Page 96 of A Wolf's Heart

“Yes, Alpha,” I found myself whispering automatically.

“I will allow you the same respect.” He pressed his lips up my neck, traveling along my jaw. “I will take no other female.”

Damn, my heart was singing, my wolf was pleased, and I fell maybe a little for Kage Cridhe.

We wereat Rainor’s restaurant, the same place we had gone to before, with the robot server. Only, this time, it was packed, and as far as I could tell, every single person was a shifter. We met with clan leaders; they worked directly below Kage. The food was amazing and the drinks were delicious, which meant by the end of the evening, stories were flying around with little filter.

I was placed between Rainor and Weylin, and the two of them were driving me absolutely up the wall. Little touches here and there, fingers trailing up my thighs, only to stop short and be removed.

There were no challenges, no growls or fights. Just a large group of shifters getting together over delicious food. It was late before we called it a night. It was past midnight, and the party was still going on as a few people left the restaurant and started heading into the back of the building.

“What’s back there?” I asked Rainor.

“The club. It’s underground, shifters only.”

I smiled. “You guys have a thing for underground floors.”

“Would you like to go?” he asked.

No. It was late, and Max was waiting for us to return. “Next time,” I said.

Utterly exhausted,I leaned into Rainor, resting my head on his chest for most of the car ride home. I was having the best night of my life, surrounded by my mates, among others of my kind, and I couldn’t imagine a better evening.

The glowing orange was the first to catch my attention, which, in hindsight, was quite out of place because you would think the smell of smoke would’ve reached me first. Though, perhaps, Rainor’s scent was masking it.

The red and blue flashing lights were the next to hold my attention. I sat up in the seat and leaned forward. “Was there an accident?” I asked, my eyes trying to focus.

Odd, not recognizing my own street. The street my house was nestled in. The street my parents would drive me home on after a late night at the movies. The street I where learned to ride a bike. The street where I had my first kiss on. The street… my house burned down… on.

Time moved slowly, yet it was all a blur. The firefighters stood there with a hose, not even aiming it at my house but beside it, wetting everything around, as if they had already given up on my childhood bungalow, an ambulance waiting on standby.

Rainor, Kage, and Weylin were out of the car the moment it was thrown into park, but I remained sitting there, watching the flames devour my house, licking up to the sky. I moved slowly, still blinking, trying to comprehend what the hell was happening as I walked up on the scene before me, stepping next to the guys.

And then it clicked.

A single word.

A single name tore from my lips.

“Max!” Gut-wrenching pain swallowed my heart whole. He would’ve come immediately after the first call. “Max!” I tried to run to the house, but arms wrapped around me, holding me back. I threw an elbow to someone's face, screaming from the top of my lungs. “Max!”

Kage ran. No one stopped him, not even the firefighters, though they yelled at him not to enter. Kage broke through the front door and disappeared into the fire and smoke. Half of the house collapsed, right where the bedrooms and bathroom were.

“No!” Sobs racked my body as I screamed. No tears fell, and my body was in too much shock to fully understand what to feel.

Rainor ran next, not even hesitating as he entered what was left of the flame-encased home.

My dog. My home… my wolves. Weylin was saying something as he continued to hold me back, words I couldn’t grasp with the chaos of the moment. Firefighters were getting their tanks on, ready to go in after the others, when Rainor stepped out from the burning home.

Over his shoulder, he carried a black wolf, only this wolf was not Kage. This wolf had white paws.

When Kage stepped out of the house, Max in his arms, wrapped in his shirt, my whole world fell apart at once. I was shaking so hard, Weylin could no longer hold me. I slipped free and ran to them. Once he was clear from the fire, Kage set Max’s limp body down on the ground. He moved, as if he was going to check for a pulse, but I pushed him out of the way.

“M-m-max?” The tears flowed now. “I can save you, buddy.” I really thought I could. His fur was missing from most of his body, skin peeling from third-degree burns that continued to cook his flesh.

I couldn’t feel his pulse, and he wasn’t breathing, so I breathed for him.

Breathe. Breathe.

---