Extinguishing Wildfire

Aaliyah

The week had been a blur, but Rory had kept me company this whole time, so it wasn't all bad. Her psychotic father had made good on his promise and started planning a wedding. I wasn't going to claim it as mine as I knew it wasn't happening.

Rory had been more nervous than usual, having to walk on eggshells as her father kept bringing up her potential mating. She said her father was bringing suitors to meet her but that Larkin promised he wouldn't let their father do that to her. I was curious to know how Larkin intended to help Rory. They'd invited me to a dinner meeting with James and Scarlett, who I met yesterday, so I was hoping to get more information as soon as everyone arrived.

“Larkin said they're on their way up, do you want to come help me put the food out?” Rory was one of the nicest people I had ever met. She made sure to always take care of the small details, like plates and drinks and the actual food during dinner. I didn't expect to like her as much as I do now.

Larkin walked in with James and Scarlett soon after we set the table. “It smells amazing, I'm starving. Let's eat then we can get started on everything. I've got some good news.”

The five of us dug into the lasagna that had been brought up for us, and it wasn't long before we had all finished. We kept the conversation light not wanting to interrupt our eating, but as soon as we finished eating Larkin was all business.

“I spoke with your brother this morning. I plan on challenging my father before the suitors he's invited are here.” Rory gasped loudly, clearly not having known about her brother's plans. “Alpha Kedrick says he'll back me up and can have everyone here by next week. I just have to find an in for him. I want us to look at our territory maps together, and I'm hoping we can find the right entry points for them.”

“Next week, that's sooner than expected.” I felt a mixture of fear and excitement wash over me.

“It's now or never, and I can't let them take Rory.”

“Larkin, are you sure?” Her eyes welled up with tears, and I could hear the emotion in her voice, “Do what's best for you and the pack. I've always known I'd have an arranged mating.”

“This is what's best for the pack. I'm challenging him either way. The only difference waiting will make is that you'll be gone.”

“He's right, Rory, you can't

5asacrifice yourself like this. We've waited too long already, this war needs to happen.” Scarlett walked over to Rory and squeezed her hand, smiling at her softly.

“When exactly does my brother and the rest of Harvest Moon arrive then?”

“We don't know yet, but they are heading west starting tomorrow. It'll take them a few days to get everyone to California. The Northern packs will be about an hour away but the more southern packs will be a day's drive away.”

We cleared off the table and set out some maps. It looked more like we were playing a tabletop game than planning for actual war, but it was real nonetheless.

“We’ll need to find some guards we can trust so they don't immediately sound the alarm when they enter the border. The north entryway makes the most sense for the northern packs, but the southern packs can either come in through the mountains or the wreckage of Golden Glen.” We all sighed deeply as we registered the implications of that comment.

“Going through Golden Glen makes sense, he won't expect that likely won't have it as guarded as the other places.” My eyes roamed over the map as I spoke my thoughts aloud.

“She's right, Alpha hasn't bothered much with that area since the attack.” James agreed with me and we started looking at the best roads for my brother to take.😃

Before long, we had a good idea of how the packs would enter from both the north and south. We also scanned some maps to send to my brother. They needed to know where they kept prisoners so that they could free some of Jordan's pack members.

We were about to break for the night when Larkin asked me to stay behind.

“First off, I wanted to thank you for helping out tonight, so. Thank you...but there was also something I wanted to ask. It's kind of a big ask, but I don't have anyone else out here.”

I crossed my arms over my chest intrigued by his words, “Sure, what is it?”

“My sister has zero training of any kind. You said you'd be back with the medical crew, so do you think you can keep her with you, make sure she stays out of the fight?...and if I don't make it, I'll need her to run.”

His love for Rory reminded me of my own relationship with Kedrick and Isaiah. He was going to make an amazing Alpha once this was all over, just like Jordan. “Don't worry, I'll make sure she's safe, you just focus on your father.

Larkin

Since my last call with Alpha Kedrick, James and I have been working hard to get things ready on our side. I had asked James a few weeks back to make a list of everyone he trusted and he'd quickly done that. We had slowly been giving those people guard and patrol duties.

We had used James to get the cats in for our wedding fiasco to help get Gema out, so we knew that we needed to start putting guards we trusted on rotation. We figured it would look less suspicious to have them early on than to suddenly switch out the guards a week before going into battle. All that was left was to tell them about the war and trust that they would keep our secret. The thought of that made me more nervous than anything because I wasn't used to trusting people. James and Scarlett were different because they had proven themselves before I let them in. I'd just have to take the risk…either way, this would all end with me and my Father on that field.

Rory and I had scheduled lunch with our mother today, I just hoped today was one of her good days. It was finally starting to get cold, so we met her in her apartment instead of the garden like she preferred. Sheila let us in, “Hi guys, I'm glad you're here, today has been a good day. She's excited to see you.”

“Hi, Mom.” Rory was the first to greet her.

“You look beautiful, Rory. I'm so glad you're both here. Come, sit.” Sheila was right, Mom looked good today. We ate our lunch and exchanged some pleasantries, but the real reason we were here was to tell her about the upcoming battle.

“Before we go, we need to let you and Sheila know about something,” We knew we could trust Sheila as she hated my father as much as we did for what he put our mother through. “Father is trying to marry off Rory. He's bringing in suitors next week, and Rory will be expected to leave with one of them.”

“What? No, he can't do that.” She said that, but we all knew that he very well had the power to do as he pleased.

“Don't worry, I won't let it happen. I'm going to challenge him for Alpha.” She gasped and covered her mouth, but otherwise stayed silent. I could see the tears forming in her eyes, and she took a shuddering breath before reaching out to both me and Rory, taking our hands in hers.

“I am so proud of both of you. You could have turned out exactly like your Father, but instead, you're two of the kindest and most loving people I know. You can beat him, Larkin. You're stronger than he'll ever be. Only weak men destroy others.” She let her tears fall freely after that, which made Rory cry as well.

“I won't let you down, but I need you safe. You and Sheila need to stay here during the fight. I'll send word when everything starts, but no one will hurt you up here.”

“I'll make sure she's safe.” Sheila gave me her assurance, which helped calm some of my nerves. Everything seemed to be falling into place now.

‘Champion won't see this challenge coming. We’ll finally be able to see Nora again.’ That thought alone was enough to keep me going.

Gema

Alpha had asked everyone to meet in the gym to split us up into vehicles and rooms before we left. Yugen Vale was more of a city pack, and we'd be staying in one of their hotel buildings for a few days, so they had asked us to pair off for rooms. Noah and I would be together so that left Jordan and Cristian together.

“What do you mean I'm already paired off with someone?” Cristian was ahead of us in line, and we heard as he questioned the person signing us up.

“We have you down as rooming with Evie Hart.” He cursed under his breath and stormed off before we could say anything.

Jordan turned to the girl with the list, “I was planning on rooming with him, but now I guess I have to find someone new.”

“I'll check on that for you, but as an Alpha, I'm sure you're the exception to having to share.” She wrote the three of us down, and we headed back to the packhouse.

“I'm gonna go find Cristian, make sure he's good.” Jordan headed off in the direction we saw my brother go, leaving me and Noah on our own.

“So, Jordan wants us to get our parents out first?”

“Yeah, he said it was our first priority.” Noah had been sharing everything he and the guys talked about with me. I loved how he made sure to include me in everything, the two of us were a real team. “As soon as we have them to safety, we'll join the battle.

“We should free whoever we find down there. I'm sure they're all innocent.”

“With a guy like Marek, you're probably right. I can't believe this will all be over soon.”

“I’m scared of what state we'll find our parents in. They had already lost so much weight the last time I saw them.”

“I know, Gem. I'm scared, too.” He pulled me into his arms, and we let the mate bond soothe us.

“The first thing I want to do when we get back to Cobalt Falls is see the waterfall again. My last time there was one of the best nights of my life.” I thought back to that night when we confessed our love for each other.

“That was pretty perfect. Our moms are going to flip when they find out we're mates.” We both laughed at the thought.

“I'm sure they'll have the mating ceremony planned before we even make it back home. Then they'll start begging for grandkids.”

“I'll have to disappoint them then because I want something simple for our ceremony. I don't want it to be anything like what Alpha Marek planned for that damned wedding.”

“We could have sandwiches in a park with everyone wearing jeans as far as I'm concerned, but I'll make sure to help keep our moms from going crazy. I want whatever you want.” I couldn't help but kiss him after saying those words. Regardless of all of the emotions going around in my head, we'd get through this and finally be able to breathe again.

Jordan

It took me a while, but I finally found Cristian in one of the weight rooms. I sat down on the bench nearest him without saying a word. He didn’t say anything but I could tell he saw me from how he tensed up when I sat down.

I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and silently watched as he continued his reps. I had known him long enough to know that silence on my end was the best way to get him to talk. He moved to another machine, and I followed, sitting on the nearest bench again. This went on for another few minutes before Cristian finally broke his silence.

“I don’t want to be the one to get my parents out.”

“And here I thought you were going to say something about Evie.” That made him stop and turn to me, but I just chuckled as I gave him my best shit-eating grin.

“That girl’s a topic for another day. I don’t have enough mental capacity for both her and my parents. I just know I’m not ready to see my dad yet. I didn’t want to say anything because...well, because it’s fucked up of me to not want to see my dad when you can’t see your dad but want to.”

“I do want to see my dad, but our stories aren’t the same. I get it, your dad messed up. Ethan and Emma were going to be with me during the fight, but we can ask Ethan if he’d be willing to switch with you. You can come get Aaliyah with me while he helps with your parents.”

“Really, you’d be okay with that?”

“Of course, we’re brothers, and we’ll get through whatever’s coming next together.”