Once Scorched Always Safe

Midnight and Unwanted Mates

Sebastion took a step back after he finished with his very naughty lover, still breathing as hard as she was, the air in the closet thick with the smell of sex. Yet as he tried to steady his breathing, he only breathed in something much stronger than that. The scent of lavender and fresh rain. That was not Gia’s scent at all. He felt Ares come to attention in his mind, he saw him rear his head up and howl. He jerked back as if struck by lightning. No, he did not want this. He did not want this. His mate was very near, and he did not want this.

Gia spun around with wide eyes as she looked at him, she knew what had just happened, she could see it on his face and the wildness in his eyes. When his head turned and looked at the closet door behind them, she knew that his wolf was in control, and she knew that was a bad thing. Ares wanted his true mate and made sure she was aware every time they had gone for runs in the forest. She was not about the let Sebastion go, not even to his true mate, Moon Goddess be damned.

She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back to her, but he shook her off and opened the door of the closet and rushed out into the hallway. It was only then that she could hear growls and sobbing coming from the hallway. She quickly lowered her skirt and rush out behind Sebastion. She knew in her gut that if it was his mate that was crying out there, he would weaken on their plan to remain together. He would do anything to protect his mate if she was in danger. She knew that now more than ever was the time to implement her plan, to solidify her place by his side and in his bed forever.

Sebastion rushed into the hall to follow the scent of his mate and the sight before him stopped him in his tracks for a split second and then Ares was in control. He took a running leap, then he was in his wolf form. He landed on the man that was kicking his mate and quickly had him pinned to the ground, biting into his shoulder to hold him in place. Ares wanted the wolf’s blood for hurting his mate, for daring to hurt what was his. He could smell her blood and it made him turn to look at his mate before he killed the man who dared hurt her.

Rayne gasped at the sight of the huge pure black wolf who came out of nowhere to attack Wilson. He was bigger than any of the wolves she had ever seen. As he glanced back at her, she shivered in fear. The anger coming off him in waves was worse than anything that she had ever felt from Wilson, and that scared her more than the fact that she had found her mate. She tried to stand when her mate turned back to Wilson, only to get knocked back down by a kick from behind her. She turned to see behind her, half expecting it to be Bridgette, but she faced a raging she–wolf who looked like she wanted to murder Rayne right there on the spot.

What the fuck? Who the heck was this woman? Rayne had never seen her before in her life and could not fathom why on earth she would be the target of her rage? When the woman looked over towards the huge black wolf, something in Rayne’s mind clicked, but before she could think on it further, she was kicked yet again. This time hard enough that Rayne felt one of her ribs crack and she let out a scream of pain, then darkness was all she knew as she passed out.

Arianna rushed into the room to see her brother’s wolf attacking the Alpha of The Jade Moon Pack, Gia kicking Rayne who lay on the floor with her lip bleeding. What in the hell happened out here? She rushed to Rayne’s aide just as the girl passed out. She pulled Gia off her then swung her fist back, swinging it to hit her in the face as hard as she could. Arianna felt satisfied when Gia crumpled to the ground, having wanted to do that for years. Now to stop her brother from killing another Alpha, as the consequence for that without a formal challenge was death or having the Alpha title stripped from him.

“Sebastion stop, it is finished,” She said through their mind link

Ares bite down hard on the man’s should before picking him up and flinging him against the wall, then he turned to face his mate moving to stand between her and Arianna. He let out a deep growl as he saw people standing in the ballroom’s doorway, curious about what was happening. He calmed down slightly as Arianna reached out to touch him, her wolf speaking to him through their link.

“Your mate is hurt, no one else will be an issue. Calm down and focus on her right now.” Grace, Arianna’s wolf said in a soothing voice in his head.

Ares circled his mate and growled when he noticed an unconscious Gia nearby. He could feel Sebastion struggling for control but did not want to let him. He would go to Gia first and forget about their mate, the heartless bastard. He turned back to Arianna and whined softly while he nudged his head in his mate’s direction.

“I will take care of her if my brother will not, do not worry, she will be safe,” Arianna knelt and pulled Rayne into her arms while Ares backed off and released control back to Sebastion.

Sebastion stood naked after his shift and looked around the room, then down at his sister as she held a raven–haired, strikingly beautiful girl in her arm. He felt an unwelcome shift in his heart as he looked at her pale skin covered in new and old bruises. Her face showing her recent abuse in the form of a split lip, red welts forming on her cheeks where he knew someone has slapped her. His vision tinged with red as his anger took over.

“Who the hell was the man who did that to her? Why would someone hurt her like that?”

“I summoned the Elders to deal with my father,” a deep voice said from the doorway to the ballroom.

“Who the hell are you then?” Sebastion spun around ready to rip someone’s head off. He was beyond pissed at what was happening, at what had already happened. Guilt swamped him, but he shoved that way down and would not touch it later.

Midnight and Unwanted Mates

The man that stood before him was over six feet tall, built like a brick powerhouse, and had anger in his blue eyes. His sandy blonde hair curled around his ears. The tux he wore looked like it had seen more than its fair share of uses and should never to be worn again. What caught Sebastion’s attention was the soft look that crossed his face when he looked at Sebastion’s newly found mate. Ah, so she had a lover. That would make things easier when he made it clear to her she was his mate in title only,

“My name is Alec Stone, Alpha Wilson’s son.”

“Who the fuck is Alpha Wilson?”

“The bastard that you just threw against the wall for beating his ward.”

“How long has that abuse been going on? From the look of her bruises, I would say a long time.” He growled and took a step forward. As he did, someone handed him a pair of pants. He dropped them as he continued to glare at Alec, who the hell cared about pants with all the rest of this drama was happening.

“Let’s get Rayne and your friend there on the floor to the pack doctor, then we can talk further on what will happen next,” Alec motioned for Arianna to follow him then pointed at Gia on the floor. “I am sure you can handle your girlfriend.”

Sebastion stalked over to Gia, scooped her up in his arms, then followed behind his sister as they were led out of the mansion and to the pack hospital. He was beyond unhappy with the way the night turned. He came here with the idea that he would leave without his mate and going home to Gia. Then he found his mate, a victim at the hands of her abusive Alpha, making his protective instincts take over. Bloody hell, could things get any worse tonight?

The pack hospital was at the back of the mansion in a small run–down building. He doubted that any of them would get the best medical care in. This pack was a disgrace, the Alpha was even worse. Getting out of here would be the best thing he did tonight after he made sure Gia was ok and his mate would be fine, they would get the hell out of this place and never looking back. He would have to work out the living arrangements once they were all back in Oregon.

He placed Gia on a bed in the first empty room he found, kissed her softly on the cheek, then stomped out into the hall to see Alec guide Arianna into the next room with his mate in her arms. His mate. She was beautiful. Just seeing her did things to his body that pissed him right off. She was not wanted. He would fight their bond as long as he lived. He growled and followed them into the room.

Sebastion reached for his mate as he saw that Arianna was struggling to lift her onto the bed. The sparks and tingles that shot through him at contact .with her skin made him want to hold her closer yet push her away at the same time. He felt the mate bond flare to life, and he sensed her fear even in

her sleep. That made him pause for a moment, holding her longer than he wanted to. Her lavender and rainwater scent soothed him more than he cared to admit, so he laid her down on the small bed and took a step back.

“Now start talking Alpha to be Alec. Explain to me why your father beats his ward?”

“Let’s talk in the hall while the doctor looks her over.” Alec moved out of the room, removing his grey tux jacket as he did. He tossed it on a chair and then turned to face the angry mate of his childhood friend. He should have protected her more from Wilson, he would forever regret all the pain she went through that he could have stopped.

Sebastion went to follow him out but stopped to turn back to his sister. “Arianna, please stay with my…. mate” He ground out the last word as he glanced at the girl.

“Her name is Rayne.”

“Fine, please stay with Rayne while I get the details of this shit show so we can get the hell out of here”

“She won’t go with you, but I will stay with her for now.” She turned and sat on the dirty chair next to the bed. “Also, brother of mine, I suggest you put those pants on before going out there.”

Sebastion looked down at her comment, realizing that he was still very much naked from his shift. He looked around and grabbed a pair of shorts off the table next to the door, slipped them on, and looked back at Arianna with a shrug. He is usually unconcerned with his nakedness, but tonight he would make an exception. He turned to the door, preparing to listen to whatever sad story that Alec had to tell him. He walked out closing the door behind him and waited for Alec to begin his explanation.

“I can see that you are not a very patient man. I can also tell just by your attitude that you are not here willingly. So, I will make this short.” Alec took out a piece of paper and handed it to Sebastion. “That has all her important details, but not the most important. One that my father will do almost anything to hide.”

“That would be what? I do not want to be here any longer than she takes to wake up and pack her things.”

“Rayne’s parents were the Beta and his wife, we were told that they died during the last pack wars ten years ago, but Rayne knows something that he

Midnight and Unwanted Mates

has beat her and broken her down so many ways to keep hidden. I think she saw something that night that he wants no one to know.”

“So, he beat her and no one here did anything to protect her? How weak–willed is this pack?” Sebastion growled as he took a few steps towards Alec.

“Those who did paid the price with their life or banishment, the rest of the pack stayed quiet in fear of the same. I have been training hard to challenge him for the title and banish him.” Alec looked at the man before him and saw a strength that he admired in a powerful leader. Maybe him being Rayne’s mate wouldn’t be as bad as he had thought her mate would be.

“Then I suggest you do it when the Elders arrive and put that fire in your eyes to making this clan a better place for your pack.” Sebastion turned to go into the room where he had left Gia.

“I believe your mate is in the other room.”

“Yes, she is, but she is not my priority and I do not answer to you boy.” Sebastion walked into the room and slammed the door behind him. He was beyond annoyed with this entire situation. Damn Moon Goddess and damn mates.

He took a seat on a very worn out wooden stool, taking Gia’s hand in his. Closed his eyes and waited for his beloved woman to open her beautiful eyes and tell him who had knocked her out. Yet all he saw in his mind was the pale skin and raven locks of his unwanted mate. The mate he never wanted in his life, but now found himself torn with the want to rescue her and keep her safe. That pissed him off more than anything else about the entire night so far.

He did not want this woman at all.