Austin didn’t hesitate.“I’ve got him,” he told West, then turned to the woman.“Stay close to us.Don’t let go of my partner’s jacket, no matter what happens.”
She nodded, coughing as more smoke rolled in the kitchen.Austin lifted the unconscious man with ease, but made it look like it was hard just in case.
West led the way out, clearing any debris that blocked their path.Melinda was behind him, one hand clutching the back of his jacket, right over his name.Austin followed with Joseph over his shoulders.They moved as quickly as they could, stepping around weak spots in the floor.
Halfway to the exit, the buildingshuddered.Austin looked up to see that the part of the ceiling directly above them was cracking open and about to come down.“West!”he called out.
West looked up and immediately understood the danger.They weren’t going to make it, not as humans.They had a choice to make.
It wasn’t really a choice at all.
West moved with shifter speed, grabbing Melinda and throwing her toward the exit while Austin slid Joseph down so he could protect him with his body.The ceiling crashed down where they’d been standing just seconds before, sending up a shower of sparks and flames that felt hot even to Austin’s dragon shifter skin.
It had been too close.
“Everyone okay?”West called out as he grabbed Melinda and pulled her toward the exit.
He could hear people calling from outside, so he made sure to stumble as he emerged from the building after hauling Joseph back up.“Yeah,” Austin replied.“Let’s get them to the paramedics.”
They emerged from the burning restaurant just as the area they’d been in collapsed, sending flames and sparks everywhere.Lisa and Jeremy were waiting for them by the ambulance and helped lower Joseph to the gurney.Austin stepped back as soon as he was clear and tried to catch his breath.It had been close for Melinda and Joseph.
“Nice work in there,” Taylor said, clapping Austin and West on the shoulder.
“Just lucky,” West told him.Austin nodded in agreement.
Luck was an explanation they often used, but so far, no one had mentioned it.Taylor, Jeremy, and Lisa had to suspect something, though.No one was as lucky as West and Austin.
Austin watched his team work on Melinda and her father, relieved that they were both awake and moving.
This was why Austin had become a firefighter.In moments like this, when their abilities meant the difference between life and death for people, they could give more than any human.It was worth the constant vigilance and the acting.
Even though it sometimes felt like living a lie.
Austin pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through his damp hair as he glanced around, half expecting Caleb to be there like he’d been at the bookstore.He frowned at the sight of one of the firefighters standing there staring at him.He didn’t recognize the guy, but that wasn’t a surprise.There were plenty of firefighters he’d never worked with.Still, this guy should know better than just standing there and watching, especially when the fire was still roaring behind Austin.
West bumped against Austin, distracting him.By the time he looked back, the other firefighter was gone, probably working, but he’d left an uneasy feeling deep in Austin’s gut.The way he’d been staring at Austin had made him uncomfortable.Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it wouldn’t hurt anyone to look into the guy, right?
The only problem was that he didn’t know the guy’s name, only which station he worked at, and he wasn’t sure how to poke around without alarming anyone.
He was sure that Caleb would, though.Pity he didn’t want to work with Austin.
* * * *
THIS WASN’T THE FIRSTmeeting of this kind Caleb attended, but usually, the people present weren’t shifters.Usually, he wasn’t part of their community.
It was a little intimidating.He knew all these people, but as a customer.It was different than being here for work, because he wanted to help them find out who the arsonist was for personal reasons rather than for his job.He couldn’t make promises, but he wanted to.
He could see how tired Margaret was.He wasn’t surprised that she was already out of the hospital, but he wished they’d kept her a little longer.She was pale and a little shaky, and no amount of coffee was going to help her.Thankfully, people here took care of each other.It was what made them a community.It was what made them stronger.
He stayed at the back of the room as more people continued arriving.He didn’t want to attract attention.He wasn’t here for that.Unfortunately, that didn’t mean that people wouldn’t notice him.
“All right,” a woman Caleb recognized as the flower shop owner declared once the room was full.
There were so many people that some of them were standing by the back wall, like Caleb.Someone had brought cupcakes, but they were all gone.The room was full, but it quieted almost instantly.It was impressive.
“Welcome,” the woman said.
Caleb didn’t spend a lot of time at the flower shop, but he was pretty sure her name was Moira.She was some kind of bird shifter, and she had everyone’s attention.
