Page 7 of Wolf Mate’s Forbidden Fire (Esoterra Shifters World #1)

Chapter Seven

Aurora

I clutched Omer’s hand-drawn map, the paper crinkling in my sweaty palm as I crept through the dense Esoterra forest, my boots silent on the pine needles.

He’d left it on my cabin porch, tucked under the wolf totem, with a note scrawled in rough handwriting: If you’re brave enough, meet me at Moonridge.

I’ll show you my world. I wasn’t sure why he’d changed his mind about keeping me away, but the gesture felt like a door opening, a sign he trusted me enough to let me in.

My heart pounded, a mix of excitement and fear, as I navigated narrow paths lit only by moonlight filtering through the trees.

I’d slipped out of my cabin at dusk, leaving my camera behind, my quartz pendant tucked under my shirt, its weight a small anchor against my nerves.

The forest was quiet, every rustle making me jump, my flashlight dimmed to avoid drawing eyes.

I ducked under low branches, the air thick with the scent of earth and something wilder, like fur and smoke, as if the forest itself was alive and watching.

Voices drifted through the trees, low and tense, and I froze, crouching behind a moss-covered rock.

Two shifters stood on a nearby path, their silhouettes sharp against the moonlight.

A woman with tight braids gestured sharply, her voice hard.

“Another human in our territory,” she said.

“First those cameras, now this. Omer’s losing his grip, letting her get too close. ”

The man beside her, broad-shouldered with a scar on his cheek, growled. “He’s too soft. If Viktor’s pack catches wind of a human snooping, we’re done. We need to drive her out before she brings more trouble.”

My fingers tightened on the map, my breath shallow.

They were talking about me. I waited until their footsteps faded, then moved deeper into the forest, sticking to the shadows, my heart thumping loud enough to betray me.

The path twisted through dense pines, the air growing cooler as I followed Omer’s crude lines.

The map led me to a clearing, a cluster of wooden cabins and carved totems lit by flickering torches.

Moonridge. The heart of the shifter pack.

My pulse raced as I slipped behind a tall totem, its wolf face looming above, its carved eyes seeming to track my every move.

The clearing buzzed with activity, shifters moving between cabins, their voices a low hum, some carrying bundles of firewood, others sharpening blades that glinted in the torchlight.

I scanned for Omer, my eyes darting from face to face, when a hand clamped onto my shoulder.

I spun, heart in my throat, facing a lean man with sharp green eyes and a smirk like a blade. “Well, well,” he said, his voice low and mocking. “A lost human. I’m Lukas, beta of Moonridge, and you’re in the wrong place, sweetheart.”

I yanked my shoulder free, standing tall despite the shake in my legs. “I’m not lost,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Omer invited me. I’m here to see him, not you.”

Lukas’s smirk faded, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Invited you?” he said, disbelief dripping from his voice. “That’s a new one. You’re coming with me. The pack decides what to do with trespassers like you.”

He grabbed my arm, his grip tight, and started pulling me toward the center of the clearing.

Shifters turned, their eyes glinting in the torchlight, murmurs spreading like ripples in a pond.

I struggled, digging my heels into the dirt, but his hold was like iron.

“Let go,” I said, my voice sharp. “Omer’s expecting me, and I’m not your prisoner. ”

A deep voice cut through the noise. “Enough, Lukas.” Omer stepped into the clearing, his presence filling the space, his gray eyes blazing as they locked onto Lukas. “She’s my guest. Let her go. Now.”

Lukas froze, loosening his grip, but his eyes stayed cold, calculating. “Your guest?” he said, his voice thick with skepticism. “She’s a human, Omer. You know the laws. No outsiders in Moonridge.”

The crowd’s murmurs grew louder, angry voices rising like a tide. A burly shifter with a shaved head and a scowl stepped forward, fists clenched. “He’s right,” he said, glaring at me. “No humans here. You’re putting us all at risk, alpha, bringing her into our home.”

Omer moved between me and the crowd, his shoulders squared, his voice hard but controlled.

“I said she’s my guest,” he repeated, his eyes sweeping the pack, daring anyone to step forward.

“I brought her here to show her our ways, to keep her from stumbling into our secrets blind. She’s not a threat unless we make her one.

You want to challenge that, you challenge me. ”

The crowd quieted, but the tension was thick, like a storm waiting to break. Lukas released my arm, stepping back, his smirk returning, sharp and dangerous. “Your call, alpha,” he said, his tone mocking. “But don’t expect us to roll over for a human just because you say so.”

Before anyone else could speak, a figure moved through the crowd, her silver braids adorned with small bones catching the torchlight.

Mara, the elder Omer had told me about, raised a hand, and the pack fell silent, her presence like a weight settling over the clearing.

“Enough,” she said, her voice calm but firm, cutting through the murmurs like a blade.

“Aurora’s here, and the spirits have allowed it. There’s a reason for her presence.”

The burly shifter scoffed, crossing his arms. “What reason, Mara? She’s a threat. The laws are clear, no humans in Moonridge, no exceptions.”

Mara’s sharp eyes flicked to him, then to me, her gaze steady.

“The laws are old, but the spirits are older,” she said.

“There’s a prophecy, whispered among us for generations.

A human-shifter union could save Esoterra, or it could destroy it.

The Forbidden Fire is tied to that bond.

Aurora’s presence here, with Omer, is no accident. The spirits have guided her to us.”

The crowd erupted, voices clashing, some angry, some curious. A young shifter, barely out of her teens, with short dark hair and wide eyes, stepped forward. “Save us?” she said, her voice soft but clear over the noise. “How, Mara? What does the prophecy say?”

Mara turned to her, her expression softening, the bones in her braids clicking as she moved.

“It speaks of a bond that could unite our worlds or burn them to ash. The Forbidden Fire is a force we don’t fully understand, but it’s real, tied to our bloodlines.

Aurora’s here, and Omer’s chosen to protect her.

That means something, and we must trust the spirits’ guidance. ”

Every eye turned to me, hostile glares mixing with curious stares, their weight pressing down like a physical force.

My heart pounded, but I straightened, lifting my chin to meet their gazes.

“I’m not here to hurt anyone,” I said, my voice carrying over the crowd, steady despite my nerves.

“I came to understand your world, not to break it. Omer trusts me, and I’ll prove I’m worth that trust, prophecy or not. ”

Omer’s eyes met mine, a flicker of pride in them, like a warm hand on my back, giving me strength.

The young shifter nodded, a small smile breaking through, and a few others murmured agreement, their faces softening.

But the burly shifter and several older ones scowled, their distrust clear in their clenched jaws and narrowed eyes.

Lukas stood off to the side, whispering to a small group of shifters, their eyes darting to Omer, their expressions hard and secretive.

My stomach twisted. They were plotting something, and Lukas was at the heart of it, his green eyes glinting with ambition.

Mara raised her hand again, silencing the crowd. “Aurora stays, for now,” she said, her voice final, brooking no argument. “Omer’s judgment as alpha holds. But she must respect our ways, and we will watch her closely. The spirits will guide us, as they always have.”

The pack began to disperse, some grumbling under their breath, others casting curious glances my way as they headed back to their cabins. Omer moved to my side, his hand brushing my arm, his voice low. “You okay?” he said, his gray eyes searching mine, concern etched in his face.

I nodded, though my heart was still racing. “Yeah. That was intense, but I’m not backing down. They don’t scare me, Omer.”

He smiled, small but genuine, his hand lingering on my arm. “You’re braver than half my pack. You stood your ground back there, and that’s not nothing. Just stick close to me, alright? Not everyone’s on board with you being here.”

I glanced at Lukas, still whispering with his group, their heads bent close, their eyes flicking toward Omer. I lowered my voice. “That guy, Lukas, he’s trouble, isn’t he? Those shifters he’s talking to, they’re planning something. I can feel it.”

Omer’s jaw tightened, his eyes following mine to Lukas. “He’s always wanted more power,” he said, his voice low. “I’ve known it since we were pups. I’ll handle him. You just focus on staying safe, Aurora.”

I nodded, but my mind was already racing, piecing together the tension in the clearing, the whispers, the prophecy.

As the crowd thinned, I noticed a glint in the dirt near the totem I’d hidden behind.

I knelt, pretending to tie my boot, and picked up a small stone carved with a jagged rune, like the ones I’d seen in my book of legends.

It was smooth, warm in my hand, and I slipped it into my pocket, determined to figure out what it meant.

If I was going to stay in Moonridge, I needed to understand their symbols, their secrets, everything that made this place tick.

Omer walked me to the edge of the clearing, his hand resting lightly on my lower back, his touch steadying me against the weight of the night.

“I gave you that map because I trust you,” he said, his voice soft but firm, his breath warm against my ear.

“I thought keeping you away would protect you, but you’re too stubborn for that.

You proved it tonight, standing up to the pack like that. ”

I grinned, looking up at him, his gray eyes catching the torchlight. “Told you I’m not running. If I’m your mate, like you said, I’m in this, prophecy or no prophecy. I’m not letting your pack push me out.”

His eyes softened, and he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re going to make my life hell, aren’t you?”

“Bet on it,” I said, my tone teasing, though my heart skipped at how close he was, his warmth cutting through the night’s chill. “You going to show me around this place tomorrow, or am I sneaking back in on my own?”

He chuckled, shaking his head, his hand squeezing my arm gently. “Come back tomorrow. I’ll show you what I can, introduce you to the ones who aren’t ready to bite your head off. But stay sharp, Aurora. Lukas and his crew aren’t done stirring trouble.”

I nodded, my hand brushing his as I turned to leave, the rune stone heavy in my pocket.

It felt like a piece of this place, a clue to the secrets I was determined to unravel.

Moonridge was dangerous, no question, with its laws and its distrustful shifters, but Omer’s trust, the way he’d stood up for me in front of his pack, made me feel like I could face it.

I’d prove my worth, to him, to Mara, to every shifter who doubted me, no matter what it took.