Bonfire, aka the Claw Bonfire.
The Claws took pride in being unique, so it's not a surprise they had a traditional bonfire every pique of winter, it was in celebration of the Moon. The goddess that gave them life as they know it. It wasn't mandatory but people tend not to miss the chance of the pack elders telling stories of the pack. Alanis always enjoyed that part of the bonfire, putting aside the food and wild nights they were, she always loved hearing about the history of the pack and what made it special.
The stories and myths and legends. The battles and victories they won. It was the little things in stories that she adored, the heroes behind the heroes. But she hasn't been to the bonfire in four years and she didn't exactly want to go this year. She always went with her mother and the warmth it brought to know that her mother's arms were wrapped around her when the scary stories were told but now that image seemed to be distant.
She knew her mother still went to the event knowing the pack would start asking questions if neither of them showed.
She sat at the edge of her bed watching Nicco pace to and fro in the bedroom. He's been giving her a lecture on why she should go, why her presence is required. He sounds like a lawyer with his closing case. And so far, the compelling case was that it was her birthday and that she should celebrate having a chance to meet her mate, but that only made her anxious.
"You should go, please come with me. I can't show up there by myself, " he stops giving her his full attention.
"You've been doing that for the past five years though,"
"That was before I figured out my mate is the alpha's son," he breathed.
" Please don't make me go alone, I just found out my mate is gay and he doesn't even know and even if he did, he's ignoring it and it makes my wolf crazy to even think that and I…..I don't want to be alone," his eyes turning gold and his wolf on edge.
"Fine," she exhales giving up and he jumps to her closet throwing her jeans and coat at her.
After getting dressed they both leave the house and she looked at her neighbour's house. The lights were out, and the lingering scent she had smelt earlier no longer existed and she stuffed her hands in her pocket as she shook her nervous thoughts away.
Linking her arms with Nicco's, they walk towards the pack-field but the whole walk there, she couldn't focus on Nicco's excited ramblings. She felt unsettled, frazzled, nervous, excited and it only made her cautious. She thought it was just her wolf's emotions mixing with hers regarding Mr Edgar's disappearance. She hoped he was okay.
She also knew that he had a daughter in another pack but also knew he would have told her if he was travelling outside the pack, but she reassured herself with the justification of him getting old and forgetting to inform her. But that justification seemed to do nothing to calm her wolf.
With the pack-house insight, she pushed her emotions to the dark cave and stared at the house in awe, now realizing how long she's been away. She could smell the different scents lingering in the house and knew that the strength of the smell was due to newly mated wolves.
" I know right, stupid wolves can't keep it in their pants especially after they made the pack-house specifically for new mated wolves,"
"wait, then what about the residents? the omegas?"
Nicco rolled his eyes at her, " the residents have their own houses now and the omegas have their building," he shrugged walking further into the field.
She could see the orange and yellow light that acted as a beacon but she was pulled from the trance when Nicco's hold tightened. Her eyes clouded in confusion before gazing at the direction he stared at noticing how Zac was staring at him longingly but she also noticed how his hand was wrapped around his girlfriend's waist.
She growled pulling Nicco away, before sitting on the other side of Zac's group. She immediately noticed the snack table and how no wolf was around the table and she knew they were busy mingling than to be bothered by food.
"I'm going to get us some snacks," she nudged him grabbing his attention.
He gave her a hesitant nod and she knew he was too busy consoling his wolf to care about what she had to say. She quickly rushed past the energetic pups and found a bowl before filling it up with snacks for both to share.
They had puffs, Maynard's, marshmallows, chocolate sticks, and other sorts. She heads back to Nicco, scared of leaving him too long that he would get ambushed by his mate. She gave him the bowl before rushing back to the table grabbing to cups. She took a sip of the drink, and the sweet taste of granadilla washed down her throat before having an after-taste that stung with an odd flavour but she shrugged before filling the cups.
She was filling Nicco's cup when she heard her name being called, " Wow, is that you Al? ".
Her eyes turned to meet her childhood friend and her mother's supposedly suffering bully, " Hi Nina," she waves noticing how Nina always seemed to be followed by a crowd.
" I haven't seen you here in four years, you disappeared," she shrugs raking her eyes up and down, "you practically went invisible, but something went wrong I guess, we can still see you".
She raises her eyebrow and her wolf growls in annoyance, going back to her cave. She ignores the sting that flowed through her, already knowing Nina was always someone who was blunt and didn't care about other's emotions, so she turned and continued pouring into Nicco's cup.
" oh I know what you can do," she could hear the mischief in the girl's voice and in the corner of her eyes, she sees her smirk as she leans closer whispering into her ear, "why don't you ask your daddy dearest for tips considering his invisibility trick worked".
She smiles before walk off into the crowd. Alanis lingers at the table for what seemed like minutes but it only took her seconds to wonder why Nina's words got to her, to her wolf but a part of her already knew that answer.
She walked back to Nicco, who gave a silent thank you while observing her features. She smiled at him and hooks her arm in his before laying her head on his shoulder
'still can't believe my mom thought Nina was a suffering bully', she thought to herself.