Fire and Flames

Chapter 15

Caden

I sit at the kitchen table, in shock of what the Alpha has told me.

Rayne and I were asleep cuddlings in each other's arms when we heard the commotion coming from downstairs. Rayne startled awake and clung onto to me with fear in his lovely green eyes.

I had kissed him and assured him that everything would be alright. I calmed Rayne down enough that he would be fine alone before rushing downstairs. But not before I made sure that Rayne locked the door just in case something actually was wrong downstairs.

When I ran to the source of the noise I found Alpha Zaryn on the floor, curled up with his hands over his head. I feel his wolf howling out for relief.

Luna Eden whispers soft words to him as he cradles Alpha Zaryn's head in his lap.

"It's the effects of strong Sun Magic." I hear from behind me.
I turn to find Beta Noah behind me. Beta Noah- a spitting image of Luna Eden- stands before me. We hadn't actually conversed outside of the few times we exchanged greetings at meetings or in the pack house halls.

"Sun magic?" I ask.

And that's how I ended up in the kitchen, being told that the father that I loved and looked up to for years- was not actually my biological father. That the man who killed my entire pack- including my parents- is my biological father.

I wanted to laugh and cry and scream all at the same time.

"I'm so sorry, Caden," Luna Eden says softly, cupping my cheek with the palm of his soft hand.

Betas Cole and Noah retire to their room for the night after discussing with Alpha Zaryn that we would plan an attack on wherever my biological father was hiding. They wouldn't let him take me away. My heart swells with an appreciation for them.

Adrian was nowhere in sight. Luna Eden had thought he went up to his room to tell Fallon about the encounter with the Rouge- my... father)- and Sage. But I wasn't sure that this would be something that Adrian would brush off so easily. I pray to Goddess that he doesn't do anything stupid. Especially not that he is pregnant with a pup. He wouldn't want to hurt himself or his pup.

Rayne- who now stands next to me- ducks under Luna Eden's outstretched hand and crawls up into my lap. He purrs softly, nuzzling his cold nose into my neck.

A small shiver travels through me at the feeling of his nose against my skin. Without thinking I move Rayne so my lips are hovering over the crook between his neck and shoulder. I inhale deeply before my canines extract and I bite down hard into his sensitive flesh.

If the Rouge ever ends up taking me I want to be connected to Rayne. It may be selfish and downright cruel of me to do this without getting consent but I needed to do it or I would have been driven crazy by the constant begging of Achilles- my wolf- to complete the bond.

Rayne cries out and clings onto me tightly. I feel the rest of the wolves around us backing away a little, giving us space. A marking is special for every mate. It signifies the pair coming together for eternity. After I extract my canines a tattoo-like mark will appear somewhere on Rayne's slender body.

A mate is marked in two places. On their neck and another specific place on their body. It can appear in the form of a replica of our wolves, a specific animal that the mates likes, or can appear to look like things like a tree or a random object that means a lot to the mate. My mark would either be completely identical or different from his. But both hold the same amount of strength within a bond between mates.

Rayne's blood bursts into my mouth as I sink my teeth deeper into the mark. I give one final bite down before pulling away. I lick the wound closed and nuzzle his new mark.

Rayne looks up at me in a dazed state. He smiles gently before gasping, reaching down to clutch at his stomach.

I peel his shirt up to reveal a very feminine looking pink flower mark just above the waistline of his panties. The mark fits my mate perfectly. Rayne very much looks like the boy to enjoy flowers and nature.

"Oh," Rayne whispers as his mark grows, the pinks becoming more vibrant and a bluish green vine begins to show. The vine rails down underneath his panties. Everyone in the room tries to sneak a look at Rayne's new mark.

I growl possessively and tighten my hold on my little one. I didn't want anyone to see my precious mate's mark yet.

Rayne tentatively laps the space between my neck and shoulder. He gently sinks his teeth into the flesh. My eyes flutter closed as waves of pleasure course through me. My abdomen tingles as my mark begins to form.

Rayne releases my shoulder, closing the wound with his warm wet tongue. He slides his tiny hands under my shirt, caressing the mark. He pushes up my shirt to reveal a flower patterned mark. But my mark had thorny roses curling around my hip and over to the side of my abdomen.

Rayne smiles brightly up at me. I grin back at him and lean down to brush his lips with mine.

Adrian chooses that exact moment to burst into the kitchen. His feet making stomping motions as he makes his way across the kitchen, fuming. He yanks open the refrigerator and pull out a big tub of watermelon sorbet.

Adrian's pointer finger lengthens into a claw and he slashes the plastic around the tub of sorbet.

Adrian then yanks on the silverware drawer, the silverware clattering against each other at the force of him pulling the drawer open. He digs out a spoon and slams it shut.

Adrian pulls out a hidden bottle of Wisteria from a cabinet.

Wisteria is alcohol strong enough to get a wolf drunk. Because regular alcohol does not affect us at all we created our own for us to be able to feel a buzz like humans do.

Alcohol does not affect a pup in the womb so it won't be dangerous if he drinks it. I am more worried about how drunk he will get. The more drunk you are off of Wisteria the more likely you are to make the most utterly terrible choices.

"Adrian... wait," Rayne says softly. He reaches out to touch Adrian and he flinches back when Adrian snarls at him.

"Leave me alone!" He growls. I pull Rayne closer as he storms out of the room angrily.

Rayne's eyes water as he watches Adrian leave the room.

"Just let him be for a little while. I'm sure that he will be just fine." Luna Eden says softly.

Rayne curls up into my arms and I smile. I will check on Adrian later, but for now, I want to bond with my little mate. Bonding is important after the initial marking.

I pick up Rayne and carry him back to our bedroom. I lay him down on the bed, pulling the covers up over us.

Rayne cuddles up close to me and when he presses his soft lips to my cheek I seem to forget everything.

I forget about my parents, my pack, Adrian, Sage... the world...

It is only me and Rayne.

Rayne...