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The firefighters scrambled to obey, dousing the flames just as they reached the tree line. I let out a breath. Crisis averted.
With the fire under control, I finally had a moment to process the intriguing woman beside me. Up close, she was even more stunning, her delicate features belying the strength I sensed within her. Her scent teased my nose, sweeter than anything I'd encountered before. Like honeysuckle and jasmine and warm summer nights, all rolled into one.
I realized I was staring and quickly extended a hand, my palm tingling with anticipation at the thought of touching her.
“Good job. I know you don’t know me from Adam. I'm Emmett Furbane.”
“Amber Williams.”
Her hand slid into mine, her skin soft and warm against mine. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through me, and I fought the urge to pull her closer, to press her body against mine.
“That was some quick thinking. I'm glad I had you here.” She surveyed the smoldering remains. “Looks like we make a good team.”
I grinned, reluctantly releasing her hand. “Seems that way. We should celebrate our victory. Let me take you out for a drink?”
She hesitated, her eyes flickering to the fire. I could see the conflict playing out on her face–the desire to accept warring with her sense of duty. I half-expected her to turn me down flat.
Instead, her lips quirked slightly. “Thanks for the offer, but I've got an early morning,” she demurred. “Maybe take a rain check?”
She gathered up her gear, not quite meeting my gaze. I caught a hint of regret in her voice, and it gave me hope. She felt this connection, too, even if she wasn't ready to admit it.
I wasn’t about to give up that easily. “Come on, just one drink. I won't keep you out late, I promise.”
She paused, her hand on her radio. For a moment, I thought she might give in. But then her expression hardened, and she shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I can't. We've got a lot of work to do here, and I need to make sure this fire wasn't set intentionally.”
I narrowed my gaze on her as she echoed my suspicions. “Arson?”
“I have to consider all possibilities,” she said hastily. Her tone revealed nothing, but I caught a hint of unease in her eyes before her professional mask slipped back into place.
I studied her for a moment, my instincts telling me there was more to this than she was letting on. But I knew better than to push. She'd tell me when she was ready. “Sure, yeah. Reports to write and all that. But let me know if you change your mind about that drink. I'd love to chat more about the area. Here’s my number if you change your mind.”
I dug a creased business card from my pants pocket and handed it to Amber. Her mouth tightened as she took it. Then, with an abrupt nod, she turned and strode away.
I blinked, watching her stride away. My bear growled in frustration, wanting to chase after her, to claim her as ours. But I held him back, knowing that Amber was not a woman to be pushed. She'd come to me when she was ready. And when she did, I'd be waiting.
I turned my attention back to the smoldering remains of the fire, my mind racing with possibilities. If this was arson, as Amber suspected, then we had a serious problem on our hands. And I had a feeling that Amber and I would be working together a lot more closely in the days to come.
I was still staring after her when Leif sidled up next to me, his eyebrows raised. “Who's the new boss lady? She's a fox.”
I scowled and elbowed him in the ribs before turning my focus back to the smoking remains of the fire. This was getting out of hand. First, Axel's bad vibes, and now another blaze? It couldn't be a coincidence.
As we walked back to my truck, I glimpsed Amber's taillights disappearing down the gravel road. I could already feel her searing imprint on my mind—and on my bear's soul.
I needed to find out more about her. My mate. And she had no clue. How could she? The mating bond had become a rarity. Our species was dying out due to a lack of female bear shifters suitable for mating. But Amber was human. How the fuck did that work?
I thought back to my cousin Magnus and his mate, Mila. She'd been human too, or so they'd thought until a near-death experience had triggered her wolf shift.
Could Amber be a latent shifter as well? Or was the mating bond adapting to our dwindling numbers, allowing us to find mates among the humans?
I didn't have the answers, but I knew one thing for sure. Amber was mine, and I would do whatever it took to claim her. To protect her. To make her see that we belonged together.
But first, I had a fire to investigate. And a town to protect. The rest would have to wait.
For now.
Chapter 2
Amber
