Extinguishing Wildfire

Jordan

Today was the day. We held the Harvest Moon funerals and Tío Rodrigo was out of the clinic. Our four remaining parents were still a bit weak, and Tía Elena had been a little more quiet than usual, but they were glad to be heading home. They all four promised to help us deal with the changes and whatever was to come with our pack.

Jasmine and Jade were another story. They had asked me if they could stay at least through the semester or even the school year. Alpha Kedrick and Luna Ellis were okay with it as was I, but they would have to go back with me for now. I wanted to give my parents a proper funeral, and there was no way I’d be doing that without my sisters.

“We head out in another hour or so, are you two okay to go?” I felt like I was pushing them, knowing they wanted to stay here.

“We’ll be okay, Jordan. I’m not ready to be back there yet, but we need closure.” Jasmine had a haunted look in her eyes whenever I mentioned home, but she was trying to put on a brave face.

Jade had somehow flourished here, making friends…or should I say a friend. She and Alex had gotten really close over the last few weeks, and I was worried she’d be heartbroken over the little punk when she finally returned home, but that’s part of why I was okay with her coming back to finish the year. She needed to not lose anyone else for now.

Alpha Kedrick and Luna Ellis had assured me they would keep my sisters safe. The girls would be moving onto the Alpha floor when they returned, but I still worried about them. They were my responsibility now, and I wanted the best for them.

“We want to have Noah and Gema’s mating ceremony at the next full moon. Do you think you can stay for that?”

“Yes, but you’ll for sure let me finish the year out here?” Jade seemed fine to return to Cobalt Falls other than wanting to stay with Alex, but I knew it was going to be harder for Jasmine. We had discussed it, and we all thought some sort of celebration for getting the pack back would be good for Cobalt Falls, but Cristian threw in the suggestion of making it Noah and Gema’s mating ceremony. He said the whole pack was invested in their love story since they were kids and would rejoice at seeing their happy ending, but I think he’s really just hoping Rory will show up for the event.

As far as the Wildfire pack members in our cells, Alpha Kedrick will be traveling with us and Alpha Tate will be meeting us at the pack to help with the matter. They both also said they’d help guide me and teach me the ropes of being an Alpha. Alpha Tate knows his knowledge might not always apply to us as he’s a bear, but it’s good to know someone is close by to call for help.

Aaliyah

“I’m ready, now.” I walked up behind Jordan and his sisters.

“Great, let me gather the others, and we’ll start loading up the bags.”

As soon as he exited the room, Jasmine turned to me and crossed her arms over her chest. As a tall girl, I didn’t find many people intimidating, but tiny Jasmine was pretty scary when she wanted to be.

“My brother forgave you and said you had apologized and made up for everything. We love Jordan and want him to be happy. He deserves to be happy. I’ll let bygones be bygones, but if you ever hurt him again, I won’t hold back.”

“I understand. I want the best for him, too, and I agree he deserves to be happy, so I’ll do my best to ensure that he is happy.”

“Good.” She narrowed her eyes at me and gave me a firm nod.

“We’re all heading outside now, you three coming?” Jordan returned and we all headed out.

I was ready to set off towards our new life. It was crazy to think that I was so reluctant just a few months ago. Hope and I were firmly connected once more now that we were on the same page, and things were good.

“So, Noah is driving with Gema and the four parents. We’re with Cristian and the girls, and your brothers and Rebecca are in their car.” Kedrick was coming along to pay his respects to Alpha Henry and Luna Christina. The others would head up for the mating ceremony and then bring back Jordan’s sisters afterward.

Jordan opened the door for me to get inside. My heart was beating like crazy as I felt a mixture of excitement and nerves. I had never been to Texas but Jordan kept talking it up to me. It was cute seeing how excited he was to show me everything he'd grown up with.

We got in late to Cobalt Falls, but were greeted at the border by Rebecca’s brother. We were then led to the pack house where a large crowd had gathered. It looked like the pack had decorated the house with balloons and a large 'welcome home' sign.

It was overwhelming to see the pack's outpouring of love for their ranked members. They had prepared a small meal for us, and as we ate, pack members continuously came up to congratulate us, both for being back home and for finding each other as mates. I had never received so many warm and genuine smiles or felt so welcome before.

The pack members had even prepared rooms for us. The Wildfire pack members had taken over the ranked apartments, so the Cobalt Falls members redecorated and revamped each floor so that we’d come into something new. I could tell Jordan and his sisters were having a hard time being back in their old family apartment, but they each went off to what used to be their rooms.

I stayed back in the living room not wanting to intrude. A loud squeal suddenly came from one of the bedrooms.

“Bear is still here!” Jasmine came rushing out waving a teddy bear, smiling the brightest smile I had ever seen from her.

“They left Mom and Dad’s stuff here, too.” Jade came over with a blanket in her arms.

“Girls! They put everything in the back closet, all the framed pictures and their clothes.” Jordan came out holding a family photo that he set down on the mantle, and the three of them smiled as they gazed on at their parents' smiling faces.

“Come on, let’s get to sleep. We’ll explore more tomorrow.” He hugged his sisters and held out his hand to me. “I figured we can take the guest room for now. We can look at rooms tomorrow and decide on what to do. I don’t want to sleep in the master for now. Maybe we can rebuild?” The master, in other words, his parents’ room. This was harder on him than he let on, but I’d be here for him.

“Anywhere’s perfect, as long as I’m with you."

Jordan

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. The last few days were filled with both happiness and heartache. We reconnected with old friends but also with painful memories of our lost loved ones.

The Wildfire pack members were to be taken to Harvest Moon to await trial by the Council. I was glad the decision didn’t lie solely on me. I could just focus on rebuilding my pack for now.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror before heading out. The last time I had worn a suit was in high school, and I had grown out of that suit, so I had to borrow one of my dad’s suits. It fit just right but somehow felt too big for me.

‘Dont think like that, Dad would be proud of us. He was proud of us in every stage of our life, but we’ve grown a lot over these last few months. We can get through this and lead our pack to better days.’ Neo pushed me forward, giving me the words I needed to continue on.

Aaliyah showed up beside me in her black dress, followed by my sisters. She silently took my hand and we walked on to meet the crowd that had already gathered.

“Today, we come together to honor the lives of my beloved parents, Alpha Henry and Luna Christina. They were more than just parents to me and my sisters. They were our guiding lights, our sources of strength, our laughter, our joy...the embodiment of love itself.

My parents were taken from this world by the cruel and merciless hand of an evil man. He attempted to extinguish their light and legacy, but even in death, their love continues to shine brightly through each and every one of us.

My parents were heroes in every sense of the word. They instilled in me, in all of us, the values of courage, compassion, and resilience.

Though they may no longer walk beside us in this world, their presence lingers in every memory, every lesson, and every beat of our hearts. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten, and their spirits will forever guide me as I strive to honor their memory and protect those under my care.

As I stand before you today, I promise to carry on their legacy with pride and determination. And although I mourn their loss with every fiber of my being, I take comfort in the knowledge that they are at peace.

Rest with the Goddess, Mom and Dad.

There wasn’t a dry eye after my words, and I was glad I was able to hold myself together until I finished. The pack had been ordered to burn all of the bodies, but those in charge of the job had kept my parents’ ashes safe . We wouldn’t be able to give them a proper funeral pyre, but we could finally lay them to rest.

We had a pack lunch after the funeral ceremony, and other people were welcome to share words about my parents. My heart rejoiced at how many people spoke well of my parents They hailed them as good friends, good people, and good Alphas.

“You did well up there.” Cristian came and stood by me. Aaliyah had gone off to make sure everyone was fed. For someone who was scared of taking on the role of Luna, she had completely stepped up in planning this funeral. She knew I needed her help and had been there every step of the way. I’d say she was doing a pretty great job of showing she really did mean all of her apologies.

“I’m glad it’s over. Mom and Dad can finally rest.” Noah came up to stand on my other side, and the three of us just stood there. No words were needed right now. Their simple presence was all the support I needed.

After a few minutes, Gema waltzed up to us with a mischievous grin, she had also been a big help, embracing Aaliyah as her Luna and coworker. The two of them had been working hard to take care of the day-to-day stuff of the pack while the guys and I reworked security. There was no way we’d be caught unaware again.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Noah pulled her into his side.

“Dinner, 6pm, at the falls, just the family…what do you guys say?”

“I say yes,” I smiled back at her. There had been no time to visit the waterfall yet as we hit the ground running once we arrived, so Gema’s plan of having dinner there sounded perfect.

Now that this was over, I wanted to talk to Aaliyah about marking each other. We hadn’t talked about it yet, but we also hadn’t slept together since before she was kidnapped. We had been taking things more slowly than before, which hadn’t been easy, but we both knew we needed a fresh start. Hopefully, tonight could be that fresh start for us.