***New James Purefoy still as High Lord Rafe Klyne***

"Darric what's going on? Why are they fighting?" I grab his arm.

"Yes, tell us why my brother and cousin are going for each other's throats?"

"Julian is behind it all: your kidnapping, the rise in rogue and nightwalkers. According to him, the plan was to kill the three of us and take over the clan leadership," Darric replies never taking his eyes off Rafe.

"But that's stupid, he knows better. I'm next in line, then Freddy before him," Georgiana says.

"You and Freddy may have been next on his kill list," Esme shrugs.

Esme's reply hits Georgiana hard that she falls down on the floor, Raul tries to catch her to no avail.

Back to the two that are now slashing each other, the situation in front of us is dire at best. We hear their conversation and Julian is pushing all of Rafe's buttons, which is not good.

"All my life, it's been Rafe will be Clan leader, Rafe will head the company," Julian spits out.

"So, you did all this to rule the clan? You wanted to kill me and my mates just so you can rule the clan?"

"Yes, cousin. Do you know what my father told me on his death bed? I should be a great helper to you for the Clan's sake. What a slap in the face. Even my own father wants me to bow to your leadership. Bull shit, I can lead the clan just as well or even better than you."

"All you had to do was ask, Julian. I would've given it all to you. I love you. I loved you."

Julian suddenly pulls out of Rafe's hold and yells, "I fucking hate you all. I am not your pitiful cousin who you think you can throw bread crumbs to anymore" and slams his head onto Rafe's head causing Rafe to stagger back in pain.

"He hates us that much? Why didn't I see it, Raul?" Georgiana whispers to Raul without taking her eyes of her brother and cousin.

I keep hitting the force field, trying to get to my mate no dice.

Rafe is fighting with remnant love for his cousin but Julian is fighting with decades of built up jealousy and rage; the odds are not in my mate's favor right now.

Julian walks over to where Rafe lay on the floor and attempts to slash Rafe's neck but Rafe rolls away and jumps on his feet. Rafe does a 180 turn and kicks Julian in his stomach sending Julian hitting the wall hard.

Julian yells and flies towards Rafe, hitting him in the stomach rapidly sending Rafe staggering back, falling over the desk.

"I won't hurt you, Julian, you're my cousin, my blood brother. We grew up together. I love you. I'll give you the option. Turn yourself over to the ruling council and accept your punishment, but I won't kill you."

"Save that pathetic love for someone else. I can't stand how everyone defers to the almighty Clan leader. At the company, you make all the decisions. In family gatherings the same. Your sister, niece, and parents may like it, but I abhor it and you! And then you get not one but two mates? Is the universe crazy or what?"

"Leave my mates out of this, Julian. You're treading on dangerous grounds." Rafe gets up and I feel the change come over him, I believe everyone does. He moves purposely towards Julian. Something has changed. The mention of mates has turned Rafe from a loving brother to Julian's judge and jury. I pray not his executioner.

He grabs Julian and throws him up against the ceiling, stops Julian on his way down, and slams him face down hard on the floor. Julian hisses in pain, gets up and matches towards Rafe.

"It was so easy to kidnap that Omega mate of yours. A little aconite, a deluded witch and a pompous werewolf made it all possible. Has he told you how we tortured him? For hours on end? My next step was to pass him around like day-old bread. But you got to him too soon, pity." Julian is watching Rafe's face for the hurtful impact of his words and looking for an opening to make his deadly move. Big, big mistake!

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" In a blink of an eye, Rafe flies at Julian, grabs his shirt, lifts him up to the ceiling, smashes Julian's head on it repeatedly. He drops Julian on the floor, pins him down with his knee and twist his arms behind his back. He yanks Julian's head to the side, bends down to him and whispers, "I trusted you with my life and more importantly with my mates and family and you kidnap and torture him? Planned to kill him? I send you back to your maker!"

And just like that, he slices Julian's throat instantly. Julian gurgles a reply to Rafe and we see his face lose its color. What on earth did Julian tell him?

"Nooooooooo", Georgiana screams. "Jeffery get me in there, get me in there quick."

Georgiana is pushed through the field and I see her rush to Rafe who gets off a dead Julian and falls back on the floor. Tears roll down his face and Georgiana kneels down besides him and pulls him up, hugs him, rocks him, repeating over and over, "what have you done, what have you done?"

I am losing it and I plead with Jeffery to let us in. Our mate needs us, but he refuses.

"I don't know what's going on, but I feel so damn helpless." Alpha Salim mutters.

"Jeffery let us in now. He needs us", Darric growls.

"I'm sorry my Lords. I cannot let you in. Not you either sir," he looks at Raul.

"Apologies my Lords. Lord Rafe has made a fateful decision and he must endure his punishment and reward. Only my Lady can help him through what's coming."

"Help him through what's coming? Jeffery spill it out now, what's coming?" Raul shouts at him.

"My Lord just broke an ancient vampire law. He killed a Lord."

"An evil Lord who betrayed him. Who kidnapped and tortured his mate, with plans to wipe out his family? And my mate gets punished for that? And who decides his punishment?" Darric asks.

"Sun god. My Lord has to be punished and rewarded for taking the life of a Lord. A two-edged sword if you will. Punishment by the Sun god and reward with Lord Julian's powers."

"I stand by my initial thought; you vamps are full of shit. You vamps need to speak English like everyone else. What on earth can be both a reward and punishment," Darric yells?

I fall on my knees, with my hands on the force field that won't let me in to help my mate. Darric sits beside me and hugs me.

"He'll be fine if anyone can help him it's Georgiana. Remember she's like no lady you ever met."

"He killed Julian, Darric. His brother. He'll never be the same."

"He will be again because we'll be around to bring him back."

And then I hear the most agonizing sound I have ever heard in my life, from Rafe. Rafe screams and lifts his head off Georgiana's shoulders in pain. Georgiana screams too and it sounds like they're both in pain.

Rafe tries to push her away but she hugs him tighter.

"Let go, Georgie let go," he says in a hoarse voice.

"No, no, hold on my love. It'll be over soon." And she holds him tighter.

"Aargghh!!! Rafe screams again and we hear a whipping sound but no visible whips. All we see are marks on Rafe's face as he twists and turns in pain in Georgiana's arms. This goes on for several minutes and with each invisible lash appears a mark on his face, red, swollen and looks permanent.

I cry out in pain watching my mate suffer and nothing I can do to help him.

"He's in so much pain, Darric."

"I know. I know." Darric sniffles and his tears mix with mine as they roll down our joint cheeks.

I hear more sniffles around me and someone whispers, "someone stop this please!"

"Aaagghhh" cries Rafe as he endures more lashes.

"Be merciful. Forgive him, please father. I can't lose him; we can't lose him." Georgiana begs the Sun god.

Finally, the whipping stops, Rafe drops his head on Georgiana's shoulder exhausted.

"Now his reward, Jeffery says.

"Shut the fuck up, Jeffery!" I yell at him.

He continues as if I hadn't spoken. "If you're not a mate to either my Lord or Lady, you will want to shield your eyes."

"Trust me, everyone, turn around," Esme tells them.

I am not taking my eyes off my mate for one second. I spread my hands on the force field hoping to convey my love and support to my mate.

Georgiana lays him down on the rug beside Julian and steps back. She bows her head as if waiting for something.

A humming sound starts, blinding fiery red light from nowhere falls on Julian and his body disintegrates right in front of us. He just disappears.

"Holy shit," Darric whispers in fear and I hug him tighter.

Then the same fire turns to Rafe and pierces his chest. His body is lifted off the floor, elevated about twenty inches and the fiery light swirls around his body a few times. He is put back on the floor and the light disappears as fast as it came.

Georgiana goes to Rafe and helps him up. My hands leaning on the field falls through the air as the force field disappears. We get up and rush to our mate.

"Rafe, are you alright?" I hold on to my mate.

"I'm fine", he whispers, tries to stand up straight and almost falls. Darric catches him and picks him up. He carries him past everyone, and I follow him as he heads to our suite. He lays him down on our bed, I hurriedly cover him with a blanket. He falls into a deep sleep.

"He is going to fight us tooth and nail but he will need our help to heal. Even if we have to get in his face sometimes, Cal."

"Speaking of his face. Look!" I turn the right side of Rafe's face towards Darric. Covering the whole right side of his face is a red design that looks like the wings of a phoenix.

"What's that?"

"Looks like the wings of a phoenix."

"Phoenix, the bird that rises from its ashes?"

"Yes. I guess our mate just rose from the ashes."

I lay down on his right side, and Darric on his left side and we listen to our mate sleep. I wonder what else is in store for us.

"What were you thinking Georgiana? You've done some harebrained things since I've known you but this tops it all! You could've died," I scream at her in anger and fear. I so want to shake some sense into that gorgeous head of hers.

"No, I wouldn't. Once he killed Julian, I knew what was coming and he needed another powerful leader to help him through it. The punishment wasn't mine, I just helped him through the process. Only I could and you don't expect me to leave my brother, your best friend hanging, do you?"

I sigh heavily. "No, I don't. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. But it's not over."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw and heard everything when he was going through his punishment and when he tells them who the werewolf is that helped Julian, they are in for another world of hurt," she whispers.

"Shit!"

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