Chapter 66
954 Words
The air was heavy against my skin as I shifted back, the fire wolf’s form melting away like glowing embers flickering out. My knees hit the ground, breath coming in sharp gasps. My body trembled, not from weakness, but from the sheer weight of what had just happened. I had shifted. Me. The girl everyone said was powerless, weak, broken, unworthy.
And now… my wolf wasn’t just any wolf. She was fire.
The pack stood in silence, staring. I could feel their gazes burning into my back, their whispers crawling like vines through the clearing. My bare skin prickled with their judgment, but also their awe. For the first time, I wasn’t invisible. I wasn’t beneath them. I was terrifying.
Devon was at my side in an instant, shrugging off his cloak to wrap around me. His touch was steady, grounding. The only safe place in this storm.
“You did it, Addy,” he whispered against my hair, his voice carrying pride and something deeper, something unshakable.
But pride was not what I felt.
All I could think about was the way the grass had stayed green beneath my paws, untouched by flames. The way the fire obeyed me or maybe the way it had become me. A curse or a blessing? I didn’t know. My heart beat like a drum inside my chest.
The elder broke the silence first. His tone was sharp, clipped. “No ordinary wolf burns with fire. What is she?”
“She’s your Luna,” Devon snapped back, his Alpha voice layering over his words like thunder. The pack flinched, some lowering their eyes, others refusing to hide their fear.
Whispers swelled again.
Witch’s child.
Not natural.
What kind of wolf is that?
Every word scraped against my skin like blades. My throat tightened, but I lifted my chin anyway. If I let them see me crumble, they’d devour me.
Devon’s hand slid down to mine, his fingers curling tightly around my palm. “Enough,” he growled, his voice deep and commanding. The whispers died instantly. “She is mine. My mate. My equal. And anyone who dares question her questions me.”
A shiver ran through me. Not from fear from the way he claimed me in front of everyone. But still, doubt itched inside me. Was I truly meant for this? Could I stand as their Luna when the pack looked at me like I was something out of their nightmares?
I swallowed hard and forced my voice steady. “I didn’t ask for this power,” I said, letting my eyes sweep over the crowd. “But it’s mine. And I won’t run from it.”
The pack shifted uncomfortably, some exchanging uneasy glances. A few nodded, hesitant, but the weight of doubt still hung thick in the air.
Later, after the pack had dispersed, Devon and I remained in the clearing. The moonlight bathed us both, and for once, the silence wasn’t filled with judgment. Just the steady sound of my heartbeat and his presence beside me.
“Tell me what’s in your head,” he murmured, tilting my chin up so I couldn’t look away.
I hesitated, then let the truth tumble out. “I’m scared, Devon. What if this power is more than I can handle? What if it destroys everything around me?”
His eyes, deep and unyielding, locked on mine. “Then I’ll be there to stop it. To hold you. To remind you who you are. You’re not alone in this, Addy. You never will be.”
Something broke in me then the wall I’d been holding up against the world, against myself. My throat ached, tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Instead, I clutched his shirt, pressing my forehead against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
He kissed the top of my head, slow and deliberate. “You’re stronger than you know,” he whispered. “This power isn’t a curse. It’s a gift. And it’s yours. I’ll make sure no one ever twists it against you.”
I tilted my head back, searching his face. “Even if it scares them? Even if it scares you?”
His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “Nothing about you scares me. You’re mine. Fire and all.”
My breath hitched at the intensity in his eyes. The night air felt thicker, warmer, like the fire inside me was answering him. My body leaned into his without thought, drawn to him like sparks to kindling.
His thumb brushed across my lower lip, his gaze dropping to my mouth. “Careful, Luna,” he said, voice low, rough. “You look at me like that and I’ll forget we’re outside.”
Heat curled in my belly, my skin buzzing as if the flames beneath it wanted to break free again but in a different way.
“I don’t care,” I whispered.
And just like that, his mouth was on mine. The kiss was deep, consuming, a clash of need and promise. My hands tangled in his hair, his grip firm on my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space between us.
For a moment, the world and its whispers disappeared. There was no pack, no doubt, no fear. Just him. Just us.
When he finally pulled back, breath ragged, he rested his forehead against mine. “Come,” he said softly. “You’ve given enough tonight. Rest, Addy. Tomorrow, we train again.”
I nodded, though sleep felt far away. Because deep inside, a new feeling stirred, stronger than fear, stronger than doubt.
Power. My Power.
And for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of it.
- Writer
