was way bigger than the one in Jen's apartment. The events of the night before came crashing back and she sat up with a startled gasp, her eyes flying to the large body lying fully clothed on top of the bed at her side. Rafe.

She stared down at the big man as he slept peacefully at her side and her breath caught in her throat. He really was gorgeous.. For once his face wasn't wearing an angry scowl or a reserved expression and she found herself unable to breathe.. No one could be that gorgeous, that vulnerable looking when at rest. His shaggy brown hair tumbled over his face and she wanted to reach out and brush it away so she could have an uninterrupted view of him.

Heat unexpectedly coursed through her body and she gasped again at the unwanted sensation. She was attracted to him. There was something about this hulking man that called to her very soul and it terrified the life out of her. Even Richard hadn't instilled in her the feelings Rafe did.

She knew it was unfair to compare Rafe to Richard just because they were both strong men who were used to getting what they wanted. Rafe had done nothing to harm her in anyway, quite the opposite in fact, but she still couldn't quite stop being afraid of him. He obviously had some strong attachment to her otherwise he wouldn't be sleeping in the bed beside her. She knew he was attracted to her because he made no attempt to hide his desire. 

Rafe Hanlon wanted her and she knew he would pursue her as relentlessly as Richard had. A small part of her thrilled at knowing he wanted her that badly. She had felt the same way when Richard had pursued her and look where that had ended up. She doubted Rafe would hurt her but she didn't trust her own judgement anymore. She hadn't thought Richard would hurt her either.

Rafe's eyes opened and met Lacey's as she stared down at him. He greedily drank in the sight of her tousled blonde hair, the sleepy look in her startling green eyes, the confusion on her very expressive face. "I wish you wouldn't compare me to him," he said quietly. "I'm nothing like him, Lacey."

Her eyes dropped from his and she looked down at the sheets separating their bodies. "It's not you I don't trust, it's me," she admitted in a small voice. 

Rafe rolled onto his side and rested his head on his hand, gently pushing her back down onto the pillows. He smiled at her and brushed a finger lightly along her jaw line. "You shouldn't lose faith in yourself because you made one mistake," he breathed softly. "Believe me, I should know. I've made more than my fair share of them over the last year or so."

She watched him curiously, seeing a faint shadow in his eyes as he seemed lost in some memory he didn't want to revisit. Rafe Hanlon appeared to have his own demons which haunted him. It made him seem more approachable. Richard had never shown any hint of vulnerability.

"Please, Lacey, don't compare me to him," Rafe whispered in almost a tortured tone and she blinked up at him in surprise. "It's written right across your face. Every time you compare me to him your brow furrows and you bite your bottom lip."

"I'm sorry," she answered quietly. "It's hard not to sometimes." She smiled tentatively at him. "If it's any consolation you're winning hands down at the moment."

Rafe sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it with an answering smile. "It's some consolation," he smiled. His brown eyes drifted down to her mouth and he exhaled sharply. "I want to kiss you, Lacey."

She tensed slightly and searched his face. He was asking permission? She wanted to laugh at the thought of someone as sexy as Rafe asking permission to kiss a woman. He didn't seem the type to ask. Her heart flipped over at the heated expression in his eyes. He was asking because he didn't want to frighten her, didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

She threw caution to the wind and raised her head towards him. She saw a brief flash of excitement in his eyes and then his head was moving down to meet her halfway, his hand sliding around the back of her head to support her.

His lips hovered a fraction of an inch from hers, then he slanted his mouth across her lips and she moaned softly as a jolt of pure electricity rocked through her body. Rafe's lips rubbed gently against hers in a slow, exploratory kiss, leaving her room to pull back if she wanted to. She didn't want to. She parted her lips willingly and his tongue dipped tentatively inside before becoming bolder.

Rafe stifled down a deep groan as he slipped inside to taste the hot depths of her mouth. She was the sweetest, most delectable woman in the world. Her tongue met his and danced lightly against him, teasing him to dip deeper and taste her more fully. He growled and deepened the kiss, pressing her back against the pillows as he stroked inside her mouth hungrily. His body was rock hard and aching to be inside her but he held his need in check. He couldn't rush her. She was too fragile to rush into something right now. He contented himself with just a kiss and he made it the best kiss of his life. 

He reluctantly pulled back from her and looked into her face. Her amazing eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with a dreamy expression on her face. "Don't ask the next time, Rafe," she smiled huskily and he laughed low in his chest as he stroked his thumb lightly over her swollen bottom lip.

"I don't want to go too fast, Lacey," he breathed softly. "I want you and I won't pretend otherwise but I'm willing to wait until you're ready to come to me. We can do this at your pace. There's no rush."

She smiled impishly and her tongue shot out to lick the pad of his thumb lightly before she sucked it into her mouth. Rafe growled and his eyes darkened further until she released his thumb rather reluctantly and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Rafe automatically moved back to give her some space though he would have much rather have held her close in his arms.

The sheet fell away from her upper body as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. Rafe's gaze roamed greedily down the back of her little pink night shirt as he rested his back against the headboard and stretched out his long legs.

"Things are bad, aren't they?" Lacey asked quietly, turning her head to the side to look back at him.

Rafe nodded and let out a deep sigh. "There is so much you don't know," he admitted. "I don't know how much you can be told about the situation either. It's going to make things a bit challenging but we'll find a way through it." 

"Why, Rafe?" she asked curiously. "Why do you have to do this? Why do you have to be involved in it?" She really couldn't understand why these people were so intent on protecting her from Richard.

Rafe frowned trying to think of a way to answer her question. Jared had placed an injunction on telling the two women anything about the pack and vampires for now until they worked out what they were going to do. "I can't explain right now," he told her quietly. "All I can do is ask you to trust us. Try and trust in me, Lacey. I know it's not easy for you but please try."

She nodded thoughtfully and glanced back to give him a little smile. "Okay," she said simply. She would trust Rafe and his strange friends. If it kept Jen safe then she was willing to take a risk. It really had nothing to do with how fabulous Rafe's kiss had just been. If she told herself that often enough maybe she would believe it.

"How's Aaron?" she suddenly asked remembering the likeable blond man being shot the night before. Rafe's smiled answered her question before he spoke.

"He's out of the woods," he smiled softly. "I stopped by to see him before I came to bed this morning. He was sleeping comfortably."

Lacey was pleased to hear it. She really did like Aaron and she was glad he hadn't died trying to protect her. "Do you think it would be okay if I went to see him too?" she asked quietly.

Rafe closed his eyes and dampened down the automatic feeling of jealousy which coursed through him. He knew her concern for his friend was totally innocent but he couldn't help the way he reacted to the softness in her voice when she asked about him. His wolf howled 'mine' repeatedly and he wanted to howl along with him.

"Would that be a problem, Rafe?" she asked slightly tentatively and he slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"No, it's no problem," he answered slowly. "I'll take you over there after breakfast." He rose reluctantly from the bed inhaling deeply at the smell of food in the air. He smiled. "Millie's cooking breakfast now if you want to get ready and wake Jen too. She makes the best eggs ever. You should get them while they're still hot." He left the room and headed downstairs towards the tantalising smell..

Lacey had a quick shower and blow dried her hair, pulling on a clean pair of jeans and a little teal green summer top with matching button down sweater. She headed next door to Jen's room and found her friend just finishing dressing.

Jen was just pulling her T-shirt over her head when there was a knock on the door and Lacey entered. She shook back her long black hair and smiled as she saw the expression on her friend's face. For the first time in months Lacey actually looked relaxed.

"Rafe says breakfast's almost ready," her friend said from the doorway.

"You've seen him already?" Jen remarked surprised.

Lacey blushed slightly and smiled. "I kind of had no choice in the matter. He was sleeping beside me when I woke up," she admitted.

Jen's mouth dropped open in shock and she motioned her friend to come into the room and close the door behind her which she did. "You slept with him?" she whispered pulling her over to the bed.

"Technically," Lacey laughed softly sitting down on the bed. "It was all perfectly above board though. I was under the covers and he was fully dressed on top of them. I think he came in to check on me and was so tired he just fell asleep."

Jen's green eyes bored into hers intently and Lacey finally blushed and look away. "Okay, he kissed me when he woke up," she admitted with a deep sigh. "Just one kiss and he sort of asked me if it was okay before he did it."

"You let him kiss you?" Jen gasped in shock and then she suddenly smiled slowly. "So, how was it?" 

"The best kiss I've ever had," Lacey smiled lying back on the bed. "I know I probably shouldn't have kissed him but there's something about him which just begs me to let him in." She saw the concerned expression on her friend's face and smiled reassuringly at her. "He's not like Richard, Jen, I know he's not. I just know Rafe would never hurt me."

Jen shrugged. "He does seem okay," she admitted quietly. "A bit broody in that ruggedly handsome way some men can be, but he seems likable enough. Everyone here does but there's something they're not telling us, Lace. There's something not quite right about this place. I can feel it in my bones."

"I know what you mean," Lacey sighed. "I tried asking Rafe about it this morning but he asked me to just trust him for now. Said there was a lot we didn't know and couldn't be explained just yet. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. So far they've only acted in our best interests. Until they give me reason to distrust them I'm going to see how things play out."

Jen laughed softly. "And maybe get a few extra kisses out of Rafe while you're at it?" She was concerned, but not overly so, at her friend's interest in the big man. After Richard she had thought it would be a long time before Lacey would have been willing to dip her toes back into any kind of a relationship. Rafe really did seem okay and Lacey seemed to like him quite a bit. Maybe the big man would be able to help her recover from being at Richard's mercy for two years.

"Come on, let's go down to breakfast," Lacey laughed as she stood up, stopping suddenly to look at her friend in surprise. "I can't remember the last time I laughed, Jen. Last night with Aaron was the first time in such a long time."

"It's been a while, sweetie," her friend admitted. "It's good to hear it again." Arm in arm the two women headed downstairs to breakfast.

Millie looked up as the two women came downstairs. She was dressed similarly to them in jeans and a light summer top in pale pink. She was carrying a very large tray piled high with covered serving bowls. "Good morning," she smiled. "You timed it nicely for breakfast. Dining room's this way."

They followed her into the dining room. Lacey smiled as Jared jumped up from his chair and rushed to take the tray from his... wife? At least she thought they were married. She hadn't seen any rings but they acted like a married couple. She let her eyes drift around the dining room as Jared set the tray down on a large bureau against one wall and began taking the lids off the serving bowls. 

The room was a reasonable size with a large cherry dining table that could easily seat twelve people. The table was set with a number of places. Jared had been sitting at the far end closest to the fireplace. There were three settings on either side of him.

"Grab a plate and help yourselves," Jared smiled by way of a greeting as Rafe entered the dining room.

His eyes automatically searched for Lacey's and the smile he gave her made her heart stutter slightly. She must have given something away in her own expression because his smile turned into one of smug satisfaction before he grabbed a plate and began piling food on it.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 03



Author's Note: Another installment with more to come! Remember my lovelies; vote, comment all that good stuff! :) 

May 17th 1962

Eva and Cora had to have been about six years old when Wilbur got promoted to supervisor. It came after there was a huge explosion in the plant that nearly killed seven people. Wait, I know how that sounds and believe me it wasn't his fault; Willie wasn't even there but it wasn't until the dust had settled and management started actually talkin to folks, they found out my husband was the only person round there with any sense. They told him, "You can fix this place up in a month you'll be runnin it by the end of the year."

After three weeks the place was runnin better than it had ever been and it was all because of my husband and the best part was that with his new position I didn't have to work no more and could stay home with my children. MY children, not nobody else's. I got to spend the time with my babies that I had to deprive my older ones of because of finances. I know I did my best to make sure they were taken care of and loved, but it ain't the same with someone else takin care of your children. Now I knew they'd each get the individual love they deserved from me. 

My girls were my pride and joy. They'd both just turned six years old and the two of them were like night and day. Cora was just sunshine, energetic and fearless. She had more energy than I sometimes knew what to do with. It seem like every time I turned my back for more than ten seconds she was leaping from somewhere. Off the chesterfield, off the table, off shelves. She had absolutely no fear in her and as much as it scared me, I knew it would only make her a stronger woman. I walked a fine line with her. On the one hand I didn't want to discourage her and make her fearful of life but there were certain things her curious mind shouldn't explore. Certain dangerous things. 

That's why I was so blessed to have Eva. She was the one thing to counter balance Cora, the way the moon balances the sun. She was that calming voice that could soothe Cora when she would reach her hysterics and no one else could get through to her. Eva was love. Plain and simple. Just pure love. 

I remember a specific time I was in the kitchen cooking supper and watching the two of them through the back window. I remember I was shellin peas in the sink; my hands working all on their own seemed like. Cora and Eva were out in the yard playin. Now Cora, was just running around the yard like a terror, climbin that old fence and jumpin' straight off. Fearless. I'd tried to stop her too many times to run out there again. Figured she'll learn when she hurts something. 

Eva though, was weeding the grass, carefully pulling up the weeds that had no business in the backyard and gently replanting them just outside the fence. That was her, so loving and gentle. So careful to make sure she picked up the weeds in the skirt of her pretty little dress and piling them outside the fence for replanting. In a little while, she'll ask for some water for the weeds to help them grow. I remember I asked her once why she did that. Why she went through all the trouble of replanting them weeds and do you know what she said? 

"Just because we don't want them, doesn't mean they shouldn't get love."

I just stared at my little angel wise well beyond her now six years in awe. I stared at her so long I almost missed Cora, who'd climbed that big oak tree in the back yard way higher than I would have allowed and leapt. She didn't hesitate, didn't pause just jumped. And when she hit the ground I ran for the back door. I just knew she'd broken her neck or worse, but when I reached that door what I saw stopped me. Cora had skinned her knee, miraculously that was all she'd hurt. And Eva was there right beside her wiping her tears. She took the hem of her dress and she wiped the dirt and blood out of Cora's cut, staining her favourite dress and thought nothing of it. She was talking to her too, telling her it's okay, soothing her. Then she helped her up and brought her to the house. 

I stood there frozen, because I realized that God had sent an angel to my family. Had sent a guardian angel to my little Cora.

"It's okay mama, she's okay mama! You don't have to cry!"

I heard her say as they passed me in the doorway. I held up my hands to my face and felt the tears brush past my fingertips. I'd never even felt them fall. 

November 2nd 2004

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

Reign looked over her shoulder in Caiden's direction and he felt his stomach flip flop. He swallowed the chicken he was chewing and grinned at her. He couldn't identify this feeling that crept from his heart and flowed through every fibre of his being whenever he looked at her. It was completely unlike any feeling he'd ever felt. He had an idea, but refused to believe it could possibly be what he suspected. Not after a month of knowing each other, it just wasn't possible. 

"My stomach is a bottomless pit, you should know this by now!" he said smiling at her. She turned off the burner for the stir fry she was cooking and moved the wok to the middle of the stove. She checked the small casserole she had in the oven and Caiden's eyes were glued to the curve of her generous backside as she tested the consistency of her food. 

"My eyes are up here cowboy," she said in an exaggerated southern drawl. He felt himself twitch and tried to discretely adjust himself when she turned her attention back to the stove, checking her rice. They'd fallen into a routine, the two of them. Actually it was the three of them. It turned out it really wasn't a stretch for her to understand. It actually didn't need any explanation, she just accepted it for what it was; Calvin was his brother. Blood couldn't bring them any closer. In fact, when they'd tried to explain she held up her hand to stop them.

"It's 2004; you say that's your brother, that's your brother."

And that was the end of that. The three of them became the new three musketeers so to speak. In her free time if she wasn't studying or working she was hanging out with them. They'd gotten together and sprung for a couch to put in her living room and from them on it seemed they were permanently attached to it. They moved the tiny TV into the living room and that was that. The dorms, they'd said, were tiny cubes too small for one, let alone two people to share. Her apartment wasn't too much bigger, but they never told her that. Besides, as long as they pitched in for groceries she cooked. And they both soon found out that in the kitchen, there really wasn't anything she couldn't do. She was an expert with the soul food but she also brought some things to the table they hadn't even heard of before. 

"What the hell is Risotto?" Caiden asked as they travelled the aisles of Food Mart. She just smiled and picked up a huge bag of rice. 

Even now, as he finished yesterday's left over chicken his stomach rumbled for whatever it is she decided to cook. It smelled divine, and he knew Calvin was going to regret his trip to New York. Okay, maybe not, New York is epic, but he'll sure as hell regret missing out on this meal. 

Her phone rang and she looked at the caller id before answering. He saw her face flash with worry and she hurriedly answered it. He knew she hadn't heard from her friend Dylan in a month. Their last conversation had been strained to say the least. Now all he saw was raw apprehension on her face and it gripped him in a way he was unprepared for. 

"Dylan? Slow down please! What's going on?

He had a déjà vu moment and watched her closely. The last time this happened he almost had a phone flying at his face. 

"Dylan where the hell are you? You're not in queens anymore? What the hell is going on?"

She fell silent and a look of horror crossed her face. She backed up to the wall and slowly slid down. He was next to her before he even knew he'd left his chair. 

"Sweetheart what's wrong?" he asked, taking her free hand in his. 

"Oh Dylan no!" She whispered brokenly. Tears had begun to slide down her cheeks and he wiped them away waiting. How did this happen? They were just about to eat dinner together, they were laughing, now she was in the floor crying. He was so confused, but he held her, on the floor of her kitchen and waited for her to let him in. Suddenly she bolted up from the floor.

"Did he leave?" she asked desperation clear in her voice. 

"Okay, baby girl I'm coming to get you. You get out of there as soon as you can. Don't worry about grabbing your clothes or anything we're coming to get you, okay? You get out of there and you get to a public place, to a gas station, a diner, anything just get away from that place okay? I love you honey, just hold on until I get there okay? Okay?" 

She was already pulling on her boots. He turned to the stove and turned everything off. When he turned back to her she was frantically pulling on her pea coat and was on her way out the door when he stopped her. 

"What are you doing?" she screeched wrenching her arm out of his grasp

"I'm just wondering what the hell is going on?" he asked, his hand on her front door blocking her exit. 

"I don't have time for this Caiden! He's going to kill her! I have to get to her!"

Her words stopped him dead. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her once. Her expression changed from angry to slightly scared. 

"Who's going to kill who?

"Dylan," she whispered, completely distraught. 

"He's going to kill Dylan!"

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

They had run full speed to the dorms, where Calvin had parked his dilapidated pickup truck while he was away. The keys were in the visor, because he knew without a doubt that no one would steal a piece of junk like this. 

Reign didn't even have her door closed when he tore out of the parking lot, tires squealing. She'd printed off directions to the grimy motel Dylan was at in Chicago. Chicago. The girl was in Chicago for months and never told Reign. Said she was working reception at a law firm downtown but that was a lie. As they drove she told him everything Dylan told her. How she'd been a stripper, working out of state for a good eight months to keep it from her family. How when she met this guy, Gregory she told Reign he was the nicest guy she'd ever met and didn't want to mess things up with him. Said she fell in love with him, just days after meeting him. Reign wasn't fooled and when she met this Gregory person face to face she knew why. He was just another no good for nothing piece of shit, down and out hustler. Someone she wouldn't spare a backwards glance at. 

But yet Dylan followed him to Rochester, New Jersey, Bangor, back to Hoboken, Providence, Harrisburg, Cleveland and finally Chicago. Leaving in her wake a trail of lingerie, perfume, singles, high heels and countless broken promises. When she'd called the first time they were back in queens, in the apartment she and Reign used to share together and they'd just had yet another fight. This time was even more physical than the last though when he threw an empty suitcase at her head and the handle left a gash an inch long that bled profusely. Then he beat her on the living room floor for getting blood on their couch. The couch that Reign had bought. With her tips that she'd saved for months, working at the diner by their old high school. Waiting tables didn't pay as well as stripping, but at least her clothes stayed on.

Now though, it seemed he'd gone too far. Dylan was working in a club in Chicago, when Gregory walked in with a group of men Dylan had never seen before. When he spotted her he called her over to their private booth in the VIP, and that's where things changed. She danced for them, let them touch a bit, but when one of them unzipped his pants she backed up to the curtain shaking her head no. She tried to gesture to Gregory but his face was a stone mask as he told her to get on her knees. She turned and ran from the booth to the back room. She knew they were hot on her heels but prayed a bouncer would stop them. She didn't stop until she got to her little locker. She checked her garters and stockings and counted how much she'd made. $375. She changed into her jeans and a hoodie and snuck out the back door, never once looking back. She checked into a motel for the night and thought she was safe until 5am that morning when Gregory broke into her room. He kicked the door down ripping her out of her sleep and bringing fresh terror to the forefront. She bolted to the bathroom, her phone in hand and just made it before he did slamming the door in his face and locking it. She fell to the floor and braced her legs against the door as he pummelled it from the other side. 

Caiden was absolutely fuming mad. That old rage that had been dormant was awakening again as Reign recounted Dylan's story. His knuckles were completely white on the steering wheel and his foot never once came off the gas pedal. It was a seven hour drive that they were most likely going to make in just over four. A mixture of fear and rage propelled them forward, both praying to God they made it in time. 

Caiden didn't know what he was going to do when he got there. Didn't know what was going to happen, but he knew he had to stay in control of himself. He couldn't loose his control. He had to stay as close to calm as he could get, and keep those memories out of his mind. It was taking everything in him to keep those thoughts away, even now. He had too much on the line to loose control. He chanced a glance over to Reign and realized just how much was at stake. 

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

When they finally reached Chicago it was close to two in the morning. Although they made good time and sped the whole way it took them five and a half hours to get there. Now they were just looking for her hotel. They found it on the seedier side of town, where the spirit of the city was closer to shattered. 

They pulled into the parking lot and Caiden didn't even have the truck in park before he was climbing out the cab. Reign reached over and turned the truck off. 

"Stay here," he stated rounding the back of the truck. He grabbed the shotgun off the flatbed and checked to see if it was loaded. 

'In and out Caiden. Grab the girl and you're out of there. In and out,' he thought to himself. He repeated it over and over, his momentary mantra. He looked at the box of ammo and thought better of it. The last thing he needed was a murder rap on his head. In and out, he just needed to be quick about it. He grabbed the tire iron and rounded the truck to the passenger side window. 

"Oh my God Caiden!" she gasped as she caught sight of the shotgun. 

"Don't worry, it's just for show, I'm not actually gonna use it. Now listen, I need you to let Dylan know I'm coming okay? Send her a text message or something I'm goin up there by myself and I want you to stay put in this car you hear me? No matter what you hear, don't you leave this truck!"

He stared into her watery brown eyes as he waited for her response. She shook her head and he continued. 

"Alright sugar, I need you to stay calm. I don't know what these guys have on em so if you hear anything sound like a gun shot you call 911 immediately, you hear? I don't care if it's a truck backfirein you call 911. Matter fact, just dial the numbers out and have your thumb on the send so you can call the second you hear it okay?

She shook her head numbly and he turned towards the stairwell of the motel. He didn't need her to tell him the room number; he saw the room with the broken door. He settled the shotgun in his right hand and aimed it. One of the benefits of being a "redneck" was target practice. He knew his way around a shotgun. He loosened his grip on the tire iron slightly and then decided to just put it in his waist band. Just in case. He took the stairs two at a time and kept his eyes open as he neared the hotel room. He saw a figure emerge from the mangled doorway and everything seemed to move in slow motion. He started to run, shotgun in hand and saw the man turn as he brought the but of his gun down right on his forehead. He crumpled to the ground. He turned into the dingy motel room and saw two men inside. One was sitting on the bed, phone in hand when Caiden walked in. As soon as he saw Caiden he dropped his phone and started to reach for something. Whatever it was, Caiden couldn't allow him to reach it. He grabbed the guy who was a lot smaller than he by the neck and wrestled him down on the bed. He saw what the man was going for when it reflected the dim overhead light off the long blade. Caiden felt his rage boil over and with one punch the man was out cold. He looked up and saw who he assumed to be Gregory leaning against what had to be the bathroom door. He straightened, shotgun once again in hand and walked around the bed. 

"Who the fuck are you?" he asked. 

Caiden didn't answer; instead he checked the bullets in the gun and made a show of cocking it again. 

"Umma give you bout five seconds to get away from that door. Even less to let that young woman you got trapped in there out."

He levelled him with a stare and made sure he kept his back to the wall, and an eye on the doorway. 

"What, you gonna shoot me?" Gregory asked chuckling.

Caiden considered it, he really did. This was the lowest type of man in his books. Type to lay his hands on a woman didn't deserve his mercy. Memories flashed involuntarily in his mind and he tried his best to block them out. 

"Probably not, but I can promise you one thing; you will not leave this room in one piece."

Gregory tried to chuckle, tried to act as though he weren't scared but couldn't hide it. Caiden dropped the shotgun on the floor beside him and squared off. 

"Come on you son of a bitch, you wanna fight somebody? Come on! Fight me!" he yelled. 

Gregory smirked for a brief moment before he ran at him. Caiden watched with detachment as Gregory hauled back and swung. He dodged it at he last second and allowed the momentum of his swing to bring him right down on his knee. He watched the breath escape from his lungs and he threw him against the wall. 

"You think you tough huh?" he asked punching him square on the jaw knocking him back to the floor. 

"You like beatin on defenceless women huh? Huh motherfucker? You think that makes you a man? You aint' shit you hear? Don't you ever even think about raising your hand to her or any woman again!"

Someone was pulling his arms back and he realized he'd been punctuating each word with a sound punch. Gregory's face was a bloody swollen mess and it looked like he'd been knocked unconscious a long time ago. He looked over his shoulder to see a tall dark beauty with a split lip pulling on his now bloody t shirt. 

"Please stop," she almost whispered. 

He looked back down at Gregory, a mass of mangled body parts on the floor and wondered just how long he'd been hitting him. He looked down at his hands and when he saw the blood there he felt panic begin to rise. 

"It's okay," she said calmly ushering him into the bathroom. "It's okay, wash your hands and then we gotta go."

She opened the taps and led his hands under the stream of the water. He looked over at her as if he was seeing her for the first time and willed those memories away again. 

"Dylan? You okay?"

She tried to smile but her lip was swollen and bleeding so she settled for a grin. 

"Yeah, I am. Thanks to you-" 

She was interrupted by a loud bang that came from the parking lot. He snatched his hands from the water and tore out of the room. 

"C'mon!" He hollered over his shoulder. "We gotta get outta here! Make sure Reign is okay!"

Dylan was right behind him, a backpack slung over her shoulder as they ran down the steps to the parking lot. As soon as he entered the lot, what he saw gave him pause. 




When Worlds Collide Ch. 03



"Dylan," he said deathly calm. "You run back up into that room and you get my shot gun. Now."

He heard her take off up the steps and he slowly made his way towards the pickup truck which was currently surrounded by seven large men. 

"Reign sweetheart? You alright?" he called out. He could feel his rage reaching unprecedented levels and realized how unsafe it was for these men. He wanted to kill all of them, for bringing this on him. He heard Dylan return and felt her press the twin barrels into his hand. He'd gotten the attention of the group now and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. 

"Reign, I didn't hear you. Tap that window if you're alright," he said never taking his eyes off the men now trying to circle him. He heard her frantic tapping and breathed an internal sigh of relief. 

"Alright fellas, I don't want no trouble here tonight. Already had me more than I need. I came here to retrieve someone, and now that I've got that person safe and sound I'd rather be on my way."

He watched out the corner of his eye as Dylan rounded the drivers side of the truck and climbed in. Another internal sigh of relief. He took another look at his would be attackers. They looked young, and most of them looked scared. All except two. 

"You think that shot gun sposed to scare somebody? Do you know where you are?" The would be leader asked. 

"Yes I do, I'm on my way to my car and out of this city never to return again. Like I said, I've had my share of trouble tonight and I'm not lookin' for any more," he stated making his way towards the truck. He was so close, just a few more feet and he could make a run for the driver's side door. That's when one of the boys decided to try and rush him. He planted his size 14 in the boy's chest and sent him flying. Then he pointed the shotgun in the air and fired off a round. 

Everyone paused waiting for Camden's next move. 

"I'm going to reiterate my statement for the third time, I don't want any trouble. Now, I'm getting in my damn truck," he said rounding the vehicle and hopping in. 

All he saw in his rear view mirror was a cloud of dust as they sped away. 

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

"Are you going to talk to him before he kills us?"

"Shut up Dylan! I'm tryna think damnit!"

The two of them had been going back and forth for the past 45 minutes. Caiden tried his best to ignore it but couldn't. He couldn't escape his anger anymore than he could escape the turbulent memories from flooding back into his mind. It was those fists; his hands were covered in blood. And he couldn't get the blood off. He had to get the damn blood off!

"Caiden? Pull over."

Reign's soft pleading voice invaded the whirlwind that was his angry thoughts and he realized he was weaving in and out of traffic like a madman. 

"Please Caiden, just pull over. We need to pull over for a bit okay?"

He looked at the speedometer, and realized it was blurry. He couldn't see it through his own tears. He hit the brakes a little more abruptly than he should have and got a horn from a car behind him. He wanted to yell and went to wind the window down but felt Reign's hand on his arm. He took a deep breath and pulled off the road. 

As he emerged from the cab he realized he had no idea where they were. If they were anywhere close to Iowa, it was a miracle. He looked down at his hands and saw it again. The blood was everywhere, covering his hands. He tried to wipe it on his shirt but realized it too was covered. Whimpering, he ripped the shirt from his body and started scrubbing his hands with it. 

"I-I can't, I can't get it off!" he cried, the tears once again blurring his vision. 

"You can't get what off?" Reign asked, once again by his side. The cold November night creating a cloud of vapor when she spoke. 

"The damn blood! I can't get it off my hands! It's all over my hands!"

He was getting out of control and he knew it. Past and present were weaving themselves together and propelling him forward into insanity. His chest was heaving; he couldn't get the air in his lungs fast enough. If he could just get this blood off his hands.

"Caiden," came Reign's calm and soft voice. "Look at me honey."

He turned to her and look her dead in her eyes. 

"That's better!" she said smiling. "I need you to take some deep breaths honey, you're hyperventilating. Which is the fastest way to make sure you pass out. Now we don't want that do we?"

Caiden shook his head no, as he continued the deep breathing. 

"Good. Now honey I need you to put this sweater on okay? It's so cold out here and you don't have a shirt on, will you do that for me?"

"Oh," he whimpered, the cold finally registering to him. He quickly put the sweater on.

"Oh I know that's better!" she said smiling. She took his hand in hers and they began to walk down the highway, hand in hand. 

"Keep that deep breathing up," she said coaching him along. He emulated her and as they got further and further away from the truck he started to feel better. 

"You seem a lot calmer now," she stated, staring out at the long expanse of highway. He held her small hand tighter. 

"Yeah, I am thanks," he said sheepishly. He was starting to get cold but he couldn't go back to the truck yet.

"You mind telling me what that was all about? I know tonight was hectic but I get the feeling this was more than just tonight's ordeal."

He exhaled a deep breath and watched as it dissipated in the air in front of him. He continued to stare straight ahead. Can't look down. Can't look down at his hands. 

"You don't have to talk about it. Not if you don't want to. I just.... I can recognize that turmoil you feel Caiden. I've been there. Hell, I am there most days. But I found out after sheltering the burden of my own... demons, shall we say, that it's a whole hell of a lot easier if you share it with someone. Doesn't have to be today or anything, but I just want you to know I'm here for your Caiden. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here to listen."

He began to pant, as emotion gripped his throat. He wanted to tell her everything. He plopped himself down on the road side and she followed suit. They sat in silence for a bit before he finally spoke. 

"As long as I can remember I've... I've always had this same nightmare. Every single night I have this dream. My father is standing over me. I'm in a crib I think. I'm just a baby."

He paused again, trying to figure out if he was doing the right thing. 

"I-I.... it was his hands I remember. They were covered in blood. He picks me up and the blood is all over my clothes."

He stopped altogether, trying to will the tremor out of his voice. 

"I want to believe I am nothing like him. He was a horrible man my father. I know this. My family though, they's too good to allow me to be otherwise. When I was a kid, I started havin problems though. Anger problems. I started gettin' into fights. Throwin these fits, mama didn't really know how to handle it. I ever tell you all this?" He asked glancing at her. She shook her head no. 

"Yeah, well if there's one thing I took from my father, it's that. I can keep it to a minimum, though. It's not a big part of me but there are times, Like tonight. When I loose myself within the angry part of me... I have no idea how long I was punching him but it wasn't until Dylan grabbed me that I stopped."

He turned to her and the look in his eyes pinned her to the concrete beneath her. 

"I need you to know that I am nothing like him okay? I would never ever hurt you, you understand me?"

She nodded in response. 

"Caiden, you don't need to tell me you're a good man. I know you're a good man. You're better than good!" she said, emotion gripping her as well. 

"I don't know one other man, not one other man who would drive across state for someone he never met once! I don't know any other man who would risk his life, walking into God knows what to-to get someone that most people would call a throwaway! You feel me? If you hadn't gone in there tonight, Dylan's legs would not have been able to stop him from getting into that bathroom. He would have made it into that bathroom and I promise you she would be dead! Right now! And she would be nothing but another statistic! A body found raped and murdered in a hotel room on the south side of Chicago, that's it! That's all we are to the rest of the world!"

"Not to me," he said solemnly. "You mean so much more to me," he hoped she could read the meaning behind his words. The tears spilling onto her cheeks told him everything he needed to know. She wrapped her arms around his neck squeezing her body tightly to his as cars zoomed past on the four lane highway behind them. 

"And that's why I lov-" 

She stopped herself mid sentence as if she realized what she was about to say. He held her tightly and buried his face in her neck. 

"Aaaaah!" she said pulling back from him. "You're nose is freezing!" she chuckled, sniffling at the same time. Her smile, her shining eyes, her hair pulled back in a hasty bun, her nose red from the cold temperatures; it was too much. He kissed her, on the side of the road in God knows where. As soon as his lips touched hers he felt electricity shoot through him. Her body fell into his as she eagerly returned his kiss, cold temperatures and speeding cars forgotten. He kissed her with a desperation he didn't know he felt until now and suddenly prayed he'd never kiss another woman again. He wished her hair wasn't in that bun so he could run his fingers through the curly mass. When she sucked his tongue into her mouth he couldn't contain the moan of pleasure that left him. He wanted her closer and yet he was holding her so tightly he wondered how she could even breathe. He would have kissed her all night if it weren't for the huge 18 wheeler speeding by, leaving the fading honk of its horn in its wake. 

"My God," Reign whispered touching her fingertips to her kiss swollen lips. She looked up at him her wide amber eyes so expressive.

"What was that?" she asked.

Smiling for the first time since he left her apartment he rose from the unforgiving concrete and helped her to stand. 

"What was that? Well darlin', you just kissed your way to a new boyfriend."



When Worlds Collide Ch. 03



"Come sit next to me, Lacey," Rafe said quietly, leading her to the right side of Jared. He put his plate down in the setting next to his friend and pulled the chair out next to him for her to sit down. 

She tried not to blush at his action or the way Millie smiled fondly as she sat down across from Rafe. Jen took the seat beside Lacey.

"We usually eat with the others but as it was your first night here Jared thought you'd feel more comfortable with something less communal. Plus we have guests coming for breakfast." Rafe smiled. "Which is good for us, because we get to eat Millie's excellent eggs."

"Outrageous flatterer," Millie laughed shaking her head.

"Yes, ma'am," he quipped with a roguish smile. "It's the only way to get you to cook for us."

Lacey smiled as they bantered, feeling almost part of their little family unit. It was just so nice to be able to sit and relax without constantly having to look over her shoulder. "So, who's coming for breakfast?" she asked curiously.

"My sister Rhianna and her partner Caleb," Rafe answered. "You'll love Annie, Lacey, and she's going to love you. Caleb can be a bit unapproachable sometimes but don't take it to heart. He's a pretty cool guy once you get to know him."

Lacey smiled at the warmth in Rafe's voice and the expression on his face. He obviously cared greatly about his sister. His handsome features softened completely as he talked of her. Any further conversation was cut off by the sound of the front door opening.

Rafe was up and out of his chair so quickly Lacey started. She turned her head towards the door as he bore down on the tiny little redhead who was just entering the dining room and swept her up into his arms.

"Rafe," Rhianna laughed in delight wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a big kiss. "I didn't know you were home."

"Got in late last night. Didn't think Caleb would be too impressed if I woke you at three in the morning to tell you I was home," Rafe answered with a laugh.

"I wouldn't have been," Caleb drawled smoothly, entering the dining room and running a quick eye over the people assembled there. He nodded to Jared and Millie as he waited patiently beside his woman.

Lacey examined the new couple curiously. Rhianna looked so tiny compared to Rafe. Apart from a slight similarity of features they seemed mismatched as siblings. Caleb was a huge man too. He was stunning to look at with his long golden brown hair and matching eyes but there was something slightly off about him and Rafe's sister which she couldn't put her finger on. Caleb reminded her of Richard slightly and it sent a little shiver down her spine.

Caleb seemed to get tired of waiting for his woman to be put down by her brother and wandered over to pour two cups of coffee. Rafe finally set Rhianna down and tugged her over to Lacey.

"Annie, this is Lacey and her friend Jen," Rafe smiled. "This is Annie and that's Caleb over there."

Rhianna stared at Rafe intently for a moment and then smiled turning to face the two women. "Lovely to meet you both," she said softly giving them a warm smile, her lavender eyes appraising Lacey intently.

Rafe sat back down beside Lacey as Rhianna walked around the table giving Jared a quick peck on the cheek and a big hug to Millie. The two women chatted quietly as Rhianna slid into the seat beside her as Caleb placed a coffee before her and sat down at her side with his own.

His eyes ran over the two women beside Rafe again before he turned to Jared. "I take it this isn't a social invitation?" he asked taking a sip of his coffee.

Jared frowned slightly. "I was just about to explain things to Lacey and Jen," he said quietly. "I didn't want to start until I knew just how much I could comfortably tell them."

Caleb could see Rafe's almost pathological fixation on Lacey so he was sure the big man had found his mate in the human woman. Her friend was another matter. She appeared to be suspicious and distrustful of the group. It didn't appear as if she had any kind of attachment to the Weres, which meant whatever was going on was pretty serious, if Jared was willing to risk exposing their existence to her.

It wasn't that simple for him though. The Council would come for the girl if she didn't have any protection. He sighed and turned to look at the woman until she looked back at him. He caught her eyes with his and probed gently. After a moment he released her and turned back to Jared. "You can tell them everything," he answered. "I can minimise the threat if it's required."

The whole room was silent watching the two men intently as they talked. Lacey had a feeling they were talking in some kind of coded way. They were being so careful with what they said and the way Caleb had looked at Jen had been pretty intense.

Jared kept his gaze fixed on Caleb's a moment longer and then nodded and turned to face the two women. "I know you have questions about the compound and about our group here," he began slowly. "I'm sorry we haven't been able to tell you everything sooner but I had to check with Caleb to make sure it would be okay to do so."

"So is this some kind of hippy commune?" Jen asked bluntly and Lacey groaned under her breath. It was just like her friend to come right out and ask.

"Not exactly," Millie answered carefully. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Seems everything is kind of complicated around here," Jen piped up a little acidly. All heads turned to her and she shrugged. "What? I'm only telling it how I see it. I don't mean to be rude or anything but you people are weird as hell even if you are being nice to us. This not knowing is hard to wrap my head around."

"Jen," Lacey groaned flushing in embarrassment. She understood where she was coming from but to just come right out and say it so bluntly.

"It's okay, Lacey, we're not offended," Jared said patiently with a little smile. "Believe me, Jen, when I say that keeping you in the dark was for your own protection as well as ours. What we're about to tell you could ultimately have led to your deaths if we'd been premature in discussing it with you."

Jen gave a startled gasp and even Lacey shivered slightly at his words.

"This compound is a haven for our pack," Jared continued in a matter of fact tone. "We're not hippies, Jen. We are Weres of the wolf variety. What you would call werewolves."

Jen stared at Jared with a stunned expression on her face. The man had just said he was a werewolf and he'd kept a completely straight face as he'd done so. Her first thought was he was completely insane. Any person who thought they could transform into an animal from a horror movie must certainly be insane, right? A quick look around the room showed everyone was sitting there with intent expressions on their faces, as if waiting for their reaction. They all looked totally serious.

She turned to Lacey and saw that her friend was looking around the room at everyone except the man at her side. Lacey's expression was confused rather than disbelieving which Jen was sure her expression must be conveying at this moment. Did Lacey believe them?

Jen swallowed hard and turned to look at Jared again. "You just expect us to believe this?" she finally asked. "You do know how insane you sound announcing you're a werewolf?"

Jared smiled slightly and nodded his head. "I know it sounds unbelievable, Jen, but it's the truth," he answered quietly. "I know both you and Lacey sensed something strange about the compound, about us as a group."

"Yeah, well you know I was going down the hippy route," she answered with a little snort of disbelief. "Or some weird nature loving freaks. Werewolves was most definitely not a contender for what you people were doing out here."

Millie laughed softly. She was impressed with how well Jen was taking the announcement. Lacey had yet to say anything and still appeared to be stunned but her friend was trying to take it in, trying to accept it. "Would you like one of us to shift to prove it to you?" she asked quietly. "I would be happy to let you see my wolf. You won't be in any danger, I promise you."

Jen's eyes swung to the woman across the table. If she said yes and the woman didn't change then she would know for sure these people were nuts, but a little voice inside her head asked what she would do if Millie did change into a wolf?

"That's why Aaron was so confident last night," Lacey suddenly said turning her head to finally look at Rafe. She had been letting Jen do all the talking while she tried to assimilate what was being said. She was conscious of how tense Rafe was beside her and how his eyes were firmly fixed on her the whole time. "It was because he was a wolf and he knew he was stronger and faster than the two men in the SUV."

Rafe nodded slowly, his brown eyes intent on Lacey's stunned face. "He didn't count on the bullets going through the human man in front of him, when his associate shot at him," he explained quietly. "We heal faster than humans usually but one of the bullets nicked his lung and he lost a lot of blood before we could get him back here."

Lacey bit her lip as she felt little things start to slide into place. "That's why you brought him here and not to a hospital," she said slowly. "And last night, you told off the animal in the trees. That was one of your people." It wasn't a question, more an observation.

Rafe nodded again. "We are wolves, Lacey," he answered. "I know it sounds crazy at first but it is true. We don't want to hurt you or Jen. We want to protect you both. I know you're concerned that we'll be hurt if we do so. Now you know our true nature maybe that will take some of the fear away?"

Lacey didn't answer him; instead she turned to look at her friend. She felt a bubble of hope deep inside. If what Rafe and his friends said was true then they did have the ability to protect them from Richard.

"Do you believe them, Lace?" Jen asked her quietly as their eyes met.

Lacey nodded to her friend. She noticed Rafe's sister smiling at her from the corner of her eye. She turned to the other woman and frowned slightly. Rhianna and Caleb didn't give off the same vibe as the others in the room. They looked more 'civilised'. Jared, Millie and Rafe gave off the appearance of something a little on the wild side, slightly untamed. "Are you a wolf too, Annie?" she asked and Rhianna laughed lightly.

"Lord, no," she sighed. "Everyone else is a wolf apart from Caleb and myself. We're vampires."

Jen thought she was handling this all remarkably well up until the little red haired woman announced she was a vampire. She couldn't stop the snort of disbelief which came out. "So when do the fairies arrive?" she asked sarcastically. 

Rhianna smiled sweetly at her, her eyes flashing with amusement. "Haven't met any myself," she admitted and then bared her teeth and elongated her fangs. "Does that help you believe a little better, Jen?"

Lacey unconsciously shifted slightly closer to Jen and reached for her friend's hand as they both stared at Rhianna's fangs. There really wasn't any arguing with those wickedly sharp teeth. Her gaze swept to Caleb who was watching them closely and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You'll have to forgive Annie but she's still a youngling and likes to show off," he said dryly. "The more mature vampire doesn't need to resort to little parlour tricks to get their point across."

Rhianna shot him a dark look and retracted her fangs. "It was the quickest way to get the point across," she said slightly snippy. "We all can't be as old and fossilised as you are, my love."

Caleb rolled his eyes and hugged his woman tightly as she continued to pout at his mild rebuke for a moment longer and then she smiled at the two human women. "So, now you know everything," she said. "Weres and vampires do exist. I must say you're both handling all this remarkably well too."

Jen turned to look at Lacey. They were in the middle of a whacked out horror movie scenario and her friend was sitting quite calmly through it all. The people in the room with them were not human, not like her and Lacey. It was hard to digest that. How did someone react when they found out that their whole world view was not actually the way they thought it was? The only thing that was stopping her dragging Lacey out of the compound was the fact these people didn't appear to want to hurt them in any way.

"So, Lacey, what do you want to do?" she finally asked, pleased that her voice came out strong and decisive. "Do you want to stay here with wolves and vampires?"

Lacey's thoughts were in turmoil. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact Rafe was a wolf. And his sister was a vampire? How did that come about? She was sure there was a story there. Vampires and werewolves? Richard wouldn't stand a chance against something as outrageous as that. 

She felt safer around Rafe even knowing that he was a wolf. She couldn't even begin to imagine just how that was going to impact on her. From the moment he'd laid eyes on her he had set his sights on her. She remembered watching a documentary on wolves once. Didn't they mate for life? She couldn't even think about any of that right now, not when there was a more pressing matter. She squeezed Jen's hand lightly and gave her a slight smile. 

"I want to stay," she said quietly.

Jen let out a long sigh and nodded slowly. If Lacey wanted to stay then she would stay with her. She couldn't really go home anyway but that was a moot point. She wouldn't leave her friend to face this alone. She already felt guilty enough about moving away and not being there for Lacey when Graves had sunk his claws into her. If it meant she had to put up with vampires and werewolves, then she would just have to get her head around the weirdness.

"Okay," Jared said drawing their attention back to him. "I hope you believe we have no intention of hurting you. Our goal is to protect you to the best of our abilities, which, as you now know, is considerable. The reason I needed to speak to Caleb is because I'm not so sure just what we're dealing with and I think he may." 

He had a sneaking suspicion about Richard Graves and he needed the vampire to confirm it. He watched Caleb tense at his words as if he just knew he wasn't going to like what was coming next.

"I needed to pick your brains, Caleb" Jared said. "What do you know about Richard Graves?"

Caleb froze on the spot, his golden brown eyes turning hard as he regarded Jared intently for a long moment. He slowly put down his coffee mug and turned to Rhianna. "Come on, we're leaving," he said abruptly standing up.

Rhianna looked up at him in surprise. "We only just got here, Caleb," she answered quietly. 

"If I'd known why Jared invited us we wouldn't have come in the first place, Annie," he said through clenched teeth. "I mean it, we're leaving now."

Rhianna frowned, her beautiful face taking on a mutinous expression. "Who's Richard Graves?"

"Someone I don't want within a hundred miles of you, Annie," Caleb said sharply. "If this lot are on his radar then we're out of here. Don't even think about arguing with me about it. Just get your beautiful little ass out of that chair right now before I carry you bodily out of here."

She blinked up at him with a thoughtful expression on her face. She could see the concern in his eyes even as he glared angrily at her. Graves had to be a vampire and a pretty powerful one at that to get Caleb so wound up. It took an awful lot to rattle him.

"Sorry, Caleb, I can't do that," she said regretfully. "If Graves is a danger to my family then I can't just get up and walk away. And you'd better not try and make me either or there will be hell to pay."

Caleb shot her a frustrated look, his automatic need to protect her warring with his own fondness for the people in the room. He knew Rhianna wouldn't agree to walk away but he also knew Graves well. Depending on what exactly was going down between Graves and the Weres there was a very good chance there was going to be a war.

"Why do you always have to fight me, Rhianna?" he ground out in frustration. "Why can't you just let me keep you safe for once without a bloody big issue being created out of it?"

Caleb's tortured words rang round the room and Rhianna felt fear course through her. She dragged her eyes from his and turned to look at her brother first and then her friends. Their faces were grim as they all looked at Caleb. The two human women looked pretty scared too. 

"Because you always react first and think later, love," she answered carefully. "Doing the right thing isn't necessarily the safest thing, Caleb. If Graves wants to hurt Rafe then he's automatically my problem too. You know that."

"I know it, but it's not going to stop me getting you the hell out of here, Annie," he said through clenched teeth. "You either come willingly or I'm going to make you and you can scream at me all you bloody well like." His tone was cold and hard, matching the expression on his face and Rhianna felt her fear escalate.

"Graves is a vampire," she said quietly into the tension filled room.

"He's not just a vampire, Annie, he's a very powerful one," Caleb answered slowly his gaze riveted to her. "He's also a sadistic bastard who has no conscience whatsoever and will stop at nothing to get what he considers his."

Rafe growled loudly and shifted closer to Lacey who unconsciously leaned into him too. "You know him?" he asked furiously. "Do you have any idea what he's done to Lacey, Caleb? He beat her almost to death! Put her in the fucking hospital."

Caleb stared at Rafe with hard eyes as the final pieces slotted into place. Graves was coming for Lacey and Rafe was going to stand in his way. From the looks of things the entire Hanlon pack were going to do so too.

"He won't give a fuck about Were mating instincts, Rafe," Caleb ground out harshly. "As far as he's concerned Weres are just as inferior as humans are. He will rip right through this entire pack and kill everyone standing until he gets to Lacey. It will take him the sum total of five seconds to discover my affiliation to this pack. Two seconds after that he'll be coming for Annie because he knows she's my weakness. He'll use her to neutralise me and once he has what he wants he'll kill her." He was pulling Rhianna up as he spoke, wrapping his arms tightly around his precious woman.

The silence in the room was practically deafening. "Is there nothing you can do to aid us, Caleb?" Jared finally asked, his handsome face marred with a deep frown.

Caleb looked down at Rhianna and met her pleading eyes. He wanted to help them, he really did, but he had to put his woman first. If anything happened to her he would be lost. He opened his mouth to answer the Alpha as two large tears escaped Rhianna's eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks. He stared into her eyes a moment longer and then groaned loudly, pulling her mouth to his as he kissed her desperately. 

If he didn't help she would hate him. If he did help he could lose her. His mind whirled madly as he lost himself in her sweet lips and tried to calm his raging thoughts. His kiss gentled, then he slowly pulled his mouth from hers and wiped at her wet cheeks. "You have to do exactly what I say when I say it," he groaned in defeat. "I can't lose you, Annie."

She nodded quickly at him. "I promise, Caleb," she whispered tremulously. 

He sighed deeply and sat back down pulling Rhianna onto his lap and cradling her closely. "Graves is a bit of an anomaly among my kind," he said tersely. "He has his own followers but he uses a lot of humans in his everyday workings. He's ancient like I am and has considerable mental abilities but he doesn't really use them. He prefers to break people with his cruelty instead. It's more of a challenge to him which is probably why Lacey was able to get away from him. If he'd used his mental abilities on her she'd still be with him."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 03



Jared stood up and began to pace around the table. "How will your Council react to this, Caleb?" 

The vampire pursed his lips thoughtfully. "They will most probably view it as a personal matter and not get involved unless there's any danger of our existence becoming known to the humans. Graves will wish to avoid that so the Council should keep out of it."

"I suppose that's something," Jared answered after a long pause. "What about the local vamps? Whose side are they going to come down on, yours or Graves?"

"It's hard to tell," Caleb said truthfully. "Some of them won't want to be involved in it. Demetri may get involved because of Annie but then again he may not. He has Mara to think about now. She'll most likely be his first priority. He also has a history with Graves. A few decades ago he ran with Graves' crowd before he faded away from him. I don't know how he feels about his old friend."

"Can't you talk to Graves, Caleb?" Millie asked quietly, her expression full of worry. "Maybe he would listen to you?"

"If I thought for one minute he would listen to me I'd be right over there, Millie," Caleb answered quietly. "Graves and I are not friends by any definition of the word. He detests me with a vengeance because he views me as one of his biggest rivals. He's power mad and fiercely jealous of the fact I hold such sway in this region. He wants it all for himself but has never been able to act against me because of my standing with the Council. My siding with the Weres is going to give him the opportunity to act and he's going to attack me with as much relish as he's going to attack you."

Lacey listened to everything being said and the more she heard, the wider her eyes got. Richard was a vampire and an extremely nasty one from what Caleb was saying. He wanted her and he was going to kill as many people as he could to get to her. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest as she looked around the people in the room and then finally at Jen. They were all going to die if she didn't do something to stop it. The hope she had felt only minutes before died quickly inside her.

"I'm going back to Richard," she said so quietly at first she didn't think anyone had heard her until a loud hush fell over the room. Rafe reacted first, his brown eyes spearing hers as he leaned down to bring his face level with hers.

"No you are not," he ground out harshly, his big body coiling tensely as he all but loomed over her.

"I don't want anyone to die because of me," she whispered hoarsely. "If I go back to Richard willingly I can convince him to leave Jen and everyone else alone. It has to be this way, Rafe. I can't live with the knowledge anyone has been hurt because of me."

Rafe's fierce expression smoothed out a little and he reached out and brushed her silky blonde hair back from her face. "You don't understand, Lacey," he sighed softly. "I can't let you go now I've found you. You're my mate, sweetheart. You're the one woman put on this planet just for me and I can't be without you. There can only be one ending to this and it will be someone's death, either Graves or mine. I will not give you up to him, not now and not ever."

Rhianna bit her lip hard and drew blood as she listened to her brother. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt more frightened than she did right now. She trembled slightly and Caleb's arms tightened their hold on her.

Jared too watched the couple for a long moment and then stopped pacing and headed over to Millie and wrapped his arms around her. "We need to talk to the pack," he said quietly. "We need to evacuate the children and the others who don't want to be dragged into this. Caleb, if you could talk with your friends and sound them out as soon as possible it would be appreciated." 

His tone was brusque and authoritative and didn't betray one hint of the deep fear he felt for the woman in his arms. He knew it would be pointless trying to convince Millie to go with the children. She would fight him tooth and nail to remain at his side. It wouldn't matter that it made sense for the Alpha Bitch to protect the more vulnerable members of the pack while the warriors banded with him. He knew his woman would refuse to leave his side and he didn't think he could bear to watch her die along with him. 

He understood perfectly where Caleb was coming from in his reaction to keeping Annie safe. He understood perfectly why Rafe couldn't let Lacey go back to Richard. Understanding didn't make it any easier. Caleb's cold certainty that Richard Graves would tear the pack apart was enough to send a chill down his spine. Nothing frightened the large vampire except the well being of the tiny woman in his arms. If Caleb was so pessimistic about their chances then they were in deep shit. 

Caleb nodded and slipped Rhianna from his lap and stood up. "I'll do it now," he answered. "You stay here with the pack, love. It's probably the safest place for you right now or in the short term. Graves likes to plan his strategy so it will take him a few days to make his move." He leaned down and gave her a long hard kiss before he straightened. "Walk me to the door," he said softly.

"I'll alert the pack to the meeting," Millie said disentangling herself from Jared's arms and following the other couple from the room.

Rafe stood and pulled Lacey up and gave her a quick hug. "Why don't you and Jen take a moment to try and get your heads around all this? I need to do some things, then as promised I'll take you over to see Aaron."

Lacey nodded numbly and the two women headed back upstairs into Jen's bedroom. Her friend was looking pretty shell-shocked. She didn't feel much better herself but she was more accustomed with having to deal with shocks after being with Richard for two years. "This is all pretty weird," she said quietly.

"Weird?" Jen snorted shaking her head as she sat down on the bed. "Your ex is a vampire, Lace. How could you not know that?" Her tone was incredulous. Surely her friend must have known Graves was a vampire? She didn't mean the accusatory note to creep into her tone but it did.

Lacey sat down beside her and dropped her head into her hands. "Well he didn't exactly flash his fangs at me like Annie did," she answered shortly. "He never did anything strange or unusual, apart from beating me and I don't think he was using his true strength when he did that otherwise I would be dead by now." 

Jen frowned slightly and reached over to stroke Lacey's back soothingly. "I'm sorry, Lace. I didn't mean that to come out the way it did. It's just.....everything has just gone to hell and I don't know how to deal with it. I'm a bloody lawyer. I'm used to rules and everything making sense. It's going to take a bit of getting used to all this werewolf and vampire stuff."

Lacey sat up, her expression rueful as she looked at her. "For me too," she answered quietly. "Did you hear what Rafe said downstairs, about me being his mate? I've got to work out what that hell that means on top of everything else. From the sounds of things it would appear I've swapped my vampire boyfriend for a werewolf boyfriend and I barely know the man. He's talking about mating for life."

Jen's frown deepened. She had been a bit perturbed at the way Rafe was reacting towards her friend. It had seemed reasonably harmless enough this morning but now everything was out in the open the suddenness and intensity of it all was concerning. "You know you don't have to start seeing Rafe," she said quietly. "Just because he thinks you're this lifelong mate thing doesn't mean you have to agree to it. You have a choice, Lace."

Lacey was touched by her friend's concern. She knew Jen blamed herself for not being around when she met Richard and got sucked under his spell. She smiled reassuringly at her. "That's the strange thing, Jen," she told her. "I am unaccountably drawn towards Rafe. It's so hard to explain it. Last night when I met him I felt this connection and it scared me because it was similar to what I felt when I met Richard. But Rafe isn't Richard. It should have felt wrong waking this morning with him lying beside me but it didn't. Something about Rafe just feels so very right and I can't explain why."

Jen was about to say something else when there was a knock on the door and Rafe's sister popped her head in. "Is it okay if I join you?" Rhianna asked. "Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off downstairs and I feel at a loose end without Caleb around."

Lacey motioned her into the room and the little redhead joined them on the huge bed. "So, how are you both coping with all of this?" Rhianna said. "It's a lot to take in. I know I found it hard when I first found out humans weren't the only dominant species, for want of a better phrase."

"We were just discussing Rafe's intentions towards Lacey," Jen said, her eyes shrewd as she looked at the vampire sitting beside her friend. "What can you tell us about this mating thing?"

Rhianna's lavender eyes met Lacey's and she gave her a big smile. "It's not really my place to explain things but if it's what you need to know right now then I'll do my best. Effectively, Weres have one true mate. They're rather promiscuous until they meet that mate but once they do, there is no other person for them. The moment Jared saw Millie he knew she was his mate. Millie tried to fight it, but the pull is strong for both parties, so she ended up giving in and she hasn't regretted it. You are Rafe's mate, Lacey. You're probably already feeling drawn towards him ."

Lacey nodded thoughtfully. "I do feel comforted when he's around," she admitted. "Safe even. I was just saying to Jen that he just feels so right somehow."

The little redhead smiled. "That's your subconscious recognising him as your mate. Obviously with all things considered, the timing is bad but once all this is over you and Rafe can decide what you want to do about it."

"You seem fairly confident that everything's going to work out, Annie," Jen remarked dryly. "You were in the same room with us. You did see the looks on everyone's faces? How can you be so sure?

Rhianna answered with a little laugh. "Because I know Caleb, Rafe and Jared very well. They will move heaven and earth to protect what is theirs. The odds may be stacked against them at the moment but they will even out those odds. I have faith in them." 

The two women stared at the little redhead. It was hard not to feel reassured. After all, Rhianna knew the people involved and what they were capable of. If she was really as unconcerned as she appeared, then maybe the situation wasn't as dire as it had sounded downstairs.

A quiet knock on the door drew them to it and a very tall dark haired man popped his head in. "Thought I scented you in here, Red," Demetri said with a wide grin on his beautiful face. 

"There goes the peace and quiet," Rhianna laughed rolling her eyes even as she slipped from the bed to give him a big hug. "How did you get here so fast, Demetri? Is Mara with you?

He smiled crookedly. "Caleb told me he'd rip me a new one if I didn't get here immediately," he laughed. "Apparently a pack of dogs isn't enough to keep his woman safe as far as he's concerned. Mara's off on a buying trip for the club at the moment. She's not due back for another couple of days so it's just me you have to put up with."

Rhianna shot him a dirty look at his dog reference but didn't say anything when he grinned unrepentantly. He was only trying to irritate her and she had no intention of giving him the satisfaction. She hated to admit it but she felt a little bit safer with Demetri around.

"Lacey, Jen, this is Demetri, Caleb's best friend and all round asshole. You're best ignoring him. He likes to try and wind humans up."

Demetri put on a mock wounded expression. "Try!" he laughed. "I succeed admirably." His green eyes sparkled with laughter as Rhianna elbowed him in the gut. 

"I take it you're a vampire?" Lacey asked. He had the same impossibly beautiful look about him as Caleb and Richard. It was funny how she could see the resemblance between them now she knew what they were.

Demetri quirked an eyebrow. "Guilty as charged," he grinned. He turned back to Rhianna. "I've instructions not to leave your side until Caleb gets back. Does that mean I have to sit and have a girly gossip session?" His expression was pained at the very thought of it.

Rhianna stared up at him pursing her lips. "You're awfully cheerful about all this, Demetri," she said quietly. "Caleb just about flew me from the country when Graves' name was mentioned. Why aren't you as worried?"

He smiled down at her. "Because I ran with Graves a while back, sweet Annie. I know him a lot better than Caleb does. I know how he thinks and I know how he reacts too. I stand a good chance of being able to outmanoeuvre him." He sounded very confident.

"Aren't you scared for Mara? Caleb said Graves wouldn't think twice about using me to neutralise him," she pressed trying not to allow too much hope to well up inside her. She had done her best to reassurance Lacey and Jen but she was just as worried as Caleb was deep down inside.

The look on Demetri's face chilled her blood. "He won't come anywhere near Mara, Annie," he said in a deadly tone. "He knows me as well as I know him. He knows exactly what I'm capable of. I have no fear he will harm a hair on Mara's head or yours." 

His expression smoothed as suddenly as it had changed and he grinned at her again. "I intend to let Graves know exactly what I'll do if he comes anywhere near you, Red. By the time I've finished my conversation with him, even Caleb will accept your safety is guaranteed. You're family, Annie, and nobody touches my family and lives to tell the tale." He gave her a quick hug.

"I don't suppose you can convince him to let Lacey go and stay away from the Weres?" she asked with not a lot of hope in her voice.

"Wish I could, Red, but there are some limits even I reach, " he sighed. "But don't be so downhearted. My visit will give Graves some pause before he acts plus I know a few guys you would most definitely disapprove of. They owe me a few favours and have no love of Graves. The situation isn't as dire as everyone is making out downstairs."

Rhianna swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. "I never thought I'd ever say this, Demetri, but I am so glad you used to be a really nasty piece of work. I don't care how much I may disapprove of your friends. As long as they're on our side that's all I care about."

Demetri laughed and kissed the top of her head. He could feel her trembling slightly against him and he fought down the dark scowl which threatened to cross his face. Graves may be complete bastard but Demetri could be an even bigger bastard. 

The difference between them now was Demetri had learned to give a fuck about some people and was able to channel his aggression into protecting them. Graves would probably think that made him weak but it was the exact opposite. It made him more ruthless, more deadly, and more willing to kill anyone who threatened those he cared about.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 04



Richard Graves stepped out of the limousine and walked over to the black SUV. He looked in the open doorway and frowned. Both men inside were dead. They had been dead a long time. Lacey's photograph was lying on one of the seats. He looked for a moment longer and then stepped around SUV inhaling deeply as he did so.

Dogs. His two operatives had been killed by dogs. Their scent was everywhere. He turned his head fractionally to the right as Sandro stepped up to him. "What packs are running in the area?" he asked tersely.

The blond vampire smiled. "Hanlon's pack has just moved into the area. The Lochlyn pack is on the other side of the city. Intelligence says they keep out of each others way."

Graves frown deepened. The Lochlyn pack wouldn't come over to this end of the city, therefore it had to be the Hanlon pack who had killed his operatives and made off with not only Lacey, but the cunt lawyer too. That created issues. Cullen was affiliated with the pack because of his bitch. Would he get involved in a war with them? If Cullen did, what was his best course of action to neutralise him? The obvious one was to take his bitch but that would just enrage Cullen. The word on the street was he was very protective of her.

He supposed he could just let Lacey go and find another woman. It would be the less stressful course of action to take. Many a vampire would probably do so but he didn't like being challenged. Lacey belonged to him. If the dogs were protecting her then one of them must want her. There was no other reason they would risk the pack on her behalf.

Graves most definitely was not going to be made a fool of by a pack of dogs. He could hear the whispers already. There was any number of his kind willing to have a laugh at his expense. They would literally howl with laughter at him losing his woman to a dog. 

Letting Lacey go wasn't an option. Dealing with Cullen was going to be a problem, but not an insurmountable one. He was confident he could round up enough followers to meet any small army the other vampire could come up with. A plan was already beginning to take shape. If he got the word out he was coming for Cullen's bitch, then he would go on the defensive. Throw a few vampires his way and he would be caught up with them, leaving the field open for Richard to strike at the Weres.

He smiled. It would take a few days to get everything in place but that was a good thing because he would need the time to gather as much intelligence on the pack as possible so he could find their weak spots.

"Arrange discreet surveillance on the Hanlon pack in case they try and move Lacey before I'm ready to deal with them," he told Sandro before he headed back to his limousine. 

___

Lacey walked beside Rafe as they made their way towards the medical building. Rhianna and Jen walked behind them chatting away about Jen's work. It was night time but the compound was very well lit. It had been a very long day and Lacey couldn't help feeling tired and tense. The three women had spent most of the day alone.

Caleb had returned and Demetri had disappeared once he was back. Apart from a brief moment he'd spent with Rhianna, Caleb had secluded himself in Jared's study along with Rafe and a lot of other men whom Rhianna had explained were Jared's betas, his most trusted people.

Rafe had finally shown up to take her to see Aaron, apologising for it taking him so long to do so. Lacey welcomed something different to do rather than sit around and talk or read a book to try and pass the time. There was a deep tension around the compound and the pack meeting hadn't even happened yet. Somehow everyone seemed to know something serious was about to happen.

Rafe smiled hello to Luke and asked if Aaron was up to visitors. The doctor said it would be fine so they headed to his room.

Aaron was lying on his back with his eyes closed when they entered the room. His blond hair was all mussed up and he looked very pale but his chest was rising and falling in a strong pattern. 

Rhianna skipped in before everyone and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Hey, stupid," she said lightly. "I hear you failed the 'how to dodge a bullet' class."

He smiled but didn't open his eyes. "Less of the stupid, Annie," he grumbled. "I'm hurting here." Aaron really wanted to open his eyes but the pain in his chest was excruciating and for some reason keeping his eyes closed seemed to alleviate it slightly. There were a number of scents teasing his nostrils and he smiled as he started picking out the individual scents.

"You should be thankful you are hurting, Aaron," she retorted. "It means you're not dead." 

"Rafe, will you get your smartass sister out of here," Aaron laughed and then grimaced as a wave of pain overcame him. It hurt so badly when he laughed but the little red haired vampire always managed to amuse him. He had a lot of time for Rafe's sister. The fact she was a vampire didn't matter to him. It wasn't just because she was his best friend's sister either. Rhianna Armand was just a little bundle of fire and innocence which appealed to his more protective side. 

"Get her out yourself," Rafe chuckled, relieved to see his friend looking much better than he had been earlier. When he had first come down to check on Aaron he had been so pale from the loss of blood that Rafe had felt a moment's fear that his friend would die despite the doc's encouraging words. He looked a hundred times better now, despite the thick bandaging and his obvious pain.

Aaron slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Rhianna and Rafe, his eyes flicking to the other side of Rafe where Lacey was standing. He thought he had scented her but he wasn't sure. His instincts were slightly dulled because of the pain. His smile broadened as he saw how close the beautiful blonde woman was standing to Rafe and how his friend's eyes kept flicking quickly to her as if checking she was still beside him. The connection between them was plain to see and he was over the moon that Rafe had found his mate. "Hey Lacey, glad to see you're in one piece," he smiled. "Rafe would have kicked my ass if I'd let anything happen to you."

Lacey smiled warmly at him, her beautiful face practically radiant as it shone with relief as she looked down at him. "Feelings mutual, Aaron. The being in one piece part, not the ass kicking part," she smiled back relieved to see he was doing okay. 

Aaron was truly glad to see the blonde was okay. He had liked her the moment he met her. He frowned suddenly and inhaled deeply, his body stiffening slightly as his wolf gave a very low deep growl inside him. There was an overriding scent tickling his nose. It rocked through him like a tidal wave, triggering feelings he had never ever experienced before and for a moment he stared at Rhianna in shock. It was impossible! It couldn't be her! He'd been around Rafe's sister for months and he'd never felt anything like this before. 

He shook his head as the overwhelming scent of strawberries crashed over him again, strawberries and vanilla. The scent was sweet, tantalising and oh so very perfect. He stiffened further and tried to see around Rafe and Lacey as he realised there was someone else just outside his room door. It was no mean feat trying to see around them because they were both so tall. "Come here," he suddenly growled low in his chest and Lacey stared at him in surprise.

Rafe looked down at Aaron with a concerned expression on his face and then slowly smiled, pulling Lacey to the side. The sudden tenseness of Aaron's body, the hot gleam that entered his friend's eyes was all he needed to see for him to realise what was happening. He chuckled lightly as his friend tried to dislocate his head from his shoulders in his haste to see around them.

Aaron's pale blue eyes locked with the stunningly beautiful woman who was hiding behind the other couple. His heart skipped a beat, his breath exploded from his body as she came into view and he struggled to push himself up into an awkward sitting position. "Come here," he growled again and the startled woman blinked at him in shock before she slowly walked further into the room.

Jen hadn't been able to see the man lying in the bed until Rafe and Lacey moved out of the way. She hadn't really intended on entering the room at all because she didn't know this Aaron character. She had only come down to the medical building when it became apparent everyone else was going there because she didn't want to be alone in the strange compound.

The moment she had heard Aaron's voice a little shiver had travelled down her spine and a warm heat had invaded her body. His voice had sounded so sexy, his sense of humour very appealing. Now she walked forward as if drawn to the source of that voice and she stared in stunned surprise at the beautiful man in the bed.

His blond hair was stunning, his handsome face etched with pain as he struggled to sit up. Light blue eyes bored into her with such intensity she sucked in a deep breath as her eyes quickly roamed over his big body, narrowing at the thick wads of bandaging around his naked chest. 

She frowned at the obvious wounds to him, unaccountably concerned that he was in pain and feeling a need to order him to lie back down and stop moving about. The words were on the tip of her tongue and she had to fight to stop herself from uttering them. Her breath quickened as Aaron's intense gaze trapped hers and she found herself unable to look away from him.

"Closer," Aaron commanded his voice almost hypnotic and Jen found herself obeying him, stepping up to the side of the bed with a slightly dazed look in her eyes. Aaron inhaled deeply again and then smiled a wondrous smile which quite literally took her breath away. "Mine," he growled possessively reaching out and pulling Jen onto the bed beside him.

Rhianna and Rafe burst out laughing at the dark haired woman's startled squeak as she sprawled across the injured man. 

Lacey stared at them all with a puzzled expression on her face. "What's so funny?" she asked as she watched her friend try and struggle up into a sitting position. Aaron was staring at Jen so strangely and her friend seemed to be at a loss as to what to do. It was obvious Jen was trying hard not to hurt the big blond man with her movements.

"Only the pack's worst lothario being felled by a woman," Rafe laughed as he watched his friend succumb to the woman on his bed. "Jen is Aaron's mate," he clarified when Lacey still looked at him with a confused expression.

Lacey blinked in surprise and heard her friend give a startled gasp at Rafe's words. Rhianna just laughed harder. Lacey stared from Aaron to Jen and slowly started to smile as she saw the perplexed expression on her friend's face. Jen seemed totally stunned as she gazed down at Aaron. Lacey could practically see her mind whirling as she tried to understand what was happening to her. She had felt the same the first time she had looked up at Rafe's beautiful face, so she could understand her friend's confusion.

"Jen," Aaron said softly, his hands reaching up to brush her long black hair back from her face. Such a perfect name for such a beautiful woman. His mate. He was stunned by her beauty, intoxicated by her scent. He had thought he would never meet that one perfect woman who was meant to be his forever. It had taken so long, so many long years of searching endlessly for her. But it had been worth the wait. She was perfection.

Jen could only stare into the beautiful blue eyes of the gorgeous blond man in the bed and try to stop her heart from thumping so loudly in her chest. He was looking at her with such a warm, loving expression on his face and she found herself automatically responding to him on an instinctual level. "I must be hurting you," she stammered in confusion, trying to right herself on the bed again but his arms banded around her and halted her attempts to move.

"You're worth every little bit of pain I'm feeling," he said softly. "Lie with me, Jen. Just for a little while." The pain was excruciating but he couldn't let her go. She was his mate and she belonged with him. He could scent her confusion, knew he should be giving her some time to adjust to him. After all, he was a complete stranger to her but in the back of his mind was the thought that he had almost died the night before. If he had died then she would have been alone with no one to protect her. No one to love her as she deserved to be loved. He couldn't let her go no matter how much it hurt him. 

"I think that's our cue to leave," Rhianna laughed. "We can stop by and see Aaron tomorrow." She leaned down and gave Aaron a quick kiss on his forehead but he barely registered her, his eyes glued to the beautiful woman's face before him.

"Come on, Lacey," Rafe chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "The two of them won't even notice we're gone."

"Jen?" Lacey asked eyeing her friend carefully. She wanted to make sure her friend was comfortable staying with Aaron alone. Not that she didn't trust the blond man and would be unhappy if he really did think Jen was his mate. She liked Aaron a lot and his easy humour would be a direct counter balance for Jen's way too serious side. Her friend worked way too hard and didn't take the time to relax. She couldn't imagine Aaron putting up with that, which was a good thing.

Jen turned her head away from those mesmerising light blue eyes and looked back at her friend. Her face was still slightly stunned but there was a flash of excitement in her eyes. "I know the way back to the house," she told Lacey. "I'll be fine here."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Aaron growled confidently and Lacey couldn't help laughing.

"I'm more worried about you, Aaron," she remarked dryly. "You have no idea what you've just let yourself in for. Jen will be bossing you about before you have time to blink."

His handsome face split with a huge smile and he winked at her. "Now, that sounds like it could be fun," he teased, running a hand lightly down Jen's back and smiling wider when he felt her body tremble slightly against his. So, his mate had a dominant streak in her, did she? He felt his heart kick up at beat at the thought of it. That would make life very interesting. 

"Okay, we're out of here," Rafe laughed pulling Lacey with him. "You behave!" he said sternly to Aaron. "You've still got a lot of healing to do and Jen isn't going anywhere."

Jen watched the others file out of the room leaving her alone with Aaron. His handsome face was lined with pain and she sat up and slid from the bed. He must have been in some discomfort because he let her go this time with barely a murmur of disagreement, though his eyes were tracking her every movement. "Lie down, Aaron," she said firmly as her thoughts whirled furiously inside her head. "There's no point in doing any further damage to your body." 

Her reaction to Aaron was confusing her. His pain was wrenching at her heart and she couldn't understand how his injuries could matter so much to her, why she suddenly wanted to go looking for Richard Graves and try to give him a taste of his own medicine. Rafe had said she was Aaron's mate, like Lacey was his. The thought terrified her even as she pushed lightly against Aaron's shoulder to get him to lie back against the pillows.

He grunted and gritted his teeth as she helped ease him back down onto the pillows. "Don't go, Jen," he whispered as he closed his eyes against the pain until it finally settled. He could scent her nervousness; feel her confusion and he was afraid she would run from him if he didn't stop her. The very thought of her leaving him sent another wave of pain crashing through his damaged body and it had nothing to do with his injuries. She couldn't leave him, not ever. He wouldn't survive if she ever left him. 

"I'll sit right here," she answered gently, pulling up a chair and sitting beside him. Her hand rested on his arm lightly, stroking soothingly as she watched his face with anxious eyes. He was in so much pain and it was bringing out her protective instincts. Up until now she had used those instincts solely on Lacey. No one had ever gotten through her self imposed barriers except for her best friend. She had always successfully kept herself cut off from everyone else in her life. It was her means of self protection

She stared at Aaron and bit her bottom lip tensely. His eyes were still closed but she could sense the tenseness of his big body as he rode out his pain. The man before her was quite literally stripping aside every single one of her carefully constructed barriers and he didn't even have to work at it. He just had to lie there and look vulnerable and she had no protection against him at all. "So, I'm being claimed by a wolf?" she sighed wearily. "That figures."

His amazing eyes opened at her slightly disgruntled tone and he reached a large hand out to engulf hers. "Don't you feel it too, Jen?" he asked quietly. He tried to keep the urgency out of his tone, his need for her to accept him at the bare minimum, so he wouldn't frighten her away. If she ran he wouldn't be able to find her for days, not until his body had healed enough.

"I don't know what 'it' is, Aaron," she sighed again, frowning in confusion and dropping her gaze from his. "All I do know is you have to be the most gorgeous man I've ever seen and despite the fact I should be running for the hills after learning about werewolves and vampires, I seem to be more concerned about you being in pain than I am about running out of here shrieking." 

She knew her reaction towards him wasn't normal. She had barely known the man for five minutes and had been concerned about Lacey's weird reaction to Rafe only a few hours earlier. But looking down at Aaron lying on the hospital bed she suddenly kind of understood what her friend had been trying to tell her about her reaction to Rafe, because she felt it too as she looked down at the injured man. Aaron just felt right. 

"You feel it too," he said with a satisfied smile, his eyes flickering over her face intently, drinking in every single detail of the most beautiful woman's face to ever walk the planet. His body was literally tingling to have her so close, her wonderful strawberry scent filling the room and making his body harden with a fierce need that he was in no fit shape to do anything about.

Jen nodded slowly. "I feel something. I'm not too sure what it is and it's completely crazy to feel it when I barely know you, but there is something there. Is this weird recognition thing something like love at first sight?" she asked quietly. 

Aaron smiled at her, hearing her breath hitch in her throat and stifling down a groan at the way his body automatically reacted to her. "I suppose you could say it's something like that," he breathed. "For wolves it most definitely is. If their mates are human then it may take a little while longer for them to make the full connection but they instinctively know deep down that they belong to their mate."

Jen looked at him intently for a long moment as she tried to get her head around everything. She couldn't honestly say she was in love with Aaron but she was so incredibly drawn to him. At the moment her feelings were more on the protective side because he was hurt but she did find him incredibly attractive too. The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Her body was reacting to his touch and she could still feel the impression of his hard length pressing against her when she had lain on the bed. 

She smiled slightly as she looked at him. She could either fight this strange attraction or give in to it and see what happened. Rhianna had said Millie had tried to fight her attraction to Jared but it hadn't worked. If she tried to fight her attraction to Aaron then she just knew he would come looking for her which would only cause him more injury. He believed she was his mate and despite his easy humour and light tone she just knew there was another man deep within him. The kind of man that would not easily give up on what he felt belonged to him. He had the same underlying intensity about him as Jared and Rafe had.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 04



June 24th 1968

I knew it'd have to happen sometime. I guess we just got so comfortable with the way things was goin. Willie's still supervisor over at that there plant. They tried to replace him, brought in this white man from Connecticut to take over but for some reason white folks can barely keep the place from exploding. Two days after they brought this fool in he'd nearly killed everyone within a 50 mile radius, something about mixing hazardous materials. Wilbur got his job back with a $0.10 raise. 

That happened in what, '64? Well he been workin that job ever since and things was good! That is until that day we took a family trip into town to get a family photo done. We had to borrow a car so we'd all make it to Houston together. Having a family this big is not always very convenient; Wilbur borrowed the company car and then also borrowed another car so we could all come. We was all sittin on laps and tryin not to squish each other. 

The whole thing was my idea; I was the one who wanted one big professional picture of my whole family. Wanted something to hang up over my mantle, a moment in my family's lifetime. I remember getting ready that morning, pickin out clothes, the ones I spent hours mendin' the night before. It was all suits and dress shirts before my girls came along. All bow ties and slacks. Now I had colourful dresses to choose from; hair to braid and curl. I woke up extra early and fixed Cora's hair. She didn't complain at all, I think she was just so excited. I used the last bit of coconut oil I had left on her; braided it up in two braids and put pink ribbons on the ends tied in little bows. She looked so pretty, and so much like me when I was a little girl. So my mama says. I sent her on her way and told her to send her brothers in. After that it was a long procession of side parts and comb overs with a dab of pomade to hold it. Then I send em in to get dressed. The last one to come get her hair done was Evelyn. She come rushin in the room and smiled up at me as she sat down. 

"Mama I'm so excited!" she said wigglin on her little stool. I just chuckled because this was the most excited I'd ever seen her. Usually it's Cora bouncing off the walls and now Eve's the one can't contain herself. She starts to calm though when I start brushing out her hair. She always did love that. Every night before bed I'd do their hair for school the next day. Cora hated it and would run and hide. As if there was a place to hide in my house. Then when I finally did pin her down long enough to get her hair combed out she would wail and cry like someone was beatin her. That's why I was so surprised she sat so well for me. Evelyn was always different; she'd come in and sit, let me gently brush out her hair and braid her pigtails. She'd always ask for the same braids as Cora too. Most times she'd fall right asleep in my lap. 

Today I took extra care, braiding the pink ribbon into her hair and tieing it at the ends. The second I was done she tore out the room yellin a "Thanks mama!" over her shoulder and went to change. Before we left I went and called everybody to the front yard and inspected them all one by one, straightening ties and fixing suspenders. It's funny when you see nine people standing in front of you that all came from you. All nine of those people came from my body; eight of em from my womb, one directly from my heart. God blessed me with such a beautiful family. My girls were decked out in matching pink dresses and with the ribbons in their hair they were so sweet. I started cryin and my oldest son came and hugged me up usherin me to the car and we were off. 

I knew a woman by the name of Marlene. Marlene was one of those women who could have passed for white if people still did those types of things. Anyway, Marlene worked in this house I used to clean as a nanny. We became friends and kept in touch over the years. When she wrote me and said she lived in Houston and was now working at Foley's in the cosmetics department I asked her if I could come and get our family portrait done. 

I also have to mention, now that my girls are both eleven years old we're all used to the backwards sidways and upside down glances we'd get when we'd all step out together. Especially once Evelyn would call out for me or her father. Folk would act like we kidnapped her. Brainwashed the child. We lost her one time at the farmers market and I can't begin to explain the hubbub she caused when she described her parents. They really didn't want to hand her over to us, like we been beatin her or mistreatin her. It was the opposite and everybody in Brixdale knew it. Evelyn was our baby; our precious girl. Born straight from my heart. She asked me, eventually, why she didn't look like the rest of the family. I told her it's because she came from my heart. I told her I prayed to God for a little girl my Cora could play with and when she came along she made everyone so happy. I didn't have the heart to tell her where she really came from. Her own words came back into my mind. 

"Just because we don't want em doesn't mean they don't deserve love!"

She deserved so much better. 

Now I have to tell you that it was 1968 and the world had changed. Folks wasn't as openly hateful of colored people, well, that is to say they weren't as open about it as they were when I was a girl. I was just happy my kids would come up in a different world than I would. So when we arrived to Foley's and we all climbed out of the cars we musta looked like a mob or something because as soon as we walked in management was trying to escort us out. It was a little hectic, keeping all the kids under control when they's so curious about this huge department store. I remember all these little hands pulling on my skirt, all tryin to show me something. I had these kids saying "Mama look!" from every direction, I had the manager tryna kick us out as politely as possible when I look up and see Marlene comin towards us tryna calm everyone down. I was relieved for only a second because I looked over her shoulder and saw her. She was comin up behind Marlene; she had a nametag pinned to her shirt and wore cat eye glasses. Her black hair was in a thick bun on top her head. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I started to back up, trippin over little bodies behind me and I hear Wilbur talking to me but I couldn't get my eyes off her. She wasn't looking at me anymore her eyes had found Evelyn's and I reacted the best way I knew how. I snatched her little hand in mine and pulled her to me. I looked back up at the woman and there was this twisted look of horror on her face as she stared at my daughter. 

"Mama what's wrong?" she asked me.

I still couldn't speak as I continued to stare at the person I'd often wondered about. The person cold enough to abandon a baby in a dumpster. 

Evelyn's birth mother. 

December 12th 2004

The thick jacket he wore to brace the Midwestern cold did little against the harsh winds stealing any warmth his body could generate. He just needed to make it a few more blocks and he'd be warm. It was just a few more blocks from residence to her house. He was still a little dumbfounded that he could feel something so strongly so quickly. It had only been a few months, and already it was more meaningful than any of his past relationships. 

He carefully started to run dodging slick patches of pavement as he began to loose feeling in his fingers. It definitely didn't get this cold in Texas and he would be glad for the upcoming break. He thought back to when they returned from Chicago. Reign moved Dylan into her small apartment and gave her the living room as her bedroom. Dylan went back to what she thought she did best, and realized she made a whole lot more money when she didn't have to support a fully grown man. The day Dylan met Calvin was kinda hilarious. His first thought of Dylan being pretty was completely wrong. Once the bruised faded, the swelling reduced and the split lip healed it was painfully obvious that this woman was gorgeous. We had both come by their place for dinner bringing nothing but empty stomachs. As soon as we walked in and Calvin saw Dylan she became self conscious and he looked like a fish out of water. Kinda like how Caiden was when he met Reign. 

They ate somewhat awkwardly as the two got to know each other better and Caiden got a chance to laugh at his brother. Shortly after Dylan returned to work they both decided to move into a two bedroom in the same building. The new apartment was on the ground floor which was a plus on two levels; the first being they didn't have to suffer that rickty elevator again and the second being that they could walk straight up to the apartment. The patio area was open and the back door ended up being used as the main entryway. Plus, they both had a lot more room now that they were out of the tiny one bedroom. 

Things between Caiden and Reign had taken a wonderful turn. It really helped that they were friends before they became anything else because a level of trust had formed between them. Relationship wise, they'd only hit a few roadblocks; the first being when Dylan offered a copy of their key to Caiden. He didn't want to accept it first of all because reign hadn't been the one to offer it and secondly Reign wasn't the one to offer it! He didn't want to show up out of the blue one day, waltz in their house and have her freak the hell out because she didn't give him a key. 

At first she objected, because it was so soon, they'd only been dating for a few weeks at that point and she didn't know how to feel about it. She'd conceded though, after a bit of a struggle because she said she felt safer when he was around. 

The second, when an old campus fling reared its ugly head. They were walking to class one morning when an old drunken mistake approached them both. 

"Caid," she said shortening his name. He cringed. 

"Hey, Beth right?" he asked already knowing her name. 

"Yeah, Beth. Hey we missed you at Paul's kegger! You should've been there it was so much fun!" she said completely ignoring Reign. That pissed him off. 

"Naw, I quit drinkin a while back. Keep makin stupid choices on that stuff."

He'd hoped his dig was clear, and judging by the look on her face it was crystal. 

"Beth have you met my girlfriend? This is my baby, Reign this is Beth."

Her face was definitely red now.

"I... I didn't know you two were together..." she mumbled. After that she made up an excuse and left them. The thing that pissed Reign off was the fact that she'd spread the gospel of their "interracial relationship" all over campus. This didn't bother him in the least, but for some reason Reign was beyond mad. 

"It's none of her motherfuckin business who I date! And why the fuck does she even give a motherfuck?"

"Why does... she give a motherfuck? Damn, that's some creative cussin!" he replied laughing. She wasn't the least bit enthused and let him know with a sneaker flying at his head. 

"Alright! Alright! She probably gives a motherfuck because we hooked up one time."

He watched as a myriad of emotions quickly crossed her face. He slowly made his way over to her and held her closely. 

"A drunken mistake," he said into the top of her head. "And one I'll never make again now that I have you in my life."

She just nodded against his chest and hugged him back. He knew she trusted him, and he trusted her too. That didn't mean her guard was down. Even though they were together, there was still a wall between the two. Caiden knew there was a lot he hadn't told her about his life, secrets he'd kept so long it was like second nature to guard them. He knew she had her share as well and wondered what it would take to one day wear down her defences. He then wondered what it would take to wear down his. 

As he finally reached the door he knocked twice and waited. She opened the door and he could hear music blasting from the tiny speakers of her computer in the corner. She'd come a long way from the sparse one bedroom he'd first visited, thanks to Dylan. She now had color on her walls; a bright and vibrant yellow covered the wall that flowed into the kitchen and made him smile every time he walked in. There was a couch set, big screen with TV stand, coffee tables and even a fish tank with two fish; one name Soulja boy the other named Fido. When asked about the names he was told to ask Dylan. When he did, he found she had about as little a clue as he did and she'd picked the names. 

"Hey baby!" she greeted him at the door wearing an oversized tee and as far as he was concerned, nothing underneath. 

He ripped off his jacket and rubbed his hands together trying to get the feeling back in them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him down for a kiss. 

"Mmm.." he grumbled against her lips. "That'll definitely warm me up."

She pulled away from him complaining about the draft from under the door. He made himself at home, heading straight for the fridge. 

"Hey Sugar, what you got to eat?" he called out. He was bent over fridge, head buried in its contents when she came up behind and slapped him hard on the ass. 

"Ow! Dang girl!" he howled, chuckling. She took off running down the short hall to her bedroom and he briefly wondered if Dylan was working tonight. His tummy forgotten he suddenly remembered another neglected part of his anatomy. As he entered the bedroom he found her very unsexily gathering laundry. He'd have to put a stop to that. 

"What are you doin?" he asked standing directly in front of her stopping her from leaving the room. 

"What I was doing before you got here? Sorting laundry. I've gotta do a load of whites first because I don't want color blee-"

She stopped mid sentence as she caught sight of his chest. He peeled his white shirt off and threw it in the small pile she'd made on the floor. He let her look her fill of his sculpted chest and waited to see what she would do. She bit her lip as looked him over and noticed her thighs squeezing together beneath the frumpy tee. He reached his hand out for hers and she took it slowly standing up. He tried to pull her too him but she ducked under his arm and ran to the other side of the bed. 

"Hey! Listen, I mean I think things are getting a little uh... um.. God it's hot in here," she said fanning herself. He smirked. She was so cute when she was flustered, her hair up in that messy bun again. 

"Take your hair down, matter fact take that damn shirt off too."

"No!" she exclaimed, hands up in front of her to ward him off. He climbed up over the bed and was in front of her within seconds. She barely had time to react. 

"Jesus you're fast!" she said backing up. He followed.

"You gonna run from me some more? Cause I actually like the chase. Just know your ass is gonna be punished when you get caught."

His statement stopped her cold and the color drained from her face. Her look of excitement and arousal was gone and fear had completely taken its place. Damn, he'd effectively doused them both with ice water with his failed attempt at dirty talk. 

"Whoa, honey I'm sorry! What'd I say wrong?"

She said nothing, just folded her arms under her breasts and backed into the corner, as far from him as she could get. 

"Was it the spanking thing? You don't like to be spanked? Cause that's fine we don't have to do that I was just trying something out but if that's not your thing, we'll scrap it and try somethin' else, how bout that?" 

Her face remained blank as she stared up at him, her honey colored eyes penetrating him. He decided to change gears. This was new territory for the both of them. While they'd made out furiously as often as possible, that's as far as it went. They spent as much time as possible together but something always seemed to come up before they went any further. She either had to get to class or get to work, or she had something burning on the stove, or she had a tutorial session to get to. Come to think of it, she was really the only one making the excuses. He was ready willing and able to go a whole lot further with her. And not just because her body was the stuff rap songs were centered on, because he honestly and truly with all of his heart loved her. Damn. He really really loved her. And yet he felt like he knew nothing about her. Is that possible? How can you love someone you really know nothing about? He must've been lost in his thoughts for a bit because he realized she was now walking out the room, laundry basket in hand. He didn't move to chase her this time. He just grabbed another shirt out of his bag and stretched out on her bed. Well, as much as he could; he was so tall his feet dangled off the end. 

He considered this complex specimen of a woman. She was definitely different but they were similar too, in good ways and in bad. They obviously both had tempers, evident both in the fact that she blew up at the drop of a dime and that he'd half killed a man over, well, a girl he now called a friend. But when he really thought about it, neither of them knew anything about each other. He had secrets, things those only closest to him knew. Which would mean every member of his family and that was it up until he met Reign. Now, he had to consider recounting things to her that may make her afraid to even be alone with him. Things that plagued his nightmares night after night, horrors he should have never seen let alone share with another person. He didn't know how to say it all or where to start and he realized he needed to start by sharing himself with the woman he called himself loving before he expected her to do the same. 

He got up, packed together his clothes and was just putting on his jacket when Reign came back into the apartment. 

"What-where are you going? You just got here! I thought we were going to spend the night together?" came her questions in rapid succession, her hands gripping the empty laundry basket at her hip. 

He let out a deep breath and walked over to her. He dropped his duffel bag and knocked her laundry basket to the floor. He tilted her face up to his and her question filled eyes caught his own. He captured her mouth in a desperate kiss, wanting to devour her mouth. His other hand found her waist and travelled lower until he reached her full backside. He explored the generous territory with vigour and then firmly gripped his other hand joining the fun. She moaned into his lips when he began to massage and squeeze her flesh though the flimsy shirt and then gasped when he suddenly picked her up and pressed her against the wall. Her hands fisted in his shirt holding onto him as if he might drop her. Not a chance. She slowly released her hold and eased the jacket off his shoulders. All the while his tongue never left her mouth and she moaned as he pressed his ever present erection against the juncture of her thighs. She tasted so sweet. So sweet. She kissed him like she loved him and he kissed her like he loved her more. 

When they finally parted for air he continued to hold her pinned to the wall as he gasped for breath against her neck. 

"Baby," came her quiet voice. "Please don't leave."

The pleading vulnerability in her voice stopped him once again and he decided his plans could wait; she needed him. So they spent their first night together and it was a night full of firsts; the first time he'd actually just slept with a woman, first time he just laid in a bed and cuddled a woman in a non sexual way and it was also the first night he could remember sleeping through without any nightmares. 

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

Exactly a week later he finally got back in touch with Reign. She was dodging him worse than a dead beat dodges his kids. He didn't understand it. They'd spent an amazing night together, no sex either, just kissing and holding each other. Best night he'd had in, well, ever. He knew it was as good for her as it was for him too. She'd said so the next morning. When she kissed him goodbye the next day it was loaded with promise of sexual exploits to come and he wanted so badly to do all the things her luscious body was asking for. He knew she was feeling the same way he was too. The smell of a woman's arousal is distinct and unmistakeable; she wanted him. So then why the hell was she ducking him?




When Worlds Collide Ch. 04



He tried her at the store, but she wasn't working. Tried walking around campus but it was a big university, he gave up pretty quickly. He decided to check his brother for a bit, see what he was up to. He walked across campus to where the dorms were located and caught a glimpse of Beth giving him the stink eye. He continued walking, his mind inevitably traveling back to that night last year when they shared some pretty lacklustre sex. She was just so unimaginative! Completely unwilling to push the boundaries, try different positions, suck dick, none of that. Yet she still saw fit to lay claim to him? Forget that! Besides he had Reign now, he just had to find her. 

As he approached the dorms he wondered again about her. About the things she hid behind her self constructed walls. She wasn't close with her family, barely mentioning them at all. In fact aside from her mentioning her elderly grandmother and Dylan he knew nothing of any of her family members. She had tons of friends in her hometown of New York, the evidence of which covered the walls in first her bedroom, then the apartment she shared with Dylan. He wished he could track one of them down and pump them for information. Even Dylan had become like the wind; never to be seen. He assumed it was because she was "working" so much but he wondered if she was avoiding him also.

Once he reached the dormitory he could hear the telltale sounds of sex permeating from the walls and wondered who the lucky bastard was. When he got to the door he saw the sock on the doorknob; another telltale sign that some X rated activities were going down. He continued down the hall to the second set of elevators and boarded. Whatever was going on in that room he wanted no part of. 

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

Caiden decided to give up and camp out at Reign's house until she showed up. She had to come home eventually and he was hoping she wouldn't be upset about him using his key for the first time. He headed straight there running the whole way, careful not to slip on the ice. It was gonna be a harsh winter and he just couldn't wait to get home to Texas again and see his entire family. 

He quietly entered the apartment from the back door and made himself at home. It only took ten minutes for Reign to walk in the door and he called out to her as soon as she walked in the door and it scared her to death. 

"What the fuck Caiden? She screamed.

"Sorry!" he chuckled meeting her at the front door. "Sorry honey, I didn't mean to scare you."

Leaning against the same wall he'd kissed her on only seven days ago he watched her hang up her coat and release a defeated sigh. 

"We need to talk," she finally said leaning opposite him. 

"Three words every man wants to hear, I know. But we really do need to talk."

She turned into the hallway and motioned for him to follow her into her bedroom. When he walked in she was sitting on the bed clutching a pillow to her stomach avoiding eye contact. 

"Okay, I'm just gonna come right out and ask the questions in my head alright?" he said waiting for her approval. She nodded and he continued. 

"Alright, were you abused or something? You could tell me you know. Did somebody mess with you? Sexually?"

The insane look she gave him stopped him from continuing down that path of questioning. 

"Okay good, um is it me? Am I comin on too strong? Is it, you know, hard or something because I'm well, just not... Shit baby you gotta talk to me because I just don't understand why you just ran from me! For a week! I mean, what's up?"

She sat on the bed silent for a while not responding. 

"I thought you said we need to talk? Talking is usually something two or more people do together?"

"Alright! Alright I know what a damn conversation is Caiden. It's not news to me!"

He ran a hand through his shorn brown hair and released a frustrated breath. 

"So then talk to me! Do you not feel comfortable around me or something? Is it harder than you thought to be with a white guy? I mean, it's not like the anatomy is any different. I'm pretty much the same as Calvin if you haven't noticed. What's the real problem here Reign? Is it because you're afraid I'll have a small dick? Becau-"

"Oh my God! I'm a virgin! God you so nasty! Was you really about to whip out your dick?"

They stared at each other for two completely different reasons. She stared at him, her eyes glued to his face hoping and praying his hands didn't go towards his belt. He stared at her with a little bit of scepticism, appreciation of her dedicated will power and confusion. Wasn't she like 25?

"So, I mean, you've never... like ever? Like, at all?"

"Nope!"

"Not even the tip?"

"Not even the tip."

"Are you... particularly religious?"

"I mean, yes and no."

"So Jesus isn't stopping you?"

"Naw, that ain't it."

"Do you... like a certain... type of man? Is that it?"

"What exactly are you trying to ask me Caiden?"

"I mean... you're beautiful, you're smart, and you're so very sexy. I just don't understand why you haven't... yet."

He could see a hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. 

"I just, I don't know. At first I just knew I didn't want to become another teenage statistic you know? Another pregnant teenager in the hood. Who cares right? I knew I wanted to be more in my life, so I focused on school and school alone. I didn't have time for no guys or anything, I mean I was out on my own, had my own apartment at the age of 15. Do you know what that's like? Naw, probably not. I figured out quickly that a 15 year old black girl with no education doesn't have any options. I found this shit hole apartment with roaches galore and moved the fuck out my granny's house. I worked at the convenience store down my block pretty much every single day. And if I wasn't working I was studying. You remember when biggie said 'either your sellin crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot?' Yeah, well I am the absolute worst person at sports and sellin crack? Yeah fuckin right. I knew I had to get out of the damn... Hood. I worked my ass off for a scholarship, and got into three different universities. This one was offering the best scholarship so I took it. I just didn't have time for a man. And no one was stepping to me correctly anyways... Okay that's not true, a few times I had the option of testing a few... guys... it just didn't feel right. Do you know what I mean? I couldn't even... I mean maybe I was just not into those guys but I wasn't wet at all. There was no... connection! You feel me? With you... it's just so different. I get.... I get..."

He waited and when she didn't continue he urged her on. 

"You get..."

"Caiden, I get butterflies when I'm around you. You make me laugh so hard sometimes! With the straight country shit that will come out of your mouth! You're a gentlemen though; you have never tried to push me into doing anything I wasn't ready for. I mean even the first time we met. Or actually it was the second time. I was such a bitch to you! But you saw beyond all that, and you were my friend. I can't tell you how much that means to me. So I guess what I'm trying to say is...I mean... I kinda... I just love you."

His heart was beating like a base drum in his chest. 

"You love me?" he asked, just wanting to hear her say it again. She smiled at him and pulled him to sit on the bed beside her. 

"Yeah fool, I love you. I know it's soon to be sayin all that shit and you're still tryin' to wrap your mind around the whole virgin thing-"

"I love you too baby. I've loved you since the moment I first saw you."

She stared into his eyes a mixture of elation and terror in them. 

"You're just saying that because you want some virgin pussy!" she said half laughing and half crying. He smiled back at her and pulled her against his chest and basked in the feeling of holding her close to him. His baby. His love. 

"You're right, I do want your virgin pussy. And not because it's virgin pussy, because it's yours and I love you. I can't wait to show you how much I love you baby. But outside of all that, do you know that is the most you've ever told me about your life Reign? I had no idea you lived on your own since you were 15? And ain't it illegal to rent an apartment to a minor? Let alone work? How'd you do that all on your own? And while you were in middle school?"

"It was the summer between middle school and high school."

"Whatever! That's amazing. I could have never done that on my own. Man, at 15 I was tryin to go two hours without my dick getting hard. I barely had hair on my balls!"

"You are so nasty!" she said laughing. He watched her laugh and held her tighter to him, trying to fight his reaction to having her so close. 

"By the way... you um... I mean I am, or I do get... I get wet sometimes. All the time...when I'm around you."

She was nervously biting her lip and he thought it was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen and before he could think a coherent thought he was kissing her. As soon as his lips met hers her body arched into his and her arms wrapped around his neck, pinning herself beneath him. He groaned lightly against her lips as her hips began to gently rock against him.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a second. Were you just humping me?"

She hid her face in his chest in embarrassment but he wouldn't let her hide.

"Cause if you were that would be totally cool with me. I'm a fan of the dry hump. A lot of people think it's overrated but I say bring back the dry hump! Maybe next time we'll try some spanking and then move right on up to the finger bang-"

"Shut up!" she gasped as she squealed with laughter. 

"Hey, I don't have a problem taking it there! C'mon, I know you have a fetish or two. Just because you were a teenage dynamo, doesn't mean you completely ignored your sexuality. Right?"

She looked at him a while considering him before she spoke.

"I'm, I mean I don't really know what I'm into... sexually. I haven't tried much, and the only hands that have touched my pussy have been mine and my obgyn. I don't really have a fetish or anything. I'm not particularly into feet or panties or any weird shit. The funny thing is I guess I kept wondering when I would get that feeling, you know? That spark that tells you that this guy is special, you know? I kissed a few dudes, copped a few feels but it never really... turned me on you know? It wasn't until you kissed me that everything changed. And truthfully I know I'm lying because it changed waaaay before that. The way you made me feel, that was something so new to me, I just wanted to be around you all the time. I remember we was on the side of the road and it was freezing outside. You had taken your shirt off and you were kinda freakin out! I felt so upset that you were so upset. Strangest feeling in my life. I just wanted to make everything all better for you and... my damn pussy was throbbin in my jeans because for some very awkward reason you looked so fucking sexy with your shirt off. Or maybe it was because I wanted to make it better with my pussy. Either way, it was so wrong on so many levels! I am so attracted to you!"

She stopped and hid her face again. 

"I cannot believe I'm saying all of this to you right now!"

He adjusted them on the bed together and made sure her soft pliant body was pressed against his. 

"I want you to..." she started and then stopped herself. 

'Feel how hard my dick is right now,' he wanted to add, but thought better of it. Although the visual of her hands on him, the contrast of color had him diamond hard. Redirecting, he asked another question.

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

The question must've caught her off guard, she stammered a bit and then replied, "Well, Dylan is going home for Christmas but I'm planning to just stay here and work. Why?

He paused and considered. 

"Come home with me. I want you to meet my mama."



When Worlds Collide Ch. 04



"So, we're mates," she sighed, deciding that there was no point in fighting it. She couldn't leave the compound anyway so there really wasn't anywhere to run and hide from Aaron. Plus the thought of doing so made her heart almost stop with anxiety. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted to give in to all the confusing thoughts and feelings in her head. 

"I suppose I'd better find out who you are Aaron and vice versa." Her tone, what Lacey called 'her lawyer tone', came across as slightly irritated. If she was going to get involved in this crazy world then she would have to find a way to deal with it in a manner she could understand. Finding out facts was what she did, so she would apply her years of training to the situation.

Aaron grimaced as he burst out laughing at her disgruntled tone. He could see the determination on her face, the almost resigned expression as if she was about to be tortured. She was clearly perturbed about things but she was gamely squaring her shoulders and opting to deal with it rather than run away.

Her bravery made him feel so proud of her. She was a strong woman his mate. She was exactly what he needed. "You start," he smiled, softly reaching out a hand to capture a long, silky lock of midnight black hair and watching it trickle through his fingers as if totally fascinated by the sight. "I want to know everything about you, Jen."

She took a deep breath. "Well, I'm Jennifer Swift, I'm twenty six and I'm a lawyer, a very good lawyer actually. I own my own flat, the one you got shot outside of, and Lacey is my best friend. I have no family and neither does she so we're pretty close. We tend to rely on each other for most things. Oh, and I'm apparently now the mate of a werewolf. That pretty much sums me up."

Aaron nodded slowly smiling up at her. "So you're not only beautiful you're very smart too," he said quietly, feeling a rush of pride that his woman was so smart and tough, willing to stand up for what she believed was right. He wanted to pull her down beside him again. He wanted to kiss her soft lips. He wanted to tell her how proud he was of her, how strong and resilient she was. How beautiful and amazing she was. He resisted though because he didn't want to do anything that may make her leave.

"My turn," he said, adopting the narrative tone she had used, a small smile twitching at his lips. "I'm Aaron Alexander. I'm a born Were and I'm one hundred and sixty seven on my next birthday." 

He laughed when her eyes widened at his age. "I work with Rafe at the club Wicked, helping him run it and filling in for him when he needs time off. Rafe is my best friend and my parents live here in the compound. I have two sisters and three brothers who are living in the city at the moment but come back for visits and when they feel the need to run. I'm one of Jared's betas so that makes me pretty high up in the pack and I was considered quite a catch."

He shot her a wicked grin. "You don't know it but you've just broken the hearts of just about every unattached woman within a hundred mile radius. Until I set eyes on you just now I was the most outrageous flirt and lover of women but those days are now over. There is only you now, Jen. No other woman will ever appeal to me now I've found my mate in you."

Jen swallowed hard as she looked into his face. "Wow, your life story kind of trumps mine," she finally said with a nervous laugh. "So Rafe's comment about you being a lothario wasn't a joke then?" The thought of Aaron with other women most definitely didn't appeal to her. The fact that he was over a hundred years old and didn't look a day over thirty three was staggering too. A hundred years of loving women? Her heart skipped loudly in her chest. Being with Aaron intimately would most definitely be a mind blowing experience. She felt her cheeks redden at the direction her thoughts were taking and she looked away. The man was lying at death's door and she was thinking about having sex with him? She stifled down a groan.

Aaron smiled gently at her and urged her up out of the chair so she was leaning over him, forcing her to meet his intent gaze. "I belong to you, Jen, and only you," he said huskily raising his head slightly so he could kiss her lightly, groaning at the first touch of his mate's lips against his. Heat flared through his body the instant their lips touched. He kept his touch light as he slowly traced her soft lips with his own, his tongue stroking over her lower lip slowly as he savoured his first taste of her.

He was right, she was perfection. He threaded a hand in her silky hair and angled her head to the side so his tongue could press for entrance into her mouth and taste every single inch of her hot depths. His body yearned for more as he deepened the kiss, feeling his heart start to beat hard in his chest as his delicious woman kissed him back with as much enthusiasm as he was putting into his kiss. Her sweet scent of strawberry and vanilla assaulted him and he groaned deeply as he pulled her closer.

Jen pressed forward so his head was resting once more on the pillow and allowed her lips to explore his in a tentative kiss. Desire shot through her body instantly. Not the usual kind of desire she felt when a man kissed her. No, this desire was a hot, encompassing need which came from nowhere and took her breath away. He tasted so perfect, so wonderful and she just couldn't get enough of his mouth against hers. She whimpered at the unexpected heat flooding her body, even as she pressed him back against the pillows and fought the urge to climb back up onto the bed to feel his hard length pressing against her body again. Any doubts she had about all the wolf stuff just melted away. She'd worry about that later. All that mattered right now was the gorgeous man lying in the bed and his wonderful lips stealing her breath away. It would be so easy to lose herself in Aaron's kisses, she was already losing herself as it was.

"Jen," Aaron groaned against her mouth, his voice sounding tortured. "You taste so heavenly, sweetheart. So perfect." His mouth began assaulting hers again in another deep drugging kiss and he was pulling her back onto the bed, his breath hissing out in pain which he dampened down as best he could because he wanted to feel her softness pressing against his hardness so badly.

"Aaron," Jen stammered, trying to extricate herself from his arms as he tensed with pain. "You're hurting yourself."

"Hush," he commanded softly, his tongue once more sweeping into her mouth to silence her as his body practically hummed with a combination of pleasure and pain.

She gave in to his kiss for a moment longer, her own need catching her completely off guard as she pressed her body against his as gently as she could. His breath hissed out again and she stiffened, gently pulling away from him, ignoring his murmur of protest. "Aaron, enough," she said sternly reaching up to gently untangle his hand from her hair. She didn't want to stop kissing him but she didn't want to keep hurting him either. One of them had to be sensible about things.

Luke coughed loudly as he entered the room and Jen pulled back and blushed as Aaron kept a hold of her hand as she sat back down on the chair hastily.

"Even when he's lying at death's door he's still seducing the ladies," the doctor laughed shaking his head. "Time for your pain meds, Aaron. This is likely to knock him out for the night, Jen."

"I'd like to stay for a while. Will that be okay?" she asked, not wanting to leave Aaron alone. She had a feeling he would object if she tried to leave and would refuse his pain medication. He looked stubborn enough to do so and she wanted to sit with him a little longer too, while she got her head around everything that was going on.

"You want to stay and listen to him snore that's fine with me," Luke laughed.

"I don't snore," Aaron grumbled as the doctor injected his IV line. His blue eyes started to flutter closed almost immediately. "Stay with me, Jen," he whispered sleepily.

"I will, Aaron. Sleep now," she whispered back as his hand relaxed around hers and he fell into a deep sleep.

___

Rafe walked Lacey up to her room after kissing his sister goodbye as Caleb came to claim her and take her back home. He hesitated at the door wanting to kiss her again but not wanting to rush her.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked him tentatively and he smiled slowly.

"I'd love to come in Lacey but I may have a problem leaving if I do," he admitted.

Lacey flushed at the blatant desire on his face. Her heart starting to pick up pace as she stared into his lovely brown eyes. Watching Jen's stunned reaction to Aaron and the blond man claiming her for his mate had been a little surreal. Did she look as stunned when Rafe looked at her the way Aaron looked at Jen? 

She had been confused at her reaction to Rafe but the wolves seemed to find nothing unusual in it and hearing Rhianna's explanation earlier about mating made it all sound kind of logical in a weird way. Both she and Jen had stepped into a whole other world. It was strange and confusing but she couldn't deny her attraction to Rafe or the way he made her feel when he kissed her.

Making up her mind she opened the door and tugged at his hand. Silently he entered the room and closed the door behind them, leaning against it as if afraid to come in any further.

"Lacey, we have plenty of time," he said quietly even though he wanted nothing more than to lie with her and make her his forever. He didn't just want it, he needed it so badly.

"We don't know how much time we have, Rafe," she answered. "There's going to be a war. People could die. I don't want to die without knowing what it is like to be with you."

Rafe's heart twisted painfully in his chest and he reached for her, pulling her against his hard body. "You are not going to die, Lacey," he ground out harshly, his expression pained. "I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let anyone take you from me."

She wanted to believe him so badly. She knew he meant what he said but she also knew Richard and that Rafe's promises, while sincere, may be promises he just couldn't keep. She leaned into him and pressed her mouth urgently against his, needing to taste him again to see if it was as magical as their first kiss.

Rafe ground his mouth down hard against hers causing a little whimper to escape from her as his arms banded around her tightly. His need for her was all consuming as he pressed her lips apart and boldly stroked his tongue deep inside her mouth letting her know with no doubt that she belonged to him as much as he belonged to her.

His touch was hard, and rough and so possessive it was a wonder she wasn't fighting him, pushing him away, asking for him to be more gentle with her. She didn't do any of that. Instead she answered him with a need that matched his in every way. Her fingers dug painfully hard into his hair and she was pressing him back into the door as she attacked him hungrily with her mouth.

Rafe's cock throbbed and jumped painfully in his jeans as he felt the full length of her softness touching every part of his body. He growled and fisted his hands into her hair, pushing away from the door and walking her backwards towards the bed, his mouth never leaving hers.

The back of her knees hit the mattress and as she felt backwards he followed her, pressing her thighs apart so he could lie between them and rub his aching body against her heat. His mouth trailed kisses of fire along her jaw and down her neck as he hands roughly pulled at the material of her top to slide it from her body. 

Lacey moaned and arched up to help him almost sighing with relief when her top was gone and Rafe's large hands were moulding her breasts through the lace of her bra. She was on fire and had been from the moment their lips had touched. Her body ached for his touch in a way it had never ached for any other man. Only Rafe could satisfy the hot need inside her and she wanted their clothes to be gone so he could fill her completely and make her his.

"Rafe," she moaned softly as his mouth suckled and licked desperately at the swell of her breasts. He growled in response and his mouth closed over one hard peak through the lace as he sucked and nipped causing her to cry out and arch her back. She needed more. She needed to feel him against her naked flesh.

She tried to get to the fastening of her bra to release it but Rafe growled again and she stilled all movement and looked into his eyes. There was a slightly feral look to them, as if his wolf was close to the surface. "Rafe?" she whispered shakily.

Rafe's wolf was in ecstasy. He howled his glee as they tasted their mate ravenously, their cock pushing relentlessly against her hot body seeking to be inside her. 'Mine,' he crowed in delight. ''My mate, my woman, mine!' Rafe suddenly stiffened as he stared into Lacey's slightly worried eyes and he realised his wolf was too close. He took a deep breath and pushed him down, groaning loudly and rolling off her to lie flat on his back.

"Lacey, I'm sorry," he ground out. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

She sat up and looked down at him, her silvery blonde hair falling forward over her shoulders. "You didn't frighten me, Rafe," she said softly. "Well, not really frighten me," she amended. "I just really wanted to get my bra off."

He stared at her in surprise and then started to laugh. "Well, why didn't you say so?" he asked pushing himself up and trailing a finger slowly over the lace surrounding her perfect breasts. "Do you want it off in one piece or would shredding it completely suffice?"

His husky voice sent a shiver of pure pleasure down her spine and she sucked in a deep breath. "One piece would be preferable, I didn't pack that many," she breathed softly as she arched against his finger and let out a little breathy moan.

He seemed almost disappointed but then he smiled again and reached behind her to get rid of the offending garment. Her breasts spilled free as he tossed the lace away and feasted his eyes on her body. Her breasts were perfect, so full and soft with hard, pink nipples begging for his lips and hands. He growled loudly again and bent his head to capture one of the taut peaks between his lips.

He suckled gently at first, running his tongue lovingly around her nipple before flicking it lightly across the top. Her deep moan triggered his need and he pulled harder on the swollen bud, an arm snaking around her waist to bring her closer as he suckled and nipped hard at her breast.

Every pull of Rafe's lips and teeth sent white hot pleasure straight between her legs and Lacey could only hold onto his wide shoulders and shiver with delight as he attacked her body with relish. She had liquid fire in her veins and Rafe Hanlon was the only man who could quench that fire. 

She moaned loudly as he abandoned one breast to move to the other, torturing her nipple as ruthlessly as he had the other one. Her hands moved to the buttons on his shirt, restlessly trying to get them undone so she could press her breasts to his hard chest.

Rafe abandoned her breasts to come back to her mouth, needing to taste her sweetness again. She was stripping the shirt from his back and he helped her as much as he could without losing connection with her mouth. He was so hard for her, so desperate to be inside her it was consuming him. He wrenched his mouth away from her and stared into her amazing green eyes breathing heavily.

"Lacey, I can't wait," he groaned. "We'll go slow the next time but for now will you please just get naked as quickly as possible. I need you too much, baby."

Rafe's open admission and the hot, urgent expression on his gorgeous face stole her breath away. She wasn't even aware she was nodding her consent eagerly as she stripped off her boots, jeans and panties in record time. She had a few brief moments to look at his amazing body and the long, thick pulsing cock standing proudly between his legs. 

Her breath caught and she licked her lips in anticipation. God, his body was so beautiful. She couldn't wait to feel him slide inside her. She couldn't wait to taste him with her mouth and feel him in her hands. She dearly wanted to do it right now but she knew he wouldn't let her, not this time.

"If you don't stop looking at me like that you're going to make me lose all control," he growled softly pressing her back against the bed.

"I don't suppose there's any chance I could just......"she started to say breathlessly and he growled louder.

"There's nothing I'd like more than to feel your mouth around me, Lace," he said hoarsely. "But if you do that right now I'm going to cum straight away and I want that pleasure inside your beautiful body."

Her heart kicked up a beat and she tried to sit back up bringing her breasts in contact with his hard chest and moaning softly. "Let me take care of your urgency, Rafe," she breathed softly. "We have all night for everything else."

She pushed at his chest snaking her tongue over one hard nipple as he groaned loudly and fell back against the pillows. She smiled her triumph at his capitulation and licked over his taut stomach as she made her way down to his throbbing cock. She needed to taste him so badly she wrapped her lips over the spongy head with little fanfare, taking him deep into her mouth as he roared loudly and his hips rolled up.

"Oh fuck!" Rafe ground out as he sank into her hot mouth and her tongue began to tease him mercilessly. He had only been half serious about cumming straight away but if she kept sucking on him the way she was doing right now it would be a certainty. 

Her moist heat slid over his aching length and he thrust up again pressing as much of his cock into her mouth as possible, his eyes glittering as he watched her head bob up and down his throbbing shaft with relish. Oh God, she was killing him with her wicked mouth as she alternated between laving him with her tongue and then sucking hard on his head as her hand gripped him firmly at the base and stroked slowly.

Lacey laved his cock with her tongue lapping up the tangy pre-cum already leaking from the spongy head. He tasted so amazing and his throaty growls were making her so wet. She slid her mouth up and down his impressive length as she moaned her own pleasure. She couldn't get enough of him inside her mouth. She sucked hard and stroked him faster and faster as she felt his thighs begin to tense. He was close to achieving his release and it gave her a heady feeling of pleasure knowing she was the one driving him towards orgasmic bliss.

"Lace," he growled loudly, his hands fisting in her hair as he bucked into her waiting mouth. "That's it...just like that...suck me harder, baby. Oh, fuck!" His body tightened and he swelled inside her mouth a split second before he roared his pleasure and began to empty himself into her beautiful mouth. She sucked and swallowed as he jerked again and gave her more of his seed with another loud groan. She kept sucking and swallowing until he finally relaxed and his hands gentled in her hair.

Rafe sucked in hard breaths as he urged Lacey up until she was lying fully on top of him. His mouth found hers unerringly and he kissed her hard as he ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass tightly. "You have the wickedest mouth ever, baby," he groaned softly as he gentled his kiss so he could leisurely explore her mouth. He could taste himself on her and it made his heart thump harder as their tongue duelled erotically.

He hadn't planned on being with her tonight and he most definitely hadn't planned on their first sexual encounter to be her pleasuring him. He had envisioned himself loving every inch of her beautiful body until she screamed his name in ecstasy. His woman had had other ideas though.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 04



"You taste so good, Rafe," she breathed against his lips. "I so can't wait to do that again."

He chuckled deeply. "Feel free to indulge yourself anytime you want," he laughed flipping her over onto her back and sliding between her thighs. "Hope you have no objections to me indulging myself a little?" His brown eyes twinkled as he stared down at her.

Lacey sucked in a deep breath and pressed up against him. "No objections whatsoever," she said huskily and then gasped as he sucked a nipple into his mouth and began to lave the hard tip with hard, rough strokes sending shivers of pleasure through her body. She liked his earthiness. She had a feeling he could be as gentle as the next man but she wanted his uncontrolled passion and she moaned loudly to show her appreciation of what his talented lips and tongue were doing.

Rafe felt his cock stir again as he sucked and nipped at Lacey's beautiful breasts. She was so damned sexy and her moans were such a turn on he knew he would be hard and ready to sink into her body in no time. He couldn't ever imagine not wanting her beautiful body. She was everything he desired in a woman both body and soul. She was his and he was going to love her the way she'd never been loved before.

Her scent called to him and he slid down her body licking and kissing her soft skin as he moved down to her most intimate place. He pressed her legs wide as he looked his fill of her beautiful body. She was so wet, so hot, her little silvery blonde curls damp with perspiration as the blood ran to her silky folds and made them swell with anticipation. "You're so beautiful, Lacey," he whispered reverently as he watched her body prepare itself for him. "God, you're so wet, baby," he groaned as he gave in to the temptation to taste her.

He spread her lower lips apart with his fingers and licked slowly up her wet slit growling his pleasure as her musky taste exploded onto his tongue and his cock hardened further. Her juices were totally delectable, the sweetest nectar he had ever tasted and he attacked her with relish, rasping his tongue boldly over her silky folds before teasing the hard nub at the top of her pussy. She cried out and bucked up wildly as he began to beat the little bundle of nerves with his tongue in quick, hard strokes. She writhed beneath him, her hands digging into his hair to pull him harder to her.

Rafe growled and drove his tongue into her hot opening licking inside her to find more of her sweet nectar. She cried out and rewarded his efforts with another torrent of hot juices flowing into his eager mouth. He sucked them down and went back for more, curling his tongue deep inside her as he found her sweet spot and sent her writhing wantonly against him.

He needed to taste her cum; needed to drive her so wild with desire she shattered against his mouth. He licked back up to her clit with rough, lusty strokes, thrusting two thick fingers urgently inside her. He moved his fingers hard and fast as he suckled on her clit, scraping the hard nub with his teeth as he pushed her relentlessly towards her orgasm.

"Oh God, Rafe," she moaned raggedly. "Oh God, that feels so good!" She pressed herself hard onto his fingers as she felt the tension coil in her stomach. His fingers moved harder and faster as he bit gently on her clit and then suckled hard. She shattered into a million pieces, as intense pleasure erupted through her, pulling a guttural cry from within her. The wave of pleasure pulsed throughout her body as she bucked wildly and chanted his name as the sweet bliss overcame her. 

He licked and sucked and used his fingers on her until she slowly began to calm as her orgasm subsided. She could barely breathe by the time he raised his head with a very satisfied smug smile on his face. He licked his lips slowly as he moved over her and looked down at her passion filled face. "You taste so good too, baby," he said huskily. "I bet you feel even better though."

He slipped an arm under her and pulled her up until she was straddling his body and he was kneeling between her thighs. He rubbed his aching cock up and down her wet slit groaning at the scalding heat of her body. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he raised her slightly and positioned himself at her opening. "Look at me, Lacey," he whispered hoarsely, waiting for her amazing green eyes to open. 

He stared deeply into her eyes and held himself rigid against her. "Tell me who you belong to," he demanded pressing himself gently against her aching body. "Tell me you're mine, Lacey." His brown eyes glittered fiercely as he waited for her answer.

Lacey moaned at the sheer need in his eyes. It wasn't just the needs of his body she was looking at; it was also his need to possess her completely. She felt a brief moment of uncertainty and then she surrendered to him completely. "I'm yours, Rafe," she whispered huskily. "I will always be yours." 

His nostrils flared as his eyes glittered in triumph a fraction of a second before he thrust up hard and impaled her on his throbbing cock. "As I will always be yours, Lacey," he ground out hoarsely holding her tightly against him as she moaned and dragged his mouth to hers to seal their union with a hot, wet kiss. 

She kissed him hungrily feeling his amazing body sheathed so tightly inside hers. He was stretching and filling her so deliciously and she knew the wonderful feelings she was experiencing were about to get so much better when he finally starting moving inside her. "Rafe, please," she pleaded. "Don't make me wait any longer."

He growled and bore her back against the bed and began to thrust into her with long, hard, deep strokes. She cried out her pleasure and bucked her hips up to meet his thrusting body, shivering in delight as he stroked into her possessively, claiming every inch of her body and soul. The fire which had so recently cooled in her body was quickly being stoked higher again as his thrusts became deeper and more forceful. She had the sudden urge to giggle. Rafe was definitely letting her know in no uncertain terms that she belonged to him. Not that she was complaining. All she could do was hold on as the waves of pleasure slowly built higher and higher deep inside her.

Rafe claimed her with every single ounce of his being. She was so hot and wet and tight as she wrapped herself completely around his throbbing cock and fought to keep him inside her body every time he pulled out of her. She was fire and passion; so lusty and wanton ,and she was his and only his.

He growled and pulled out of her, turning her onto her knees and pressing her up against the headboard. He slid into her from behind and thrust hard as he pressed his hands over hers, securing her against the hard wood and using the headboard as leverage to ride her beautiful body. Her sexy moans urged him on, the sound of their sweat slickened skin slapping against each other driving him wild with need.

His wolf was howling and trying to push forward, trying to claim Lacey too but he suppressed the beast ruthlessly and continued to thrust into his woman with hot, lusty, growls erupting from his chest. She was perfection, his Lacey. She was all he would ever need to feel truly complete. She was pressing backward, pushing herself onto his cock with complete abandon and he was loving every second of taking her and having her take him.

He moved back, pulling her onto her hands and knees and began to thrust into her hard and fast. His hands gripped her hips hard and pulled her back onto his cock as his need to fill her with his seed took over all other rational thought. The hot smell of sex and their lusty cries filled the room as they began to move together almost frantically.

"Fuck, Lace, cum for me," he growled pounding hard into her body. "I can't last much longer; you're just too fucking hot. Cum, baby." He reached forward to find her clit and rub it hard as he thrust into her. She screamed hoarsely and bucked frantically as her inner muscles gripped his cock so hard he roared his pleasure and began to pulse deep inside her as he spilled his seed. He felt his knot start to form and worked hard to keep it at bay. He wanted desperately to be pinned to her but the timing was all wrong. That delight would have to wait.

He growled loudly and shot more ropes of thick cum inside her beautiful body as she shook and moaned her own pleasure over and over again. His heart hammered in his chest as he fought to catch his breath as the tremors in his body slowly subsided. He slid from her body and collapse onto his side, pulling her down with him and wrapping his arms around her chest. 

Lacey took long, shuddering breaths as she used a shaky hand to push her hair out of her eyes as Rafe pulled her close, spooning into her back, his own breathing harsh and ragged. She was no novice in the bedroom but she had never experienced anything as intense as Rafe's lovemaking before. He had quite literally taking possession of not only her body but her very being . 

So this was what it felt like to be mated to a werewolf? It was frightening but also completely exhilarating. She giggled softly as she rubbed against his body. "You give a complete new meaning to you take my breath away," she giggled. "I think I actually stopped breathing at one point there."

His laughter rumbled in his chest and he licked slowly up her collarbone and onto her neck, sucking gently before nipping at her earlobe. "I know the feeling," he sighed softly. "That was beyond perfection, Lacey. That was the most amazing experience of my life." 

She twisted in his arms so she could look at him. "Was it so intense because we're mated?" she asked quietly. "Is it a wolf thing?"

He smiled gently at her. "No that was all Rafe," he said with a smirk on his handsome face. "And we're not truly mated yet, not in the full sense of the word when it comes to Weres."

Her green eyes widened as she stared into his face intently. "What does that involve?" she asked timidly and he smiled at her again and smoothed her hair back out of her face.

"Later, Lacey," he breathed softly. "There is so much going on right now. We don't have time to sit and discuss it fully and work out what we want to do about a full mating and we definitely don't have time for you to go through the change if it's something you want to do. This is something that can't be rushed into without being completely sure about it."

She opened her mouth to protest, a small frown marring her beautiful face, but he placed a finger on her lips to halt her. "I promise we'll come back to this conversation once all this is over, baby," he said quietly. "The timing just isn't right at the moment." 

Her frown deepened for a moment and then she slowly relaxed and nodded her head. Her face split into a wide smile as she rubbed against his hard body. "Are you always this bossy, Rafe?" she sighed softly.

He appeared to think about it for a moment and then gave her a rueful smile. "Yeah, I guess I am. My position as beta does make me used to people obeying my orders."

"Just don't think I'm going to let you order me around all the time," Lacey laughed rolling her eyes. 

His brown eyes glinted with amusement. "Is that you challenging me, woman?" he growled in mock anger and she shrieked with laughter when he pressed her back against the bed and began to kiss her until she was breathless.

___

Richard Graves looked up when his office door opened without any warning. His handsome face turned into a dark scowl as he watched a tall dark haired vampire stride in, Sandro following him with a glare on his face.

"I hear you had a bit of a nasty mess going down last night, Rich," the vampire said with a big smile as he settled his long body into the chair before him. "Don't know why you still use humans. You know how fragile they are."

Graves nodded for Sandro to stay as he turned to the other man. He wasn't fooled by Demetri Bozic's easy grin and light tone. The vampire was wired tighter than a cog and ready to blow at any moment. He was perturbed at seeing him here. It could mean only one thing; Demetri was going to stand at Cullen's side. The situation had just become more challenging.

"I heard you were pretty fond of humans yourself these days, Demetri," he replied coolly. "Got yourself a little woman from what I hear."

Demetri's grin widened but the smile came nowhere near his glacial green eyes. "Yes, she's a little beauty too," he smiled. "It's amazing how little things can change a person's outlook on life. Do you know I've found myself having to a write a little list? Can you believe that, Rich, me, writing lists?"

Graves stiffened in his seat, carefully keeping his expression neutral as he watched the other vampire closely. "And what is your little list in aid of, Demetri?" he asked calmly, knowing it had something to do with why he was here.

Demetri folded his arms, his smile never faltering. "Well this little list has on it the names of the people I will be most unhappy about if anything were to happen to them. It's a short list, only three names, Mara, Caleb and Annie." He ticked off his fingers slowly as each name passed his lips, his eyes locked with Graves as the two vampires stared at each other for a long moment before Graves nodded. 

"Noted and understood," he bit out in an irritated tone.

Demetri stood up and leaned on the desk, his green eyes glacial. His carefully composed mask of nonchalance dropped completely and his face set in chilling expression. "I really hope it is, Rich," he said dangerously quietly. "You of all people know what I get like when someone fucks with me. I'm sure there will be no little accidents. No slip ups or breakdowns in communication."

Graves glared back at him through narrowed eyes. "You get this one favour because we go back a long way, Demetri. Don't let it go to your head though. You know I'm just as big a bastard as you are. Don't think to come onto my turf and throw your weight around."

Demetri laughed softly. "Now would I do a thing like that, Rich?" he asked lightly, his expression once more turning to one of practised nonchalance. "If I were going to do that I would tell you to keep the fuck away from the Hanlon pack. Which we both know you'd have to refuse me and then you and I would be having a little personal issue to deal with. So I'm not going to ask you to stay away from the pack, but I am going to be there when the shit hits the fan. As long as you stay away from my family then we're cool. Your lackeys are fair game though, just so we completely understand each other here."

Graves expression darkened and he stood up and leaned on the other side of the desk, locking his blue eyes with Demetri's green ones. "You and Cullen should keep your noses out of things which are none of your concern," he said sharply.

Demetri laughed again. "It is our concern now, Rich. Lacey is the mate of Annie's brother, which technically makes her Annie's sister. Whilst I have no love for the dogs, I do have an aversion to seeing little Annie cry. So if you're hoping for an easy win over the Hanlon pack I suggest you rethink your strategy. The pack doesn't stand alone."

Graves pursed his lips. He had expected Cullen to stand with the pack and speculated whether Demetri would too. The other vampire wasn't telling him anything he didn't really know, apart from confirming the fact one of the dogs was planning to mate with his woman. Demetri siding with the pack was a major issue. He knew him too well. It would make planning the attack a more laborious process as he tried to outwit the other man.

"Are you finished, Demetri?" he asked archly.

"For now," the dark haired vampire smiled, straightening up from the desk. "Remember my list, Rich." Demetri sauntered casually out the office with a wave of his hand.

"Are you going to agree to his terms, sir?" Sandro asked with a slight sneer on his face as he stared after the retreating vampire.

Graves looked at the youngling and fought down a deep sigh. Younglings were so tiring to have to deal with. "Get the word out to everyone," he said quietly. "Demetri's woman and Caleb and his woman are to be left alone. Make sure it is crystal clear to everyone."

Sandro stared at him for a long moment, his face clearly showing his surprise and Graves did sigh then. "Do you remember the tale of Janick and his family, Sandro?" he asked drolly. He waited for the other man to nod. "That was Demetri and he didn't even have feelings for the woman at the heart of that little debacle."

The other man's face changed and a look of respect came over it. It was hard not to respect a vampire who had systematically wiped out an entire nest of vampires down to the very last family member to avenge a wrong done to him. What was even more impressive than taking out twenty seven vampires, was the fact Demetri Bozic had done it with only two friends at his side and the word was he had done most of the kills himself. 

Even Graves wasn't foolish enough to cross Demetri. Unlike Cullen, who had always had a spark of humanity inside him, the dark haired vampire had no moral scruples when he was riled. No, he would grant safe passage to Demetri's family until such times the vampire was dead, then he would rip the ones he loved to pieces and feast on their blood as they screamed their last.

_____

Demetri walked away from the brief meeting with Graves with a feeling of satisfaction. He knew Mara and Annie were now definitely safe, or safe until he was dead. As he didn't plan on dying anytime soon then that made them completely safe in his eyes. 

Caleb was another matter. He had staved off a direct attack against his friend but once the fight started and Caleb started taking out Graves' lackeys he would be a target for elimination. There was no avoiding that, but at least it meant Graves would have to rethink his attack on two sides. 

The first was he now had no leverage over Caleb and couldn't launch a pre-emptive strike on him. The second was he now had to work out how to stop Demetri anticipating his plan of attack and countering it. When all was said and done it had been a very good night's work. He had bought them at least an extra two days before Graves would make his move.

To be continued...

 Hope you all enjoyed chapter 4. Think I may have satisfied some cravings for another mating here judging from all the comments received so far. Many thanks to everyone who has voted and commented! 

Many thanks to WHB for editing for me. As always it is greatly appreciated. 



When Worlds Collide Ch. 05



Rafe woke slowly and smiled without opening his eyes. A deep sense of peace and contentment enveloped him and he simply wanted to just lie there and bask in the amazing feeling. 

The woman lying sleeping in his arms was the source of that contentment. His Lacey, his precious mate. He breathed in her wonderful scent as she stirred slightly against him and cuddled further into his arms. He couldn't imagine a more perfect way to wake up than having her beautiful body draped over his. 

He was hard and aching for her but he didn't want to move and wake her. They had enjoyed each other into the small hours and it was early still, just gone six am. He needed this moment of perfect peace with her. He had no idea if he would ever get to experience it again. War was coming and they would need to start preparing. 

Lacey's words of the night before came back, about people dying, and he felt a deep fear in his heart. He wasn't afraid of dying himself, he was afraid for Lacey. He knew if anything happened to her he wouldn't be alive to see it. He would defend her to the death and pray Jared or Caleb or someone else would take up his position and protect her. Graves couldn't be allowed to get his hands on her again.

His arms tightened around her and he buried his face in the side of her warm neck, breathing in her scent, brushing his lips gently across her warm, fragrant skin, memorising how she felt in his arms because he had no idea when he would get the chance to lie with her like this again.

A noise just outside the bedroom door attracted his attention and there was a discreet knock before it slowly opened. Rafe disentangled himself from Lacey and made sure she was completely covered before he turned to look at his Alpha.

"Sorry, Rafe, I need you," Jared said very quietly so as not to wake the sleeping woman.

"I'll be right there," Rafe answered just as quietly, turning back to look down at Lacey's sleeping face. He brushed her silvery blonde hair away from her face and leaned down to gently brush his lips against hers.

"Rafe?" she murmured sleepily opening her eyes to look up at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, baby," he whispered against her mouth. "Jared needs me so I have to go. Try and go back to sleep."

She smiled sleepily and closed her eyes again, drifting quickly back into sleep as Rafe rose from the bed and dressed. He headed down to the study figuring that was where Jared would be. His Alpha was tiredly running his hands over his face, sitting behind his desk when Rafe entered the study.

"Sorry to drag you away from Lacey, Rafe," he said with a slight smile tugging at his lips. He was happy to see the contentment on the big man's face. Despite the danger they were all in, seeing a member of his pack find their mate was always a satisfying experience.

"The pack meeting is in a few hours and we need to be able to give everyone as much information as we can," he said after a brief pause. "We need to have the evacuation plan for the children already mapped out. I'm going to work on that with Millie so I'll need you to liaise with Caleb about what he can bring to the party. He had meetings set up last night with some of his friends. I know it's early but can you see what you can get from him?"

Rafe snorted and ran his fingers through his mussed up hair. "Why'd you always give me the tough jobs, boss?" he asked ruefully. "Too chicken to wake Caleb at this ungodly hour in the morning?"

Jared's smile widened slightly. "You're his brother. He's less likely to scream abuse at you than he is me," he answered.

Rafe stared at Jared for a long moment feeling the burden of being responsible for what was about to land on the pack's head and wishing there was some other way out of the mess. Some of his people were going to die over him choosing Lacey as his mate.

Jared watched the brooding expression settle over Rafe's face and sighed deeply. "Don't go there, Rafe," he said quietly. "The pack would do the same for anyone whose mate was threatened. The pack protects its own. Sometimes that means not all of us will make it. It's a fact of life we all have to live with. Lacey's pack now even though you haven't fully mated with her yet."

Rafe frowned deeply but he nodded his head. He knew what Jared said was true but he still didn't like being the catalyst of a war with vampires. He didn't want to be responsible for people dying.

Jared turned away from him and picked up some papers from the desk, evacuation plans for the more vulnerable members of the pack. "I need you to talk to Aaron too, Rafe," he said quietly. "I don't have time to go down and see him. Make sure he knows, in no uncertain terms, that he will be leaving with the children. Convince him it's for the best somehow."

Rafe snorted again. "He's going to be pissed, Jared," he answered rolling his eyes. "You know he's not going to agree to meekly go with the others."

"Well, it's your job to make sure he does," Jared sighed. "He's not going to be properly healed by the time the vampires get here. They'll take him out in seconds if he's not up to par. I don't care how you do it, just convince him he's needed elsewhere. I don't want to have to come down on him heavy, I need to save that for the pack meeting."

Rafe heard the steel in Jared's voice and watched him with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You think there's going to be trouble at the meeting?"

Jared put down his papers and looked back at his friend with a resigned expression on his face. "Bill Shepherd has already been to see me. A few others of his group of friends too," he answered with a frown. "The pack has had it easy for so long now, Rafe. We haven't had any real challenges for nearly a century now and we've become complacent about it. I've become complacent about it," he amended with frown on his face. "I'm expecting a challenge today, Rafe."

Rafe's face turned thunderous. "You're not serious?" he ground out. "You're a good Alpha, Jared. No one is going to challenge you." He was incensed at the very thought of it.

"The changes I've made to the pack recently haven't gone down well with quite a few of the older members," Jared said. "I don't need to tell you that, Rafe. You've had to deal with some of the fallout from it being my second. You've been away working at the club for a few months now. In that time it would appear that Bill and the others seem to think this pack is now being run as a committee, with them having a say in everything. They're subtle about it but they try and question just about every decision I make these days. They think I'm a weak Alpha and I'm sure they'll have managed to talk some younger idiot into making a challenge against me."

Rafe sat down on the sofa and stared at him stunned. Things were that bad in the pack? Jared hadn't mentioned a thing about any pack issues. "What are you going to do about it?" he finally asked when he could bring himself to speak again.

Jared's face turned hard and his blue eyes blazed with a fury Rafe had never seen before. "I'm going to teach them the error of their ways," he said coldly. "Anyone who won't follow me will be banished from the pack. Anyone who wants to challenge me can do so, they will die for their efforts. Today I am going to show them this pack is mine and always will be until someone better comes along to lead it or my son is old enough and strong enough to take over."

Rafe stared at his friend blinking slowly as he took in the cold hardness around him. He'd seen Jared angry before but he had never seen him like this, cold, hard, determined and completely lethal. His lips suddenly twitched in a little smile. "Your son?" he said with a little chuckle. "Something you're not telling me, Jared?"

Jared's expression cleared and his own lips twitched with a smile. "I wish, Rafe," he sighed. "Millie is desperate for children and getting restless that we haven't managed to create any yet. I keep trying to tell her not to worry about it, that her physiology has changed with her becoming a wolf and it sometimes takes a little while for it to settle down again. But she's impatient is my woman." His handsome face turned soft as he spoke of Millie and then he ran another weary hand over his face again and sighed deeply.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Rafe asked him, concerned. 

"Millie dragged me to bed about four am so I got an hour or so," His Alpha answered. "There is just so much to do and so little time to do it all in. That's why I need you to talk with Caleb and Aaron. It will free me up for the rest of it."

Rafe nodded and stood up. "I'll head over and talk to Aaron first," he sighed. "Give Caleb another ten minutes of sleep before I wake him up. He might be less grumpy if I do." He smiled and rolled his eyes at the thought of waking the vampire before he turned and headed to the door.

"Rafe, wait a moment," Jared said standing up, his face set in a determined expression as his friend turned back to him with a quizzical look on his face. Jared took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If I am challenged today and fail to keep my position, I want you to immediately challenge the winner."

Rafe froze completely, a stunned expression crossing his face before his brows drew down in a dark, angry line. "No fucking way," he ground out shocked. "You wouldn't fail a challenge in the first place, Jared, and even if you did, I sure as hell don't want to lead a pack. You know that."

"But you do want to keep Lacey safe," Jared pushed ruthlessly, knowing he was using dirty tactics on the big man. "Rafe, if I fail then Lacey's life is in danger and you know it. My successor will most likely banish her from the pack leaving her and any of her friends here at the mercy of Graves. You're a Hanlon now, Rafe, by your choice remember. If I fail in a challenge then it's up to you to take up the mantle of Alpha. Not just to protect Lacey but to protect Millie too and to keep as much of this pack together as possible."

Rafe cursed loudly, his face turning thunderous as he shook his head in disbelief. "You bastard," he hissed furiously. "You know damned well just which buttons of mine to push to make me do what I don't want to, don't you? You always fucking have, Jared, right from the very first moment we met. You used Annie's safety as a way to keep me in the pack for weeks and now you're using my mate and my other sister as a fucking hammer over my head. Is there nothing you won't do, Jared?"

"To keep this pack together? No," Jared said unrepentantly. "We can't walk away from this fight with Graves because he is attacking who we are as a people. Some of us are going to die but the ones who survive need a strong Alpha to help them recover. Bill and his friends are ready to roll over and be submissive to the vampires. They are ready to tear this pack apart because they've become too old, too cowardly. I will not let that happen, Rafe. If I'm not strong enough to lead this pack then I want the best person for the job doing it and that just happens to be you, whether you like it or not."

The look Rafe gave him with nothing short of murderous. The rage roiling off him was almost palpable as he stared at Jared with something akin to hatred in his eyes. Jared had expected this reaction from the big man. He didn't like being manipulated at all which just so happened to be the sign of a true Alpha, which Rafe just didn't want to be. But sometimes you just didn't get to choose what you wanted to be. Sometimes the choice was made for you.

They stood glaring at each other, Jared waiting tensely to see if Rafe would snap and lose control of his wolf; Rafe fighting desperately not to lose control of his wolf and attack the man who was a brother to him.

"You boys just about finished?" a light, feminine voice said from the doorway and both their heads whipped around to stare at Millie in surprise. Neither of them had heard her enter the room. 

Rafe was the first to relax, giving his sister a lopsided, rueful smile. "Yeah, we're finished, Mills," he sighed in resignation. He turned back to Jared and gave him an abrupt nod of the head.

Jared relaxed too and gave Rafe an apologetic smile. He could afford to be generous now he had gotten what he wanted. He hated to bully the big man but sometimes it was the only way to get through to him.

"I'd better go," Rafe said. "Lots to get done before the meeting." He gave Millie a quick peck on the cheek and ruffled her curls before he headed out of the study without another word.

Millie eyed Jared with a raised eyebrow. "Care to tell me what that was about?" she asked archly, stifling down a sigh when she saw the shutters come over his eyes as he went into full Alpha mode. She had come to know that look so well over the last year. He would not tell her what it was she had interrupted between himself and Rafe.

He gave her a regretful smile as he reached to pull her into his arms. "Just working out some contingency plans, baby," he sighed into her hair. "Nothing to concern you." He tilted her chin up and stroked her cheek gently, once more overawed that he was so lucky to have her in his life. "I love you so much, Millie," he whispered softly before he caught her lips with his and gave her a kiss full of love and just a tiny hint of desperation too.

___

Rafe put Jared's request out of his mind as he headed over to see Aaron, his rage still bubbling just beneath the surface though he worked hard to dampen it down. There was no point dwelling on it. He was sure it wouldn't come about anyway, not if he could do anything to prevent it. He could understand his Alpha's need to make a contingency plan just in case the unthinkable did happen. He just wished he had asked someone else to step up to the plate in the event it did.

His attention was diverted as a car pulled up outside the medical centre and a tall, leggy blonde stepped out and closed the door. His lips automatically curled into a smile as he took in the annoyed expression on her beautiful face. Light blue eyes flashed irritably at him as the woman's long blonde curls swayed in the slight morning breeze.

"So, you're determined to get my brother killed, Rafe?" Cedar Alexander snapped waspishly, her displeasure more than evident in her harsh tone.

"Cedar," he smiled unperturbed. Aaron's sister was extremely close to him and quick to anger when she felt he was threatened in any way. She was also quick to cool down and a lot fonder of Rafe than her current expression suggested. 

They had enjoyed a short dalliance a while back, to both of their mutual pleasure, and still retained a level of closeness even though both had moved on since then. "You know Aaron better than I do," he continued still smiling. "He's still trying to get his head around the fact he isn't truly immortal."

"That doesn't take away the fact that he'd do just about anything you ask him to," she retorted angrily, crossing her arms over her chest. "He bloody idolises you, Rafe, and you know it. What the fuck was so important he had to almost get himself killed for?"

Rafe frowned then and looked at the door to the medical building with a slightly guilty expression on his face. "He was escorting my mate home safely," he answered slowly.

Cedar's eyebrow shot up in surprise and her lips pursed for a moment and then her annoyed expression changed and she smiled and rolled her eyes. "So, you finally found a woman stupid enough to put up with you," she said with a little laugh. "Miracles never cease, Rafe."

Her lighter tone made him look back at her and he smiled too. "You've got that right, Cedar," he chuckled. "I'm not the only one to have found my mate so unexpectedly." Her shocked face made him laugh harder.

"You're shitting me?" she gasped her eyes going wide, her arms dropping back down to her sides. "Aaron found his mate too?"

"Yep," he smiled. "Even lying on his death bed isn't enough to stop your brother. Caught once whiff of Jen's scent and he was a goner, so to speak." 

Cedar's delight was clear across her face. Finally her baby brother was ready to settle down and not before time too. She pushed away from the car and gave Rafe a quick hug before stepping back quickly. "Your mate's not about to appear from somewhere and kick my ass is she?" she teased lightly.

"Not unless she's sleepwalking," he chuckled. He wondered how Lacey would have reacted to seeing the hug between friends. Was she the jealous type? He knew he wouldn't be best pleased seeing Lacey hug another man even in friendship. Would she react the same way? There was so much to learn about her and he prayed he got the opportunity to do so.

He shot another quick smile at Cedar and motioned her to proceed him into the building. "I'm actually glad you're here," he told her. "You can help me knock some sense into Aaron if he decides to give me a hard time."

Cedar's curiosity was piqued. She'd received the news about Aaron's injury and the summons to come to the compound but like the rest of the pack, she didn't really know what was going on. She had a feeling it was something bad and she couldn't help the little shiver of fear which coursed through her as she preceded Rafe into the medical building.

Luke looked up from his desk when they entered and smiled tiredly at him. "It's a bit early for visitors," he commented dryly.

"Alpha's orders, Luke," Rafe said apologetically, giving him a small smile. "Is Aaron still sleeping?"

Luke smiled and nodded to Cedar before he turned back to Rafe. "Best let Cedar go in first," he laughed. "He hasn't let go of that little girl of his all night so he might react a bit aggressively if you enter first."

Rafe's eyebrow shot up in surprise. Jen hadn't gone back to the house last night? He saw Cedar smile, her blue eyes full of curiosity about the woman who had snared her brother. Rafe motioned her towards Aaron's room.

Aaron stirred at the sound of voices outside the room. He could scent Luke and another male scent and he instinctively growled and tightened his arms around his woman as he tried to drag himself out of the deep, drug induced sleep he had been in. He vaguely recognised the second scent and his wolf responded to it in a favourable way so he worked to release the tension he was feeling, the more he came awake.

The door opened and it wasn't the male that came in first. It was definitely a female scent entering the room, one he knew very well. The last fog of sleep cleared his mind and he opened his eyes slowly and smiled as he saw Cedar approach him.

Cedar looked at her brother and smiled slowly. He didn't look half as bad as she had imagined he would. His colouring was actually quite healthy looking despite the bandages across his wide chest. A pretty dark haired woman was lying asleep at his side, cradled gently against his body, curved against him in such a way as to try and minimise any contact with his chest. The way Aaron was holding her so proprietarily, it was obvious to anyone that she was his mate.

"You look better than I thought you would," she said quietly. She didn't want to wake Aaron's mate.

"I feel better than I did yesterday," Aaron smiled, his gaze going to Jen's sleeping face as she stirred slightly and then settled again. His eyes swung to Rafe who was hovering just inside the doorway. "It's safe to come in, Rafe. I'm awake enough to control my wolf's possessiveness."

Rafe smiled and entered the room fully. "I'm surprised Jen let you talk her into staying the night," he said softly. "She's still rather suspicious of us and our intentions."

"I didn't think she'd stay either," Aaron sighed with a fond smile down at the woman in his arms. "I expected her to be gone when I woke up but it would appear the mating instinct is strong within her."

"Added to that the fact you started groaning and moving around every time I tried to leave last night," Jen mumbled sleepily. "The only way to keep you settled was to lie down beside you." Her green eyes opened slowly and she caught her breath as she looked into Aaron's eyes. Her keen gaze took in how much better he looked already and also registered the heat in his eyes too.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 05



Chapter 5: I hope that you're the one

June 24th 1968

The feeling in my heart could only be described as hatred. For so long I had wondered who she was, what she'd look like how she'd lived with herself. And now looking at her all I could think was how do you shop for cat eye glasses and silk scarves when you abandoned your child? How do you get up every morning and apply that lovely shade of lipstick when you left your crying baby for dead?

She had fallen to her knees now, her calf length skirt fanning out around her as she stared, silent tears slipping over her cheeks as she peeked up at us every so often through her fingers, mostly staring at Evelyn. 

"I-I just don't understand! How can this be? You were dead!"

Her comment snapped me out of my trance and I turned to Wilbur. 

"Willie, take these kids out of here-"

"Evie, what the hell is goin on?" he asked interrupting me. I felt a nudge on my hand and looked down to find Evelyn staring back and forth between the woman on the floor and me. My heart sunk to my toes at the question in her eyes. 

"Mama, who's that woman? Why is she cryin' mama?" she asked. 

"Willie!" I yelled getting near hysterics. He didn't wait for me to ask again, finally picking up on the tone he began to usher the kids back out into the summer heat. All except for one who would not let go of my hand. 

"Mama who is she?" she asked her eyes pleading, even as Wilbur caught a hold of her and started pulling her towards the door she wouldn't let go of my hand. 

"Mama!" she cried again, and it was the hardest thing I think I ever done. I done a lot of things in my life I wish I could do over but letting her little hand go was one of the biggest mistakes I think I ever made. So many times I've thought, her life may have been different had I only been truthful with her. Had I only explained things to her. Only thing is, time don't move backwards, just forwards and we don't get no do overs. I just have to live with the choices I've made. 

So once I see that Wilbur got the kids out the store I turn back to this woman. This monster, with the name 'Josie' pinned to her top and my hands are already balled up in fists. 

"Eleven years I been waiting to find out what kind of sick person you are," I began. "Eleven long years I been waiting to meet the monster who left a precious gift like that in a trash heap like she was nothing. Did you know it started to rain that day? Was so cold out there her lips had turned blue"

She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

"No, don't you do that! You don't get to do that! You threw her away like garbage! If I hadn't been there out on that road at that time she would've been carried away with the rest of the trash! She would be dead because of you so you don't get to cry!" I fumed, my fists were clenched tightly at my sides, so tightly I should have drawn blood. 

"You don't understand!" she cried, finding her voice again. "It's not at all what you think!"

"Really? I actually think things are pretty clear! But what I don't understand is how you can live with yourself knowing that you threw away a part of you-"

"He raped me!" she screamed cutting me off. The entire store went silent, you could've heard a pin drop. Rape was actually my first assumption. A young girl gets raped has to walk around with the evidence of it for nine months, she can't bring herself to raise the baby. But what I didn't expect was this grown woman crying rape. You drop the child off at a church, orphanage, something so she can at least have a fighting chance but dropping her in the trash?

"Who raped you?" I found myself asking, still ready to clean her clock. I wasn't prepared for the tale she told.

"It was my... My husband," She began. "Well... he was a shadow of the man I married. The man I fell in love with." She was staring at the floor, her mind lost to her memories. "When I met Sheldon he was working at a drive-in theatre at the concession stand trying to save up for college. The Sheldon I knew was funny, he used to make me... Laugh so damn hard my stomach would ache for days afterwards. He was good to me too. And he loved me with everything he had in his heart. We had so much passion the two of us. But that... That was before, before the war. He was picked up in the draft just days after our shotgun wedding and the man they returned to me was not my husband," she said her voice thick with emotion.

"I knew the second I laid eyes on him that he was a different man; his walk wasn't right, he didn't smile, didn't have no joy anymore! Sheldon used to have this-this infectious laugh! He was always smiling, always! But the man they returned to me was hard, unfeeling and cold and I just didn't know what to do. He had horrible nightmares where he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night." She paused in her story, fingering the hem of her skirt in a manner that reminded me so much of my baby Evelyn. "The first time he hit me it was over something stupid, like leaving a light on in the house. It quickly became a regular occurrence, until the day he came home early. He was drunk and I was trying to stay out of his way. I was preparing dinner for that evening when he hit me over the head with a whiskey bottle. I fell to the floor unconscious." She paused again trying to stop her jaw from shaking, stop the tears from falling but they did anyway. 

"When I came around... I couldn't form a clear thought. I don't remember too much after that, I do remember I couldn't understand why my head hurt so much and I couldn't understand why my insides hurt so bad... but I had a mixture of blood and semen... running down my leg and Sheldon was nowhere to be seen. I just knew, that moment I realized I had to get out. I realized I was still holding fast to the memory of the man I loved but he was gone. Long gone. The man that returned from war was a scarred and battered human being. One with military training. I knew I had to get out so I packed my bags, left my wedding ring on the kitchen counter, hopped in my car and left. It was the scariest thing I'd done. Well, at that point it was. I went and stayed with my cousin and her husband, they lived in Edenvale. As soon as she opened the door it all came out."

Her lip had begun to quiver again and I realized I wasn't angry at her anymore. My fists had become soft and I had at some point joined her on the floor just listening. 

"I stayed with her for a month before I realized I was pregnant. I went to a doctor to confirm and wailed when he validated my suspicions. I was devastated. Absolutely devastated. Because this meant I would never ever be free of him. Giving birth to his baby meant a part of him would always be with me and I hated him for it. I was going to have a baby by a man whose idea of a good time involved beating the hell outta me and whatever alcohol was on special at the liquor store. I waited until it was absolutely unavoidable to tell my cousin and it was shortly after that, I think only days after, I felt... a kick. A subtle movement within my stomach, a little hand or foot grazed me and I instantly in that moment fell in love. Life began to take a happier turn, I found I had a purpose. I was finally accepting and happy so it took me a while to-to notice. At first it started with little things, things I'd thought I'd left behind. An old book appeared on the dresser, a ticket stub from the drive-in Sheldon used to work at. I was getting increasingly upset as time went on. It wasn't until I came home one day to find my wedding ring on my pillow that I hit full blown panic. I screamed at the very top of my lungs. At the time I was about six months pregnant, so when I turned to run for my cousin it was with... greater effort. I ran... down the stairs to the kitchen and stopped dead in my tracks. There they were sitting with their backs to me, tied to a chair. I panicked once again because I knew he was in the house right then. I didn't know what to do; should I run and help them? Should I leave and get help? I didn't get a chance to make my own decision because he grabbed me up from behind. I-I started panicking kicking at him and swinging but he-he started choking me and my arms got so weak, I-I-I couldn't fight him."

She'd started to cry again and I was just shocked that this could have happened to one person. She began to speak again and I reached out and held her hand. She jump at the contact but then looked me dead in the eyes and continued her story. 

"When I woke up, I was in his truck. I looked out at the scenery passing us and I had no idea where we were. I started to panic once again, screaming and trying to unlock to door when he pulled out a pistol. He-he pointed it at my head and said the only reason I'm still alive was because I was carrying his son. He said he'd need strong sons and that I was going to give him his own army. He was talking all kinds of crazy things, said he was going to keep me pregnant since I was his property; the man was absolutely insane and I was at his mercy. We drove for hours and although I tried to keep an eye out for monuments and things like that, I realized after a while he was doing this on purpose, driving in circles. By the time we pulled into a driveway it was dark outside. He grabbed me out the truck and dragged me into a dilapidated cabin and threw me on the floor. He demanded I cook us dinner, and so it began. He beat me daily while I was in that cabin; careful not to hurt the baby, I was subjected to cruel torture, thanks to the United States army. My anger and fear were a bubbling pot, and I knew I could never give birth to my baby here. Problem was he had guns everywhere and he told me on many occasions he'd just as quickly shoot me and find someone else. I bided my time, praying for my escape, waiting for my chance until I was just too big to risk another day there. Two months I spent there battered and scared. The only thing that kept me going was that little baby, that tiny innocent little baby... I just had to leave before the baby came."

"My chance for freedom finally came. He rarely drank anymore, ironically he said it clouded his mind but one night he indulged himself, feeling safe that I'd given up trying to escape. He was horribly wrong. I waited until he passed out and then waited some more to make sure he was deeply asleep. Once he was I crept out of bed, my heart beating so fast I could hear it in my ears. I ran for the door, the car keys were usually hung right beside it but they weren't on the hook where he usually left them. Franticly I started scouring the house until I found them in the floor by his boots. I snatched them and ran out the house as quietly as I could, sure he'd wake up as soon as the truck started. With his words ringing in my ears telling me he'd kill me, I started the truck and threw it in reverse as fast as I could. As I reached the end of the long driveway I saw him come running out gun in hand. I backed into the road and threw the car in drive speeding away. I could hear bullets hitting the car as I drove and I slammed my foot on that gas pedal driving like a madwoman. I drove for hours in the darkness until I realized I was running out of gas. I luckily found some money in the glove box and found a gas station. It wasn't until I parked the truck, waiting for the gas station to open that I realized two things; the first was that I'd been shot. The bullet luckily just grazed me but it had taken a nice chunk out of my leg. The blood was all over me. The next thing I realized is that my water had broke. I was going to have the baby."

There was a chorus of gasps and I looked up to realize we'd drawn a crowd. I drew closer to this woman who moments ago I held nothing but seething hatred and contempt and realized how quickly it had all changed. She seemed to be oblivious to the stares she was getting and continued with her story. 

"I had to wait there for hours, I had no idea what time it was or how long it would be until it reopened. I just waited and prayed. Eventually, as my labor pains started and the black sky began to give way to light a truck pulled up and a man got out. I didn't want him to see my leg although I know he saw the bullet holes as he approached my truck. I asked him where I was and he said I was just outside of Alberston. I asked him how to get to Edenville and he gave me directions. Turned out I was way south of Edenville and it would take me hours to get there. My pains were getting worse so I paid him and thanked him and was on my way. My leg was paining me something terrible and my stomach was getting worse as I drove, full into the day I drove without any other objective than to get to my cousins place in Edenville. I just knew that once I made it there everything would be okay. I drove most of the day, my contractions beginning to exhaust me and on a few occasions almost making me drift into oncoming traffic but I held off. It was midafternoon when I finally drove that truck straight across my cousin's lawn and almost directly into their living room. I opened the door of the truck and tried to get out but my leg was paining me so bad I couldn't move. My cousin, came running out of her house and thankfully her husband was home as well because I couldn't stand let alone walk to their house. They lifted me in the house and it was right there on their chesterfield that I gave birth to my daughter. To say she was the most beautiful thing I ever laid my eyes on would be an immense understatement. Her hair was inky black just like mine but her eyes, they were the most striking shade of blue, the one thing she got from her father. She was my carbon copy except for that one thing. Bleeding, abused and wounded I changed in that moment staring into her eyes. I knew that I couldn't go on living my life in the fashion I had before. She wouldn't allow it. I had to be stronger for her. I had to do more, be more for her. Finally feeling a measure of safety, I fell asleep with my daughter in my arms."

"When I next awoke it was to the sound of a gun cocking. I wearily opened my eyes to find Sheldon standing over me. He told me to get the fuck up and I just stared at him. The baby started fussing and I tried to breast feed her completely ignoring Sheldon. I had changed in mere hours, I had become a better person just by giving life to this perfect tiny person in my arms and I just couldn't be afraid of him anymore. I told him I refused to move until this baby was settled and he accepted that, sitting on the end table looking at the baby. He stated "He got my eyes." I continued to ignore him. She finally stopped feeding and drifted back off to sleep. I swaddled her tightly to me, and seeing his opportunity Sheldon grabbed me dragging me towards the door. As he did I looked off into the distance and saw my cousin and her husband in a heap on the floor and for the first time I began to cry. This was all my fault, I brought them into this. I thought they were dead, they weren't moving. I tried to stop him from pulling us out the door but put my weight on my injured leg and it crumpled beneath me. He grabbed my head then and slammed it against the door frame and I saw white everywhere. He just picked me up and threw me in the truck. I somehow held onto the baby and as he drove I wove in and out of consciousness. I heard snatches of his ramblings, saying he was going to name the baby after him and our next son will be named for his father. That his legacy would live though his son and they would conquer the world or something crazy like that. I was so confused. I just didn't understand why he kept calling the baby a boy. He hadn't even looked or bothered to ask he just decided it was a boy. I..I've battled with this next part... Most my life... He... I told him it was a girl. I told him to look for himself. Maybe I was still out of it because if I had been thinking clearly, my daughter...."

She stopped talking, trying to get a hold on her emotions. 

"He slammed on the breaks and I nearly flew through the windshield. He snatched the baby from me and unwrapped her from the blanket I had her swaddled in. As soon as he saw the clear evidence of her sex he lost his mind. I kept reaching for her trying to get her back but he batted my hands away and got out of the truck. It was the middle of the night, pitch black and not a soul on the road. He left the truck parked in the middle of the street and walked over to the Woolworths. I followed him, limping and pleading for him to give me back the baby. It was freezing cold outside and I had no idea what he was planning to do. He walked to the back of the Woolworths, where the trash bins were and I started to panic. I started really begging him to give me the baby, pulling on his clothes and he turned on me so fast I didn't see his fist coming until he hit me, dead in my face. I crumpled to the ground and I remember seeing his feet as he walked off behind the bins. I laid there on the cold pavement and I could smell the rain coming. I slowly rolled myself to a sitting position but my head was spinning and I could feel my face swelling up on the right side where he hit me. He came back and I could hear the baby crying distantly. But-but when I looked up h-his arms were e-empty! He l-l-left her in the trash!"

She was crying tears streaming mascara running but her eyes; they held a fierce determination. She was telling her story, and she wasn't gonna stop until it was finished. 

"I don't know how I got the strength but I launched myself up and ran with everything I had in me. I made it to the first bin when he grabbed me. Said I wasn't gonna save no trash and his army didn't have room for women. I fought him hard. I punched I scratched I bit and I screamed but I was exhausted. I gave birth hours ago, I'd been shot and beaten, and my body just couldn't fight him. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, digging his thumb into the hole in the back of my leg and I felt pain so intense I passed out. I remember snatches after that; his face, the steering wheel the greyish blue sky. The last time I opened my eyes I hurt everywhere and I almost closed my eyes again and gave up but I looked up at the sky and realized that it was grey. The sun had come up. In an instant everything came back to me and I realized my baby was still in a trash bin behind Woolworths. I sat up, my heart right in my throat and I looked over at him. My hatred, in that moment knew no end. I knew without a doubt that my child may very well be dead because of him and I lost my mind. The only thing that kept me going in the last few months was her. If she was dead what did I have to go on for? I tried to gouge his eyes, I bit I scratched and when that didn't work I grabbed the wheel of the car. We were on a pretty busy street from the looks of it and I made sure we went into oncoming traffic. We crashed and for the 100th time my world went black."

"Turned out we crashed into a cop car. The very same police car that was responding to a home invasion. My cousin's home invasion. The officer pulled me out the car, Sheldon was pretty mangled and they called for an ambulance, I didn't care, I moved to get up and try to walk. In my mind I was gonna run to the Woolworths but I could barely move. The officer was saying something over the radio and I heard the radio respond with my cousin's address. I told the officer that it was Sheldon. That Sheldon had killed my cousin and her husband. I told him what he did to our daughter and he turned white as a sheet. Another car pulled up and he put me in the car. We immediately drove to the Woolworths and I never stopped praying. I prayed and prayed that she was okay but when we got there. It-it-it was all gone! All of the trash had been hauled away, there was nothing but empty bins left! She was gone!"

She slumped into sobs at that moment and I held her tightly. Crying myself I had no idea. I had never thought it could have been like this. I could have never imagined that type of story. I kept thinking to myself, how the hell am I gonna tell Evelyn? How can I explain this all to my baby girl? I could hear snifflin around me and I looked up to see people, all ages standing around us, some crying some staring at us with understanding and something else. I wiped her tears, the black lines running down her face and saw my baby girl in her eyes. How was I gonna tell her? I couldn't even tell her how I found her, how was I gonna tell her, her father was a madman? How could I tell her that her father had abandoned her? 




When Worlds Collide Ch. 05



"Mama?"

My head snapped up at the sound of her voice, I turned back towards the door and there she was. Her fingers were nervously twirling that pretty pink ribbon I'd braided into her hair and she'd shed so many tears they'd met at her chin dripping in fat drops. Her eyes though, told me she'd heard every single word. Every one.

December 20th 2004

"Reign we can't miss this flight, hurry it up!"

Caiden leaned against the doorframe, his single carryon bag in hand. It took him just over thirty minutes to pack, and that was only because he couldn't find his book. Just before he started packing his mother called to wish him a safe flight. She also told him that if he didn't bring the book with him he might as well stay in Iowa. The book was now secure in his carry-on bag. All of that took just over thirty minutes and he'd been waiting for Reign for over an hour. He just didn't understand what she could possibly be packing into that huge suitcase. Dropping his bag he once again ventured down the hall to find her trying to close her overstuffed suitcase. 

"What could you possibly have in there? We'll be gone for a week, just seven days! What, you think you'll be wearing three outfits a day?"

"No! I-I just need to have options! What if I show up there and I'm wearing something I think is appropriate but then your mama thinks I'm a-a Hooker! They'll, well then they'll tell you I'm no good for you-"

"Hold it," he said stopping her mid rant. He grabbed a hold of her arms and stood her to face him. "You're gettin' all worked up and hysterical. Ain't nobody gonna think you a hooker, that's ridiculous."

She sighed anxiously and he rubbed her arms in an attempt to relax her. 

"Besides mama loved the clothes you picked out for her, and the rest you helped pick out. 

"Now we ain't got much time, our flight leaves in three hours and we still gotta get to the airport. Let's see if we can't weed some things out this suitcase, shall we?"

She nodded her consent and they got to packing.

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

When the twosome reached their gate it was a different story. Reign was fidgeting and jumpy. Caiden was frustrated. Something was going on with her, she was different but she would never open her mouth and talk about it. She was the 'suffer in silence' type and it drove him nuts. By the time they took their seats on the plane, she was panting and her hands gripped the arm rests for dear life. Caiden tried to console her but she ripped her hand away and settled for wringing her hands in her lap. It was going to be a long four hours. 

By the time the couple arrived in Houston, at 3pm on the nose Reign could not get off the plane fast enough. The second the fasten seatbelt sign went off she was already up, walking to the front of the plane. Caiden took his time gathering their bags including her deserted purse long forgotten and slowly made his way off the plane. 

As he walked up the pedway to the main gate he felt himself getting upset. Here was just another example of the 101 things Reign was afraid of. She refused to let him in. Refused to share her fears with him just let them happen and shut down when they did. The elevator was the one exception, except she didn't let him know what was going on until afterwards. She was like a set of Russian dolls; just when you think you're at the end you find there's another inside. He just couldn't figure out, why he loved her so much, if he didn't know who she was, really. 

When he reached the gate he could see her leaning against a pillar breathing heavily, her bangs plastered to her forehead with sweat. As soon as she saw him approach she ran to him and flung herself into his arms. He dropped their bags and caught her as she damn near tackled him, hugging him tightly. 

"Thank you Caiden, thank you so much!" she said as he set her back on her feet. He sighed and began to speak. 

"Reign I love you honey but you can't keep doing this; I'm in the dark most of the time during our relationship. I have no idea what's going on inside your head; if you're in the middle of a crisis, if you're suddenly conquering one of your fears, I have no clue."

She turned away from him, ashamed of her behavior but he wouldn't let her. 

"No, sweetheart. Please don't do that. I want you to share it with me, please. I want to know if you're hurt, when you're hurt. Not afterwards when I can't do anything about it. I want to know about you, to know what made you who you are today. It's why we're even here honey, so we can figure us out together. Not just for you to meet my family but for you to know me. All of me. I..." he trailed off and she listened intently, waiting for him to finish. "Listen I know what it's like to be a prisoner of your own thoughts... Memories... It's something that I have to face... Something I'm going to face, but I can only do that Reign, if you're there with me. If you're by my side through it."

She stared at him like she didn't fully understand and he understood why. He hadn't really said much but it was all going to come out this trip. All his secrets would be laid bare for her to judge, if she still wanted him after everything was made clear then he would be the happiest man on earth. If not, he would be devastated; but he would fully understand.

"Caiden... I'm sorry I keep putting you in these situations I really am. It's hard for me to open up, to anyone but please believe me, I'm trying." Tears began to well up in her eyes threatening to overflow. "You mean more to me than I could ever say with words, I love you and I mean it. If you need me, if you're going through something... Just, I'm here. I'll always be here."

He held her again and kissed her like his last breath depended on it. 

By the time they reached the baggage claim hers was the only suitcase spinning on the turnstile. Caiden walked up intent on retrieving the bright pink suitcase, bent down to grab it but was stopped in his tracks when another hand reached in and picked it up before he could. 

"How'd I know y'all be the last folks off the plane?"

Caiden looked up and felt joy surge through his heart. 

"Pops!" he gasped excitedly. It had only been four months since he'd last laid eyes on his father and it was four months too long. He bear hugged him, his 6'2 frame dwarfing the smaller man but his father hugged him back just as tightly, clapping him soundly on the back. Clearing his throat he released him and looked him over. He wasn't a small man, only about 5'8 at the most but he was built from hard labor, working as a mechanic he'd spent most of his days either bent over or underneath a motor vehicle. His hands had a permanent layer of motor oil on them it seemed but at least he wasn't wearing his coveralls, stained beyond recognition with the nametag "Rick" displayed across them. Who rick was, no one knew but they fit so his father wore them. He was also Calvin's carbon copy, they had the same quarter to midnight skin color, same luminous smile and the same kind eyes. 

"Pop, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Reign," he said reaching out for her. She flashed him a look of confusion, then it was quickly replaced with a warm smile. Caiden wondered at the look but continued, "Now that's Reign as in the queen reigns over Europe or something to that effect." 

His father released the suitcase and hugged her, chuckling. He nearly lifted her off the ground too. "So this is the pretty little thang my son been goin on about? All we hear is Reign this, Reign that! I'm just glad he's finally bringin someone home to meet the family. Calvin's always bringing somebody home. Hell, Eddy and Bobby been with the same girls since kindergarten. We been just waitin on this here one to settle down and here you are. Even prettier than he said."

Caiden watched as his father smiled warmly at his woman and felt something tug at his heart. The rightness of that moment threatened to overwhelm him and he cleared his throat again, finding it thick with emotion. 

"Well!" his father said, finally releasing her and grabbing the suitcase once again. "Figure it's about time we got outta here, storms comin in tonight, you know how your mama gets."

When they stepped outside, Caiden looked up at the skies. They were overcast but otherwise looked pretty regular to him. He knew though, if one of his parents said there'd be a storm, a storm was coming. 

"You going back to your place?"

"Yep," Caiden said approaching the back seat of his father's pickup. He dropped his bags in the far end then held the door open for Reign. He made a show of closing her door and bowing as he did it which made her chuckle. He climbed in the passenger seat himself, eager to get home. His dad started the truck and made to pull out into traffic but stopped himself and put the car in park again. Caiden glanced at him but he was already turning around to Reign. 

"Oh, Reign I can't believe I almost forgot," he said offering her a genuine and warm smile. 

"Welcome to Texas."

***********

It took them only twenty minutes to reach Caiden's house, and when they did Caiden had barely gotten their bags out of the truck before his dad was backing out of the driveway. 

"Sorry son, hate to rush off but I got me a long drive ahead and you know how your mama gets."

Caiden just smiled and nodded, he did indeed know how his mama gets. 

"Your uh... we makin' your favorite; that baked chicken you like. Better get to the house early before it's all gone."

His tone may have been abrupt but Caiden knew his dad; knew what he was saying without saying it. 

"I missed you too Pop," he said with a grin. That kind smile greeted Caiden again. With a nod, his father sped off seemingly leaving ominous dark clouds in his wake. Caiden fished his keys out his pocket and handed them to Reign. Grabbing their bags he made his way up the driveway to the bungalow he called home. 

"So this is your place?"

"Yep," he replied rushing to the door.

"You own your own home? Already?" she asked not far behind him. 

"Naw, it's actually my parents place but I kinda managed it for them. They own a bunch of properties actually all over town," he stated. He'd felt a strong plop hit him directly on the head and wanted to get inside before the rain started. As he held open the screen door he paused, wondering in what state the house was left. He'd rented it out to a couple of students going to state; all guys. The place was probably a mess. As soon as he'd unlocked and opened the door a horrible smell assaulted both their nostrils. 

"Oh my good God Caiden what is that smell?" 

As they entered the hallway he realized the smell only got worse. All three "tenants" had left for winter break so it was just the two of them but their smell lingered on. Quickly he rushed down the hall to open all the windows.

"Do not take off your shoes until I clean this place up!" he called over his shoulder. Once he had a good breeze blowing through he found her, face plastered to the screen door sucking fresh air for all she was worth. 

"I'm so sorry about this, don't worry I'll clean it all, you won't have to touch anything! It was three guys living here, I should've know-"

"Don't be silly," she said interrupting him. "We'll split the work, it'll get done faster that way. Besides, I'm not stepping foot naked in that bathroom until I'm satisfied that it's completely disinfected. I'll do the bathroom, living room? Is that it there?" she asked pointing to her right where there was nothing but a weight bench, a stereo and a bookshelf full of cd's. 

"Uh, yea that would be the living room. And I'll do the kitchen, just because I'm pretty sure that's where the majority of the smell is comin from."

"Alright!" she said with a clap and a half smile. "Let's get to work!"

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

Two and a half hours later, after hauling about six months' worth of garbage out to the curb in the now pouring rain, scrubbing the kitchen from ceiling to floor, and a store run for more bleach and cleaning supplies, his apartment was actually completely clean. He took a peek down the hall and didn't see Reign. Creeping down the carpeted hall he looked in the bathroom. It was spotless. 

"Reign?" he called into the hall, still looking around for her. "Oh my God, this bathroom hasn't been this clean since we moved in!" he ran his finger over the smooth ceramic countertop. Everything was in its place and best of all it didn't smell like a gym locker room like he remembered.

"Reign?" he called out again about to make his way down the hall when the dryer went off nearly scaring him half to death. 

"Jesus Christ!" he mumbled to himself, wrenching open the closet doors to grab the fresh linens from the dryer. He knew she wouldn't sleep on them if they weren't downy fresh and drowned in gain. Even though they were they only sheets he found in the linen closet, he honestly didn't trust that they were clean. He made his way back to his bedroom, dropping his sheets down on the king size bed. He glanced out the window and saw the rain coming down in buckets, which was quickly making a puddle on the floor where the window was still open. He wrenched it closed muffling the sound of the whistling wind and rain. 

"Hello?"

He could hear rustling coming from the living room and decided to make up the bed. 

"Oh my goodness Caiden, are you serious right now?" she called laughing. 

"What?" he yelled back to her. She appeared at the end of the hall, dressed in a pair of his sweatpants and a tight SpongeBob t-shirt. He watched as she doubled over in laughter. 

"You... you....you have a Hanson CD?"

Caiden felt his face flush. 

"What?!?!" he yelled, tearing down the hall towards her. Seeing him coming she squealed and ran into the living room. He caught her easily, there was nowhere for her to hide. Swinging her in his arms he grabbed at the CD but she dodged him keeping it out of his reach until he pinned her arm down and quickly snatched it from her chuckling to himself. Sure enough, it was a Hanson CD. How it got in his house he had no clue. He paused a moment, taking in the clean feminine scent of her as she was pressed into him. 

"I honestly have no idea where this came from, where did you even find this?" he said reluctantly placing her back on her feet but holding her flush against him; her head against his chest, his hand splayed across her stomach. 

"On the shelf!" she exclaimed laughing. "Right between, and I kid you not; your Stankonia CD by Outkast and your Tim McGraw album, Live like you were dying! For real!"

He smirked down at her from behind as she swung her bangs out of her honey brown eyes. "Now I know you're not making fun of my taste in music are you? Tim McGraw is an amazing country artist!"

She broke out laughing again and he turned her in his arms smiling. "Would you rather I had Sisqo's greatest hits up there?" she laughed harder and his heart swelled. "That thong!" he sang horribly off key, she laughed even harder hopping in his arms. 

"Please stop!" she cried, "I'm gonna pee myself!"

"Whoa!" he said backing away from her. "I mean, I know I'm funny but c'mon!"

She wacked him in the arm as she wiped tears from her eyes. 

"You better quit! And don't think we're letting this Hanson thing go okay? You ain't gon' fool me, I know it's yours!"

Caiden just smiled. "I don't know who's that is," he said glancing at the case one more time and finally tossing it over his shoulder. "But let me play you something that actually is mine."

Caiden glanced through the selection and saw a few added gems that he honestly couldn't account for. Finally he landed on the album he was looking for, flipped it open and popped the pink disc into the stereo. 

"What-"

"Shhh!" he said silencing her with his finger. "Just listen..."

The song 'Love hater' began to play and he gathered her in his arms and began to waltz. 

"I absolutely loooooove this whole album! I think it's my all-time favourite." 

He could feel her smiling into his chest as they swayed together against the beat of the song. It was just right.

"You do know we aren't even dancing to the beat of the song right?" she asked gazing up at him. "I just want to make sure you were aware of that fact-"

"Shhh! Woman, wait!" he called as she pulled herself free from his grasp and went to the stereo, crouching down to change the song. 

"Now, you gon hear something that's mine now."

She smiled, straightened stopped and hit the repeat button. She then turned back to him, taking his hands in hers, she kissed them both as the song started to play. 

"This is my song. This, Caiden is how I feel about you put into music, the first few lines... 'I hope that you're the one. If not, you are the prototype.' That's how I knew. It know it's silly, a song makes you really know? But sometimes music can offer you that clarity of mind that you didn't know... you didn't know you didn't have. One day, very shortly after I met you, while we were just hanging out as friends, I was on my way to class, this album blaring through my headphones and when this song came on... something pounded me in my chest. I had to stop walking, catch my breath... 'I hope that you're the one' he said. I know you're the one Caiden. I know it and if we're not meant to stay together then you will be the prototype, against which all others will most assuredly come up short."

Caiden felt his throat close up with emotion, felt as though his eyes were burning. Reign grabbed a hold of his white t-shirt and yanked him down to her in haste. Slipping her hand to the back of his neck she pulled him into her kiss. She was never the aggressor, it was always Caiden who'd initiate any intimacy between them. Not that they'd done anything besides some dry humping, copping a feel here and there. She was always reluctant to really touch him. But now, her hands were all over him, under his white t-shirt exploring his chest and back. He felt himself almost snap when her hand travelled over the top of his jeans and undo the button. Quickly he took control of the kiss demanding entry past her soft lips to the sweetness of her mouth. He lifted her easily in his arms and her legs immediately went around his waist. Turning he pinned her to the wall. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest and he felt almost dizzy with need. Months of deprivation had him seriously testing the limits of his self-control and in that moment he knew he was teetering on the edge but could not bring himself to stop; to separate his lips from hers. She wasn't helping, grinding her hips against his, her nails digging into his back as she kissed him desperately. Everything in him was screaming to rip her clothes off and take her right there against the wall. He hooked his arm under her knee and lifted, testing her flexibility. Her body was pliant as he took hold of the opposite knee and spread her thighs wide. She slid down the wall a little, just enough to bring her soft mound in direct contact with the rock hard bulge in the front of his pants. His hips moved as if on their own, grinding against hers. He wanted so badly to rip off those baggy sweats, free himself and bury every single inch inside of her. His hand had already left the pit of her knee and was on his fly when he stopped himself. 

"Reign," he said panting against her lips. 

He placed his palms on the wall trying to calm himself. The only thing holding her up was his hips which seemed attached to hers. 

"Reign please," he said into her neck. He had to know, he had to ask her. "Did you mean it?" he asked his eyes searched her heavy lidded honey colored ones looking for the absolute truth. He swept her bangs out of the way so he could see her completely. She must have sensed his urgency because she sobered a bit and started right back at him, looking directly into his eyes. 




When Worlds Collide Ch. 05



"I meant every single word Caiden. I love you with every part of me."

Caiden's control did snap in that moment. Hands shaking with anticipation he scooped her up against him, crushing her breasts to his solid chest. Reign's arm slipped around his neck as her legs followed suit around his waist. She placed kisses over his cheeks, down his stubble covered jawline to his neck. Turning out into the hall he began to walk towards the bedroom, his mind racing a mile a minute. There were so many things he wanted to do to her, so many ways he wanted to love her. He kept seeing her in so many different positions; face down on his bed, her hands tied to the headboard as she arched her ass up for him. Riding him slowly her thighs splayed wide giving him an unobstructed view of their carnal union. Bent over every surface in the apartment, on the counter, against the walls. Even those thoughts seemed tame compared to some of his more colorful thoughts. All of which seemed to be a bit much for her first time. He wanted it to be special for the both of them. Carefully, he placed her on the edge of his bed, thankful that he took the time to make it up. 

"Stay put, I'll be right back okay?" she nodded her compliance and he made his way down the hall to the kitchen. Pulling open cupboards he searched for the bottle of Jack Daniels he'd left, hoping against hope that the booze hounds he'd left his apartment to hadn't drank it all. A few minutes later he was about to give up when something told him to check the freezer. Sure enough, there it was behind an ancient bag of frozen peas. He grabbed two shot glasses and rushed back to his room. What he found there was enough to bring him to his knees. There she sat, perched on the edge of his bed. She was naked save for the completely sheer baby pink tank and the tiniest pair of matching sheer panties. She was leaned back on the bed initially, her thighs slightly parted giving him a beautiful view of her smooth slit. He was floored and almost dropped the shot glasses. She must have misinterpreted his silence because her demeanor quickly changed to a self-conscious one and her thighs slipped closed as her arm came up defensively over her chest as if to hide her nipples clearly visible through the top. 

"You don't like it... I shouldn't have chang-"

Caiden was on his knees at her feet in an instant, his hands edging her thighs apart as he caught the unmistakable scent of her arousal. 

"Please baby, don't ever hide from me," he said placing soft kisses on her kneecap trailing to her inner thigh. He could clearly see the wet spot quickly forming at the apex of her thighs although the rigidity of her body told a different story. He lifted his head to look into her eyes and saw the apprehension there. Slowly he reached for her arm slung protectively across her breasts, all the while never breaking eye contact with her.

"Please don't hide yourself from me sugar," he said as he slowly placed her arms at her sides. Grabbing the shot glasses he poured two shots; one for each of them and handed the glass to her. She accepted it and he watched as she took the hard liquor down like a champ, her tongue peeking out to capture an amber drop that dangled on her bottom lip. It was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen. Caiden had enough; abruptly he stood in front of her nudging her milk chocolate thighs apart. Grabbing the hem of his tee he pulled it over his head, catching her roving eyes as they perused his body. 'Go right ahead and look,' he thought. It wasn't like he wasn't looking himself. Eagerly, he yanked down his zipper and was about to rip off his jeans when her hands went up to stop him. 

"Please Caiden, slow down."

Her thick bottom lip was caught between her teeth, her cheeks were flushed and her long bangs were falling into her eyes as she cast her pleading gaze up at him, her hair falling in loose waives about her shoulders. In that moment he would have done anything she asked and so he slowly eased his jeans down his thighs, letting her look her fill as his black boxer briefs came into view. Once they'd pooled at his feet he kicked out of them and stood in front of her. He wanted to take control, take over, take her but this was her show. He wanted to push her out of her comfort zone, make her ask for whatever it was that she wanted from him and to take what he gave her as well. Hesitantly her hands went out to touch him and she snatched them away just as lightning crashed around them and thunder quickly followed booming over the faint sounds of Andre 3000. He waited for her to make her move not making anything easier on her in the least. He watched her eyes rove his body finally settling on his groin and this time she tenderly cupped him in her hand, no doubt scorching her palm through the thin fabric. He twitched at her unexpected touch and her eyes flew back up to his.

"Did you do that?" she asked, gently kneading his erection through his underwear. He let out a slow hiss at the sweet tension it was causing him.

"No sweetheart that was all you."

She began to explore his length, a look of confusion muddling her features for a moment as she tried to wrap her hand around him. It was sweet torture and as much as he wanted to just stand there and allow her to explore him he needed release. 

"Honey..." he gasped his voice faltering as his hand closed over hers to still her. "If you keep doin' that I'm gonna come all over your hand. Now you don't want that do you?"

The look on her face said she wanted that and more. His knees nearly buckled; his baby had a little freak in her. Cupping her hand to his groin he attempted to lay out on the bed when a particularly strong wind came coupled with lightning and thunder quakes that echoed loudly though the room. Instantly the power went out. 

"Shit!" he swore hopping up just as quickly as he sat. The room was now cloaked in darkness, only the faintest light was coming from the windows as the sounds of the storm became more and more violent. 

"I'll see if I can trip the breakers, I'll be right back okay?"

"Okay, but that's not gonna work Caiden," she said her hands becoming more brazen in the dark. "You didn't blow a fuse, the power is out probably from a downed power line or something. You'd be better off finding candles baby." Slowly he eased away from her curious hands to the kitchen where he silently cursed when he tried the breakers and she was right; nothing happened. He checked a few places but remembered seeing candles in a drawer and fished them out completely by feel, ever eager to return to Reign's waiting body. He grabbed the candles, a box of matches, took a deep breath to gather his wits and returned to the bedroom, lighting a candle just as he reached her. 

"Well tonight seems to be taking unexpected turns left, right and center!" he said grinning by candlelight. Reign said nothing, just smirked at him as he lit a few more candles and set them on the table beside his bed. 

"Caiden," she called so softly he almost didn't catch it. Glancing up from the candles he realized she was cupping her firm heavy breasts through her flimsy tank top, the candlelight giving her an almost angelic glow. His stomach clenched at the sight as she rose to her knees tentatively touching herself for his benefit. 

"Baby I can't wait anymore," she gasped as she plucked her stiff dark chocolate nipples through the sheer material. "I need to feel your hands on me Caiden, don't you want to feel how wet I am for you?" she whispered. The candles and all other rational thought were gone. He'd do whatever she needed, and if she needed him to touch her, then touch her he would. Immediately he pinned her to the bed pulling the scrap of top her body as he explored the expanse of wondrously soft skin she was baring to him. She welcomed him with open arms, her breasts were finally pressed completely against his chest, her stiff nipples scraping against his own. 

"Dear sweet God Reign. You are absolutely beautiful," he breathed as he finally stole her mouth with his kiss. She was so responsive panting for air as her hands unabashedly learned every curve and ripple on his body leaving him aching for her. Her legs were once again wrapped around his waist and he ground against her pliant body silently begging for his own release. He was astonished that he hadn't blown it sooner. This was the longest he'd gone without sex since he'd lost his virginity but this girl.... She was so worth it. He eased off for a moment breaking their kiss just long enough to look down into her eyes and saw pure love and adoration in them. He wondered if his own eyes were so expressive because he felt the same way and more. 

"Please Caiden," she half whispered and half whimpered. "Make love to me."

Caiden smiled his biggest smile at the near desperation in her voice and decided to just do things his way.

"Okay," he said simply placing a soft kiss on her plump lips. He sat back on his haunches, straddling her at the knees. He watched as her hand slowly snaked across her taut abdomen beneath the waistband of her sheer panties. He watched transfixed as she teased her clit, tiny whimpers escaping her lips. 

"Ooooooh!" she softly moaned, her eyes never left his as she slowly pleasured herself. She drew her legs up to drape them over his thighs, her hand picking up speed as she began to pleasure herself in earnest. "Hurry up Caiden! Please!" she whispered breathless from her own ministrations. Caiden decided enough was enough and quickly shucked his underwear allowing his full turgid member to break free from its confines tapping heavily against her active hand. The second her eyes locked onto his length, they bugged out her head and she snatched her hand from her panties as if burned. 

"Oh my God Caiden you can't be serious with that thing!" she cried her eyes saucers. Caiden was never a small man in any sense of the word and the usual reaction was somewhere between lust and elation, but all out fear? This was a definite first for him. Her thighs were clamped closed and she was shaking her head no, as if trying to convince herself of what she was seeing. He had to put a stop to this. 

"Reign look at me," he said drawing her attention back to his face. She was glancing around the room looking panicky, he had to nip this in the bud. 

"Look at me," he called softy drawing her chin up to look into his eyes. "Do you trust me?"

It was a simple question. There was no doubt this was going to hurt; it was her first time and he was, to put it lightly, a rather large man. He did not, however, want to let her retreat from him. To let her get scared and run from him, he wouldn't have it. He stared into her eyes waiting as patiently as he could for her answer. 

"I... I'm scared Caiden, I mean I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect this! And now I'm just, I'm scared!"

"Do you love me Reign?" he asked simply. 

"Yes baby, you know I do!" she replied her brow furrowed. 

"I'm gonna ask you one more time, do you trust me?"

She hesitated a moment then cleared her throat nodding. 

"Yes."

"Don't run from me Reign, please. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were afraid of me, please don't ever fear me you know... I would never in my life do a thing to hurt you right? You know that don't you?"

Quickly she launched herself in his arms and he felt a pang of guilt. They really shouldn't be doing this. Not without her knowing the truth about him.

"Baby of course!" she said wiping his cheeks. Was he crying? When did he start crying? "I know you would never ever hurt me, I just got nervous 'cause you're..." she smirked a moment a grin playing on her lips. "Blessed! And that... blessing, is probably gonna rip me in two!" she said a nervous chuckle escaping her. He searched her eyes for her truth and he found it without effort.

"I'm not running anywhere Caiden," she whispered, taking his large hands and cupping her heavy breasts in her hands, her breath hitching as she made him squeeze her soft mounds, her taut peaks pressing into his palms. Caiden gave them both a firm squeeze then tested their weight in his hands, tweaking and pinching her sensitive nipples as he went. Heaven knew he wanted to go slow, take his time teasing her body into a frenzy but he just didn't have that type of control at the moment.

"There is n... no other man in... in the world..." 

He silenced her with a kiss claiming her as his own as his tongue explored her mouth. No further words were necessary. He let his hands roam her body allowing his fingertips to learn the cascading bump that was her spine, learning cinch of her waist and drastic flair of her hips where her hipbones protruded only slightly. His lips kissed her entire face from her eyelids to her chin down her neck to find her sweet spot right where it meets her shoulder. He licked her gently and she gasped, back arching up to him offering her sweet full breasts. His hands travelled upward cupping the gifts she offered as his tongue traced her collarbone placing the gentlest kisses on her now fevered skin. Her breathing was labored and he placed his hand over her breastbone; he could feel her heartbeat thundering in her chest matching the intensity of the storm outside. Gently he pressed, pushing her back into the mattress. She watched him closely, her hand coming up to cup his cheek as he kissed her there, right on her heart. He continued kissing and licking a trail to her right nipple and licked around it. Her back arched further trying to press herself into his mouth.

"Be patient honey, you'll get what you want," he said with a chuckle. 

Returning to her breast he stiffened his tongue and gave her whole nipple a firm lick. A moan escaped her lips as he licked her again and again until he finally sucked her into his mouth. Her hips began to roll at this as her fingernails scoured his scalp holding him to her chest. He could feel himself nearing the edge and had to pull back to gather himself. Slowly he made his way to the other breast and doled out the same treatment. God how he couldn't wait to be inside her. To feel her hot wetness envelop him. He could smell her so strong, now it was like her perfume scented the entire room. Slowly he began to kiss his way down her stomach dipping his tongue into her belly button. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the entire room as he kissed lower until he was just above her mound. Lifting her legs at the knees he again spread her but realized she still had those damn panties on. 

"Caiden, you really don't have to-oh!" she squealed as he tore her panties at the hip and threw them. He spread her thighs completely and saw the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen; her flower bloomed right before him, her dew dripping from her center to run down the seam of her cheeks. Lord have mercy. He planned to take it slow and devour her like a four course meal but she was already dripping wet; periodically clenching on emptiness just begging to be filled. His plan forgotten he attached his mouth to her like a man starved sucking up every drop of moisture she leaked. Her flavor was like gasoline to an inferno; it was an addictive ambrosia he couldn't help but greedily consume. With every stroke of his tongue, every exploratory lick he was rewarded with more of her tangy sweetness and her moans began to build in intensity as her clenching cavern begged him to be filled. He decided to oblige, placing one finger at her entrance as his mouth latched onto her clit. His tongue lashed her little button as his thick finger pressed into her and she screamed her pleasure. 

"Honey, you taste so sweet," he mumbled against her as he sawed his finger in and out of her. She was impossibly tight, squeezing the digit for all it was worth and trapping it within her velvety soft channel. Slowly he introduced a second finger and she moaned a bit in pleasure but also in protest. She wasn't used to being stretched this wide, that much was evident but if things were going any further she'd have to be able to accommodate him. 

"I know sugar, just relax."

As he tried to work a third finger in, he could feel her hips retreating from him. "It's too much! It... freakin' hurts Caiden!" she winced as she tried to roll her hips away from his prying fingers. 

"Okay," he conceded nibbling gently at her fleshy lips while still pressing his two fingers into her. Picking up speed he softly called her name, trying to get her attention. She was lost in her own pleasure; eyes firmly closed, one hand moulded to a firm breast roughly plucking and tweaking her own nipple, the other gripped the bed spread as her hips began to roll up to meet his fingers. She looked wanton and needy and he felt the exact same way. He needed to make her come, and come soon so he redoubled his efforts, his fingers pistoning in and out of her as he sucked firmly on her clit. Curling his fingers a bit he began to search out her g-spot. He knew he found it when her thighs clamped tightly around his head and her back arched completely off the bed. 

"Oh my God! What are you-" her sentence was interrupted by her own scream as her orgasm hit her seemingly out of nowhere. Caiden rode it out with her fucking her harder as his fingers were flooded with her juices. Her heat clenched him spasmodically as he slowly eased his two fingers out of her and replaced them with his tongue as he speared her, trying in earnest to lick her clean.

"Oh God Caiden, please..." she moaned in protest as she tried to pry him from her mound. He took the hint crawling back up her body and forced her to look at him. Slowly she opened her eyes and offered him a crooked smile. He thought she looked delicious, her lids heavy, her honey colored eyes dark with arousal, hair plastered to her forehead, cheeks flushed from her recent orgasm, a bead of sweat running down her temple. A look of discovery shone in her eyes letting him know it had never been that good before. He felt his chest swell with pride at that and slowly brought his fingers up to her face. 

"I can't believe how wet you were, and you taste..." he trailed off staring into her eyes as he slowly sucked his fingers into his mouth savouring her essence the way a sommelier savors the taste of their favorite wine. Reign eagerly slipped her arms around his neck and brought him down for a drugging kiss that left his head spinning. Swooning a bit, he adjusted himself so that he was aligned with her now dripping wet entrance, the fat head of his penis splaying her nether lips wide in the process. This was it; the moment when he would finally-

"Wait," she whispered and his blue eyes frantically searched out hers. The disappointment must have been clearly evident on his face because she quickly continued. 

"I don't want to stop, I just... I wanted to..." she trailed off trying to find her words. He waited, suspended over her body, thighs spread poised and ready for his body's invasion. She snaked her hand between the two of them over his rigid abdomen to curl her fingers around his shaft. He released a shaky breath as she explored him more thoroughly. 

"It's so thick, I can't even get my fingers all the way around it," she muttered as she tentatively stroked him. He smiled briefly at her admission before his brow furrowed and he released an admission of his own.

"Sugar, I'm so close I could come if you breathe on me too hard," he whispered into her neck. It wasn't a lie. She arched into him as she slowly and gently stroked him and smiled into his neck. 

"I just want to return the favor, before we get down to business baby."

Gently she placed her palm to his chest and rolled him over onto his back, her hand never leaving his steely rod. She pressed a kiss to his lips, her plush breasts brushing against his chest teasing him further. She pulled back sitting upwards and smiled shyly at him, momentarily covering her breasts from him before he moved her forearms away. She smirked at him again and chewed nervously on her lower lip as she considered him. He just watched her, content that his turn would come. She straddled him, her mound just above his pelvis as she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Her nipples brushed his sensitive skin as she grinded her hips lower on his body. It took everything in him not to take over, but pacified himself with stroking her; the look in her eyes telling him his touch was more than reigniting her passion. She was busily working her way down his torso, kissing sucking and nipping. He could feel the copious amounts of pre-come leaking a steady stream down her stomach as she slid down his body, his erection snuggled briefly between the plush globes of her breasts. His hips began to roll involuntarily as her tongue found the groove where abdomen met hip and followed it down to the base of his shaft and paused. Puppies and baseball occupied his mind as she eased herself back and allowed his erection to spring free from the confines of her breasts and bob directly in front of her face. He sat up a bit, intent to watch her as she pleasured him. She reached out and firmly grasped his shaft at the base and looked up at him, a little unsure. 




When Worlds Collide Ch. 05



"Sorry we woke you," Aaron smiled gently, his hand reaching our to brush lightly against her cheek. "Seems my big sister couldn't wait until a decent hour to come and check on her baby brother."

Jen blinked slowly and dragged her gaze from the gorgeous man in front of her to look at the strange woman standing beside Rafe. Oh crap, his sister was here and she was lying on his bed? Her face flushed with embarrassment and she tried to sit up but Aaron's arms tightened around her and held her firmly in place. He let out a low growl of displeasure and her head swung back to him in surprise.

"Aaron, let me up," she said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. Well, I need to go wash my face and get straightened up a bit but I'll just be five minutes." She kept her gaze firmly on his until he sighed softly and his arms relaxed around her.

Cedar laughed at her brother's petulant expression, instantly warming to his chosen mate. The woman had a measure of steel about her, enough that she would not be easily dominated by Aaron, which was a good thing because her baby brother was way too used to getting everything his own way.

"Hi, Jen, I'm Cedar," she smiled as the other woman quickly slipped from the bed and ran a hand over her wrinkled T-shirt. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to meet the woman who has finally tamed Aaron. The family had just about come to the conclusion it would never happen."

Jen found herself automatically smiling back at the tall blonde. Her tone was curious but friendly, her eyes so like Aaron's in colour and warm as they regarded her. She had the distinct impression she was going to get on with Aaron's sister very well. "Hi Cedar," she smiled slightly tentatively. "I don't know about taming Aaron. He's really pushy considering I've only just met him and am still trying to get my head around the fact werewolves and vampires exist. This whole mating thing is a whole other ballgame too."

Cedar's liking for Jen kicked up another notch and her smile widened. She turned to her brother and gave him a stern look. "I know Jen said she'd only be five minutes but a girl needs a lot longer than that to make herself presentable. I'm going to take her back to the house and get to know her a little while Rafe talks to you about whatever it is Jared has sent him here to discuss. " 

Aaron's expression darkened mutinously, not liking the thought of Jen being away from him too long. "Leave her alone, Cedar," he grumbled. "She looks beautiful just the way she is. You don't need to do anything to make yourself more beautiful, Jen." His blue eyes were warm as they regarded his mate.

Jen smiled and felt her cheeks heat slightly at his open appraisal. "Now, that Cedar mentions it, I could do with a quick shower and change of clothes. I really will be quick about it, Aaron."

Aaron was about to protest further, but Rafe cleared his throat, his expression letting him know that he really did need to talk to him at their Alpha's request. He considered objecting and then let out a weary sigh. When his friend got that look on his face, he expected to be obeyed.

"Don't be too long, Jen," he sighed in resignation, reaching out to tug on her hand to bring her down for a brief kiss. Their lips barely brushed and he was conscious of the fact that she would most likely be embarrassed that Rafe and Cedar were there watching.

She smiled as she raised her head. "I'll be as quick as I can be," she answered gently. She did need a shower and a change of clothes but she felt something tugging inside her to be close to this man who was claiming her as his mate. It was strange but oddly exhilarating too. She headed out of the room followed closely by Cedar.

Aaron watched her go and then looked at Rafe. His friend had a very set, determined expression on his face and he just knew he wasn't going to like what he was about to say to him. He braced himself as Rafe sat down in the chair Jen had occupied the night before.

"You're not going to like this Aaron but you really do not have a choice in the matter," Rafe said firmly. "I didn't get a chance to fill you in on Lacey's situation yesterday because of you finding your mate in Jen. The man Lacey was involved with is Richard Graves." He watched his friend's expression turned stunned as he heard the name.

"Yeah, we all know how powerful Graves' is in the business community," he said almost wearily. "What we didn't know was he's a vampire and a pretty powerful one at that. Caleb went ballistic when he realised who we were dealing with. I've seen him angry before but nothing compared to how he was yesterday. He would have left immediately if Annie hadn't worked her magic on him and convinced him to stay."

Aaron frowned deeply. Sure Caleb over-reacted a lot, especially when it came to Rhianna, but the vampire was one of the most fearless people he had ever met. For him to be so concerned placed Richard Graves as a very dangerous individual. He could see there was something Rafe was holding back on. "So what does this have to do with Jen?" he asked tensely, seeing his friend start slightly and knowing he'd scored an accurate guess.

Rafe sighed and met his friend's suddenly angry gaze. "Graves doesn't want just Lacey," he told him. "He blames Jen for getting involved and taking a restraining order out on him when she moved back into town. Apparently Graves was beating Lacey quite badly and she told Jen. When Lacey moved out he went looking for Jen to punish her for her interference. He found Lacey instead and beat her so badly she was hospitalised. Graves told Lacey he would kill Jen."

The breath hissed out of Aaron in a long tortured sound and he pushed himself up out of the bed, staggering slightly as he tried to stand up unaided. He ignored the pain and Rafe's angry bark to get back into bed. A vampire was coming for his woman and she was halfway across the compound from him. He couldn't lie in bed when she was unprotected.

"Get back in bed now, Aaron!" Rafe barked again, his tone hard and demanding total obedience. "Cedar is with Jen as is Jared and Millie. She is perfectly safe at the moment."

"I have to protect her," Aaron ground out through gritted teeth as he tried to breathe through the pain and get his balance. "She's my mate, Rafe. It's my job to protect her. If Graves wants her then he's going to have to go through me first."

"Which he'll do in two seconds flat because you can barely stand, Aaron," Rafe retorted, standing up and walking around the bed to stop his friend from falling down to the floor. "We have a few days before he launches any attack. Jen is safe for now. You need to get back into bed right now if you want to regain any of your strength back. You're only weakening yourself further, Aaron."

Aaron rounded on his friend, about to ask him if he would be so calm if it was Lacey Graves was coming for and then suddenly realised that his friend was calm, secure in the knowledge that his own mate was safe in the same house Jen now was, even though Graves was indeed coming for Lacey just as surely as he was coming for Jen.

He dampened down his wolf's protective instincts with a little difficulty and slowly lowered himself back to the bed but remained in a sitting position, arranging the pillows to support his back. "You're sure Graves isn't going to show up anytime soon?" he asked, watching Rafe intently to make sure he told him the full story and didn't hold back.

"We have a few days," Rafe answered reassuringly. "I wouldn't be here away from Lacey if there was even the slightest chance he would act sooner, Aaron. You know that. Caleb and Demetri are going to see what support they can drum up to help the pack. Annie's involvement means that at least they'll be willing to stand at our side when the vampires attack. Jared's called a pack meeting for nine am. He's working on evacuation plans for the children and the more vulnerable members of the pack. The rest of us will be making a stand here."

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "I should be back in shape by then," he said quietly.

Rafe stifled down a groan and met his friend's eyes unflinchingly. "That's why I'm here, Aaron. Jared's ordered that you evacuate with the rest of the pack.

Aaron sat so still for a moment that Rafe wondered if his friend had actually heard what he said. Then his handsome face turned marble hard and he was looking at an Aaron he had never seen before. Gone was the amiable, laughing man who always saw the bright side in just about any situation. In his place was the true Were he really was, feral and extremely upset.

"You had better be shitting me, Rafe," he ground out through clenched teeth. "If Jared thinks for one moment I'm going to be hiding somewhere with the children while my pack is under attack and my mate's life is in jeopardy then he has another think coming."

Rafe leaned closer to Aaron, piercing him with his own hard gaze. "You will do what the Alpha commands whether your like it or not, Aaron," he said tersely. "You are commanded to evacuate with the pack and that is what you will do. Jared doesn't have time to come down here and tell you himself so you'll just have to take my word for it that this is his decision."

Aaron's face shimmered slightly as his wolf howled his fury and he fought to hold back shifting. "Like hell I will!" he growled ferociously.

_____

Jen found herself liking Cedar Alexander more and more the longer they chatted. She had laughed when her new friend had explained why she was named after a tree. Apparently her father had insisted on naming the boys in the family and her mother had insisted on naming the girls. Hence, why her sister was called Willow. Their mother was a tree lover. She tried to imagine what Aaron would have ended up being called if his mother had been given the opportunity to name him. Probably something silly like Rowan.

She had finished her shower and gotten dressed. Now the blonde woman was lounging on the bed as Jen dried her hair quickly and tied it up in a ponytail. Lacey was still sleeping and Jared and Millie were locked together in the study so there was only really Cedar to talk to. Not that she minded. They had a lot in common, more than just Aaron. They had discovered they liked the same music and movies too.

Jen turned to Cedar with a slight frown on her face. "Can we go back to the medical centre now?" she asked. "I've got this weird feeling inside me. It kind of feels like Aaron needs me in some way?" Her tone was confused because she felt confused. This need to return to Aaron quickly had come over her with such speed that it was all she could do not to run out the door.

Cedar's expression turned thoughtful. "Rafe said he expected Aaron to give him a hard time about something," she mused. "Aaron's right, the mating instinct must be really strong between you if you're picking up he needs you so strongly. I dare say whatever Rafe had to say to him has upset him a lot." 

She rose from the bed and headed towards the door, Jen quick on her heels. The strange feeling was getting stronger and stronger and Jen was starting to feel really anxious now. Her breath was coming out in little pants as she couldn't contain herself and she started to run towards the medical building. She heard Cedar's surprise exclamation before she too started to run to keep up with her.

They burst in just as Rafe flew out of Aaron's room and slammed the door shut behind him. He held onto the handle as large growls resounded from the room and the door shuddered as something crashed against it. "Get back," he said tersely to the two women, his eyes turning to Luke who had jumped up from his desk. "Tranquillizer gun!" he barked.

The doctor was off before he'd finished talking. Jen hurried towards Rafe, her anxiety level off the scale. "What's happening?" she cried. "What did you do to Aaron?"

"Cedar, get her back," Rafe grunted as the door shook hard as the irate wolf inside hurled itself against the barrier keeping it from its intended target.

Cedar's expression was completely shocked. Aaron never lost control of his wolf. Ever! For a moment she could only stand there rooted in shock, unable to obey her beta's command. The door suddenly splintered and a large brown wolf streaked with gold burst furiously into the outer office.

Rafe moved quickly to the side, shifting immediately as the wolf skidded to a halt coming to stop right in front of Jen who was just staring at it wide-eyed.

Jen thought she was about to die. The enormous wolf crashed into the room before her, its light blue eyes wild as it glared at her. She vaguely heard another wolf roar loudly and Cedar calling Aaron's name desperately but all her attention was on the wild beast in front of her who appeared to be about to rip her throat out.

"Aaron?" she whispered tentatively, her green eyes wide with fear and confusion as she tried to take in that the wolf before her was the man she had just spent the night sleeping beside. The moment she spoke the wildness died from the wolf's eyes and it suddenly whined loudly and collapsed to the floor in front of her.

Aaron couldn't handle the look of horror in Jen's beautiful eyes as she looked at him. One moment he was completely consumed by his wolf and ready to rip Rafe's throat out and the next he was staring into his terrified mate's face and the wildness evaporated and he could once more rationalise. The moment the wildness left him, the burst of adrenaline which had overcome him faded too and his sank to the floor.

Luke had arrived with the tranquillizer gun but it was quickly apparent that it wouldn't be needed. He rushed to the prone wolf's side as Rafe quickly shifted back to human form and went looking for a robe of some kind to cover his nakedness. Jen just stood where she was looking down at Aaron and the doctor as Cedar made her way to her side and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Shift back, Aaron," Luke commanded. "I need to see what damage you've done. I don't know what the fuck came over you to react so recklessly. Shift!"

Aaron heard him but remained in wolf form. Jen was standing so close to him. He didn't want to look at her again and see revulsion in her face. He whined softly and closed his eyes. The feel of a soft hand touching his head made him start. He scented the delicious scent of strawberries and he knew it was Jen without opening his eyes. He whined again and pressed himself against her small hand.

"Shift back, Aaron," she said softly. "Luke needs to check your wounds out. It's okay. I'm not upset or anything. You just took me a little by surprise but I'm fine now. Shift, Aaron. Please."

"You heard her," Rafe barked angrily, coming back into the outer office wearing a bathrobe he'd found in the bathroom. "You either shift for Jen and get your ass back into bed so Luke can check you over or I'm bringing Jared down here to command you. You know damned well he'll be pissed as hell if he has to interrupt his plans to come chastise his longest serving beta who should know better!" 

Aaron raised his head, ignoring Rafe's threat completely, his eyes meeting his woman's as she knelt beside him. She gave him a tremulous smile, clearly still rattled about what she'd just witnessed but being so incredibly brave about it. He shifted, reaching for her and pulling her into his arms and feeling her tremble slightly before she was wrapping her arms around him gently.

"I'm sorry, Jen. I didn't mean to frighten you," he whispered against the side of her neck, shuddering as he scented her beautiful skin, his lips automatically whispering across her collarbone. She smelled freshly clean, her hair still slightly damp from her shower. He stifled down a pained groan as his body wanted to react to her closeness but the pain in his chest made it impossible to do so.

He allowed Jen and Luke to help him up. He avoided Rafe's angry gaze, feeling his friend boring a hole in the back of his head as he was escorted back into his room, bypassing the shattered door. He knew he deserved Rafe's censure but that didn't make it any easier to take. He had lost control of his wolf. He had never done so before. He could only put it down to his weakened state from being injured and his concern for Jen's safety. It was still inexcusable though. 

Luke shot Rafe a dark look as he went to enter the room. "I think it would be advisable for you to go calm down, Rafe," he said shortly. "So Aaron isn't agitated any further and I can examine him without worrying about him losing control again."

Rafe stared at him in shock, his irritation reaching almost boiling point. He couldn't believe the doctor was blaming him for Aaron's shocking loss of control. "I think you're forgetting who you're talking to, Luke," he said quietly, his tone hard as he faced down the doctor.

"I think you're forgetting that when it comes to the care of my patients, I only listen to myself, beta," Luke shot back. "Right now you are not good for Aaron so I suggest you go away until I can treat him."

Cedar stepped between the two men, pressing lightly against Rafe's chest when he snorted in outrage at the doctor's words. "Rafe, come outside for some air," she said calmly. For a moment she thought he was going to ignore her but he finally let her push him outside the medical building.

"What happened, Rafe?" she asked concerned. "Why did Aaron lose control like that?"

Rafe ran a weary hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. "There's trouble coming, Cedar. Big trouble. Aaron's been ordered to evacuate with the pack because of his injuries. Jen's in danger because of it. You'll be told more at the pack meeting but for now, the most I can tell you is what I already have. Aaron will most likely die if he refuses to go. He's not fit enough for what's coming. He obviously doesn't see it that way. I think his weakened state is why he lost control when he heard Jen was in danger."

Cedar felt a deep shiver run through her at his words. She knew it would only be a few hours before she could find out exactly what was going on but the certainty in Rafe's voice scared her. Her brother was in serious danger. She could see he was in no fit state to be involved in any kind of conflict but she also understood that he would react negatively to leaving if Jen was staying behind. It really only left one option.

"Make Jen leave with him," she said quietly. "If she's with him then he'll go. You can't separate them, Rafe. Jen's already feeling the connection between them a lot stronger than is usual. Hell, if Aaron wasn't injured they'd be mated already, their connection is that strong."

Rafe sighed again and nodded. He hadn't counted on Aaron reacting so strongly either. Because his own connection to Lacey was a little less volatile and he was better able to control his wolf than most of the pack, he had just expected Aaron to be the same. He could see where he had erred in his handling of the situation. He had quite literally backed his friend into a corner with no way out for him except to react the way he had. 

The real question was, would it be safer for Jen to leave with Aaron and the others or stay at the compound? Graves was out to get her but his primary goal was to locate and retrieve Lacey. If he was focused enough on that goal then Jen should be safe enough with the rest of the pack. He would have to run it passed Jared but he could at least offer the possibility as a compromise until something better could be worked out.

"Come on, let's go back inside," he said to Cedar, turning and heading back into the medical building.

Luke had finished his examination and was muttering under his breath in the outer office. He looked up when they re-entered the building. "He hasn't exasperated his injuries too much," he told them. "Though that doesn't mean you can go upsetting him again, Rafe. It's only blind luck he didn't rip open his internal wounds."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 05



Rafe could understand the doctor's concern but his tone was really irking him. True, Luke didn't know what was really going on either at the moment but it didn't excuse his blatant disrespect.

"Luke, I appreciate you're concerned about Aaron so I will try and be reasonable with you," he said very quietly, his expression hard. "If you have an issue with me then I suggest you take it up with the Alpha because I am here at his bidding and am doing what he has ordered me to do. You may not like it but it's not your place to take me to task. I may not be Alpha here but I am his second in command and his brother. I may be easy going and not in the habit of throwing my position around but that's only because I have never needed to until now. Do not mistake my easy nature to be a sign of weakness."

The doctor stared at him open mouthed for a long moment and then slowly lowered his eyes in submission. "My apologies, Rafe," he answered. "My irritation is purely based on my concern for Aaron. I meant no disrespect."

Rafe slowly relaxed and let out a deep breath. "I will do my best not to upset Aaron further," he conceded, his tone warmer, a more conciliatory note in it.

Luke looked up again and gave him a lopsided smile. "Keep his little girl in the room when you speak to him. He's a lot calmer when she's around."

Rafe clapped him on the shoulder, a silent apology for having to come down hard on him. He really liked the doctor and didn't like having to take him to task. It wasn't his fault he didn't know just how serious the situation was and why both Jared and himself had to take such hard decisions.

Cedar followed Rafe into Aaron's room. He was lying in bed, his chest newly re-bandaged and Jen hovering anxiously at his beside. The dark haired woman was slowly stroking his brow while he lay there with his eyes closed, his face clenched with pain. 

Aaron opened his eyes when he sensed Rafe and Cedar return. His gaze immediately went to his friend and he gave him a wry smile. "I'm sorry, Rafe," he said quietly. "I lost my head there for a moment."

Rafe's lips quirked in a little smile. "I think we both did, Aaron, but it doesn't really change anything. Jared's decree still stands. I know it's not what you want to hear but it's how it has to be. Cedar has come up with a possible solution but I need to run it passed Jared first. It may be possible to send Jen with you."

He saw his friend's face light up at the prospect even as Jen scowled darkly as her green eyes turned to Rafe. "Send me where?" she asked suspiciously. "Where is Aaron going?"

Rafe turned to her and really looked at her and Aaron together. Cedar was right. Their connection was very strong already. If Aaron didn't mate with Jen soon he was going to become more and more irrational. Jared had to agree to Jen leaving with Aaron. It was the only solution. He suddenly felt really weary and in dire need to see Lacey.

"Everything will be revealed at the pack meeting, Jen," he said tiredly. "For now, just stay with Aaron and keep him in that bed at all costs. He's always thought he was superman and only now is realising he isn't. He seems to listen to you better than anyone else right now."

Cedar opted to stay with her brother and Jen so Rafe turned and left the medical building with another stern reprimand to Aaron to stay in bed. The determined look on Jen's face made him smile. There was no way in hell Aaron would be allowed out of that bed any time soon if she had her way.

He walked back up to Jared's, the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He still had Caleb to call but his need to see Lacey was growing stronger the more he thought about what was to come at the pack meeting. He could hear Jared and Millie in the study but bypassed it and headed up the stairs into his woman's room.

He closed the door quietly and just leaned against it as his eyes roamed over Lacey's sleeping form. He immediately felt a sense of inner peace overcome him. She looked so beautiful, lying curled up in the big bed, her hair all mussed up and fanning across the pillows. His body reacted instantly and he was moving over to the bed, throwing off the bathrobe he'd put on and sliding into the bed with her.

Rafe knew he shouldn't be doing this, that Jared was counting on him to be the beta he was, but he just needed his woman so much. He pressed himself against her warmth and she sighed softly, her arms wrapping around him.

"Rafe?" she mumbled sleepily, her eyes opening but still foggy with sleep. "What is it?"

He answered her with a hard kiss, his tongue demanding entry as he slanted his mouth possessively over hers. She responded instantly to his urgency, moaning softly and kissing him back with an equal urgency. Rafe felt his body harden further and pressed himself against her softness. He rolled her quickly onto her back and rubbed his hard cock against her heat, groaning at how slick and wet she already was despite the lack of any foreplay.

She was instantly ready for him, her body seeking his with the same desperation he was feeling. He ached to slide into her willing body but held himself back, his mouth moving swiftly to her breasts to feast on her deliciously hard nipples. His touch was rough, a hint of wildness in it as he suckled her taut peaks hard, his teeth nipping at the swollen nubs, drawing throaty moans from his woman.

He needed to taste her so badly, sliding quickly down her body, pressing her thighs apart so he could press his mouth to her wet heat. He groaned loudly and began to lap greedily at her sweet nectar, filling his mouth with her wonderful taste and diving back for more. His body trembled as his wolf tried to push forward, to take control and mate properly with their woman.

Rafe couldn't allow it. He couldn't change Lacey without fully talking it through with her to make sure it was what she really wanted. Even if she did want the change he wouldn't do it before the war. If he died and Lacey was left unprotected, she had a better chance of surviving if she was still human. Graves would most definitely kill her if she was a wolf. Keeping her alive was his prime goal. As long as she was alive she had a chance of escaping from Graves again.

His desperate thoughts turned his touch more chaotic, his tongue rasping hard against her soft flesh, her sweet cries filling the room as he beat relentlessly at her hard clit, forcing her quickly to peak and shudder against him as her orgasm crashed over her. Her hot cum flooded his eager mouth and he drank greedily, sucking and licking out all she had to offer him. Her taste was intoxicating, making him dizzy with need.

He just couldn't get enough of his beautiful woman's taste. His mouth worked feverishly against her silky folds, licking every inch of her hot pussy, ploughing deeply inside her tight body before once more attacking her clit ruthlessly as he quickly built her back up until she was squirming hard against his face.

"Rafe," Lacey groaned, her body on fire as he expertly used his lips and tongue on her, filling her with an insatiable need to have him deep inside her. His desperation was transmitting to her as he demanded her instant capitulation to him with each bold stroke of his tongue. Her fingers knotted in his hair and she pressed her pussy wildly against his plundering mouth.

She moaned her disappointment when his mouth left her aching body, gasping in surprise as he quickly flipped her onto her stomach and pressed his throbbing cock at her hot opening. She pushed backwards as he thrust forward, impaling her on his hard shaft with one long thrust.

A guttural groan ripped from Rafe's throat as he sank deep inside Lacey's body and she eagerly accepted him. Her scalding heat encased his throbbing cock and he pulled out quickly and thrust deep inside again, groaning loudly at the sheer pleasure of being buried inside his mate. He stroked into her, deep, hard strokes as his heart beat fast in his chest and her loud cries rang in his ears.

It was perfection being deep inside his woman, her body rippling around his cock, trying vainly to keep him within her when he pulled back. He fought with his need to cum, not willing for their joining to be over too soon. He set a slow, hard tempo, ploughing ruthlessly into her over and over again, his cock throbbing with each hard thrust inside her.

Lacey was breathless as Rafe plunged deep inside her once more. His touch was wild and rough, his strokes hard and persistent but she relished the wildness of their joining. Liquid fire flooded her body as Rafe filled her so fully, his cock rigidly hard as it stroked deep inside her and she pushed eagerly back for more. The sheer intensity of their joining was taking her breath away and she wanted more, she needed more.

"Rafe," she groaned again, crying out when he left her body and pulled her around to sit astride him as he sat back on his knees. The slightly feral look in his eyes made her breath hitch as he lowered her back down onto his cock and his mouth took hers in a hot, wet kiss. His tongue licked everywhere inside her mouth as they began to rock together.

Her breasts grazed his hard chest, the friction against her swollen peaks making her moan in delight as she slid up and down his cock as their kisses became more urgent. Rafe built a need inside her she didn't even know she was capable of feeling. She met his strokes feverishly, her arms wrapping around his neck, her fingers threading into his hair to keep his mouth attached to hers.

She pressed herself against him so hard she forced him back to the bed and was left on top of him, riding his body hard as his hands moved to her hips to guide her up and down his aching body.

Rafe's watched his woman slide over his body, his eyes glittering as he watched her body open up for his cock and accept his thickness deep inside her. She looked so beautiful, so perfect as she rode him hard, her head tilted backwards as she surrendered to the sheer bliss she was feeling. His woman was all fire and passion. Her lustiness inflamed him and he knew he was close to losing all control.

He could feel his knot trying to form and he bit back a curse, lifting her from his cock and practically throwing her onto her back against the pillows as his need overcame him. He thrust into her hard, his eyes intent on her beautiful face as he gave in to the need to be joined with her as completely as he could be without fully mating with her. He thrust into her hard, his knot quickly growing. He pressed relentlessly, his mouth catching her surprised gasp as she felt his knot push against her opening, demanding access.

With a deep groan, he seated his knot inside her. The sheer bliss which coursed through him vied with the intense male satisfaction he felt as he pinned his woman to his body. Lacey's beautiful green eyes snapped open and she stared up at him in shock as she felt the strange protrusion inside her body.

Rafe grinned wolfishly at her confused expression and reached for her wrists, pinning her hands above her head as he looked down at her. "That's my knot, baby," he said huskily, speaking for the first time since he'd entered the room. "It will keep you pinned to me so my seed will have time to impregnate you when we fully mate. It's harmless right now because you're still human." He moved slowly, short hard thrusts, his knot allowing only so much movement within her beautiful body. 

Lacey moaned and ground against him, her surprise at his knot quickly subsiding as Rafe began moving inside her. She was one mass of sensations, her body desperate for the physical release which was so close and yet felt so far away. Rafe's dominance over her body was strangely exhilarating, spurring her lust and making her push harder against him as his movements became more demanding.

Rafe knew he was close to achieving his release. His blood was boiling in his veins, his breathing harsh and raggedly as he took Lacey with harder, faster strokes and she met him with her own fierce urgency. He released her wrists, wrapping his arms tightly around his woman and pushing her relentlessly towards her orgasm, his eyes intent on her face as she suddenly cried out as her release crashed over her.

Her pleasure pushed him over the edge and he thrust hard into her as the pressure in his balls reached critical mass and he began to pump his seed into her beautiful body with a loud guttural cry of intense satisfaction. He jerked against her spilling more of his seed, heightening her own release as they came hard together.

Heart thundering, Rafe quickly rolled to his side, pulling Lacey with him, his arms and legs wrapping around her to keep her safely secured to him so she didn't try to pull away. He breathed raggedly as he gently stroked her back and kissed her softly as they lay pinned together in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

"This knot thing is interesting," Lacey finally said, a touch of humour in her voice. "I think I could get used to that."

Rafe chuckled lightly and kissed her again, a long, slow kiss, the type of kiss he always imagined giving her but seemed to fail at, the moment his lust for her was stirred. "Try not to move too much, baby," he sighed against her lips. "I'm not supposed to be here right now. Jared will kick my ass for not doing what he told me to do before I came back to bed with you."

Lacey stifled down a yawn, feeling sleepy again after the frenetic activity they'd just been through. "Do you want to talk about what got you so wound up you needed to come and wake me?" she asked quietly.

He sighed and snuggled close to her, his hands stroking her beautiful body as he willed his knot silently to go down so he could get up. He didn't want to be away from her but he knew he still had things to do before the pack meeting. "I'll tell you later," he breathed softly. "After the pack meeting. Try and get some more sleep, love. It's still early yet."

He held her while she fell asleep, relieved when his knot receded and he could slide from her body. Planting a tender kiss on her forehead, he slid from the bed and picked up the discarded robe. It was time to go and call Caleb.

To be continued...

 Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Once more my thanks for all the votes and comments. Many thanks to WHB for editing for me again. 



When Worlds Collide Ch. 06



Rafe ran his wary eyes around the packed community room. The tension within the room was so high, it was almost tangible. He could equally feel their suspiciousness as wary gazes met his and then slid quickly away. Lacey sat at his side, her body practically humming with tension. He reached out and gently stroked her thigh under the table in an effort to settle her.

They were sitting at the head table, the rest of the pack sitting in chairs directly facing them. They were all waiting for Jared and Millie to arrive. Everyone else was in attendance with the exception of Luke, Aaron and Jen. The doctor had been filled in with what the meeting was about when it became apparent that he would need to stay with Aaron, who was insisting on attending. Jen had opted to stay too, in an attempt to keep Aaron in bed where he currently belonged.

Jared and Millie were late and that was making the pack restless. Rafe continued to stroke Lacey's thigh as he eyed the obvious division in the pack. Bill Shepherd was sitting on the left side, choosing to sit in front when he usually opted to sit at the back in meetings. This didn't bode well; neither did the number of people who seemed to be gravitating towards him.

Rafe's brown eyes locked with Mitch Fielding's. The other Were didn't look away, his own brown eyes staring intently at Rafe. By rights, the other man should have lowered his eyes in deference to Rafe's status within the pack. The fact that he did not, but merely grinned insolently at him, spoke volumes. 

If a challenge was to come today then it would be from Mitch. Rafe sized him up as a possible opponent. He had no doubts Jared could take Mitch, but it would be stupid not to err on the side of caution and take this opportunity to take his measure while he had the chance. 

The two men's gaze was finally broken when Bill leaned to the side to say something to Mitch and the other man looked away. Rafe watched him for a second longer and then turned his eyes back to the room. Loretta met his gaze and raised an inquiring eyebrow as her gaze flickered quickly to Lacey and back to him. She had a slight smile on her face.

Rafe returned her smile with a brief nod, silently communicating the fact Lacey was his mate, and also relieved to see Loretta sitting on the right hand side of the room. The more he examined the dynamics of the room the more he noted that the Weres sitting to the right were all people he knew fairly well. The betas were all on that side, as was Cedar, her sister Willow, their three brothers and their parents. The divide seemed to be almost evenly split, with perhaps a smidgeon more on the right than the left.

Rafe felt his own tension level start to rise. If this meeting turned as ugly as it was looking like it was going to be, then there was a good chance some serious fighting could break out. He hoped Jared had something up his sleeve to stop that because the children were present. If things turned ugly...he didn't even want to think about that. He wondered where the hell his Alpha was. Jared was never late for meetings. He really needed to get his ass here and do it quickly before Bill decided he was going to open the meeting himself.

He had no time for Bill. He didn't care how old the Were was, he was nothing but trouble and didn't deserve any respect just because he was one of the eldest among them. If he was Alpha he would have kicked him out of the pack months ago, but he wasn't and so it wasn't his decision to make.

The door suddenly opened to Rafe's right and Jared walked in with Millie close behind him. Rafe frowned slightly when he spotted Luke reaching to pull Millie back and whisper something in her ear. He saw her tense slightly and immediately wondered what was wrong with Aaron. He didn't have time to ask as Millie slipped into the seat beside Jared, her face composed and giving nothing away as to what Luke had said to her.

Millie was quite literally stunned about what Luke had just told her. She didn't know how to react or whether or not to talk with Jared about it. They were already late with the start of the meeting as it was. Her cobalt eyes slipped to Jared's as he turned to raise an eyebrow at her, sensing her distraction. One look into his eyes and she knew she had to tell him.

"Honey, you need to not react to this at all but it is something that you need to know before the meeting starts," she said mentally. "Luke has just told me I'm pregnant."

Jared stared at her and struggled hard to keep his face devoid of all emotions. His heart started pounding hard and it was an effort not to drop his eyes towards her stomach. "Jesus, Millie," he groaned inside her head. "Baby, I so want to pick you up and take you home and show you just how happy I feel about this news. But I can't right now for obvious reasons but we will discuss it later," his tone was warm, his love shining through their mutual bond as well as his excitement at the news. "You do understand what this means, love? You're going to have to evacuate with the children. Our heirs cannot be risked. They are the future of the pack as well as being our precious babies."

Millie allowed herself a little half smile as she shifted slightly in her seat. "That's why I told you now instead of waiting until the meeting was over. I would have preferred to have told you, and been told the news myself, under much different circumstances. You needed to know to amend what you're going to tell the pack."

He did need to do that. It was originally his intention to tell the pack that Millie would be leading the female warriors after she had blatantly refused to leave his side, which he had expected her to do. Now that she was pregnant, everything was different. If he was challenged he had to win. Not only for the pack's sake and Millie's but also for his unborn children's as well. 

Millie would have to evacuate and would need to be protected too, while she was apart from him. Rafe had already discussed with him the possibility of sending Jen away to get Aaron to leave and he had agreed. Add in Millie needing a protector, and his errant beta would have no choice but to leave. He would need some help though, because he would only be at around ninety percent fitness level. His shrewd eyes quickly scanned the room and settled on Cedar. He had planned on asking Aaron's sister to fight because she was one of their more skilled female warriors but it would be more prudent to place Millie and Jen in her capable hands along with her brother.

His eyes then caught Loretta's briefly and he watched the dark haired woman sit a little bit straighter, her entire body language signalling she was at the ready for whatever her Alpha was going to ask of her. She was the natural successor to lead the females, having done so before Millie joined the pack.

The silence in the room stretched on as Jared took his time mulling over his options while he scanned the room slowly. Everyone was waiting for him to open the meeting and all he really wanted to do was go home and celebrate with his woman. He stifled down a sigh and shot Millie a big smile, mentally letting his love and delight at becoming a father wash over her. He felt her own rush of love and support wash over him and he turned back to face the room. 

He could see Bill Shepherd about to open his mouth and he impaled him with a steely glance before he stood up and faced the pack. All eyes were on him and he dug deep inside himself, letting his wolf prowl quite close to the surface.

"No doubt you are all aware of the two human women among us and the presence of certain vampires within the compound," he began, his voice strong and decisive. "I will now explain what is happening and I expect each and every one of you to hold your comments until I have completed the explanation." His eyes once more went to Bill and the older man glared at him , but lowered his gaze.

"Two nights ago, Rafe met his mate at Wicked," he smiled at Lacey as she sat close to his beta, her expression tense. "It was quickly apparent that Lacey was in some kind of trouble and Rafe had Aaron escort her home. There were two human men waiting for Lacey at her apartment and while she called Rafe for his help, Aaron went to investigate. I'm sure most of you are aware that Aaron is now recovering in the medical building after two bullets went through one of the humans and struck him in the chest." 

He paused to allow the information to sink in and listen to the quiet murmur which went around the room. The fact that Rafe had found his mate was bringing smiles to quite a few faces in both camps. Someone finding their mate was always something to smile about. Aaron's injuries caused some concern because he was extremely well liked within the pack. It would have been amusing under other circumstances to see the pack's confusion. They didn't know whether to smile or frown with the news they'd just heard.

Jared took a deep breath and continued. "Lacey and her friend Jen were brought back to the compound for protection until we could figure out what was going on. It was at this point we discovered who Lacey was in danger from and I called in Caleb and Annie for their advice on the matter. I had a suspicion about the man who was hunting Lacey," he admitted, "and I needed Caleb to confirm that suspicion for me so I could work out how best to protect the pack in general and Lacey in particular . That man is Richard Graves and he is a very ancient and powerful vampire. He is not a vampire like Caleb and Annie. He is cruel and vindictive and he is coming for Lacey and is ready to go through the entire pack to get her."

The room exploded into a riot of sound. Jared knew the pack would react to the news and he couldn't blame them on a personal level; the news was worrying. As Alpha though, he was angry that they were disregarding his words at the start of the meeting. His fist crashed down hard on the table in front of him. "Silence!" he roared loudly and the noise within the room came to an abrupt halt as all eyes turned to look at him in shock.

"Was anyone listening to me at the start of this meeting?" he asked in a deceptively quiet voice, his blue eyes cold and hard as they swung around the room. "Correct me if I'm wrong but did I not say comments would be heard once I had finished explaining the situation?"

Jared felt Millie's hand unobtrusively brush the back of his calf and just that slight touch helped to ease some of his inner fury as he glared at the pack. "This meeting is to inform you of what the situation is and what I intend to do about it. It wasn't called so the pack could have a committee meeting about the situation!" His eyes swung to Bill as he spoke and he met Mitch Fielding's eyes too. Like Rafe, he had immediately taken in the implication of the younger man sitting at Bill's side.

He finally swung his eyes back to the centre of the room when the silence remained. He could see disgruntled faces but they didn't faze him one bit. "Aaron is currently recovering from his wounds. He had found his mate in Jen so we have two new matings within the pack," he said brusquely. "You all know the pack protects itself. We protect our mates! Graves is coming not only for Lacey but for Jen too. It is his intention to kill Jen and take Lacey away with him. I will NOT let that happen. No one walks into my pack and takes away someone's mate. I don't care who they are. I will NOT stand by and let anyone hurt this pack."

His cold blue eyes travelled the room. The faces were confused now. On one level mates were looking at each other with worried glances, unconsciously reaching out to touch each other, but on another level the faces were worried, frightened even, at the prospect that vampires were about to descend on the pack.

"If Aaron and Rafe haven't mated properly with the humans then the situation can be avoided," Bill Shepherd shouted out, unable to hold his peace as Jared knew he would be unable to. 

A low growl erupted from Jared's right and Rafe stood up and took half a step towards Bill, his expression so black that Jared blinked at him in surprise for a moment.

"No one touches my mate," Rafe ground out furiously as his Alpha put a restraining hand on his arm. "You want to try, Bill? You think you're strong enough to take what's mine and hand it over to a vampire? How about I take your fucking mate and hand her over to the first vampire who steps up and decides he wants her?"

"Rafe!" Jared barked angrily. He was incensed at Bill and angry with his beta for reacting to the deliberate baiting. He could understand where Rafe was coming from but it was unacceptable that he do this in the middle of a pack meeting. Jared was trying to stop a challenge being called and Rafe wasn't helping matters.

Rafe heard Jared but he was so incensed that Bill was talking about rolling over and submitting to the vampires, that he was willing to hand over Lacey and Jen to Graves without a care in the world. He wanted to rip the other Were limb from limb, his wolf roaring furiously inside of him.

Lacey trembled beside him, her nervous eyes flicking from Rafe to the man in the front who was so willing to give her up to Richard. The tension in the room was thick as everyone seemed to be waiting to see what would happen. She could tell that things weren't good. A fight was going to break out. Jared was very angry and Rafe appeared to be unable to reason at the moment. The man sitting beside Bill was tense as if he was ready to get involved.

The sounds of a little girl's voice whispering close by took her eyes from the angry men and she saw a mother cuddle her child towards her side, an expression of worry on her face as well as fear. These people were afraid. All of them were. It didn't matter that they could turn into wolves, they were afraid for their families. Bill was voicing that fear and it was understandable even if Rafe couldn't think rationally at the moment to see it.

"Rafe," she said softly, reaching up to grab his hand. His head swung around at her touch and for a second he stared blankly at her and she could see the wildness in his eyes. It frightened her slightly but she kept her gaze fixed to his until he seemed to give himself a mental shake and his eyes cleared.

He sat down again, sliding his arm protectively around Lacey's shoulder. He ignored everyone in the room and leaned close to her, inhaling deeply of her scent and whispering in her ear, "No one will take you from me, Lacey. I won't allow it."

She leaned against his shoulder, resting her head against him and letting him have the physical contact he needed. She was so acutely aware that everyone was watching them but she tuned them out. The danger point at the moment was all the male testosterone running rampant. She couldn't do anything to calm Jared and Bill down but she could calm Rafe, so she let him hold her and took comfort in his strength because she was just as frightened as everyone else in the room.

Jared silently thanked Lacey for getting Rafe to calm down. He was still angry with his beta and would have words with him later but for the moment he was more furious with Bill. He turned back to the cause of the disruption and pinned him with an icy glare.

"My earlier edict did not mean the pack will remain silent with the exception of Bill Shepherd," Jared said in a deadly voice. "If you open your mouth once more before I throw the floor open to comments, then I will banish you immediately from the Hanlon Pack and you can go try your luck that some other pack will be stupid enough to take you in, Shepherd!"

His words were greeted by a chorus of startled gasps from around the room. Jared's grandfather had been the last Hanlon Alpha to ever banish someone from the pack. No one had been banished in centuries and to hear their Alpha calmly announce that he was willing to do so was a complete shock. 

Nervous eyes glanced warily at the Alpha and Rafe detected an almost imperceptible shift in the room, as if some of the people previously supporting Bill were trying to bend their bodies more towards the right of the room. He carefully kept his expression neutral even as he felt a little bubble of hope start to well up inside of him. 

Jared seemed to be fairing well so far. Yes, the situation was dire and the pack were frightened but in front of them was standing a strong, decisive Alpha, who was stamping his authority in a way he had never previously done before. Not because he lacked the authority to do so, but because there had never been the need to do so before now.

Jared moved his steely gaze away from Bill's stunned face and met Mitch Fielding's eyes square on. The perfect opportunity to challenge him was now, and it was obvious that Mitch had been chosen by the opposition to be the challenger. The two men eyed each other intently for a fraction of a second and then Mitch lowered his eyes in submission, inclining his head to his Alpha.

Jared didn't let the huge sigh of relief free when Mitch chose not to challenge. He wasn't relieved because he wouldn't need to fight the other Were, he was relieved because he really didn't have time to put up with factions within the pack and pack politics taking up time which was desperately needed elsewhere.

"Make no mistake," he said firmly turning his eyes back to the centre of the room. "The definition of mating is when a Were first recognises his or her mate. It is not conditional on the actual mating taking place. That rule holds for each and every member of the pack. As it is, Rafe and Aaron are having to put off actually fully mating because of the direness of the situation. I'm sure every mated Were here can only begin to imagine just how difficult that will be for them." 

He allowed the little murmurs to go around the room. He was ruthlessly playing on the mated members of the pack because they were the ones who could truly relate to having the fear of someone coming to take their mate from them. And it looked like it was working. The consensus in the room seemed to be swinging more in his favour. He allowed himself a moment to feel pride in his people. Once they took the time to see all the variables in play they usually came together as a pack.

"Plans are already in place to evacuate the children and anyone who is too old to fight," Jared said in a less strident tone. "Millie will be leaving with the children as we have just learned that she is pregnant."

Rafe swung his eyes to his sister, a wide grin crossing his face even as he registered the congratulatory voices calling out. The group seemed unable to contain themselves at getting a little good news despite the upcoming war about to happen. He leaned forward to stroke her hand gently. "Well done, you," he murmured quietly, just for her. "I'm so happy for you, Mills. For you and Jared both."

Millie gave him a quick smile, squeezing his big hand before they once more turned their attention back to the meeting.

"Aaron will not be recovered enough to stay at the compound so I am sending him along with Millie to help protect the children," Jared was saying once the noise died down. "Naturally his mate will go with him. Cedar, I would like you to go too to help protect the vulnerable ones. Select two others to go with you."

"Yes, Alpha," Cedar nodded, her blonde curls shaking slightly with the movement.

"Loretta, that puts you in charge of the female warriors," Jared continued. "Liaise with Rafe on your planned strategy. He will be able to fill you in more with what plan of action we've devised so far."

"What about the vampires, boss?" Loretta asked, her face calm and composed. "Will Caleb and Annie help us?"

The rest of the pack seemed to hold their breath as they waited for the Alpha to speak. "Caleb and Annie will stand at our side," he answered. "Rafe, and by default, Lacey, are family to them; as is Millie. They have agreed to stand with their family. Demetri Bozic has agreed to stand with Caleb which means we get him on our side too. Not a lot of you know him but he is pretty formidable among his kind. He is talking about bringing a few friends with him. So, it's not as bad as it initially sounds. We will have some support from our friendly vampires, for want of a better term."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 06



The news seemed to hearten the pack and a lot of the fear seemed to leach from the room. Jared watched as people sat up a little bit straighter, questions starting to fly around the room, suggestions starting to be made. He allowed himself a small smile as his people came together as one. Only a handful still seemed opposed but he intended to deal with that.

The main meeting began to break up into little sub meetings as his betas began to circulate, gathering groups and setting them about the tasks which Jared had already drawn up. With a quick smile to Millie, Jared strode over to Bill Shepherd and his handful of followers.

"You are not required to participate in this," he said coldly to Bill. "In fact, you and your little group can remove your belongings when you leave with the children. You will not be coming back to the compound."

"You can't do that!" Bill hissed furiously, his lined face drawing into a dark scowl as he glared at Jared.

"I can and I just have," the Alpha replied calmly. "You were willing to submit to the demands of a vampire, Shepherd. You were willing to give up two of this pack's mates to save your own skin. I have no use for cowards like you in my pack. And once your actions here become known I fear you will be hard pressed to find another pack to accept you into it. So you have a choice. Leave voluntarily and I will not put the word out about what kind of man you really are. Refuse and I'll make sure every pack within a five hundred mile radius knows what happened here today."

The older Were glared at him a fraction longer and then his expression smoothed out. "May I have a private word with you Alpha?" he said calmly.

His abrupt change surprised Jared and he pursed his lips for a moment as he regarded him and then he nodded abruptly. The others melted away, leaving just Bill and himself standing apart from the pack.

"Jared, I was your father's second in command," Bill said quietly, his expression grim as he regarded the younger man.

Jared stiffened at the reminder, his anger still strong. "Which means you should have known better, Bill," he said levelly. "If you had tried to usurp my father's position how would he have reacted? He would most likely have seen it as a challenge and you'd be dead."

Bill nodded his agreement because he couldn't really argue the point. Jared's father had been a tough Alpha. It was the apparent lack of toughness he had seen in Jared which had caused him to become concerned for the leadership of the pack. He hadn't stopped to think that times were different when Jared's father led. Seeing his Alpha up there today, taking control, having an action plan and allies already in place, had made him realise the error of his thoughts.

"Yes, he would have, Jared. He was a good man and a strong Alpha," he conceded. "I was proud to stand at his side. I know I haven't always shown you that same support but your style of leadership was so different from Alaric's that I felt you didn't have the strength to lead the pack safely. Today you have proven me wrong."

He met his Alpha's eyes squarely. "I'm sorry for my actions, Alpha. I was wrong and I can see that now. The pack needs every available fighting man for what is coming. I respectfully ask you reconsider your decision and allow us to fight with the pack."

Jared stared at him in surprise. He hadn't expected this of Bill. Which was why he had been ready to banish him and his followers once and for all. He scrutinised the other man intently, looking for any signs of deception, any trickery at all. He saw nothing but a genuine need to help the pack.

"I'll give you this one last chance to prove that you're committed to this pack Bill," he finally said. "You were a good second to my father and it was for that reason I didn't banish you earlier. Don't make me regret this decision. If you ever try to undermine me again I will force a challenge."

Bill nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Alpha." His tone conveyed his deep respect and Jared finally relented and relaxed.

"You'd best talk to one of the other betas about where you'll be best suited. I'd advise you to stay away from Rafe until he calms down a bit. You're not his favourite person at the moment."

Bill managed a rueful smile. "I can't say I blame him, Jared," he chuckled lightly. "The good thing about Rafe is he always calms down quickly. I'll give him a wide berth until then."

Jared wasn't so sure just how quickly Rafe would calm down about his mate being offered up to Graves like a sacrifice, but he hoped he wouldn't have to intervene between the two of them. He hoped Rafe's gentler nature would win out or Lacey would be able to talk some sense into him.

He moved away from Bill and headed over to the couple he was presently thinking about. Millie had wandered over to talk to Loretta so he sank down beside his beta who was scowling darkly at Bill as he made his way towards Peter for his instructions.

"I can't believe you didn't banish him," Rafe growled angrily.

Jared smothered down a deep sigh and regarded his friend with narrowed eyes. "Oh, so you think I should banish him for interjecting during a meeting I warned everyone to keep quiet in?" he asked in a deceptively quiet tone.

Rafe's eyes met his and they almost glared at each other for a moment before Rafe suddenly relaxed and his lips twitched slightly. "I take your point, Jared. I shouldn't have reacted as I did. I lost my head for a moment."

"You lose your head way too often, Rafe. It's starting to irritate me that we always end up having these conversations. There can only be one Alpha in this pack. If you wish to lead then once this is all over, you have my permission to leave with your mate and anyone else who wishes to join you." 

Jared hadn't planned on saying that and was a bit surprised that it had come out. He didn't want Rafe to leave the pack. He had fought so hard to keep him alive the previous year when he had rebelled against his new life. He relied on Rafe so much. He was his beta, his friend, his brother. And Millie would kill him if he kicked her brother from the pack.

Rafe was equally surprised but for different reasons. He was surprised that Jared still thought he wanted to lead a pack. How many times had he told him that he did not want to be Alpha? Hell, they had almost come to blows earlier over it. He was aware Lacey was sitting tensely at his side, watching the two men with wide eyes.

"You know I don't want to lead, Jared," he sighed deeply. "How many more times must I say it? When this is over I just want to be with Lacey, running Wicked and visiting with Annie whenever I can. I don't want to leave the pack."

"I know," Jared said with an apologetic smile. "I don't even know why I said it in the first place. I'd be lost if you left the pack, Rafe, because not only would I lose the best second I've ever had, I'd lose half my betas too. Aaron would follow you in a heartbeat and probably Ben, Mike, and Pete too."

Rafe stared at him in surprise. Maybe Aaron would leave with him but the others? He didn't think so. It was a moot point anyway. The Hanlon Pack was his home and he wasn't going anywhere. 

"Jared, why don't you and Millie go and grab an hour alone to celebrate your good news," he said, deftly ignoring his Alpha's words and changing the subject completely. "Your mind is obviously somewhere else because you're talking the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."

For a moment Jared simply stared at him blankly and then he threw his head back and laughed loudly. "You are so right, my friend," he answered when he stopped laughing. The weight of the almost challenge to his leadership, the upcoming war and the preparations required to protect the pack; all had been preying on his mind so much he was seeing veiled challenges where there were none. Some time alone with Millie before she left was just what he needed.

"Go on," Rafe laughed. "There is nothing so urgent that needs your immediate attention. We know what we need to do and we're doing it." He motioned to the other betas hard at work in the room. "Lacey and I will go and let Aaron know what's happening. Millie's pregnancy will help ease his reluctance to leave." He grinned at his Alpha. "I never did say congratulations, Daddy."

Lacey laughed softly at the delight that crossed Jared's handsome face. "Congratulations, Jared," she said quietly. "Tell Millie I said so too."

Jared smiled his thanks and headed off to gather up his woman. He slipped an arm around Millie's waist and dropped a quick kiss on her neck. "Excuse us, Loretta," he said to the pretty dark haired woman who had been in deep conversation with his woman. "I'm in need of my woman for a little while."

Millie shot him a quizzical look but smiled and relaxed against him. Jared was about to pull her away when he stopped and looked back at Loretta. She was second only to Millie in the hierarchy of the bitches in the pack. She had been Alpha Bitch in all but name before he'd found his Millie.

"Loretta," he smiled, a sudden thought coming to him. He really should have done this a long time ago. "I know Millie relies on you a lot. We are lucky to have you stand in for her due to her delicate condition at the moment. I'm sorry, Millie, I know I've not had time to discuss this with you, but I'd like Loretta to accept the position of beta in the pack."

Loretta's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened with shock. Millie blinked slowly and pursed her lips thoughtfully. Her man always managed to surprise her when she was least expecting it. A female beta? She looked at Loretta and smiled. She deserved the promotion. She sighed softly and let her eyes travel quickly around the room until she settled on a tall, leggy blonde.

"Loretta, if it's what you want then please feel free to accept Jared's offer," she said with a smile as her gaze turned back to the dark haired woman. 

"You don't mind?" Loretta asked with a touch of concern in her voice. "Millie, you know I value my position as your second. I don't want to let you down."

Millie could see that she was torn. To be offered the position of beta was a high honour and to be the first female beta in the pack would elevate Loretta higher than she already stood. The pack still had a few slightly misogynist tendencies despite their other enlightened ways.

Millie gave her a reassuring smile. "You accepted me almost instantly, Loretta. You helped me integrate into the pack and stopped me making a fool of myself with the other women here. I will always be grateful for that and I would never stand in the way of what you really desire."

Loretta beamed a wide smile at her and then turned her gaze back to Jared. "I'd be honoured, Alpha," she said almost reverently and Jared returned her smile with an equally brilliant one.

"That's settled then," he grinned about to pull Millie from the room but she halted him.

"Wait a minute," she laughed softly. "You've just stolen my second, I need to organise another one." She slipped from his arms quickly and hurried across the room. "Cedar, a moment please," she smiled.

Aaron's sister turned at her voice and gave her a smile. She didn't really know Millie that well because she stayed in town almost constantly but everyone spoke highly of the Alpha Bitch.

"Cedar, Jared has just poached Loretta from me and I find myself without a second. Would you be interested in the position?"

"Me?" Cedar almost squeaked. "But you hardly know me, Millie." She was completely stunned that the Alpha Bitch was according her this honour. It was almost surreal.

Millie smiled. "We'll be rectifying that pretty soon when the evacuation starts," she answered. "But I think I know enough already to make the decision. Aaron and Rafe rate you very highly as does Jared. It's not just anyone he hands over my safety to. Will you please consider it, Cedar? When all this is done there is going to be a lot of rebuilding needed. I will need someone strong and capable to help me, particularly as my pregnancy progresses."

Cedar's blue eyes shone as she smiled at Millie. "It would be my honour to be your second, Millie."

"Excellent," Millie sighed with a smile tugging at her lips. "I look forward to getting to know you better, Cedar. And now I must go and see to the Alpha before he explodes." They both laughed at the frustrated expression on Jared's face as he waited impatiently for his woman to return to his side.

Millie hurried over to him and automatically stepped into his embrace as he reached for her. "No more interruptions," he growled loudly as he briskly escorted her out of the meeting room. The moment they were outside, he pushed Millie against the side of the building and dipped his head for a long, slow, drugging kiss.

She melted against him, her arms winding around his neck as she parted her mouth and surrendered to his kiss. Kissing Jared was always like doing it for the first time. Her breath always caught in her throat as her body instantly reacted to his closeness. 

"Millie," he breathed softly against her lips. "My beautiful, wonderful, Millie. Thank you, baby, for giving me the most precious gift in the whole world." His hands slid down her body to reverently rest against her stomach and she moaned softly and pressed her hands on top of his as they kissed slowly, tongues duelling erotically.

With a sigh Jared pulled away and smiled into her beautiful face. He grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly towards their home.

"Jared," Millie half protested. She knew that look. As much as she wanted to be with him there was so much to get done and so little time to do it in.

"Millie," he laughed softly, quickening his step until she almost had to jog to keep up with him. He had her in the house and up the stairs before she could formulate her protest more vigorously.

"You'll be leaving soon," Jared sighed with a slight frown on his face as he closed the bedroom door behind them. "I know it will keep you safe but the thought of you being gone is just about killing me."

She could hear the deep pain in his voice at the thought of them being parted. She felt the same anxiousness at their impending separation too but she understood the necessity. "It won't be for long, love," she answered, her disquiet evident in her voice. "You know I want to be here with you, Jared. I'm so happy we're finally pregnant but a part of me wishes it could have waited until next month to happen." She sat down on the edge of their bed, her conflicting emotions crossing her face.

Jared understood her dilemma. He had the same conflicted feelings about it. As a man, he was ecstatic his woman was growing his children inside her. He was overjoyed that she was being forced to leave with the children and would be safe when the vampires came. As an Alpha, he felt guilty that his mate was being spared what so many of his pack were not.

Millie," he groaned sinking to his knees before her and wrapping his arms around her waist so he could bury his head against her stomach. Her arms automatically came around him, holding him close.

"I know it's wrong to be happy about the timing," he said in a tortured whisper. "But I'm so glad you're pregnant now, Millie. I'm so glad you're going to be safely away from the compound when the trouble starts. That I won't have to be worried about something awful happening to you. It's so selfish to feel this way but I can't help it. I just want you safe, baby."

She hugged him tighter as his body trembled slightly with the raw emotions running through him. "I want you to be safe too," she whispered into his hair. "I don't want to come back and find you're not here, Jared. Promise me that won't happen. Please promise me."

He raised his head and stared into her beautiful blue eyes and saw the deep fear lurking in their smoky depths. "I promise you, Millie," he said reverently, stroking her cheek gently as a tear spilled down it. "I swear I will be here waiting for you when this is all over with. I'll be waiting for you and our precious babies to come home to me."

Millie hated herself for being so weak, for allowing her fear to show when he needed her to be strong for him. Her lips moved urgently over his, tasting his wonderful taste, luxuriating in the feel of his hard mouth moulding itself to hers. She didn't know when she would feel those lips again, or if she would ever feel them again, despite his fervent promise.

Jared rose quickly and pulled his beautiful woman up so he could swiftly peel the clothes from her body. He was pressing her back against the bed almost instantly, his own clothes disappearing with a sound of buttons popping and material ripping as he ached to be naked with her. As soon as his skin pressed against hers he calmed, the quiet desperation of a moment before sliding away. He didn't want his time with her to be about fear and anguish, he wanted it to be a celebration of the life they had created together.

Easing back from Millie, he stroked her tangled curls back from her face and lightly traced each and every beautiful feature with his fingers. He wanted to memorise every inch of her so he would have this memory when she was away from him. "You're so perfect, my Millie," he breathed gently. "So beautiful, so loving. You're a part of my very soul, baby. I'm nothing without you."

She smiled tremulously at him, reaching up to touch his face lightly before burying her hands in his long, silky black hair. "And I am nothing without you, Jared," she sighed and then she laughed lightly. "Well maybe not nothing," she amended looking down at her flat stomach. "It appears I am a mother now, too."

Her lightening of the mood brought a smile to his face, her mention of their children growing inside her bringing his attention back to her beautiful body. He slid down her body and pressed a gentle kiss against her stomach, his hands stroking reverently over her soft skin. "I love you, Millie," he breathed against her softness. "Our babies are going to be the luckiest children on the planet having you as their mother."

She laughed again and he smiled and looked up at her with a slightly quizzical expression. "You keep saying babies, Jared. How many are you expecting to be in there?" She knew Weres usually had multiple births but she was hoping that she would only be having twins at the most. For her first pregnancy at least. But she wasn't sure how many Jared was expecting.

"As long as they're healthy I don't care how many we're having, Mills," he smiled. "Two, three, four. It doesn't matter. I just ache to see our children for the first time." He kissed her stomach again and slowly moved his lips lower wanting to taste her sweet essence.

She gasped loudly when his tongue stroked boldly over her throbbing heat, his fingers peeling apart her slick folds so he could dive in and drink from her aroused body. Her hips bucked up to meet his questing mouth and he drilled his tongue deep inside her opening and began to lick slowly, savouring her juices as they exploded onto his tongue. He never tired of tasting her body. Her sweetness made his head spin and his cock throb painfully hard with the need to be buried deep inside her. But he took his time, licking each slick fold slowly, savouring every drop of sweet nectar she gave him before he finally rubbed his tongue roughly over her swollen, erect clit.

Millie cried out and arched up from the bed as Jared began to suckle against her clit. He always knew just how to drive her crazy with his mouth. Sometimes he would torture her for what felt like hours before he allowed her to sail over the precipice into her orgasm. They didn't have that luxury of time so he attacked her aching pussy relentlessly, suckling and licking with firm, relentless strokes until she cried out and her release washed over her in a tidal wave.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 06



She was still slowly coming down from that first heady pleasure when his body moved over hers and his thick cock pressed for entrance into her wet body. She moaned and spread her legs wider, inviting him in and sighing with pleasure as he slowly stretched her open for his invasion.

Jared fought the need to pound into her beautiful body. He took his time, slowly teasing her with an inch of his cock at a time, pausing and nibbling at her hard nipples before sliding another inch inside her tightness. He loved sinking into her hot, willing body. His cock was rock hard and aching for release but he wanted to savour this moment with her. His Millie had other ideas though.

She pulled his mouth to hers and aggressively pressed her tongue deep against his. Her hips bucked up hard and he sank completely inside her with one long stroke. He growled, his body on fire as her velvet walls encased his cock. Thoughts of being gentle went out the window as he pulled back and thrust in hard and deep. She met him eagerly, moaning her approval into his mouth as they kissed desperately.

Jared lost his head completely, thrusting hard and fast, his breathing harsh and ragged as they moved frantically against each other. Loving Millie was always a tempestuous experience. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to demand it from him. Her beautiful body arched sinuously against his and he thrust into her heat deeply, his hands toying with her full breasts, tweaking at her nipples just the way she loved it.

He knew he wasn't going to last. Not at the pace Millie was setting. He tried to slow down but she was having none of it. She needed him, wanted him so badly, she wrapped her long legs around his body and bucked up hard against him. He growled again and pinned her hands above her head, his eyes intent on her face as he began to stroke into her body in a hard, fast rhythm. 

He watched each flicker of pleasure dance across her beautiful face, exulted in each cry of pleasure that tore from her throat as he stroked her higher and higher towards her completion. He felt his knot starting to form and he didn't even try to contain it. He paused in his movements for a moment, before he carefully eased the rigid protrusion into her hot body. He needed to be pinned to her. It was more of a mental need than a physical need as his seed had already taken hold inside her. He pressed forwarded relentlessly until his knot imbedded itself into her body and she gasped loudly at the sensation. Her beautiful eyes flickered open and she smiled at him and flexed her hips against his.

He grinned a grin of intense male satisfaction. She was so sensual, so lusty, and so totally unashamed of her need for him. His love for his woman knew no bounds and he dropped his head to kiss her slowly before he began to move within her beautiful body again. He thrust slowly at first, teasing her because he knew she wanted more. She had almost been ready to come apart in his arms before his knot formed. Now he stroked into her with hard, measured movements, slowing the pace right down so they could savour the moment a little longer.

"Jared," Millie moaned in frustration, flexing her hips against him. "Don't tease me!"

Jared laughed softly and silenced her with a kiss, resisting her demands for a moment longer, savouring the feel of her velvety walls stroking his cock so beautifully before his own need overcame him once more and his movements increased in speed and ferocity.

He knew she was close. Her breath was coming out in harsh pants, her eyes shut tightly as her body strained for the pleasure which awaited her. His cock slammed into her hard, and then again. The third time he tipped her over the edge and she was cumming with a loud wail, her body stiffening beneath his as her pleasure peaked.

The sight of his beautiful woman caught in her ecstasy pushed Jared over the edge and he roared loudly, his head tipping back as his cock expanded inside her and his thick, ropey seed began to erupt deep inside her beautiful body. He jerked against her as the sweet bliss of loving his woman took over his very soul and he continued to empty himself into her until he had nothing left to give her.

With a deep groan, he sank against Millie, his arms cradling her gently as their panting breath filled the room. "I love you, Millie," he breathed against the side of her neck.

"I love you, Jared," she whispered, stroking his head gently as their bodies slowly began to cool.

Jared basked in the afterglow of their love, holding Millie tightly to his body and taking a few more moments to lie pinned with his beautiful woman before he had to once more don the mask of an Alpha and go back to the pack to prepare them for the upcoming war.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 07



Rafe sighed with relief when he was finally able to escape from the meeting hall with Lacey clutched tightly to his side. He glanced down at her, his heart turning over in his chest as her beautiful eyes rose to meet his. She smiled softly at him and he sucked in a deep breath as his gaze roamed greedily over her perfect features. 

She was so beautiful both inside and out. It tore at his heart that she had known such pain at the hands of Richard Graves. Every time he thought about it his wolf dissolved into a black rage and he had to fight the need to go looking for the vampire on his own. Logically he knew he wouldn't last a second against the ancient vampire, that he needed the pack and Caleb and Annie to help protect his woman. But that didn't stop him wanting to rip the vampire apart. That didn't stop him from wanting to sink his teeth into the disgusting creature's neck and feel his hot blood sliding down his throat.

"Rafe, are you trying to squeeze me to death?" Lacey asked with a little laugh.

Her voice shook him out of his thoughts and he realised he was holding her a little too tightly. He gentled his touch instantly, his expression turning regretful. "I'm sorry, baby," he sighed leaning down to catch her mouth underneath his, his tongue lightly tracing her bottom lip before he dipped inside to taste her more fully.

He groaned as his body hardened instantly as he stopped dead in the middle of the compound and moulded her soft body very intimately with his. His hands roamed hungrily down her back as she responded with a fiery passion which knocked him a little off guard. He had expected some reticence as they were out in the open but she surprised him with her eagerness.

His wolf howled loudly, his body became harder and his kiss deeper, more demanding, crushing her soft lips under his determined assault. She was perfection and she was all his. His beautiful, amazing woman. He growled loudly and slid his body sensuously against hers, letting her feel his desire, his need for her.

Lacey couldn't breathe. The instant Rafe's lips touched hers she had gone up in heated flames, desire exploding deep within her, an urgency to get as close to him as she could get overtaking her. She was vaguely aware that they were in the middle of the compound but she didn't care. All she cared about was her need for the wonderful man holding her so tightly, rubbing his achingly hard body against her with a fierce need as his mouth mauled hers almost desperately.

She felt something click into place deep inside her. It happened so fast and was so strong she was momentarily stunned by it and stiffened in his arms.

"Lacey?" Rafe's voice was thick with passion, his brown eyes smoky with need as he pulled back and looked down at her with a confused expression on his handsome face.

She stared up at him, her eyes widening slightly with surprise, her swollen lips parting to allow her to lick her lips in a nervous gesture. How had this happened so fast? It didn't seem possible but as Rafe kissed her she just suddenly knew that she was in love with him. She knew he was in love her even though he hadn't said the actual words. It was all part of being a wolf for him. That instant certainty that he'd met the woman he would love forever.

For her it was different, wasn't it? She wasn't a wolf. She didn't have those same instincts. So how could she be staring into his gorgeous face and feeling such deep, intense love for him? She had only known him two days!

"Lacey?" Rafe said again his expression turning slightly anxious when she didn't answer him immediately. "What's wrong, honey? You can tell me. Whatever it is I'll fix it for you."

Lacey let out a long slow breath and blinked slowly. "I'm in love with you, Rafe." It didn't come out quite how she intended it to. Her tone was so disbelieving, confusion reining on her very expressive face. For a moment she thought he hadn't heard her or maybe he thought he'd misheard her words. Then a slow smile crept across his face and his deep brown eyes began to almost glow with joy as he reverently took her face in his hands.

"Well, it's not the most romantic of ways for my woman to tell me she loves me for the first time, but I'll take it anyway," he laughed softly as his leaned down to lightly brush her lips in a fleeting kiss. "You do know that I'm in love with you too, don't you, baby?" he murmured against her lips. "I would have thought after last night and this morning that I'd made that abundantly clear."

His light tone and teasing touches settled a little of her confusion and she smiled against his mouth, sighing softly at the thought of their lovemaking and how fantastic it had been. Her slight relief didn't last long though and she frowned as she tried to work out these new feelings inside of her.

"It just seems too fast, Rafe," she said quietly, pulling away slightly to look in his eyes. "I know it makes sense to you this mating thing but what if what we have isn't what you think it is? What if my feelings for you are a reaction to my life being threatened and you protecting me? It's been known to happen before. Relationships built on danger invariably fail. Then we have to consider my appalling lack of judgement when it comes to men too."

Rafe growled low in his chest and his hands tightened around her face as his expression turned fierce. "Don't you dare let that bastard do this to you, Lacey," he ground out angrily. "Don't you dare let him inside your head for even a fraction of a second more. You were not to blame for what he did to you. It wasn't your fault. Don't lose faith in your judgement because he turned out to be an abusive prick!"

Lacey felt her eyes fill with tears as Rafe trapped her gaze with his. His rage was plain to see but it wasn't directed at her, he was furious on her behalf. She saw no condemnation in his eyes, not even a little hint of disapproval that she'd taken so long to be free of Richard. It suddenly occurred to her that they had never spoken about what had happened to her, that maybe they should. 

"Lacey," Rafe groaned as the tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. He pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly as she clung onto his shoulders and her body began to shake with the emotions ripping through her. He muttered a curse under his breath and swept her into his arms, striding quickly towards his own small private cabin which was the closest building to them.

He had them inside and sinking down onto the old leather sofa in a matter of seconds, his hands stroking her hair soothingly as she wept quietly in his arms. "It's not your fault, baby," he whispered gruffly. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Lacey. I wish I'd known you sooner, that I could have been there for you. I won't ever let him hurt you again, I swear it, baby. No one will ever hurt you again, not as long as I live." 

Every sob was like a knife wound to his heart as he cradled her gently, rocking her soothingly and whispering to her over and over again. She cried quietly, her body shaking as the pain poured out of her in endless torrents. She clung onto him as if her life depended on him and Rafe thought his heart would surely break if her sobbing didn't cease soon. His own eyes filled with tears and he found himself weeping along with her, his hands stroking through her hair as he kissed her cheeks softly.

"Lacey," he groaned hoarsely, his tears sliding down to join hers on her cheek. "Baby, everything's going to be okay. I swear it! Please don't cry anymore, Lacey. It's breaking my heart. I'll protect you. You're my whole world now, honey. I love you so much and I won't let anyone take you away from me. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

His words washed over Lacey as all the pain, misery and fear erupted out of her. She had held it all back for so long, having to be strong to withstand Richard's many abuses and then having to be strong to protect Jen. She'd never let herself really think about what she'd been through. She had always been too scared to, too afraid that if she let go she would lose herself completely and never find a way out of the black hole which had been her life with Richard Graves.

And now she had Rafe, her handsome, strong wolf who was holding her so protectively, who was claiming her as his life's mate. Who loved her and accepted her and didn't judge her for the poor choices she had made in life. She could hear his love in every word, she could feel it in the gentle touch of his hands even as his strong arms crushed her so protectively. She could hear it in the anguished tone of his voice and she could feel it as his tears fell on her face and he wept openly and unashamedly because he ached for her pain.

"Rafe," she sobbed her mouth seeking his urgently, needing to connect with him so desperately. She whimpered as his mouth met hers, their lips moving frantically against each other as she dug her fingers into his silky long hair. There was an urgency inside her she didn't understand, a deep, overwhelming need to be as close to him as she could. She gasped pulling back from him, staring wildly into his eyes and seeing a feral glint in their smoky brown depths.

The intensity of the emotions they were both feeling was triggering Rafe's wolf. She could see it so clearly in his eyes and her body was responding to it wildly. For the first time she consciously looked at him and recognised him as her mate, even though she wasn't a wolf yet. That was what had clicked inside her earlier. That was what had made her realise she loved him. She was meant to be with him, forever and for always.

She laughed. She threw her head back and laughed loudly even as her tears still fell, but they weren't tears of pain any longer, they were tears of joy. Her laughter shook Rafe out of his feral side and he held his woman and watched her with a quizzical expression on his face. Her head tipped forward again and her silvery blonde hair fell forward across her shoulders.

Rafe had to remember to breathe when he saw the look of joy on Lacey's face. She looked so stunningly beautiful even though her eyes were red from weeping and her cheeks were still wet. Something within her was shining so brightly it was quickly displacing all the heartache she had just been suffering. Her face was practically glowing with wonder and she literally took his breath away. "Lacey," he breathed softly, his voice catching as she reached out to wipe at his wet cheeks.

"I love you, Rafe," she whispered, her tone full of wonder and awe as she laughed lightly again. "I am your mate."

Fresh tears filled his eyes as a wide smile crossed his face. "You are my mate," he whispered back. "My beautiful woman, my heart's desire, my life's partner and I love you with every fibre of my being." He dipped his head to kiss her again, a long slow, sensual kiss full of his love for the amazing woman who had been to hell and back and was still standing. Despite everything she still had the capacity to love and to reach out and take what was rightfully hers. Him.

"I want to be with you, Rafe," Lacey whispered urgently against his lips. "I want to be a wolf, your mate in every sense of the word. I have no doubts. Please make me a wolf, right here, right now."

Rafe trembled violently at her words, his wolf howling so loudly that for a brief second he lost all control of his human side and he started to shift, his powerful body shimmering wildly. NO! His human side screamed loudly, urgently calling his wolf back and with a loud roar Rafe practically threw Lacey away from him onto the sofa and fell forward, fighting wildly to stay human.

He was vaguely aware of Lacey's startled gasp as he struggled furiously with his wolf. He clawed his way back up into control, a feeling of exhaustion washing over him as he finally won the internal battle and remained human, sinking down onto the wooden floor beneath him.

"Rafe?" Lacey whispered, her voice so quiet for a moment he thought he had imagined she'd spoken but then she whispered his name again and he took a deep breath and turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were wide with surprise, her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she stared down at him in confusion.

"Don't you want me?" she asked , her voice breaking, her beautiful eyes filling with tears again and he growled loudly and turned to gather her into his arms. 

"You're all I want," he ground out hoarsely, holding her so tightly he was afraid he was hurting her with his fierce possessiveness. "But not like this, Lacey. Not when an axe is hanging over our heads. When we mate I want it to be so beautiful, so perfect, baby."

She trembled against him and he buried her face in the side of his neck and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He prayed silently she would accept his reason, that she wouldn't push him, wouldn't question him. If she knew of the real reason he couldn't mate with her she wouldn't understand. She would be frightened and he didn't want her to be frightened anymore. He wanted to keep her safe.

Lacey felt Rafe tremble against her and she knew he was holding something back. His reaction to her thinking he didn't want her completely dispelled that little moment of insecurity. She had wanted to drag the words back the moment they came out of her mouth because she knew the answer to the question she had asked. She'd known it the moment she had looked up in Wicked and stared deeply into his dark brown eyes. Rafe Hanlon would always want her. 

There was another reason and it wasn't the one he had given her. He hadn't lied to her. She knew him well enough that he would want their mating to be beautiful and perfect. No, he hadn't lied but he hadn't told the whole truth either. "Rafe," she said softly, pulling back and sliding out of his embrace. For a moment he held onto her and then he sighed and let her go, his expression turning closed and slightly guarded.

"Tell me the real reason we can't mate right now, Rafe," she asked quietly, her green eyes intent on his face. She saw a muscle tick in his clenched jaw before he dropped his eyes from hers and stood up, crossing the room and turning to look back at her. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms as if preparing himself for a battle of some kind.

"If Graves gets past me, Lacey, if he gets past Caleb and Annie, the only thing which will keep you alive is you still being human. If I fully mate with you and you become a wolf, he will kill you. I can't put you in that danger." He watched her digest the words and saw her beautiful face mar in a deep frown. He had expected to see fear but instead he saw anger in her beautiful eyes.

"You're telling me that you won't mate with me because of Richard?" she asked in a level voice. "You, who stood outside not half an hour ago and told me not to let him get inside my head anymore? What do you think you're doing right now, Rafe? Protecting me? Or are you letting Richard mess with your head imagining all of your 'what if?' scenarios?"

"Lacey," he growled softly pushing off from the wall and moving back to the sofa. He sat down beside her. "This isn't the same thing, baby. If Graves gets past me then it will mean that I'm dead because that's the only way he'll ever get near you again. The only chance you'll have is if you're still human. He won't kill you, he'll take back what he sees is his. And even though I don't ever want to see you in his hands again at least if you're alive there's a chance Caleb and Annie can come rescue you. They will come for you, Lacey. They will protect you from him."

Lacey took a deep breath and reached for Rafe's hands. She could see he was determined to have his way about this. But she could be just as determined when she wanted something and right now she'd never wanted anything as badly as she wanted to be joined with her wonderful man completely.

"Rafe, I appreciate your reasoning," she said softly. "I understand where you're coming from but you need to listen to me and really hear me. Until this very moment I was willing to go back to Richard." Rafe growled loudly at her words but she squeezed his hands gently, diverting him from his initial reaction.

"I would have done so knowing that he would eventually kill me because I could have stopped others from being hurt," she continued. "You won't allow that. The pack won't allow it so that's an option not open to me anymore. Jen is safe now with Aaron. She has him to take care of her so now I get to think about what I want. I want to be with you Rafe. I won't go back to Richard, not ever. If he kills you then I'll do my damnedest to kill him. I'll make him kill me, Rafe. There will be no rescue by Annie and Caleb because I'll fight him to the end whether I'm human or not. So your argument doesn't work. There is no good reason to wait for us to mate properly."

Rafe felt his heart thump painfully hard in his chest as he watched her determined face. The thought of Richard Graves ever touching her again filled him with a black rage. The conviction in Lacey's words, the set expression on her face, told him she meant what she said. She would make Graves kill her and the thought of her dying ripped his heart to shreds. If she was a wolf vampire venom could kill her in one bite. If she was human vampire hands could crush her neck with no real force being applied. Either way she was vulnerable to the vampires that were coming. 

He didn't know what to do and it was ripping him apart. He hadn't felt this level of anguish since the day he'd woken up in that white room and realised he had been changed into a wolf and been told he would never see Annie again. He stared into Lacey's beautiful green eyes and swallowed hard. "Will you give me until the end of today to think about it, baby?" he asked quietly, his hand reaching up to stroke her cheek gently. "It's not that I don't want this as badly as you do because I do, Lacey. I want this so much it's hard to say no to you. I just need a little time to think about it."

Lacey could see his indecision. If she pushed a little bit harder she could maybe tempt his wolf to act now. The moment she thought it she dispelled the thought. She wouldn't do that to Rafe. There was something in his eyes, that same haunted look she had seen when she woke to find him in bed with her. She still didn't know what demons haunted Rafe, what it was in his past which brought him such pain when he thought about it, but whatever it was it cut him deeply. She couldn't do anything that would increase his pain. She only hoped they would both live long enough that he would open up to her and tell her what it was.

"I can wait," she answered moving back into his embrace to give him whatever comfort she could. It was the right thing to do because he held onto her so tightly, as if she were his life line. "Just not too long, Rafe, okay? I know what I want and I won't change my mind. I hope you can tell me what it is that hurts you so much too."

Rafe groaned and buried his head in the side of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. "I will, Lace," he whispered. "Soon. I just need a little time. Everything has happened so fast. Meeting you, Aaron being hurt, the impending war, the pack meeting. I just need to regroup a little, gather my thoughts. I promise you we'll talk about this again tomorrow."

She sighed and stroked his head. "Then I can wait until tomorrow," she breathed softly. "But we will have this conversation tomorrow whether you feel ready to have it or not. Am I making myself clear, Rafe?"

He laughed and raised his head, the haunted expression melting away to be replaced with one of such love it took Lacey's breath away. "Yes ma'am," he chuckled lightly before he gave in to the temptation to kiss her soundly.

_____

Rhianna ran lightly through the forest trying not to laugh out loud. It was exhilarating to run at such speed, flying over the forest floor and weaving in and out of the trees. She had been doing this for months now, ever since she made the change from human to vampire. Caleb had insisted on it, as had Rafe. Once a week she pitted her skills as a vampire against the wolf pack, sometimes twice a week if Caleb felt she hadn't performed very well.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 07



Her vampire was such a hard taskmaster at times. He was determined that she be the best trained youngling to ever walk the planet. It all boiled down to his incessant paranoia that someone was going to come along and try and hurt her. It irritated her no end but she let him have his way. It made him feel better so she could put up with his over protectiveness. Rafe wasn't much better. If she didn't successfully evade a minimum of six wolves then he gave her a stern ticking off and scheduled another training session.

She jumped up high and grabbed onto a branch and swung herself effortlessly into one of the tall oak trees. She settled back on the long branch and cast her lavender eyes over the forest floor. She'd already managed to outrun most of the wolves. There was only Rafe and one other still tracking her and she was sure she had whittled it down to just Rafe now. Usually it ended up with her pitted against Rafe and Aaron but Aaron was still in the medical centre so it was just her brother who still stalked her ruthlessly. 

She watched Rafe enter the clearing below her in wolf form. Her brother was impressive as a wolf, so big and strong. She loved that she could run with him like this, that they still had their strong bond despite being of such different species now. Rafe had been more of a father to her than a big brother, having taken care of her since she was three and their parents had died. 

She loved him so much and was so frightened he'd do something silly to try and protect Lacey. She had asked Demetri to have some of his friends keep an eye on Graves' haunts to make sure Rafe didn't try and take him out on his own. It would be just like Rafe to do something that silly and she needed to protect him from himself sometimes. She shuddered slightly as her thoughts went back to last year. Rafe didn't always think of what was really best for him. Sometimes keeping Rafe alive was a lot of hard work but she would always be there to stop him from doing something stupid.

She watched Rafe leave the clearing and hopped down nimbly from the trees, reaching around and dropping her rucksack from her back. She dug inside it and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a flask of coffee. She poured herself a cup as she waited for her brother to come back.

She was on her second cup by the time the large brown wolf returned to the clearing. "You've got something on your mind," she said with a small smile tugging at her lips. "It's not like you to be so bad at tracking me."

Rafe shifted into human form and reached for the sweatpants. His sister was used to seeing him naked by now and she didn't fuss as much about it since she had become a vampire, but he still insisted on having something to cover up with when they trained together. He dressed and sat down beside her, reaching into the rucksack and pulling out an apple. "Your skills are improving dramatically," he answered quietly. "You outran eleven wolves this time."

Rhianna raised an eyebrow in surprise, but her face split into a wide smile. Eleven wolves? Now even Caleb would have to be impressed with that! She shot a sideways glance at Rafe. Something was really bothering him. He bit silently into the apple and she stifled down a deep sigh. "Do I have to drag it out of you?" she asked.

She met his gaze as he turned to her with a little smile tugging at his lips. He reached over and ruffled her curls just to annoy her. "You see too much," he said gruffly.

"I always will where you're concerned, Rafe," she answered softly, her lavender eyes full of concern. "You're not thinking of going after Graves alone are you?" She couldn't quite keep the fear out of her voice. She let out a relieved sigh when her brother shot a look of such surprise at her. At least that wasn't the issue.

Rafe sighed deeply and rested back against the tree they were sitting in front of. "No, I'm not that stupid, Annie," he said softly, his eyes turning to stare straight ahead into the forest. "It's Lacey. She wants to fully mate with me and I can't work out what to do about it." Rhianna's beautiful face lit up with such a huge smile that Rafe couldn't stop his own smile from tugging at his lips.

"That's wonderful, Rafe! I'm so happy for you. I don't understand what the problem is though. Lacey is your mate, isn't she?"

He snorted loudly at the question and didn't even bother to answer it. He didn't really need to anyway because his sister knew him well enough to know he would never endanger lives unless there was a very good reason to do so.

"So what's the problem, Rafe?" Rhianna sighed nestling against him.

He automatically collected her little frame into his embrace, cuddling her securely to his side and smiling as she wrapped her arm around his stomach and settled her head onto his shoulder. She had always been an affectionate, tactile little thing. Being changed into a vampire hadn't cured her of that. They never really got enough of this one on one time together anymore and he was loathe to talk about his problems and spoil the moment. But he knew his sister well and she wouldn't give up until he spilled his guts.

"If Graves gets his hands on Lacey and she's a wolf, he'll kill her, Annie," he said hoarsely, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "If she's human then you and Caleb can rescue her from him and keep her safe." 

He felt her stiffen in his embrace and he dropped a quick kiss on top of her head. "I'm not planning on dying," he reassured her, knowing she had put two and two together without him saying anything. "BUT, just in case something awful did happen, it would ease my mind knowing that you and Caleb would help Lacey."

"You know we would," she whispered quietly. "But it won't come to that, Rafe. It can't come to that. I can't lose you again, not ever." Her voice broke and Rafe felt a deep pain lance through him as he heard the tears in her voice. He felt like a complete bastard for doing this to her. It didn't matter how fast she could run, how much stronger she was physically, she was still his baby sister and it was still his job to take care of her along with her vampire.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he breathed softly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm going to move heaven and earth to make sure we all come out of this safely but I need a contingency plan in place, Annie. I need  to know that Lacey will be safe no matter what happens." 

Rhianna struggled to get control of her emotions. She'd been avoiding having this type of conversation with everyone she loved. She knew they were all thinking the same thing, all working out contingency plans to kick into place in the event that one of them was killed. No one had spoken about it though. Everyone was keeping quiet until there was no option left but to have the conversation they were all dancing around. Rafe needed to talk about this now and she would be strong for him.

"Lacey disagrees with you?" she finally asked, clutching him tightly but being very careful not to hurt him.

"Most definitely," Rafe groaned. "She wants to mate and says we can't let Graves mess with our heads. She essentially turned something I'd said to her around and hit me back with it. Kind of reminded me of you a bit when she did it." He smiled fondly and kissed her head again. "In fact the way I feel about this took me right back to meeting Jared for the first time, when he told me what I was and explained how I could never see you again, Annie. I feel the same way now as I did then and I don't know what to do about it."

Rhianna's mind whirled frantically as she too slipped back to the dark time when she had thought Rafe was dead and then discovered he wasn't. The anguish he had gone through then had been heartbreaking to watch and the thought he was feeling those same feelings again was a huge blow. Finding Lacey should have been the catalyst to finally help him accept who he really was. Instead it was turning out to be the opposite. 

"Rafe, when you died last year my heart broke," she whispered softly. "Caleb picked up the shattered pieces and he very carefully glued them back together. While he was doing so, I relied on every single thing you'd ever taught me as I grew up. Always shining through that dark time was how you taught me to accept whatever happiness I could no matter how bad things looked. Between the two of you, you kept me sane and helped me through the worst experience of my life. I found happiness despite the terrible blackness within me. 

Things are dire right now. We both know that. Take your happiness, Rafe. We might not know how long we have but you deserve to know true joy even if it will only be a fleeting moment. That's what Lacey is trying to tell you. That's why she's so determined to be joined completely with you."

Rafe uttered a strangled sob and his arms tightened around Rhianna. He buried his face in her hair and his big body began to shake as he wept for the second time that day. His beautiful little sister had been through so much and he had only added to her pain when he had tried to kill himself. Yet she readily forgave his selfishness. She stood by him no matter what and she always would do. Now he had another beautiful woman in his life and she was ready to do the same and he didn't deserve either of them.

"Forgive yourself, Rafe," Rhianna sighed softly, stroking his hair lightly and leaning up to kiss his tear stained cheeks. "It was a moment of madness. It doesn't define who you are. We couldn't love you the way we do if you weren't a good person who deserved to be loved. Stop living in the past. Talk to Lacey. Tell her about it. She will still love you and she will still want to mate with you. Take your happiness, Rafe. Please! Don't punish yourself any longer. Stop hiding behind the half truths you're telling yourself about why you won't fully mate with Lacey. You know it's not only because of Graves. Whether Lacey is a wolf or not when he comes is academic. He will kill her if he gets his hands on her and you know it. If he gets past you, Caleb and myself to reach her then you know we will all be dead, because neither Caleb or I would ever allow him to take her from this compound."

She was crying too as she spoke, her heart aching for her wonderful big brother who hurt so badly inside despite the mask of acceptance he had worn for the last year. He had never truly healed from that time though he had been happier, slightly more accepting of his new life.

"Trust Wolfie," she whispered tearfully. "Trust in him that he knows what is best for both of you and that's Lacey."

They sat together in the forest, both weeping quietly for a long time as Rhianna tried to help Rafe through his pain, knowing that the only person who could really heal him was sitting back in the compound. Rafe had to go to Lacey and had to go to her before the vampires came. If he wasn't completely sure of himself when Graves arrived then she feared that she would lose him forever this time and she couldn't bear the thought of never having Rafe in her life again.

Rafe's tears finally eased and he kissed Rhianna gently and wiped at her own tear stained face. She was so amazing, his beautiful little sister. So very wise for her years, so full of love and forgiveness for everyone. He looked into her lavender eyes and he knew that she was his greatest achievement in life. He had helped shape her to become the woman she was today and she was outstanding in every way. If he could do such a good job bringing up such a wonderful woman then maybe he did deserve to take the happiness which was waiting so impatiently for him to reach a decision.

"You keep yourself safe, baby girl," he whispered tremulously. "You're not expendable under any circumstances. Do you understand me? Losing you would be just as bad as losing Lacey, Annie. So you'd better damned well keep yourself safe when the shit hits the fan."

She smiled, her beautiful face glowing with her love for him as she cradled his face gently between her small hands. "The same goes for you, Rafe," she said softly. "No needless heroics. I want us both standing at the end of this. I want to meet my nieces and nephews when you and Lacey get around to giving me some. Now, don't you think it's time to go and have that talk with your mate?"

Rafe laughed and rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "Women," he grumbled under his breath but he gave his sister another huge hug and another kiss before he rose and set her feet to the ground. "Love you, sis," he said gruffly ruffling her curls and making her laugh.

"Love you too, Rafe," she sighed as she watched him head out of the clearing. She hoped she had helped him enough that he could now talk with Lacey. She thought she had but her brother had a habit of appearing to look like he was heading in one direction but swerving in a completely different one once he was out of sight. Smiling fondly Rhianna packed up her rucksack and slipped back silently into the trees.

_____

Rafe headed to his own small cabin when he got back into the main compound. His first instinct was to go looking for Lacey but he needed a shower and he needed to mull over his conversation with his sister. She had an uncanny knack of putting things into perspective, of knowing just the right thing to say. He couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips. Damned woman was always trying to fix everyone.

He took a quick shower and changed before he stepped back outside and scented the air. Lacey's scent was coming from the medical building so he headed there, his footsteps light for such a big man. He was walking quickly as he felt his mate's pull as if it were a physical thing. His wolf was starting to get impatient with him. He was starting to feel as antsy as Aaron was.

He found his friend in much better spirits when he entered his room. Jen was perched on the side of Aaron's bed and Lacey was sitting in a chair beside it. He quickly took on Aaron's better colour and the way he brushed lightly against Jen with barely a hint of pain on his face. Aaron was healing quickly and it was probably because of his need to protect his mate.

Rafe was surprised when he took a close look at Jen. Her eyes were shining and her expression was so much more relaxed than it had been since he'd met her. She was smiling more and it really did suit her. She was a very beautiful woman when she relaxed and wasn't so distrustful of everyone. Aaron was good for her and it was more than obvious that she was good for Aaron.

His gaze finally turned to Lacey and he found her watching him with a faint smile as well as a touch of concern on her face. Did she know that he had been upset not so long ago? Was the mating instinct really taking a hold of her now she knew it was what she really wanted? His greedy gaze roamed over her beautiful face and he felt his body start to react. He stifled down a groan and smiled at her, pulling a chair up beside her and reaching out to idly pick up her hand. He just needed a little contact with his woman.

"Rafe, I told Aaron and Jen about the meeting," Lacey said slightly worriedly. "I hope that wasn't wrong of me?"

He smiled gently at her and brushed his lips over the back of her hand. "No, that's fine," he said soothingly. She should have waited for him to do it but he didn't have the heart to say so. He wanted her to feel part of the pack. Not just any part of the pack but the most important person in it because that was what she was to him. He stared into her amazing eyes and made his decision. Annie was right. They didn't know how long they had or if they even had a future at all. It wasn't wrong to take what he wanted, to feel the joy of being joined with Lacey completely.

Aaron cleared his throat loudly shaking Rafe out of his reverie. "So, Millie's pregnant," the blond man smiled drawing Rafe's attention. "I guess that means she's going to need protecting when she evacuates." He was sitting up in the bed, one arm loosely wrapped around Jen's waist as she leaned against him gently.

"Yes," Rafe answered dragging his eyes away from his mate and turning back to his friend. "Cedar will be going with you when you leave. You won't be fully fit Aaron so take your lead from her and Millie. I know it will be hard but you're to be backup on this one. Cedar's in charge."

Aaron's expression turned pained and he muttered a curse under his breath. "She's going to love that," he grumbled with a mock scowl on his face. "She was so pissed when I was made a beta and she couldn't get to boss me around anymore."

"Well, that's how it's to be," Rafe laughed shaking his head. He looked at Jen. "I take it you have no objections to leaving with Aaron?" he asked.

Jen frowned slightly and looked at Lacey. "Oh, I have objections alright but these two have bullied them out of me," she sighed with resignation. She was torn about leaving. She wanted to stay with Lacey so badly and yet, she wanted to go with Aaron too. She felt Aaron's arm tighten around her waist and she sighed again. He wouldn't leave if she stayed and as Rafe had pointed out, he wasn't fit to stay.

"Jen, it's fine, really it is," Lacey said softly. "I'm going to have the rest of the pack protecting me. There's nothing you can do to help here anyway. It's best for you to go with Aaron and keep him out of trouble. Plus it will give you some time to learn about pack life without worrying about vampires descending on you any minute. Leaving is the right thing for you, Jen. I want you to leave."

And she did. Lacey hadn't wanted anything so much in her life than to have Jen safely away from Richard when he came looking for her. Just knowing her friend would be protected soothed Lacey's soul just a little. She wasn't happy about what was coming, about being the catalyst for this war but she was resigned to it now because the Weres wouldn't have it any other way.

Her friend sighed and nodded her head, still clearly unhappy about the turn of events but unable to argue with her or the wolf who was clutching her so tightly to his chest. "Aaron," Jen groaned, a mild rebuke in her tone as she heard his breath whistle out painfully as he clutched her so tightly. "You have to stop hurting yourself."

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned down at her, loosening his hold slightly and dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose as his eyes danced with a mixture of pain and laughter at her irritated expression.

"Luke said I can get out of here later on," Aaron told Rafe. "When does the evacuation start?"

"It's already started," Rafe answered. "The children and their parents are being moved to Jared's other strip of land as we speak." He didn't mention where it was. Not because he didn't trust Lacey and Jen but because it was just prudent not to mention exactly where the evacuees would be. Aaron knew of the place he was speaking of so he didn't need to elaborate.

His friend nodded his head before lowering his mouth to the side of his mate's neck and brushing his lips over her soft skin in an almost helpless gesture. Jen giggled at the soft touch and pushed his head away gently.

"I'd tell you two to get a room but I think Lacey and I are the ones in it at the moment," Rafe chuckled lightly as he saw the heated gleam in his friend's eyes. He could see his wolf too, so very close to the surface. Aaron was having a hard time keeping the animal at bay. He would be mating with Jen at the first available opportunity. That was plain to see.

Aaron laughed and rubbed his face in Jen's hair making her giggle again and smack his arm lightly in a mild rebuke. "Behave," she said trying to keep a stern expression on her face as it coloured at Rafe's words.

Aaron groaned in defeat and settled back against the pillows, shooting Rafe a meaningful look which all but screamed at him to piss off and take Lacey with him. He wanted to be alone with his mate. He needed to be alone with her. His body was healing rapidly now and he wanted to touch Jen. He wanted to taste her sweetness, mark his claim on her. Not that he was up to anything too adventurous but he could give her pleasure. Such sweet, delicious pleasure which would have her crying out his name in sheer bliss. His body practically hummed at the thought of it and his expression turned even more heated as he gazed at his mate with open adoration on his face.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 07



"Come on, Lacey, let's leave these two alone before we start having to watch something neither the two us would want to see," Rafe laughed, taking pity on his friend and standing up quickly. He wanted to be alone with Lacey. He needed to talk to her, to explain about his past. He was nervous about doing so but if she wanted to be with him then she needed to know everything. If she still asked to be changed after she knew the truth then he had his own mating to do. Jared would probably be pissed at the timing but his Alpha would understand that he just couldn't wait any longer.

Aaron smiled his thanks to his friend as Rafe and Lacey exited the room, the blonde woman blushing scarlet as the sexual overtones in the room started to seep into her and she realised why Rafe was so intent on getting her out of the room as quickly as possible. "Tell Luke to piss off too," he called as the door shut, his gaze once more on Jen's puzzled face as she turned to look at him.

The expression in Aaron's eyes almost stopped Jen's heart the moment the door clicked closed. She had thought Rafe and Aaron had just been bantering slightly but Aaron's expression told a whole other story. She licked her lips nervously, feeling slightly anxious. "Aaron..." she started to say, a hint of warning in her voice.

"Jen," he mimicked her softly, giving her a wolfish smile as he reached for her and pulled her down onto her back, twisting his body so he was lying over her. He loved her little 'bossy' voice, the one she used when she wanted him to do something he didn't want to, like stop touching her. He watched her lips tighten and a slight scowl cross her beautiful face and his smile widened. So she was working herself up to give him another little lecture about how he should be resting, was she? He'd soon disabuse her of that notion.

His eyes roamed her face as his hands gently came up to stroke her cheeks lightly. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" he whispered with a muffled groan as he caressed her face with light, soft touches. "Do you have any idea just what you do to me, Jennifer Swift?" 

"Aaron," she said with a resigned sigh, trying to catch her breath which wasn't very easy when a gorgeous specimen of a man was looming over her with an expression of such adoration mixed with lust on his beautiful face. His whispered words caused her heart to start thumping fast in her chest and a delicious heat to settle between her legs. "I don't care how quickly you think you're healing. You are not up to wild romps in bed at the moment."

It was the wrong thing to say and she knew it when she saw the slight narrowing of his eyes and his lips curled into a small, almost predatory smile. "Oh, do you really think so?" he asked her silkily.

Jen groaned and closed her eyes briefly before opening them again to stare up at him. The gleam in his eyes caused her heart to falter slightly. There was a hint of something feral dancing in their smoky depths and she knew she had just issued a challenge to a bloody wolf and was most probably about to regret opening her mouth.

"Aaron Alexander, you are supposed to be resting," she said in her lawyer tone, pushing against him so she could try and sit up. He resisted her, naturally, using gentle hands to push her back down against the pillows, lowering his head to the side of her neck and slowly licking along her throbbing pulse.

Jen tried not to moan, tried to hold herself rigid in his arms but it was so very hard when his rough tongue was doing lazy swirls against her increasingly hot skin. She shivered slightly when his teeth lightly grazed her neck and then a bit more firmly when his mouth reached the join with her shoulder. He wasn't hurting her but she sensed his firmer touch had some significance she wasn't currently aware of but was sure would find out about very shortly.

Aaron licked at that wonderful spot on her body, raking his teeth over her soft skin, fighting so hard not to shift and bite her, not to take what was his. His wolf was so close to the surface. He'd sprang to life the moment their mate had challenged them and he wasn't listening to his human side at the moment. All he could think about was claiming his woman, making her his forever and his teeth clamped down a bit harder as he growled softly.

Jen's stiffness invaded his mind and he forced down his wolf and gentled his touch, kissing the slightly reddened spot , quickly checking he hadn't broken the skin. He sighed with relief when he saw he had managed to contain himself enough. Soon. Later when he could take his mate home, when they would be uninterrupted by anyone. He would have her then. He would love her the way he ached to, he would talk with her, explain the change, claim her completely as his mate.

He lifted his head up and looked down into her beautiful face. Her green eyes were wide, an expression of concern in them as well as a healthy dose of irritation. He laughed softly and stroked her flushed cheeks gently. "You think too much, Jen," he sighed brushing a thumb over her bottom lip. "It's like being in bed with a lawyer."

He deliberately teased her, laughing again as her irritation flared even more and a prim expression crossed her very expressive face. "That's because I am a bloody lawyer," she answered somewhat tartly.

"Not in my bed, sweetheart," he growled softly winding his fingers in her silky hair bringing his mouth close to hers but not quite touching. "In my bed you're my woman," he said softly. "No thinking, Jen. No analysing. Just feeling. Letting yourself go. Surrendering to your passion."

Jen gasped and shifted uncomfortably under Aaron. She wasn't good at surrendering to anything or anyone. His words may have been said softly but his intent was clear. She automatically resisted, she couldn't help herself. She'd had to rely on her own strength for so long she didn't know how to do what he was asking of her. She didn't want to do what he was asking of her. "Aaron, stop," she ground out, her tone panicked when she wanted it to come out sounding so much stronger, more decisive." 

His lips descended on hers and he brushed her mouth lightly with his, hearing her sharp intake of breath, feeling her body tremble slightly against him. "Let yourself go, sweetheart. Stop thinking and just allow yourself to feel," he groaned, gently coaxing her lips to part, stroking his hand soothingly against her cheek as she held herself rigid in his embrace. He could scent her fear and it hurt him beyond bearing that his beautiful woman was afraid to experience the joy of allowing someone to love her unconditionally. Of allowing him to love her unconditionally.

He teased her with gentle kisses against her soft lips, licking her sweet mouth and then nibbling at her full bottom lip with a loving caress. He felt the tension start to leave her body, felt her start to trust him, to let him in and his lips turned more demanding, his tongue stroking boldly into her mouth.

He dived into her honeyed depths, his mouth demanding everything from her as her compliance send waves of pleasure shooting straight through his aching body. He was hard instantly, his wolf growling his pleasure as he tasted every sweet inch of his mate's mouth in a long, drugging kiss. God, he had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted the beauty lying in his arms right at that moment. He would never want another woman other than her ever again.

Jen knew she should be fighting Aaron, knew she should be getting him to rest but the feel of his hard body pressing against hers was sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. His wicked mouth was stealing every breath from her body as he stroked his tongue relentlessly into her mouth and she met him eagerly with hers. He was just too sexy for words, too intoxicating. Her body was instantly alive for his touch, needing it, craving it so badly. Aaron's kisses were like none she had ever experienced before. She knew no man would ever again be able to excite her with their kisses the way Aaron did.

Was this was what surrendering felt like? Jen moaned against Aaron's lips and ran her hands along his shoulders, her body on fire with a need which was threatening to consume her. She shouldn't be doing this, she knew she shouldn't. Aaron needed to heal, to rest, but it was so very hard keeping those thoughts in her mind when his lips were trailing down her throat, moving steadily downwards towards her aching, swollen breasts.

The scent of Jen's arousal was driving Aaron wild. His cock throbbed painfully as he pressed against her soft body. Her breathless sighs of pleasure as his lips caressed the gentle swell of her breasts peeking out of the little summer top she wore, drove his lust even higher and he had to fight hard to contain it. He was losing the battle too.

His deft fingers had a mind of their own, swiftly unbuttoning Jen's top to free her breasts for his eager lips. He growled softly as his heated gaze roamed over her creamy skin. Her breasts were so beautiful, so full and soft with dark pink nipples standing proudly to attention. His hands cupped her plump flesh reverently as he dipped his head and suckled one swollen peak into his eager mouth. Her deep moan inflamed him, as did the feel of her tight bud pressing against his tongue. He growled his pleasure, pressing his cock against her thigh as he began to suckle at her breast roughly.

His hand was stroking her other breast, rolling the hard peak lazily between his thumb and forefinger as he suckled and nipped at the nipple in his mouth. She tasted so good he couldn't get enough of her. He was abandoning the nub in his mouth and trailing hot kisses across her chest to suckle against her other breast, dragging moan after delicious moan out of his mate's sweet lips.

Aaron hadn't planned on satisfying his own needs. He'd meant to tempt and tease Jen, show her how much she meant to him, how wonderful the pleasure between them could be when he was feeling fitter, but sucking on her swollen breasts was driving him crazy with need. He didn't know if he'd be able to not take her the way his body craved to. 

His hands were stoking down her body, unzipping her jeans and popping the button off in his haste to get her naked. She would probably give him a lecture about that later but he didn't give a damn at the moment. His lust was in control, his need to see his woman's beautiful body spread naked before him much more important than being told off by her.

He had her jeans and panties off in no time, his lips whispering over the soft skin of her calves as he leisurely made his way back up her body, nipping playfully at her inner thighs as he spread her legs gently to allow himself unrestricted access to her luscious sex.

Aaron's breath hissed out in a long, tortured groan as he felt the heat of her body so close to his mouth. Jen was trembling beneath his heated gaze, moaning her pleasure as his hot breath whispered across her wet pussy. Reverently, Aaron gently peeled apart her lower lips, groaning his pleasure as he opened her body up to his eager gaze. 

Her silky folds gleamed with her arousal, her flesh hot and pink as he watched in fascination as her body produced more of her sweet nectar as he stared intently at her. He didn't think anything could be more beautiful than the sight of his mate preparing herself for his possession. Her sweet strawberry scent assaulted his nostrils, mixed liberally with the intoxicating musky scent of her arousal. He gave in to his need to taste her and rasped his tongue roughly along her weeping slit, growling loudly as her essence burst into his mouth and set his head swimming.

Jen cried out loudly, her fingers digging in Aaron's hair as his hot tongue began a torturous assault on her throbbing pussy. A hundred plus years of feasting on a woman's body was quickly and very expertly being displayed by her lover and she was rocked almost instantly by an intense orgasm as his tongue stroked over her clit in three quick successively harder strokes. She cried out again, shaking wildly as her body stiffened with the pleasure washing through her and Aaron's tongue was pressing inside her body to greedily drink down her release.

She thought he would stop as her orgasm subsided but he was intent between her legs, pressing her thighs wider apart as he began to show her just how skilled he was at loving a woman's body with just his mouth. He licked every inch of her pussy with hard, rasping strokes, teasing her clit with gentle little nibbles before diving inside to reap the rewards of his efforts. He feasted on her succulent flesh like a man starved, ruthlessly stoking the fire within her and making her head spin.

Aaron had always enjoyed feasting on a woman's body. The sweet nectar they gave him in abundance had always been the headiest aphrodisiac for him but never had he taken the level of pleasure he was currently taking from drinking down Jen's sweet juices. She was delectable, intoxicating, the most amazing woman he had ever tasted and he wanted to spend the rest of the day with his mouth attached to her throbbing pussy, sending her crashing over and over into as many orgasms as he could give her before her body rebelled and she couldn't stand any more.

She was mumbling breathless pleas for more, her fingers digging into his hair as he sucked her clit into his mouth and gently clamped his teeth around it. He suckled gently and then beat her throbbing nub with his tongue in hard strokes before he suckled once more and then moved downwards to drink her sweet juices. 

Her pussy was so wet, burning so hot as his tongue slid into her opening and he lapped greedily at everything she had to offer him. Her muffled shriek and the shaking of her thighs told him she was cumming again and he increased the speed his tongue fucked into her beautiful body as she shattered against him with a long, tortured wail.

Aaron licked at her pussy leisurely as she slowly drifted down from the heady heights of her pleasure, leaving no inch of her scalding flesh untouched as he cleaned her thoroughly with his wicked mouth. His mouth was wet and sticky and Jen's unique flavour and scent were all he could taste and smell. He smiled wolfishly as he glanced up at her flushed face, reluctantly moving away from her pussy to slowly kiss his way across her flat stomach, nibbling gently as he went.

Jen was still in a daze as her body strove to recover from Aaron's ruthless mouth. Her first orgasm had been amazing, the second felt as if it had been ripped from her very soul. And still the touch of his mouth against her skin was exciting her beyond bearing. He paused to suckle at her breast before he finally came back to her mouth, letting her taste her own passion in a hot breathless kiss.

"Isn't that so much better than bringing your prissy little lawyer to bed, Jen?" he chuckled lightly against her lips and she stiffened and opened her eyes, seeing a smug smile on his gorgeous face. She prickled immediately, his laughter getting under her skin. Was everything a big joke to Aaron Alexander? Did he think he'd won some kind of victory because he'd managed to get her to beg for his touch?

Her face flushed scarlet as she heard her whispered pleas for more and she pushed against his shoulders, sitting up and sliding from the bed. She turned around when her feet hit the floor and nailed him with a stern look. "If you get out of that bed I'm out of here," she said darkly and had to force her lips not to twitch into a smile at the surprised expression which crossed his face.

His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared, a clear indicator that he was not used to being told what to do and didn't like it one bit. She supposed only Jared and Rafe ordered Aaron about and even then it was probably barely needed because he knew what was expected of him in the hierarchy of the pack. She waited to see if he would comply with her request and then smiled when he sat back against the pillows, his eyes promising dire retribution as he followed her keenly as she pulled up a chair close to the bed but with sufficient distance that he couldn't reach her from the bed.

She was acutely conscious of the fact that she was butt naked but so was Aaron and he didn't appear the least bit bothered by it. She had no idea what she was thinking of when she told him to stay in bed. She had just needed a bit of space to try and clear her head and regain some control of the situation. 

Aaron was a devastating lover, quickly able to turn her legs to jelly and send her thoughts into total chaos. He was also used to getting his own way in the bedroom. His natural dominant streak clashed with her own self reliant one and she needed to work out how to deal with him without losing herself completely in his spell.

Sighing she sat on the chair facing him and ran her eyes over his body. Luke had removed the bandages earlier, saying fresh air was all that was needed now the wounds had healed so well. Her green eyes drank in the sight of Aaron's hard muscled chest and wide shoulders. There were two light red scars on his chest but even now they looked less angry than when the bandages had first come off. 

Aaron had the most spectacular body she had ever seen. Her eyes drifted lower and she sucked in a deep breath as she took in his taut stomach, the flare of his hips and the beautiful long thick cock which was standing proudly among a nest of blond curls. Her eyes flickered up to his face to find him watching her intently, not the least embarrassed that his arousal was so obviously on display. Jen licked her lips nervously and absentmindedly rubbed her right thigh.

She stopped all movement when she saw his eyes narrow sharply and heard his sharp intake of breath. His heated gaze was fixed firmly on the hand on her thigh. She bit her lip not to smile and rubbed her thigh again watching his reaction intently. When a soft growl escaped his lips she laughed softly. "See something you like, Aaron?" she asked playfully and his eyes moved to hers and his lips curled in a small smile.

"What's not to like?" he asked smoothly, moving across the bed until she held up her hand.

"You know the rules," she breathed softly. "Get out of bed and I'm going back to Jared's and you get to spend the rest of the day here on your own." She laughed again when he growled and scowled at her but maintained his position on the bed.

Jen felt a thrill of excitement run through her body. This was so out of her comfort zone, something she would never have dreamed she would find even remotely erotic but holding Aaron at bay, feeling the rush of power it gave her over him was sending sharp bursts of pleasure right through her body. She was sure there was some old adage about not prodding sleeping tigers or something, but she ignored her natural instincts for self preservation and stretched her legs out sinuously, running both palms along her tensed thighs.

Aaron's growl was loud, his eyes narrowing further as he tensed and watched her slowly stroke her thighs, inching her legs apart and trailing her fingers along her inner thighs. She didn't touch herself but she brushed close enough to make herself moan and to incite more rumbling growls from the bed.

She reckoned she'd be lucky if she managed to hold him at bay for another thirty seconds. Not from the expression on his face. There was a wildness in his eyes that told her his wolf was dangerously close and about out of patience with her teasing. She sighed softly and let her fingers brush her pussy lightly, moaning at the contact, spreading her legs further so she could slide her fingers against her hot, wet flesh.

Aaron fought to push his wolf down but it was so hard. The animal was going wild as they watched Jen stroke her beautiful body and moan sensually as she did so. From the little blushes he'd managed to tease from his mate he would never have dreamed she would have had it in her to let go as she was currently doing. It was so erotic to watch and so incredibly frustrating. He wanted it to be his hands stroking her so lovingly. He didn't know how much more he could take, how much longer he could stay on the bed. She wouldn't really leave, would she?




When Worlds Collide Ch. 07



He stopped breathing when she pressed two fingers into her hot body. His control snapped completely and he launched himself from the bed, startling a scream from Jen's lips as he grabbed her from the chair and spun her around to press her face first onto the bed, her feet dangling over the side. From this position her ass was very temptingly offered up and he toyed with the idea of spanking the teasing little minx but instead pressed his raging cock against her softness, leaning over her to run his tongue up her spine.

"Witch!" he growled in her ear as he nuzzled at her earlobe. "You're lucky I don't decide to spank your ass for teasing me like that." His laughter rumbled from his chest as she squeaked in surprise. As if he'd ever hurt her but she wasn't to know that. For now, two could play the teasing game and Aaron was determined that he was going to be the winner this time. 

He laughed softly again as he stroked the firm flesh of her ass and she trembled and uttered another startled squeak. Her skin was so smooth, so soft and pliant under his hands. Having her spread before him like this was making his cock throb with the need to be buried deep inside of her. He stroked her ass again and she trembled again.

"I would never hurt you, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. "Trust in me, Jen. Believe that I will always take care of you. You are the most precious thing in my life." He felt her relax and sighed softly as he continued to stroke her ass slipping his hands lower, spreading her legs to give him complete access to her body.

He'd never given much thought to how handy a hospital bed could be. With it being raised so high he had no problems with sliding between her legs and rubbing his thick shaft along her wet slit, teasing her clit slowly and dragging a deep moan from her. The heat from her body was driving him crazy. He had to be buried inside her beautiful body. He slid one arm beneath her body raising her slightly as he pressed his cock to her tight opening.

Aaron growled loudly as he slowly inched his cock into Jen's hot body. He resisted the urge to thrust in hard, wanting to savour every moment of their first joining. Jen's loud moan of pleasure excited him further and he leaned down to kiss her neck as he slid the last few inches into her tight body. She fit him perfectly as he knew she would. Her tight muscles squeezed his cock hard as he bottomed out and stopped moving, not wanting to break the spell of their first moment joined as mates.

Jen couldn't breathe as Aaron slid inside her. He was so big, by far the largest man she had ever been with but it still felt comfortable sheathing his hard cock inside her body. He stretched her, made her feel so full but in a delicious way. Waves of pleasure washed over her and she even forgave him the indignity of her current position. It did feel good feeling his hard body covering hers. There was an almost protective aspect to it and his words came back to her. His plea to trust in him. She surrendered completely, trusting Aaron would never hurt her, believing that he did genuinely love her and it wasn't just words he'd said to get her into his bed.

She moaned and pressed backwards needing to feel him move inside her, craving the sweet bliss she knew he would soon be giving her. "Aaron, please," she whispered. "I need you." It was if her words were some kind of signal. His hands moved down her spine to fan around her waist before ending up at her hips. His hips moved and he slowly began to stroke his cock in and out of her throbbing pussy.

Aaron grit his teeth, determined not to rush things, determined to draw out the wonderful feeling of Jen's body accepting his cock so willingly. Her heat was scalding, her breathy moans intoxicating as he thrust in and out of her with controlled movements. His eyes glittered as he watched himself sink into her beautiful body time and time again. She was perfection, hot and lusty, smart and funny and she belonged to him. 

She wriggled her ass at him, moaning and sighing as she did so. He knew she wanted more, was trying to incite him into moving harder and faster with her tempting little movements. He wanted the same and he would give her what she wanted, but not yet. He tightened his grip on her hips, holding her immobile as he stroked her slowly, keeping the rhythm slow but deep, growling with every thrust into her body.

"Aaron," Jen moaned, loving his hard cock sliding in and out of her body, liquid fire running through her veins with each successful thrust deep within her. She was burning up with need, ready to fly apart again at any moment but he kept her on the edge, driving her wild for more. "Please," she whispered. "Don't tease me."

He laughed softly, leaning against her back, licking slowly along her collarbone and up the side of her neck. "I thought you liked teasing, sweetheart," he growled in her ear, raising her upper body up from the bed, sliding completely out of her and climbing up onto the bed, edging her further forward onto her hands and knees.

"Aaron," she almost wailed and he laughed again. He loved hearing his name on her lips, no matter how she said it. It was particularly appealing when she was begging him. He ran his hands over her back and ass stopping to admire the view for a moment.

She twisted suddenly, turning onto her back and his view changed completely. The sight of her flushed face took his breath away. She was completely stunning in her passion. His eyes followed the flush of colour down her neck to her beautiful breasts and he groaned and lay over her, catching her lips in a hot, lusty kiss, pressing his cock against her soaking wet pussy and sliding deeply inside her.

"Jen," he groaned against her lips, threading his hands in her glorious black hair, thrusting deep within her as he felt his tenuous control start to slip. "You're perfect, sweetheart. So completely perfect." His touch grew rougher, his need taking over as he moved harder and faster inside her. His breath rasped out as his hands moved to cup her breasts, tugging on her swollen peaks as she cried out and wrapped her legs around his waist.

He ground into her harder, his cock spearing her tightness deeper with each thrust, finally giving her what she wanted, what he wanted. She was so close to another orgasm, he could feel her thighs quivering and he stroked his tongue into her mouth as he thrust into her, his hands once more threading into her thick hair. He wanted to watch her cum. He wanted to see the ecstasy on her face as he took her to heaven and back again.

His nostrils flared as the scent of her arousal peaked and she cried out and threw her head back as the pleasure washed over her. Her tight muscles clamped around his aching cock and he thrust into her hard and fast, feeling his cock start to swell within her as she pushed him over the edge.

He roared loudly, his knot starting to form as his cock pulsed deep within her. He pressed into her relentlessly, forcing his knot inside her hot body, groaning when he seated it completely within her and his orgasm ripped through his body. He shuddered against her, his thick seed rushing to fill her body as he growled his pleasure loudly into the room. He jerked into her over and over again, her own pleasure mixing with his, making his orgasm that much more intense, that much more perfect.

Breathing harshly, Aaron lowered himself onto his arms and stroked Jen's face tenderly as her chest rose and fell in deep pants. Her face was flushed with colour, her lips parted, her eyes closed as she slowly came down from her pleasure. She had never looked more beautiful than she did in that moment, but then he supposed he was pretty biased considering she was his mate.

Jen slowly opened eyes and stared up into Aaron's gorgeous face and scowled darkly. "Just exactly what is that inside my body?" she asked tartly.

Aaron threw back his head and laughed loudly. "I love you, Jen" he answered when he finally stopped laughing. "I give you the best sex of your life and you're still not satisfied."

She blushed slightly and tentatively moved her body, sighing when it felt too uncomfortable to do so. "I didn't mean it like that," she said slightly sheepishly. She didn't want him to think she hadn't loved every second of being with him because it had been the best sex of her life. "I just want to know why we're still joined like this. Why I can't move."

Aaron continued laughing even as he stroked her cheeks tenderly. "Stop wriggling about so much as my knot will go down a lot quicker," he chuckled brushing her lips tenderly with his before rolling to his side and taking her with him. He sighed his contentment as he held his mate close and stroked her back soothingly. "It's a wolf thing, Jen," he whispered against her temple. "Nothing for you to worry about. Trust me, sweetheart."

Jen cuddled into his embrace, sighing softly. She did feel quite tired. If Aaron said this knot thing wasn't anything to worry about then she supposed he would know. She would ask him about it later. She had a lot of things she wanted to ask him about later.

Aaron felt her body relax and sighed when he felt his knot disengage. He withdrew from her body and settled them onto the narrow bed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. It wasn't the most comfortable position but he didn't care because Jen was in his arms. Closing his eyes he relaxed into sleep.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 08



Demetri bypassed the main entrance to the closed nightclub and headed down the back alleyway until he came to a locked door with an electronic keypad for a lock. He didn't touch the keys with his hand, instead he mentally depressed each number in sequence using his mental skills. Anyone foolish enough to touch the keypad received a rather nasty electric shock, not enough to kill a human but enough to dissuade them from ever trying to touch it again.

The lock disengaged and he swung the door open, stepping into the private area of the nightclub. He sauntered casually along the long corridor until he came to the office. He smiled as he entered, feeling a little like he was coming home. It had been a while since he'd visited. He hadn't been there since Mara had come into his life.

The twins were in the office as he expected them to be, well, he'd been certain Andrei would be there but Alexei may have been away on an assignment for The Council. Since Caleb and himself had stopped taking jobs from The Council, Alexei had been in vast demand as being the next best enforcer to get things done. He knew his friend was not unhappy about it either. He liked the work and went about it with a ruthless efficiency. Demetri couldn't ever imagine Alexei taking on an assignment and falling in love with his human mark the way he had. Still, if someone had told him he would do that exact same thing he would have booked them into the closest insane asylum. Maybe he shouldn't be so quick to write his friend off.

The two vampires looked up when he entered and both smiled with pleasure at seeing him. They were fraternal twins rather than identical ones but it was plain to see that they were brothers. They had the same aristocratic, beautiful, strong features, the same deep brown eyes, but Alexei's hair was golden blond whereas Andrei's was light brown.

They were big men, tall and powerfully built, all muscle and not a inch of fat anywhere to be seen. When they moved it was with an almost feline grace which seemed at odds with their powerful physiques. Demetri returned their smiles with a warm one of his own. He had truly missed them and it felt good to be in their company again.

"You two have anything on at the moment?" he asked pulling up a leather chair and sitting beside Alexei. His friend was sitting in a matching chair facing his brother who was behind the desk littered with papers. They had obviously been going through work to do with the club. Andrei owned and ran it with the odd contribution from Alexei from time to time. Whether Alexei had put any of his personal funds into the place Demetri didn't know, but Andrei always listened to whatever his twin had to say, whether or not he actually implemented any of the suggestions. Most of Alexei's time was spent on assignments for The Council.

"What's the job?" Alexei asked with little preamble, his brown eyes lighting up slightly with interest. Demetri hadn't asked for their help in a long time, not since the Janick job, and that had been a lot of fun. He was curious to know who had pissed his friend off so much this time that he was coming to them for some help.

"Richard Graves," Demetri answered, watching their faces closely. They both started in surprise, their eyes going wide. They knew who Graves was of course. They also knew he had run with Graves and his cronies for a while too, that they had been friends once.

Andrei frowned slightly and pursed his lips with a shrewd look in his eyes. "Jesus Demetri, you don't half make life difficult for yourself," he sighed softly shaking his head. "I thought you liked Graves."

"I did," Demetri drawled quietly with a smile. "But I like my other friends even more and he's fucking with them at the moment. I've had a word with him about it but he's not going to pay any heed to my warning. So, is Graves too big a fish for you two to tangle with?"

Alexei snorted at the question. "Whatever you need, Demetri," he answered quickly. He didn't care who he was up against. If his friend wanted his help then he would help him.

Andrei was slightly more cautious though and had good reason to be. He had a secret, one he couldn't even tell his brother about yet. He needed to be sure that what he was agreeing to wouldn't impact on his secret. He met Demetri's eyes unwaveringly. "Details first," he said drolly.

Demetri wasn't put out by Andrei's reaction. He always was the more cautious of the two brothers and he'd expected some questions about the job. He steepled his fingers and tapped his lips lightly before smiling again. "You know Caleb Sired his woman?" he began. When they nodded he continued. "Well, Annie's brother is part of The Hanlon pack. His mate Lacey used to be Graves' woman. He's coming to take her back and he's willing to destroy the pack to get her."

"So what does that have to do with you?" Alexei asked coldly, feeling some of his interest starting to wane. He couldn't stand Weres of any variety and knew his friend wasn't particularly fond of them either. So his getting involved was a bit of a mystery.

"I've adopted Annie," Demetri sighed softly. "She's family now. She's insisting on being involved because of her brother therefore Caleb is involved by default. Which makes it doubly my issue now."

"Caleb shouldn't let his youngling lead him around by the balls," Alexei growled in disgust. "He should teach her properly so she knows her place in the scheme of things. If he doesn't have the stomach for it I'd be happy to lend a hand."

Demetri's stiffened so quickly Andrei shot him a worried look. The air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees as the friendly smile slipped from his face and his lips tightened. His head slowly turned to the left and he pierced Alexei with a cold, hard gaze. "That will be the one and only time you speak of Annie like that, Alexei," he said in a soft, dangerous tone. "You seem to have misheard me when I said Annie was family now. Any pain she feels is a pain done to me. Are we clear on that?"

Alexei met his gaze with his own hard eyes, his displeasure clear to see as his nostril flared slightly. They locked eyes for several tense seconds causing Andrei to shift uncomfortably as he watched them. Alexei finally nodded and looked away, still clearly unhappy but not willing to press the issue any further.

Demetri relaxed as suddenly as he'd tensed and smiled again. "Believe me, if you think I'm hard on the subject you truly don't want to push Caleb on it, Alexei," he sighed. "I'm giving you fair warning if you chose to get involved. Either ignore Annie completely or treat her with respect. I'll be hard pushed to convince Caleb to let you live if you even think of fucking with her. He's pathological about his woman."

Alexei snorted in disgust but nodded his head again, letting his friend know that his message was received. He was already regretting saying he would help Demetri. It was on the tip of his tongue to retract his offer. Weres and younglings at the same time? It was enough to turn his stomach thinking about having to help them.

"So, Graves is coming for his woman and he's willing to take down the Hanlon pack," Andrei summed up. "How much involvement are you taking in it, Demetri?" He was relieved to be able to change the subject. His friend was lethal when enraged and he didn't know if he would be able to stop him killing Alexei if his brother truly enraged him.

Demetri stretched out his legs and folded his hands over his stomach. "Graves has been warned off Caleb, Mara and Annie. For agreeing to stay away from them I have agreed not to personally kill him. Everyone else is fair game. We stand with the Weres, so there will be no accidental killing of any Were. Annie is to be protected at all costs. Mara is safely out of the city at the moment so there is no concerns about her safety. Caleb can take care of himself when the shit hits the fan. Your primary task will be to assist with taking down Graves' lackeys but to be vigilant about any threats to Annie too. Should anything happen to me or Caleb, get Annie out of there and somewhere safe."

Alexei rose abruptly and paced around the room, his displeasure more than evident. "You want us to babysit a woman, a bloody youngling?" he growled. 

"I'm telling you what's required, Alexei," Demetri said coolly, a burst of cold hard anger giving his voice an edge to it. He really didn't have time for Alexei's shit. "You don't have to accept. No one is twisting your arm behind your back. If you want to help then help. If your delicate sensibilities can't handle the nature of the job then say so and I'll find someone else to assist me. Just stop bloody whining about it."

"Alexei," Andrei said quietly feeling the tension in the room ratcheting up again and trying to contain it swiftly. "Demetri is right. If you can't stomach the job then decline it. Demetri will not think any less of you if you do."

Demetri turned his eyes to Andrei and gave him a nod, letting him know that he would hold his temper and not cause any physical harm to his brother. He really didn't want to hurt Alexei. He just needed to know if they would help in the coming war. If they wouldn't then he had to visit others. He needed to know now how they stood.

Alexei stopped pacing and looked at his brother. "What is your decision?" he asked quietly, releasing some of the tension in his body and moving to sit back down.

Andrei grinned widely and his eyes twinkled slightly. "You know me, brother. Always one for a good fight. I can cope with the dogs and all the other stuff. Pitting my skills against Graves is worth all of that. As Demetri has agreed not to kill Graves, perhaps you and I could have a friendly wager on which one of us will take him down?" He deliberately couched his answer to appeal to his brother's competitive side. He knew Alexei would agree to help Demetri. Giving him something to take his mind off the things which were irritating him would make his agreement come quicker.

Alexei laughed softly, shaking his head at his brother. "You sit behind a desk all day, Andrei. It would be unfair of me to take that wager," he smiled. "But I will take it and I will win." He turned to face Demetri. "We are in and I will contain myself so you and Caleb will have no need to try and remove my head from my shoulders."

Demetri laughed, rising smoothly and giving his friends a warm embrace. "I'm sure you'll do your best, Alexei," he said as he hugged him. He knew he was asking a lot of his friend but he knew his friend could cope with it despite his displeasure at having to do so. 

"I mean it about Caleb," he added with a slight frown as he stepped back from the blond vampire. "Don't test him, Alexei. Please."

It was the genuine plea in Demetri's voice which convinced Alexei to be especially careful around Caleb's youngling. His friend truly was concerned for his safety so he would be wise to pay close attention to his words. He sighed and nodded once more, resignation on his beautiful face. "I hear you," he answered quietly and saw Demetri fully relax.

"I need you both to come over to my house tonight so we can discuss tactics," Demetri said. "I'll have Caleb and Annie come too and maybe Jared and Rafe from the pack, though I may just have Caleb liaise with them. The less contact you two have to have with the pack would probably be more prudent."

Andrei laughed and nodded his agreement. "It would be kinder on Alexei if you kept the contact to the bare minimum with the dogs, my friend," he chuckled.

Demetri left shortly after arranging a time for them to meet up. He had a spring in his step as he left the nightclub, happy to have the twins onboard. When he had promised little Annie he would be bringing friends she most definitely wouldn't approve of, he hadn't lied. He hoped he had done enough to rein Alexei in. It certainly appeared so but he was a very mercurial vampire, prone to change in a blink of an eye. Still, having them on their side was a crushing blow to Graves. The more off balance his former friend was the better chance they had of defeating him.

____

Rafe walked through the compound, Lacey's fingers threaded through his as he pulled her towards the edge of the buildings, looking for the secluded pathway to his favourite spot in the forest. He had been going to that spot for as long as he had been a Were and never once encountered anyone else while he was there. He was reasonably certain they wouldn't be interrupted.

He felt nervous and also excited at the same time. As usual when he was unsure about something, he had lapsed into his customary silence. It didn't seem to faze Lacey when he became too introspective. There was no awkwardness in the silence, no need to engage in small talk to break it. She simply held his hand and followed him wherever he chose to lead her. Her trust in him made him feel ten feet tall. He only hoped she would still feel the same once he had told her everything.

It didn't take long to reach the stream. It was a small babbling trickle of water surrounded by thick green grass and large leafy oak trees. The sound of birdsong rang in the air as he pulled Lacey into his own private little oasis and heard her gasp with pleasure.

"It's beautiful, Rafe," she sighed, her eyes shining as she looked around the little enclave.

"Yes, it is," he answered quietly, his eyes fixed on her rapt expression as his heart kicked up a beat. It was even more beautiful now his mate was here with him, sharing his private place. He smiled when Lacey's shining eyes met his and tugged her down to the thick grass with him.

"What is it, Rafe?" Lacey asked quietly. She was concerned about his silent brooding, wondering what it meant in relation to them. He had said he would tell her everything tomorrow but since he'd come back from training with his sister he had been behaving strangely. "Is something wrong with Annie?" she asked gently.

Rafe smiled softly and shook his head. "Annie's perfect," he said with an open expression of adoration on his face. "Sometimes I wonder which one of us is supposed to be taking care of the other after I've had a talk with Annie."

Lacey wanted to ask what they had discussed, if they had talked about her but she held her tongue. Rafe seemed to be trying to work out what he wanted to say and she didn't want to do anything that would force him back into silence again.

"I was eighteen when my parents died in a car accident," he began haltingly. "Annie was only three, still a baby. I don't think she even remembers our parents she was so young when they died. I guess I became everything to her after that. I know she became everything to me. I don't think there was any fixed point when I started to love her like my own child. It just kind of happened naturally." He looked deeply into Lacey eyes. "I need you to know how important she is to me, Lacey. So you can understand what came later on. Annie may be my sister by blood but she is the child of my heart and always will be."

Lacey nodded and gave him a warm, reassuring smile. She had seen instantly the strong bond between the siblings. Now she could truly understand it. Annie was effectively Rafe's daughter. He had adopted her as his child when he was barely an adult himself. That selfless act was enough to tell her that she had made the right decision allowing this beautiful, gentle man into her life.

"I think Annie was about seven or eight the first time she brought Millie home from school," Rafe continued with a fond smile on his face. "It didn't take me long to see that Mills was missing out on the most important thing in her young life, the love of a parent. Her parents were alcoholics. They fed her, clothed her and sent her off to school but they never held her close, never listened to her childish little stories, never told her how much they loved her. I couldn't leave her living like that. I couldn't take her away from her parents but she spent so much time at ours that soon she was another little sister I had to take care of. It took a while but eventually she began to soak up all the love and affection both Annie and I lavished on her. She thrived under it and has turned out to be an amazing young woman, someone I love as if she were my own blood."

He stopped talking again and stared across towards the stream, listening to the birdsong for a moment, feeling Lacey shift closer to him and lean her head against his arm. She didn't speak but the comfort that simple touch gave him was more than he needed to continue.

"Last year I was away on a camping trip," he said quietly. "The girls had their own place and jobs. They didn't need me to take care of them the way I had for most of my life. Going camping with some friends was the first time away from them I'd had. I was excited about it but still wary of being away from them. The first night we camped I went for a bathroom break in the middle of the night. I was attacked by what I thought was a wild animal." He shivered slightly at the memory and felt Lacey press closer to him.

"I woke up three weeks later and found myself in a white padded room. I was naked and confused. I couldn't remember what had happened to me or how I came to be there. Jared came into the room. He told me what had happened, that I had been attacked by a rogue Were, one of our kind who had gone insane. I was the fifth person to be attacked and the first to survive it. You see, Lacey, choosing to be a Were is crucial. Having it forced on you, being a forced turning usually sends the human into madness."

He turned back to look at her, saw her eyes bright with unshed tears as she watched him with such love and compassion on her beautiful face. A tear slipped free and he wiped it away gently leaning down to brush his lips lightly against hers in a fleeting kiss. "Now you understand why I won't turn you until I'm totally sure it's what you want, Lacey," he sighed softly. "I will take no risks where you're concerned, baby."

Lacey opened her mouth to tell him that there would be no risk but he pressed a finger lightly to her lips, giving her another smile, a deep sadness in his eyes which made her heart ache.

"I survived, Lacey, because I had something to live for," he said quietly. "I had Annie to look after, Annie and Millie, my two girls. The pack was different back then though. They were closed off to the point of xenophobia. Jared took my reasons for living away from me when he told me I could never see Annie and Millie again, that they both thought I was dead. My heart broke, Lacey. I couldn't bear being apart from them. I couldn't bear knowing they were hurting so badly and I couldn't do anything to help them. The weight of the guilt I felt was crushing. I let Jared convince me it was for the best to stay away but deep down inside I hated what I had become, hated the wolf inside of me, hated myself for causing pain to the two most precious people in my life.

I knew Millie could cope with my supposed death. She was strong and resilient but I knew Annie would take it very badly and she did. I don't know how she would have coped if she hadn't met Caleb at the same time. It was as if fate had stepped in to save her soul by throwing her into the arms of Caleb. He kept her whole as she grieved over me. The worst part was the night the rogue Were was sighted. I joined the pack in wolf form that night. I felt a seething hatred inside me for what the rogue had cost me. I wanted to kill him for taking my Annie away from me. It turned out the rogue was killed by a car. Not just any car though. Caleb was driving it and Annie was with him."

Lacey swallowed hard as she listened to Rafe's tale, her heart breaking for the people involved in the story. It was so tragic, so full of pain and heartbreak. She couldn't begin to imagine the depths of the anguish Rafe and Annie had gone through during that time, Millie too. She wrapped her arms around Rafe's neck and climbed onto his lap, letting him hold her tightly as he struggled with his emotions.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 08



"Annie met me in wolf form that night," he whispered against her temple as he clutched her closely. "She was afraid at first but then she wasn't. It was as if she knew me on some kind of instinctual level. She touched my wolf, stroked my fur and laughed in delight. It was magical and torturous at the same time. I knew Jared wouldn't let me go to Annie in wolf form. I knew he wouldn't let me go to her in human form either. But I saw something in her eyes that night when she looked at Caleb. I could see she had feelings for him, that even though he was a vampire, he too had feelings for her. I knew he would keep her safe. Just knowing that she was finding happiness was enough to soothe me and I started interacting more with the pack, started letting Aaron teach me what I needed to know so I could adjust to this new life.

Then Caleb found out the truth and he was ready to start a war when he found out I was still alive. It pushed things to a head, forced Caleb to reveal his true nature to Annie so he could prove that she could be trusted to keep the pack's secrets too. Unfortunately I didn't know that. My encounter with Caleb only served to reinforce the guilt I felt inside, the self loathing and hatred I couldn't overcome. Everything he said that night was so true. I couldn't live with it anymore, Lacey. I knew Annie was safe with Caleb. I had found out that Jared had found his mate in Millie too, so I knew she would be safe. They both thought I was already dead. It didn't seem to matter whether I was still living anymore."

Lacey uttered a strangled sob and buried her head in the side of his neck, her body shaking as she clutched him tightly, letting her tears fall freely. "Oh Rafe," she whispered tearfully, knowing what he was going to say, terrified to hear it but knowing he had to speak the words.

Rafe's voice broke on the words but he forced them out, his voice thick with anguish. "I tried to kill myself, Lacey," he whispered. "I ran in front of a car so I could die and not have to live this life anymore. As if that wasn't the most awful thing I could have done, the car I chose to kill myself with was being driven by Annie. I almost killed her, Lacey," he groaned harshly. "I almost killed my Annie with my selfish act."

Lacey could hear the self loathing in his voice, feel his hatred for his actions in the way his body tensed. "But you didn't," she said urgently, holding him tighter as he shook in her arms. "You didn't hurt Annie and you didn't hurt yourself. You're both here, alive and well."

"It doesn't take away what I did, Lacey," he whispered hoarsely. 

"No, you can't take back what happened but you can't punish yourself for it either," she said softly, framing his face in her hands and forcing him to meet her eyes "You have to let it go, Rafe. You have to let yourself heal." She could feel him resisting her. She was sure his sister must have had this same conversation with him countless times. She had to get him to listen to her.

Lacey dragged his mouth to hers, kissing him desperately, crying as she forced him to accept her love, to allow himself to be loved by her the way he deserved. "Annie has forgiven you, Rafe. Forgive yourself too. It was a moment of madness. You said the others who were forced into turning all went mad and died. The madness tried to claim you too but you were strong enough to beat it. You survived it and you also managed to build a life where you can see Annie and Millie anytime you want to. You're not defined by trying to take your life, Rafe. You're defined by surviving the instinct to die and coming out of it so much stronger, so much a better person for it. Can't you see how much everyone loves you? Can't you see how much I love you?"

Rafe stared into her beautiful face, seeing her love for him, hearing her words, her lack of judgement. His beautiful Lacey truly didn't see anything wrong with his actions, didn't blame him or feel let down by his weakness. She loved him no matter what he'd done. Her simple words to explain the madness that had overcome him made so much sense. He had never stopped to look at it in those terms. The others had gone mad and died. He had just assumed because he hadn't succumbed to the madness at the start that it hadn't affected him at all. Maybe she was right. Maybe the madness had been there the whole time and he had been working to survive it even months after the forced turning.

Rafe felt the crushing weight of the last year ease from his soul as he stared into Lacey's amazing eyes. Finally he felt free of the all the guilt, all the anguish he had kept hidden so deep within his heart. He wiped the tears from Lacey's cheeks with a shaky hand, cradling her face gently in his hands. "I love you, Lacey," he whispered softly. "Would you do me the honour of mating with me, sweetheart? I need you so badly. I can't wait a second longer to make you mine forever."

Lacey nodded, laughing and crying at the same time, pressing her mouth against his. "Yes please, " she groaned against his lips. "I want that too, Rafe, I want forever with you." She could feel him release his past, finally letting go of the pain, finally forgiving himself. That she could help him ease his demons made her heart sing. Rafe had given her so much, rescuing her from her life of torment at the hands of Richard Graves, opening his heart and his soul to her so she could know his love was unconditional. That she could give him back as much as he had given her filled her with a joy she'd never felt before.

Rafe's mouth was stealing her breath away as he kissed her slowly, his lips gentle as they rubbed sensually against hers, his hands threading in her hair to cradle her head gently. She surrendered to the wonderful feelings he instilled within her; love, lust, excitement and contentment. She didn't know where she began and he ended anymore. He was so vital to her very existence.

"Rafe," she groaned against his lips pulling back slightly to look into his passion filled face. "Can I see him?" she asked tentatively, licking her lips nervously, excited and yet a little afraid too. 

He knew instantly what she meant, smiling slowly as he caressed her face lightly. "He really wants to meet you very badly, Lace," he sighed softly. "Don't be afraid of Wolfie, he would never hurt you."

"Wolfie?" she giggled raising an eyebrow at him.

Rafe chuckled lightly. "Annie named him the night she met him," he said with a rueful smile. "It's kind of stuck." His tone sounded slightly pained but Lacey could see that he really didn't mind the name his sister had given to his wolf. It was a link between them when there had been a chance they would never have met again, Annie to never have known that Rafe was alive, just slightly different.

"Can I meet Wolfie?" she laughed sliding from his lap, moving a little distance from him to give him some room. She had seen other wolves around the compound but she hadn't actually seen anyone change into one. She was interested to see what it would be like. She wanted to meet Rafe's wolf badly. She needed to know that side of him so she could understand it when it happened to her.

Rafe kept her gaze fixed to his as he quickly undressed. He smiled at his mate, his eyes shining with reassurance. "Don't be frightened," he said softly, a split second before he reached inside and invited Wolfie to come meet their mate.

Lacey gasped with surprise as she watched Rafe's body shimmer slightly as he moved to his hands and knees before her. His eyes stayed the same but everything else about him changed. It seemed to happen almost instantly. One moment he was human and the next he was a huge brown wolf. She was sure there was more to it than that and wondered what it felt like to change from one form to the other. She guessed she would know first hand very soon.

She crawled forward towards the wolf with Rafe's eyes, reaching out to touch his big head gently. His fur felt so silky soft and she couldn't stop herself from threading her fingers in it, stroking the beautiful animal before her. He was so beautiful, so majestic, strong and proud. "Oh Wolfie, you're so beautiful," she whispered tremulously, laughing when his tongue snaked out and licked across her face as he chuffed lightly.

"Yuck!" She giggled wiping out her face. "You're not that beautiful," she teased, throwing her arms around his neck to take away any sting from her words. He growled low in his chest, licking her bare arm and making her laugh harder. His tongue sure was big, as was the rest of him in wolf form.

Rafe was ecstatic at Lacey's reaction to his wolf. She was a pretty amazing woman his mate, accepting him with no reservations at all. He nudged his head against her, gently coaxing her back against the grass. His wolf had been dormant for so long. He was revelling in the freedom, pleading with Rafe to let him taste their mate just a little before he went back inside to allow his human side to begin mating with her.

Wolfie nuzzled at Lacey's neck, licking the join of her shoulder and neck where he would soon be putting his mark, his claim on her beautiful body. His wet nose trailed lower, his tongue snaking out to curl under her little summer top and lick against the upper swell of her breasts. He growled his pleasure.

Lacey gasped and pushed his head away, laughing. "Stop that," she giggled as the wolf whined his displeasure. She thought for a moment he would try and lick her again but instead he lay down beside her and she turned to slowly stroke the fur on his back. The wolf rumbled his approval and closed his eyes as she petted him in long, slow strokes, loving the feel of the soft fur between her fingertips.

Lacy closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of slowly stroking Rafe. It should have felt wrong lying with an enormous wolf in the middle of the forest but it didn't. It felt so very right. She wondered what she would look like as a wolf, if Rafe would think she looked beautiful too.

She smiled when her hand met hot skin instead of fur and she heard Rafe's tortured groan as he shifted back to human form and rolled until they were lying face to face. His arms snaked around her, pressing her hard against his throbbing cock as his mouth descended on hers in a deep drugging kiss.

She kissed him back passionately, pressing against his nakedness, wanting to feel his skin pressing against hers. Rafe seemed to sense her urgency, his fingers making quick work of the little buttons on her summer top, pushing the material away from her body. She wasn't wearing a bra and she heard his deep intake of breath as her breasts were bared to his gaze.

Keeping her eyes closed, she savoured the feeling of the hot sun of her already hot skin, moaning loudly when Rafe's wet mouth circled one swollen peak and began to tug hard with his mouth. Liquid fire rushed from her nipple to between her legs and she felt herself moisten instantly. She threaded her hands in Rafe's hair and held him to her breasts as he began to ravish first one hard nipple and then the other, his touch earthy and a little wild.

Lacey was on fire by the time he trailed his mouth lower, his hands shedding her jeans and panties quickly. He was pressing her thighs apart urgently, inhaling deeply between her legs as he peeled her lower lips apart with gentle fingers and began to lick roughly at her soaking wet pussy.

She cried out and came instantly, her need for him overcoming every other thought in her head. Her hips bucked up hard for more as she shuddered while he kept up the torturous licking of her body.

Rafe shook his head, his mouth full of Lacey's sweet taste, his cock hard and throbbing as he trailed his lips over her stomach, stopping at her breasts and feasting on her nipples again. He could never get enough of her sweet taste, the feel of her soft skin rubbing against his. He groaned and suckled at her breasts a moment longer before his mouth trailed up her graceful neck to her mouth, kissing her deeply, thrusting his tongue inside to taste her sweetness.

He drove his cock deep into her body, groaning into her mouth as her tightness closed around his aching body, sheathing him so perfectly. "Lacey," he groaned against her lips moving inside her slowly, savouring her beautiful body and the way it gave him such wonderful pleasure.

"Rafe," she whispered wrapping her legs around his waist, bucking her hips up to meet his thrusts as he drove into her relentlessly, his cock feeling so hard as it speared her over and over. The pleasure she had just experienced was mind blowing but this joining felt so much better. She felt connected to him in a way she hadn't felt before. Each hard stroke of his cock sent her ever closer to tumbling over the edge again only this time when she came back she would be changed. She would be a wolf like him.

"Look at me, Lacey," Rafe ordered softly, halting his movements, threading his hands in her glorious silvery blonde hair. The strain of holding himself in check was etched across his face. Now that he had surrendered to his wolf, his need to mate with her was crashing through him like an tidal wave. He waited until her beautiful eyes opened and met his. "Are you sure, Lace?" he asked urgently.

"I'm sure, Rafe," she sighed softly. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Take me, Rafe. Make me yours forever."

With a strangled groan he pulled himself from her body, turning her urgently, until she was on her hands and knees before him. He drove into her hard, stroking her beautiful pussy with long hard thrusts, his mouth coming to her shoulder to loving lick at the spot he was about to mark. He stroked into her a few more times, prolonging his human moment of pleasure a little longer. He knew he had to shift to finish the mating but he selfishly wanted to stay with her in human form. 

"I have to shift, Lacey," he whispered raggedly. "To complete the mating, to claim you as ours. Don't be frightened, honey. Trust Wolfie." 

Lacey whimpered pressing back against his hard cock, lost in the sensations sweeping through her body. His words came from far away and she tried to understand what he was telling her. He had to shift to wolf form. It was necessary to complete the mating. She could cope with that, if it was what was required to be with him forever.

She cried out sharply as Rafe shifted and his cock started to expand within her at the same instant she felt the silky soft fur of Wolfie against her back. She felt a moment's panic but Wolfie licked the side of her neck soothingly and his cock stopped growing before it became uncomfortable. She surrendered to him, allowing her body to move instinctually against him as they rocked together.

It all seemed to happen so swiftly, she felt the sting of pain as his jaws bit into the join of her shoulder and neck at the same instant she felt the hard knot at the base of his cock press relentlessly inside her aching body. She cried out loudly again, only vaguely aware that Rafe had shifted once more and was licking at her neck, his cock thrusting hard inside her, pushing her over the edge. She shattered with a loud scream, her body throbbing as a kaleidoscope of colours danced before her eyes, pleasure washing over her as her body clamped down on the hard shaft inside her. 

Rafe ignored Wolfie's angry protests, taking control again as soon as possible after biting into Lacey's soft skin. His wolf would know their mate thoroughly when she could shift. They would have ample time to mate in wolf form. For now he wanted this moment with his woman and he wouldn't be denied it. She shattered beneath him, her muscles clenching so hard on his throbbing cock that he roared loudly, throwing his head back and cumming in hard bursts inside her beautiful body. 

He growled as he bathed her insides with his hot, sticky seed. Soon his seed would be taking inside her body. Soon she would be fertile, waiting for his seed, giving him many beautiful children to cement their family unit. Heart thumping painfully hard, Rafe lowered them carefully down to the grass, spooning into his beautiful woman as they lay locked together, tiny little aftershocks of pleasure rippling through their bodies.

"Oh, wow!" Lacey whispered her tone full of awe. "Oh, Rafe, that was so totally amazing. I didn't know you had to be in wolf form to mate, though. You could have told me that."

He sighed softly and licked at her neck. "Don't complain," he chuckled lightly. "Wolfie is pissed at me as it is because I cut short his time with you because I wanted you all to myself. I technically should have given him more time to mate with you." He wondered if that would freak her out but she laughed softly.

"Poor Wolfie. I almost feel sorry for him." 

"He'll have his moments when you can start shifting," Rafe smiled. "Can you feel her yet, Lacey?" His hands were trailing over her soft skin, moving to cup her breasts tenderly and stroking her lightly.

Lacey stilled, searching inside herself, a feeling of joy suddenly washing over her. "Yes," she whispered softly, turning her head to look back at him, her eyes shining with joy. "I can feel her, Rafe. She's inside me somewhere. She feels so wonderful." Her eyes filled with happy tears which flowed silently down her face.

Rafe sighed softly, leaning down to kiss her wet cheeks as he felt his knot disengage so he could slip from her body. He turned her in his arms, his expression turning fierce as his need to be claimed overcame him. "Take me, Lacey," he said urgently pulling her head to his neck. "Trust your instincts to know what to do, baby. You don't need to shift. Just do it now because I can't wait a moment longer."

She was confused at first, wondering what he meant, then the sudden urge to claim him came from nowhere. She gasped at the urgency she felt, the deep need to sink her teeth into him. Trusting her new instincts she licked along his neck until she reached the join with his shoulder. She felt him tremble against her and she smiled against his skin, teasing him for a fraction of a second before she bit into that wonderful spot and tasted his hot blood in her mouth. She groaned as Rafe roared loudly, laving at her bite with her tongue. She turned her head up and pulled his mouth down to hers. "Mine," she growled possessively.

"Forever," he answered, sealing their mating with a hot, lusty kiss.

____

Demetri was in high spirits as he opened the front door to his house. His day had gone well so far and he was optimistic about being able to halt Graves in his tracks when he launched his attack on the Hanlon pack. The instant he stepped inside the house, his high spirits evaporated and he stood rooted to the spot as red hot rage pulsed deep within him. The sweet scent of warm honey assaulted his nostrils, the scent that was undeniably Mara and so strong that he knew instantly she had recently been in the house.

A faint noise from the kitchen had his head turning slowly to the left as he let the door close silently behind him. He was going to bloody kill her. Actually first he was going to turn her into a vampire. Then he was going to bloody kill her and keep killing her until his rage had sufficiently diminished enough that he could sit down and talk rationally with her. He glided silently towards the kitchen, pausing in the doorway and leaning against it.

Mara had her back too him, preparing herself a sandwich. His glacial eyes took in her beautiful body, her long brown hair falling in a silky curtain down her back. His body stirred as it always did when his wife was close. He had missed her greatly. Not so much that he still wasn't going to kill her for coming home when he had expressly forbidden her from doing so.

He wondered why she hadn't sensed him behind her and then the faint tinny sound of music caught his attention and he realised that she was listening to her mp3 player.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 08



A slow smile crossed Demetri's face as his mind flew back to their first meeting. It had been a different kitchen but the circumstances were almost identical. The main difference then was he hadn't been in love with Mara. He had been considering killing her then too, but this time he might actually be tempted to do it. 

His smile widened as he glided silently up behind his wife. He had frightened her that night so very long ago. He wondered if he could still frighten her so badly. "He's behind you," he whispered silkily as he pulled her earphones from her ears, echoing cruel words he had spoken to her once before.

Mara screamed loudly spinning around, her big brown eyes wide as she stared up at her husband in horror. The hand clutching the knife she was using to make her sandwich followed her and almost slipped between his ribs. Demetri's fast reflexes caught her wrist hard before she could inadvertently do any damage.

Mara's first thought, once her heart had stopped pounding so hard in her chest, was how wonderful Demetri looked, her second was he was damned lucky his reflexes were so quick and she hadn't stabbed him with the knife for sneaking up behind her, AGAIN! Her third was she was in big trouble.

Demetri's beautiful face looked so serene and composed but she could see the hot burning anger blazing in his hard eyes. She knew he would be pissed at her for coming home when he had told her not to, but she had come anyway. She had no intention of hiding in another city while he was in danger. 

The fear she had felt when he had told her what was happening had been like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was even worse than the fear she had felt when she'd first met Demetri. Nothing on the planet would have stopped her coming home, not his order, nor his fury at her for being here. He could scream at her all he wanted to, it would make no difference. She was staying with him no matter what he said.

Her chin tilted defiantly as his eyes bored a hole deep inside her, the flames of his fury seeming to leap higher at her stubborn posture. Her heart kicked wildly inside her chest but she held her ground and waited to see what he would do. 

Mara swallowed hard when Demetri suddenly smiled at her. She had seen that smile before. It was the one he used when he was toying with someone who had really upset him. To people who didn't know him it looked like an easy, friendly smile. To Mara the softness of it, the way it never reached his beautiful green eyes told her that she was in serious trouble. Demetri Bozic was playing with his wife and not in a friendly manner either.

Still, she held her ground. Showing any sign of weakness to her husband was giving him the upper hand. She watched his eyes narrow slightly as he inhaled deeply, scenting her, smelling the little shiver of trepidation which she couldn't hide from his all knowing senses. His smile widened slightly as he pressed her hard against the kitchen counter, leaning forward to scent the delicate skin of her neck, his big body coiled tensely as he did so.

The silence was starting to fray at her nerves and she opened her mouth to speak and he hissed in her ear loudly. "Not one word, Mara." His voice was cold and hard, barely above a whisper.

Mara froze and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from speaking. She hadn't seen Demetri like this in a very long time. Not since the first night they had met. He hadn't liked her very much then and she didn't think he liked her very much now.

Demetri inhaled against the side of Mara's neck again, breathing in her wonderful thick honey scent as he worked to leash his fury. She smelled so damned good and it was all he could do not to groan out aloud. Six days they'd been apart. Six days of wanting her home with him, craving to have her close to him and here she stood and all he could do was think about throttling the life out of her. How could one woman drive him so completely insane? How could one woman make him want to murder her even as he wanted to gather her into his arms and make such sweet, passionate love to her? His Mara. His beautiful wife.

"You've been a bad girl," he breathed softly against the shell of her ear, his hands finally reaching to grip her hips and pull her hard against his body. He groaned at the contact, his body hardening instantly as it always did when her soft curves teased him. God he wanted her so much. Every second she'd been apart from him had been an endless torture. His need for her was threatening to shatter through his fury. It infuriated him that one touch of her soft body could slip so easily under his guard and divert him from the fact that she had disobeyed him and placed herself in a very vulnerable position.

His lips whispered across her neck as he tilted her head with gentle fingers applied to her chin. His mouth found hers unerringly and his tongue dived into the honeyed depth of hers with relish. She tasted so damned good, she always did. He plundered her soft lips mercilessly, his tongue stroking hard against hers as he fitted her pliant body against his hardness. He wanted her so badly but he was still going to make her pay for her disobedience. She had to understand that there were times when he just would not tolerate her wilful stubbornness. 

His desire warred with his fury and he could feel his desire winning, serving to spark his temper more. He loved Mara so much but sometimes he struggled to come to terms with just how easily he surrendered to her. This was one of those times and he forced his lips from hers, glaring at her furiously. It didn't help she looked so utterly adorable with her lips swollen from his kiss, her eyes smoky with passion. His glare melted away as she looked up at him, his hand reaching up and his fingers trailing lightly against her cheek, tracing her features almost reverently. 

"I had to come home, Demetri," she said softly. "I had to be with you. All I could think of was what if something happened to you and I wasn't here? What if I never saw you again?" 

Her voice broke on the last part and it was that which finally soothed the savageness inside Demetri, his fury evaporating as quickly as it had arrived. He sighed deeply, cradling her beautiful face tenderly. "You think very stupid thoughts, my Mara," he breathed softly brushing her lips gently with his before straightening again. "If you get hurt because you came home I'm going to kill you myself. Are we clear on that?"

The total contradiction of his words and expression made Mara laugh. "You do know how ridiculously contradictory that is?" she asked softly, watching his lips tug into a little smile, fighting down a sigh of relief. It wasn't the smile he has given her earlier, but the special one reserved just for her, which now softened his beautiful face and made it glow with his love for her.

"I still mean it, beautiful," he rumbled before he caught her lips with his again and dived back inside her mouth for another taste of her sweet honey. With his fury abating so swiftly his desire was at fever pitch and he was picking her up, choosing the kitchen table to lay her down on. Going upstairs would take too much time, time he didn't want to waste.

"Demetri, that was my favourite blouse!" Mara groaned irritably as the delicate silk fabric ripped in his hands.

"Live with it," he growled, shredding the lacy bra revealed to his hot gaze, his mouth quickly closing over one taut nipple. His fangs elongated instantly and he bit deep, groaning as her hot, sweet blood filled his mouth and she cried out and arched up against him. He suckled hard, drinking her precious life's blood, having missed her sweetness so much. His hands pulled feverishly at her jeans, ripping at the material in his haste to get her naked.

He fed in long, deep pulls, his fingers finding her wet and ready for him. He growled again, sliding two thick fingers into her hot pussy, thrusting into her rhythmically. Mara's loud lusty cries were driving him insane with need as he fucked her with his fingers, rubbing his thumb over her clit hard. His wife's wantonness always drove him to distraction. 

He reluctantly stopped feeding, tempted for just a moment to keep taking her blood, to take the decision away from her about when she would let him Sire her. But he couldn't do it. She would hate him, she might even leave him if he did that and he couldn't survive without her in his life.

He didn't remember taking his own clothes off. His head swam with an intense need and he was thrusting his long, thick cock deep into her body before he even realised what he was doing. Demetri searched for and found her mouth thrusting into her with deep, hard strokes. Being inside Mara was being home. Nowhere or nothing else in the world was more important than loving his wife's beautiful body.

Mara couldn't breathe as her husband gave her a welcome home to remember. She bucked up wildly, grinding her mouth and pussy hard against him as he took her almost desperately. Not that she was complaining. She loved her vampire so much, loved the way he wrung each intense orgasm from her willing body as if he were on some kind of mission. Demetri did nothing by halves. It was all or nothing with him. 

She wrapped her long legs around his waist to pull him in deeper, moaning into his mouth as he nipped at her lower lip drawing blood. She felt a brief moment of panic. He had fed a lot from her already. Was he thinking about Siring her? Was he going to take the decision out of her hands and just do it here on the kitchen table of all places? She wasn't aware that her slight discomfort was obvious. It was only when Demetri stilled his movements and she opened her eyes that she saw him watching her with a strange expression on his face.

"I wouldn't," he breathed softly his tongue snaking out to seal the small wound on her lips. "Do you really think I would do that to you, my Mara?" There was a hint of hurt in his voice, a brief flash of pain in his eyes before he quickly masked his expression.

Mara stared up at her husband and licked at the spot he had just healed. "Tell me honestly it didn't cross you mind, Demetri," she said quietly. She watched his face carefully, saw the quick guilty look flicker over his features. She sighed and flexed her hips, drawing a low groan from her husband, fire leaping back into his eyes. 

"Thought as much," she laughed softly pulling his mouth back to hers and moaning when he ravished her mouth hard, his body once more thrusting deep within her. She smiled against his lips, her breath hitching in her throat as he increased the tempo of his movements, trying to distract her from his guilty thoughts. 

He really was a manipulative, sneaky bastard at times. Normally she would fight him on it but this time she let him have his way up. He could manipulate her all he wanted to as long as his body was giving her such intense pleasure. She met his thrusts eagerly, her nails digging into his wide shoulders as they ground hard together, each desperate for their own release, neither willing to cum before the other had reached their completion.

Demetri could feel Mara holding back, trying to deny herself her release. He growled and thrust his tongue into her mouth, his cock sliding deep into her burning hot pussy. Always everything had to be a battle with his beautiful wife. Some battles he let her win and others...well, others he would always be the victor whether she liked it or not. 

He slid from her body, flipping her onto her stomach and driving deep inside her again. She grumbled her protest but his hand cupped her mound as he took her from behind, his fingers sliding through her slick folds, running up and down the length of her wet slit before he settled on her clit and began to torture it ruthlessly.

"Oh God," Mara cried out, shaking wildly against him as he rubbed her hard nub relentlessly, fucking her body with harder, faster strokes as his own release approached like a freight train.

"Cum for me, beautiful," he groaned, harshly in her ear, his fingers torturing her clit with hard, fast motions. "Let me feel you shatter on my cock."

"Demetri," she screamed hoarsely, her orgasm rushing through her body, dragged from the depths of her very soul as her husband won the war and she shattered in his arms with long, lusty cries of ecstasy.

Mara's completion was all he was waiting for. Demetri surrendered to his woman, letting down all his guards, lowering ever defence which had kept him alive for over two thousand years. "Mara," he groaned, his cock swelling as he thrust wildly into her, his hot cum exploding as he roared loudly and emptied himself into her beautiful body. 

She was cumming a second time, her pleasure rippling around his twitching cock, heightening his pleasure tenfold. The scents, the sounds of their bodies slapping together was like sweet music to his ears and he growled his pleasure as Mara milked his cock of everything he had to offer her. He would never tire of this amazing feeling, never tire of having his beautiful, wilful, exasperating woman in his arms, loving him with such sweet abandon.

He wrapped his arms around Mara, sliding reluctantly from her warmth and sitting down on one of the dining chairs, pulling her soft, pliant body onto his lap. He kissed her softly, tenderly as they fought to bring their breathing under control.

Demetri suddenly chuckled softly and Mara opened her eyes to see what he found so funny. He was looking at the ruins which had been their clothes and were now tattered rags on the kitchen floor. She snorted and rolled her eyes. "You are hell on clothes," she said with more than a hint of exasperation in her tone.

"I'll buy you new ones," he laughed in response, catching her mouth again and giving her a slow loving kiss, soothing her irritation with lazy strokes of his tongue deep inside her mouth.

"You're cleaning up the mess," she retorted pulling away and sliding from his lap but she was smiling her beautiful smile at him and there was no sting to her words.

Demetri sighed and watched his wife wiggle her bare ass at him as she sauntered naked out of the kitchen and headed towards the stairs. He had the clothes binned and was catching up with her before she made it up the first flight. He swooped his woman into his arms and kissed her soundly. "Welcome home, my Mara," he sighed contentedly.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 09



 Many thanks to WorldHistoryBuff for editing for me once more. You are the best! 

Many thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment and vote. I know there is a certain level of 'when is the war coming?' starting to creep in but with so many characters in play, I need a bit of time to get them all situated, but it will be soon :-) 

*

Jared looked up as he scented a new wolf in his domain, his expression hardening as his eyes took in Rafe and Lacey slipping into the compound from the rarely used trail at the side of his house. His lips tightened and he felt his anger start to boil as he watched them walking along, totally oblivious to everyone else around them. "You two. My study. Now!" he barked loudly turning and walking into the house without waiting to see if they were following him.

Lacey turned anxious eyes to Rafe when she heard him growl low in his chest and stiffen at her side. Jared looked really angry about something and she had no idea what it was or how it related to her. Whatever he was angry about, Rafe seemed to know what it was and he wasn't happy about it. "Rafe?" she whispered anxiously.

His arm tightened around her waist as he led her into the house. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Lace. Just leave the talking to me," he said quietly, entering the study and closing the door quietly behind them.

Jared was sitting behind his desk, his body rigid with tension as he glared at them. "Sit," he growled.

Lacey felt an enormous burst of pressure resound in her head, a compulsion to do as commanded and she would have sank to the floor immediately if Rafe hadn't been holding her so tightly.

The man at her side growled loudly. "Don't," he said through clenched teeth. "You want to haul me over the coals, Jared, then fine but don't you dare command her."

"I command my pack as and when I see fit," Jared snarled furiously. "You brought her into my pack so she has to live with the consequences. If you don't like it then you shouldn't have fucking mated with her when I expressly forbid it until this mess was cleared up. I am her Alpha now because you made me that. If you don't like it then tough shit. Sit! Both of you."

Lacey quailed with every word coming out of Jared's mouth as Rafe tensed even more. She'd never wanted to sit down so much in her life. Her legs were trembling with the need to sink to the floor but she couldn't because Rafe wouldn't let her. He stubbornly held her up as he snarled back at his Alpha.

"I'm warning you, Jared," he said in a quiet, deadly voice. "You can do with me as you like but you will not make her suffer for my actions. I knew the consequences of us mating. Lacey didn't. She doesn't deserve this and you know it."

The tension is the room ratcheted up as the two men glared furiously at each other and then Jared's gaze turned to Lacey and his expression softened slightly.

"Lacey, go and find Millie," he said quietly. "Rafe and I need to have a little chat."

The pressure on her mind was suddenly gone and Lacey breathed a deep sigh of relief. Rafe's arm relaxed slightly and he managed a comforting smile as he stroked her cheek gently. "Go find Millie, sweetheart," he said soothingly. "She'll be able to explain some things to you. I won't be long."

Jared snorted but didn't say anything as he watched Rafe brush his lips gently over Lacey's and then shoo her from the room. The instant the door was closed he was up and around the desk in a flash. 

Rafe was ready for him, immediately adopting a defensive stance, his wolf dangerously close to the surface. 

Jared halted in front of him, his own wolf threatening to burst free, to rip the throat out of this Alpha in his territory, challenging his leadership. It was only centuries of patiently learned self control which stopped him doing it. Rafe had less control of his wolf and was struggling harder not to shift. 

Jared knew they were seconds away from shifting. Seconds away from fighting for dominance. One of them had to back down or one of them stood a good chance of dying in the next few minutes. He fought for some inner calm, raged against his wolf who didn't want to be denied the right to challenge. He could see the same inner battle within the big man's flashing eyes.

It was Rafe who won the battle. One moment he was furiously enraged that Jared had used his command on Lacey and then it slowly began to ebb away. He fought to hold onto his anger, not wanting to be the one to back down but he could feel Lacey's emotions inside his head. She was exhilarated but also nervous. Whoever she was with was making her feel at ease, slowly lowering her anxiety levels down and the more she relaxed the more he did too.

He finally surrendered to his more gentle nature and lowered his challenging stare from Jared's. He waited patiently for his Alpha to feel satisfied that he was being submissive enough, staying quiet until he sensed Jared's wolf retreat and he felt his friend begin to relax too. 

"Bloody idiot," Jared growled softly taking a step back and shaking his head when Rafe looked up at him. He sighed and rolled his shoulders to try and ease some of the tension from his body. "Thank you," he added quietly.

Rafe knew what he was thanking him for and nodded his head. "Just don't do that again, Jared. Please. I know you're her Alpha now and I know under normal circumstances you're a fair and balanced Alpha. Lacey is pack but she has no concept of what that means. She needs to learn in a warm, loving environment. She's just come from a life where she was subjugated to another's will. Don't put her straight back into another life which is the same. Don't take her free will from her."

Jared frowned deeply, feeling a ripple of shame go through him. He had completely forgotten Lacey's needs when his rage had taken over. He prided himself on knowing what his pack needed. He had sat with Rafe for hours counselling him through his change, being his support when he was first brought to the compound. Lacey's circumstances before she came to the pack had been brutal and his actions just now hadn't helped any.

"Fuck," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry, Rafe." No wonder the big man had reacted the way he had. He was protecting his mate from his own Alpha. 

He turned his gaze back to his friend. "I'll talk to Lacey later," he said quietly. "But that still doesn't negate the fact that you went and mated her despite the fact I told you not to."

"I'd love to see someone tell you that you weren't allowed to mate with Millie," Rafe snorted loudly. "Oh yes, I can just see you meekly accepting that, Jared."

"If there was a bloody coven of vampires about to descend on all of our heads at the time I would have probably restrained myself," Jared bit back angrily. "I don't know what the fuck you were thinking, Rafe. God knows what Graves will do if he finds out Lacey has mated with a wolf. It could change the entire dynamics of what is about to hit us. You can bloody call Caleb and tell him your good news because I don't want to be on the receiving end of that phone call."

Rafe sighed deeply and moved over to the sofa, belatedly obeying his Alpha's command and sitting down. "Do you think I don't know that?" he asked wearily running his hand through his hair. "I wanted to wait but Lacey didn't. She would rather die than go back to him, Jared. If we're willing to fight for her then she wants to be a proper part of the pack. I couldn't deny her that."

Jared snorted again and rolled his eyes leaning against his desk and folding his arms. "So it's all Lacey's fault?" he asked dryly, a hint of incredulity in his tone.

Rafe lips twitched in a rueful little smile. "Well I wouldn't say that," he admitted slightly sheepishly. "She didn't exactly force me to mate with her; I was perfectly willing to do so." 

He sighed deeply and raked his hand through his hair again. "Jared, she needed this," he said quietly. "She feels responsible for what's coming and she needs to be a valid member of the pack. I know the timing isn't optimal but I don't regret what we've done."

"Oh that's perfectly evident," his Alpha said drolly shaking his head and sighing loudly, though his fierce expression was levelling out and there was a hint of a smile starting to cross his face. "You do know my life was so much easier before you and your sister entered it? Sometimes I think I actually miss those days."

Rafe snorted and laughed. "Yeah, right!" he chuckled. "You'd never have met Millie if it weren't for me and Annie. Would you really prefer to have your old life, Jared?"

Just the thought that Millie would be leaving soon was enough to make Jared's heart ache. Trying to imagine never having met her at all was crippling. "God no," he groaned quietly. "I'm more than willing to put up with your antics to have my Millie. A fact, you play shamelessly on," he added wagging a finger at him.

Rafe shot him an innocent look, grinning widely. "Well, I am learning the subtle art of manipulation from the best teacher," he grinned unrepentantly, laughing loudly when his Alpha growled at him.

"Go on, get out of here," Jared ordered. "You've got some explaining to do to a vampire who I'm sure is going to be even less impressed with you than I am right now. Toddle off and pass on your good news."

Scowling darkly Rafe rose from the sofa. Caleb wasn't going to be very happy with the news. He wouldn't be personally angry with Rafe because he was now mated, but he would be angry that the variables in the coming fight had suddenly changed. 

Jared watched him go with a weary expression settling on his face, then strode from the room to go and find Millie. It was actually Lacey he was looking for and he found her with his woman, chatting quietly in a corner of the sitting room. They both looked up when he entered and one look at Millie's disapproving expression was enough to tell him she'd be having words with him later. Lacey's slightly anxious expression worried him a lot more.

"Lacey, I'm sorry," he said quietly, reaching for her hands and gripping them gently. "You both caught me off guard and I reacted without thinking. It isn't that I don't want you to be part of my pack. The timing could have been better but what's done is done and we need to factor this change into our plans. But I am truly sorry that I used my command on you like that. It was thoughtless considering your recent circumstances. I should have known better. Will you forgive me my lapse in judgement?"

Lacey smiled slightly timidly at him, the wolf inside reacting to her Alpha even though she didn't really understand what it was she was feeling. Millie had been explaining it to her but it was all a lot of take in. She probably should have asked a lot more questions before she jumped into mating with Rafe. Not that she regretted it. But having more information before doing so would have been a wiser course of action.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," she said softly. "I will try harder not to, Alpha."

Jared groaned and turned to look at Millie who merely held his gaze for a second before she moved away. That second was enough for her to convey her feelings on the subject. He had made the mess so he could fix it.

"Lacey," he sighed softly, leading her over to one of the sofas and sitting down beside her. "I am not disappointed with you. You have a lot to learn about this life and no time to really learn it. Rafe knew better. My irritation was with him not you. I am proud to have you in my pack. I will try to be a better Alpha to you than I've exhibited so far. The tense circumstances have us all reacting a little off balance at the moment. Once this is all over things will be better." He fervently hoped what he was saying was true.

Lacey nodded, relaxing a bit more now she knew Jared wasn't angry with her. He had been kind and considerate from the moment Rafe had brought her to the compound. His fury in the study had stunned her, her wolf quailing at her Alpha's anger. She hadn't known what to do. Hadn't been able to reconcile the Alpha with the smiling man she was so used to. She still wasn't able to but her wolf instinctually trusted him and so did Rafe.

"It's confusing, Jared," she admitted in a small voice. "I mean, I feel differently towards you. My wolf trusts you and wants to submit to you and the rest of me doesn't understand why." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand what she meant. His gentle smile reassured her.

"I understand perfectly," he smiled. "It's a little overwhelming at first but you will get used to it. Spend as much time with Millie as Rafe will allow you to before she leaves. Have her assign someone else to mentor you when she has to go. Rafe will help you too and contrary to my shocking lack of judgement earlier, my door is always open to you as well."

She breathed a sigh of relief and her smile was a lot stronger, her hesitancy leaving her. Jared answered her smile with one of his own and gently hugged her. "Welcome to the pack, Lacey," he said softly.

He had another few moments of quiet, encouraging words with her, leaving her side when he saw her confidence once more burst through and her radiant smile cross her face. 

He smiled as he walked away. She was going to be a magnificent wolf even if she was slightly nervous about it all at the moment. He could sense the strength of her wolf, she was almost as strong as Millie. Lacey was Rafe's perfect match in every way and he really was proud to have her in his pack. A sudden thought occurred to him and he stiffened and turned to head outside. 

"Where are you going?" Millie asked behind him and he stopped, turning to look at her with a determined expression on his face. He wasn't even aware he was growling slightly until one perfect eyebrow arched in his direction and he smothered down the noise.

"The medical building," he answered dryly. Anything Rafe did Aaron was quick to follow him. If his injured beta wasn't already trying to mate with Jen it wouldn't be long before he was.

Millie sighed softly and grabbed Jared's hand tugging him reluctantly towards the study. She had listened to him talking with Lacey, her pride in her man reaching new levels as he welcomed the other woman into the pack. It wasn't often she intervened with his running of the pack but sometimes he needed a gentle push in the right direction and this was one of them.

Closing the door behind them she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently brushed her lips against his in a brief, loving kiss. "You were wonderful with Lacey, love. Just what she needed at the moment."

His arms banded around her and he slanted his mouth harder against hers, his tongue delving inside to play with hers as his body hardened and he wondered if they had enough time to have a little private moment together before she left. Their impending separation was coming soon and he ached to spend as much time with her as possible.

Millie kissed him back with as much enthusiasm and then reluctantly pulled away, putting some distance between them. "Don't stop Aaron and Jen, love," she said quietly. She watched him stiffen and his expression turn determined again but she held up her hand. "Hear me out, Jared," she continued. "You know what is coming, everyone does. Don't deny Rafe and Aaron their mates. No one knows how this will end. What if something happens to one of them or to Jen or Lacey? Will you deny them the joy of knowing their mates fully when there's a chance they may never get the opportunity if something were to happen to any of them? All I'm asking is that you think about it for a moment, before you do anything."

Jared stared at Millie feeling a tiny frisson of fear course through him at just the thought of losing any of his pack, let alone Rafe and Aaron. He knew it was unavoidable but still he prayed there would be the bare minimum of casualties. His woman's words seeped into him and he had to concede her point. Rafe was already mated. There was nothing he could do to stop that. Was it fair to deny Aaron his mate after so many long years of him searching for her? They were heading to the evacuation site. They should be safe enough there. Mating shouldn't have that much of an impact on what was coming.

Sighing he walked over to Millie and pulled her back into his arms. "I'm going to miss you so much, Mills," he said quietly, burying his head in the side of her neck. "Who's going to keep me thinking straight with you gone?"

Millie laughed softly and hugged him tightly. "You'll do just fine, love. You usually do. I'm sure Rafe will have plenty to say on the matter if you screw up too."

He groaned and laughed raising his head to smile into her beautiful face. He gently stroked her cheek, his fingers threading into her wild, black curls as he brought his forehead to rest against hers. "So I shouldn't stop Aaron and Jen mating?" he sighed. "He's probably already bloody done it anyway." 

His rueful tone had his woman laughing again, her arms tightening around him. "Knowing Aaron, I'm amazed he wasn't the one to do it first," she agreed. "It's the right decision, Jared. You know that deep down inside."

Now that Millie had pointed it out to him, he did know it was the right decision. If anything happened to his betas then they would at least have known the same joy he felt of having this beautiful woman completely joined with him in every way. The study door suddenly opened and a concerned Rafe popped his head in.

"The vampires are coming over," he announced.

Jared frowned and turned keeping his arm tightly around Millie's waist. "Caleb?"

Rafe nodded. "You were right," he answered. "My ears are still ringing from the verbal abuse he just gave me. Really hope Annie calms him down before he arrives. He was worse than he was that night he found out I was still alive."

Jared stiffened further and started to growl again. "Exactly what did he say?" he asked in a deceptively quiet tone.

Rafe frowned deeply and decided not to fully impart Caleb's words, not with Jared having that look on his face. "Just that they'll be over tonight to discuss things. We need to get together anyway, to formulate our plans and incorporate them with the vamps."

Jared nodded slowly his mind starting to whirl. If the vampires were coming over there could be trouble. Caleb was about the only one he fully trusted and that had taken him over two centuries and Rafe and Annie's influence to do so. Demetri was a wild card. He didn't know him as well but he usually followed Caleb and Annie's lead so the Alpha gave him the benefit of the doubt. Any other vampires they may bring with them? He was sure they wouldn't necessarily be friends of the pack, only being there to assist their vampire friends.

"It's time for you to go Millie," he said quietly, not looking at her as he spoke. "The children and their guardians are already in place. Finish up the evacuation. I want you gone before nightfall." His tone brooked no argument, the Alpha speaking rather than the man. He felt his woman stiffen at his side.

"Yes, Jared," she finally answered in a quiet voice. Millie knew there was no point in arguing with him. She wanted to be there when the vampires came over but she'd have to rely on Annie to keep heads cool when the meeting took place. Jared wouldn't place her or their children in any unnecessary danger and he was viewing this meeting as a threat. 

She gave her man a quick hug before she slipped from his embrace. Rafe stepped back to allow her to exit, catching her in his own warm embrace and kissing her on the top of her head. "I'll see you before you leave, Mills," he rumbled softly before letting her go.

Rafe turned his worried eyes to Jared's tense face. He could see his Alpha was angry and it concerned him. They needed the vampires on their side. If personalities clashed tonight there was a good chance their alliance could falter before it had really begun. "Jared," he started to say but the other man turned away.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 09



"I want a minimum of five betas in the room, in addition to you, Rafe," Jared growled softly. "I assume Annie will be there with Caleb. Bring Lacey too as this ultimately involves her as well. No other women though. If things turn ugly I want the need to be in protective mode at the lowest possible denominator." 

"Caleb won't let it reach that level," Rafe answered with a frown.

"It's not Caleb I'm worried about," his Alpha bit back turning back around to face him. "It's who he's bringing with him that could be the problem. I don't know just how tight a rein he has on Demetri let alone anyone else he brings with him."

Rafe quickly ran what he knew of Demetri through his mind. The dark haired vampire was a bit of an enigma. He was also a complete asshole at times but he did appear to follow Caleb's lead. Surely that meant he could be trusted? Rafe's relationship with Demetri was confusing at the best of times. Sometimes he genuinely liked the vampire and others he struggled to see what his sister found so redeeming about the man. Shaking himself out of his reverie he nodded to Jared. "I'll get it set up."

_____

Inhaling deeply, Aaron took his first proper breath of clear air since he'd been brought back to the compound. He'd been stuck inside for days and it had chafed to be bed bound even with having Jen at his side to distract him. Aaron was a wolf to his very core. He hated to be away from the forest and the hard dirt beneath his paws. He ran more as a wolf than probably most of the pack did. He stood silently on the steps to the medical building and breathed in deeply again.

"I thought you were desperate to get away from here," Jen laughed softly as she watched him close his eyes and simply savour the air as if he hadn't just been breathing the same stuff for the last god knows how many years. 

His eyes opened and he shot her a grin, reaching to pull her close so he could bend his head and brush her lips lightly with his. "I am," he murmured quietly, inhaling again but this time to savour her wonderful sweet scent which set his heart racing with excitement. His eyes were twinkling with a combination of laughter and excitement as he pulled back. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment, sweetheart."

Jen swallowed hard and met his gaze with slightly anxious eyes. She knew what he was alluding to and she felt a bit nervous about it. There was so much she didn't know about what mating with him actually meant. "Aaron, I have questions first," she said quietly dropping her gaze from his so she didn't have to see any disappointment in his eyes. She knew how much this meant to him. He'd been waiting his entire life for it.

Aaron gently tilted her head up to bring her eyes back to his. "It's okay, Jen," he smiled tenderly. "I'm not about to jump on you and bite you." He paused and gave her a roguish smile. "Not that it isn't a tempting idea, I admit."

She couldn't help laughing at the almost wistful look on his face even though she knew he was only teasing her. He was, right? She searched his face a moment longer and then thumped him on the arm. "Don't be mean," she scolded and he laughed and tugged at her hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked when he didn't pull her towards Jared's as she had expected but instead lead her towards another more modest looking cabin.

"Home," he answered without looking at her, pulling her inside his house and closing the door firmly behind them.

Jen quickly perused the cabin. There really wasn't much one could say about a building made out of wood. It was comfortable enough with rugs on the floor and well worn furniture which looked like it would be descent enough to live with but it was kind of rustic for her tastes.

"You don't like it?" Aaron asked curiously, not in the least offended. If his mate didn't like this cabin then he would build her one she did like. It might take him a little while but he was sure she would love the result when he was finished. 

"No, it's fine," she said hastily. "A bit rustic but in a charming way. I'm just a city girl at heart I suppose. Used to all mod cons and stuff."

He frowned deeply, pursing his lips. "Damn, then you'll not be too impressed with having to go out back to use the facilities," he mumbled.

Jen gasped, her mouth dropping open. "You mean there's no.....?" She didn't get a chance to finish because Aaron cracked up laughing, literally doubling over and wheezing he was laughing so hard.

She glared at him furiously calling him a very vicious name and stomping over to one of the chairs, throwing herself into it. He was such a stupid ass, always poking fun at her. She folded her arms and proceeded to ignore him, acutely aware that she was sulking like a two year old but unable to stop herself.

"Come on, honey, it was just a joke," Aaron cajoled softly when he could stop laughing. He wiped at his wet cheeks and knelt down in front of her. "You know you did kind of deserve it. Your little nose was all screwed up in disgust."

"It was not," she snapped back irritably. "I'm not a snob. I know people like different ways of living that may not necessarily be my cup of tea. Don't put your interpretation of my reactions onto me and decide that makes you right, Aaron, because it doesn't."

Aaron sighed and held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. You're right. I really wasn't implying you were a snob of any kind. I was only teasing to try and lighten your mood. Don't be mad at me, Jen. Please." He flashed his cutest smile, seeing her lips start to twitch slightly as she relaxed and unfolded her arms. He liked pushing her boundaries but he didn't want to make her angry with him. He never wanted his luscious mate to ever feel anger towards him.

"It's not that bad really," she sighed looking around the main room slowly. "The whole ground floor is probably larger than my entire apartment," she conceded.

"We don't have to live here, honey," Aaron said leaning forward to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. "I can build a new cabin, a better one, or we can live in the city. I don't care where I am as long as you're with me, Jen." He knew their conversation wasn't really about the cabin or where they lived. Jen's tension was because of the mating and her insecurities about it.

"I don't think you'd like living in the city permanently, Aaron," she answered carefully. "You sort of look right in this environment, as if this is who you really are deep down inside. How could I take you away from this world?"

"Where you lead I will follow," he whispered. "Always, Jen. From this moment on until the day I stop breathing home will always be where you are. Your happiness is all that matters."

Jen swallowed the lump which was suddenly stuck in her throat. He really meant it, every single word of it. She felt her eyes fill with tears at the total devotion in his voice. Her heart raced loudly in her chest and she buried her face in the side of his neck. "Aaron," she whispered tremulously, her emotions all over the place. "You would really do that for me?"

"In a heartbeat, my love," he groaned softly. "I love you, Jen. You are my world, my very reason for existence. Everything I am I offer to you without reservation. All you have to do is accept me, Jen. Just reach out and take what belongs to you."

It was that simple? Just accept him, his wolf, his completely alien way of life? Jen shivered as she thought of the alternative. Never seeing Aaron again. Never feeling his arms around her or knowing the sweet bliss he brought her to when he made love to her. The thought of it made her heart ache. She couldn't ever not be with him, he was as vital to her existence as she was to his. Jen's emotions locked firmly into place and she raised her head to look into his beautiful blue eyes.

"I love you, Aaron," she whispered softly. "I accept what belongs to me and I offer myself in return, with no reservations."

Aaron's breath hissed out loudly as joy exploded within him at his mate's acceptance. He had never doubted that she would reach the decision she had but he had thought he would have had to work a lot harder at getting her to accept him. He rose to his feet, pulling her gently to hers. With a cheeky grin he scooped her up into his arms and bounded upstairs to his bedroom.

Jen was surprised when Aaron deposited her gently in the middle of his huge bed and then retreated to a chair against the wall and sat down in it. He gave her a rueful smile. "Don't trust myself," he laughed softly. It was true. His body was already straining to be released from his clothes as he looked at his mate sitting on his bed. The need to go over there and claim her completely was enough to drive him to his knees but he made himself wait. She had questions she needed answers to first.

"Ask your questions, honey," he said in a slightly strained voice.

Jen took a deep breath. She had a lot of questions. She wished she had a pen and paper so she could write them down and get them clear in her head.

"Jen," Aaron ground out in a plea for her to start talking and to do it quickly.

"Okay," she said with a slightly snippy edge to her tone. She needed a moment to think, to work out what she was going to ask. "When we mate, I'll become a wolf like you? I'll be part of this pack and Jared will be my leader?"

Aaron nodded. "And Millie," he answered. "She leads the bitches to help Jared but he is in overall charge of the pack. The betas are above the usual pack members too and are required to be obeyed if they ask something of you in relation to pack matters."

"So you would get to order me around," she said in a slightly disgruntled tone.

He laughed. "Only in the event it relates to pack matters. I'm not stupid enough to try that in our personal life. I can just imagine the lecture I'd get if I even tried to."

Jen watched him intently, fighting down a smile. She bet he wouldn't dare try and order her around on a personal level. No, he would use much more subtle ways to try and get around her. Of that she had no doubt. "So basically a whole bunch of men and some women get to tell me what I can and cannot do if I agree to mate with you," she clarified.

Aaron frowned. "It's not quite like, Jen. I mean, we don't all go around dictating each others lives. It's more like a really big family with a mom and dad and lots of big brothers who have to be listened to if the situation is important enough." He knew he wasn't doing a stellar job of explaining it to her and was worried she would change her mind and decide the restrictions she would have to abide by would be too much for her.

A big family. The thought sent a wave of longing inside Jen. She had never known a real family, had always wondered what it would be like. She only had Lacey and now Aaron. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be part of this community. From what she had seen so far, they had their moments but banded together as a unit in times of crisis. She would be protected within the pack and she could help protect them too. "How do we mate?" she asked next.

This was the part Aaron ached for and also dreaded explaining. He didn't want her to freak out at the actual mating ritual. Her wariness of the wolf aspect of the pack was clear. He took a deep breath. "We make love together," he answered slowly. "At some point I shift to my wolf form and bite you to transfer the wolf gene into your blood stream. It can only be passed in wolf form."

He watched Jen pale and a slightly wild look cross her face. He was up out of the chair and across to the bed in an instant. "He would never hurt you," he whispered urgently, reaching for her and pulling her onto his lap. "He loves you as much as I do, Jen. You bring his mate to him. He has waited as long as I have for his mate. She cannot come to life until you accept both of us." He stroked her long black hair in a slow rhythmic movement as she trembled against him.

Jen struggled to come to terms with what he was saying. She had to accept both of them. She had to let the wolf part of him change her. Did Lacey know this about Rafe? Would she be as shocked to find out?

"Jen, talk to me," Aaron groaned worriedly when she didn't speak.

She said the first thing that popped into her mind. "Lacey's in for a bit of a shock."

He stiffened slightly and then started to laugh, threading his hands into her hair and tilting her head up so he could see her face. "I think Lacey's already had her 'shock', " he said with more than a hint of amusement in his voice.

Jen's eyes widened. "You mean she's already mated with Rafe?" she gasped, wondering how the hell Aaron could know when she'd been with him the whole time.

"I'm guessing really but there was most definitely the scent of a new bitch in the compound. There was only one other 'pending' mating so I figure they've gone ahead and done it already."

Jen was astounded at the news. Lacey had mated with Rafe already which meant she had had the courage to accept both sides of him. She looked up into Aaron's hopeful face. If Lacey could be brave enough to accept Rafe after all she had been through then surely she could find it within herself to do the same for Aaron. She could see the longing in his eyes, knew the gentle smile he was giving her was for her benefit.

"You don't have to make the decision now, honey," he said softly. "It's a lot to take it. I'll understand if you need more time. Just promise me you won't make any rash decisions because of what's involved in the mating."

It was his willingness to wait which made up her mind completely. Aaron was opening his very soul to her, offering her everything, including time to become comfortable about the situation. She reached up and gently cupped his cheek, her breath catching when his head twisted and he kissed the palm of her hand.

"You have a beautiful wolf, Aaron," she whispered softly. "He deserves his mate as much as you deserve yours. Thank you for giving me time to decide. I don't need it though. I want to mate with you and I want to do it now."

Aaron's hands shook slightly as he cupped her face reverently. "Are you totally sure, Jen? You have to be completely sure it's what you want. Don't do it just to please me. If there is even a hint of doubt within your mind I could lose you forever and I'd much rather we remained unmated than have that happen."

"I'm sure," she whispered pulling his head down to hers. "Stop talking, Aaron, and make me yours forever."

He growled, his wolf howling his glee inside him as their lips touched in a light, loving kiss. His heart pounded with excitement, his body throbbed with need as his sexy woman melted in his arms, accepting him completely. He was pressing her back to the bed, rubbing himself almost desperately against her as he deepened the kiss and his tongue delved into her mouth to duel with hers. Jen's moan of pleasure brought an answering growl and he pressed his aching cock between her legs.

"Aaron," Jen moaned pushing at his chest. He resisted at first. She couldn't change her mind. Lord, please don't let her be changing her mind. He didn't know if he could cope if she rejected him now. "Aaron," she said more firmly and he raised his head to look down at her. Was she laughing at him? He stared at her puzzled.

"This generally works a lot easier if there are no clothes in the way," she laughed softly seeing his puzzled expression. He stared at her uncomprehendingly for another long moment and then he laughed softly. She did have a point.

"Let me take care of that then," he said with a wicked smile. The sound of tearing fabric filled the room and Jen uttered a muffled shriek.

"I didn't say rip my clothes off me," she groaned as her top disintegrated into a useless piece of cloth on the floor.

Aaron's eyes twinkled with laughter. "You didn't say I couldn't either," he countered dipping his head to bite through the lace of her bra gently and draw a deep gasp from her throat. He snapped the lacy garment easily, ignoring her second shriek of irritation. His lips fastened on one pebble hard nipple and he began to suck greedily. 

He could scent her arousal as he pulled hard on her taut peak. She tasted so delicious, so perfect and she was soon forgetting that he had ruined her clothes as her hands dug into his long blond hair and held his mouth to her breasts as she arched up into his mouth. He growled his pleasure at her wantonness, switching breasts to suckle greedily at the other one. 

His wolf was very close to the surface, pushing him to mate and making his touch rougher than he would have liked. Jen didn't seem to mind though, not the way she was writhing beneath him. Her lust was infectious, urging him on and he had to fight to remove her jeans without ripping them too. She would need those later.

She wouldn't need her panties though. He inhaled deeply as he rubbed his mouth gently over the little scrap of lace which separated him from his prize. Her startled gasp gave him pause and he looked up to see Jen's beautiful face bathed in pleasure. Smiling wickedly he ran his tongue over the lace, watching her bite her lip and moan softly. He could taste her on the flimsy material as he began to nuzzle between her legs, scraping his teeth teasingly over her panties and making her squirm and press her pussy against his mouth. 

His mate certainly was pleasantly surprising him when it came to their lovemaking. Her stuffy lawyer exterior definitely showed no hint of what a wanton little thing she was in the bedroom. He barked at his wolf to wait so he could take his time and tease her through the fabric of her panties. He wanted to drive her so wild with desire that she didn't pause to think about what was coming. He needed her to surrender completely to her baser side.

Jen was out of her mind with pleasure. Aaron was doing such wicked things between her legs and she wanted to demand that he rip her panties from her and get on with it but the merciless teasing through the material was such a turn on she didn't want it to end. If he kept it up she was going to cum and he knew it. His teeth scraped along her pussy from top to bottom and back up again. She cried out loudly and pressed her body against his face. His tongue found the spot where her clit was and pressed hard. She shattered immediately, arching from the bed as her body shook with the intensity of her climax.

Aaron watched fascinated as Jen reached her completion without him actually touching her flesh directly. It was such a sexy sight and he couldn't stop the deep growl that rumbled from his chest as he watched her face contort with pleasure. He was so going to spend at least a few hours re-visiting this little delight again but not today. His wolf was impatient and so was he.

He left the bed to strip quickly, watching his mate intently as her breathing slowed back down and her eyes opened to stare up at him. He smiled a smug smile as he shed his jeans and crawled back onto the bed. "Oh, Jen," he said with a mock incredulous edge to his voice. "Who would have though you had a panty fetish?"

She flushed scarlet and looked away. "I don't," she denied sharply, embarrassment washing over her. She heard Aaron chuckle lightly and looked back at him, seeing his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I can't wait to find out what other hidden depths you have, my beautiful mate," he laughed softly, snapping the lace shielding her from him and tossing it away without a backward glance. 

The heated look in his eyes made Jen's breath catch as his big body settled over hers and his head lowered to capture her lips in a hard kiss. Her chest was heaving by the time he let her up for air and his eyes travelled downward to watch her breasts rise and fall sharply. 

"Your are truly stunning, Jen," he whispered in awe as he looked his fill of her. "Perfect and mine." His cock throbbed to be inside her but he couldn't stop his hands from slowly stroking over her neck, lightly brushing against her skin as he moved to cup her breasts and knead the full flesh tenderly. He pressed them close together, bending to lave first one taut peak and then the other with his tongue. He feasted on her breasts, sucking and licking until she was moaning her pleasure again and lost in her own need. 




When Worlds Collide Ch. 09



He flipped onto his back, pulling Jen on top of him, rubbing his cock against her heat lightly before pulling her up his body until her pussy was inches from his face. His hungry gaze took her slickness, his nostrils flared at the scent of her arousal. With a muffled groan he pulled her the last little distance and buried his tongue inside her body. 

He growled and held her hips tightly as he began to lick every inch of her heated flesh dragging deep moans from her. Her taste was addictive and he plunged deep inside her to find more of her sweet essence. Her sexy moans spurred him on and he licked along her slit, flicking her clit when he reached the top. He knew she wanted to move against him but he held her still and teased her mercilessly with light touches before lapping firmer at her hot body.

She shattered again with a loud cry, her sweet honey flooding from her body to fill his eager mouth. He drank greedily, his own desire at breaking point as her pleasure excited him beyond bearing. There was something so amazingly satisfying about bringing his woman off with his mouth. Now he wanted to do so with his body.

Jen was trying to catch her breath again when Aaron flipped her around onto her hands and knees. She shuddered when she felt his cock pressing against her body. She was desperate to feel him inside her, pressing back against him as his pushed forward gently sheathing himself into her aching body. She groaned and rocked against him, her breath coming in short pants as he started to stroke her in a long, slow rhythm. She knew what was coming but she didn't care. She just needed to belong to him.

Aaron wrapped his arms around Jen's chest and thrust hard into her body, his cock throbbing as her velvety walls gripped him tightly. His wolf was impatient but he didn't want this moment to be over with too soon. He held him at bay, savouring each ripple of his mate's body around his thickness, growling his pleasure as he plundered her body with harder, faster strokes. His mouth moved to her neck, his tongue laving the spot he would make his mark when he claimed her.

His knot started to form and he pressed it inside her before it became too big, anchoring her to him. "Trust me," he whispered in Jen's ear. "Don't be afraid, honey."

"I'm not," she whispered back. "Do it, Aaron. Please." She desperately needed this. Something inside her was crying out for the mating and she couldn't fight it. She felt him shift, felt the difference of his body around her and within her. The size of his cock thickened and lengthened and she felt a moment of uncertainty and then she surrendered, trusting Aaron and his wolf would never hurt her. The light brush of fur against her back felt strange but not unpleasantly so.

He thrust into her with hard, deep strokes, dragging loud cries of pleasure from her throat. She knew this was Aaron, that even though he was in wolf form, the man she loved was still there. He was just a bit wilder, a bit more intense in his wolf form. She rocked against the hard cock plunging deep inside her throbbing pussy, the friction of his knot sending jolts of electricity right up her spine. 

She felt him lick lovingly along her shoulder moving ever closer to the spot he was about to mark. She tried not to tense, tried to relax as he growled softly and began thrusting harder and faster into her body. Strong jaws suddenly bit into the join of her neck and shoulder. She cried out in surprise more than pain, closing her eyes tightly and rocking back against the cock which was driving her relentlessly towards her climax. She wasn't aware of Aaron shifting back, all she was aware of was her need to cum and how close she was to it.

Aaron's wolf surrendered control almost instantly after the mating bite. He didn't even need to ask, the wolf did so willingly. He knew their mate wasn't completely comfortable with his animal side, but she'd been incredibly brave despite her slight fear. That would change soon when her own wolf emerged. He was content that he had started the process which would bring his half of their mate to him.

Aaron wrapped his arms tightly around Jen kissing his mark, laving the wound with his tongue as he pressed relentlessly into her body. She was close to shattering again, her tight walls fluttering against his cock, teasing him towards his own release. "Jen," he groaned hoarsely, stroking harder and faster inside her.

He felt his pleasure peak, his cock swelling inside her as his thick cum began to erupt into her body. He threw his head back, growling his intense pleasure as his woman shattered with him, her body clamping around his cock tightly as she cried out and writhed against him.

Heart thundering wildly, his breathing harsh and ragged, Aaron carefully sank down onto his side, clutching Jen tightly against him. "Are you okay, honey?" he asked softly, gently stroking her hip to soothe her down from her pleasure.

"Can't speak," Jen groaned dragging air into her lungs as quickly as she could. She felt dizzy from the intensity of her climax, stunned by the sheer depth of emotions he had wrung out of her. She doubted anything would ever surpass the beauty of mating with Aaron.

Aaron chuckled softly as he held his weary mate against him and moved his hands up her body to gently fondle her breasts. She was amazing his woman. She would be a glorious wolf, all glossy and black to match her hair. She would be fierce and protective and she was all his now. No one would ever take her from him, not as long as he lived. 

He sighed softly as he felt his knot disengage so he could slip from her body. He turned her quickly in his arms giving her a long, drugging kiss before pulling her head to his neck. He ached for her to claim him as hers, suddenly remembering that he hadn't told her about this part of the mating ritual. It didn't matter though. Her wolf's instincts kicked in immediately and her teeth clamped down hard and marked him as hers.

Aaron felt tears fill his eyes as he finally joined with his mate completely. It had been so long coming, a long lonely road full of endless women who satisfied his desire but never his soul. Finally his soul was at peace, safe in Jen's loving embrace. "Thank you," he whispered quietly stroking his beautiful woman's back as he cradled her closely.

He laughed loudly when she moved sinuously against him, rolling completely on top of him and gazing into his face. "Oh, I think you thanked me quite nicely," she answered with a little smile. "But if you want to thank me again then please feel free to do so."

"Aaron!" Rafe yelled up the stairs, startling both of them before Aaron cursed and rose from the bed.

"This had better be important, Rafe," he almost snarled, striding to the top of the stairs completely naked. 

Lacey uttered a startled squeak from Rafe's side, surprised at the other man's nakedness and both Rafe and Aaron's complete disregard of it. Her face flushed slightly as Aaron grinned cheekily at her. "Hi Lacey, welcome to the pack."

"You get used to it," Rafe said soothingly. "It takes some longer than others." He turned his gaze back to his friend, his nostrils flaring slightly. "So, you've mated too," he said. "Hope Jared's easier on you than he was on us."

Lacey blinked slowly in surprise. "You mated with Jen?" she gasped.

"If you'd arrived five minutes earlier you could have had ringside seats," Aaron answered slightly peevishly causing Rafe to laugh loudly.

"Well at least you got mated. You have an hour to get packed and out of here with Millie. Our allies are coming over tonight and they're not in a very good mood. Jared wants Millie safely out of the way. I don't think it's necessary but there's no point in taking any chances. " Rafe told him.

Aaron straightened immediately, instantly alert to his pack responsibilities as Jen came out of the bedroom wearing her jeans and one of Aaron's shirts which completely swamped her small body.

"You're naked," she hissed at her mate seeing Lacey trying to look everywhere other than at Aaron. He laughed softly and pulled her against his body, dropping a kiss on her head.

"It's all part of being a wolf, honey," he chuckled softly. "You'll both get used to it. You can't shift with clothes on. Well, you can but they get destroyed so we try really hard not to do so." Still laughing at her flaming cheeks he tightened his arms around her briefly before his beta instincts kicked in and he sighed.

"Time for us to ship out, honey. Head back to Jared's and get packed up. I'll be over to pick you up in forty five minutes." He watched her scowl darkly at him and gave her a stern look. "This is one of those beta moments," he added. 

"Oh well, in that case I'll refrain from telling you where to go and hop right to it, boss," she answered with a cheeky grin, laughing when he swatted her backside lightly.

"Behave woman," he growled laughing, giving her a quick kiss and shooing her back into the bedroom to collect her shoes.

Lacey stared at Jen's retreating back totally amazed at the transformation in her friend. She was so much more relaxed and playful The open adoration on Aaron's face was almost beatific to look at and she had to drag her eyes away from him. She turned to look at Rafe to see him watching her with an equally intense expression. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as her wolf growled her appreciation of their mate's heated look.

"Yeah, we all get that dopey look around our mates," he laughed softly catching a lock of silvery blonde hair and letting it trail slowly through his fingers.

Jen came back out the room and kissed Aaron quickly before she headed down the stairs. Threading her arm through Lacey's she pulled her friend from the house, leaving Rafe to follow.

"You don't think the alliance will breakdown do you?" Aaron asked his friend with a slight frown on his face.

Rafe shook his head. "Caleb won't let it," he answered confidently. "He knows it would break Annie's heart if anything happened to her family. The alliance will hold even if he has to beat the other vampires into submission."

Aaron wasn't so sure but he nodded and headed back into his bedroom to start packing.

Rafe headed out after the girls fairly confident in his prediction. The vampires may be a completely different species but when they mated like Weres did, they took on the same pathological need to protect their mates. Caleb Cullen wouldn't let the pack down because to do so would be to let his mate down and that was something he would rather die than ever do.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 10



Millie heard the bedroom close quietly as she collected the last of her toiletries from the bathroom. She didn't need to ask who it was, she could sense Jared a mile off and she could feel his emotions inside her head. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and ran her hand gently across her stomach. Leaving was for the best. She knew, he knew, but it didn't make parting any easier. Straightening her shoulders she walked briskly out of the bathroom.

Jared was standing at the foot of the bed, idly fingering one of her tops in the open suitcase. "Are you almost ready?" he asked quietly turning his deep blue eyes to her as she entered the bedroom.

"This is the last of it," she answered equally as quiet dropping her bag of toiletries into the case. She watched Jared close and set it down on the floor.

"The others are ready," he said and she nodded her head acknowledging that the moment was now upon them. The moment when they would have to say goodbye, not knowing if they would see each other again. 

They stared at each other silently for a long moment and then Jared moved, reaching for her and pulling her tightly against him. "Millie," he whispered, his big body shaking as he held her. He didn't want her to go and yet he couldn't get her away from the compound fast enough. His contrasting emotions made his head spin and all he could do was hold his precious woman and breathe in her sweet scent of peaches and cream, wondering if he'd ever see her again.

Millie didn't mean to cry. She tried really hard not to but the tears starting falling anyway as she clung to Jared as if her life depended on him. "Don't you dare die on me, Jared," she wept. "Don't you dare leave me, leave us."

He framed her face gently in his large hands, wiping at her tears, his expression tortured. "I swear I'll be here, baby. I won't leave you. I won't leave our babies." He kissed her, softly, groaning as a little whimper escaped her lips and her mouth clung desperately to his. He wanted to stay wrapped in her arms forever but he knew he couldn't. He wrenched his mouth from hers and hugged her tightly again.

"It's time," he said gruffly, swallowing down his own tears as he stroked her hair gently. "You have to go now."

Millie stepped back nodding as she wiped at her cheeks. There was no point delaying. It wouldn't change anything. Jared would still insist she left and she couldn't argue with him about it because of the precious lives in her belly. It still didn't make it any easier but she managed to give him a wan smile, trying to draw on her wolf, looking for some inner strength.

"Come on Millie. You can do this," Jared said quietly, giving her an encouraging smile even though his heart felt as if it was breaking. 

"I know," she sighed standing up straighter, a hint of steely determination in her voice. "Let's go then. No point in keeping everyone waiting."

Jared felt such an overwhelming rush of love for his precious mate as she masked her pain and misery and stood proudly before him. "I love you, Millie." 

There was so much emotion in those words that Millie thought she would start crying again. She swallowed hard and let more of her wolf come forward to give herself more strength. "I love you, Jared," she said softly. She slid her arm around his waist as he picked up her suitcase and they headed out the bedroom. 

Jared handed off Millie's suitcase to Cedar when they stepped outside the house. The blonde Were stowed it in the back of the Jeep and turned to wait for Millie. They were taking two Jeeps, Jen and Aaron in one and Cedar and Millie in the other flanked by Cedar's other two brothers Brody and Connor.

Jen was saying a tearful farewell to Lacey, clinging onto her friend tightly. "Don't let anything happen to you, Lacey," she whispered tearfully.

"I won't, Jen," her friend answered fervently. "You be safe too. Stay close to Aaron just in case any vampires come your way."

"They won't," Jen said morosely. "They're all coming here to try and get you."

Aaron slipped his arms around his mate and pulled her back against his chest. "Hush now, honey. Everything is going to work out fine," he said confidently. He gave Lacey a warm smile. "I'll look after her, Lace. You have my word on that."

"I know you will, Aaron," Lacey smiled. "You take care of yourself too. You've only just survived one run in with Richard's cronies. Don't go thinking you're superman again."

The big blond threw his head back and barked a short laugh, his eyes twinkling. "You mean I'm not?"

"No, you're not," Rafe growled coming up behind them and slapping Aaron on the back. "So you keep that firmly in mind. Cedar's in charge of defence. You make sure Millie is protected. Let Cedar, Brody and Connor be the first line of defence if it's needed."

"Yes, boss," Aaron sighed rolling his eyes. He locked his gaze with Rafe and they nodded to each other before Aaron looked down at his woman. "Come on, honey. It's time we got going."

Jen pulled out of his arms and hugged Lacey one more time before she turned and threw her arms around Rafe completely surprising him. He looked down at her in shock for a moment before he hugged her back gently. "He won't get near her, Jen," he said quietly.

She sniffled slightly and then pulled back, scrubbing at her cheeks and nodding. "He won't get past you, I know that," she answered. She smiled at Lacey one last time and let Aaron enfold her back in his arms.

"We'll see you soon," Aaron said with another of his cheerful smiles. Lacey didn't notice that it didn't quite reach his eyes but Rafe did. He knew his friend was worried about what would happen while he was away. 

"One of us will call as soon as it's safe," Rafe told him. He slipped his arms around Lacey as Aaron pulled Jen away and headed over to their Jeep.

"Will we see them again, Rafe?" Lacey whispered as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Yes we will," he answered firmly, kissing the top of her head. "They'll be safe where they are and you have the pack protecting you. You'll see Jen and Aaron again, sweetheart. I swear it."

Rafe held her a moment longer as they watched Jen and Aaron climb into the Jeep, then he pulled Lacey over to Jared and Millie. He slipped his arms from his mate and reached for his sister, hugging her gently. "Try not to worry too much, Mills," he said quietly. "It's bad for the babies. I have Jared's back as does Caleb and Annie. We won't let anything happen to him."

"You'd better not let anything happen to you either," she answered with a little snort. "You're the only brother I have and I've already had to deal with your death once. Don't make me have to deal with it a second time, Rafe."

"You worry too much," Rafe laughed shaking his head. "You just concentrate on looking after yourself and your babies. We're old enough to take care of ourselves." She snorted again but managed a little chuckle as she stepped back and turned to Jared. Slipping her hand in his they headed off to the other Jeep. 

Rafe watched his friends and family prepare to depart with a heavy heart. He really hoped all his brave words were true. If the vampires bailed out on them then they didn't have much hope of making it through the next few days. He prayed silently that his faith in Caleb was justified.

_____

Rhianna glanced at Caleb from the corner of her eye and nervously bit her lip when she saw his expression hadn't soothed any. The atmosphere in the car was thick with tension and had been ever since they'd gotten into it. He was furious with Rafe and not willing to listen to anything she had to say. For once she was unable to break through his anger and that worried her, a lot.

She glanced back at the Jeep behind them and a little shiver went down her spine. She should have insisted Mara travel with them but her friend had been adamant she was staying at Demetri's side. He was even more furious at the turn of events than Caleb was and Mara felt it was better if she travelled with him and tried to soothe him. 

Rhianna wasn't concerned about Demetri when it came to her friend's well being but she was concerned about the two other vampires in the car with her, the Romanov brothers. They were cold. She didn't care how much Andrei smiled, he was as dead inside as his twin brother Alexei. He just hid it better. The two of them scared the life out of her and it was difficult not to show it, which only heightened Caleb's anger on a completely different level.

"Forget about them," Caleb said quietly, speaking for the first time since they'd gotten into the car.

"You're taking them into my family's compound. How can I forget about them?" she answered slightly tartly. She heard Caleb draw an irritated breath and swallowed down the feeling of misery which was threatening to rear up again. If he sensed that in her as well it would just make his mood worse.

"You're not helping, Rhianna," he bit out tersely, his use of her full name making her wilt even more.

Caleb bit down another angry growl as his woman's unease flooded the car. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay but he couldn't. Rafe mating with Lacey had changed everything. He was livid about it and so was Demetri. Worse than that, Demetri actually seemed a little uncertain now and that scared Caleb. If his friend was feeling uncertain then that meant they had a lot to worry about. 

"Can you at least try to contain your emotions, even just a little," he said wearily. "You're driving me mad here and it's not helping me work to contain my own."

Rhianna bit her lip again, feeling the sting of his words. She was stuck between suddenly wanting to cry and suddenly wanting to yell at him. "Sure, Caleb, hold on while I just flip a switch and turn them off. I won't be a moment." Her tone was laced with sarcasm. 

He growled loudly, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he turned off the road into the trees and headed towards the Hanlon compound. He pulled up outside Jared's house and switched off the car, turning to face her with a hard expression on his face. "Sarcasm really doesn't suit you, Rhianna" he said coldly, his golden eyes clearly showing his disapproval.

"Being a cold, heartless bastard really doesn't suit you either, Caleb," she retorted angrily, his censure wounding her deeply. She got out the car and slammed the door as Demetri pulled up in the Jeep behind them. Ignoring the other vampires she turned and ran up the short flight of steps into the house.

Caleb muttered a curse under his breath as he watched her go. He hadn't missed the flash of pain in her eyes and it cut him deeply that he was the cause. He got out of the car and turned to Demetri. He pinned the vampires with a hard stare. "I'll do the talking," he said quietly. "I expect your behaviour to be impeccable. 

His hard gaze settled on the Romanovs. "Mark my words carefully. If either of you do anything in there that hurts my woman I will kill you myself. Are we perfectly clear on this?" He didn't wait for an acknowledgement, turning to follow Rhianna into the house.

He found the Weres in the dining room, his eyes quickly running over the assembled group before settling on Rhianna who was hugging Lacey tightly, her beautiful face wreathed in a wide smile as she welcomed her new sister into her family.

There were five Weres standing at the back of the room against the wall. He recognised a few of them from Wicked, knew they were betas and particularly close to his brother. His eyes flicked once more over Lacey and Rhianna before he stopped at Rafe and gave him a hard glare. The big man met his gaze unflinching and Caleb fought down a weary sigh. 

He finally turned his gaze to Jared and was met by such steely resolve that he started wondering if coming to the compound really had been a good idea. If any of the Weres got hurt tonight his Annie would never forgive him.

It was too late now though. Demetri flanked him on the left with Mara at his side. The Romanov twins remained near the door, their brown eyes narrowed with distrust as they surveyed the room. Weres on one side of the table and vampires on the other. His Annie clearly on the side opposite from him, letting him know firmly where she stood. 

"You wanted this meeting, Caleb," Jared finally said. "Let's get on with it."

They all sat down, the twins being hesitant to take a seat at the table but doing so when Demetri rumbled low in his chest. None of the betas sat and Caleb watched his woman closely to see what she would do.

Rhianna bit her lip and hugged Rafe tightly. He picked her up and planted a big kiss on her lips and tousled her curls before setting her down and giving her a gentle push. They didn't speak but she knew he was giving her his blessing to return to Caleb, that he didn't see it as some kind of defection on her part. She walked back around the table and slid into the chair Caleb pulled out for her without looking at him.

"Are you here to tell us you won't stand with us anymore?" Jared asked tersely. There really was no point in small talk, not with the tension in the room.

"We're here to tell you that this mating has complicated things," Caleb responded coolly. His eyes swung to Rafe's as he spoke, his anger plain to see. "I expected better from you, Rafe."

The big man bristled, his eyes hardening as he reached under the table and gripped Lacey's hand to soothe the anger starting to build up within himself. "I could say the same for you, Caleb," he responded coldly.

Jared cleared his throat loudly and Rafe glanced at him before sitting back in his chair and wrapping an arm around Lacey's shoulder, obeying his Alpha's silent command to be quiet.

"Am I hearing you correctly, Caleb? Are you actually coming into my compound and dictating how I run my pack?" the Alpha said in a very quiet voice.

Caleb's gaze turned back to him, his golden eyes flashing angrily. "You know damned well this has nothing to do with how you run your pack, Jared," he snapped. "You asked us for help remember and now you've gone and pulled the rug out from under our feet. How did you expect us to react to that?"

"I certainly didn't expect to have you come here and act as if my pack is suddenly subservient to you in some way," Jared hissed leaning forward to glare hard at his friend. "If having your help to fight one vampire means we have to roll over and ask your fucking permission on when we can mate then we don't want your help. We will not submit to any vampire, no matter how dire the circumstances are."

"No one's bloody asking you to," Caleb roared standing up so abruptly his chair flew back. He leaned on the table, his beautiful face a hard mask. "I'm trying to keep you alive you stupid dog. I'm trying to keep the promise I made to Annie and your stupid bloody pride is getting in the way and making my job harder. You have no concept of what you've done allowing this mating to go ahead."

Jared stood too, his face equally hard as he faced down the irate vampire. The tension in the room was at boiling point. "Then why don't you enlighten me," he said tersely.

"Graves is no longer going to be coming to retrieve, Lacey," Demetri said coldly, his voice devoid of all emotion, his expression completely blank. "When he learns of the mating he will be coming to kill her for making him look like a fool. There will be no carefully constructed plan of attack for him to put in place anymore. It will be all pretty straightforward. Enter the compound and kill everyone in it."

The temperature in the room dropped as the black haired vampire calmly pronounced their death sentences. Lacey paled and turned to look at Rafe who was moving closer to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Mara shivered at Demetri's side staring slowly at the Weres before turning to look at Rhianna. The little redhead was staring at her brother and his mate, her eyes filling with tears as she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Do you see now, Jared?" Caleb snarled. "Do you understand what a fucking mess you've landed us all in? How do I protect you from a rabid vampire who's only thought is to kill every living thing standing in this compound, including me, including my Annie? Why shouldn't we walk away right now and leave you to your fate?"

Jared looked down at Rafe and Lacey for a long moment, his thoughts in chaos. If things were so bad, if Caleb walked away, then there was no hope for any of them. He turned back to his friend and met his furious glare. "If you want to leave then do so, Caleb. I will not hold it against you. And I will not apologise for any member of my pack or their actions. If we all die then so be it. We will die knowing we didn't submit to the whim of a rabid vampire. No one walks over us."

The room fell silent after one long hiss from Caleb's lips, the two sides glaring balefully at each other. The break in the silence surprised Caleb.

"Okay, I'm still in," Demetri said quietly and his friend's head whipped around to stare at him in amazement. Demetri's lips twitched in a little smile. "What?" he shrugged. "He's pretty impressive for a dog. Willing to stand up for his people no matter the consequences. I can relate to that. Plus I love hopeless situations. Didn't you tell me taking out Janick's coven was suicidal?"

Alexei and Andrei shared a look at the mention of the previous fun they had had with Demetri and then the brown haired vampire turned to Caleb. "We stand with Demetri," Andrei said quietly, turning his gaze back to the five Weres regarding them so suspiciously and shooting them a nonchalant smile just to piss them off.

Caleb hid his sigh of relief. He hadn't known which way the others would go and he had been worried. Irrespective of what they had decided he would have stood with the Weres because he had promised his Annie he would and also because they were his friends. 

He had half expected the others to walk, which was why his mood had been so foul on the way over. Deliberately baiting Jared had seemed the best course of action. Letting his friends see the steely determination, the strong pride of the pack had been the only gambit he could come up with to get his people to have some respect for the Weres. Thankfully it had paid off. 

He looked down at his woman and saw her face wet with tears and his heart wrenched painfully. He hadn't been able to tell her his plan. He'd needed Demetri to think that he was really prepared to walk away and leave the Weres to their fate. For that he'd needed Rhianna's reactions to be real. To save her brother he had had to hurt her and it would be a long time before he forgave himself for that.

"The alliance still stands, Jared," he said quietly turning back to the Alpha. "We may have to rethink our strategy slightly but we'll be here when Graves comes." 

Jared hid his own relief well. He had meant what he'd said. The pack would stand alone if that's what it came down to. Knowing they didn't need to shifted a little of the responsibility from his shoulders. It gave them a fighting chance at least. 

He watched Caleb's face intently, saw the little twitch of his lips and a slight glint enter his eyes and he fought to stop his own lips from twitching too. His friend had engineered the whole meeting. He had gambled on Jared's reaction to his throwing his weight around to bring his friends around to his way of thinking. He knew instantly that his friend had had no intention of walking away. Caleb would have stood with them no matter what the others had decided.

"Thank you," he said quietly. To the others it appeared as if he was answering his friend's last words. Caleb would know what he was really thanking him for.

The vampire nodded and turned to look at his woman again with a slight frown on his face, "May I use the study briefly?" he asked quietly. Jared inclined his head in permission and Caleb reached for his woman.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 10



"You play nice," he growled at the vampires before he strode out of the room with his woman safely ensconced in his arms. He kicked the door shut behind them and crossed to the sofa in the study.

"I'm sorry, Annie," he groaned kissing her gently as he cradled her on his lap. "Please say you forgive me. I had to find a way to keep Demetri on our side. He was ready to walk especially now Mara is home."

Rhianna drew a shuddering breath looking into his anguished face. "It was all an act?" she asked shakily her eyes brimming with more tears. "You weren't really going to let Rafe stand alone?" She searched his face intently, her heart thumping loudly in her chest as a torrent of emotions ran through her; anger, relief, hope.

"Do you seriously believe I would ever break your heart like that, my Annie?" he whispered softly. "Rafe will never stand alone, not as long as I live. I gave you my word. I would never break it, not ever."

She uttered a strangled moan and threw her arms tightly around Caleb, burying her head in the side of his neck. "I was so frightened, Caleb," she breathed tearfully. "I thought you weren't going to help. I thought I was going to lose him again." 

Her tears soaked the side of his neck and his arms clutched her even tighter. 

"I won't let anything happen to him, love. I swear it. No matter what happens I'll keep him safe for you." He didn't know just how he was going to keep that promise but he would die trying. He couldn't bear the thought of her grieving for her brother again, not after the last time when she had sunk into such blackness when she had believed he was dead. He never wanted her to ever feel that kind of pain again.

Caleb soothed his woman gently, kissing her face tenderly as he stroked her hair and her tears finally slowed to a trickle. He wiped her face gently, staring into her beautiful lavender eyes. "Forgive me?"

"Always," she whispered with a tremulous smile. "Don't you know that by now, Caleb?"

He smiled softly at her, thanking whatever deity there was in the heavens above that his precious woman had such a pure, forgiving soul. Lord knew how many times he'd messed up and needed her forgiveness and always she gave it with no reservations at all. "I love you, my Annie," he sighed softly brushing her lips gently with his own.

"I love you, Caleb," she murmured against his lips, her arms holding him so tightly.

He allowed them one more brief moment together before he sighed and pulled his mouth from hers. "We'd better get back before Demetri decides he's bored and starts a pissing contest with the Weres," he said with a rueful smile.

"It's not Demetri I'm worried about," she answered with a deep frown marring her beautiful face.

"Don't fret so much about the twins," Caleb said firmly, standing up and depositing her gently on her feet. "Demetri has them well in hand and I've promised them I'll kill them both if they step out of line. They'll behave."

She gave him a startled look at his causal tone, swallowing slightly when he smiled at her. He meant what he'd said. He would personally kill the two vampires if they stepped out of line. This side to him was one she didn't see very often and it intimidated her slightly even as she felt a little more relaxed about the Romanovs being at the compound. The fact she wasn't horrified at the prospect of Caleb killing the two vampires was a little disconcerting to say the least but now was not the time to examine those feelings. She took Caleb's hand and headed back to the dining room.

Mara was talking quietly with Lacey when they re-entered the room, getting to know the new addition to her circle of friends. Rafe surprisingly wasn't glued to his mate's side, instead he and Jared were sitting across from Demetri discussing how best to form a line of defence against the coming vampires. Andrei was grinning impudently at the five betas dotted around the room, seeming to be having great fun and drawing their angry glares down on his head. Alexei had moved to lean against the wall closest to the door, his arms folded and his brown eyes cold as he surveyed the room slowly. For two species who supposedly hated each other they looked downright friendly compared to when they had first come in.

Rhianna slipped her hand from Caleb's and gave Demetri a quick hug from behind. He turned his head and looked at her intently for a moment before he smiled gently and patted her arm. His attention immediately turned back to the Weres as she released him and headed over to Mara and Lacey. Caleb sat down beside his friend and joined in with their planning session.

There was a little bit of dissension between them but Caleb quickly soothed it over until they were in agreement on what they were going to do. Jared cleared his throat and gathered everyone back to the table. He looked at Caleb to see if he wanted to outline the plan but the vampire conceded to him.

"Okay, we've reached an agreement," Jared said firmly. "Mara and Lacey will be situated in the house. Annie, you'll be with them. I'll give you three Weres to back you up but essentially that's all you'll have. It will be your job to keep Mara and Lacey safe."

The little redhead nodded shooting a quick glance at Caleb and Demetri. Neither of them objected and she smiled widely. She had expected them to lump her in with the others, needing protection rather than being a worthwhile member of the defence. That they respected her enough to allow her to help increased her confidence immensely.

"Boss, I volunteer to help Annie," Ben said from his position on the far wall. He was fond of Rafe's little sister and didn't let it bother him she was a vampire. He knew her quite well from her visits to Wicked. She always spent time chatting with him while he worked the bar. Plus, he would be directly protecting Rafe's mate too.

Rhianna looked at the sandy haired Were and gave him a grateful smile. He really was a nice man, not letting his natural enmity towards vampires cloud his judgement of her. She liked him a lot and it would be good to have someone she trusted in the house with her. Rafe also rumbled his approval.

"Thanks, Ben," Jared said. His gaze turned to Mike and Pete and he shook his head before either of them opened their mouths to volunteer too. "I need you both outside. Ben can select two others to join him inside the house." That settled he turned back to the vampires.

"Demetri anticipates Graves will use a lot of humans in his attack. The Weres will form an inner defence perimeter around the house. The humans will be our primary targets. The vampires will form the outer defence perimeter, meeting the other vampires head on."

"Just how many friendly vampires do we have, boss?" Pete asked from across the room. His stocky body was tense, his arms folded as his gaze bore into the brown haired vampire who kept grinning at him like a maniac and was really inciting his wolf to violence. It was with extreme difficulty that he was able to stop himself from shifting and launching himself across the room at the vampire.

Demetri followed the Were's angry gaze and tutted in irritation. He had expected Alexei to be the one he'd need to rein in but it appeared Andrei was going to be the pain in his ass. "Enough," he growled softly drawing his friend's eyes to his. 

Andrei grinned unrepentantly at him but wisely kept his gaze averted from the Weres. At least until his friend looked away. Then he went back to his baiting of the dogs. It was so much fun watching them fight with their wolves.

"There will be five of us in the compound," Caleb answered trying not to roll his eyes at the byplay between Demetri and Andrei. "You're looking at them."

The Weres stared at them stunned for an instant. "Only five of you?" Jared finally asked. Five vampires were better than none but Lord only knew how many Graves was bringing with him. How did they expect to hold the line if there were only four of them? Rhianna would be in the house so she didn't really count in the numbers outside.

"In the compound, yes," Caleb reiterated. "There will be more in the forest though, possibly as many as another twenty. They will be the first line of defence. We will take care of any vampires who breach that line."

It made sense but Jared felt there was something more his friend wasn't telling them. He raised an eyebrow and Caleb sighed.

"I'm only bringing those into the compound that can be trusted not to 'forget' who their real enemy is, Jared," he admitted. "The history between our people is not easily forgotten by my kind. Those in the forest will be there because I asked them to be, not out of any real desire to aid you. Mostly they hate Graves more than they hate Weres and that's why they'll join the fight. Keep your people out of the forest as much as possible. I don't think the others will hurt them but I can't guarantee it. This is all I can guarantee." He waved at his people in the room.

Jared nodded his agreement immediately. He didn't want any friendly casualties, not to his pack and not to Caleb's people either.

"What about Graves?" Rafe asked quietly. "Who gets to take him out?" His expression was tight, his muscles tightly clenched as he looked at his brother expectantly.

Caleb met his gaze unflinching, knowing the big man wanted to take out the cause of his mate's pain, knowing that it was an impossible ask. "He's a vampire, Rafe. We will deal with him."

Rafe growled loudly and jumped up, his fury erupting instantly. "Graves is mine!" he bit out furiously.

"Oh goodie, dog meat," Alexei laughed softly, speaking for the first time since entering the compound. Demetri hissed as the tension in the room suddenly soared and the Weres started growling loudly at the insult. Caleb and Jared were instantly on their feet, both turning to their people and glaring furiously at them.

"Stand down!" Jared growled, his command tone sinking deeply in on all of the Weres present.

"Enough!" Caleb hissed striding over to blond vampire and getting right in his face. "Do I need to embarrass you in front of the Weres, Alexei?" he asked coldly.

"You could always try, Caleb," the other vampire hissed back at him refusing to back down.

Demetri moved so swiftly Mara gave a startled squeak, her eyes going wide with surprise. One moment Alexei was face to face with Caleb the next he was flat on his back with Demetri's booted foot pressing hard on his throat.

"You really shouldn't give him an option, Caleb," the dark haired vampire said drolly as he looked around at his friend. "Alexei understands actions so much better than words, don't you, my friend?" Glacial green eyes pierced the vampire beneath him in a deadly gaze.

"I think he'd have a better chance of answering you if you weren't crushing his throat, Demetri," Andrei remarked calmly, injecting a bit of humour into his tone. He was tense, ready to come to his brother's defence despite the fact it would be suicide to go up against his friend.

"Valid point," Demetri suddenly laughed, removing his foot and heading back to his seat. He smiled at Mara and stroked her cheek lightly before he turned back to the Weres as if he hadn't just floored one of his best friends.

Caleb followed his lead casting a quick glance at Rhianna to make sure she was okay. Her pleased smile shook him a little as she watched Alexei get up rubbing his throat and shooting a dirty look at Demetri. His woman really didn't like the Romanovs at all. It was surprising to see her take against anyone. She always found something good in everyone she came in contact with.

"He will be dog meat if he goes up against Graves," Alexei snarled, his expression unrepentant. "Graves will take him apart piece by piece and you all know it. Someone needs to let these dogs see just what they're up against. A fucking youngling could take them apart without breaking a sweat. He thinks he can just walk up to an ancient and take him out?" He snorted in disgust and sat back down.

"Alexei's right," Caleb said reluctantly. He hated having to agree with the blond vampire. "Rafe, I'm speaking as your brother now. You will leave Graves to us. I understand it will be difficult for you to do this. If you won't do it for me then I ask that you do it for Annie. Don't break her heart again."

Rafe quivered in fury, glaring at Caleb with a murderous rage inside him. Only Jared's command was stopping him from shifting and even with that his wolf was trying hard to break the rigid control his Alpha had over him.

"Rafe," Rhianna said urgently, seeing his inner struggle. She understood it, his need to avenge the wrong done to his mate but her fear for him overrode her understanding. "You promised me," she whispered. "No needless heroics, that we would both be standing at the end of this. Will you break your word to me, brother?" It was a low blow. She knew it and she knew he may never forgive her for it either but she would rather have him alive and disappointed in her than dead.

"Will you leave your child fatherless?" Lacey asked softly inside his head, joining in with the assault on his fury. She chose the one thing she thought would break through his initial fury, backing up her new sister who suddenly looked like a frightened child as she stared at her brother. "Annie needs you, Rafe. I need you, love. Please stay with us. We need you so much."

Rafe uttered a strangled groan fighting hard with his wolf as his two women strove hard to reach him. Annie's terrified expression tore at his heart, his mate's gentle plea shattering through the fury to reach deep inside him and drag him back into controlling his wolf. He reached for Lacey and pulled her into his arms, burying his head in the side of her neck as he took deep, tortured breaths.

Her touch soothed his snarling beast, her scent washed over him calming the deep rage. His beautiful mate whispered her love for him endlessly inside his head until he was once more completely in control, trembling slightly against her. He kissed her blindly cupping her face gently as he silently thanked her for being his strength when he needed it so badly.

Smiling gently at his mate he turned to look at his sister, his precious child, and she looked so dejected that any lingering anger melted away. He was gathering her into his arms, holding her tightly as she shivered in his embrace. "It's okay," he whispered soothingly. "I won't break my promise, baby girl. No needless heroics."

Jared watched them, slowly relaxing as the tension in the room began to dissipate. His Weres had backed down but still remained alert. The vampires were once more being their usual arrogant selves. He knew he had Lacey to thank for Rafe calming down, her and his sister. He turned to his new pack member and gave her a grateful smile. She met his gaze and positively beamed with radiance at the approval of her Alpha. Lacey really was going to be a valuable addition to the pack. They just needed to keep her alive so she could realise her potential.

Caleb extracted his woman from her brother's arms and nodded his thanks to the big man. He really did know how difficult it was for Rafe to back down. If anyone had hurt his Annie he didn't think anyone would be able to talk him out of exacting vengeance. Rafe Hanlon was a better man than he would ever be for the simple reason he could put the needs of others before his own needs. It was a skill that Caleb just couldn't quite master, not where his woman was concerned.

"I presume we can continue now?" Jared asked slightly archly as Rafe took his seat again. No one contradicted him so he continued. "So it's agreed, the vampires will deal with Graves. Unless he gets through the line and becomes our problem."

Andrei laughed softly. "He won't get through our line. My brother and I have a friendly wager on which one of us will claim the kill and we're very competitive. Neither of us like to lose."

"Then I guess that's fortunate for us," Jared responded with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He really didn't trust the two brothers at all, and liked them even less than he trusted them. If they were an indication of the more trustworthy of Caleb's kind then he didn't particularly want to meet any of the others who would be secreted within the forest.

"I believe we've covered just about everything," Caleb interjected before any more egos could decide to be wounded and react accordingly. "The only question left is when Graves will strike."

"it won't take him long to discover Lacey has mated within the pack," Demetri answered. "He has his spies watching the pack just as I have mine watching his haunts. The moment he moves we'll hear about it instantly."

There was definite feeling that the meeting was drawing to end. Jared couldn't help feeling relieved that the vampires would be leaving soon. His people had behaved admirably considering the circumstances but they were pushed to their limits holding their wolves at bay from the repeated taunting of Demetri's friends. He would need to do something about their pent up aggression. Possibly have them do an hours run as soon as the vampires departed.

Rhianna suddenly turned to him and frowned slightly. "Where's Mills?" she asked.

Jared stared at her in surprise for a moment and then looked at Rafe. The big man shook his head slowly. "Didn't she call you?" Jared asked. "I just assumed she would have. She had to evacuate with the children. Aaron and Jen have gone with her. She's pregnant, Annie."

Rhianna gasped in surprise, her lavender eyes going wide before a huge grin crossed her face and she jumped up to give the Alpha a big hug. "Oh, Jared that's fantastic news," she cried happily. "I'm so happy for you both. What a clever boy you are."

Rafe choked loudly, trying not to laugh at the outraged expression which crossed his Alpha's face at being termed a boy. He watched Jared try to be insulted but failing to hold onto his disgruntled expression in the face of his sister's obvious joy at the news.

Jared burst out laughing and hugged the little redhead back. "I'm glad my virility meets with your approval, Annie," he remarked humorously. 

"I think it's more important that it meets with Millie's approval," she quipped back lightly, her eyes dancing with laughter when he threw back his head and laughed loudly. The sudden lightening of the mood seemed to transmit among the Weres first and they relaxed a bit more.

"Caleb, you're going to be an uncle," Rhianna beamed happily.

The tortured expression which crossed his face had all three vampires at his side suddenly laughing loudly too.

"God forbid!" Caleb groaned. Uncle? Children? What the hell was he supposed to do with that? He'd never had to deal with a little person in his life before and didn't know where to start. He shot a pleading look at his woman. Surely she wouldn't really want him to act as some type of guardian to Jared and Millie's offspring?

The unexpected camaraderie shattered when Alexei's cell phone rang and he pulled it from his jeans pocket and listened briefly before putting it away. His brown eyes met Demetri's and he nodded his head. The vampires were on their feet instantly as the door to the house suddenly flew open and Bill Shepherd appeared in the dining room doorway. "Alpha, the vampires are on the move." 

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 11



"Demetri," Caleb ground out, his friend already nodding and pulling out his cell phone. He barked one word into the phone and hung up. It was a prearranged call to arms. Their friends would be in situ in under ten minutes. They had forty five minutes, possibly an hour before Graves reached the compound.

Jared barked orders at his betas and they went running from the room with the exception of Ben who stayed behind and moved over to Lacey's side. The Alpha turned to his brother. "Five minutes, Rafe." He was striding out of the room before he finished speaking.

Rafe collected Lacey against his side and pulled her into the study. His heart was pounding with fear as he held his precious mate against him, feeling her trembling with her own fear. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door, resting his chin on top of her head. "Listen to Annie. Do exactly as she tells you. DO NOT under any circumstances leave this house, Lacey. I don't care what you hear, what you see. Stay inside at all costs." He couldn't keep the fear from his voice. He wasn't frightened for himself. He was frightened that Graves would somehow get passed all of them and get his hands on Lacey. That couldn't be allowed to happen under any circumstances.

Lacey could feel him trembling against her and she couldn't help trembling too. It was really happening. Richard was really coming and people were going to die. Part of her had hoped he would simply give her up, walk away and forget about her. She had known she was fooling herself. She'd lived with Richard for too long to ever truly believe that he would walk away from what he saw as his property.

She could feel her wolf stirring inside her, prowling in an agitated state. She hadn't had her first shift yet so it still felt a bit strange this other being inside her and yet, she suddenly felt less frightened. Her wolf seemed to be getting stronger and the stronger she became the more her fear dissipated. 

She pulled back and looked up into Rafe's face. "Don't worry about me. I'll do as Annie says. Concentrate on keeping yourself safe, Rafe. If you're thinking about me then you'll be distracted. You need to concentrate on what you have to be doing."

Rafe could see her wolf close to the surface, hear the strength in her voice and his heart swelled with pride as he stared into her beautiful eyes. She was truly amazing his mate. She would be a beautiful wolf, strong and vibrant. "I love you so much, sweetheart," he said softly, his eyes shining with his love as he kissed her tenderly.

She kissed him lovingly, a gentle brushing of lips as she stroked his face lightly. "And I love you, Rafe," she whispered. "Now go. Do what you need to do. I'll be waiting for you right here when it's all over."

Rafe stroked her silvery blonde hair reverently and kissed her lightly again before he pushed off from the door. They eased back into the open hallway which was awash with Weres getting last minute orders from the various betas. Rafe searched through the throng of people until he saw who he was looking for. He hugged Lacey to his side until they'd made their way through the people and reached Rhianna's side.

She turned to look at them and her worried expression softened slightly and she managed a brief smile. "Lacey, stick close to my side," she said softly, her eyes not leaving her brother's face. They'd said all they really needed to say already, in the forest and only a short time earlier. 

Rafe kissed the top of her head gently and stepped back. "Love you, sis," he said with a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Love you too," she answered, flashing him her own quick smile.

He took one last long look at Lacey and then turned and disappeared from the room.

Ben was still hovering close by only now he had two other men at his side. "Annie, this is Klaus and Hub. They'll be with us in the house."

Rhianna looked at them intently. She didn't recognise them from the compound. They must have moved into the city not long after she started visiting. They were both big men as was typical of male Weres, both with brown hair and blue eyes. She wondered idly if they were brothers. Their facial features seemed too different to suggest a familial tie. They were watching her equally as intently and she smiled softly. "Yes, I'm a vampire," she said dryly. "Any problem with that?"

"No problem. As long as you don't bite me," Klaus said with a cheeky grin, humour flashing in his eyes. She decided she liked him instantly; his friend seemed okay too, giving her small smile.

"Rafe would kick my ass if I brought a Were inside who had an issue with you, Annie," Ben said with a little laugh.

"As opposed to me ripping your head off?" Caleb asked lightly coming up behind them. He watched the beta's face pale slightly even as he and the other two Weres went on instant alert. He silently applauded their training as he wrapped his arms around his woman and dragged her back against his chest.

"I have to go, love," he sighed bending down to brush his lips against the side of her neck. He looked at the Weres and bared his fangs slightly. "Just so we're under no illusions here. If I come back for my woman and she's not in one piece and any of you are still living, I will kill you myself."

"Caleb," Rhianna groaned in exasperation. "We've talked about this before. You can't go around making everyone accountable for my well being when you're not around." She turned to glare up at him, his expression clearly telling her that as far as he was concerned, he could.

"Lacey, stay with Ben for a moment. I'll be right back," she said quietly pushing her vampire towards a quiet corner in the room. She opened her mouth to speak but he caught her mouth with his, his tongue dipping inside instantly as he picked her up and pressed her against the wall.

"Knew that would get you away from them for a couple of minutes," he murmured against her lips. He could always count on his woman needing to tell him off when he was being too outrageous. He cut off her muttered oath with a hard kiss, needing to feel her close to him for a moment longer.

"Caleb, we're in a room full of people who are watching us," Rhianna finally managed to get out, successfully evading his searching lips.

"They may learn something then," he chuckled softly, kissing the side of her neck gently before raising his head to trap her gaze in his. "I'm pretty partial to this beautiful head being attached to this delectable body," he breathed softly. "You'd better keep it that way. Understand?"

She smiled gently, framing his face in her hands. "Same goes for you too," she answered quietly. Their tone was light and teasing but their eyes were speaking another language. Rhianna thought she was drowning in the depth of his love as his eyes positively glowed. "Be safe, Caleb," she whispered.

"Be safe, my Annie," he echoed softly, kissing her gently before setting her feet back on the floor. "I probably won't be back inside until this is all over with so don't worry needlessly if you don't see me around much." He gave her another quick hug and then straightened up.

"Caleb, you're not doing the whole over-protective thing," she said quietly, slightly puzzled by his out of character behaviour.

"You hate it when I do that," he answered with a rueful smile. "Plus, any vampire who can outrun eleven Weres at the same time is plenty capable of looking after herself in my eyes."

Rhianna smiled slowly as she gazed up at her beautiful vampire. "As long as she's in a house surrounded by ninety odd Weres and twenty plus vampires?" she guessed accurately.

Caleb shot her a sheepish grin. "Damn, you always catch me out," he laughed softly. "I'll be back for you soon, love." He brushed his lips once more against her soft mouth, inhaling her sweet scent of lavender and jasmine before he reluctantly turned and left the house.

She watched him go, seeing the room and hallway start to thin out as Weres headed back outside. Alexei and Andrei followed Caleb out of the house and she spotted Demetri's dark head bent close to Mara. She turned and made her way back over to Lacey's side.

"I don't know why Alexei stays friends with you if you're in the habit of crushing his throat every time he says something you don't like," Mara said with more than a hint of disapproval in her voice as she gave her husband a stern look.

Demetri's lips twitched and his eyes danced with laughter as he let her censure wash over him. It was so typically Mara. An army of vampires were about to descend on their heads and she was lecturing him about the etiquette of how to be a good friend? "Mara, shut up and kiss me," he sighed, threading his hand into her hair and tilting her face up to his.

He brushed her lips gently, savouring her sweet taste. Adrenaline was rushing through his body making his nerves comes alive as the impending fight approached fast. He needed to dial into that emotion and hone it, but first he needed to ensure his woman's safety. He deepened the kiss and pulled Mara tightly against his hard body, delving into her mouth with his tongue until she groaned softly.

Satisfied he raised his head and stared into her big brown eyes as they fluttered open. "Be a good girl and stay out of trouble, wife," he ordered softly. "If you get hurt I'm going to be really pissed and you know what I get like when I'm pissed."

Mara stared at him through narrowed eyes, catching a glimpse of worry in his. She realised he wasn't sure his agreement with Graves would hold and he didn't want to frighten her by telling her so. She knew him so well and he was usually so good at hiding what he wanted to. If she could see even a hint of worry in his eyes then she was sure the level of his emotions were a lot higher. "I'm in the safest place I can be, Demetri," she answered quietly.

"No, the safest place you could be is out of the city," he remarked dryly, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I thought we'd already had that conversation," she countered pressing herself against him tightly. "Do we have time for a domestic right now?" she added with an impish smile.

Demetri laughed and shook his head. "Hold on, I'll call Graves and ask if he can postpone the attack so I can argue with my wife." He stroked the side of her face with gentle fingers, his expression turning serious. "I mean it, Mara. Don't you dare let anything happen to you because I won't be responsible for my actions if anything does."

She answered him by pulling his mouth back to hers and kissing him deeply before she pulled back. "Go do what you have to do, Demetri."

He nodded and slipped an arm around her waist, walking her over to the group left standing in the dining room. His thoughts were already starting to drift towards the upcoming battle as his eyes settled on the three male Weres standing beside Annie. He unconsciously growled and the little redhead rolled her eyes.

"Can we just assume we've done the whole 'threaten the Weres with impending death if my woman isn't safe' speech? They've already had it from Caleb, Demetri. They know the drill." Her tone was full of amusement and Demetri found himself laughing lightly.

"Fine, Red. Consider it said." He released Mara and dropped a quick kiss on her lips before he turned to Rhianna and kissed the top of her head. "Take care of my heart for me, Annie," he said softly. She nodded and he shared another lingering look with Mara before he turned and walked away.

"So what's the plan of action?" Ben asked as the house cleared completely leaving just the six of them in the dining room. Rhianna looked at him and realised that everyone was looking at her, expecting her to know what to do. She swallowed and bit her lip. How was she supposed to know? She was only twenty-two years old and had been a vampire for less than one of those. The Weres had to be so much older and more experienced than her and yet they were waiting for her command.

She squared her shoulders and tried to think of what Caleb would do. "Ben, you probably know more than I do about war tactics," she said. "You organise the Weres as you think best. Do whatever Jared or Rafe would expect you to do. I'm going to head upstairs with Mara and Lacey. We'll use Lacey's bedroom as a base."

The Were nodded his head, his handsome face taking on an alert expression. "We'll stay on the lower floor. If anyone tries to come in we'll be ready for them. I know vampires can climb very easily so being upstairs isn't necessarily much safer than being down here, but at least if you're all in one room then that's only one place to be guarded."

Plans set, the three women headed out of the dining room as Ben set Hub and Klaus to ensure as many windows and external doors which could be secured, were. 

_____

Jared stripped off his clothes and dumped them in the large basket beside the community hall. Some of the pack had already shifted but there were still some in human form walking naked around the compound as they finished giving or receiving orders.

"Demetri reckons Graves will make a full frontal attack," he said to Rafe as the big man tossed his clothes into the basket.

"Then we need to guard the door to the house," he answered, his eyes shifting to where his mate was. His wolf was howling furiously inside him, wanting out to protect their mate. He kept him at bay for the moment, knowing the time would soon come when he could release his beast and allow him free rein.

Loretta jogged up to them, her expression tense. She stripped off her sweatpants and top. "We're ready, boss," she said tersely, stretching her legs muscles as she spoke. "Everyone knows what's expected of them."

"Okay, let's do this," the Alpha growled softly. "Everyone shift!" His voice boomed throughout the compound.

"Thank fuck for that!" Alexei sighed. "Nothing worse than having to watch naked dogs running around with their bits bouncing about. It's enough to make a vampire puke."

"Didn't know vampires could puke," Jared retorted dryly striding up to the vampires. "Once I shift we're out of communication range. Any last words?"

"Don't get bitten?" Andrei suggested with a slight smirk.

Caleb sighed and rolled his eyes. "Go and make sure our people are in place," he said to no one in particular. He moved off a little distance with Jared following . He regarded his friend intently. "We'll do our best, Jared, but you know we're not infallible. Some of the vampires are going to get through."

The Alpha nodded a deep frown on his face. "I'm going to lose some of my pack, I know that," he answered quietly. "But I'd lose a hell of a lot more if you weren't standing with us, Caleb. You have my eternal gratitude."

The vampire smiled. "Isn't that what friend's do?" he asked reaching out and clasping Jared's upper arm with one large hand. His friend echoed his action and they stood silently for a moment, arms clasped together.

"It's been good knowing you, Caleb," Jared finally said quietly taking a step back and preparing to shift..

Caleb smiled. "I'll remind you of that the next time I piss you off," he answered. He refused to think that there may be a possibility his friend wouldn't survive the next few hours. 

Jared shifted, his large black wolf standing before the golden brown haired vampire for a moment before he chuffed and turned on his heel, vanishing into the throng of wolves now filling the compound.

"We should be alright with the vampires in the forest," Demetri said striding up to Caleb. "We lucked out. Nors decided to come along to the party. Apparently Graves killed his latest paramour a few nights ago and he's only just found out who was responsible for it. He's agreed to keep the others in check. The Weres should be okay if they venture too close to them in the forest."

Caleb sighed with relief. Nors had a reputation for busting heads when people stepped out of line. If he was in control of the other vampires and had a personal axe to grind against Graves, then the Weres were practically guaranteed safe passage within the forest. It was one less thing on his mind.

Demetri was practically humming with tension beside him and Caleb smiled as he looked at his friend's flashing eyes. He was riding the edge between vampire and humanity, a place he particularly thrived in. A place Caleb hadn't visited for such a long time.

"Can you smell it, Caleb?" his friend whispered excitedly. "The anticipation. The steady thrum of power just beneath the surface?"

Caleb closed his eyes and slowly let go, his vampiric nature rising up and consuming his more human side. The air suddenly smelled so much fresher, the sounds around him so much sharper. His big body quivered with anticipation of what was to come, his hands curling into fists and then slowly relaxing. He growled softly and opened burning amber eyes as his fangs elongated and his fingernails sharpened into long, wicked looking talons.

He turned his head to see Demetri had transformed too, as had the twins. The four vampires inhaled deeply, caught the scent they were looking for and growled as one.

"Time to dance with the Devil," Demetri laughed loudly taking off into the forest in a blur of movement. The others were a fraction of a second behind him.

Rafe watched the vampires change and then disappear, a shiver running through his body. His wolf growled automatically even though he knew they were on his side. Seeing the other vampires like that didn't seem all that strange even though it was the first time he had seen a vampire let go of their human side. Seeing Caleb like that, so wild and untamed, shocked him though. If that was Caleb's true nature then was that Annie's too? Would she change like her lover when threatened? His big head turned to the house for a moment and then swung away. It didn't matter to him anyway. She would always be his Annie, no matter what.

Jared howled into the night and the wolves took up their positions around the house, one circle tight against the walls, a looser circle a few feet outwards. Rafe moved over to Jared's side, taking his place in the outer circle. He felt the absence of Aaron at his side. It was the first time since he'd become a Were that his friend was not right there with him. The only consoling thought he had was that at least his friend was safe and keeping Millie safe too.

Jared watched as Mike and Pete slipped in beside Rafe like guardian sentinels. The huge brown wolf at his side had no idea how much loyalty he commanded within the pack. Mike and Pete would lay down their lives for any pack member but Jared suspected they might do so a little more willingly for Rafe, such was their close bond to his brother. The tension reverberated throughout the wolves as they suddenly picked up foreign scents approaching. It was time.

_____

Graves stepped out of his car, quickly surveying the dense forest. His humans where gathered to one side, a full one hundred expertly trained men. They were essentially cannon fodder and he knew it. It didn't matter how well trained they were, the dogs would take them down easily. Which was what he'd planned for. The more dogs engaged with the humans the easier it would be to slip vampires behind their lines.

He turned and crossed over to his own people. Intelligence said Cullen had only managed to score up twenty, maybe twenty-five vampires to his cause. Graves had thrice that amount. He wasn't smug about his numbers though. A large percentage of the gathered vampires were younglings. Cullen's crew were mainly elders along with a few ancients. Plus, Demetri had drafted in the Romanov twins. The combination of those three together was equal to having an additional thirty younglings to hand.

Aben stepped forward, his black eyes flashing with excitement. "Sir, we tracked two jeeps leaving the compound just before dark," he said tersely. "One of the woman you want was in the convoy."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 11



Graves hissed loudly. "Lacey?" he barked out.

The other vampire shook his head. "The black haired one," he answered.

Graves pursed his lips. So the cunt lawyer thought she could escape the oncoming battle, did she? She, who had instigated this whole thing by poisoning his woman against him. "You followed them?" He held his breath as he waited for Aben to confirm that he'd had the brains to follow the bitch, letting it out slowly when he did so.

"There are only a handful of young dogs there, Sir. Mostly older ones and their young. It appears to be an attempt to evacuate the weaker of the pack members."

A chilling smile crossed Graves' beautiful face as his eyes flashed with delight. "Take a couple of younglings with you, Aben. Slaughter the entire camp. Not one dog lives. Am I clear on that?"

The other vampire grinned with excitement, his brown hair swaying as he called to two younglings instantly. "What about the bitch? Do you want me to bring her back to you?"

"Kill her," Graves said softly. "Only make her suffer, Aben. Keep her alive until the very last. Make sure she sees everyone else die first and before you rip out her throat, tell her I warned her what would happen if she fucked with me. Make sure she knows in no uncertain terms that I am responsible for her death before you end her life."

The feral glitter in Aben's eyes made Graves' smile grow wider. He was a particularly vicious vampire, delighting in inflicting pain. Graves has no doubt that Jennifer Swift would scream herself hoarse by the time the brown haired vampire was done with her. 

He watched the three vampires disappear into the night before he turned to find Sandro. "You know what to do?" he asked quietly. "I'm trusting you with this, Sandro. Don't let me down."

"It will be as you command, Sir," the blond vampire said reverently, his big body thrumming with excitement. He turned to slip away into the night, halting when his boss called him back.

"The conversation with Demetri in my office. It didn't happen," Graves said quietly, catching his gaze and holding it until he saw understanding cross the other man's face.

"But you've told everyone," Sandro said, his tone shocked.

"That was before Lacey turned me into a laughing stock by mating with a dog," Graves hissed furiously. "Demetri Bozic isn't going to compound my humiliation by holding me to ransom by the balls too. If anyone on his little 'list' gets in your way, kill them."

Sandro nodded, accepting his orders with a smile. Killing Lacey would be so much easier if he didn't have to be careful around any of the other women involved with the enemy vampires. He spun around and vanished into the night.

Graves watched him go and then strode into the forest. "Kill everyone," he ordered loudly. Vampires and humans began to run, blending into the trees as he hissed loudly, his talons growing to wicked points, his fangs dropping to graze his lips. "Here I come, Lacey," he whispered softly. "Better start running now, little dog, because if I catch you I'm going to rip your fucking heart out, bitch."

_____

The vampires dropped from the trees so fast the first of Graves' younglings went down without much of a fight. The defensive line ignored the humans, concentrating on keeping the attacking vampires away from the compound as instructed. 

Nors hissed and ripped the head from a youngling, his eyes burning with excitement as the fresh scent of blood filled the night air. The sounds of screaming began to fill the night as his red hair swayed in the wind. He dropped the dead vampire and launched himself at the next one coming at him. As he ripped out the man's throat his eyes were scanning the dark forest trying to catch a glimpse of Graves. His fury at the ancient was boundless, his need to kill him consuming him. He knew he was merely one in a very long line of people who wanted to kill the other vampire but he wouldn't forgo the opportunity of doing it himself if he could find the slimy bastard.

He despatched the vampire in his hands and leapt onto the back of another who was gaining the upper hand against one of his people. He ripped the head from the vampire's shoulders and dropped it negligently to the ground. There was no sign of Graves which meant he was up to something underhand.

"Where's Caleb?" he ground out to the vampire he had just helped. The other man didn't speak, merely nodded his head backwards. Nors headed in the indicated direction.

Caleb turned as Nors approached, his hands bloody as he finished with the youngling in his hands.

"Graves is up to something. There's no sign of him," the huge red haired vampire announced when he reached him.

Caleb frowned slightly, looking around for Demetri but seeing no sign of his friend. He hissed in annoyance. If there was one person who could outmanoeuvre Graves it was Demetri and he couldn't find him among the heaving mass of feuding vampires. A startled whimper caught his hearing and he turned back to see Nors holding a struggling Were by the throat.

"Nors!" he barked loudly and his friend dropped the struggling animal to the ground. The Were shifted immediately, transforming into a young woman who looked barely old enough to have remained at the compound. Caleb immediately dropped to her side, brushing her short blonde hair back from her face as she struggled to catch her breath. "Shh, you're safe, little one," he said gently. "What are you doing here child? You should be at the evacuation site."

She stared up at the vampire with frightened eyes before she swallowed hard. She knew she had done a foolish thing coming back to the compound but all her family had stayed behind and she didn't want to be apart from them at the evacuation site. She thought she recognised the beautiful vampire before her. She thought he was Caleb, her Alpha's friend but the large red haired vampire beside him stole her voice from her she was so frightened of him.

"What is your name, child?" Caleb tried again, struggling to keep his impatience out of his tone. It was clear the young girl shouldn't be there. She was no warrior, just a frightened child barely passed into womanhood. He had to find out why she was there and how best to get her to safety.

"Ashleigh," she whispered softly. "And you're Caleb?" She sighed with relief when he nodded gently, and stroked her cheek lightly. Her brown eyes suddenly filled with tears. "You have to help them, Caleb. Please! I came back to be with my family who stayed at the compound. I saw the vampires arrive. They know where the evacuation site is. They sent vampires there to kill everyone!"

Caleb struggled to keep his expression neutral as rage raced through him. He gently picked the girl up and turned to Nors. "Protect her," he ordered holding the girl out to his friend.

Nors glared at him but accepted the burden being passed to him. "What am I supposed to do with her?" he demanded looking down at the frightened face staring up at him.

"Protect her," Caleb reiterated, sparing a gentle smile for the girl. "You will be safe with Nors. Do as he says. I will arrange protection for the evacuation site. How many vampires went, Ashleigh?"

"Three," she answered, her voice a little stronger as her fear scent decreased slightly. Caleb nodded and then turned and vanished into the war zone surrounding them.

Nors stared down at the fragile little thing in his arms and snorted loudly. "Protect her," he muttered darkly under his breath as he peeled away from the fight and ran quickly towards the compound.

Caleb finally found Demetri. He knew he would find the twins close by and he wasn't proven wrong. He paused and watched as his three friends waded into what had to be a minimum of ten vampires trying to get around them. He was relieved that he didn't have a weak stomach because watching those three take apart Graves' lackeys was not a pretty sight.

"Graves has sent three vampires to the evacuation site," he called to Demetri as his friend finished ripping out the throat of his last victim.

"Fuck!" Demetri spat furiously, his eyes turning into chips of ice. "Alexei, get over there and protect them!"

"Why me?" Alexei hissed loudly, his big body coiling with anger as he glared at his friend.

"Oddly enough, I trust the Weres safety more in your hands than I do his," Demetri barked sparing a quick glance at Andrei. His friend was smiling as he used a couple of severed heads as missiles, lobbing them in the direction of the oncoming vampires. Caleb followed his gaze and fought down a shiver. He had initially been surprised at Demetri choosing Alexei for the task but watching Andrei, he could now understand. The seemingly more congenial vampire was obviously a lot less stable than his brother.

Alexei hissed in annoyance again but straightened up. "I told you I wasn't going to be bloody babysitting," he grumbled loudly, holding up his hand when Demetri took a step towards him, a snarl on his face. "Alright, I'm going!"

Andrei laughed softly at his brother's disgruntled expression. "Be quick about it and you can come back and join in with the fun," he teased before he streaked away and launched himself at a youngling who had gotten too close.

Alexei spun on his heels and blurred into the trees. If they were just hearing about the vampires then they would be on the evacuation site before he got there. He was tasked to protect the dogs so he would do so to the best of his ability, no matter how abhorrent he found the task.

____

The human army streaked into the compound, loud battle cries ringing from their mouths. Rafe idly watched them thinking how stupid they were to announce their position like that, then he sprang forward and landed on the first available man he came across. His teeth sank into the man's neck even as his claws raked at his stomach. The kill was quick and clean, the man forgotten instantly as he moved onto the next one in line.

The sounds of screams began to fill the night air as the pack descended on the human males. There was short bursts of gunfire, loud whines of pain but everything was a blur to Rafe. His rage at being denied Graves filled his soul. He took that rage out on the men before him, scything his way through them with murderous intent. They were here to take his mate from him. They were here to lay their filthy hands on her and hurt her.

One by one men fell before him without a sign of regret on his part. . Once he would have hesitated, once he would have felt crushing guilt for taking a life but not now. Not when they wanted to harm his Lacey, to hurt his very reason for existing.

The pack was holding strong against the humans. It was a pretty uneven fight even with their guns. The men moved too slowly. It didn't matter how much training they had, they would never be able to outthink the pure, animal instinct of the wolves.

Rafe watched his Alpha take down another man, Mike and Pete close by savaging their own opponents. The pack moved as a unit, tightly defending the house. Rafe looked for a vampire, any vampire so he could kill it dead and feel some satisfaction that he had at least managed to kill one of Graves' cronies. But there were none in range. Caleb's line must be holding to keep them at bay. 

He saw Loretta disappear around the back of the house and wondered where she was going. She had broken the line of defence. His attention was diverted by a sharp sting to his shoulder. His large head whipped around and he saw the sharp knife sticking into him. The man before him grinned for a second and then gargled in terror as Rafe ripped his throat out. He shifted briefly so he could pull the offending knife from his shoulder and then shifted back to wolf form. The wound wasn't bad. It would probably heal within minutes. He completely forgot about Loretta as his rage sparked again and he once more turned to dive into the thick of the battle.

Loretta picked up the foreign scent and stiffened, her eyes intent as she stared off to the right. She couldn't see anything but something itched at her and she turned to regard the fight. The pack was holding strong so she streaked towards the nagging scent which was irritating her, rounding the back of the house just in time to see a huge blond vampire drop a dead Were to the ground.

She howled loudly, reacting instinctively as she launched herself at the bloodsucker, her claws raking down the vile creature's back. The strength of the vampire stunned her as it reached back and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck before she could sink her teeth into his neck. Her body flew into the air as the vampire pulled her over backwards and slammed her into the building. Bones crushed instantly and her breath wheezed out painfully.

"Mmmmm, a female," the vampire crooned softly. "Did you really think you were up to the task of taking me on when I've just killed three of your little male dogs?" He sounded amused and even laughed softly when she tried to snarl at him and it came out as a tortured whimper instead. Loretta knew she was staring death in the eyes. She tried to send out a mental call to her Alpha but she was suddenly flying through the air again, crashing hard against a large tree. She felt the pain of more bones breaking, knew her body was shattered beyond healing. 

Sandro watched the wolf bitch slide to the forest floor and smiled. He turned his cold gaze back to his task at hand, uncaring if the bitch still lived. His prey was so close to him now. He could smell her scent, smell the taint of dog on her. He laughed lightly and sprang upwards, crashing through the closed window.

A sharp pain in his chest surprised him when he entered the room. His eyes fixed on Lacey and another woman standing close to the door before he looked down at the small hand sticking inside his chest. His head turned lazily to the right and met the eyes of a little red haired youngling who was currently hissing at him like a little kitten. His lips curled into a small smile as he reached out and snapped the bitch's wrist cleanly in half.

Rhianna screamed as her wrist shattered. "Run!" she cried out in agony, her words cutting off as the blond vampire's large hand wrapped around her throat.

"Sandro!" Lacey screamed, her voice thick with fear for Rhianna as she watched her new sister dangling helplessly in his cruel grasp. "It's me you want, Sandro. I'm here. Come and get me!"

Rhianna tried to scream at Lacey to run again but the vampire's talons were digging painfully into her neck. She knew she was seconds away from losing her head, seconds away from breaking Caleb's heart. She kicked out hard, catching Sandro in his groin. He dropped her instantly, moving away from her and heading towards Lacey and Mara. 

Rhianna knew his releasing her had nothing to do with her weak kick. The vampire was responding to Lacey's challenge. She dragged herself to her feet as blood poured down her throat and she threw herself onto the vampire's back. She tried to dig her talons into his eyes as she sank her fangs into his neck.

He roared in pain and crashed backwards, pummelling her against the wall and driving the breath from her body. She lost her hold on him and slid down the wall with a tortured groan. Rhianna waited for the death blow. She was too badly injured to avoid it. It would take a little time for her wounds to heal to allow her to fight back. But Sandro was turning away again, striding quickly from the room, following Mara and Lacey's retreating figures.

Mara prayed Graves' edict still stood, that the vampire would stop short of hurting her. He had disabled Rhianna so quickly. They wouldn't stand a chance against him. She didn't even know if Rhianna was still alive. The sight of the three snarling wolves at the head of the stairs gave her some hope as she grabbed Lacey's arm and pulled her to the side. They couldn't get downstairs with the wolves blocking the way so they huddled close to the banister, Mara placing her body in front of Lacey's.

Lacey tried to get around Mara but the other woman wouldn't let her. If she could reason with Sandro, talk to him, maybe she could stop the coming bloodshed. Her wolf was howling loudly inside her and she wanted to let her out but she didn't know how to, no one had shown her what to do.

"Stay behind me," Mara hissed softly. "We have to believe that he's more afraid of Demetri's wrath than he is of failing to achieve his task."

The vampire was on the landing now, the wolves attacking him simultaneously. He went down under the three snarling beasts and for a moment Lacey thought everything was going to be okay, that the wolves would be able to stop the killing machine coming for her.

Then one of the wolves howled in agony and she saw Sandro's fangs retract from the animal's neck. "Oh God, no!" she groaned in anguish as she watched the Were die instantly from the vampire venom injected into his blood stream. 

Tears rolled down her face as the other two wolves met a similar fate, their anguished howls filling the house briefly before they too lay silent as Sandro rose back to his feet, his eyes intent on the two women. His flesh was torn from the wolves bites and their claws but it didn't appear to hamper him any as he smiled slowly.

"You didn't need to kill them!" Lacey screamed at him.

"No, I didn't," he laughed. "But I wanted to. And Richard was most keen that you suffered greatly, Lacey. I'll be sure to tell him how much anguish these dogs' death caused you." He took a step towards them and Mara swallowed down the bubble of fear which was building inside her.

"Stay back!" she ordered, her voice only slightly shaky as she held her hand up. "Demetri told you to stay away from me. If you want Lacey you're going to have to hurt me and you know he'll gut you slowly if you touch one hair on my head."

The blond vampire's smile widened but he halted his step for a moment, meeting her frightened eyes. She really was rather pretty. He could kind of see the appeal she had for the other vampire. He cocked his head to the side as he perused her thoughtfully for a long moment.

"Richard changed his mind," he said with a cruel smile on his face, watching the colour drain from the human woman. He so loved the scent of fear and the two women before him were suddenly bathing the area with theirs. It was so intoxicating he was tempted to play with them a little longer.

He stepped towards them again, smiling as they backed away from him. This was so easy. He didn't even need to touch the silly little bitch, her own fear was going to be her downfall. He slowly corralled them to right where he wanted them to be and then paused again. He watched Lacey's eyes and saw her decision to move a fraction of a second before she did so. Perfect!

Rhianna dragged her healing body from the bedroom, trying not to look at the dead Weres. She didn't have time to mourn them, to think about the sacrifice they had made for them. Her quick gaze took in the precarious position her friends were in and her heart stopped. "Sweet Jesus, no!" she screamed just as Lacey darted to the right coming out from behind Mara to place herself in front of the vampire.

In slow motion Rhianna watched Sandro move, batting aside Lacey easily as he loomed over Mara. "Boo!" he said softly and Mara instinctively stepped backwards, meeting clear air. A look of horror crossed Mara's beautiful face as it registered in her mind that she was at the head of the stairs. An instant later she began falling backwards.

"Mara!" Rhianna screamed in anguish as she watched her friend fall.

Time still moved in slow motion as Rhianna heard Mara start to scream in terror and the blond vampire spun around to reach for Lacey who was lying stunned at his feet. Mara or Lacey? She couldn't save both. Whose heart was she about to break, Rafe's or Demetri's?




When Worlds Collide Ch. 11



She reacted instinctively, blurring towards the vampire and the Were, slipping under Sandro's outstretched arms and catching Lacey around her waist. Her momentum kept her free of the vampire's grasp as she launched them over the banister, her free hand stretching out towards Mara's falling body.

She screamed her rage as the vampire crashed hard into her back. Lacey slipped from her grasp and started to fall too, and Rhianna felt tears of fury flood her eyes. They were both going to die now and it was all her fault. She screamed Mara's name again, sobbing as she watched her friends falling to their deaths.

Lacey felt herself falling, heard Rhianna screaming for Mara. She knew she was going to die. Rafe would go insane with grief if she did. She wasn't scared for herself, she was scared for her wonderful wolf. There would be no coming back for him from this crippling blow. Her own wolf howled loudly and suddenly Lacey felt different. The change startled her and she opened her mouth to gasp and instead howled loudly. Lacey flipped in the air and stared down at the large white paws before her, her mind slightly shocked at the sight. She had shifted!

Lacey shimmered as Rhianna stared at her. One moment she was human and the next the most glorious white wolf was before her, Lacey's unusual green eyes staring back at her. She made her choice, trusting in the Were's healing ability to save her friend.

She had seconds to catch Mara, very few precious seconds. She reached out, forcing her tired body to move faster than she'd ever moved before. She had no idea where Sandro currently was and she didn't care. Her hand caught Mara's outstretched arm and she pulled hard, wincing as she felt Mara's shoulder dislocate.

Mara screamed loudly at the pain but there wasn't anything to be done about it. It was the lesser of two evils. Rhianna managed to slide her body beneath her friend a split second before they hit the ground. She moaned in agony as her bones broke as she connected with hard floor. She tried to cushion most of the impact, to keep Mara protected in her firm embrace but she heard the other woman cry out in pain and knew that she had more damage than just the dislocated shoulder.

Lacey landed with a thump, automatically rolling over and howling as her leg snapped painfully hard. She managed to get to her feet and was relieved to feel that it was only one leg that appeared to be broken. She limped painfully over to the two woman lying on the floor, her head whipping around to search for the vampire. Sandro was walking slowly down the stairs as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Lacey spared a glance at Mara and Rhianna. Mara's face was pinched white with pain and Rhianna was trying to gently dislodge her from her body so she could force herself up. The pain on Rhianna's face was telling. She probably hadn't recovered from her first round of battle with Sandro. Which left Lacey the least battle scarred of the three. She was under no illusions that she could defeat the vampire, but if she could buy some time then maybe someone would come and help Mara and Rhianna. She growled loudly and placed her body between her friends and the approaching vampire.

Rhianna's mental scream of anguish rocked through Demetri and Caleb at the same time. She had unconsciously projected her fear mentally and the force of her emotions stopped them both dead in their tracks.

"Annie," Caleb groaned turning instantly towards the house.

"Mara!" Demetri screamed bursting past Caleb as he raced towards the house, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. He had to get there in time. Nothing could happen to Mara. Fear he had never before experienced in his life welled up inside him as he flew through the wolves and into the house.

The sight that met him chilled him to the bone. Mara was lying cradled in Rhianna's arms, her face so white for an instant he thought she was dead and he wanted to die too. Then she moaned softly and his breath hissed out loudly. Rhianna didn't look in any better shape than Mara. His head whipped around to see Sandro playing with a large white wolf. His gut instinct was to go to Mara but he was tasked to protect Lacey and he was in no doubt that the wolf Sandro was baiting was her.

"Go to Mara," Caleb hissed streaking past him and crashing into Sandro spinning him away from the white wolf.

Caleb's heart had faltered when he'd seen Mara and Rhianna lying in such pain on the floor. His woman was hurt and he wanted to go to her but he knew she would recover from her injuries. Mara didn't have the healing abilities his Annie did. It was crucial Demetri attend to her immediately. His gaze locked with Rhianna's and she managed a tight, pain filled smile. "I'm fine, love," she whispered in his head. "Protect Lacey."

He couldn't speak, couldn't let his fear and anguish sound in her head when she was being so brave. He smiled gently at her before turning to Demetri and telling him to go to Mara. Then his eyes hardened and he turned his deadly gaze to the vampire who was responsible for all the pain and death inside the house.

Caleb couldn't remember the last time he had felt so feral, so intent on ensuring that he brought the maximum amount of pain to another living creature. His woman's pain filled eyes hovered in front of him, Mara's chalk white face haunted him as he plunged his talons deep inside the vampire's chest cavity and raked them downwards to his groin.

"Did you like hurting my Annie?" he hissed in the other man's ear. "Was causing her even a second's pain worth it? Did you really think you could just waltz in here and hurt our women, kill our friends and not have to suffer the consequences of your actions?" He pulled his talons out and then plunged them back inside as the vampire howled in agony. He really didn't want any answers to his questions, he just wanted the vampire's pain to exceed everything he had meted out inside the house.

Demetri heard Sandro's anguished cries but his eyes were fixed on Mara as he knelt down beside her. Her eyes were closed but her breath hissed out sharply. He was afraid to touch her in case he caused more pain. His ripped his eyes from Mara and looked at Rhianna. She was watching him anxiously, her lavender eyes full of pain and something else. Guilt?

For a moment he felt a savage satisfaction that she was suffering. He had given her his heart to protect and she had failed him. His rage rose up swiftly as he glared at the little redhead, his eyes condemning her to hell for not protecting his woman. He watched her eyes fill with tears, saw the sorrow on her face and his rage instantly died. 

She was just a youngling. She was barely even that, more of a newborn. She didn't deserve his anger. He was the responsible one. He had left Mara human for too long. He had let her remain in the city when he should have forced her to leave. He had placed her safety in the hands of people who couldn't protect her, no matter how much they truly wanted to. "How badly are you hurt?" he asked gruffly reaching out and stroking Rhianna's face gently.

"Mara," she answered, her breath hissing out in pain.

"How much blood loss have you had, Annie? Do you have the reserves to heal her because I can't afford to give up any if I don't have to." He would do so if it was required because he would never leave his woman in pain but he'd prefer to retain his own blood so he could do what needed to be done.

"A little," Rhianna answered. "I've enough strength to heal Mara. I've been too frightened to move her in case I hurt her any further." Her tears spilled over as she stared up at him pleadingly. "I'm so sorry, Demetri. I tried to protect her, I swear I did."

"Hush," he whispered soothingly, his hand gentle against her face. "I know you tried. She would most probably be dead if it wasn't for you. I'm going to move her now so be prepared to slide out from under her. Are you able to do that?"

She nodded slightly, grimacing as the movement shot pain through her rapidly healing body. She hoped she would be able to move as swiftly as Demetri wanted her to. She didn't want to let him down again. Despite his comforting words she had seen the moment of rage on his face, his first instinctual reaction to Mara being hurt whilst in her care. She didn't blame him for it because she felt the same way. She should have protected her friend better.

Demetri very carefully raised Mara's broken body slightly and Rhianna wriggled out with a painful breath, watching as he reverently lowered his wife to the floor. Mara groaned in pain, her eyes flickering open.

"Demetri," she whispered softly, her voice weak. "I'm not dead." She sounded so surprised to find herself still alive and Demetri sucked in a deep breath, relief washing through him that she was conscious and talking normally, that she hadn't hurt her head and caused any irreparable damage. 

"But you did let yourself get hurt, wife," he answered softly. "And I did warn you what would happen, that I would not be responsible for my actions if you did so ." He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently, a tear sliding down his cheek to land on her face. "I'm so going to make you pay for this, Mara Bozic," he promised, his hands shaking as he framed her face gently.

Mara choked out a pained laugh. "Bet you will," she murmured softly. She could feel how badly he was shaking. Could only imagine what was going through his head. She had no doubt he would make her pay but she would live with it. She had been so sure she would never see him again, that she was destined to die in this house. She could handle the crushing pain to her body because it meant she was alive.

Demetri moved back from her, placing an arm around Rhianna's body to help her move closer. It was blatantly obvious the little redhead was nowhere close to being healed herself and needed the help to move.

"Annie is going to heal you, Mara," he said quietly. "Do as she says. I'll be back for you soon." He kissed her again gently and dropped a quick kiss on Rhianna's head. "I forgive you, Annie," he said so low that his wife wouldn't hear the exchange. He didn't want Mara worrying about anything and she would worry if she thought there was some discord between them.

Rhianna turned surprised eyes to the dark haired vampire. Surprised because she never thought she'd ever hear him utter the word forgive, especially when it came to something as important as Mara's life. He gave a small smile. "I've been hanging around you too long," he said lightly before he rose to his feet.

He strode over to Caleb and Sandro and paused for a moment to watch his friend toy with the other vampire. He stepped up and halted Caleb's entertainment. "One question, Sandro. Did Graves rescind his order to you?" 

The brief flare in Sandro's eyes was all he needed to see. Demetri felt the murderous rage bubble up inside him again and this time he didn't dampen it down. He turned to look at Caleb. "If you've finished?" he asked with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

His friend wiped his bloodied hands on what was left of Sandro's tattered clothing. "Be my guest," he answered coldly turning away and crossing quickly to check on Lacey. She appeared to be okay though nervous of him because she was in wolf form. He kept his distance so as not to spook her, speaking soothingly. "Everything's going to be fine now, Lacey. I'll send a Were in to help you with your change. Just stay where you feel comfortable. Sandro will not hurt you anymore."

Caleb moved away from her, heading over to Mara and Rhianna as he heard Sandro start to howl loudly. His woman was tenderly cradling Mara's head, her bloodied wrist to her friend's mouth as she fed her blood to her slowly. He could hear the pain in each laboured breath Rhianna took and his eyes darkened furiously as he knelt behind her and gently ran his fingers down her back and up her ribs, feeling for the broken bones.

He didn't count them because he knew it would send him to that dark place he strove never to enter, the killing place where he lost everything that made him the man he was. She was healing but slowly. He knew she would be fine but he wanted to return to Sandro and rip him limb from limb for what he had done to his precious woman.

"At least your head is still where it should be," he whispered, kissing the side of her neck gently.

"The rest of me will be fine too, Caleb," she sighed softly. "How's it going out there?"

"The pack have decimated the humans. We've managed to keep most of the vampires away from the compound. Not the most important one obviously." He frowned darkly and looked back to see Demetri ripping Sandro's left leg from his body at knee level. He turned back to Rhianna and kissed her neck again.

"He came in the back window. Caleb, the Weres that were out back," Rhianna's voice faltered, her eyes looking upstairs to the dead Weres on the landing.

"We'll check on them, love," he soothed her, knowing she would feel for each and every Were who lost their lives this night. "Just stay inside with Lacey and Mara." He scented the air slightly and looked out the front door. "Nors!"

The huge red haired vampire appeared in the doorway his expression disgruntled. "What? I want to get back out there. It took me forever to find someone who would take the little bitch from me." He was furious he was away from the fight but he had stayed with the girl until one of the Weres had finally shifted and taken her from him.

"I need you here, Nors," Caleb said firmly. "We've already almost lost the reason why we're all here. I need you to protect them just in case any other vampires get through."

Nors took in the scene before him. The youngling obviously belonged to Caleb, the human woman could only be Demetri's woman which meant the white wolf was the bitch they were assigned to protect. He turned his gaze to the dark haired vampire and smiled as he watched him dismember Graves' sidekick.

"Hell, Caleb. I wanted a shot at Graves," he grumbled even as he entered the house properly and knelt down on the floor beside them. His keen gaze could see the youngling was in pain, that giving her blood to her friend would slow down her own healing. He ripped his wrist and pressed it to her mouth.

Rhianna hesitated looking back at Caleb who nodded reassuringly. With a groan, Rhianna sank her fangs into the vampire's wrist and began to pull at his blood. He was an ancient which meant his blood would heal her quicker and she wouldn't suffer too badly from feeding Mara her own blood.

Caleb stroked her curls lightly, fighting down his instinctive need to rip her mouth from Nors' wrist. This would heal her quicker and it was something he couldn't do for her personally at the moment. He stifled down his jealousy at her feeding from another and kissed the top of her head tenderly. "Listen to Nors, love. Do as he says at all times."

He stood and looked back at Demetri. His friend was about done and he sighed with pleasure as he watched him rip Sandro's blond head from his shoulders and dumped it unceremoniously onto the floor. 

Demetri stared down at the dead vampire for a long moment and then turned around slowly. Caleb sucked in a deep breath as he stared into his friend's black eyes. Demetri had crossed over, anything that was remotely human gone completely leaving nothing but pure vampire behind.

Caleb felt the pull of the vampire within himself, the instant need to let go and join his friend in his most feral state. He fought it down because he didn't want his Annie to see him like that.

Demetri watched Caleb, a cold smile crossing his hard face as he flexed his talons loosely at his side. "This ends now," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "Everyone dies, Caleb." 

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 12



Cedar ran her eyes over the open ground of the evacuation site and tried to pierce the boundaries of the trees in the distance. She was looking for any sign of vampires. Not that she would see them if they were there. They could move so fast they would be on her before she had time to realise it if they chose . But still she looked because there was something so fundamentally arrogant about the bloodsuckers. They wanted you to see them coming. They were so sure of themselves that she wouldn't put it past them to slowly walk out of the trees and stroll casually towards the series of caves she was sitting in front of.

She shifted slightly as Millie came to the cave mouth and stood at her side. "You shouldn't be out here, Millie," she said quietly. "The others are checking out the perimeter just inside the tree line. They'll be back soon."

The Alpha Bitch snorted in annoyance, her hands resting on her stomach, her cobalt eyes staring off into the distance. "I hate this endless waiting, Cedar," she answered softly. "The not knowing. I feel so helpless and I want to be doing something."

The blonde woman swung her head around and smiled gently. "You are doing something, Millie. The others are so much more settled because you're here. They feel safer having their Alpha Bitch around." It was true. Although frightened about their families back at the compound, the elders had rallied considerably having Millie in their midst. The children were smiling a bit more as their Alpha's mate moved among them, spending a quiet moment with each group, admiring their paintings or model constructions that were being used to keep them occupied .

Millie sighed deeply and stroked her stomach lightly, her eyes clouding in worry. She knew what Cedar said was true but she still couldn't help the way she felt. All her family were back at the compound. Jared was back at the compound and she wanted to be with them, just in case the unthinkable was to happen.

"Millie, you do know you can't shift," Cedar suddenly said, her gaze intent on her Alpha's face. Millie's startled expression made her curse out loud. "No one told you?" she groaned out loudly. "Luke or Jared never thought to bloody mention it?"

Millie stared at her perplexed, her hands tightening suddenly on her stomach. "Because I'm pregnant?" she whispered with a horrified expression on her face.

Cedar nodded. "You can't shift in your first trimester. It's exceedingly dangerous to the babies and can accidentally abort them. It's fine once you hit your second trimester. I can't believe neither of them thought to tell you that." Her tone was furious, a deep frown on her face.

Millie laid a hand on her shoulder to soothe her as she digested the news, her initial shock dissipating. "The circumstances haven't really been conducive to lending time to sitting down and discussing more mundane pack matters."

It was Cedar's turn to snort, clearly still angered. "This is hardly mundane, Millie. Luke should have mentioned it even if Jared was too wrapped up with the vampires for it to enter his mind."

Millie smiled slightly and sighed again. "Perhaps they were waiting for my second in command to instruct me in the more female aspects of being a pack member," she said slightly dryly. She tried to soothe the blonde woman even as she shivered inside. If something bad were to happen here she wouldn't be able to help if she couldn't shift. 

The sight of three large wolves coming out of the trees brought both of their attention back to their immediate surroundings. The wolves raced over to the waiting women. All three shifted to human form and Cedar noticed immediately her brothers' anxious expressions. 

"Vampires," Connor said tersely. "At least three scents. There could be more."

"Millie, get inside," Aaron ordered softly. "Keep Jen inside, no matter what happens." His eyes flickered to the cave briefly where his mate was currently helping to amuse some of the younger children. He wanted her to be safely inside when the vampires came.

Cedar was stripping off her clothes, a deep frown on her face. Her heart pounded in fear as she looked at her brothers. "Three," she echoed. With one vampire maybe they would have stood a chance but three?

"They're playing with us too," Brody growled angrily. "They're letting us know they're there, giving us time to get back and warn everyone else. They're arrogant bastards; sure they're going to be able to take us out easily." Her eldest brother actually looked insulted by the vampires' behaviour. Still, he was just like Aaron, always thinking he was indestructible.

"Cedar, let me lead, " Aaron said urgently. "I know what Rafe said but you know Jared and Rafe are the only two who can best me in a fight."

She stared at her youngest brother and shook her head. "You will stay at the cave, Aaron," she said firmly. "Guard the children, guard Millie and Jen."

Aaron growled furiously at her. "I have more experience," he argued.

"You have your orders," Millie said firmly. "Both from Rafe and also from Cedar. No one doubts you, Aaron. You're just needed in a different capacity today."

He growled again and lowered his head to hide his fury from the Alpha Bitch. He knew he had to do what they said but it infuriated him not being in the first line of defence. If anything happened to Cedar or his brothers he would never be able to forgive himself that he hadn't helped them as he should have. It was on the tip of his tongue to start arguing again but then Jen came out of the cave.

"What's happening?" she asked worriedly seeing their tense faces. Aaron took one look at his mate's frightened face and strode over to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"The vampires are coming," he said quietly, feeling her shiver in his arms. "Go inside with Millie. Stay there, Jen. I will be right here at the cave mouth. No one will get past me, sweetheart."

She clung onto him for a moment, fear coursing through her body and then she straightened and looked into his face. "Don't get hurt again, Aaron," she whispered softly.

He leaned down and kissed her gently, stroking his fingers in her hair. "I'll try not to," he sighed. "Now inside." He shooed his mate back into the cave and turned to Millie. "You too, Millie." He watched them go back inside and then turned to watch the tree line, waiting for the vampires to break through. 

"Love you," Cedar said quietly, not looking at her brothers. She couldn't look at them, too afraid to see the worry on their faces. She wanted to remember them as she was used to, laughing blue eyes, shaggy blond hair, play fighting with each other like overgrown kids. Those were the memories of her brothers she would always hold dear.

Aaron's arm slid around her shoulder and he kissed her on the top of her head. "Love you too," he said quietly, Brody and Connor echoing him with their own quiet declarations. The three vampires broke the trees and began to slowly walk towards them.

"Shift," Cedar whispered as she watched death approach and prayed that someone would come to save the children, to save Millie and Jen. The siblings shifted and headed towards the approaching enemy.

_____

Alexei raced through the trees, surprised to find the scent of Graves' crew so fresh. They should have been at the evacuation site well ahead of him. He wondered who Graves' had sent. If he was lucky it would be Aben. He always liked to toy with his prey and had a flair for the dramatic. Alexei could be in time to stop the slaughter if Aben was running the show.

He entered the clearing just as the wolves were almost on top of the three vampires. He blurred, circling Graves' crew and coming to stop in front of the approaching wolves who snarled viciously at him. "Oh, give me a break," he said drolly turning his back on the wolves and looking at the three vampires.

Aben, as he'd hoped and two younglings. There were only four wolves of fighting ability at the site. They would be slaughtered. He pinned the two younglings with a cold, hard gaze, seeing them flinch. He smiled slowly. They were barely a couple of decades old. Easy to influence for an elder of his standing.

"Go," he said quietly. "I grant you another chance at life. You have three seconds to decide."

Aben hissed loudly, his hand coming up in a halting gesture. "Hold!" he barked furiously. "If you listen to him I will kill you myself once I have taken care of this traitor."

The two younglings appeared torn, looking at each other and then back at both elder vampires. It was as if they couldn't decide which one to listen to. They watched the blond vampire carefully as he began to laugh softly as he met Aben's icy glare with more than a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"You always did think above your station, Aben," Alexei laughed softly. "I've been wanting to kill you for a long time but didn't want to answer to the Council for it. Now I don't have to." He turned back to the two younglings and smiled softly.

"I was one of three who took out Janick's coven," he said silkily. "I'm sure you will have heard the tale despite being so young. I give you this one last opportunity to leave. It is your judgement call who is the most lethal out of myself or Aben. Choose wisely."

One of the younglings broke, turning and flying back towards the trees. Aben reacted just as Alexei had expected him to, he turned to deal with the fleeing youngling leaving just the other youngling before him and the snarling wolves.

Alexei shook his head as he kept the youngling's gaze pinned with his. Even for one so young he could still kill the wolves. And he had given the other youngling his word, that she would have the chance of life if she left. He never broke his word, ever. He had a split second to make a decision. Allow Aben to kill the youngling and save the pack or find some other compromise.

His gut reaction was to leave the wolves to their fate. He could stop the worst of the death when he came back but something was teasing his nostrils, some unknown spicy scent getting under his skin. He turned his head slightly, looking at the golden coloured wolf whose eyes were fixed on the youngling. Lemon grass, sweet and spicy and very appealing. He shook his head again and growled softly, his eyes once more going to the youngling. 

"Go for the chest cavity and the limbs, it will disable him enough to put you on an equal footing," Alexei said softly before he took off after the other two vampires.

The wolves sprang instantly, ripping into the vampire and then spinning away from his grasping talons. Brody attacked again, hooking his claws deep into the youngling's chest and ripping down as Connor caught his left arm in his strong jaw and pulled fiercely. Cedar circled behind the vampire, raking her claws down his back as he fought to escape her brothers' assault from the front. The youngling shrieked and fell to his knees, thrashing wildly at them but managing to miss with each frantic movement.

The blond vampire had told them how to defeat a vampire! Cedar was stunned even as she sprang back at the youngling and ripped her teeth into the back of his neck. Connor's powerful jaws wrapped around the front of the vampire's neck almost colliding with Cedar's.

The vampire was frantic, jaws snapping wildly as he tried to sink his teeth into Connor's fur but Brody jumped and gripped his hair yanking his head back, leaving him completely exposed to the other two wolves.

A long guttural cry of agony ripped from the youngling's mouth as Cedar and Connor's jaws tightened into powerful clamps around his neck. Brody yelped in surprise when he realised his siblings had severed the vampire's head and he was holding it in his mouth by the hair. He tossed it away with a loud growl and threw his head back and howled in victory.

Cedar shifted immediately, running back towards the cave. "Aaron, have Millie try and get through to the compound," she yelled. "Try Annie or Lacey's cell phones. Let the pack know how to take down the vampires!" She was still stunned that they had taken out the vampire with no injuries at all. Why had the blond one told them how to do it? It didn't make sense. For centuries the vampires had had the upper hand against the packs. Now they would be more evenly balanced with their natural enemy. 

Alexei caught up with Aben and the youngling just as he was about to sever the girl's head. He was on the dark haired elder before he could do so, sinking his fangs into his neck and digging his talon's into his throat. The two elders crashed into the trees as Aben flew backwards, trying to dislodge Alexei, but the blond wasn't the Council's best enforcer for nothing.

"Did you really think you stood a chance against me, Aben?" Alexei growled softly, ripping an arm almost causally from the other man who screamed in agony and fell to the forest floor. "I don't even need to break a sweat to kill you," he continued walking around him, grasping his head in his powerful hands.

Aben glared balefully up at his executioner his lips curling in a sneer. "I didn't think I'd see the day when you of all people would kill your own kind to protect dogs, Alexei. How much thought did you put into your decision to turn traitor to our people?"

Alexei smiled softly, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement as he ripped Aben's head from his body in one sharp movement. "None at all, Aben," he answered the severed head before he tossed it away with a disgusted sigh and turned to look at the youngling. The girl was healing, her eyes bewildered as she stared up at him.

God she was so young, possibly just past her teens when she was changed to this life. Her green eyes were frightened, her shoulder length brown hair wild around her face as she waited to see what he would do. Alexei sighed again and crouched down beside her running his eyes quickly over her injuries. He held his wrist out to her. "Drink," he commanded quietly. He watched shock cross her face for an instant and then she sank her fangs into his wrist and pulled at his blood. He let her feed for a minute or so and then pulled his wrist back.

"Why?" the girl whispered, lying back and letting his older, more potent blood rush through her system, healing her quicker.

"You had the sense to leave," he answered sitting down beside her and resting his back against a tree. "You obviously are not just another mindless drone kicked out by Graves and his cronies. Plus, there is only one thing about me that anyone can truly count on in this life. If I give my word, then I keep it. It is a wise lesson to learn, youngling. If you give your word, no matter what it is, you stick by it always."

She considered his words silently before she nodded her head as she pushed herself back up to a sitting position. She looked at Aben's dead body. "That is what he didn't understand," she remarked softly. "He called you traitor but you were simply keeping your word, given to someone else."

Alexei arched an eyebrow at her, a genuine smile crossing his lips as he gave her an approving look. "You learn fast, little one," he sighed. "I gave my word to protect the pack. It doesn't matter how distasteful I find the task. I do as I promised I would."

The girl was silent again for a long time and then she sighed softly and frowned. "He Sired me," she nodded at the dead vampire. "What do I do now?" She looked expectantly at Alexei who also frowned deeply at her words.

"Don't look at me," he growled in irritation as he saw a hopeful look in her eyes. "I do not have the time or the inclination to mentor a youngling to maturity. You may stay with me for now if you can give me your word to not harm the pack, but after that you must find another to mentor you. My brother Andrei has a club which our kind frequent. I am sure he can find someone who is willing to take to you on."

"Thank you, elder," she answered with a bright smile crossing her face. "I give my word to help you protect the pack until your assignment is concluded here, then I will speak with your brother about helping me find a new mentor."

Alexei watched her for any sign of deception and found none. She really was fiercely intelligent for a youngling, not only intelligent but keen to be moulded and shaped into a decent vampire. She would go far among their kind if he or Andrei could situate her with the right mentor. 

He snorted suddenly and rolled his eyes. Why the fuck was he even getting involved with her at all? She was a bloody youngling. He usually ignored them with a vengeance but somehow being around Caleb's youngling so much was messing with his usual thought processes. It was hard to view younglings as non entities when both Caleb and Demetri fussed over the little redhead so much and treated her like she was something truly precious. Demetri was also ready to Sire his human which would mean another youngling being raised and treated as an equal. It was unnatural and irritating as hell and it was starting to rub off on him, much to his annoyance.

"Come, we need to go back to the pack. Make sure they are okay." He stood abruptly, holding out his hand to the girl and watching her intently as she accepted it slightly nervously but rose to her feet. "What is your name?" he asked her as he let go and turned to head back to the evacuation site.

"Emily," she answered trailing behind him. She watched his powerful back intently as he moved with such grace and beauty. He really was a huge, intimidating elder and she knew she was lucky to be alive. Most probably she would be dead now if any other vampire had arrived to protect the dogs. She owed him and she wouldn't let him down. 

She wasn't so old that she had lost all of her humanity yet, no matter how much Aben and Graves had tried to beat it out of her. She could look at the dogs and see them as people with thoughts and feelings. It was easy to promise to protect them because it was fundamentally against her nature to hurt anyone, especially when she was still human. "I don't know your name," she finally said.

"Alexei," he growled softly as they broke the tree line back into the open ground. His keen gaze quickly took in the dead youngling and the wolves standing before the cave entrance. They all appeared to be accounted for and he stifled down a sigh of relief. He had saved them as he had been tasked to do so. But he had told them how to kill his kind. He had no illusions that the information had been transmitted back to the compound already. If the Council found out what he had done he would lose his head instantly.

Brody and Connor growled loudly when the two vampires reappeared in the distance. They were still in wolf form, though Aaron and Cedar had reverted to human form and dressed again. Millie and Jen had come once more to the cave entrance and they all stared at the vampires with distrustful gazes.

Cedar pursed her lips and rolled her shoulders. "Stay here," she said to her brothers as she took a step forward.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aaron growled grabbing her arm and pulling her backwards.

She turned slightly annoyed eyes to him and pulled her arm away. "We can either stand here and stare at each other or one of us can go over there and talk to them," she said coolly. She looked to the Alpha Bitch for backup and saw her frown deeply. "Millie, you can't go. It's too dangerous for the babies. I think a woman better go because these lot have too much testosterone at the moment. I don't think Aaron wants Jen heading out there so that leaves me. Plus, Jared put me in charge of all of your safety so it's my call."

Aaron growled loudly at the mention of his mate going even as Jen stepped forward squaring her shoulders. "I've stood toe to toe with Graves before," she said in a strong voice. "I'm not afraid to stand toe to toe with another vampire." Her expression was fierce.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 12



"I will tie you up for the next five decades before I let you anywhere near those vampires," Aaron barked angrily, slipping around his sister to collect his mate in the steel band of his arms. 

Jen shot Cedar a quick smile which Millie caught. The Alpha bitch struggled to contain her own slight smile. She almost felt sorry for Aaron. Jen was learning quickly how to temper his more dominant side and she had a feeling he would not go down quietly. 

Millie sighed and nodded to Cedar. "They're obviously not here to hurt us," she agreed. "Most likely Caleb or Demetri sent the one who told us how to defeat the youngling. If he's brought the girl back to the camp then he must be confident she isn't a threat." She smiled at her second, pleased with her choice for Loretta's replacement. Cedar Alexander was an amazing woman with a sharp, keen intelligence. She would be excellent in the coming months as they slowly pieced the pack back together after the events of this night.

Cedar could feel her Alpha's approval and she couldn't help the feeling of pride which settled over her. That she had earned Millie's respect so quickly was all she could hope for. That she had protected her Alpha's mate was the most worthwhile achievement she had made in her long life so far. Probably the only thing which would surpass this would be finding her mate and having her own babies. But that seemed such a distant longing now, probably one she would never achieve. 

Squaring her shoulders again, Cedar turned her gaze back to the two vampires and started walking towards them.

Alexei watched the she wolf approach with strong confident steps. His lips quirked slightly at her boldness. She had a mane of long blonde curls which blew lightly in the breeze, her chin tilted defiantly as she closed the distance to them. He turned his head slightly to the girl at his side. "Go gather some wood," he ordered. "Lots of it. We need to burn the dead. Anything you hear spoken today is to remain here. If you repeat anything I will kill you myself. Are we clear on this?"

"Yes, Alexei," Emily answered softly, bowing her head slightly in respect, shooting one final glance at the approaching wolf and wondering what the elder was so concerned about that he felt the need to issue his threat. What would she hear that he didn't want repeated? She turned and disappeared back into the trees to do as he ordered.

Alexei turned his eyes back to the approaching wolf, her scent catching the breeze and tickling his nostrils. He stifled down an irritated groan. Lemon grass. He had expected as much when he had told the wolves how to defeat his kind. That spicy scent had attracted him enough that he wanted to meet the wolf who produced it. He had known she would be a female because female scents were the only ones that caught his attention. 

Alexei Romanov was attracted to a dog and it was enough to turn his stomach. Younglings and now dogs. His world was shifting precariously and he was off balance, not a position he was used to being in and not one he was happy to tolerate either. If Andrei found out about this he would never hear the end of it.

The she wolf was before him now and he ran his eyes quickly over her face. She was stunning with her cerulean blue eyes and wide, generous lips. She was regarding him with a certain amount of distrust but that was to be expected. He kept his own expression carefully neutral as his body started to hum with excitement at her intoxicating scent. He was old enough to ignore it though. Fucking a dog was most definitely not on his To Do list anytime in the near future. It was an interesting turn of events but not one he was willing to examine too deeply at the moment.

"You saved us," Cedar said quietly staring up into the beautiful face of the blond vampire before her. "Millie reckons either Caleb or Demetri sent you here. Is she right?" She struggled not to swallow as his brown eyes bored into hers. He was very skilled at keeping his emotions hidden, but then, she doubted he had any. Most vampires didn't, which was what made them such immoral killers. When he spoke, the rich, deep timber of his voice washed over her and her wolf suddenly howled loudly, catching her completely off guard.

"I was tasked to protect the pack," Alexei answered coolly. "I have done so. The girl is a youngling, Sired into the wrong coven. She has potential to learn and is of no threat to your pack. We will remain here and remove the dead, keep watch just in case any more vampires come but intelligence said there were only the three assigned to the evacuation site."

Cedar nodded slowly, fighting with her wolf to behave as she took a deep breath to assimilate his words. "You told us how to kill your kind," she remarked curiously. "Why would you do that?"

Alexei snorted and looked away, checking to see if the youngling was close. "It will be my head if the Council finds out," he replied, not answering her question.

"I figured as much," Cedar said with a little smile tugging at her lips. He was clearly unhappy about the turn of events. He had unwittingly placed his safety in the hands of the pack and he didn't like it one bit. "I will speak with the Alpha bitch. I am sure she will convince the pack not to discuss your lapse in judgement."

He turned back to her a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "You are not the Alpha bitch?" He had expected her to be. She certainly gave off the prideful confidence of a dog high up in the pack hierarchy. Not that he knew that much about dogs but he was learning fast. He suddenly remembered the conversation from earlier, when Caleb's youngling had mentioned the Alpha's mate. The Alpha bitch was pregnant and he scented no young in the bitch before him.

Cedar inclined her head to the left slightly and looked at him with more than a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I am her second," she conceded. "I am in charge here though. If you are a friend to Caleb and Demetri then the pack will do nothing to endanger you. I am sure of that. My Alpha is an honourable leader and counts Caleb as his family."

Alexei regarded her intently for a moment, her scent really starting to get under his skin the longer he was in her company. "This is intolerable," he suddenly growled loudly turning and walking to the tree line just as the youngling appeared with her arms full of wood. He took it from her and sent her scurrying off for more.

Cedar watched him as he began to arrange the heavy stack of wood into the beginnings of a funeral pyre quite a distance away from her. His anger was palpable and she couldn't stop another small smile from crossing her face. Something about the vampire called to her wolf. His irritation sent a shiver of delight through her.

"Why did you agree to help in the first place if you hate us so much, vampire?" she called loudly even though she knew he could hear her if she spoke more softly. His head snapped up and he shot her a baleful look before he ignored her and went back to his task.

She smiled again and turned to head over to the fallen youngling. She nodded to Brody and Connor who ran forward in wolf form. They grabbed a leg each and tugged the dead vampire towards the funeral pyre as Cedar retrieved the head and arm lying close by. 

"Go back to the cave," she instructed her brothers as they released their burden and glared furiously at the vampire who was ignoring them. Connor chuffed loudly and she reached down and laid a hand on his head. "He is not here to hurt us, Connor. Return to the cave. I will be there shortly."

Alexei was simmering angrily as he tried to get his thoughts in some semblance of order. The longer the she wolf stayed close to him the more he wanted her. Her voice was like sweet music to his ears, her little smiles offering such promise of what a full smile could do to her already beautiful face. He knew she thought he was angry about his safety being in pack hands. But that was not the reason for his anger. His attraction to her was what fuelled his rage. 

His eyes narrowed as she touched one of the wolves with such familiarity, her voice soft and affectionate as she spoke to him. Was he her mate? He dampened down the sudden desire to rip the wolf apart. It had come from nowhere and quite literally stunned him. What the fuck was going on?"

The wolves departed just as the youngling appeared again and the she wolf headed over to her. Alexei tensed, watching the youngling intently to see how she would react to the wolf, ready to kill her if she tried to hurt the other woman.

"Hi, I'm Cedar," he heard the she wolf say gently as she reached to help relieve the youngling of her burden.

"Emily," the youngling replied with a cautious smile.

"Thank you, Emily," Cedar smiled softly. "We know you were in an impossible position with little or no time to make your decision. The pack thanks you for choosing in our favour though you probably just found grumpy over there more terrifying than the vampire you came with." She nodded her head back towards Alexei who was unable to contain his snort of irritation at her words.

Emily looked at the other woman with an expression of shock on her face. "Alexei is an elder," she whispered in a scandalised tone. "He commands respect."

It was Cedar's turn to snort loudly. "Respect is earned in a pack. It is not conditional on how long you have walked the planet. If you're an idiot at fifty you're still likely to be an idiot at three hundred and fifty." She smiled as she looked back at Alexei. She had a name for him now, one he hadn't appeared to want to divulge before now. "Plus, he is grumpy. Look at that scowl on his face."

"If you have finished gossiping like an old woman, return to gather more wood, Emily," Alexei ground out curtly, his eyes flashing dangerously as he regarded the two women to his left. He smiled when the youngling visibly paled and scurried away again. That was the kind of reaction he was used to, how he expected others to treat him. It made him feel better, more balanced.

"You really are a total bastard, aren't you, Alexei?" Cedar commented coolly, her disapproving eyes boring into his. "She's just a child, confused and unsure of her place in the life she now finds herself in. Your anger is at me, not her. Does it make you feel better to abuse those that cannot stand up for themselves?"

He rose to collect the wood she was holding, leaning down as he did so, taking a moment to inhale her sweet and spicy fragrance. "She needs to know her place in our hierarchy. Just because your pack rules differently does not mean that it is the right way. We are not kindred spirits, little bitch. I am not your friend nor do I want to be. I cannot punish you for your disrespect for I will be breaking my word to Demetri if I do so. But I warn you not to push me. When this is over, I will have no constraints on me anymore. And I will come for you, little bitch. You will be very sorry for baiting me. This is your only warning. I suggest you heed it."

He forced himself away from her, thoughts of how delightful it could be to punish the little minx for her teasing whirling in his mind. Grumpy! Him? If anyone else had called him grumpy he would have ripped their throats out on the spot. Well, anyone apart from Andrei, Demetri and Caleb. Those three were probably about the only ones he'd allow to laugh at him like that. He expected to scent fear from the she wolf but instead he heard soft laughter behind him.

"Does that mean we have a date?" she laughed softly and he growled loudly, dropping the wood and blurring so quickly he was in her face before the wood had finished hitting the ground. 

His hand shot around her neck, his grip firm but surprisingly gentle as he leaned down to hiss in her face, his fangs bared. The softness of her fragile skin stunned him and his thumb moved slowly, stroking against her throbbing pulse in an almost helpless gesture. This close her scent was overloading his senses and for a moment he was frozen on the spot as he heard loudly angry snarls of running wolves in their direction.

"You only get one warning, Cedar," he breathed softly. "You just used it up. Go back to your cave, little bitch. Take your little dogs with you. If you come near me again I will punish the youngling for your disobedience." He released her and stepped back, his expression cold and hard as he stared down at her.

Cedar watched him intently, holding her hand up as her three brothers neared, snarling their fury that the vampire had laid hands on her. Her heart was thudding loudly in her chest but it was not with fear. Her wolf was ecstatic, howling furiously, prowling in agitation at the dominance shown over them by the vampire. Stunned disbelief clouded her mind as she stared up at Alexei and prayed her expression was calmer than her whirling thoughts.

"It's okay," she said soothingly to her brothers. "Alexei and I just had a slight difference of opinion."

Aaron shifted, moving to his sister's side, inspecting her neck intently before he growled loudly at the blond vampire. "If you ever lay a hand on our sister again, we will kill you, vampire," he hissed furiously. "I don't care if she pushes you to distraction and you feel she deserves it. Nothing will stop us bringing you down if you harm her in any way. I don't care whose fucking friend you are."

The other two wolves shifted and Alexei ran his eyes quickly over them, noting the same blond hair and blue eyes. The one she called Connor was not her mate then but her brother. The familial resemblance was very plain to see. He suddenly relaxed and smiled, a genuine smile that actually touched his eyes for once. "So she has a habit of pushing people beyond their endurance," he remarked lightly, picking up on what Aaron had let slip. He watched the other man's eyes darken as he opened his mouth again to defend his sister but clearly didn't want to be caught in telling an open lie.

Alexei laughed and shook his head. "Take her back with you," he sighed. "She is testing my patience and I have no wish to kill her siblings just because she is being a pain in the ass." He turned his back on them and went back to his task of preparing the funeral pyre, listening intently as they began to move away. "Oh and Cedar, we do have a date," he called over his shoulder not bothering to turn around to see her reaction.

Soft tinkling laughter filled the air. "I'll look forward to it," she quipped before her scent finally began to fade and he knew the wolves were gone. He turned his head slightly, watching the three males talking agitatedly to the she wolf as she nodded as if agreeing with them. He smiled slowly, suddenly anxious for the war with Graves to be over with so he could come back and meet again with the teasing little minx who was starting to really get under his skin in a very uncomfortable way.

Emily reappeared with more wood and he turned his attention to the youngling, looking at her with Cedar's words still ringing in his ears. "That should be enough," he said almost gently. More gently than he was accustomed to speaking to another person. "Light the fire and put him on it." He gestured to the dead youngling. "I'll retrieve Aben's remains." 

He turned and headed into the trees, smiling as he headed towards his end goal. Cedar. Her name trickled over his mind like a gentle caress and his big body hummed with excitement. Life had suddenly become impossibly complicated but so full of unknown possibilities. 

Cedar listened as her brothers castigated her in turns, Brody was yelling at her, Connor impatient with her, Aaron trying to be the voice of reason. Her wolf howled in glee, her body thrummed with nervous energy as she walked away from the beautiful blond vampire. She was so screwed it was unbelievable but she couldn't help smiling. 

She had found her mate at last. The fact that he was a vampire complicated things immensely but there was nothing she could do about it. Alexei was her mate and she was sure he would not be a very willing one. She would have to work hard to lure him to her. He was already interested. Did he think she didn't notice him scenting her? Did he think she didn't notice the way he had looked at Connor when she had touched him in wolf form? 

The beautiful blond vampire was hers and he was just going to have to come to terms with it. She frowned suddenly, her footsteps faltering slightly. There would be no babies for her. Vampires could not father children and there had never been a Were/Vampire mating that she was aware of. The two species were such natural enemies that they had never before worked closely with one another for anyone to develop any kind of feelings for the other. 

Her Alpha would probably not be very pleased either at the turn of events. She couldn't ask Alexei to live within the pack. It would be too much for him with his natural prejudice against Weres so she would have to leave the pack. Those facts saddened her greatly as she looked surreptitiously at her brothers. She couldn't imagine not being part of a pack anymore. She hoped her family would understand. The vampire was her mate. She couldn't not be with him even if it meant giving up everything.

Cedar turned to look back and saw Emily tossing the dead youngling onto the lit funeral pyre. The little brunette looked up and waved. She returned the girl's gesture and then went back to allowing her brothers to tell her what a complete idiot she was.

_____

Demetri Bozic stepped out of the house and strode into the centre of the compound stepping over bodies almost gracefully without even looking downwards. His long talons clacked impatiently against each other to a staccato beat which seemed to ring loudly in the night air. 

Slowly the noise seeped into the Weres surrounding him. They stilled, sensing something evil within their midst, instinctively moving away from him. Jared's head whipped around, his eyes narrowing as he took in Demetri's statue like stance as he stood scenting the night air. 

Jared shifted, his expression one of concern as he took in the cold blank mask surrounding the vampire's face, the completely black eyes devoid of all life. He turned hurrying towards the house just as Caleb stepped outside. "What the fuck is going on, Caleb?" he demanded.

Caleb's eyes were intent on Demetri, watching his friend carefully as he laid a hand on Jared's shoulder. "Keep your people away from him, Jared. Graves managed to slip a vampire into the house from around the back. Mara almost died and Annie was badly wounded. Lacey shifted and hurt her leg but she's fine, just a bit confused on how to shift back. If you could send someone in to help her."

Jared nodded, clicking his fingers at the first available Were and sending the man running inside the house with a quickly barked order. He turned back to Caleb. "Annie will heal?" he asked quietly. "Mara, she won't die will she?"

"Annie will be fine and so will Mara once she has some time to heal from our blood but Graves has pushed Demetri over the edge. I don't think he will hurt any Were but I can't bet any of your people's lives on it, Jared. He is only vampire at this moment, there is no humanity inside him."

"I can hear you," Demetri hissed quietly his head turning slightly to the right to look back at them.

Caleb met his gaze with a level one of his own. "I wasn't attempting to keep my conversation secret from you," he remarked dryly. "I am merely filling the Alpha in on the current situation."

"This ends, Caleb," Demetri said in almost a chanting voice. "Tell the pack to move their injured inside. Gather our people. I want numbers, how many of Graves' army is still alive. No one touches Graves. He is mine."

A low growl sounded close by and Rafe appeared next to Demetri shifting to human form as he stood almost face to face with him. "What gives you that right, Demetri?" he growled as Caleb moved swiftly, coming to stand beside Rafe, readying to get him out of the way if Demetri snapped.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 12



Demetri's black eyes swung to Rafe's and he watched him silently for a moment before he nodded his head slowly, his eyes suddenly reverting to their normal deep green colour. "He has tried to take both of our hearts from us," he whispered softly. "Lacey and Mara and also Annie who we hold jointly in our hearts. You can run with me if you can keep up, Rafe. I will even let you play with me but I will not let you slow me down."

"Agreed!" Rafe growled softly his eyes swinging to his Alpha, waiting for Jared to order him to stand down. Their eyes locked for a long moment and then Jared nodded his head, silently giving his second his permission to do what he needed to do.

Rafe smiled a truly chilling smile, turning back to Demetri just as the vampire once more reverted to his more feral state, his eyes going black and his head tilting to the side as he scented the night air again. 

Andrei strode out of the trees, his brown eyes flashing with excitement, his smile widening when he saw Demetri's feral state. "This is going to be fun," he laughed softly. "Graves has about forty vampires left, the humans are all dead. We have about fifteen left in the forest not counting us." He nodded his head at Caleb's crew standing just inside the tree line.

"None of Graves' army leaves here alive," Demetri said coldly. "I don't care if they surrender. They die. Anyone who is uncomfortable with that can leave now. If you stay you are in agreement." The vampires didn't appear bothered but some of the Weres looked to their Alpha for guidance.

Jared's expression was hard and unforgiving. "They came to our land and have killed our pack members. They deserve no mercy for the death and destruction they have brought to my pack. I will find no fault in any pack member who wants to reside inside the house until this is over. But I will not hide while our vampire allies clear up our problem for us." Loud growls rumbled through the pack.

Caleb frowned. "Jared, these are vampires, not humans. Your losses are pretty low at the moment but that will change when the pack comes into contact with vampires."

"Alpha, Millie just called from the evacuation site," Mitch Fielding called, running from the house. "They were attacked by three vampires sent by Graves."

Jared paled, fear running through him. "Millie?" he ground out.

"They are safe. A vampire showed up and protected them." He looked like he had more to say but Caleb interjected.

"We sent Alexei to protect them, Jared," he told his friend.

"You knew and you didn't tell me my mate was in danger?" Jared growled furiously.

"There was nothing you could do about it, Jared," Caleb said quietly. "It was faster to send one of us when we found out about the danger. The attack happened on the house before I had time to find you and let you know what was going on." He watched his friend carefully seeing some of the anger die in his eyes but not all.

"Even more reason why we will not hide from this fight, Caleb," Jared grated out through clenched teeth. "He attacked the children. He sent his crew to slaughter the weak and the defenceless." He turned and strode away towards the house, his body rigid with his fury.

Mitch hurried after him, waiting until they were out of earshot. "Alpha, wait," he said in a loud whisper, pulling Jared away from the house because there were two other vampires inside. "Millie said they know how to kill the vampires."

Jared listened intently as Mitch related the conversation in quiet, hushed tones. He smiled coldly. "Excellent, Mitch! Get everyone shifted back to wolf form. I'll alert the pack when the vampires can't hear."

He hurried into the house, doing a quick check on Lacey who was back in human form wrapped in a throw from one of the couches. "Your clothes are upstairs still if you are uncomfortable," he said to her quietly, aware she still had issues with nudity.

"I know," she whispered softly. "But I don't want to go up there, Jared." Her haunted gaze slid to the stairs and Jared's followed hers, a deep scowl crossing his face when he saw the three dead Weres on the landing. He didn't have time to address the issue though, there was a war to finish, one they could now participate in with some hope of winning.

Jared strode to the hall cupboard and pulled it open. "Take what you need from here," he told Lacey, showing her the stock of sweatpants and tops folded neatly inside. "We tend to keep a few stock items here at the main house and also at the community centre, just in case we need them. It's not uncommon for people to lose their clothes around the compound in a moment of exuberance." 

He left her to chose something and approached the sitting room. Mara was lying on one of the sofas, Rhianna resting on the floor beside her. There was an enormous, red haired vampire sitting in one of the chairs close to them. The man looked up then looked at the two women. When Rhianna smiled at Jared the vampire turned back to the window, looking outside as if bored.

"You okay?" Jared asked crouching down beside the two woman. Mara was still very pale but appeared to be healing from whatever injuries she had sustained. She managed a weak smile. 

"I've felt a lot worse," she answered. "Think most of my bones have healed now, just the last couple of ribs to go and I should be fighting fit again."

"If you need more blood, tell me," Rhianna said quietly. "My wounds have healed thanks to Nors. I can afford to give a bit more blood if you need it, Mara."

The brunette shook her head slowly. "No, I'll be fine, Annie. You've done more than enough as it is." She watched her friend's brow furrow in a deep scowl and she reached out a hand and touched her curls lightly. "It is not your fault, Annie. You can't blame yourself for Sandro's actions." Her friend nodded and her expression cleared but she could see that the little redhead wasn't totally convinced. In time, she would come to see that she wasn't accountable for her injuries.

"The wounded are on their way in. That won't be a problem will it?" Jared asked his eyes on the big vampire in the chair.

"Nors will be fine, Jared," Rhianna said reassuringly. "Won't you?"

"As long as no one tries to harm any of my charges, I will be the perfect gentleman," Nors growled softly his eyes never leaving the window.

Jared took that as the best he was going to get. No one entering the house would have any cause to try and hurt anyone inside it. He was actually quite relieved the vampire was there. He wouldn't need to worry about leaving the house undefended.

Jared turned and went to head outside as Lacey limped to the sitting room doorway. "Your leg?"

"It's healing fine," she answered. "I thought it was broken but Mitch said it was just badly sprained. There is hardly any pain anymore." Her eyes met her Alpha's. "Rafe?" she whispered softly.

"He's fine, Lacey. Worried about you but I will let him know you're fine. Just stay inside and help with the wounded if you can."

Jared finally left the house as people began to move inside. He shifted immediately to wolf form and quickly began transmitting his plan of action to the pack members who were going to finish the battle at his side.

Caleb watched the wolves. He knew something was up, something they were hiding from him. He turned to Rafe and raised a questioning eyebrow but the big man shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't in wolf form so he had no idea if anything crucial was being discussed.

Sighing Caleb turned to Andrei, Rhianna's words suddenly coming to mind. "Andrei, do a sweep of the back of the house. Sandro entered from there. Check and see if there are any wounded Weres that need help." He didn't hold out any hope that anyone survived the vampire's attack but there was no harm in checking. Plus, he had promised his woman he would see to it and he wasn't about to let her down. She had been through enough tonight as it was.

Andrei nodded, turning and heading off in the direction indicated. Demetri seemed rooted to the spot at the moment, trying to find Graves' scent through everyone else's. He had time to do this quick side trip before they finally moved off for the last stance against the invaders.

He rounded the back of the house, his keen gaze taking in three dead Weres beneath the shattered window on the first story. He didn't need to approach them, he could smell they were dead and he detected no heartbeats. He turned to leave when a sound attracted his attention. It was a weak, dull thud, the sound of a laboured heartbeat further off to the left, closer to the tree line.

He crept forward quietly, his eyes settling on the broken form of a wolf, lying at the base of a tall tree. The Were was still alive but barely. Ensuring there were no enemies near, Andrei approached and knelt down before the wounded animal. How it was still alive was a complete mystery to him. It looked like just about every bone in its body was broken. There would be no magical Were healing for the wolf.

Pursing his lips he toyed with his options. He could leave it until it died or he could give it a mercy kill. He knew he'd been ordered not to accidentally kill any Were but this was doing the wolf a favour. He would be putting it down, sparing it the pain it was so obviously in. Making up his mind he leaned down, baring his fangs close to the wolf's neck. The sharp tangy scent of cinnamon assaulted his nostrils and he blinked slowly in surprise, raising his head slightly as the wolf opened its eyes to look up at him.

Loretta forced her eyes opened, trying to breath through the pain. Her head was on fire, excruciating jolts of pain flashing periodically through her tired mind. She couldn't feel her body for which she was grateful. Her back had broken when she hit the tree, cutting off most of the pain she felt but the harsh throbbing in her head was more than agony. She didn't know how long she had lain there. All she knew was someone was close so she forced her eyes open.

She stared up at the vampire with his fangs bared, ready to bite her and she wanted to weep with relief. 'Do it!' she screamed in her head, praying for him to bite quick and deep and put her out of her misery. She tried to tell him to when he paused and watched her with an almost curious expression on his beautiful face, but she was still in wolf form. Using the last of her reserves she pushed her wolf down, knowing she was losing the strength of her beast and the pain would be even worse, but this was the only way she could communicate with the vampire.

Loretta shifted, a tortured scream escaping her lips as the fire in her head blazed brightly. "Do it," she whispered weakly. "Please. Just do it."

Andrei stared at the woman before him, her face a mask of agony, her entire body covered in black and blue bruises. She was so badly bruised it was hard to tell she was naked as she lay broken before him. Her whispered plea surprised him. Her pain must be unimaginable if she pleaded for death. He leaned forward again, his fangs grazing the side of her neck and the haunting scent of cinnamon assaulted him again and he found he couldn't bite her.

Puzzled he sat back, staring at her as her eyes followed him, accusing him. Why couldn't he bite her? She wanted him to. She didn't want to suffer anymore but every time her scent washed over him he just couldn't do it.

"Bastard," she hissed, her breathing sounding tortured, her eyes full of tears as she glared at him. "You get off on watching others suffer?"

Her words infuriated him and he reached for her, pulling her broken body into his arms, his head descending once more to her neck. His hands ran down her back, his thoughts in chaos as he traced her spine until he found the point of the break. He stroked the area lightly, knowing she couldn't feel his touch. He couldn't kill the she wolf. Three times he had tried to and each time he couldn't complete the kill. He was confused, angry. Never before had he been unable to complete a kill. Why he couldn't do so with the Were in his arms he didn't know.

Groaning in irritation, Andrei turned her over until she was laying face down in his lap. He lengthened his talons and drove one pointed nail deep into her back. She didn't move or make a sound as her blood began to pool out of the hole in her back, his finger feeling around inside until he found the damaged area. Withdrawing his finger he ripped it open with his fangs and plunged back inside, allowing his blood to mix with hers, rubbing the break, searching to the damaged nerves and coating them with his blood. 

When he was satisfied he had done enough to heal the break, he withdrew his finger and leaned over and licked at her back. Her sweet blood exploded onto his tongue and he stifled down a groan. She tasted so good. His fangs wanted to sink into her soft skin but he controlled himself, closing the wound on her back and selfishly licking up her spilled blood. He'd done her a favour by starting the healing process on her back. It wasn't much for her to donate a little of her own blood for his enjoyment.

Andrei reluctantly raised his head, licking his lips clean before he turned her over and shifted her down his lap until her head was cradle in the crook of his arm.

"What have you done?" Loretta growled as her body exploded in a massive wave of pain and she struggled to hold back sobs as her legs began to twitch involuntarily.

"Healed your back," he answered, holding her tightly. "But it's our little secret okay? If the Council finds out I'm running around healing Were bitches I'll be in deep trouble."

She bit her lip not to scream out loud with the pain, her breath coming in deep panting rasps. "Why?" she ground out. "You should have just killed me like you were going to."

Andrei ripped his wrist open and pressed it to her mouth. "Drink, it won't kill you," he ordered softly. "It will stabilise you until your own healing abilities kick in. This is another little secret just between the two of us." He pressed his wrist tightly against her mouth so she couldn't ask anymore questions he just didn't have the answers to.

She fed from him reluctantly but she did drink and he closed his eyes and allowed himself a brief moment of enjoying the purely erotic feel of her soft lips sucking against his wrist. He knew his actions were madness. Letting the Weres know that vampire blood could heal them was not a smart move but there was something about this feisty, brave little bitch that called to him on a deep level. He was loathe to let her die so the only option he had was to heal her.

Loretta drank, feeling the pain beginning to lessen, her limbs no longer twitching. She stared into the face of the vampire as she sucked at his blood. His eyes were closed and his beautiful face was almost serene, as if he was taking some kind of personal enjoyment out of her drinking from him. Part of her wanted to be offended that he was getting off on her pain even if he was trying to help her. But another part of her, her wolf part was suddenly rumbling deeply as his blood sent liquid fire through her veins and the pain was soon down to a dull ache.

"Enough," Andrei whispered without opening his eyes, gently pulling his wrist from her mouth. "Rest for a moment."

Loretta licked her lips clean, closing her eyes and relaxing in his strong embrace, her body getting stronger with each passing moment. She wasn't up to running through the trees anytime soon but she was healing at a faster rate than was the norm for a Were. "Thank you," she said softly, feeling him lean down and run his nose against the side of her face, inhaling deeply as he did so.

He moved, lifting her gently into his arms as he stood up. "Tell no one, little bitch," he said softly staring straight ahead as he strode swiftly around the side of the house.

"Loretta!" Rafe yelled, hurrying over to them and reaching to take the injured woman from the vampire. "You okay, sweetie?" he asked softly, his brown eyes full of concern as he cradled her gently.

"Don't schedule me for any training exercises for a couple of weeks," she said drolly, managing a weak smile. "I'll be fine though, with a bit of rest."

"Rafe," Demetri called softly and the big man hesitated for a moment before Andrei took the decision out of his hands. 

The vampire reached for Loretta and took her back from the Were. "I'll make sure she gets safely inside," he told the other man, looking down at the woman in his arms with a slight smile on his face. "Loretta," he laughed softly. "You strike me more as a Rose, all beautiful on the outside but prickly as a thorn on the inside."

"Drop dead," she grumbled but there was no heat in her voice and her lips threatened to twitch into a smile. "So what do I call you, apart from asshole, that is?"

Andrei threw his head back and laughed loudly as he continued on his way to the house. "Who told you my nickname?" he countered without answering her question.

"Andrei?" Rhianna gasped jumping up as he entered the house with a badly wounded Loretta in his hands. "Oh God, Loretta, are you okay?"

Andrei laid her down on the other sofa in the sitting room as the youngling moved slightly stiffly over to the pretty brunette and gently stroked her hair back from her face. 

"I'm going to be just fine, Annie," Loretta sighed staring up at the brown haired vampire who set her wolf to prowling with agitation. Her lips twitched into a smile as he broke her gaze and turned away. "Thanks, asshole!" she called with a little laugh.

"Anytime, Rose!" he countered with a laugh of his own as he strode back out of the house without a backward glance.

"Private joke," Loretta answered Rhianna's unspoken question before she closed her eyes and allowed the welcoming comfort of the sofa to soothe her aching body. Andrei. She smiled slowly and fell instantly into a much needed sleep.

Rafe returned to Demetri's side as Andrei took Loretta into the house.

"I've found him," the vampire whispered in a cold, chilling voice. "If you're coming then you'd better shift now because I'm not waiting for you."

Rafe shifted instantly as Demetri took off into the night. He caught the vampire's scent and followed it. Demetri might be able to move faster than him but his skills at tracking had yet to let him down. 

Demetri's movement seemed to trigger something in the other vampires, without a word they all transformed and turned, heading into the trees. Caleb looked at Jared with narrowed eyes, knowing the wolves were up to something. He considered asking but then shook his head. This was their compound, their pack which was being attacked. They had the right to do as they saw fit.

Caleb took a deep breath and let go. If Demetri was going deep then so would he. He was aware of Andrei coming to his side as he released his humanity completely, his eyes turning completely black, his thirst for blood driving him from his very core. He turned his head, saw Andrei had transformed too and they smiled coldly at each other before they blurred into the trees.

Jared watched the vampires leave and chuffed loudly. The pack knew what to do, how to take down the enemy vampires. Each and every member had taken a moment to scent their allies while they all stood waiting for Demetri to act. The likelihood of any accidents happening was remote. He howled loudly and the wolves disappeared into the trees, ready to kill as many vampires as they could get their teeth into.

To be continued...



When Worlds Collide Ch. 13



The house filled up with wounded Weres and others who had stayed around to assist. Luke and his two assistants were doing the best they could with what medical resources they had brought from the medical building. He was annoyed that he wasn't able to bring the injured back there but understood his Alpha's decision. It made more sense to have everyone in the one building just in case any attackers got through.

He moved swiftly to Loretta's side, pulling back the throw placed over her as she lay sleeping. He frowned slightly as he watched the bruising to her body start to fade before his eyes. Weres healed faster than humans but the speed of her recovery wasn't normal. He lowered the throw and moved away. At least she was healing, however unusually it was happening. He would ask her if anything out of the ordinary took place outside when she woke up.

Lacey was proving to be a great asset. She spent a moment with each Were, talking quietly with them, holding their hands and smiling soothingly. Luke noticed a renewed strength in each Were she left, as if they were determined to heal faster because of her words. Rafe was a very lucky man in finding his mate in the beautiful blonde woman.

His eyes fell on Ashleigh and he frowned slowly. The young girl was sitting in a corner in the hallway, her legs drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them in a purely defensive position. She wasn't injured physically but one look at her blank expression was enough to show that she was badly wounded mentally. Lacey had tried talking to her but received no response.

How did one so young deal with coming across the bodies of her parents and her siblings? Her entire family had been cut down in a hail of bullets when the humans attacked. The extent of their injuries had been too severe to allow them to heal. She was barely ninteen years old and now an orphan. The pack would look after her but it would be a long time before she recovered from this. He was worried she might even go rogue, her grief cut so deep.

Nors tried to ignore the increasing number of dogs in the room but it was hard when they were all talking, or groaning in pain. The incessant noise was irritating him greatly as his eyes swept over the compound from his stance at the window. He felt a dog approach and stiffened.

"You were the one who brought Ashleigh in?" Luke asked the vampire quietly.

Nors turned his head frowning slightly. "Who?" he asked, his tone distracted as his eyes swept over the sitting room quickly, checking his three charges were in the room and safe.

"The young girl who warned of the attack against the evacuation site," Luke answered patiently, his eyes intent on the large vampire.

Nors nodded, a vision of a little pixie face staring up at him in fear, a cap of soft blonde hair framing her young face. The girl had told Caleb her name was Ashleigh. "What of it?" he growled turning back to the window.

"I'm afraid she's going to go rogue, vampire. None of us can get through to her. I thought maybe you could try. You saved her once by bringing her home to us. Maybe she will see you as a protector and respond to you when she won't to any of us."

Nors stiffened, growling low in his chest. "I handed her off to you in one piece," he hissed. "You allowed her to come to harm?" Caleb had told him to protect the little bitch. He had done so to the best of his ability. That her own people had allowed her to come to harm oddly infuriated him.

"Graves hurt her, vampire. Not us," Luke snapped defensively. "She's lost her entire family, the family she came back to be with, the reason she was here in the first place to warn us of the attack on the evacuation site."

Nors turned slowly, his expression completely blank as his eyes searched the room and then travelled further into the hallway, finally alighting on the little blonde girl in the corner. He sucked in a deep breath. "Have someone watch this window and call me if they see anything," he bit out, striding across the room toward the girl.

He towered over her tiny figure, his fury escalating as she stared blankly ahead, not registering his presence. He didn't know what turned a Were rogue but he assumed it was some form of madness. The girl before him was sinking fast within herself and it angered him that one so fragile should feel such a wealth of loss and pain.

Growling he sat down beside her, close but not touching her. He mimicked her position resting his back against the wall. "Now I know why my kind prefer to kill," he said quietly. "It's so much easier than protecting others. We do not like to fail so we choose not to place ourselves in positions where the possibility exists. I did not want to protect you, little bitch. I did so because Caleb asked it of me. I handed you off to the first dog I could find because I wanted to be back in the fight. You were an irritation to me. Because I allowed you to be an irritation I have failed you and I am sorry."

She didn't speak but he thought he detected a slight stirring inside her. He contemplated trying to slip inside her mind but decided he didn't want to go there just yet. He would try with words first before he opened himself up to her mental anguish.

"Your family must have been very brave," he said softly. "How could they not be when they sired such a strong, brave daughter and sister who risked her life to walk among vampires so she could protect her pack? I am sure they would have been very proud of you, little bitch. I am sure they would not want you to lose the will to live because they no longer walk beside you."

He heard a tortured breath whistle out of her mouth, a muffled strangled sob being choked down as her head dropped forward to rest on her knees but still she did not speak.

"I don't know much about pack life, Ashleigh," he murmured quietly. "I know your people are worried about you, that they care for you very much. So much, they ask a cantankerous old vampire to come and speak with you, to try and help you. You may feel you are alone but you are not. Your pack is all around you, reaching out to be your strength when you need it most. Let them in, brave little wolf. Let them help you heal."

Ashleigh started to weep softly, the first tears she had cried since she had found her family dead. She turned, throwing her arms around the big vampire, burying her face against his chest as he shifted to accommodate her sudden movement. He seemed stunned for a moment before his large arms wrapped around her shaking body and he pulled her gently onto his lap.

He held her silently as she wept, half of him wondering how the hell he'd managed to get himself into this position and the other half of him wanting to comfort the weeping girl, to tell her it was going to be okay even though he had no idea if she would ever recover from her loss. He felt oddly protective of the little thing, angry with himself that he had failed to look after her earlier. Maybe if he had been around she wouldn't have lost herself when she discovered her family dead.

"Do you really think they were brave, Nors?" she suddenly asked brokenly through muffled sobs.

"I am of sure of it," he sighed stroking her hair gently. "They stood with their pack, willing to die for the good of your people. They gave their lives to protect the pack as would you if it was called for. There can be nothing braver than to be willing to lay down your life for those you love."

"I'm going to miss them so much," she whispered tearfully. "I know I have the pack but it's not the same as having my family, Nors. I will always be alone now."

Her tearful words touched a place deep inside the vampire that he had forgotten even existed anymore. His heart wrenched at her pain and he tightened his grip around her, holding her more securely. "You will only be alone if you allow yourself to be, Ashleigh. Grieve for your family but allow your pack to help you. I will make a deal with you. Promise me you will try your hardest to do so and we will meet again, one year from now. If you still feel alone then I will adopt you into my family." The words came out before he even knew what he was saying and he stifled down a deep groan as he finished speaking.

Ashleigh raised her head, her eyes red with crying, her cheeks soaking wet and her lips trembling. "Really?" she whispered tremulously. "Do you really mean that, Nors?"

He stared into her hopeful brown eyes and stifled down another deep groan wiping at her wet cheeks in an almost unconscious gesture. He let his breath hiss out in a loud sigh. "Yes, I mean it," he said in a resigned tone. "I am sure it will not be required though. A lot can change in a year, little wolf. Your pain will ease in that time and your pack will rally around you. But I will keep my word to you. If you still feel the same despite trying your very hardest, then you will have a place in my home. Are we agreed?"

The little blonde nodded slowly, more tears flowing as she leaned forward and grazed her lips against his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

Nors sighed again, gently dislodging her from his arms, standing and setting her down on her feet. He could see Luke and Lacey hovering close to them, their expressions stunned. They must have heard what he had said.

"Go now, Ashleigh," he said firmly, pushing her gently towards Lacey, sighing with relief when she ran into the other woman's arms and began to weep loudly. Tears were healing. Now she was finally releasing them the danger point was past.

Luke gave him a deep scowl and shook his head. "That's some promise you just made, vampire," he said coolly. "I wanted you to try and reach her, not promise to let her join your family. The Alpha will not be happy when he hears about this."

A burst of cold hard rage enveloped Nors and he hissed loudly. "I gave her what she needed, dog. Sometime to hold onto, an end goal to reach for so she can survive her pain. I don't give a fuck if you or your Alpha don't like it. At the end of the year, if she wants to come to me then she can. And no one better stand in her way." 

He turned and stomped into the sitting room, growling at the Were beside the window until the man wisely moved out of the way. He spotted Caleb's youngling smiling as she watched him and rounded on her, glaring furiously. "What's so fucking funny?" he hissed.

"Nothing," Rhianna smiled, her lavender eyes twinkling with amusement. "You're a very nice man, Nors. I think I like you a lot." She turned and went back to Mara's side leaving him boring a hole in her back with his steely gaze.

Nors had no idea what the youngling was so pleased about and why she thought he gave a fuck about getting her approval. Maybe she was mentally deranged or something? Maybe it had something to do with being around two of the oldest of his kind? Whatever it was he didn't need her approval or anyone else's. He growled again and turned to peer out of the window, silently watching Lacey comfort the little blonde in the reflection.

______

Rafe caught up with Demetri in the clearing where he had sat with Rhianna the day before. The vampire was standing as still as a statue, facing another vampire with short dark hair. Graves! Rafe howled loudly, fury washing over him as he came face to face with the man who had abused his mate for two long years.

Graves turned his cold gaze to the wolf and snorted in derision. "Really, Demetri? You need to bring your little doggie to help take me down?" His voice was loaded with contempt as he dismissed the wolf immediately and turned back to his former friend. He was perturbed to see him in his most feral state. It could only mean one thing. Sandro had failed and Demetri knew he had rescinded his earlier edict to leave his loved ones alone. Still he was confident he could take the other vampire.

"Payback's a bitch, Graves," Demetri laughed softly. "You really should have paid more attention to the Weres. They're pretty formidable when riled and you've really riled my friend here. Lacey is his mate." 

Graves snorted again and waved a dismissive hand. "As if I give a fuck," he drawled softly. "I'll rip his fucking heart out and then I'll find his 'mate'. I'll make her beg for death before I finally end her miserable life."

Rafe howled and started forward but Demetri blocked his path easily. "He's trying to rile you, Rafe. He wants you to attack him. Hold for now."

Rafe snarled furiously, his huge body trembling with his rage as he tried to get his wolf under control, tried to listen to the wisdom in the vampire's words but he so wanted to sink his teeth into Graves it was an impossible task. He sprang and Demetri's arm shot out, catching him around the side of the head and spinning him backwards into a tree.

"I said HOLD!" Demetri roared loudly as the wolf whined in pain as he connected with the tree and Graves began to laugh loudly.

"I see your skills at leashing your little doggie are just as bad as leashing your whore, Demetri. Oops, I meant to say wife. How is the delightful Mara these days?"

Demetri growled loudly, looking back at Rafe to see he hadn't caused too much damage. The wolf looked slightly dazed but none the worse for wear. He turned back to Graves and hissed, his talons clicking against each other as he held his position. "She is healing," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "She will live which is more than I can say for you."

"That's a pity," Graves said letting out a disappointed sigh. "I would have preferred to hear that she died a slow, painful death. That I'd cut your balls off in a way no other has ever been able to manage before."

"I'd love to say I was sorry to disappoint you but I'm not really," Demetri laughed as Rafe once more came to his side. He looked down at the wolf who glared at him balefully. "You understand the meaning of the word Hold, now?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "You will get your chance, brother, but me first."

Graves frowned as he watched them interact, the word brother stunning him. "You're claiming a dog as kin?" he snorted in disgust.

Demetri shrugged his shoulders and Rafe growled quietly at his side. "I guess I am," he sighed softly. "You are Annie's brother, Rafe. If I claim her as my sister then I have to claim you as my brother, as distasteful as I find that notion. But if you tell anyone I did so I'll rip your bloody heart out and to hell with the consequences."

His gaze turned once more to Graves as his talons clicked together. He smiled. "The time for talking is over. You know why I am here and you know why you are about to die. Your army is defeated, your attack on the evacuation site failed. You have nothing left, Rich. No one's coming to help rescue you. The only thing you can look forward to is the sound of your screams as I make you pay for every second of pain you caused my Mara."

Graves felt the first frisson of fear go through his body. If what Demetri said was true, and he had no reason to believe that he was lying to him, then things were most definitely not going his way. There was nothing for it, he would have to stand and fight. Running wasn't an option where his former friend was concerned. He had played his hand and lost. Now he only had his life left to gamble with. He hissed, transforming into his most feral state, and launching himself at Demetri.

Rafe moved to the side when the two vampires crashed together. His head was still ringing from the smack Demetri had given him. He was furious at the dark haired vampire but understood why he had done what he did. It was the only thing to get Wolfie back under control. Demetri knew Graves, how he thought, what his intentions were. Mindless rage was not a weapon that worked against the other ancient. Cool, calm thinking was required. He could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Demetri not to respond to Graves' taunting about Mara but he had managed to keep his head.

Rafe prowled around the two ancients, waiting for his moment, trusting Demetri when he said he would get his chance at Graves. He'd never heard the vampire ever lie before. He had no reason to think he would do so now. 

The vampires crashed into a tree so hard the large oak snapped cleanly in half, their momentum sending them both crashing to the forest floor. Graves landed on top, his talons trying to find purchase in Demetri's throat. Rafe sprang, his teeth ripping into the back of Graves' neck even as Demetri threw the vampire away from him.

Rafe howled in surprise as he went tumbling backwards, flesh and blood in his mouth as he rolled over and came back to his feet less than three feet from Graves. The vampire moved so quickly, his talons catching Rafe in his front paw and ripping downwards. Rafe howled as the pain crash through him, his paw ripped clean through to the bone.

Demetri was on top of Graves before he could do any more damage, slamming his hand into the man's lower back and ripping his talons upwards. He held Graves by the hair with one hand, lifting him bodily with the hand inside his body. Black eyes pierced the injured wolf with a baleful glare. "One day you might fucking listen to me, Rafe."

Rafe silently agreed with Demetri as he limped away, his left leg in complete agony. His euphoria at tasting Graves' blood paled into insignificance compared to the pain in his leg.

"I'm done playing with you, Rich," Demetri said softly pulling his hand from the other vampire's body. He gripped Graves' left arm and pulled it effortlessly from his body as the other man screamed in agony. "For Lacey," Demetri chanted, changing his grip on the shrieking vampire and ripping his right arm cleanly from his body. 

"For Annie," Demetri crooned softly dropping his former friend to the forest floor and kicking him until he was lying on his back. He leaned over the fallen man, both hands coming to his chest, ten lethal talons sinking in deeply and raking down mercilessly to his groin. 

"For my Mara," Demetri hissed furiously. "I warned you not to fuck with me, Rich. I gave you ample opportunity to avoid this but you just wouldn't listen. You had to hurt my woman. You had to think you were better than me, stronger, faster, more lethal. But you were so very wrong."

He straightened, moving over to Rafe, crouching down to look at his injury which was pretty severe. "You're not going to like this," he sighed before he pressed his bloody hands into the wolf's leg and smeared Graves blood over the wound.

Rafe's loud howl of agony changed to a muffled roar as he lost control of his wolf and shifted to human form. "What the fuck are you doing?" he ground out, tears of agony in his eyes.

"Poetic justice, brother," Demetri laughed softly, his eyes reverting back to his normal colour as he once more embraced his humanity. "Graves' blood will heal you enough that you can do what needs to be done. You don't have a lot of time. Even with no arms he will be lethal once his chest wounds heal. You have about fifteen minutes to exact your vengeance."

Rafe felt revulsion that Graves blood was being used to heal his wound. And yet, there was a certain irony to it as Demetri had pointed out. The other vampire's blood would heal Rafe enough that he could kill him before his own vampiric healing abilities kicked in. He smiled slowly as he looked up at Demetri and felt the connection of kin with the dark haired vampire. "You really are one sick bastard, Demetri," he laughed softly.

"When it's called for," his new brother laughed removing his hands from his leg. "Fourteen minutes," he counted down.

Rafe shifted, rolling to his feet, stalking over to the hissing vampire lying in agony on the forest floor. Fourteen minutes to kill him. He could do a lot in fourteen minutes, cause such pain and agony that Graves would scream louder than Lacey ever had, louder than Mara, louder than his Annie. The red mist of rage consumed him as he stood over Graves, teeth bared, saliva literally dripping from them as he sought to find the place he wanted to start to his destruction.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 13



Lacey's face suddenly clouded his mind, his beautiful mate smiling lovingly at him. He halted, staring down at Graves, seeing nothing but contempt in the vampire's eyes even though he knew he was going to die. He could feel Lacey through their bond, it was muted because of the distance between them but she was anxious. Probably anxious about him. Her smiling face came to mind again and the red mist started to clear slightly.

Graves was a sadistic killer, an abusive prick who delighted in others pain. But he couldn't break his Lacey. No matter what Graves had done to her, she was still able to love, still willing to join with him despite his weaknesses and poor judgement. She saw something in Rafe that was worth loving, something good and pure and gentle. He could never be like Graves. He could never take satisfaction from torturing another living being, no matter how much they deserved it.

Rafe wrapped his large jaws around Graves' neck and bit deep.

Demetri leaned against the tree, watching Graves' head roll from his body, finally relaxing now the other ancient was dead. He had wondered if Rafe would give into the mad rage inside of him. He nodded his head in approval when the big man shifted back to human form turning his back on the Graves without a second thought. He saw peace in Rafe's eyes. Justice had been served and he had retained his very essence at the end.

"Admirable," Demetri smiled, moving away from the tree and meeting Rafe half way.

"I wanted to rip him to shreds," the big man admitted. "But I would just have become as bad as him if I had."

"Just as well you're a bloody dog," Demetri laughed loudly. "You'd have made a crap vampire, Rafe." His eyes twinkled with amusement as he turned to head out of the clearing. "How's your head?"

"Sore," the big man growled softly as he followed him from the clearing. "Did you have to hit me so hard?"

The vampire laughed loudly again. "Probably not, but it felt good at the time."

Rafe snorted in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he glared at Demetri's back. The bloody man was a complete pain in the ass and he was calling himself his brother? What the fuck had he done to deserve family like Demetri Bozic? 

He grinned suddenly. "So about this whole brother thing, Demetri. Does that mean I get to come hang out at your house like I do Caleb and Annie's?" He roared with laughter when the vampire growled loudly. 

"Don't even think about it, dog!"

_____

The scent of blood was thick in the air as Caleb paused to watch the pack take down another vampire. They did it cleanly, concisely and with no injuries. Someone had told them how to kill vampires cleanly. That was what Jared had been hiding from him. He looked around; saw his people watching with undisguised hostility on their faces.

He signalled them, ordering them silently to move back. The last of Graves' vampires were backed against a wide stream. They could have jumped it and fled but they stood facing the snarling wolves, making a last stand. The pack deserved this final moment. Caleb turned to see Andrei's furious face glaring at the wolves before he turned his black eyes to him.

"Did you do this?" he hissed, talons flexing as if he wanted to rip into Caleb's throat. "The Council will have your head for this if you did, Cullen."

"I told them nothing, Romanov," he growled back, taking a defensive stance in case the other man did attack. "I don't know how they discovered this but I'm not sorry that they did. If I hadn't been able to drum up enough support to defend the pack I would have told them myself."

Andrei hissed, recoiling backwards. "You would betray our people to a pack of dogs?" He hadn't really believed that Caleb had told the pack how to defend against their kind. The words had just come out because of his shock, but to hear him admit that he would have done so if the need had arisen left him completely stunned.

"I would have protected my family at all costs, Andrei," Caleb answered quietly. "What would you be willing to do to protect Alexei? Would you allow him to die when there was a way you could save him?"

Andrei growled spinning around and stalking off, Caleb following him, gesturing for his people to leave the Weres alone.

"This is bad, Caleb," Andrei growled. "The Council may take punitive action. What if they call for a total eradication of the pack so they can't impart this knowledge to other packs?"

Caleb grabbed his arm, spinning him around and getting right in his face. He hissed loudly. "Then you had better make sure that doesn't happen, Andrei, else you will find yourself with a civil war on your hands. I know the Council doesn't want that, do they?"

Andrei stiffened, his eyes widening as he stared at Caleb's cold, hard face, seeing knowledge there that he thought no one else knew. "You know," he whispered in surprise.

"I know a great many things, Andrei," Caleb said silkily, his grip tightening on his arm. "I know you are joining the Council and will have the power to make sure there is no fall out from this little incident. I know you healed Loretta too, breaking another of our kind's strictest taboos. Don't paint yourself to be lily white in this, elder. You have done our kind damage this night just as much as the person who told the Weres how to kill us. So stick your sanctimonious bullshit up your ass and figure a way out of this mess for all of us, or so help me, I will bring the Council down if I have to draw my last breath doing so."

Andrei stumbled backwards, fear suddenly clouding his eyes as he stared at Caleb mutely. He meant what he said. He would start a civil war to protect what was his, to protect the pack. All this time he had thought Demetri was the more dangerous of the two ancients when really it was Caleb who was the one they should have been watching.

"Fuck, Caleb!" he groaned rubbing at his arm as he shook his head wearily. "There are limits to even what I can achieve. How the fuck do you expect me to fix this? I'm not even on the Council yet. It's not due to rotate for another year."

"Then you have a year to keep the current Council debating on what they should do," Caleb countered with a soft growl. "I know you influence the current Council, Andrei. I know you have some way of hiding your deception from Jorge and Philippe. An interesting mental skill to have, one I wouldn't mind learning myself."

The other vampire paled even further, his eyes widening more as he took another step back. "How?" he whispered hoarsely, his fear ratcheting up a notch as he stared at Caleb as if he'd never seen him before.

Caleb smiled, his amber eyes flashing with amusement as he released his vampire, exulting as his more human side reclaimed dominance of his body. "Well, I'm hardly going to tell you that, am I?" he said quietly. "Just know that your 'secrets' are not really very secret, Andrei. And I make a very bad enemy to have. Your relationship with Demetri will not save you if you fuck with me and my family. I can't make it any plainer than that."

Andrei swallowed hard, giving himself a mental shake as he tried to wrap his head around the sudden shifting of his perspective of Caleb Cullen. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'll do what I can," he sighed. "Not because you threatened me though. I have my own reasons for not wanting to see this pack destroyed. You may know my secrets, Caleb, but I won't be your puppet on the Council. If I agree with any request you have then fine, but I will not be used by you or anyone else."

Caleb smiled again, a genuine smile this time. "I have no wish to be embroiled in the Council's politics. My only concern is this pack's safety. Ensure that. It is the only thing I ask of you."

The two vampires stared silently at each other for a long moment and then Andrei nodded. The sounds of the last few vampires dying suddenly fell silent and they both looked back to see the pack running towards them.

"I see this matter is now concluded," Andrei said quietly. "Instructions?"

Caleb watched Jared intently as he approached, seeing savage satisfaction in the Alpha's blue eyes. "Round up the dead vampires. Burn the bodies, every last piece. Get the others to help you," Caleb told the vampire as Jared shifted before him, his expression hard, his posture defensive.

Caleb waited for Andrei to leave before he sighed softly. "Did you have fun?" he asked lightly, seeing a flicker of surprise in Jared's eyes.

"I expected you to read me the riot act," the Alpha said truthfully relaxing his stance slightly.

"For protecting your pack?" Caleb smiled softly. "I would have told you how to if I had thought it necessary. I didn't anticipate things would go the way they did otherwise you would have known this information sooner. You had the right of it. Despite our best intentions you have lost of lot of people today, Jared."

Jared's eyes clouded in grief as he turned to walk towards his house and the dead bodies surrounding it, human and Were alike. "What does this mean for us, Caleb? I am still angry with you for not telling me of the impending attack on Millie and the children. You should have told me. I deserved to know."

"I know, my friend," Caleb sighed softly. "It was a judgement call, possibly an erroneous one but it seemed right at the time. You know you couldn't have done anything to help them. You asked for my help, Jared. I gave it as best as I knew how to." He could understand his friend's anger even though he would do the same thing again if the circumstances presented themselves.

"You're right. I did ask for your help. Now I complain because you saved my mate and the vulnerable members of our pack. It seems ungracious of me." Jared sighed and ran a weary hand through his hair as they approached the house. Now the fighting was done he looked down at his pack members, his eyes filling with tears.

"Poor Bill," he whispered softly. "He was so frightened, so concerned for the pack and I threatened to banish him. He pleaded with me to reconsider my edict, Caleb. Now he's dead." His eyes roamed over more bodies, a tortured groan coming from his throat. "Pete. Mike. Rafe is going to be beside himself with grief over this. We lost Ben in the house too. Those three were almost as pathological as Aaron for being at Rafe's side. Three Betas lost and God knows how many others. How the fuck do we recover from this?"

Caleb remained silent as Jared walked through the bodies, whispering the name of each and every fallen Were, man and woman, tears running unashamedly down his face. He couldn't ease his friend's grief but he could stand at his side as he said goodbye to people he had lived with for centuries.

Finally Jared's straightened and squared his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Can I ask two favours of you, Caleb?" he asked quietly.

"Whatever you need, Jared."

"Can your people remove the humans? I don't care what you do with them just get them the hell off my property so we can start to take care of our dead without having to wade through that offal." Jared's tone was cold, hard as he buried his grief deep inside him, pulling on the mantle of Alpha.

"And the other?" Caleb asked as he crooked a finger at a hovering vampire who was not involved in clearing up the vampire bodies. The dark haired man ran forward and listened for a second as Caleb quickly imparted orders before he turned and blurred into the trees.

"The other, Jared?" Caleb asked again when the Alpha didn't speak.

"Bring Millie home to me," he whispered quietly. "Bring the pack home. Your people will get there quicker. The vehicles are on site. I need my pack safely home, Caleb, but I want them with a full protective escort."

"I'll get right on it," Caleb said quietly reaching out to place a hand on the Alpha's shoulder. "You do know how sorry I am, Jared? I wish it hadn't been so costly for you."

The Alpha nodded mutely taking another deep breath and standing straight. "Now for the living," he sighed stepping up the steps into the house, Caleb following him.

"Nors," Caleb called. He waited for the big red haired vampire to reach him in the doorway. "Take Andrei and two others. Run over to the evacuation site and have Alexei help you escort the pack back here. Ask for Millie. Tell her Jared needs her but don't frighten her. Let her know he's fine, that the fighting is over and the Alpha needs his mate."

Nors' eyes flickered to the side, catching a glimpse of Ashleigh as she lay sleeping on the floor, her head resting on Lacey's lap, before he nodded and hurried from the house.

Jared was checking on the wounded, letting Luke know that the more serious ones could be moved now to the medical building if it was prudent to do so. The dead would have to wait until the living could be taken care of.

Caleb walked into the sitting room, stopping beside Mara who smiled up at him. "How are you doing, sweetie?" he asked tenderly as he crouched down beside her.

"Almost mended," she said, her voice sounding clear and strong.

"Demetri will be relieved," Caleb smiled stroking her cheek gently. "Do you know where Annie is?" There were so many scents in the house it was hard to pick up his woman's.

"She said she had something to do," Mara answered with a little frown. "I think she went to say goodbye to Ben and Klaus and Hub. She seemed really sad about Ben. I think she liked him a lot."

Caleb nodded sadly. He had liked the Beta a lot too from the time he has spent at Wicked. He stroked Mara's cheek again and then rose, striding back out of the room and up the stairs. He found her sitting with her back against the wall, silently weeping as she looked at the three dead Weres. Silently he crossed to her, picking her up gently and holding her close.

He held her quietly as she cried for all the death around her, knowing she erroneously would blame herself for it when there was nothing she could have done to stop it. The fault lay with him and Demetri. They had arrogantly thought they could stop the vampires from breaching the line and they had almost paid the price by losing the most precious things in their lives.

He moved to the top of the stairs sitting down and cradling Rhianna in his lap as he watched the activity down below. He saw Demetri and Rafe arrive and let out a sigh of relief as he met Demetri's eyes. His friend's rage had gone and his brief nod told him all he needed to know. Graves was dead.

Rafe's eyes connected with Lacey's, his heart thudding loudly as he saw her comforting Ashleigh. He strode over to her, barely limping from his leg wound as he slid down the wall beside her. "It's over," he whispered. "He will never hurt another person again, Lacey."

Her eyes filled with tears of relief, her hand reaching out to touch his cheek. "I love you, Rafe," she said shakily.

"I love you, Lacey," he groaned, leaning forward and brushing his lips gently against hers, careful not to wake the sleeping girl. " I need to go and help Jared, honey. There is a lot to do. I'll be back as quickly as I can." It was hard to walk away from his mate, but the pack needs came first. They would have time together when the hard, painful work had been done.

He saw Caleb sitting at the top of the stair, Rhianna cradled tightly in his arms. For a moment he felt fear as he saw the bleak expression on the vampire's face. He had been told his sister was fine. Was it a lie? He bounded up the stairs, halting when he saw Ben, Klaus and Hub. Rhianna's tearstained face said it all and he stifled down his grief as he dropped down on the stairs and brushed her cheek lightly.

"Don't you do it," he said fiercely. "Don't you dare take responsibility for something you couldn't stop, Annie. I know how your mind works. You are not to blame for any of this. I will kick your ass if you even go there, baby girl." His dire threat was such a direct contrast to his loving expression that it brought a weak smile to his sister's face.

"I'm sorry, Rafe," she whispered. "I know how much you loved Ben. I wish I could have saved him."

Rafe swallowed hard reaching to pull her into his arms as he kissed her forehead lightly. "Yes, it's sad that so many of my pack died tonight, Annie," he breathed softly. "I've lost some very close friends and I will grieve for them. But you are safe. You, Lacey and Millie. Aaron and Jen. So many others that I can't name. The pack will grieve their losses but they will celebrate the living, the survivors who will help rebuild the pack and make it strong again. The past can't be changed, baby girl, but the future can be shaped into something better."

"I love you so much, Rafe," she murmured, hugging him tightly, relief that he was alive and well coursing through her. "You kept your promise to me. We are still standing despite everything."

"And we always will be because we stand together," Rafe whispered. "Love you, baby girl." He gently disentangled her and handed her back to her vampire who gave him a warm smile.

"Glad you made it, Rafe," Caleb said sincerely, his arms banding around his precious woman who was sitting up a bit straighter, some of her earlier misery eased by her brother's words.

"You too, Caleb," the big man answered, taking one more regretful look at his friends before he turned and headed back downstairs.

Demetri sank down beside Mara, his eyes flicking quickly over her face, noting her better colour as he slid his fingers gently along her rib cage, feeling for breaks. Two ribs were still broken and he struggled to dampen down the flare of rage he felt deep inside.

"Demetri, I'm fine," she sighed softly. "I've even had broken ribs before a few years back when I fell down a hole on a training dig. They hurt like hell but they're not life threatening."

He raised one perfect eyebrow at her, his lips tightening in a firm line. "So, you have a habit of placing yourself at needless risk, wife?" he growled softly. "I don't know why I'm so surprised to hear that after the way we met. Trying to prove the existence of vampires really wasn't one of your smartest ideas." He cut off her retort by placing his wrist at her mouth after ripping a wound in it. "Drink." 

She glared at him as she began to suck at his wrist, her eyes slowly closing as hot fire raced through her as his blood hit her system. She knew he was worried about her, concerned for her well being. But he was pissed as hell at her too underneath it all. He was going to make her life a complete misery for almost getting herself killed. She'd have to head him off somehow and there really was only one way to do it.

She pushed his wrist away, licking at her lips, watching as his eyes narrowed at the gesture and his thumb snaked out to wipe at a spot that she'd missed. She took a deep breath and met his gaze unflinchingly. "I'm ready now," she announced softly, smiling when he stilled completely, his eyes narrowing further as they raked over her face intently.

"Seriously?" he breathed softly, a suspicious look coming over his beautiful face. "You're not just saying that because you know I'm going to ring your beautiful little neck?"

Mara stretched tentatively, sighing with relief when no more pain wracked her body. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, feeling stiff but so much better. "Seriously," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You can ring my neck all you want to after the deed is done." She heard his breath catch, felt his hands tremble as he circled her tightly in a band of steel.

"Thank you, Mara," he whispered into the side of her neck. "I don't think I could stand going through this again, seeing you lying there in such pain. I thought for a moment you were dead."

"I'm sorry, Demetri," she groaned softly, hearing the naked pain in his voice as she held him tightly. "I'm so sorry, love. I promise I'll listen to you the next time."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 13



For a moment she thought he was crying in the middle of a houseful of Weres but then he raised his head and she saw he was laughing, an expression of total disbelief on his face. "Can I have that in writing?" Demetri laughed. "Because I know damned well you're going to deny all knowledge of ever uttering those words to me."

Mara rolled her eyes and shook her head but she smiled at him and gave him a soft kiss before she swung her legs to the floor and let Demetri help her up carefully. She took a few steps and straightened completely. "All better," she sighed with relief. "Let's find Caleb and Annie." She felt in the way with all that the Weres had been through. They didn't make her feel that way but she did. The pack was grieving and their presence may not be as welcome as they thought.

People moved about constantly into the night until silence began to descend on the compound. The vampires had removed all of Graves' crew, the buses had rolled in from the evacuation site and families were reunited in the community hall. In total thirty one Weres lost their lives and four vampires. The losses seemed pretty low considering the odds stacked against the pack but it was still a crushing blow to Jared. People had lost their mates, their sons and daughters, their brothers and sisters.

The Alpha's house was empty of most of the pack now. Demetri had taken Mara home and Andrei and Alexei had disappeared not long afterwards. The only vampires to remain in the compound were Caleb and his woman and he was only there because Rhianna didn't want to leave her family. She moved from one to the other, hugging them, whispering words of comfort, crying with them when their grief spilled over.

"Take her home, Caleb," Jared said quietly moving to stand beside his friend. "She's exhausting herself trying to comfort everyone."

"I know," Caleb sighed wearily. "Every time I try to she looks at me with big pleading eyes and I can't make myself force her to leave."

"Then let me help," Jared answered softly. "We will forever be in your debt, Caleb. I know some of the pack have looked at you with unfriendly eyes tonight but it will pass. You will always be welcome here."

"Thank you, Jared," he said quietly, watching as the Alpha strode over to his woman who was sitting with her arms around Millie.

"Come, Rhianna, it is time for you to go home," Jared said firmly. "I need to get Millie to bed so she can rest and look after our babies. We all need to get some rest. You can come back tomorrow and fuss over us then."

Rhianna swallowed hard, looking up at Jared, seeing the determination in his eyes. She bowed her head and bit her lip, feeling Millie squeeze her waist gently. "We'll be fine, Annie," her sister sighed softly. "We are strong and resilient. We will recover from this. Go home, sweetie. Get some rest. We will need your strength tomorrow and in the coming days."

Nodding numbly, Rhianna hugged her and then Jared, stopping at Lacey and Rafe and kissing their cheeks as she gave them harder hugs. She turned from her family walking into Caleb's strong embrace, allowing him to lead her from the house.

"We're going to head to bed," Rafe said quietly, pulling Lacey with him as he escorted her from the house. Their Alphas needed the house to themselves tonight. They would stay at Rafe's small cabin.

Finally alone with his mate, Jared sank down to the floor, wrapping his arms around Millie, resting his head against her stomach as she leaned forward to rest her cheek on top of his head. Silently he began to weep, feeling Millie's tears fall on the back of his neck. "So many, Millie," he whispered. "So many brave people lost their lives tonight. I keep asking myself if there was something else I could have done that could have saved more people."

"You did your best, love," Millie breathed tearfully. "The odds were against us right from the start. We stood on the brink of annihilation but you secured strong, powerful allies. We fought and we won and yes, we lost many good people, but the pack stands strong. We will recover, love," she whispered softly. 

Jared nodded, his hand coming up to touch her stomach reverently. "I know we will, Mills. It's just going to be so tough the next few weeks, but I know life goes on and so will the pack," he sighed softly.

Rising, he gathered his mate into his arms and cradled her gently against his chest. "Time to get some rest, baby," he said quietly. "Tomorrow will be a very long day." 

To be continued...

 This is the penultimate chapter in this part of the story. One more to go. Hope you all enoy the conclusion as much as you have enjoyed the rollercoater ride to get to the end :-)

Many thanks to WorldHistoryBuff for editing for me as always. You're the best! And to my little ray of Sunshine :-) 



When Worlds Collide Ch. 14



Demetri couldn't get his wife home fast enough. Once the killing had ended and he was sure she was safely healed, all he wanted was to retreat to their home, to finally claim her completely. He had no idea if she had agreed to let him Sire her because she wanted to head off any of the fallout from letting herself get hurt, or whether she genuinely wanted it. 

He didn't care what her reasoning was. He couldn't go through another night like the one they'd just been through. He couldn't ever feel the fear he had when he saw Mara lying there on the floor, when he had thought for a moment that she was dead. If she had been dead....he couldn't even contemplate what he would have done if she had died. 

He had lost it as it was, barely able to differentiate between who was friend and foe at the compound. If he had lost Mara then his words to Caleb would have taken on a very different meaning. Everyone would have died, Vampire and Were alike, because he would have died inside too. Demetri Bozic would have ceased to exist, leaving behind a rabid vampire that Caleb would have had no choice but to put down to save everyone else.

He shivered slightly, turning his head to watch his woman sleeping in the passenger seat of the Jeep briefly before he turned into the driveway of their home. His own arrogance had almost killed her. He had been treading a tightrope of conflicted, confused emotions since she had entered his life. He had made poor judgement calls and almost lost her because of them. Now he had to start making the right decisions. Decisions which were best for him and Mara and no one else.

She woke up as he picked her up gently, her sleepy brown eyes smiling up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His breath stilled in his chest for a second as he gazed into her face. He couldn't possibly love her anymore and yet he felt as if he did, as if her near death had somehow managed to make him fall deeper in love with her.

Mara snuggled into his chest as he carried her into the house and up to their bedroom, laying her gently on the bed and standing up to look down at her. He saw a speck of blood on her top and frowned, looking down at his hands. He had thought he had cleaned himself up back at the compound but he obviously still had some of Graves' blood on him. Growling softly, he turned and headed into the bathroom, starting the shower and stripping of his clothes. He wasn't touching his woman with that prick's blood on his hands. He wouldn't defile his Mara that way.

Mara heard the shower start up and sighed softly, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Demetri was so quiet, his expression carefully neutral which signified he was thinking deeply about something he didn't want to share with her. She had expected a lecture of some kind, some long, drawn out rant about just how stupid she had been. His quietness worried her. Lord only knew what was going through her vampire's head. She was sure he was blaming himself for what had happened. He didn't always think very rationally at times. Sighing again, she pulled off her clothes, noting she had some blood on them. Another set of clothes for the trash and probably the reason why her husband suddenly felt the need for a shower. Stretching her weary body, Mara headed into the bathroom.

Demetri was leaning with one hand braced against the shower wall, his head bowed as the hot water cascaded down his sculpted back and ass. Mara swallowed hard as her gaze travelled his naked body. He had the most amazing body, so taut and hard and full of barely restrained passion. His submissive posture frightened her though. She couldn't bear to seem him so vulnerable, of knowing that she was the cause of the vulnerability within him.

She slipped into the shower, knowing he could sense her there but was not reacting to her presence. Her fear increased slightly as she wrapped her arms around his chest resting her cheek against his back, feeling him stiffen at her touch. She expected him to turn around, to hold her and tell her everything was okay but he remained as he was, neither accepting nor rejecting her caress. "Demetri?" she whispered uncertainly, some of her fear leaking into her voice.

Mara's whispered words seeped into Demetri's mind, her fear wrenching at his heart. He turned, groaning loudly and sweeping her into his arms as he picked her up and pressed her hard against the shower wall. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, his body shaking as his tears continued to flow silently down his face. "I almost lost you," he choked out, clutching her so tightly he knew he must be hurting her but unable to ease his grasp on her fragile body.

Mara felt her heart break as his fear and pain washed over her. She clutched him tightly, ignoring the slight discomfort of his hold. She'd felt worse pain already this night. She could withstand a little more. "I'm so sorry, love," she whispered tearfully. "Please forgive me." She pulled his head up, her mouth urgently seeking his as she sought to give him comfort, to ease his suffering. 

He kissed her desperately, his mouth hard and insistent, demanding everything from her which she gave willingly. Finally he raised his head, his expression tortured as he stared into her face. "Never again, Mara," he breathed hoarsely. "Never again."

She reached up to cradle his face tenderly, tracing each perfect feature until she smoothed out the look of anguish completely. "Never again," she agreed softly, turning her head and pulling his mouth to her neck. "Take me, love. I'm yours forever."

Demetri groaned loudly as she offered him everything he'd ever hoped for, everything he'd ever desired. His mouth brushed her soft skin, the scent of her blood teasing him mercilessly, the heady pulse beating against his mouth. He shifted her slightly so he could bring his cock in line with her wet heat. "Forever," he groaned thrusting deep into her body the instant his fangs slid into her fragile throat and her sweet essence began to fill his mouth.

Mara cried out in ecstasy as her husband took her with one quick, hard stroke deep within her body. His fangs slid into her neck, his soothing venom easing the slight pain as he began to suck against her with long, hard pulls of his mouth. He thrust deep inside her, spearing her on his cock as he sucked and rode her body in perfect unison, sending shivers of pure bliss throughout her body.

His initial rough touch gentled and he began to rock into her body with long, loving strokes, stretching her open for his invasion, grinding against her clit to draw deep moans of pleasure from her. His mouth was insistent again her neck, drinking down her blood greedily. It was the most erotic thing she had ever experienced. It quite literally was making her feel light headed it was so pleasurable.

Demetri drank deeply, sliding his cock into his wife's hot body, loving her as gently and tenderly as he could as he slowly felt her body start to grow weaker as the blood loss took hold. Her moans became softer, her grip on him loosening as she began to slide away into unconsciousness. Her heartbeat faltered, became so weak he could barely hear it. Slowly he retracted his fangs, licking her wound closed, ripping at his neck and pulling her head forward. 

"Drink, Mara," he whispered softly, sliding into her body over and over again as she began to suck at his neck. He growled loudly when her sharp teeth pierced his neck and she pulled hard against him. Her hands gripped his hair hard, tilting his head so she could have easier access to his neck. He increased the pace of his thrusts as her feeding sent waves of pleasure crashing through him and she matched his lust with her own as her new vampiric abilities began to strengthen her body.

Mara threw her head back, laughing at the sheer joy of feeling Demetri plunging deep into her pussy, his heartbeat sounding so loud, his scent the most intoxicating thing she had ever smelled. She could hear her own heart beating, each drop of water hitting her skin felt like a downpour of rain from the heavens. Everything smelled so much fresher, everything sounded so much clearer, each thrust of her husband's rigid cock inside her felt so much more intense. 

"Demetri," she growled softly, kissing him with wild abandon as they moved together in the most delicious dance of pure love and lust all rolled into one. She could feel her pleasure ready to peak, could feel his own release mere moments away. "Yes," she hissed through clenched teeth. "Harder. Faster."

Her words pushed him over the edge and he took her hard and fast, her pussy pulsing around him as he felt his cock start to expand, knew he was ready to soar with his beautiful wife into the sweet abyss that only she was capable of taking him to. He roared loudly as her pussy clamped hard on his cock as she shattered in his arms, his name a mindless chant of her lips as she reached her climax a second before he did. He joined her, his thick cum pulsing up his shaft to bathe her hot pussy with what felt like gallons of his seed. They ground together wildly, their cries of pleasure echoing in the room as they both achieved that one perfect moment when neither of them knew where one began and the other ended.

Demetri finally stilled, cradling his wife against his hard body as he struggled to get his breathing under control. Finally she was his forever. Finally his stunning woman would be at his side for eternity and he would never have to fear that he would one day have to walk the planet without her in his life. He wanted to weep for joy. Instead he held his Mara tenderly and lovingly kissed her before he slid from her body and lowered her feet to the floor. His eyes raked over her body taking in the subtle differences her change had brought over her. She would always be the most perfect woman in his eyes. Now she was stunningly glorious as her beauty was enhanced with her new abilities.

Mara opened her eyes slowly and sucked in a deep breath at the open adoration on Demetri's face. She felt so amazing and it was hard not to laugh like a child as her eyes could finally see just how beautiful the world around her was. She smiled at her husband rubbing her body sensuously against his as her hunger sparked again and she had the intense need to feel him fill her again. "That was delicious," she sighed softly. "Can I have some more?"

He laughed softly bending to kiss her slowly, cupping her firm breasts in his hands and flicking her nipples lightly. "I should have told you how much better sex was as a vampire," he chuckled. "You would probably have agreed to let me Sire you earlier."  

Her hand slid down his body to his already hardening cock. She gripped it lightly, giving it a gentle squeeze as she rubbed her swollen nipples against his chest with a throaty moan. "You could be right," she laughed softly. "Though I think you might need to show me again how good it was before I can truthfully say you are right."

Demetri caught her hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing her wrist lightly, scraping his fangs teasingly against her pulse. "I'm always right, Mara," he said with a little smile teasing his lips. "But I have no objections to proving it to you."

She laughed loudly as her husband picked her up again and proceeded to prove without a shadow of a doubt, just how erotic and sensual lovemaking as a vampire truly was.

_____

Caleb was quiet on the drive home from the compound. All night long he had been trying to keep two steps ahead of everyone so he could keep his promise to his woman and save her family. Now, finally, there was nothing else to keep his mind occupied and his perfect recall was replaying his first memory of entering the house and seeing his precious woman lying on the floor, blood on her neck and clothes, her face pinched with pain as she sheltered Mara protectively even in the face of her own agony. There was no hiding from it any longer. He had failed his Annie. He had been so intent on protecting everyone else he had failed to protect the most precious thing in his life.

That she had healed wasn't the point. He had allowed her to feed from Nors because he had needed to keep his own strength for the fight. That fact alone tore at his heart almost as badly as allowing her to be hurt did. She should have come first and she hadn't. He had put others before her so he could keep his promise to her. He didn't know how to reconcile the decisions he had made. He didn't know how to forgive himself for failing her so badly.

Rhianna was quiet too as she followed him into the house and waited as he closed and bolted the door. It was only the second time since she had come to live with Caleb that he had ever bolted the door. It was a sign of how upset he was, that he wanted no interruptions from anyone, not even Demetri and Mara.

"They won't come over," she said quietly. "Mara doesn't have a hope in hell of meeting the dawn as a human, Caleb. Thought you would have noticed that yourself. Demetri will Sire her before the night is over and we both know what they'll be up to once that happens." She smiled at the memory of her own change to the life of a vampire. It was a very sexual, intimate experience. One she remembered with many fond memories.

Caleb stared at her with a thoughtful expression on his face before he smiled gently at her. "I suppose you're right," he finally agreed. After nearly losing Mara he doubted Demetri would allow her to remain human a moment longer He wouldn't want to go through that kind of pain again. 

His amber eyes travelled over Rhianna's face, looking for any sign of disappointment towards him. He saw sadness for those who had died, a trace of amusement most probably at her thinking about what Mara and Demetri were up to. No condemnation of him though. He should have felt relieved but instead he felt worse. His amazing woman truly would forgive him anything. He didn't deserve to have her love him so unconditionally.

Rhianna met his gaze levelly, watching every flicker of emotion cross his beautiful face and she held in a weary sigh. She could only imagine what stupid thoughts were going through his head. She was just as guilty of having the same stupid thoughts. Rafe was so right though. They couldn't blame themselves for the actions of others. Everyone had done the best they could under very trying circumstances. Things could have turned out so much worse. They had to be grateful for still having each other alive and well.

"Caleb, it's not your fault," she said quietly. "You did the best you could. We all did. Some of us didn't make it and that's incredibly sad but it's also the way life goes. No one lives forever, not even our kind. We can die just the same as everyone else does. We're just lucky that we're a bit more hardy than others."

His expression turned guarded as he closed off from her, ignoring her words. "You're wrong, Annie. It is my fault. I was supposed to protect you and I failed. Did you think I wouldn't hear about what happened in that house? Lacey told Rafe. I heard everything. How easily Sandro almost took your head, how he broke your bones and left you in agony as he stalked Mara and Lacey. If you hadn't unconsciously sent out your mental scream I would have come back and found you dead." His voice broke and he suddenly turned and pulled open the door again, disappearing out into the night as if he could run away from the thought he had just uttered.

Rhianna bit her lip and followed him, knowing he was close by because she could scent him. She stood on the porch, looking up at the dark sky, seeing the first rays of dawn trying to poke through the blackness. "Caleb," she called softly. "Come inside, love. You can't run away from your fear. It just follows you until you have to stand still and deal with it. Please, Caleb." She waited patiently closing her eyes and sighing with relief when he appeared at her side, his arms wrapping around her to hold her close.

"I should have protected you, Annie," he groaned softly, picking her up and cradling her gently in his arms as he brought them both back inside again, moving to sink down onto one of the large leather sofas in the sitting room.

She straddled his lap, framing his face in her small hands as she brushed his cheeks gently with her thumbs. "You did protect me, in so many different ways," she whispered softly. "You came when I needed you and you stopped Sandro. You found the strength to tame your possessiveness to allow Nors to help heal me so I could heal Mara. I know how hard that was for you, love." She brushed his golden brown hair back from his face, smiling softly as she did so.

"You moved heaven and earth to make sure my family was safe," she continued quietly. "Because of you Rafe and Lacey are free to live their lives with no more fear hanging over their heads. Millie and Jared can have their babies together bringing new life to the pack when they desperately need the joy of that to help them heal. You did all that, Caleb because you made me a promise. Don't you know how gladly I would suffer every single moment of the pain I felt all over again just to achieve those same results? I got hurt but I lived. We're the lucky ones. We're still alive. We should be celebrating that life in memory of those who are no longer with us, not dwelling on what may have happened." 

He groaned and brought his mouth to hers, rubbing his lips gently across hers as he slid his hands into her hair to tilt her head back. "I've never known a soul as pure as yours, Annie," he breathed softly. "You constantly take my breath away. How I could ever have imagined that you could be seduced into the cold, hard life of a vampire I have no idea. I must have been mad to ever fight against changing you to this life." His lips moved to her neck, whispering softly along her silky skin his body hardening with the need to join with her and do some of that celebrating life stuff she had just been talking about. But he didn't want to spoil this precious moment with her, as he allowed her wise words to soothe away the last of his guilt.

She moaned softly, pressing her aching heat against his rapidly hardening cock, feeling a rush of pleasure course through her as his lips teased her neck with gentle caresses. "Caleb," she whispered on a soft moan, threading her hands in his hair and pulling his head up so their lips could touch again. "Are you going to do something with that?" she groaned wriggling against him and dragging a moan from his lips.

He moved swiftly, flipping her onto her back, pressing between her thighs as his lips hardened against her mouth and his tongue pressed for entry into her moist depths. His breathing was ragged when he finally lifted his head, stroking her red curls from her face, his eyes dark with need as they roamed over her face. "Don't you think you should be resting?" he asked gruffly. "You've had a hard night, Annie, both physically and mentally. I want you, sweet one, so very much but I'd rather just hold you if that's what you need."

A wicked smile danced across her face and she shifted her hips, rubbing against his raging hardness with a long, slow deliberate movement, causing the breath to rasp loudly out of his mouth. "I'd much rather do some celebrating of life," she laughed huskily. "If it's not too much of an imposition on you?" 

Her teasing tone had him laughing softly as he stripped her top off and cupped her breasts gently in his large hands. "Making love to you could never be an imposition, my Annie," he groaned huskily, bending his head to take a taut, swollen peak into his mouth, He suckled gently, laving the hard nub with his tongue as his woman moaned softly and held his head to her body. He could never get tired of the taste of her, the feel of her soft skin beneath his eager hands and mouth.

He teased her breasts with soft gentle caresses, laving her nipples with his tongue before closing his hot mouth over her straining peaks and sucking gently until she writhed with pleasure beneath him. He wanted to take away the horror of the night, to show her the beauty and passion and the deep abiding tenderness he felt for her.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 14



Slowly and methodically he kissed her soft skin as he bared her body to his hungry eyes and mouth. Being with his Annie like this was all he ever wanted in life, the two of them together, surrounded by their love, giving and receiving sweet bliss from each other. His breath caught when her small hands moved between their bodies, stroking his raging hardness through his jeans before she eagerly freed him from the confines of the rough material.

With a muttered groan he rose from the sofa to remove his clothes completely and finish removing hers. The feel of her hot mouth sliding over his engorged cock surprised him and he growled loudly as he looked down to see her take him in her mouth with a soft loving touch. Threading his hands in her curls he closed his eyes and gave into the sweet torture her mouth inspired in him. He struggled to hold himself in check as his woman used her tongue so wickedly on his throbbing shaft. She was such a damned tease at times, driving him insane with her little licks and gentle sucking.

Caleb growled again and pulled her off his cock, pressing her back against the sofa as he knelt down before her and paid her back for her teasing with a little of his own. He held her still as his tongue slowly licked up her wet slit, her arousal filling the room with its heady scent and making his cock twitch with the need to be buried inside her beautiful body. He licked and suckled so softly against her pussy until she was crying out her pleasure, trying desperately to move against him but being unable to do so because of his hold on her body.

"Caleb," she moaned in frustration. "I need you. Stop teasing me, you monster!"

He laughed against her throbbing body. "Monster?" he whispered softly. "Do you want to see a monster, sweet Annie?" he teased lightly, letting his fangs grow as he trailed them slowly against her inner thigh. His movements tickled and she giggled and tried to get away from him but he was holding her too tightly. He sank his fangs into her inner thigh, groaning when her sweet taste filled his mouth. He sipped just a little, conscious of how much blood she had given to Mara to heal her.

A sudden wave of pure possessiveness came over him as he remembered her feeding from Nors. He growled again, moving swiftly up her body to capture her lips in a hard, passionate kiss, twisting around until he was resting back on the sofa and pulling her astride his lap. "Bite me," he commanded softly, his amber eyes flashing with need as he pulled her face to his neck.

Her fangs sank into his neck as he lifted her tiny body up and positioned her over his cock. He slowly lowered her onto his straining shaft, groaning his pleasure as she pulled deeply at his neck as her scalding heat encased his body tightly. "Fuck, Annie," he growled. "You feel so good, sweet one."

He held her still, savouring the feeling of being buried so deep inside her. It felt as if he had been apart from her for months what with everything that had happened in the last few days. His arms banded tightly around his woman as she fed greedily, the erotic pull of her mouth almost sending him over the edge before he'd even begun to love her the way he wanted to.

With a muffled sigh, Rhianna closed the wound of Caleb's neck and flexed her hips dragging a harsh groan from him. She knew what the feeding was about. He would never change, her beautiful vampire. He would never lose his possessive streak or his need to protect her from everything. He would try his hardest to be more relaxed, less worried that she would be hurt but he would fail miserably at it.

She moaned when he raised her body and then pulled her back down onto his throbbing shaft. His thickness stretched her, the rigid bumps on his cock scraping her inner walls so deliciously. Making love with Caleb would always be the most special thing in her world. Loving her vampire was what she was made for. With another soft moan, she gripped the back of the sofa, her hands on either side of his head, and began to dance the erotic rhythm of love with him, riding his cock hard with her head thrown back in ecstasy. 

Breathing harshly, Caleb helped her take her pleasure, watching her move sinuously against him, her face flushed with colour, her breath coming out in short, hard pants. She was total perfection, his Annie. Warm, loving and so incredibly sensual. He growled his pleasure as her hot body engulfed him over and over again. He was so close to cumming. Just watching his woman lose herself to the needs of her body was enough to send him over the edge. 

He thrust up to meet her downward movements, his touch becoming rougher as his climax neared. He felt her pussy walls start to flutter around his aching cock, felt his balls tighten as she cried out her release, her head thrown back as she shattered so beautifully around his cock. He came instantly, jerking hard into her body as he bathed her insides with his thick seed, his cries of pleasure mixing with hers as they shuddered together in perfect harmony.

Rhianna dropped forward, collapsing against Caleb's wide chest, burying her head in the side of his neck as she struggled for breath. She felt so exhausted but pleasantly so. Caleb's arms wrapped around her tightly, his hand stroking soothingly down her back. "I love you, my Annie," he whispered softly.

"I love you, Caleb," she whispered back, snuggling tighter against him, yawning loudly before falling almost instantly asleep.

Caleb moved them, sliding from her body and grabbing a throw from the back of the sofa. He covered his precious woman against him as he made them as comfortable as they could be on the sofa. He was too tired to go upstairs. He snuggled beside her and closed his eyes, following her quickly into sleep.

_____

Alexei and Andrei picked Andrei's car up from Demetri's. They didn't head into the house, merely climbed into the car and headed back to the nightclub so Alexei could collect his own car which he'd left there earlier. They were both silent, deep in thoughts which they weren't willing to share with each other.

Alexei kept seeing a pair of cerulean blue eyes and a face shrouded by a mane on long blonde curls. Cedar Alexander. He had surreptitiously found out as much as he could about the she wolf without making it too obvious he was doing so. She was close to the pack hierarchy, well thought of, and came from a large family who were held in some prestige within their pack. She was unmated but sexually active like most Weres, indulging her passions when she felt the urge but not having anyone special in her life at the moment.

Her sweet scent still lingered despite the fact it had been a while since he had been in her company. He could still scent her on his hand where he had touched the fragile skin of her neck. The bolt of pure electricity that had gone through his body at that one small touch had been enough to stun him. His entire reaction to her stunned him, as did what he had done to save her and her pack. 

Andrei had been livid that someone had told the wolves how to defeat their kind. When he had arrived at the evacuation site he had pulled his brother aside and told him what happened at the compound. He hadn't told him everything. He was withholding something that had occurred and that made Alexei curious for his brother held no secrets from him. As he held no secrets from him.

When Andrei pulled up at the club, Alexei turned to him before he could get out of the car. "I told them," he said quietly.

The atmosphere in the car dropped at least ten degrees as his twin registered what he had said, understanding perfectly what he was meaning. His head turned slowly to look at him, his eyes blazing with fury.

"You," Andrei ground out. "My own brother?!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Alexei had betrayed them to the Weres? He had to be joking. This really had to be some dumb jest on his part.

"I told them," Alexei confirmed in a hard voice. "At the evacuation site. It was either tell them or they would have been slaughtered." 

Andrei stared at him in disbelief his thoughts in total chaos. Out of everyone he thought may have told the Weres their Achilles heel, his twin was the very last person he would ever have considered. "The Council will have your head for this, Alexei," he hissed furiously.

His brother shrugged nonchalantly. "The Council need never know," he countered.

Andrei took a deep breath and then another, trying to calm his burning rage. Caleb's words came back to him from earlier in the night, when he'd asked him what he would be prepared to do to protect Alexei. Had Caleb known the truth then? He had known every one of Andrei's secrets right down to the most recent one, that he had healed Loretta with his blood and that she now knew it was possible and still lived.

He turned his gaze back to his brother. "You just told the Council, Alexei."

It took a second for his brother to understand what he was saying, then his breath hissed out and his eyes narrowed. "Tell me you're taking the piss, Andrei," he growled. "Tell me they wouldn't be stupid enough to elevate you to The Council. You're a fucking psychopath! You may be my brother and I may love you but even I can admit what you really are. If I can see it then why can't the other elders see it too?"

Andrei snorted, rolling his eyes and turning away again to stare out the windscreen. "People only see what they want to see, brother," he said quietly. "Some believe the soft smile and twinkling eyes, others can see beneath the surface and know the truth. It helps that I can thwart Jorge and Philippe's mental abilities. I've been lying to them for years, small things, and huge great big lies too. They've never once picked up on it. Maybe it's because I'm a psychopath as you so lovingly termed it."

Alexei shook his head staring at his brother intently. He thought he was the one with the most shocking secret but it turned out his brother was hiding things just as shocking from him.

"Seeing as we're doing the whole confessions thing, I suppose I should tell you I healed a she wolf tonight and she knows our blood can do that now," Andrei said with a weary sigh, running his hand thought his hair as he felt his brother stiffen beside him.

"Fuck, Andrei!" Alexei hissed out. "Anything else to throw into this fucking mess? Because I'm done with just the one fuck up which admittedly is a pretty major one." He growled loudly and climbed out of the car, his big body coiled with tension.

His brother followed him out, leaning against the still warm hood and folding his arms. "You're going to have to disappear for a while, Alexei," he said calmly. "I can cover my tracks but you can't. If The Council call you in for questioning and ask you directly about the Weres' new knowledge Jorge and Philippe will pick up your lie. They won't be able to mine."

Alexei paced up and down in front of the car, a dark scowl in his face. "I'm a Council Enforcer, Andrei. If I suddenly vanish don't you think that will be just a tad suspicious?" His tone dripped with sarcasm as he stopped in front of his brother and pierced him with a hard glare.

"Just as well there's a job coming up in Ecuador then," Andrei said with a little smile. "I'll make sure you get offered it first thing tomorrow. It's a long job, lasting a minimum of nine months, possibly as long as a year. That will give me time to keep the current Council chasing their tails until the rotation happens. Once I'm on the Council proper, it will be safe for you to come home."

"Ecuador," Alexei repeated, his voice cold and hard. "I don't want to go to fucking Ecuador!"

"You don't have a fucking choice!" Andrei suddenly yelled getting right in his brother's face. "It's the only way I can keep you alive while I try and clear up this fucking mess you've landed me in. You will go to Ecuador and you will bloody well stay there until I tell you it's safe to come home."

Alexei quirked an eyebrow up, a smile tugging at his lips. "Very butch, " he said drolly. "Just because you're joining the Council don't think that means you get to talk to be like I'm a piece of shit, brother. I'll kick your ass from here to next week if you try any of that crap on me. Are we clear on this?" He kept his brother pinned under his steely gaze until Andrei relaxed and leaned back against the car again.

"You're still going to Ecuador whether you like it or not," Andrei sighed with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I'm going to Ecuador," Alexei agreed with a resigned groan. He really was in no position to argue with his brother over this. He had made his bed and now he had to lie in it. Date night with Cedar Alexander was going to have to be placed on hold until he could come back.

"So, what's the bitch like?" Andrei laughed suddenly. "I assume you were trying to save a she wolf when you opened your big mouth?"

Alexei smiled slowly. "Why? Do you want to know if she's as tantalising as the bitch you healed, brother?" he countered softly as he walked over to his car and opened the door. "Mind your own business, Andrei and I'll mind mine. Set up the assignment for the morning." He climbed in his car and drove away leaving his brother shaking his head in amusement.

Andrei groaned and climbed back into his own car. What a fucking mess. He'd have to dance lightly to keep the Council off balance and Alexei safe. Plus he would need to keep a closer eye on Caleb Cullen. He didn't think he was a threat but he would be foolish not to err on the side of caution. 

With everything he had to get done he wouldn't have time to revisit the Hanlon Compound and take a closer look at the little Rose that had captured his attention. Which was a pity because he'd really like to see her without all the bruises and broken bones. Maybe once he was on the Council and things had calmed down he would take a moment to swing by again, if his interest was still piqued. Sighing again, Andrei started the car and headed home.

_____

"Aaron," Jen whispered softly, her mate waking instantly, scenting the air for any sign of danger and finding none.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice still groggy with sleep as he kissed the back of her neck.

"I need to go," she sighed softly, feeling his strong arms tighten around her and his lips still against her skin.

"Go where, Jen?"

"Outside," she whispered. "I really need to go outside right now."

Aaron stiffened slightly, a smile crossing his face as his lips brushed over her collarbone. "She's ready, honey?"

Jen turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and pulling his head down for a long, drugging kiss. She giggled as she pulled away, feeling his body hardening instantly. "That later," she laughed. "My wolf wants to run."

Aaron laughed softly, jumping from the bed, scooping his precious mate into his arms and striding from the bedroom. "I can't wait to meet her, honey," he sighed, hurrying downstairs and pulling open the front door. He set his mate's feet to the ground and held her against his chest as they stopped to watch wolves begin to trickle out of various buildings, heading into the trees.

"What's happening, Aaron?" Jen asked, confused that so many people were up and about after all that had happened.

"Life, Jen," he sighed, stroking her stomach gently. "The pack is running to celebrate our fallen."

Jen felt tears in her eyes as she silently watched the wolves slip into the dense forest. Her own wolf wanted to join them but she wasn't sure what to do.

"Feel her, Jen. Let her come forward, take control. It only hurts a little the first time. After that, you won't even notice it."

She closed her eyes, let her wolf come forward, yelped at the quick burst of pain and the strangeness of her body as it suddenly changed and she fell forward onto paws instead of hands and knees. Big, black paws, covered in silky fur. She shook her head in surprise, turning to look back at Aaron and finding the most stunning brown wolf with golden streaks through his fur.

"You're glorious, Jen," Aaron's voice sounded inside her head. It was full of love and awe and it tickled slightly, making her want to giggle. She growled softly instead and then did it again as she tried to giggle because she had growled the first time.

"This is so weird, Aaron," she answered, thinking the words because that's what she imagined he had done to talk inside her head. "I feel so alive! Like I can take on the whole world."

"Together we can, honey," Aaron breathed softly. "Come run with the pack, Jen. Come celebrate our new life together." He took off across the compound and she ran to catch up with him, stumbling slightly as she became accustomed to being on four legs but quickly finding her feet. The wind rushed in her face as she ran swiftly after her mate and she howled softly with joy into the night.

_____

Rafe slid quietly from his bed. He had been lying awake for the last hour just watching Lacey sleep. He was struggling to believe the threat to his mate was over, even though he had taken Graves' life himself. From the first moment he had met her she had been in danger and it was hard to relax, hard to believe that he could now live his life in peace with his amazing mate at his side.

His wolf prowled and his incessant movement dragged Rafe from his woman's side and towards the window. He saw Jen and Aaron, smiling as he understood the significance. Jen was ready for her first change. He felt slightly envious of his friend because he had missed Lacey's first change. He would have liked to have been with her the first time but he would much rather her wolf had saved her life as it had. Some things were more important.

His eyes took in the other wolves leaving the compound and his wolf rumbled deep inside him. The pack was running. His wolf wanted to join them. He returned to his bed, brushing his lips against Lacey's, smiling as she murmured her appreciation and tried to pull him down on top of her.

"Wake up, sweetheart," he whispered softly. "Come run with me."

Lacey sighed, stretching and opening her eyes slowly. "Is that what's wrong with my wolf?" she asked quietly as she sat up, swinging her legs to the floor. 

"The pack is running," Rafe smiled. "It calls to our wolves when so many of us feel the urge to run at the same time. It doesn't happen often, usually when the pack is celebrating something. Tonight we run to celebrate the lives of our friends." He pulled Lacey into his arms, dropping a soft kiss on her mouth, running his hands through her silvery blonde hair. "I'm sorry I missed your first shift, Lacey. I can't wait to meet your wolf, sweetheart."

She sighed, kissing him gently before she ducked around him, letting her wolf come forward as she dropped to the floor. She heard Rafe's startled gasp, turned her head to the side to see her mate staring at her with such wonder in his eyes. He sank to his knees beside her, touching her white fur with shaky hands.

"Breathtaking," he whispered softly. "So, totally, utterly breathtaking!"

Lacey growled her appreciation, nudging her head against him, wanting him to shift too so they could run together. Excitement was tingling through every nerve ending in her body. She may have shifted before but it had been a survival instinct, a frightening experience. Now she was ready to know the joy of being a wolf. To run and play with her mate.

Rafe laughed at her impatience, kissing the top of her head. "Just as well one of us has some brains in this family," he teased lightly, standing up and walking over to the bedroom door. He made a pantomime show of opening it.

"Oops, forgot about that," Lacey laughed in his head slinking out in front of him and running lightly down the stairs.

"Obviously," her mate said dryly as she waited patiently for him to open the front door.




When Worlds Collide Ch. 14



Rafe shifted the instant they were outside, rubbing his body against his mate, placing his scent on her and receiving her scent in return. She nipped at him playfully, taking off into the trees with a little howl. Rafe let her run ahead, mesmerised by the sheer beauty of his mate in wolf form, then the call to run overcame him and he bounded after her, uttering his own small howl into the night.

*****

Millie rolled over, seeking Jared's mouth, pressing her lips gently against his as he gathered her close. She knew he was awake, his muffled groan and instant response testament to that. His body hardened and he nudged a leg between hers as he took over the kiss, his hands sliding across her back in a slow, sensual caress.

"The pack is running," She sighed against his lips, her own wolf perfectly content because she knew it was too dangerous to shift. But Millie knew Jared's wolf would be calling to him, demanding the Alpha run with his pack.

"Let them run," Jared answered huskily, his mouth travelling over her throat. "They don't need me tonight."

Millie groaned softly hearing the call of the wolves, the mating call for those with mates, the call of friendship for those without. If she could shift, they would out there with the pack, playing, joining together in wolf form to celebrate life. 

Jared rolled over, pulling his beautiful woman on top of him, nudging his straining cock between her legs as his wolf growled his approval. He had no need to run with the pack, all he needed was right here with him. He slid inside her wet body, growling his pleasure as her scalding heat enveloped him. Kissing her softly, he rolled over until he was above his woman, tenderly stroking her curls back from her face, brushing her lips softly as he began to move inside her.

He loved her gently, tenderly as the wolves serenaded them with their own passionate calls into the night. The message was clear. Life moved on despite the tragedy which had befallen the pack. Some friends no longer walked among them but they would be remembered and their names would be passed on to the children who would be conceived on this night as the pack joined together as one.

_____

Ashleigh ran with the pack though her heart was heavy with sorrow. She heard them call to their mates, to their friends. She listened for the calls that she knew she would never hear again and she whined softly darting off to the left and flying as far from the pack as she could get. She couldn't bear to be there with them. She had promised Nors that she would try but it was too hard. She ran blindly into the night a mournful howl escaping her despite her best efforts to keep it in.

Nors tracked her through the trees. Something had told him to stay when everyone else had left. He had thought he was being foolish but he had stayed anyway. Now he flew through the trees, watching the little she wolf run herself into exhaustion, her pained whimpers wrenching at the heart he was so sure he had closed off millennia ago. He followed until she finally collapsed to the ground, curling into a small round ball and whimpering softly.

He dropped to her side, his movements light and graceful for one so big. "You promised you would try, Ashleigh," he said softly, reaching a hand out to gently touch her shaking body. "You haven't given the pack a chance."

She whimpered, moving into the heat of his body, remaining in wolf form. He knew why she did so. She wanted to keep the lines of communication broken between them. Sighing he rested against a tree and positioned himself so she could curl up in his lap, his arms creating a barrier to hold her in place. Her body continued to shake as she whimpered softly and he started to hum under his breath, closing his eyes as the distant howls of the wolves reached his sharp ears.

Ashleigh relaxed as Nors hummed softly. He really had a lovely voice, his tone deep and rich. She didn't recognise what it was he was humming but it soothed her pain a little. She felt safe when he was near, safe enough that she closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep as his voice lulled her.

Nors stroked her fur gently, keeping up his soothing hum as she relaxed into sleep. He felt a strange peace within himself as he sat in the middle of the forest in the dead of night with the fragile little she wolf on his lap. If anyone who knew him were to witness this, they would be wondering if he had suddenly gone mad. He was not known for his tender emotions. Usually he was bashing someone's head in to keep them in line or ordering someone to be put down for whatever wrong doing they had performed. Caring about orphaned wolves was not something he was used to dealing with.

He stayed with her for an hour until she woke slowly, snuggling into his body heat with a contented sigh. For a brief second he considered taking her with him, simply getting up and carrying her from the forest, but he knew it was the wrong thing to do. She was grieving, young and completely confused. She wasn't capable of making decisions about her life right now.

"A deal is only a deal if both people hold to their end of it, little wolf," he said regretfully. "If you don't try then you're not honouring your end of our bargain and I will have to withdraw my offer." He felt her stiffen, heard her little whimper and he almost relented. But he was older and so much wiser. He knew he had to do the right thing. "It's time for you to go home, Ashleigh."

Ashleigh whimpered softly again. She didn't want to leave Nors. She wanted to go home with him but his tone told her he wouldn't allow it. He was serious. If she didn't try then he would rescind his offer to adopt her into his family. If she didn't try then she had nothing to aim for in the future. Slowly she uncurled from his lap, her big brown eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she turned and ran back into the forest.

Nors tracked her to make sure she did return to the pack, sighing regretfully when she entered a clearing full of wolves playfully sparring with each other. She was barely there before her people surrounded her, nudging and cajoling her into the group, rubbing against her soothingly until she relaxed a bit and allowed them to comfort her. 

Satisfied she was once more safe, Nors turned and headed away from the forest. He would come back in a year's time to see how she had faired. Maybe by then she would have begun to heal, maybe even chosen a mate within her pack. The thought of her mating disturbed him slightly but it was the natural order of things within a pack. If she had mated when he returned then he could continue on with his life happy that she was content with her mate.

_____

One month later

The large fire blazed in the middle of the Hanlon Compound. It was not a cold night but it was traditional to light a fire when the pack came together to commemorate those they had lost or had been when it had happened in the past under other Hanlon Alphas. Jared had ordered the fire to be lit. Some traditions the pack needed to maintain.

It had been a hard month. Grieving families had to be taken care of, orphans had required foster families to take them in. Jared had to replace his fallen betas. So far he had elevated Brody and Connor Alexander. They had saved the children and his mate, proven themselves to be as loyal as Aaron and Cedar. Their sister was currently working a dual role. She was Millie's second but she also acted as beta too when Jared needed more hands.

Some of the pack had returned to their lives in the city, the ones who were not grieving and had businesses to run. At the end of the first week after the attack, Rafe and Aaron has begun opening up Wicked again though they returned to the compound nightly. Jen had needed to get back to her job though Lacey was at a loose end. She spent a few hours each day helping out with the children so their parents could get on with other pack matters. When she was at the compound Ashleigh invariably was on her heels, shadowing her until the older woman left with Rafe to go to the club. 

Jared worried about Ashleigh a lot. A few times he had even ordered her to be placed in the safe room overnight. She appeared so fragile, a shadow of her former self. She had been such a happy little thing before the vampires came. Now she lived in her own world of memories that she wouldn't allow anyone into. Luke had told him about the girl's attachment to one of Caleb's friends, about his offer to adopt her. His initial reaction to it had been outrage but as the weeks moved on he wondered if maybe it wasn't something to be considered. He had to do what was best for his pack and right now, he couldn't work out what was best for the little orphan who grieved so badly. 

The pack began to gather in the centre of the compound. Millie slipped from the house and wrapped her arms around Jared's waist as they watched everyone come together. There was a feeling of deep sadness in the air but also a feeling of hope too. Luke had reported ten new pregnancies within the pack, most probably from the night when the pack had run in memory of their friends. The circle of life went on despite everything. All they could do was live their lives to the best of their abilities and remember those they left behind.

"This isn't supposed to be a sad time, Jared," Millie said softly, tightening her arms around him.

He sighed softly brushing his lips gently across her forehead. "I know," he answered quietly. "It's hard not to feel some sadness though."

"The pack will follow their Alpha's lead, love," she whispered reaching up to pull his mouth to hers for a gentle kiss. He accepted her kiss, drinking in her sweet taste and then he smiled and raised his head. She was right. If he allowed his grief to show then the night would be a sombre affair and it was supposed to be a joyous one.

His head turned to the left as he scented the night air. Caleb and Annie slipped through the trees followed closely by Mara and Demetri. The vampires had obviously chosen to run to the compound rather than bring their cars. He smiled as they approached. Mara looked stunning as a vampire, her man noticeably more relaxed now that his woman wasn't as fragile as she had been.

They had been frequent visitors to the compound since the attack, studiously ignoring some of the younger members who saw them as solely vampires and reacted slightly negatively towards them because of it. Instances of dark scowls being thrown in their direction had gone down significantly as they almost daily arrived to help out in any way they could. 

Jared couldn't remember the last time he had noted a youngster glaring at them for which he was relieved. He didn't want to come down heavy on any of them. They were grieving because vampires had devastated their lives. It was to be expected that some would blame all vampires. His friends' understanding and unwavering commitment to the pack had been enough to ease over that slight hurdle.

"Glad you could make it," he smiled when they reached them.

"You think we had a choice?" Demetri grumbled good naturedly shooting a teasing glance at Rhianna. "She nags like a harpy when she wants something," he laughed nodding his head in her direction.

"Excuse me," Rhianna snorted with a laugh. "Who was the one who yelled up the stairs that we were going to be late if I didn't get my ass hustling?" Her lavender eyes sparkled with laughter as she slid from Caleb's embrace to hug Millie warmly and then Jared.

Demetri feigned a mock innocent expression and pulled Mara over to Rafe and Lacey, sinking down to the ground beside them.

Caleb smiled and greeted the Alphas with a warm hug of his own before they all moved over to sit down beside their friends, leaving Jared the only one standing. A hush fell over the compound as all eyes turned to him.

"A month ago we faced our gravest threat, total annihilation of the pack," he said loudly, his deep voice ringing clear into the night. "With the help of our friends we overcame that threat but in the process we lost many good, valued members of this pack. We've had our time to grieve as a people. I know many will grieve for longer as individuals but the pack goes on with the new life which is growing within us. The official month of mourning is at an end. Tonight we celebrate our friends and we celebrate the continuation of the pack."

He nodded his head slightly and Brody Alexander approached which a heavy bronze sculpture in his hands. He had spent the last month carefully creating the figure of a wolf with its head raised as if baying at the moon. It wasn't a large, showy piece, standing maybe 15 inches in height, but it conveyed what his Alpha had asked for. He had crafted it lovingly, working into the night to ensure that he produced his best work.

Silently Brody placed the sculpture in the base of a hewn out boulder on the edge of the dirt road directly across from the Alpha's house. It was as close to the centre of the compound as they could place it without impeding on the normal day to day travels of the pack. Most of their dead had lost their lives in the general area. It seemed fitting to place the memorial statue there. There was no list of names on the memorial. They weren't needed. Everyone knew who lost their lives.

"Thank you, Brody. It's beautiful," Jared said softly, his eyes filling with unshed tears as he swallowed the lump in his throat. It truly was a beautiful sculpture, a fitting reminder of his people who had died so bravely in defence of the pack. "Their sacrifice will never be forgotten," he said to the pack once he got his emotions under control. 

He sat down beside Millie, wrapping his arms around her and taking comfort as she held him tightly. Slowly, the pack approached the statue, laying gentle hands briefly on the wolf as they said their silent goodbyes. Rhianna joined them, a lone tear rolling down her face as she touched the beautiful bronze almost reverently before she turned away and moved to hug Mille and Jared again. She settled back in Caleb's warm embrace, remembering Ben, Klaus and Hub. Mike and Pete and all the other faces she would never see again. She was a vampire but the pack was her home as much as being with Caleb was.

Jared watched Ashleigh carefully, waiting for her to approach the statue and say goodbye to her family, but she didn't. She held herself aloof and his heart broke as he watched her. He was going to lose the little blonde. She was drifting towards turning rogue and nothing he or anyone else could do was going to halt the process. The enormity of the decision which lay on his shoulders was enough to drive him to his knees. He couldn't allow her to hurt an innocent human when she went rogue. He had two options open to him, one he just couldn't bear thinking about, which only left one really.

"Caleb, your friend Nors. Is he a good man?" he asked quietly, his gaze never shifting from the shattered girl.

Caleb followed his gaze, frowning as he watched the little she wolf wrapped in her personal misery. Annie had told him what had transpired between Nors and Ashleigh. "I would trust him with my life," he answered carefully. "I trusted the pack to him and he didn't let me down. But he is a hard man, Jared. Known for his determination and sometimes cruelty. He makes hard decisions and isn't afraid to stick to them." He felt he had to be honest with his friend. Nors was no pushover and probably not the ideal guardian for Ashleigh.

He felt Rhianna stiffen in his arms and looked down to see her glaring up at him. "You were just like him, Caleb," she said with a weary sigh. "Demetri was a hundred times worse than him too. Don't sell your friend short. Nors has more inside of him than even he realises."

Jared turned his gaze to the little redhead and gave her a thoughtful look. Caleb's words had worried him but Annie's championship of the big vampire gave him some hope. No one could read a character better than the petite little vampire. She had this uncanny knack of just knowing when someone was good to their very core even if they didn't know it themselves. He made his decision.

"Will you call him, Caleb?" he sighed softly. "Tell him I have something that belongs to him."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Rhianna suddenly smiled, turning to see the huge red haired vampire stride out of the trees towards the compound. "I think he's already realised you have something that belongs to him."

The Weres parted as the vampire strode through them, ignoring them completely, intent only on his target. That their Alpha was allowing the vampire into the compound with no challenge told them that he was classed as a friend, even if most of them had never seen him before.

Nors told himself he was only stopping by to watch from a distance, to check that the little wolf was healing okay so he wouldn't have to come back at the end of the year. One look at Ashleigh sitting in her little world of misery tore at his heart. 

She had been constantly in his thoughts the last month. At first it had irritated him immensely and then he started to look forward to his moments alone when her face would come to mind. The deep sadness in her eyes always stirred him, brought out his protective instincts, incited a slow burning rage to start simmering inside him.

He wished Graves still lived. He would rip him to shreds slowly for hurting his Ashleigh so much. He didn't quite know when she became his but at some point over the last month he knew she belonged to him. That it was an impossible scenario didn't matter. That he would have to wait for her, until she healed was something he had been willing to do until he saw the sick, anguished expression on her Alpha's face. He knew what that expression meant, what Jared was considering having to do and it sent a deep rage spiralling almost uncontrollably inside him.

No one would ever hurt his Ashleigh again! Not as long as he lived.

Nors stopped in front of Ashleigh, reaching out a hand and pulling her to her feet. Wordlessly he walked her across to the bronze of the wolf, placing her in front of it and pressing her hand against the cold metal. "Say your goodbyes," he rumbled softly, holding her still as she tried to pull her hand away. "You cannot heal if you do not let them go, little wolf."

Ashleigh bowed her head, tears rolling down her face as he forced her to face her grief. She didn't want to say goodbye, she didn't want to admit that she would never see them again but Nors wouldn't allow her to hide within herself. She wept as she whispered her goodbyes to Mama and Papa, to Karen and Christina, David and Tanja, to Alicia, her little body shaking with emotion.

Nors growled softly, picking her up and striding over to the Alpha, nodding his head to Caleb and Demetri, scowling at the smiling youngling with the knowing look in her eyes. She really was irritating as hell the way she kept smiling her approval at him. He turned his gaze to the Alpha who had stood up and was regarding him intently.

"I said I would wait a year. She will not be here if I wait that long. I've come for what is mine. Will you refuse me?" He waited to see what the wolf would do. There had been a war over a vampire trying to claim one of his pack. Would there be a second one?

"Her home will always be here," Jared said quietly. "You will not refuse her that?"

Nors snorted, cradling his precious bundle as she shivered in his arms. "I will ensure she returns often," he answered carefully. "Whether she wants to or not. She will not deny her heritage though she may need some time to heal before she is ready to visit again."

Jared nodded slowly, reaching out a hand to gently caress Ashleigh's hair. "Do you wish to leave with Nors, little one?" he asked softly.

She raised her head and looked at her Alpha, a look of longing in her big brown eyes. "Please, Alpha," she whispered softly. "It is too hard to stay here."




When Worlds Collide Ch. 14



He nodded again, smiling gently at her, relieved that he wouldn't be forced to make the decision to end her life. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if it had come to that. He would be eternally grateful to the hulking vampire who he barely knew but was entrusting one of his pack to. "Then go with my blessing, Ashleigh, but always remember your pack loves you and will always be here for you. Come home when you are ready to. You will always be welcome here. Both of you." He fixed his gaze with the big vampire, acknowledging him as a friend of the pack.

The big man nodded once, looking down at the she wolf in his arms. She was now his, under his protection with all the worry and responsibility that brought. His life had changed in ways he hadn't even begun to imagine. He lowered her to the ground. "Go, retrieve what you need," he said gruffly pushing her gently towards the heart of the compound. He could buy her anything she needed but he was certain she had personal keepsakes she would want to bring with her.

"Will you join with us a while, Nors?" Jared asked, sitting back down and offering him a place beside them.

"For a moment, until she returns," he answered taking a seat on the ground and turning to engage Caleb in quiet conversation. It was obvious that despite his warm welcome he was not comfortable within the pack.

Jared sighed softly, smiling down at Millie as she beamed her approval up at him. "You are so amazing," she said softly, stroking his cheek lovingly. "If I didn't already love you to distraction I think I would have fallen in love with you instantly just now."

Jared laughed, shaking his head and kissing her lovingly before he raised his head and turned to the pack. "Where's the music?" he called loudly.

Ashleigh returned with a small bag draped over her shoulder, sitting down beside Nors and resting against his side. He continued to talk with Caleb, allowing her to seek comfort from him but not making a big deal out of it. He listened carefully as Caleb's youngling said something to her and smiled slowly when his little wolf haltingly answered her. Maybe staying for a little while wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Music rang into the night as the pack relaxed and bottles of wine and beer appeared in the centre of the compound, along with a table full of food. The sombre feel slowly eased as the time for mourning passed and the pack came together as one to celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

Across the compound, Aaron and Connor tussled together, laughing as they lost their footing and ended up in a pile on the dusty ground.

"Boys," Jen laughed, rolling her eyes at Cedar before she suddenly launched herself on top of them, piling in to tickle them both mercilessly.

"No fair!" Connor growled. "You've got your mate helping you!"

Aaron laughed trying to wriggle away from Jen. "She's attacking me too," he grumbled good naturedly, wrapping his arms around his mate to try and halt her assault on him. She really was the most amazing woman ever. She still had her odd moments when she became stuffy and pompous but overall, she was as carefree and loving as the rest of them, thriving in the warm embrace of the Alexander family.

Aaron rolled until he had her trapped beneath him, lowering his head to capture her lips in a long, slow drugging kiss until she was breathless. He smiled down at his mate, kissing her again before he jumped up and pulled her to his feet. Any more kissing and he was going to be testing her tolerance for exhibitionism and he somehow doubted she would be happy with that. "Love you, honey," he breathed softly, running his hands through her tangled hair which was now covered in dust which she didn't seem to mind.

"Love you too," she sighed giving him a tight squeeze as they once more settled down among his family. 

Lacey snuggled into Rafe's warm embrace, smiling as she watched Jen diving onto the Alexander brothers, her laughter echoing across the compound. Her friend's happiness was effervescent, shining like a bright beacon in the night sky. She knew how Jen felt because she felt the same. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed, how making that one fateful decision to try and get into an exclusive nightclub had turned her life so upside down.

It had brought her Rafe, her amazing, strong, handsome wolf who loved her more than his own life. The past month had been the best of her life as she had slowly learned pack ways, indulged her passion of being around children and spent her nights sharing the most amazing, heart stopping, sensual lovemaking with her mate. 

"I know what I want to do, Rafe," she sighed contentedly. "I want to train to be a teacher. I want to help shape young, enquiring minds, give them the tools so they can take on the world and win when they grow up."

Rafe smiled, looking down at his mate, feeling the same contentment he heard in her voice. "That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart," he rumbled softly. "You'll make an excellent teacher. You're so good with the children here. They totally adore you, almost as much as I do." He kissed her gently, still amazed that he had such a wonderful woman in his life, that he was so blessed.

"It means we won't get to spend as much time together," she frowned. "I won't be able to spend as much time at the club with you."

"Which will make our alone time so much more fun," he laughed softly, rubbing his hands down her sides, feeling his body start to react predictably and stifling down a deep groan. "Damn, I need to think about something else," he said ruefully when she laughed quietly and rubbed against his growing hardness.

"Save it for later, love," she laughed huskily. "I'll take care of you then."

Rafe groaned aloud, kissing the side of her neck and wrapping his arms tightly around her as he mentally started to run the club's drinks order through his mind. That would surely take his mind off of other things for the moment.

The celebration lasted well into the night until slowly it began to break up. Friends, old and new alike rose and said their goodbyes. Ashleigh spared a moment with her Alphas and then gave Lacey a quick hug before she vanished into the trees with Nors, walking away from the pack to a new life which hopefully would be less painful than her last one. 

Demetri and Mara left next, informing the group that they would be out of touch for a while. Demetri planned on taking his wife away for a bit, somewhere private where they could just be alone. He was still trying to comes to turns with almost losing his woman. It would be a while before he completely got over the events of the month just past.

Caleb waited patiently as his woman decided she had to say goodnight to just about the entire pack. He rolled his eyes, a loving smile on his lips as he watched her stop to chat with Loretta and Cedar. They began making their way over to them as Jared turned his gaze to his friend.

"What happened to those brothers?" he suddenly asked. "I half expected them to show up tonight."

Caleb started in surprise, frowning slightly. "Last I heard Alexei was out of the country and would be for possibly a year. Council business. Andrei...Lord knows what he's up to but it can only be something devious and underhand. Whatever it is, it's keeping him occupied and that's all that matters. The Romanovs are not vampires I'm comfortable having around any pack members." His tone hardened slightly as his amber gaze flickered to first Cedar and then Loretta who both met his gaze levelly, their faces calmly serene.

He could see they wouldn't heed his subtle warning but he had to give it to them anyway. He considered telling Jared of the possible, impending issue which could arise for the pack in the future and then sighed softly. A year was long time. The Romanovs would most probably have forgotten that they were ever tempted to play with a couple of tempting little she wolves. They were fickle that way as was most of his kind. He decided to hold off, wait and see if anything happened. He would deal with any possible fallout later if it was needed.

"Time to go, love," he sighed softly turning to his woman with a gentle smile on his lips. He said goodbye to Jared and Millie as Rhianna hugged Lacey and Rafe tightly, sharing a few words with them before she hugged the Alphas and slipped into his arms. It had been a good night, a healing night and now he wanted to get his woman home so he could end it the way he ended all of his nights, lost within the beauty of her body and her warm, loving touch.

"Do you want us to clear up, boss?" Loretta asked as the vampires departed.

"No, get some rest," Jared smiled. "We can clear up in the morning." He turned and pulled Millie up, caressing her stomach lightly. "Let get our babies into bed, woman," he murmured softly, as they disappeared into the house.

Rafe followed with Lacey, pulling her towards his little cabin. He really would need to think about building something a little bigger if they were going to spend so much time at the compound, though maybe it wouldn't be needed if his mate was going to go back to school. Maybe staying in the city would be better. They could discuss it later.

They called goodnight to Aaron and Jen as they headed into their house, laughing when their friends' goodnights were said very hastily indeed as Aaron all but pushed his mate inside. They didn't need to ask why they were in such a hurry.

"I didn't think perfection existed, Rafe, " Lacey sighed softly, her voice full of wonder as she wrapped her arms around her mate, luxuriating in the feeling of joy inside her at her new life and all it entailed.

Rafe Hanlon stared raptly into his mate's beautiful face, his hands threading in her silvery blonde hair as he tilted her head back gently. "Oh, it does," he breathed softly, his head bending down to capture her lips in a gentle loving kiss, letting her know that she would always be perfection to him, in every possible way imaginable.

The End

 I hope you all enjoyed this last chapter of Worlds. You guys have been totally amazing throughout all three stories, your feedback has been invaluable and really spurred me on to try and make each new chapter better, more exciting and more emotional.  

Thanks to everyone, from all the Anonymous to named people, to my challengers who asked me hard questions about certain plot points (you know who you are, boys!) Yes, the boys tend to ask more leading questions and don't get so caught up in the romance of things LOL! To the Guild, your support and encouragement have been amazing.

As always, WorldHistoryBuff I can't thank you enough for giving up your time to edit for me.