Once Scorched Always Safe

Hello stranger, Goodbye Mate

Rayne opened her eyes slowly as she heard the loud arguing from somewhere close by. She was groggy, sore, and confused on how she ended up in the pack hospital again. She had become a frequent guest here in this small, dingy, and very under staffed hospital. The only doctor that the pack had learned to treat her as swiftly as she could to get her back to whatever task that Wilson has assigned her that day. There had been two occasions where that was not possible, requiring her to stay overnight to recover from whatever beating she had received that day. On both occasions there were different doctors, they too paid the price of going against the Alpha, neither staying around to have it happen again.

She looked around the room, shocked when her eyes landed on Arianna, confused on why the woman would be by her side in the hospital. What happened earlier to have landed her here this time? She had been doing what Wilson wanted. She had been socializing, passing time until the hour of midnight. The time she would turn eighteen, the age where her wolf could finally find her mate. She was skeptical it would happen as her wolf had gone into hibernation long ago, since that dark night her life changed in the worst way. Wilson stole something from her that was for her to give to her mate only. Something she could never get back in a brutal way that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“Arianna?” Her voice was barely a whisper as she looked at the other woman, still confused on what had happened.

“Oh, Rayne, thank goodness you are awake.” Arianna stood to walk to her side, her eyes angry yet full of compassion.

“What happened? Why are you here with me?”

Arianna sighed, shaking her head sadly as she took Rayne’s hand. This girl deserved so much more than what she was about to get from Sebastion. He would choose his lover over his mate, something that once she was aware of that plan, she had been trying to convince him to change his mind. To send Gia away to find her own mate, her own place away from them all. Arianna could not sway from that course of action. He loved her and would not put someone else about that love, not even his true mate.

“Your Alpha attacked you. My brother saved you from what I saw. I only….” She stopped when she heard the sharp intake of breath from Rayne.

Wilson had gone crazy slapping her, screaming at her to know what she told to a total stranger. Rayne was confused about what worried him she would say. Was he afraid that she would tell on him about the abuse? He never seemed worried before, so why now? Why on the night she would meet her…… Mate?

He was near.

The large black wolf.

“Your brother….”

“Is sadly your mate. I feel horrible for even making that joke earlier. Then my joke became the truth.” Arianna moved away, walking to the door of the room. “I am going to get him now that you are awake.”

“No, please wait. I would like to change out of this dress. There is a change of clothes for me in the hall cabinet.” Rayne looked down at the now bloody pale green gown she wore.

“Alright, I will get it for you”

“Thank you.”

After Arianna left the room, she could hear the voices outside getting louder. One voice was female, verging on the edge of hysteria from the sounds of it. The events of the night seem to have taken a turn for the dramatic. Nothing good ever came from nights like this. She had a feeling that tonight was only going to get worse, which was just more reason for her to go forward with her plan just as fast as she could.

The argument got louder as Arianna opened the door, returning with her change of clothes, making Rayne grimace. “Is everything alright out there?”

“No, just the drama queen getting her way. You will meet her soon. Now answer me, why there is a change of clothes with your name on them in the closet here?” Arianna handed the bag of clothes to Rayne, then sat in the dirty chair again.

Rayne looked down at her lap, then back up at the woman who showed her kindness above all else. She felt that she could tell her anything, no judgement, or treated like everyone else had treated her in her life. “I am here often so the doctor keeps a change of clothes on hand for me”

“Wilson beat you that often?” Rage filled her voice for the first time since being here. What else had this girl been through at the hands of her Alpha?

“Since I was ten. It got worse when I was thirteen.” Rayne couldn’t bring herself to do what had happened then to make the beatings worse. She had told no one about that night.

Hello stranger, Goodbye Mate

“The Elders are on their way to answer Alec’s summons. Wilson is being held in the dismal pack holding cells until they arrive.”

“He summoned The Elders? Why?” Rayne knew that Alec had been training hard and bidding his time until he was ready to challenge Wilson for the title of Alpha. It was something that every wolf in Jade Moon would be grateful for, something that was a very long time in the making. Part of her was sad that she would not be here to see things get better for her pack, yet she was happy to know it was happening finally.

“I think what happened to you tonight was the last straw for him, but I haven’t spoken to him at all.” Arianna stood to walk to the door, “I will leave you to change.”

“Why are you sad that your brother is my mate?”

*You shall see soon enough. I will go get you something to drink and let you change.” She opened the door and came face to face with a furious- looking Sebastion. She pushed him back, closing the door behind her, not caring that he was angry.

“Is she awake?”

“Yes. I left her to change out of the dress. I am going to get her a glass of water, please leave her be for now Sebbie.”

“What the hell do you think I am going to do to her? I am not a monster that will beat her like that weak piece of shit she called her Alpha.” He growled, taking a step forward only to get gently pushed back by his twin. He looked down at her, frowning as he saw sadness in her eyes.

“No, you will not beat her, but you will hurt her just the same.” She whispered as she turned and walked away from him.

Bloody hell, could this night get any worse? It can, because he still had to meet his mate. To tell her he would take her home with him only to have her live as his mate in name only. Even though the mate bond was not as strong as it could be, he felt her pain, making him want to heal her wounds and her heart. He pushed the feeling away. He would not change his mind for her.

Sebastion looked up as he heard the door to her room open. Rayne was standing there looking at him with an odd look on her face. She had changed into a loose–fitting grey sweater with black leggings and bare feet. Her hair was loose to flow down her back in thick curls that he suddenly wanted to get his hand on. He shook the thought away, taking a step back from her to look around the room, suddenly not sure what to do or say to this woman who the Moon Goddess had paired him with.

He did not want this.

He did not want her.

Rayne just looked for a few moments more, then turned away from him and walked down the hallway towards the door of the hospital. There was no point in sticking around as she already knew nothing good was going to come out of talking to him. She knew what she wanted. California was where she wanted to be. Having a mate now would not change that plan at all.

Sebastion is shocked for a few seconds, then rushed after her, passing Gia as he did. Her face was tear stained, yet her eyes showed her rage as he rushed past her after his mate. She knew that now was the time to set her plan into motion, but she wanted to do so in front of his mate, so she followed Sebastion as he rushed out.

He rushed up behind her grabbing her arm spinning her around to face him. “Where the hell do you think you are going, Rayne?” He practically growled in her face. The instant fear in her eyes had him dropping his hand like he had touched a hot coal. That was the very last thing he wanted in her eyes as she looked at him. Do better Ares spoke in his mind.

“Sebastion leave her be so we can just go home.” Gia rushed up to them. She looped her arm with his, standing as close as she could to his side so that the other woman got the message.

“Pack your things, you will come with us Rayne.” He removed Gia’s hand from his arm to take a step away from her.

“No” Rayne spoke softly yet firmly. “I won’t” She turned away from him to walk away again.

“Yes, you will. My mate belongs at my side. You will come home with us.”

“Sebastion just let her stay here if she wants. I need you at home, we will need you at home. With or without your mate.” Gia looked at Rayne with a smirk. “Preferably without.”

“We?” He turned to look at Gia, confusion on his face. Arianna didn’t need him at home. His pack could run fine for a few days with his Beta in charge. Who the hell was she talking about? He reached out, grabbing Rayne by her arm again, but this time lightly to not make her flinch, pulling her back to

them.

Hello stranger, Goodbye Mate

Gia looked at him with anger, then she rubbed her hand over her flat stomach. “I am pregnant.”

Rayne gasped as she felt something stir in her mind, her wolf was waking up, she could feel Ruby’s anger and sadness. Unlike her, Ruby wanted her mate. She jerked her arm out of Sebastion’s grip, only to lose her balance, falling down to the ground. She didn’t want a mate, but now knowing she had one and knowing he had gotten another woman pregnant, hurt more than she thought. She felt tears form in her eyes, but this time refused to cry.

Sebastion looked at Gia with happiness in his eyes, then looked at his mate on the ground. He was torn in two seeing her there on the ground in the dirt. He reached a hand out to help her up, only to have it slapped away as Gia put herself between him and Rayne. He knew he was wavering in his decision to not accept his mate. He knew that Gia felt it too. She was having his child. It should have overjoyed him to be a father to any child they made together, yet he wasn’t. Ares growled in his mind.

“Get up Rayne, it is beyond time to get out of this place you call a home. Forget your things, Arianna can go with you to get new things when we are back in Oregon.” He moved Gia aside to pull Rayne up off the ground.

“Sebastion just leave her please.” Gia shouted at him as he helped Rayne up.

“Gia, we talked about this. You knew this day would come. So please cut the drama so we can get to the car and get home.” He started pulled Rayne down the path that would lead to the mansion so they could leave.

“Sebbie let her go, there is no reason to drag her to the car like that.” Arianna ran up to them to talk some sense into her brother. She had come back with the water only to find him, Rayne, and Gia gone. She followed their scents outside only to find her brother pulling his mate towards the parking lot.

“We are going home, Ari, so just follow and let’s go.”

“No. Stop and just look at her. Look at the fear on her face. Fear that you are putting there.”

Sebastion looked angry at what she said, yet he knew it was true. He let go of Rayne, dropping her to the ground. Then he did what he knew was wrong, but did it anyway. “She is a weak, pathetic excuse for a wolf. What kind of Luna would she make? What a coward. We don’t need a Luna that jumps when yelled at, that flinches at the slightest touch. I bet she hides from her own shadow.”

Every word he said felt like a physical blow to Rayne, yet nothing he said was wrong at all. It was all true. This time she did not stop the tears, she let them flow freely, soon as they became wracking sobs that shook her entire body. This was what she needed to break her wolf free from her hibernation. She stood and growled deeply, looking at each of them, the pain in her eyes swiftly replaced by unsuppressed rage.

“Well, she has some fight in her after all it seems. That will do her good, but will not change my mind. I am going to take my pregnant lover home, make her my Luna, and hopefully make many more babies. I have no needed for a pathetic wolf like her in my life.” Sebastion pulled Gia next to him, then walked away from Rayne.

Arianna moved to Rayne, but stopped where she was as Rayne growled at her. “Well, the offer I made for you to come to my home for protection now seems like a bad idea, but if you ever need help or a place to stay, call me and I will help in any way that I can.”

“Don’t bother. I will be just fine on my own. I have been since I was nine, pack or not. Go, please. I will be just fine”

“Please believe that there are people out there that will treat you like a person who deserves to love. You are a brave woman. You know where to find me if there is ever a need. I am sorry for what Sebastion said.” Arianna reluctantly walked away knowing that she was leaving and would most likely never see this girl again.

Rayne lifted her tear–streaked face up to the moon before she rushed into the woods for her go bag, Ruby begging her to chase after their mate. That would never happen. She never wanted a mate. Having met him, she would never again let him or anyone else make her feel like less than what she was. She would not be thrown out like trash. Her new life in California was just waiting to get started.

*Hello readers, the next chapter will have a time jump, so please stay with me. I hope that you have enjoyed the story so far. Please stick around to see what Rayne makes of herself.”