Episode 28: Nature of the Beast

Genre: Horror

Characters: Kaya, Rafe, Connor, Lobo, Ulrick, Luther, Dexter, Julius

Word Count: 6,019

Rating: R

Type: Series

Summary: Kaya gets a little more information out of Luther and learns there are many more diaries compared to what she's read. Luther must prove that what he wanted out of Lexi has been granted and Kaya is the unfortunately recipient of his attack. Connor and Rafe go on the hunt for Kaya and tread through enemy territory.

Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, adult content, adult situations, nudity, ATTEMPTED RAPE

“Kaya can we talk?” Lobo knocked hesitantly on his daughter’s door before pushing his way into her room. Her bed was still made and nothing appeared disturbed bringing him to the conclusion she hadn’t slept there last night. “Kaya?” he sniffed around and realized she was not even present in the manor. His first thought was of Rafe and he knew she must have disobeyed him again. Growing angrier by the minute he rushed towards Connor’s door and threw it open without knocking. “Where is she?”

“Alpha!” Connor instantly took a knee in front of his Elder and let his gaze meet the floor. “I’m not sure I follow Alpha.”

“My daughter, Connor, where is Kaya?”

“I…I don’t know.”

Lobo growled intensely and Connor’s wolf submitted to him by whimper but his gaze never left the floor. “She’s with him isn’t she?” He paced the room clenching and unclenching his fist as his wolf began to emerge. “I told her to STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” he pounded his fist through the wall knocking bits of plaster to the floor and shaking the foundation of the manor.

Ulrick heard the commotion and rushed towards the room hoping to settle his old friend before things took a turn. He looked towards Connor who still rested on his knee in front of him and noticed the damage done to the wall. “Armand?”

“Where does he live?” Lobo snarled at Connor ignoring Ulrick’s attempts to calm him.

“I’ve never been to his place but I’m sure we could sniff it out Alpha.” He bowed and pulled to his feet. Quickly tossing on a shirt he headed after Lobo and Ulrick.

It took less than ten minutes to find Rafe’s apartment building. Lobo jumped from the passenger seat of the Hummer before it came to a complete stop and rushed inside. Buzzing the callbox to get the wolf to unlock his floor he was met with a crackling sound indicating the box was not in service. “It’s going to be repaired today,” a young woman smiled towards him. “I’ve already called the superintendent. Who are you looking for? Perhaps I can unlock the lift for you.”

“Rafe Hemming.”

“Ah the superstar. Well unfortunately I can’t open to his floor but maybe…”

“We can take it from here, thank you,” Ulrick tossed her his most congenial smile and waited for her to exit the front door. He moved into the corner beside the call box and howled knowing Rafe would be able to sense him inside. The lift unlocked and the trio headed up towards his floor. 

Rafe was standing in the doorway waiting on the elevator door to open. He smiled seeing Connor and Ulrick step out but the expression quickly faded when they were followed by his Alpha. Taking two steps backwards he reentered his apartment and waited on the others to join him. “So…uh? Can I offer anyone a drink?”

The growling emanating from Lobo’s chest was hard to ignore and only got louder seeing Rafe’s indifference towards his arrival to his home. “WHERE IS KAYA!?”

“Kaya? She’s not home?”

The Alpha took a step towards Rafe and Ulrick stepped in his path halting his movements. “Look, Rafe, we can smell her here and it’s been since the last 8 hours. Now you can either tell us where she went or I stop holding back your Alpha and watch him rip the information from your tongue.”

“Rick man, I’m not denying that she was here last night but when I woke up this afternoon she was gone. No note, no kiss goodbye nothing. I tried calling her to see what was up and why she rushed off so quickly but her cell goes straight to voicemail and she hasn’t called me back.” Rafe got a horrible feeling in the pit of his belly and his heart dropped to the floor thinking about Kaya being hurt somewhere.

The thought never crossed his mind until now but without his bond to her he would never know where she was or what was happening short of hearing from her. Suddenly guilt began filling his nerves and he regretted not trying to hunt her down when she didn’t answer the first four phone calls. “Where would she go?”

“I think I know,” Connor sighed remembering her concern over the Vanderbilt Alpha. “She was worried that Roman and his pack would seek revenge over the loss of the treaty so she’d mentioned she had to speak to him before he left town. She could be with him.”

“No, she’s not. He’s back in Parkridge and is ecstatic over the agreement they came to. I spoke with him earlier it’s why I was looking for her to talk.” Lobo fell forward onto his arms as he pieced together the timeline to try and track down his little girl. Wherever she was she wasn’t able to mentally call for him; he felt the block when he went looking for her earlier. He figured it was because she was trying to avoid him as he told her but now he wasn’t so sure. “We have to retrace her steps and find her! Connor head over to the Pacifica hotel it’s off the breezeway. Ulrick see if she’s hiding out at one of the shelters. I’ll check her favorite haunts…maybe we crossed paths and she made it back home.”

“What about me? I need to find her!” Rafe spoke up stopping the retreating pack before they could exit his apartment. “I’m just as concerned if not more! She’s my mate; I have to know she’s safe!”

Lobo stepped back towards Rafe, pushing Ulrick away with a stiff arm and growling for him to stay out of it this time. “Go near my daughter again and I will RIP YOU IN HALF! Stay away from her Rafe, last warning!” his words were removed by the rumbling in his chest. Every word was a roar and the man was doing everything he could to remain in control. If he hurt Rafe at this point, he hurt his daughter; it was a bluff but he needed the wild wolf out of the picture in order to keep her safe.

Rafe’s eyes flashed yellow and he immediately gave in to his wolf. Knowing Kaya was out there and no one could pin down her location was bad enough. And now having his Alpha try and keep him from his mate only served to enrage the wild beast within him. He bit through his tongue as his fangs sharpened and lengthened within his gums. His gaze darted from the man in front of him to the pictures of his happy, smiling mate on his kitchen table. “SHE’S MINE AND I WILL FIND HER MYSELF!” he bellowed and ripped past the three men leaving them standing in his apartment as he tore through the streets on the prowl for the one he would soon bond. All that was left now was finding her.

Kaya had read all three diaries from front to back and by the time she was through she had more questions than answers. She pulled up from her bed and started towards Luther’s bedroom. Passing through the living room her eyes fell on a woman sitting in one of the downstairs libraries and for a moment remained fixed on her. She seemed completely out of place in this pack and the sorrow showing on her face only added to reason that she was not here of her own freewill.

Stepping a bit closer she felt a connection to the scarred woman; there was something familiar about her. Realizing she was a pack mate Kaya started for her but when she noticed Kaya’s focus on her, she quickly shut the door. Kaya sighed and moved on towards the other side of the manor. She stopped hesitantly outside Luther’s door and debated whether or not she actually wanted to step into the lion’s den. “Come inside Kaya, I won’t bite.”

She pushed through the double doors entering his sleeping quarters. Her eyes widened from the sheer elegance dripping from every panel of the walls around her. Luther definitely enjoyed living in luxury and the room was fit for a king. The interior design was white and gold with fleur de lis hidden in the patterns. There were large cushioned pillows and loungers along the walls, a bed with a thick goose down quilt and large vases of white roses in each corner of the room. “Please,” he sighed motioning towards a small seating area beside a large bay window.

She sat the diaries on the coffee table and folded her legs into her chest trying to decide where to begin. “My Mother…she really cared for you.”

“And I for her,” he acknowledged strolling leisurely towards his bureau. 

Pulling a freshly pressed black dress shirt from the chest he slowly buttoned to the top before joining her on the sofa. “You have no idea how much you look like her Kaya. Her eyes were hazel but between the two of you that’s the only difference.”

“You blame my father for coming between you but from what I read, once she felt her connection to him she was drawn as true mates are.”

He pulled the books from the table and glanced at the back pages of each one. Shoving the last towards her he showed her a small annotation at the bottom circled in black marker. “Book 3 of 8. She wrote well into her marriage with Lobo and even a little after you were born. The best stuff is during the war; that’s where things become clearer including things involving your true mate.”

“Mine? Ok so where are the rest of the diaries?”

“Destroyed I’d assume considering they were last in your father’s possession. It’s been his mission to blind you to everything that should have been, could have been.” A wicked smile grew upon his face as he watched her contemplate his words and the meaning behind them.

She was becoming confused, twisted; her mind was muddled with facts that she began to question. What really did she know about her own life? How much of it was falsified if what Luther was saying was true? “Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?”

He folded his hands into his lap and leaned forward taking pleasure in the sense of dread that saturated the air between them. “Kaya you’ve been lied to and manipulated your entire life. I just figured you were due a little truth.”

She narrowed her gaze at him trying to determine what his real meaning was and the true motive of his suddenly friendly and forthcoming attitude. “So then it’s just convenient this welcomed bit of ‘truth’ comes around the time you want something as well?”

“Well what can I say? I believe in a little tit for tat. Do you think that makes what I’m telling you any less true?”

“It could. You like to fuck with people’s heads Luther. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you sent your bitch after Connor and Rafe. You get off on this shit!”

He growled and moved a little closer causing her to slink away. He could sense her discomfort and the anger that soon followed that he could only assume was directed towards her father. She was unknowingly falling right towards the direction he needed. A little dissention between the Elders of Greymane would leave them weakened. And if he could rip apart the bonds they shared and possibly gather a few of their wolves for himself he’d have an unstoppable army and once vulnerable he could finally claim his throne. Glancing at the clock he pulled up from the sofa and grabbed his phone shoving it towards her. “Time for you to get to work. Oh and Kaya? Try and sound convincing.”

“Rafe!” Connor yelled chasing after him. “RAFE! STOP!” he gripped him hard by the shoulders and tossed him into the building. Rafe immediately reacted with a fist to his jaw causing Connor to stumble back. Rubbing one hand against his cheek, he charged at the retreating wolf once more shoving him against the cool brick surface. “STOP! STOP before this goes any further between us man!” Overpowering him he rested his forearm against his neck until Rafe’s eyes were on his. He continued clawing at him even with the strong muscle beginning to cut off his air passages. Connor growled and flashed his eyes at his friend. He was not prepared to handle him if he turned and he needed him to come off it before things got worse. Leaning forward more Rafe finally stopped thrashing around and he could see him coming down. Backing away slowly he caught a breath and tossed his shirt at him. “We will find her but you need to get a fucking grip.”

“Get a grip? What are you fucking high? How am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know but you’d better figure it out. If Kaya is the only one that can settle you when you’re at your worst then it’s in everyone’s best interest if you don’t hulk out! Seriously Rafe, that shit won’t help anyone right now, alright?” He slowly sucked in a breath and nodded at the redhead. “Good, now come on we can hit the hotel together; it was the last place we know she was so her scent could still be in the area and if so we can follow her.”

Rafe jumped into the passenger seat and Connor floored it towards the other side of town. “Won’t this get you in trouble with your Alpha?” he sneered when the last word rolled off his tongue.

“He’s yours too Hemi and probably so. But, and you had better not repeat this, Alpha isn’t thinking clearly right now. Kaya’s never strayed far from his reach and the fact that I can’t even feel her right now scares the shit out of me so I know he’s going through it too.”

“How does that work anyway? Feeling someone in the pack?”

“You just have to concentrate on them. It helps best if you know their scent and have it stored somewhere in your psyche that you can access when needed. You can always turn it on and off depending on if you ever want to just get lost but that’s not Ky, she’d never go off the grid for any reason.”

“Yeah...FUCK!” Rafe kicked the console below the glove compartment and beat his hand into the vinyl growing angry again over the fact that he hesitated when he first didn’t receive a response from her.

“Whoa! Not the Hummer man, chill with that shit.” Connor brushed an imaginary “bruise” from the dash and smiled. “This is my baby and she didn’t do anything to you!”

Rafe laughed and flipped the sun visor back in place and gazed out the window watching the passing trees zip by in a blur of red and gold. “So…Hemi?”

“Tell me that shit don’t fit. The engine is all about maximum power correct?”

“Yeah but I thought you hated nicknames, Cocobear.”

Connor winced hearing the name from Rafe’s mouth and heard the makings of laughter from the passenger seat. “Funny, you got jokes now. That’s great, thank you. I hate when Ky embarrasses me with that name but I love that she even gave me one or two in the first place. You only nickname the things you hold dearest.” He sighed and thought over their friendship which brought a smile to his face that quickly faded with the idea of her possibly lying hurt somewhere. “We’ll find her man and if someone is behind this they’ll pay with their fucking lives!”

He pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and they hopped from the vehicle rushing towards the stairs where Kaya’s scent was strongest. “What is that? There was someone else here with her. I know this smell I think…I smelled it when I…”

“Dexter!”

“Dexter?”

“The fucking Beta for Gideon.”

“Gideon! That’s what I smell! What the fuck does that mean? They took her?”

“It would explain why she’s off the grid. Luther blocks that shit at his place so he can easily dispose of…shit GET IN!”

Thumbing the number for Lobo, Connor quickly contacted his Alpha to let him know what he’d uncovered. “I’m gonna fucking kill him!” Connor could hear the makings of his Alpha losing control. The threat of his wolf emerging caused Connor’s to stir. He had the ability to force change on his subjects and even over the phone Connor was seeing just how powerful that skill was.

“Alpha we’ll get her back! But you can’t…”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do! She’s there because of me! Because I was foolish and…”

“What? You know why she’s been taken? What the hell does he want with her?”

Lobo sighed and showed obvious signs of hesitation he wasn’t in the mood to go through it with Connor nor did he care to explain himself. “Luther keeps his place like Fort Knox and we’re not in the position to go in there right now. I cannot physically enter Gideon as Luther cannot enter Greymane. We’re bound as Alphas by Council magic. Territory is different, but the actual housings are off limits. I also cannot instruct any of my subordinates to go there without inciting war based on the same rulings. This is me not telling you what to do. I can’t risk something happening to her. I’ll take care of things. Officially I am telling you that for now just get back to the manor; keep her safe Connor.” He hung up and turned to Rafe’s vigorously shaking head.

“There’s no fucking way that’s happening Connor; if you need to go then let me out now. I’m not leaving her in his hands! No fucking way!”

“Relax. I’m pretty sure Alpha wants me to disobey this order he just can’t give the command without breaking the #1 rule of the Council.” Turning the corner and jumping on the on-ramp, he gunned it towards Gideon Place, his face and eyes carrying every emotion he was feeling. His best friend needed him and with the help of the wild wolf beside him, they were breaking her out one way or another.

“It’s done. You got what you wanted now let me go!”

“Let you go? There you go demanding things again!” Luther growled and turned to face her. “Kaya haven’t you learned anything by now? I’m a man of my word, true. When I say I’m going to release someone, I let them go. But over the years I’ve come to build what is called a cynical personality. You see Lobo said it was done and you confirmed that with your seer but…how do I know for sure they’re not lying just to get you out of here?” he smirked and she ran for the door.

Luther pinned her against the wall and she struggled to break free. But he was older and with that age came a great deal of strength; wrestling with him was useless. “Please, don’t do this Luther.”

“‘Please’? I like that Kaya, I like hearing you beg! Come on Beautiful! Your looks and brains and my…well everything else, our pups would be unstoppable!”

“But I have a mate!”

“That you’re not bonded to. And if you think Lobo would ever allow you to have Rafe the way you want, you’re fooling yourself.”

“But I thought you said you didn’t want to hurt me!”

“Hmm I don’t Kaya but unfortunately for you I know what would really get to that father of yours. He’s weak when it comes to you which means if I want to weaken the beast taking what he holds the most precious is my best way.”

“Taking?” He rubbed a finger over her neck smiling wickedly as she realized what he really meant. “My…b-b-bond?” She swallowed hard and watched his fangs lengthen through his gums, his eyes shooting a steady beat on her throat as he inched closer. “Is this really why you’ve brought me here? And all that shit about my Mom and her diaries?”

“All true but it does nothing to change my purpose! You could have and should have been MY Pup! But I had everything ripped away from me Kaya!”

“And how is ANY of this my fault? I wasn’t even born!”

“Yeah I know.” She tensed beneath him and turned to avoid his mouth on her flesh and he growled as he slammed a hand against the wall behind her making her jump in fear. “I’m sorry; I’m being rude aren’t I? You prefer a little foreplay first? Come on Luther, where are your manners?” he grinned sadistically and pressed his lips against hers forcibly spreading them with his tongue and sucking on hers as he coaxed it from her mouth. “Mmm. You should stop squirming so much it’ll only make it hurt more. Relax, let yourself enjoy it; I will.”

He ripped her blouse from her chest and lowered his mouth to her neck. His tongue licked slow, soft circles on her skin. She whimpered feeling his warm breath on her and he kept her arms pinned successfully above her head. He looked up at her and smiled releasing the grip he had on her wrists. “Kiss me.”

She shook her head no and shut her eyes. He leaned forward and brushed her hair over her shoulder before whispering his demand in her ear. “Kiss me or I’ll take it myself and I can promise you everything after that will be even more unpleasant. I will rip into you with EVERY intention of causing you NOTHING but pain to where you won’t walk for weeks. Now I won’t repeat myself again Kaya you either stop resisting and trying to fight me or piss me off enough until I just end you now!”

A single tear fell down her cheek and she rolled her eyes back to prevent more from falling. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek and wiped it away gently. She leaned forward and he wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips met his and he smiled against her mouth as he enjoyed the way they softly caressed his. Her kiss was sweet and affectionate even if it was forced. Her mind was on her escape as she let the tension out of her shoulders and became a little more relaxed eyeing the room when he closed his to enjoy the feel of her tongue against his mouth. “Mmm, there you go. Isn’t that much better than fighting the inevitable?”

She forced a smile on her face towards him and rubbed her hands under his shirt helping him out of it and watched it drop to the floor beneath him. Luther closed his eyes and leaned forward enjoying the feel of her warmth on his chest. “Yeah, we’ll both be happier this way.” He kissed her slow and decisively; gently rubbing his lip across hers before sucking it into his mouth and rolling his tongue against it. He moaned and his cock throbbed against her and he felt his wolf beginning to respond. “More,” he ordered. 

He pulled her closer and she rested her hands on his shoulder kissing down his body. Looking towards the door that led to the balcony she calculated how many steps it would take to reach it. It seemed so far away and with Luther’s speed he’d have her pinned down before she got a foot near it and took what he wanted. Everything seemed hopeless and the only thing she could do would be to give in to Luther’s demands and pray he let her go after that. The thought alone made her sick to her stomach. Bearing his mark and his child would end her in more ways than the release of death ever could. No, she thought. She’d fight him til her death. Whatever it takes she was getting out of there with her bond and womb intact.

Feeling Luther’s hands begin to undo her belt and lower her skirt to the floor she tensed once again. Her wolf was screaming in her head and her eyes turned to match the fury she felt. There was a loud crash downstairs and it pulled his attention from her momentarily. He sniffed the air and growled prompting Kaya to do the same. She could smell them too, Greymane wolves, two in particular; Connor and…

“Rafe.” She felt a smile creep up on her face and she took a step forward only to be met with Luther’s right hand again as he shoved her back against the wall.

“Looks like taking it easy is no longer an option!”

“NO!” she yelled and pushed at him as he gripped the waistband of her panties and ripped them from her hips. He rested his arm across her throat cutting off her oxygen and used his other hand to hold her still. He pressed his hard on against her and forcibly spread her legs with his knee as she scratched and bit at him; pushing with everything she had.

Finally parting her legs, Luther grinned at her and pushed himself forward lowering his pants just enough to let his erection out. He prepared to enter her and prove the seer wrong; that he could father his own pack. Having a child with the Greymane Beta would ensure his place within the community and increase his power base exponentially. Revenge would soon follow and the thought caused a frisson of pride and arrogance to sizzle in his veins. “Get off!” she yelled and slapped at him.

“In just a moment, I will!” he could feel the warmth between her legs just inches away from the tip of his cock. The thought of having her in front of her own pack thrilled him even more and drove him to work harder. The more she fought the worse it would be for her and he was enjoying this game.

Suddenly the door burst open and Rafe charged in throwing himself against Luther and knocking him away from Kaya without missing a beat. The two landed hard against the back wall, Luther’s arm broke through the window and sliced open on the broken glass. He pulled up and kicked at Rafe who rolled out of the way and pushed up from the floor just as Connor entered behind him.

“Ky!” he pulled her into his arms removing his shirt to cover her. “Are you alright?” She nodded and he moved towards Rafe throwing a hard fist into Luther’s jaw as the Alpha grabbed Rafe from behind. Dexter and Julius immediately entered behind them and rushed towards the fray. Connor caught an elbow to his eye that knocked him backwards as Julius mounted him and threw punches into his face. 

Rolling quickly he kicked the wolf away and watched Dexter topple backwards over the desk landing with a resounding thud on the other side. Moving to his shoulder to get up, he caught the toe of Julius’ shoe only to take a heel to his mouth from the wolf standing over him. Pushing him away with all the strength he could muster, Julius hopped back up and started for him once more. Kaya rushed forward hopping onto his back. She bit and scratched at him making him scream in pain. Her nails buried themselves within his flesh ripping strips from his cheeks and neck. 

Luther laughed wickedly and bounced Rafe against the wall like a ragdoll and watched as the dizzied wolf tried to recover and regain his footing. Trying his best to shake away the cobwebs that cluttered his wobbly mind, Rafe slumped against the wall and felt darkness encroaching. “Take care of them,” he hissed and ripped Kaya off of Julius’ back dragging her away with him. “I have other matters to attend to.”

“NO!” Rafe roared and hopped to his feet running towards them. His wolf fought forward and he did little to stop it this time. Julius jumped in front of him and was immediately cut down as Rafe’s claws ripped through his midsection and he tackled him into the floor. With one sure fist he slammed it into Julius’ jaw knocking him out cold. Rafe got to his feet once more and a violent and desperate howl tore from his throat shattering the remaining windows in the room. 

Glass flew from all directions towards the wolves occupying the space and a stray piece slashed into Connor’s cheek. He kicked Dexter away once more and drove a sequence of blows into his midsection and face watching the man become bloodied from the assault. From the corner of his eye he could see Rafe moving towards the Alpha and fear tickled his nerves. There was no way he could survive a showdown with the man, he was overpowered, outnumbered and too new. With a high kick and a knee to his nose, Connor knocked away his opponent and hurried after Rafe and Luther.

Together they tackled the large wolf to the ground freeing Kaya from his grasp. “Kaya run!” Rafe yelled at her as he struggled to keep Luther on the ground beneath his grip. Connor tossed the keys to the Humvee at her and she slowly started for them.

“But what about you? I can’t leave…”

“GO!” he roared behind a set of gleaming eyes. She backed away and rushed for the front door without stopping and jumped behind the wheel of the jeep starting it up. She tapped her fingers anxiously against the wheel waiting to see her pack mates exiting behind her. 

“Come on, come on,” she hissed as worry began setting in. Suddenly a half naked redhead and equally enraged blonde came running from the back of the manor towards her. Connor threw open the door to the driver’s side as he neared her.

“Scoot over let’s go!”

She slid into the passenger seat as Rafe slammed the door on the back and Connor peeled rubber crashing through another side gate and swerving wildly as he got the large vehicle back on the road and sped to gain distance from their assailants. “Kaya are you hurt? He didn’t…?”

“No I’m fine you stopped him before anything happened.”

She heard Rafe growl behind her and turned to look at him. His eyes were still gleaming with anger and his fists were balled into his lap. She crawled over the center console joining him in the backseat and pressed herself into his chest. “Hey, relax Baby, I’m ok.” She kissed him until she felt his wolf relaxing and his hands encircled her drawing her closer into his body. “Thank you, you too Coco.” She swallowed hard and drew in a breath finally allowing herself to relax.

“He’s going to pay for this shit. It’s far from fucking over.”

“No it’s over for now. There’s no way we can take him on right now and I don’t want to think about you two rushing into the arms of danger like that again.”

“Are you fucking crazy? He wanted this! He wanted war and that’s exactly what he’s getting! That was too damn close; too fucking close Kaya!” he turned another corner heading down a brightly lit street of downtown and she finally took notice of their surroundings.

“No!” Kaya yelled as Connor merged the Humvee onto the off-ramp heading back towards the manor. “I don’t want to go there right now, I can’t face Daddy.”

Connor glanced into the rearview and towards her still tucked securely in Rafe’s arms. “What? Why not? He needs to know you’re safe Peaches he’s not himself right now! He is preparing himself for battle! You can feel it I know you can.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can’t see him now not after everything I heard and read and…just not now.”

“What? Kaya what the hell happened back there?”

“Please Con; can you just take me somewhere else? Anywhere but there.”

“You can come back to my place,” Rafe suggested finally speaking after finding a sense of ease as Kaya’s hands rubbed over his face and neck. Connor sighed and started towards Rafe’s apartment. 

Pulling into the parking lot, he climbed out and helped her from the back. “Ky you know Lobo’s gonna have my head if I don’t come back with you.”

“No he won’t just tell him I’m safe and I’ll call him when I’m ready I just can’t be near him right now. Please?”

“Kaya…?”

“Please Frogger,” she cried and fell forward against him. “I promise I’ll explain everything I just need some time away from the manor.”

He hugged her close and rubbed his hand down her back soothing her concerns and reassuring her the secret was his to keep. “Keep her safe Rafe, please.”

“You know I will.”

“If anything happens call me! I’ll be back in the morning to check on you and I expect and hope you’ll be ready to talk by then Peaches.” She nodded at him and watched as he moved towards the front door. “I love you Ky.”

“I love you too Coco.”

The door closed behind him and Rafe headed towards the back of his apartment. She could hear running water in a room behind the bedroom and she followed the sounds, stopping just inside the door. She watched him run a warm bubble bath for her yet still he remained silent. She ached to know what he was thinking, feeling; worried that he was seeing her in a different light.

Moving towards her he slowly and gently removed the shirt from her shoulders and tossed it into the hamper. Removing his shirt and pants as well he took her hand, pulled her towards the tub, slid into the water and helped her in.

Rafe grabbed a sponge from the mini shelf near them and began tenderly washing over her skin, warming her with the slow cascade of water he drained out of the sponge over her body. “Rafe? Are you angry with me?” A lump caught in her throat as she waited for his answer unsure if she even really wanted to hear it at this point.

His hands instantly stilled hearing his mate believe his silence was the result of what may have occurred against her will. He pulled her back into his chest and closed his arms around her body kissing her neck and shoulders before whispering “no” in her ear. “I’m not mad at you Kaya I’m mad at myself for letting you ever get into that position. Had I been less consumed by lust or whatever the hell this heat cycle thing is you’re having I’d have been more aware and alert about what happened to you. I would have been able to stop you from ever being taken. I should have been there. I should have been. Anything could have happened to you Kaya.”

“But I’m safe and I’m in your arms. Please let’s not dwell on this we can look towards the future and figure out where to go from here but thinking about the ‘would’ves’ and ‘could’ves’ will only make my wild wolf angry. And we know an angry wild wolf is not a safe wild wolf.”

He laughed and relaxed against her body as she absently stroked his arm and leaned deeper into his chest. “Fine,” he kissed her cheek and listened to the bubbles hissing around them as the air slowly seeped into them causing them to disperse and deflate. “Will you at least tell me what happened while you were there?”

“Can we talk about it in the morning when Connor gets here? I really wouldn’t want to have to repeat it.”

“Of course. For now just relax and try and get some sleep.”

Feeling the water begin to cool on her skin she sighed, squeezed the chain between her toes and pulled the plug. “Somehow Rafe, I doubt I’ll sleep tonight.”

Continue ---->