Once Scorched Always Safe

You are sweet

I when you talk to him. I think it is doing wonders for you by embracing him as

as your son.”

“No matter what Gia has done, he will always be mine. Thank you for helping me see th

that sending him away with her would have been a bad idea.”

“I love you, brother of mine. Now, let’s hit the road. She hopped in the minivan.

“I am going to switch places with Wade in that minivan. I want to spend a few hours talking to some new n

some new members back there.”

“That is a good idea. They are all good people and I think we made the right choice offering them a new home.”

Wade and he switched places, and then they were back on the road. Their little caravan spent the next several hours on the long stretch of California highway, as they made their way to Bodega Bay. He got to know his new people, talked about what they would like for their homes, took notes on his phone. He was finding their excitement contagious as they spoke to them of their hopes for the future.

After four hours, and a few bathroom breaks later, the signs for the Bodega Bay area showed on the side of the highway. He could feel the mate bond flicker again, making his heartheat speed up. The sun was setting as they made the turn towards the camping grounds on the west side of the bay. Aries was pacing in his mind, restless to be let free to search for his mate.

Arianna had made all the arrangements for camping spots at the farthest end of the campgrounds, closest to the th them to fade into the darkness of the forest. They spent close to an hour setting up camp, erecting tents, passing out spare clothing for when they all thicker part of the forest, easier for transformed back to their human forms. They set up shifts so that not everyone was out in the forest at the same time. This was a safety measure in case any of the humans at the other end of the campgrounds wandered down their way.

Sebastion went in the last group with Arianna. He hadn’t mentioned to her yet about the licker he felt in his mute bond with Rayne, wanting

until they were alone first. He wanted her with him when he found Rayne, admittedly he knew he would need a buffer between them after their last encounter five years ago. He could hardly contain his excitement as he waited for the time to pass, for his turn to let his wolf free to roam

Justin and Wade case to him after their shift. He could tell by their expressions they had news for him.

“There are rogue scents all over the woods, Sebastion. We are in a pack’s territory,” Justin said as he pulled on his shirt.

Sebastion frowned, “I talked to the council, they said that there were no rogues or official packs in this area. They must be new to the area.”

“Not from the scents we found, some are old, some are new like they come and go from the area often.” Wade pulled his shirt on, then grabbed a pair of shoes from the box next to where Sebastion stood.

“Ok, keep alert, link me in if you see or hear any sign that they are out there, I will do the same.”

“If they are?”

“I will come back to camp and we can set up a meeting with their leader. We will ask permission to stay for the few days we have planned, let them all know we are not here to take their land. We are merely passing through on our way home.” Schastion removed his shirt and began walking towards the

forest

“Yes, boss man

He went a few feet into the trees, then shifted into his wolf. He struggled for control for a few moments with Aries, telling him he needed to speak to his sister first before he was free to run.

What have you so excited, Sebbie? Arianna asked through their mind link

Rayne is somewhere in the area, I can feel the mate bond flickering

She is not

ise! That is great.

I am going to let Aries go searching, let him follow the pull of the mate bond.

Wait, Sebble it had been five years, she has probably moved on with her life.

SO WE ARE STILL MATES! Aries growled through the link.

Aries took control before Sebastion forced him down, streaking off into the trees towards the other side of the bay, leaving Arianna to run after him. He was determined to find her before he needed to return to the camp for the night. Aries was determined to make Rayne his mate in all ways. He had bern without his true mate for entirely too long, his anger at Sebastion for fucking it up five years ago rising to the surface.

Rayne

Rayne and Parker spent most of the day in bed, talking or making love as the day went by, at one point their growling stomachs finally making them leave the bedroom. The shower they shared turned into a steamy lovemaking session. Both were panting as they finally washed and exited the bathroom. Rayne’s cheeks were burning when she read the note on the kitchen counter tucked under a plate of sandwiches.

Ray

Drink water, eat these sandwiches, and I will see you of the bar later.

“Love, Papa.”

The laughter that bubbled out of her as she took the plate out on to the deck died as she felt an odd flicker over her heart as she sat on the lounge chair outside the sliding doors. The mate bond was flickering for the first time in five years, making her frown, then swear out loud. That meant he was somewhere in the area, somewhere in Bodega Bay

Why now? How had he found her? She had told no one that night where she was going, so there was no way that he could know where she was. Unless the Moon Goddess forced them to cross paths in her way to make them be mates.

Fuck that shit.

Rayne didn’t want a mate when she met Sebastion. He made an ass of himself that night, hurt her even though she never wanted him in her life. Five years didn’t change the last part of her thoughts, but she now wanted a mate, this time one of her choice. She would take control of her life frem nomi

Confession of Love, A Mate Returned

on, not that fickle goddess.

If Sebastion found her, she would formally reject him, severing their mate bond for good. Something he hadn’t given her the chance to do five years ago when he walked away with his whore. Why he hadn’t rejected ber back then she would never understand. He had a chosen mate, and a baby on the way His words said far more than he knew, then he walked away.

The thought of Sebastion’s child made Rayne frown. He had a child now. Had he married that woman?

She shook the thought out of her head as Parker walked out onto the deck. His smile as he looked at her made her heart flutter. She would choose Parker every chance she had. Rayne stood as he walked in front of her, wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him close, pressing her cheek to his

bare chest.

“Hey now, why the frown when I came out here?” He stroked her hair as she held him tight.

“He is close.”

“Who?”

“Sebastion.”

“Wait, what? How do you know?” He pulled back from her so he could look at her face.

“I felt the mate bond flicker when I came outside. That hasn’t happened since I met him five years ago.”

Rayne felt panic grip her heart as Parker stepped out of her hold. He walked to the deck railing, leaning forward to look out over the ocean. She could feel the storm of emotions rolling off of him, anger first, fear second, then a stinging feeling of sadness. He was afraid that he would lose her now that Sebastion was coming for her. That would not happen if she could prevent it. She knew that mate bonds could have a powerful pull, that resisting it would be hard.

For Parker, she would resist. He had been by her side since the night he stormed into her motel room, but she loved him in far more ways now than ever. Rayne walked up next to him, tried to turn him to face her, but he resisted by jerking out of her hold. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she growled then gripped his arm to tum him to face her.

“Goddamn it Parker stop, l

look at me!!!” She yelled at him.

He looked at her with anger in his eyes, “What is the point? I knew this day would come, eventually. Be it Sebastion or me finding my mate if she is even out there, we are living together on borrowed time.”

The tears spilled over and down her cheeks at his words. Yes, she had thought of those things, but she believed that they could be happy together until that day came when his mate would appear in his life. Now he sounded like he didn’t want to try. The love she felt from him last night and all during the day evaporating on the spot.

“So, you will take this and walk away? After everything we hav

have done, everything we have been through?”

He was silent, his jaw flexing as he gritted his teeth.

“So last night you said you loved me, tonight you will walk away from that? Her voice cracked as she sobbed out the last part.

He reached for her but dropped his hand before he touched her, breaking her heart with his actions, Rayne ran off the deck, transforming into her wolf, then ran into the woods near the house. She needed to be away from him, the one person who had always had her back, who she thought she could always trust no matter what had now broken her heart.

As she ran through the woods, she heard an owl cry from above her. She recognized Parker’s owl form. He took the same owl form every time it was hard to miss. She ignored him as she continued to run; the woods stretched along the coastline for miles. That would give her some time to calm the raging emotions coursing through her. He was her business partner, so she knew that she would have to shove all of this to the back of her mind. Living with him would be harder, as they would be just across a bathroom from each other while they slept.

Kayne had never really put serious thought into what life would be like if, or when, Parker found his mate. Guess now was the time to face these facts, even though his met hadn’t shown up yet. Sebastion just being near, knowing that if she had felt the flicker in the mate bond, he had too, had ruinest all her plans for the future.

Duma the Moun Godden.

Confessions of Lore, A Mate Returned

Danin Parker.

A loud screech of the owl sounded from behind her, then Parker in his human form landed on her back, sending them both to the ground.

“Shift back damn you Rayne, now!!” He yelled at her from his knees.

She growled at him low in her throat, refusing to do what he wanted now.

“Please, just stop and listen to me,”

Rayne ignored him as she moved past him to run some more

“RaRa please, I am sorry. I love you, goddamnit, Stop!!”

His nickname for her stopped her. She turned around, basing her teeth at him in her anger.

Parker stood, closing the distance between them, going back to his knees in front of her when he was a few steps away. He lifted his hands in the air, “Baby, I do not want what we have to end. Sebastion being close took me by surprise ok. We both knew that one day this was going to happen.”

Rayne whimpered as he spoke, then decided it would be better to have this conversation if she could speak to him, so she shifted back to her human form. Standing naked in the forest was not quite how she wanted to be spending her night with him. “Yes, I have a mate. One that I plan on rejecting when he finds me.”

“You would do that for me?

“Yes, I didn’t want a mate back then, Parker. He solidified that thought with his actions. I have been in love with you for the last year Parker, I was just waiting for you to show me signs that you felt the same way. Not the love between best friends, but the love you have shown me the last few days.”

are two blind fo

“What the fuck? We are two

“What do you mean?”

“Can I stand now?”

fools, it seems.”

“Yes,” She looked down at him, his face showing nothing but what she felt from him last night.

in love

“Woman,” He stood and wrapped her in his arms, “I have been with you for the last two goddamn years. I was waiting for the same, but you hold your emotions so closely locked up sometimes it was so hard to tell how you felt sometimes.”

She laughed as she pressed against him, “Well, now that we have that established, where do we go from here?”

“Will you reject him for me? Even knowing I still have a mate out there somewhere?”

“You are the mate I chose, and I will deal with that last part when it happens if you will stand with what we have until that time comes.” Rayne leaned back so she could look up into his eyes.

“We will break each other’s hearts one day. Now or then it doesn’t matter, but I will hold on to

to make the same choice you are making now.”

“Wait, what are you saying?”

this

fire we have until that day comes where I will have

“I don’t want anyone else but you, Rayne. I have had lovers in the past, more since we have known each other, but I have not loved a single one of them. I know that sounds horrible, but it is the truth. I am madly in love with you, Raka. So, when that day comes and my mate finds me, we will figure

“The mate pull is strong from what I hear. You cannot know how you will feel when you find her.”

“True, but she may or may not even be out there. Not everyone has a destined mate. I know what I feel now, You are my life, my love, and my fucking choice.” He leaned down, fusing his mouth to hers.

So distracted by each other, neither sensed nor smelled the two wolves behind them, one was a very large pure black wolf. A wolf whose eyes had turned red with anger as he watched his mate stand naked, wrapped in the arms of another man. That man was not a werewolf, yet he was not human either. A loud growl thundered through the woods as the large black wolf made his presence known to the two lovers.