James Purefoy as High Lord Rafeal 'Rafe' Klyne

**********************************************************************

RAFE

"Uncle Rafe, stop you're hurting me," Freddy croaks as my hand squeezes her neck tighter and tighter.

Freddy's voice and teary eyes snap me out of my trance. What am I doing? This is my niece. I release her as she falls to the floor. I slide down to the floor beside her.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, I don't know what came over me," I hug her, but she pulls away, I draw her back to me and hug her closer, tighter, apologizing and patting her back. I can't believe I hurt my niece. I love the little munchkin to death.

Once she calms down, I need to find out where she met my mate. Dear Sun god, my mate, finally my mate!

My heart is racing, as fast as a vampire's heart can beat. Contrary to human folklore, we vampires do have heartbeats, it just beats slower, which is the main reason we need blood. Blood speeds up our heart and the fresher the blood the better.

"You okay?"

She calms down, sits up and looks me straight in the eye.

"I smell like your mate. How is that possible? The only place I've been to is Esme's shop."

"You smell of my mate. Who else was in the shop with you?"

"There were some wolves, werecats, and a few humans."

"Did you touch, smell or rub against anyone of them?"

"Only the omega, I smelled him and tried to graze him, but Esme protected him."

"She protected him, why would she do that? A witch protecting a werewolf, uncommon."

"No idea but they seem to be good friends."

"Tell me about this wolf."

"I don't know anything about him only his name. She called him Cal."

I stand up, help Freddy up, and we walk out the room. Jeffery is at the door with my coat and gloves. He's my butler who handles the running of our home. He's also highly ranked soldier in the clan. And much more. He is like no other butler that I know.

"My Lord," he bows, helps me into my coat and hands me my gloves.

"Thank you, Jeffery, and I'll drive myself."

"I'll see you later kiddo. Again, I'm sorry. Will you forgive your favorite Uncle?"

"On one condition. One last time, I promise to be very, very, careful please?"

"We've talked about this, I said no more. I cannot protect you forever, you're making some very powerful vampires, weres, and humans angry. So, this is the last time, I'm serious. I don't want you to get hurt. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you and worse, your mother will burn me alive if she finds out."

"Jeez, you sound like Esme."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but the witch is right, you need to stop."

"You both know it's all for a good cause, and mother won't find out."

"Won't find out what, Freddy?" asks my sister Georgiana, as she walks down the staircase with her on again, off again lover, baby daddy, and my best friend Raul Winters.

"On that note, I'll see you later, I'm off to meet my mate."

I kiss my sister on the cheek as she reaches us.

"Mate? Did he say mate?"

"Yes, mom, Uncle Rafe is finally going to get some asssss," she says, prancing around.

"Freddy, what have I said about your language, young lady?"

I leave them to the familiar argument. No time to waste, I'm in a hurry, and I have a mate to meet.

CAL

We are now being introduced and initiated into the pack. The initiation is simple, Alpha Salim asks each one of us if we want to join Crimson River Pack in front of the whole pack. Once we answer yes, he grazes the right side of our necks with his claw. We then shift into our wolves; me to Sköll, Raven to Adolpha, Roland to Blaez, and Serena to Faolan to allow the whole pack to smell and memorize our scents. Alpha Salim shifts into his lion, Silvermane, who stands over seven feet tall, with shiny black fur and white underbelly coat, eyes glowing like fire. Silvermane sniffs us individually and roars his acceptance and our inclusion to the pack. Immediately we are linked to the pack.

Overall, we were welcomed. Werecats, I am learning are more accepting of other weres. I have seen tigers, panthers, leopards, sables, and some cats I cannot identify. Seeing the warriors surround the pack during initiation is a bit terrifying. When they shift into werecats they are huge! Taller and bigger than Silvermane!

Now those cubs, boy, are they horny as hell! Everywhere you look, they are either fooling around, or walking around half clothed or downright naked. Makes this werewolf blush.

One young cub tried to kiss Serena during our tour and Raven decked him. I didn't know Raven had it in her, she yelled at the cub not to touch her mate. That's a big reveal to Serena and me. I was shocked as hell. Did the universe turn on its axis or something, that now all my friends have mates after leaving Blood Rose Pack?

About Blood Rose Pack, I miss my mate, I feel an ache whenever he comes to my mind. Sometimes, I wonder if I did the right thing. Then I think about spending my life with a mate who doesn't love, respect, or desire me and I know I made the right decision.

After our short tour, Roland decides to hang with the construction crew, Serena wants to babysit the cubs and Raven is fascinated with the pack hospital. Looks like we are all finding our individual thing – realizing and finding that out is a bit sad for me. Maybe I'm selfish but running the company together with those three was healing for me.

Summer has been introducing us to more pack members and the vibe from them has been positive. We are learning that we have more in common than we have been brought up to believe. At our first dinner, and for the first time, we are not delegated to cook and serve anyone. We sit at the table with other members, eating and chatting and being part of something we had never experienced: a family.

Yes, leaving Blood Rose was a damn good decision.

RAFE

I drive up to Esme's shop, just a mere hour drive from Redwood, South Dakota where my clan is located. I could've flown and be there in five minutes, but that witch will probably zap me or something worse if I fly into her vicinity. Besides, I don't want to show up looking disheveled the first time I meet my mate. You know first impressions count and I want my mate to love me at first glance. My Sun god, I sound like a teenager!

As the leader of the Silvern Clan, I know of Esme, every high level supernatural knows of Esme. We meet at council meetings, whenever she cared to show up. She's a High Priestess after all: second only to the Elementals. She's more powerful than any Alpha and as powerful as I am.

I must confess that she holds a slight edge to my powers, a secret my grandfather revealed one drunken night a long time ago. A secret I am not about to share with her until I can use it to my advantage.

"Halloweth be, High Priestess," I greet her as I enter her store. A slight buzz echoes in my ear but does no damage. A power diminishing aura, nice and smart.

"Halloweth be, High Lord. Please call me Esme. To what do I owe this visit?" Esme replies, walks over to the corner chair, sits down, closes her shop with a look, and offers the other chair to me.

Most people will say 'to what do I owe this honor', but trust Esme to play with words. I unbutton my jacket and sit down. Two teacups, two spoons, a teapot, sugar bowl, and cream dispenser appear on the table out of thin air. I smile. "Thank you," and not to be outdone, using my powers, I pour myself a cup of tea, add one sugar and a dab of milk without touching any of her fine china. "May I" I ask, and Esme nods, and I pour her a cup of tea too.

"Well played, High Lord. So how can I help you?" Esme says as she reaches to pour some milk into her tea.

"I believe you may know my mate," I reply as I stir my tea and take a sip.

"Your mate, and who might that be?"

"Freddy seems to think he's a wolf by the name of Cal?"

"Cal? Callum Yorke, my root is your mate?"

"My mate is your root? Since when do witches have werewolves as their roots?"

"Since we were both five years old."

"Unheard of. Where is he now? I must meet him, which pack does he belong to?"

"Slow down for a minute, how do you know he is your mate?"

"Because my niece came home smelling like my mate and I almost strangled her thinking she had done something with him or worse, to him."

"Weird. He's in Crimson River Pack."

"But that's a werecat pack, what's he doing in a werecat pack?"

"Nooo!!! Really? A werewolf in a werecat pack. Can't put on over you now, can I High Lord?"

"Watch it, witch, I'm in no mood for your snide remarks. Why is he in a werecat pack?"

"That's a bedtime story between you and your mate."

"Someday someone is going to wring your neck, Esme."

"Maybe, but not today, High Lord."

"Why is my mate rooted to you, for Sun god's sake?" I murmur.

"That's a question I've asked our Sun God for years, and he ain't answering. A word of caution, you may not like what your mate has to say about his situation."

"There's nothing my mate will say to me that will stop me from loving or having him as my mate."

"Be careful what you say because it may come back and sink its fangs in your neck. Get it 'fangs in your neck'? Come on! With the whole vampire teeth thing? Oh, forget it, you vamps are so dull."

Exasperated, I get up, button my jacket and walk out her store to find my mate.

As annoying as Esme is and can be, at least now I know more about my mate, specifically where to find him. I drive back home, dodge my family since I'm in no mood to answer their questions. I link Raul my best friend to meet me in my room without my sister, his daughter or anyone else aware.

"Where's the mate we heard about? And a werewolf too?" Raul asks as he walks into my room.

"Unfortunately, he's at Crimson River Pack in North Dakota."

"That's Salim's pack. A werewolf in a werecat pack? When you sink, you sink deep my brother."

"I'm flying to Crimson Pack tomorrow. Can I stay at your place tonight? I don't want to answer a shit load of questions tonight."

"Sure, no problem, gives me an excuse to spend the night with your sister," Raul winks.

"Please enough. I really don't want to hear that. You practically live here so why don't you just put a ring on her finger already."

"I would in a second, but she won't have me, she says I'm a whore!"

"Um, I wonder how she came to that conclusion?"

"Come on, you guys have got to let it go. It was twenty-three years ago, and we had broken up."

"As a vampire, you know we have a very long memory, but take heart she's not seeing anyone but you, I think."

"Good to know."

"I'm off; see you later with my mate."

I sneak out of the house. You would to, if you have a family like mine. If found, I wouldn't be able to leave this house until every question is answered even those, I may not have answers to.

I drive to Raul's penthouse, twenty minutes away. I enter his penthouse and help myself to a chilled glass of blood from his stock of 'filtered' selection, just the way I like it. I need the sweet taste to calm me down. I walk into his guest room as I scroll through my phone contacts and find the one person I need to talk to, sit down on the bed and dial his number.

"Hello" answers the voice I recognize.

"Alpha Salim, this is High Lord Rafael Klyne of Silvern Clan, I believe you have my mate in your pack?"

"Evening Lord Klyne, and who might that be?"

"Callum Yorke."

"Cal?? Oh shit, he has another mate?"

"I'm sorry, did you just say 'ANOTHER' mate?" I ask, jump up, spilling my glass of blood all over my white shirt.

: Poor Rafe, finally found his mate but he's taken, now a tug of war begins, oh boy😊

Please don't forget to vote and/or comment, thank you. Toodles!