The Black Hills: Patience and Endurance

A Raging Inferno

Lisa POV

Dr. Caroline checks me over before determining that I am safe to begin resuming normal activity. “Please make sure you ease into it, and rest if you feel pain or fatigue.” She orders, and I verbalize my agreement.

Bradley takes my hand as we exit the pack hospital. We walk in silence while I consider the heavy burden of the next decision I have to make, for he is due to leave tomorrow. Should I stay here with my family, or join him within his pack? My heart wants me to go, but my head isn’t sure it’s the best move for my boys and I right now. We enter the main dining hall, where my family is gathered with my sons for breakfast, and Bradley pulls out my chair before he takes a seat beside me.

“Mommy!” Kasen greets me cheerily from my other side, as he is seated between Kyler and I.

“Good morning sweet boy.” I kiss the top of his head as the Omegas place platters of food before Bradley and I.

“What are we doing today?” Kasen asks, his mouth full of french toast.

I inwardly groan, but smile nonetheless, “I’m not sure yet.” I answer, before adding to all three of my boys, “I do know we all need to sit down and have a discussion later, to decide our next adventure.”

Kaleb stiffens as he pushes the food around his plate with his fork. Kyler, however gives me a nod before saying, “You know where I stand.”

I give my oldest son an appreciative smile as I reach over and place my hand upon his, giving it a squeeze. At least I know that he is supportive of my mate-bond to the Alpha, and obviously Kasen adores him. I just don’t know how to get Kaleb to open up.

My thoughts are disrupted suddenly by an alarm blaring through the packhouse, and my head turns to Travis and my sister Sarah as they jump to their feet, along with Chad, Jenni, the Gamma Tom, his mate Serena and my Uncle Terrance. The rest of the pack members look to Travis for orders.

“Our most vulnerable members to the emergency shelters, all those who are able-bodied, follow me.” His voice booms out in his Alpha tone.

As they rush out of the dining hall, Bradley turns to me swiftly, “You and the boys get to somewhere safe, I’ll come for you once the threat is neutralized.” He demands, before kissing my forehead and following the others out of the packhouse.

“Follow me, dears.” Auntie Diane says gently, as she takes Kasen’s hand and leads Kaleb, Kyler and I out into the main corridor. I glance out the front windows and see black smoke encircling the packhouse. My heart sinks as I know who is behind this assault.

“I’m going out there.” Kyler tells me firmly, and I grab his hand as I look to him in desperation for him to change his mind, but I can already see the resolve behind his eyes. My son is becoming a young man, and I cannot make these choices for him. I nod gently, releasing my grasp. He strides out of the packhouse, with Kaleb sprinting off behind him.

“Kaleb!” I cry out, but he‘s already gone. I turn to my aunt, “Please, take Kasen, keep him safe.” I plead with her, and she nods, leading my youngest son away as he cries out to me in fear.

I take a deep breath as I step out of the packhouse, heading directly towards the threat. The entire forest surrounding the Black Hills territory is an inferno of such magnitude it could only have been started by a monster of incredible force, Charles. Fury ignites my soul as I charge forward, knowing my gift as the Dragons’ Keeper will help tip the scales in the favor of the werewolves.

Sarah and Jenni are embattled with the flames as Sarah conjures water out of thin air, with Jenni pulling resources from snow-covered grounds around, dousing the threat, with minimal progress, while the warriors stand on guard behind the Alphas Travis and Bradley who have their eyes focused on the towering form glaring down at them from the other side of the ravaged forest.

No one seems to notice my presence in the literal heat of this moment, and I raise my hand, calling out to my sons. I barely hear the sudden gasps around me as the earth shakes the moment two large dragons land upon either side of me. The larger of the two, Kyler’s dragon Blaze, lowers his belly to the ground, allowing me to climb upon his back, while Flare, the dragon of Kaleb, roars a warning at those who are rushing towards us.

I glance over to Travis and Bradley, the latter of whom chooses not to pay head to the dragon’s threat as he continues to sprint in my direction. I urge Blaze to lift off, and with another earth-shaking force, he kicks off the ground, as we rise into the air, Flare following close behind.

I lower my head, pressing my face against the cool scales of Blaze’s neck, as we push through the black smoke, until we are safely through the other side. I take a large gulp of the fresh air before I peer down at the mighty Dragon named Char, the counterpart of my ex-husband Charles.

“Stand down, Char!” I command in the tone of the Keeper, as his black eyes glisten in rage, fixed upon me.

“You dare to make demands after your betrayal!?” Char roars up at me. I do not flinch for even if he wanted to harm me, he couldn’t. Charles can be dangerous in human form but the dragon cannot inflict any damage upon me without suffering the same fate. This is the gift the Fire Goddess, Hestia, bestowed upon me after the injuries I sustained being mated to one of her children.

“You have no power here any longer, Char.” I shout down to him, “Stand down now.” I command once again.

Char releases one final roar into the air before he lowers his head, shifting back into the human form of Charles. Blaze lands hard on the ground in front of his father, while Flare continues to circle overhead. I glare down at my ex, while he sneers up at me.

“Why don’t you come down, my love, so we can talk?” Charles seethes.

Blaze shakes his massive head in a threatening manner as he snorts out a flame just above his father’s head. Charles raises his eyebrows in an appearance of shock mixed with amuseme too.

“So you’ve truly turned my own sons against me?” Charles smirks.

“No, it is you who has turned them away from you.” I declare loudly. “When will it be enough? When will you decide that enough damage has been dealt?” I demand answers from my former mate.

“Either when you accept that you are mine, or once the entire earth has been singed from my rage.” He states as he sweeps his arms open around him, as though to indicate that the current inferno is only a sample of what he has planned.

“You truly are so possessive that you’d burn the world to the ground just to reclaim me?” I ask him in complete dismay.

“I will give you until the next moon phase to return to my side, or all who stand between us will perish.” Charles warns, before he shifts back into his dragon form, thrusting up from the ground, narrowly dodging a bursting fireball sent his way from Flare, rising high above the clouds disappearing from our sight.

I look over my shoulder as the fire has fallen to a smolder, before Blaze turns his massive body to carry me through the remains of the forest, to the Black Hills territory. Once we breach the clearing of the pack grounds, my dragon offspring lowers his body so I can slide gently down to the ground. Flare lands hard beside me, and I affectionately rub the snouts of my sons’ dragons before they stride off towards the packhouse to shift into their human forms, away from prying eyes.

Bradley rushes to me, pulling me firmly into his arms, pressing his face against my neck as he breathes in my scent, which appears to have a calming effect. I allow him to hold me as I process Charles threat in my mind, until Bradley growls low against my throat.

“Lisa, what were you thinking?” He pulls his face from me, and with a dark expression, looks sternly into my eyes.

“Clearly, I was focused on saving the pack.” I glare back at him.

“Do you understand what it would have done to me if you were harmed?” He growls again.

“The dragon cannot hurt me.” I state firmly.

“How do you know that!?” He shouts, in obvious distress and misunderstanding.

“Because, Hestia gave me her vow.” I declare, feeling the eyes of my family upon me, while my own remain fixed upon my Alpha mate.

After what feels like eternity, I hear Chad speak up, “I’m sorry to intrude upon this earth shattering confession, but what the actual f*ck?” He exclaims, and I turn my attention onto him, noting his extreme confusion.

“In other words,” Jenni says while stepping forward, “I think we all need an explanation to what just happened.” My sister appears awestruck in this moment.

I look upon her for a moment before nodding, “Ok, but not here.” I concede.

Travis orders his pack members to continue monitoring the smolder until it dies down, before he leads us back to the packhouse, where my sons await, donned in fresh clothing.

“I’ll retrieve Diane.” Terrence informs Travis before he departs to recover my aunt and youngest son as the rest of us ascend to the stairs to the Alpha’s office.