Page 6 of Wolf Mate's Forbidden Fire
I smiled, my heart still pounding. “Yeah. Me neither.” I kissed her forehead, my lips soft against her skin. “But we need to talk, Aurora. What we just did, it’s dangerous. More than you know.”
She stepped back, pulling on her shirt, her eyes searching mine. “Then tell me,” she said, her voice firm, though her cheeks were still flushed. “All of it. No more secrets.”
I grabbed my shirt, tugging it on, the cave’s chill creeping in. “The pack’s laws are strict,” I said, my voice low. “No human contact, no unions. What we did, it’s forbidden. If the pack finds out, they’ll turn on me, on us. And there’s Viktor, a rival alpha from the Blackthorn Pack. He’s been after Moonridge’s territory for years. If he senses I’m distracted, he’ll make his move.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t flinch. “So you’re supposed to just walk away from me? From this?”
I sighed, my chest tight. “I don’t want to. But I’m alpha. My pack comes first. If Viktor attacks, or if the Forbidden Fire wakes, it’s not just us at risk. It’s everyone.”
She crossed her arms, her jaw set. “I’m not leaving, Omer. I’m in this now. You said I’m your mate, and I felt it, right here.” She touched her chest, her eyes fierce. “I’m not walking away. We’ll figure it out together.”
I stared at her, her words strengthening my resolve, her courage like a spark in the dark. “You’re crazy,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips. “And maybe I am too.”
She grinned, stepping closer, her hand on my arm. “Good. Because I’m not letting you do this alone.”
We lingered in the cave, her head on my shoulder, the mist swirling around us. I didn’t want to leave, but duty called. I walked her to the cave’s edge, the forest dark beyond. “Stay safe,” I said, my voice soft. “I’ll come back when I can.”
She nodded, her fingers brushing mine. “You better.”
I watched her go, her flashlight beam fading into the trees, then turned back to the cave. I pulled my knife from my pocket and carved a rune into the wall, a jagged symbol of protection, marking this place, this moment where we’d been one. My heart was torn, love and duty pulling me apart, but her strength gave me hope. Maybe we could face the Fire together.
Chapter Seven
Aurora
I clutched Omer’s hand-drawn map, the paper crinkling in my sweaty palm as I crept through the dense Esoterra forest, my boots silent on the pine needles. He’d left it on my cabin porch, tucked under the wolf totem, with a note scrawled in rough handwriting:If you’re brave enough, meet me at Moonridge. I’ll show you my world.I wasn’t sure why he’d changed his mind about keeping me away, but the gesture felt like a door opening, a sign he trusted me enough to let me in. My heart pounded, a mix of excitement and fear, as I navigated narrow paths lit only by moonlight filtering through the trees. I’d slipped out of my cabin at dusk, leaving my camera behind, my quartz pendant tucked under my shirt, its weight a small anchor against my nerves. The forest was quiet, every rustle making me jump, my flashlight dimmed to avoid drawing eyes. I ducked under low branches, the air thick with the scent of earth and something wilder, like fur and smoke, as if the forest itself was alive and watching.
Voices drifted through the trees, low and tense, and I froze, crouching behind a moss-covered rock. Two shifters stood on a nearby path, their silhouettes sharp against the moonlight. A woman with tight braids gestured sharply, her voice hard. “Another human in our territory,” she said. “First those cameras, now this. Omer’s losing his grip, letting her get too close.”
The man beside her, broad-shouldered with a scar on his cheek, growled. “He’s too soft. If Viktor’s pack catches wind of a human snooping, we’re done. We need to drive her out before she brings more trouble.”
My fingers tightened on the map, my breath shallow. They were talking about me. I waited until their footsteps faded, then moved deeper into the forest, sticking to the shadows, my heart thumping loud enough to betray me. The path twisted through dense pines, the air growing cooler as I followed Omer’s crude lines. The map led me to a clearing, a cluster of wooden cabins and carved totems lit by flickering torches. Moonridge. The heart of the shifter pack. My pulse raced as I slipped behind a tall totem, its wolf face looming above, its carved eyes seeming to track my every move. The clearing buzzed with activity, shifters moving between cabins, their voices a low hum, some carrying bundles of firewood, others sharpening blades that glinted in the torchlight. I scanned for Omer, my eyes darting from face to face, when a hand clamped onto my shoulder.
I spun, heart in my throat, facing a lean man with sharp green eyes and a smirk like a blade. “Well, well,” he said, his voice low and mocking. “A lost human. I’m Lukas, beta of Moonridge, and you’re in the wrong place, sweetheart.”
I yanked my shoulder free, standing tall despite the shake in my legs. “I’m not lost,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Omer invited me. I’m here to see him, not you.”
Lukas’s smirk faded, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Invited you?” he said, disbelief dripping from his voice. “That’s a newone. You’re coming with me. The pack decides what to do with trespassers like you.”
He grabbed my arm, his grip tight, and started pulling me toward the center of the clearing. Shifters turned, their eyes glinting in the torchlight, murmurs spreading like ripples in a pond. I struggled, digging my heels into the dirt, but his hold was like iron. “Let go,” I said, my voice sharp. “Omer’s expecting me, and I’m not your prisoner.”
A deep voice cut through the noise. “Enough, Lukas.” Omer stepped into the clearing, his presence filling the space, his gray eyes blazing as they locked onto Lukas. “She’s my guest. Let her go. Now.”
Lukas froze, loosening his grip, but his eyes stayed cold, calculating. “Your guest?” he said, his voice thick with skepticism. “She’s a human, Omer. You know the laws. No outsiders in Moonridge.”
The crowd’s murmurs grew louder, angry voices rising like a tide. A burly shifter with a shaved head and a scowl stepped forward, fists clenched. “He’s right,” he said, glaring at me. “No humans here. You’re putting us all at risk, alpha, bringing her into our home.”
Omer moved between me and the crowd, his shoulders squared, his voice hard but controlled. “I said she’s my guest,” he repeated, his eyes sweeping the pack, daring anyone to step forward. “I brought her here to show her our ways, to keep her from stumbling into our secrets blind. She’s not a threat unless we make her one. You want to challenge that, you challenge me.”
The crowd quieted, but the tension was thick, like a storm waiting to break. Lukas released my arm, stepping back, his smirk returning, sharp and dangerous. “Your call, alpha,” he said, his tone mocking. “But don’t expect us to roll over for a human just because you say so.”
Before anyone else could speak, a figure moved through the crowd, her silver braids adorned with small bones catching the torchlight. Mara, the elder Omer had told me about, raised a hand, and the pack fell silent, her presence like a weight settling over the clearing. “Enough,” she said, her voice calm but firm, cutting through the murmurs like a blade. “Aurora’s here, and the spirits have allowed it. There’s a reason for her presence.”
The burly shifter scoffed, crossing his arms. “What reason, Mara? She’s a threat. The laws are clear, no humans in Moonridge, no exceptions.”
Mara’s sharp eyes flicked to him, then to me, her gaze steady. “The laws are old, but the spirits are older,” she said. “There’s a prophecy, whispered among us for generations. A human-shifter union could save Esoterra, or it could destroy it. The Forbidden Fire is tied to that bond. Aurora’s presence here, with Omer, is no accident. The spirits have guided her to us.”
The crowd erupted, voices clashing, some angry, some curious. A young shifter, barely out of her teens, with short dark hair and wide eyes, stepped forward. “Save us?” she said, her voice soft but clear over the noise. “How, Mara? What does the prophecy say?”
