Page 54 of Wild Fires

I didn't know what to think about that. We were all quiet for a bit before Kim, Elias, and Dean all started asking questions at the same time.

I smiled and then frowned.

I wished my life could be that simple. I didn't almost lose my mate; I watched her die. It made me want to throw up just thinking about it. I wasn't strong enough to deal with this, but I owed it to her to at least tell her that to her face.

While my siblings were all distracted, I shifted and flew out of the room and then out of the house. I didn't even detour, flying straight to Gracie’s house. A part of me still didn't believe she would be there.

I'd heard about her powers, but I couldn’t reconcile it with the crazy, beautiful woman I'd spent the last week or so with. That woman had died last night. Right?

Gracie

Chapter 16

Ryan was my one true mate.

That thought was on replay in my mind. How could he not know? He'd looked right at me, and I'd clearly heard my raven's mating call, yet he'd just flown away.

I had half a mind to track him down and clock him one good time for it, but I was also terrified he might have rejected me.

I'd never cared much for the whole true mate fantasy. I knew some people had found theirs, but it was so rare that it felt impossible. Plus, my world was so small, with the same people in it forever, that it didn't make sense to believe he was here somewhere.

But he was.

Because my true mate was Ryan Davenport.

All my teenage girlie dreams should be coming true right now, but they weren't. Instead, since Clarence booted me from the firehouse once again, I'd stopped by the store for a tub of ice cream, a pack of cookies, some chips, and a whole rotisserie chicken. I was angry stress eating and downing it with the case of beer I'd also gotten while trying not to think about him.

It was nearly dark out. We hadn't gone this long without seeing each other since we started this case together. So where the hell was he now?

I'd picked up my phone to call or text him so many times, but stubbornly, I just couldn't do it.

I understood watching me burn to death wasn't fun, but he had to have seen me reborn. He had to because my raven connected with his.

I wiped a tear from my cheek and scrolled through my movies list looking for something to watch. I couldn't decide if I was eliminating sad stories or embracing them. I was already in a full-blown meltdown. So, would sad bring me comfort or completely push me over the edge?

In the past I hadn't dealt well with such high emotional times. I had a tendency to burn myself when emotions got too high. It didn’t do anything but give me a few minutes of absolute silence during the time I no longer existed to calm my soul from the chaos around me.

Considering doing just that, I got up and found a lighter. It would be so easy to just let myself be consumed by the flames. I didn't even feel any pain from it. The pretty flames just danced around me. As long as I didn't actually look at my flesh burning off my skin, then it was a nice experience, even magical right up until I faded out.

I flicked the lighter and stared at the flame. When it started to get warm, I let go and then did it again. The next time, I hovered my hand just over the flame. Without fuel it wouldn’t take off quickly. My hair had always been my go to for that, but I did have a case of beer I could bathe in first.

Thoughts like that should have been a big red flag that I was drinking too much too fast, but I was beyond that point to where everything sounded like a great idea.

The thing was, no one would ever know because I was all alone in this world with no one to care.

I started to sob.

I'd truly thought Ryan cared.

I was wrong.

A knock on my door startled me. If that was another delivery for the wrong house, I was going to lose it. Maybe I'd just shift and peck the guy’s eyes out. Or maybe I should just set him on fire. Didn't he realize I just wanted to be alone to wallow in my own misery?

In my younger days, I'd had this idea that nothing could kill me—not just fire. I'd done a lot of really stupid things back then, and while I hadn't died, I'd definitely felt enough pain to wish I had. But I'd also learned that it wasn't all that easy to die, especially a painless death. It was never like fire.

Another knock sounded on the door.

“You have the wrong house again, you idiot. Go away.”