Fantasma - Firestar Wolves Book One

Sweat drips down my brow as I slam another hit into the punch bag. ‘God. Damn. Full. Fucking. Moon!’ I breathe out with each punch.

Full moons always make me itch. Especially when you’re of age. Let alone the heat that is beating through the gym windows from the scorching sun. What a delight, a heatwave and a full moon. Ugh, kill me now.

My body hums with the cravings for something that I can’t have. That I will probably never have. A mate.

I keep up my pace and throw punch after punch, trying desperately to drown out this feeling that is not only all over my skin but under it too.

See, old wives’ tales and spooky campfire stories would say being a werewolf is a terrible curse. But, in all honesty, it’s not as awful as the humans made it out to be. I should know. I am one.

I wasn’t bitten by a rouge wolf and turned as a kid, there’s no grizzly story to tell, no ugly scars marring my pale, heart-shaped freckled face. Nope, it’s pretty boring to tell you the truth. I was born a werewolf. Just like my parents were born wolves too, and their parents before them, and their parents and so on and so forth. I’m actually from a huge, long line of werewolves. Fucking bad-ass ones too. Our pack is known as the Firestar pack. We go back generations. We were born of fire and sky they say. From the very first Firestar wolf. my great, great, great…well, let’s just say there’s a lot of fucking greats-grandmother was the first known wolf of our kind.

You see, we aren’t named after fire for no reason. We wolves are special. More special than the fact we can shift at our own will whenever we want. More special than our incredible speed and formidable strength. We are elemental wolves. And if you hadn’t guessed it already, our element is fire. We can conjure flame from thin air, we can manipulate fire at our whim. Some of us are more powerful than others of course. Balance is key to keeping harmony and control within our pack. The alphas are the strongest. The betas are strong too, but not as much as the alphas. The strength of your power mirrors your place in the pack. Your place in the pack is decided by your power level too. Some of our most powerful members are warriors, protectors of our pack who follow our Alfa. Others who are not as high in the firepower department would be born with other sets of skills to make up for it. Such as our healers. And although they may not be able to wield fire or fight like our strongest, they’re formidable in their ways.

We are born into our positions in this pack. We all balance each other out. Everyone has a purpose within the pack. Everyone is important.

None of us are born with access to our elemental abilities straight away. Around the age of four, we all start to show signs of fire elements. By the time you’re 18 your powers have fully come in, and you take your position in the pack according to your strength and ability. Being trained in hand-to-hand combat, defence, strength, and basic healing when you first start to power up. So then by the time you come of age, the pack elders would’ve sussed out what your main power will be and by the time you’re fifteen your training is more focused on your strongest ability.

We all know how to fight. That’s ingrained in us as soon as we can walk. You have to know how to fight. If you can’t protect yourself, you won’t survive in this world. You won’t have a chance…

They say the fire mother blessed our family, our ancestors with this power. So she can take it away just as easily.

The alphas of my pack don’t believe in that. Well, they wouldn’t would they? Their daughter is a snuff. Which happens to be me. Yep. The Youngest child of the great Firestar alphas is a dud. Can you imagine the absolute scandal that was when I hadn’t shown even an ounce of elemental magic by the time I was twelve? And now, at twenty-five I’ve never been able to conjure up anything even as little as a sprinkler spark.

But that wasn’t even half of it folks. Nope. Of course, it wouldn’t be. I couldn’t just be a total dud in the power department. I had to look completely different to everyone else too. See, everyone in this pack is born with red hair, pale skin and green eyes.

Me, well. I’m not like the others. I’m not like anyone they have ever seen before. I was born with white hair. My eyes are a deep violet. The only thing you could say that was anything like my parents was that I was pale. But even that’s stretching it. I am so pale; I look like I should be dead.

My Mum, Genevieve is your classic Firestar alpha. She’s incredibly beautiful. She’s Tall, at least 6ft 2. Our elementals are known for their generous height. Her head is filled with flaming red hair. Her skin was pale and spattered with the perfect number of freckles. She’s slim but with just the right number of curves. Her smile has stopped men in their tracks. But don’t let her beauty fool you. Oh no. She’s incredibly powerful. The most powerful female elemental in the pack. She’s also one of our most powerful healers. So, she’s the full package alright. My Dad, George, or Georgie as my Mum likes to call him is just as powerful. He must be. They are our alphas. He also has the signature flaming red hair of all Firestars. He’s gobsmackingly handsome but humble. Bright blue eyes that my Mum looks into lovingly every single day. He’s taller than my mother at 6ft 10. All male elementals are taller than their female counterparts. My parents were lucky that they found each other. They have a love that was created by the fire mother herself. Two people, made for each other. Created for one another’s existence. A true mate.

I’ve always envied the love my parents were blessed with, and the fact they found one another. Well, that’s rare. True mates aren’t that common. Yes, we are Fire stars, but my mother was born from another land. She was born of fire, yet no one else in her entire line had any fire magic in them. But my parents managed to find each other when my mum felt a pull to her soul. It told her to travel, leave her lands and find something she felt was missing. She says that not one part of her entire being felt whole until the day she met my father.

And then the world seemed to turn on its axis and suddenly she felt whole for the first time in her life. It’s pretty fucking magical really when you hear them talk of their lives before, they met each other. My dad’s story is not too dissimilar. He never felt whole until her met her either. She was his missing piece.

I have five older siblings. All boys. Peter, Jackson, Carter, Hunter and Kaine. They all have the same features and look like my parents. Then they had me.

Fantasma. Which is translated as ‘Ghost’. Yep. Comical really. Would’ve thought my parents would use a bit of originality when naming me. But, if I’m being honest, look at me. The name fits perfectly.

When I was born and my parents first laid their eyes on me, they said they looked up to the night sky and asked what it was they had done to piss off the fire mother to have cursed me like this.

I can’t deny I ask her the same question every day. But mines is more along the lines of ‘Why are you such a bitch?’

I would curse the sky, ask her why she made me different, why she didn’t give me any fire magic like everyone before me from my line. What could I have done? I wasn’t even born for mother’s sake.

kids tried to bully me, Kids are cruel, so of course they did. I was the freak. But that just made me stronger.

I’m not one to blow smoke up my own arse, but I am single-handedly the best fighter in our pack.

I have strength that no other pack-mate can rival. I’m stronger than all my brothers put together. So at least I’m not entirely useless. I can fight, and I fight dirty.

‘Hey Tas!’ Peter my eldest brother shouts out my nickname to me. ‘’Stop laying into that bag and take a break. Mum and Dad have called a family meeting.’

Rolling my eyes, I grab a towel and wipe the sweat from my face.

‘What is it this time? I’m sure our folks call at least ten family meetings an hour these days.’

‘Stop bitching and just come with me will you, Mum will have my balls as earrings if I don’t bring you back with me.’

I let out a small laugh, he’s right. She really would.

‘I really don’t get the point of these family meetings sometimes Pete. Swear they call them even if it’s just to tell us there will be a spot of wind in the air.’

‘Don’t be a whiney bitch Tas. I’ve got to be honest. It sounded important this time.’

My eyebrows rise to my hairline as I take in what he just said. Sounded Important huh? Well, this better be good. Otherwise, Pete is getting his arse handed to him for dragging me to yet another pointless meeting.

We walk briskly through the large woods that are our territory. Just the smell of the trees has me in a happy place. The air here is fresh, the trees green and tall. Everything about it screams home for a Firestar wolf. Even the sun itself scorching on my back should be a delight, But not for me. I despise the heat and the place I grew up; it’s never felt like home. I’ve always felt like an imposter here. Just like I never truly belonged. But as my Mum always used to say to me when I voiced these feelings. ‘Don’t be silly Fantasma, of course this is your home. You’re a Firestar wolf. This is the only place you belong.’

I’d look up at her questions running through my mind. ‘But you felt you didn’t belong when you left your homeland, Mum, You said you didn’t truly belong anywhere until you came here and met Dad.’

’Well, that’s different, the fire mother created me and your father for each other. I had no choice. What me and your dad have is rare.

There has only ever been one other set of True mates in all of time. Plus, you’re not in the fire mother’s grace. She has no plan for you. She did not bless you with fire in your veins. We get our power from the sun itself Fantasma. I mean, just look at a wonderful day this is. I could burn down cities in these conditions. What you’re feeling, is boredom.’

Yeah. That would always sting. I love my mother, more than anything, but she is a force to be reckoned with and she does not mince her words at any given time. I know that she loves me, and she would die for me. That, I am certain, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I know she is ashamed of me because of how I am. How I look. She blames herself.

She says she must’ve done something awful to upset the fire mother to curse her only daughter to look and be like me. But she doesn’t know why. None of us do.

I, on the other hand, grew up with the grand idea in my own mind that it was Because maybe she liked me most. Maybe she had blessed me instead of cursed me. I didn’t believe it for long, but it was a nice notion while it lasted at least.

My parent’s cabin starts to appear in the distance as me and my brother continue walking.

‘So, you have any idea what this important meeting is about?’ I look at my brother. His gaze seems to shift slightly. ‘Ok. The way you just looked then makes me feel you know more than you’re letting on Pete.’

He stops just before we get close enough to our parent’s cabin that they see we’ve arrived.

‘Look Tas. Fuck.’ He runs his hand through his flaming red hair. He looks worried. Why does he look worried? Shit, now I’m panicking.

‘For fuck’s sake Pete, spit it out before I smack it out of your mouth.’

He takes a long breath.

‘Someone’s been trying to get into our territory.’

‘Right? People are always trying to gain access to our territory, what’s different about that? Don’t the guards just turn wolf and chase them off like usual?’

‘This is different Tam. This isn’t just some nosey human going on a wild walk and stumbling across our border. Whoever this is. It’s Not one of us. Not a werewolf. It’s something…different.’

Shit.

‘What do you mean by different? How different? Cat shifter? Bear?’

He keeps his eyes locked on mine, all the usual fun, jovial self-leaving his face.

‘I don’t know. None of us can smell what it is. Come on, let’s Just keep walking. Mum and Dad must’ve figured it out by now if they are wanting all of us together.’

Ok. Well, that’s a new one.

We finally arrive at our parent’s cabin and walk in.

Everyone is there, my older siblings and my parents. They’re all huddled around the open fire in the sitting room talking quietly but rushed about something. As soon as they see me walk in, they all go quiet.

‘Darling, come give your dad a hug.’ He beams at me. Standing, he opens his arms wide and engulfs me in one of his fatherly hugs that I’ve always loved so much.

‘How are you my little ghost?’ He says while ruffling my hair.

‘I’m good Dad. What’s all this about then?’

I look over to my mother who is eerily quiet. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she looked worried. Scared even.

‘Mum? What’s going on?’

‘Sit down Fantasma. We have a problem we need to solve.’

I take a seat, my eyes not leaving hers as I try to work out what’s got her so riled.

‘We’ve asked you and all your brothers here to discuss a matter of urgency. There’s a being of sorts trying to enter our boundaries. It’s slowly been trying its luck over the last few weeks to gain entry.’ My Mum states matter of factly.

‘Ok, so we just keep it out, whatever it is. Like we do with everything else that tries to breach the borders right? What’s the big deal?’

Dad stands ‘There are other creatures in our world as you all know. Different shifters of all types. Those you all know about. We can smell them a mile off. Not that they often come by our territory. Usually, it’s loners that have no idea where we are. There’s never been a true threat to this pack in a millennia.’

’Why do I feel like there’s a ‘Until now’ coming after that dad?’

’Because there is Fantasma.

This isn’t a shifter. It’s something else entirely. We think it might be a vampire.’

I start to laugh. ‘A vampire? Oh, come on, you’re pulling my tail. Vampires don’t exist Dad. Real funny.’

I look around the room and everyone is looking at me, still, silent. Grim faces staring straight at me.

‘Are you taking the piss? Vampires?! Fucking vampires are real?! They only exist in fairy tales and scary stories around the bloody campfire! This is ridiculous.’

I start to turn to walk out of the cabin. Having had enough of their shit. I swear they think I lack intelligence as well as fire magic.

‘Fantasma, you will come back here, Sit the hell down and listen.’ My mum practically screams at me.

As an aloha, my Mum can make commands, commands that anyone who isn’t the alpha of this pack has to obey. Except me. I resist the urge to follow her command and instead, I turn, cross my arms over my chest and glare at her.

‘Don’t try and pull rank on me right now Mum, you know that shit only works on other Firestar wolves. I’m not a true Firestar though, am I? I’m a freak. So, you know damn well it won’t work on me.’

She gives out a heavy and loud sigh.

‘You are a Firestar wolf Fantasma. You’re born of our blood. You’re not a freak. Please don’t talk like that about yourself. I’m sorry little ghost. Just please sit down and listen to what we have to say. This is important.’

I look towards the ceiling, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

‘Fine. I’ll listen. But fire mother only knows why.’

‘Vampires are real my little ghost.’ My Dad says, placing a placating hand on my shoulder.

‘There are many things that exist on this earth, not just shifters. But they come from different worlds. They have never entered our world almost as far back as the first books go. We never thought to tell any of you about them because why tell you about something that only ancient texts have mentioned less than a handful of times? There didn’t seem a need.’

‘Wait, you say a different world. You speak of this other world like it is another planet.’

‘Not another planet Fantasma, just another plain within this one.’ My mother intercepts.

‘Another plain? Am I dreaming? Have I accidentally ingested those funky mushrooms while out in my wolf form again and I’m having a really shitty trip or something? This isn’t real. What you’re talking about isn’t real.’

Silence meets me.

‘Well little sis, I can give you proof this is real and you aren’t tripping.’ my brother Colson says with a strange smirk on his face.

‘Oh yeah Col, and what’s that then?’

‘Jesus fucking Christ Colson!’ My brother Jackson screams, leaping from his seat and pulling a face of utter disgust.

’What the actual living hell Colson! My twin brothers Kaine and Hunter scream.

‘What the fuck is…’ Oh, dear Jesus Colson. Have you just shit yourself?!’ The worst smell in all of history smacks me straight in the face.

Colson starts laughing so hard tears are streaming down his face.

‘Do you still think you’re tripping now little sis?’

‘You’re vile! That isn’t natural Colson. You need to see a fucking vet.’

‘What did you eat man, Satan’s dick rot?!’ Jackson splutters out in between gags.

‘Enough!’ My Dad booms across the room.

‘Although I entirely agree with your sister that you need to see one of the pack healers about the absolute monstrosity that just exited your body, Colson, you all need to take this seriously. Enough fooling around. All of you sit the hell down and act like the future alphas you’re going to become!’

I look at Cookson and mouth ‘You make me sick’ while he wipes the tears from his eyes.

We all sit, and the room becomes serious again.

’Ok, so say you’re serious. What does it mean? How is this different to any other threat we’ve faced? Anyone who has ever dared come against this pack before has never come out alive. So why is this ‘Vamp’ any different?’

‘Because Fantasma’ my Mum says looking serious and suddenly as pale as I am.

‘This one has come for you.’