The Fire and the Phoenix

FOUR | JOHN

The intoxicating scent of rosewood and honey had overwhelmed my senses the second I had stepped out of the Land Rover when we reached the school.

Mate, growled Tenebris.

For once, I agreed with him. I followed the scent towards the gym, with Nolan following me on my heals, trying to pull me back with a hand on my shoulder.

"John, wait," he pleaded.

I ignored him and continued to stride forward.

Must find mate, Tenebris purred. I could see him in my mind running around in circles, pushing me to reach her as quickly as I could.

Nolan jumped in front of me and put both of his hands on my chest. "Wait!" he barked. Fuscus was beginning to surface, and Nolan's eyes swirled green and grey.

I paused and stared at him. "Don't," I muttered. "Get out of my way." I stepped around him, but he barged in front of me again. I growled angrily and shoved him aside. "Move!"

"John, you can't just barge into a gym full of humans and grab your mate!" he exclaimed. "She's human too. She wouldn't understand!"

I stopped. He was right. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "f**k," I whispered.

Nolan grimaced. "Do we need to leave?" he asked quietly.

I breathed in deeply. "Just give me a minute. Tenebris and I need to have a talk."

Nolan nodded. "I'll be in the gym," he said.

I walked over to the wall of the building that housed the gym at Sandy Springs Prep and sat down as I leaned against it. As I closed my eyes, I began to withdraw into myself, willing Tenebris forward.

The scent of rosewood and honey reached my nostrils again as I found myself in a thick forest. Sunlight filtered through the trees as birds twittered overhead. A light wind ruffled my hair and cooled my skin as I sniffed the clean air, searching for Tenebris.

"Over here, Johnny boy." A deep, gravelly voice rumbled through me. I shuddered a little and turned around.

Tenebris towered over me in human form, naked except for a loincloth around his midsection. His giant muscles were taut against his copper skin, and intricate tribal tattoos covered his pecs and biceps. His thick, wavy black hair was in a ponytail at the back of his head, and loose strands of hair flowed around his face in the breeze.

He stared at me for a minute, his golden eyes glowing brightly. He sighed and sat down. I followed his lead, crossing my legs in front of me.

"Why are you here, Johnny boy," he grumbled.

I frowned. "You know why," I said. "You can read my thoughts, right?"

Tenebris's lips came up in a snarl, and his sharp canines flashed in the bright sunlight. "Tell me," he sneered.

I dropped my head in my hands and pressed my lips together in frustration. "I need your help," I whispered.

Tenebris's deep chuckle vibrated through my body. "You what? I couldn't hear that," he growled.

I jumped to my feet. "You stupid, f*****g mutt!! I need your help!" I shouted, my face taut with rage.

Tenebris cringed a little and looked up at me. "John, you know I will always help you," he said quietly.

"Except when it really matters, right?" I accused him.

He dropped his head, and I was surprised to see a tear fall onto the ground in front of him. "I lost my father and Alpha that day too. Remember?" he choked.

"Yes, I remember," I sneered. "I remember you taking me over and forcing me to leave when I could have saved him." I bent down so my face was right next to his. "All because you were afraid of a little fire," I mocked.

Tenebris shot to his feet. The birds in the trees surrounding us took to panicked flight as his roar thundered through the forest. Before I knew what was happening, I felt his strong hand around my throat. He lifted me several feet off the ground and shoved me roughly against a nearby tree trunk. The tree groaned from the impact, and dead leaves showered down on us like snowflakes. I struggled for breath and whined in pain as his sharp fingernails dug into my neck.

"NO ONE COULD HAVE HELPED HIM!" he raged. "I SAVED YOU!!"

I clawed at his hands and gasped as his grip tightened. As my vision turned black, I heard him say "And I'll help you again, asshole."

I sucked in a huge breath as my eyes re-opened and I saw I was still in the parking lot of the gym. I rubbed my throat with my hand and was surprised when I saw blood on it when I pulled it away.

"f*****g mutt," I muttered, and scrambled to my feet. The sounds of cheers echoed out of the gym. The game was apparently well underway. I walked up to the door and opened it. My mate's scent was overpowering in the enclosed space. I took a deep breath and searched the bleachers for Nolan. I found him waving at me, and I walked over to him.

"So, how did it go?" Nolan said, his head c****d.

I grimaced. "As well as can be expected," I said, huskily. "He'll help."

Nolan's eyes went wide when he saw my neck. "You may want to wash that off before you talk to her," he said.

"Right," I grumbled.

The buzzer sounded at the end of the first period, and the teams headed towards their respective bleachers. The spectators on the Crescent Academy side were speaking animatedly. Our girls were leading by 10 points, which was lower than usual, but still ahead. I glanced over at the Sandy Springs Prep bleachers and saw Rosie on the team bench. My breath hitched as I saw her groan and drop her head in her hands.

As I headed towards the washroom, I caught my sister's eye and mind-linked her.

Hey Amy. My mate is here.

What?! Wow! Congratulations Johnny! She started turning her head towards our bleachers.

No. Other side. She's human.

Ooooh. Wow. Ok then. She scanned the Sandy Springs Prep bleachers.

I sighed. She's a player. The tall blond.

Her???

Yes, her. I need you to do something for me…

~*~

"John?" she said excitedly. "Firefighter John?"

My beautiful mate stood before me, her gorgeous blue eyes sparkling in recognition. My eyes traveled over her face, taking in each delicate feature as she gestured animatedly. The years had been kind to her. She had grown tall and lithe, but still exquisitely curvy in all the right places. Her light blond hair, which curled around her face and down her back almost to her waist, was wet at the roots from her exertion. A light shimmer of sweat covered her lightly tanned skin, almost making her glow in the bright lights of the gym. She was perfection.

"I can't believe it!" she gushed. "What are you doing here?"

She suddenly looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm a mess. Let me get cleaned up," she murmured.

I grasped her arm gently. "It's ok, Rosie. You just played one of the best games of basketball I've ever seen. You're allowed to be a little grimy."

She grinned and looked up at me. My breath caught in my throat a little when I saw the tiny gap between her front teeth. Definitely my Rosie. Her smile was dazzling.

"I still want to get cleaned up. I must smell like a titan arum right now," she laughed.

I looked at her quizzically. "A what?"

She laughed again. "Titan arum. A corpse flower." She turned and started walking towards the locker rooms. She looked back over her shoulder, smiling. "Google it! I'll be back in a few minutes!"

I sighed. Rejecting her was going to be so hard.

Shaking my head, I turned back towards the bleachers and was nearly bowled over by my over-enthusiastic sister as she ran up and engulfed me in a hug. Nolan was walking up behind her, grinning.

"Johnny! I'm so happy for you!" she sang.

I gave Amy a quick hug then pushed her off. "Happy?" I asked.

She looked up at me and frowned. "You found your mate after all these years. You should be dancing off the walls...unless…" she bared her teeth. "Did you reject her?"

I shook my head. "Not yet."

Amy's eyes narrowed. "Not yet?!" She slapped my arm.

"Ow!" I exclaimed in surprise. "What was that for?"

"You i***t! Don't you dare reject her!" she growled.

"Amy…" I groaned.

She folded her arms in front of her and stared at me as her frown deepened. Most wolves wouldn't dare look at me like that, but she had Alpha blood in her as well, and my aura didn't affect her.

"Amy, she's human. She can't be Luna."

"Can't?" she challenged.

I sighed and shrugged. "Ok. Shouldn't," I acquiesced. "She shouldn't be Luna. She'll weaken the pack."

Amy looked at me coldly as Nolan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her under her crossed arms. I saw her relax and unconsciously lean back into him and swallowed a pang of jealousy. "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes, Johnny," she said.

Nolan smiled and kissed her forehead. "I keep telling him that," he agreed.

Rosie's alluring scent of rosewood and honey filled my nostrils. I turned to see her coming towards me from the locker room. She had apparently quickly showered and changed into skinny jeans, high-top Converse, and a long sweatshirt that enhanced her height. Her damp hair had been piled on the top of her head in a topknot, held in place with two chopsticks. She looked adorable. She smiled, then slowed her pace when she saw Amy and Nolan standing near me.

"Um, hi again. We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Rosalie," she said, sticking her hand out to Amy.

Amy grinned and shook her hand. "I'm Amy, the i***t's younger sister."

Rosie giggled. Nolan took her hand next, and I had to stifle a growl as she looked him up and down approvingly. "I'm Nolan, the i***t's best friend," he smirked. She nodded in greeting.

Rosie shook her head and gave me a sidelong glance. "i***t, huh?" she said.

I frowned and shrugged. She nudged me with her elbow. "Eh, you can't be that much of an i***t. You found me after all this time, right?"

I grimaced. "That was dumb luck. Amy's team just happened to be playing yours tonight."

She grinned again. "I don't believe in luck," she said.

I took in a deep breath and looked at her. Her eyes widened slightly, and I heard her breath hitch in her throat.

Mate, Tenebris growled in my head.

"Rosie, there's something I need to talk to you about," I said quietly.

She seemed to snap out of her reverie and smiled. "Later," she chirped. "Right now, I need to introduce you to my parents, so they know I wasn't crazy when I was twelve."