Pyro and the Wolf

Chapter One

New York

"Beautiful," Maria concluded.

The bustle of an airport was something she could've gone her entire life without experiencing but sitting as high up as she was, watching the clouds passing below her, was something she'd never imagined could be so freeing. She held on to her seat; quite a bit of turbulence hit the plane now and then. She leant away from the window, feeling a bit sick, and looked beside her.

Crammed in seat 13B, face taking on a grey-ish hue, was Charles. His eyes were firmly stuck to the back of the seat in front of him. His demeanor was all but the confident, strong alpha Maria had known him as all along.

"Are you okay?"

"No. Flying is unnatural."

"Birds fly all the time," she pointed out. "That's natural."

"Maria," he gritted, unlocking his gaze for a second to glance at her slightly too amused face. "I am not a bird."

"Well, you didn't have to come."

"If you were to get hurt, I would perish. You're my fate as much as breathing is. Yes, I did have to."

Maria got a bit fidgety in her seat. Suddenly the clouds became incredibly interesting once again. Everything had been strange that week. From Maria being kissed by Charles, to then deciding to leave for New York and find others like her - to then realizing he intended to come with her. She'd been happy to kiss him, more than so in fact, but she soon felt the weight of the responsibility that the word Fate brought. She'd never considered fate when locked up, and not when almost dying on Charles' doorstep, but to him it was a given that she was to complete him. All because he thinks the universe gifted him her.

Furthermore, the two hadn't discussed much. After the kiss, the main focus became finding her kin in New York - none of them thought to talk about what it all would entail for them. Maria hadn't missed how he kept closer when around her, nor how undeserving of his affection she was. Was it affection? Or a sense of purpose? She hadn't mustered the courage to ask yet.

Somehow, nothing yet everything had changed.

"Is everything okay?" Charles raised an eyebrow, but he didn't do more than that. He could tell she was alarmed, as she had been quite often since the kiss. "Are you feeling ill?"

"No," she responded with a queer smile, quickly drawing back her fingers from where they'd traced a few of her minor scars. "No, it's
just a little weird that it's all happening."

Charles wasn't an idiot. He knew she didn't think him worthy. For him, as a respected alpha, the thought of rejection hadn't even occurred to him as he fell in love with her. Especially as she was a gift from the universe, being granted to him at the end of his spiritual journey. But now, he had begun fearing he didn't take enough note of whether or not she enjoyed his company. He knew she was human - or some variation of human - and that he should give her some time. But it was impossible. During the day, he kept her as close as he could and during the night he wasn't ashamed to say that he sat outside her door until he could hear her heartbeat settle into a steady rhythm. It often took hours.

He knew he'd invited himself along. And he knew that if she found out he'd brought a few of his best fighters from his pack as well, she wouldn't be happy - and while the concept of happiness was one he'd never grasped fully, he could tell his mate wasn't at peace sitting in the airplane seat next to him.

A searing thought went through his head as sudden as the turbulence shaking the plane: she had even seemed happier at his cabin, half-dead and on the run.

"Do you think they're going to be nice? Maybe they won't want to let me in," Maria asked jokingly, poorly hiding her real concern.

Charles at first just looked at her. As he brought his hand up, carefully brushing some lonesome red curls behind her ear, Maria felt her stomach tickle with longing and fear. He let his hand linger for a while and said, "No. I didn't find any trace of instable traits within the family, but if they do not let you in then they must be insane."

"Look at me, would you want me on your doorstep?" she laughed a little too shrill.

Charles took in her bouncy curls, one of the sundresses which the maids in his pack had been happy to provide her with, and his jacket hanging loosely on her shoulders. She was a beautiful creature. "Yes."

The man in the aisle-seat 13C snorted, then woke up with a few loud coughs.

Maria took advantage of the distraction and moved away, scratching her head. "Well," she trailed, "I guess we can only hope."

Charles gave her a look, a look telling her he knew something was wrong. But he pulled back nonetheless. And as they eventually got off the plane, hailed a cab, and ended up at the small hostel they would spend the next couple of weeks in, it felt as if there were 1000 miles between them. Maria wondered if she would ever be able to live up to his divine view of her, and Charles couldn't help feel as if he had already been rejected.

They both sat on the bed. Outside, the alley was eerily quiet for it being a big city. The room was small, but big enough to have a bathroom and a closet which they'd both stuffed their light packing into. Other than that, it was plain and vague, meant for nothing else than sleeping.

"Do you want to head out for a bit?" Maria asked, breaking a five-minute silence. "I've heard New York never sleeps."

"It's midnight."

"I can head out on my own."

Charles stood up. He pulled his jacket from the closet and then crossed his arms, facing her still on the slightly too soft bed. "No. Let's go then."

Maria smiled. "What do you want to do? Eat? Maybe dance? Can you even dance?"

"Yes." He puffed his chest. "In my pack, each member has to know the dozens of traditional dances and--"

"I don't think that is what they do here," Maria interrupted, grabbing her jacket as well, "but I do want to see that. Let's go!"

A/N

Look! I wrote something! Been a while. I will continue trying to post regularly since I have outlined the story and everything.

Let me know that you think!

OBS!
Next chapter will contain smut. Like, very much so. If you're not comfortable, I just want to give a heads-up so that you can be prepared.

Thank you all!