Found in Flames by Desconhecido Page A

down, but, like most men, he seemed to be trying his best to play them off. And currently he appeared to be ignoring his need for rest in favor of sitting with Morgan, because both were curled up in human form off to the side of the meadow.
    Joella managed a small smile for them when they looked over at her, her heart aching at the sadness in Morgan’s eyes. It was true Joella had been the twins’ least favorite person in the last few days of Vanna’s life, but she harbored them no ill will. How could she, after Vanna had so selflessly died to save her?
    Clearing her throat, she said, “Luka’s hungry.”
    Morgan looked away and Russell sat up, pointing. “Chad put it by that rock.”
    “Thanks,” she said before turning and going for the leftovers. She’d nearly made it back out of the meadow when a weak, feminine voice called out.
    “Is he…. Is Alpha healing well?” The question came from Morgan. Joella couldn’t decide if she was more shocked by the fact that Morgan had spoken in her presence at all or by the fact that her voice was devoid of the venom it had once held. She’d thought for sure the woman would hate her always now.
    Turning an easier smile back to the pair, Joella nodded. “I think so. Most of his fur’s even grown back.”
    The wolves smiled and Morgan wiped at her face. “Good.”
    ****
    Luka woke with the changing direction of the wind, blinking his eyes open to find himself alone in the cave. Joella’s ‘day clothes’ were resting where she’d left them earlier and his water bowl was gone. Why she’d have gone to refill it in the middle of the night he had no idea. The woman was crazy.
    Crazy enough to come running to him when she thought he was in danger.
    Crazy enough to stick around after the threat was gone and help nurse him— all of them—back to health.
    And, he hoped, crazy enough to stay with them—with him—for the rest of his life.
    That was one thing he’d had plenty of time to think about while he’d been recuperating. For so long his only real mission in life had been to avenge his family’s murder. He’d never intended to lose another wolf in the process, let alone two, but it was too late to go back and change his methods. An Alpha’s instinct was to build and protect his pack. He doubted he could have avoided pulling one together even if he’d tried. Now all he could do was focus on doing a better job of protecting the pack he had left. And one way to protect his pack was to ensure its future.
    A future that, for the first time, he could actually bring himself to think about. With Char finally dead and gone he had no excuse. And now that he’d met Joella he found he didn’t want an excuse. He wanted her. He wanted to claim her as his mate. He doubted she knew exactly what that entailed, since both of the mated pairs she’d had opportunity to talk to were born wolves, but he could explain.
    As soon as he found her.
    Luka pushed to his feet, stretched, shook, and ambled to the opening of the cave in order to catch her scent. As he’d suspected, she’d gone to the stream for water. Perfect. Testing his renewed strength, he pushed off at a run. And the more he ran the better he felt.
    Once he was close enough he took a breath and willed himself to shift. He hadn’t returned to his human form more than once since the fight, but he was ready now. And he couldn’t exactly have the necessary conversation with Joella if he didn’t have human vocal chords.
    He easily crossed the rest of the way to the stream, finding the woman he sought sitting back on the patches of grass and gazing up at the nearly full moon. So he paused and cast his own gaze up to the one power stronger than he. It was true that once a wolf reached maturity they could resist the pull of the moon, but resistance wasn’t easy and it went against every instinct a wolf possessed. For that same reason, a newly-Turned werewolf had no control over the allure of the full moon, no matter their