“Wait here,” he said. “I’ll go grab some coffee and some snacks, since I’m sure you’re starving. We can sit in the bed of the truck and watch the sun rise.”
Charlotte happily agreed. Watching sunrises or sunsets ranked high on her list of favorite things to do. She settled into the bed of the truck, and several minutes later Ian came back with two thermoses of coffee and an assortment of nuts. Charlotte sipped and munched happily, watching the first sunbeams streaking colorfully across the sky. But their private show was suddenly interrupted when Zach came outside.
“Really, Ian?” Zach asked. “You were gone most of the day yesterday, and now you’re sitting out here lazily watching the sun rise? Don’t you have work to do? Or have you forgotten about everything except your new love interest?”
Zach stood with his arms crossed, giving Charlotte a look of total disdain. Ian sighed, and set his thermos of coffee down.
“Zach, my office, now. Charlotte, wait here and enjoy the coffee and sunrise. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Zach rolled his eyes but followed Ian as he stormed into the hangar. A few moments later, Charlotte could hear the sound of yelling coming from the hangar. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but it was clear that Zach and Ian were having a very heated disagreement. The noise must have awoken the other members of the crew, because a sleepy-looking Hunter suddenly appeared beside the truck.
“Hey,” Hunter said in a shy voice. “I’m sorry if my shifting caused problems for you and Ian. It sounds like he and Zach are having an epic argument about you right now.”
Charlotte let out an exasperated sigh, and patted the blanket next to her on the bed of the truck. “Come on up,” she said. “And don’t apologize for shifting. You and Ian saved me from a bear attack. There’s nothing to apologize about.”
Hunter hopped into the truck and glanced over at Charlotte. “Is it true?” he asked. “Are you and Ian going to be lifemates?”
“Lifemates?” Charlotte asked, confusion etching itself into her face.
“Oh, I guess he hasn’t asked you yet,” Hunter said, sounding embarrassed. “I thought he had, since he’s arguing with Zach about it so loudly. Asking someone to be your lifemate is kind of like asking them to marry you. Ian said just a moment ago that he’s planning to be your lifemate, and Zach flew off the handle about it.”
“You can hear what they’re saying from here?” Charlotte asked, surprised.
“Yeah, bears have really good hearing. Sounds like Ian is putting Zach in his place.”
“Good. Zach’s been giving him such a hard time, for no good reason.”
“Don’t be too hard on Zach. He’ll come around,” Hunter said. “He’s a good guy, but he has a temper and he doesn’t like to admit it when he’s wrong. And he was clearly very wrong about you.”
“Wrong about me?”
“Yeah. He thought as soon as you found out we were bear shifters you would out us. Then not only would your relationship with Ian be done, but the entire crew would probably lose our jobs.”
“I’m not like that,” Charlotte said.
“I know that now,” Hunter said. “We all know that now. But Zach is stubborn and doesn’t want to admit that he was wrong. He’ll come around eventually. Just give him some time.”
Hunter pulled a small piece of fabric from his jeans’ front pocket. “I made this for you,” he said. “It’s our official Burning Claws Crew patch. I designed them, and we all wear one on our jumpsuits. I decided that since it looks like you’re going to be a permanent part of the crew, you should have one, too.”
Charlotte looked down at the patch, which had a bear paw with flaming claws on it. “Hunter, this is awesome,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
Hunter shrugged, but looked pleased. “I’m glad you like it. Welcome to our crew, officially,” he said.
Charlotte held the patch tightly in her hand and smiled. She belonged here, now. Zach could put up a fuss about it all day long, but Ian was standing up for her now. And the rest of the crew seemed to be excited about having her around permanently. As she studied the patch, Trevor and Luke came out of the hangar with wide eyes.
“Looks like you’ve caused quite a stir between the boss and Zach,” Trevor said. “Pretty impressive.”
Before Charlotte could answer, Ian’s voice came booming from just beyond the open hangar door. “She didn’t cause a stir. Zach caused a stir. He had concerns about Charlotte outing us as shifters, but it’s clear now that his fears were misplaced.”
Ian came out of the hangar, followed by Zach, who looked sullen but remained silent.
“Zach and I have had a discussion, and I’ve explained to him that I’m confident that the crew is in no danger from Charlotte. He’s admitted that my confidence is well placed, and Charlotte will be staying with us. If anyone else has issues with this, now is the time to speak up.”
Ian looked around the group, making eye contact with each of his men. None of them offered any words of protest, and Charlotte silently cheered as she realized that Hunter and Ian weren’t the only crew members who had accepted her.
“Good,” Ian said. “Now that that’s settled, let’s all get back to work.”
His tone left no room for complaining, and the crew members scattered to start on their tasks for the day. The peak of the sunrise had passed by this point, and Ian offered his hand to Charlotte so she could jump out of the truck.
“Sorry about the sunrise,” he said. “We can try watching it again tomorrow, if we don’t get called for a mission.”
“No worries,” Charlotte said. “Is Zach okay?”
“He’s miffed at me, but it’s not the first time. He’ll get over it in a few days and everything will be completely back to normal. What’s that in your hand, by the way?” Ian asked, pointing to the patch Hunter had just given Charlotte.
“A Burning Claws patch for my jumpsuit!” Charlotte said. “Hunter gave it to me, so that I’m an official part of the crew now.”
Ian smiled. “He’s got such a good heart.”
“He also explained to me what a lifemate is,” Charlotte said, giving Ian a coy smile.
Ian chuckled and drew Charlotte into his embrace. “Oh, really? And how do you feel about that concept?”
“I feel like it sounds like a pretty good idea, if you find the right person.”
“Do you think you’ve found the right person to be your lifemate?” Ian asked, his voice growing serious.
Charlotte smirked. “I might have. But I can’t be sure, because he hasn’t asked me yet.”
Ian took a deep breath, and let it out in a ragged exhalation. “I didn’t want to ask yet because I didn’t want to overwhelm you right after my rather ungraceful revelation of the fact that I’m a bear shifter. But if you’re hinting at what I think you’re hinting at, then I’m just going to go for it.”
Ian knelt down on one knee in front of Charlotte. The bright, early morning sun illuminated his dark hair from behind, so it almost looked like it was on fire.
“I know asking you this question is absolutely crazy, but I’m absolutely in love with you, and I’ve never been the sane type, anyway. If you’re willing to take this leap with me, then I’m more than ready to take it with you. Charlotte Moore, will you be my lifemate?”
Charlotte grinned, her heart swelling with feelings of love and joy as Ian’s handsome face looked up at her earnestly. “I’m crazy in love with you, too, Ian,” she said. “Let’s take this leap together. Whatever bumps we face along the way, let’s face them together, as lifemates. My answer is yes.”
Ian jumped up and pulled Charlotte into his arms, spinning her around until her feet left the ground. When he finally set her down, he pointed to the patch she still held in her hand.
“You better go get that sewn on your jumpsuit,” he said. “Welcome to the Burning Claws Clan, my love. You’ve got a family again.”
Charlotte squeezed Ian’s hand happily as they wal
ked into the hangar to share the news with the rest of her new family. She smiled over at him when he returned the squeeze. All of the stress from the last week was quickly forgotten as she stared into the eyes of her soon-to-be lifemate.
A SPARK TO BEAR
Chapter One
Hunter Wilson stared nervously out the window of the Twin Otter airplane as it zoomed over the Northern California wilderness. The smoke hung thickly in the air, blocking his view of almost everything on the ground. Every now and then, a sea of orange flames peeked through a gap in the sooty, gray clouds.
From up here, it looked like the whole world was burning.
Hunter shifted his gaze to his alpha, Ian, who was staring out the windows as well. Ian’s face registered a look of deep concern, and he pulled a radio out of one of the arm pockets on his jumpsuit.
“Come in, Boise. This is Ian Reed, crew chief to the Burning Claws Smokejumpers,” Ian yelled into the radio. “Our aerial view of the fire indicates it’s growing rapidly and has surpassed what our six-person team can combat. Requesting permission to abort the mission.”
The radio crackled loudly, but the Twin Otter’s engine still managed to almost drown out the answer completely.
“Ian, this Boise. We are reassessing the situation. Please stand by for instructions.”
Hunter looked around at the rest of the crew members. The inside of the plane didn’t have any seats, so everyone sat on the floor and leaned against the sides of the plane. Charlotte Reed, Ian’s lifemate, sat closest to Ian. She already wore her helmet, so all Hunter could see of her face was her deep blue eyes, which looked concerned. Luke Griffin and Trevor Hayes sat on either side of Hunter. They held their helmets in their hands, and their faces looked grim as they silently watched the burning forest below them.
Zach Brooks, the second-in-command of the crew, sat closest to the jump door. Normally, the crew left the door open when they were getting close to their jump site. The thick jumpsuits and heavy gear they wore felt stifling in the summer heat, and the fresh wind whipping in from outside helped cool things down. But today, the smoke outside was too dense, and Zach kept the door closed, waiting to hear from Boise whether the mission would continue.
The National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise, Idaho, better known as simply “Boise,” was command central for wildfire firefighters. Boise kept track of all the fires burning across the United States, and organized a plan of attack for each fire—telling crews of firefighters from different state and federal agencies when and where to show up to work. Even though the Burning Claws Smokejumpers worked directly for the U.S. Forest Service, Boise had the final say on whether or not their current mission would continue.
Hunter closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm his nerves. He was a veteran forest firefighter, but this season marked his first as a smokejumper. He didn’t fear jumping out of a plane as much as he had at the beginning of the fire season, but he still didn’t feel completely comfortable with it, either. Especially not when the jump site looked like it was only hours away from being taken over by the huge forest fire below them.
When Ian’s radio started crackling again, Hunter’s eyes flew open. Even with his excellent bear hearing, he had to strain to hear the radio above the noise of the plane’s engine.
“Ian, this is Boise. Come in, Ian.”
“I’m here,” Ian said.
“We’ve assessed the situation. I know it looks bad from your vantage point, but there are several safe zones available near the jump site. And if we can get the fire to veer off to the south, it will be much easier to for the ground crews to contain and extinguish. You guys should be able to set up a fire break to do that before the fire gets anywhere dangerously close to you.”
“So you’re saying you still want us to jump?” Ian shouted into the radio’s receiver.
“Affirmative. Continue with the mission as planned,” came the reply.
Hunter clenched his helmet tightly and waited for Ian’s reaction. He could hardly believe that Boise wanted them to jump into the burning clusterfuck below them. Even though they would be jumping a short distance away from the actual fire, the blaze was moving at an alarming speed. He didn’t see how they could possibly get a fire break cleared before the fire caught up with them.
Hunter watched Ian sigh and put the radio back into his jumpsuit pocket, zipping it in securely.
“Gear up,” Ian said, pulling his helmet onto his sweaty head.
“You can’t be serious, Boss,” Zach said. “There’s no way this mission is going to work.”
Hunter rarely saw eye to eye with Zach these days, but he nodded in agreement at Zach’s words. This mission was doomed.
“Boise says jump. So we jump,” Ian said. “Now gear up.”
Zach scowled, but started strapping his helmet onto his head. Hunter pulled his own helmet on and secured it, then started checking the straps that held his parachute to his body. His chest strap and both leg straps were secure. He located the handles that allowed him to pull his main parachute and reserve parachute, and made sure they were clear and accessible.
Scratchy, smoky air filled the plane as Zach opened the jump door. Hunter glanced over at Luke, who shrugged and shook his head in an exasperated manner. The fire was too big and too close. Boise had made the wrong call on this one. But Boise didn’t like to hear opinions from firefighters in the field, and they seemed determined to push this mission forward. The show must go on.
Zach tossed colorful, crepe paper streamers out the door. Normally, watching the streamers float down to earth gave the crew a good idea of what direction the wind was blowing, which helped them land their parachutes properly. But the smoke swallowed up the streamers only a few seconds after Zach launched them.
“This is nuts,” Zach said. “I can’t even determine the wind direction, let alone check the spot to make sure we’re jumping into the correct location.”
Hunter’s eyes were watery from the smoke, which seeped through the little crevices in his helmet and irritated his skin.
Ian looked around at his crew, his eyes full of compassion and courage. “Listen, I don’t think this is going to be easy, but I think we can do it. We’re strong, and we’re damn good firefighters. I’m going to jump, and I’m going to do my best to give that fire hell. I know this is risky, though. Anyone who doesn’t feel right about jumping has my permission to stay in the plane.”
Ian made eye contact with each of his crew members, gauging their response, and Hunter felt his heart swelling with pride. Ian led with such character and strength. It was an honor to call him alpha.
“I’m with you, Boss. Let’s do this!” Hunter yelled out, feeling adrenaline filling his body. The rest of the crew nodded their agreement as well. The Burning Claws Smokejumpers stuck together, no matter what. They would face this fire side by side, as one unit.
“It’s hard to see anything out there, but I’m pretty sure we’ve got our spot,” Zach said. Ian nodded, and the crew lined up to jump. Hunter watched Luke, Trevor, and Zach hurtle away from the plane, then he stepped into the door himself. When Ian nodded at him, Hunter dove out of the plane, arching his back and spreading his arms and legs to stabilize himself against the wall of smoke and wind that came at him. He couldn’t see anything, but he tried to remain calm as he reached back and pulled the handle for his main parachute. The fabric flew open above him, catching the wind and halting his freefall with a sudden jerk.
Hunter coughed, trying to clear his lungs as he reached for his steering toggles and made sure his parachute was steering correctly. He scanned his surroundings, looking for the parachutes of his fellow crew members, or a clear place to land. Below him to his right, he saw a flash of bright white and blue, and he knew he had located at least one of his clan members. He followed the faint white and blue outline, hoping that whoever was steering that parachute had an idea of where to land.
Hunter could see the outlines of treetops as he floated closer to the earth. T
elling himself not to panic, he tried to find a spot without treetops. If he landed in a tree, he would deal with it, but landing on the actual ground would be a much better option. The parachute in front of him was steering further to the right, straight for what looked like a line of giant pine trees. Hunter moved his parachute to the left, and floated through a rocky, open space. The air had cleared a little down here, giving him an almost unhindered view of his landing spot.
From somewhere above him, he heard a loud crash and cursing as one of his crew mates collided with a tree. At least one person ended up in a tree on each of their missions. With a thick forest for a landing area, someone was bound to get a little too close to the trees on each jump. But Hunter had yet to be the unlucky jumper stuck in a tree, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he gently flared his parachute to slow its descent into the rocky crevice he had found. When his feet touched solid ground, however, the danger was just beginning.
The crew needed to clear a fire break. Their goal was to clear all the trees and brush from a large strip of the forest, which would stop the fire in its tracks. Without fuel, the fire couldn’t burn. Sometimes, the crew fought fire with fire, and set a backfire to burn up all the fuel in the main fire’s path. When the two fires merged, they would burn each other out. But today, they would be lucky if they could even clear a fire break before the main fire got close.
Hunter gathered up his parachute and trudged over to where he could hear voices shouting up at the trees. Luke and Zach were both tangled up in the trees, and Trevor, Ian, and Charlotte were trying to help them down. Hunter shrugged off his heavy parachute rig when he reached them, and started to unzip his heavy jumpsuit. It felt good to step out of the nearly hundred pounds of gear. Even though the dark green flame retardant suit was still heavy, it felt like a light cotton t-shirt compared to his jumpsuit.
The sound of snapping branches rang out as Luke and Zach threw their gear down from the treetops and rappelled down using ropes they had tied high up on the trunks.
Fire Bear Shifters: The Complete Series Page 9