Family Ties: Ravyn's Heart

by DazedInReality

Ravyn Kontis cannot overcome the rift between his family and himself,but when his family are about to make the ultimate sacrfice for him Ravyn must decide whether some wounds can be healed. One Shot R&R Plz!

(This is for you lot that have read Dark Side of the Moon and thought Ravyn's dad was an arsehole, because I certainly did - and his brothers! P.S. This fanfic is me taking personal revenge for Ravyn so you might not find it as interesting. Ravyn isn't one of my fav DH but I just hate his father!)

The moment Gareth flashed his son back to the Serengeti.

Ravyn made a strange yowling noise and dashed into the corner out of the way of the sun, Gareth Kontis cringed, he'd flashed his son straight into the middle of a room of open windows.

"You bastard!" Ravyn hissed through clenched teeth, Gareth was shocked at how quickly Ravyn's skin blistered, "where's my mate?"

"That was accidental, Ravyn," Gareth muttered, he wasn't sure how to relate to his son anymore. His son had turned into a man who Gareth had put the last few centuries of his life into hating, he didn't need to be told how wrong he'd been, nor what his mate would say were she alive.

"Sure it was," Ravyn growled sarcastically, "Where's Susan!"

"Dorian and Nix are bringing her home," Gareth said, he scratched the back of his neck for want of something useful to do with his hands. "Ravyn, we - we need to talk -"

"Save it," Ravyn said viciously, "all I want right now is my mate."

"Ravyn?"

Gareth saw Ravyn's face flood with relief as Susan walked into the room, her quick, dark eyes flashed when she saw him crowding in the corner, naked and burnt. She rushed to him gingerly touching his reddened skin; she threw a look of loathing over her shoulder at Gareth and the twins who were moving into the room.

"Transform and I'll take you home, okay?"

Ravyn's cold eyes looked past Susan, now she was there he seemed more relaxed - well, Gareth corrected himself, less likely to attack.

He nodded before saying. "Alright. It's a Limani; they can't attack you while you're here."

"If we wanted to attack her we would have done it when we were alone with her," Dorian said trying to placate.

"Then you would had to have dealt with me," Ravyn rumbled, his eyes sweeping over all of them, "all of you. And you wouldn't have got a free shot this time."

The implication of his words caused Dorian to flush with shame, Gareth had never been a coward but for the first time in many, many years he feared. He feared looking into his son's eyes that were so like his mother's. Only Phoenix dared stare unashamedly at his brother, open hatred etched into his face. Ravyn transformed in to his cat form and walked towards the door, he waited expectantly for Susan, and strolled out after her without a backward glance.

"Let him leave," Phoenix snarled, "we've paid our debt to him. Not that there was any, now we've no need to see him ever again."

Dorian huffed out a scathing laugh.

"That's what you think we've done?" He said, strolling over to the door and staring into the empty corridor. "Paid debts?" The words tasted strange on his tongue.

"He killed Phoenix's mate and children, your mother!" Gareth said sounding desperate to his own ears; if he allowed Dorian to convince him then he would have to face the fact that he had hated an innocent man all these years. Not just any man: his son!

Dorian slammed the door so hard in created a wind in the room, he turned on them with a wild screech that could only come from a pissed off feline.

"No! The humans killed Georgiana and they killed mother! Why should we blame him for what his whore of a mate did?"

"If he hadn't -" Phoenix began but Dorian, at his wits end, swung for his twin, catching him on the jaw. Phoenix stumbled back and Dorian held him by his throat up the wall, Gareth cried out for order, trying to break in between the men but to no avail. Dorian was possessed with something wild; it was the bitter, deep feeling of shame and guilt.

"If hadn't what, you selfish fool! Why should he have had to forgo his opportunity of being mated? What if it were you that had been mated to a human instead of him? None of us could have predicted her actions or the actions of her kin! Why should Ravyn be blamed for something none of us, but fate had a hand in?"

"He should have handled it better!" Phoenix choked out and Dorian's face creased up as he tried to comprehend his brother's reasoning. Dorian let him go, staring at him as if he wasn't quite sure what he was, whatever he saw however, repulsed him.

"And how would you have handled it, Brother Mine?" Dorian's voice was spasmed with suppressed rage, Phoenix just glared at him. "Hmm? How would you have told your human mate, who by the way, was brought up in the middle of 18th century France, up to her neck in religious mania? So when she hears she is mated to a were-hunter, she thinks she's turned into Mia Farrow and she'll end up as the bride of Lucifer!"

Phoenix refused to answer; he just waved a dismissing hand at Dorian and turned his back on both his twin and his father to study the scene out the window.

"You both know mom told him to tell her what he was! Ravyn wasn't going to do it. He was debating for days whether he should leave her or not, and mom told him no and to tell her. Because she believed that he had a right just like any other were, to seek his rightful mate and be happy!"

Dorian looked at his father, his hands open before him, unconsciously pleading for some type of understanding.

"How can you not see the wrong we have done? We'll rot with Hades for the offence we have done him. And …" Dorian had to pause to clear the lump in his throat, his eyes brighter and fiercer then Gareth had ever seen them. "Had I … had I been in his place I would have done the same thing. And I would have sold my soul for revenge. And …" Dorian run his tongue over the inside of his cheek, moving his hands from his hair to his hips, trying all ways to stop tears desperate for relief. "And if I had sold my soul I wouldn't have wasted my vengeance on my mate, I would have come after us. His murderers."

Gareth's head snapped up and he pierced Dorian with a dangerous stare, for the first time in his life Dorian didn't yield to his father. He did not look away or bow his head in shame, he stared right back.

"We are his murderers. Because you refused to admit it does not relieve us of the crime. Gods, my own brother!" Dorian whirled around the room looking for escape of some kind. "I let my own brother die! We were his brothers, his family! In less then a day he lost his mate and his clan, all in one day! And he had to live with his own guilt, but it is nothing to mine. I saw it in his face then and I see it in his eyes now and it's tearing me apart!"

Dorian clawed at his chest, ripping button from his shirt, Gareth and Phoenix both cast wary looks at each other.

"It's eating me from the inside out -"

Dorian broke down; he backed into the wall and slid down it, until he sat with his head on his knees, sobbing. Gareth, couldn't stand those tears, he wouldn't allow himself to be caught up in what Dorian was going through. Guilt was a hard thing to live with; it was destructive if left to grow unmanaged. Without a backward glance at either son he ran from the room, into the shelter of the dark hallway, where his own sobs broke eerily into the silence.

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

A few months later.

Ravyn woke to the feel of Susan stroking his ear and immediately he began to purr, he leaned his head back and the noise got louder when her hand slipped into his hair to graze his scalp. Susan smiled to herself; she knew he liked having his ears rubbed. Even though she had been living with Ravyn for months now, she could never seem to get out of her early rising habits, even though now she was a certified night owl. She had used the ear rubbing as a way of waking Ravyn when she was lonely in the morning, now she woke and did almost automatically, relishing the moment he woke up making satisfied noises.

Ravyn rolled over and smiled at her, it took her breathe away, he was so beautiful. Ravyn moved so he was on his side facing Susan, he shifted closer so their heads were resting on the same pillow, their noses rubbing against one another when they moved. Susan smiled widely, her eyes laughing at him.

"You look so happy," Ravyn commented, staring in wonder at her, it still surprised him to wake up to her smile every morning, to feel a warm, loving body beside him of a night.

"I am," Susan whispered, Ravyn leant forward for a kiss and Susan closed her eyes, giving herself up to pure sensation. Ravyn deepened his kiss and Susan slipped her hand down to clasp Ravyn's, she slid her fingers in between his and their mating marks rubbed against each other. Ravyn gasped and pulled back.

"Susan, no," he murmured, his eyes eating up her face, she looked dreamy and flushed after his kiss, as if they had just made love.

"Yes," she breathed back and moved in to kiss him once more, Ravyn almost let her kisses pull him under, almost let her pull him upon her body, then sanity kicked in and had him shooting off the bed as if he had just had an electric shock.

"Susan, this isn't the time," he sounded desperate and out of breath, he watched as Susan sat up looking forlorn, his heart sank. "Susan -"

She just held up her hand and Ravyn fell silent, "forget it."

"Come on -"

"Ravyn, I don't want to talk about it, okay? I have an article to write for Leo, which will take up the rest of the night."

She strode out of the bedroom looking so wounded and yet trying not to, leaving Ravyn watching after her, feeling like a thug for hurting her so. Ravyn jumped when his phone went off, rubbing his eyes tiredly, he grabbed it and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Ravyn? It's Dorian."

Ravyn's grip on the phone tightened, he hadn't recognised the number - if he had he would have ignored the call - but he knew that voice better then his own. He remembered it laughing with him as children, chasing girls with him when they were grown; he remembered the cadence of the voice that was identical to Phoenix as it cursed him while he lay dying.

"How did you get this number?" Ravyn demanded, he heard Dorian clear his throat as if nervous.

"Rave, dad's calling the clan in -"

Ravyn didn't miss a beat. "And you're calling me, why?"

"Ravyn -"

"I'm exoristos, remember? I'm sure you do, Dorian! Now, if you don't mind -"

"Please, Ravyn," Dorian sounded tired, like he was literally sagging on the phone. "I'm asking you to be there. We need you there. Dad wants you there."

"Then why are you the one asking me?"

"Rave, he's really busy. But he wants you to be there."

"Look, Dorian, you're the one I don't want to argue with, I actually like pissing off the rest of your family. I can't make it to the reunion; since Cael has disappeared I've had to pick up the slack. You be sure to tell your father that, Dorian."

Ravyn flipped the phone closed and went to find Susan. She was sitting in the tub, full to the brim with scented bubbles, evidently she was comforting herself. Her hair was piled high on her head and she was leaning back against the tub, her eyes closed listening to Frank Sinatra crooning out of the mini stereo. Ravyn felt his body heat up at the sight of her and it had nothing to do with the heat of the water that had steamed up the mirror and the glass doors of the shower. Susan opened her eyes and sent a glare his way, Ravyn inwardly grimaced, and he moved slowly to sit on the little white chair by the bath.

"I thought I made it clear that I wasn't speaking to you!" Susan snapped, refusing to give him the luxury of her perfected glare any longer.

"You didn't specifically tell me that you weren't speaking to me," Ravyn said, with a winning grin, Susan made a noise in the back of her throat. "But you don't have to speak to me; I'm going to speak to you."

"Then I'll be more specific for you, Ravyn. I'm not speaking to you and I don't want you speaking to me!"

Ravyn sighed. "Susan, why are you so angry?"

Susan made a noise of disbelief. "You're actually telling me you don't know why you're going to be sleeping alone tonight?"

Ravyn paled. "Now, baby -"

Susan lifted her arm, slippery with water and bubbles; she showed him her palm that as it happened, was her marked one. "Save it, Ravyn. You are ruining my bath time, now leave!"

"Susan, can we talk about this? Please?"

Susan slapped her hands in the water sloshing soapy water over Ravyn's pants; he barely winced though they were Armani.

Susan sat upright in the bath, the bubbles the only thing covering her breasts, admirably Ravyn kept his eyes fixed on his wife's face. Though when she was angry, her skin flushed and her eyes sparkled, just like now, Ravyn felt like his body would explode. But he recognised they needed to get this one out the way, it had been heading for its peak for a few weeks now.

"Fine, let's talk about why you don't want to bond with me!"

"You know it's not about not wanting to. I'm just not in a position right now where -"

"Don't talk shit to me, Ravyn! I thought you respected me a bit more than that!" Susan bit out, "you know, when I think about it, you got some nerve! You had the gall to call Phoenix a coward for not bonding with his mate, when you're doing the same thing!"

Ravyn's head snapped back as if she had hit him and when he spoke it was low and controlled.

"That was beneath you."

"Yes, it as," Susan agreed, "but that's what I think."

Ravyn looked at her as if she were mad, he moved to sit on the lip of the bath and he cupped Susan's damp face in his hands, tilting her face up to his.

"How can you think that?" he asked, genuinely upset that she would believe he didn't want to bond with her.

"Well, what am I supposed to think?" Susan answered her voice a little thick and unsteady with unshed tears. "Every time the subject is brought up you ignore it or walk out of the room, every time we -"

Susan broke off before her waterworks leaked, Ravyn rubbed her face with his thumbs, hating that he had made her feel like this.

"Susan, you are everything to me," he whispered to her, "I was nothing until you came into my life, and I want nothing more than to bond with you. But I don't want you tying your life to mine when you've barely lived it. If we bond and I die tomorrow, it would haunt me for eternity knowing I took you with me when you haven't even reached middle age."

"But I don't want to live without you," Susan whispered back, her eyes stark in their pain and longing. Ravyn felt a painful lump constrict his throat but he gave a small laugh anyway, before leaning down to rest his forehead against Susan's.

"You could break my heart a thousand times and I would still love you the way I do now, still feel the way I do."

Susan couldn't stop a tear falling and Ravyn caught it on his lips as he kissed it away.

"What way?" Susan could barely get out.

"Like the time I first kissed you, that life as I know it changed and I would never want to escape the feeling you give me."

Susan let out a sob and felt herself plucked out the bath and sat, water, bubbles and all, in his lap, her legs still in the water. Ravyn rocked her in his arms, resting his head on her smooth back.

"Please bond with me, Ravyn," Susan asked, praying for him not to deny her, not when he had just laid before her all the reasons she loved him more than life itself.

"If it's that important to you then of course," Ravyn said, he kissed her back before pulling back so they could face each other. "I just want you to know that for whatever reasons I waited this long, it was never, ever because I don't love you enough. I only wanted to wait because …"

"Its okay, it's okay," Susan stroked Ravyn's cheek, "can we do it now?"

Ravyn laughed and kissed her temple. "Whenever you want …"

"Well, then I want it to be special," Susan said suddenly, her tears replaced by excitement, "when you come home from patrol, I'll have everything ready."

Ravyn smiled and brushed her hair from her face, she was so precious to him.

"Whenever you want, whatever you want, wherever you want," Ravyn said, kissing her deeply, even he started to feel excitement in expectation of their bonding. He left the bathroom with the assurance that he'd not be sleeping alone. Ever.

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

Gareth was too old for places like the Serengeti, literally. He may look on the verge of turning forty but truth was he's centuries old skin was feeling thin now, he watched as an attractive young red head come strutting up to him and sighed. Since his wife's death he had rarely taken a woman, and that was only in the later centuries and it was never in a bed. Usually a quick screw around the back of the club with a willing girl who looked at him as a sophisticated older man who knew more than the young pups they were used to.

"Hi," she had stopped in front of him, flashing him a magnificent smile, Gareth gave her one that only a man of his years could give, full of understanding.

"I'm too old for you, miss," he said, leaning back from the bar, she laughed.

"I like older men," she said, eyeing him like a lioness. Gareth resisted the urge to tut at her, what would her father think?

"Don't waste your youth running after men who have already misspent theirs. Make your own mistakes with someone who will look back on it with you, grow with you."

Gareth touched her arm gently, her pretty face frowned at him but she turned anyway to see a young man of her own age, watching her from across the room. He was moving to the beat but hadn't taken his eyes off of her since he'd seen her.

"Be with someone who will dance like no ones watching, sing like no ones listening, see the beauty in the most outrageous and the fun in the downright horrendous. Only youth can do that, you know?"

The girl gave him a quick, uncertain smile and walked off, Gareth watched as after a little while, the red head and her admirer began to dance.

"She wanted your number, not a philosophy on life," Gareth turned and saw Phoenix looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Phoenix moved so he stood beside his father, his eyes narrowed on the girl who was smiling shyly at something the guy said. "Why do you glorify youth so?"

"I didn't," Gareth sighed, staring at her, "I just told her what was what." Gareth looked at Phoenix and asked. "Any news on Ravyn?"

Phoenix's jaw hardened and he shook his head, Gareth let out a weary sigh. "Apparently he isn't coming. He's busy. With the Dark-Hunter, Cael, missing he's had to take up more duties."

"The diamons," Gareth murmured, almost to himself. It hadn't escaped the attention of any of the weres at Serengeti, that over the last few weeks a band of vicious diamons had been using Seattle as their hunting ground. After the events a few months ago with the Dark-Hunters being massacred, Gareth supposed these diamons wanted to see if they could cause something of the sort.

"If youth brings that," said Phoenix after a moment of silence. "Then what does age bring? Wisdom?"

"I would like to say yes, but unfortunately my son, that's not the case. It brings bone weariness and sleep. And if your very lucky wisdom and clarity. Only recently have I acquired the latter two." Gareth added the last bit whilst walking away but Phoenix heard him all the same.

Gareth shrugged on a coat and walked out the back door of the Serengeti, it was only a few months ago that he had watched his son, Ravyn, be carried drugged and injured through those doors. Doors that Gareth would have shut on him had not his clever little mate thrown the laws of Limani in his face. Gareth hated himself bitterly. He had tried to convince himself over the time between now and then that he would make amends with Ravyn for the sake of his dead wife; he had turned up on Ravyn's doorstep with a chip on his shoulder saying the same thing. Before Ravyn shut the door in his face, which he was right to do, he had said: 'I don't want my father back because he needs to ease his conscience before he meets his wife again. You cast the die, now you can live with it like I have to.'

Gareth had returned every night since to stare at his son's house, he'd watch him walk past his windows, sometimes reading - he'd always liked to read, sometimes looking for something - he always was losing things, sometimes arguing, or more often than not, pleading with Susan. Truth was that Gareth couldn't ignore he had a third son any longer. And with that returned the knowledge that he loved his son from the moment he'd opened his eyes and he loved him now. And what had transpired between was an abomination, he could not call himself a father when he had allowed his son to be killed and pushed out in such a cold way.

Gods, he was no better than the Katagaria.

He wanted to sit beside Ravyn again and talk the way they had, wanted to reminisce over the good times. He wanted there to be more good times, so when Gareth had to finally meet his wife he could tell her their boys were doing well, looking after one another. He couldn't die knowing that one of his sons hated him.

Gareth found himself outside Ravyn's house, wanting to catch a glimpse of him; Gareth bounced on the balls of his feet as a shadow moved past one of the upper windows. Disappointment filled him, it was only Susan. What was she doing up at this hour? It was going to be dawn in a few hours time.

"What are you doing here?"

Gareth closed his eyes, he would know Ravyn's voice anywhere, he turned slowly and as he suspected Ravyn was armed.

"I came to see you," Gareth said quietly, casually. Ravyn, who had been holding a dagger in his hand when he came to the door, raised it with a grin that was nothing short of icy.

"It would be so easy to kill you now," Ravyn repeated the words Gareth had once said to him. Gareth raised his chin so his throat was exposed, Ravyn gave a mirthless chuckle and Gareth watched his eyes flick up to the house. Suspicion and fear crept into them and Ravyn ran up the path to the front door.

"I haven't even been to the door, Ravyn!" Gareth called out. Ravyn ignored him and opened the door, leaning in he called out for Susan.

"Your home!" her delighted cry came back and Gareth watched Ravyn breathe an obvious sigh of relief. Ravyn closed the door and turned to face his father.

Ravyn did not want to admit it but it hurt just looking at the man. He didn't want to do this tonight, Ravyn was having a bad night all round, his Apollite informant was running scared, the diamons in the area had started to threaten his family. He'd tried to calm Kaeso down and keep him cool but Ravyn was about to bet that he was going to crack if the diamons applied anymore pressure. Plus on his way home from patrol he'd stopped in at Cael's old home, turning over his best friends things. Was he destined to lose everything and everyone he held dear? For the longest time Cael was the only one Ravyn considered family. On coming home all he wanted to do was hold Susan, suddenly wanting to be bonded with her so much he could barely contain himself on the drive home. Ravyn saw his father as he had always seen him, proud and capable, yet in the years after Ravyn's death and rebirth as a dark-hunter, Gareth Kontis had fell from that impossibly high pedestal Ravyn had held him on. And the respect Ravyn had once given his father was lost. He may very well still love his family, but he wasn't ready to forgive or forget.

"What do you want here, old man?" Ravyn asked, his voice indifferent, Gareth moved forward but stopped when Ravyn's face hardened.

"I'm calling the clan together, we need you there," Gareth said briskly, his exterior was cool and unruffled, arrogant even. Inside he was cursing himself and his pride that wouldn't allow him to say sorry to his son.

"I'm not part of your clan any longer," Ravyn returned equally as brisk and Gareth for a second was caught off guard.

"We've revoked Exoristos; you are free to take your place as one of us."

Ravyn felt anger surge inside of him, how could he's father dare turn up here, be so causal and blasé about it. What Ravyn had done was a mistake; he had been clumsy in his handling of his first mating. But what his father and brothers had done to him was fratricide, it was a heinous crime, it's was disregarding the tie between them of blood and love and casting it aside. Ravyn had thought a lot about his death over the centuries and it reminded him slightly of the Nordic myths of Höðr and Baldur. Rather than seeing himself as Baldur however, Ravyn always sympathised with the blind Höðr, who had been tricked by Loki into killing his brother. He'd had no idea that the mistletoe would kill his brother, just as Ravyn had been blind to how events would unfold with his mate. Höðr was eventually killed in retaliation for Baldur's murder; Ravyn had always felt that the blind god had suffered enough knowing it had been his hand that slew his brother.

"Give it to someone else," Ravyn said with a shrug before going into his house and leaving Gareth watching after him, wanting desperately to call him back.

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

Ravyn stood in the doorway of the bedroom and leaned against the jamb, Susan had no idea he had been watching her for the past five minutes. He'd seen her walk blissfully unawares around the bedroom, scattering rose petals over the bed and floor. She had told him to wait downstairs when he had shut the door on his father; he'd done so, taking those moments of leaning against the door to pull himself together.

Why couldn't his family just let him be? Seeing them, seeing his father, was like rubbing salt in a raw wound. Ravyn had climbed the stairs that had long stemmed roses pointing the way to the bedroom, where his little mate waited for him. Ravyn inhaled deeply, Susan's scent was rife in the air, it was intoxicating; the perfect balm to soothe him after a troubled night. She wore a sheer, scarlet baby doll, with her hair swishing around her shoulders. She'd added just a touch of curl to her dead straight locks, making her look softer and more inviting than ever. Ravyn's eyes followed her path to the CD player, she pressed a button and Eva Cassidy's tranquil voice adding comfort and further calming the atmosphere.

Susan took one last look around the room; happy with it she raised her voice.

"Ravyn!"

"Here."

Susan spun around, her hand over her heart; she hadn't expected him to be there. Her first reaction after surprise was irritation that he had crept up on her, then she felt her heart soften at the way his eyes were moving over her body with a kind of reverence, she felt herself flush. Ravyn saw this and purred, she smiled shyly looking down, Ravyn moved into the room and stood before her. Susan could feel heat flowing off of Ravyn even though there was inches of air separating them, he was silent and brooding, only Eva's melody and Susan's heavier breathing could be heard.

Rather then touch her Ravyn leant forward, until they were barely a breath apart and inhaled, the tip of his nose skimmed her cheek bone, the pertness of his top lip flicked over the corner of her mouth.

"I had to watch you, you look beautiful," Ravyn whispered and he watched Susan's eyes flicker with concern; she closed the distance between them and drew him to her, moving his head down to the area between her shoulder and neck. Ravyn tightened his steely arms around her, emitting a gruff manly noise of relief. This was where he wanted - no needed to be.

"What's wrong?" Susan whispered, his hold was like that of a drowning man.

"Everything," Ravyn muttered throatily, "everything but you."

Susan blinked tears back from her eyes and turned her face to nuzzle his hair, ignoring the itch it gave her nose, he looked worn out and tired.

"We don't have to do this now, Ravyn," Susan ventured delicately, but Ravyn shook his head, bringing his face out from the warm haven of her neck.

"I want this now more than ever," he said, his eyes were suspiciously bright and he would not meet her gaze; men should not cry in front of their women. But Susan was not a woman, she was not a wife, she was his mate. His friend. His life. She would this night literally become part of his soul. Ravyn looked back at her.

"I saw my father tonight," he muttered rather tonelessly, Susan didn't say anything; she just rested a hand over his heart and watched him. She knew him, if she didn't press him too much he would continue to talk.

"Did he say something to upset you?" Susan asked quietly, the very tone of her voice was a weapon of persuasion.

Ravyn gave a huff of bitter laughter.

"He said he was calling the clan together, he wants me there."

"Are you going to go?"

Ravyn was quiet for a moment before shaking his head.

"What else is it, Ravyn?" Susan pressed subtly.

"Cael."

"He's not dead, Ravyn, Acheron would have told you if he was."

"And that's the worse thing," Ravyn admitted suddenly, after months of storing hateful thoughts he let them loose. "If he lives why has he just left me? I thought our friendship meant something to him."

"It does," Susan insisted, "you don't know what has happened."

"All I know is that like my brothers and father, Cael obviously thought our friendship was expendable."

Susan tried to protest but to no effect, Ravyn sighed and scrubbed his hands through his hair, he looked at Susan who was watching him with sad, weepy eyes. He smiled at her and rubbed his knuckles down her face.

"I'm sorry," he grimaced, "tonight was supposed to be special and I'm doing nothing but bringing doom and gloom to the party."

Susan smiled kindly and pushed his coat gently off of his shoulders.

"You don't need this right now, baby, you need to sleep."

She moved past him and pulled the quilt back, making the petals drift lazily to the floor, Ravyn winced, he had really spoilt everything.

"No, Susan tonight was supposed to be …"

Susan silenced him with a finger to his lips, he kissed it and allowed her to take his hand, like an obedient child he sat on the edge of the bed and allowed her to take off his boots and shirt.

Susan folded them neatly and placed them on a chair, she pushed his shoulder so he would lie down, she could see he was wiped out. He probably would have been okay had he not seen his father, as if her in-laws - Susan wrinkled her nose in distaste - hadn't done enough, they had to keep hurting her mate. They didn't even have the decency to give him a proper apology! Susan was so mad at them; if she had the power and strength she would kick all their asses, including the old man. In Susan's mind he had done the most damage.

Susan sighed; their bonding could wait for another day.

Susan was about to move away from the bed when Ravyn caught her hand in a gentle grip, he tugged her closer.

"I can't sleep unless you're with me," he said sweetly, looking not at all like the tough Dark-Hunter she knew him to be, but rather a cute, lost boy. Susan shook her head with a giggle, he was so seldom needy that Susan couldn't help but like it when he got in this type of mood.

Ravyn waited for her to snuggle down next to him and with a contented sigh he wrapped her in his arms. She thought he was joking but little did she know that in fact, Ravyn could not sleep unless she was at his side. Days when she had had to attend staff meetings with Leo, Ravyn had not been able to do much but doze half awake until she came home and climbed in beside him - usually cursing Leo.

"Mmmm," Susan moaned and shivered at the feel of Ravyn's hot chest on her shoulder blades, "I do have chores to be doing, you know?"

"You're my squire, your supposed to cater to my needs," Ravyn laughed huskily in her ear, Susan laughed and yawned at the same time.

"Personal slave, you mean."

"You love it really."

"That I do."

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

Ravyn awoke around early evening while the sun was still up, it was one of the first times he had awakened earlier than Susan and he relished the sight of her sleeping in his arms. He half smiled half grimaced at how she had coddled him last night, he wouldn't say he didn't like it but he couldn't let it become a habit. Ravyn pulled the quilt away from Susan's upper half and watched her shiver, her nipples hardened in response to meeting the cold air. Slipping the red strap from her shoulder he kissed where it had been, Susan gave a sleepy moan and shifted in her sleep, Ravyn smiled and blew cold air over her shoulder and watched the skin blossom with goose bumps. Susan frowned and opened her eyes; she blinked a couple of times before realising that Ravyn was leaning over her.

"Hey," she murmured turning over so she could look up at him, she was caged between his arms and chest, "you're up really -" she flicked her eyes to the clock, "early."

"We have unfinished business," Ravyn purred before lowering his head to kiss her, his black hair immediately pulled itself back into a ponytail so he didn't set her allergies off. Susan knew instantly what he meant and she deepened the kiss causing Ravyn to moan.

Ravyn broke away from Susan's mouth to trail damp kisses down her throat to her breasts, the friction of the material and Ravyn hot wet tongue was delicious and Susan felt her toes curl. Susan was already damp between her legs and needed no more prepping; she sank her hand beneath the quilt and rubbed Ravyn through the material of his trousers. Ravyn groaned and stopped tormenting her long enough to undo his pants and push them past his knees, Susan used her feet to push them down the rest of the way and they fell out the end of the bed.

"Now Ravyn now," Susan moaned the encouragement and Ravyn moved a hand up the inside of her thigh, tickling her before resting on the hot wetness of her core. He pushed one finger through her slippery folds and Susan arched her back gasping, Ravyn growled and grinned naughtily before pressing another into her hot channel. Ravyn pressed deep, working her until both his and her skin beaded with sweat and Susan was straining against him begging him to fill her. Susan arched her back on a wordless shout and came in his arms, while she shuddered at her peak Ravyn guided himself into her, hissing as the tight sheath enclosed him.

"Lock hands with me," he bit out, and his hand scuttled over the pillow to find hers, their mating palms connected and immediately began to heat. Ravyn moved his hips incessantly in and put of Susan's body; she was fast approaching another orgasm and could barely gasp out the ritual words. Ravyn quickly choked them out before he got caught up in the firestorm of feeling. Abruptly the pain of the Thiro lanced through his body, tightening it, his teeth ached, Susan threw her head to the side deliberately exposing her neck and Ravyn made no move to hesitate. His teeth sunk deep and he felt Susan's body begin to spasm again, he heard her cry out. Ravyn felt his cock swell inside of her, his whole body burning against a brutal tidal wave of ecstasy and pleasure. It was too much feeling for Susan, waves upon waves of trembling pleasure was shattering the world around her. When her own teeth began to grow she followed pure instinct that told her that the right and only thing to do was to sink them into Ravyn's shoulder. The moment she did Ravyn arched his back with a shout and come inside her, Susan let go of his shoulder and smiled dreamily. When the rush receded they were left panting and exhausted, Ravyn lifted his head so he could kiss Susan before letting it fall on to her breast, where he continued to lay, with Susan stroking her hands through his hair.

"How did you like that, love?" Ravyn panted tiredly, Susan laughed and felt his mouth curl into a grin against her skin.

"I want it all the time," Susan muttered and Ravyn gave a silent chuckle that brought his flat stomach jiggling hers.

"Sorry, it's a one time thing," Ravyn muttered, "but at least we're bonded now."

Susan sighed. "Thank you, I can rest easy now."

Ravyn could see how she would see it that way, and in truth half of him felt the same way, but with their bonding came a new threat and fear. As long as their lives were tied together in such a way he would forever be weighed down with the worry that should he die, Susan would follow. Ravyn said something to the effect while he lay there, refusing to meet her eyes, Susan's hands stopped in his hair.

"But that gives me comfort," Susan whispered, "that if you left I could follow."

Ravyn smiled and leaned up so they could kiss; a loud knocking on their front door had them breaking apart.

"Leave it," Ravyn muttered and went on kissing her, but the knocker was insistent and Ravyn pushed himself away from his wife with a growl. Susan laughed and got up, her legs a little shaky from the wonderful love making.

Susan opened the front door and a teenage boy stood on her porch, he looked terrified, near tears in fact.

"Can I help you?"

"I need to see Ravyn Kontis!" the boy cried, "it's really urgent, please get him!"

Susan hesitated for all of two seconds then let the boy come in to the house; she then shouted up to Ravyn to get up and proceeded to draw the curtains in the hall.

Ravyn appeared at the top of the stairs in his black slacks and nothing else, he looked at the boy with a cold, appraising gaze and made sure he stepped in front of the boy's line of sight of Susan.

"Who are you?"

"Sir, I know you don't know me but my name is Blake Andrews, my brother in-law is Kaeso. The diamons came to my sister's house early hours of this morning and took Kaeso and my sister, my niece was left behind. They left her there deliberately, bound and gagged with a note attached to her. It said that I was to bring you tonight to their lodgings."

Ravyn cursed and the boy cringed.

"I know you can't go out in daylight but I think they might kill my sister if you don't help her."

"Alright," Ravyn said and Susan knew what he planned to do.

"Don't you even think about it!" Susan snapped, Ravyn turned to glare at her, "Its daylight out, you'll be injured and weakened by it!"

"What would you have me do? Have half a family wiped out because of my weakness?" Ravyn snarled back, Susan gave him a sarcastic glare of her own.

"Let me go," she said and saw Ravyn, instantly bulk.

"Not a chance!"

"Listen for a minute, thick head. I'll send the alarm out to Otto and Leo and the Addams's and we'll go and get Kaeso and his wife."

Ravyn looked like he was warring with himself; finally he gripped his hair and growled.

"Fine," he snapped, "but I want you to call me before you get there and when it's done. In fact I want you on the phone to me, the minute you get there."

Ravyn paused before turning on the boy, who backed up immediately.

"Where are you going?"

"It's behind Kilauea, the first alley behind there."

Ravyn nodded, the Kilauea was a new club in town, opened by a clan of Arcadian panthers. Ravyn made a note to have a talk to them about the kind of neighbours they had.

Susan ran upstairs to dress in something more than a long man's shirt. She slipped on panties and jeans and tied back her hair, she wished desperately that there was time to brush her teeth but when someone's life was at stake there were more important things.

She was down the stairs in a matter of minutes; Ravyn pulled her to a stop before she headed out the door. He pulled her up on her tiptoes to give her a scorching kiss, she was a little dazed when he let her go.

"Don't you dare get hurt, woman!" he growled, "I mean it, not a scratch!"

Susan felt her heart flutter at the protective tone colouring his words and she nodded, squeezing his hand, she turned and left the house.

Ravyn watched them get in to a car and drive out of sight, then he ran to get his cell phone and sat by the house phone, waiting for her to call.

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

Susan had instinctively jumped in the driver seat and was driving down the road, she flicked her gaze to the boy and then to the rear view mirror.

"Where is this place?"

"Not far from here."

"Perhaps you should drive. You do have a license, right?"

"You drive."

Susan flicked her gaze to Blake when his voice had changed from tearful and desperate to rather hard and menacing. As she suspected he was pointing a gun her way.

"You little shit!" Susan spat.

"Just drive, you stupid bitch!"

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Susan muttered and got a slap.

"No, my mother's dead."

The boy's tone was cold.

"I'm sorry," Susan tried being sympathetic.

"I'm not."

Susan exhaled dejectedly, she heard the click when Blake cocked the gun and Susan continued to drive.

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

His nerves were ragged at their ends; Ravyn bit at his nails and paced the hallway of his home, with the phone in his hand. Susan still hadn't called, granted she had only left the house four minutes ago - well, four minutes and thirteen seconds but who's counting - but it was a Sunday evening, and early evening at that and traffic was usually slow at this time of the day and week. Plus Susan would have drove at breakneck speed if she'd known a family were in trouble, she should have been there by now … Ravyn looked down at the phone then up at the clock. Five minutes was plenty of time Ravyn assured himself of that as he dialled her number, feeling completely justified in his actions if she accused him of being over protective. It rang and rang then went to voice mail, Ravyn went cold, Susan would not do this to him, especially in this situation where he would be stuck at home worrying. He knew that something would go wrong; she attracted trouble like no one else he ever knew.

Cancelling the call, Ravyn speed dialled Leo.

"Hallo?"

"Leo? It's Ravyn. Susan's in trouble."

"Okay, calm down. What's happened?" Leo's voice sounded a little bit panicked, Ravyn knew how much Susan meant to the guy, she wasn't just an employee, she was Leo's friend. Ravyn quickly gave him the facts and watched the clock, waiting for sunset.

"Okay, I'll round up the team."

Ravyn put the phone down and stood watching the clock, half an hour 'til sundown.

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

The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Otto, Susan Kontis has been kidnapped."

"I'm leaving now."

"Bring the gang."

Otto sent a text to Kyl Poitiers and the Addams's, the replies came back instantly and Otto nodded, he liked the efficiency of the people he worked with. When you were a squire, your job was your life, it came first because if you allowed anything else to precede it in priorities people got hurt, things got damaged and unorganised, and Otto hated to be unorganised. Some might say he took the term workaholic to the extreme, Otto just said that if work was his life then it was pretty damn exciting. Otto moved his chair back, the world of diamons and dark-hunters waited for no one. Not even the luscious Cynthia Prince.

"You're leaving?" she sounded astonished and indignant, Otto doubted the little heiress had anyone do this in the middle of a date before. Admittedly she had a right to be pissed off, any woman would be, but Otto didn't particularly care, besides he was only giving her the pretence of a date so she didn't feel so easy when she was on her back tonight.

"Something's come up, babe," Otto replied smoothly, slipping on his jacket. An Armani suit wasn't the kind of thing you'd kick diamon ass in, but he had the money to buy more, so who cares? Otto gave her a smile that combined with his great Italian looks caused every woman to melt at twenty paces. "I'll see you tonight."

"If you walk out of here now, you'll never see me again!" Cynthia whispered viciously, how dare he do this to her, didn't he have any idea who she was? Who her father was? Otto gave a short laugh, she always forgave him. He bent down and gave her a swift peck on the cheek and departed for the door, he didn't have time to waste on her antics.

Cynthia silently fumed as she watched him walk to the door, she wanted to pitch the worst tantrum in the world, and was likely to when she got home, but she wouldn't do it here. It was a classy place and the press would have a field day.

Otto Carvalletti with his dark Italian looks and expensive suits was what she wanted, and she always got what she wanted. And after she played with them she threw them away, that was how it worked. But Otto had turned the tables on her, he was rich in his own right and when it came to playing she was his toy. He had her like a puppet on a string and she despised how one tug had her dancing to attention. He seemed to be able to give or take her, she wasn't anything to him, and that would have to change. Her mother and father wanted her to marry and she could only marry someone who moved in the same financial and social circles as she did, she would not demean herself or her family by marrying anyone unworthy of her. She would not be anyone's means of climbing the social ladder, the problem was no one from her world was someone she wanted to marry. Otto however, had the whole package, he was everything her family wanted her to be with and then there was that air of danger, rebelliousness and barely leashed violence that kept her not just intrigued but absolutely addicted to him.

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

Ravyn threw open the door the moment the sun moved below the horizon, it may have been out of sight but the lingering scarlet rays still caused him discomfort, but he didn't care. Ravyn got into his car and was about to dial Leo when the phone rang in his hand, it was from Susan's phone.

"Susan!" Ravyn answered it.

"Rave, its Leo. We've got Susan she's not hurt, but the diamons roughed up your guy pretty bad. We're taking him and his family to the Serengeti, we've already phoned forward to Dorian and confirmed it, meet us - Oh, shit!"

The phone crackled and died, Ravyn threw the phone from him, not seeing where it landed and slammed his foot on the pedal, he needed to get to his mate!

Ravyn was almost to the club when he recognised Leo's car, Ravyn flashed his headlights on and off before pulling over, before he'd fully brought the car to a halt, Ravyn was already opening the door and getting out. Leo slowed to a stop and Susan stumbled out of the car, Ravyn was at her side before she could blink, Leo got out of the car and Ravyn snarled at him.

"I thought you said she wasn't hurt!"

Leo made a gaping motion with his mouth looking like a guppy, Susan kindly rescued him.

"Ravyn, I'm fine," Susan assured him, "I'm just a little shaky."

Ravyn cursed himself, "I knew I should never have let you go alone!"

"It's okay, everyone got out safe. We need to get to Serengeti fast though, Kaeso's wife is bleeding badly -"

The loud clatter of simultaneous gun fire broke the air and everyone ducked, Leo ran back to the car where Otto sat in the back working on Kaeso's wife's wounds. Ravyn opened the car door and both he and Susan scrambled inside, Ravyn did a U turn and ground his foot down on the pedal.

He flicked a glance to the rear view mirror to see at crowd of diamons standing besides their cars, watching after them. The phone rang again.

"What!"

"We have to get them to Serengeti, don't go home, go to Serengeti!" Leo's voice was full of authority.

Ravyn growled in frustration, obviously Leo had clicked the fact that Ravyn would have seen them safely to the Limani before departing.

"I'm not afraid of diamon's, Leo!"

"Ravyn, they were packing serious heat back there! Go to Limani and hunt them later tonight, but you can't afford to be unprotected."

Ravyn growled again and hung up knowing Leo was right didn't mean he had to like it, Ravyn exhaled heavily before looking at Susan. She was deathly pale.

"You okay, baby?" he asked gently, thinking she looked like she might go into shock. Susan wasn't the type to shock easily so those diamons must have been pretty fierce. The bastards would pay.

"No, I don't think I am," Susan muttered jerkily, "drive faster, Ravyn."

"What's wrong?" Ravyn cried, feeling dread wash over him. Susan looked up at him and moved her coat aside, a circle of deep scarlet covered her white shirt. Ravyn cursed and put his foot down, muttering assurances and encouragements to her.

When Serengeti came into sight Ravyn mounted he curb directly outside it, smashing into the bumper of Phoenix's car. Uncaring, Ravyn shot out the car and round to Susan's side, she looked paler and weaker then ever before tearing the door open he tenderly lifted her into his arms and run with her to the Serengeti door. Otto came up beside him carrying Kaeso's human wife, he looked shocked when he saw Susan.

"Shit, Susan took a hit!"

"What!" Leo shouted from behind, his face looked distraught. Otto pounded on the door of Serengeti with his boot and it swung open immediately, Dorian or Phoenix, Ravyn didn't take time to find out went from looking mildly irritated to shocked, especially when he saw Ravyn. He moved back and allowed them to rush through and up the back stairs to where the in house surgery was situated.

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

Gareth pushed his way through the small crowd of were-hunters that his Limani held and looked through the door of the surgery. He saw Ravyn standing alone, looking on as the Omar operated on Susan. His heart ached at the ravished look on Ravyn's face as he stared down at Susan, it took him back to the moment he found his mate's body, savaged and bloody on the floor. Omar looked over his shoulder, he was sweating and cursing under his breath.

"Ravyn, for Artemis sake, stand outside, you hovering won't help her!"

Ravyn just growled at him and Omar ignored it, Gareth was preparing to step forward to his son, to take him from the room and comfort him. But Leo beat him to it. Leo and Otto moved to either side of him and Leo spoke in low tones to Ravyn whose ravaged face looked like it didn't comprehend a word. After a pause, Ravyn nodded, he rubbed his eyes and moved from the room with the humans. Ravyn passed him without so much as a look and sat down on a chair with Leo by his side. Gareth felt a twinge in the region of his heart that his son would turn to two human's in his grief then to his family.

Dorian watched his brother's grief-stricken face and moved forward, he stopped a few inches from Ravyn and was about to open his mouth when a grim faced Leo stepped close to him, obliterating his personal space, he manoeuvred Dorian without touching him a few paces back. Dorian barely refrained from ploughing into the uppity human.

"I nearly lost my friend tonight, he nearly lost his wife. We may still lose her. He doesn't need you taking digs at him, okay?"

Dorian's retort caught in his throat and it turned painful, Gareth and Phoenix came up behind him, and lost their looks of intimidation in the face of Ravyn's pain.

"We're …" Phoenix blinked rapidly and cleared his throat, "we're here at your disposal. Ravyn included."

He nodded to Leo and with a quick look at Ravyn moved away, Leo turned his unforgiving gaze upon Gareth and Dorian. Since his marriage or more accurately, mating to Susan, Ravyn had become one of the better known Dark-Hunters to Leo. And Leo could not help feeling a deeply embedded loyalty to him not just as a squire but as a friend.

Gareth looked past the human with a cool, clear gaze that belied the turmoil he felt inside, he watched Otto reached out a comforting hand that he cupped over the nape of Ravyn's neck while he muttered reassurances to him in low tones.

"How bad are her wounds?" he asked, unable to remove his gaze from Ravyn, for the first time Leo's gaze softened, he sighed and shrugged.

"Bad enough for all of us to be worried," Leo responded grimly.

Gareth rubbed a hand over his mouth and followed Ravyn with his eyes as he wondered wearily into the operating room once more.

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

Omar had finished her surgery a few hours ago, from now on it was touch and go and Ravyn felt like he was going insane. Little jackhammers had started on the inside of his skull and it proceeded to grow worse over the night. Susan's pale, limp hand was so small and delicate next to his own rough, tanned one, complete with century's worth of scars. He hadn't left her side since he had took up seat there, watching her body vigilantly for signs of life, his eyes were fixed on her breast as it moved up and down with every breath she took, he was thankful for that. When he roused from his daze by his body demanding it necessary calls of nature, Ravyn stood up and leaning closet to Susan rubbed his cheek against hers.

"I'll be back in a second," he whispered and kissed her cheek before turning to go to the toilet that was just outside the surgery.

Ravyn was just emerging from the bathroom, still drying his hands on a paper towel when he spotted Dorian, Ravyn spared him a glance before moving past him.

"How is she?" Dorian's voice stopped him, Ravyn sighed and flicked a look over his shoulder, Dorian was poised on the balls of his feet, looking eager and yet uncomfortable.

"I don't know."

Dorian nodded then touching his tongue to his dry lips he spoke again.

"How are you?"

Ravyn looked only mildly surprised to hear that, he opened his mouth, maybe to respond or maybe to tell Dorian to mind his fucking business, Ravyn himself wasn't too sure, but at that moment Phoenix appeared at the end of the short hallway. Ravyn rolled his eyes when he came forward, a strange tingling up his spine caused him to turn sideways, so he showed neither end of the hallway his back, his father was behind him.

Ravyn let out a bitter laugh to combat the sob he wanted to let loose.

"So what?" he held out his arms questioningly. "Is this the time when you tell me all about payback and divine retribution? How what goes around comes around and your only fault with fates plan is that I wasn't shot too?"

"No," Dorian responded quickly, placating. "Ravyn, we're not here for that."

Ravyn made an impatient noise and moved towards the door once more, Gareth stepped in his path and Ravyn forced himself to be calm. To strike his father would mean an automatic ban from the Limani, that was what held him back, make no mistake Ravyn had no qualms about socking the old goat a good one. Not after their shared history.

"So now what?" Ravyn snarled, "are you trying to goad me into fighting you so that I can get thrown out and have my mate in here where I can't see her?"

"The clan has gathered, we'd like for you to take your place among us."

Ravyn's eyes flashed and Gareth to his credit did not flinch, Ravyn turned that furious gaze on Dorian.

"Didn't you pass on the message to your father?" he spat lividly.

"What?" Dorian cried defensively, looking a little confused, Phoenix looked away from the coming storm of temper. Ravyn gave him a disgusted sneer before turning back to their father.

"And you!" This time Gareth cringed at the hate in his son's voice that lashed at him like a leather whip. "I told you when you came to my door step that I was not interested in your clan. I have no place among it, I don't want its membership. When I had it in the past all it did was get me killed and spat on as I lay dying, so thank you but fuck you!"

Ravyn marched back into the room but couldn't seem to quite keep his mouth shut, centuries of bitter, hateful feelings came gushing out like poison from an infected wound. He spun around to face them.

"Why would I ever want to be a part of you again? Give me the best good goddamn reason you have and I bet I could give you an even better one why I shouldn't!"

"Your input would be welcomed and valued," Gareth tried to remain calm but his eyes were filled with visible tears, something he would have been mortified by a long time ago. His voice was unsteady, it wavered with every word.

"Yeah, well once upon a time I thought my life was also valued by my clan!" All three looked sickened. "I once valued the friendship of my brothers and the love of my father, obviously I valued it too much. A lot more then they ever did!"

"Ravyn, no!"

Gareth moved forward, his hand out stretched to touch him, Ravyn stood stock still and Gareth thought that he may once again touch his son for the first time in centuries. Before his trembling fingers could make contact with the fabric of Ravyn's shirt and the skin of his arm, Ravyn jerked back and moved further into the room behind him, he made a movement to shut the door but stopped so he could look at his 'family'. He inwardly scoffed, the only family he had ever had was either in the ground dead and buried and turned to dust or lying behind him on the table. Anger and pain over Susan's injuries, worries about whether or not she would survive, caused his emotions to break free. Had his father and brothers made this collective effort before such an event, Ravyn would have likely gone into their arms, and tried with all his might to forgive. Such is life, it came too late. Ravyn closed the door between them and shut the blinds of the windows, so he could watch over Susan in peace, should she die he at least had the comforting knowledge that he would too.

"Dayam! Your crew really put the 'func' in dysfunctional, huh?"

Dorian, Phoenix and Gareth turned as one to see one of the residents of their Limani, Kersh, an Arcadian dragon.

"Is that supposed to be funny, Scale dick!" Phoenix growled, and Kersh, who was pretty easy-going for someone who reputedly breathed fire on a daily basis, just shrugged.

"It was when Acheron said it too me," Kersh clucked his tongue and whistled a little, "although I think it's more applicable to you. I mean my cousins tried to get someone else to kill me …"

Phoenix's face looked even more strained then before and he pushed his way past the dragon, of late it became harder and harder for him to face what he had done to Ravyn. And when it was thrown so blatantly back in his face, it was truly like a knife to the stomach.

"Shit, poor guy," Kersh commented, cupping his hands around his eyes and peering through the window, even though the blinds were pulled down. "If I were him I would be cracking up right now …"

"Sure you would!" Dorian snarled cynically, "you'd probably put a bullet in your mate yourself, you're so heartless!"

Kersh pulled back from the window and stared at Dorian warily, then to Gareth.

"You don't know, do you?"

Dorian felt his blood chill at Kersh's tone and he knew that things were about to get a whole lot worse.

"Don't know what?"

Kersh looked uncharacteristically serious and sombre.

"I heard the two squires talking about it when they were in the bar. Dorian, Ravyn's bonded with his mate."

The world closed in on Gareth and the air had turned to the consistency of mud, he wheezed and coughed, stumbling towards the door where Ravyn was sitting behind, perhaps waiting for him and his mate to die. What would he do if he had to walk in tomorrow morning and find his son's dead body laying over that of his dead daughter-in-law?

Gareth raced at deadly speed into the bar where Otto and Leo sat with two other squires, Gareth immediately recognised them as Bryanna Addams and Kyl Poitiers but paid them no attention. His focused was centred on Leo, who was the oldest and was looking the grimmest.

"Is it true?" Gareth panted more out of fear then true physical exertion. Leo looked up from his whiskery shot and pinned Gareth with the eyes of another father, who though Gareth knew condemned him for his past actions, had some sympathy for what he was now going through.

"About?"

"Is Ravyn bonded with Susan?"

"What the hell?"

Gareth looked behind him at the sound of Phoenix's voice, he knew it to be him because Dorian had gone to spend some time with his mate Terra. Phoenix stepped forward, his normally aggressive face, slack and white with shock. Leo sighed and fingered his empty shot glass, he glanced at Otto who surprised Leo by suddenly looking younger and more vulnerable then he had ever seen him. That's not to say that he still didn't look capable of mass murder at the flick of a switch but there was sadness in his dark features that made the situation more real to Leo then seeing Susan's blood on Ravyn's jacket had. Otto had always liked the couple, obviously a lot more then Leo realised.

"Its true, Gareth," Leo said expressionlessly, he cleared his throat. "And what's worse, Ravyn is still a Dark-Hunter."

Gareth felt a surge of anger, fate was fucking with him again! He had lost his mate, his daughter-in-law, his grandchildren and now just when he wanted to make it right they were going to steal his son and Ravyn's mate from him. He needed to do something, anything, but what?

"I don't understand -" Phoenix began to speak but Otto cut over him sharply, he had never had time for Phoenix Kontis, especially now it was known that it was he who had killed Ravyn in the first place. Otto always wondered why Phoenix was still alive, he would have killed him if he had been in Ravyn's place. It also made Otto wonder who Ravyn had taken his revenge on if not his murderer and after that, why had Phoenix murdered his brother.

"A dark-hunter has no soul! Artemis still has possession of Ravyn's soul and as they are bonded, if Susan dies while Ravyn is soulless … he becomes a shade."

Everyone around the table except for Phoenix, who was too shocked, flinched. His brother would become a shade! An invisible entity that walked around in the world fully aware of all that is going on around them, but unable to participate in it. They cannot touch, smell, taste, they hunger for food but cannot eat. They thirst but cannot bring water to their lips. They are driven insane by the loneliness of endless centuries of watching a world that they no longer exist in.

"This can't happen," Phoenix choked out, "you … you need to do something."

"Why do you think we look so pissed?" Kyl muttered, Phoenix looked at him but Otto explained.

"We've been on to the squire council to see if there is anyway we can bargain with the Oracles or perhaps contact Artemis."

"That is a good idea," Gareth remarked, hope flaring in his voice and eyes.

"They declined our appeal. To be involved with a significant other is against the Dark-Hunter laws, it's forbidden and Ravyn has broken that law. He's made his bed, they suggest he lays in it - not in so many words of course."

"You treacherous human bastards!" Gareth barked, Otto's face darkened dangerously. "Dark-Hunters protect your world, they are the reason you have these cushy little lives of yours! How can you abandon him so?"

"That's a bit rich coming from you, isn't it?" Otto shot back and Gareth growled but Otto stood up. "If I remember rightly you were-hunters hate the dark-hunters. You exiled Ravyn because he became one. And again, if I remember correctly it was Cat boy over here that killed him in the first place -" Otto jabbed a finger in Phoenix's direction. "Otherwise he wouldn't be a dark-hunter. And before you start going all self-righteous on us, remember earlier in the year when we dragged a drugged and bleeding Ravyn to your Limani doors, it was you that would have seen him dead!"

"Otto, control yourself!" Leo snapped. Otto sat down breathing like a wounded lion, he crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

"If the council hadn't said no, what would you have done?" Phoenix asked, is voice deceptively even.

"Summoned Artemis and asked her with all respect but could she give Ravyn his soul back," Kyl said lamely.

Phoenix snarled. "That is pathetic! No God or Goddess would voluntarily hand over something as valuable as a soul without some sort of collateral, some sort of pay back."

"We know that, but there is little other options open to us. Besides its moot now, we can't do anything."

"You can't!" Phoenix and Gareth said viciously and walked away, their determined strides were identical and the relationship as father and son more prominent.

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

Gareth, Dorian and Phoenix locked themselves into the large den that was specifically reserved for the Kontis family.

"I'll do this," Gareth said sharply, terminating all further discussion on the subject, or at least trying to.

"No, I will!" Both Dorian and Phoenix barked back, Phoenix arched a coldly amused brow at Dorian.

"You're bonded with Tara, it has to be me. I have nothing to lose."

Dorian and Gareth both opened their mouth but Phoenix beat them to it. "You know, it's true. It's my fault," Phoenix bowed his head and ran a hand through his hair, gripping it, he looked back up again. "It's all my fault. We need to put an end to this once and for all, then we need to bring him home."

"She could kill you for hubris," Dorian said a little unevenly.

"It's the least I can do … for my brother."

Phoenix promptly stood up and moved into the middle of the room and craned his neck back to look at the ceiling.

"Artemis! I summon you into human form!"

Gareth felt his heart pounding and he saw Dorian flinching slightly, he sat up straighter. They were Were-Hunters, they feared no one!

A flash of bright light that stung their eyes blazed suddenly and receded to show the beautiful, red headed goddess of the hunt. She looked at them with mild disdain, and Phoenix guessed that the only reason she probably came this quickly was because they were Were-Hunters and perhaps, because she knew of their relation to one of her Dark-Hunters.

Artemis arched an unimpressed eyebrow and cast them all a look of impatience and disdain.

"How dare you presume to summon me," she said coldly. Phoenix went down on his knees and refrained from making eye contact with her. He knew enough about the Gods to know how they liked to be afforded the greatest of respect, even when it was obvious they did not deserve it.

"I beg your forgiveness, noble Goddess. But something of grave importance with which only the most powerful of the Gods can help us has occurred."

Delightfully satisfied and flattered Artemis's tone took on a degree of warmth. "What is it that you wish to speak with about, Phoenix Kontis."

"One of your Dark-Hunters, majestic one," Phoenix said clearly, daring enough o raise his head and look at her. "You're Dark-Hunter and my brother, Ravyn Kontis, is in most grave danger."

"What kind of danger?" Artemis sounded bored.

"He is going to die," Phoenix said and realised with a surge of hate towards the woman, that she couldn't care a whit, she was examining her nails with an air of complete uninterestedness. "If he dies he will become a shade. We beg you to return his soul to him."

Artemis threw back her head and laughed maliciously, her eyes glinted horribly when she looked back at Phoenix.

"You really must be desperate, Mr Cat, if you think begging me for his soul will get you anywhere. Besides he deserves his punishment, he violated the rules of which he was meant to abide by as a Dark-Hunter."

"You would condemn a man to a shades fate simply because he did not want to live the rest of eternity alone!" Gareth growled from the corner, Artemis's features tautened and her left eyebrow gave a mad twitch as if she was thinking of something displeasing.

"Everyone is alone, Were-Hunter," Artemis sneered, abruptly she turned from them, "don't summon me again."

"Wait!" Dorian cried and moved before her. "If you don't want to give him back his soul then save his mate's life. Save Susan."

Artemis gave Dorian the same cold look, "no."

"You bitch!" Phoenix snarled before he could help himself, Gareth and Dorian gasped their faces a picture of dread. Artemis approached Phoenix swiftly, her hand wrapping around his throat and lifting him from the ground so his legs flayed about in midair.

"You must sincerely want to die today!" she whispered viciously to him, she tightened her fingers and Gareth run forward throwing himself at her feet though it stuck in his craw to do so.

"Please, merciful Goddess, please! My son is just in fear for his brother's life, he is not acting rationally, he is not thinking the right way. We would do anything to save Ravyn's life."

Artemis let a blue faced Phoenix drop to the ground, where he gasped and coughed and wheezed for breath. She turned to look at Gareth who had climbed back to his feet but standing at a respectful distance.

"Anything?" she inquired insidiously. Gareth paused before nodding and Phoenix gasped out that they would do anything.

"All of you?"

Only Dorian paused before nodding, but as he did that tight ball of dread in his stomach just got bigger and tighter. Artemis smiled showing her pretty teeth.

"Well, I want," she said in a sing song way, "all three of your souls."

All three men bowed there head silently cursing the request, Dorian stepped back. As much as he loved Ravyn and was sorry for what he had done to him in the past and what now had befallen him, he loved his mate more. He would not put Terra's life in jeopardy for no one, not even his brothers, had Artemis asked him the question and he had not been bonded to his mate he would have agreed instantly.

"I can't do it," Dorian said and backed away, Phoenix and Gareth nodded their understanding, Phoenix fixed Artemis with a furious glare.

"Will two souls do instead?"

Artemis pretended to contemplate and Phoenix wanted nothing more then to tear her throat out.

"Will we be Dark-Hunters?" Gareth asked.

"No, your soul will be for my own personal use."

Both men paled but before they could say another word there was a low chuckling from behind them. Everyone turned to the doorway and watched Acheron swagger in to the room, Artemis looked like she was about to bust a blood vessel.

"You!" she shrieked so piercingly that all the cats in the room winced along with Acheron. Ash tipped his glasses down his nose and gave her a look that could put a chill in the bone marrow, Artemis stepped back.

"Fellas I don't think you're going to want to hand over your souls to her," he said matter-of-factly turning to the Kontis family. "Speaking from personal experience, it would be the worse kind of hell."

"How dare you!" Artemis screeched and Ash just laughed and Artemis disappeared, but her scream remained, echoing off the walls.

"If I'm right and I know I am - it's a side affect of never being wrong - Susan is now awake and she and Ravyn are making whoopee."

He smiled when all three gave a sigh of relief, Gareth was the first to sober.

"What do we owe you?"

"Nothing as costly as a soul, Gareth," Acheron said kindly, "Ravyn knows about this by the way."

"You told him?" Dorian muttered.

"I did," Ash replied unrepentant. "He deserved to know the sacrifice you were all willing to make for him. His anger toward his family is not unfounded, you know that. But this will go a long way to healing the breach, your persistence will do the rest."

Ash looked at them all strangely before nodding and leaving, one by one they followed suit Gareth left to go to the office where he could sit in the peace of darkness for a while, he needed it.

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

Ravyn heard the music jumping from the club as he made his way down the stairs, Susan was sitting with Terra in the surgery room. She had urged him to go to his family, though he was loathe to leave her he knew she was right, still there was a part of him that wanted to high tail it out of there. But that would be ungracious and spiteful and childish, perhaps it was time to simply let go. He could no longer linger in the hate of the past, he was past that now, he had Susan now, she was his future. Ravyn spotted Dorian sitting up the bar on his own, there weren't a whole lot of people around and the music wasn't very loud. Ravyn moved to his side and Dorian looked up to see who it was that cast a shadow over him, his face was stunned when he saw it was Ravyn.

"Kind of slow in here, isn't it?" Ravyn said casually, Dorian looked around as if he were mildly surprised to see himself in the club.

"It's because its early, it'll pick up later tonight," Dorian reassured him, then continued to stare at him. Ravyn nodded, he heaved a deep breath before quirking the side of his mouth up into a small slightly tired smile.

"Thank you, Dorian," Ravyn said softly, sincerely.

"Your welcome, my brother," Dorian said and held out his hand, Ravyn took it but Dorian simply held it and refused to let go. Ravyn made himself settle down, if he pulled away now he knew he would be wounding Dorian out of spite and nothing more. It was clear he was suffering.

"Forgive me?" Dorian said quietly and Ravyn rolled his eyes so his tears would not show, instead of pulling away however he laid his own hand over Dorian's.

"I forgive you," Ravyn muttered close to his ear and he gave Dorian's shoulder a squeeze and pretended not to hear the raspy sob ripped from Dorian's chest for both their sakes. Ravyn dropped a brief kiss atop Dorian's head and let go.

"Where you going?"

"Phoenix," Ravyn said simply and Dorian nodded, his chest feeling lighter then it had in centuries.

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

"What's so interesting?"

Phoenix, who had been staring into the inky abyss of the night sky, whipped his head around at the sound of Ravyn's voice. His throat instantly tightened but he forced his voice to steady itself.

"How endless it all seems," Phoenix responded, looking back at the sky because it didn't make his eyes sting.

"Whoa, that's deep."

"I'm capable of it," Phoenix turned his head to grin at Ravyn who quirked his lips into a ghost of a smile. Phoenix took a sip out of the glass he was holding to ease his throat.

"Why did you phone me, Phoenix?" Ravyn asked unexpectedly, his voice soft like the wind that night. Phoenix huffed a humourless laugh.

"How did you know it wasn't Dorian?"

"He didn't know what I was talking about when I quoted some of our conversation earlier."

Ravyn grimaced when he remembered shouting at his family.

"I wanted to hear your voice again, Ravyn."

Ravyn felt his throat tighten and he cleared it several times before proceeding. "I, err, I want to thank you for what you were prepared to do for me and Susan."

"It's the least I could do, isn't it?" Phoenix said, there was self-mockery in his tone.

"I nearly lost Susan tonight, I think I can understand your anger Phoenix."

"But you didn't kill your brother," Phoenix's voice was full of anguish. Ravyn sighed and cupped the nape of Phoenix's neck and leant close.

"Let it go."

Phoenix could not draw his head up and meet Ravyn's gaze, Ravyn squeezed gently.

"Let it go, Phoenix."

"I lived once for my hate of you. Then I lived for my need to atone for my sins. Now what do I live for?"

Ravyn laughed sadly and let Phoenix go, he stepped back and sighed.

"Perhaps you could live for yourself now," Ravyn hesitated before adding, "for your family."

"You?" Phoenix's eyes were bright and Ravyn inclined his head with a smile.

"Me."

Footsteps approaching from behind had Ravyn backing away from Phoenix sharply and turning around. He came face to face with his father, this was the meeting he had longed to escape. Gareth's eyes locked with that of his son's, eyes so like his, set in a face that was a complimentary blend of himself and his mother. A long sigh escaped through Gareth's mouth and he saw Ravyn's face tighten.

"Thank you," Ravyn said gruffly, he nodded formerly to both Phoenix and his father before walking away, his shoulders held stiffly. Gareth opened his mouth pitching two powerful instincts against one another, one was to hold his son; the other his pride. Phoenix shook his head dejectedly before looking at Gareth.

"You still can't say it can you?"

Gareth swallowed the lump in his throat, Phoenix looked mildly disgusted before turning away to go back into the club. Gareth growled, if his Phoenix and Dorian could do this, he sure as well could. A spine of steel was something they had inherited from both of their parents, Gareth flashed himself to Ravyn, appearing in front of him so unexpectedly that Ravyn jumped and almost hit out reflexively. He stopped himself before he did any damage and just let out a frustrated breath, Gareth smirked.

"I got something to say to you," Gareth snapped belligerently at Ravyn and watched his eyes flash dangerously.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Ravyn fired back taking a step forward, ready to take on any confrontation. Gareth let his face relax and before Ravyn could move back, he picked up his hand and placed a kiss upon his son's knuckles. Ravyn felt his throat ache and he tied to pull away but Gareth held fast, the pain of the moment and the act, the memories of what had once been were stripping raw. They would leave him bare and exposed to their mercy, Ravyn could not help but doubt whether his father had any left in him for the son he had let die.

With slow and weary movement like that of an old man, Gareth got to his knees in front of Ravyn and let out the first grief ridden sob before him.

"I beg your forgiveness," Gareth wheezed, he held his head in shaky hands and wept for all that was. "Forgive me!"

Ravyn had thought himself hard to his father, but seeing the man he once knew as being so proud and strong, looking broken and begging before him on his knees caused a painful tug in his chest. Ravyn knew that for him to do this, his father had cast pride into the winds and was laying himself bare before Ravyn this time, waiting for his mercy. It was lucky that at this moment Ravyn had plenty to spare, it was a day of forgiveness.

"For God sake, dad, get off your knees!"

Ravyn reached down with a grip that was firm but gentle and hauled the old man to his feet. Gareth's face was still soaked with tears and he trembled in a way that frightened Ravyn, who inside was still a little boy who thought his dad could do anything. When Gareth had contained himself he watched he lifted his eyes to see Ravyn staring around him, apparently uncomfortable with the scene he had just witnessed. He stood with his hands in his pockets and radiated an air of awkwardness and unease, it was reminiscent of the boy that Ravyn had been, as a man he had rarely shown those insecurities to any but those he loved and trusted. Gareth had missed seeing that vulnerability under the shell that neither Dorian nor Phoenix exhibited with such charm. Gareth knew that Ravyn was only showing that side of himself because he truly did not know what to do, there was no trust of comfort between them yet.

"That's the first time I've been called dad in over three centuries," Gareth murmured to himself. Ravyn scoffed unintentionally but he could not withhold it, he had trained himself over those centuries to be as he was, he couldn't change himself in a matter of minutes.

"You had Phoenix and Dorian," Ravyn reminded him.

"But not you," Gareth replied earnestly, "I haven't heard your voice call me dad in such a long time."

"Damn it," Ravyn muttered, scuffing the toe of his boot against the gravel, he chewed his tongue nervously for a moment before looking back at his father with a tired shrug that took more effort then it really should have for such a small movement.

"Let's just leave it here, shall we?" Ravyn said.

"Where?" Ravyn looked around, getting agitated as his eyes began to sting.

"Here. Right here and now. With no malice or hurt feeling between us. You know, we'll just go on our way and …"

Ravyn trailed off and Gareth stepped closer, knowing that what he said now was crucial.

"We can't do that, son."

"Don't -"

"Son," Gareth's voice said calmly, "son. I lost your mother not through you but through me. If I had bonded with her I would be with her now, but her wishes were for one of us to always be there for our children. I failed her and I failed you."

Ravyn stared pointedly at a mark on the wall opposite him, but his vision began to waver and he cursed crudely, before turning his back on his father so he could wipe his eyes.

"I loved you from the moment you were put into my arms, I love you now and I loved you all the moments in between. There are no words strong enough to tell you how sorry I am, how much I wish I could go back to that moment and be the father I should have been."

Ravyn felt his father's hand touch his back and he flinched as if he had been struck, Gareth felt that flinch like a blow to his whole frame, but he persisted.

"You've been alone these many years, Ravyn, and we made it no easier. But do not think for one minute that you were not missed, the void that was made could not have been filled by any other. We wanted no other. I missed you, Ravyn. This façade of anger and pride I showed you hid an aching heart."

"All you had to do was ask, I would have come back," Ravyn murmured, rubbing furiously at the tears on his face.

"You came back after we murdered you. I cannot speak for the boys but seeing you threw the guilt I felt at not protecting you back ion my face, it held up a mirror reflecting all my sins back at me and they were magnified. If you had simply died I could have grieved for you along with the rest. You coming back was a testament to my offences, you were my torment. Guilt is not something that easy to live with, Ravyn."

"Like I don't know that!" Ravyn snapped, his voice thick with tears.

"I know, son, I know."

Still facing away from his father Ravyn put one hand over his eyes, trying desperately to gain composure, Gareth raised a shaky hand and reached out for Ravyn. His hand, that had seemed so huge to Ravyn as a child, cupped the back of his head.

"Come home, son, we need you."

Ravyn turned, thinking he was tightly under control but Gareth captured him in a hug that shattered him. He'd not felt what it was like to be so close to his father in over a hundred years, where he could smell the scent of his father, where he could see the small white scar that had always been on his chin. Ravyn choked on a sob, and he smelt Susan's scent nearby, she was all that was needed in that moment to make things complete. Finally he was whole, finally he was home.

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

Since his mother's death Nick wasn't prone to gestures of great kindness or compassion, but if it screwed with the bitch Goddess's head then he was all for it. Just call him Salvation Army. The trouble with Acheron was while doing his time in jail Artemis was that he was a repeat offender in escaping. Nick however had taken a rather more innovative route. Getting mixed up with dick head Goddess's and God's had ruined his life, but a Dark-Hunter, created by said dick heads had saved his life when he had been just a teenager. So in honour of them all Nick was making it his personal mission to find a way around Artemis's new approach of getting back at Ash.

She may have decreed that no Dark-Hunter could go free ever again, but there were ways around that. One vital thing that Acheron had failed to note in all his time with Artemis was that the Goddess was extremely vain and full of self-importance. Okay, so maybe he had noticed it, who could fail to notice? But Ash had never fully comprehended it's importance. Nick had grown up on the dark side of life, where there were plenty of good people, diamonds in the rough so to speak. But among them were the criminals, villains and crooks, sociopaths and thieves and all manner of creatures inconceivable to those untouched by its vulgarity.

Artemis reminded Nick of a cheap hoodlum he once knew whom everyone called Grease, not because he had any Travolta style talent but because he could squeeze himself in and out of any tight situation and through the odd window or two, like he was covered in grease. Now Grease was in the habit of stealing from the high rolling gangsters around town but unwisely he took to wearing the goods he 'purchased' from their houses. Not even because he wanted people to see him wearing it, but for his own personal satisfaction, so when the unfortunate and unaware victim walked past, Grease could looked down at his shiny Rolex and know with amusement that it had been ticking on the wrist of the drug dealer that had just passed him by.

Artemis fell into that category, she liked to look at her treasures, her prized possessions. In one room that Nick had been able to find by patience and a lot of luck, he had looked upon boxes upon boxes containing medallions for the captured souls. Initially he had searched tirelessly for his own, but to no avail, his frustration and bitterness grew until he had simply wanted to find Artemis and beat the crap out of her, of all the souls she had had to securely hide, it had been his. When his frustration had abated, he'd wanted revenge on her for not leaving his soul in the room with the others and that was why Nick was placing a package on the door step of Ravyn Kontis's house, wrapped neatly with a fine velvet green ribbon. And the best part was that when she eventually found out that a soul was missing, Artemis was too vain to believe that Nick, son of a stripper and career felon could ever be cunning, bold, brave or stupid enough to take one. Gods, it made him chuckle!

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

Acheron stood eyeing the man in the park from afar, he was unseen by the man and unnoticed by those who were walking around him. Ash despised the weakness in himself, the part that under all the strength and power and all the hate and anger, was still longing. Ash was truly happy for Ravyn and the Kontis family, he really was, but some hurts never heal. Ash laid the note down on the table and moved away from the penthouse window that looked down over central park. Ash didn't know why he always came to watch Styx wander aimlessly around the streets of New York but he did. He didn't know why he felt compelled to leave the note but he had. The situation was rather ironic and perhaps it was because Styx was the only one who would get the irony, no matter how sick and unfunny it happened to be to both of them. Tory probably wouldn't approve of Ash being anywhere near his brother but he was. With a sigh he thought of Tory and was with her.

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

Styx picked up the note and read:

We've found out we're having twins. Identical twin boys.

He held it tightly to him, the irony wasn't lost on him. He and Ash were identical twins, lives tied together by fate like these twins will be no doubt. Styx sometimes wondered if thins had been different, would he and Ash had the bond that ties twins together closer than blood, but weaves them together through the soul. He would like to think so, he dreamed of it sometimes. All the time. Styx placed the note in the drawer of his bed side table and laid down on the bed, he let himself dream of his brother not leaving cold notes on the table but of knocking on the door with his pregnant wife in tow, telling him excitedly about how he would be an uncle. Styx sighed shakily, something's just would never come to pass. Some wounds were just too deep to heal.