“Nevertheless, you are and that is all Alexei will see,” Rafe sighed. “He is a vampire struggling to live the life of a Were. He gains some understanding of us through the wolf gene within him but his vampiric nature is the more dominant one. If you wish to be here then you have to find a way to soften your heart towards your family.”
For the first time in a such a long time Dayton turned to an Alpha, turned to the strength and wisdom that oozed from the powerful man sitting across from him. “I don’t know how to,” he admitted, his voice raw with pain. “I want to but I don’t know if I can unbend enough.”
Soft silvery laughter came from his side and his head swivelled around to look at the cat sitting patiently beside him. Rayne smiled a beatific smile at him, her fingers lightly caressing his jaw to soothe his pain.
“Silly,” she laughed softly. “Of course you can, Day. You did it with me and I’m a stranger. It will be easier to do the same with your family. You just need to stop fighting them, my friend. Let them love you as they so obviously do.”
Rafe watched them together and decided instantly that he liked the wildcat. There was something very strange about her but her love for his wounded pack member was undeniable. He was certain she was the only thing that had kept Dayton sane in his time alone and he felt a huge rush of gratitude towards her for that.
“Rayne’s correct, Dayton,” he said quietly. “It’s not as difficult as you think it will be. The fact you are here means you want it enough to try. I’m sure you have more reasons than that to be here though. I can sense your fury deep within you. What help can the pack give you?”
Dayton’s moment of vulnerability passed and his eyes hardened instantly, coldness once more seeping into their deep blue depths. An exquisitely beautiful face came to mind and with it came the burning hatred she engendered within him.
“I need the pack’s protection against a vampire,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “She has threatened Rayne’s life and she has threatened me too. You are friends with the Ancients. You can tell them to order her to back off and leave us alone, Alpha.”
Rafe stiffened instantly, rage beginning to bubble up inside him as his wolf growled loudly. Vampires again! Twice before the Hanlon Pack had survived a war against vampires. They had lost much but in some ways gained even more with the precious life that now lived among them.
He couldn’t believe they would have to go up against vampires again. The last five years had brought a new understanding between the species, the Weres forming their own Council to meet with the Vampire Council to discuss issues and relations between them.
Caleb was certain they had put their old enmity to bed as both sides came together. His brother-in-law monitored everything scrupulously to ensure that harmony was maintained. Now there was a vampire out to shatter the new peace among them? It was intolerable.
“Who is this vampire?” he asked, his voice barely concealing his rage as his eyes turned hard.
“Freya Eriksson,” Dayton answered, practically spitting out her name, his hate for her echoing around the room.
Rafe let out a long, tortured groan. “Fuck!” he ground out, hearing the last name he wanted to hear. She was a law unto herself and loosely aligned to the Pack through her connection with Nors and Ashleigh. He had no idea what she was up to but he did know that there were going to be serious repercussions if Nors and the other Ancients couldn’t rein her in.
To be continued…