14. James
FOURTEEN
JAMES
Just as I was about to collapse into a beautiful, blissful sleep at the end of what had been one of the most amazing nights of my life, my cell phone ruined everything by blasting out. Its sound shattered through the whole farmhouse, making my head ache under the stress of it.
“Do you have to answer that?” Sadie asks me sleepily from her side of the bed. I think she’s almost on the verge of dreams, so I don’t want to trouble her.
“I think I best. Just in case.”
Luckily, I could already hear her light adorable snores as I creep out of the room, and I grabbed my phone.
“Abe, what’s going on?” I demanded as soon as I picked up. I edged myself away from the bedroom because I didn’t want to wake Sadie.
“I hate to tell you this, James.”
“Just say it. Rip the band-aid off already.” If this was going to be something else related to Brian, especially after what had happened with Josef, then I was going to lose my shit. But I also already kinda knew that it would be because what else could be so important.
“There’s another fire at the sawmill. A big one. All the renovations we’ve done are burning.”
My heart sank and my chest tightened at the thought of this. “Fuck, who started it this time?”
“I don’t know at the moment. I’m trying to figure it out.”
“I’m on the way. I’ll get this sorted in a moment.”
As soon as I raced outside, the scent of smoke, thick and acrid, hung heavy in the air. I knew that smell all too well, and it didn’t bode well. I could tell from this alone that this was going to be really bad. I couldn’t believe how far Brian was willing to go to ruin everything for me. He had a vendetta, and he wanted to destroy my whole life.
Instinct took over, and in a swift, fluid motion, I shifted into my wolf form. My senses sharpened, and my awareness expanded. The world was seen through a different lens, one that allowed me to pick up on the subtlest of scents and sounds.
Without hesitation, I raced toward the source of the growing unease–the sawmill fire. The rhythmic pounding of my paws on the earth was a steady beat in the night, a determination to confront whatever danger lay ahead.
The fire blazed in the distance, its orange glow painting a vivid picture of chaos and destruction. I pushed my lupine body to its limits, racing toward the inferno in a desperate attempt to protect our clan and those we held dear.
The wind carried the acrid scent of burning wood and a faint hint of something else, something sinister. The shadows danced around the flames, and as I drew nearer to the source of the fire, I couldn’t help but wonder what awaited me there. I had a horrible feeling that Brian was in the shadows somewhere, waiting to pounce on me and rip me apart. At this point, I didn’t know what he was going to do, and that terrified me.
As I arrived at the scene and I shifted back into my human form to face the terror in front of me, I was met with a chaotic tableau of flashing red and orange lights, the roar of the fire, and the shouts of firefighters and Park Workers. The sawmill’s storage yard was ablaze, a towering inferno that threatened to consume everything in its path. This definitely was a lot worse than the last one. This fire meant business. I wasn’t sure anything could survive this.
My pack mates and employees were doing their best to help the firefighters, but it was a massive, daunting challenge. The farmed lumber we stored here was worth millions of dollars, and its loss would be devastating to our community. Not just to me, but to everyone.
I shifted into action, coordinating efforts and ensuring the safety of those under my leadership. The fire was a force of nature, relentless and unforgiving, but we were determined not to let it win. Luckily, someone quickly yelled to me that no one was hurt, which made me feel a lot better, but I was still very upset.
Hours stretched into what felt like an eternity, and exhaustion began to take its toll. But we couldn’t give up. We worked side by side, a team united by a common goal.
As the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, we finally gained control over the inferno. The fire had caused substantial damage, but our efforts had saved a significant portion of the precious lumber and at least the foundations of the building.
I looked at the scorched earth and smoldering remains, my heart heavy with the weight of responsibility. This was a setback, a costly one, but we would rebuild. We had faced challenges before, and we would rise above this one. We had to.
“Do we know who did this?” I finally asked Abe once there was a moment for me to speak. “Was it Emma and Lily again?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know at the moment. The blaze was really high by the time anyone realized it was happening. But Emma and Lily weren’t here. None of the female employees were, so I don’t know who could have done this. We will find out though, don’t worry.”
I sighed heavily. Of course, I was going to worry. How could I not? This was a living nightmare. As Abe raced off on his mission to find out who was behind this, I suddenly realized that Sadie might be awake, and she might be wondering what the hell was going on. I needed to call her, to explain myself. I longed for her presence, her calming influence, but I knew there was still much work to be done. I didn’t want to drag her into the middle of this.
Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…
I paced back and forth as I waited for Sadie to pick up, my impatience and concern mounting with every passing moment. But all I received was silence. The sense of helplessness weighed heavily on me, and I couldn’t afford to get lost in the worry about her safety. I needed to stay vigilant, to protect our Clan and those I held dear.
It was during my restless pacing that I noticed a group of women attempting to slip away unnoticed. Their movements were furtive, and their expressions revealed a mix of guilt and bewilderment. Something was amiss, and the unease I had felt earlier only deepened.
I approached the group, trying to be careful so I didn’t spook them before I could talk to them. The women hesitated, their eyes darting nervously, and they struggled to find their voices.
“What’s happening here?” I demanded, my deep growl carrying the weight of authority and concern.
One of the women, her voice trembling, finally spoke up. “We don’t know. There’s something strange going on. People are acting… differently.”
I detected the lingering scent of gasoline on their clothing, which only made me more suspicious. “Where are you going?”
“We need to get out of here. We can’t be here.”
I wasn’t about to let them go. “No, you need to tell me what’s happening. Otherwise, I won’t be able to get to the bottom of it. I won’t be able to save anyone else. It’ll keep on happening.”
The group of women before me, their faces etched with fear and confusion, revealed the harrowing truth. They had been coerced, manipulated by Brian’s insidious influence into committing a heinous act. Their admission sent shivers down my spine, and I knew that we were peeling back the layers of a dark and dangerous mystery.
One of the other women started, “We were forced to douse the lumber pile with gasoline and ignite it.”
“Brian’s control over us was absolute. We had no choice,” another one joined in. “I can’t even explain how it happened. It just did.”
The first woman piped up once more. “It’s like we were puppets. We had to do what he said.”
I felt a surge of anger and determination. Brian’s power over the minds of these women was a threat that needed to be extinguished. The arson at the sawmill again was just another example of the chaos he could incite and would keep on inciting if we let him.
“You did the right thing by coming forward,” I assured them. “We will ensure your safety and help you break free from Brian’s control. But you shouldn’t run away. We need to sort this out properly.”
In the face of this grim revelation, I knew that our fight would only intensify. We had to expose Brian’s malevolence, protect our clan, and put an end to the darkness that had seeped into our lives. The women who had been ensnared by his influence were just the beginning, and I was determined to lead our clan to safety, no matter the challenges that lay ahead.
I quickly gathered my most trusted pack mates and contacted as many male clan members as I could reach. We needed to locate Brian and bring him in for questioning before he did anything else. His manipulation of people, the destructive fires, and the looming danger he posed were all too evident. It was time to confront this menace head-on and ensure he could no longer harm those under his influence. We had to get the evidence that we needed for the Clan Elders to get Brian out of there.
“Listen, everyone,” I began, my voice carrying the weight of responsibility. “We must find Brian and stop his influence. It’s spreading, and we can’t allow it to continue. He’s a danger to our clan and to all those under his control. The whole of Maple Creek is in danger.”
The pack members nodded in agreement, their determination evident in their expressions. We needed a coordinated plan, a strategy to hunt down Brian and bring an end to his reign of malevolence. None of us wanted this to continue. This was a never-ending nightmare.
“I want you all to fan out and search for any leads,” I continued. “Look for any signs of his presence or activity. We’ll rendezvous at the sawmill once we have any information. Stay in contact and be vigilant.”
In a swift and coordinated effort, we mobilized, our wolf instincts guiding us as we set out to track down Brian. I was resolute in my commitment to put an end to his malevolent actions, protect those he had manipulated, and safeguard the future of our community.
Brian had crossed a line that could not be ignored, and it was time for him to answer for the chaos and fear he had sown. As Alpha of our clan, I would see to it that justice was served, and my pack and clan would stand united in this endeavor…
As we scoured the woods, my pack mates and I were growing increasingly frustrated. There was no sign of Brian or his pack, and the tension in the air was thick with uncertainty. We had mobilized swiftly to bring Brian to justice, but it seemed he had managed to evade us for now.
I couldn’t help but worry about Sadie. Her safety was paramount, and the fact that she still wasn’t answering her phone was cause for concern. With everything that had transpired, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be in danger too. I was going to have to get to her as well, sooner rather than later. But I was torn between duty and my heart, but right now all of my issues were intertwined as well. I couldn’t handle it.