Page 70 of Raven

My father had sent down five shifters to come and get me.

And I didn't get it at that moment, never realised that meant my father knew what I could do. He had felt my power and he understood it, and despite the images he'd sent me of Tia, he knew I would be out of there the first chance I got.

But my mind was too focused, me and my panther staring at the man in the middle, the one who didn't have his leatherjacket on now, but he'd had it at Spyglass, had it at the café. Rick, I’d learnt his name while I was down there, because he'd come down once, to gloat, to laugh. To tell me what a fucking idiot I was for falling for their trick and if I'd have been part of their pack, that stuff to cover their scents would never have fooled me.

He yanked my door open. "Time to come and shift. If you can, of course."

Part of me felt like staying there like some defiant child, but I realised, that was exactly what would make me look like a defiant child. I got up off the floor and glared at each of them. I had nothing to say. I owed them nothing. I simply followed them out.

Rick led the way. Two flanked me on either side, their bodies close enough that I could feel their body heat. Two more brought up the rear, boxing me in completely.

We wound through the underground complex. This wasn't just a cage; it was a labyrinth of cells and corridors, purpose-built to hold captives. We passed another cell, its occupant sprawled on a bed, nose buried in a book. Our eyes met briefly, a silent acknowledgement passing between us before I was hustled along.

The stairs loomed ahead, leading up to who-knows-where. Each step felt like a small eternity. Rick fumbled with a set of keys, the lock clicking open with a sound that seemed to echo my racing heartbeat.

The door swung open, and for the first time in days, I felt fresh air on my skin. But even as I breathed it in, dread coiled in my gut. This wasn't freedom. It was just a larger cage, with the vast night sky as its roof. Because I had no idea where we were. I had never seen this place. I imagined it wasn't anywhere close to where I lived with my mother. Not that I explored too much, but I would’ve seen this. It was so large it made Malcolm's place look like a shack

Did the entire pack live here?

The sprawling estate stretched out before me. Manicured lawns rolled into the distance, punctuated by what looked like training grounds and other structures I couldn't quite make out in the darkness. The main house—if you could call such a massive building a 'house'—loomed ahead, its windows glowing with warm light that felt anything but welcoming.

The air was different here, crisp and clean, with none of the city's familiar smells. It carried the scents of forest and earth, stirring something primal within me. My panther paced restlessly just beneath my skin, eager to explore this new territory despite the circumstances.

I caught glimpses of movement in the shadows—other pack members, no doubt, watching the prodigal son's return. Their eyes glinted in the moonlight, curious and wary. I wondered how many of them knew who I was, what had happened to bring me here.

Rick's voice cut through my observations. "Move it," he growled, giving me a not-so-gentle shove forward. "Your father's waiting."

I’d attended several Moon Nights with the Society. I'd joined the wolves and the tigers and all the different shifters in the area where I'd lived with my mother. I'd been to so many moonlight gatherings they were always the same. There were meeting ceremonies that went on, there were things—it wasn't just shifting in the moon. It was more of a community.

Many people stood there naked, or those stood with their clothes. Some stood in just underwear or gowns or something to cover them, or even towels. It didn't matter. Most shifters were not bothered with modesty.

My father stood at the front, loose lounge pants resting on his hips. To anybody, my father probably looked to be in his 30s. He was well-toned, muscular and strong. A tattoo ran downthe centre of his back and spread out under his pants, left and right. He was an example of an alpha—strong and powerful. And under all of those scars on the left, under all of those tattoos on the left was a deep scar, three like somebody had slashed claws down his back. They were silvery, glinting in the light. It was as if the tattoos had been put there to try and cover them up, but it did little for it.

My father heaved in a deep breath, and when the five escorts left me at my father's side, he looked at me with a nod and a smile, and then he addressed his cats.

"Oh faithful ones. Oh pack," my father's voice boomed out across the gathering. "Tonight we stand united under the blessed light of the moon, stronger than ever before."

His Scottish brogue rolled over the words, rich and commanding. The assembled panthers stood straight, their eyes fixed on their alpha.

"Before we embrace the night," my father continued, his voice dropping to a more sombre tone, "I must speak of the pain that has haunted me, haunted us all for far too long." The pack was silent.

"Many of you remember Raina, my first mate, Raven's mother," his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and anger as they found mine. "She was one of us, until she wasn't. In the moment of betrayal you all know about, it cut deeper than any claw ever could. She stole not just my son, not just a member of our pack, but the heir."

Murmurs of sympathy rippled through the crowd, and I fought to keep my face impassive, not at their sorrow. I didn't give a shit about that. They could play these games, but at the mention of my mother...

"For years, my panther, my heart has been incomplete. I have searched, we've all searched for the missing piece of our pack. And now, finally, the search is over," my father said. Heturned to face me fully, his voice thick with emotion. "Raven, my son, you cannot know the emptiness I have felt for all these years, leading our pack as strong as we are. There was always something missing, but now you are here, the missing piece returned."

He turned back to the crowd. "For so long we've been separated from one of our own. But fate, in its infinite wisdom, has seen fit to return our lost child at last. My son, Raven, has come home."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. I felt their eyes on me, curious and appraising. My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to remain still, to betray nothing of the turmoil within. My panther did feel at home here, it felt it, and maybe if my father hadn't murdered my mother, I would feel an inkling of that too.

"Some of you may or may not know him, but know this: His blood is as pure as any amongst us. He is my firstborn son. He is the rightful heir. His strength, his potential is a gift to our pack." My father's hand came to rest on my shoulder, heavy and unwelcome. It took every ounce of willpower not to shrug him off.

"And tonight, we welcome him back into our fold. We show him what it truly means to be part of this family. This legacy that stretches back through the ages."

His voice swelled with emotion, and I saw so many panthers nodding, some even wiping their eyes. It was a masterful performance, I had to admit. If I didn't know better, I might have been moved myself. I wondered how much of their emotions was put out by my father, sending that wave through them.

"Raven," he addressed me directly, his voice carrying across the field. "You've been away from me for too long. You have been denied your true nature, your birthright, but no more. Tonight you run with us, tonight you truly embrace who you are, and that is my son. And a part of this pack."

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