Fire in the Smokies

Chapter One

“…smoke and debris…falling…twenty percent…blowing east…as the sun rises…” Jaxon stiffened in frustration as he tweaked the dial on the ham radio to get better reception. No matter how slight his movement, he couldn’t get the connection to come in more clearly. “…flames…caves…can only hope…”

He jerked when the back door flung open. He released his hold on the dial and flexed his fingers as he turned to gaze over his shoulder. Sergius, his oldest brother, crossed the kitchen, his brow furrowed. “Anything new?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, I can’t even get a good connection. But it doesn’t sound good. The fire isn’t contained, that’s for sure.”

Sergius plopped in a chair across from Jaxon. “If they don’t get that fire under control soon, it’s going to encroach on a few properties to the east.”

“I was thinking the same thing. And the weather isn’t cooperating one bit.”

Sergius’s mate, Juliana, padded into the room and wrapped herself around her husband from behind before jumping back a few inches. “What’s the temperature out there?”

“It’s not that cold.” Sergius cupped his palms to his mouth and blew into the space to warm them. “Sorry.” He rubbed them on his jeans next. “It’s just early. It’ll warm up later.”

“Early?” Juliana raised an eyebrow at him. “Babe, I know we’ve been married for several months, but I still don’t call this butt-crack of dawn early. I’m gonna have to refer to any time this much before the sun rises as late yesterday, not early today. In ten years I’ll never get used to the hours you keep on this farm.” She smiled and took a seat at the table, reaching for the steaming mug of coffee she’d prepared like every other morning in an attempt to rise with Sergius and his brothers.

Jaxon watched the two interact in amusement. He didn’t have a mate of his own, so he couldn’t really relate, but it fascinated him how they read each other’s minds and spoke in partial sentences. Sure, Jaxon and his brothers could also communicate telepathically, but the men didn’t have the same level of connection as mates seemed to have. Sergius stared at Juliana, brow furrowed, not saying a word.

Finally, he spoke. “Speaking of brothers, Micah will be in soon. We’ll call the sheriff if he doesn’t call us first.”

Juliana glared at him, her eyes scrunched in mock disapproval. “How many times have I told you to at least keep it to yourself when you read my mind? It’s disconcerting to know I can’t block my thoughts from you yet.”

Sergius stood and kissed Juliana. “It’ll come in time.”

The screen door flew open once again and Micah entered, bringing with him a draft of cold air and a swirl of fall leaves. He stomped his boots on the doormat. “Any news?”

“I can’t get a good signal this morning.” Jaxon motioned to the table and stood to grab mugs and the full steaming pot of coffee. “It does seem to be blowing toward the east still, but that’s about all I could discern.”

Jaxon flinched and nearly spilled his coffee when the two-way radio on the counter beeped. “I’ll get it.” He dove for the receiver and pressed the button on the side. “Jaxon here. What’s the latest, Hardin?”

James Hardin was the local sheriff and one of the few people who knew the Durham brothers were wolves. Any time an issue arose, Hardin called on them to help. Usually a missing hiker. But you never could tell what might happen with a wildfire raging out of control in the Smokies.

After two days, they were all on edge. Worry about stranded hikers trapped among the flames made it impossible to relax. No one was supposed to be in the area of the fire, but people always seemed to gravitate toward danger.

“Jaxon. Glad I caught you,” the sheriff shouted into the ham radio, the distress clear in his voice. “A firefighter got trapped. He’s missing on the southwest side of the flames. I’m hoping he got backed into a cave along that stretch and is hunkered down. The firefighters are not capable of a rescue. The flames are too close to the entrance. I don’t have any more details. The communication with the chief was choppy.”

“Got it. We’re on our way.” Jaxon set the receiver down and reached for the pouch he kept ready at all times on a hook by the back door. Each brother had one filled with essentials they would need. In wolf form they could easily carry the bag in their teeth and then have the meager supplies when they shifted.

Unease crept up Jaxon’s neck as he headed for the door, his brothers on his heels.

Fires brought danger to everyone in the vicinity. Controlled fires they were used to. Lightning fires happened frequently also. This one had undoubtedly been caused by lightning, but with the conditions unfavorable, urgency filled his steps.

Juliana followed them to the door. “Please be careful.”

Sergius kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tight. “We will, hon. Try not to worry. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

Jaxon stared back as his brother’s mate as they left the house. “Lock the door,” he muttered. Something about this fire had him tensing his entire frame.

They’d all been living on pins and needles since May when Sergius had rescued Juliana from the forest. That fateful day she’d been a lost hiker. But she hadn’t gotten into that position on her own. She’d been lured off the path by Keeton McKinney—vampire, and bane of their existence.

Jaxon and his brothers had chased McKinney off their land and he hadn’t been heard from in months. Who knew when the vamp would resurface?

Jaxon pulled the truck to a stop as close as he could get to the location Hardin had provided. Luckily the fire was still blowing in an easterly direction, and they were able to park along the road to the west of the fire less than a mile from the line of small cave entrances the sheriff hoped the missing firefighter was holed up in.

Usually when the brothers searched for a missing person their information was more vague. Almost always they were given some articles of clothing to scent before they shifted and took off in wolf form.

Today was a different mission. Jaxon was going to have to pick up the trail of a random human. He wouldn’t have any personal items to smell beforehand. Any human in this area of the woods right now would be in dire straits anyway and in need of rescue. All they could do was pray the firefighter had indeed ducked into a cave for cover to await rescue. There were only about six entrances in this vicinity.

How the hell the Durhams were going to explain their kind of rescue was another story altogether. They’d have to cross that bridge when they came to it.

As Jaxon jumped down from the truck, he shielded his eyes from the smoke-filled air.

“Shall we split? I’ll take the southern end. Micah, you take the central caves. And Serg, you wanna take the northern two?” Jaxon stripped his clothes and stuffed them in his pack while he spoke. His brothers followed suit. There was no time to waste. Besides, it was fucking cold. He didn’t want to stand around chatting in human form one second longer than necessary.

Both brothers nodded assent and in moments they were shifted and running. The temperature was in the low forties this early in the morning. If the fireman had been trapped for more than a few hours, he’d be getting awfully cold.

I hope the man’s fire gear is warm. Jaxon bolted through the trees, aiming for the flames. In his wolf form he could race through the fire…as long as there was an opening. He didn’t relish the idea of singeing his fur, but he could dodge almost anything with relative speed when necessary.

As Jaxon approached the back side of the fire, he tested the charred ground with his paw and found it to be cool enough to trod upon, at least in this section. The fire must have gone through this area a while ago.

Jaxon stared into the distance to assess the situation. The wind had shifted, undoubtedly trapping the firefighters on the other side of the blaze against the long ridge of mountains. He’d have to dodge the flames to get to the caves hugging the side of the mountain.

It could be done. He was fast and he could jump.

Jaxon approached cautiously, wary of the temperature of the ground and the unpredictability of the fire. The heat grew intense as he got closer. The smoke shortened his visibility. The distinct crackle of branches snapping from the trees and tumbling to the ground reminded him of giant drops of rain in a downpour. How ironic since rain would be a welcome blessing and the polar opposite of the intense heat currently destroying the forest floor.

If there was a firefighter trapped on the other side of these flames, it appeared increasingly unlikely the guy would still be alive. Jaxon inhaled around the pack he held between his teeth and shook the thought from his head. The only thing worse than finding a hiker who didn’t make it would be finding the charred remains of a firefighter.

Jaxon jumped back and forth, weaving across the ruined black kindling of the forest until he came to the very edge of the section where he could reasonably stand in one spot without burning his paws. Could he even get through? And was it even worth it? What were the chances someone was alive on the other side?

More importantly, could he not? And the answer to that was glaring. If there was even a fireball’s chance in hell someone was alive in one of those caves, he needed to get there…and fast.

Spotting a break between two lines of flames, Jaxon seized the opportunity and dodged forward. Less than fifty yards separated him from the other side. He had to take his chances. Worst case scenario, he suffered a few burns. It would be worth it. He was fast. It took little time to reach the bed of dry leaves on the other side. Couldn’t have been too long because he’d held his breath the entire time. Except for a few singed hairs here and there, he was unscathed.

A glance down at the forest floor saddened Jaxon. The fall leaves still crinkled beneath his paws. Blades of dying grass fluttered in the breeze as though begging to be rescued from the inferno creeping toward them. A chill went down his spine. What a strange morbid thought, as though the grass and weeds had actual feelings of despair…fear.

Time to move. He too was in danger of the flames he’d just leaped from. If he wasn’t fast, he’d be trapped himself. In fact, a glance behind him proved he might be anyway.

Lifting his nose to the air, Jaxon attempted to track the scent of a human. Nothing. Not surprising. Under these conditions, any scent that might have lingered in the air probably had been wiped away by the fire.

Caves. Two of them loomed ahead of him. Jaxon darted toward the first. He knew these caves. He’d explored the entire area in wolf form since moving here ten years ago. Very little of this forest was a mystery to him.

The cave he approached was small, but could be used as refuge in an emergency. And this more than constituted an emergency.

“I’ve crossed the line of flames and I’m entering the first cave,” he communicated with Sergius and Micah as he darted toward the opening in the mountain.

“Got it. I’m about to cross now.” Micah spoke into Jaxon’s mind.

“Nothing this far north. I’ve been in. Good luck to you two. I’ll double back that direction in case you need me.” Sergius sounded bereft even through their connection.

Locking his gaze and attention on the opening between the rocks, Jaxon jumped over a few downed trees and bounded into the first cave.

Darkness consumed him, but it would be momentary. His eyes would adjust to the lack of light. In no time he’d see almost as well as outside. One of the perks of being lupine. He saw fantastically in the night.

Dropping the pouch from his mouth, Jaxon lifted his head and took a deep breath. Immediately he dropped his gaze and blinked. His eyes burned from the smoke he’d run through. His vision had not yet cleared.

He panted, letting his tongue hang out. One thing was clear. There was most assuredly a human in this cave.

And…that human was his mate.

Jaxon couldn’t move. He couldn’t see yet either. And that aggravated him more than anything. His ears were ringing, keeping him from concentrating.

Was his mate the missing firefighter? A man?

He backed up a step. Took several short breaths. His head twitched back and forth as though in denial. He couldn’t stop it. He’d never once considered himself attracted to men. Maybe there was a woman in the cave also? Another deep inhale.

Nope, one scent. Faint, but just the one. Not particularly identifiable.

God, let there be someone else hiding in a cave today besides a fireman.

A missing hiker? What were the chances?

His vision began to clear. He blinked back the smoky film causing him to squint and stepped farther into the cave.

Do I have some latent subconscious tendencies toward men I was unaware of? Why on earth would my mate be a man?

A gasp made him jerk his gaze to the left. Movement. Shuffling. Deep wheezing breaths. A flash of yellow. More movement. Scampering.

Jaxon approached gingerly. His paws made almost no sound as he inched forward. He stopped.

The fireman sat, hunkered really, against the wall. His boots scraped the hard-packed ground in front of him in desperation as if he could perhaps push himself through the solid rock behind his back if he could get enough purchase.

Jaxon tipped his head to one side. His brain scrambled. The fireman was covered from head to toe with flame-retardant clothing. Soot covered the yellow, almost completely obscuring any evidence of color. Even his face was covered—goggles, a mask, helmet.

No wonder Jaxon could barely scent the man.

He hesitated. Considered running from his destiny. What the hell was he going to tell his brothers? His mate was a fireman? Could he be mistaken?

Shit. Jaxon suddenly focused on his error. He was in wolf form. The guy was fucking petrified because a goddamn wolf had entered his hideout. Jaxon had been so focused on finding evidence of a human in the area, he hadn’t thought further. Adrenaline pumping, he’d concentrated only on the remote hope someone was alive in this cave.

And here he was, standing on four paws, staring down a fireman as though he intended to eat him.

Jaxon shivered, shook his entire body as he would after being caught in the rain.

He had to shift before the man had a heart attack. This wasn’t the way he ever planned to reveal himself to anyone. Hell, he’d never shifted in front of another human in his life, with the exception of Sergius’s mate, Juliana.

It couldn’t be helped. And besides, whatever weirdness fate had in store for him right now, he might as well get the whole I’m-a-wolf-shifter-and-you’ll-have-to-get-over-it thing out of the way now.

Jaxon didn’t take his eyes off the frightened firefighter. Bones popped, limbs lengthened, hair receded. In moments Jaxon stood before the man, naked…and human.

The fireman didn’t move a muscle. He appeared to not even be breathing.

Jaxon cleared his throat. “Sorry. There was no other way.” He knelt in front of the man and held his hands out, palms up. What difference did it make that he was naked? It wasn’t as though the guy hadn’t seen a cock before…

“I think you can breathe in here right now. The air isn’t too bad.” Jaxon reached for the man’s protective helmet with slow calculated movements. He didn’t want to scare the guy to death, but he did want to see what was under the hardhat.

Jaxon’s hand shook more than he would have liked as he tugged the helmet off. “I didn’t mean to…reveal myself like that. I wasn’t thinking when I came barreling in here looking for you. I—”

Jaxon froze with the helmet held in midair. Holy mother of God.

Suddenly the firefighter wasn’t the only one not breathing. Jaxon could feel his heart beating, but he didn’t think he’d ever be able to inhale again in this lifetime.

Long blond curls fell from the helmet seemingly in slow motion. They cascaded down until they sprang back, bouncing as though they belonged in a photo shoot for some feminine shampoo. Emphasis on the word feminine.

The helmet slipped from Jaxon’s fingers and landed on the hard ground with a loud clatter. He swallowed. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Synapses fired from one side of his head to the other as he made sense of the picture in front of him.

This was no fireman. This was a woman.

And she still wasn’t breathing. And his dick thanked God she was a she and sprang to life. And, oh…he was naked.

Jaxon licked his lips and reached for her protective goggles. His hands shook considerably more than they had moments ago as he lifted the eyewear off her face and stared into her deep blue eyes. Huge eyes. Frightened eyes.

“Oh, God. I thought…” Jaxon let the goggles fall from his hand. A lock of silky hair caught in his fingers and he let the tresses dangle between them as they cascaded to her shoulders.

He let go with a start, as though she’d shocked him. “Wow, umm…” He abruptly stood and turned away.

Hastily he retraced his steps back to the entrance to the cave. Hands trembling, he grabbed his pack and yanked it open. His fingers quickly found his jeans. He shook the denim free of the pouch and stepped into them with more haste than he’d ever donned clothing in his life. In fact, he hobbled a bit on each leg as he tried to maintain his balance on one foot and then the other. His cock grew larger by the second, knowing his mate sat behind him. Jaxon didn’t bother with the button. The partially raised zipper would have to suffice for now.

When he turned back around he found his mate still sitting in the same spot. He doubted she’d even blinked yet.

Soot covered her face, having found its way in between the edges of her helmet and mask. The only clean area was the figure-eight space where the goggles had rested.

Jaxon approached slower this time. “Sorry for the…” God, what was he supposed to say? Sorry to shift in front of you? Sorry I was naked? Sorry to inform you we are destined to spend our lives together?