Chapter 41

The image staring back at him in the mirror was a pitiful sight. His hair hadn’t been combed in days and it looked like it. Unshaven and starting to resemble the wolf form he usually had to change to be.

Shaking his head, he moved away to wander back into the studio. Maybe inspiration would strike before he got there.

His parents were on his side, at least partially. Devin phoned once a day to see if Rayne was doing okay, he hadn’t been brave enough to ask to speak to her. He assumed if she really wanted to talk to him she would have by now. His mother’s answers were short and to the point, she was clearly very annoyed for finding his true mate and screwing it all up. He couldn’t say she was wrong. and wasn’t sure if he expected sympathy from her. That alone told him his head was a mess, to think his mother was suddenly going to be a soft-hearted woman.

Devin’s father was much more sympathetic to his situation, talking to him longer and trying to assure him it would work out the way it was meant to be. The part that drove him insane; he didn’t know what the fates planned.

Calum was still here, even though Devin tried to get rid of him time and time again. He blamed having to stay on him when he’d invited Tomas’s men to send Tomas here himself. Both of them knew the chances of him coming after Devin without his animal sidekicks was less than a point of one percent, but he still stayed. For a few fleeting seconds, Devin wondered if his parents had him staying here to keep an eye on him. If it were anyone but Calum he would believe it. Calum didn’t answer to anyone, he was his own cat. The only reason he stayed loyal to Devin was their strong connection forged during their childhood. When his mother had vanished, they had spent a lot of time together. His mother was never found. The Alliance suspected she’d been taken for breeding purposes and both knew this, but it was just something they didn’t discuss—ever.

He stared at the blank canvas and had been for quite a while now. In the time since Rayne had gone Devin hadn’t been able to paint, well at least anything that was worth painting. Calum had come in and seen the last ‘work of art’ and his comment was similar to ‘you’re a mess’. He couldn’t even generate some temperamental artist angst over that, he was right. His painting had been dark violent colors and a culmination of ill matched brush strokes and blended lines that could be interpreted as a mix of abstract and preschool.

Tossing the clean dry brush onto the tray, he turned to go sit out on the deck. Of course, each time he did, he would go over the memory of shifting and scaring the hell out of Rayne. In hindsight, he was lucky she didn’t throw more at him for doing that.

The landscape that usually brought him peace was not bringing him a damn thing today.

“Have you looked in a mirror recently?”

Was he that out of it that a cat could come up behind him without sensing it? The answer wasn’t something Devin had to search for. He was out of it—completely scattered without her. “I glanced in one briefly.”

“Did it crack?” Calum’s voice was the usual calm monotone, but Devin still knew he was trying to lighten the mood.

“I didn’t look in it long enough to notice.”

Calum moved to where he could see him and leaned his large frame against the railing. He crossed his huge arms over his chest and studied him. The expression was blank, but Devin knew what was coming. “You know you don’t have to stay here...”

“Yeah, but I am.”

Leaning back, Devin groaned. “I’m safe, no one is going to come after me and I’m not planning on any self-sacrifice rituals.”

“I know.”

Just once Devin wished he could read what was on his mind. “Then why are you still here? I want to be left alone right now.” That wasn’t entirely the truth, he didn’t want to be alone. He wanted Rayne.

He barely shrugged his shoulders. “Doing my job.”

Groaning again he rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. “I haven’t agreed...”

“You claimed her.”

“I didn’t mean to…” Devin’s voice sounded whiny even to his own ears.

“Doesn’t matter. Unless you formally declare you are stepping aside, you have accepted your place and are the next to rule.” Calum smirked, “and if you do step aside, I might kick your ass for being stupid.”

He wondered for a few seconds if this was how everyone was looking at this. How many in his world knew he was now mated? How far had the news traveled in the last few weeks. Devin shook my head. “It doesn’t matter, Rayne left. I have no mate to stand beside me now... so technically...”

“Do you think she left for good?” His eyes bored into mine. “If she did, I wouldn’t blame her. You hid some pretty serious shit from her, Dev.”

Devin growled, “I know what I did!”

“Do you?” A very feminine voice asked.

Jumping out of the chair, Devin spun around and looked at Rayne standing in the doorway. His eyes drank her in, she was more beautiful than the image in the painting that had haunted him each second since she’d left.

Calum stepped over beside him and nodded to her. “You got the drop on both of us. I was so caught up in this one’s pity party I didn’t even sense you were here.”

She gave him an amused look. “I’ve learned a lot since I was here.” Her eyes moved back to Devin and went dark, cold. “We have some things to discuss. Actually, I have some things to say and you’re going to stand there and listen.”

Devin felt Calum back away and then his heart stopped when she pointed at him. “You. Stay. If I’m inclined to smack him, I may get you to do it for me.”

He didn’t need to turn to know that a rare smirk would be on his face. Calum moved by him and he would never forget watching him drop to one knee in front of her and lowering his head. Right in front of Devin he acknowledged her as an alpha and ruler. Devin expected a surprised look on Rayne’s face, but she only gave him an affectionate look and placed her hand on top of his head for a few seconds. Jealously flared inside him.

When she lifted her hand away from Calum, he stood up and went to stand a few feet away. Rayne moved towards Devin, gracefully and looking more breathtaking than any woman had ever been. His blood was calling for her and it took every ounce of strength for him to stand where he was and wait.

“You look like hell, Devin.” Her voice had a hard note in it. “That makes me feel better.”

His heart was stuck in my throat. “Rayne...” She held a hand up and gave him a look that let Devin know there would be no soft apologies in this discussion.

“The last few weeks have been both difficult and enlightening for me. Your parents, by the way are wonderful—as are the rest of the members of your pack. They filled in all the blanks and taught me what I needed to know.”

The rest of the pack? Devin swallowed and looked over at Calum. He was grinning, standing there with his arms folded over his chest. The bastard had known what was going on.

Rayne glanced at Calum and then back to Devin. “At first I will admit I was hurt and scared. I understand your reservations with taking on the responsibility of what lies ahead. It’s an enormous task.”

Devin relaxed a little bit, thankful that she did understand.

“But.” She lifted her chin and looked at him, her soft eyes appearing to be more steel than anything. “It’s also an enormous honor to be offered something like this.” She paced over to the railing and then spun back to glare at him. “I have spent my entire life being sheltered and afraid. I had no one except my parents, and then when they were taken from me I was completely alone in this world.” She waved a hand towards Calum and then him. “You have an entire race beside you, to support you and be there when you need them to be—and you turn your back on them.” The last few words came out clipped, laced with anger.

Devin stepped over towards her, his mind swimming, not sure of anything. “I didn’t turn my back on them.”

She shook her head and flipped her golden hair away from her face. “You did. Your pack needs to know they have an alpha—the Alliance is still relatively new and it needs to know that it has a leader and you come here and hide away from everything, everyone that needs to know your there for them. Including your family.”

When she took brisk steps towards him, Devin froze not sure what to expect. “Do you want to claim me, Devin? With me knowing what’s going on?” She added quietly.

“Yes.” His voice was barely more than a gasp.

Her blue eyes softened and moved over his face, he wanted it to be her hands, he needed her touch.

“I won’t accept you and then be an outcast from the pack—from my people.”

Devin tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

“If I take you and let you officially claim me as your mate you will be the King—you will be the alpha and I will stand beside you always.”

Devin hesitated, not accepting what his brain had heard. She wasn’t walking away from him. She was his. Not knowing what to say or what to do next, he dropped down on both knees and lowered his head. He may be the king, but she would always rule over him. When her warm hands touched his hair, he reached out and pulled her against him, burying his face in the warmth of her chest. She held him tight and Devin realized as long as she was beside him he could live up to any expectations.

Calum cleared his throat. “I will just...”

Rayne’s hold loosened on Devin’s head, but she didn’t let go. “You will go and start cleaning out all the cabins. The rest of the pack and the leaders from the Alliance will be here in two days–for the official ceremony.”

Devin lifted his head and looked up at her, astonished. “They will... how did you know?”

“That you’d agree with my terms?”

He nodded.

“In everything I had to learn about, I discovered the interesting fact—as far as claimed mates go_, the female rules.”

Devin stood quickly and pulled her into his body. He heard Calum laughing as he moved away from them and didn’t even bother to glance in his direction. His heart was pounding as hot blood raced through his veins. She stood there smiling up at him and he couldn’t wait another breath to taste her again. Her arms wound around his neck and pulled his head down towards hers. The moment their lips touched, his body hardened and demanded its mate.

Leaning back, she broke the kiss. “You need to go get cleaned up, I feel like I’m kissing a stranger.”