by Sophie Stern
I stick around.
When I want to be with someone, whether it be a friend or a lover, I’m loyal to them completely. I don’t let others dictate what I say or feel or think.
Tonight is no exception. Alex can say or do whatever he wants, but I’m not going anywhere. If he has some weird shifter plan to try to scare me off, he’s out of line. He knows nothing about me and he certainly doesn’t know how strong and determined I am when I put my mind to something.
The sound comes again, but this time, instead of playing scared, I stand up and let the towel fall. I’m completely naked now. I wasn’t when I came to bed, so I must have kicked my clothes off in my sleep. It’s hot out. Sometimes things happen. Still, I want to figure out what the hell is going on outside and I’m not the type of girl to back away from a challenge.
Summoning up all my courage, I stride across the room to the door and throw it open, only to start coughing and sputtering as I’m caught off guard by the smoke. Why is there so much smoke?
I don’t know who was outside or what they were doing, but there’s smoke everywhere. Remembering my first aid and babysitter class training, I drop to my stomach. Immediately, I take a deep breath and I’m rewarded with somewhat-cleaner air. Good. That’s good. When there’s a fire, most people die from smoke inhalation because the smoke rises. You have to drop down to get to the clean air. I remember that now.
My cabin is now full of smoke, so I wiggle out on my stomach and take a look at the cabins around me. Cabins four and five are on fire and the smoke is heavy and thick around all of our homes. Where are the guys?
Why didn’t they come out?
Suddenly, I wonder if something happened to Wyatt, Carter, Micah, and Alex. Even though Alex is an asshole, he doesn’t desire to die by fire. I look toward the main house, but from what I can see, it’s unharmed. It seems to just be the cabins.
If I had clothes on, I might dare to go back inside the cabin for my phone, but I’m naked the flames from cabin four are already threatening to jump to my home. I’ll just have to wait and see if one of the guys has something we can use. The smoke isn’t as bad outside, but it’s still surrounding the cabins. Before I run to the house to find out where Wyatt is, I need to check on Alex and Micah.
Why aren’t they outside already?
From what I can see, no one is fighting this fire. There’s no one around at all. I know they were going to look for their missing cattle, but surely they’d be back already if everything went well. Maybe we haven’t known each other very long, but something tells me there’s no way they wouldn’t wake me up if they could.
Not if my safety was being threatened.
There has to be something wrong.
I make my way to Alex’s cabin, which is the closest to mine. I knock on the door, then realize why I’m wasting my time trying to be nice. Instead, I reach for the handle and twist, pushing the door open.
Empty.
If I was a shifter, I’d be able to smell his scent and say how long it’s been since he was in his room. For a brief moment, I hate the fact that I’m human in an impossible situation, but I can’t do anything about that right now. A quick glance around the room reveals nothing. It’s too dark to see anything and the power is out.
“Alex?” I call out. “Alex, are you here?” It’s all shadows, but it looks empty. He’s not here, so I quickly move out, closing the door behind me. One thing I remember from my days in the scouts is that if you’re ever around a fire, you should close the door. It won’t stop the fire from spreading, but it will slow it down and buy you some time. I sure as hell hope these guys have good insurance because something tells me that even with the doors closed, the fire department isn’t going to get here in time.
Coughing, I move to Micah’s cabin and repeat the motion of knocking. There’s no response here, either, but I go inside, anyway.
“Micah? Micah?” I try to yell, but the smoke is worse now and I’m coughing hard. I don’t see him. The cabin is dark except for the glow of something on his desk. I move to it, not sure what I’m looking at, but it’s a phone.
I grab it, but it’s locked. Of course it is. Micah is a tech geek and a genius. He’s not going to just leave his phone unlocked somewhere. I hit the emergency call button and dial 9-1-1.
A bland voice answers the phone and asks me to state my emergency.
“There’s a fire,” I cough, covering my mouth as I sputter. I need to get out of here. I wish I could pull all of Micah’s computer stuff, but I can’t, and it’s obvious he’s got a lot of it. Already I’m sweaty from the heat of the fire and if I’m not careful, this cabin is going to go up in flames.
“What is your address?” The voice says, and I think she maybe asks me a few times. I’m not entirely sure.
“I’m at the Blair Ranch,” I say. Micah’s computer has a flash drive plugged in and I grab it, shoving it in my pajama pants pocket and move to leave. At the very least, maybe I’ll be able to save something important to him. Glancing around quickly, I notice a laptop on his bed. Again, it’s dark, but I can make out the outline. I grab that, too, and head outside.
The smoke is even heavier and I keep coughing, unable to answer whatever questions the lady is asking me.
“Fire,” I repeat, stumbling forward with the laptop and the phone. “Fire. Blair Ranch. Send help. Please hurry.”
I hang up, then, unable to keep talking, and drop to my knees. I crawl forward. My throat is parched and I feel like I’m going to die, but I have to get out of the way.
Where are the guys? Where have they gone? I claw my way forward, grabbing the grass and moving away. The flames are bigger now. My cabin is on fire and I cringe as I think of all the memories that are burning away in there.
All my stuff.
All my pictures.
All my hopes.
Luckily, I haven’t completely finished unpacking, so there are still a few things in my car, but almost everything I own is vanishing in front of me. It hurts, but I can’t help thinking how lucky I am to have escaped.
What if I hadn’t woken up?
And who would have done something like this?
As I move closer to the main house, the air starts to clear and I can breathe a little better. I stand back up and start to walk, wondering where the hell the guys are. Surely they can’t still be gone.
In the distance, I hear sirens, and I’m glad I was able to call for help. Even better, I’m glad Honeypot is a small enough town that I didn’t have to know the address to get help. People here often go by the names of places, rather than addresses, so I’m lucky in that respect.
When I reach the main house of the ranch, I go up the steps and set Micah’s computer on one of the chairs. Then I sit on the top step and wait for the fire brigade to show up.
Could tonight be any worse? Who would do something like this? I’m trying not to panic, but I don’t know what to do here. I feel helpless as I watch the smoke. The cabins are set off by themselves, so there aren’t any animals around, but what if the firemen don’t get here in time?
What if the fire spreads to the main house?
Or one of the barns?
Honeypot really was a new start for me: a fresh beginning. Now I’m facing the possibility that my new home will vanish and with it, any chance I had of a bright future. Wyatt, Carter, and Micah might be weird and have their little quirks, but they really are good guys.
Even Alex isn’t all bad. Yeah, he’s a total asshole, but he’s not completely crazy. From what I’ve seen, he’s a pretty hard worker, and those are hard to find these days.
Suddenly, my thoughts are broken into by the sound of a growl, following by a roar. Then there’s another sound, one I can’t quite identify. Some sort of cat call, maybe?
Three bears and one very naked Alex come bounding around the corner of the house. Wyatt starts to run toward the cabins, but Alex calls out, “She’s okay! She’s right here! Wyatt! She’s okay!”
He stops in his tracks and turns ba
ck to see me. All eyes are on me and I give a little wave. Maybe his eyesight is better in the dark than mine. I can see the guys, but only barely. Their skin flickers as the fire blazes on.
Wyatt hurries toward me and before I can say a word, he sweeps me up in his arms and kisses me like there’s no tomorrow.
“It’s okay,” I murmur against his mouth. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” I am. No cuts, scratches, or bruises. Well, maybe a few, but nothing worth mentioning.
“I thought…we saw the flames and I thought…”
“Hey,” I say, realizing he’s shaking. “I’m okay, all right? I’m okay.”
“Fire department’s here,” Carter points, and I pull back from Wyatt long enough to peek out at the approaching trucks.
“How did they know?” Wyatt asks, looking back at me.
“I called,” I tell them. “I woke up and after I checked Alex and Micah’s cabins.”
“You checked on us?” Alex seems surprised.
“Of course I checked on you! I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Even if you are a complete dick. “What if you had fallen and hit your head or something? I didn’t want you to die.”
“I don’t think there’s much you could’ve done if we had been passed out. No offense, Hope. We’re big guys,” Micah says, staring at his cabin. He looks glum.
“I’m stronger than I look,” I insist.
“I appreciate the gesture, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I accused you last night. That was wrong of me.” Alex seems genuinely saddened by his behavior, and I know how he feels. Still, what’s up with all these guys who aren’t afraid to apologize? It’s so different from everything I’m used to. I’m not quite sure how to respond.
“It’s okay. I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure with work. Apparently your boss is a real hardass.”
“Hey!” Carter protests.
“Hey!” Wyatt turns to him. “I’m Alex’s boss.”
“Technically, I’m the one in charge,” Carter says, but we all know Wyatt oversees most of the guys.
“I can’t believe it’s all gone,” Micah is still staring at his cabin. “Damnit. They really knew how to hit us where it hurts.”
“What do you mean? I know it sucks to lose our stuff, but this won’t impact the ranch,” I tell Micah. “We can get new cabins and fix them up. We can still make this a great spot for tourists.”
“I can’t believe they took out the cabins.” Wyatt is glaring. “This whole thing reeks. It was a total setup! Fuck with the fences so we’re so busy chasing our tails that we can’t do anything about this.” He waves his hands toward the fire, which is quickly dissipating. The fireman are working their magic, and I notice Alex is over there talking with one of the firemen. I didn’t even notice him leave.
“I need to get over there, too,” Carter says. Turning back to me, he gives me a once-over. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a bit parched.”
“It’s not just the cabins.” Micah’s hands are clenched into fists and he looks beyond pissed. This is the most mad I’ve ever seen him. “All of my computer stuff was in there. We keep a lot of things on the cloud so we can work on files at the same time. Tax stuff, you know. Receipts. But my personal projects…” His voice trails off and he looks genuinely sad.
What secrets is Micah holding?
Right away, he seemed like the odd man out when it came to his brothers. He’s so sweet and caring, but I feel like Micah holds the weight of the world on his shoulders and doesn’t want to let anyone help him.
Maybe one day he’ll feel comfortable around me to open up, but for now, I can give him a little reassurance.
“Your projects aren’t gone,” I tell him.
“Yeah, they are.” He turns and stares at the firemen, who are spraying water on the cabins now. The fire is out on cabins four and five, but the others are still blazing. “Even if the fire didn’t get my stuff, the water is going to completely destroy them. Fuck. I should have gotten back sooner.” His voice holds remorse and regret.
I don’t think he regrets going to help his brothers tonight. No, what he regrets is not seeing this for what it was: a nasty set-up.
“Micah,” I touch his shoulder, and Wyatt growls, but I shake my head at him. “Don’t get all territorial and caveman on me. If we’re going to do this thing, if I’m going to be yours, as you put it, then you know I’m going to be around your brothers sometimes. That means touching them and hugging them when I need it.”
“I know, baby.”
“Micah. Your laptop. It’s fine.”
“What?” His mouth drops open and his eyes sparkle, just a little, like he’s trying so hard not to get his hopes up, but he can’t quite help himself.
“I got it and your phone.” I point to the laptop on the chair. “I mean, it might have a little dirt on it ‘cause I kinda crawled through the grass, but-“
I’m cut off when Micah wraps his arms around me and holds me so tight I can’t breathe.
“Air,” I manage to say, and he releases me, but I feel good. Micah doesn’t turn me on the way Wyatt does. He doesn’t get me all hot and bothered, but he makes me feel loved and accepted, like I’m really part of their family.
Like I belong here.
“Hope, you’re fucking fantastic, do you know that?”
“Oh, and I got your phone. I used it to call 9-1-1.” I fish it out of my pocket and my hand hits something else.
The flash drive.
I’d completely forgotten.
“And this,” I press it into his hand and he looks at me. This time, his eyes tear up and I think this big, bad bear might just cry.
“Hope, you have no idea what this means to me. You just saved everything.”
“It was nothing,” I say.
Wyatt comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. Nuzzling my neck, he kisses me softly, and I’m hit with the realization that for the first time in many, many years, I’m home.
I’m home.
Chapter 22
Wyatt
The power is out when we walk inside, but I can see pretty well in the dark. Call it shifter senses or whatever you want, but I’ve never been one to let darkness bother me. I move silently through the house, holding Hope close to my chest.
Can she hear my heart beating?
Does she know it beats only for her?
She’s shaking as I carry her and I can only imagine what she’s been through tonight. Getting the cattle back sucked. It took longer than we expected because it was dark and they were tired and scared. By the time we got back, we were so exhausted that we didn’t notice the smoke until we were almost at the house.
If I had smelled it sooner, if I’d been paying attention, I would have run.
Then maybe I could have been there for Hope.
She didn’t need to be rescued, my little darling. Oh, no. She’s much too brave to wait around for a prince to sweep her off her feet.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I whisper as we move through the house. I carry her down the hall to the back staircase, then upstairs to my bedroom. I kick open the door with my foot and gently set her down. My brothers are going to be occupied with the fire department and the police for awhile, but I still lock the door.
The last thing I want is an interruption. Not tonight.
“Hope,” I murmur, and she rushes into my arms and squeezes me.
“I was worried about you.”
“I was worried about you, too.”
“I was worried you’d come back, but that something had happened to you, Wyatt. I didn’t want anything to happen to you.”
She starts rambling, so I start kissing her instead. Immediately, her body relaxes in my arms. I stroke her long blonde hair and sweep my tongue over her lips, pulling a soft moan from her body.
As we kiss, I slowly move us backwards toward the bathroom. There’s a huge walk-in shower and I know we could both use some cleaning up. We’re cast into
darkness with only a slim glimmer of moonlight shining through the window.
“Wyatt? I don’t want to take a shower in the dark.”
“Don’t worry, love.” I produce a couple of candles from a drawer and a lighter. Spreading them out on the counter, I light the candles. Soon the bathroom is aglow with flickering light, and Hope has never looked more beautiful.
“Let’s get you undressed.”
I reach for her shirt and pull it over her head. She blushes, but I kiss her cheeks.
“None of that, now. No modesty tonight.” I bite her ear playfully. “I want you wanton and ready for me, like you were in the cabin earlier.”
“That was fun,” she murmurs, and I wonder what thoughts are running through her head. We both know where tonight is headed and I’m very aware of the fact that she’s never done this before. I want it to be good for her. I want it to be perfect.
There’s no such thing as a perfect first time, but I plan to get as fucking close as possible for her.
Her nipples are pink and pebbled, hard and ready for me to kiss them. I oblige, biting each one softly before I pull down her pants and let them pile on the bathroom floor.
“Fuck. You’re so beautiful.”
She wiggles for a second, and I can tell she’s a little nervous, but I grab Hope’s hips and hold her in place. Leaning forward, I swipe my tongue over her slit and she moans.
“You taste delicious.”
“Please,” she murmurs. “Please.”
“What do you want, baby?” I can’t help but chuckle. There’s something pretty fantastic about the way she’s wiggling right now and I want a little more. I like to hear her moan my name. I like to hear her beg.
“More, please. Please, Wyatt.”
I kiss her softly between her legs.
“There you go. Is that what you wanted?”
She growls. She actually growls. For a human, she’s got the sound down perfectly.
“I want you to lick my pussy, Wyatt,” she sounds resigned, but needy, and I’m happy to give her what she wants.
“Just what I was hoping you’d say.” I grab her ass and yank her close to me, burying my face between her legs. I lick her pussy until she’s close, until her body tenses. Her breathing quickens and she’s whispering and moaning and begging for more. I tease her for just a few more minutes, loving the way she’s responding to me. Finally, I suck her clit into my mouth and Hope explodes, crying out as she comes for me.