His Secret Love Child (Book One of the LOVE CHILD series)

Chapter Twenty-five "REVELATIONS"

Hunter returned to the mansion suddenly and without warning, just the way he had left. No one knew were he had gone or why he had left. He had been gone for two days with no communication with anyone at the mansion. All were worried, especially Liam who had quickly become very attached to his father.

It was extremely late when Hunter returned, no one was up, or so he thought. As he walked through the doors he was greeted by Rafe's voice coming from the shadows, "Where the fuck have you been?" Rafe was barely managing to control the anger within him. Watching everyone, especially Liam and Cameron worry continuously over the past two days had set his temper off. "Do you have any idea just how worried and scared both Liam and Cameron have been the past two days?"

Hunter turned towards Rafe who had emerged from the shadows and  glaring daggers at him. Hunter's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "I had something to take care of, not that I owe you any explanations." Hunter's voice was tinged with his own anger. He didn't wait for Rafe's response, he walked away from him with quick angry strides. But Rafe was not about to be brushed off so easily.

Rafe followed after him, his blood boiling. Pushing his way into Hunter's office he slammed the door closed behind him, Hunter whirled around on him, "Get the fuck out of here. I am so not in the mood to deal with you now."

Rafe merely crossed his arms across his massive chest and continued to glare at Hunter's livid expression. "That may be, but I have some things to say to you and you are going to listen." As Hunter opened his mouth to answer, Rafe gave him no choice, he shouted at him, "You have had everyone, especially Liam and Cameron worried sick for the past two days. The twins may be used to your sudden disappearances, but Cameron and Liam aren't. Did you ever consider what your sudden and unexplained absence would do to them."

Hunter swallowed whatever it was that he was going to say. He turned away from Rafe and stared out the window. "I went to see Bethany." He suddenly replied.

Rafe was shocked at Hunter, silence descended as Rafe processed what Hunter had just said. Rafe then growled out "Are you fucking kidding me? You went to see that bitch. So help me if you're thinking of going back to her........"

Rafe was cut off by Hunter "I got a call from the Twins school saying that she had turned up there to pick them up. Luckily they had already left a few hours earlier. Bethany has no love for the twins, the only reason she would want them is to use them against me."

"I still don't understand why you didn't get rid of that bitch a long time ago. The twins told Liam what it was like having her for a mother." Rafe's voice was filled with disgust.

Hunter didn't respond to this. He had his own shame to bear in regards to what Bethany had done to the twins. He had been so caught up in looking for Cameron and his son that he hadn't paid enough attention to what was going on right under his nose. He never would have found out if he hadn't come home so suddenly and walked in on Bethany abusing both Blake and Blair.

"I went to get her to back off , but something tells me she isn't going to. She is fighting my petition to have the High Council dissolve our marriage. And Gerard, the leader of the Council hates me enough to use this opportunity to stick it to me, coupled with the fact that her father is also a member of the council. They could deny my petition."

Rafe seethed at this. He knew Gerard, he was a power hungry wolf that used his position as Head of the High Council to spread his tyranny around. Over the years he had gathered many faithful followers that shared his point of views and his lust for power. Others followed him because they were either too scared of him or too weak to resist him.

As Head of the Council, Gerard was the second most powerful wolf in the Supernatural World. Second, only to Hunter. A position that he loathed, yet used to his advantage to always usurp Hunter's power and authority and to gather more followers to himself. From time to time Gerard had also tried to do the same with Rafe. Hunter's and Rafe's positions were titles that Gerard coveted with all his being. He hated being looked at as second best.

"We need to complete the mating ceremony. All three of us." This came suddenly from Rafe, dropping into the silence that had descended as both men got lost in their own thoughts on the situation that they were all caught up in.

Hunter looked up at him startled, his expression unbelieving. "Cameron isn't anywhere near ready for that." Hunter pointed out.

"Cameron is unsure of you. Not the mating. Your disappearance the last two days haven't helped any to build back his trust in you." Rafe clarified. "And you seem to have not realized something very important in all this."

"What? What am I missing?" Hunter narrowed his eyes at Rafe.

Rafe took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He really didn't want to face this, but based on what he suspected might be really going on, Rafe realized that both he and Hunter needed to be in one accord and that would only be accomplished if their mating with Cameron was completed. Rafe opened his mouth and shocked Hunter into speechlessness, "You and I are also mates."

They stared at each other across the room as the tension mounted in the thick silence around them, finally Hunter growled out loudly, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Rafe was not perturbed, he had been prepared for this, for Hunter's reaction. "Not only are we both mated to Cameron, but through him we are also mated to each other. He is the bridge between us. The Gods knew that neither one of us would ever submit to the other willing. So since we're destined mates, they gave us Cameron to make the way for us to mate possible."

Hunter stood there in silence digesting this new information. As his thoughts raced he wondered how he, himself hadn't realized it. Now that he thought about it, it was the only logical conclusion. Breathing deeply Hunter finally responded to Rafe, "You are so not fucking me." He growled out.

Rafe scoffed at this, "Neither are you fucking me. But we do need to both mark Cameron and each other. Should Gerard and the High Council deny your petition to have the marriage dissolved, you will have no choice but to do so yourself, declaring it publically."

"I know that." Hunter turned away from Rafe and crossed his arms over his chest, "Gerard and the High Council will see it as an act of defiance against them. Gerard will also use it as an excuse to rally those that follow him. And Bethany's people will not stand for the public humiliation. They too will side with Gerard and the High Council."

"A war is brewing Hunter and we need to be bonded if we are going to stand any chance of protecting Cameron and Liam. Word about them will get out soon. It's a miracle that it hasn't already." Rafe's voice was filled with the urgency that he was feeling.

"If we are, as you say mated to each other and not just to Cameron, we can't complete the mating and marking until Cameron is ready. Like you stated so eloquently, Cameron is still unsure of me." Hunter's voice was low his shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world was suddenly weighing him down. "Tomorrow is the night of the full moon. I intend to take Liam up to the mountains. Once I know that he'll be fine, then we can further discuss this ok."

Rafe nodded, understanding, "I'll go with you."

So far both Rafe and Hunter had avoided any direct confrontation with Gerard and the High Council. But that stale mate was coming to an end. The day of reckoning was fast approaching.