Wildfire Griffin (Fire & Rescue Shifters: Wildfire Crew #1)(55)

“Ah.” Wystan grimaced. “Good.”

Blaise and Joe exchanged a glance, and started laughing again, harder than ever.

Edith stared at the paramedic. “You’re an actual unicorn?”

Wystan rumpled his white-blond hair, looking embarrassed. “Somewhat. In a manner of speaking.”

“You can’t be somewhat a unicorn,” Edith said blankly. “It’s a binary state. You’re either a unicorn or you aren’t.”

“He’s a unicorn,” Callum said, casting a faintly disgusted look at Blaise and Joe, who’d now chortled themselves into incoherent heaps.

Wystan sighed. “Yes, technically speaking I can turn into a unicorn. But if I was a real unicorn, Callum wouldn’t have a bandage on his head right now. My father and grandfather can heal people just with a touch of their horns, but I don’t have any powers myself. I’m just a very pretty horse with a pointy bit.”

“That’s literally the dictionary definition of a unicorn,” Edith said. “I should know. When I was eleven, I collected every book about them that I could find, including academic theses. My bedroom was wallpapered with unicorn posters. My parents started getting concerned when I ran out of space and began pinning them to my ceiling. I was obsessed with unicorns.”

“Not griffins?” Rory sounded a little crestfallen.

“Bro.” Joe gave him a look. “No-eleven-year-old girl collects pin-ups of griffins.”

“Actually, I did,” Blaise said. “But only because I had a thing for Ross.”

Rory spluttered. “My twin? You had a crush on my twin?”

Blaise shrugged. “He was always the bad boy in your family.”

“What kind of creature are you, Blaise?” Edith asked her.

The amusement slid off Blaise’s face. “It doesn’t matter. I’m like Fenrir, but the other way round. I never shift into my animal form.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t like to talk about it.” Blaise held up a hand, forestalling her as she opened her mouth. “I’m not mad or upset that you asked, but it’s a painful topic. The rest of the guys have learned not to bug me about it. I just ask that you do the same, okay?”

On impulse, Edith pushed Fenrir’s head off her lap, getting up. Blaise shot her a startled look as she approached.

“Okay.” Edith held out her hands. “But I’d really like to give you a hug right now, if that’s all right.”

Blaise’s eyes widened. Not looking at all her usual badass self, she ducked her chin in a shy nod. Edith folded her arms around her, feeling her stiff uncertainty.

“Thanks for being direct with me,” Edith whispered in her ear. “And if you ever do want to talk, I’m here.”

Blaise’s hands came up. All the breath whooshed out of Edith’s lungs as the other woman hugged her back, fiercely.

“Woohoo!” Joe lifted both fists into the air, nearly punching the ceiling. “Squad pile!”

Edith squeaked as Joe swept both of them up in his enormous arms. Wystan squawked in protest as Joe seized him too, dragging him into the crush. Then Fenrir was there, thrusting his cold wet nose into their midst, his tail wagging madly. She even felt Callum’s hand briefly squeeze her own.

Fenrir’s tail hit her thighs like a baseball bat. Their mingled scents swamped her, a heady perfume of animal fur and clean sweat and wildness. Bodies were packed so tightly against her she could barely tell where she stopped and they began. She couldn’t breathe.

She’d never been so happy.

Just as she thought her heart couldn’t get any more full, Rory’s arms enfolded her as well. Even in the chaos of the laughing, wrangling puppy-pile, she felt his touch as though no one else existed. She turned her head, meeting his deep, gentle eyes.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Welcome to the family,” he murmured, his breath whispering against her skin.

Then he raised his voice. “All right, that’s enough! Let’s not crush her to death with sheer enthusiasm. And there are some things I need to discuss with Edith. Privately.”

“Right.” Wystan extricated himself, straightening his rumpled shirt. “Joe, put Callum down. The man has a head injury.”

“Good point.” Joe released them all at last. He winked at Edith. “In fact, don’t you think you’d better stay in our cabin tonight, Wys? To keep an eye on Cal, of course.”

“I was just thinking that myself.” Wystan headed for his bedroom. “I’ll get my things.”

Callum glowered. “I’m fine.”

“Bro.” Joe’s arm fell heavily across Callum’s shoulders. He turned Cal to face Rory and herself. “You feel terrible. You’re seeing double. You probably have a concussion. You definitely need a trained paramedic to watch over you tonight. Don’t you?”

Callum paused. “Yes.”

Blaise was already holding the door open for Fenrir. The squad streamed out. The room suddenly seemed a lot bigger…but not even remotely empty. Rory’s presence was enough to fill it from wall to wall.

Even though he’d moved back to let the others pass, her body still held the memory of his warmth. She was abruptly, acutely aware that they were a) alone, and b) less than five steps away from his bed.