Shimmer |✓|

//Alliance// Part 1

To date, the Gentle Woods wildfire was one of the worst catastrophes Harbor Village had endured, even more devastating than that fateful night at the Fairway, and the slaughter at Ban.

Miles away, safe and feeling utterly useless, I watched from Adelle's backyard as bright orange fingers tore at the horizon, a quarter of my family's forestland razed to the ground as easily as if it had never existed.

Adelle couldn't bear to watch the firefighters vain attempt to tackle the flames, so for the next three weeks, the most we accomplished was sitting in her bedroom, watching the paint on the walls as we cringed to the beat of howls and sirens. The Wolves of Harbor were in mourning.

"I don't get it." Adelle wiped her face, smearing the tears and makeup on her cheeks. "Why is this happening? How?"

"I don't know, Addy, but it's been almost a month--the flames are nearly out." I slid my chair closer to her bedside and took Addy's hand, squeezing. "This is good news--really."

"Yeah. And m-maybe he's still alive. Maybe they all are." She tucked her hair behind her ear, locks bright as the flames but lifeless in comparison. "That's possible, right?"

"Our people are survivors." I smiled, squeezing her hand. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that anything is possible--we just have to hope. Try to get some rest for now, okay?"

Addy curled on her side and feigned sleep until morning. I sat in the chair until I was sure she wouldn't miss me, then went back to my own bed, where the cold emptiness was a comfort for the flames.

* * *

I awoke early the next morning, rising before the sun to return to the Newport household, where I had taken up Adelle's resident chores of preparing her brother for school. I sat up in my bed for an extra moment, smitten with the sunshine spilling through the window. White curtains billowed, capturing the hot, pale sunlight like a canvas between. The picture was hope.

After preparing a month's worth of meals for Adrian and Addy, I had finally gotten the knack of omelettes and french toast. I stirred the eggs in my glass bowl, intercepted from preparing the bacon by an incoming text from the Alpha. I still hadn't found the time to replace the phone's screen, but apart from the broken glass it was functioning, like the rest of us. The entire Leadership, Lucas included, took turns patrolling the forest borders at night, scouting for signs of survivors, or preventing any stupid attempts from the Garou to save the rabid. Daya spent every night the first week fighting the sentinels to cross the border. But saving her parents was out of her hands, and mine.

I turned off the stove and left the kitchen, dialing the Alpha from the front porch, pacing back and forth so I wouldn't have to see the ash circling the sky, expelled by the giant grey clouds in the east.

"Ethan, hey. Any more news?"

"I'm sorry, Mimi. We thought that when Lucas flew in that shaman to remove the spell from the forest that it would give the Rabid a fighting chance, but... there was still no sign of survivors. The flames, they spread too fast. If the Rabid made it to the other side of the forest, we haven't found them yet." And most likely wouldn't. I couldn't feel Ethan in all the ways he could feel me, but his lines were easy to read between.

"It's okay, please--don't apologize. I know you did what you could--all of you. It's just... Addy's father--he's one of the Rabid, and she's not taking things well. She's always the one who has faith and I'm really worried it's starting to run out." I swallowed, tucking my hair behind my ear. "She's always so strong--now we have to be strong for her. Maybe if we could help her understand what happened, it would give her closure. All of us."