by Zoe Chant
Now, however, it was actually enjoyable. It gave him a strange, warm feeling inside, to look around and see so many familiar faces. Not just his own family and hotshot squad, but others too. His father’s fellow firefighters and their mates; their grown children, even some of their mates. All entangled in a complicated extended clan, more like uncles and aunts and cousins than mere friends.
He’d avoided them all for so long, he’d been nervous about seeing them again. He shouldn’t have worried. They’d all welcomed him back as though he’d never gone away at all. As though nothing, not even his own mistakes, could ever break those intangible connections.
As though they were family.
“Hi boys!” Blaise’s mother Rose, the owner of the Full Moon pub, bustled up with a jug in each hand. “Having a good time?”
“Your Christmas party is as legendary as ever,” Conleth declared, toasting her as well. “I do believe that this one is your finest yet.”
“I agree, but I don’t think I can take the credit for that.” Rose smiled, casting a glance at Callum. “I came over to ask if one of you could tell me where my daughter’s gone. I need her help with the mince pies.”
Callum reached out with his pegasus senses, marveling once again at how simple it was to focus on one particular life rather than being blasted with all of them at once. He found Blaise’s compressed, shadowy energy—and another soul nearby. There was no mistaking that incandescent power.
“She’s out back,” Callum reported. “With her father.”
Rose pursed her lips. “In that case, I won’t interrupt them. They have a lot to catch up on. By the way, watch out. I’ve already kicked Connor out from behind the bar six times. I do believe he’s made it his mission in life to spike your drinks.”
Conleth let out a long-suffering sigh. “Thanks for the warning, aunt Rose. Let me know if he becomes too much of a pest.”
“Just don’t lock him in the cellar again,” Rose said with pained shudder. “We don’t want a repeat of last year.”
Conleth winced. “In my defense, I had no idea he could tap a beer keg with his bare hands.”
“Did you want help with those pies?” Callum asked Rose.
“Oh, no, don’t trouble yourself.” Rose patted his arm. “You two have a lot of catching up to do as well. I’ll rope in some of the other kids. Wystan! Leonie! I have a job for you!”
Conleth sighed again as Rose headed off. “I swear, that brother of ours is going to make me prematurely gray.”
Callum laughed under his breath. “At least then you’d stand out.”
“Bros!” Connor himself appeared, looking somewhat wild-eyed. He gave them a swift, assessing glance, and beamed. “Thank fuck you both have the same predictably boring lack of style. Callum, undo your top button. Conleth, roll down your sleeves. Hurry!”
Conleth made no move to adjust his shirt. “Connor, this had better not be what I think it is.”
“Please. Otherwise I’m so dead.” Connor was already pulling his flashing LED Christmas jumper over his head, revealing a white dress shirt that was nearly identical to the ones Conleth and Callum were wearing. “Consider it my Christmas present?”
“Connor, you walloping arsehole! What did you do to this beer?”
With a yelp, Connor raked a hand through his mussed hair to flatten it. He straightened, adopting a bland, neutral expression—just as Rory’s twin brother Ross stormed up with a thunderous expression.
“All right.” The griffin shifter folded his tattooed arms, raking them all with narrowed golden eyes. “Which one of you is the bloody idiot who thinks he’s so funny?”
Connor promptly pointed at Callum. A heartbeat behind him, Conleth pointed at Connor. On sudden impulse, Callum pointed at Conleth.
Ross gave them all a deeply disgusted look. “I liked it better when you all hated each other. Well, if I catch any of you carrot-headed mingemunchers so much as breathing on my kegs, I’ll roast all your chestnuts over an open fire.”
The brewer stalked off, muttering to himself. Connor maintained his perfect poker-face until Ross had disappeared into the crowd once more. Then he grinned, slouching back into his own persona.
“Thanks, bros,” Connor said, punching them both in the shoulder simultaneously. “I owe you one. Ooo, cookies!”
Conleth gave Callum a curious sidelong look as Connor bounced off again. “Why’d you do that?”
Callum shrugged, not quite sure himself. “It is kind of amusing, when one isn’t on the receiving end. Never tell Connor I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Conleth smirked. “At least until I next want you to do something.”
Callum started to reply, but was interrupted by Conleth’s phone going off. With a grimace of apology, Conleth pulled the device out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and scowled.
“Work?” Callum asked, recognizing that expression.
“It is the day after Christmas.” Conleth jabbed the ‘decline call’ button so hard, Callum was surprised the screen didn’t crack in half. “I refuse to go into the office unless it is actively on fire. And if it was, I’d send Dad and you two. Putting out literal flames is not my job.”
“Maybe it should be. You hate your job.”
“We have enough firefighters in this family as it is.” Conleth shoved his phone back into his pocket. “There are other careers, you know.”
“Yes. And there are careers other than investment banking.” Callum had been looking for a way to steer the conversation onto this topic. “Conleth, you could just stop. It’s obvious your work makes you miserable. How much money do you need, anyway?”
Conleth shrugged. “Work keeps me busy. It’s not like I have a mate and daughter.”
“No, but you have a niece. And when summer comes, I’ll have to be away from home a lot. Diana and I have been talking about how to make that work.” Callum met his brother’s wary eyes. “And we have a proposition for you.”
At Diana’s side, Callum’s mother Connie chuckled. “I’m not sure who’s enjoying the kids’ area more. The children, or the grandads.”
Diana laughed as well, watching Beth clamber all over Chase. The pegasus shifter was lying flat on his back in an inflatable ball pit, long arms and legs sprawling over the edges, beaming from ear-to-ear as Beth giggled and tipped balls over him. Nearby, little Charlie was energetically knocking down oversized foam bricks as fast as his own grandfather, dragon shifter Dai, could set them up.
“Now I understand why Rose set aside so much space,” Diana said, looking round the lavishly-decorated nook. Rose had turned one corner of the pub into a veritable Santa’s grotto, overflowing with toys to keep the children amused. “I thought it seemed like overkill for two small toddlers.”
Connie grinned, her green eyes sparkling. “You just wait. Before the end of the evening, I bet the whole fire crew will be in there.”
“Both crews,” Joe interjected, overhearing. “Thunder Mountain Hotshots aren’t about to let Alpha Team have all the fun. Uncle Chase! When are you going to stop hogging the ball pit?”
“Respect your elders!” Chase called back. “You young would-be alphas can just wait your turn!”
Diana giggled at Joe’s pout. “Maybe we should ask Rose to rent two ball pits next year.”
“Good idea,” Rory agreed, putting his arm around Edith. He exchanged a strange, secretive look with his mate. “We might need even more toys by then.”
The way Rory’s hand curved protectively around Edith’s middle caught Diana’s attention. She put two and two together, and gasped.
“Rory! Edith!” she exclaimed. “Are you…?”
Rory’s grin widened, turning distinctly smug. “We weren’t going to tell anyone yet, since it’s so early. But yes. We’re pregnant.”
“I’m pregnant,” Edith said indignantly. “I’m doing all the work here. I’m claiming the credit.”
“Oh! Oh!” Diana was so excited, she nearly tipped her glass of w
ine over Connie. “I’m so happy for you both!”
“Congratulations,” Wystan agreed. He glanced at Candice, who was eying him with an odd, small smile playing around her lips. Wystan smiled back, looking a little wry. “You may now say ‘I told you so.’ I really should have learned to listen to you by now.”
“I told you so,” Candice said promptly. She tucked herself under Wystan’s arm, still smirking. “And yes, you should.”
“You’d already guessed?” Edith asked, looking a little confused.
“Not exactly.” Candice flattened a hand against her own stomach. “But I’d guessed that you and Rory were trying. I told Wystan we should make our own announcement before you beat us to it. But he wanted to wait.”
This time, Diana did spill her wine, though thankfully over her hand rather than her mother-in-law. “You’re pregnant too?”
“Oh, thank the Sea,” Joe exclaimed, before Candice could respond. He pointed at both Edith and Candice. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
Candice raised her eyebrows at Seren as Joe dashed away. “What’s all that about?”
Seren looked just as baffled. “I have not the faintest idea.”
Joe came panting back a few minutes later, interrupting the mutual congratulations and exclamations. His arms were full of bags.
“Christmas was yesterday,” Rory observed, as Joe started pulling out wrapped presents and handing them round.
“Yes, and I was expecting you both to tell everyone the happy news before then.” Joe tossed a parcel to him. “Do you know how hard it’s been to keep my mouth shut all these months?”
“Joe!” Edith had just opened her own present. She held up a familiar sparkly pink romper, with When I grow up, I want to be just like Mommy! printed on the front. “You knew all the way back in the autumn? Before we even started trying? And you didn’t tell us?”
Joe winked. “Nobody likes spoilers.”
Wystan shook his head in amazement. “And to think we all thought that you were desperately broody.”
Joe shrugged. “Well, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth completely shut for so long. I had to do something to throw you all off the scent.”
Diana noticed that Seren had gone rather quiet. She caught Joe’s eye, and looked pointedly at his mate.
“Oh, yeah.” Joe’s expression turned more serious. He took Seren’s hands, gazing down at her earnestly. “I’m really sorry, Seren. I didn’t dare tell you, since as a Knight you’re honor-bound to always tell the truth. I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position if any of our friends asked you what was up. I know I freaked you out, going on about babies so much.”
Seren was even paler than usual. “So…it was all an act?”
“Well, not totally,” Joe confessed. “I do really, really want to have kids with you. I mean, really. But I’m totally happy to wait until you’re ready. And if you don’t want them at all, that’s okay too.”
Strangely, Seren did not look reassured by this. “But you wouldn’t be upset to, ah, not wait?”
Joe grinned down at her. “Hey. I’d be thrilled to have a baby with you tomorrow.”
“Not tomorrow.” Seren bit her lip. “But…in just under nine months?”
“If that’s when you want to start trying—” Joe began…and then stopped dead.
Rory stared from Joe to Seren and back again. “Wait a second. I thought sea dragons weren’t, uh, fertile unless they did a special ritual first.”
“Yes,” Seren said. “So did I.”
“We’re all having babies?” Edith exclaimed.
“We’re all having babies,” Joe repeated, sounding utterly stunned. “We’re all having babies. We’re all having babies!”
Rory chuckled, pulling Edith out of the way as Joe swept Seren up, spinning her around. “So much for your visions, Joe. Guess fate can still surprise you.”
“I love surprises.” Joe put Seren down, but didn’t let her go. “I love you, my incredible mate. I love everyone in this bar! Also, I need all my Christmas presents back.”
The mate bond tugged at Diana’s attention. She stepped away from the rest of the group, turning. A moment later, Callum came round the corner. He smiled as he caught sight of her, then cast a curious look at his squabbling squadmates.
“Did I miss something?” he asked Diana in a low voice.
“A sudden outbreak of baby fever,” Diana replied, smothering a giggle. She stretched up on her toes to kiss him. “Let’s just say that at this rate, Buck’s going to have to set up a staff creche.”
Callum’s eyebrows rose. “Maybe that could be Conleth’s new career.”
“Oh! Did you talk to him? Did he say yes?”
Callum nodded, his mouth curving in a small smile. “He said he’ll have to think about it. But I’m certain he’ll agree to spend summers in Montana with us.”
“I’m so glad!” Diana flung her arms around him, hugging him in joy. “It’ll make things so much easier, to have him around to help look after Beth. I’ll be able to keep up my research.”
“That reminds me.” Callum pulled a folded paper out from his back pocket, handing it to her. “This is for you.”
“A list?” she said, a little surprised. She hadn’t seen him write one since he’d started taking his ADD medication.
Callum’s smile widened. “Yes, but not one of mine. Buck emailed that over earlier today. It’s the names he can remember his sister mentioning. All the people who might have been involved with her and your mother in the Storm Society. Maybe some of them escaped the horned serpents too.”
“I’m sure of it. Many groups have tried to silence my people, over the centuries.” Diana ran a finger down the column of names. “But we’re still here. And we still have our stories. One way or another, I’m going to carry on my mother’s work.”
Callum pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I think she’d be very proud of you.”
Diana smiled up at him. “I know she is.”
“Diana! Callum!” Joe called to them. He waved a bottle over his head. “Come over here! We’re drinking a toast!”
They rejoined the others. Joe passed out glasses of champagne—and sparkling grape juice, for Callum and the pregnant women—then raised his own.
“To family,” the sea dragon declared, beaming. His arm tightened around Seren. “Old and new.”
“To family,” Diana echoed, gazing up at her mate.
Edith sighed, lowering her glass again. “I wish Fenrir was here,” she said wistfully. “It’s not the same without him.”
“He still isn’t talking?” Rory asked Wystan and Candice.
The unicorn shifter shook his head. “We’ve barely seen him all winter. He’s been sleeping at our ranch, but he spends all his time roaming the mountains. I think he’s looking for something. Or someone.”
Alone in the wilderness, he ran.
There was no scent to guide him. No paw print, no fur caught in bark, no bent leaf or disturbed grasses. But he didn’t need them.
They were pack. And pack knew pack. Pack always knew pack, no matter how long it had been.
Nose to the ground, Fenrir ran on.
Following the trail of his sister.
Fenrir’s true nature is revealed in WILDFIRE HELLHOUND - coming soon!
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Have you read the first Fire & Rescue Shifters series, featuring the parents of the Wildfire Crew?
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Also by Zoe Chant
Fire & Rescue Shifters
Firefighter Dragon
Firefighter Pegasus
Firefighter Griffin
Firefighter Sea Dragon
The Master Shark’s Mate
Firefighter Unicorn
Firefighter Phoenix
Fire & Rescue Shifters Collection 1
Fire & Rescue Shifters: Wildfire Crew
; Wildfire Griffin
Wildfire Unicorn
Wildfire Sea Dragon
Wildfire Pegasus
Wildfire Hellhound (coming soon!)
Wildfire [SPOILER!] (releasing in 2020)
… and many more! See the complete list at www.zoechant.com