Page 25 of His Fiery Mate

“Of course.”

“With a lot of aftershave?”

“Maybe, if their scent wasn’t too strong. I doubt it would work well on like weasels or anything with a strong musk…”

“How about a bird? An ice phoenix, to be exact.”

“You think you know who it is, don’t you?”

“Check a guy named Stuart. I forget his last name, but he’s the administrative aide of the chief.”

She could hear an alarm begin to blare in the background.

“Babe, I gotta go. See what you can find out about Stuart. Do not, I repeat do not, go after him on your own.”

“And I repeat. Drakaina.”

“My drakaina. My fated mate. Don’t do it…” The alarm continued to sound. “Don’t do it.”

Over the PA system she could hear: “All available units to the wilderness south of the city. Early reports say the wildfire is out of control. Repeat. All available units to the wilderness south of the city.”

“They need me.”

“So do I,” she admitted. “Stay safe. Please.”

“I will. I love you.”

He hung up before she could respond.

“Love you, too,” she said into the ended call. She looked at the cell phone in her hand and placed it on her desk. If he thought some half-assed ice bird could take on a fire-breathing drakaina, the man needed to learn some basics about fire and ice.

CHAPTER 10

TANNER

Tanner squinted against the smoky haze as he stood on the ridge overlooking the vast expanse of burning forest. He scented the air and could definitely smell some kind of accelerant—and not in just one location. The arsonist had to have set several devices and then detonated them at the same time. The crackling of flames and the roar of the wind filled his ears, while ash and embers danced in the air around him. The wildfire was growing rapidly into a monstrous inferno, devouring everything in its path.

“Tanner! We’ve got to move!” shouted Jimmy, the rookie who was quickly learning and would soon be a rookie no more. His face, like Tanner’s own, was streaked with soot and sweat.

Tanner tore his gaze away from the blazing panorama and nodded. “We need those planes, Jimmy. This fire’s out of control.”

He grabbed his radio, fumbling slightly with his thick, gloved hands. “This is North to all units. We’re up on the ridge. This thing is feeding itself. I’m calling in immediate air support. Repeat, I am calling in immediate air support. Keep yourselves safe.”

The radio snapped and popped. Intense heat was hell on communications. “The Forest Service is going to take more time than we’ve got,” said one of the other team leads.

“I have a friend; he’s already got them called up and headed our way. I just need to give them the precise coordinates.”

Tanner pulled out his satellite phone and pulled off his glove to ensure he dialed correctly.

“Tanner, it’s Ash. We’re en route. I have two water planes with me and two more to follow from the mainland. Where are we coming, and do you need ground support?”

Tanner gave him the coordinates for the first two water dumps. “I believe we have multiple points of origin for these fires. Coordinate with the chief for ground support, but yeah, we’ll take all the help we can get.”

“Is Kodiak safe?”

“I think we can get in front of it. But if the wind shifts, we may need to think about evacuation.”

Static crackled in response before a calm voice broke through. “Roger that, Tanner. Water bombers en route. ETA ten minutes. Hang tight.”

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