Chapter 30
1094 Words
The whispers were still fresh in my ears, the sharp voices that followed me like shadows when I dared to step out alone. Some of them had looked me in the eye when they said it, others let the words roll off their tongues just loud enough for me to hear as I walked past.
“She cheated. No one has fire like that.”
“She almost killed her own pack member.”
“She isn’t fit to be Luna. She’s dangerous.”
The sting of it stayed with me even after I was safe back inside with Devon. I had kept my chin high when they said it, but when I was alone the guilt pressed heavy on my chest. I never meant to hurt anyone. I hadn’t even known I could. That girl could have died because of me.
Devon had been trying to distract me since yesterday, but he saw it written all over my face. I knew he wanted to shield me from the pack, but he also wanted me to face myself. That was worse than any whispers.
By morning Joey had had enough of me pacing around like a ghost. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed like she was ready to wrestle me out of the room if she had to.
“You’re coming with me,” she said.
I didn’t argue. Maybe because I didn’t have the strength or maybe because a part of me knew she was right. Devon followed us without a word, his hand brushing against mine when I slowed down as if to remind me I wasn’t walking into this alone.
We ended up in one of the hidden clearings behind the pack house, the ground still damp from morning dew, the air smelling of pine. Devon had made sure no one else would come here. This was going to be ours, our secret.
Joey grinned like she had been waiting for this all her life. “Alright flame girl, let’s see what you’ve got. Don’t hold back.”
My stomach twisted. “What if I can’t control it again?”
Devon stepped behind me, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. “That’s why we’re here, Addy. You won’t be alone. Not this time.”
I nodded, biting down hard on my lip before I stepped into the open. Joey spread her feet wide, ready to spar. She wasn’t afraid. That was enough to make me take the first swing.
The fight started simple. She came at me fast, like always, and I blocked. My body remembered the movements she had drilled into me since the first day I arrived. But beneath my skin something else stirred. My blood ran hotter, my vision sharper. Every blow I landed, every breath I took, it felt like the fire was waiting, clawing to get out.
And then it did.
A burst of heat shot through my hands when Joey pinned me down. Flames flickered, faint at first, then flaring so bright I thought I’d burn us both alive. Joey jumped back, landing on her feet with her eyes wide.
“Again,” she said.
“What?” I gasped, my chest heaving.
“Do it again. Don’t fight it this time. Control it.”
“I can’t.”
“You can,” Devon’s voice cut through, calm and steady. He moved closer, crouching in front of me. “Addy, listen to me. Let it out. I’ll stop it if it goes too far.”
My throat was dry. “It won’t burn you?”
He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that was just for me. “It won’t.”
I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him. So I closed my eyes and let the fire rise.
It roared inside me like a storm, rushing through my veins until my whole body trembled. My hands lit first, then the air around me shimmered with heat. I heard Joey curse under her breath but she didn’t run. Devon stayed exactly where he was, not moving even when flames licked dangerously close to his chest.
“Good,” Joey said, her voice firm but encouraging. “Now push it forward. Not everywhere. Just forward.”
I tried. The fire burst out in a stream, wild and crackling, and I lost control. It shot past Joey and scorched the grass. My knees gave out, my body shaking.
Devon caught me before I hit the ground. His arms were strong, cool despite the heat I carried. He held me until my breathing steadied, until the flames shrank back into nothing.
“I almost hurt you,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
“You didn’t,” he said, brushing his lips against my temple. “And even if you tried, I don’t think you could.”
Joey plopped down beside us, her face flushed but her eyes bright. “That was amazing. You’ve got fire inside you, Addy. Literally. And it’s going to scare the hell out of everyone when you learn to use it properly.”
Her words should have comforted me but all I felt was guilt. “They already hate me. They already think I’m dangerous. If they knew it was real”
“They won’t,” Devon said firmly. “Not until you’re ready. This stays between us.”
His tone left no room for argument. I nodded, pressing my face into his chest. Maybe he was right. Maybe if I could just control it, maybe if I proved myself as Luna in other ways, they’d see me differently.
We trained until the sun climbed higher, each attempt leaving me drained and shaky but a little better than before. Joey was relentless, barking orders and pushing me to try again, while Devon stayed close enough to catch me when I stumbled. Every flicker of fire felt like progress and a threat all at once.
I was just starting to feel like I might collapse when a warrior appeared at the edge of the clearing. He bowed his head to Devon. “Alpha. The council requests your presence. The pack hunt is about to begin.”
Devon’s eyes met mine, steady and unreadable. He brushed his thumb over my cheek as if to wipe away the exhaustion written there. “Come on, flame girl. Time to remind them who you are.”
My heart raced. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but I stood anyway. Because beside him and Joey, maybe I could be.
- Writer
