Tallikut: Member
Stanley Raymond Kowalski was born in Chicago, the youngest son of Damian and Barbara Kowalski, and was named after Marlon Brando’s character in A Streetcar Named Desire, but prefers ‘Ray’ to ‘Stanley’. Ray and his father were close when he was growing up,and restored old cars together including Ray’s black 1967 GTO. He became estranged from his father when he dropped out of college to become a police officer.
Ray met his wife, Stella, a Gold Coast girl who attended private school, when they were 13. They married in college, and were happy for many years before Ray’s undercover work, and Stella’s job at the State’s Attorneys office began to put pressure on the marriage. Of all the factors that led to the end of their marriage, their arguments over starting a family was the deal breaker. Ray wanted children, but Stella didn’t want to take time from her successful law career as a State’s Attorney.
Unable to deal with the failure of his marriage, Ray delved deeper into his undercover work wanting to live someone else’s live instead of his own. Beginning to suffer from burnout, he was assigned to the 18th precinct. He meets Benoit Franciscus in his guise of Benton Fraser, RCMP, in 1997 while canvassing the area around the Canadian Consulate. Benoit and Diefenbaker befriended Ray and began consulting on Ray’s cases.
When Ray is kidnapped by Rogue Vampire, Victoria Metcalf, looking for Benoit. He’s taken to the home of goth nightclub owner, Jeremiah Parks where Park’s convinces his Sire that he will hold on to Ray, and look for information on Benoit. They try to keep Ray ignorant about the existence of Vampires until Jeremiah saves Ray’s life. With no other Chosen Ones available, Ray is told about Vampires, and becomes a Chosen One for Tallikut Clan.
His kidnapping makes Ray realize he’s still living his life undercover. He retires from the police force, digs out his leather, jewelry and head kicker boots, goes to find Jeremiah at Lost Children of the Blood newest location in Chicago, and asks his new friend for a job. He becomes the General Manager, and though the two men don’t get to spend a lot of time together because Jeremiah is doing undercover jobs for Javier Esposito in New York City.
While working at the club, Benoit still comes to him asking he help people that come to Benoit with their problems. Ray, exhausted by working cases and at the club, directs Benoit to Lt. Walsh at the 27th precinct where Benoit meets his Mate, Ray Vecchio.<
After six years, Tallikut suffers through the latest round of Victoria trying to kill Ray (she still hasn’t realized Ray K is not Benoit’s Mate), Lying in a hospital bed after twice stepping between Ray and bullets, Jeremiah realizes Ray Kowalski is his Mate. Ray is Turned and Claimed before the new year.