Rayne wondered what would happen once they were alone. The emotional makeup of the assembled parents was less than friendly. She could understand it because they were frightened for their young. Understanding was one thing but having her throat ripped out was another. Her keen gaze was taking in any possible escape routes as Loretta closed the door on the children.
“What are you?” Rafe asked in a low, hostile voice as soon as the door closed.
She stared at him for a long moment and then she made a decision she didn’t think she ever would. She decided to trust in the furious man before her.
“I don’t know,” she admitted quietly. “All I know is someone named me Rayne and I am a wildcat of either the leopard or jaguar variety. I’m not even sure which as both can breed a black panther and that’s what my cat is when I shift. I’ve been alive for over three thousand years and in all that time I’ve never met another being like me. Until I came here.”
They stared at her in surprise some of the animosity slipping away in the stunned silence but only for a moment.
“That’s impossible,” Cedar finally said. “No Were can live that long.”
Rayne smiled. “No Were can mask its scent, turn invisible and outrun a vampire and yet I can. I also heal from wounds that would kill any other Were. Until I scented the children I thought I was unique. Now I see that I’m not. I believe that I may be just like them, a Vampire/Were hybrid.”
“Impossible!” Andrei growled his eyes cold as ice. “The first hybrid child was killed over three thousand years ago by The Council. There are no records of any others being born until now.”
The wildcat’s eyes widened in shock, staring at the vampire who wouldn’t think twice at ripping her throat out. She had been guessing at her parentage but his words appeared to indicate that there could be some truth in it. “A child was born?” she whispered, hope in her voice.
“And died,” Alexei bit out, his own eyes as hard as his brother’s. “You shouldn’t fall for this, Rafe. This could just be a clever ploy by The Council or some disaffected Were group to breach pack security. It’s highly coincidental that a mature version of our children just suddenly appears at the right time when they start displaying their abilities.”
Rafe nodded his head slowly, acknowledging the wisdom of Alexei’s words. It was highly coincidental Rayne suddenly showing up out of the blue, he couldn’t deny it.
“We should talk to Dayton,” Aaron said quietly. “He was the one who brought her into the pack.” His tone was angry, his body stiff with tension. He had let this woman care for his children. He had trusted her with the most precious people in his life. His wolf snorted inside him, reminding him that his mate and children were perfectly fine, not a hair harmed on their heads. It didn’t dent his anger. He didn’t like being played.
“Day, I need you,” Rayne said mentally, surprising his friend. She’d never spoken to him mentally before and she felt the question in his link with her even before he answered.
“What the fuck? Rayne? How the…?” A weary sigh. “Never mind! Where are you?”
“At Aaron’s.”She cut off her communication as Rafe was agreeing with Aaron and about to send someone to go look for his brother.
“He’s on his way,” she said quietly and almost sighed out loud as she became the subject of more hostile looks. “What, you don’t talk mentally to your mates or friends?” Her tone was disparaging, her patience starting to wear a bit thin. While she could understand their position it was starting to get on her nerves. She had just discovered information about herself that she’d never dreamed of ever learning. She needed time to digest it, discover what it meant for her.
Dayton ran up the stairs to the second floor wondering what trouble Rayne had gotten herself into this time. Her sudden ability to communicate with him mentally had thrown him for a loop. He was smart enough to realise that she’d most probably had the ability the whole time he’d known her. She was a cat and liked to hide things until it became necessary to reveal them.
One look at the faces of his pack and he knew things were dire as he stepped into the room. Rayne, being her usual self, was facing off with them with a serene expression on her face but he could see irritation dancing in her eyes and he fought down a groan.
“What have you done now?” he asked in a weary voice coming to stand beside her, making it more than clear that no matter what his friend had done he would stand at her side. Even if it meant going against his brother who he could see was furious.
“How long have we known each other, Day?” She countered, not taking her eyes off Alexei as she spoke.
“Too bloody long,” he answered wearily though he looked at his Alpha’s tense body language and knew the situation was fraught with danger. “I’ve known Rayne for over fifty years.”
Alexei shifted slightly and Rayne smiled a slow smile. “That kind of dents your theory a little, doesn’t it?” she all but smirked.
“What the fuck is going on?” Dayton demanded turning to look at his friend. He could see her cat starting to surface and knew she was getting ready to play. It most definitely was not the time or the place judging from the temperature in the room.
“They think I’m here to hurt their children,” she answered with disgust dripping from her tone. “They think I’m some kind of spy sent to gain their trust to hurt the pack.”
Astonishment crossed his features and his head swung back to meet Rafe’s hard gaze. “Rayne is a lot of things but a spy or someone who would hurt a child is most definitely not one of them,” he said quietly. “I would never have brought her to the compound if I had any doubts about that.” He was asking his Alpha to trust his judgement, even though he barely knew them.