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My heart raced as I sped down the road to the Phoenix Pack homestead. This place had been the culmination of my parents’ dreams, a place off the grid where they could raise their family and live quietly with their pack.

I’d finished my last final for the spring semester of my senior year at Appalachian State. We were days away from graduation and for a few minutes, my biggest fear had been my grade on the anthropology exam. I really wanted to make the Dean’s List again and make my pack proud. My phone had chimed, and I soon discovered a text from my mother begging me to stay away and stay safe. Naturally, I had to rush home, even though it was a solid two-hour drive. As daughter of the alpha, I had a responsibility to my parents and my pack.

As I pulled up the long, winding driveway, I smelled smoke. My eyes burned and I covered my mouth as I choked on air. There were fire trucks blocking my path, so I pulled onto the grass and hopped out of the car. One of the firefighters saw me racing toward the main house, which was now fully engulfed in flames. He caught me as I tried to run past him.

“Hold up, miss.” He gripped me firmly around the middle, and I wriggled and twisted in his arms until I faced him.

“That’s my family home!” I pushed against his chest, determined to break away, but he seemed equally determined to hold on to me. “Let me go!”

“I can’t do that. We have to keep everyone back while we get the fire under control.” He looked down at me, his jaw set, completely unmoved.

Shaking, I stared past him, watching as timbers creaked and a section of the roof fell in. “How did this happen? I don’t understand.” I moved back and forth frantically as I hoped to catch sight of my family.

“We have an investigator who will figure this out as soon as the blaze has been extinguished.” Then he turned me around and pointed behind me. “Is this who you’re looking for?”

I followed his finger and discovered my younger sisters were coming up the driveway. The bus must have dropped them off. The twins were seniors in high school this year. Their eyes were wide as they stared at our home, fully engulfed in flames. As soon as they recognized me, they rushed to hug me. They were bigger, but their affections hadn’t waned through the years.

“You have finals. Why are you here?” Shelby gave me an extra squeeze, which seemed to be as much for as me, since I could feel her shaking.

“Mom messaged me to stay away.” I frowned as I struggled to make sense of everything.

Lenoir sighed as she wrapped her arms around her body. “That explains everything. You always did love to do the opposite of what you were told.” Then her brow furrowed and she whimpered, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” I nodded as I watched other kids climb the long, winding hill to the homestead. Roughly fifteen families lived there. There should be so many parents running about collecting together. Instead, I saw none of the adults. Inside me, something died. I think it was hope.

We stood there for what seemed like hours. My stomach growled, but the thought of eating made me feel sick. Still, I had to remember it wasn’t only about me anymore. Those four years of ultimate freedom during college were over. Now, I had sisters to think of and a pack… Well, we might have still had a pack. I swallowed hard as I worried what would happen to us if we were suddenly completely alone in the world.

“I’m hungry,” Shelby whispered as she glanced back and forth between me and Lenoir while looking guilty. “I skipped lunch to retake my chemistry exam.”

“Please. You’d be hungry if you’d had lunch. Face it, you love food.” Lenoir glared at her.

Shelby’s chin jutted out and she placed her hands on her hips. “You’re just mad I have the good metabolism and can eat anything I want.”

“Live it up while you can, sister. Remember what Mom always told us?” Her brows rose and she leaned in. “She used to be able to eat whatever she wanted…until she had children.”

“Yeah, well most men like a woman with some curves.” Shelby stuck her hip out. “Mine can handle a little meat just fine.”

Lenoir opened her mouth to retaliate, but I couldn’t listen anymore. “Stop,” I moaned. “Go to my car. I have a whole bag of snacks I bought at the grocery store and forgot to bring up to my room in the dorm. Grab the other pups and share!”

They glanced at me, squealed, and raced back to my vehicle, while gesturing for the others kids to follow them. I shook my head at their antics even as I wondered how they could be so calm at a time like this, when our home had burned down and our parents were missing. I scanned the area. Apparently, the fire was finally under control. The firemen seemed more relaxed. So, I slowly made my way toward the house, careful to stay in the tree line and out of sight.

I’d made it almost halfway there when I saw numerous sets of eyes on me. For several seconds, I stood there staring apprehensively. I sniffed the air. There was no wildlife nearby. These had to be shifters. The question, of course, was whether or not they were friend or foe. I started to move closer when I heard shouts coming from the firemen.

“Found a body! No, make that two bodies!”

Without hesitation, I raced to the main house where I’d grown up. Once a proud two-story plantation style home, the place was now a pile of rubble. I stopped short of the porch and realized they were calling from the back of the house. I walked past charred bushes and shriveled leaves until I reached the veranda. The firemen were lifting debris and moving it, but already I could see two sets of blackened feet.

While they worked, I stood off to the side, silently waiting to find out if these were my parents. I could feel eyes on me. In an effort to hide my intentions, I gradually turned away from the house, covering my face with my hands. Sure enough, as I studied the forest, I saw a lone set of eyes staring back at me. I bit my lip and moved closer to the house. Before long, the firemen had completely uncovered the bodies.

“Coroner is on the way,” one commented quietly.

The one who had been holding me back earlier seemed to suddenly realize I was there. “You need to go back to your car, miss.”

“They could be my parents. Aren’t you going to need me to identify them anyway.” I clasped my hands in front of my chest as I pleaded my case. “Please don’t make me wonder. I’ll stay here all night worrying over who died in the kitchen.”

His shoulders slumped and I could feel I’d won him over, but then two detectives rounded the corner and walked up to me. “Who are you?” One asked as he pulled out a notepad and pen.

“I’m Savannah. Savannah Silver.” I reached for my backpack but quickly realized I’d left it in the car. “My driver’s license is in my car.” I frowned as they studied me.

“And what are you doing here, Miss Silver?” The second detective tilted his head as he stared.

“My mother sent me a text. Told me to stay away. Said it wasn’t safe to come home.” I shrugged.

“So, you rushed right here, I see.” His face was grim.

“You know what? I never got your name.” I wrapped my arms around my body. “And if you can’t understand why I’d rush home from college to check on my family, then screw you.” I turned and strode toward the firemen. The one who spoke to me stood there with his mouth gaping. Must not have been a lot of people who spoke their mind anymore. I was too tired for pleasantries, especially when they weren’t being pleasant. I took a deep breath and finally looked at the bodies.

The man seemed to have a chest wound. Even in a shifter, with the right bullet, this was deadly. I recognized the watch on his arm. This was definitely my father. Then I studied my mother. She was holding him. Immediately, I knew what had happened. He was killed and she chose to die with him, just like she’d sworn years before. I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. I couldn’t breathe. No matter how much air I gulped in, I couldn’t fill my lungs. Soon, my eyes overflowed, and warm, salty tears dripped down my face. I swallowed hard to hold back the sobs.

“Do you know them?” The man who seemed to be the lead detective stared at me, waiting for an answer.

I nodded, fervently. “My parents. These are my parents.”