Page 11 of Wolf Mate's Forbidden Fire
“You’d learn,” he said, grinning, his lips brushing my forehead. “And we’d have nights like this, just us, no battles, no prophecies. Maybe even a pup or two, if you’re up for it.”
My heart skipped, but I smiled, the idea sweet and warm, like a promise of something real. “Pups, huh?” I said, my voice soft. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, alpha. But… yeah, I could see that. Us, a family, Moonridge safe. Sounds perfect.”
“It will be,” he said, his voice firm, his hand cupping my cheek. “We’ll make it happen, Aurora. I promise.”
I nodded, my fingers tracing the bracelet and amulet on my wrist, their weight a vow we’d fight for. “We will,” I said, kissing him softly, my lips lingering on his. “Together.”
We fell asleep in each other’s arms, his warmth enveloping me, the fire’s glow fading as the cabin grew still. I dreamed of a fiery wolf, its fur blazing, its gray eyes Omer’s, guiding me through a forest of flames. The fire didn’t scare me; it felt like strength, like our bond, and I followed, knowing we’d face the battle united, our love a shield against whatever came next.
Chapter Twelve
Omer
The first light of dawn bled across the Esoterra sky, painting the horizon in fiery streaks, but the peace shattered as Viktor’s Blackthorn Pack erupted from the forest, a storm of snarling wolves and flashing claws. Their howls split the air, a chilling war cry that sent birds scattering from the pines. I stood at the edge of Moonridge’s clearing, my pack arrayed behind me, their amulets glinting like beacons in the dim light. My wolf clawed at my chest, desperate to break free, but I stayed human, my gray eyes blazing as I scanned the onslaught. Viktor’s wolves were relentless, their numbers overwhelming, at least thirty strong, their fur a blur of brown and black as they charged. Aurora was in the sacred grove, preparing the Forbidden Fire ritual, our last hope to turn the tide. My heart pounded, not just for the battle but for her, out there risking everything to save us. I raised my fist, my voice thundering over the chaos. “Hold the line!” I roared. “Squad one, flank left, cut their advance! Squad two, right ridge, pin them down! Wolves, strike low, humans, aim for their eyes!” The pack surged forward, their training kicking in,wolves leaping into the fray, humans wielding blades and bows with deadly precision.
I shifted to wolf form, my black fur bristling, my claws digging into the earth as I charged, slamming into a Blackthorn wolf, my jaws snapping at its flank. It yelped, blood spraying, and I spun, tackling another, my claws raking its side. Kael, the young shifter, fought beside me, his gray fur matted with dirt as he lunged at an enemy, his teeth sinking into its leg. “Stay tight, Kael!” I growled, my voice rough through my wolf’s throat. “Keep them away from the grove!” He nodded, his eyes fierce, and snapped at another wolf, dragging it down. The air was thick with snarls, the clash of bodies, and the coppery scent of blood, the ground turning to mud under our feet. I spotted Viktor, his massive brown wolf form cutting through our lines like a blade, his amber eyes locked on me, his intent clear. He was coming for me, and I welcomed it.
A piercing scream from the grove froze my blood. Aurora. I shifted to human, my boots sliding in the slick mud, and barked orders. “Mara, hold the center!” I shouted, spotting the elder wielding her staff like a warrior, directing shifters with sharp commands. “Kael, cover the north flank!” Mara nodded, her silver braids swinging as she rallied the pack, her voice calm but commanding. “We’ve got this, alpha!” she called, slamming her staff into a Blackthorn wolf’s skull. I sprinted toward the grove, dodging snapping jaws and swinging blades, my heart hammering. The air hummed with a strange energy, and as I reached the sacred circle, I saw Aurora at its heart, her voice steady as she chanted, her hands raised over glowing runes carved into the stones. Mystical flames erupted, blue and gold, spiraling upward, their heatless glow pulsing with power. Viktor’s wolves howled in agony, their movements slowing, their strength draining as the Forbidden Fire took hold.
“Aurora, keep it going!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the din. “It’s working!” She glanced at me, her eyes blazing with determination, her hands steady as she clutched the rune stone, her chant rising in strength. The flames flared higher, a shimmering wall of light, and Blackthorn wolves staggered, some collapsing, their eyes wide with fear. I shifted back to wolf, my focus narrowing to Viktor, who barreled through the chaos, his massive form shrugging off the Fire’s effects. I met him head-on, our bodies colliding with a bone-jarring crash, claws tearing into fur and flesh. He snapped at my throat, his teeth grazing my shoulder, pain searing through me, but I twisted, raking my claws across his side, blood streaming down his fur. “You’re done, Viktor!” I snarled, my voice a guttural roar. “Moonridge is mine!”
He lunged again, his jaws closing on my foreleg, the pain white-hot, but I rolled, slamming him into the ground, my teeth sinking into his flank. “You thought Lukas’s betrayal would break us?” I growled, shifting to human, grabbing his scruff, and slamming his head into a rock. He roared, shifting to human, his scarred face twisted with rage, and swung a fist, catching my jaw. Stars burst in my vision, but I ducked his next swing, my own fist smashing into his chest, knocking the air from him. I shifted back to wolf, leaping, my claws tearing across his chest, blood spraying, and with a final surge, I closed my jaws on his throat, my teeth sinking deep. Viktor’s body went limp, his amber eyes dulling, and I stepped back, panting, blood dripping from my fur, the duel over. The Blackthorn wolves faltered, their leader dead, the Forbidden Fire’s flames sapping their will, and my pack pressed forward, driving them back with renewed ferocity.
A glint of steel caught my eye, and my heart stopped. Lukas, in human form, his blade gleaming, slipped into the grove, moving toward Aurora like a shadow. “Aurora, behind you!” I roared, shifting mid-stride, my boots pounding the earth as Isprinted. She turned, her eyes wide, but Lukas was fast, his blade arcing toward her chest. I tackled him, my shoulder slamming into his ribs, sending him sprawling into the dirt, his knife skittering across the ground. He rolled, slashing at me with a second blade hidden in his sleeve, the metal slicing my arm, pain flaring, but I grabbed his wrist, twisting until it snapped, his scream sharp. I drove my knee into his chest, pinning him, my blood dripping onto his shirt. “You traitor!” I roared, my fist crashing into his face, splitting his lip. “You’d kill her to prove a point?”
Lukas snarled, his green eyes wild, blood streaming from his nose. “You’re the traitor, Omer!” he spat, struggling under me. “You chose a human over the pack! Viktor should’ve won!” I punched him again, my knuckles raw, and he slumped, groaning, his fight gone. I stood, kicking his blade into the brush, my voice cold. “Run, Lukas. If I see you again, you’re dead.” He scrambled to his feet, clutching his broken wrist, and fled into the forest, his form swallowed by the shadows.
I turned to Aurora, who stood firm in the circle, the flames around her subsiding, their blue-gold glow fading as the ritual ended. Her face was pale, her hands trembling as she dropped the rune stone, but her eyes were fierce, unbroken. “You okay?” I said, my voice hoarse, stepping into the circle, my arm throbbing from Lukas’s blade, blood soaking my sleeve.
She nodded, grabbing my shirt, pulling me close, her voice steady despite the chaos. “I’m fine,” she said. “The ritual worked, Omer. It weakened them, just like we planned. You got Viktor?”
“Yeah,” I said, my breath uneven, pulling her into my arms, the mate bond blazing, her warmth cutting through the pain. “He’s gone. You saved us, Aurora. That Fire, your chant, it turned the tide.” The pack was regrouping, their howls of victory rising, but I saw scars and wounds on their bodies, Kael limping,Mara bandaging a young shifter’s arm. The cost was heavy, but Moonridge stood tall.
She looked up at me, her hands on my chest, fingers brushing the amulet she wore. “We saved us,” she said, her voice firm. “Together. The prophecy, it wasn’t about destruction. Our bond, it made the Fire protect us.”
I nodded, kissing her hard, my hands cupping her face, the world narrowing to just us for a moment. “You’re right,” I said, my lips against her hair. “You and me, we’re stronger than any curse. Now let’s get our pack home.”
She smiled, stepping back, her hand in mine. “Lead the way, alpha,” she said, her voice teasing but warm. “But don’t think I’m done with that ritual. I’ve got questions about how it worked.”
I chuckled, the sound rough but real, and led her out of the grove, the pack falling in behind us. The forest was scarred, the air heavy with blood and smoke, but Moonridge stood victorious, our bond unbroken. I glanced at Aurora, her strength my anchor, and knew we’d face whatever came next together, the Forbidden Fire’s prophecy fulfilled, not in ruin, but in triumph.
Chapter Thirteen
Aurora
The morning sun filtered through the pines, casting golden patches over Moonridge’s clearing, where the pack gathered, weary but hopeful, to rebuild after the battle with Viktor’s Blackthorn Pack. The air smelled of fresh-cut wood and earth, shifters hauling logs to repair damaged cabins, their faces marked with cuts and bruises but their spirits lifted by victory. I stood at the edge of the clearing, my boots sinking into the soft ground, the woven bracelet and sacred amulet on my wrist glinting in the light. Omer was across the clearing, directing a group of shifters as they raised a new roof beam, his voice steady, his gray eyes bright despite the exhaustion etched into his features. My heart swelled watching him, our bond stronger than ever after the Forbidden Fire ritual saved us. The pack had called a council meeting for noon, and the weight of it hung in the air, a chance to reshape Moonridge’s future.
Inside the war room, the pack crowded around the oak table, the mood tense but open. Mara stood at one end, her silver braids adorned with bones, her staff tapping the floor to quietthe murmurs. Omer sat beside me, his hand brushing mine under the table, his warmth steadying my nerves. I adjusted my notebook, filled with research on wolf biology and the ritual, ready to make my case. Mara raised her hand, her voice calm but firm. “Moonridge stands because of our unity,” she said, her eyes sweeping the room. “Aurora’s ritual turned the Forbidden Fire into our shield. Viktor’s gone, Lukas fled, but we face a choice. The law against human-shifter unions has kept us hidden, but it nearly tore us apart. We vote today: does Aurora stay as Omer’s mate, or do we cling to the old ways?”
Toren, the burly shifter with a shaved head, stood, his voice gruff. “She’s human,” he said, crossing his arms. “The law’s kept us safe for centuries. Why change it now?”
Kael, the young shifter, stood next, his gray eyes fierce. “Because she saved us,” he said, his voice steady. “Aurora’s not just human, she’s Omer’s mate. The Fire didn’t burn us, it protected us. That’s a sign. I say she stays.”
Murmurs rippled through the room, some nodding, others frowning. Rhea, the woman with tight braids, spoke up, her voice soft but clear. “I was against her at first,” she said, glancing at me. “But she stood with us, risked her life. If the spirits chose her for Omer, who are we to argue?”
I squeezed Omer’s hand, my heart racing, and he leaned closer, his voice low. “You’ve got them thinking,” he said, a smile in his voice. “Speak up, Aurora. They need to hear you.”
I stood, my voice steady despite the eyes on me. “I came here to study wolves, not to change your world,” I said, looking around the table. “But I love Omer, and I love Moonridge. I’m not here to break your laws, I’m here to help. My research can strengthen your connection to your wolf side, help you heal, maybe even grow. I’m asking for a chance to be part of this, to prove I belong.”
