Kissed by Lightning Ch. 15

"Are you so desperate for a woman that you'd kiss me? Common Luciano! Don't be ridiculous. Let's just pretend it didn't happened." Katrina's voice came out rushed and teasing as she turned and disappeared into the woods.

Luciano stared after her for a couple seconds. He'd used the same words under similar circumstance regarding females, so he should feel relieved that she felt this way but if he was honest with himself, he only felt disappointment. He was a hypocrite.

He heard the shakiness in her voice as she struggled to get the words out. He saw the panic, she tried so hard to hide, flash across her face as she ran away from him, because that's what she was doing. She was running away. Luciano knew. He even understood why she would. Dammit! He didn't even know what he was doing himself.

He was a bastard. A cold, self-centered Moroi. The kind of male she should stay away from.

Part of him wanted to chase after her. Actually, every particle in his body screamed to drag her back by the hair, pin her to the ground and ravage her until she came in his mouth and took all the useless words back but he couldn't force himself to move. Luciano was frozen to the ground, right underneath that poplar tree.

He had never felt so out of control around a female before and he felt particularly bewildered by this one. Katrina with her beautiful smile, delicious scent, unnerving appetite for food he couldn't stomach, her bright laughter and snarky attitude. Katrina. She made him crazy and he wondered how long he'd felt this way.

'She's practically your sister!' He berated in his head and even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie. It was true that maybe earlier on in their friendship he had taken on a brotherly role with her but there wasn't a time where he hadn't forced himself to ignore how alluring she was, how totally edible she smelled. At some point when he subconsciously realized how much he valued Katrina, he'd shoved and locked her into an untouched, forbidden, righteous part of his soul, telling himself it was insignificant.

Looking back now, it was probably why he'd spent most of his young life ravishing most of the available female population of his kind, to desensitize himself of needing her. He'd fucked just about anything that walked in a skirt with a frenzied need. He flaunted the faceless, nameless females, that he could now barely recall and although he enjoyed every minute of it, Luciano now saw his actions with clarity. He lashed out in a sexual haze when the female that man and monster furiously ached for, was right under his nose and completely unobtainable to him.

His mind went automatically to the image of her lying lifeless on the ground a couple days ago. He remember feeling something crack inside him as he held her in his arms, not hearing a heartbeat or a breath coming from her and grief tore through him. When it seemed he had lost her, his mind had yanked back the bullshit story he kept telling himself until all he saw was Katrina. She was all he ever saw. She was all that ever mattered and obviously she saw him as the self-centered, arrogant player that he was.

'And wasn't that a cliché.' He thought with disgust.

Luciano pressed his forehead against the cool bark of the tree and struck his hands to it, hard enough to make the tree croak in protest.

'What the hell do I do now?' He questioned bitterly.

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

Katrina knew he wouldn't follow. He wasn't the type.

She'd run away like a child, too afraid to face him, too afraid to face how he made her feel and absolutely terrified to face him while she deceived him. He would never forgive her for the secret she kept.

Katrina knew Luciano felt some kind of attraction for her. He was a hot blooded male who hadn't gotten laid in weeks, Luciano fucked anything with a skirt, and on top of the guilt he must feel from what happened, it was a natural reaction that he'd try and blow off some steam with the closet female he could find. That's all it was to him and at the end of the day when he walked away, she'd be the one left broken. She went over and over the thought as she moved through the trees.

Coward.

The dark voice floated around her head. Katrina shook, fisting her hands.

She needed to keep her distance from him...

But she wanted him near.

She wouldn't be able to stay strong if he got any closer.

She'd die if he didn't.

'No! He could never commit like that you. It's not who he is or what he does. This is the best thing to do for the both of you... Don't get too close.' Katrina mentally berated herself.

Katrina forced herself to step forward. Every step she took to nowhere in particular, led her further and further away from him. Inevitably, it was the only path left for her.

She stepped out into the camp, watching the flurry of activity around her. Steadying her breath, she went in search for another bag of blood.

*******

Several hours later Stefani fell back against the sleeping bag and groaned. Her shoulders ached, her thighs burned and her hands felt like sandpaper. Not to mention she felt like she hadn't showered in days.

Training with the vampire elder, Raven, always left her physically aching and mentally drained. They spent all afternoon well into the night honing her skills and pushing her boundaries until she could no longer block. By the time they'd come down to the camp site the wolves had set up a tent for her and Katrina to share while they slept the night. In the morning they'd start travel by foot.

Katrina sat quietly in the corner of the tent, brushing her short hair absentmindedly. Her shoulders and collar bone were bare in the tank top she wore and her golden skin seemed to glow in the darkness. Of course, Katrina always looked like she was glowing lately, Stefani wondered if anyone else could see it. Vampires! Stefani smiled at the random human thought.

"I thought becoming a vampire-werewolf meant I was in excellent physical condition. Then how come I feel so freaking exhausted!" Stefani twirled a lock of raven black hair between her fingers as she pondered out loud.

Katrina smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Well it does but your body has been through so many violent changes, I'm sure it's going to take some time to catch up. And anyone training under an elder would be sore, vampire, werewolf, or hybrid without exceptions." Her voice twinkled in Stefani's ears and she wondered why her voice affected her the way it did. There was something about Katrina that was different. It'd taken a while for Stefani to pinpoint it but she could feel it in the air around her.

Stefani pouted and sat up as a particular delicious scent drifted up her nose. Katrina smiled knowingly from where she sat and ignored her as Stefani stepped out of the tent and found a nervous looking alpha. Rain.

"Hello." Rain looked down at his golden eyed mate and smiled. He sounded lame but the smile on her face almost made him forget how lame. Almost.

"Hi." Stefani brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ears.

"I know it's been a long trip so I imagined you'd want to bathe, I had an area cleared and secured so you could do so. If you follow me, I can lead you there. " Rain's gaze never wavered and he sounded genuinely concerned and still Stefani hesitated. She shook her head and smiled at him. His golden eyes showed nothing but kindness and warmth. His huge broad shoulders blocked out the woods until there was only him in her sights. His black hair was draped over one shoulder and he stood as if he owned the world and still managed to make it look humbling.

"That sounds amazing! Thank you." She let out a little breathless whisper. Stefani let Katrina know where she was going, although the vampire had a huge stupid smile on her face as she walked out. Obviously Katrina had heard. Stefani was still trying to wrap her mind on the acute sense of hearing as one of the many perks of being a paranormal creature. She followed after Rain through the small path in the forest at a rather human pace.

Even though she was kind of like them, they'd clearly created the path for her. She could hear the sound of running water get closer and her hunch was proved as Rain held a small bathrobe and a little bag which he handed to her before leading her out to the small bank leading up a river. Stefani held her breath as she looked around. The sound of running water filled her ears and she saw the small little indentation that had been created in the river which allowed the fresh water to run freely but seemed safer to stand in.

"I can't go far so I'm going to sit behind this rock to give you privacy, if you'll allow it." His tone was rough but comforting. She nodded and waited as he sat behind the boulder bordering the small pool. His wide frame wasn't blocked much by the boulder but it offered her enough sense of privacy. If you considered that she was going to get butt ass naked in the middle of the woods with two dozens of wolves who could be roaming around the darkness. Yep! Totally private. Stefani shuddered nervously.

Okay!

But she could see perfectly clear in the darkness now and would spot movement before it happened and her hearing was so acute she could hear for miles. So without thinking about it she stripped off the pants and t shirt and dipped her body into the little pool of water. She groaned as the cool water hit her aching muscles.

"Good?" His voice was warm and soaked deeper into her bones than heat. Stefani felt a shiver run down her spine. Her hands flattened over her collar bone.

"Amazing! You're a genius. Thank you." She whispered, letting her head fall back against the edge of the small pool of water. She gazed up at the dark star filled sky as she dipped her hands in and out of the water, brushing off the grime of the day. They spent several minutes in companionable silence. It was comforting. She looked down at her hands and she thought back on how much she'd progressed.

Stefani recognized the darkness within her, the shadows within her mind like a closed door beckoning to her from its depth. The grief and rage that filled her simmered beneath the surface fueling the oddly hypnotic current that ran through her like electricity, not to mention the burning thirst at the base of her throat aching for blood.

So many things that clung to her like a shadow throughout the day but only in quiet moments like this, when she was alone and in the dark, did she let herself think about them. Think about what she'd done and what she'd become.

Stefani looked up at the beautiful marvel above them and wondered if she had ever seen a sky so full of light before. Rain's voice startled her and brought her out of that dark place she'd ventured to.

"There's toiletries in the bag. I also brought you a snack. Figured you might be hungry after your training." Rain leaned back against the rock separating him from his mate, he let out a small sigh. He looked up at the sparkling night and smiled. His wolf purred with contentment. He felt his beast come up to the surface of his mind, sharing his vision and watching everything with a predatory glance.

Seconds later he heard the rustling of the plastic and smiled as he heard her burst of laughter. The sound of it filled up the silence with the most beautiful thing he'd heard in his existence. He grinned. Gotcha!

Stefani was surprised at her own laughter but smiled as she gazed down at the small blueberry muffin she'd unwrapped from a plain napkin. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and she ignored it. She looked up in his direction and without even trying she could make out his shape in the darkness. Rain. He was the biggest of his kind she'd yet to see, it was impossible to miss him. She realized she would always find him in the darkness.

"Thank you." Stefani whispered as her eyes moved and she watched the millions of twinkling stars above them.

***********

As the sun rose, the camp became a bustling of activity, the alpha O'Faolain was overseeing the preparations for their departure as their companions readied themselves for the trip. It shouldn't take them long to reach the peak point they'd located which was several miles off into the depth of the forest.

The vampires would travel the fastest and the wolves would follow, the witches had proved to be the most concerning, since they were human. Rain had only fussed about it for a second before having harnesses brought in. He'd have them ride three of the strongest warriors he had. Which didn't concern him, the three witches had charmed themselves into his pack.

Their strength and determination to protect the pack from the attack by the rogue vampires had earned them respect by all members of the pack and he'd received many volunteers who would carry the human witches. They would have to make frequent stops on their behalf. They'd been the first to head out early morning hours to give them a head start. His wolf seemed to surface in his mind and listen from afar as he heard the Mactire wolf approach his mate. A small growl rumbled in his chest.

"Hey brat! You ready to see my glorious wolf form?" Cole Mactire ran a hand through his short brown hair. His hazel brown eyes with silver rims looked down at his adoptive sister with amusement. Stefani gave him a small smile. Cole was a little hesitant, they still hadn't sat down and had a proper conversation since she'd been rescued and he worried he might scare her off in that form. He ached to reconnect with her but found himself a little at odds on how to do so.

His wolf howled loudly, excited at the prospect of bonding with his sister. For so long, she'd been the only thing that mattered in his life, she was his to protect, his little sister and that didn't seem to have changed now that he was back in his world.

"Alright! Let's see this impressive form of yours."

Cole grinned, stepping out of his sweats and tossing aside his t shirt, he stood naked and proud. Stefani looked everywhere but at him as her cheeks turned pink. It was still awkward to see him naked and so obviously unaffected. Wolves! And even though she was half wolf, she wouldn't be caught butt ass naked in front of a whole pack of weres anytime soon. She felt her face grow hot. She'd seen too many naked people lately.

"Relax! Wolves aren't bothered by nudity, it's just natural for us to be in this form." Cole teased her and walked a couple steps back and allowed his wolf to come forward as he embraced the change.

"Clearly no one around here seems to mind! Too much bloody skin if you ask me!" Luciano's disgruntled voice rumbled from behind them as Stefani laughed. She watched in awe as Cole's big body shifted. Fur covered his body, bones popped, enlarged and rearranged in seconds. Effortless. He was beautiful. And tall! His warm brown hair looked silk in the sun light. Should she touch it? It was much easier to allow herself to relax around this form, her body wasn't reacting in shock to his proximity, and she saw that as progress.

Her mind automatically went to her own change and for a second fear rose within her. She felt her own wolf shift and become more present in her mind. She looked down at Cole who sat and watched her cautiously, his huge head cocked to the side. He was almost at eye level when he sat up like that. He was toned and heavy muscled, he was born a warrior. There was no doubt that this was where he belonged.

She found herself fascinated by the recognition in those huge, brown and silver rimmed eyes that looked back at her. He was a monster by human standards and those vicious looking canines weren't there for decoration but his eyes still belonged to the man she'd grown up with for most of her adult life. The human Cole she'd adored. She found it easier to merge the two creatures and allow herself to fully accept him this way.

"Looks to me like you're a pretty impressive specimen." She offered as he seemed to puff up and expand his chest at her praise. She laughed softly. Cole looked relieved, if a wolf could look relieved, he approached her calmly and wasn't aware he was holding his own breath until he felt her touch and it all rushed out of him. Stefani didn't know why she felt comfortable with him like this but his fur was as soft as it looked.

It still ached inside her when she thought of how he'd lied to her, how he'd kept such a huge part of himself secret from her. Even so, he was the only family she'd ever known.

"Who would have thought, I would be standing in the middle of nowhere, petting a huge werewolf. Much less you being that werewolf..." Stefani's voice trailed off as she realized how quiet it was. Looking up startled she noticed most weres had stopped to watch the interaction. She swallowed and petted Cole's head gently.

Cole whined softly as he heard her words. He was pleased she wasn't afraid of him, although by now she would have become pretty used to their wolf forms but he was pleased nonetheless. He bumped his head into her hand seeking a firmer touch.

Cole found it amusing when he heard Rain's growl in the background. He shook it off, licked Stefani's palm and wadded off to find his brother. Stefani glared at Rain's interruption, at least he had the decency to look embarrassed. She couldn't understand the Alpha! Honestly she didn't understand men in general but the O'Faolain alpha particularly baffled her. Rain turned from them and called out to this warriors, who were mostly shifted and ready to depart.

They set off into the forest immediately after packing everything up and hiding their vehicles among the trees.

*****

Several hours later, the vampire elder, Raven was perched on a high branch counting the seconds till his ward appeared. He wore simple slacks and a dark button down shirt, he had a traveling bag over his shoulder. The sky was full of orange and purple hues, close to sundown if he took a guess, they'd been running for most of the day. He taken advantage and started training her on increasing her speed, with caution. He could hear the wolves several miles behind them and Luciano, Katrina and Stefani fast approaching. They'd eventually caught up and surpassed the first group of wolves who had departed with the witches. They'd stopped a couple times to appease their young human companions but had pretty much kept an even steady pace towards their destination.

While wolves traveled by ground, vampires moved much quicker through trees, which was something to get used to for the new turned hybrid. Like always Stefani left him breathless with her record speed learning. She took it all in stride and baffled them all by her speed. He wasn't at full speed but he kept just out of reach to push them all to the max. He was proud at Luciano and Katrina who seemed to have taken to the lesson too.

Stefani was perched into a neighboring branch and smiled at the elder. She'd been the first to arrive, beating Luciano and Katrina to their surprise. They all heard the wolves move tactfully through the forest. Raven was only mildly surprised when Rain burst through the forest beneath them. It would seem the alpha wanted to play along. The impressive black beast tapped on the bark of the tree and barked at them. Raven smiled which the vampire elder seemed to be doing a lot lately, odd for one of his kind.

"Looks like we've got a wolf on our tail... Alright. If you don't mind, Rain you go on ahead. We're going to have Stefani track you." Raven pushed off the branch, effortlessly appearing at another one. He watched Stefani's concentrated expression as she recalled everything Raven had taught her about tracking. She gave him a nod and the huge wolf disappeared back into the woods.

Stefani closed her eyes and opened her senses. She could feel so much when she focused in on herself. As every sense in her body became sharper, she realized she could hear Rain's steady heartbeat. It surrounded her. Pounding as hard as her own heartbeat. Her eyes snapped open and she flew through the trees. She didn't particularly know where she was going but she scented the air, looking for his delicious scent. His earthiness. She smiled, her fangs peeking through, a predatory gaze in her eyes as she ran faster to catch up with him. He was far quicker than she expected him to be. Both beasts inside her warred for dominance in the chase, her wolf howled loudly in her mind and her darker vampire side smiled wickedly in the dark. They both seeked to Claim.