When Worlds Collide

Many thanks to WorldHistoryBuff for editing for me once more. You are the best!

Many thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment and vote. I know there is a certain level of 'when is the war coming?' starting to creep in but with so many characters in play, I need a bit of time to get them all situated, but it will be soon :-)

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Jared looked up as he scented a new wolf in his domain, his expression hardening as his eyes took in Rafe and Lacey slipping into the compound from the rarely used trail at the side of his house. His lips tightened and he felt his anger start to boil as he watched them walking along, totally oblivious to everyone else around them. "You two. My study. Now!" he barked loudly turning and walking into the house without waiting to see if they were following him.

Lacey turned anxious eyes to Rafe when she heard him growl low in his chest and stiffen at her side. Jared looked really angry about something and she had no idea what it was or how it related to her. Whatever he was angry about, Rafe seemed to know what it was and he wasn't happy about it. "Rafe?" she whispered anxiously.

His arm tightened around her waist as he led her into the house. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Lace. Just leave the talking to me," he said quietly, entering the study and closing the door quietly behind them.

Jared was sitting behind his desk, his body rigid with tension as he glared at them. "Sit," he growled.

Lacey felt an enormous burst of pressure resound in her head, a compulsion to do as commanded and she would have sank to the floor immediately if Rafe hadn't been holding her so tightly.

The man at her side growled loudly. "Don't," he said through clenched teeth. "You want to haul me over the coals, Jared, then fine but don't you dare command her."

"I command my pack as and when I see fit," Jared snarled furiously. "You brought her into my pack so she has to live with the consequences. If you don't like it then you shouldn't have fucking mated with her when I expressly forbid it until this mess was cleared up. I am her Alpha now because you made me that. If you don't like it then tough shit. Sit! Both of you."

Lacey quailed with every word coming out of Jared's mouth as Rafe tensed even more. She'd never wanted to sit down so much in her life. Her legs were trembling with the need to sink to the floor but she couldn't because Rafe wouldn't let her. He stubbornly held her up as he snarled back at his Alpha.

"I'm warning you, Jared," he said in a quiet, deadly voice. "You can do with me as you like but you will not make her suffer for my actions. I knew the consequences of us mating. Lacey didn't. She doesn't deserve this and you know it."

The tension is the room ratcheted up as the two men glared furiously at each other and then Jared's gaze turned to Lacey and his expression softened slightly.

"Lacey, go and find Millie," he said quietly. "Rafe and I need to have a little chat."

The pressure on her mind was suddenly gone and Lacey breathed a deep sigh of relief. Rafe's arm relaxed slightly and he managed a comforting smile as he stroked her cheek gently. "Go find Millie, sweetheart," he said soothingly. "She'll be able to explain some things to you. I won't be long."

Jared snorted but didn't say anything as he watched Rafe brush his lips gently over Lacey's and then shoo her from the room. The instant the door was closed he was up and around the desk in a flash.

Rafe was ready for him, immediately adopting a defensive stance, his wolf dangerously close to the surface.

Jared halted in front of him, his own wolf threatening to burst free, to rip the throat out of this Alpha in his territory, challenging his leadership. It was only centuries of patiently learned self control which stopped him doing it. Rafe had less control of his wolf and was struggling harder not to shift.

Jared knew they were seconds away from shifting. Seconds away from fighting for dominance. One of them had to back down or one of them stood a good chance of dying in the next few minutes. He fought for some inner calm, raged against his wolf who didn't want to be denied the right to challenge. He could see the same inner battle within the big man's flashing eyes.

It was Rafe who won the battle. One moment he was furiously enraged that Jared had used his command on Lacey and then it slowly began to ebb away. He fought to hold onto his anger, not wanting to be the one to back down but he could feel Lacey's emotions inside his head. She was exhilarated but also nervous. Whoever she was with was making her feel at ease, slowly lowering her anxiety levels down and the more she relaxed the more he did too.

He finally surrendered to his more gentle nature and lowered his challenging stare from Jared's. He waited patiently for his Alpha to feel satisfied that he was being submissive enough, staying quiet until he sensed Jared's wolf retreat and he felt his friend begin to relax too.

"Bloody idiot," Jared growled softly taking a step back and shaking his head when Rafe looked up at him. He sighed and rolled his shoulders to try and ease some of the tension from his body. "Thank you," he added quietly.

Rafe knew what he was thanking him for and nodded his head. "Just don't do that again, Jared. Please. I know you're her Alpha now and I know under normal circumstances you're a fair and balanced Alpha. Lacey is pack but she has no concept of what that means. She needs to learn in a warm, loving environment. She's just come from a life where she was subjugated to another's will. Don't put her straight back into another life which is the same. Don't take her free will from her."

Jared frowned deeply, feeling a ripple of shame go through him. He had completely forgotten Lacey's needs when his rage had taken over. He prided himself on knowing what his pack needed. He had sat with Rafe for hours counselling him through his change, being his support when he was first brought to the compound. Lacey's circumstances before she came to the pack had been brutal and his actions just now hadn't helped any.

"Fuck," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry, Rafe." No wonder the big man had reacted the way he had. He was protecting his mate from his own Alpha.

He turned his gaze back to his friend. "I'll talk to Lacey later," he said quietly. "But that still doesn't negate the fact that you went and mated her despite the fact I told you not to."

"I'd love to see someone tell you that you weren't allowed to mate with Millie," Rafe snorted loudly. "Oh yes, I can just see you meekly accepting that, Jared."

"If there was a bloody coven of vampires about to descend on all of our heads at the time I would have probably restrained myself," Jared bit back angrily. "I don't know what the fuck you were thinking, Rafe. God knows what Graves will do if he finds out Lacey has mated with a wolf. It could change the entire dynamics of what is about to hit us. You can bloody call Caleb and tell him your good news because I don't want to be on the receiving end of that phone call."

Rafe sighed deeply and moved over to the sofa, belatedly obeying his Alpha's command and sitting down. "Do you think I don't know that?" he asked wearily running his hand through his hair. "I wanted to wait but Lacey didn't. She would rather die than go back to him, Jared. If we're willing to fight for her then she wants to be a proper part of the pack. I couldn't deny her that."

Jared snorted again and rolled his eyes leaning against his desk and folding his arms. "So it's all Lacey's fault?" he asked dryly, a hint of incredulity in his tone.

Rafe lips twitched in a rueful little smile. "Well I wouldn't say that," he admitted slightly sheepishly. "She didn't exactly force me to mate with her; I was perfectly willing to do so."

He sighed deeply and raked his hand through his hair again. "Jared, she needed this," he said quietly. "She feels responsible for what's coming and she needs to be a valid member of the pack. I know the timing isn't optimal but I don't regret what we've done."

"Oh that's perfectly evident," his Alpha said drolly shaking his head and sighing loudly, though his fierce expression was levelling out and there was a hint of a smile starting to cross his face. "You do know my life was so much easier before you and your sister entered it? Sometimes I think I actually miss those days."

Rafe snorted and laughed. "Yeah, right!" he chuckled. "You'd never have met Millie if it weren't for me and Annie. Would you really prefer to have your old life, Jared?"

Just the thought that Millie would be leaving soon was enough to make Jared's heart ache. Trying to imagine never having met her at all was crippling. "God no," he groaned quietly. "I'm more than willing to put up with your antics to have my Millie. A fact, you play shamelessly on," he added wagging a finger at him.

Rafe shot him an innocent look, grinning widely. "Well, I am learning the subtle art of manipulation from the best teacher," he grinned unrepentantly, laughing loudly when his Alpha growled at him.

"Go on, get out of here," Jared ordered. "You've got some explaining to do to a vampire who I'm sure is going to be even less impressed with you than I am right now. Toddle off and pass on your good news."

Scowling darkly Rafe rose from the sofa. Caleb wasn't going to be very happy with the news. He wouldn't be personally angry with Rafe because he was now mated, but he would be angry that the variables in the coming fight had suddenly changed.

Jared watched him go with a weary expression settling on his face, then strode from the room to go and find Millie. It was actually Lacey he was looking for and he found her with his woman, chatting quietly in a corner of the sitting room. They both looked up when he entered and one look at Millie's disapproving expression was enough to tell him she'd be having words with him later. Lacey's slightly anxious expression worried him a lot more.

"Lacey, I'm sorry," he said quietly, reaching for her hands and gripping them gently. "You both caught me off guard and I reacted without thinking. It isn't that I don't want you to be part of my pack. The timing could have been better but what's done is done and we need to factor this change into our plans. But I am truly sorry that I used my command on you like that. It was thoughtless considering your recent circumstances. I should have known better. Will you forgive me my lapse in judgement?"

Lacey smiled slightly timidly at him, the wolf inside reacting to her Alpha even though she didn't really understand what it was she was feeling. Millie had been explaining it to her but it was all a lot of take in. She probably should have asked a lot more questions before she jumped into mating with Rafe. Not that she regretted it. But having more information before doing so would have been a wiser course of action.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," she said softly. "I will try harder not to, Alpha."

Jared groaned and turned to look at Millie who merely held his gaze for a second before she moved away. That second was enough for her to convey her feelings on the subject. He had made the mess so he could fix it.

"Lacey," he sighed softly, leading her over to one of the sofas and sitting down beside her. "I am not disappointed with you. You have a lot to learn about this life and no time to really learn it. Rafe knew better. My irritation was with him not you. I am proud to have you in my pack. I will try to be a better Alpha to you than I've exhibited so far. The tense circumstances have us all reacting a little off balance at the moment. Once this is all over things will be better." He fervently hoped what he was saying was true.

Lacey nodded, relaxing a bit more now she knew Jared wasn't angry with her. He had been kind and considerate from the moment Rafe had brought her to the compound. His fury in the study had stunned her, her wolf quailing at her Alpha's anger. She hadn't known what to do. Hadn't been able to reconcile the Alpha with the smiling man she was so used to. She still wasn't able to but her wolf instinctually trusted him and so did Rafe.

"It's confusing, Jared," she admitted in a small voice. "I mean, I feel differently towards you. My wolf trusts you and wants to submit to you and the rest of me doesn't understand why." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand what she meant. His gentle smile reassured her.

"I understand perfectly," he smiled. "It's a little overwhelming at first but you will get used to it. Spend as much time with Millie as Rafe will allow you to before she leaves. Have her assign someone else to mentor you when she has to go. Rafe will help you too and contrary to my shocking lack of judgement earlier, my door is always open to you as well."

She breathed a sigh of relief and her smile was a lot stronger, her hesitancy leaving her. Jared answered her smile with one of his own and gently hugged her. "Welcome to the pack, Lacey," he said softly.

He had another few moments of quiet, encouraging words with her, leaving her side when he saw her confidence once more burst through and her radiant smile cross her face.

He smiled as he walked away. She was going to be a magnificent wolf even if she was slightly nervous about it all at the moment. He could sense the strength of her wolf, she was almost as strong as Millie. Lacey was Rafe's perfect match in every way and he really was proud to have her in his pack. A sudden thought occurred to him and he stiffened and turned to head outside.

"Where are you going?" Millie asked behind him and he stopped, turning to look at her with a determined expression on his face. He wasn't even aware he was growling slightly until one perfect eyebrow arched in his direction and he smothered down the noise.

"The medical building," he answered dryly. Anything Rafe did Aaron was quick to follow him. If his injured beta wasn't already trying to mate with Jen it wouldn't be long before he was.

Millie sighed softly and grabbed Jared's hand tugging him reluctantly towards the study. She had listened to him talking with Lacey, her pride in her man reaching new levels as he welcomed the other woman into the pack. It wasn't often she intervened with his running of the pack but sometimes he needed a gentle push in the right direction and this was one of them.

Closing the door behind them she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently brushed her lips against his in a brief, loving kiss. "You were wonderful with Lacey, love. Just what she needed at the moment."

His arms banded around her and he slanted his mouth harder against hers, his tongue delving inside to play with hers as his body hardened and he wondered if they had enough time to have a little private moment together before she left. Their impending separation was coming soon and he ached to spend as much time with her as possible.

Millie kissed him back with as much enthusiasm and then reluctantly pulled away, putting some distance between them. "Don't stop Aaron and Jen, love," she said quietly. She watched him stiffen and his expression turn determined again but she held up her hand. "Hear me out, Jared," she continued. "You know what is coming, everyone does. Don't deny Rafe and Aaron their mates. No one knows how this will end. What if something happens to one of them or to Jen or Lacey? Will you deny them the joy of knowing their mates fully when there's a chance they may never get the opportunity if something were to happen to any of them? All I'm asking is that you think about it for a moment, before you do anything."

Jared stared at Millie feeling a tiny frisson of fear course through him at just the thought of losing any of his pack, let alone Rafe and Aaron. He knew it was unavoidable but still he prayed there would be the bare minimum of casualties. His woman's words seeped into him and he had to concede her point. Rafe was already mated. There was nothing he could do to stop that. Was it fair to deny Aaron his mate after so many long years of him searching for her? They were heading to the evacuation site. They should be safe enough there. Mating shouldn't have that much of an impact on what was coming.

Sighing he walked over to Millie and pulled her back into his arms. "I'm going to miss you so much, Mills," he said quietly, burying his head in the side of her neck. "Who's going to keep me thinking straight with you gone?"

Millie laughed softly and hugged him tightly. "You'll do just fine, love. You usually do. I'm sure Rafe will have plenty to say on the matter if you screw up too."

He groaned and laughed raising his head to smile into her beautiful face. He gently stroked her cheek, his fingers threading into her wild, black curls as he brought his forehead to rest against hers. "So I shouldn't stop Aaron and Jen mating?" he sighed. "He's probably already bloody done it anyway."

His rueful tone had his woman laughing again, her arms tightening around him. "Knowing Aaron, I'm amazed he wasn't the one to do it first," she agreed. "It's the right decision, Jared. You know that deep down inside."

Now that Millie had pointed it out to him, he did know it was the right decision. If anything happened to his betas then they would at least have known the same joy he felt of having this beautiful woman completely joined with him in every way. The study door suddenly opened and a concerned Rafe popped his head in.

"The vampires are coming over," he announced.

Jared frowned and turned keeping his arm tightly around Millie's waist. "Caleb?"

Rafe nodded. "You were right," he answered. "My ears are still ringing from the verbal abuse he just gave me. Really hope Annie calms him down before he arrives. He was worse than he was that night he found out I was still alive."

Jared stiffened further and started to growl again. "Exactly what did he say?" he asked in a deceptively quiet tone.

Rafe frowned deeply and decided not to fully impart Caleb's words, not with Jared having that look on his face. "Just that they'll be over tonight to discuss things. We need to get together anyway, to formulate our plans and incorporate them with the vamps."

Jared nodded slowly his mind starting to whirl. If the vampires were coming over there could be trouble. Caleb was about the only one he fully trusted and that had taken him over two centuries and Rafe and Annie's influence to do so. Demetri was a wild card. He didn't know him as well but he usually followed Caleb and Annie's lead so the Alpha gave him the benefit of the doubt. Any other vampires they may bring with them? He was sure they wouldn't necessarily be friends of the pack, only being there to assist their vampire friends.

"It's time for you to go Millie," he said quietly, not looking at her as he spoke. "The children and their guardians are already in place. Finish up the evacuation. I want you gone before nightfall." His tone brooked no argument, the Alpha speaking rather than the man. He felt his woman stiffen at his side.

"Yes, Jared," she finally answered in a quiet voice. Millie knew there was no point in arguing with him. She wanted to be there when the vampires came over but she'd have to rely on Annie to keep heads cool when the meeting took place. Jared wouldn't place her or their children in any unnecessary danger and he was viewing this meeting as a threat.

She gave her man a quick hug before she slipped from his embrace. Rafe stepped back to allow her to exit, catching her in his own warm embrace and kissing her on the top of her head. "I'll see you before you leave, Mills," he rumbled softly before letting her go.

Rafe turned his worried eyes to Jared's tense face. He could see his Alpha was angry and it concerned him. They needed the vampires on their side. If personalities clashed tonight there was a good chance their alliance could falter before it had really begun. "Jared," he started to say but the other man turned away.