CREED

Chapter 9

Because I was so slow to update, I tried my best to get this super-duper-extra-long-kinda cheesy chapter to you tonight...not entirely happy with it, but it's gotta do for now :D

I hope you guys aren't too mad...

*PS* As usual...unedited, so please point out errors or anything that doesn't make sense and I will fix it :)

You can still vote and comment ;)  lol.  It's unedited, and one way longass chapter but I didn't know where to break, so for the weeks I missed, this is kinda like a two in one :D

Enjoy

:) For reference as you read towards the end...Italics are (hers), and bold italics are the others. lol...without giving away too much, that's all I can offer :) 

Duncan:

Things were...different.

After Angelo brought them to his home, Duncan, for a moment, a very small moment, thought he'd actually died and ended up on some whack version of afterlife. They were greeted by a harried looking cactus that'd come bounding in, pot tapping on the ground, prickly arms waving about, struggling to get words out. Genie covered her mouth with her hands and he was about to do the same before he realized that Angelo was there too. Talking, actually talking, to a damned potted cactus. The Chimera calmly greeted the thing, patted him on the head and explained that Rayne would be back shortly. Then he'd turned to them and with amusement dancing in his eyes, he introduced them to the plant.

Spike, who politely shook their hands and welcomed them to his home offering to show them around later. Duncan felt a little weird with the handshake and even weirder replying to him at first, but was pleased to learn that Spike didn't just speak. He spoke a lot...Which was just fine by Duncan. Genie was completely smitten; the smile that lit up her face... priceless.

Duncan wondered who the hell would believe him if he mentioned a cactus as a pet, but he couldn't deny that he too, was taken by the critter. After his initial reaction to the animated plant, Duncan found himself looking forward to his childish antics. Spike was always happiest when he was around Rayne though, and he could see why.

They had the pleasure of meeting her not long after Angelo had showed them to their room. Genie had barely unpacked when Brie dropped her off, along with Alpha Zeke and his mate Dalia. The same Head Alpha who had tried to set Bryce up with the Greene Thorne Pack years ago. Warm yeast and sun ripened fruit permeated the air and the enticing scent of fresh baked bread and preserves had his stomach rumbling even though he'd been anything but hungry after what had happened earlier. There was a young female with them, Hope, he'd learned later on, who'd refused to shift to Human, even after being told to numerous times so that they could be introduced. Apparently she spent more time in fur than skin, and even though she looked worried, she was still all over the place, hyped, the total opposite from his serene nature.

He'd never known such power existed within a female before he met Rayne. His Luna had been the strongest he'd ever seen in action until the slight, caramel she wolf asked to join them on a run that afternoon. They were all too stressed out and desperately needed to burn off some steam. He knew she'd be different, but it was still intimidating being around her aura and strength. It was more powerful than Bryce's and not wholly unexpected. She was after all, Creed's mother, Angelo's mate. Fate would not have matched them so perfectly had she not been able to cope with the pressure that came from such a title. Genie had been mostly wary, accepting each new person with a quiet smile and a solemn promise to keep out of their way. She'd been hurt by his actions but understood that it needed to be done. Going through the motions with him was tough on her, having been cut off and left bereft from her pack too. It was Rayne who'd welcomed her to their family, her generosity and selflessness; her appreciation, her honesty...There was nothing fake or pretend about the way they accepted them, and for that he was grateful. Duncan sensed no ulterior motive behind their proposal to allow them a home and place in Zeke's pack should Bryce not accept them again.