Fire Moon

THERE’S DUMB.

And there’s stupid.

I was doing something fucking stupid.

My cold fingers clasped together and then apart and then together again. My cold bones creaking.

Feeling the inner warmth.

I shouldn’t be doing this.

I felt an urge to move towards the house, it felt like there was rope around my waist and tugging me forward. Almost magnetic in nature.

The house was nothing like I’ve seen before, two buildings intertwining with each other, white rectangles laying horizontal on the ground, twisting at the ends. Sloping windows followed the sloping of the roof, both ends of the rectangles were walls of windows and one of the walls were open, from the open windows I could see a sunken dark lounge in a U shape and I could also see no one was in the house.

Except I knew they were watching us.

The house stood alone on its block, with a generous garden and single pond to the side, backing onto trees that separated the town from them and us.

They definitely knew that I was already here.

My eyes moved to where Sam was standing by the car, and he was looking at the snow fall into the steaming pond. That same pond cast a foggy haze around the proud standing house, everything misted and white.

His orange hair aflame atop his head as the sunlight caught it.

As if he could feel my gaze, he looked at me with his all-knowing warm brown eyes, and I watched as his fingers word the sentence, “What are you waiting for?”

Imagining the tone, I couldn’t hear and I rolled my eyes, knowing he wasn’t scared of anything and I signed back, “How about you come with me?” my fingers red from the cold, “If it’s that easy.”

His smile showed and he shook his head while signing, “Go.”

Sam was the only deaf Tau you would ever meet.

After a devastating fight with another Tau he met on his travels, the loss of his hearing was a devastating consequence of young adult wolves and their short temper.

Sam was a member of my close-knit pack. My minuscule pack. Created by distrust and betrayal and our pack has been getting some heat from the other surrounding packs, much larger packs. With the threat at our heels, my father had asked me to request help from our neighbouring pack.

Something no one would dare to do.

Packs often didn’t ask for help, you either dealt with it or died.

Stepping into another’s land without permission is suicide.

My father told me that August’s pack was one of the largest in our area, that August could kill our inferior pack by himself alone.

I turned to face the towering house, patiently waiting for me to gain the confidence to step up to the door. The pack already knows we’re here, but I hesitated entering past the garden gate.

I swung it open as a figure came out of the shadows of the twisted house.

The tugging got stronger.

Standing on the threshold was August.

Ironically, placed at the base of the stairs was two large bronze lions, sitting and waiting.

Giant cats guarding the house of dogs. I would’ve laughed not given the pressure of this moment.

As if there was an invisible string, tying him and I together. The string was tightening as we stood apart and the string so tight that if it was a real string, it would have snapped. A feeling so foreign to me.

His face told me he felt nothing, but irritation. He had every right to kill me for being here without his permission.

I didn’t move from where I stood. Frozen out of fear. Fear of rejection.

We desperately needed his help.

Blue meeting brown.

His eyes were more than blue, they were an artist’s palette, a mixture of blues, greens and yellows. A live artwork. His light dirty blonde hair a mess on his head, like he was running his hands through it.

I could see his features so clearly as if he was standing right in front of me.

“Who are you?” a growl escaped his lips, “What do you want?” it hit me like a brick, his thundering and authoritative growl echoed through me.

I sucked in a breath and stepped forward. His palette eyes watching me the entire time, and the string getting tighter and tighter and tighter.

I could almost hear the strain as I stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at him. He was towering from this angle. A broad chest hidden under a burgundy t-shirt. A ring on his left hand winked at me in the winter sun.

“My name is Eden, and I—I need help” I breathed, my voice coming out surprisingly calm and even, ”We need help.”

He glared at Sam, and then me, “No.”

He turned and made to shut the door, but without thinking I ran up the stairs, and grabbed the door in protest.

His eyes glowed with annoyance, and a growl escaped his lips as he glanced back at me.

It took everything in me to not backed down, to succumb to his power.

“Please, listen” I didn’t care that I was begging, my father begged me to go and that image of him haunts me now. He would never beg. He was the type of person to rather be killed than beg for his life.

My father was the strongest person I had ever met, my mother had been a part of a neighbouring pack and they had been kept from making the mating bond. Refusing to keep apart, they left both their packs to start their own. Only the loyal ones followed them, siblings and close members.

He sniffed and frowned, “No, Changeling” he peeled my hand off, ”You, listen.”

Changeling.

I almost huffed at the word.

It was an insult. Like I was swapped with a human, though a human would be more helpful. A cursed mutation.

As a Changeling we cannot access our wolf. No one knows how, why, or when. I’ve heard of some changelings eventually finding their wolf, but that’s just myths. My mother was one, she found hers when she met my father, and it’s up to me and my brother to do the same.

They’re not popular amongst other wolves. Believe it or not.

A mixtures of names get spat in my direction, but majority just call us Changelings or try to get creative by making up stupid terms like, human-wolf, or my personal favourite, the ultimate-omega.

Some of them are so terrible that they’re almost funny, but took it all with a grain of salt.

August stepped close to me, so close that I kept my gaze at his feet. The ring was ancient. An heirloom. Engraved with his family name. Rotaeche. We were almost the same height. Alphas were always so tall.

But I was a tall woman.

“Your father made the choice to bed an enemy pack member, he made the choice to go behind my father’s orders, he made the choice to leave and he must live with the consequences,” his breath moving my hair as he spoke.

My gaze shot to his, “You cannot blame him for that!” heat warmed my face as irritation warmed my blood, “They were mated.”

His glowing eyes moved to something behind me, “Back off.”

I turned to see Sam at the bottom of the stairs, leaning on one of the bronze lions. Sam wasn’t fazed, he laughed and signed, “No wonder you didn’t want to come.”

I glared at August as he registered the laugh, the signing and eventually his eyes moved back to me.

I dared him to say something about it. I dared him to pick on my deaf friend.

One smug sentence, and I would end him.

He instead turned back to Sam, and I watched his fingers as they danced, “Get lost, both of you.”

My eyes must have looked like saucers.

Sam laughed again, louder.

August ignored him with a dismissal growl, “You need to leave, pup” he said to me.

Panic flooded my body, “Please!”

A disapproving click of the tongue came from behind August.

We all turned to see a small blonde-haired woman approaching us with a tall lanky man in tow.

The man shook his head, and grasped a hand on August’s shoulder, “What do we have here?” The man was slightly taller than August and I, dark long hair sleeked back with a sharp jaw.

His long fingers dared to wiggle in my direction as a wave, his dark coat rustling as he did it.

The woman wore a stubborn scowl, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. I didn’t necessarily like short women, the ones I’ve met have been irrationally angry or egotistical, and this one seemed to fit the exact description.

Hope flared on my face regardless and my voice sounded off, “We need help.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgment, “Bain,” and then he eyed Sam and then August, “What for?”

August shoved at him, ”Bain," his voice a low warning.

Bain’s eyes flashed with excitement and curiosity but he kept his smile, “Let’s hear what they have to say.”

Before August could protest, my voice sounded, “My name is Eden Addandam, my father is...”

“We know who your father is,” the small woman mumbled disapprovingly, “We know who Vic Addandam is.”

Her glowing blue eyes challenging me. Her hair was almost the same shade as August’s, barely reaching her shoulders and contrasting against her harsh expression, her soft curls framed her face and giving off the impression she was approachable. Her clothes were screaming practical, skin tight pants with a matching short sleeve top, as if she prepared to fight every second of the day.

I didn’t acknowledge the comment, “We received a message from Cameron’s pack up north, he requested a union of marriage between my sister and him.”

My sister was barely fifteen, youngest pack member. The message was extremely out of the blue, my father thought it was a hoax but we later received another. My father has no choice but to accept, the repercussions would be war and we would not survive.

Cameron’s pack was almost the same size as August’s, Cameron’s being larger and the only difference being that Cameron had a reputation. He tortured and captured Omegas, killing them for sport and sending their heads back to the packs. There were rumours of him even skinning wolves but I shuddered at the thought of wolf hides pinned to his wall and prayed that it was just a rumour.

The pack was just as deathly. No one could stop them or beat them. They were unstoppable. Untouchable.

August’s eyes widen slightly and Bain hissed at the mention of Cameron’s name. His reputation had bled through all packs.

“My sister is fifteen, there was no way my father could accept the request and that was an answer that Cameron couldn’t accept,” my words rushing out but I could barely whisper those last words, “We received a Burn Notice this morning.”

A Burn Notice.

A death threat.

A war declaration.

Cameron wanted to destroy our pack and he could do that with a single swipe of his claw. We would die and it didn’t matter how hard we fought because we were nothing compared to Cameron and his pack.

I looked straight into the artist palette eyes that were August’s, “If you don’t help us, we will be dead in six months.”

August crossed his arms, we still stood so close that his arms brushed my chest and I ignored the warmth spreading to the rest of my body.

His voice came out hoarse, “Why does he want your sister so bad?”

Before I could speak, everyone’s eyes moved to Sam behind me.

Sam’s hands flew in the air, “Alice is the only child of Vic’s that has access to their wolf, both Eden and Morgan are Changelings.”

Morgan, my older brother. He worked himself sick trying to find his wolf, he wanted to take over my father so bad and would stop at nothing to ensure that my sister didn’t have to.

Bain was confused and so was his grumpy companion, he turned to me “So is she next in line?”

I nodded, “If neither of us find our wolf, she will take over the pack.”

Morgan not finding his wolf was sending me slowly into a panic, he was 4 years older than me and I assumed he would have found it by now, but every day is the same. He wakes up, leaves, comes back, wakes up, leaves, comes back and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon.

“Gus,” the blonde woman spoke, she eyed the tense man in front of me, “There’s twenty in the pack,” her voice was deep and clear.

A trickle of jealousy warmed my veins and I tried to ignore the nickname she probably called him all the time and I breathed, “Twenty-five, twenty-five dead unless you help us.”

They looked at each other and I knew they were speaking in their minds.

August never moved away from me, not a step and I could feel his body warmth touching my skin. His eyes turning into glowing sapphires as he looked back at me, and from the expression alone, I knew. I knew he wouldn’t help us. Couldn’t help us. He had to put his pack first.

I felt the tears on the back of my eyes, and I fought to keep them there, “I understand that my father broke the law, broke his Alpha’s orders and I understand that this is not your problem, but I will be facing Cameron alone with or without you and I know that I will lose,” I stepped back down the stairs, “The second I die, Cameron will capture and torture all my pack members.”

They all shuddered at the thought.

Sam’s hand warmed my shoulder as I finally reached him.

My eyes still locked on August’s, his eyes fell the Sam’s hand and then returned, “I’m begging,” tears fell as I fell to my knees, I looked up at them with my chin high, not letting a slither of shame slide into my body, “Please.”

August’s jaw tightened as he strode down to me, and picked me up from my position. Everywhere our skin touched was burning, the heirloom ice cold against my burning skin, “You do not kneel, pup, and you do not beg.”

I could see my confused teary face in his eyes. My amber eyes red rimmed and wide. My dark hair falling around my face as the bun I made this morning came loose. I saw the weak Changeling everyone else saw.

I had no choice. My family was going to die, and I would fight alone if I had to. Cameron was so deadly that I knew the second I saw that Burn Notice that we were dead. My father knew it too.

I couldn’t let my sister be forced into that miserable life, and neither could my father. We would fight until our very last breath.

August’s touch was burning where he held my arms, his eyes were glowing with rage and fury. His voice was so deep and rough, “We will help you.”

It was moments later that we all sat in August’s house. A giant oval table, sitting across from me was the small angry blonde and next to her was August. Bain slid into the seat next to me and Sam was lounging on the other side.

Sitting around us were Etas, Zetas and Kappas with Nu, Psi and Lambdas standing around us and they were all looking at me. Some with glares of annoyance. Some with curiosity, and only Bain showed a small smile. Bain’s presence almost matched August’s, powerful and loud, but it was August’s demeanour that held everyone’s tongue. His power practically vibrated off him, and no one dared speak until he had spoken or meet his gaze.

The walls of the room were made out of concrete, polished until smooth, curving delicately at the ends. A large hanging fireplace sat in the far corner, warming the room, and giving it an intimate feel. The lights were woven metal spheres, casting a warm glow through the room.

Everyone was silent until August cleared his throat, “We have been asked to help Vic Addandam’s...”

An uproar of gasps, sounds of disapproval and growls. Majority crossed their arms and started shaking their heads. One of the Psi complained, “Why should we help that traitor?”

August shot one look at all of them, and silence filled the room once more, he was talking to them through their bond.

I always heard about the bond, but because I hadn’t found my wolf, I didn’t get to hear anything from my father, and for some reason, I felt angry about being left out. August was leaving me out. He could be telling them a different story, telling them lies about why I need their help.

I crossed my arms, “Care to share with the whole room?”

August’s eyebrows rose in question, and a ghost of a smirk came across his face, “Well pup, I thought you wouldn’t want to hear their comments, but if you insist.”

A flick of his wrist, and the room burst with loud voices, talking all over each other, all the voices blending into nothing, but nonsense.

“Just let them die!”

“Why should we care?”

“I’ll kill them myself!”

“Like hell I’d help them!”

“Enough,” August’s thundering voice silenced them, “They received a Burn Notice from Cameron.”

Gasps and shrugs. More chatter and more disagreeing.

One look, and they all shut up once more. August crossed his arms, looking at them, “We all know how small Vic’s pack is,” a few snickers came from the Psi, “We cannot sit and let our kind be murdered over a marriage request.”

My dark eyes locked with the grumpy blue-eyed blonde across from me. She looked annoyed and bored. The Sigma standing behind her rested his hand on her shoulder, a slender finger resting right on the neckline of her shirt, and touching the skin of her neck. He was a tall man as well, his chest wasn’t as large as August’s, but was a close second, it was covered with a chunky sweater and a collared shirt, he was wearing the same scowl as her. Mirroring each other while looking completely opposite.

We don’t have a Sigma in our pack. Sigma is the pack know-it-alls. The one with the biggest brain, knows all history and a great deal of every subject. They tutor our pups and other pack members.

One of the Deltas sitting to her left growled at me, “Let’s just kill them right now.”

Sounds of agreement spread through the crowd. An annoyed growl escaped August’s throat as a disappointing click of a tongue left Bain’s, and the lanky man was suddenly facing the outspoken Delta, no words were spoken, but the unnamed man shrunk back without looking back at me.

August recrossed his arms, eyes glowing, “I need everyone to be on board before we move on,” his voice deep, loud and clear all at once, “Anyone who has concerns, voice them now.”

There were a few quiet murmurings, eyes moving from August, to me, to Sam, to me, and back to August.

The Theta stood up from across the table, a short man and he swallowed before speaking, “I fear that they will only turn Cameron on to us, and we will be outnumbered for a war.” Being the lead medic, the Theta has a lot of respect from the pack.

Agreeing nods around the table, and August nodded in respect to his member, “Will, I understand your concerns...” The rest of the conversation was between their minds.

Will’s eyes were saucers, and he gave me a quick glance before nodding, then he took a step back, “I will fight.”

My gaze was pulled to August’s, and the tug between us so taught and straining, “They’re going to help.”

A wave of relief washed over me. My father would be so grateful of August and his pack, no one expected him to say yes or his pack members, but even with August’s numbers, we were outnumbered, and Will was right.

Sam’s fingers grasped mine under the table, his fingers drawing words on my hand, secretly whispering, “Trust?”

Almost as if he knew, August’s eyes moved to Sam, and he signed “We don’t go back on our word.”

Trust them? Not all of them.

Trust him? Maybe.

My eyes met that artwork that was August’s eyes, and I felt the string grow impossibly tighter. I knew he wouldn’t go back on his word; I knew he’d fight his hardest to help us.

My fingers wrote a reply on Sam’s hand, “Yes.”

Sam just smiled, and leaned away from me, his fingers moving, “How will you help us?”

A challenge and irritation flicked over August’s face, I expected him to react, but he leaned forward, bracing his arms on the table, “I will not discuss the plan with anyone expect my pack, and your Alpha,” his eyes meet my brown ones, “Especially not to an Omega.”

Omega.

Bottom of the pack. Last to eat and first to be left behind. The only authority an Omega has is over the pups. I never liked bullies, and I refused to show him that his insult struck something in me.

I absorbed the irritated tone he threw towards Sam and stood. All the seated wolves stood with me, and I didn’t bother looking at them trying to protect their Alpha. My finger pointed accusingly at August, “How about you fix your tone?”

Eyebrows raised, the blonde Alpha smirked, leaning back in his chair and peeled his eyes from me to look at the bored blonde across from me, “Quinn, go with the pup to Vic’s, and find out all the information about the Burn Notice.”

Finally putting a name to her scowling face. Quinn’s icy sapphires rolled with a sigh, “If anyone touches the biscuits in the cupboard,” she looked to the crowd, “I’ll cut your fucking hands off.”

Her voice soft and calm, unlike the threat she promised. The man behind her chuckling as she stood and stalked out of the room, “Let’s go Changeling.”

Sam and I hastily followed, I looked over my shoulder at August as I left the room, and wasn’t surprised to find him already looking at me with the strangest expression on his face.

Quinn drove. Sam and I didn’t argue as she gracefully reversed out of the driveway full speed. Snow slamming into to the windscreen, making it impossible to see, but it didn’t seem to bother Quinn.

I opened my mouth to tell her the directions, but she cut me off, “I know already.” Weaving between cars with calmness and ease.

Sam wrote on my hand from the back seat, “Vic?”

Sam question was asking what my father would do once she saw Quinn, and I had no idea what my father would do when Quinn walked into our house and demanded information of our death threat. He would’ve expected August himself, not one of his wolves.

Compared to August’s house, ours was the same as everyone else’s on the block, no fancy twisting or building materials and as we drove into the driveway, I noticed Quinn’s judging gaze. Simple dark cladding and large windows, modern but generic. No grand open field or steaming pond. No sloping windows or sunken lounges.

“My father will be so grateful,” I explained as Quinn turned the car off and we made to leave. The snow refusing to give up outside and I tightened my jacket around me, bracing to go into the unforgiving cold.

A noise of annoyance escaped Quinn’s mouth, “I know,” sapphires staring at my father who was now standing on the threshold, “We didn’t do it for him.”

The sentence was so mumbled that I didn’t hear it properly through the falling snow, and my father didn’t give me a chance for confirmation as he reached us with record speed.

“He said yes?” My father’s face painted with hope and relief.

Quinn crossed her arms, trying to shield herself from the cold and nodded at my father, “Alpha Rotaeche sent me to get information about your Burn Notice so we can plan our defense.”

My father’s gaze turned to me with a frown, “Why didn’t he come himself?”

I could see the annoyance on Quinn’s face as my father ignored her. I shrugged, “Dad, Quinn is highly respected.”

“More than that,” Quinn said, walking up to the house without turning to see if we were following, “I’m not only his war advisor, but his Beta, and I doubt he will be pleased by your dismissive behaviour towards me.”

Of course, she was the Beta, and I don’t know why I thought she’d be anything else. I wondered if Bain was a Beta as well. Both have the same authority with the pack.

Father blinked and nodded towards the study. Unlike August’s sweeping discussion table, our study was just filled with a small desk, a few sofas with my beloved books covering the walls.

Quinn took a seat at the desk, “Where is it?”

The Burn Notice.

I looked at father and he swallowed, “It’s in my quarters,” I watched as he slid out of the room. I took a seat next to Sam on one of the brown leather sofas.

An awkward silence filled the room, and then Sam made an attempt at clearing his throat, both Quinn and I looked over at him forming a sentence, “Was the Sigma at the meeting your Mate?”

He was talking to Quinn, but I straighten, wanting to know the answer. How could someone so cold have a Mate? Did August have a Mate? The sign for Mate wasn’t the same meaning for what it means to us, so Sam used the sign for Forever and the sign for Partner after another instead.

With casual ease, Quinn reached for her hair tie that wrapped around her wrist, and started tying back her short hair, she gave us a nod after she was done, “Urith.”

Only then did I notice the fine band around her left ring finger. She had multiple rings, and one on her smallest finger that was remarkably similar to August’s, the engraving too small to interpret.

I’m always so interested in Mates. Only knowing what it is because of my parents. Changelings do not get Mates, no wolf, no Mate. I’ve heard rumours of Changelings finding their wolf, and their Mate in one night, but it’s too good to be true.

My poor brother was also searching for his, not realizing you need the wolf to get the Mate. I’ve tried to tell him, but he refuses to seem weak or to need help, a habit he inherited from my father.

Father returned with his face a shade whiter, “Here.”

The cursed paper slid onto the pine desk with the grace of a bird. Quinn stopped it with a single finger, and picked it up without hesitation. No fear.

Her sapphire eyes running over the war declaration, reading over, and over again. Showing nothing in her face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Morgan’s voice was loud and demanding, bursting through the doors with rage, “Why are you showing her that?”

My uncle Wren and Alice rushed in after him. Alice wore a cold scowl that almost mirrored Quinn’s, her phone in her hand as she typed away, and took a seat across the room, “So, they’re gonna help us?”

I smiled with a nod, “They are.”

Her hazel eyes connected with mine, and she gave me a soft smile in appreciation. Alice was the opposite version of me. Tanned skin, soft features, light hazel eyes, and the only thing we had in common was our mother’s dark hair, except her dark hair was cut to her chin. I watched as Wren went to my father, and they spoke in hushed tones. My attention went back to Morgan as he stood glaring down at Quinn.

I breathed through my own rage, and I crossed my arms, “Morgan, be respectful,” my voice coming out in hisses, “Quinn is August’s Beta, and she’s here to help us.”

Morgan turned to me with a hot dark glare, his hair was cut short and sleeked back. His authority never fazed me, physically I was stronger and taller. I would win if he dared to challenge me, and in my head, I knew that. So, I didn’t give him the satisfaction of bending my knee to him or his authority.

Quinn’s gaze flicked to me, and back to Morgan, “Morgan?” it was more of a realization than a question, “How about you take a seat?”

Morgan’s arms crossed, “No, I’m the Beta here and that’s my seat.”

I locked my dark eyes onto Quinn’s sapphires, she was confused, and silently asking the question on how my brother was the Beta over me. Considering we are both Changelings, my father wanted one of us to be the Beta, and the pack being so small, we couldn’t have two. My father and I both knew Morgan would be the only one complaining if father chose me, so I rejected the position. It went straight to Morgan and now he is happy.

An Omega wasn’t suited for such a prominent position.

My father remained in the far corner, not saying a word. With a sigh, Quinn leaned back and shrugged, “How about you get the fuck over yourself—” she paused to glare up at him, ”Changeling?”

My eyes nervously met Sam’s. Quinn knew and Morgan knew. Ranks or not, Quinn had a wolf and Morgan did not. Quinn was more powerful and everyone in the room knew it too.

Pure rage washed over Morgan’s face, and he would have changed into his wolf if he had found it. Ignoring all of us, he stormed out and slammed the door after him.

“The Burn Notice doesn’t give us any hint at what time Cameron was thinking about attacking,” Quinn continued without a second pause, “Normally, it takes up to six months for the declaration to be called into action, from what we know of previous Burn Notices.”

Sam’s hands flew through the air, “I scouted Cameron’s pack last week, and there was no signs of training or planning.”

Quinn nodded, “They wouldn’t start yet, they will be making up their plan of attack first.”

I never liked the idea of Sam being the scout, the Tau they called them. He was extremely quick and quiet, my father also said that if he were ever caught and we doubted that he would ever be but he could play it off that he was deaf and lost his way home. However, knowing that Cameron wouldn’t care if he was deaf or not, didn’t make it any less discerning.

I stood up from the couch, “Okay, so what’s our plan of defence?”

Quinn looked me up and down, preceded to do the same with my father and with Sam before returning her attention back to me, “Once I create one, I’ll let you know but first, we need to get you ready for a fight, Changeling.”