Page 5 of When Embers Become Ashes

I knock Gerald away from my mate, clawing at his chest as I do. He lets out a roar, but it gets caught in his throat as I tear his neck with my teeth, spraying his blood over the room, Ember and my fur.

Before his body settles on the floor, I shift back and turn to Ember, hoping she’s ok, a quick glance and both of us blowing out a relieved breath, is all I get before the door opens.

I push Ember behind me, taking on a partial shift for the first time, my hands turning to claws, my face elongating to a snout, I claw Rafe from nuts to nostrils, then shift back to my Human form as I hear Ember gasp, at the same time, I see why.

Someone unknown standing behind where Rafe’s body is now in a bloody pile, with his innards spilling out, his blood mingling with that of the Alphas Shit!

Ember

“Maybe we should step outside!” The stranger says as he pulls out his phone and heads outside. Ren slips his hoodie over my head and pulls the dress off my arms before threading my arms into the sleeves. The hoodie falls to my knees, so it’s pretty much a dress anyway. He grabs my hand in a vice grip, his body tense and ready for another attack. Leading me outside. I knew he would never let me be hurt, and I was safe with him there in the room. I never expected him to kill Gerald for me; I hold his hand like it is my only lifeline; if I let go, I will start to cry, and I would rather do that after a shower when I’m curled up safe in Ren’s room later, not where the whispers about the weak, worthless human will start making rounds again.

More people we don’t know start to arrive. Margo starts barking orders and bossing the stranger around.

An hour later, Ren gets pulled away by a man who feels familiar, but I can’t work out why.

More time passes, I just sit and watch, trying to process what this means for me now, I hear a familiar car pull up, and before I can shout for Ren, Jameson grabs the scruff of my neck and puts something that smells odd over my nose and mouth – my last view is of Ren, standing tall as if he was an adult not six years old, he has been forced to become older, more mature when Mama Lou was around he had times he was allowed to be a boy since he has been heir to the pack nothing more, I reach up and feel the corduroy jacket sleeve under my fingers as everything falls black.

Ren

I explain as much as I can to Enforcer Trunk. It’s an odd name! He says his true name is a traditional Cherokee name, and it’s easier to go by his nickname. I just want to get back to Ember.

All the new people are giving her a wide berth, thinking she’s a poor human that’s got mixed up in shifter problems. I’ve told Enforcer Trunk that’s not the case, and I want her to stay with me wherever I go so she’s safe, and he has promised to try.

I won’t stay here, there are nothing but bad memories for me here, and other than a few low-ranking pack members the other enjoy how Gerald ran the pack, and that wouldn’t be my way, I want to be liked and respected not feared, as far as I’m concerned right now I never want my own pack, and it definitely won’t be here, the place myMotherand baby sister was killed, the place where my Twin was shunned for not being a wolf, the place my Father tried to rape my mate, no I want us away from this place.

We hear a car backfire for the second time, and as I turn to check where Ember is and which car is making the noise, she isn’t where I left her, I run over to where I had left her sitting on a wood pile. There’s an odd smell I can’t place, and I smell the scent of someone that I smelled on Ember when she first arrived. Enforcer Trunk follows me over and inhales, followed by a growl, “Jameson,” is the only thing I understand before he starts yelling into his phone in what I can only guess is Cherokee.

“Jameson is Ember’s social worker,” I say but finish my statement in my head, that he’s retaken her to goddess knows where. I snatch Enforcer Trunk’s phone.

“I will go to this pack you want me to, but on three conditions.”

He blinks at me as I slam the phone back to his chest. He presses a button so I can hear the person on the other end of the phone, too. I slam my Alpha dominance out, making a fair few people drop to their knees, and everyone looks at me. Ember used to giggle when I tried to use my Alpha commands on her, saying it tickled,

“Okay lad, my Alpha is on the other end of the phone, and it’s his pack you will be going to.” Enforcer Trunk’s Knees wobble with the force of my command.

I take a deep breath and pull back some of the dominance I’m throwing out.

“My name is Alpha Dominic Ivanova, I will be your guardian when you arrive at the TripleMoon pack. What are your conditions Alpha Firefall?” I look around and I can see I’m still being watched, Margo has a proud look and her face and she gives me a nod, before heading off else where, I look at Enforcer Trunk rather than a faceless phone.

“Xander, my half-brother, was sent to a private school. He comes with me!” Trunk nods, and Alpha Dominic, asks for the details of the school. I know some, as Xander has been sending me letters via Margo.

“You find my twin and bring him back to me.” Again, I give what information I have, but we haven’t communicated since he left, and our twin link is blocked. I can hear typing on the other end of the phone, so the Alpha must be making notes as we speak:

“Finally, you Find Ember before Jameson puts my mate somewhere she will never be found.” It was the first time I’d voiced it, and it only really clicked; that’s what she was to me when I saw my father pin her as he did. I may only be 6 years old, but I know the type of person he is just from Gerald’s first statement on Ember’s arrival.

“Okay, kid, I’ve got some basic information from you and will go more in-depth when you get here. Grab what stuff of yours and theirs you want to keep, and Henry will give you a ride home while Trunk finishes up there,” Alpha Dominic concludes before hanging up.

When we realized Ember had gone, Pine started chanting in my head, “mate gone, find, need safe”. He’s known since that first meeting when she was curled up asleep in that chair. The stranger that had been behind Rafe comes over,

“Hey kid, I’m Henry. Do you want help getting your stuff?”

I shake my head and head off to Xander’s room. Most of his stuff is still packed from moving in after we lost our moms. I stack it all outside his door and then head to Jay’s room. Pulling down two suitcases, I throw his essentials in including the drawings and photos he has around the room and then whatever clothes fit, again sitting them at his door. Henry and a young guy called Jaelan are standing in the hall,

“Want us to start taking this down?” I sigh but nod. I will be out of here quicker if they’d helped. I head into Ember’s room, grab the few items that are still in there, and then dump them on my bed. Going back out, I Grab Mama Lou’s old travel set; they are massive trunks, the largest is still full of her Kimonos, and the smallest has her family Jewelry in them. They both get left in the hall; the other three I take in my room, the largest empty one I fill with Ember’s sketch pads and art supplies. I fold one of her blankets on top to stop it all moving around; the next, I put all her clothes in, adding the quilt Mama Lou made me. The final one, I collect all of the books and things of Mama Lou’s I managed to hide before Gerald got rid of them, including the photos of us Xander took on his moms phone before Mama Lou and baby Aimi died.

Finally, I grab my two cases down and pile as much of my clothes and stuff in. Grabbing my backpack and throwing what’s left of Jay’s snacks in that Ember and I have been munching since he left. I throw Lenny’s phone and charger in there, too.

We get the last of the stuff loaded into Henry’s Truck. I jump in the front seat, I don’t look back as we drive away. There is nothing left for me there now; they can burn it to the ground for all I care. I know the pack was looking to me to lead, but those who knew me knew I was leaving as soon as possible, not wanting anything to do with the WolfBlood Pack.

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