Page 40 of Holiday Surprise

“Leave it,” I yelled to Sid. “Get everyone out and to the road.”

I could already hear sirens in the distance. The sound was growing closer and I was certain someone had already called 9-1-1.

Others joined in at my command as they halted their efforts to put out the fire and started wrangling everyone out to the road.

“Everyone’s accounted for, Luke,” Nettie calmly informed me.

“We can’t just stand here and let it burn,” Cruz argued even as the firetrucks pulled up and the firefighters immediately pushed us out of the way as they got to work in an attempt to save what they could. “At least let us try to save your place,” Cruz begged.

“What the hell does it matter if everything else is gone?” I yelled back.

One of the first alert guys pushed me out of the way as he set up a parameter around the place. I growled at him, but over the noise and adrenaline, I don’t think he even noticed.

I turned back to Cruz who looked every bit as helpless as I felt, while we stood there watching our homes burn to the ground in a matter of minutes.

I hugged him tightly. “Nothing else matters but you guys,” I said loud enough that I knew everyone in the pack heard me. “We’ll find a way to rebuild. We have insurance. We’re going to be okay,” I tried to assure them, even while a hopeless pain nearly gutted me. We couldn’t recover from this and I knew it.

I had to hand it to them, once onsite the firemen had worked quickly to put out the fire, but the smoldering embers still blazed in vibrant blues, reds, and oranges threatening to reignite at any second.

People were huddled together. We didn’t feel the cold as much as humans do. Our wolves helped regulate our temperatures and we could withstand low temps with no problem, but no one would ever know it to look at us now all clumped together, clinging to one another, scared, and cold, numb from the reality of what was unfolding before our very eyes.

I picked up the phone and dialed Sydney’s number, thankful she’d finally given it to me.

Our conversation was brief, and I didn’t know what all I’d said. I caught myself mumbling incoherently from the shock.

I knew I’d told her to stay home or go to Peyton and Oliver’s place, but fifteen minutes later, she pulled up and jumped out of her car, running towards me. Tears had caused her mascara to streak her face, but she had never looked more beautiful to me.

She ran into my arms, and I caught her midair and held on for dear life. The others stopped and watched. I could feel their stares, but I didn’t care.

Jedidiah had once told me that he had never taken a mate because a woman only made an Alpha weak and vulnerable. In that moment I knew what he meant, but the strength she provided me with her presence made me understand just how very wrong he had been. With Sydney by my side, I didn’t feel quite so despaired. Somehow, I knew we’d be okay. I didn’t know when or how, but we were going to get past this.

As the firemen worked tirelessly, the leader of the group came over to us. I stepped forward and while he looked around at the others, he instinctively seemed to understand I was the one he needed to speak with. He nodded and we walked away from the group to talk.

I begrudgingly let go of Sydney who immediately turned to the others to tend to any immediate needs. For the most part everyone was fine, a few minor scrapes and burns. Most were still in shock though. I smiled appreciatively as she talked to each person, hugging and crying along with them. I wondered if she realized she’d gone into full Pack Mother mode.

“So, I don’t want to freak everyone out, but we’ve already identified the start of the fire,” he said immediately.

I sighed. “The bonfire in the courtyard. I had asked the teens to wait until later, but I guess they didn’t listen.”

He frowned and shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not. We found a body. Looks like an older man fell asleep with a cigarette and lit the old mattress on fire. Judging by the sheer number of beer cans we identified, I’d guess he was drunk and never even woke.”

I shook my head. “That’s not possible. Everyone is accounted for.”

The man shrugged. “Maybe it was just someone passing through then.”

“Which trailer?” I asked hesitantly.

When he pointed it out, my stomach sunk, and I wanted to vomit. “That’s Smith’s trailer. He’s been traveling a lot for work. I didn’t even know he was home.”

“I’m sorry. Is there someone who can identify the body?”

I nodded. “I’ll break the news to his sons.”

“Okay. Like I said, we’re pretty sure from the scene what happened, but the final autopsy will confirm everything. I’m certain of it,” the chief said.

I shook my head. “No autopsy. It’s on file with the Sherriff’s office. You can discuss it with him. It goes against our religious beliefs,” I said as if on autopilot. It was only one of many lies we told to protect our kind. While in human form, it would take a very keen doctor to identify the differences, there were genetic variances making things like doctors and autopsies too great a risk.

The chief looked at me as if I were insane, but shrugged and mumbled, “Whatever. We’ll finish up here and be on our way. The largest trailer up front here, may be salvageable, but everything else in the park will be condemned. Do you understand?”

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