I hope the man’s fire gear is warm. Jaxon bolted through the trees, aiming for the flames. In his wolf form he could race through the fire…as long as there was an opening. He didn’t relish the idea of singeing his fur, but he could dodge almost anything with relative speed when necessary.
As Jaxon approached the back side of the fire, he tested the charred ground with his paw and found it to be cool enough to trod upon, at least in this section. The fire must have gone through this area a while ago.
Jaxon stared into the distance to assess the situation. The wind had shifted, undoubtedly trapping the firefighters on the other side of the blaze against the long ridge of mountains. He’d have to dodge the flames to get to the caves hugging the side of the mountain.
It could be done. He was fast and he could jump.
Jaxon approached cautiously, wary of the temperature of the ground and the unpredictability of the fire. The heat grew intense as he got closer. The smoke shortened his visibility. The distinct crackle of branches snapping from the trees and tumbling to the ground reminded him of giant drops of rain in a downpour. How ironic since rain would be a welcome blessing and the polar opposite of the intense heat currently destroying the forest floor.
If there was a firefighter trapped on the other side of these flames, it appeared increasingly unlikely the guy would still be alive. Jaxon inhaled around the pack he held between his teeth and shook the thought from his head. The only thing worse than finding a hiker who didn’t make it would be finding the charred remains of a firefighter.
Jaxon jumped back and forth, weaving across the ruined black kindling of the forest until he came to the very edge of the section where he could reasonably stand in one spot without burning his paws. Could he even get through? And was it even worth it? What were the chances someone was alive on the other side?
More importantly, could he not? And the answer to that was glaring. If there was even a fireball’s chance in hell someone was alive in one of those caves, he needed to get there…and fast.
Spotting a break between two lines of flames, Jaxon seized the opportunity and dodged forward. Less than fifty yards separated him from the other side. He had to take his chances. Worst case scenario, he suffered a few burns. It would be worth it. He was fast. It took little time to reach the bed of dry leaves on the other side. Couldn’t have been too long because he’d held his breath the entire time. Except for a few singed hairs here and there, he was unscathed.
A glance down at the forest floor saddened Jaxon. The fall leaves still crinkled beneath his paws. Blades of dying grass fluttered in the breeze as though begging to be rescued from the inferno creeping toward them. A chill went down his spine. What a strange morbid thought, as though the grass and weeds had actual feelings of despair…fear.
Time to move. He too was in danger of the flames he’d just leaped from. If he wasn’t fast, he’d be trapped himself. In fact, a glance behind him proved he might be anyway.
Lifting his nose to the air, Jaxon attempted to track the scent of a human. Nothing. Not surprising. Under these conditions, any scent that might have lingered in the air probably had been wiped away by the fire.
Caves. Two of them loomed ahead of him. Jaxon darted toward the first. He knew these caves. He’d explored the entire area in wolf form since moving here ten years ago. Very little of this forest was a mystery to him.
The cave he approached was small, but could be used as refuge in an emergency. And this more than constituted an emergency.
“I’ve crossed the line of flames and I’m entering the first cave,” he communicated with Sergius and Micah as he darted toward the opening in the mountain.
“Got it. I’m about to cross now.” Micah spoke into Jaxon’s mind.
“Nothing this far north. I’ve been in. Good luck to you two. I’ll double back that direction in case you need me.” Sergius sounded bereft even through their connection.
Locking his gaze and attention on the opening between the rocks, Jaxon jumped over a few downed trees and bounded into the first cave.
Darkness consumed him, but it would be momentary. His eyes would adjust to the lack of light. In no time he’d see almost as well as outside. One of the perks of being lupine. He saw fantastically in the night.
Dropping the pouch from his mouth, Jaxon lifted his head and took a deep breath. Immediately he dropped his gaze and blinked. His eyes burned from the smoke he’d run through. His vision had not yet cleared.
He panted, letting his tongue hang out. One thing was clear. There was most assuredly a human in this cave.
And…that human was his mate.
Jaxon couldn’t move. He couldn’t see yet either. And that aggravated him more than anything. His ears were ringing, keeping him from concentrating.
Was his mate the missing firefighter? A man?
He backed up a step. Took several short breaths. His head twitched back and forth as though in denial. He couldn’t stop it. He’d never once considered himself attracted to men. Maybe there was a woman in the cave also? Another deep inhale.
Nope, one scent. Faint, but just the one. Not particularly identifiable.
God, let there be someone else hiding in a cave today besides a fireman.
A missing hiker? What were the chances?
His vision began to clear. He blinked back the smoky film causing him to squint and stepped farther into the cave.
Do I have some latent subconscious tendencies toward men I was unaware of? Why on earth would my mate be a man?
A gasp made him jerk his gaze to the left. Movement. Shuffling. Deep wheezing breaths. A flash of yellow. More movement. Scampering.
Jaxon approached gingerly. His paws made almost no sound as he inched forward. He stopped.
The fireman sat, hunkered really, against the wall. His boots scraped the hard-packed ground in front of him in desperation as if he could perhaps push himself through the solid rock behind his back if he could get enough purchase.
Jaxon tipped his head to one side. His brain scrambled. The fireman was covered from head to toe with flame-retardant clothing. Soot covered the yellow, almost completely obscuring any evidence of color. Even his face was covered—goggles, a mask, helmet.
No wonder Jaxon could barely scent the man.
He hesitated. Considered running from his destiny. What the hell was he going to tell his brothers? His mate was a fireman? Could he be mistaken?
Shit. Jaxon suddenly focused on his error. He was in wolf form. The guy was fucking petrified because a goddamn wolf had entered his hideout. Jaxon had been so focused on finding evidence of a human in the area, he hadn’t thought further. Adrenaline pumping, he’d concentrated only on the remote hope someone was alive in this cave.
And here he was, standing on four paws, staring down a fireman as though he intended to eat him.
Jaxon shivered, shook his entire body as he would after being caught in the rain.
He had to shift before the man had a heart attack. This wasn’t the way he ever planned to reveal himself to anyone. Hell, he’d never shifted in front of another human in his life, with the exception of Sergius’s mate, Juliana.
It couldn’t be helped. And besides, whatever weirdness fate had in store for him right now, he might as well get the whole I’m-a-wolf-shifter-and-you’ll-have-to-get-over-it thing out of the way now.
Jaxon didn’t take his eyes off the frightened firefighter. Bones popped, limbs lengthened, hair receded. In moments Jaxon stood before the man, naked…and human.
The fireman didn’t move a muscle. He appeared to not even be breathing.