This Fire

Liam

I walked out of the packhouse, breathing a sigh. For what, I didn’t know. For the first time in a long time, I had misread not just a situation, but a person. 

When Thom and Cody had notified me that my sister had been found, I was certain they would be sending her to me - whether it be in a body bag or with an escort to get her to the pack I was staying at. She had too much to learn, and she needed protection. When they told me she would be staying because she found her mate, I was furious and nearly came out here to drag her back myself. When Gregory stepped in to tell me to leave things well enough alone and let her adjust a little bit, I begrudgingly backed off. 

But when all three of them called to inform me of an outlandish plan that had her experiencing the highest risk, I was furious. It was a Wulver plan through and through and the only option was to go along with it. I still insisted I be at the heart of it, able to keep her safe should the need arise, especially as it seemed her mate wasn’t doing that. 

I wanted to hate my baby sister’s mate. I truly did. But I saw it. I saw it all. 

I saw him try to jump in to save her when she challenged our father.

I saw how fiercely he protected her when she got shot.

I saw him refuse to leave her side for hours, completely consumed by just looking at her gaunt, hollowed, bruised, and broken figure like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

I saw the pet names, the lovesick looks, the gentle touches, how he hung off her every word - even if it wasn’t said to him.

I saw it all. 

For her, it was perfect. Exactly what she needed. But I hoped - I prayed - that I would never have anything like that.    

For her, it would save her. For me, something like that would be my downfall. I needed the solitude, needed the freedom. I couldn’t waste time and life hung up on someone. Too many lives could be at risk if the Moon Goddess wrapped me around someone’s finger, so I was putting all my eggs in the basket that she saw that too and afforded me the privilege of being one of the lucky few who didn’t even have a mate. 

She was safe with him. I could trust him with her, so I left. For just a little bit, she needed to be the priority. She needed the family she knew around her, and that wasn’t me. She didn’t know me. Which is why I was in a car on my way up to the Wyoming town that was part of this Snow Moon Pack to take over for one of their scouts that happened to be my sister’s friend. 

It wasn’t a completely selfless act. I was curious - morbidly so. The situation surrounding this gamma was bizarre and I was wondering how it slipped under our radar. That was my fault, though. I had been the acting Wulver Alpha for nearly six years now, and if there had been any transgressions in that time, I should have caught them. 

A war was on the horizon, though, and I needed to know if this was a part of that - a part of something bigger - or just something the pack could manage. 

It would take me a while to get used to no longer being the acting Alpha. We had an alpha now, and she would be good. 

I had to laugh. On the surface, it sounded scary. A girl who had barely come to terms with being a werewolf and was luna of an exceptionally prominent pack also being alpha of the most powerful pack unknown to werewolf kind. But, when it came down to it, a luna was perfect for the Wulver Alpha. Great power wasn’t always brawn, and the Wulver Alpha needed to have poise, diplomacy, and the ability to plan and scheme which, conversely, was why most alphas need a luna. Us males were designed to ask forgiveness, not permission. 

I had heard enough stories of the Little Alpha already, and her best moves as Luna, before she had even accepted the role. She had what it took, and it would be good. Her wolf’s name, Tala, translating to alpha she-wolf, suited perfectly. 

I smiled to myself, looking forward to the future. Little Lya, my long lost baby sister, not only mated to an exceptionally admirable alpha, but also now the alpha of the Wulvers due to winning a challenge - a challenge against our father.

I was excited to see how it would play out. 

My wolf, Alo, was anxious the entire drive to the little Wyoming town. He urged me to drive faster, which puzzled me. To my knowledge, the scout hadn’t discovered anything to report back on, so there was no reason to rush. It wasn’t like backup was needed. But still, every time I tried to slow down to prolong the peace and quiet, I could feel him on the brink of taking over and putting the pedal to the metal. 

The town was built up around what used to be their packhouse, but had been converted into their barracks and training grounds. The girl was staying here, on the premise of assisting the scouts living here with training. Cody had already cleared me to come fill in for her, even though I am not part of the Snow Moon Pack. The miscreant gamma was not impressed, but had no choice other than to accept it. 

The pathological part of me was looking forward to seeing how my presence would stir the pot. 

I glanced around after getting out of my truck. It felt like there were eyes on me, a sensation I was none too keen on. Something in the air made my nose crinkle. It smelled different up here. 

I trudged into the barracks, quickly finding the room that had been assigned to me and tossing my stuff down. The smell was stronger in here, and the prickling feeling of being watched more intense. My wolf offered no suggestions for the source, clearly not concerned. His sole focus was on being let out. 

Begrudgingly, I agreed. It would be a good idea to get a feel for the area before I took over the reins for a few days. 

I found my way out into the treeline. It was dark and no one other than patrols were out. I still refused to shift until I found a secluded spot out of the way of any wandering eyes. I wished I could find a way to utilize silver to obscure my scent in wolf form, but the only reason it worked in my human form was because the wolf completely receded away. Alo wouldn’t be able to hide away but leave his form. 

The familiar sensation of bones crackling and popping, wind rustling through freshly shaken out fur grounded me. I needed this. 

We took in a deep breath of fresh air before Alo sent me catapulting to the very back of our mind. I felt like I had been tossed so hard I hit a wall. Alo and I were usually quite good about sharing control. In most cases, behavior like this from him would have me worried, but his refusal to give me any ounce of information regarding his behavior on the drive up and my own unease upon arriving just made it infuriating. I had no idea what had him so hot and bothered, but it needed to stop. 

'What the fuck is up with you?' I demanded. 

He let out a low rumble, putting his nose to the wind before taking off at a dead sprint. 'You’ll see.'

Alo didn’t run long, abruptly skidding to a halt. He pulled away, leaving me on two legs. 

I glanced around, hoping against hope that there were clothes stashed somewhere, a trick most packs had picked up. Luck was on my side, and I was able to find some jeans to tug on. 

Examining the area to try and find why Alo brought us here, it hit me. 

The scent was undeniable. 

Embers sizzled across my skin. 

Alo rumbled in approval, but didn’t say a word, knowing my thoughts on the matter already.

Just a few yards away was a girl. Tall and all legs. So blonde it would look bleached if it weren’t for the natural glow. Piercing, icy blue eyes. Her pale skin made the flush on her cheeks even more prominent. I didn’t dare look at her naked figure, having clearly just shifted.

For just a few fleeting seconds, I was frozen in place, taking her in. She was angelic. I couldn’t do anything to stop the step forward I unwillingly took.