Once Scorched Always Safe

Battle Plans and New Alliances

Parker

“Let me fly out from the roof and do a bit of recon. I can get their positions, true numbers, then we can form a game plan.” He looked over everyone as they sat gathered around the bar.

They had all moved upstairs to the bar after the spell was complete. Arabella, Jazmine, and Lynn were at a booth in the corner going over the results of the spell. How it had overloaded the room, then spilled over onto everyone down there. He wasn’t complaining at all about now being hidden from the eyes of all demons and Dark Witches, and anyone out there intending to harm him. He was also happy that it was now affecting Rayne and Edmund and his employees, well most of his employees. Shelby and Lena hadn’t come in tonight because of what was circling them outside, hut considering how the rest of them were not even meant to have been hit with the spell, he was sure that they would be fine.

“Arabella can do that without sending anyone outside, but I can see she has her head in her book, so make it a short flight. Once around then back Inside,” Rayne stood to walk to him.

Parker pulled her between his knees, wrapped his arms around her waist, kissed her gently. “I will be fine, love, relax. Call Shelby and Lena, make sure they are home.”

Rayne nodded her head, stepped back, then watched as he stood and walked to the door to go upstairs. He made his way to the roof access door at the end of the hall between his office and the safe room. Once on the roof, he shifted into an owl, then flew up into the night sky. He smelt all the rogues around the bar as he flew around. They had the place fairly surrounded, but looked very unorganized, with small clusters of three and four to the north. A larger group of ten directly in front of the bar, that was where he spotted the large brown wolf standing on the rooftop of the building across from the bar. He had two rogues flanking him as he stared at the entrance of the bar,

He was watching and waiting

Waiting for the first person to step out the front door.

Parker circled the area, then made a wider pass to scout out the entire block. He was glad he did. At the end of the block, there was a large group of rogues, From what he could see there were about twenty of them, but this group was more organized. They smelt different from the other rogues with Wilson, meaning that they were a pack, not part of Wison’s group. That might benefit them if they could contact the leader of the rogue pack.

He finished his sweep around the block, landed back on the roof of the bar, grabbed the pair of jeans he kept sto wanted to be out on the night sky. Hopping into the jeans, he then walked back downstairs to give them what he had found. He had a plan in mind, let’s just hope they could pull it off. That rogue pack could benefit them as allies if they were there for the reason he thought they were.

stored in a chest for nights when he

To take Wilson down.

Parker would use anything that he could to help Rayne get free of this man that has been a stain on her life since she was nine years old. He wanted her to finally be free of those nightmares that have haunted her most of her life. He would give his all to her if she would have him, despite that worthless mate of hers.

Rayne

“Well, that was unexpected,” Rayne looked at Parker as he sat down to d

devour a cheeseburger. He was always hungry after a long shift.

“If we can get word to the leader of the rogue pack, we could get them to help with the rest of the rogues out there.” Argyle looked up at her as he spoke.

“I think they are here to take Wilson down. The rogues with him may not be fully committed to his cause. I sense a lot of anxiety in those wolves out there. Perhaps they were on the fringes, not a part of any pack. That could be how he convinced them to fight for him. Fear of being killed by bigger, stronger forces out there. Jazmine spoke from next to Argyle.

“I can astral project, talk to the leader. Arabella stood next to Rayne with a frown on her face. “They are tightening their circle, we may not have much more time before they try to attack. My wards will hold, the spell I cast for defense will knock anyone back as they try to breach, so if we can get back up from an outside force that would be great

inced?

“If you think you can get them to fight for us, or at the very least fight with us, then yes go out there and try.” Rayne looked at Arabella, “What do you

*Jazmine and Lynn can help me, we can go up into your upstairs safe

Hayne nodded, “Then I will say good luck to us all.”

Battle Plans and New Alliances

She watched as the three women left the room to go attempt a war pact. Who knew she would be even thinking of such things while just trying to run a bar. She was preparing for a battle with a man who tried his best to break her when she was a child. He tried even harder when she was a teenager, but she refused to let him break her. Rayne would put up one hell of a fight for as long as they needed until Wilson came for her himself.

“Hey Ray,” Edmund stid a plate of nachos across the bar in front of her, “Eat now, there may not be time later.”

“Papa,” She shook her head. Food was the last thing on her mind.

“Rayne, listen to your dad” Parker slid his empty plate away, stood, and walked away from the bar to head upstairs.

She frowned as he walked away. Was he mad at her for something? She reached for the nachos despite not being hungry. Having her father and her lover tag–teaming her to eat was not something she would ever get used to.

“He is worried about you, Ray. He loves you.”

“…I love him too, Papa. I am worried too. About all of us,”

“I know Ray, eat, and then go talk to him. When she pushed the plate away to stand, he leaned forward and pushed her back down. “You may be an adult, but I am still your father, so listen and eat.”

Rayne grumbled but did what she was told. This was not something she was going to get used to, nor was it something she liked. She hated being told what to do; she hated not being in control even more. She had to get this situation with Wilson finished so she could get her life back in her control.

As she was finishing the nachos, Arabella came back downstairs, followed by Morty. She was pale; he supporting her as he escorted her to the bar to sit next to Rayne.

“I spoke to Monroe, the pack leader of the local rogue pack. They were trying to help some rogues with Wilson, to let them know that there were other options. He has had a few run–ins with Wilson, none ended well, all making Wilson angry. He wants to be the rogue Alpha King, but Monroe is the pack Alpha. He stands between Wilson and the thing he has been wanting since they banished him from Jade Moon.”

“He will help us?” Rayne asked with surprise in her voice.

“Yes, the group Parker saw with him is nothing compared to the size of the pack he has. They are surrounding the area now as we speak.”

“How many?” Argyle asked.

“Over two hundred.”

“Wow, I didn’t know we had that big of a rogue pack in the Bodega Bay area.” Rayne said.

“They are nomadic and travel throughout California, they have been in the area for the last six months.”

“You learned all that in twenty minutes?” Edmund said with shock.

“He was very chatty when I told him what was going on. He will fight to help us take Wilson down.”

“What will happen to the rest of the rogues that are out there with Wilson?” Argyle asked.

“Monroe wants to take them into his pack if th

Ithey will join them.”

“Well, that will solve that problem, but I want to go out there and face Wilson,” Edmund spoke with a low growl.

“Papa, no.” Rayne stood, anger on her face.

“Ray, there is unfinished business between us. He murdered my mate, your mother, and tried to murder me. I want to finish this once and for all. I know you are worried about me, that you will lose me again now that you found me. This time I will not be out there alone, I will have back up this time.”

“Papa, leave the past behind. We have each other again. Let Monroe take Wilson down.”

He sighed heavily, “Alright, but if there comes a point where he breaches the wards, I will defend myself.”

Rayne nodded, then stood and marched out of the room. She had an angry shifter to deal with. Between Wilson wanting to kill her, her father wanting to go out there and fight him, and Parker mad at her, this night was wearing thin on her nerves. For now, she was on damage control to fix her worried lover’s mind.

Battle Plans and New Alliances

Outside Shadows Retreat

Wilson stood watching the door to that bitch’s bar. He had instructed his rogues to attack as soon as someone opened any of the doors of the bar. They had been out here for hours, those little shits were getting antsy, two of those nants had already run off. If no one came out soon, he would jump off the roof and rush the door. He was firing of this waiting game. He knew that they were in there. He watched that man she lives with coming in hours.

ago.

That was when he got wind of a scent he hadn’t smelt in years. Edmund. That was not possible, he was dead; he had stuck around far enough away until he had heard his heart stop, Edmund had died fourteen years ago. There was no way that he was here now. If he was, Wilson would make sure he finished both father and daughter off for good tonight. Put both bastards out of his mind, take back what they took away from him.

With a roar, he let his rogues know he was getting impatient. He leapt off the roof. He landed on the deck of the building next door, then leaped down to the ground. He rushed to the front door of the bat. As soon as he contacted the door a bright hot flash of light green flame knocked him back, sending him flying back in the air. His back hit a car that was parked along the street. A howl of pain ripped from his throat as he was engulfed in the green fire

With the reaction of the wards, the battle began. The wolves from the rogue pack surged from all directions. The whimpers and yips of the wolves on Wilson’s side as they surrendered to the stronger, almost overwhelming force of the rogue pack filled the night. Wilson struggled through the pain from a fire like nothing he had ever experienced before. He could smell his burnt fur and skin underneath, the pain was like nothing he had ever felt before.

What had that little bitch gotten into? Who else was in there with her other than her lover and the man he didn’t want to believe was Edmund? As the fire faded, he tried to struggle to his feet, before he gained his feet something heavy landed on his back. He was flipped over, teeth latched onto his shoulder, the grip of the other wolf’s jaws tightening with more power than Wilson expected.

He looked into the deep red eyes of a rogue. The aura of power was pumping off the other wolf in waves. Recognition flared in Wilson’s mind as the other wolf clamped down harder, then raked a front paw down his belly, blood spilling out over his fur then onto the ground. He let out a loud howl of pain, tried to buck Monroe off of him, only to be slammed back onto the ground. For the first time in years, panic Blooded through his system.

No, this couldn’t happen. He hadn’t reached Rayne yet. She needed to pay for the actions in getting him banished from his pack. She had taken everything he had left in one night, all because she had found her mate. That bastard went berserk on him. Wilson tried to buck Monroe off again, twisting away, but Monroe took the chance to change his grip to Wilson’s throat.

Growls filled the street as the rogue pack surrounded them, Monroe raked his front claws down Wilson’s side, then twisted his head to the side to rip Wilson’s throat out. He stopped as he decided that this wasn’t his kill to make. He snapped Wilson’s neck but did not kill him.

Monroe stepped back from Wilson and let out a howl of victory, letting those inside know that the fight was over. The rogues that fought with Wilson all submitted to his pack. That was good enough for him. He sent the rest of the pack away except his beta and gamma. He would stick around to see

end of this bastard.

the

Rayne

As she heard the howls of victory from outside, she opened the front door of the bar to the sight of three wolves standing body. She stepped outside with her father and Parker behind her, her eyes zeroing in on Monroe. The power coming off of him let her know that he was ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

g near W

Wilson’s now human an Alpha, a very strong one at that. He would be a very worthy ally if he agreed.

Rayne felt her father brush past her to walk towards where Wilson lay, neck snapped but his heart was a few feet away from Wilson and the large Alpha wolf. The wolf growled low then backed away, disappearing behind the large dumpster next to the

as still beating. She felt his emotions as he stopped building behind him, leaving Rayne and Parker the space they needed to walk to Edmund.

“He needs to die, Papa, so we can finally we can put him behind us,” Rayme whispered as she walked up to stand next to him as he stood looking down at Wilson

“He was o

once my best friend, your godfather, my Alpha. Then when Kara died, he lost his mind. He didn’t die like some mates do when their other h passes away. He lived.”

“If you call what he did living.”

hair

“He drank his pain away, abandoning his children to the pack to take care of, then the war broke out. He let us all down. Then he snapped completely. Killing your mother was his way of making me suffer for having everything he no longer did. He would have killed you too.”

“Sometimes he was beating me, I wished he would have,” Rayne whispered.

“You survived that bastard Ray, you are stronger than him,” Edmund said.

*1 am glad to have been of service to you both,” a deep gravelly voice said from their left.

Battle Plans and New A

Rayne looked

Alliances

up to see a tall man with reddish–brown hair in a thick braid down one side of his chest. He wore army camp in black and grey. His features were sharp with olive–colored skin that stood out in contrast to the dark night. His eyes were a deep forest green that looked at the three of them with an assessing gaze. After studying them all for a moment, he nodded his head then walked forward to stand over his kill.

“My name is Monroe, the leader of a lager rogue pack. We were unaware of why Wison was in this area, but he had crossed a line, so when your witch came to me seeking help, I decided it was the least I could do for the woman who set up this bar I have heard so much about. You do great things for the supernatural communities, for that I will gladly help in any way that I can.”

“Thank you.”

“If you all ever need any help with what you do, your witch knows how to find me.” With that, he turned to his two wolves and walked away.

Rayne looked over as she heard Edmund punch Wilson hard in the face to wake him up. She knew that the snapped neck didn’t kill him. The time they spent talking to Monroe gave Wilson’s body time to heal. As Wilson’s eyes flew open, Edmund’s hand changed into a claw.

“This is for Mia,” Edmund said as he ripped Wilson’s throat out. As the life faded from Wilson’s eyes, Edmund stepped back. “It is done. We are free.”

“Well, let’s get him out of the street, then we can get out of the bar and go home. We could all use an early night.” Parker walked forward to lift Wilson’s body.

Rayne watched as Parker carried Wilson into the bar. She followed him inside with Edmund behind her. They decided to take him out into the woods near her house tomorrow night before they opened the bar. They would give him a burial he didn’t deserve as the man he became, but as the man he used to be. She would call Bridgette to let her know that her father was dead in the morning, give her a chance to come back if she wanted to.

Knowing all the pain that Wilson had caused was now over, that he would hurt no one else in her life, gave Rayne a sense of peace. She knew that there would be tears to come later when she had time to process the events of the night, but for now, she would push it back until she was at home.

Morty and his family would stay until tomorrow, then they would leave to start their lives over in another part of the world. He said that he would keep in touch, let them know how the baby was developing Arabella was sticking around to help Jazmine learn to control her power, and to train Lynn with hers. The three of them were a potent force to have on her side.

Tonight was now about putting the past to rest and forging a better future for herself. She had Parker by her side, her father back in her life. She would hold on to that and make the best of it, starting as soon as they got home. She would tell Parker how she felt, she knew how he felt, but it was prime time she told him her feelings.

To the future.

To peace.

To Jove