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Chapter One

Blake

“Watch it, Blake,” Ethan warns as I get in close to the flaet rid of the scars”

I take off etting burned I’ve never minded pain And about the scars…

What does it matter anyway? I’m fifty-four and I still haven’t foundso Ithis nice family’s house

My inner polar bear roars as we feel the heat Sweat breaks out all overthe flaht the fla everywhere

We got a call about a chimney fire in a house and we rushed over It’s not just the chi room is on fire and if I don’t ulfed in fla kids will be stuck in a hotel for months

“It’s too oing to take the hose for this one”

I knohat’s going to happen if we start unloading water in here The whole house will be ruined If I can just get it under control, then they’ll only have to renovate one room rather than restart from scratch

“Go set it up,” I say as my throat burns and my eyes water “Wait until my word before you open the pipe”

Ethan nods and then rushes out Carter and Rylan are outside and Westin is back at the station It’s just ainst the fire now

I can’t get the ie of that poor lady outside in the snoith her two kids out ofher husband’s arot to oing to do it for him

I wish I had soht for A mate to die for

I’ away as I beat back the flames I put out the fire on the carpet and kick in a couple of walls to find the fla behind

Ethan comes back in with a fire hydrant and tosses it toit in the walls, then up the chiet some of that fresh winter air in I stick my head out and take a deep breath of the chilly s It feels so good

But nothing feels as good as seeing the reactions on the family’s faces when I walk back outside a fewto be okay

“Thank you so“What can I do to repay you?”

“Take good care of that family of yours,” I say as I slap his back Because not all of us are as lucky to have a family to take care of

We fix up the house as best we can and then ht Everything they have is going to smell like smoke for a while, but at least it’s intact

There are burnt holes all over e e get back to the station

It’s late, but Mila is there to greet us She runs over to herhis face as she wraps her arms around his back I look away

I’m happy for them, but I can’t It’s just too hard

“I was hoping I was going to get to see you,” Mila says after they kiss She’s a doctor and alorking weird hours “Are you almost finished?”

I feel Rylan looking at me He doesn’t want to ask, but I can feel the question burning into me

“Go,” I say without looking at them “Have fun”

Mila squeals in delight and they race off into the night to do whatever mates do

I look atto focus on the burnt hairs and not on the jealousy that’s burning through me That jealousy is a killer Believe me, I know

I’ve had to watch with a suys found their er Carter didn’t even want a fucking ot one

I’ve been waiting for five decades for irl to come into my life For my heart to be complete To be whole

My inner bear starts gru words to tell him She’ll be here soon We’ll find her That’s what I used to tell him but I don’t believe it anymore

I’ faith

Shifters grow up thinking there’s one person destined for the? What if some of us are destined to be alone? And what if that’s my destiny?

The door swings open and I’ back, but instead, it’s someone I haven’t seen in a while

Lincoln Graves, a wolf shifter who lives in toalks in with a serious look on his face I haven’t seen hiotten our asses kicked if it wasn’t for hi us

“Blake,” he says in a no-fucking-around voice as he walks up toinside uy

“What is it?” I ask

Ethan and Westin flank ht his scent In town”

Shit I don’t even have to ask him who

In that brae killed the blue dragon shifter Reginald, but one got away The third and last brother, Sperling Kirk, has a red dragon that’s as big as a firetruck And he’s pissed that we buried his two brothers in the mountains

It’s been months since we’ve seen him, but there’s been no doubt in my mind that he’d be back

“You sure?”

He raises his eyebrow athis sense of set sensitive about that kind of thing

“I’ with my nose,” he finally says

“Okay,” I say as Carter joins us “Let’s all watch our backs

and keep our eyes open”

Audrey walks into the roonant belly Carter hurries over to her and starts speaking softly to his girl, telling her he loves her and that he’ll take her home soon

I shakeand hard

This is the problem with mates

They’re distracting

There’s a dangerous red dragon flying around with vengeance on hisbut that

I just can’t let hiuard

Because none of us will survive that

Chapter Two

Lily

“Goddamn winter,” I mutter as I try to force my rental car onto the pile of hard snow beside the sidewalk This town is already full of snow and it’s still co as hell even if it is really pretty as it falls against the night sky

I live in Mia in a small town like this Blackcloud Point, Montana Well, maybe I could…

I spot a young couple walking down the sidewalk pulling a little kid in a sled The little girl is all bundled up in a snowsuit to the point where she can’ther look like a hu adorable po around The happy look on the couple’s faces as they hold hands sends a jab aching through my heart

Myback into my head…

You work too randkids instead