Wolf's Fire

Chapter Twelve

| Kat |

Mom pats the seat next to her and though she smiles at me, there's no warmth in it. She's worried, nervous. Dad's utterly uncomfortable.

"There's something we need to discuss," Dad says. I sit down in the chair across from them. "When you had your birthday in December we should've mentioned it-"

"Mentioned what?" He and mom make eye contact. She shakes her head and sighs.

"Heat." I blanch. "We're talking about your Heat." They've got to be kidding.

"We've been," Dad starts. Mom growls. "I've been putting it off. Heat's when-"

"I know what Heat is." I bite out. Heat starts after an Alpha female's turned seventeen. For two weeks in the Spring, they'll be extra... fertile. Unmated, the pheromones will drive all the other unmated males insane. Mated... well it drives the mate insane.

"I was going to take you North when it started," Mom says softly. "But since your mate's shown up..."

"Mom,"

"And he hasn't marked you yet..."

"Mom."

"If Cameron marks you before you go into Heat, the pack shouldn't be bothered by the smell." I blink a few times and look between the two of them.

"You're telling me to have sex with Cameron." Dad rolls his eyes.

"We're telling you that he should mark you. Sex does not have to be involved." Oh, sex will be involved. They both know it will. It's how they conceived me. Mom's first Heat.

"Katalina, it's already Mid-April." Mom says. "Please, you need to talk to him about it." I can't help it. I laugh. I laugh so hard I feel like I'm going to keel over. They just stare at me.

| Cameron |

Eric enters the kitchen just as I shut the back door. He's mid-yawn when he notices me. Breakfast should be cooked by now. Instead, I'm caked in dirt, and shirtless.

"Where the fuck have you been?" He growls. Well, shit.

"I went for a run last night," I tell him honestly. "Fell asleep out back by the shed." Still not a lie. He watches me as I wash my hands in the sink. "I'm thinking omelets," I tell him opening the fridge. Maybe he won't smell Kat. Maybe he's used to her smell by now.

"You smell like that girl," Eric says slowly. He's still somewhat asleep. I pull the eggs out of the fridge.

"What would you like on your Omelet? We've got ham, bacon bits, sausage, onions-" He slams the fridge shut abruptly and snatches the eggs from me.

"Why the fuck do you smell like that wolf?" He growls in my face. I shrink in on myself as he stands over me.

"What's for breakfast?" Alaric asks entering the room. Eric grabs my shirt collar.

"Someone snuck out last night." Eric seethes.

"I went for a run!" He pushes me towards his Beta, who catches me with an annoyed look on his face.

"Why can't we just have a normal Sunday for once?" Alaric mutters with a shake of the head.

"Smell him." Leaning into the nape of the neck, Alaric takes a sniff.

"Who's the wolf?" He asks.

"L-look do you guys want breakfast?" Anything to get out of this mess. Eric growls.

'Go to your room before Eric does something he'll regret,' Alaric says through the mindlink. He doesn't have to tell me twice. I bolt for the steps. Eric screams at me from the kitchen, though he doesn't follow.