Rayne listened to the message for a second time and closed her cell. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She’d barely moved out of her apartment since she’d fled from Gard. She was afraid he would be looking for her and decided that staying in one place would minimise the chances of him picking up her trail.
Her earlier conversation with Dayton had left her reeling. She was so happy for him and wanted to go to him, to see the life in his eyes as he let go of his past and embraced the future. But he had been angry with her too because she’d talked of leaving. He’d said some harsh things but she couldn’t fault him for doing so. She was a coward, running from Gard even though she didn’t even know why she was.
The children needed her. The pack needed her. They had offered her a home, something she’d craved all her life. And all she wanted to do was run as far away as she could. Even her cat was mad at her for leaving their mate.
She sighed deeply and threw herself down into her large, overstuffed armchair in her small sitting room. Dayton didn’t sound angry any more in his voicemail and she did want to see him. Making her decision she dragged herself out of the armchair and walked the block and a half to the gallery.
The door was locked but the wall lights were on, the rug she’d brought the last time in the middle of the room. She let herself in with her key just as Dayton walked out of the back office. Instantly she could see the change in him. He looked so much more relaxed, younger even now that he wasn’t holding his emotions in so rigidly. The smile he gave her lit up his entire face and she felt tears well up in her eyes. He looked happy.
“Wasn’t sure whether you’d come or not,” he admitted moving over to the rug and kneeling down on it. “You caught me off guard this afternoon. I’m sorry I came across so harsh.”
“We’ve always told each other the truth,” she sighed softly. “Even if we haven’t always wanted to hear it.” She sank down beside him and accepted the glass of champagne he handed her.
“To new beginnings,” he toasted, clinking his glass to hers.
She stared at him wondering just whose new beginnings he was referring to. He held her gaze for a moment and then he rummaged in the basket again and began laying out the food.
“You were right, you know,” he said as he worked. “About Freya. Did you know, Rayne?” His eyes met hers again and they positively shone with happiness.
She gasped loudly, shaking her head. “You and Freya?” She had known they had the power to heal each other but she hadn’t expected them to be mates. Suddenly she understood the full importance of Dayton letting go of his past. “Where you with her; when you called the first time? Was she the friend you’d borrowed the cell phone from?”
He nodded and stuck a cracker into a salsa dip. “I’m taking it slow because she’s not used to the whole love and adoration thing,” he smiled taking a large bite out of the cracker and crunching enthusiastically. “She’s coming to trust me so it’s only a matter of time before we complete the mating.”
Rayne was stunned at his news but pleasantly so. “Won’t she have to… heal you so you can complete the mating?”
He laughed softly and took another sip of his drink. “Already taken care of as I was stupid enough to fall into a pit and sever my femoral artery. Freya found me and healed me. She’s already had a bite out of me too and I’m still alive so we know everything’s fine on that score.”
She drained her glass and held it out for a refill, shock rippling through her as he casually spoke of almost dying, being healed by his mortal enemy before allowing her to bite him as he decided she was going to be his mate. All in a matter of days? It was making her head spin.
“Day, don’t you think this is all happening too fast?” She couldn’t keep the concern out of her voice.
“Not any faster than you finding your mate in Gard and then pissing off with your tail between your legs.”
The stem of her champagne flute snapped in two, the bottom part piercing her palm and drawing blood. Her body went rigid with shock as her eyes locked on his. He was watching her intently, daring her to lie to him.
“How did you find out about that?”
He rose and headed into the office, coming back out with a first aid kit. “Rafe said Gard admitted to having contact with you. He speculated it could have been something romantic. Gard being your mate seemed the only logical explanation to me.”
He removed the stem from her palm and quickly used the tweezers from the kit to pull out any glass shards before she healed. She cleaned her hand with some antibacterial wipes and cleaned up the mess she’d made as he put the kit away and returned with a new glass for her.
“What’s got you spooked, Rayne?”
Her head dropped and she stared sightlessly at the rug. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “He calls to me, Day. Everything about him makes my blood pound in my veins and my heart beat so fast I’m afraid it will burst out of my chest. My cat claimed him during the heat of passion. I claimed him before I even got into his bed. And then something frightened me. My gut told me to flee and I couldn’t stop myself from doing so. I made out it was just a casual fuck and that hurt him, made him mad. I haven’t been back to the compound since.”
Her misery was so strong that he reached out and pulled her down beside him stroking her cheek gently as they faced each other. “Well, speaking from a male perspective I can understand why he wouldn’t have been too impressed with that parting shot,” he said with a touch of amusement in his voice.
“You know you can’t run from your mate, Rayne. You know we need you in the pack. Come home with me. I’ll help you reach an understanding with this Gard if you need me to. You’re not alone. I’ve told you that before. You’ll never be alone as long as I live. And you have a mate waiting for you now too.”
She shivered and closed her eyes, looking so vulnerable that he barely recognised the woman he’d known for over five decades. Finally her eyes opened and she nodded her agreement.
“How does Freya feel about us?” she asked suddenly. The vampire didn’t strike her very much as the sharing kind. If she was going to be staying then she needed to know the lay of the land.
A smile crossed his face and his eyes danced with amusement. “She’s as jealous as hell,” he admitted smugly. “A sure sign that she’s feeling the mating pull and will soon be mine.”
Rayne snorted and rolled onto her back, muttering a curse under her breath. “Glad you’re finding it so funny. I’m really not looking forward to having an Ancient vampire looking to rip my head off because she thinks I’m after you.”
He laughed loudly and jumped to his feet. “All the more reason to mate with Gard; so she doesn’t see you as competition. Come on, let’s get back. I’ve got a hot date lined up for tonight.”