Chapter 86

(**Rayne**) 

Nathaniel’s body was transported to Paris via a spell three hours later. Arabella assures them all that he will receive the funeral rites a White Witch deserves. With his death, there is no more danger pressing at their backs. For the first time in what feels like ages, Rayne and Parker have a chance to catch their breaths. 

For her is it a sad way to achieve the chance to rest. Putting herself in Nathaniel’s shoe is easier that she is comfortable with. If anything were to happen to Parker, taking him from her forever, she isn’t sure how she will handle it. One thing is clear though, if his death is at the hands of another, she will seek her revenge.  

Olivia’s death was of natural causes. Nathaniel took his grief out on Arabelle and anyone who refused to do dark magic to bring Olivia back. It was wrong of him to do it, but grief makes people do things they normally wouldn’t do.  

Grief can cause a madness beyond anything imaginable to take root in a person’s mind. The root feeds off the grief until it is a twisted version of what it used to be. Rayne has seen grief like that before. In the man who was once her godfather. 

Wilson Stone wasn’t always the abusive drunk she lived in fear of. Before Kara died in childbirth, he was a completely different man. After everything he did to her, Rayne can barely remember the good in him. All she knows is that he was once like an uncle to her.  

Grief for his mate twisted him into a hideous man. Can she forgive him for the things he did afterwards? Her mother’s death, everything her father went through after that night, and all he did to her in the years after. No, that man doesn’t deserve her forgiveness.  

Everything he did will stay with her forever. However, she will say a prayer to the Moon Goddess for Wilson’s soul. The actions he did in his grief will ensure he never reaches their afterlife. He will never be reunited with his mate or their son.  

Wilson is cursed to walk in darkness alone for what he did to those he, as an Alpha, was sworn to protect. It is what he deserves, but she will pray for him. Maybe there will be a way for his soul to find redemption in the afterlife. 

“Are you ready to go home?”  

Parker’s voice makes her look u at him as he stops in front of her desk. A look at the clock tells her it is now five in the morning. Tara will be coming by later today to get the nursery ready for painting. There is furniture to be moved out of the room. So much to do for someone who hasn’t even been born yet. 

She nods at him, then follows him to the jeep. With only four months left of her pregnancy, there is so much still to do. Luckily for her, Parker has been on the ball. The furniture for the baby’s room has all been assembled, all that is left to do at the house is to paint to room. 

Tara’s offer to help paint the room was something they couldn’t pass up. It would also give Rayne time to get to know the woman. As Spencer’s mate, Tara became a part of their extended family. Since everyone at Shadow’s Retreat is family to them, both she and Parker make sure they are all aware of it. 

“I want to send pictures of the baby’s room to my father when we get it done.” 

“With the way Tara likes to take snapshots on her phone of Spencer all the time, I don’t think that will be a problem.” 

She laughs when they pull up the driveway to their house. However, a surprise guest makes her laughter die in her throat. She smiles at the mountain of boxes covering the deck as Declan sits on the steps. Her father-in-law is embracing being a grandfather to its fullest. 

“What in the world is all that?” Parker asks as he parks the jeep. 

“There is only one way to find out.”  

Rayne climbs out of the jeep then walks back down the driveway towards the front of the house. Delcan stands as she reaches him. He pulls her into a hug, then releases her when Parker joins them. 

“Dad, what is all this stuff?” 

“Some of it you probably already have, but spares are not a bad idea. That large box next to the door is more personal,” Declan says. He then points to the large box. 

“Well, since the loft is currently empty, we can store all of this up there,” Parker tells him. 

“Good idea. Leave that box where it is, and we can open it once we are done.” 

While Parker and his father trek back and forth from the deck to the loft, she heads inside to change into more comfortable clothes. A pair of loose-fitting lounge pants and her Mickey Mouse t-shirt are the perfect outfit for the rest of her day.  

Coming out of the bedroom, she looks around the living room. Clothes are scattered around on the floor and sofas. The piles on the floor are dirty, while the ones on the sofas are clean. The domestic part of their lives is just as chaotic as their work life. Soon they will have more chaos in their lives in the form of a baby. 

With a sigh, she walks back into the bedroom to grab a basket for the dirty clothes. Parker takes the basket from her as she exits the room. There is a stern look on his face that makes her smile up at him.  

“Go sit. I will pick up the laundry. My father has something to give you.” 

“I am not made of glass, Parks.” 

He leans in to kiss her forehead. “Humor me.” 

Rayne laughs, then follows him into the living room. Declan is sitting on one sofa with the box on the floor in front of him. When he looks up at her, there is a pain in his eyes. He covers the pain quickly, then smiles at her.  

“Seeing the two of you like this makes me happy. You are good for each other. Come, sit while Paker cleans, then I will open the box.” 

She does as he asks and sits on the sofa with him. There are so many similarities between her and Parker’s parents. Both of their fathers lost their mates to violence. There is a shadow of pain haunting them all.  

Owen’s daughter has helped Declan heal, knowing that a part of his mate lives on through their son’s family. Her and Parker’s child may help Declan heal more. She hoped her father would feel the same way, but he left to heal on his own. 

It is understandable now after she has had time to think about it. If he comes back for the birth of her child, she won’t be angry with him. However, part of her will forgive him no matter what he chooses. 

“What was he like as a child?” Rayne asks. She nudges her head in Parker’s direction as he bends down to pick up clothes. 

Declan's smile is wide and reaches his eyes. He leans back on the sofa to think for a moment before speaking. “Parker was shy when he was a baby, but that quickly changed as he got older. He was about two years old when he became so outgoing that we feared for him at times. There wasn’t anyone he wouldn’t wave to or try to speak to.” 

“That sounds like him now. He sets people at ease so easily with his natural charm.” 

“Is that how he won you over?” 

“Oh Rayne, don’t tell him about that night. Please,” Parker begs. 

“His reaction makes me want to know this story even more.” 

Rayne laughs as Parker groans, then she tells Declan everything about the night they met, sparing no details whatsoever. Declan laughs when she tells him what Parker looked like when he kicked in the door to her motel room. 

“Who gave you the black-eye and why the hell did you have a knife?” 

“That crazy bitch that Kylee was shacked up with. We had an altercation a few days earlier, so I went there prepared.” 

Declan shakes his head, then lets Rayne finish her story. After she finishes the story, all Declan can do is laugh. It was kind of funny how they met by accident that night, or by fate, then years later, they ended up being graced as mates by the Moon Goddess. 

When Declan calms himself, he stands up off the sofa. “Put that box somewhere out of the way and we will open it before the baby is born. For now, I will leave you two to get some rest.” 

“How long are you going to be in town?” 

“We leave tomorrow. Kostas needs to get back to his mate. No worries, Parker. I will come by the bar before I leave down. I want to have a few hours with you and Owen before I leave.” 

“That can be arranged.” 

Parker walks his father to his car, leaving Rayne to head into their bedroom to lie down. When he crawls in bed behind her, he pulls her back against his chest, then just holds her while they fall asleep.  

“We may have met in an unconventional way, my love, but I wouldn’t trade that night for anything in the world.” Parker whispers in her ear. 

“Me neither. I love you, Parker.” 

They fall asleep in each other’s arms just how have every night since confessing their love for each other. The only change is where one of his hands rests. His free hand rest over her belly where their child grows with in her.  

*Hours later* 

After Tara calls to tell her she is on the way over, Rayne nudges Parker to wake him out. She then climbs out of bed to get the coffee started. Begrudgingly, she adds the teakettle to the stove to make tea for herself. 

Dr. Dillon suggested at their last checkup that she should lower her caffeine intake. Since then, she has been drinking tea instead of coffee. She will just have to do with the smell of coffee for the rest of her pregnancy. 

Parker lumbers out of the bedroom, rubbing sleep from his eyes. She hands him a cup of coffee as he stops beside her. He takes a deep inhale of the steam rising from the mug before he takes a sip. The way his shoulders rise and fall makes her long to punch him. He sits the cup down with a laugh as he leaves the room to start moving furniture. 

“That was mean, Parker!” She yells at his retreating back. 

Laughter is the only response she gets. 

An hour later she stands back after helping Tara tape around the baseboards and electrical outlets of the nursery. They covered the wooden floor with plastic so no paint will ruin it. Tara and Parker haul in four cans of paint, two of each color Rayne picked for the room.  

She went with the neutral colors of aqua green and pale yellow. Since they are choosing to not know the gender until birth, neutral colors were the best way to go. Parker pointed out that they can always pain the room later when their baby is born or later when the time calls for it. 

“That is all we will do today. Spencer and I will come by on tomorrow before work to do the actual painting.” Tara says.  

Tara leaves with a roast beef sandwich that Parker hands her on her way out the door. She smiles, then tells them she will see them both later at the bar. Spencer got lucky when he found her for his mate. Tara has calmed him down in ways no other woman has been able to in the past.  

“Let’s open some of those boxes in the loft,” Rayne says.  

The excitement in her has been brewing since she saw all the boxes Declan brought them. Two boxes were full of baby clothes like little onesies, socks, t-shirts. Declan bought everything. One box was full of bibs, pacifiers, bottles, a bottle warmer, and just about everything they would need to feed their baby. He even bought a highchair for when the baby is big enough to need one. 

“Wow, your dad went all practical on us.” 

“We already have some of this stuff, but not to this degree. I guess it was his having gone through this twice with Owen and me that made him buy this stuff.” 

“This box is nothing but blankets in all kinds of colors. Oh, they are all made of organic materials. That is amazing.” 

Once all the boxes have been opened, Rayne sits back on her heels to look around the room. There will be no need to buy anything further for their child, unless something breaks, until he or she is a toddler. Talk about being over prepared. 

“You father is amazing, Parker.” 

“I am happy that he is in my life.” 

A sense of sadness rushes through her at that comment. Parker reaches for her, then pulls her into his arms. He kisses her temple, then tilts her head up so he can see her eyes. 

“Edmund will be back. You know he won’t stay away from you forever. Give him time to grieve, to heal, then he will come back to visit us all.” 

Rayne nods her head then leans up for a kiss. “We can leave all this stuff in here, then come get what we need once the nursery is finished.” 

Parker scoops her up in his arms, then carries her bridal-fashion out of the loft. She leans her head on his shoulder and enjoys the feeling of his powerful arms holding her close. For all his wild ways and appearances, her mate is a big softie where she is concerned. 

With his long hair and tattoos, some would call him a rebel and a tough-looking biker. For those who he considers friends and family, they know the real Parker. He has a gentle soul but has a warrior’s spirit when it comes to defending those in need. 

Parker has proven that time and time again in their line of work. He is still that same man she met five years ago, but different at the same time. The rough edges are still there. His wild, carefree spirit is still there, but he now has a fierce protective side she loves so much.  

He will make an amazing father for their children. She knows there will be more babies in their future. Together, they will make a family for their children that they both missed out on because of the violent acts of other people. 

One day The Collectors will no longer be a problem. With other supernatural races coming together to form alliances, councils, and stand together, those who hunt them will soon be the hunted.