Chapter 15 - Thane
The morning is icier than usual, a cold blanket of fresh snow settling over Girdwood, the kind of gray stillness that follows destruction.
The ruins of my house remain smoked out faintly in the distance, a scar on the snow-blanketed village.
I glance at it from the ridge one last time before turning toward my grandfather’s property, my boots crunching through frost as I head to the front door.
It feels strange coming here after everything that happened.
The smell of smoke still clings to me even after I showered at Elias's place this morning, the memory of Willow’s tear-streaked face from last night etched into my mind.
I've hardly slept since she left with Aurora and the others, having spent most of the night making sure the fire didn’t spread and the perimeter was secure.
When I did retreat to Elias's place in the unholy hours of the morning, Willow was already asleep.
But even exhaustion couldn't numb the tight knot in my chest when I realized I would have to face my grandfather today.
I don't have a house anymore, and Willow and I need a place to stay. Luckily, my grandfather returned from his mission this morning, welcomed back by my burned-down house and the news I'm about to give him.
Grandfather’s house stands just as it always has—solid and dignified, like a relic from another era. The door is already open as if he’s expecting me.
When I step inside, Charles Savage is seated at the kitchen table, a mug of black coffee in one hand, a cigar in the other. He doesn’t look up immediately, but I can tell by the slight lift of his brow that he knew I was there long before I stepped inside.
“Good morning, Thane,” he says evenly.
“Grandfather.” I clear my throat, standing awkwardly in the arched doorway. “We need to talk.”
He sets the cigar onto the ashtray, motioning to the chair across from him. “About the fire? Or the woman?”
My breath catches in my throat. “You know about Willow?”
Grandfather Charles smiles faintly, that old, knowing glint in his eyes. “Nothing escapes me, son. Did you forget that I am on the elder council? Word spreads fast in a pack. Besides, I could smell the mate bond on you the moment you walked in. Faint, but present.”
I exhale slowly, running a hand through my hair. “I didn’t mean for it to happen this way. She’s…different. She doesn’t have a wolf. I wasn’t sure you would approve.”
“Approve?” He chuckles, low and gravelly. “You think I care that she’s wolfless?”
I take a deep breath, finally making my way to the chair across from him. “I know how much you despise omegas…”
Grandfather snorts. “If you're referring to your mother, I never despised her,” he says firmly, prompting me to frown when he meets my eyes.
“I pray you never have to bury your own child. That's the kind of pain I faced, and the only thing I resented was her inability to save my son.” He lowers his eyes bashfully. “I was truly only resentful of myself and my inability to save your father.”
“It's not your fault,” I implore, and my grandfather nods slowly.
“Neither was it hers. The bond chooses who it chooses. Always has, always will.” His eyes sharpen. “And from what I hear, this woman may be the key to more than your heart. The witches have taken her under their wing for a reason.”
That catches me off guard. “You’ve spoken to them?”
“Elias called this morning when I arrived. He had to; he's the main alpha,” Charles replies, leaning back in his chair. “Said the girl’s power is awakening. Said you looked like hell.” His tone softens.
“Son, I’ve seen this before…the pull between duty and love.
Every generation of Savages faces it. But if the Moon Goddess saw fit to bind you to this omega, there’s purpose in it. Don’t fight it. I won't, either.”
I look down at my calloused hands, the ones that dragged Willow out of the fire last night and still tremble from the memory. “I hurt her once,” I admit quietly, replaying our fight in the woods. “I won’t do it again.”
“Then don’t,” he says simply, standing and rounding the table toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder with firm reassurance.
“Protect her. Learn from the past, from your fellow alphas. The threat of the demons is greater than any of us, and this pack's preservation lies in the hands of the witches. You’ve got my blessing. And my house, until you rebuild yours.”
A weight lifts off my shoulders—one I've carried for many years, since the moment I rejected Willow—and it feels like I can finally breathe in my grandfather's presence. “Thank you, Grandfather.”
He smiles warmly at me, eyes twinkling with that same spark I once saw in my father. “Now, go to your girl, Alpha Thane. You’ve got work to do.”
“There's something else I want, Grandfather.”
“I'm listening.”
“The greenhouse,” I say, to which he chuckles.
“That greenhouse was always hers, wasn't it? I was hoping you'd ask to reopen it.”
I thank my grandfather again before leaving his house in warm silence that allows me to mull over what just happened.
For so long, I'd been afraid that he wouldn't accept who I chose as a mate, but now that fate has decided for me, my grandfather has let me see his truth, understanding him better.
I was afraid of taking the leap with Willow in the past, and now that I have nothing holding me back, all that's left is wooing her.
I'll have to take my precious time with her, knowing that what I did in the past to hurt her is what caused the rift in the first place, even if she's afraid of her powers and the destruction they might cause now. She made that clear last night, even if she willingly kissed me.
Her heart is a precious source of love and profound power, and I plan on treating it with the care it deserves. At least she's agreed to be friends for now…even if friends don't kiss each other the way she kissed me last night.
It's a start, and I'll be damned if I don't make good use of it. Riding on that gentle wave of hope, I head to Elias's house, where I find the witches in the underground bunker room, practicing their magic and showing off their skills to the newly emerged witch.
She's standing off to the side, watching as Aurora bleeds magic into her amethyst crystal. Rissa and Yvonne are holding hands, preparing for the next showcase of how their witch powers can be combined.
“Hey…how're things going?” I whisper as I enter the room carefully, joining Willow as she watches the witches wielding their magic in awe, her eyes twinkling with wonder.
“It's fine, I guess,” she says, turning her face down as she stares at her palms. Small flickers of gold energy sizzle on her fingertips.
“I'm trying my best to control it, but I'm nowhere near ready to do it on my own.” She looks up and smiles at the others.
“But they're very supportive, and assured me I won't burn the place down.”
My heart feels like it's been squeezed tightly, knowing that Willow is taken care of and has a place where she can finally feel like she fits in.
“Yeah,” I chuckle as I fold my arms and lean against the wall. “Elias made sure that won't happen again, after Aurora burned his house down the first time.”
Willow purses her lips and blushes profusely, and that's when I notice the scar on her left cheek fading, barely recognizable except for the different texture of skin in the lightning bolt.
Is the scar healing because she's wielding her powers?
But that's not the only thing I notice when she lifts her hand and tucks a stray hair behind her ear.
She's wearing the bracelet she once offered me as a parting gift.
A gift I refused.
“So that really happened, then? I thought Aurora was only telling me that to make me feel better.”
I chuckle as I lean in, hiding my regret. “Oh, it really happened. She may look like a professional now, but Aurora was a rookie back then.”
“Like me,” Willow mumbles, and turns her face away.
“There's nothing to be ashamed of, Willow. You're gonna be amazing,” I encourage with a gentle nod, just as Aurora stops pulsing the crystal with magic and Yvonne and Rissa stop holding hands.
Willow smiles sheepishly as the other women come over, and Aurora leads her back to the crystal for some practice.
Yvonne excuses herself to check up on her son, Gio, who didn't attend daycare today. Rissa hangs back, and we watch Willow trying out her powers at the crystal.
Charged bolts of golden light pulse from her palms, growing in intensity and brightness the longer she has her palms aimed at the crystal. Aurora encourages her, standing on the opposite side, being the motivation Willow needs to control her powers.
If she doesn't, she'll hit Aurora. But Aurora doesn't seem afraid.
“She's doing really well for her first time,” Rissa says, her voice carrying over the electric surge in the room. “But she doesn't believe in herself that much.”
I sigh with a knowing nod. “Whatever Willow faced out there when she ran away must have been terrible. She's hardly opened up to me, and I can't blame her for not trusting me.”
Rissa nods slowly. “It must be why she's so insecure. It'll take her some time to come around.” She turns to me and whispers, “But there's something else, Thane.”
“What is it?” I frown as I keep my eyes on Willow, captivated by the graceful motions of her hands over the crystal as she makes the currents of her magic dance and sway.
“Have you noticed the color of her magic?”
“Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?” I smirk as I watch gold flames dancing over the ball.
“Gold,” Rissa nods thoughtfully. “Ever since we began emerging as witches, I’ve been researching the source of our powers, and what they might mean.”
I turn my frown toward Rissa, watching Willow out of the corner of my eye. “And…?”
“Aurora's magic is purple, like the color of the energetic field where our powers are drawn from. Mine is green, like the color of my eyes and my link to plants. Yvonne's is silver, like the color of her eyes, and the energetic force that gives us power. But Willow's is gold.”
I raise my brows expectantly at Rissa. “I'm not understanding, Riss.”
“Gold is the color of the source of all creation, Thane.” Rissa turns toward Willow and the crystal ball, staring at her, hypnotized. “Gold is the most powerful magic to exist. I believe Willow is the most powerful witch amongst us.”
Turning toward Willow slowly, Rissa's suspicion hangs heavy as I watch her wield her magic with such grace and precision, as if she's no rookie at all.
It's no wonder she was able to blast the demons we encountered the other night into ashes.
No one has ever been able to do that before.
“With that said,” Rissa continues. “Willow can't afford to have any emotional turmoil in her life. The house burning down was nothing compared to what she's capable of.”
I nod slowly again, digesting this information and realizing that I have to do everything in my power to help Willow heal from the past, ensuring that her emotions remain stable throughout it.
That's why, when she's done with her round of practice, I decide to do something nice for a change.
“That was brilliant, Willow!” I cheer, and she lowers her face as she blushes sheepishly, brushing off the compliment with a shrug.
“It was nothing,” she giggles, staring at her hands as her fingers tremble in the aftermath of wielding her powers. “I'm still figuring it out.”
“Be right back,” Rissa says as she walks off to join Aurora at the crystal.
“I still thought that was incredible. Rissa thinks so, too,” I smirk. “Are you done with practice for now?”
Willow shakes her head. “Aurora wants to go another round. I'd like to practice a little more.”
“Well, don't overwork yourself, okay?” I offer with a soft smile, to which Willow nods tentatively.
“I should—” she says as she points over her shoulder when awkward tension rises between us.
I decided to seize the opportunity to make our friendship more stable.
“Well, I should go get our stuff sorted. We'll be staying at my grandfather's place for the time being.”
Willow grimaces. “Elder Charles? Is that really a good idea?”
I click my tongue to dismiss her concerns. “Everything is taken care of. You have nothing to worry about, Willow. All you need to do is ace your training. And another thing…”
“Yeah?”
“You also need to take a break every now and then. Take your mind off training and magic for a while. That's why I'm taking you out for dinner on Friday.”
“Thane,” Willow chides. “We agreed—”
“I know,” I chuckle, throwing an arm over her shoulders and drawing her closer to my side. It takes every ounce of self-control not to kiss the top of her head and keep the hug casual. “It'll just be two friends having dinner. That's all. I promise.”
Willow looks up, her lips pursed as she nods timidly. I smile at her before she runs off to the crystal ball when Rissa calls her over.
Rissa and I exchange knowing nods before I leave the underground bunker, a silent promise to take care of Willow's emotional state by doing what I should have done a long time ago.
Show her that she can trust me again, and allow our relationship, our fated mate bond, to bloom from something we once shared.
Friendship.