Fire & Rain

Caring

*Althea POV*

Sophia's birthday went exactly as Mia and I planned. I actually told Mia that maybe Sophia would find her mate the exact same night, but I didn't give her the details of who. So after the clock struck midnight, Sophia went for her shift, and as soon as she was back, Noah had engulfed her in his arms. This was how everyone got to know that Noah and Sophia were mates, and in all of these, the dads were the most ecstatic ones. Mom and Alaya were also really happy, but not to the extent of Dad and Bryan. As soon as Sophia was in Noah's arms, Mia came to hug me tightly and excitedly said,
"We did it!" and I laughed with her. Everyone looked at us, confused.

"Did you plan all these?" Blaze asked me in my ear. I looked at him and nodded with a smile.

"How did you know they were mates?" he asked again, surprised.

"Sophia confessed to me that Noah felt the pull at our wedding. So, I did all I could to make this day memorable for them. Because for all wolves, the day they meet their mates is the most special one for them." I replied, looking dreamily at them. They looked perfect together. The party's celebration doubled because Sophia found her mate, so everyone was really happy.

The next day, I was in my room, just browsing my closet for an outfit because I wanted to go and visit the pack. Just walking around and meeting some families, getting to know each other. I would have asked Mia to go with me, but she needed to be with Sam for some work. I would be bored by myself, so I thought of this idea. I was still deciding what to wear when Blaze's scent hit me before he walked into the room.

"Welcome back, Foo Foo," I said sarcastically as he was looking at me.

"What are you doing?" he asked, completely ignoring my sarcasm.

"I'm looking for clothes!" I replied, eyeing a pink skirt.

"Are you going out?" he asked curiously, to which I only nodded.
"Where?" he snapped, and I was surprised by his tone. I turned to look at him and saw that he had a serious expression.

"You can't expect me to get all stuck in this pack house every day. I will die of boredom. I was going to hang out with Mia, but since she was busy, I'm going to roam around and just meet the pack members." I said, then I turned to find a matching top with the skirt. But I froze when I heard what he said next.

"I can go with you!" I turned and looked at him, surprised.

My heart skipped a beat. Did he just offer to spend the day with me? The words echoed in my mind, disbelief mingling with a sudden rush of warmth. I forced a casual smile, but my pulse betrayed me, quickening with every second that passed. This was Blaze—the Alpha, my husband on paper, and still tethered to Amelia. So why did it feel like this moment held something more?

I cleared my throat, trying to regain control. "You? Spend time with me?" My voice was teasing, but there was a hint of nervousness I couldn't fully mask. I turned slightly, my eyes flicking to the window to avoid his intense gaze. "Don't you have a pack to run?"

Blaze's expression softened, a rare crack in his usual confident exterior. His eyes held something different today—something she wasn't used to seeing. Vulnerability. It was subtle, barely there, but I saw it. Felt it.

"I can make time for you," he replied, his voice low, almost intimate. The words hung between them, heavy with unspoken meaning.

My breath hitched. Make time for me? Her mind swirled with a thousand conflicting thoughts. Why now? Why me? I bit the inside of her cheek, forcing myself to maintain my composure. Blaze had never been the type to say something like that. Not with that kind of sincerity.