Once Scorched Always Safe

Closure And The Begining of New Friendships

Rayne

Dirgin

The drive to the Redwood Pack was a peaceful one. Parker held her hand as he drove, placing light, teasing kisses across her knuckles every so often. The tingles that erupted on her skin were something that she would never get used to. Parker always had a way with his touches, but with the added pleasure his touch had now, Rayne was in anticipation of the night when they would finally make love as mates. To complete their bond.

She was happy to be free of her bond with Sebastion. A bond with someone she never wanted. She always knew if he accepted her rejection that she might get a second chance mate. What would she have done if the Moon Goddess paired her with someone else other than Parker? Her heart thinking of that. Even if she was ready to let Parker go if he found his mate, it would still hurt.

They asked Arabella about what could have happened to the mate that the Moon Goddess had originally paired Parker with She answered that his original mate had probably not come of age yet, so the Moon Goddess probably picked another to pair her with. There was also the possibility that the Moon Goddess just hadn’t paired him with a mate yet.

“We are close now,” Parker spoke as he nodded his head ahead of them.

“How far away do you think we should park, then walk in?”

“About a mile should so. I just hope when they catch our scents they don’t immediately attack.”

When they got c

close enough, Parker pulled over and parked the car. He took his knives out to place them in the trunk. They both had weapons, to a1 a sign of peace they would leave all their weapons behind. They shared a look before grabbing each other’s handh, then they began the slow walk towards the borders of Redwood Pack territory. The slow approach would give the patrol a chance to catch their scent long before they reached the borders.

As they reached the border they stopped as two guards stepped out from behind the trees. Both guards were large men, both had a hard look on their faces. “Stop right there, rogue.”

One guard glared at her while the other looked at Parker with a confused expression. Rayne could tell that they had never met anyone other than werewolves. This would be interesting.

“I am here to see Arianna Drakos,” Rayne spoke as she stood where they told her to stop.

“Who are you? What does a rogue want with one of our Alphas?”

“Contact her and tell her that Rayne Solas is here to speak to her.” Rayne replied.

Both guards went silent, their eyes taking on the far–away look werewolves get when mind–linking. After a few moments, they focused back on Rayne, “Do you have a vehicle?”

“Yes, we parked about a mile down the road.”

“Then get it and then follow this road in, Arianna will meet you at the Alpha’s house. The road splits about two miles in. guards moved back to their posts, both giving Parker the stink eye until they were out of sight.

Take the right fork.” The

“Well, that was fun,” Parker said as they walked back to the car.

Following the guard’s directions led them to a large mansion. A circular drive led into a little courtyard that was flanked by two wings of the house. A large apple tree and a fountain stood in the courtyard. Arianna stood at the edge of the fountain as they pulled up. Her eyes looked stressed, but she smiled as she spotted Rayne. Parker pulled up behind a small red convertible, then killed the engine. He kissed her hand once before getting out of the

car

Rayne made her way to Arianna, stopping a few feet from her, “You look just as beautiful as the last time we met.”

“Thank you.

What b

brings you to Redwood?”

“I felt this agonizing pain, then the mate bond was gone. Did he accept my rejection? Or is it worse than that? I felt like I was going to the,” Rayne

Closure And The Begning of New Friendships.

“I died,” Sebastion spoke from the doorway of the mansion.

Sebastion

When Arianna told me that Rayne was here in Redwood, my first thought was finally my mate has come home. Then I remembered that she was no longer mine. That she never really was. Rayne had always been something I never wanted, but when I wanted her, it was too late…

Seeing her next to the shifter, Sebastion knew she had chosen. The pain he didn’t feel at all when he let Rayne go had surprised him. Their hand had always been weak. When it broke and there was no pain at all, he knew that the choice he made was the right one.

glost over

over my dead body that you are finally free?” Sebastion asked her.

“Did you come here to g

Rayne inhaled softly as she placed a hand on Parker’s arm, “I never wished you harm Sebastion.”

red for them to join h

him inside.

“Come, let’s do this inside. My son panics if I am out of his sight for too long,” Sebastion gestured for

He looked back to see B

Rayne and Parker exchange a look that spoke volumes, then they followed him inside. Sebastion led them into the sitting room, then took a seat at one of the large overstuffed sofas that flanked the enormous fireplace. When they entered the room, he noted their entwined fingers.. Would she have come here with him to demand he accept her rejection had he not let her go? Sebastion knew without a doubt she would have.

“So, you felt my pain when I got shot?” He asked once they were all seated, Arianna sat by his side. To show her support to him and her curiosity.

“Yes, I wasn’t sure what it was at first. We were in France. Yet the next day when I felt it again, it caused me to black out. When I came to the bond was gone.” Rayne told him in a soft voice.

“Ah, so you came here to see if I had accepted your rejection or if I had died.”

“I never wanted harm to come to you. I only wanted the freedom of choice. The chance to choose who I spent my life with,” Rayne spoke as she looked him straight in the eye.

never had a chance from the start, did we?” Sebastion looked into her pale green eyes.

“No. When we met all those years ago, I was ready to run from my pack. From all the abuse that Wilson put me through after he killed my parents, fact that I am only now aware of.”

“I heard that Wilson is dead. Monroe killed him for you,” Sebastion arched a brow as he looked at Parker.

“Monroe came to our aide as Wilson was ready to besiege my bar with me inside. He wanted to kill me for taking away his position in Jade Moon. Though technically that was you that did that. Your actions that night set me free. For that I will always be grateful. However, Monroe did not deal the killing blow, my father did.” Rayne nodded her head towards him.

“What did that man put you through? Sebastion asked. He had been angry that night, but never had the chance to ask her what was happening to her in that pack.

“Years of abuse that I would like to keep in the past. He is dead, I am free. He has paid for what he did to me, and the death of my mother with his life. That is enough for me. He wasn’t always an evil man. Grief turned him into a monster.”

“Will you ever go back to Jade Moon?”

“Yes, my father and I will go back soon. He never got the chance to see my mother’s grave. Never got the chance to say goodbye to his mate,” Rayne looked to Parker as she spoke the word mate.

“What will the two of you do when Parker finds his mate?” Sebastion asked. He already knew that the Moon Goddess hadn’t assigned Parker a mate yet. Did she pair them together now that Sebastion’s bond with Rayne was broken?

“I already have,” Parker spoke as he looked at Rayne.

“The Moon Goddess gave her blessings to us. Parker is my second chance mate, Rayne looked met Sebastion’s

eyes.

Sebastion smiled, “Of course she did,”

Sebastion looked to the doorway as he heard the childish laughter of his son and niece as they raced into the room, then back out again. “Tive years

Closure And The Seginin

ag, I chose the love of a woman who I thought would abays love me back, she never once loved me. Gla was a greedy whore who only wanted.

of lain and the power that went with it. When I found out what she was, I decided that I would get my true mate and make ber as lace ran back into the room.

“Papa, who is she?” lace’s little voice wavered as fear was clear in his eyes.

“This is Rayne, she is a friend of mine and your aunts from a long tim ago,” Sebastion held hu armas out for

down before he continued with Rayne’s answer.

“Will she take me away as the mean woman did? What about him? He smells different.” lace said as he pointed at Parker,

“I can go outside if my presence frightens him,” Parker suggested.

“He has had a terrible time recently, but I know you pose no threat to my son,” Sebastion stated as he rubbed

back

“Would a less human shape make him feel safer?” Parker asked. Sebastion could see a smile at the corner of the man’s mouth.

“What do you have in mind?”

“I can do a wolf pup or any small animal so be may find peace. Parker said as he slowly stood from the

“lace, do you want to see a magic trick?” Sebastion asked.

They spent the next few hours with Parker shifting between small animals to the delight of the children. Later, when Parker was showing signs of fatigue, Sebastion sent the children up to their moms to play games. Parker putting lace at case, then entertaining his son, gained Sebastion’s respect. The light in lace’s eyes was returning. His laughter was a soothing balm on Sebastion’s heart.

“Gia did that do him. Put the fear in my son’s heart. I was to blame for pushing her to that. But she can never hurt him again Seba

Sebastion explained as they all sat outside on the patio..

“Her betrayal made you come to search for me?” Rayne asked.

“Yes, it was a pure accident that I found you. We were coming back from Jade Moon with survivors when we stopped to camp for a few days.”

“Wait, there are Jade Moon wolves here?” Rayne’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, ten of them. We gave them the choice to start a new life far from the nightmare they lived through. Would you like to see them? Sebastion told her. He could she the happiness in her eyes when she was told of the survivors,

“Later if that is ok?”

“That will not be a problem.”

“Why did you let me go?” Rayne asked again

Sebastion knew she deserved to know the truth, “When I died, the Moon Goddess gave me a choice. She made me realized that the reason I wanted you now after all this time was selfish. I didn’t want you five years ago. Not once in all this time did I even think of you. Not seriously. Only after Ga’s betrayal. To me, you were mine. Made for me. Seeing you with Parker made me want to claim you more. Why? Because you were mine, not his. Yet those were selfish reasons. When you rejected me for him, I was determined to get you back, even if it was by force,” Sebastion held his hand up at Parker’s growl. “I never got that chance. Gia taking my child shifted my focus. He is my world. Talking to Selene made me come to terms with how selfish I was. When the mate bond broke and there was no pun at all, I knew that I had made the right choise.”

“So, you released me so I could be happy?” Rayne said. The surprise in her voice made Sebastion wince.

“Yes. The choice I made to leave you in the dirt five years ago was wrong, but I loved her more. Had thing been different, maybe we would have been what the Moon Goddess wanted us to be, but that is no kinger something to dwell on.”

“What will

you do now?” Rayne asked quietly as she studied him.

the past five years

Sebastion decided that he would offer them a room for the night. He wanted to get to know the woman that Rayne had beptine When they agreed to stay, they spent the rest of the night talking about what plant they had for the future. Sebastion told her of hom har vann building more hospitals, scheuchy, and benises to accommodate the expanding pock.

Closure And The Begining of New Friendships

It impressed Sebastion with how Rayne’s bar had thrived and what it stands for. When Rayne told them about all the different species that she had met, Arianna let out gasps of surprise that those creatures existed. What worried Sebastion was the Collectors that Rayne and Parker warned them off. He never thought he would have to fear humans. Knowing that there were some out there that coveted supernatural creatures for money made Sebastion fearful.

Knowing now that he would have to be on his guard even more made him think of a way to protect his son, pack, and family even more. The security of all of their business would have to change. Things would need to change from this day forward. Good? Bad? That would be determined as they go into

the future.

Author’s Note

Her Returned Mate is book one of the Gathering Shadows series. I know that some plot lines have been erratic, but I have been building a larger story as I tell Rayne’s. Rayne and Parker will cross over into other books as their bar Shadows Retreat will play a role in the overall series.

I also know that some of you have said that the title is misleading. I can see how that can be, so I would like to explain that. Her Returned Mate did return, but nothing in life is promised to always go how we plan. I like the idea of soul mates, but I also believe in freedom of choice. The freedom to choose one’s own destiny. Rayne made her choice. To the sadness of some of my readers, It wasn’t Sebastion.

If you have gotten to that point in the story and are not liking the way it has played out, I ask that you be respectful with how you respond. I also ask that you give the rest of the book a chance so you can see how Sebastion’s story plays out.

Sebastion’s story His Redemption is next, I hope you all stick around t to see him become the man he has always wanted to be.

am enjoying the story. And you, the author, are the one who tells it. I read a lot and I may not like everything that happens in a story I am invested in, but I don’t feel that being critical of the author’s viewpoint and writing is acceptable. If you don’t like a story, write your… VIEW 1.COMMENT