It was Aaron who relaxed first. He trusted Dayton implicitly, knew his brother would do nothing that could even remotely cause any harm to his children or the pack. “She’s claiming to be a Vampire/Were hybrid,” he told his brother, disbelief about that still in his voice.
Dayton’s eyebrows rose in surprise and he turned back to Rayne to meet her steady gaze. “So that’s what you are,” he breathed softly.
She gave him a slightly tremulous smile, a spark in her eyes as she looked at him. “I think so,” she admitted quietly. “I’m not sure until I learn the history of the first Vamp/Were mating but the timing is right, Day.” She couldn’t keep the hope out of her voice or the uncertainty out of her eyes.
“It explains a lot,” he smiled at her, reaching out to touch her cheek gently, feeling the need to soothe her deep within him. “All your non Were abilities, the advanced speed and healing properties you have. That’s why you didn’t mind staying at the compound. It was because of the children.”
It was all slotting into place. Rayne hated her location being known to anyone. Hell, half the time he didn’t know where she stayed when she was in town. But she had agreed immediately to remain in the compound. He’d been surprised at her instant capitulation at the time.
“The day you met Loretta in the forest, the scent of the children drew me,” she whispered. “It was like finally finding what I didn’t even know I’d been searching for all these centuries. I had to see them, talk to them and find out if they were like me. I don’t mean them any harm. They are way too precious for anyone to ever hurt them.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, hope shining in their depths. “They call to my very soul, Day. It feels like I’m coming home, that I don’t have to walk the world endlessly alone anymore.”
Her voice choked off, large tears rolling down her face and Dayton was automatically pulling her into his arms, his heart wrenching at the vulnerability she very seldom let him see. The fact she allowed herself to be so vulnerable in front of others was a testament to how strong her emotions were at the moment.
“I told you last night you’ll never be alone,” he whispered gruffly kissing her head gently. “Not as long as I live. I’ll help you find out the truth even if the pack won’t.” He voice hardened as he said the last, meeting Rafe’s gaze with a hard look. He was letting his Alpha know in no uncertain terms where his allegiance lay in the matter.
Rafe met his gaze levelly and then slowly relaxed. His instincts told him that the wildcat was genuine, his fear for the children starting to slowly calm. Whether or not Rayne truly was the first hybrid child born over three thousand years ago was a moot point. She wasn’t a danger and it was clear that despite her confident exterior she was just as hurt and vulnerable inside as most of his pack members had been when joining him.
The instant he thought that he felt a shifting deep within him and couldn’t contain the startled gasp that escaped his lips. His eyes widened as Rayne’s head shot up and her tear filled green eyes met his startled ones.
“What was that?” she whispered hoarsely, confusion crossing her face at the strange feeling coursing through her and reaching out towards the huge man before her.
He suddenly began to smile, a slightly sheepish smile that made him look very endearing and not half as scary as he had before. “That, little wildcat, is called an Alpha bond,” he answered, his smile widening as his wolf accepted her completely. “Welcome to the pack, Rayne.”
*****
Rayne walked through the forest her thoughts in turmoil. The moment Rafe had welcomed her to the pack a handful of hours ago all the wolves had relaxed instantly, though the vampires had still looked at her with some suspicion in their eyes until their mates had rolled their eyes in exasperation.
As soon as Loretta had calmed Andrei down the other two vampires had relaxed too and just like that, she was accepted into a wolf pack as if she was meant to be there. She was confused on so many levels her agile mind couldn’t work through them all, so she had gone for a walk to try and clear her head.
Was she a hybrid child, the first ever born? It certainly answered a lot of her questions and the children were displaying the same abilities she had. Until she could get some definitive proof though, she didn’t want to believe it wholeheartedly, in case it turned out to be wrong.
The sudden trust of the Pack was also something she wasn’t used to. She had walked alone for so long that it was hard to let others in even though she craved to do so. Only Dayton had been able to slip under her guard and that had surprised her at the time though she had felt a measure of peace having one friend that she knew she could rely on.
The bond between her and Rafe terrified her. She could feel it even now as she walked further and further away from the compound. It tied her cat to the big man at such a primal level it scared the life out of her. It bound her here to this spot even though she was in no rush to leave now she’d discovered the children. Just knowing that if she did want to leave she would never be able to escape the Alpha bond was enough to give her chills. She was a cat and she detested being caged in anyway.
“Such a dark scowl for one so exquisite,” a disembodied voice said loudly and she looked up towards the sound, her heart thumping hard in her chest as her eyes locked on the male sitting high in the talk oak tree she was standing underneath.
For a second all she could do was drink in the sight of the beautiful male who had licked her so wickedly the other night. His beauty took her breath away, the hard angles of his face like carved granite, the deep lavender of his eyes intent as they flickered hungrily over her.
He screamed sensuality, a hot wicked brand of sexuality that promised pleasures untold as he stretched lazily along a thick branch, his booted feet crossed as were his arms across his wide chest. He was dressed head to toe in black as usual, his thick auburn hair lying loose across his shoulders. He looked as natural in the tree as he did on the forest floor and she couldn’t help smiling. The vampire was more cat that some of the leopards and jaguars she’d come across in her travels.
She didn’t even pause to consider the wisdom of climbing up to him. Her cat wanted to play and it liked playing with this male very much. She jumped agilely, catching a branch and slowly wending her way up towards the vampire whose name she didn’t even know.