My Alpha, My Home

The Bonfire

    Kade paced around the long buffet tables that had been set up for the night’s bonfire.  He felt something stirring in the air putting him on edge but he couldn’t put his finger on what was putting him on high alert.  As the Alpha’s eldest son, he felt a certain responsibility to track down the source of the potential threat but he simply didn’t know where to start since he could only feel a strange static electricity in the air.  Kade looked up, searching the sky in hopes of storm clouds causing the feeling but only finding a perfectly clear sky filled with stars.

    “What’s the matter, son?  You seem agitated,” spoke his mother and Luna of the pack, Charlene.

    “I’m not sure.  The back of my neck is just itching,” Kade replied.

    His mother shrugged, unconcerned.  “Your father and the border control haven’t sensed anything.  You need to relax.  You’re going to have a heart attack at twenty-one if you don’t learn to calm down.  Go make yourself a drink and try to enjoy yourself for once.”

    Kade looked at his mother before giving her a slight nod and walking off to grab a beer and slice of pizza.  He took a seat on one of the thick fallen tree logs near the fire and took a long draw of his beer.  He could still feel the electricity in the air and had a feeling something was about to happen tonight.

*****

    Amber and her family arrived at the bonfire just as the pack was getting out the marshmallows for roasting.  They had been running a bit behind after Brenda and Lauren were arguing over what skirts to wear.  Amber, on the other hand, had tossed on a pair of blue jeans, converse, and a grey hoodie with the college insignia to which she had gained early acceptance.  She was beyond excited to leave for college next year, even if it was only a two-hour drive from home.  Instead of the pounds of makeup that the twins were wearing, Amber had on a bit of foundation, mascara, and chapstick with her hair up in a messy ponytail.  Briana had given Amber hell over her appearance before they left the house but, oddly enough, it was her son Tyler that shut his mom’s complaining down, telling her to leave Amber alone.  For some reason, Briana never argued or even had an opinion against her son, and she quickly let it go.

    Amber walked around the outskirts of the gathering looking for her friend Stacy.  She had told Amber she would be there tonight after a quick text was sent before Amber had gotten in the shower.  Stacy was nowhere to be found.  A few pack members, old friends of her mom’s, noticed Amber and asked how she was doing.  They always had a hint of pity in their gaze; another reason Amber did not like attending pack events.  Giving polite answers, Amber quickly slipped away further into the background while pulling out her phone to call Stacy.

    Twenty minutes had past along with several text messages and phone calls with no response from Stacy.  Not knowing what to do with herself, Amber began to weave through the crowd of pack members in search of her dad.  At least she could hang out with him until she heard back from Stacy.  Locating him by the buffet table with a plate in his hand, Amber made a bee-line for her dad.  She felt a set of eyes on her but ignored them as she made her way to her dad.  She was only a few feet away from her dad when Amber was suddenly tackled in a hug, by none other than her Stacy.

    “Hey, girl!  Sorry, I’m late.  I dropped my phone trying to climb into my brother’s monster truck and it broke or I would have let you know.  Let’s get food, I’m hungry as a dog,” Stacy laughed.

    A couple slices of pizza and cookies later, Stacy and Amber were sitting on a log farthest from the fire chatting.  Amber felt eyes on her again and started looking around.

    “What are you looking for?” Stacy asked.

    “I keep feeling like someone is looking at me,” Amber replied.  She sighed, “I’m probably just imagining it and my wolf is staying quiet.  I don’t normally go to these things so it’s weird, you know?”

    “Yeah, I know.  I’m glad you came out though.  I love going to the bonfires but I don’t like going by myself and my brother just runs off on his own as soon as the truck stops.”  Stacy rolled her eyes.  Her brother Danny was nineteen and only thought of chasing down the girls in hopes of catching a sniff of his mate.

Amber still felt eyes on her.  She gave herself a mental shake and stared into the fire watching the flames dance while Stacy started telling her another Danny story.

*****

               The hair on the back of Kade’s neck stood up.  He felt like a bolt of lightning just struck him; his body was buzzing with energy and he went on high alert.  What could be causing this?  It was as if he had just stuck a fork in a wall socket the way that the air around him crackled with energy.  He looked up from his seat in front of the bonfire searching for the cause.  He didn’t see any threats and no one else seemed to sense the odd energy. 

               Kade’s wolf started pacing and growling in his mind, restless and needing to get out.

               ‘What’s going on?”  Kade asked his wolf but received no response.  Annoyed, Kade shifted on the log and tried to pretend to be interested in whatever story the girl next to him was telling.  He couldn’t remember her name and it didn’t matter.  She didn’t matter.  He’d just screw her and toss her out before sunrise like all of the rest.

               “She’s here.” Kade’s wolf growled at him.  “She’s here.  OURS!”

               Kade perked up.  Well, that explained that.  He looked at the girl sitting next to him.  She was hanging on his arm oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t paying her any attention.

               “Hey,” Kade interrupted the girl’s story.  “I’ve got to go find someone.” 

               The girl stood up when Kade did and winked, “Ok, I’ll just find you later then.” 

               “No.  I’m not interested and I have more important things to do.”  Kade didn’t mean to growl at her but he couldn’t help it.  He didn’t want to waste time talking to this alpha-groupie w***e any longer. “I think Tommy over there would love to spend some time talking to you though,” he added, trying to soften the blow when he saw her face fall.  Kade gently pushed her in the direction of a friend that had been eyeing the girl all evening and walked away to sniff out his mate.