Page 7 of Wolf Mate's Forbidden Fire
Mara turned to her, her expression softening, the bones in her braids clicking as she moved. “It speaks of a bond that could unite our worlds or burn them to ash. The Forbidden Fire is a force we don’t fully understand, but it’s real, tied to our bloodlines. Aurora’s here, and Omer’s chosen to protect her. That means something, and we must trust the spirits’ guidance.”
Every eye turned to me, hostile glares mixing with curious stares, their weight pressing down like a physical force. My heart pounded, but I straightened, lifting my chin to meet their gazes. “I’m not here to hurt anyone,” I said, my voice carrying over the crowd, steady despite my nerves. “I came to understand yourworld, not to break it. Omer trusts me, and I’ll prove I’m worth that trust, prophecy or not.”
Omer’s eyes met mine, a flicker of pride in them, like a warm hand on my back, giving me strength. The young shifter nodded, a small smile breaking through, and a few others murmured agreement, their faces softening. But the burly shifter and several older ones scowled, their distrust clear in their clenched jaws and narrowed eyes. Lukas stood off to the side, whispering to a small group of shifters, their eyes darting to Omer, their expressions hard and secretive. My stomach twisted. They were plotting something, and Lukas was at the heart of it, his green eyes glinting with ambition.
Mara raised her hand again, silencing the crowd. “Aurora stays, for now,” she said, her voice final, brooking no argument. “Omer’s judgment as alpha holds. But she must respect our ways, and we will watch her closely. The spirits will guide us, as they always have.”
The pack began to disperse, some grumbling under their breath, others casting curious glances my way as they headed back to their cabins. Omer moved to my side, his hand brushing my arm, his voice low. “You okay?” he said, his gray eyes searching mine, concern etched in his face.
I nodded, though my heart was still racing. “Yeah. That was intense, but I’m not backing down. They don’t scare me, Omer.”
He smiled, small but genuine, his hand lingering on my arm. “You’re braver than half my pack. You stood your ground back there, and that’s not nothing. Just stick close to me, alright? Not everyone’s on board with you being here.”
I glanced at Lukas, still whispering with his group, their heads bent close, their eyes flicking toward Omer. I lowered my voice. “That guy, Lukas, he’s trouble, isn’t he? Those shifters he’s talking to, they’re planning something. I can feel it.”
Omer’s jaw tightened, his eyes following mine to Lukas. “He’s always wanted more power,” he said, his voice low. “I’ve known it since we were pups. I’ll handle him. You just focus on staying safe, Aurora.”
I nodded, but my mind was already racing, piecing together the tension in the clearing, the whispers, the prophecy. As the crowd thinned, I noticed a glint in the dirt near the totem I’d hidden behind. I knelt, pretending to tie my boot, and picked up a small stone carved with a jagged rune, like the ones I’d seen in my book of legends. It was smooth, warm in my hand, and I slipped it into my pocket, determined to figure out what it meant. If I was going to stay in Moonridge, I needed to understand their symbols, their secrets, everything that made this place tick.
Omer walked me to the edge of the clearing, his hand resting lightly on my lower back, his touch steadying me against the weight of the night. “I gave you that map because I trust you,” he said, his voice soft but firm, his breath warm against my ear. “I thought keeping you away would protect you, but you’re too stubborn for that. You proved it tonight, standing up to the pack like that.”
I grinned, looking up at him, his gray eyes catching the torchlight. “Told you I’m not running. If I’m your mate, like you said, I’m in this, prophecy or no prophecy. I’m not letting your pack push me out.”
His eyes softened, and he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re going to make my life hell, aren’t you?”
“Bet on it,” I said, my tone teasing, though my heart skipped at how close he was, his warmth cutting through the night’s chill. “You going to show me around this place tomorrow, or am I sneaking back in on my own?”
He chuckled, shaking his head, his hand squeezing my arm gently. “Come back tomorrow. I’ll show you what I can,introduce you to the ones who aren’t ready to bite your head off. But stay sharp, Aurora. Lukas and his crew aren’t done stirring trouble.”
I nodded, my hand brushing his as I turned to leave, the rune stone heavy in my pocket. It felt like a piece of this place, a clue to the secrets I was determined to unravel. Moonridge was dangerous, no question, with its laws and its distrustful shifters, but Omer’s trust, the way he’d stood up for me in front of his pack, made me feel like I could face it. I’d prove my worth, to him, to Mara, to every shifter who doubted me, no matter what it took.
Chapter Eight
Omer
I stood in the predawn mist of Moonridge’s training grounds, my breath visible in the chilly air, as urgent reports from our scouts weighed heavy on my shoulders. Viktor’s pack, the Blackthorn, had been spotted sniffing around our borders, their tracks too close for comfort. They were exploiting the cracks in our pack, the division over Aurora’s presence, and I could feel the tension like a taut bowstring. My wolf growled inside me, itching to run the borders myself, but I had to keep the pack sharp. I’d called a training session at first light, and the clearing was packed with shifters, some in human form, others as wolves, their eyes locked on me. I paced in front of them, my boots sinking into the damp grass, my voice cutting through the quiet. “Viktor’s pack is circling,” I said, my tone hard. “They smell weakness, and we’re not giving them an inch. Today, we drill fighting in both forms. Switch fast, stay sharp. If Blackthorn comes, we’re ready.”
I pointed to a young shifter, Kael, barely eighteen, his gray fur bristling as he lunged at a training dummy in wolf form. His stance was sloppy, his hind legs too far back. “Kael, tighten up,”I barked, striding over. “Plant your paws, keep your weight low. You’re not pouncing on a rabbit, you’re taking down a rival.” He shifted to human form, his face flushed, and nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. “Sorry, alpha,” he said, his voice eager. “I’ll get it right.” I clapped his shoulder, giving him a nod, then turned to the others. “Pair up. Humans, focus on speed. Wolves, focus on precision. Go.”
The clearing erupted into motion, shifters sparring, some grappling hand-to-hand, others snapping jaws as wolves. I moved through them, correcting stances, my eyes scanning for weakness. Lukas stood at the edge, his lean frame relaxed but his green eyes sharp, watching me too closely. He’d been whispering to the traditionalists all week, stirring doubts about my focus, and I could feel his challenge brewing. He stepped forward, arms crossed, his voice loud enough for the others to hear. “Nice speech, Omer,” he said, his smirk sharp. “But are we training to fight Blackthorn or to protect your human? Seems like your head’s not in the game.”
The clearing went quiet, all eyes on us. My temper flared, but I kept my voice steady, stepping close to Lukas. “You got a problem, beta?” I said, my tone low and dangerous. “Say it plain, or get back to training.”
Lukas didn’t flinch, his smirk widening. “I’m saying what everyone’s thinking. You’re spending too much time with that human, Aurora. Viktor’s scouts are out there because they know we’re divided. Maybe if you weren’t so distracted, we wouldn’t be scrambling.”
A few shifters nodded, their faces hard, and my jaw tightened. “I’m handling Viktor,” I said, my voice carrying. “And Aurora’s not your concern. She’s my guest, under my protection. You want to question my leadership, call a challenge. Otherwise, do your job.”
Lukas held my gaze for a moment, then raised his hands, his smirk still there. “No challenge, alpha. Just keeping it real.” He turned to the others, his voice casual but pointed. “Let’s train. Gotta be ready when Omer’s too busy to lead.” A few shifters chuckled, but most got back to work, the air thick with tension. I let it go, for now, but Lukas was pushing too far.
By midmorning, the training session wrapped, and I sent the pack to their duties, my mind already on Aurora. I needed to see her, to warn her about Viktor, to make sure she was safe. I slipped through the forest, sticking to the paths I knew best, until her cabin came into view, its windows glowing with lamplight. I knocked lightly, and she opened the door, her hair pulled back, her eyes bright with focus. Her desk was a mess of notes, open books, and the rune stone I’d seen her pocket at Moonridge, glinting in the light. She was bent over a dusty book of local legends, her pencil moving fast as she jotted down notes. The sight of her, so determined, stirred a mix of pride and fear in my chest. She was too smart, too close to unraveling our secrets.
“Hey,” I said, stepping inside, closing the door behind me. “You’re deep in it, huh?”
She looked up, a small smile breaking through. “Omer,” she said, setting her pencil down. “Didn’t expect you this early. Yeah, I’m trying to crack these shifter texts. This rune stone, it’s like the ones in this book, but the translations are tricky. You going to help me or just stand there looking serious?”
I chuckled, moving to her side, glancing at her notes. “You don’t give up, do you?” I said, my voice soft. “But you need to be careful, Aurora. You’re digging into things that could put a bigger target on your back.”
She stood, stepping closer, her hand brushing mine, her touch sending a spark through me. “I’m not scared,” she said, her voice firm but warm. “You invited me into your world,remember? I’m not backing out now. What’s going on? You look like you haven’t slept.”
