Wildfire Griffin (Fire & Rescue Shifters: Wildfire Crew #1)(46)

Just be ready to provide a shoulder to cry on when it all goes horribly wrong, he said gruffly.

Callum had overtaken them, his flame-red wings catching the last of the sunset as he began to spiral down to the base. Rory followed him, banking in wide, sweeping arcs. The rest of the crew were already at dinner, sitting on the picnic tables outside the mess hall. None of the humans looked up, oblivious to the invisible shifters passing over their heads.

They touched down outside his own cabin. Wystan opened the door as they landed, hurrying out.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“Weirdly.” Joe slid off Callum’s back, handing the shirt-wrapped bird to the paramedic. “We brought you back a present.”

Wystan unwrapped a corner of the fabric. A pained expression crossed his handsome face as the smell hit him. “Why thank you. It’s just what I always wanted.”

Rory shifted as Blaise jumped to the ground. “We’re hoping you can tell us what it is.”

“It’s certainly very dead.” Wystan rolled the bird back up again. “What happened to capturing it alive?”

“Change of plan,” Blaise told him. “Speaking of changes of plan, Rory needs to talk to Edith. Right away, before he loses his nerve.”

Sometimes, Blaise was a little bit too much like one of his actual sisters.

“Actually, I think that’s an excellent idea,” Wystan said, his mouth crooking in a small, mysterious smile. “I saw her heading to dinner a little while ago. Let me just stash this away somewhere, and we can go find her.”

As Wystan disappeared into the cabin with the bird, Blaise laced her arm through Rory’s. It wasn’t really a casual, friendly embrace. More of an armlock.

“I am not going to lose my nerve,” he said in exasperation.

“That’s what you say.” Her fingers tightened. “Get his other arm, Joe.”

Grinning, Joe complied. Rory found himself being frog-marched toward the mess hall, like a prisoner under police escort. Blaise and Joe still had tight hold of his arms as they rounded the final corner.

And that was the only reason he didn’t murder Seth on sight.





Chapter 21





“Oh, there’s my squad!” Edith interrupted Seth’s monologue, relief flooding through her. She jerked her hand out from under his. “I’m really sorry, but I have to go.”

“Aw, forget those losers.” Seth caught her sleeve as she tried to stand up. “Stay here with me. We’re having a good time, aren’t we? And everyone’s watching. Prove to the crew you aren’t really Rory’s little bi-“

“I think Blaise wants to talk to me.” Edith managed to jerk herself free. She backed out of reach, plastering what was probably a too-wide smile of apology onto her face. “So sorry. Another time.”

Blaise was heading straight for her. Edith had never been so glad to see someone in her entire life. She hurried to meet her.

And walked straight into Blaise’s stiff-armed shove.

Edith staggered back, a picnic table catching her painfully across her hip. The breath whooshed out of her lungs. Not from the impact—but from the punch of Blaise’s contemptuous glare.

“Seth?” the other woman hissed, clenching her fists. “Seriously?”

“Wh-what?”

Blaise’s lip curled. “Don’t play dumb. We all saw what you were doing.”

What she’d been doing? Eating dinner? Suffering through an incredibly tedious conversation? Edith had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to have done wrong.

She looked around for help. Callum stood a little way off, arms folded over his chest. She’d never seen him look so cold.

Wystan and Joe had turned their backs on her entirely, as though so repulsed they couldn’t stand to spend a moment more in her presence. There was something weird about the way they were lurching away. It looked almost like they were wrestling something invisible between them.

Rory. She needed Rory. He was the only thing that always made sense. She’d been sure she’d seen his stocky form between Joe and Blaise when she’d first caught sight of the squad, but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen now.

“Where’s Rory?” she asked.

“Getting changed,” Callum said.

“Come on, Cal.” Blaise turned on her heel. “Let’s go help.”

“Wait!” Edith hurried after them. “Why does Rory need help? What’s wrong?”

“He saw you!” Blaise wheeled round again, eyes blazing. “He saw you, Edith! Do you have any idea what that did to him?”

Someone whistled from the C-squad table. “Oooh, catfight!”

“Y’all are attracting attention, friends.” Tanner drifted over, frowning. “Something going on?”

Words were slipping from her mind like water through a sieve. She could only stare at Blaise wide-eyed, in mute confusion.

Blaise flung her one last scorching look. “I told you there was only one thing you could do to make us dislike you. Congratulations. You did it. Just stay away from us for a while. Especially me.”

She felt cold from her fingertips to her toes. She turned to Tanner as Blaise and Callum stalked away. “I-I don’t understand.”