Fire [noun] - one of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy; it is often associated with change, purification and destruction.

author's note: has been a shockingly long time because being a teacher means having not much time except during the holidays haha. to get everyone up to speed, in the last chapter, kane and rina visited a coven, they were shown what their future could look like, and it was confirmed that the witch who cursed kane used her life to do it, and by the next full moon, the curse demands either kane's life or rina's.

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The next few days were quiet from the covens, but feelers had been put out, and now, it was a waiting game. The silence had been unsettling, but the silver lining on that very dark cloud was that Kane and I had time to slow down.

"Something is on your mind," he murmured, with his head resting on my chest. We were lying on the sofa, watching—or at least trying to on my part—TV.

My fingers slid against his soft, dark strands as I stared up at the ceiling. "Just nervous about tonight's bonfire. The more time I spend with the pack, the more I see they can't wait to officially submit to me and accept me as their luna."

Kane's hand flattened against my stomach underneath my top and he pressed a kiss to my collarbone. Then, he hovered over me with his knees in between my legs. He wrapped my legs around his hips and his eyes were warm and reassuring. "You know you're the luna they've waited all this time for, right? Don't doubt that you won't be amazing at it."

I blew out a nervous laugh. "You have to say that. I'm your mate."

His eyebrows furrowed in disagreement. "You've proven all on your own that you have what it takes to protect and lead this pack with me." I opened my mouth, but he stopped me in my tracks. "You're an excellent fighter with even better instincts. You're kind, wise and level-headed. And if you asked about how you help me, I would tell you that you ground me and remind me that life is nothing without love. I was a competent alpha before I met you, but now, I'm the alpha I've always wanted to be."

A burst of energy flowed through me, warm and strong. "I believe you."

"Good." He smiled and dipped his head, kissing me softly. He pecked my lips three times and brushed the tip of his nose against mine.

I slowly mirrored his smile. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you lay on top of me on purpose."

"You do know better and I did lie on top of you on purpose," he chuckled, leaning up slightly to look me in the eye.

"Yeah, you're not really good at hiding how obsessed you are with me."

Amusement sparked in his eyes and he shook his head softly. "Really stating the obvious now, Ri. I'm not trying to hide it."

I didn't have a response this time, so I leaned up and locked our lips again.

A small groan fell from his mouth and he pressed his mouth more firmly against mine. He tightened my legs around his waist and stood up with me in his arms. I smiled at the sudden change but quickly noticed why he had stood up.

Light footsteps sounded from across the road, so I pecked his lips softly before we begrudgingly pulled away. He placed me on my feet and lightly brushed the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip.

"I love you."

It had only been a few days since he had first said those three words to me, but each time made me feel as happy as the first. "I love you too."

A smile brightened his face and he shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing that."

I caressed his arm briefly before the knock on the door finally sounded. Kane opened the door to reveal our betas.

He stepped to the side and beckoned them in. "Hey."

"Hey," they replied. Carmen waved with an excited grin.

I waved back and came to Kane's side. "Are you here to get us to the bonfire?"

Finn chuckled. "I don't think anyone looks forward to a bonfire more than Alpha."

Kane laughed and threw an arm around my shoulder. "A fire, food and stories. What more could you ask for?

We were in the middle of winter, but they assured me that a bonfire during the cold season was more fun than in the summer. They would clear the snow in the courtyard of The Old Castle to reveal the bonfire pit, set up chairs around it, and spend the evening telling stories and eating together. It was something that Kane had done a lot when he had been sent away to the countryside, so when he returned, he brought the tradition with him.

"How about what happened in our second year?" Finn quipped, glancing at Carmen with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Oh yeah! That was when Alpha—"

"You know, we really should get going!" Kane interrupted, steering me towards the door. He grabbed our jackets as I looked over my shoulder. Finn and Carmen burst out laughing.

"When Alpha what?" I exclaimed, trying to turn when Kane stepped behind me to guide me with his body. My feet made an indent in the snow and I dug my heels into it. "Kane! Shoes!"

He glanced down at our feet. "Sorry, baby."

Finn and Carmen began to laugh harder as we stepped back into the house.

"I'll go get some fresh socks."

He quickly bounded up the stairs and I turned to them with a laugh. "You have to tell me!"

"Well, Alpha lost a bet and had to—"

Kane was quick on his feet and came back before Finn could say any more. "I'll have you do laps next training session, Finn."

Finn pressed a fist to his mouth to stop laughing. "Worth it. It's one of our funniest memories."

I threaded my fingers through Kane's hair when he kneeled to change my socks. "I have to know now."

He tilted his head to look at me and a blush scattered across his cheeks. "It's not one of my finest moments."

I tightened my fingers in his hair playfully. "Kane!"

A laugh filtered through his embarrassment. "Make a bet with me and we'll see." He stood up and planted a kiss on my lips.

"I know better than to do that."

"You should ask Mrs Macleod for tips. For an eighty-year-old, she held her own against Alpha," Carmen revealed.

Kane gave a genuine laugh this time. "I could hardly believe it myself."

I glanced between the three of them. "I'm going to find out what happened."

Kane directed me with his body again. "Come on, we're going to be late at this rate."

—————

The pack had gathered and we were the last ones to arrive. They had lit the bonfire as we were on our way, so a strong fire was officially underway. Kane took his hands out of his pockets and waved at everyone.

"Welcome, everyone, to our annual winter bonfire. We, thankfully, have a special guest this year." He couldn't say any more because everyone broke out into cheers and applause. I couldn't hide my smile and dipped my head graciously. He pulled me into his side and continued, "That's exactly the type of reaction I was looking for. Thank you to those who volunteer to help set this up every year. Now, how about we have some fun?"

The kids were the loudest this time.

Kane smiled down at me and slid his hand into mine. All four of us walked over to the empty chairs next to Kane's parents. Finn's and Carmen's were there too.

"Welcome to your first bonfire, Rina," Moira said in greeting, standing up to hug me.

"Thank you, Moira." I returned her warm hug. Kane and I still hadn't filled them in on recent developments on the curse, so I tried to emulate her sense of calmness. I wasn't sure how Kane would tell his parents that someone wanted him dead in twenty-two days.

I went to sit to Kane's right when he snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. My face warmed and I steadied myself with my feet on the ground. Our seats faced the entire pack, and I knew that Kane wasn't shy to show me affection in front of them. I turned to face him and spoke in his mind. 'Was there something wrong with my chair?'

The corner of his eyes crinkled as he grinned charmingly. 'Why would you need it when I'm right here?'

'I think if you could be inside my clothes, you would.' I realised the door I had opened with my reply.

Kane's eyebrows raised. 'Well...when two people love each other very much—'

I gasped and stupidly clamped my hand on his mouth. His head tipped back as he barked out a laugh. His body shook, and I cracked and began laughing with him.

I spoke out loud now. "You're suddenly a comedian today."

"You make it too easy," he chuckled, lifting his hand to tuck my hair behind my ear.

The crackling of the fire reminded me of where we were and I glanced at the rest of the pack. Everyone was talking amongst themselves and the volunteers were beginning to distribute the burgers.

I turned back to Kane. "What kind of stories do we tell here?"

"Ghost stories usually, and every other year, some of the theatre kids reenact the story of my ancestors Blaine and Mairead."

My interest had officially been piqued. "Are they going to perform it this year?"

Kane shook his head. "They will next year," he said, with a sense of conviction in his voice that made me pause. He spotted the expression on my face and with the hand resting on my thigh, he pulled my legs over his so I was sitting on him properly. "You'll love it."

I mustered up a smile. "I know I will."

"When everyone starts going off in their little groups, I have something to show you." His gaze lifted from me when Oliver, the sweet teenager I had properly met on the last full moon, approached us carrying two plates with a burger and chips on each.  "Thank you, Ollie."

I took our plates from him and gave him a warm smile. "We appreciate it."

He bowed his head. "You're welcome, Alpha and Luna."

I wasn't sure when I would get used to hearing my title.

"I think I'm going to need my chair now," I laughed, carefully standing up.

Kane gripped the arm of my chair and pulled it to face him. I took a seat, narrowing my eyes playfully when my knees brushed against his.

"You know I like to look at you when you're talking to me."

I bit into my burger to hide how quickly that made me smile.

After we had eaten, a few of the more creative pack members took the lead with ghost stories, toning it down where they could for the children who were attentively listening. Scotland had castles in abundance, which meant stories claiming that wandering spirits haunted them weren't far-fetched. It seemed like a fitting topic of conversation especially since we were all gathered in front of The Old Castle.

Kane and I were melting our marshmallows for our s'mores when an elderly lady came to stand beside us. I could hear Finn and Carmen laughing again, so it was easy to guess who she was.

"Hi, Mrs Macleod!" I greeted enthusiastically.

Her green eyes were warm when they met mine. "Hello, Luna." She dipped her head and glanced at Kane. "Alpha."

The flames cast a shadow on his face that quickly hid the rosiness that crawled up his neck and across his face. "Mrs Macleod. A gorgeous night, wouldn't you agree?"

"Aye," she replied, a grin brightening her face. "A perfect one for a wee bet, don't you think?"

A wave of laughter flowed through the crowd and Kane looked at them over his shoulder before chuckling. He gave me his skewer and picked up the graham crackers and chocolate and sandwiched the toasted marshmallows between them. He passed the first one to me and took the second one for himself.

"Maybe next year, Mrs Macleod. I owe my mate a tour of The Old Castle."

She nodded her head and mumbled, "Your loss either way."

That set the pack off again and my heart warmed at the sound of their laughter. It was a beautiful night.

I bit into my s'more when it had cooled down slightly and relished the taste of it. They were proving to be the highlight of the night. Kane scarfed his one down and faced me.

"Good, right?" he asked, hooking his hand around my wrist to bring my thumb to his mouth. He sucked the chocolatey marshmallow clean off, and I didn't know what was hotter—the fire in front of me or the fire he had ignited within me.

"I see right through you, Kane," I said, more breathlessly than I wanted to.

"Good." He smirked and linked our fingers together. "Come on, I have something to show you."

We manoeuvred our way through those who were sitting closest to the fire and walked towards the entrance of the castle. It was already open since a few of the teenagers had asked Kane an hour before if they could play card games inside. We passed them before climbing the spiral staircase to the grand hall.

I instantly noticed what was different from the last time Kane and I had visited it with Santiago—the day we learned that someone was working against us. In front of me now were two thrones, relics of a bygone era that now functioned as the ceremonial thrones that Kane and I would sit in during my officiation ceremony.

Suddenly, I ached to sit in it as his luna—officially.

He squeezed my hand. "Sit on your throne, Ri."

I glanced up at him. "With you. Only ever with you."

He smiled softly and coaxed me forward with him. We turned together and he held my gaze with eyes that glowed more captivatingly than the fire outside. We sat down together as Kane and Rina, alpha and luna of our pack together.

My eyes slowly watered and I blinked it away and swallowed the emotion that threatened to claw its way to the surface. "This is all I want, Kane."

"You'll have it—no matter what I need to do to make it happen. I promise."

I leaned over and he met me halfway with a gentle kiss. I could have spent all night kissing him, but he pulled back and squeezed my hand again.

"I want to dance with you again while it's just us."

I nodded and stood up with him. In true Kane fashion where he wanted no space between us at all, he lifted me to stand on his shoes. We were face-to-face now and he began to slowly sway us. My hand rested on the curve of his shoulder and I slid my thumb against my mark on his neck. He shuddered as the bond between us pulsed through him.

"It's maddening how in love I am with you," he breathed, leaning forward so that his lips brushed against mine, not quite kissing me.

I smiled and pressed the tip of my nose against his. I spoke against his lips. "I'm madly in love with you too."

We danced for a while in silence, and the absence of music couldn't be felt when I could hear my favourite sound in the world—the sound of his heart beating.

As I thought of how I wanted to hear it for a lifetime and beyond, the pack pendant around my neck began to warm against my skin. Kane noticed it and tilted his head in confusion.

"It's glowing, Rina."

I stepped down onto the ground and took it off. It flashed and I almost dropped it when it became hotter and began to flicker like it was going to burst into flames. Kane took it from me and quickly submerged it in the water bowl on the stone podium. The water fizzled as it cooled the pendant down. I got a sense of déjà vu when the water then jolted.

Kane and I looked at each other when words appeared in the water again.

In the face of ire, love is the key to purification. Ire burns but love triumphs.