Wildfire Griffin (Fire & Rescue Shifters: Wildfire Crew #1)(14)

“I have to admit, she did seem rather skittish,” Wystan said, a faint crease appearing between his brows.

“One wrong move and she’ll run for the hills.” He settled back on his arms with a sigh. “Let’s face it, I haven’t exactly covered myself in glory so far.”

“Cut yourself some slack,” Blaise said. “You’ve spent, what, an entire ten minutes in her company?”

“And look what I’ve accomplished in that time,” Rory said gloomily. “Just think how badly I can screw things up given a whole hour.”

“Hey man.” Joe leaned over to rap his knuckles against the side of Rory’s helmet, making his ears ring. “You met your mate! Now at least you’ve got a chance to be with her. Do you know how much the rest of us hate you right now?”

“Seething with jealousy,” Wystan agreed cheerfully.

Rory couldn’t help noticing that—alone amongst the group—Callum didn’t look happy. Of course, he never looked happy, but at the moment his not-happiness was particularly intense.

“Cal?” Rory said, uncertain what could be bothering the pegasus shifter. “What’s up?”

Callum’s shoulders were as stiff as a board. “What about the squad?”

They all looked at him in surprise. “What about it?” Blaise asked.

“It’s nearly fire season. We’ll be working all summer. We could be deployed anywhere in America.” For the taciturn pegasus shifter, it was a veritable tsunami of words. Cal was worried. “You won’t be able to be with her.”

This had been gnawing at the back of Rory’s mind too. Wildland firefighting was intense and unpredictable. The hotshot crew often spent weeks at a time camped out at remote locations, completely out of reach. And even when they weren’t away on active fires, the crew had to be on standby at the base, ready to scramble at a moment’s notice.

How was he supposed to find time to win his mate? Particularly when she lived out in the middle of nowhere herself, hours from Thunder Mountain?

For the sake of his squad, he put on a warm, reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay, Cal. I know I’m a little distracted at the moment, but I’ve only just met her, after all. I’ll, er, even out.”

Callum shook his head. “Not until you’re mated.”

“Callum’s right, actually,” Wystan said, tapping a finger against his lips. “A mated couple can endure some physical separation, as long as the bond is stable and secure. But it’s different when you aren’t fully mated yet. Once a shifter meets their mate, all their instincts are naturally focused toward consummating the mate bond. If they’re prevented from doing so—if the mate rejects them, or just if they’re physically separated—they frequently start to develop mental problems. I’ve read some interesting medical research about it.”

“Really not helping, Wys,” Blaise muttered.

“Unfortunately, it’s the truth.” Wystan shrugged, glancing apologetically at Rory. “I don’t wish to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to know.”

Rory rubbed his forehead. This was all he needed. “Are you trying to tell me I’m under some kind of time limit? If I don’t mate Edith soon, I’ll go round the bend before the end of the summer?”

The paramedic grimaced. “I’m afraid so.”

A blissful smile spread across Joe’s face. “Oh, yes. Thank you, fate.”

Blaise shot the sea dragon a look that should have vaporized him on the spot.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Joe held up his hands in surrender, as Wystan and Callum glared daggers at him as well. “Look, I’m sorry for the rest of you, but it’s no secret I didn’t want to be here. This is a win-win for both Rory and me.”

“Explain,” Rory said dryly, “exactly how losing my mind constitutes a ‘win’.”

“Oh, come on. You found your mate, Rory.” Joe made a sweeping, magnanimous gesture, like the Pope dispensing a blessing. “Stay. Win her heart. Be deliriously happy. And while you’re busy doing that, there’s no squad. None of us have the qualifications to be boss, and let’s face it, we’d be wasted if we tried to work under a non-shifter leader. We might as well all pack up and go home. Or, to pick a purely hypothetical alternative, go spend the summer on a remote tropical paradise populated by lovely, lonely, and very scantily-clad seal shifter ladies.”

“A strangely specific hypothetical example,” Wystan murmured.

“Some of us don’t want to go home, you realize.” Blaise folded her arms. “Or, for that matter, to Seal Lady Love Island.”

Joe opened his mouth, paused, and shrugged. “I can’t lie. There really aren’t any selkie dudes. That’s kind of the whole charm of the place.”

“I’m not abandoning the squad,” Rory growled. “Don’t book your beach hut just yet, Joe.”

Joe shook his head, his expression turning more serious. “What’s more important, your job or your mate? Get your priorities straight, bro. It won’t kill you to take one year off. Think about it. We’re supposed to be back at base tomorrow, and then it’s balls to the wall training until fire season starts next week. You seriously going to claim Edith tonight?”