One little spark and before you know it, the whole world is burning

“What did you say to me?” Disbelief passed his expression as he neared a man who’d accused him of the death of his best friend. Giving him a chance to take it back. But all he did was take another shot as he kept his gaze fixed on the alpha. His name was Jon. A created werewolf belonging to another pack. But other than very few conversations, and the fact that he knew he’d been friends with Nick since school, he didn't really know him. “I think you heard me just fine.” After all, he had better hearing than anyone in there. Jon took a step closer, still keeping his stone-cold gaze on him. “He trusted you and you fucking killed him.” He poked a finger into the alpha’s chest which was enough for Rafael to shove him into the pool table behind him. He then grabbed a hold of his shirt, pinning his back uncomfortably against the edge of the table. Ignoring Jon's claws digging into his arms, causing five deep gashes on each of them. “Don’t you think I blame myself every day for his loss? For thinking, I killed that bloodsucker in November when I should have been preparing for her attacks. I don’t need you to come in here and—” The werewolf kicked his boot into his leg which caused him to let go. “Save the speech for someone who cares. In fact, save us all from an alpha who has no idea what he’s supposed to be doing. Who can’t even do what’s necessary when his wolves are in danger. I mean, I know you can’t have remembered much from your father, but come on.” A smirk appeared on the werewolf’s lips, only to falter slightly at the shift of color in Rafael’s eyes. The next moment the alpha punched him in his face, wiping the smugness off his expression. And for talking shit about his father, he wanted to do much worse. But a hand had grabbed his arm mid-air. Giving Jon enough time to respond with a punch to the alpha’s jaw before both guys were pulled further back by more interfering hands. Rafael fought the two guys holding him back, managing to leave a burn mark on one of them, but at that point, Jon had already retreated. He curled his fingers to try and retract his claws but couldn’t. Not with the burning rage inside of him. Not with the moon’s influence. “Fire!” someone yelled and he lowered his gaze to where flames danced across the floorboards. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to negate it, but instead, he grabbed his leather jacket from the back of a chair and choked the fire with it. “It’s all good, just minor surface damage.” He lifted the jacket off the ground and swung it over his shoulder. Okay, so the wood looked a little black, but screw it. He was having one of the worst weeks of his life, so the money he owed them for that was the least of his concerns. At least he hadn’t set fire to something structural. Knowing it was time for him to leave, he backed out and stepped onto the gravel parking lot. First then glancing at the lines of blood trickling from each wound, mixing in with the black streaks of his tribal tattoos.

It was supposed to have been a quiet night. He was only supposed to have gone out for a few drinks before dinner and then return home to meet with his pack. But things rarely turned out the way they were supposed to. In fact, this year, they went in the complete opposite direction. He’d lost Victoria and Nick. He’d lost a lot of hope for the future because of Alicia’s return and that meant he had to worry about her taking more lives from him. He walked away from the lights of the establishment and through the forest. Playing with a small flame in his hand, letting it roll across each of his fingers, and occasionally throwing it up in the air before catching it. He was so heated that he had to let some of it out. He used to wake up from nightmares of his mansion burning, of everyone being dead because Alicia had decided to take them from him. Just like she’d taken his family when he was a kid. He’d walked halfway through a meadow of wildflowers when he realized that he’d set fire to a few shrubs next to him. He quickly doused the flame in his hand by clenching his fist, but when he turned his palm to the fire, he only created a larger flame. Lighting up the whole clearing. “Hijo de puta,” he cursed as he looked for his phone in his jacket, needing to call someone, but once found he discovered it was out of battery. He almost laughed at his own misery. Almost threw the phone away. Instead, he just shoved it back into the pocket and backed away to watch the fire he’d created. Someone was bound to discover it soon, he thought. He hoped. If not someone at the bar, then someone living in the area.

His eyes had taken on an orange hue from the reflection of the flames. Captivated by its power. Soothed by the sound of crackling dry grass and the faint scent of burning lavender. Staring at the damage of unleashed emotions. It wasn’t until he heard a voice in the clearing that he turned his gaze towards it.
He parted his lips with the intention to give her an excuse or a joke, anything to minimize the severity of the incident and be forced to come to terms with reality. The last thing he needed was another werewolf to tell him that he was inadequate. But when he watched her step closer to touch one of the flames, he knew she was just like him. That she understood what happened to one’s inner fire when too much shit was thrown at it. So, what was going on? Too damn much. So much that he wished he could just take off and escape from it all. That when he’d return, things would be different.
 
“Bad day,” he replied. A lie would have not held up for long anyway, not once her attention caught the fresh cuts to his arms. Ones only another werewolf could have caused. He kept his gaze fixed on her as he watched her interact with the fire. A brief smile tugged at his lips at the way she jumped back by the tall flames. And he’d felt it too. Even if he hadn’t flinched. That strengthened flame called out to him just as it did her. He then turned his eyes to the fire, letting the flames grow taller yet. He lifted his gaze to watch the tips blend in with the midnight blue sky. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. And I've tried to stop it, but something prevents me from doing so.” His eyes lowered to the ground, and with a snap of his fingers, he made a thin circle of fire appear outside of the main fire. Attempting to keep it contained by creating an area where it’d be forced to stop. But his point was proven when the burning ring crept towards the existing fire, fuelling it with more power. “Where did you come from?” he asked as he turned his attention back to her, knowing that she hadn’t been at the bar. He’d remember a pretty face like hers. But it wasn’t like any packs lived nearby either, so she had to have wandered off from somewhere.

She was right. So much had changed these past weeks that he’d become stuck in the aftermath of it. He knew he needed to push forward, but every time he tried, he ended up reverting back. For the first time feeling unsure about the future, about the path he was supposed to follow. It wasn’t like him to not know what he wanted. He’d always had a clear goal in mind and followed it, not letting anything deter him away from that. Yet here he was. A mess of conflicting emotions and doubts.
He studied her face for a moment, wondering why she’d gone for a walk on a night like this. However, it didn’t surprise him that her instincts had led her here. Not now that he knew she was pyrokinetic. But when she further explained why she hadn’t helped to reduce the fire, he tipped his head in a nod and returned his eyes to the fire. “That’s a shame.” He knew the longer they let it burn, the worse it’d become. He knew that if it reached far enough, the fire department would be alarmed and storm into the woods on a full moon. But those thoughts seemed so small compared to the emotions he felt, compared to the way the fire had an ability to soothe the aching in his chest. And maybe if they worked together, they’d stop it eventually.

“Yeah,” he murmured, trying to shut out the thoughts that were bringing him back in time. Not wishing to be reminded of those horrors. His heart had been broken a lot recently. And it was written all over him at that moment. But he also got the feeling that she knew what it felt like to have your heart broken. “So, if you know of any great ways of mending a broken heart, do let me know.” He attempted a faint smile as he turned his eyes back to her, thinking he might be in luck to have run into someone who had more experience regarding that part of it. The healing phase. Even if something had driven her thoughts to come out here as well. And if not, just having someone here with him who didn’t know him, or what had happened back at the bar, might just be all that he needed for the time being.

He nodded slowly, knowing what people resorted to when nothing else seemed to work. And whatever remedy of escapism she hinted at, he’d already tried them. Already seen people close to him cave into them. His eyes turned to hers when she spoke again, feeling drawn to her words. It was exactly what he wanted. To forget the past and live in the present. The drinking had only helped for so long. Until that guy had reminded him of those horrors and stoked the fire, not to be quelled anytime soon. To the point where he’d set a whole clearing ablaze. But it was better than keeping it inside. Anything to not keep it bottled up and let the pain slowly worsen. Anything but that.

The appearance of the mysterious stranger further helped to make those thoughts disappear, to distract him. Someone who knew what it was like, not only to have a broken heart but to have an inner fire they needed to keep under control. Knew how exhausting it was to keep it that way. He noticed the way she looked at him and stepped closer, feeling the heat emanate from her just as it did him. The glow of her eyes made his own gleam with want and need. “I’d say you’d be saving my night.” All he wanted was to let go of it. To feel nothing. To exchange those feelings for something better. The means didn’t matter so long as it helped drag him away from the past, from whatever emotions that had led him to this point.
Her touch felt like static against his skin, and whether it was the power of the moon, the fire, or the yearning for something to mend his heart, he leaned closer as well. Looked deeply into her eyes before they closed at the touch of her lips. He’d barely let the feeling of her softness settle before he craved more. His hand found the nape of her neck as he kissed her again. Tenderly and longing as he gave into the feeling. Their united fire seemed to take him far enough away from reality to calm something within him. And once his eyes opened, his dark irises glowed golden and red. Predatory and hungry. The full moon would never be able to take that completely away from him. But there was something soft in them as well as he looked at a girl who’d seemed to come out of nowhere when he’d needed it the most.

Sparks floated in the air around them as her hand moved up his body and tugged at his jacket. Her touch drove him wild, not doing anything to tame the fire within him. But instead of burning at everything that had happened that night, that month, it burned for her. His thumb caressed the soft spot under her ear as he deepened the kiss. His other hand moved up her back, pressing her slightly closer to him. He knew he wasn’t thinking. He knew his actions were driven by the need for something to fill the hole in his heart. Something to make it feel a little less broken. Something to turn the bad into a distant blur. Not the clear picture that had haunted him for so long. And at that moment, she was the key to all those things. At that moment it felt as if there was nothing except the two of them, the heat of the fire and the light of the moon.

He had no concept of time when he eventually pulled away, panting a little as he looked at her, then turned his head over his shoulder as his hearing had caught on to the sound of men shouting. But as soon as he looked in their direction he also discovered that the fire had spread beyond the clearing and now had set tall trees aflame.
He quickly grabbed her hand before he set off to run through the forest. Escaping the scene before anyone could pin the blame on them. They might already suspect the fire to be connected to him, but there was no way he’d let her be dragged down with him. He ran until he'd reached an elevated area deeper in the woods, giving them both a better overlook of the fire in the distance, yet being far enough away from it for the men to find them. He let go of her hand to step closer to the cliff that overlooked the part of the forest they’d left. They had escaped into a more dangerous area where no one lived, but he’d always liked the spot because of the view. He turned his head to look at her, his wavy hair ruffled by the wind as his lips spread into a smirk. “It’s very likely that you’re the most dangerous girl for me to be around right now.” Not only were his emotions an uncontrollable mess. But his powers had clearly reached that point too. The full moon doing nothing to dampen that. And he wasn’t so sure she was either. There was the possibility that she was the key to help soothe his fire, but also the chance of the complete opposite happening.

A brief smile passed his expression at her response before he folded his lips, gaze still focused on the rising smoke in the distance. “Touché.” He’d already seen as much from the way she’d approached the fire that night, so he should have known she’d say something like that. It was obvious that they both weren’t easily scared away from danger. And odds were that she might be the safest for him to be around. At least with her, he didn’t have to worry about accidentally burning her. Of her not understanding what a werewolf went through under a full moon in a state of mind like his. That wasn’t to say that it was the smartest decision, but for one night, he didn’t want to think too much. He just wanted to feel. He looked back at her as she added that sometimes they needed to burn to come fully alive. And that was exactly it. More than anything, he wanted to feel alive again.
“It sounds like you have a lot of experience dealing with pain.” He turned to face her again and took a step closer. Letting his hand reach out to feel a lock of her silky hair between his fingers, his gaze following the movement. Not helping but feeling drawn to her. It was funny how hurt worked like that. “Was pain the reason you were turned?” he asked as he looked into her eyes again, naturally knowing her rank as any werewolf would. And though it happened, people rarely became werewolves out of love. It was far more likely that they did it out of necessity or because they were victims.

He dropped his hand when she looked away, realizing he might have just reminded her of something she’d rather not think about. But even if they both were out here to escape whatever pain they felt, it barely took anything for it all to be pushed forward. In the state he was in after recent events, those emotions had often come out of nowhere. Tonight was no exception.
He nodded slowly as she spoke, his dark eyes were warm and soothing as they looked into hers. He could only imagine what she’d been through, not blaming her the slightest for not getting into details. But he supposed a part of him had hoped that there was some happy story behind her turn, even if he knew how unlikely that scenario was. “Yeah.” He was far from the only one. Much farther from being the one who’d been through the worst either. Everyone had their own story to tell, and scars that went along with those. Rafael’s body was full of physical scars from fights he’d been in. And the two slashes he’d gotten to his arms that night were just adding to that collection. The tattoos covered some of the worst ones up, but if one looked closely enough, they were still decipherable. “But you might have to remind me again. Just to make sure I won’t forget it.” A teasing spark appeared in his eyes as he looked at her, remembering how it had felt when they’d let their inner fire burn and intertwine. How she’d had made his hurt and anger vanish.

His lips stretched into a smile at the sound of her chuckle, making it easy to forget any thoughts of pain. And he was happy that she introduced herself. Not thinking he’d be very satisfied to leave tonight without knowing her name. Natasha. He briefly wondered if he had heard her name in connection to any of the packs, but when none came to mind, he asked, “What pack do you belong to, Natasha?” He wasn’t an enemy to any of them, so it wasn’t that he was worried about meddling with a werewolf he shouldn’t be talking to. But he was still curious to know, if not for any other reason than to learn more about her and whether they shared any acquaintances.
“I’m Rafael. Alpha of the Lycans.” It was likely that she’d heard of other packs, but not necessarily that she knew of their alphas. Especially not if her turn had been recent.