I felt a small tug at my heart. It was faint, but there.
I crouched down without answering Caleb. The pups greeted me excitedly with happy licks and wagging tails, and a small smile turned up one corner of my mouth. I stroked both of them, feeling their silky coats and warm bodies.
They were so small and defenseless, yet so bright with life and love. They would be helpless against an attack of any kind. With that thought, a fierce wave of protectiveness rushed through me. They devoted their love to me, and in return, I kept them safe. I frowned when I caught the scent of smoke on them.
“They were in the fire?” I asked.
“We barely got out in time,” Caleb confessed. “If the twins hadn’t come for us…” he shook his head. “I’m not sure what would have happened.”
Rage boiled through me. The fire had attacked what was mine.
I stood abruptly and strode toward the house, the two pups trotting at my feet and Caleb trailing behind.
“Anna,” Caleb called to me. “We need to stay back, it’s not safe.”
Austin emerged from the side of the house as I got close.
“Anna,” Austin told me. “He’s right – it’s not safe.”
I stared up at the inferno, the wall of heat tickling my senses, even from this far back.
“It’s too dangerous to go back inside,” Austin said softly. “We may have lost the weapon against the Morrigan.”
I blinked as I turned back toward him. Is that what he was so worried about? Anger still boiled beneath my skin at the thought of my mate and my pups being harmed by the fire. A faint memory pulled at me, and I realized that my past self would have also been devastated by the loss. The weapon wasn’t just an object, it was a physical manifestation of our hope. A tool that we desperately needed to believe in if we were to keep our fighting spirit alive.
I was the most powerful being here, and it was my job to keep everyone else safe. I looked around at the devastation and desperation on everyone’s faces and knew I was failing them. My purpose wasn’t to watch and wait, it was to act. Determination rolled through me as my apathy started to fade. Once I had a sense of purpose, things started to click into place for me.
I stood in front of the fire and braced myself for what was to come. I raised my hand, and with my brow wrinkled in concentration, I used magic to suck all the heat from the fire up into the air. A barrier of magic kept everyone safe from the blistering wave of heat as a ball of fire formed in the air above the mansion. It was slowly fading as it was taken away from its fuel source – but the core of the fire was hot enough to extend its life for a little longer.
The flames burned brightly in the sky above us, but I wanted the satisfaction of obliterating it. I gathered my strength and pushed with all my might. The fireball soared over the forest that lay between us and the beach, leaving a trail of light like a meteor. With an explosive force, it flew into the dark ocean waves and caused an impressive spray of water. The massive amount of heat kept the water hissing and misting as my wolves came from all over the property to watch the display.
Whispers started immediately, and more than a few people looked at me worriedly. My six mates formed a circle around me, making it clear with their aggressive stances that any attack against me wouldn’t be tolerated. My pups huddled at my feet, whining in complaint at the loud and scary noises.
I ignored the petty drama all around me and knelt down to comfort my little dogs. Their wide eyes and shaking bodies cut at something deep inside me, and I felt a vestige of emotion rising. My protective instincts were in full gear as I whispered comforting things to them.
“Anna saved all of us!” Blaze boldly declared as he stepped out of the crowd. “She decimated our enemies and fiercely defended our territory as no one else ever could.”
I stood to face him with an annoyed sigh. Austin gave Blaze a nod of respect, but I didn’t have the same seed of affection tucked deep inside me for Blaze as I did for the others. I felt utterly neutral as I gazed at him,