Fighting the Inevitable

by J C Gordon

  She turned to her brother, who was staring silently off into the distance as if trying to detach himself from the wolves around him. She gave Jared one more smile and then turned away. “Come on, Rafe.” Rhianna pulled on his arm to move him over to the car.

  Rafe was silent as she drove towards Caleb’s mansion. Her mind was whirling as it tried to assimilate everything that had happened. She was anxious about Rafe. The depth of his depression was scary. She had promised to keep him well but she didn’t know if she even knew where to begin.

  “Your vampire will not be happy that you’re bringing me to his home.” Rafe broke the silence and she was surprised at him speaking and the certainty in his voice.

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  “He wanted to kill me last night.” Rafe’s tone lacked emotion.

  “He what?” Rhianna couldn’t stop the shocked gasp escaping her lips. Caleb knew? He knew Rafe was alive and he hadn’t told her? Her hands tightened hard on the steering wheel and she felt a deep anger begin to pulse inside her. She couldn't believe Caleb could keep something like this from her. How could he say he loved her but leave her grieving for her brother who was still alive? She felt Rafe’s eyes on her and tried to relax some of the tension from her body.

  Rafe sighed loudly and leaned his head against the headrest. “Don’t be angry with him, Annie. He didn’t find out until last night. Something you said to him led him to put the pieces together as he knows the Alpha well. He came to Old Forest Road with his people. He was beyond rage, furious on your behalf. He demanded justice for the pain our pack had caused you. He was quite magnificent actually.” His tone still lacked emotion but it was the most he’d said.

  “He should have told me!” she blurted out and then she remembered their earlier conversation about how he couldn’t tell her something because it was someone else’s secret. How she had told him not to worry about it. She felt her anger lessen slightly and took a deep breath.

  “He would have started a war if he had,” Rafe told her quietly. “He almost started one last night. The vampires would have decimated the pack even though they were in smaller numbers. They are faster than us and their bite is deadly to us. He agreed with the Alpha to reveal his true nature to you, so he could prove you were able to accept the truth and protect those you cared for. He risked losing you so he could convince the Alpha to agree to tell you I still lived. It would be rather mean and petty of you to be angry with him after he did all that for you. Don’t you think so?”

  He opened his eyes and looked at his sister. She was biting her lip hard as she listened to what he had to say. Her hands relaxed more around the steering wheel and her lips tugged in a slight smile. “Maybe just a little,” she finally agreed.

  Rhianna was reeling at the information she had just learned. Caleb had almost started a war because of her? He really needed to work on learning how to handle his newfound emotions. A small part of her was flattered too. He had told her he loved her but she hadn’t understood just how much. He was willing to lose her so she could have her brother back? That was huge!

  “Rafe, don’t worry about Caleb.” Rhianna felt the need to reassure her brother as she pulled up outside the mansion. “He really is a wonderful man. He’s still learning how to control his emotions, so he may be a bit erratic at expressing them from time to time, but his heart is kind even if he doesn’t quite believe it yet.”

  She smiled at him and stepped out of the car. She opened the back door and pulled out her overnight bag, waiting for her brother to decide he was getting out of the car. She waited patiently as Rafe just sat there.

  Long moments passed and she began to bite her lip. She didn’t want to press him too hard but she couldn’t just stand on the driveway all night. The sound of the front door opening behind her drew her eyes and she took a deep breath as Caleb stepped out of the house.

  Caleb’s quick gaze took in Rhianna’s tearstained face and her anxious expression as she looked at him and then back at the huge man sitting half-naked in her car. He tensed and felt his anger start to boil up. Had the man hurt his Annie? He took one threatening step forward and then stopped as suddenly as he had moved.

  He recognised the man from the night before. He watched Rafe Armand intently as he sat staring straight ahead. Annie’s brother was truly wounded to his core. It was plain for all to see. Caleb stepped forward again, keeping his tread light. He opened the passenger side door and looked down at the man.

  “Welcome to my home, Rafe,” he said quietly. “You are welcome to stay for as long as you need.”

  Rafe turned his head and looked at the vampire who had captured his sister’s heart. He didn’t look half as intimidating as he had the night before. He sensed no intent on the vampire’s part to harm him in anyway. Perhaps Rhianna was right about the vampire. He unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car as the vampire stood back.

  Caleb closed the door then turned to look at Rhianna. Her expression showed relief and gratitude. Did she doubt he would welcome her brother into his home? Was she going to be angry with him? He knew she must know everything. Obviously something had transpired on her way over to his place.

  “I’ll tell you about it later,” she said quietly walking over to him. He took her overnight bag and slipped an arm around her shoulder. At least she was talking to him. “Coming, Rafe?” Rhianna held out her other hand to her brother. He moved to take it and they walked into the house together.

  Caleb set her bag down in the hallway and turned to her with a questioning look but she shook her head quickly at him but managed a smile, which did reach her beautiful eyes. No trace of anger yet. Perhaps it was a good sign.

  “Are you hungry, Rafe?” She turned to her brother but he shook his head in the negative.

  “I’d really just like to lie down.” It was the same listless tone he’d spoken in the entire drive over.

  Rhianna sighed and frowned at him. “Well that’s just tough. Is that how you escaped your pack? Did you pretend to be tired and then sneak off the moment their backs were turned? Well you’re not doing that to me, Rafe. I’ve only just found you again and I am not going to lose you. Now get a grip of yourself and act your age!”

  Caleb didn’t know who was the more surprised, himself or Rafe. The big man’s head snapped up and a small smile began to tug at his lips as he regarded his sister intently. “Is it running with a vampire that has turned you into a little harpy?” There was spark of life in his voice for the first time in a long time.

  “No, it’s having an ass of a brother who also happens to be a part-time wolf,” she retorted waspishly. “Really, Rafe. I don’t know what to do with you. I don’t recognise this person in front of me. My brother is inside there somewhere and I want him back. So have a chat with Wolfie and work out how you’re both going to accomplish that.”

  He blinked at her in surprise and then laughed. It was a harsh sound, his brown eyes narrowing. “You think it’s that simple, Rhianna? Just snap my fingers, say hi to Wolfie, and everything is going to be okay?” He felt his anger rise and he struggled to dampen it down, aware of the dangerous man at his sister’s side.

  “It’s as simple or as hard as you want to make it, Rafe.” Her tone was less abrasive. “My big brother used to tell me that and he was a very wise man. Maybe you should talk to him about it.”

  She turned to Caleb, slipped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. “I could really use one of your excellent mochas.”

  He followed her lead and ignored the burnt out man at their side. He smiled slowly and picked her up so he could give her a long, thorough kiss. “As my lady commands,” he answered before he set her feet back down on the floor and escorted her into the kitchen, leaving Rafe alone in the ornate hallway.

  He gathered her into his arms the moment they were alone and sat her on one of the kitchen counters, easing between her thighs so he could bring his face close to hers. “You’re making him angry,” he said quietly
, his golden brown eyes searching hers.

  “I know.” She kept her voice just as quiet. “It’s the only time he has a spark of life in him, Caleb. He needs to remember what it feels like to have some fight in him. I’m going to push him hard, love, and I need you to not interfere, no matter how angry he gets with me. I know I’m asking a lot of you but you have to trust me. Rafe will never hurt me no matter how angry he gets.”

  Caleb frowned darkly at her, his expression turning mutinous. “He’s not only Rafe now, Annie. He’s a wolf too and he is unstable at the moment. He could accidentally hurt you. You can’t expect me to stand idly by and do nothing to protect you.”

  “Wolfie will never hurt me either, Caleb,” she sighed softly. “I keep telling you that but you don’t seem to believe me. I’m asking you to have some trust in me, Caleb. I need you to trust me to know what is best for my brother.”

  He didn’t want to argue with her and he could tell from her set expression she would dig her heels in if he pushed her and her first night in his bed would be a distinctly chilly event. He smoothed his frown away but his unhappiness was still etched across his face. “I’ll try, Annie,” he conceded. “It’s the best I can give you. You’re just too precious to me, my love. I don’t want to lose you when I’ve only just found you.”

  She smiled and cupped his face. “It’s a start, Caleb. Just count to ten very slowly if you feel your anger taking hold. Rafe told me what happened last night with the Weres. Whilst I appreciate your need to protect me and your sense of outrage at the perceived injustice done to me, I really will be very unhappy if you start a war in my name.”

  Caleb actually blushed and looked down, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. “I’m sorry about that, Annie.” He almost sounded humble. “I wanted to tell you about Rafe, I truly did, but Jared needed to be sure you could handle finding out about me first. It was his intention to put the question of whether or not to tell you the truth to his pack once I’d had the chance to meet with him again after I had revealed myself to you. I didn’t quite expect it to happen so soon. I was going to meet with Jared tomorrow. Something serious must have happened to have brought about all this.” He raised his eyes and searched her face intently for some clue as to what had happened on her way over to his place.

  “I tried to commit suicide by throwing myself in front of a passing car,” Rafe said from the doorway and they both turned around and looked at him. He rolled his eyes and snorted. “I am a wolf now. You could at least try and remember I have enhanced hearing abilities. It will make it less embarrassing for both of you when I overhear you talking about me.”

  “Rafe,” Rhianna sighed, trying to hop down from the counter but Caleb kept her pinned with his body.

  He growled low in his throat and his hands tightened on her hips painfully. “If you tell me you selfishly threw yourself in front of Annie’s car, I am going to beat the living daylights out of you, dog!” he hissed furiously.

  “Caleb!” Rhianna gasped, stunned by the onset of his sudden rage. “Count to ten very slowly. Now!”

  He ignored her and continued to glare at Rafe, another long hiss coming from his throat, as the other man did not deny his actions.

  “Caleb!” She tried to get his attention again but he was totally focused on her brother. She could feel the rage in the tenseness of his body and she was afraid he would give in to it and attack Rafe.

  He seemed to pay her no heed so she changed tactics as her fear began to build quickly. She moaned low in her throat and let her body go completely limp. As she started to fall back against the counter, Caleb’s head spun around as his arms wrapped around her and he pressed her against his body, Rafe completely forgotten.

  “Annie,” he groaned, his hand cupping her cheek.

  She opened her eyes and caught his gaze with hers. She watched slow realisation dawn in his eyes and then anger flare for a brief moment before his expression slowly cleared and he gave her a rueful smile.

  “I suppose I deserved that,” he admitted, brushing her lips gently with his. “Are you going to do that every time I lose my temper? I really hope not because you just made my heart stop there, sweet one, and I really didn’t like it one bit.”

  “Counting to ten slowly is the preferred option, but I will use any and all tactics I have to. You have to learn better self-control than that, Caleb. I can’t let you hurt Rafe.”

  “You should have let him pound me,” Rafe said darkly, his expression angry. The vampire was right to be angry with him. He had almost killed his sister tonight and there was no excuse for his actions. “You think you feel angry, vampire? You should have heard Annie run her mouth off at me. I’ve never heard the words fuck and fucking used so many times in a mere handful of sentences before.” He sounded oddly impressed, as Rhianna felt her cheeks flush scarlet at the memory.

  Caleb regarded him with narrowed eyes, and then looked at Rhianna. “I wish I’d been there to hear it.” He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip thoughtfully. “Maybe you could repeat it for me later on?” He suddenly found himself wanting to hear her utter profanities, preferably, when he was sliding his body deep inside hers. It had been so deliciously erotic when she’d done so earlier.

  She flushed scarlet again, knowing what he was thinking of and pushed at his chest. “If you two have finished, perhaps you could get around to making that mocha?” she asked archly.

  Caleb slid her from the counter top and turned to Rafe. “Would you like a coffee?” He kept his tone as polite as he could manage. “I can make just about anything you fancy.” He was trying his best to connect with Rhianna’s brother. He knew it would make her happy and despite wanting to rip the other man’s head off for recklessly endangering his love, he felt almost responsible for the desperation he must have felt to try to end his life like that.

  “I’ll have a cappuccino,” Rafe answered slowly as he watched Annie move over to the table and pull out a chair. He followed her and sat down across from her. “I promise I won’t try anything like that again.” He paused and looked down at the table. “I know I’m a bit of a mess right now but, at the time, I thought you would never know I was still alive. There was nothing keeping me to this life. There is now.” He looked up and met her gaze.

  Rhianna stared at him solemnly before nodding. “Just don’t give up. You can’t ever give up, Rafe. I know it’s not easy for you dealing with this duality inside of you. Your problem is you see your human side as being separate from your wolf side. When you come to me, you either come as Wolfie or as Rafe. You are not two separate individuals in the same body, you are one. When you can make that connection, find that inner balance, the pain and misery will all go away.”

  “How do I do that, Annie?” he whispered, his handsome face twisting into a mask of misery. “I’ve tried but I just don’t know how to do it.”

  Rhianna reached across the table and took his hand in both of hers. “Wolfie needs the wisdom of Rafe and Rafe needs the strength of Wolfie,” she told him, her tone firm. “When Wolfie is having a hard time, he needs to reach within himself and ask Rafe to help him and vice versa. You have to learn to trust both aspects of your nature. Stop viewing Wolfie as a monster. I know Wolfie well and he most certainly isn’t one. He may be an animal and have some baser type needs, but he is still a lovable creature.”

  “When did you get so wise, Annie,” Rafe asked, a hint of awe in his voice.

  “Ironically, I think it started to happen when I lost you,” she answered with a wry smile. “I suddenly had to start making difficult decisions without having you there to back me up. I didn’t think I could do it on my own, but every time I fell down I would remember something you had said to me and I used that to help me through the rough patch. I’ve never lost faith in you, Rafe, even when you were gone. Have faith in yourself. You can find your inner peace and I’ll be here to help you when you fall.”

  Caleb set the coffees on the table and sat down beside Rhianna. He had listened into their conve
rsation and his love and respect for his woman grew in leaps and bounds.

  “I will be there to help too, Rafe,” he offered. “I can help you when you need to confront your wolf side. I would prefer if Annie was not present during those moments. Just as a precaution.”

  “I would never hurt her,” Rafe said fiercely, his expression turning horrified at the very thought of hurting his beautiful sister.

  “Maybe you wouldn’t,” Caleb conceded, “but you must understand, Rafe. She is my life now, the most precious thing in the world to me. I wish to avoid any possible harm coming to her and I wish to avoid any possibility of me harming you because you accidentally hurt her. I would be unable to stop myself from it and then she would hate me forever. If we do things my way, then a large element of risk is removed.”

  “Caleb,” Rhianna groaned rolling her eyes. At least he wasn’t threatening to beat Rafe up but still, his over protectiveness was grating just a little.

  “No, Annie, he’s right,” Rafe interrupted her. “Why choose unnecessary risk when there is a safer way to do things? You are precious to both of us. Let us protect you from your overgenerous need to fix this.”

  She would have argued with them but she caught a spark of hope in Rafe’s eyes, and it was the first unforced emotion from him since he had arrived. His shoulders were not so slumped in defeat either.

  “Okay, I will bow to both of your superior wisdom on the matter,” she sighed softly. “Caleb will help you with Wolfie and I’ll help my big brother.”

  Rafe smiled slowly and nodded his head before he picked up his coffee and took a sip.

  Caleb smiled his satisfaction and brushed her hair away from the side of her neck so he could place a soft kiss there. “Did we just compromise?” he asked with a soft laugh and she rolled her eyes and drank her coffee without replying.

  Rafe did look tired the more she stared at him. Rhianna knew how he felt. Emotional weariness was just as exhausting as physical weariness. She felt emotionally drained as she sipped at her mocha, the wonderful chocolaty coffee not giving her the adrenaline rush she had expected. It had been a very long day. She’d found out her boyfriend, lover, whatever Caleb was, was a vampire and her dead brother really wasn’t dead but was a werewolf instead. It was hard to take it all in.