by C. R. Jane
The room tilted around me as I cried out for help.
I couldn’t breathe from the smoke and couldn't think straight.
So I sprinted out of the room, shut the door behind me, and crossed the hallway before sprinting back downstairs. I covered my nose and mouth with my folded arm, struggling to take in air.
I dropped to my knees and stayed low. Smoke rose, and I crawled quickly across the living room near the couch and held myself still, rocking back and forth.
Each breath was like barbed wire being dragged through my lungs.
Smoke filled the room, and my mind searched for a way to get out. I had to get out. I didn’t survive Alistair and the hunters and everything else to die like this.
“Get up,” I muttered under my breath. “You need to get out.”
I’d never given up before, so I wouldn’t now. I wouldn’t.
I pushed up on unsteady legs when the front door burst open, coming right off its hinges and breaking apart into shards thrown in every direction.
Terrified, I swung away from it and threw myself back to the ground, half landing on the couch, half on the dining table, its legs breaking beneath me.
I tumbled, hitting the floor hard, while the picture frame whacked me right in the face. I snatched it just as someone grabbed me by the back of my shirt and yanked, forcing me onto my feet.
“Rune,” Wilder cried out. “I’ve got you.”
Next thing I knew, I was thrown over his shoulder and he rushed us out of the house.
Flames sparked and cracked, the heat overbearing, and my vision blurred in and out from the smoke I had inhaled. More of it curled up into the night sky, blotting out the moon.
I was coughing uncontrollably, my throat raw and stinging.
When my feet finally touched the ground outside the burning cabin, I stumbled back into Wilder’s arms, where he held me...right where I belonged.
“Rune, are you okay? What the hell happened?” He held me by my shoulders and forced me to look up at him.
His gaze fell to the picture frame I still clutched with a death-grip to my chest. I handed it to him, and he stared at the photo of him and his mother for a long time before taking it from me. The one thing I saved from his burning house with all his belongings was a photo.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked, my insides shrivelling up to think I caused him to lose everything. It took me a moment to find my balance and stand on my own, to actually draw in breath that didn’t cut into my insides. “I never wanted anyone to get hurt or for you to lose your home.”
He’s holding me, the hurt and conflict in his eyes deeping the ache in my heart. “It’s just a cabin. I can rebuild. What matters is that you're safe. Who did this?” he asked, his voice heavy.
Behind him I finally noticed that half the town were putting out the fire with buckets and hoses, including Daxon, madly hosing down the out of control flames. They were racing around wearing masks over their mouths and noses, yelling instructions at one another.
It broke me to know that I continued to bring so much trouble to this town for everyone.
“Rune, talk to me,” Wilder asked, and I turned my attention back to him.
“A-Arcadia,” I stuttered. “She did this. She tried to kill me.”
He blinked at me, the shade of his face paling instantly. He paused for a long moment, and there was only silence between us. Then he was shaking his head. “No, she couldn’t have.” His tone tightened, and he sounded adamant, and of course he was. He and Daxon had killed the girl.
“It was her,” I insisted. “She’s a ghost, and she threatened me earlier at the grocery store. Apparently, I can see spirits now, and I have no idea why. But I guess she was coming for her final revenge against me from beyond the grave.”
Wilder wasn’t responding, and the wheels behind his eyes were spinning as he tried to piece everything I’d told him together.
“She told me what you and Daxon did to her.”
He sighed heavily, his gaze tracing my face, a haunted look twisting his expression. I saw the pain on Wilder’s face...mixed with a bit of regret. “She had it coming to her. I won’t change my decision.”
“Why did you do it?” I implored, needing to understand. Just then, Daxon stormed up to us like a hurricane. He grabbed me instantly and wrapped me into his arms, lifting me off the ground. His breaths raced and he smelled of smoke, but beneath that was his musky, sexy scent that drove me crazy.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again, sweetheart. You cannot die...this shit has to stop.” He was kissing me, peppering my face with soft kisses, and I heard the ache of his pain in his voice.
“I’ll try my best,” I answered, then broke into a cough.
He set me back on my feet, when Wilder interrupted us, gaining himself a guttural growl from Daxon. “She knows about Arcadia. The bitch came to her as a ghost and burned my house down with Rune in it.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? That psychopath,” Daxon growled, his body tensing. I raised a brow at his choice of words considering how much I knew he enjoyed killing, but he wasn’t the one trying to off me. Unlike his ex.
“Why did you kill her?” I asked again, staring at both men, my back stiffening. I tried to hold my impatience inside, but panic turned my heart into a beating drum at the thought of discoveringWilder was just as much a loving murderer as Daxon. And I already had a feeling I only knew the tip of the iceberg when it came to Daxon. I loved him, but I also loved Wilder just as he was.
Daxon’s chest puffed out. “Because the bitch sold you out to Alistair. She told one of your ex’s enforcers about you. That’s how he found you in town. And there was no fucking way she was going to walk away from pulling that shit.”
My world spun, and I stumbled at his words. Wilder caught me before I fell over. I winced, Daxon’s words welling in my chest like someone had punched me over and over.
“She sold me out,” I cried, the words shaking with anger.
“After that, she lost the right to live,” Wilder growled, the anger on his face darkening. “She wanted you dead and away from me. That wasn’t going to happen.”
I lifted my head, tears filling my eyes from the anger burning through my veins. There was a part of me that wanted to just scream and go find her. Perform a seance so I could bring her back from the grave and kill her again myself. But what more could I do to her that the men already hadn’t? She was a ghost for the rest of her life, and I had no pity for her. Because of her selfish actions, the woman I’d always thought was my mother had been killed. Not to mention losing the answers to who my true parents could be.
She deserved everything she got.
Still, I was shaking furiously at her, while Daxon rubbed my arm soothingly.
I closed my eyes and my world spun. Maybe I’d inhaled too much smoke, but I felt myself slipping, and next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and was cradled in Daxon’s arms.
“You’ve been through too much, sweetheart. And you’re no longer staying at the Inn. It’s not safe. You’re moving in with me.”
“Like fuck she is,” Wilder snapped, drawing attention from a few of the locals fighting the blaze.
I cringed on the inside, tired of their incessant arguing, especially when we already had so much against us.
“And you’re going to stop me?” He laughed for show and to mock Wilder. “What do you suggest? That you’ll move in with her at that run-down Inn?” Daxon snapped.
Well, the place wasn’t that bad, in all honesty. Jim and Carrie made it feel cozy and welcoming.
“There are other temporary homes I can move into, and she’s coming with me.” Wilder stepped closer, and I was pinned between two Alphas ready to tear each other apart.
Anxiety flared, my heart rate spiking, and after everything, I barely held it together to not cry. I was exhausted by their jealousy.
“Enough,” I roared with my last ounce of energy. “Please, no more fighting. I think I’m going to pass out.”
>
My head pulsed with a growing headache, and exhaustion carved through me. I broke into a coughing fit, my lungs straining.
Wilder and Daxon exchanged glances, growling, and if I wasn’t in Daxon’s arms, they would already be in a brawl.
The death glares deepened, and they broke out into an argument about where I should live and who deserved to be with me, their voices rising in anger. I blocked out most of it as my head thumped; I’d heard it all before.
The power struggle.
The ego.
The loathing for one another.
I really didn’t have the energy for this, and my words came flying out loudly. “Either we all live together or I’m going back to the Inn on my own. I get final say on what happens to me,” I snapped and waited.
My heart banged in my chest and my breaths came faster, each one painful and raspy as I dragged air into my lungs.
Both of them were silent, their massive forms on either side of me like mountains.
I know they didn’t have plans to hurt me… that I was sure of. But with how the dynamics were going between us, one of them would end up dead very soon if something didn’t change. And I sure as hell couldn’t live with that.
Daxon was studying me, and I couldn’t work out what he was thinking.
“Sure. Why the fuck not,” he said suddenly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “We’ll all live together like one big fucking happy family.” His quick response took me completely off guard. “Just stay the fuck out of my way, Wilder. And no one goes into the basement.”
I threw my arms around his neck, tucking my face against the curve of his neck. “Thank you.”
I had no idea if this would end up with them murdering one another, but I was hoping it might be the solution to them finally healing some of the wounds that had started years before I’d arrived in town.
When I looked over to Wilder, shadows crept under his eyes, and he hadn’t responded. His attention lowered to me, and I smiled at him softly, needing them to make this happen. For me. For their packs. For us to survive.
“Appreciate it,” Wilder answered with a dark voice. “And got it. No basement. You sure the serial killer isn’t you?” He barked, but there was no laughter.
Was he being serious?
Daxon groaned in response. “I’m taking Rune home.” Then we were gone, walking across the lawn and onto the sidewalk.
When I looked back over Daxon’s shoulder to Wilder, he was studying his burning home.
My heart hurt like someone had jammed a blade into it and twisted it.
I did that to him. I caused his cabin to go up in flames. I took everything from him, and I had to find a way to make it up to him before the guilt swallowed me.
15
Rune
I was glued to the window from inside the car, staring at the oversized fair. We’d been driving for an hour to reach Highville, a nearby town, because everyone insisted I needed some fun time. Especially since we were in the month of October and that meant all things Halloween, a holiday that used to be my favorite when I was a little girl.
I got caught for a moment in memories as we got closer, remembering the decorations my mother had put around the house, the costumes she’d lovingly sewn into the early hours of the morning. I remembered it all as if it had happened yesterday.
A feeling of love seeped into my veins, and for a moment I felt warm, bathed in a golden light. She’d loved me even if she hadn’t created me. Had my real mother?
I pushed aside the issue of my real birth parents for another day, and tried to psych myself out to at least pretend to have fun.
Bright lights from the fair glinted against the overcast day, and there were people everywhere, making their way toward the Spook-tacular Fair, as written on the huge banner flapping in the breeze over the entrance. Small town fairs were evidently a big part of life around here with all the big cities hours and hours away. I wasn’t complaining.
Beyond the gates, there were rollercoasters and carousels, and I couldn’t help but remember the fair we attended weeks ago that somehow felt like years ago, and the kooky fortune teller. There better not be one at this fair.
Coming to a complete stop in the parking area, I scrambled outside where the cool air swished through my hair and ruffled the skirt of my yellow dress.
“This looks like fun!” Miyu squealed, rushing over to me. She grabbed my hand and was so giddy, it made me laugh and jump up and down with her.
"I love fairs," she said. "Rae, hurry up."
He curved around the car, taking his time walking, his head low, and looked as excited to be here as Wilder and Daxon who were standing a few cars away waiting. They both insisted on attending, which was perfect for me. As long as they didn’t break into an argument, it would be a perfect day.
Since moving in together, the jealousy between them had skyrocketed. And I wouldn't lie that it was starting to get on my nerves.
Was it too much to ask for the two men I loved to get along?
A flicker of guilt tore through me, because of course it was.
Having multiple mates wasn’t that big of a deal in the shifter world. The chance of meeting your fated mate was rare, non-existent usually, so wolves made the best of their situation. Alphas didn’t share though. Alphas were possessive. If you looked under the definition of Alpha, there was probably something there that said: doesn’t share well with others.
What I was asking of Wilder and Daxon went against everything in their genetic makeup.
But I still couldn’t resist wanting it with everything inside of me.
Miyu and Rae were holding hands, and we all headed toward the entrance, Wilder and Daxon taking a place on either side of me.
"Are you excited?" Wilder asked me, his smile contagious, and my hand slid into his, our fingers intertwined.
"You know it," I responded, feeling Daxon's hand taking mine, and my chest radiated with heat from being with them. The fair was full of humans who wouldn’t understand this strange relationship, but I didn't care what they thought. I just wished I didn't feel like the rope in a tug-of-war battle.
I smiled regardless, allowing myself for today to put everything aside and just enjoy the fair. No fights. No arguments. Just us.
Lifting my gaze to Daxon, he watched me, his golden eyes hooded and brimming with temptation. My heart flared in response, and I became hypersensitive to the way Wilder and Daxon stroked my hand with their thumbs, how they looked my way, wanting my attention.
My breath caught in my chest because for a moment, I let myself believe how perfect things could be with us three together, with them agreeing to share me, with only our futures to worry about. They’d been friends once before, hadn’t they?
Yeah, Rune, before a woman got between them.
I inwardly flinched at the reminder but decided to remain steadfastly stubborn about this. I wasn’t like Arcadia.
Maybe I believed in fairy tales too much, or maybe I'd endured so much sorrow that my heart had no more space for suffering.
"Did I tell you I'm the king of apple bobbing?" Daxon informed us out of the blue.
"Is that so?" I said. "Well, I'll hold you to it if we find the game."
Wilder was chuckling.
"You think you can beat me?" Daxon challenged.
"I have no doubt."
"Okay, settled then," I butted in. "The apple bobbing showdown is on."
Miyu looked at us from over her shoulder, smirking. "Oh, did I mention that this fair runs the state's annual apple bobbing championships? And it's today."
"That’s perfect," I said, half-laughing and expecting them to back out.
"Bring it on," Daxon stated.
"I'm ready," Wilder said.
I shook my head, but as long as the only competition came in the form of retrieving apples from a bucket of water, then I welcomed it.
Once we entered the fair, the explosion of people, sounds, and colors was overwhelming. But it didn’t take long t
o find familiar faces from our town here too, which made everything feel a little more normal. Some of them even smiled at me as we passed them.
Progress.
“Okay, where to go first?” I asked.
“First,” Miyu said. “I'm going to sign these two up for the apple bobbing tournament. I need to see them do this.” She was laughing hysterically as her and Rae vanished into the crowd.
Daxon was shaking his head as the three of us wandered in the opposite direction, mostly following the flow of the masses.
Of course, the first ride we passed was the Love Tunnel, and as corny as it sounded, I paused. “Let’s go on that,” I said, already dragging both guys with me.
Each of them groaned.
But I didn’t care as I stared at the small boat with a red heart on the front and a cherub cutout behind the seat. The couple in the boat were kissing as they sailed right into the arched doorway with a blinking love heart sign flashing above it.
I couldn’t help but smile at the notion that I finally understood the true power of love. “I really want to try this out, please,” I pleaded, already pulling the guys alongside me.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Daxon said.
“Why?” I turned to him, pouting.
“Don’t look at me that way. You’re breaking my heart, sweetheart. We’re not all going to fit.”
“You’re welcome to stay behind,” Wilder offered and drew me to his side by my hand.
Daxon snorted a laugh. "I don’t think so. Let’s go. I’ll make us fit." The determination on his face sort of scared me.
By the time we made our way to the front of the line and scored our very own love boat, Daxon might have been onto something about the whole fitting thing.
The guys were practically glued to each other, side by side, and, well, that had me sitting on their laps. When the young man at the ride booth insisted that wasn’t permitted, Daxon had a small chat with him privately and suddenly we were allowed to do anything… even swim the whole length if we so chose. I’d be passing on that thought; the water underneath the boats was a rancid yellow color...who knew what was growing down there.