Chapter Seven
“Hey, did you noticethat those weird fires stopped?”Jeremy said before stuffing a bite of lasagna into his mouth.They were having dinner, and like always, they had to be quick about it.The alarm could ring at any moment, and there was nothing worse than having to abandon a plate of lasagna for who knew how long.
Austin and West exchanged a glance over the table.Austin wasn’t surprised that someone had finally noticed something had changed.There hadn’t been any big shop fires after the community center, and while everyone had been busy, Jeremy seemed to have finally noticed.
“What weird fires?”Taylor asked.
“You know, in all those shops.Didn’t you have someone look into it?”
Taylor cleaned his mouth with his napkin.“I did.They confirmed it was arson, but as far as I know, they don’t have any suspects.”
“Well, at least whoever did it stopped.”
Austin focused on his lasagna, but it tasted weird now.It had taken him weeks to stop feeling like he could taste Tate’s blood on his tongue, but right now, he felt like it was right back there.
He tried to hide his shudder.He didn’t want anyone to think he was behaving strangely, but he wished Jeremy hadn’t brought it up.He never wanted to think or talk about Tate ever again.Tate was the first and only person Austin had killed, and while he didn’t regret it exactly, it still made him feel weird to think about it.
Tate had threatened Caleb.He would’ve hurt him if Austin and West hadn’t interrupted him.Austin had acted on instinct when Tate had reached for Caleb again.It had felt natural to defend Caleb, and Austin would do it again if he had to.He just hoped he wouldn’t have to eat anyone else.
He looked up to find that Jeremy, Lisa, and Taylor were staring at him.He glanced at West, but West appeared as puzzled as he was about what was happening.It was like their team was waiting for something, but Austin couldn’t tell what that something was.
He cleared his throat.“Yeah, it’s been what, two months since the fire at the community center?”he asked.“I guess that means that whoever was behind the fires left town.”
He took a sip of water, just to give himself something to do.The three were still staring at him, which made him want to scream.
Jeremy slowly nodded.“I sure wish we knew more about it.”
“Yeah, me too, but does it matter who the arsonist was?Since they stopped, I mean.”
“I guess not, although I would’ve liked that person to pay for what they did.If someone knows something, they should tell us.”
Austin’s mouth went dry.What was Jeremy implying?Didheknow something?He couldn’t.There was no way the three of them could suspect that Austin was involved with Tate’s vanishing act.
“We’re family,” Lisa said.“No one here should have any fear of telling the rest of us their secrets.We’ll keep them.”
Austin had no idea what to say to that, but he still needed to saysomething.He opened his mouth, but a new voice interrupted him.
“Hello?”a man called out.
Austin was so relieved he could have kissed him.He was out of his chair in seconds, rushing toward where the voice came from between the engine and the ambulance.A man stood there, carrying a bag over his shoulder.He blinked and smiled at Austin, but his smile quickly dropped.
“Shit,” he said.“You’re a shifter.”
Austin’s step faltered.If the man knew that Austin was a shifter, it meant that he was a shifter, too, and Austin got confirmation of that when he got close enough.
He nodded.“You’re the third dragon shifter here.”
The man’s eyes widened.“Third?”
“Who is it?”Taylor asked from where he’d stayed with the others at the table.
“How can I help you?”Austin asked the newcomer.
“Well, I was told this was my new station.”
Austin smiled, delighted.“You’re the probie.”
