A Long Walk Home Ch. 04

It brought him some feelings of trepidation at the thought of once again joining with his people but when, last night, he'd admitted to himself the hurt he had been doing to his family, a part of him had suddenly wanted to see them, to be with them. Aaron and Cedar were part of the Armand-Hanlon Pack. He could see his siblings if he went back, or rather, asked for permission to take his place in this new pack.

He had never met the Alpha but knew of him through Aaron, and he appeared to be a good Alpha. He wasn't Jared, wasn't someone he had known his entire life, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe having an Alpha who had never known Faith would make this easier.

"Day, are you okay?" Rayne asked quietly, a hint of concern in her voice and he took a deep breath slowly and then checked his mirrors. He pulled out into the light morning traffic.

"We have an Ancient vampire who has decided we're her entertainment," he answered just as quietly. "We're too isolated on our own. We need pack protection. We're going to my Alpha to ask if we can have that protection."

Rayne let out a long whistle, her heart starting to kick up a quick beat. She had no idea what had happened after she'd left the gallery the night before. She'd considered hanging around to make sure Dayton was okay but had decided that this was one battle he had to fight on his own. Whatever had happened he was going back to his people. Finally he was reaching out to the pack for help.

She hadn't expected it to happen so fast. She had expected it to be a gradual thing but clearly something had occurred the night before which had shattered Dayton's defences in a way she'd never been able to. She felt a moment's guilt for having left him to fend for himself.

"This Ancient, did she hurt you?" she asked carefully. If Freya had hurt him she wasn't going to be very pleased with her. He looked okay; pissed off big time, but healthy enough.

A low growl emanated from his throat as he deftly turned the Jeep off the road and headed onto a dirt-packed forest road. "Yes."

It was the only answer he gave her and he appeared reluctant even to do that. She considered pressing him further but they were almost at the compound now and she was suddenly distracted by the wonderful scents that had teased so mercilessly when she had last been there.

She couldn't help looking into the trees to see if she could catch a glimpse of her vampire. He had warned her away from the pack unless invited. She was sure that this would be classed as an invitation but she was hoping she might see him again while she was here.

*****

Rafe Hanlon slid himself carefully into his mate's body, growling softly as her wet heat wrapped around him and welcomed him home. Lacey's cry of pleasure was sweet music to his ears as he took her gently from behind, satisfying the burning need within them both as he moved inside her with long, sure strokes.

He never got tired of loving his exquisite mate, of joining with her like this. It was less frequent these days because of her very pregnant condition. He tried to temper his need for her but she was a determined woman when she wanted something. This morning she had most definitely decided she'd wanted him.

He'd come awake to her wet mouth surrounding his hard shaft, her tongue licking firmly up and down him. He'd have had to be a saint to resist her and he'd never once claimed to be a saint. Now they made slow, languorous love together, his hands stroking her heated flesh as he took her with a gentleness that belied his huge stature.

"God, I love you, Lacey," he groaned as he felt her passion start to peak and knew she would be flying soon. He was so close himself, so ready to lose himself to the sweet bliss only she could give him. He stroked into her a few times more, sending her tumbling into her pleasure and shuddering wildly as he joined her.

Cradling her tightly to his chest he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her neck gently, luxuriating in the afterglow of their lovemaking. He chuckled lightly and shook his head in mock exasperation. "You need to stop doing that, baby," he said ruefully, his hand stroking over her very swollen stomach.

"I'm pregnant, Rafe, not sick," she snorted with amusement, turning awkwardly in his arms so she could face him on her side. "Mallen says there's nothing wrong with making love. It's not going to hurt the babies in any way."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. There was no arguing with his woman when she had her mind set on something. His hand stroked her stomach again and he marvelled at the life growing within her. They had waited so long before starting a family, until Lacey had finished her teaching qualification. Soon they would know the joy of being parents for the first time.

It had been hard on both of them watching all the new lives being born to the pack while they waited but it had been the right thing to do. Lacey had needed her independence; she had needed something that was just for her and nobody else. It was almost as if it was the last thing she needed to do to put away the horror she had been through at the hands of Richard Graves, when he had stripped her of everything she was as a person and turned her into a toy to be fought over.

Rafe didn't regret waiting. He would have waited forever for Lacey to be finally free of Graves and ready to fulfil the destiny that was hers, to be his mate, his love, the mother of his children and the strong Alpha Bitch of the Armand-Hanlon pack.

"You're perfect," he sighed softly, touching her cheek tenderly as she laughed at his compliment though a fierce love shone in her eyes.

"You're biased," she retorted, though she did lean in for a kiss, her laughter increasing as her stomach got in the way.

"Shower," he chuckled, sliding out of bed and heading into the en-suite to start the water running. He knew she would go back to sleep the moment his back was turned so he showered alone and quickly towelled himself dry.

He smiled lovingly when he re-entered the bedroom to find her fast asleep, her long silvery blonde hair fanning the dark pillows. She truly was perfection in his eyes, the one woman he could never be without. Covering her naked body with a sheet, he grabbed a pair of loose sweatpants and pulled a tight vest top over his powerfully built chest.

Rafe was a big man, the largest Were in a hundred miles. He stood almost six and a half feet tall with a wide, muscled chest and thick arms and legs. His long dark brown hair was wet and unkempt; he ran his fingers through it in an attempt to tame it in lieu of a comb. His eyes almost matched the colour of his hair and he had the rugged, handsome face of a movie star. He exuded power in every lithe movement, his position as Alpha of the Armand-Hanlon Pack undeniable.

The sound of an approaching vehicle caught his attention and he strode to the window. He tensed immediately at the sight of an unknown Jeep entering the main compound and strode quickly from the bedroom.

"Mallen, inside," he barked at the pack doctor who was just running up to the third floor which housed the Alpha's private quarters. "No one gets in that room under any circumstances."

The sandy haired Were was nodding instantly, slipping into the bedroom to guard his Alpha's mate.

Rafe met two of his Betas on the way downstairs. "Protect Lacey," he ordered quietly, his steps never faltering as Sam and Harley flew past him silently on their way to the third floor.

He was at his front door by the time the Jeep stopped. The driver's door opened and a tall man exited the vehicle. Surprise hit him like a sledgehammer as he saw who was standing beside the vehicle.

He read cold hard fury in the other man's gaze as he quickly studied him. His long brown hair was unbound, the inch long streak of silver glinting in the warm summer sunshine. He knew who he was, and felt his fury through the fragile bond of Alpha and pack member.

Rafe had almost resigned himself to the fact that Dayton Alexander would eventually snap the fragile bond between them, that he would never come to accept it and would one day become truly alone, a Were with no pack, with no Alpha to guide him when he needed it. He had respected the other man's need to be alone, figuring he would come to him if he ever felt the need. It would appear that he now did.

He sensed Aaron come up beside him, heard the sharp intake of breath from his number two and best friend. He could only imagine what must be going through his friend's mind right now as he looked on his brother for the first time in more than fifty years.

Another startled gasp reached his ears and he turned his head to see Cedar standing frozen in the middle of the compound. There was no sign of Alexei; he must have stayed with the children while the pack investigated the newcomers.

"Dayton?" she whispered, her eyes suddenly filling with tears as she stared at the brother she'd assumed she would never see again. Loretta had told her that they had talked briefly; that her brother was still hurting badly and there was no sign of him coming back to the pack. Seeing him there in front of her was more than she could stand. She took a step forward.

"I need to speak with you, Alpha," Dayton finally said, his words cold and hard, stopping Cedar in her tracks.

She choked down a cry of disappointment, desperate to go to him but knowing he wasn't ready for that. His body language screamed to keep away, his voice a whip crack across her skin. Dayton was here but he didn't want to be. He might never want to truly be pack again.

"Aaron, take Cedar inside before her distress causes Alexei to react," Rafe said quietly, his eyes remaining fixed on the man before him. "You know what he gets like when he thinks someone is deliberately hurting her." He chose his words carefully to soothe the pain he could feel in his friend too.

Stepping down from the porch he walked towards the Jeep. He glanced at the cat sitting quietly in the passenger seat, making no move to get out. "Can she be trusted?" he asked as he glanced at the stunning woman who appeared to be no threat. "My mate is due to give birth soon. My wolf is a bit irrational at the moment."

Dayton nodded, understanding what the Alpha was telling him. If Rayne proved a threat in any way he would kill her to protect his children and the pack young. It was a warning and a promise all rolled into one. The pack would be protected at all costs.

"I wouldn't have brought her if she couldn't be trusted," he answered firmly. "Rayne will harm no one, Alpha."

Rafe considered for a long moment, searching the other man's face intently and then he finally relaxed. The moment he did so the rest of the waiting Pack did too. "Come," he ordered, turning and heading back to his home.

He heard the Jeep door open and inhaled deeply to scent the wildcat. He stiffened and turned his head slightly to look back at the woman. She met his gaze unflinchingly, waiting to see how he would react at being unable to scent her. After a brief pause he turned away and continued into the house.

They followed him inside into a huge library-come-study off to the right. It was full of plush leather sofas and chairs, a large desk sitting in the far corner facing out to the room. It was obvious that this was a comfortable meeting room for a large number of people.

Rafe didn't sit behind the desk; instead he chose his favourite armchair beside the open fireplace. He watched as his two visitors chose to sit together on the sofa closest to him. Watching them intently he wondered if they were sleeping together. He could sense that they possessed a close bond, which was quite astounding given the way Dayton Alexander shunned all closeness with anyone. But then he realised that he couldn't sense any sexual tension between them; friendship appeared to be what brought them together.

"For the sake of your friend I'll introduce myself," he finally said when the silence stretched on and nobody spoke. He looked at the woman and gave her a brief smile. "I'm Rafe Hanlon, Alpha of the Armand-Hanlon Pack."

"Rayne."

He quirked an enquiring eyebrow at her and her lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement dancing across her pretty face.

"Just Rayne," she said softly. "You already know I'm not a wolf. I'm a black panther."

He nodded and turned to look at Dayton who was watching their interaction with interest. Their eyes met and a long moment passed between them before Rafe sighed softly.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Dayton," he remarked. He was pleased the wolf had come to him but he was curious to know why. "Loretta didn't think you were anywhere close to returning to the pack when she met you."

"I wasn't," Dayton answered carefully. "I don't know if I will ever be truly ready to return to the pack." He didn't see any point in lying to his Alpha. He was here only because he had been left with no choice in the matter.

Rafe sighed again and tapped his fingers against his lips as he digested the other man's words. He was grateful for his honesty but his presence would pose issues he didn't want to have to deal with at the moment. Not with Lacey being so close to giving birth.

"That is problematic," he finally admitted. "Cedar's mate does not react well to any hurt caused to her. You're lucky he was detained with the children just now or I would have had to restrain him from ripping your throat out. Your presence here is going to cause ructions within the pack if you're unable to integrate with your family."

A dark scowl crossed Dayton's face and he felt a stab of guilt run through him. He had known his cold reaction would hurt his sister. He knew it had hurt Aaron too though his brother was better able at hiding it. He didn't want to hurt them but it was hard to throw off fifty years of solitude to let them back in. He knew he now wanted to but he didn't know how to.

"It's not my intention to hurt Cedar or Aaron," he ground out, some of his cold fury igniting into something a bit darker.

"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...