Chapter Six

At a nondescript warehouse

“Are you positive about what you saw? It couldn’t be anything as simple as an insect bite?” Steve’s face was carefully controlled, the expression on his face neutral. Kurt sighed and ran a hand over his bald head.

“Steve I’m positive. On the inside of her thigh were puncture wounds…right above an artery,” he replied. Steve cursed and sat back in his chair. He kicked his booted feet up on top of the desk and laced his hands behind his own bald head as they awaited the arrival of Ken. James and Chris were silent, already having been filled in on the developments. There were mainly here to help control Ken once he found out. He had a pretty nasty temper.

“All right I’m here what’s the big emergency? I was going to try to find out why everyone’s gathering at Mysterio’s plant,” Ken stated as he strolled into the room. James and Chris glanced at each other then at Steve, who nodded slightly. Both men stood and braced themselves for the upcoming storm.

“Ken sit down…I found out something you’re not going to like,” Kurt said cautiously. Ken glanced to his partner, annoyed and puzzled.

“Just spit it out Angle since when are you shy?” he smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Kurt sighed and ran a hand down his face before telling Ken what he had seen when he had stopped by his place. Ken’s face clouded in disbelief. He quickly glanced to Steve, then to James and Chris, searching for signs of the joke. By the way all three men avoided his eyes he knew. And his bellow of rage echoed throughout the building.

“SON OF A BITCH!”

Tala paced outside the building, occasionally glancing at her watch. If Rayne didn’t hurry they would miss the meeting. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally spotted Rayne hurrying towards her.

“About time!” she giggled softly. Rayne smirked and shot her the bird.

“Bite me I had to get ready,” she replied as her wide eyes scanned the building. “DAMN you work in THIS?” she added, amazed. Tala smiled and nodded as she swiped her card and opened the door.

“Impressive isn’t it? Only thing that bothers me...” Tala’s voice trailed off as she glanced over to the woods that bordered the plant on all sides. Rayne nodded as they stepped into the building and carefully lowered their voices.

“Yeah all the woods are a bit creepy. Maybe he’s a closet nature lover,” she shrugged. Tala nodded and the two women hurried down the eerily deserted halls towards the massive board room where the meeting was to be held. Each woman had a notepad and pen and a small recording device hidden among their clothing to capture anything note worthy for their stories.

The two women hurried into the room and paused as they glanced around wide eyed at everything. There was several crystal wine glasses set on a tray. Stacks of paperwork were sitting at each end of the table, obviously where Rey and David would be sitting.

“DAMN are they holding a meeting or a party?” Rayne muttered as she glanced around at the various refreshments sitting on a table on the far side of the room. Tala shrugged and quickly spotted the door she was looking for.

“Over here…this utility closet,” she said as she tugged her friend towards the door. Rayne wrinkled her nose slightly and Tala giggled.

“Oh hush! I dusted it out and stocked it with a few refreshments of our own,” she smirked as she opened the door. Rayne peered inside and laughed softly as she took note of the two chairs, with a small cooler sitting on top of a larger one directly in between the two.

“A FEW refreshments?” she asked as she arched an eyebrow towards the larger cooler. Tala shrugged.

“It was here when I set these chairs in here. I’m assuming that it’s maybe backup refreshments in case god FORBID they run out,” she replied. Rayne nodded and started to reply but the sound of voices from down the hallway reached their ears. Hearts pounding in anticipation, the two women ducked inside the closet and quietly closed the door. They had just sat down in their chairs and got their things ready when the first arrivals walked into the room. It happened to be Rey, his Vice President Randy Orton and the financial officer Edge. There was something about Edge that sent shivers down Tala’s back and not in a good way. Oh he was definitely handsome there was no doubt about it. But there was a ruthlessness to him that suggested he wouldn’t hesitate to walk over his own mother to get what he wanted.

“So, which one is your boss?” Rayne whispered as she ran her eyes over all three men. They were all cute, but none of them could match up to David. She quickly shoved that thought away, wondering where the hell it had come from. She glanced over and found Tala’s eyes glued to the smaller man, and in the dim light from the overhead bulb she could see the faint blush that had spread across her friend’s creamy cheeks. Rayne snickered and turned her head back. She studied the smaller man, who had taken a seat in one of the leather chairs at the head of the table and was kicked back in it, talking quietly to the taller brunette. The third man, the blonde, was prowling the room with a barely repressed energy.

“Figures he would be short,” she teased in a whisper. Tala’s head whipped around as she opened her mouth to defend her boss. She caught sight of the teasing twinkle in her friend’s eyes and settled for sticking her tongue out at her playfully before returning her attention back to the room. Rayne started to say something more but she heard the deep voice of David and found herself unable to breathe as he strolled into the room, followed by his Vice President John Cena and his financial officer Hunter.

‘DAMN he looks…WOW!’ was her stunned thoughts as she allowed her eyes to run over him. Tonight he wore a surprisingly old fashioned suit, completely with a pristine white button down shirt, formal black pants and a black suit jacket. He wore dark sunglasses, which puzzled her given the fact that the sun had set hours ago. She heard Tala’s quiet murmur of appreciation and nudged her friend none too gently, suddenly annoyed. She ignored Tala’s surprised look, her eyes fixed hungrily on the tall man that had walked over to where the smaller man, Rey, now stood watching him warily.

“Bautista glad to see you could make it,” Rey said formally as he bowed slightly in respect. David smiled slightly and returned the gesture.

“Thank you for graciously welcoming us into your place of business for this meeting,” David replied just as formally. Tala and Rayne exchanged startled glances. Since when did their bosses talk all fancy like?

“Where’s the refreshments mutt?” Hunter muttered as he looked around the room. Rey stiffened in anger and his eyes flashed fire as he bit back the instinctive curt response to the insult.

“You will find your…drinks…on that table over there,” he finally replied coolly. Hunter smirked and walked over to the table just as the two secretaries that were rightfully allowed to be at the meeting glided in, glaring at each other with mutual hate and distrust. Rayne stiffened and her fingers curled involuntarily into fists as she watched the seductive vampiress, decked out in a micro mini skirt and a blouse cut so low she was in danger of spilling out of it, glided over towards David.

“Ah I see you brought the resident barracuda,” Rey muttered to David, alerting him to the approach of the troublemaking vampiress. David groaned and rolled his eyes behind his glasses, bracing himself just as he felt her cold hand slide smoothly over his arm.

“David…so glad you decided to allow a REAL secretary to be here tonight,” Melina purred as she batted her dark eyes up at him flirtatiously. David’s lips tightened, the only sign of annoyance on his otherwise expressionless face.

“There are reasons for that Ms. Perez don’t go reading more into it than business interests,” he replied coldly before turning back to Rey, effectively letting her know she was dismissed. Melina’s eyes grew dark with anger and flashed fire as she whirled and stalked over to the refreshment table to plot her next move. Tala glanced at Rayne curiously when she heard her friend give out a small relieved sigh.

“Can’t stand that bitch,” she whispered in explanation as she returned her gaze to David. Tala nodded and allowed her eyes to wander back over the room, which was gradually filling with more and more people.

“Damn…this is a LOT of people for just a simple meeting,” she whispered. Rayne nodded. She knew some of the faces, having seen some of them around the offices at various times. Others were new to her. Obviously some were from Rey’s company. Both women jumped as a sharp slap on the marble table caught everyone’s attention.

“All right now that everyone’s here grab your refreshments and get to the table. We have a few things we need to iron out,” Rey said firmly. His pale blue eyes scanned the room, nodding slightly to Maria who closed the door. Half of the guests walked over to the table and the women could see them pouring what appeared to be a dark red wine. Rey waited until everyone had their various drinks and were seated at the table before speaking again.

“First order of business…AGAIN establishing who’s territory is WHO’S,” he stated as his eyes locked with David’s covered ones. David reached up and slowly removed the glasses, drawing an inaudible sigh from Rayne and a snicker from Tala before replying.

“Precisely Mysterio…and establishing the proper protocol for visiting someone else’s territory,” he replied dryly. Rey’s lips tightened in irritation as he sat down. He ran a hand through his short hair and vaguely wished he was out with Tala. He quickly filed that thought away for further thought later and returned his attention to the task at hand, unknowing of the fact that Edge’s eyes had suddenly sharpened in interest at something.

“Now…there’s been a rash of…” Rey’s voice trailed off as he glanced sharply towards Edge. “Something bothering you Edge?” he asked sharply. Edge’s eyes gleamed as they darted towards the closed utility closet door.

“Just curious as to whether you have any refreshments for OUR…tastes,” he drawled as he leaned back in his chair. Rey inhaled sharply as a flash of anger lit his eyes. Before he could answer Melina chose that moment to pipe up from the table.

“Damn we seem to be out over here. Do you have any more you stupid…I mean Mr. Mysterio?” she purred as she gestured to the empty old fashioned container sitting on the table. Rey felt a low growl rumble through his throat and Randy quickly cleared his throat.

“I think you’ll find more in the closet Ms. Perez and I use the term miss loosely,” he shot back as he locked eyes with the now fuming vampiress. She quickly whirled around and stalked towards the closet and the two women inside exchanged panicked looks. They were trapped.

Rey continued to stare at Edge and noted a flash of satisfaction flash in his pale hazel eyes. A tremor of foreboding slithered down his spine and quickly he relaxed his defenses and allowed his senses to reach out…and was stunned when he sensed not only Tala’s presence but another unknown female’s as well.

“WAIT!” he cried out as he leapt to his feet, startling just about everyone in the room…except Edge and Hunter who exchanged knowing smirks. Melina ignored him and flung the door open…and her lips curled up into a vicious snarl as she caught sight of the two women huddled inside the closet.

“Well when you said you were providing refreshments I didn’t realize you meant…” Melina’s vicious words were quickly cut off as in a flash David was beside her. He slapped a hand quickly over her mouth and dragged her away from the closet, his dark eyes never leaving the hunched over form of Rayne. He vaguely registered the other female beside her and surmised that she must be the new secretary that Rey had hired at the same time he had hired Rayne.

‘We are so busted,’ both women thought together as they sat in their chairs.

“Damn right you are!” John laughed suddenly. Rayne and Tala’s heads jerked up, eyes wide, as David and Rey shook their heads and groaned softly.

“Randall, you and John please escort Ms Adair and her friend to my office and stay with them until David and I get there,” Rey sighed softly as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Both men nodded and stood, making their way over to the two women.

“Ms. Adair if you please…” Randy said softly as he extended an arm to her. Tala slowly looked up and Randy’s breath caught in his throat. Why had he never noticed before how pretty she was?

Meanwhile John was pretty much having the same reaction as he gazed into Rayne’s dark green eyes. She was simply breathtaking! Unable to even speak, John simply offered his arm and smiled. Rayne sighed softly and stood carefully before taking his arm. She bit her bottom look as she avoided both his and David’s gaze, instead turning to Tala who had very reluctantly taken Randall’s arm.

“We tried at least,” she muttered, unaware of just how keen of hearing everyone in that room had. Tala nodded and sighed softly. She avoided Rey’s eyes, though she could feel the weight of his stare on her. Silently, the two women allowed themselves to be led out of the room, with Maria closing the door behind them. Once Rey was sure they were out of earshot he turned to David.

“I think we have major problems...and our two new employees are somehow caught up in it,” he stated. David nodded as he rubbed at his eyes before slipping his glasses back on. This was going to be a long night.

“All right ladies have a seat. Mr. Bautista and Mr. Mysterio will be joining us shortly,” Randall said somewhat formally as he opened the door to Rey’s office. Tala sighed and slowly walked in, followed closely by Rayne. Both women blushed slightly, as they could feel the heat from Randy and John’s stares on their bottoms. They shot each other a knowing and naughty look and waited until John had closed the door before reaching up and slowly unfastening a couple of buttons on their shirts before slowly turning to face the two men.

“Why so formal guys?” Tala purred as she slowly approached Randy, who appeared to have been turned to stone. His wide hazel eyes were firmly glued to the exposed cleavage that Tala was showing. Rayne in the meantime had already reached John and had placed a hand lightly against his muscular chest.

“You seem AWFULLY tense Mr. Cena,” she purred softly as she ran her hand across his chest, trying to ignore the feeling of the firm muscles underneath. Now was not the time to get distracted by a hot body. Both men shifted uncomfortably and glanced at each other before glancing back to the two seductive women in front of them.

“M-Maybe you s-should sit down Ms. Adair,” Randy finally managed to murmur. He inhaled softly as Tala stepped closer, lightly brushing her body against his. He caught the scent of her exotic perfume and bit back his instinctive growl as he felt himself swiftly hardening.

“Please…call me Tala,” she whispered as she ran her hands appreciatively over his broad shoulders. Randy swallowed hard and shifted again, trying to keep her from discovering just how much her touch affected him.

“O-Only if you call me R-Randy,” he whispered. Tala nodded softly.

“You look more like a…RANDY…than a Randall,” she murmured. John in the meantime had tipped his head back against the door and was biting his bottom lip hard as Rayne’s hand continued to lightly caress his chest through his tight shirt.

“M-Ms. Saracens…p-please,” he whispered as his nails dug sharply into the wooden office door. Rayne licked her lips as she deliberately looked him up and down.

“The name is Rayne…and I’ll be MORE than happy to please you,” she whispered as her hand drifted down towards his jeans, where there was a distinct bulge growing larger every second. John inhaled sharply before moving quickly. Rayne blinked and suddenly found herself gently yet firmly pinned back against the door, John’s hard muscular AROUSED frame pressing tightly to hers.

“Shall we find out…Rayne?” he whispered huskily before claiming her lips in a hot and heated kiss.

Randy in the meantime was struggling with the wolf inside as Tala’s exotic scent curled itself as seductively around him as the woman herself was, making him harder than he had ever been before. Almost without conscious thought his hands drifted down to rest gently on her curvaceous hips even as his own arched instinctively against her, allowing her to feel his response to her nearness. Tala’s eyes widened briefly then darkened even more as she placed her hands on his shoulders. She allowed him to turn and press her back against the door before he lowered his head towards hers. Her eyes drifted closed just as his lips touched hers lightly.

“Ok now that the MINOR issues have been dealt with it’s time for…” Rey broke off in mid sentence as he stilled. Puzzled, David looked towards him. It wasn’t like Rey to just stop in mid thought. He frowned slightly as he took note of Rey’s stiff posture…and the way his eyes were beginning to glow with what could only be described as jealousy and a growing anger. Without another word Rey shoved away from the table and hurried out the door, ignoring the mutters of surprise from behind him. David sighed…then stilled as he began to feel it…the overwhelming sexual tension rising from a part of the building. Jaw clenching tight he smoothly slid to his feet and hurried after Rey. He didn’t know for sure what was going on but it had DAMN well better not be what he thought it was!

Tala bit back a low moan as Randy shifted closer, nuzzling her neck. She felt his hands slide around to gently cup her bottom before lifting her slightly. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to his shoulders, shivering slightly as she felt his hardness prodding at her from behind his tight jeans. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. What had started out as an attempt to get away had quickly turned into a hot and heavy make out session…for both herself and Rayne.

Rayne lightly scratched her nails down John’s tee shirt covered back as she returned his passionate kiss. Vaguely she wondered just what in the hell she and Tala had been thinking but it was quickly shoved away by the quickly rising tide of desire.

Randy nuzzled and nipped at Tala’s neck, growling low in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep in her luscious body…to hear her cry out his name as he came into her again and again. On the very edges of his desire tugged a presence…growing closer. Randy reluctantly pulled his lips away from her neck and concentrated…then paled as a heavy fist suddenly slammed into the office door.

“RANDALL! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THERE?” Rey’s voice was dark with anger and Randy paled. John quickly pulled away from Rayne as he belatedly sensed David’s presence and he exchanged a panicked look with Randy as Randy quickly lowered Tala down and stepped back. Tala and Rayne swallowed nervously and nodded towards the chairs as they frantically tried to smooth down their slightly ruffled hair, completely forgetting about their blouses that they had partly opened. Randy and John hurried over and gingerly took a seat, crossing their legs with faint grimaces as Tala quickly unlocked the door. She and Rayne had just hurried over to the windows and were pretending to look out when Rey and David burst into the room. The two women glanced back…and could tell that neither man was very happy at that moment.

Chapter Seven

“What’s going on in here?” Rey’s voice matched the dark look on his face as he glared at Randy. The younger man dipped his head in an instinctive submissive gesture that the wolf approved of but said nothing. Rey turned his powerful gaze to Tala…and quickly turned away to hide the fire in his pale eyes as her scent, mixed lightly with Randy’s, reached his nose.

David glanced from John to Rayne and back again, saying nothing. A quick scan of John’s memories had shown him all too clearly what had been occurring between the four people. He crossed his arms over his chest, glowering darkly at his second in command’s bowed head. How was he going to handle this? He knew he couldn’t be too harsh as neither of them were aware of his feelings for Rayne. A quick glance over at Rey’s unnaturally still form quickly brought another thought to the front of his mind…he needed to get the two women out of the building before Rey lost the tenuous grip he had on the wolf raging inside.

“John, why don’t you escort Ms…Adair was it?...to her car and Randall you escort Ms. Saracens to hers,” David suggested calmly. Tala immediately opened her mouth to protest but one look from David shushed her immediately. Randy glanced over at Rey and immediately shot to his feet as he realized that Rey was on the line of changing. He quickly shot John a look as he offered his arm to Rayne and John nodded as he leapt to his feet, offering Tala his arm even as he avoided meeting David’s gaze. Tala sighed and took it and glanced over to where Rey stood. She felt her heart sink as she took note of the stiff way he was holding himself…and the fact that he had his back to her. She allowed John to lead her out of the room and struggled to hold back her tears. She had really fucked things up.

David waited until he sensed that the two women were safely out of earshot before turning to Rey.

“Mysterio…Rey…calm down,” David said softly. He reached a hand out and quickly drew it back as Rey swiped at him with a fierce growl, his nails rapidly lengthening into claws. He ran a hand though his hair before trying again.

“Rey fight it. Now’s not the time to let your emotions get the better of you,” he tried again. He didn’t flinch as Rey whirled around to face him, pale blue eyes glowing with rage and bearing his teeth in a fierce snarl.

“L-LEAVE BAUTISTA! You know NOTHING about how I feel!” he snapped in a voice that was partly a growl as the wolf continued to surge forward. David sighed.

“Don’t I? Don’t you think that knowing that John was holding the woman that I myself care for deeply in such an intimate embrace doesn’t piss me off?” he shot back. Rey inhaled deeply and for a moment the wolf paused, allowing Rey to temporarily finish what he had been trying to say.

“You don’t understand the ways of the wolf David. We…we mate for life. We’re protective of our chosen mates,” he whispered as he dropped his head, shaking from the effort of restraining the wolf. David’s eyes softened sympathetically.

“Go on Rey. I’ll tell everyone the meeting is going to be rescheduled…that something came up. Go run…release your pent up anger,” he said softly. Rey shot him a grateful look before turning and hurrying out of the office. He barely made it a few steps before the wolf surged forward and took over, leaving him to run out of the building into the woods in wolf form. As he ran he found himself changing directions, heading for Tala’s apartment. Even as pissed as he was the wolf demanded to know that his chosen mate had made it home safely.

David sighed as he walked down the street, glancing up at the sky. What a hell of a day it had been. He had never in the many centuries that he had known Rey ever seen him so pissed off over a woman. Usually he would be the first to cast aside an unfaithful woman with no more than a casual shrug. Which meant that just maybe she was the one for him. He then found his thoughts turning to the other mystery, Rayne. Until that night he had had no clue that she had known Rey’s new secretary. He ran a hand through his hair as he paused, debating. Should he go talk to her now? Or wait until in the morning?

He quickly broke out of his thoughts when he found himself standing at Rayne’s apartment. He shook his head slightly and smiled. He should have known that his subconscious would choose for him. He took note of the fact that her car wasn’t in the parking lot yet so he leaned against the wall to wait. He didn’t care how long it took he wanted to find out just why she had been hiding in that closet in the first place.

Tala was still cursing herself out as she pulled into her assigned parking space in the parking lot. She quickly shut the car off and flung the door open, unheeding of the fact that it almost bounced off one of the concrete posts beside her. She could care less about any damages coming out of her check. In fact she was honestly debating quitting the newspaper altogether. She quickly climbed out of the car and viciously slammed the door closed. She whirled around…and almost screamed as she came face to face with Chris and James.

“Damn it! Don’t you two believe in calling before stopping by? I do have a cell phone!” she snapped, placing a shaky hand to her heart. In the shadows, Rey growled inaudibly as his pale eyes locked onto the two men towering over Tala. He crouched low to the ground, prepared to spring out if they showed any signs of threatening his mate.

“Easy Tala we just wanted to see how you were doing,” Chris replied as he raised his hands in a defensive gesture. James glanced around casually and Rey crouched even lower. He knew that the man was scanning the area for his presence. The fact that he was proved to Rey that there was something more to these two men that either Tala didn’t know about or that she was hiding from him. He made a note to take a closer look at that extermination company she had worked for previously even as his fur covered ears tipped forward to catch more of the conversation.

“As you can see Chris I’m fine. Just tired and not in the mood for company right now,” she sighed as she ran a weary hand through her hair. Chris looked at her and frowned slightly. Rey’s eyes shifted to her and he felt his heart sink at the look in her eyes.

“Are you ok darlin’? Did that freak try anything with you?” James asked as he took a step forward. Rey tensed, a harsh growl rumbling in his chest at both his words and how close he had moved towards Tala. But he made no move, waiting to see what Tata would do next. He opened his jaws slightly and his tongue lolled out in a silent laugh at Tala’s response.

“No James you haven’t had a chance to do anything to me,” she replied coolly as she crossed her arms over her chest. Chris immediately burst out laughing as James’ jaw dropped open in shock.

“Now was that really called for sweetheart?” James drawled with a mock pout. Tala merely rolled her eyes before turning towards Chris. She found him gazing into the shadows with a dark scowl on his face.

“Chris? Why are you trying to stare a hole into the shadows?” she asked puzzled. Chris shook his head slightly, as if clearing his thoughts, before turning back to her.

“No reason thought I saw something. Tell you what…at least let us escort you up to your apartment and if you’re still not in the mood for company we’ll leave,” Chris said soothingly. Tala muttered something under her breath that neither Chris nor James could catch…but Rey did. The wolf’s eyes gleamed with amusement.

“Fine whatever floats your boat,” she finally replied with a slight shrug. She gathered up her purse and started for the front door of the building, trailed closely by Chris and James. Rey started to take a step forward and froze as James shot a look back into the shadows, turning slightly. Normally Rey wouldn’t have hesitated to take up the challenge in the man’s eyes…but as he turned Rey caught sight of a gun…and he was pretty damn sure there were silver bullets in it. He settled back further into the shadows as the trio disappeared into the building. Once they were safely inside he quickly shifted back into his human form and made his way to the fire escape. He’d be damned if he let those two men keep him away from Tala.

Rayne sighed as she climbed out of her car. She took a quick glance around the parking lot and sighed as she caught sight of her brother’s SUV parked nearby.

‘Great just what I’m in the mood for tonight…horror tales,’ she thought sourly as she made her way towards the front door of the building. Movement in the shadows by the door had her fumbling for the Mace that she normally held ready in her hand.

“Relax Rayne it’s just me,” David’s soft voice called out. Rayne slowly dropped her hand and swallowed nervously as David stepped from the shadows. She quickly dropped her eyes and shifted uneasily on her feet as David drew closer.

“M-Mr. Bautista…a-about tonight…” Rayne’s voice tapered off as David pressed a gentle finger to her lips, stilling the flow of her words.

“I thought we discussed the names already,” he teased softly. Rayne stifled a nervous giggle and nodded. She waited for him to slowly pull his hand away before speaking again.

“David…about tonight…I…” again her voice trailed off, this time due to the fact that movement from the doorway of the building had caught her eye. She glanced around David’s large muscular frame and frowned slightly at the sight of Ken, frantically waving his hands towards her in a ‘come here’ gesture. David turned to see what had captured her attention…and immediately stiffened. His eyes widened as a memory flashed back to him…of a little boy with white hair glaring at him with hatred as he hid a smaller child’s face against his chest. David quickly shook off the memories, vowing to learn more about Rayne before making any further decisions.

“It appears that you have someone waiting for you. I should go,” David sighed as he turned to walk off. He instantly stopped the minute he felt Rayne’s hand on his arm.

“Wait…that’s just my dorky brother probably wanting to tell me another horror story. He can wait,” she said softly as she gazed up into his mysterious dark eyes. David smiled slightly, although his alert gaze continued to dart over towards the man at the door who appeared to be growing even more agitated by his presence.

“How about we take a short walk? There were some things I wished to ask you about,” he suggested, suddenly feeling cornered. It wasn’t just the man in the building…there was another presence coming…and he had a feeling it was someone the mysterious man in the building, Rayne’s brother he corrected himself, knew. Rayne smiled.

“I’d like that shall we?” she asked softly as she turned to the right. David nodded and offered his arm. Rayne reached out to take it…and quickly found herself pulled away from David from behind. She whirled around and her eyes flashed fire at the sight of her brother and his friend Kurt standing there.

“What the HELL do you think you’re doing?” she snapped, ignoring Ken’s attempts to tug her further away from David. Kurt in the meantime had walked up to David and was standing toe to toe with him, his blue eyes glaring menacingly into David’s suddenly amused dark ones.

“Trying to keep you from getting yourself killed! Do you have ANY clue what you’re doing?” Ken shot back as he glared over at David. A sharp smack to his chest from Rayne quickly returned his attention to her angry form.

“I was going to take a walk with my boss and discuss work until someone decided to stick his nose…or should I say their noses where it doesn’t belong,” she replied harshly. Ken paled and for a moment Rayne wondered at the look of utter horror that crossed his face.

“I suggest you leave Bautista your kind isn’t wanted here,” Kurt snarled softly, pitching his voice low so that Rayne wouldn’t overhear. David merely crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow mockingly.

“My kind? What kind is that?” he asked in a soft and dangerous voice. Kurt’s fingers twitched and David knew the man wanted to reach for the stake he had hidden in the pocket of his jacket but couldn’t.

“You know damn good and well what you are. This is the only warning you’re going to get. Stay the hell away from Rayne. Fire her from your company!” Kurt hissed softly. David chuckled softly.

“Why would I do that? She’s one of the best…personal assistants…I’ve ever had,” he smirked. Kurt’s hands clenched into fist as he drew one back. Before he could follow through on the punch his hand was grabbed from behind and squeezed hard. Wincing, he whirled around to face Rayne, whose eyes were promising bloodshed. Unnoticed, David sighed softly and slipped away into the shadows, not wanting to prolong the confrontation any longer. His talk with Rayne would have to wait. In the meantime it was time to do a little research that he had been putting off.

“All right the Boogeyman didn’t get me so you two can split,” Tala said as they reached the front door of her apartment. James and Chris exchanged looks briefly.

“Please Tala at least let us check your apartment before we leave,” Chris said softly. Tala’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Chris…I keep my doors locked. I live on the 10^th floor! Who the HELL do you think could possibly be in my apartment?” she asked in an exasperated tone.

“Tala there are things out in this world that would have no problem gaining access to your place,” James said mysteriously. Tala threw her hands up and quickly unlocked the door. Outside on the fire escape, Rey waited patiently. He frowned as he caught the sound of James and Chris’ voices and wondered uneasily just how close she was to these two strangers.

“All right have you two lost your damn minds?” Tala sighed as she dropped her belongings on the couch and watched James and Chris prowl her apartment. Rey quickly ducked into the shadows as Chris peered out at the fire escape before turning back towards her.

“Tala just please trust us on this. The man you work for is a lot more dangerous than you know,” James said softly. Tala rolled her eyes and Rey stiffened. What the hell did these two men know about him?

“Oh yeah he’s going to destroy the world by pushing papers across his desk and holding meetings. Grow up James!” she snapped as she pulled the hair band out of her hair, allowing it to spill down over her shoulders. Rey cautiously peered into the window and a soft smile crossed his face as he caught sight of Tala. The smile was quickly replaced by a silent snarl as he watched James walk over and lay his hand on Tala’s shoulder in an unmistakably possessive gesture.

“Tala…sweetheart…you have to trust us. We know things about that…well…I guess for now we’ll call him a man that you don’t,” James said softly. Tala quickly shook the hand off and glared up at the taller man.

“So tell me then what YOU know that I don’t!” she snapped. Chris and James exchanged another look and Rey stiffened as the realization of just who they were finally hit. His pack was in danger from more than just losing their territory now…they were in danger of losing their very lives.

Chapter Eight

“All right are you two gonna talk or just poke around my apartment and waste my time? I’d really like to get to bed sometime tonight,” Tala’s voice was impatient as she watched the two men peek into every room before turning to face her. Outside Rey peered cautiously into the window, crouching low so that his silhouette wasn’t visible to the people inside. Chris sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Tala…there’s things about Mysterio you need to know…things…things you don’t know…and might not believe,” he began. James nodded as he walked over and draped a possessive arm across her shoulders, drawing a low inaudible growl from Rey outside. Tala merely shrugged James’ arm off and moved away, rolling her eyes.

“Then why don’t you tell me what those things ARE and let me judge for myself. I’m tired guys it’s been a LONG night and I’m NOT in the mood for games,” she sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Chris exchanged a glance with James who merely shrugged. Chris finally sighed as he ran a weary hand through his hair.

“Look Tala this…isn’t easy to say. What we have to tell you isn’t something that can just be blurted out,” he finally replied. Tala sighed again.

“All righty then we can schedule a meeting for sometime then. I’ll have my people call your people. In the meantime I’m tired and I would REALLY like to get to bed,” she said as she strolled over to the front door. Chris and James reluctantly followed her, still peering around cautiously as if they were expecting an attack.

“Are you sure you’re going to be ok here alone?” Chris asked softly as he stepped out into the hallway.

“We can always stay tonight,” James added, his dark eyes firmly fixed on Tala. She merely waved her hand tiredly as she leaned against the door.

“I’ll be FINE guys! You’ve searched my apartment there are no ghosts or ghouls waiting to pop out and grab me the minute you leave,” she replied. Despite her best efforts a note of irritation crept into her voice and the two men knew they were pushing their luck.

“For my own peace of mind promise me that if you hear or sense anything that frightens you you’ll call us,” Chris whispered as he took one of Tala’s hands in his. Tala resisted the urge to roll her eyes and called forth the last bit of remaining patience she had.

“I promise if I get scared I’ll call and you two can rush over and hold my hand,” she murmured as she gently pulled free of Chris. Before James could say anything more Tala stepped back and quietly yet firmly shut the door in their faces. They waited until they heard the sound of her locks being turned before turning and making their way down the hallway. James glanced over at Chris as they walked and realized that the older quiet man was more worried than he was letting on.

“Talk to me Benoit what’s on your mind?” he asked softly as they waited for the elevator to reach the floor. Chris sighed.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this from her Storm. It…it’s killing me,” Chris finally replied. James nodded.

“I know but you realize the minute that freak finds out about your connection to Tala he’ll be over her more than he is now to get to you,” James cautioned. Chris nodded.

“I know man but she’s my sister! And she doesn’t even know it!” Chris’ voice was full of frustration and the other man fell silent as they stepped onto the elevator. Nothing further was said as the two men walked out of the building towards their truck. They planned on making a quick stop to work to pick up a few things and stopping by Ken and Rayne’s apartment to check up on them before returning to stake out Tala’s building for the rest of the night. It would be the only way either man would be able to sleep.

‘FINALLY!’ Tala thought in relief as she listened to the sounds of Chris and James’ footsteps fading. She thought she would never get them to leave! She sighed as she pushed away from the door and wandered into the kitchen, hoping that she still had something to drink left. To her relief she found she still had a tiny bit of wine. Pouring it into a glass and throwing the bottle away, Tala grabbed the glass and headed back into the living room, unaware all the while that a pair of light blue eyes were watching her intently from outside on the fire escape.

Ken sighed as he stared into the blazing angry eyes of his sister as she stubbornly stayed outside of the building, arms crossed over her chest. Damn this was going to get rough.

“Please sis come inside so we can talk,” he begged softly as he held the door open for her. Rayne tilted her head up stubbornly before speaking, staying firmly planted where she was.

“Ken quite honestly I don’t GIVE a rat’s ass what you or your comic book reading friend here,” she began as she motioned towards a startled Kurt, “ have to say! Do you have any clue what you just did? You chased off my BOSS! Do you realize you could very well have just jeopardized my JOB?” she hissed. Ken’s eyes widened.

“How long have you been working for THAT freak?” he asked incredulously. Kurt shot Ken a quick glance as he hastened to try to keep things from blowing up even more than they had.

“What your brother meant to ask was what happened to your job at the paper?” he asked quickly. Rayne ignored Kurt as she stalked towards Ken, fury clearly radiating from every line in her body.

“How DARE you speak of David that way! You don’t know a DAMN thing about him! Why don’t YOU and your little GI Joe wanna be buddies grow the FUCK up and stop pretending everything you read in your fucking horror comics are real?” she snarled softly. An evil smirk crossed her face as she stepped back slightly and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Besides…if David WAS a thing that went…BUMP…in the night I sure as HELL wouldn’t mind him bumping ME!” she added. Ken’s eyes flashed annoyance.

“Apparently someone already HAS,” he mumbled under his breath. Kurt nudged him hard before facing Rayne.

“Rayne…did you not notice that bite mark on the inside of your thigh?” he asked softly. He ignored the suspicious hostile look Ken was shooting him as he gazed intently into Rayne’s eyes. Rayne rolled her eyes.

“YOU said it was an insect bite! Probably brought home from HIS nasty ass from work! What are you trying to say? That David Bautista BIT me?” she replied as she gestured towards Ken. “I KNOW I would remember that!” she added dryly. Ken and Kurt exchanged looks.

“Not if you were under a spell,” Kurt replied softly. Ken took a step closer.

“Or dreaming sis. Tell me…did you take a nap earlier?” he asked. Rayne’s eyes widened and a flash of apprehension leapt into them.

“Y-Yeah…I h-had just woken up about half an hour before he s-showed up looking for you,” she whispered. Ken and Kurt exchanged knowing looks.

“Who was in your dream sis?” Ken asked quietly. Rayne quickly shook her head as unbidden the lie sprang to her lips. She didn’t know why she was lying about her dream; she just felt she had to keep it a secret.

“I…I c-couldn’t see the face. I’m sure you’ve had d-dreams like that Ken, where you fucked an anonymous person,” she tried to laugh. Ken sighed and a look of deep disappointment flashed across his face as the lie spilled from her lips. He decided not to pursue it then, deciding a slight change of subject was in order.

“Hey why don’t we go out to dinner, the three of us? We can discuss finding you another job since you lost the one at the paper,” Ken said softly. Kurt nodded.

“You could always come to work for the exterminating company. I know James and Chris are trying to get Tala to come back,” he added with a soft cajoling smile Rayne inhaled deep as she felt the tenuous grip she had on her temper slip another notch.

“I never said anything about losing my job at the paper!” she snapped. “And besides I wouldn’t work for you and your group of wanna be Rambos even if you paid me a thousand dollars an hour!” Ken glared at her even as Kurt broke into laughter.

“A bunch of wanna be Rambos? Do you have NO clue what we do?” he asked, amused.

“Then why the FUCK are you working for that…that THING?” Ken hissed. Rayne exhaled so loudly it almost sounded like a growl as she allowed her temper to have free reign.

“Did you EVER stop to think that MAYBE Dave is an ASSIGNMENT for the paper? NO of course not! You DON’T think! You’re too wrapped up in your paranormal fantasy world!” she snarled as she stalked over and jabbed a finger into her brother’s startled chest sharply. She then whirled around to face Kurt, who held up his hands warily.

“And from what KEN babbles about most nights NO I have NO clue what you do nor do I want to!” she snapped. Ken gently grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, eyes wide and face pale in the pale light.

“Tell your boss you and Tala want out of that assignment! We’ll help you find another job if he fires you!” Ken’s voice was firm and would brook no further arguments. This of course only added fuel to Rayne’s fiery temper.

“Who the HELL do you think you are telling me how to live my life Kenneth Donald Saracens!” she snapped. Ken immediately paled and looked around, as if expecting an attack.

“Don’t EVER say my full name sis!” he hissed quietly as he dragged her closer to him. Rayne immediately burst into giggles.

“You fool! Like anyone CARES what your name is! Why the hell did you change it anyways?” she snickered. Ken sighed as he ran a frustrated hand through his short hair.

“To keep you safe from the things I hunt!” he snapped. Kurt shook his head.

“Might be too late now that Bautista has her in his sights,” Kurt muttered. Rayne merely shook her head with another faint giggle.

“The things you hunt Ken? It’s not deer season!” she teased. She then whirled around to face a startled Kurt, the smile gone from her face. “And so what if David…as you put it…has me in his sights? Maybe I ENJOY his company! He’s certainly a LOT more fun and SANER than you two are to be around!” she finished. Ken sighed.

“It’s time you knew the truth about everything sis,” he said softly but firmly. Kurt nodded as he took another quick glance around.

“But not out here. There might be…ears…listening,” he added in a low voice. Rayne giggled and shook her head.

“Ears? Are there elephants around now Kurt? How much have you had to drink tonight?” she smirked. Ken rolled his eyes.

“Sis seriously! We need to have this talk!” he urged. Rayne sighed, suddenly tired of the whole thing.

“Ken I’m really not in the mood for anymore of your horror tales tonight,” she muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest. Ken almost growled in frustration. Why the hell did she have to be so stubborn?

“Sis I have PROOF! Hell apparently YOU have proof on your THIGH! This is important!” he said. Rayne pinched the bridge of her nose and silently counted to ten.

“FINE!!” she snapped as she stalked into the building and headed for the elevator. Ken and Kurt followed close behind her, keeping a way eye out on their surroundings. Both men knew that the upcoming conversation was going to be anything but pleasant.

“All right I’m bored and there’s not a damn thing on TV,” Tala muttered as she flipped through the channels. Outside, Rey continued to peer into the window, eyes focused solely on the petite redhead lounging on the couch and nowhere else. He was so intent on his study of Tala that he failed to sense the all too familiar presence that had just settled beside him.

“What are you doing Mysterio?” David’s voice was soft. Yet he still managed to startle Rey, who turned in a flash, teeth bared and ready to bite.

“DAMN it Bautista! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he growled deeply as he snapped at David’s arm. David quickly jumped back and held his hands up in a conciliatory gesture.

“Whoa! Easy there Mysterio,” David said softly. Rey continued to growl softly even as he turned back to the window. He tensed as he watched Tala heading for the bathroom, peeling her shirt off as she went.

“Sorry…what do you want David?” he asked softly as his hot gaze continued to follow Tala’s every move. David smirked as he leaned back slightly.

“I was on my way to go do a little research on Rayne’s background when I spotted you up here playing peeping wolf,” he chuckled. Rey laughed softly and shook his head as he sat back, exhaling softly. DAMN Tala was hot!

“It didn’t start out this way. I followed her home because two of Austin’s men stopped her. I wanted to make sure she got here safely,” he said softly. He then glanced over to David, a smirk of his own crossing his sensual lips. “Like you didn’t follow Rayne home David. I can still smell her on you. JUST like I was able to smell you on her...your scent was still there David...faint yes...but I was able to detect it there under Cena's...I smelled your blood scarcely mixed with her very own. You bit her didn’t you?” he asked softly as he glanced back into the window just as Tala’s skirt and undergarments came flying out of the bathroom. He shifted slightly as he quickly found himself growing aroused at the thought of being so close to her nude body even as he waited for David to respond. He heard David sigh softly.

“So two of Austin’s men were sniffing around Tala huh? You know…one of the two men that ran me off tonight looks so damn familiar,” David murmured. He then turned to Rey and raised a teasing eyebrow. “You can’t tell me that you don’t desire Tala Rey. I can sense it on you…and you’ve never lost control of the wolf over a random piece of tail,” he added as he reminded Rey of the events that had transpired earlier that night. Rey sighed and nodded.

“There’s something about her David that calls to me…to the wolf within me. The desire I feel for her is something beyond my control,” he admitted as he glanced back into the window. His eyes widened in appreciation and he could feel the wolf stir within in interest as Tala reappeared, wrapped in nothing but a towel. She was his destiny…his mate. She was as essential to him as the very air he breathed…and it truly scared the hell out of him that she had come to mean so much to him in such a short time. David sighed softly.

“I know exactly how you feel Rey. She’s the one isn’t she?” David murmured. Rey nodded, never taking his eyes from Tala as she dropped her towel and slipped into a short slinky nightgown, which immediately had him fantasizing about stripping it off of her slowly.

“She is…just like you know deep down inside Rayne is the one for you,” Rey replied as he shot a quick glance to David. David nodded.

“Fight for her Rey. Do not let Austin’s men keep you from your chosen mate,” he said. Rey nodded, growling softly as he remembered the possessive way that Storm had laid his hands on Tala earlier. He wasn’t worried about Benoit…for he knew exactly what Benoit’s relationship to Tala was…even if Tala herself did not.

“I fully intend to David. No one is going to keep me from my mate,” he growled softly as he watched Tala wander back into the living room. He then turned his head to David. “One of the men who chased you off tonight…you recognized him didn’t you?” Rey asked softly. David slowly nodded.

“Y-yeah…I think so. But I don’t want to jump to any conclusions until I do a little research,” he replied. Rey sighed and turned his full gaze on David and the certainty in those pale blue eyes shook him to the core.

“It’s him David…the boy from the fields. Ken Kennedy is Rayne’s brother and you know it,” Rey said softly. David quickly glanced away, his mind in turmoil. Having his suspicions confirmed suddenly made things a lot more complicated than they already were.

Chapter Nine

“All right whichever of you two stooges is playing Colombo tonight you have 5 minutes to explain why THIS is so damn important and you’re so damn sure it ISN’T an insect bite. Otherwise I’m taking a hot shower and crawling my ass into bed,” Rayne snapped as she stalked into the apartment, tossing her purse on the small table beside the door. Ken and Kurt followed a bit slower. Ken shot Kurt a glace when his phone rang. Kurt sighed and answered it, leaving Ken to try to get his sister to listen to reason.

“Angle here,” he said softly as he leaned against the wall by the door. He watched Ken carefully make his way over to Rayne and chuckled softly as Rayne put on a careful ‘no one’s home’ look in response to Ken’s words.

“Hey Angle how’d things go with Rayne?” Storm’s voice came through the line bringing Kurt’s attention back to the phone. Kurt sighed.

“Not so good actually,” was all he said before pulling the phone away from his ear where they could listen to what was going on.

“My mind is open oh wise one. Fill it full of knowledge,” Rayne droned in a toneless voice. Ken sighed harshly.

“DAMN it sis will you take me SERIOUSLY for once?!” he snapped. Bella glanced over at him and smirked.

“Maybe I could if you weren’t living the life of a damn horror novel!” she shot back. Ken inhaled deep. James sighed and spoke into the phone.

“Chris and I will be right there,” he said and quickly hung up as Chris turned towards Rayne and Ken’s apartment. Kurt hung the phone up and leaned against the wall, allowing his gaze to wander over Rayne’s form again. GOD she was gorgeous!

“David Bautista is DANGEROUS!” Ken snapped as he paced the floor in agitation. Rayne sighed.

“Ken…I don’t know why the hell you’re so jealous of me working for him but…” Rayne’s words were quickly cut off as Ken whirled around and glared at her. How the hell could he get her to believe what he was about to tell her?

“Sis what if I told you we had met him before? T-that…that he had done something horrible to our family?” Ken asked softly as he took a seat next to her and took one of her hands in his. Rayne’s eyes widened and she paled.

“D-Don’t say things like that Ken! I-It’s not funny!” she whispered as she hastily dropped her eyes. Kurt heard someone knocking at the door and hurried over, so as not to have Ken’s talk with Rayne interrupted.

“Come on in Ken’s still trying to reason with her,” Kurt said softly as he opened the door for Chris and James. The two men nodded and stepped inside; focusing their eyes on the brother and sister as they sat on the couch and Ken attempted to explain things.

“You know you need to explain things to Rayne before Kennedy tries to put a spin on the events that you can’t fix,” Rey said softly as he returned his attention back to Tala, who had sank down on the couch again and flipped on the TV. David sighed and nodded.

“Yes I know. He’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that she sees me as a monster,” he replied wearily. Rey took his eyes off Tala and fixed a piercing stare on David that had him swallowing nervously.

“David you are NOT a monster! Granted you made a mistake those 20 some odd years ago but you have NOT killed an innocent since! You need to let go of that self image you have of yourself or YOU will be the one to make Rayne think you are a monster,” he said in a soft yet intense voice. David nodded again and ran his hand through his hair as he peered cautiously into the window where the petite redhead sat flipping through the TV channels with a bored expression on her pretty face.

“Have you tired reading her thoughts?” David asked quietly. Rey nodded, eyes shifting to the bare patch of thigh exposed when Tala tucked her legs underneath her.

“Yeah…on occasion. Like now for instance she’s bored and wishing she either had a good book to read or could find something worth watching on TV,” Rey replied absently as he licked his lips. David chuckled and shook his head, and for a time there was silence as David pondered the best way to ask Rey what he needed to without causing a scene.

“What ever is on your mind David just speak it already,” Rey said softly as his eyes remained locked on the slender form of the redhead lounging on the couch inside and sipping the wine in her glass. David sighed.

“How do I do it Rey? How do I tell the woman that I’m beginning to care deeply about that I killed her father?” he whispered. Rey sighed softly as he dropped his head. He had no easy answers to give David at that moment.

“Rayne…what do you remember about that day? The day…dad died?” Ken asked softly, his green eyes firmly locked with Rayne’s slowly tearing up ones. He hated that he was the cause of her pain, but he could see no other way to convince her of just how dangerous David Bautista was. Rayne inhaled deeply as the memories…what little she had....of that day came rushing back to her.

“Come on Rayne Mom will be mad if we don’t hurry up and get dad!” Ken called out impatiently as he waited for his 5 year old sister to catch up to him. Rayne hurried after him, her cherubic face flushed from the walk and her green eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I’m coming Kenny! You have longer legs than I do!” she giggled as she stuck her tongue out playfully at her older brother. Ken merely rolled his eyes as he turned away, fighting the grin that was trying to creep upon his lips. He loved his sister even if she was a pain in his ass sometimes.

“Well hurry up and grow some then squirt!” he finally replied, giving into the urge to laugh as he headed for the large tree that was laying across the path leading to the field where their father was busy tilling the soil. There had been a huge storm the week before and no one yet had had the time to clear the tree from the path. Reaching the tree before his sister did, Ken opened his mouth to call out…and froze at the horrible sight that greeted his eyes. He immediately reached out and grabbed Rayne, who had been about to climb up and over the tree, and pulled her protectively close to his body, ignoring her irritated cries and squirming.

“KEN! Let me go! I want to see daddy!” Rayne cried, annoyed at what she perceived to be an act of brotherly torture. Her cries quickly changed to puzzlement as she felt her brother shaking and she looked up at him, green eyes anxious. She caught sight of the tears in his and began to struggle harder, suddenly sure that something horrible was happening to her daddy that she needed to stop.

“Be still Rayne! Don’t…d-don’t look. It…” Ken’s voice was soft and shaky as he fought back the tears as he continued to stare at the horrible scene playing out before him. Rayne felt her own eyes beginning to tear up.

“K-Kenny? W-What’s going on?” she whispered. Ken merely pressed her face gently into his chest as the pain and tears faded from his eyes, to be replaced by blazing hatred as he stared at the man who had just tossed their father’s body to the side as if it were no more than trash. The man turned and froze as he spotted the two children, the little girl hiding her face in the older boy’s chest, standing behind the fallen tree. His eyes grew dark with sorrow as he realized the horrible mistake he had just made and quickly disappeared, leaving the boy swearing to himself that one day he would hunt down the monster that had killed his father. He then glanced down at Rayne, who was shaking, and felt the tears from earlier rushing back as he carefully turned her away from the horrible scene and led her back down the path towards their house to tell their mother that her husband had been killed in a horrible farming accident…and knowing that later that night he would have to sneak back and dispose of his father’s body before he could rise as a horrible monster…like the one that had killed him.

“Y-You t-told me it w-was a farming a-accident,” she whispered as a single tear trickled down her cheek. Ken nodded and gently wiped at the tear.

“You were too young to know the truth,” he said softly. Kurt, Chris and James tensed slightly as they prepared themselves for what was to come.

“And am I still too young Ken?” she asked as she gazed at him. Ken sighed.

“No. Rayne…our father didn’t die in a farming accident. He was murdered…by David Bautista.”

David suddenly tensed beside Rey as pain, fresh emotional pain, swept through him. Beside him Rey glanced over, his own eyes dark with worry.

“You feel it don’t you David? Rayne’s been told the truth,” he said softly. David nodded jerkily as he quickly turned and climbed down the fire escape. In his haste to head back to Rayne’s he knocked over a trash can, knocking it over with a loud crash that echoed throughout the night. Rey immediately cursed and ducked underneath the window sill as Tala jumped and whirled to face the window, eyes wide.

“What the HELL was that?” she whispered nervously as she drew her legs up tighter to herself. Rey bit his lip and continued to hide in the shadows, wishing he could reassure her without letting her know he had been watching her. Suddenly an idea crept to mind and he dug into his jeans pocket, pulling out his cell. He quickly dialed her number and raised the phone to his ear. Beside Tala, her cordless phone suddenly began to ring and she nearly jumped out of her skin before reaching over with a shaky hand to grab it.

“H-Hello?” she said softly as she glanced again nervously at the window. Rey exhaled softly before lowering his voice, so she wouldn’t hear him outside.

“Tala? It’s Rey. I just wanted to call and apologize on behalf of myself and Mr. Bautista. I know some of our employees may have…intimidated you and Ms. Saracens,” he said as he leaned against the wall and tried to find a somewhat comfortable spot on the metal structure underneath him. Tala smiled and slowly began to relax as she leaned back against the couch.

“It’s ok Rey. Rayne and I had no business being there,” she replied with a sigh. Rey bit back a smile as he pictured her toying with her hair in the cute nervous gesture he had noticed when he first hired her.

“No you two had every right to wonder what was going on. Here we hired you both to be our personal assistants, then turned around and made a meeting and gave you the night off when you had every right to be there,” he replied. Tala faintly blushed at the warmth in his voice and sipped carefully at her wine.

“So does this mean I’m not fired?” she giggled softly. Rey laughed.

“Yes that’s exactly what it means!” he replied with a smile. He paused and took a deep breath before speaking again. “Tala I was wondering…h-have you eaten yet?” he asked softly. Tala sighed and shook her head before remembering that Rey couldn’t see her through the telephone.

“No I was just thinking about ordering a pizza,” she replied. Rey grinned.

“Want some company?” he asked. Tala glanced down at herself with a faint blush before answering.

“Sure. I’ll order the pizza as soon as we hang up,” she said, making a mental note to throw something a bit less revealing on before he arrived. Rey nodded and carefully inched his way to the ladder of the fire escape and carefully began to climb down. When he reached the concrete he quickly moved into the shadows of the building, just in case she decided to look out the window.

“Sounds fine. I’m not that far away so I should be there within a few minutes,” he said. Tala quickly stood and stretched before hurrying towards her bedroom.

“All right I’ll see you in a few then Rey,” she smiled before hanging up. Rey chuckled softly as he hung up the phone and leaned back against the building and glanced at his watch.

“Hmmm…guess I should wait a few minutes before popping up there,” he sighed. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes and allowed the memory of her body, clad only in her sheer nightgown, to push to the front. He gave a soft growl as he quickly hardened and hoped that if she chose to change she would at least wear something similar to that outfit.

Rayne stared at Ken, horrified at what he was saying. Did he actually BELIEVE that? Or was it just something he was saying to keep her away from David? Outside the window David carefully crouched in the shadows and blatantly eavesdropped in on the conversation.

“W-What a HORRIBLE thing to say Ken!” she finally snapped as she leapt shakily to her feet. Ken sighed and shook his head. He should have known that it wouldn’t be easy to get her to listen.

“Sis you don’t know what he is…what he’s capable of!” he tried to reason. Rayne rolled her eyes.

“So what is he a boogeyman?” she replied dryly. “Honestly Ken you’re 33 years old isn’t it time to put the comic books away and live in the REAL world?” she asked. Ken’s jaw clenched as he struggled to retain his temper.

“Sis that man is a MONSTER! He’ll kill you and toss you aside JUST like he did our dad!” Ken snapped. Outside David dropped his head as the all too familiar guilt over his actions washed through him. Rayne glared at her brother.

“Ken do you realize just how STUPID you sound? He would have been no bigger than a teenager! How the HELL could a small kid overpower our father?” she snarled. Ken sighed.

“Sis he’s a LOT older than you think he is…and he’s so much more,” Ken said softly. Rayne rolled her eyes.

“You have 5 seconds to spit out whatever the fuck it is you’re dancing around before I walk my ass out this door!” she hissed.

“Rayne…David Bautista is a 1200 year old vampire. The head of his family,” Kurt said softly, stepping forward. David tensed as he awaited Rayne’s reaction. Rayne looked from Kurt to Ken and back again…then burst out laughing.

“Ok we have GOT to get you two some new reading material!” Rayne giggled as she shook her head.

“Sis we’re being TOTALLY serious here! You’re in GRAVE danger! Hell so is your best friend!” Ken snapped as he shot to his feet. Rayne tried to compose her face into a serious expression as she asked her next question.

“Why? Is Rey a vampire too? Or is HE the boogeyman?” she replied, breaking into another fit of giggles. David stifled his own chuckles and made a mental note to ask Rey about that later. Kurt sighed hard.

“No he’s something just as bad if not worse,” he replied with a faintly mysterious tone of voice. “James and Chris intend on going back and talking to her later just as we’re attempting to talk to you now,” he added. Rayne rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse.

“You know what I’m sick and tired of this bullshit! You and your ghost busting friends can have the damn apartment tonight Ken!” she snapped. Ken hurried over and gently grabbed her arm. David tensed then forced himself to relax even as he absently made another mental note to get in touch with Rey and warn him.

“Do you want to end up like our father? Drained dry of your blood and then just tossed aside like trash?” Ken asked harshly. Rayne immediately began to try to pull free, tears welling up in her eyes. Ken ignored both as he pressed on, determined to get her to listen to reason.

“I saw it all Rayne. When I pulled you to me and hid your face Bautista had his fangs sank DEEPLY into our father’s neck! When he pulled them free he literally TORE them out of our father’s neck! Of course there wasn’t much blood left to spill because the bastard had DRANK it all! His eyes…they were cold and demonic! And…” Ken was abruptly cut off by the feeling of Rayne’s hand sharply striking across his cheek, rocking his head back.

“YOU BASTARD!! How the HELL can you sit there and make up such HORRIBLE lies like this?!” she screamed. Kurt took a step closer, as did James and Chris. They halted immediately as Rayne whirled to face them. They slowly backed away. Satisfied that she had gotten her point across, she again whirled to face her brother, who was wearing his ‘I must be patient with my hysterical sister’ look.

“Rayne just trust me on this. I KNOW what I saw,” he said softly. Rayne wiped at the tears that were trickling down her cheeks with a hand that was shaking from the control she was exerting over her emotions. She took a deep breath before speaking.

“Ken…I want you to find another place to live. If you won’t I will. I will NOT listen to this bullshit ANY longer! You and your overgrown childish friends can HAVE the apartment tonight! But I don’t want to see ANY of you in the morning when I get back to get ready for work!” she stated in a firm, cold voice. Ignoring the stricken look on Ken’s face she pulled her purse up higher on her shoulder before marching out the door, allowing it to slam closed behind her. She made it as far as the elevator before breaking down into sobs as she fumbled in her purse for her cell phone. There were only two people she could think of to turn to at that time.

David shook his head and muttered a curse and he quickly climbed down the fire escape and pulled out his cell phone. He rapidly dialed a number and waited for the other person to answer before speaking.

“Sylvan I need to you to come to Ms. Saracens apartment now,” he commanded softly. He gave the man the directions and had barely hung up the phone before immediately dialing Rayne’s cell phone. In the elevator Rayne jumped as her phone rang, right as she was getting ready to dial Tala’s number.

“Damn you Ken you’d better NOT be calling my ass right now,” she muttered as she brushed at the softly falling tears before answering. “Saracens speaking.”

“Rayne? It’s David.” The sound of David’s voice quickly brought a faint blush and smile to Rayne’s face as she waited for the elevator to slowly make its way down to the lobby.

“H-Hi David,” she whispered as she brushed again at her tears. Outside, David had climbed into the newly arrived limo and leaned back, window rolled down and eyes trained on the front door as he spoke to Rayne.

“I called to apologize on behalf of Mr. Mysterio and myself for earlier. I know some of our associates did their best to intimate you and Ms. Adair. Are you ok?” he asked softly, knowing the answer already. He glanced up and took note of the fact that Ken was staring out the window at his limo. He sketched a jaunty little wave before returning his attention to the front door.

“Y-Yeah I’m fine. I j-just had a fight with my stupid brother,” she said softly as she stepped off the elevator into the lobby. She crossed the lobby, digging in her purse for her car keys as she did so. David leaned back against the leather seat and sighed softly.

“How about we go someplace and take a walk?” he suggested quietly. Rayne smiled softly at the idea of sharing a romantic stroll under the stars with her handsome boss.

“I’d like that. I can meet you somewhere,” she said as she walked out of the building, not even noticing the long black limo parked in front of the building. David chuckled softly.

“Tell you what…why don’t you look up and come join me in the limo? I’ll have Sylvan take us to a nearby park,” he said softly. Rayne’s head jerked up in surprise and she immediately blushed as she spotted the limo…and David’s handsome face peering out of the partially rolled down window. She giggled and ducked her head as she hung up her phone and made her way over to the limo. David was smiling as he hopped out and held the door open, allowing Rayne to slide smoothly into the luxurious car. He quickly hopped in and nodded to Sylvan, who slowly began to pull away. As they pulled off David glanced over and smirked as he caught sight of Ken and the others rushing out the door. He leaned back and turned his thoughts as to how he could comfort the beautiful young woman beside him without confirming what Ken had told her as the truth, leaving Ken and the others to stare at the rapidly disappearing limo with worried and shocked expressions on their faces.

Chapter Ten

Tala had just stepped out of her bedroom, dressed in a pair of short shorts and a tank top when she heard the knock at the door. She cursed softly, realizing that she had forgotten to call in their order as she rushed over and opened the door. She felt herself faintly blush at the admiring gleam in Rey’s light blue eyes as he slowly looked her over.

“You got here quick,” she giggled softly as she stepped to the side and allowed him to enter the apartment. Rey chuckled softly as he walked in, glancing around in appreciation at the cozy and homey atmosphere of her apartment.

“I was pretty close by when I called,” he said softly. Tala nodded and closed the door before turning and hurrying into the kitchen to retrieve the menu she had for the local pizza place. Rey’s eyes fastened appreciatively on her gently rounded bottom and he felt the wolf inside perk up in interest.

“What do you like on your pizza Rey?” Tala called out from the kitchen. Rey walked over and peered in and swallowed nervously as he caught sight of Tala bent over slightly at the counter, her luscious bottom sticking out slightly in an unconsciously provocative manner.

“I’m not really picky. Whatever you have is fine,” he said in a soft husky voice. Tala nodded again and reached for the phone, stretching out further across the counter and further arousing Rey. He closed his eyes as he discreetly inhaled the light scent of her, allowing it to soothe him somewhat. When he felt he had himself somewhat under control he opened his eyes and watched Tala as she spoke softly into the phone. He reluctantly pushed aside the urge to walk over and place his hands on her hips as he nestled up against her and concentrated on figuring out where the glasses were. After the second attempt he found the cabinet and then hesitated, unsure of what she had to drink. He heard her hang up the phone and glanced over.

“Go ahead and grab two wine glasses Rey,” she said softly as she walked over and opened up the left side of the refrigerator. Rey nodded and pulled a pair of matching wine glasses out and gently set them on the counter. Tala hurried over and Rey gently took the wine from her, opening it and pouring some into both glasses. Tala faintly blushed as she took the glass that Rey offered and sipped at the wine as she struggled for something to talk about. Rey smiled softly as he sipped his wine.

“Why don’t we go sit down while we wait for our food?” he suggested softly. Tala blushed and nodded and turned to walk out of the room. As she moved past Rey her left hand grazed against one of his and she shivered as a spark of electricity seemed to shoot through her at just that small and casual contact. She heard Rey inhale softly and felt herself relax slightly as she realized that obviously the attraction was not one sided. She slowly moved towards the door, making sure to add a little extra wiggle in her walk. Rey’s eyes flashed slightly as they focused on the seductive sway of her hips and he felt a low rumble in his chest as the wolf began to grow impatient. He quickly subdued his urges before following Tala into the living room, his eyes never leaving her hips and rear. He watched her sink down gracefully onto the couch and tuck her legs up underneath her before he took a seat next to her.

“You have a nice place Tala,” he said softly as he sipped at the wine. He smiled as she beamed proudly and glanced around before answering.

“I love it here. I’ve been here over a year and it’s the first place I’ve ever had to call my own,” she replied. Rey nodded and sipped at his wine again before speaking. He glanced around and his eyes fell on several framed photos hanging on the wall.

“Your family?” he asked softly as he nodded towards the pictures. Tala nodded and a look of sadness crept into her eyes.

“Yeah that was my mother and father. They were killed by a drunk driver a couple of years ago,” she replied softly as she sipped at her wine. Rey gently touched her hand comfortingly. He wondered if she knew that she still had family out there.

“Are…you an only child?” he asked softly. Tala nodded as she felt her eyes began to involuntarily fill with tears.

“Yeah unfortunately I am. I always wanted an older brother or sister. Hell even a younger one would have been fine. I guess that’s why I’m so close to Rayne she’s like my sister,” she whispered as she dropped her eyes. Rey gently gave her hand a reassuring squeeze but said nothing as the need to tell her what he knew and wipe the pain from her lovely eyes battled against the long set rules that governed him and his kind. In the end centuries of laws and traditions won out and he hoped to hell that the decision to not tell her would never come back to bite him in the ass. Fortunately for him their pizza arrived at that moment. He slid smoothly to his feet and followed Tala to the door, pulling out his wallet as he did so. His eyes narrowed slightly and a low growl rumbled in his chest as he saw the delivery driver’s eyes glued to Tala’s chest, exposed by the tight low cut top she wore. The driver glanced over to him and paled as he took note of the aggressive stance Rey’s posture showed and quickly shoved the pizza towards Tala.

“T-That’ll be twenty dollars,” he stammered slightly, carefully avoiding Rey’s smirking countenance and Tala’s form altogether. Rey smoothly slid the money into the boy’s hand and as Tala turned away to go put the pizza on the table he let a small low growl rumble up from his chest. The boy quickly turned and fled down the hall as if the hounds of hell were after him and Rey chuckled as he closed the door.

“Damn he sure took off fast. I didn’t even get to give him a tip,” Tala said as she turned to go grab a couple of plates. Rey merely shrugged.

“Guess he felt he had made enough for the night,” was his only response. He watched Tala disappear into the kitchen and allowed a small smile to cross his face. No way in hell was his wolf going to allow another man anywhere near what he considered his mate. Tala quickly returned with the plates and each grabbed a slice of pizza and a couple of cheese sticks before returning to the living room. As they took their seats back on the couch Tala reached for the TV remote, only to be stopped by the gentle touch of Rey’s hand on hers.

“How about some music instead?” he suggested softly, his light blue eyes never leaving hers. Tala nodded and reached for the stereo remote and turned it on. Immediately a soft soothing love song filled the air, adding to the romantically charged atmosphere flowing in the room. A peaceful silence filled the air as Tala and Rey dug into their food, occasionally sneaking glances at each other when they thought neither was looking. Finally Tala set her plate aside with a faint satisfied sigh, stretching slightly. Rey’s eyes fastened on her chest as it threatened to burst free from the confines of her tight top and felt his mouth began to water for something far sweeter than food. He licked his lips and set his plate aside and stood. Tala looked up at him, a question hovering in her eyes and on her lips.

“Care for a dance?” he asked his voice little more than a husky growl. Tala shivered in response and nodded as she placed her hand in his and allowed him to tug her effortlessly to her feet. Rey led her to a small area and gently pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and settling his hands above the small of her back. Tala wound her arms around Rey’s neck as they began to sway in time to the soothing music, their eyes never leaving each other. Tala felt a faint blush creeping up into her cheeks as she took note of the desire slowly beginning to burn in Rey’s eyes even as she felt her own body responding to his nearness. She ran her tongue across her suddenly dry lips and saw Rey’s eyes glow strangely before he lowered his head and captured her lips in a powerful and sensual kiss. She quickly parted her lips as Rey expertly deepened the kiss, running a hand lightly up her back to tangle gently in her long red hair, anchoring her gently in place. She moaned softly and ran her hands restless over his shoulders as his tongue leisurely explored the sweetness of her mouth and when he finally broke the kiss she couldn’t bite back a low sound of disappointment. Rey smiled as he placed a series of soft butterfly kisses along her jaw line before trailing his lips onto her neck. Tala’s eyes closed in pleasure as she tipped her head back to expose more of her slender neck to Rey’s fiery kisses.

“Whatever it is you’re wearing smells delicious,” Rey growled softly as he lightly kissed and nibbled at Tala’s neck. Tala’s lips curved up in a small smile.

“S-Special lotion…put it on just is case…” she whispered. Rey smirked as he pulled back slightly to stare down into her flushed face.

“Tala…were you hoping that something would happen tonight?” he asked softly. Tala bit her bottom lip as she dropped her eyes nervously. How the hell did she tell her boss that yes she had indeed been hoping something would happen between them tonight?

“Here is good Sylvan,” David said softly into the intercom. He sat back in the seat and studied Rayne as she stared blindly out into the night sky, a look of sadness etched on her pretty face. David was sure that she was thinking of her father and he closed his eyes briefly. He knew if there was to be any chance of anything happening between them he needed to be honest with her. He just hoped he didn’t send her running off screaming into the night.

“Where are we?” Rayne asked softly. David smiled as Sylvan opened the door and he climbed out, offering Rayne a hand.

“A nice quiet park that I know of. No one come out here at this time of night,” he said softly. Rayne nodded and placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her out of the limo. She gazed around admiringly at the beautiful park, allowing the peace and simple beauty of the star filled night to soothe some of the hurt and lingering anger she was still feeling over her fight with Ken. David tucked her hand into her arm and began to lead her down a small path in the trees. Rayne inhaled softly as she felt the muscular arm underneath her flex slightly but said nothing as she gazed around, taking in the scenery. Finally they reached a small pond and Rayne was surprised to find a blanket spread out on the ground, with a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice and two glasses sitting on it.

“D-David? What…” her voice trailed off as David led her over to the blanket and helped her sit before smoothly sitting beside her.

“I wanted to make up for earlier. For the way mine and Mr. Mysterio’s employees treated you,” he said softly as he reached for the champagne and the corkscrew sitting beside the bucket. Rayne watched as he expertly popped the cork and poured a bit into the glasses. She slowly took the one he offered her and continued to study him, trying to find the words to express her gratitude for his kindness. He smiled and placed a gentle finger on her lips, stilling the words hovering on the verge of tumbling out.

“How about a toast?” he murmured quietly as he raised his glass. Rayne bit her bottom lip and nodded.

“T-to what?” she whispered, dropping her eyes from his nervously. David smiled.

“How about…to new friendships?” he said softly. Rayne slowly raised her eyes to his and smiled softly.

“I can drink to that,” she murmured as she touched her glass lightly to his. Each took a sip of the wine and Rayne sighed softly as the robust flavor of it slid smoothly down her throat.

“You have excellent taste,” she giggled softly. David laughed.

“I learned from the best,” he replied. Rayne glanced towards him, intrigued by the faintly mysterious tone to his voice. Before she could ask who he learned from she was distracted by him gently tilting her face up to the night time sky.

“Look…a shooting star,” he murmured softly, his dark eyes fixed on her instead of the star. Rayne smiled and impulsively closed her eyes, making a wish as she used to do when she was a kid. David chuckled softly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as he leaned back on the blanket. Rayne swallowed nervously as she allowed him to pull her down on the blanket and found herself snuggled close to him, staring up into the night time sky. Looked like her wish might come true after all.

“Tala?” Rey’s voice was soft, drawing a now embarrassed Tala out of her muddled thoughts. She reluctantly raised her eyes to meet his and was surprised to find no censure there, only patience and underneath it all, a hopeful gleam that had her heartbeat quickening in anticipation.

“I…I mean…” she licked her lips nervously before taking a deep breath. Here went nothing. “Yes...I…put on some special…e-edible…lotion hoping…something would happen,” she admitted in a whisper. She dropped her eyes again and waited for Rey to push her aside in disgust. She heard him inhale deeply and the next thing she knew she had been pulled tighter to him and his lips had crashed back down on hers passionately. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, glad that she had taken applied the lotion after all.

Rey slowly broke the kiss and tipped his forehead so that it was resting against hers, breathing heavily. His wolf was urging him to take her right then and there, to make her his mate in every way. But Rey knew that he couldn’t just yet. He didn’t want to screw things up.

“Tala…I don’t know…” his voice trailed off as he felt Tala’s hands slide lightly up over his back and come to rest on his shoulders. He shivered and fought back a low growl as he felt her nails lightly scrape the back of his neck lightly.

“What Rey?” she whispered as she pressed her lips lightly to his throat. Rey swallowed hard and reluctantly pushed himself back from her. Tala froze, her face turning beet red with embarrassment as she realized that obviously he didn’t want anything happening between them.

“Tala I…I need to go. I’ll be back,” he whispered before turning and practically racing out the door. Tala stood frozen in place, stunned. It was only when she heard the sound of the front door slam shut softly that she burst into tears and fled into her bedroom, wondering what she had done to cause Rey to flee from her so quickly.

In the park, Rayne tensed as the sound of a wolf’s howl floated across the still night time sky. David gently pulled her closer even as he glanced towards the direction of the sound, his eyes full of sympathy for the man currently running through the woods. He knew all too well the frustration Rey was feeling.

“Ok that was eerie,” Rayne whispered nervously as she glanced at the dark woods. David sighed softly.

“Don’t worry baby he won’t hurt you. He’s just frustrated at the moment,” David replied absently. Rayne’s eyes widened as she quickly glanced up to him.

“D-David…do you…how do you know that?” she whispered. David cursed quietly and dropped his eyes as he realized his mistake. He had quickly sealed himself into a trap from which there was no escape. It appeared that the time to inform Rayne of exactly what he was had arrived.