Chapter 67 Fire

Fire

Nikolai

"Alpha!" A guard burst in through the door.

I growled at him. I had given strict orders that no one will disturb us.

"It's Luna." He panted, his eyes wide with alarm.

I shot out of my seat. "Where is she?" Is she hurt? Is she in trouble? What happened?

"The beach house." Fuck.

"Goddamn—" Dimitri muttered but I was already out of the window and in my fur, running towards the beach house.

A growl tore through my throat.

Ava has been unpredictable nowadays. There is no saying what is happening over there.

I heard three wolves running behind me. Dimitri, Andrei, and Mikhail.

I ran harder. I need to get there quickly.

In five minutes, I reached the house. I heard a commotion at the back so without wasting more time, I rounded the house.

My legs slowed down as I saw a bloodied Max slumped against the tree.

I growled loudly as I glared inside the house. I shifted into my skin and saw a wooden stick fly out of the house, about to lodge itself in Max.

"No!" I heard Nat's blood-curling scream.

I ran towards Max and caught the stick just before it touched Max.

I sighed in relief. He would have died if it had impaled through his heart, which was exactly where it was aimed.

I touched Max's shoulder and shook him awake. "You okay?"

He nodded but his eyes seem hazy and his head rolled back.

"Stay here, I'll take care of it." It wasn't like he could move anyways. I turned towards the house in fury.

Avalyn was standing at the threshold of the house and the beach in her all glory. White dress and silver hair. And her liquid blue eyes that were spitting fire at us right now.

The weather seemed to agree with her. The sky had darkened with clouds and lightning flashed in the sky, followed by a deep rumble of thunder.

Was this her doing? Did Ava do this?

I looked at her. The weather didn't seem to bother her at all. And behind her was Natalia. She was lying on the ground on her hands and knees, murmuring something to Ava but I couldn't hear her.

I strode towards her but she flicked her hand at me, flinging me aside.

I grunted as my body made contact with the soft soil which felt hard. I spat the sand that had entered my mouth and hissed myself up.

I growled at her in anger.

"Stop this right now, Avalyn," I yelled.

The answer I got was a chair flying at me from the living room. I caught it and threw it aside.

I growled, very angry now. I'm so done with her shit.

I reached my men.

"Andrei, Mikhail, get Nat outside. Dimitri, come with me." I said lowly, my eyes never leaving Ava.

Her hair slowly twisted out of the braid because of the harsh winds and flowed in the air behind her in waves.

She looked ready to fight.

All four of us started running towards the house together but she screamed and pushed both her hands forward, pushing us back.

Anger sparked in me as I glared at her. I fucking dare her to use her fucking magic on me again. This girl is going to get a hell of a punishment today.

We again ran towards the house but then we froze.

I. Can't. Fucking. Move.

I gritted my teeth.

"Avalyn release me right now!" I roared angrily my Master voice and then suddenly the lightning flashed on top of the house, blinding my eyes for half a second. And then the fucking house caught on fire.

But that didn't fucking stop Ava. It was almost like she didn't even notice it.

"You took his side. You took his side!" She spat and brought her hand up just as the thunder clapped loudly. Almost like- like the sky was agreeing with our anger. I turned around and saw Max was in the air now and very much in pain from the looks of it.

"Let him go," I growled.

That made her angrier. She slammed him against the ground. I heard a cracking sound before he coughed up some blood.

That pissed me off further. I pushed myself harder to fight against her magic and then suddenly, I could move.

I was free.

But then again, I was thrown back with Dimitri, Andrei, and Mikhail, and a circle of fire sprouted around us, caging us in.

"Release me Avalyn. Right now! Or I swear to the moon goddess that I will make you regret it." I growled.

She did not release me.

"Max!" Natalia cried out loudly before her wolf came running out of the house, narrowly escaping the fire.

She began licking her mate's wounds and I looked at mine in anger. I felt a burst of energy within me and suddenly, I could move again.

I ran towards her, not giving the fire a second thought. The fire didn't bother me. I noticed that the entire roof was on fire now. And it was spreading all over the wooden house like wildfire.

Her eyes grew wide and she took a step back as I neared her.

She flicked her hand at me but it had no effect. The house was being licked at by the fire. How did she not know? How did she not feel it?

I stopped at the threshold when a burning log fell in front of me. I took a step back but looked at Avalyn who brought her hand up again to use her magic at me.

It did not affect me. But when I turned around and saw that Dimitri had managed to break free of his frozen state and was trying to get past the fire. But he was thrown right back into the circle before the flames grew stronger and higher, caging him again.

"No one will enter this house now," I commanded with a growl as I turned to look at my mate.

Her angry eyes clashed with mine. Liquid blue eyes reflected the fire that was slowly enveloping us.

"What the fuck, Avalyn?" I snarled in her face as I grasped her arm tightly. I felt like literally shaking some sense into her.

She tried to snatch her arm back but I only held on tighter. She glared at me. "He was abusing her."

"He was training her." My hold tightened.

"She was bleeding. And crying. And tied up." She growled at me.

"She has a safe word. She is a masochist and he is her mate." I gritted. "How many times do I have to tell you to not come between mates?"

A log fell from above us but I caught it with one hand and tossed it aside, my other hand still has a tight grasp on Ava.

"Not enough." She shouted in my face. "I will not tolerate this in my pack! I will not avenge myself at the cost of others!"

"That is not for you to decide," I growled. "I'm the Alpha!" I brought my wolf forward and growled loudly, demanding submission.

Her jaw clenched and her eyes flashed before she bowed her head in submission. A soft growl of anger left her mouth but her head remained lowered.

"Fire!" She whispered in horror and her eyes widened.

And that's when I realized that the entire house was on fire. Including the flooring that we were standing on. Ava's white dress was on fire but her skin remained untouched. Only black smudges of smoke tainted it.

I looked down and saw that we were standing on fire but surprisingly we both were fine. The fire licked at our legs but I didn't feel the burn at all.

My hold on her arm loosened before I let her go.

"Are you okay?" I asked her softly and she looked at me with wide alert eyes and nodded hesitantly like she had no idea why at all.

And then suddenly a huge plank of wood creaked before it gave away and was about to fall on our heads.

My hands shot up and I caught it. I caught the burning wooden plank with my bare hands without feeling an inch of burn.

I tossed it aside.

This house was about to collapse. We might be safe from the fire but not from the weight of the falling house.

Ava pulled away from the tatters of her burned dress and tossed it aside, the fire-eating it instantly before she looked up at me and bit her lip.

We might be having issues among ourselves, but we were a team. It was always us against everything else. I wanted her to know that.

I caught her chin before kissing her lips softly and swiftly and then grabbed her hand, pulling her out of there.

When we made it out of the house, everyone was looking at us with wide eyes.

Ava flicked her hand and the circle of fire around Dimitri, Andrei and Mikhail extinguished. I looked at my family who started dropping to their knees in front of us.

Dimitri went first. Followed by Andrei, Mikhail, and Natalia. What surprised me was that Max kneeled too, bowing his head.

"Rise." My throat rumbled as I spoke. Their heads rose before they stood up and then blinked a couple of times as if coming out of a dream.

"Put out the fire, Avalyn," I growled lowly at my mate. With a flick of her wrist, the brightly burning fire extinguisher, leaving ashes in its wake. "Shift."

Avalyn met my eyes before she silently and without protest, shifted into her silver wolf.

"I will talk to everyone later. I need some time with my mate." I simply said to everyone before my eyes focused on Max. He had his arm around Nat for support to remain standing. He gave me a nod of understanding.

"Heal Max," I ordered Avalyn.

I was met with a low growl in return. A growl of refusal. I glared at her and she bared her teeth at me. I grabbed her snout, squeezing her mouth shut. "Heal him," I growled, bringing my wolf forward.

Her head lowered in submission again and I turned towards Max to see that he was healing. A lot slower than Ava's usual speed, but he was healing. In a couple of long minutes, when Max was fully healed and I nodded at him before releasing Ava. I walked towards her back and grabbed her thick coat before jumping on her back.

"Back to the house." I hissed and she shot forward, passing by everyone in a second as she ran back to the house with me on her back.