Chapter 46

(**Rayne’s POV**)
**18+ Warning**

Rayne and her father drove home later the next morning while Parker flew in his eagle form. He wanted to give them more time alone, and Rayne appreciated it. There was more that needed to be said, but that could be done another night or over time. Tonight, was a starting point to helping Rayne heal from the past. Until her father mentioned it, Rayne had never admitted to herself that she felt abandoned by him.

There were all those nights where she cried for him and he never showed up where she thought he had left her alone. As she grew older those feeling grew into anger. Yet, during all that time she never stopped hoping he was still out there somewhere. She never wanted to believe that both her parents had died that night. Then, as the years passed, she finally accepted it.

She was alone.

Unwanted.

As they drove home, Edmund mentioned an idea to go find Ryan Larkin, Mia’s brother. The Crystal Dawn pack is in Missouri, deep in the Ozarks. Her father decided he would call Ryan once they got back to the house. With luck, the number he had in his head would still work. If not, they could always call the Werewolf Council for contact information for Alpha Larkin.

Her father would need to call them soon anyway if he intended to move forward with his plan to relocate Jade Moon to the Bodega Bay area. Monroe had given him an excellent location for the pack to settle up near the Oregon state line, around the outskirts of the Six River National Forest. That is far away to Rayne’s liking but still with in California. To have all the Jade Moon survivors back together again under her father’s leadership will be something to look forward to.

When Rayne and her father pull into the driveway, Edmund gets out and heads to his apartment over the garage, while Rayne heads into the house for a shower. She is hot, sweaty, and tired from a long night in the bar. The emotional toll of her conversation with her father causing her to feel the exhaustion creeping over her body even more. She turned the water on and waited for it to get to the temperature she loved it at.

She turned the radio on to her favorite rock station, programed the Bluetooth speaker that hung on the shower wall to play the same station, then she stepped into the shower. As one of her favorite songs came on the radio, she swayed to the music as she washed her hair. Rayne was so into the music that she didn’t hear the glass door of the shower open.

The sparks that erupted on her skin let her know that the hands cupping her breasts belong to Parker. A moan escaped her lips as he pressed his body against her back. Parker turned her so her back was up against the shower wall, then pressed his mouth to hers in a gentle kiss that quickly spun out into something deeper. He lifted one of her hands above her head, pinning it to the wall as his other hand reached down to cup her wet folds.

He used his foot to widen her stance, then he delved his fingers into her. The steam of the shower filled the stall as their bodies became slick with water as it pounded down over them. Parker drank in her moans as he drew out her pleasure. Rayne screamed out her orgasm as ripped through her body.

“Oh, Parker,” Rayne moans as he lifts one of her legs to slip deep inside her.

“I love how you moan my name, my love,” He whispers in her ear as he moves within her.

“Oh, please baby, faster. I need to feel all that power behind your thrusts,” Rayne moans her pleasure.

Parker groans into her neck as he gives her what she wants from him. He picks up the pace as he slams into her. The wet slap of contact echoes around the bathroom as they get lost in their sexual desire for each other. He growls into her ear a moment before he sinks his teeth into her mate mark. The feeling of pleasure explodes within Rayne as he pumps in and out of her body, his teeth causing her to spill over the edge of another orgasm. Parker followed her over the edge with his own release a second later.

He lowered her leg, stepped back to grab the loofah sponge and soap, then he washed Rayne’s body with slow strokes all over her body. Then Rayne reciprocated the wash to Parker’s body. When the water ran cold, Parker grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He grabbed a second one, wrapped it around Rayne, then lifted her out of the shower to carry her into the bedroom.

He lay Rayne gently down on the bed, then he walked to the dresser to pull out a pair of sweats. He picked something up off the desk that was in a little golden bowl, then turned back to Rayne after he slipped the sweats on. What he held out to Rayne had her smiling, then holding out her hand. Parker slipped the diamond ring back onto her ring finger, gave her a very brief kiss, then strutted out of the room.

Rayne hadn’t worn the ring he gave her on Halloween during the workday. She was wasn’t ready to tell everyone that there would be a wedding in their future. Once she got through her heat, they planned to announce their engagement. The next few days she and Parker were taking time off work so he could help her through her heat. The thought of all the places in the house they hadn’t had sex yet made Rayne moan as a flush crept over her body.

It was starting already. Rayne could feel it as her entire body flushed with heat. Oh, Goddess, where did Parker go.

As if Parker sensed what was happening with her body he rushed back into the bedroom. His hair was wild around his head, his eyes zeroed in on Rayne as she writhes on the bed. The flaring of his nostrils let her know he caught the scent of her arousal caused by the heat taking control of her body.

“Parker!” Rayne screamed at him as a wave of fire flared through her body.

Without hesitation Parker shimmied out of his sweats then rushed to the bed. The towel that was wrapped around her body had come undone during her frantic movements over the bed. He spread her legs and dove right in to quench the fire growing within her body. Rayne wrapped her legs around his waist as he rocked against her slowly. She would let him make love to her slowly until her body demanded more from him.

Many hours later they both lay on the bed panting for breath. “Goodness woman, I never thought sex would be the death of me.”

“Are you saying you don’t have the stamina to service me throughout my heat?” Rayne asks with a laugh.

“Oh, I said nothing of the sort. Shame on you, woman. Why do you wound me so?” Parker asked as he looked at Rayne with a sad expression.

“Go get us some food and water so we can be ready for the next wave,” Rayne tells him as she nudges him off her.

“Your wish is my command, my love,” Parker gets up and leaves the room buck naked.

They spent the rest of the morning in a cycle of food, water, and sex all over the house in various positions. They ended up back in the bedroom as exhaustion finally took over. Rayne woke hours later from hunger, so she made her way into the kitchen to make lunch. As she walked into the room, a covered plate and a note got her attention. She lifted the lid and was happy to see two bowls of spaghetti waiting for her and Parker.

She warmed them both up and was taking them to the bedroom when Parker came out of the room with his sweats on and a robe in his hands for her. Rayne laughed at Parker’s expression as he sniffed the air. Food always got his attention. They ate out on the deck so they could watch the ocean as they ate.

“Where do you want to get married?” Parker asked her after they had gotten settled on the lounge chairs.

Rayne hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. All she had on her mind was passionate sex with her mate. “Where are you thinking?”

“I think we should do it right here on the beach. Close the bar for the night, invite all our employees and friends. You can invite Bridgette and her family.”

“Do you think we should wait until this mess with The Collectors is over?” Rayne asks after she swallows her bite of pasta.

“Rayne, that not going to be over soon. This is a war that is affecting supernaturals all over the world. I know we don’t need the wedding since we are mated, so I guess we don’t have to do it officially.” Parker’s face fell, and all Rayne could think of was how she could make his smile come back.

“I like the idea of a beach wedding, Parker, I really do. I want Arabella here, though. She needs to stay with Cyra until Kade and the others can rescue her mate. Can we wait a bit longer?” Rayne puts her bowl on the deck floor, then stands to move to straddle his lap.

Parker moved his bowl out of the way, leaning to the side to put it down like she had. “I can wait as long as we need to. I have you and that is all I need. I want you to be mine in every way possible.”

“Oh, Parker, you have me. You have had my heart for longer than I knew until recently. My mind has always been on the same page as yours since that first night in that crappy diner. You have claimed my body in every way since that first time we had sex. I am yours now and forever,” Rayne whispers as she leans down to place her head on his chest over his heart.

“That first night it that hotel where I met you was like a hurricane. When I saw you standing in the middle of the room in only a towel and your wet hair sending water drops slid down your chest, all I wanted was to know who you were. Then you took my breath away later as I got to know you. Thank you for being my everything,” Parker whispered into her hair.

Rayne lifted up to look him in the eyes, a smile on her face as she cupped his cheek in one hand. “Thank you for loving me for who I am, for all my flaws, and my nightmare past. You make me happy, Parker. You are more than my partner and have been for a long time. I am so happy that the Moon Goddess blessed me with you.”

“If you keep grinding your hips over me, we are going to have to ditch that robe of yours and give the birds a show,” Parker groaned as he lifted his hips into her as she wiggled over his growing erection.

“Make love to me in the sunshine, Parker. I want to feel the heat of the sun on my bare skin as you make me shiver with pleasure,” Rayne whispered as she ground her hips against him.

Parker skimmed the robe off her shoulders, then let it fall to pool around her hips. He lifted his hips enough to pull his sweats down until his erection sprang free. Rayne took the initiative by sitting up then lowering herself down over him until he was fully embedded deep in her core. The hot flush at having him where she wanted him cause her to moan and toss her head back as he thrust up into her.

They made love on the lounger, with Rayne riding him in to her pleasure, then Parker took control by lowering her robe onto the deck then followed her down. He covered his body with hers and made her moan, scream, writhe, and whimper as he wrung out their pleasure. The heat of the sun only fueled his desire to make her orgasm around him. When Rayne’s nails sliced through his back, he followed her into oblivion.

Laying side by side on their back with the sun warming their skin, Parker grabbed Rayne’s hand as he struggled to breathe calmly. “When my heat is done.” Rayne told him as she squeezed his hand.

“What?” He asked in confusion at her sudden response to his earlier question.

“We will get married as soon as my heat is done and I call Bridgette. I will call Arabella and tell her about it. She can do a spell to see the wedding while not being here.” Rayne laughed as Parker stood up, lifted her up, then swung her around in his joy.

Suddenly Parker stiffened, his posture going on instant alert. A low growl tore from his throat as his head whipped around in the driveway's direction. Rayne sniffed the air and picked up two scents. One she recognized while the other was new. What were they doing here at this time of day? Normally Rayne and Parker would sleep since they work night-time hours at the bar.

Why would Owen come here during the day when he knew they would be asleep?

Parker bent down to grab the robe Rayne had been laying on, handing to her so she could cover her nudity from Owen’s eyes. Then he grabbed his sweats, hopping into them just as Owen and a woman stepped out of Owen’s car. Was this woman his mate? Rayne sniffed the air to see if she could smell their mingled scents. If they were mated and marked, their scents would be mingled.

They weren’t. This woman was not his mate, unless he hasn’t marked her yet.

“Holy fuck,” Owen hisses out a breath as he steps closer to the deck. “That is the most intoxicating thing I have ever smelled.”

“WHAT are you doing here?” Parker growled at his brother as he stepped in front of Rayne.

“Can’t I come by to see my baby brother?” Owen looked back at the woman with him, motioning for her to come closer. “I brought my mate, Kerri, to meet you both. I can tell it is a bad time since your mate is in heat.”

Rayne didn’t like the predatory look in Owen’s eyes as he stared at her body while his mate was a few feet from him. Something is not as it seems with him.