Page 2 of Wolf Mate’s Forbidden Fire (Esoterra Shifters World #1)

Chapter Two

Omer

I loped through the Esoterra forest in my wolf form, my paws silent on the mossy ground, the night air sharp with pine and earth.

The Moonridge Pack’s territory stretched for miles, a hidden realm tucked in the Pacific Northwest’s dense woods, and it was my job as alpha to keep it that way.

Reports of a human poking around our borders had me on edge.

I’d sent patrols out earlier, but I needed to check the boundaries myself.

The wind shifted, carrying a scent that stopped me cold, wildflowers mixed with cedar, sweet and strong.

My wolf surged, a howl ripping from my throat before I could stop it.

My heart pounded, my instincts screaming one word: mate .

A human. It was impossible, forbidden by every law we lived by, but the pull was undeniable.

I shook my head, trying to clear it, and kept moving, my gray eyes scanning the dark.

By midnight, I was back at the pack’s meeting cave, a hollowed-out cavern lit by flickering torches.

The air was thick with the smell of smoke and fur as my pack gathered, their eyes glinting in the firelight.

I shifted to human form, my black hair falling into my eyes, and stood at the center, my boots scuffing the stone floor.

The pack quieted, waiting for me to speak.

Lukas, my beta, leaned against the wall, his lean frame relaxed but his green eyes sharp, watching me too closely.

“We’ve got a problem,” I said, my voice carrying over the low murmurs. “A human’s in our territory. Some wildlife researcher, setting up cameras. I found her scent near the creek trail today.”

A low growl rumbled from Mara, our lead tracker, her braids swinging as she crossed her arms. “Cameras? That’s too close, Omer. What’s she looking for?”

“Wolves,” I said, keeping my tone steady. “She’s studying the pack, doesn’t know what we are. But she’s persistent. I saw her gear, professional stuff. We can’t let her get too close.”

Lukas pushed off the wall, his smirk sharp. “You sound worried, alpha. One human got you spooked?”

I shot him a look, my jaw tight. “Not spooked. Cautious. We’ve stayed hidden for centuries because we follow the laws. No human contact, no exceptions. If she sees too much, we’re all at risk.”

Mara nodded, her eyes narrowing. “Want me to scare her off? A few broken cameras, maybe a howl too close to her camp?”

“No,” I said, sharper than I meant. The pack glanced at each other, and I forced my shoulders to relax.

“We don’t need her running back to town with stories.

For now, we watch her. Redirect her if she gets too close.

Lukas, take a patrol at dawn. Check her cameras, make sure they’re not catching anything they shouldn’t. ”

Lukas raised an eyebrow, his smirk still there. “You sure you don’t want to handle this one yourself, Omer? You’ve been out there a lot lately.”

I ignored the jab, but my skin prickled. Lukas had a nose for weakness, and I couldn’t let him sense mine. “Just do it,” I said, turning to the others. “Meeting’s over. Stay sharp, and stay out of sight.”

The pack dispersed, their murmurs fading as they slipped into the night.

Lukas lingered, his eyes locked on me for a moment too long before he left.

I stayed in the cave, the torches casting shadows on the walls.

That scent, wildflowers and cedar, still clung to me, stirring my wolf.

I clenched my fists, trying to shake it off.

A human mate was a curse, not a gift. The pack would never accept it, and I’d sworn to put them first.

I left the cave and headed to the sacred stone circle, a ring of rune-carved rocks hidden deep in the forest. The air there was heavy, charged with the spirits of our ancestors.

I knelt before the tallest stone, its surface worn smooth by centuries of prayers.

“Tell me what to do,” I said, my voice low.

“This can’t be right. A human? She’ll destroy everything we’ve built.

” The wind rustled the trees, but no answers came.

The spirits were silent, and I was alone with my thoughts.

I stood, brushing dirt off my knees, and made a decision.

I’d see her, just once, to understand why my wolf was so drawn to her.

Then I’d find a way to drive her out of Esoterra.

Her cabin wasn’t far, a rickety thing on the edge of our territory.

I moved silently, sticking to the shadows, until I reached a ridge overlooking her porch.

She was inside, her silhouette moving in the lamplight.

I shifted to human form, crouching behind a pine, and watched.

She sat at a table, her laptop open, her eyes glued to the screen.

Camera footage, probably. Her hair was pulled back, a few strands loose, and her fingers tapped the table as she muttered to herself.

I couldn’t hear her words, but her voice was clear, steady, like she was talking to a friend.

My wolf stirred, urging me closer, but I held back.

Then I saw it, a glint at her neck, a quartz pendant catching the light.

My stomach twisted. It looked too much like the pack’s relic, a sacred stone we kept hidden in the circle.

It couldn’t be the same, but the similarity unsettled me.

“She’s just a human,” I whispered, trying to convince myself.

But the way she moved, the way her eyes lit up as she leaned closer to the screen, it pulled at me.

I wanted to know what she was thinking, what drove her to come to this place.

My wolf growled, low and insistent, and I gritted my teeth.

“Not happening,” I muttered. “She’s leaving. ”

A howl cut through the night, Lukas’s signal for the patrol to gather.

I cursed under my breath. He was early, probably trying to catch me off guard.

I stood, ready to leave, but my eyes lingered on her.

She’d stopped typing, her head tilted like she’d heard something.

I froze, half-expecting her to look out the window, but she went back to her screen, oblivious.

Good. The last thing I needed was her spotting me.

I slipped back into the forest, shifting to wolf form to join the patrol. Lukas was waiting at the creek, his gray fur blending with the shadows. He shifted when he saw me, his green eyes glinting. “Thought you might be busy,” he said, his voice light but edged. “Checking boundaries again?”

“Something like that,” I said, keeping my tone even. “What’s the report?”

He shrugged, leaning against a tree. “Quiet so far. No new tracks, no cameras where they shouldn’t be. But that human’s got three set up on the west trail. Want me to take them out?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. Move them if they’re too close to the dens, but don’t break anything. She’ll notice that.”

Lukas grinned, showing teeth. “Careful, Omer. Sounds like you’re protecting her.”

“I’m protecting the pack,” I snapped. “Do your job, and don’t make this complicated.”

He held up his hands, still grinning. “Whatever you say, alpha.” He shifted back to wolf form and loped off with the others, leaving me alone by the creek.

I stared at the water, my reflection rippling in the moonlight.

My wolf was restless, her scent still in my nose, pulling me back to that cabin.

I growled, low and frustrated, and headed deeper into the woods.

Back at my den, a small cave tucked behind a waterfall, I pulled out a piece of cedar from my stash.

I kept my hands busy, carving a small wolf totem with my knife, the wood shavings piling up at my feet.

It was a warning, something to leave at her cabin, a sign to scare her off without breaking our laws.

The totem took shape, its eyes sharp and fierce, like hers when she’d stared at that screen.

I paused, my knife hovering. Why was I thinking about her eyes?

I shook my head and kept carving, the blade steady in my hands.

When the totem was done, I held it up, the wood smooth under my fingers.

It was good work, but it felt like more than a warning.

It felt like a piece of me. I tucked it into my pocket, planning to leave it on her porch at dawn.

Maybe it’d spook her enough to pack up and go.

Maybe it’d quiet my wolf, let me focus on the pack again.

But as I lay on my furs, the waterfall’s roar filling the cave, her scent lingered in my mind, wildflowers and cedar, calling me back to her.