Still muttering under her breath she helped him tidy up and Dayton was relieved to see the old Rayne appearing. He’d barely recognised the woman who’d first shown up at the gallery. He hoped this Gard character was going to treat her well because he’d have him to deal with if he hurt her in anyway. Not that he’d be able to do much against an Ancient vampire. Apart from sic Freya on him. That thought had him smiling, as did the one that she would be waiting for him in his room when he got home.
“Shift your ass, Rayne.”
She arched an eyebrow at him and dumped the hamper in his arms before grabbing his car keys from the desk. “I think I preferred you when you were a manic depressive,” she said snippily. “I’ll wait in the car.”
Grinning, Dayton tossed the hamper in the office and closed and locked up. He was excited to return to the pack and also excited to have Rayne returning with him.
It didn’t take them long to get back to the compound, Dayton all but bounding up the steps into the house. He sensed immediately that something was wrong and he stiffened as he saw the strangers in the sitting room. He knew they were vampires rather than Weres and it was easy enough to guess which two were Caleb and Rhianna and which was Gard.
Rayne walked in at the back of him and froze instantly. Her startled gasp was loud in the silence, her eyes strangely not on Gard but on the other two vampires.
Rafe stood from the sofa and motioned them to come in. It was only as they entered that Dayton noticed Freya leaning against the far wall, her eyes on Caleb Cullen but quickly swinging to his as he entered. He immediately wanted to go to her, Rafe’s words from earlier causing him to want to protect her.
“Rayne, Dayton, you haven’t been formally introduced to my sister Annie and her partner Caleb. I believe you already know Gard, Rayne.” Silence greeted Rafe’s introduction.
Dayton was torn between going to Freya and staying beside Rayne. She was so still at his side; he could barely hear her breathing. His eyes met Freya’s and she nodded slightly, letting him know she was okay.
“I know you,” Rayne suddenly whispered, her gaze still on Caleb and Annie. “How can I know you?”
Rhianna stood, walking towards her and stopping when she close enough to reach out and touch her. Her lavender eyes seemed to glow in the lamplight flooding the room and then a tear slid silently down her cheek.
“It’s her,” she said softly, her voice catching. “I’d recognise those eyes anywhere. Even as an infant your eyes were already remarkable, that thread of silver captivating around the green of your iris. You’ve walked alone a long time, Sarayne.”
Rayne’s knees buckled and Dayton caught her before the vampire could lay hands on her. He immediately blocked her from the other woman, the huge auburn haired vampire growling loudly in the background.
“Annie, what the fuck?” Rafe bit out. “You said she was in no danger.”
“She isn’t,” Rhianna cried, confusion crossing her face.
Dayton was easing Rayne further away, holding her tightly as he growled a warning at the room. “You used me to bring her here?” he roared furiously at Rafe, all his instincts to protect coming to the fore.
“Everyone calm down.” Caleb’s quiet tone didn’t lessen the impact of his words. It had the desired effect the room falling silent for a moment.
Rayne appeared to be in some kind of shock, her gaze unfocused as Dayton held her close. “Rayne, talk to me,” he demanded choosing to ignore the others. “Come on, snap out of it. Anyone would think you were some weak lily-livered woman the way you’re carrying on.” His tone was derisive, designed to catch her attention.
It worked as she slowly focused on him, blinking almost in slow motion as she gathered her wits about her. “I remember, Day,” she choked out. “I was so young I shouldn’t be able to remember it but I do. Mama was crying. We were in a cold, dark place and Mama was holding me so tightly and I could hear Daddy crying too. Then a pretty lady came and she took me and passed me to a man. I wanted Mama so I reached for her but she was holding another me but it wasn’t me.”
Her breath caught in a sob and it was only his strong grip that held her up as the memories assaulted her. “The man took me and ran away. I was crying because I wanted Mama but he wouldn’t take me back no matter how much I cried. He ran for a long time and he kept falling down but he didn’t drop me. Not until the last time he fell down.”
Her voice turned hoarse her breathing ragged as she pushed around Dayton staring first at Rhianna and then at Caleb. And then she turned to Gard, met his hard, lavender gaze and she crumpled to the floor with a cry of anguish. “You left me,” she wailed staring at him in disbelief. “I was a child, a baby and you left me alone in the middle of a dark forest. How could you do that, Gard? How could you abandon me? Leave me helpless?”
The vampire moved, hissing a warning as Dayton tried to intervene. The tension in the room exploded and Rafe immediately came to Dayton’s side as Freya leapt across the room to land in a crouch in front of him. Her talons clicked together as she dared Gard to come anywhere near her wolf.
Gard ignored her and the others dropping down beside Rayne and pulling her into his arms. He said nothing, merely held her as she wept agonising sobs, his arms so tight around her he was afraid he would mark her soft skin. But he couldn’t let her go, not when her heart was breaking and he was the cause of that anguish.
Fury oozed from every pore in Rafe’s body as he glared at his sister. “You’d better have a good explanation for this, Rhianna. Because if I don’t like what I hear I swear to God you will no longer be welcome in this compound.”
“Back off, Rafe.” Caleb’s voice was like a bucket of cold ice being thrown over the entire room. “Don’t you blame her for this or use emotional blackmail against her. You and I will have a serious issue if you do.”
“Stop it,” Rhianna moaned softly. “Both of you.” Her eyes turned to her brother with a silent plea in them. “None of us mean any harm to Rayne. You wanted answers for her. Well, the answer is she is Sarayne, the first born hybrid child, the one we tried to save when her parents were destroyed by The Council. We told you our history. We believed the child perished when Gard came back to try and help us. She was less than eighteen months old at the time. How could we know she would retain enough memories of then?”
Rafe glared at her a moment longer and then he frowned deeply and looked down at Rayne. “Is she strong enough to cope with this, Dayton?”