The Crow and The Wolf

Chapter 5

5.

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The bonfire, also known as the Claw Bonfire, was the biggest event the pack had every year.

The Claws were proud of their individuality, so it's no wonder that they hosted a ritual bonfire every pique of winter in honour of the Moon. The goddess who gave them existence in their current form.

Mandatory appearances weren't required, but no one wanted to miss the opportunity to hear the pack elders share stories about the pack. Valeria adored that part of the campfire, putting aside the food and crazy evenings that happened. She loved learning about the pack's history and what made it unique.

The legends, myths, and stories. The battles and victories they won. She was enamoured with the small details in stories, the unsung heroes. But Valeria hadn't been to the bonfire in four years and wasn't planning on going this year. She used to go with her mother because it gave her comfort to know that her mother's arms were wrapped around her while the terrifying stories were told, but that picture seemed to fade away now.

Nicco paced back and forth in the bedroom while she sat on the edge of the bed. He's been lecturing her on why she should go and must be present at the bonfire. With his closing argument, he sounded like a lawyer. So far, the convincing case had been that it was her birthday and she should celebrate the opportunity to meet her mate, but that fact only simply increased her anxiety. Despite Nicco's persuasive arguments, she couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had been building up inside her. She knew that attending the bonfire would mean facing her fear of social situations and meeting people, something she had been avoiding for a long time.

"Please come with me; you should go." He stopped making a hole in the floor, giving her his whole attention, and said, "I can't show up there by myself."

"But you've been doing it for the previous five years," she said with a small smile.

He exhaled deeply. "That was before I realised my mate was the alpha's son."

"Please don't make me go alone; I just found out my mate is gay, and he doesn't even know it, and even if he did, he's ignoring it. It drives my wolf insane to even think about that, and I... don't want to be alone," he said, his eyes glowing with a golden hue, his wolf just below the surface.

"Fine," she exhaled, giving up, and he jumped to her closet, throwing her jeans and coat at her.

They both exited the house after getting dressed, and she noticed that the lights were still turned off at her neighbour's home and the lingering scent she had detected before had vanished.

They strolled towards the pack field, their arms linked, but she couldn't focus on Nicco's enthusiastic ramblings the entire way. She was disturbed, harried, nervous, and eager, which made her even more cautious. She assumed that these were just her wolf's emotions regarding Mr Edgar's disappearance, but her wolf was just as confused about the wild emotions as her. She wondered if she should confide in Nicco about her unease but decided against it, not wanting to burden him with her worries. As they reached the pack field, she took a deep breath and tried to push aside her concerns, determined to enjoy the day's festivities.

She forced her emotions into the dark cave and peered at the house in astonishment, coming to understand how long she'd been avoiding pack activities. She could smell the various scents that lingered in the house and knew that newly mated wolves caused the intensity of the scent.

"What happened to the main house?" she asked, her nose scrunched up at the multiple scents.

"Well, the main families moved out, and the council decided that the pack house would become a new home for new mates and guests. I told you this, remember?" he hummed as he tugged further down the path.

Valeria merely hummed, not entirely remembering the conversation about the new developments, but she didn't remember how excited he was at the thought of him and Zachery sharing a room.

In the distance, Valeria started hearing the small chatter of people. She could see the orange and yellow light that served as a beacon, but Nicco's grip tightened, and she was yanked out of her trance. She stumbled a bit, catching herself before she fell, and looked up at Nicco with a questioning gaze. "What's wrong?" she asked, but he simply shook his head and gestured for her to follow him towards the light.

Valeria looked around and saw Zachery's retreating form in the crowd, and she guessed that his figure was what startled Nicco. She could see his friends standing around him, laughing lightly, and for a second, she thought it would have been better for Nicco to actually stay home and cuddle with her.

However, she quickly pushed the thought away and focused on catching up with Nicco, wondering where he was leading her towards the wooden logs that circled the fire. They found a perfect seat right in front of the fire.

Valeria took in everything around them and she was immediately drawn to the table filled with snacks. She poked him, attracting his attention, and said, "I'm going to get us some munchies."

He gave her a reluctant nod, and she knew he was too preoccupied with consoling his wolf to pay attention to her. She dashed past the boisterous pups, grabbed a bowl, and filled it with goodies for both of them to enjoy.

Puffs, Maynard's, marshmallows, chocolate sticks, and other treats were available. She returned to Nicco, afraid that if she left him too long, he would be ambushed by his mate. She handed him the bowl and dashed back to the table, clutching two cups. She took a sip of the drink, and the sweet taste of granadilla rushed over her tongue before leaving an unpleasant aftertaste, which she shrugged off before filling the cups.

She was filling Nicco's cup when she heard her name called: "Wow, is it you, Val?"

Her gaze shifted to her childhood friend, the alleged victim, according to her mother's bullying lesson. "Hello, Serena," she said forcefully, noticing the small herd of sheep Serena had.

"I haven't seen you here in quite some time; you vanished," she shrugged, raking her eyes up and down Valeria's form, "but something went wrong, I assume because we can still see you."

Valeria wrinkled an irritated brow, and her wolf growled as she returned to her cave as if having no energy to deal with Serena's attention-seeking disorder. She ignored the burn in her throat, knowing the she-wolf was always direct and unconcerned about other people's feelings, so she turned and started pouring into Nicco's cup.

"Oh, I know what you can do," she heard the she-wolf say. Serena's smirk was visible in the corner of her eyes as she leaned in closer, whispering into her ear, "Why don't you ask daddy dearest for ideas considering his invisibility trick worked?"

Valeria could hear the smile behind the words and watched as she walked off into the crowd. She lingered at the table for what felt like minutes, yet it took only seconds for her to wonder why Serena's words had somehow touched her and her wolf, but a part of her already knew the answer.

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