VACANT novel Chapter 7

"Samuel, Samantha, they're all I have left, you have to understand"

The Bonfire, also known as the Claw Bonfire.

The Claws were proud of their individuality, so it's no wonder that they hosted a ritual bonfire every pique of winter in honour of the Moon. The goddess who gave them existence in its current form. It wasn't required, but they didn't want to miss the opportunity to hear the pack elders share stories about the pack. Alanis adored that part of the campfire, putting aside the food and crazy evenings they were. She loved learning about the pack's history and what made it unique.

The legends, myths, and stories. The battles and victories they won. She was enamoured with the small details in stories, the unsung heroes. But she hadn't been to the bonfire in four years and wasn't planning on going this year. She used to go with her mother because it gave her comfort to know that her mother's arms were wrapped around her while the terrifying stories were told, but that picture seemed to fade away now.

Nicco paced back and forth in the bedroom while she sat on the edge of the bed. He's been lecturing her on why she should go, why she must be present. With his closing argument, he sounded like a lawyer. So far, the convincing case has been that it was her birthday, and she should celebrate the opportunity to meet her mate, but this has simply increased her anxiety.

"Please come with me, you should go." He stops giving her his whole attention and says, "I can't show up there by myself."

"However, you've been doing it for the previous five years,"

He exhaled deeply. "That was before I realized my mate was the alpha's son."

"Please don't make me go alone, I just found out my mate is gay and he doesn't even know it, and even if he did, he's ignoring it. It drives my wolf insane to even contemplate that, and I…..I don't want to be alone," he said, his eyes becoming gold and his wolf tense.

"Fine," she exhales giving up and he jumps to her closet throwing her jeans and coat at her.

They both exit the house after getting dressed, and she notices that the lights are turned off on her neighbours, and the lingering scent she had detected before has vanished.

They stroll towards the pack-field, their arms linked, but she couldn't focus on Nicco's enthusiastic ramblings the entire way. She was disturbed, harried, nervous, and eager, which made her even more cautious. She assumed that was just her wolf's feelings about Mr Edgar's disappearance colliding with hers. She prayed he was all right.

She was also aware that he had a daughter in another pack, but she assumed that if he was travelling outside the pack, he would have informed her, but she consoled herself with the excuse that he was becoming old and forgetting to inform her. But that justification appeared to have had little effect on her wolf.

She forced her emotions to the dark cave and peered at the house in astonishment, comprehending how long she'd been gone, thanks to the pack-house insight. She could smell the various scents that lingered in the house and knew that the intensity of the odour was caused by newly mated wolves.

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