When Worlds Collide Ch. 08

"Annie met me in wolf form that night," he whispered against her temple as he clutched her closely. "She was afraid at first but then she wasn't. It was as if she knew me on some kind of instinctual level. She touched my wolf, stroked my fur and laughed in delight. It was magical and torturous at the same time. I knew Jared wouldn't let me go to Annie in wolf form. I knew he wouldn't let me go to her in human form either. But I saw something in her eyes that night when she looked at Caleb. I could see she had feelings for him, that even though he was a vampire, he too had feelings for her. I knew he would keep her safe. Just knowing that she was finding happiness was enough to soothe me and I started interacting more with the pack, started letting Aaron teach me what I needed to know so I could adjust to this new life.

Then Caleb found out the truth and he was ready to start a war when he found out I was still alive. It pushed things to a head, forced Caleb to reveal his true nature to Annie so he could prove that she could be trusted to keep the pack's secrets too. Unfortunately I didn't know that. My encounter with Caleb only served to reinforce the guilt I felt inside, the self loathing and hatred I couldn't overcome. Everything he said that night was so true. I couldn't live with it anymore, Lacey. I knew Annie was safe with Caleb. I had found out that Jared had found his mate in Millie too, so I knew she would be safe. They both thought I was already dead. It didn't seem to matter whether I was still living anymore."

Lacey uttered a strangled sob and buried her head in the side of his neck, her body shaking as she clutched him tightly, letting her tears fall freely. "Oh Rafe," she whispered tearfully, knowing what he was going to say, terrified to hear it but knowing he had to speak the words.

Rafe's voice broke on the words but he forced them out, his voice thick with anguish. "I tried to kill myself, Lacey," he whispered. "I ran in front of a car so I could die and not have to live this life anymore. As if that wasn't the most awful thing I could have done, the car I chose to kill myself with was being driven by Annie. I almost killed her, Lacey," he groaned harshly. "I almost killed my Annie with my selfish act."

Lacey could hear the self loathing in his voice, feel his hatred for his actions in the way his body tensed. "But you didn't," she said urgently, holding him tighter as he shook in her arms. "You didn't hurt Annie and you didn't hurt yourself. You're both here, alive and well."

"It doesn't take away what I did, Lacey," he whispered hoarsely.

"No, you can't take back what happened but you can't punish yourself for it either," she said softly, framing his face in her hands and forcing him to meet her eyes "You have to let it go, Rafe. You have to let yourself heal." She could feel him resisting her. She was sure his sister must have had this same conversation with him countless times. She had to get him to listen to her.

Lacey dragged his mouth to hers, kissing him desperately, crying as she forced him to accept her love, to allow himself to be loved by her the way he deserved. "Annie has forgiven you, Rafe. Forgive yourself too. It was a moment of madness. You said the others who were forced into turning all went mad and died. The madness tried to claim you too but you were strong enough to beat it. You survived it and you also managed to build a life where you can see Annie and Millie anytime you want to. You're not defined by trying to take your life, Rafe. You're defined by surviving the instinct to die and coming out of it so much stronger, so much a better person for it. Can't you see how much everyone loves you? Can't you see how much I love you?"

Rafe stared into her beautiful face, seeing her love for him, hearing her words, her lack of judgement. His beautiful Lacey truly didn't see anything wrong with his actions, didn't blame him or feel let down by his weakness. She loved him no matter what he'd done. Her simple words to explain the madness that had overcome him made so much sense. He had never stopped to look at it in those terms. The others had gone mad and died. He had just assumed because he hadn't succumbed to the madness at the start that it hadn't affected him at all. Maybe she was right. Maybe the madness had been there the whole time and he had been working to survive it even months after the forced turning.

Rafe felt the crushing weight of the last year ease from his soul as he stared into Lacey's amazing eyes. Finally he felt free of the all the guilt, all the anguish he had kept hidden so deep within his heart. He wiped the tears from Lacey's cheeks with a shaky hand, cradling her face gently in his hands. "I love you, Lacey," he whispered softly. "Would you do me the honour of mating with me, sweetheart? I need you so badly. I can't wait a second longer to make you mine forever."

Lacey nodded, laughing and crying at the same time, pressing her mouth against his. "Yes please, " she groaned against his lips. "I want that too, Rafe, I want forever with you." She could feel him release his past, finally letting go of the pain, finally forgiving himself. That she could help him ease his demons made her heart sing. Rafe had given her so much, rescuing her from her life of torment at the hands of Richard Graves, opening his heart and his soul to her so she could know his love was unconditional. That she could give him back as much as he had given her filled her with a joy she'd never felt before.

Rafe's mouth was stealing her breath away as he kissed her slowly, his lips gentle as they rubbed sensually against hers, his hands threading in her hair to cradle her head gently. She surrendered to the wonderful feelings he instilled within her; love, lust, excitement and contentment. She didn't know where she began and he ended anymore. He was so vital to her very existence.

"Rafe," she groaned against his lips pulling back slightly to look into his passion filled face. "Can I see him?" she asked tentatively, licking her lips nervously, excited and yet a little afraid too.

He knew instantly what she meant, smiling slowly as he caressed her face lightly. "He really wants to meet you very badly, Lace," he sighed softly. "Don't be afraid of Wolfie, he would never hurt you."

"Wolfie?" she giggled raising an eyebrow at him.

Rafe chuckled lightly. "Annie named him the night she met him," he said with a rueful smile. "It's kind of stuck." His tone sounded slightly pained but Lacey could see that he really didn't mind the name his sister had given to his wolf. It was a link between them when there had been a chance they would never have met again, Annie to never have known that Rafe was alive, just slightly different.

"Can I meet Wolfie?" she laughed sliding from his lap, moving a little distance from him to give him some room. She had seen other wolves around the compound but she hadn't actually seen anyone change into one. She was interested to see what it would be like. She wanted to meet Rafe's wolf badly. She needed to know that side of him so she could understand it when it happened to her.

Rafe kept her gaze fixed to his as he quickly undressed. He smiled at his mate, his eyes shining with reassurance. "Don't be frightened," he said softly, a split second before he reached inside and invited Wolfie to come meet their mate.

Lacey gasped with surprise as she watched Rafe's body shimmer slightly as he moved to his hands and knees before her. His eyes stayed the same but everything else about him changed. It seemed to happen almost instantly. One moment he was human and the next he was a huge brown wolf. She was sure there was more to it than that and wondered what it felt like to change from one form to the other. She guessed she would know first hand very soon.

She crawled forward towards the wolf with Rafe's eyes, reaching out to touch his big head gently. His fur felt so silky soft and she couldn't stop herself from threading her fingers in it, stroking the beautiful animal before her. He was so beautiful, so majestic, strong and proud. "Oh Wolfie, you're so beautiful," she whispered tremulously, laughing when his tongue snaked out and licked across her face as he chuffed lightly.

"Yuck!" She giggled wiping out her face. "You're not that beautiful," she teased, throwing her arms around his neck to take away any sting from her words. He growled low in his chest, licking her bare arm and making her laugh harder. His tongue sure was big, as was the rest of him in wolf form.

Rafe was ecstatic at Lacey's reaction to his wolf. She was a pretty amazing woman his mate, accepting him with no reservations at all. He nudged his head against her, gently coaxing her back against the grass. His wolf had been dormant for so long. He was revelling in the freedom, pleading with Rafe to let him taste their mate just a little before he went back inside to allow his human side to begin mating with her.

Wolfie nuzzled at Lacey's neck, licking the join of her shoulder and neck where he would soon be putting his mark, his claim on her beautiful body. His wet nose trailed lower, his tongue snaking out to curl under her little summer top and lick against the upper swell of her breasts. He growled his pleasure.

Lacey gasped and pushed his head away, laughing. "Stop that," she giggled as the wolf whined his displeasure. She thought for a moment he would try and lick her again but instead he lay down beside her and she turned to slowly stroke the fur on his back. The wolf rumbled his approval and closed his eyes as she petted him in long, slow strokes, loving the feel of the soft fur between her fingertips.

Lacy closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of slowly stroking Rafe. It should have felt wrong lying with an enormous wolf in the middle of the forest but it didn't. It felt so very right. She wondered what she would look like as a wolf, if Rafe would think she looked beautiful too.

She smiled when her hand met hot skin instead of fur and she heard Rafe's tortured groan as he shifted back to human form and rolled until they were lying face to face. His arms snaked around her, pressing her hard against his throbbing cock as his mouth descended on hers in a deep drugging kiss.

She kissed him back passionately, pressing against his nakedness, wanting to feel his skin pressing against hers. Rafe seemed to sense her urgency, his fingers making quick work of the little buttons on her summer top, pushing the material away from her body. She wasn't wearing a bra and she heard his deep intake of breath as her breasts were bared to his gaze.

Keeping her eyes closed, she savoured the feeling of the hot sun of her already hot skin, moaning loudly when Rafe's wet mouth circled one swollen peak and began to tug hard with his mouth. Liquid fire rushed from her nipple to between her legs and she felt herself moisten instantly. She threaded her hands in Rafe's hair and held him to her breasts as he began to ravish first one hard nipple and then the other, his touch earthy and a little wild.

Lacey was on fire by the time he trailed his mouth lower, his hands shedding her jeans and panties quickly. He was pressing her thighs apart urgently, inhaling deeply between her legs as he peeled her lower lips apart with gentle fingers and began to lick roughly at her soaking wet pussy.

She cried out and came instantly, her need for him overcoming every other thought in her head. Her hips bucked up hard for more as she shuddered while he kept up the torturous licking of her body.

Rafe shook his head, his mouth full of Lacey's sweet taste, his cock hard and throbbing as he trailed his lips over her stomach, stopping at her breasts and feasting on her nipples again. He could never get enough of her sweet taste, the feel of her soft skin rubbing against his. He groaned and suckled at her breasts a moment longer before his mouth trailed up her graceful neck to her mouth, kissing her deeply, thrusting his tongue inside to taste her sweetness.

He drove his cock deep into her body, groaning into her mouth as her tightness closed around his aching body, sheathing him so perfectly. "Lacey," he groaned against her lips moving inside her slowly, savouring her beautiful body and the way it gave him such wonderful pleasure.

"Rafe," she whispered wrapping her legs around his waist, bucking her hips up to meet his thrusts as he drove into her relentlessly, his cock feeling so hard as it speared her over and over. The pleasure she had just experienced was mind blowing but this joining felt so much better. She felt connected to him in a way she hadn't felt before. Each hard stroke of his cock sent her ever closer to tumbling over the edge again only this time when she came back she would be changed. She would be a wolf like him.

"Look at me, Lacey," Rafe ordered softly, halting his movements, threading his hands in her glorious silvery blonde hair. The strain of holding himself in check was etched across his face. Now that he had surrendered to his wolf, his need to mate with her was crashing through him like an tidal wave. He waited until her beautiful eyes opened and met his. "Are you sure, Lace?" he asked urgently.

"I'm sure, Rafe," she sighed softly. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Take me, Rafe. Make me yours forever."

With a strangled groan he pulled himself from her body, turning her urgently, until she was on her hands and knees before him. He drove into her hard, stroking her beautiful pussy with long hard thrusts, his mouth coming to her shoulder to loving lick at the spot he was about to mark. He stroked into her a few more times, prolonging his human moment of pleasure a little longer. He knew he had to shift to finish the mating but he selfishly wanted to stay with her in human form.

"I have to shift, Lacey," he whispered raggedly. "To complete the mating, to claim you as ours. Don't be frightened, honey. Trust Wolfie."

Lacey whimpered pressing back against his hard cock, lost in the sensations sweeping through her body. His words came from far away and she tried to understand what he was telling her. He had to shift to wolf form. It was necessary to complete the mating. She could cope with that, if it was what was required to be with him forever.

She cried out sharply as Rafe shifted and his cock started to expand within her at the same instant she felt the silky soft fur of Wolfie against her back. She felt a moment's panic but Wolfie licked the side of her neck soothingly and his cock stopped growing before it became uncomfortable. She surrendered to him, allowing her body to move instinctually against him as they rocked together.

It all seemed to happen so swiftly, she felt the sting of pain as his jaws bit into the join of her shoulder and neck at the same instant she felt the hard knot at the base of his cock press relentlessly inside her aching body. She cried out loudly again, only vaguely aware that Rafe had shifted once more and was licking at her neck, his cock thrusting hard inside her, pushing her over the edge. She shattered with a loud scream, her body throbbing as a kaleidoscope of colours danced before her eyes, pleasure washing over her as her body clamped down on the hard shaft inside her.

Rafe ignored Wolfie's angry protests, taking control again as soon as possible after biting into Lacey's soft skin. His wolf would know their mate thoroughly when she could shift. They would have ample time to mate in wolf form. For now he wanted this moment with his woman and he wouldn't be denied it. She shattered beneath him, her muscles clenching so hard on his throbbing cock that he roared loudly, throwing his head back and cumming in hard bursts inside her beautiful body.

He growled as he bathed her insides with his hot, sticky seed. Soon his seed would be taking inside her body. Soon she would be fertile, waiting for his seed, giving him many beautiful children to cement their family unit. Heart thumping painfully hard, Rafe lowered them carefully down to the grass, spooning into his beautiful woman as they lay locked together, tiny little aftershocks of pleasure rippling through their bodies.

"Oh, wow!" Lacey whispered her tone full of awe. "Oh, Rafe, that was so totally amazing. I didn't know you had to be in wolf form to mate, though. You could have told me that."

He sighed softly and licked at her neck. "Don't complain," he chuckled lightly. "Wolfie is pissed at me as it is because I cut short his time with you because I wanted you all to myself. I technically should have given him more time to mate with you." He wondered if that would freak her out but she laughed softly.

"Poor Wolfie. I almost feel sorry for him."

"He'll have his moments when you can start shifting," Rafe smiled. "Can you feel her yet, Lacey?" His hands were trailing over her soft skin, moving to cup her breasts tenderly and stroking her lightly.

Lacey stilled, searching inside herself, a feeling of joy suddenly washing over her. "Yes," she whispered softly, turning her head to look back at him, her eyes shining with joy. "I can feel her, Rafe. She's inside me somewhere. She feels so wonderful." Her eyes filled with happy tears which flowed silently down her face.

Rafe sighed softly, leaning down to kiss her wet cheeks as he felt his knot disengage so he could slip from her body. He turned her in his arms, his expression turning fierce as his need to be claimed overcame him. "Take me, Lacey," he said urgently pulling her head to his neck. "Trust your instincts to know what to do, baby. You don't need to shift. Just do it now because I can't wait a moment longer."

She was confused at first, wondering what he meant, then the sudden urge to claim him came from nowhere. She gasped at the urgency she felt, the deep need to sink her teeth into him. Trusting her new instincts she licked along his neck until she reached the join with his shoulder. She felt him tremble against her and she smiled against his skin, teasing him for a fraction of a second before she bit into that wonderful spot and tasted his hot blood in her mouth. She groaned as Rafe roared loudly, laving at her bite with her tongue. She turned her head up and pulled his mouth down to hers. "Mine," she growled possessively.

"Forever," he answered, sealing their mating with a hot, lusty kiss.

____

Demetri was in high spirits as he opened the front door to his house. His day had gone well so far and he was optimistic about being able to halt Graves in his tracks when he launched his attack on the Hanlon pack. The instant he stepped inside the house, his high spirits evaporated and he stood rooted to the spot as red hot rage pulsed deep within him. The sweet scent of warm honey assaulted his nostrils, the scent that was undeniably Mara and so strong that he knew instantly she had recently been in the house.

A faint noise from the kitchen had his head turning slowly to the left as he let the door close silently behind him. He was going to bloody kill her. Actually first he was going to turn her into a vampire. Then he was going to bloody kill her and keep killing her until his rage had sufficiently diminished enough that he could sit down and talk rationally with her. He glided silently towards the kitchen, pausing in the doorway and leaning against it.

Mara had her back too him, preparing herself a sandwich. His glacial eyes took in her beautiful body, her long brown hair falling in a silky curtain down her back. His body stirred as it always did when his wife was close. He had missed her greatly. Not so much that he still wasn't going to kill her for coming home when he had expressly forbidden her from doing so.

He wondered why she hadn't sensed him behind her and then the faint tinny sound of music caught his attention and he realised that she was listening to her mp3 player.