Wildfire Griffin (Fire & Rescue Shifters: Wildfire Crew #1)(50)

Baffled joy rose in her like sunlight, starting at her toes and sweeping up to the top of her head. She felt light as a balloon. If he hadn’t been holding her, she would have floated away.

“I’m crazy about you too,” she mumbled. “As well as just being crazy.”

“You’re not crazy. You’re you. And what you are is perfect.” His fingertips traced a path from her lips to the corner of her eye. “I’ve just realized. You don’t like looking at people directly, do you?”

“Only in small doses. Otherwise it’s too much.” She tried to think how to explain. “It’s like getting too close to a wildfire. It can be done, but it takes preparation. Effort.”

“And here I was trying to stare deeply into your eyes at every opportunity like a lovesick idiot. I’m sorry.” He dipped his head a little, carefully keeping his eyes in shadow. “Would it be too much if I kissed you?”

“I don’t know.” She could barely breathe. “Only one way to find out.”

His hands cupped her face. She rose up on her toes, meeting him halfway.

Slowly, gently, their lips touched.

A tingling sensation spread across her skin—not the painful needles of sensory overload, but something sweet and true, soft as spring rain.

She wasn’t swept away. She didn’t lose herself.

She was Edith. Simply, entirely, Edith.

In his arms, under his touch, she was more present, more herself, than she had ever been in her entire life. Every nerve ending of her body sparked. Every slight movement of his mouth against hers echoed right down to the tips of her toes. The background pounding of music faded into irrelevance. The only thing that mattered was him, and her.

Someone cleared his throat behind them. “Rory.”

She jumped, but he didn’t. His fingers tightened a little on the sides of her face. He finished the kiss leisurely, drawing out the moment, before finally lifting his head.

“Cal.” Rory’s voice was deeper than she’d ever heard. It vibrated through her body, making her legs buckle and heat flash through her. “Something had better be on fire.”

“Not yet. But look.”

Callum’s grim tone cut through her post-kiss daze. She twisted around in Rory’s arms. Callum stood a little way off, every line of his lean body tense. He wasn’t looking at them.

He was staring upward, at the night sky. His eyes moved a little, as though tracking something flying overhead.

Edith looked up herself, as Rory did the same. She didn’t see anything…but Rory’s muscles abruptly went hard as iron under her hands. He breathed out a soft curse.

“Exactly,” Callum said. “We have a problem.”





Chapter 24





“What is it?” Edith twisted in his arms, scanning the sky. “What are you both looking at?”

She couldn’t see it. Couldn’t see the dense knot of clouds swirling on the horizon.

The storm was coming in fast. Gathering strength. Gathering speed.

And moving against the wind.

He didn’t need to ask Callum what his pegasus shifter senses had detected in the heart of that unnatural storm. He already knew full well what was homing in on them like a missile.

“Edith,” he said, still staring upward. “Go with Cal.”

“What? Why?” She tightened her grip on him. “Rory, what’s going on?”

He bent down and kissed her again—hard, this time, claiming her lips as swiftly and fiercely as his animal craved. He closed his eyes, memorizing the heat of her mouth, the press of her body against his. Promising without words that he was hers, all of him, always.

She was his mate. He had to protect her.

It was an effort to wrench himself away, but he had no choice. As gently as he could, he unwrapped her arms from around his waist.

“There’s something I have to take care of.” He brushed her hair back from her dazed, uncomprehending expression. “I promise, I won’t be long.”

Her brows slanted down. “You aren’t going to go beat up Seth, are you?”

“Nothing to do with Seth.” That would have to wait until later. “But I really do have to go. The rest of the squad is waiting back at the base. Cal will take you there.”

Callum shot him a rather ironic look. “How?”

Rory clenched his jaw, realizing the flaw in his plan. In their haste to reach Edith in time, they’d flown straight here. They didn’t have a vehicle.

Here, ride this pegasus! was not the way he wanted to introduce her to the existence of shifters. He fully intended to reveal all his secrets tonight—especially now that she’d revealed hers—but he couldn’t cram it all into the next ten seconds.

Antler was far too tiny and remote a town to support a taxi service. He searched the parking lot for inspiration…and found it.

“Stay here for a sec,” he said, letting go of Edith’s hands. “I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode back into the bar. He winced as the so-called music assaulted his ears. If Edith’s hearing was anything like shifter senses, no wonder she’d been on the verge of overload.

Seth was hunched over a row of empty tequila glasses at the bar, looking morose. His expression darkened even further as he noticed Rory. The C-squad boss shot to his feet, overturning his bar stool.