Rane's Mate

by Hazel Gower

  Kirby almost fell over when Faith elbowed her, which helped her get out of her frozen, terrified stare. “Focus, Kirby. We don’t have time for you to be scared now. You need to give your powers a try. But whatever happens, stay away from the demons and don’t look into their eyes. Pull out the knife I gave you just in case.” Faith pulled out two long knives, almost like machetes. “Go, Kirby. I need you to guard the backstage door so they don’t get these kids.” Faith ran to the stage door with her and placed one of the huge machete knives across the doors, jamming them shut. Faith turned to Kirby. “Get ready, because here they come.”

  Kirby glanced up to see twelve minions coming at her and Faith. Looking at as many as she could, she sought their thought pattern and came up against violence, death, and pain. She strained to push further into their minds, searching for any commands. Eventually she found the command she was looking for. They had been ordered to Hurt, kill as many as you can, but don’t kill this group–just corner them. A picture flashed in her mind of a group of teenage boys. This command repeated over and over in the minions’ minds. Focusing as much as possible, Kirby changed the command just as she felt the minions starting to bite her legs and their wings cutting into her face.

  She could hear Faith yelling, “Now, do it now.”

  Screaming in the minions’ head, she said. “Freeze, stop, freeze.”

  Ten minions froze in their spot, turning their ugly heads from side to side with a look of confusion.

  Kirby turned to Faith, yelling over the screaming. “Hurry I don’t know long I’ll be able to hold them off.”

  “Brilliant!” Faith yelled.

  As Faith continued to run and almost dance about, chopping and cutting wings and heads off the minions, she yelled over her shoulder, “Guard the stage doors, Kirby. Zombies are coming. Don’t be fooled by their human appearance. Kill them if you can.”

  Kirby’s back hit the stage door as a hand reached out and grabbed her hair. Screaming and kicking, she tried to get out of the hold. She heard Faith yelling at her again to use her knife and kill. Pulling her knife around, Kirby slashed at the hand holding her hair and turned to see something that was once human. Shutting her eyes, she stabbed its chest.

  Turning to find Faith finishing up on three zombie creatures, she said, “Wow, you’re a modern day Buffy.”

  Faith smiled then screamed in pain as a sixteen foot, hulking demon grabbed her from behind. Kirby stared, transfixed, never having seen anything like it. Faith used her knifed hands above her head, slicing backward. She spun, moving her hands down, then pushed both her knives up and into the demon’s chest. The demon’s scream was deafening.

  Faith never seemed to stop as she yelled to Kane, “Get your arse over here now.”

  The demon was trying to pull the knife out with one hand and reach for Faith with his other hand, his tail snaking toward her. Afraid to blink because she might miss something, Kirby watched as Faith quickly maneuvered out of the way. Kane ran over, jumped on the demon’s back, climbing to his head, which he then cut off. Staring opened-mouthed, Kirby looked at the chaos around her. Eight dead demons, four zombies, and about forty minions lay scattered on the ground. Injured people were lying everywhere.

  Faith and Kane came over to her, smiling. “Kirby was amazing, Kane. I really think we could help train her on a larger scale to freeze the minions, or command them to do other things. Even with no practice and never doing anything like this before, she got them to freeze for a couple of minutes, which gave me time to kill them. I feel, no, I know she could do it for a lot longer.”

  Kane smiled at her, nodding as he said, “You did real good, Kirby. Thanks for the help. I now need to know how badly you were hurt?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured Kane. “Look after Faith first.”

  Kane ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. He looked his mate up and down. “Faith has hardly got a scratch on her, and the scratches she does have will be healed in five to ten minutes tops. Trust me, if she was hurt I would tend to her before I did anything else.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against Faith’s, whispering, “I love you, princess.”

  Kirby grinned as she glanced at Faith. “Yeah, she is super-fast.”

  Faith laughed. “I was Kane’s shadow when I was little. I went to all their fighting lessons until they finally caved and taught me to fight properly.”

  Kane leaned down again and kissed Faith’s forehead. “The army has called in reinforcements to help clean up. I thought since I’m a doctor I would help out too, but only if that’s okay, princess?” Faith nodded her head. “I only stayed over here because Rane would kill me if I didn’t check Kirby out first.”

  Shaking her head, Kirby moaned. “He is so overbearing. I really pity the poor woman—” Kane’s chuckle cut her off. Kirby sighed. “I really am fine, Kane, just some cuts and scratches. I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

  Kane walked closer to her. “Let me just have a quick look.” Carefully, he checked her over, stopping at the deep cut on her arm. “I don’t like the look of a couple of bites and cuts, but this cut on your arm will definitely need some stitches.”

  She winced when Kane gently touched the deep cut on her arm. She took a couple of steps back as she heard a loud growl. “What the fuck are you doing to her, Kane? I thought with you being my brother and a doctor that you would be gentle.”

  Kane rolled his eyes, then winked at her. “I just touched her arm. She’s fine, Rane, but she is going to need stitches. Since she’s a childcare worker, I know she’s up to date with all of her shots. She did really well to come out of her first minion fight with only some bites and one major cut.”

  Rane looked at her, his electric blue eyes caught hers and she straighten her back and stood to her full height of five-four…well three and a half, but she rounded it up.

  She glared back at him. “What does it matter to you? See, I survived, and Faith’s experiment worked. So stick that where the sun doesn’t shine.” Before she lost her nerve she turned her back on him and walked over to Faith, who she didn’t realize had left and was now talking to the group of teenagers.

  * * * *

  Rane smiled, his little red was as fiery as her hair. Kane chuckled and patted him on the back. “Good luck with that one. You’re definitely not her favorite person.”

  “She’ll get over it.”

  Kane laughed. “This is going to be so much fun to watch.”

  “Your relationship turned out in the end.”

  Kane laughed harder. “I really do feel sorry for her.”

  Rane ground his teeth. “The major is looking for you. Aren’t you supposed to help with the medical?”

  Kane nodded, still laughing. “Yes, but some overbearing werewolf wanted me to check their mate first. Also, I’m not the only one Major Black wanted to see.”

  “Great, fine, thanks, I’ll see you back at your house. I know it’s going to be a late night.” He grinned at Kane. “Good luck to you. After everyone leaves, the girls are going to want to discuss it and get more information. You probably won’t get any rest at all tonight.” Rane walked away chuckling.

  Kane yelled out, “Coward.”

  Rane found Major Black and several other army personnel setting up work stations.

  Major Black turned to him. “I have contained everything, no one can get out or in. The security is working with us, and we have the media contained, telling them it was a terrorist attack. We were lucky that only a minimal amount were killed. Most are injured. It’s amazing more weren’t killed. I just had confirmation that the last group of demons have been killed at the main stage. The reinforcements are ready, at all exits and weak points.”

  Rane nodded. “Can we start letting some of the civilians out of the containment zone? Let’s get rid of those people who don’t know what happened. I’d like for as few people as possible to know what really went on tonight. So anyone who was attacked, or knows that it wasn’t a terrorist attack, or was
part of the show, keep them here for debriefing.”

  The major nodded. “We feel this is a major statement of things to come. We’re stepping up our program and sending you six more of our top men. They’ll be arriving within the next two days. A national meeting will be held in three days.”

  Rane raked his hand through his hair and grinded his teeth in frustration. “I expected as much. I agree, this was a huge statement. We need to organize a backup plan for any other major events.”

  The major nodded and moved in closer and said, “I would also like Faith and the alpha to attend the meeting.”

  “I’ll talk to them about it.”

  “We have problems that cannot be discussed here, Rane. I’ll come by the base tomorrow at nine hundred hours. See you then.” The major turned away, gathering one of his teams.

  Rane turned and gathered up his human military team. They all looked in pretty bad shape. Sighing, he looked every one of them in the eye before he told them the new information. “Command is sending six more of you sorry lot tomorrow. I need you all back at base now. Get some sleep. You all look like shit. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. You will join a night patrol.”

  Rane looked down at his watch. 1:45 flashed. He let out a long, draw-out groan. He needed to go talk to Kane and his brothers about the new military news he’d just been told. With Arden away for another two months he had to find someone else to help him with all of these extra humans. Not to mention in the mess he had made with his mate. He needed to woo and claim her.

  Chapter 4

  Kirby looked around at Faith’s packed house. All the new werewolves she had met, plus some she hadn’t yet, were filling the huge house.

  Glancing around again, she told herself she wasn’t looking for him, but when she spotted him in the corner talking to a werewolf that she hadn’t seen before, Kirby fought herself not to sigh. Looking Rane over from his massive feet, and slowly moving up his toned, leather-clad legs to his muscle-clad, tight white shirt, Kirby involuntarily licked her lips and bit her tongue to stop herself from sighing. Damn! She couldn’t help it, Rane’s body was what she imagined a god would look like. She glanced up at his face, sighing, he was better than a god. When she noticed his full lips turned up in a smirk, her head shot up to his eyes only to groan when she saw him staring straight at her. Shit, shit, shit, she’d been caught. Staring into Rane’s eyes, she didn’t dare turn away, especially when the bastard’s smirk turned into a full-blown smile.

  Groaning, she turned her head away, hoping to find someone she knew. Kirby saw Sara looking around frantically for someone to save her as Tray was coming her way.

  * * * *

  Coming over, Rane patted Tray on the shoulder as he noticed Tray’s mate had walked away after yelling at him.

  “Well, at least your mate is talking to you and knows she is your mate. Mine has no clue.”

  “Yeah, she said that she thinks I’m hot and I caught her checking me out earlier, but then she went on about how we’re not mated or whatever the hell we werewolves call it. Then she said something about me not having meet her family, or even gone on a date. Argh, women are so confusing!”

  Rane chuckled. “I agree one hundred percent.”

  Faith came up on her tiptoes to whack both of them on the back of their heads. “You are both idiots.” She whacked them on the head again. “What have you two done to my friends? You werewolves have no clue about women. You are so lucky it’s my birthday weekend and they can’t run away, because I’m telling you now, I’m the only reason those girls are still here. I heard some of that conversation and I will spell it out for you, Tray, like I would one of my six-year-olds.”

  She turned to Rane. “You might want to listen too.” Turning back to Tray, she continued. “Sara has been planning her wedding since she was a little girl. For Christ’s sake she has a book with picture cutouts of dresses and cakes. She also loves her family and is a major daddy’s girl, through and through, so if I were you, I would woo her and give her a big wedding, meet her parents, and give me a chance to wear one of those ugly bridesmaid dresses. Suck it up, not all women are like me. Go home, tomorrow come with some peach roses—they’re her favorite. If I find out that you have humiliated her again, you’ll wish that you were dead. Got it? Do I need to say that slower?”

  Tray stared wide-eyed at Faith and nodded his head as he replied. “Got it, woo her, family, big wedding, all of that crap.” He growled as Faith kicked him and shooed him away to a room full of werewolves’ laughter.

  Chuckling at his sister-in-law shooing away one of the meanest enforcers, Rane was too distracted to see Faith elbow him in the stomach.

  “I would so not be laughing, Rane. Your mate thinks you’re an arsehole and that you don’t like her.”

  “What! Why would she think that?”

  Faith shook her head, muttering. “Dumb idiots, all of them. Look, the way you acted tonight made it look like you didn’t want her there, or fighting with us. I, and all the werewolves, know why you acted the way you did, but she’s human, so she doesn’t. Think about it, what do you think she thinks? I’ll give you a hint, she definitely doesn’t think she’s your mate. She’s not too fond of you. She just got away from her controlling brothers.”

  “Fuck! What am I supposed to do? You said not to claim her tonight.”

  “Idiot.” She yelled the next bit, looking at every werewolf in the room. “If I find out that anyone claims their mate like Tray did with Sara, I will personally castrate them. A girl wants to get to know a man first, or at least meet him more than once before she’s mated for life.” She turned away from the group and back to him. “Talk to her, Rane, get to know her. Stop with the frigging insults, be nice. Do you know what that means? Give a compliment.”

  “I have had a relationship with a woman, Faith.”

  Faith punched him.

  “Ouch! What was that for?” he asked, rubbing his chest. She might be little but she was lethal.

  “I hit you because you’re a fucking idiot. Your mate is not just some woman, this is the one woman meant for you.” She turned and walked away, headed in the same direction that Kirby and Sara went.

  Kane walked up, patting him on the back. “What did my evil mate do to you to give you that look?”

  Rane turned to Kane. “Are you sure that your mate is only twenty-one tomorrow? Because sometimes I swear she’s older.”

  Kane smiled. “I know, it is freaky. Sometimes I even forget.” They sighed, both shaking their heads.

  “What did the elders and Dad say about tonight?” Rane asked.

  “Everyone is worried more than ever. This was bold of them, the demons did this in full view of the public, not just back alleys and small places. This was a major statement.” Kane raked his fingers through his hair as he continued on. “I’m really worried about Faith. She’s having a lot of visions, and she even talks in her sleep sometimes. She said something the other night that terrified me—all mates will be found to intervene and help with the balance, many will come from places that they shouldn’t have been. If they are not found, demons will rule this world.”

  “Holy shit.”

  Kane shook his head. “I don’t know how far and wide Faith wants us to look for people’s mates. I don’t even know if she’s just talking about our pack, or the whole world’s werewolves and weres population. I asked her when she woke up, but she told me it wasn’t important for me to know at this time.”

  Rane felt sick. “This is huge. What have the other packs said?” He looked around, noticing every werewolf was quiet now, intent on their conversation.

  “They’re all fighting, wanting to send wolves over or for Faith to help, or for us to go over to their country or place and help find their mates and demon hidey-holes.”

  All the werewolves growled at this.

  Kane continued. “We have found where Bengie was being held captive. We need to have your military teams ready by Thursday, because we’re going undergrou
nd to the demon fortress. Faith says that they’re still there, but she doesn’t think that they’ll be there for long. I want Bengie to come, but Faith is not allowing it as she doesn’t want him to live through that again. So, Rane, you need to have everyone ready by Thursday.”

  Rane gritted his teeth, knowing that they were going to be stretched to the limit.

  Chapter 5

  Kirby followed Sara outside where they found Remy sitting in an outdoor chair, literally playing with fire, throwing it from one hand to the other. Kirby and Sara pulled chairs out and sat on either side of her.

  “They have a whole heap of us, you know. After they saved them from those things, they brought them back here,” Remy said.

  “Yeah, I think they’re trying to sort something out with the people they saved tonight. Faith told me the same thing earlier.”

  Remy started crying. “Bengie won’t come anywhere near me now. He says I probably hate him now that I know what he is.” She cried harder. “It took me some time, but Faith finally explained that he is only a half-breed, that those creatures took Faith’s biological mother and forced her to do unthinkable things with those demons. Faith says it’s one of the reasons why they want us. They figure if we’re strong enough to carry a werewolf child, we could carry one of theirs.”

  Kirby was shocked. “Every time I have meet Bengie he has been nothing but sweet. He’s just like a little kid, and he doesn’t have horns or thorns...” She trailed off.

  “I know, but he is reddish and massive, he does have black eyes, and his skin is extremely hot.” Remy sighed. “I know he has a crush on me. Right now I don’t know myself. I don’t know how I feel. That’s why I’m out here. I need to think about everything. What about you two?”

  Kirby thought over everything that had happened today. “They know now that we have paranormal gifts, so will they let us leave? Do you think that they will keep us?”

  Sara and Remy frowned. “Who?”

  “The werewolves.” Kirby shook her head. “I want to help, don’t get me wrong. I will admit that it felt good saving all of those people, but I’m nothing special for these werewolves to want to keep a hold of me.”