Rina waited anxiously for Rafaele to come back.
She had put a worried Luna Rosa to bed assuring her that everything would be fine. Jax had gone to attend to other matters.
Rina paced around the room anxiously. Was this her fault?
Maybe if she hadn't insisted on hosting the meeting, everything would be fine.
No! Rina scolded herself. This wasn't her fault, it was just a misunderstanding.
Maybe the girl had been confused on who assaulted her, Rain wouldn't do something like this, or would he?
The door opened and Rafaele came in, Rina rushed to him.
"What happened? What did he say?" she asked.
Rafaele told her what Rain had said.
"I knew it! I knew he wouldn't do such a thing."
"But Riri, how do we prove it to the world that he didn't do it." Rafaele asked.
"What do you mean? He just has to say what happened and everyone will see it was a mistake."
Rafaele shook his head, "It's not that easy. If something like this happens, a pack doctor will check the victim for signs of sexual activity and the smell of the attacker."
"So?"
"Riri, when they check, if she did involve herself in sexual activity, it will be noted as for the smell.....oh no!" Rafaele moaned.
"What is it?" Rina asked.
"Rain hugged her, his smell is practically all over her."
"Surely we can say it was because he hugged her?" even as she said it, Rina knew it sounded ridiculous. Nobody would believe it, they would say it sounded ridiculous.
"We just have to wait for Alpha Tim to reach out to us. Let's just hope it's all a misunderstanding."
Rina hoped and prayed that it was a misunderstanding.
.....
It wasn't a misunderstanding, Alpha Tim scheduled a meeting with some of the Alphas overseeing it.
The pack doctor under the oath of the goddess presented her results.
There was signs of sexual activity as well as Rain's smell all over her.
Rain explained his side but unfortunately no one believed him except Rafaele and Rina.
At last, Alpha Tim said he wouldn't press for any punishment for Rain because of Rafaele. However Rain and Darla had to be mated.
Everyone agreed it was a fair verdict. Everyone except Rain.
Rain was furious with everyone. When Rafaele had tried to explain that there was nothing he could since the evidence pointed to Rain. Rain had flared up in anger.
"It's because you are useless. You can't even protect your family, My father would have protected me." he had yelled.
Rina watched as Rafaele's eyes went cold and she knew whatever he was going to say would be bad.
"Maybe if you weren't useless, I would have been able to defend you better. Everyone thinks you are a never do well. It was only too easy to believe this accusations."
"And you also believe it too right? At the end of the day, you never believed me."
"Do you even believe yourself Rain?" Rafaele had retorted.
"I see, when it's your darling mate, no matter what she does, you still give her chances and believe her but you can't do the same for me, your brother?"
"That darling mate has been your biggest defender and this is how you repay her? You are really unbelievable" Rafaele told him.
"Boys, please it's enough. Let's think of a way to solve this, Rafaele, you can't talk to Rain that way, he is just a child" Luna Rosa spoke up, scolding Rafaele.
Rafaele looked at her, "Yes, he is just a kid, I am the bully old brother" he said, quiet fury running through him.
"Rafaele that is not what I meant...."
"It's okay mother, I won't say a thing about this matter anymore. Deal with your son messes and your new daughter in law" Rafaele said and stormed out of the house in anger.
Rain went to his room slamming the door loudly behind him.
Rina, Jax and Luna Rosa sighed.
"This isn't going to end well" Jax said.
"Why can't they just get along?" Luna Rosa sighed.
Rina thought her mother in law was a good woman and mother but she tended to play favoritism between the two brothers. It wasn't her fault but Rina could see how it might cause conflict between the brothers.
However she didn't vocalize her thoughts, instead she consoled Luna Rosa and helped her to her room.
.....
The house remained in tension for the following weeks. Rafaele avoided his mother and his brother. The family meal times, he had championed was forgotten.
He would wake up early and she would hear him making his breakfast and lunch, before the rest of the house woke up, he had left. He would come back late at night, Rina took it upon herself to leave a plate for him to eat.
She would wait up for him in their room, they would talk about other things not relating to his family.
Rina didn't know what to do, the family was becoming fractured and she didn't like it.
As if things couldn't get worse, another blow came.
Darla was pregnant!
"No! She is lying, they are lying!" Rain had yelled.
The poor boy looked so broken. He was crying.
Rafaele had reached out and hugged him. This was the first interaction they were having in weeks.
Rain clung to him and cried.
Rafaele looked at Rina and she saw the helplessness she was feeling reflected in his eyes.
The pregnancy meant that Alpha Tim wanted the mating ceremony to be sped up. He was insistent that she wouldn't give birth in his house.
Two days later.....
Luna Tyra, Nani and Darla came to the house.
Luna Rosa and Rina welcomed them. Luna Tyra sneered at the house.
"I don't know if my baby can stay in such surroundings. No helps or anything?" she asked.
"The help come once in a while to help out but I and Rita usually have everything covered" Luna Rosa explained.
"That will have to change, my daughter doesn't do chores. By the way where is Rain?" she asked.
"He went hunting with Rafaele." Luna Rosa answered.
"on the day his future mate is coming to his house, I hope this isn't how he would treat my Darla.... He did this to her, he has to take responsibility."
"I am sure it won't happen again" Luna Rosa said, trying to placate her.
While they talked, Rina kept her eyes on Darla. Her eyes were unreadable, what secrets was she keeping?