you. Just be part of this pack. Stay with us and be our light in the darkness that usually surrounds our kind.”
“He’s gone?” I whispered.
Dad nodded. “He’s dead. You’re safe. Now you just need to get through high school, and date whoever you want to figure out who you are and who will make a good mate for you. But, you’re several years off from choosing a mate. Or mates. Whatever you want.”
“What about Alfred?” I asked.
Dad growled. “I’ll deal with him. Don’t worry.”
“Sarah,” Nick whispered.
Dad set me down, and Nick hugged me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Don’t apologize,” Nick whispered. “Just promise you won’t run away again.”
“I promise,” I said, drawing an “x” over my heart with my finger.
“Good, now let’s go home and finish our homework,” he said, a huge smile splitting his face.
I groaned, but truthfully, I was just happy to have such understanding people in my life. I had a lot of decisions to make in the future, but for now, I would have fun and enjoy my time with everyone.
Chapter Seven
Flames engulfed my room. I sprang up, screamed in fear, and searched for a way out, but there didn’t seem to be one. The flames surrounded my bed in a circle, and were quickly spreading.
I sat on my bed, drawing in shallow breaths as I wracked my brain for a way to escape.
Nick threw open my door, Dad at his side, both armed with fire extinguishers. They quickly put the flames out, and then set the extinguishers down.
“What happened?” Dad asked.
Tears welled in my eyes, as I realized what had happened. “I think I did it. I made the flames.”
Dad and Nick’s eyes widened, and the shared look between them was worrying.
“Come on,” Nick coaxed, holding out his arms.
I jumped from my bed to him, trusting that his more-than-human strength could catch me.
He easily caught me and carried me downstairs.
All of the windows were open, letting the smoke that had gotten downstairs out. Burying my face to avoid the other pack members helped, but only a little bit.
“You okay?” Gary asked.
Raising my head, I met his worried gaze. “I’m not hurt,” I whispered.
He set his hand on my cheek a moment before Nick spun away, taking me to the living room, where he set me on the couch. “Just stay here a minute, okay?”
I nodded, grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch, and wrapped up in it. I felt so cold now. Was that an aftereffect of creating the flames?
Mason sat beside me, pulling me into his side with an arm around my shoulders, and rubbed my arm. “You okay?”
“No,” I mumbled into his chest.
“You think you can go to school?” Dad asked, squatting down in front of me.
I nodded.
He smiled. “Good. I’ve got some things to take care of. When you come home, we’ll talk, okay?”
I didn’t like it when he wanted to talk. Especially if he had to prepare first.
“Are you sending me away?” I asked.
His smile tensed. “I’m not kicking you out of the pack, Sarah. Just go to school.” He patted my knee, stood, and then motioned at Mason to follow him.
I trudged back up the stairs, but before I could reach my room, Nick intercepted me, pulled me into his room, and pointed at a stack of my clothes on his bed. “Get dressed. I’ll go make breakfast.”
He shut the door as he left, and I stared at it with a sense of foreboding filling me.
Dad hadn’t said he wasn’t sending me away. He had only said I wasn’t being kicked from the pack. Was he going to make me move somewhere else?
Would he try to send Nick with me? Nick needed his pack. Werewolves thrived in their pack, and just having me wouldn’t cut it.
I’d created flames last year, but we hadn’t been sure it had been me. Now, I was certain. I hadn’t done it on purpose, which made me worry more. I could have hurt someone if the house had caught fire.
Thankfully, werewolves had really good noses, and they’d smelled the fire likely as soon as I’d started it.
Once again, I was a danger to the pack. If Dad didn’t send me away, I would try to find a place to go. Where? I had no idea, but I couldn’t risk hurting any of the boys. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hurt them.
I still couldn’t get over cutting Nick and Gary.
Breakfast and first period passed in a blur. It wasn’t until Cherry