Edited by KitWulf                                         1-5-2021

*

"Kaenan! You're too big for this!" Azura tried to catch the grey wolf as he barreled into her.

"Ouch!" Lucas winced at seeing his girlfriend being squashed by the big wolf. "That's gotta hurt."

He watched as the woman tried to struggle her way out from underneath the friendly furriness but failed. A huge tongue licked over her face and she grabbed the thick fur on the side of his neck to keep him at bay.

"Kaenan! Be careful! You're stronger than you think, remember?!" Reyna shook her head as she approached her younger brother-in-law.

Pulling at his tail, the wolf growled and snapped his head back at the sudden painful tug. It was just what Azura needed to crawl out from underneath him. When she was safe, only then did Reyna release her hold on Kaenan. Tail tugging was something wolves hated, it was a vulnerable part of the body and very sensitive. Therefore it was a good way of getting a young werewolf to listen if he was being too rough.

The snow leopard shifter adjusted her clothes and tried to smooth down her black hair which proved to be useless. "It's nice seeing you again, too, Kaenan. You've gotten big and strong! Last time I was here I remember you were trying so hard to shift for the first time. Your wolf is really amazing!"

His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he sat down looking rather pleased with himself. He was big, even for a werewolf. Smaller than his older brother but still a force to be reckoned with. Floyd was one of the biggest wolves of the pack, rivaling Andreas size-wise. Azura knew there was often a misconception of the idea that the biggest wolf automatically became the Alpha. As was in actual wolf packs, it wasn't always the biggest or strongest wolf who got the Alpha position, neither was it passed down to the eldest son. The Alpha was always the one with the most confidence, the father figure to a pack, but strong when needed to.

"He says he's been practicing and training really hard. Wants to become a Beta just like his brother." Reyna smiled as she translated for the teenager.

"Well, keep up the training," Azura replied. "You might one day get there." She winked at him despite knowing he would never get that status in the pack. The fact he would be fine with that too comforted her.

Being around Reyna had become routine the past two days. She had made things normal in the pack again, allowed people to fall back into their normal routines while allowing Lucas and Azura to be more accepted. Andreas had a hand in it too as Alpha but Reyna was pulling the cart. Kaenan and Floyd had been a rare sight though.

Nora's ex-mate kept his distance from them. He would occasionally cross their paths, but he would leave straight away. Azura had no idea what had happened between Andreas and Floyd after he had seen her as a Phoenix but it truly had an impact. She did notice how the Beta started to look worse every time though. His eyes lay deeper in his skull and dark bags had formed underneath. She noticed his cheeks seemed more hollow but she never really got a good look at him as he would be off straight away. She wanted to feel sorry for him but the feelings just wouldn't come. She just watched and observed as his glances towards her were still drenched in hatred. He was probably the reason why they rarely saw Kaenan so she enjoyed this moment with the teenaged wolf as much as she could.

Being back in Greenwood was amazing but she couldn't help but miss Pleyvale. She loved being back but she also started missing the city in the north. The snow and mountains were where she really felt at home, no matter how good it felt to be back. It was something she had never deemed possible as this was the place where she had felt that feeling for the first time in her life.

"Hey, Kaenan," Lucas kneeled next to the wolf now that he had calmed down and started rubbing in between the ears. "You take some more photos? I'd love to see your collection."

The wolf returned a high-pitched bark, his tail slamming the ground in happiness. There was no need for Reyna to translate the answer, that was for sure. The happiness was short-lived though as something got the boy's attention. His head drooped, eyes glazed over and his tail stopped moving. The female Beta let out a deep sigh and gave the wolf a quick nod. He sped off, leaving them in the literal dust.

"Floyd." The three of them said his name at the same time. Azura couldn't help but laugh a little as they all shared the same look.

"I better go find him. Calm him down." Reyna dusted off her pants.

"How's he been doing? Last time I saw him, he didn't look so great." The black-haired woman spoke as she helped Lucas get back up.

"Not great. He's closed himself off from me. Doesn't sleep and is neglecting his duties. He never really closed that chapter of his life and you just tore it right open again. And me? I'm left dealing, or competing with his ex-mate's ghost for his attention while trying to balance the rest of life and pack issues."

Reyna redid the ponytail in her hair. "I don't blame you guys though. At first I did but that was before I knew the full story and just Floyd's side. Now I see it's his issue and you have your own. Not to sound rude or anything, but after you guys leave, he'll come around and things will go back to normal. In the meantime, I try to be there for him and help him get past his shit."

Azura couldn't tell whether she did it because she was his mate, or for the benefit of the pack. What she could tell was that Reyna was a good match for him, much like Nora had been, but that right now; Floyd had no idea. The man had been a pain in her ass ever since the beginning but somewhere she hoped he would find peace. Not just for him, but also for herself. It would make visiting a whole lot easier in the future. Something she wanted to do much more of especially after seeing her foster parents a second time.

The snow leopards had gone back again and it was clear they loved seeing her so relaxed and at peace almost. When Lucas had said she looked truly calm and at ease, she started to think back at how she felt over the course of the past few years and knew he was right. It was as if she was finally closing important chapters in her life and after this, she could simply live a happy ever after. She knew that was anything but the truth but the thought alone caused a small smile.

Reyna left them alone, following after Kaenan. It was getting too late for another run in the woods so the score would remain at forcing Lucas to shift three times in three days. He had quickly become more accustomed to his alternate form and she believed he was actually really starting to like it. He had become much quieter and swifter when they were out in the woods. She had even managed to coerce him into hunting with her and he did remarkably well for a snow leopard who probably hadn't ever hunted in his life.

"You really are liking it more and more as a snow leopard, aren't you?" Azura teasingly poked his chest as they made their way to the packhouse. Lucas raised an eyebrow at her out-of-the-blue remark and gave her a small kick in the butt as she walked past him.

"I have no choice with a Blue-eye as a girlfriend. You have no idea how wild and dangerous they are! They constantly want or need to shift and apparently, I'm a bad boyfriend if I don't come along."

He laughed at his own comment as she faked being offended. They were closer to the massive building than he thought. After just a short walk he opened the door for her and followed her to the stairs. A small tap on her ass made her twirl around.

"No touching! That's my ass!" She punched him in the shoulder while trying to sound stern.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and forced her to turn around so she faced the stairs again. His thumb softly caressed her skin beneath her ear just as she was about to move. Azura froze at the touch. It was a small gesture but it was her weak spot. She gasped slightly as he moved his hand up while slowly massaging her neck and eventually her scalp with his fingertips. She absolutely loved head massages and it made her relax in an instant. She leaned into him, her back against his chest as he slowly continued the massage. Just as quick as he had started it, Lucas stopped and urged her forward to the stairs.

"Come on, what are you standing still for? Get moving, Firestarter!"

Her skin was tingling where he had touched her and that simple touch really had an effect on her as she felt herself heating up, yearning for more.

As they entered their room Azura took off her vest and top with the intention to take a shower. Lucas had closed the door behind them and after watching her undress for a moment he swiftly came over and drew her in his arms. He kissed her eagerly, his hands running up and down her sides. Butterflies erupted in her stomach again as she felt his lips against hers. After his little tease downstairs this was enough to heat up her whole body.

He traced the edges of her bra as he took a quick breather before planting his lips on hers again feverishly. Not that she minded one bit. She tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head once he allowed her. He pressed his body against her again and started kissing her shoulder and neck, giving her goosebumps all over. He unbuttoned her pants and teasingly slid his hand in the front of it until a short knock on the door distracted him. Right after the knock, the door swung open without either of them had answered.

Azura did not even have to take look to know who it was. She froze and groaned loudly as they were interrupted by Floyd. She took a deep breath and pressed her forehead against Lucas's shoulder trying to push down her irritation. She hissed through her teeth before turning to Floyd.

"What do you want Floyd? You're kind of interrupting something. No, wait, let me rephrase that. You're intruding on a very personal and intimate moment here."

She let go of Lucas who just glared at Floyd and turned to face the werewolf. She let him see her without hiding anything and just casually buttoned up her pants. She did not attempt to grab her vest to hide the scar as she felt Floyd's gaze move from her still flushed face to her stomach.

"I can see that." Floyd gulped and almost looked guilty as he forced himself to look at her face again. Lucas had walked back and sat down on the bed, watching Floyd's every move.

"Then what are you still doing here?!" She snapped at him.

Floyd straightened his back and seemed to come over the initial moment of shock.

"I hate to admit it but I'm not here to kill you. Nora won't let me. As much as I hate that fucking flying bird and wish to see it dead, Nora wants me not to do anything."

"She always was the most sensible one between you two." Azura had crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

"You don't understand, she talks to me in my dreams, Azura!"

Desperation rested in his eyes as his voice seemed to crack for a slight moment. He recomposed himself straight away though. Azura walked towards him and grabbed the door to hold on to.

"That's your fucking problem and not mine, Floyd. Welcome to my world, now deal with it." With her right hand, she gave him a rough push in the chest, and with her left, she slammed the door shut in his face. She locked the door straight away and leaned against it while cursing softly.

Lucas watched her, slightly amused by her reaction. He leaned back on his elbows waiting for her to turn around again. He had half expected Floyd to knock again or try to come back in, but it was surprisingly quiet on the other side of the door. When Azura calmed down herself, she did turn around again and he beckoned her to come over.

"We can still finish what we started."

Azura sighed in response and let herself fall face down on the bed next to him.

"He kinda ruined the mood for me."

"Did he really?" Lucas turned her around so she was on her back and swiftly unbuttoned her jeans again making more room for his hand. Azura gasped as his fingers found the wetness between her legs. "Judging by what I feel here, that's not true."

She let out a soft moan she couldn't suppress any longer and turned her head towards him. Her breathing was turning more shallow as he slowly kept teasing her.

"Sometimes I really h-" He wouldn't let her finish that sentence as he claimed her lips with his own.

*

"Floyd decided to grace us with a visit tonight." Azura curled up on the couch with a blanket as Andreas handed her a cup of chocolate milk. Lucas put another block of wood on the fire and kept prodding around the fireplace trying to keep the fire burning.

"I told him to stay away from you. Did he try to hurt you?" Andreas sat down himself sounding not too worried since they were both in the same room unharmed.

"No. He might have gotten hurt though. He caught us at an... unfortunate moment so I slammed a door in his face." She shrugged as she said it and took a sip of her drink. The hot drink scalded her mouth and she grimaced as she swallowed the hot liquid. Lucas snickered softly as he was still trying to get the fire burning properly.

"What did he want?" Andreas didn't dive deeper into the why but the twinkle in his eyes betrayed he had a general idea of what the unfortunate moment was.

"For one, he claimed he did not want to kill me. Well, not a hundred percent true. He does actually, especially now he knows I am the Phoenix, but he won't since apparently, Nora has been visiting his dreams telling him not to kill me." She was more careful with taking a sip now and the hot chocolate didn't burn as bad as the first time.

"I still think you should go and talk to him." Lucas finally had the fire burning steady and took his own cup of coffee as he sat down next to Azura. She narrowed her eyes at him as he spoke up, not liking his idea at all. Something she thought she had made clear earlier.

"We were supposed to leave tomorrow." She sneered back at him.

"Maybe you both should consider leaving the day after." Azura wasn't quite done talking as Andreas interrupted her. "Sloan just came back and wants to meet us tomorrow morning. It sounds as if he has found some useful information. After that, you can meet with Floyd. I'll make sure he knows about it."

His face betrayed he was not asking but demanding it and questioning it would not be tolerated. For a brief moment, she considered going against it, knowing she probably held the power to do so. She clenched her teeth and tried to hold back her tongue as she replied.

"Fine. But do know that if he tries anything, you're to blame."

"He won't. He knows he can't win. You'll have him submit to you in no time."

Azura sighed as she realized Andreas was most likely right. The prospect of seeing Floyd and Sloan in one day did not sound appealing to her in any way though. She was already getting worked up by the thought of it and she felt the Phoenix inside stirring the more she thought about it. She downed the rest of her drink in one big gulp and placed the mug on the table with a little force just to show them she was not keen on the idea of this.

She stared at the fire, zoning out the rest for a moment. Watching the flames dance and devour the wood seemed to calm her down. As she closed her eyes, she could still see and feel the flames twirl and dance around trying to find their way around the wood. She could feel the wood, every fiber and crack on her fingertips as she focused more on the flames. Slowly she started searching for a foothold to hold on to. In her mind, she had recreated the piece of wood as it started to feel more real beneath her fingertips. She felt a crack and pushed her finger in between and wedged it open. As soon as she felt the flames had a direct hold of it, she scanned the imaginary block more, feeling, touching every inch of it. Scanning for weakness so she could break it and devour it in flames. She found several more, every time letting the flames latch on to it as if feeding a child. If she wanted, she could burn down everything.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind she snapped herself out of it. The idea alone she could shocked her. The fact that she might even had longed for it had scared her enough to break the connection with the fire. From the corner of her eye, she saw the fire rage up for a slight moment before settling down again. She quickly glanced at Lucas and Andreas but was glad both of them hadn't seemed to notice anything. They were too busy talking to each other about things she really couldn't care about. She unwrapped herself from the blanket and readjusted herself so she was leaning against Lucas. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her and she wrapped the blanket around her again as she absentmindedly listened to their conversation.