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“We?” I stared at him, trying to wrap my mind around this new reality where the man I'd fallen for was apparently part animal. “You mean your brothers? Leif and Axel? Are they–”
“Like me? Yeah. It runs in the family. Not Aunt Thea, though. She’s a–”
I held up a hand. “No, no. Let me guess, she’s a powerful witch.” I frowned as I said it, knowing instinctively that I was right.
Emmett frowned. “Kind of, though Aunt Thea prefers the term ‘oracle.’ How did you know?”
I shrugged, feeling uneasy and totally off-balance. “I-I don’t know.”
Emmett scrubbed a hand over his face, looking suddenly exhausted. “I know this is a lot to absorb, Amber. Me. My family. The bear shifter thing. We're not bears all the time, obviously. We can shift when we need to. It gives us certain abilities—enhanced strength, speed, and senses.”
I thought back to all the times I'd marveled at Emmett's uncanny skill and agility, both in the field and his insatiable appetite to pleasure me last night. Suddenly, it all made a lot more sense.
“So that's how you were able to pull me out of the way of that tree,” I said slowly. “And why you always feel so warm, like you're running a constant fever?”
Emmett nodded. “Higher body temperature is part of the package. Comes in handy on chilly nights.”
“So, what, you're some kind of werebear?”
Emmett grimaced. “We prefer the term 'bear shifter.' It's a bit more dignified.”
“Right. Because dignity is clearly a top priority when you're running around the forest naked and covered in fur.”
He shot me a wry look. “Sarcasm. That's a good sign. Means you're processing.”
I let out a breathless laugh. “Oh, I'm processing, all right. Trying to wrap my head around the fact that the guy I've been fighting fires with is a giant, magical teddy bear. Is that why you have Bessie Bear? Is she a relative or something?”
It was a stupid question. Of course it was. But logic had left the building, and I was borderline hysterical.
“I am not a teddy bear, and no, Bessie Bear is not a relative,” Emmett grumbled, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “I'm a grizzly. There's a difference.”
I blew out a shaky breath as the reality of the situation sank in. Emmett, my Emmett, was something straight out of a fairy tale or a Hollywood blockbuster. He had a whole other side to him, a wild, untamed side that I'd only glimpsed today.
I digested this information, trying to reconcile the Emmett I thought I knew with this new, extraordinary reality. “Why didn't you tell me the truth sooner? Didn’t you trust me?”
Emmett's eyes widened, and he reached for my hand, his palm engulfing mine. “No! God, Amber, no. It wasn't about trust. It's just?—”
He sighed, his thumb rubbing circles on my knuckles. “We have to be careful who we reveal ourselves to. There are people out there, bad people, who would exploit what we are. Or worse. I was trying to protect you, give you time to get to know me and my family.”
I searched his face, seeing the earnestness there, the plea for understanding. Slowly, I nodded. I couldn't pretend to know what it was like to be in his shoes, to carry a secret like that. But I could understand his caution.
“All this time, I thought you might be arsonists. Believing that was a stretch, but bear shifters?” I shook my head in wonder.
“My family is descended from an ancient line of Guardians,” Emmett explained. “Sworn to protect Silverpaw Hollow, the portal, and the earth's elemental forces.”
I stared at him, trying to absorb his words. “Guardians? Elemental forces? Portals? What does that even mean?”
“It means we have a sacred duty,” Emmett explained patiently. “To watch over the land, to keep it in balance. And right now, that duty compels us to fight these wildfires. They're not natural, Amber. Something–or someone–is causing them.”
“Who?”
“Pyromancers, we think.”
“Pyromancers?”
“People with the ability to magically summon and control fire.”
I rubbed my temples. This was becoming crazier by the second. “And my map? The one with the strange energy signatures?”
