Page 85 of Wild Fires

Plastering a smile on my face, I turned towards her. I didn't know the girl, but I knew she was a Grimes and she wasn't alone. Five of her cousins were there too.

Great. They were coming at me in droves. I just hoped there wasn't going to be an incident or riot or anything. And I didn't relish the idea of putting them back in their place. I was a mating male. I could own that now. But just because I hadn't sealed my bond with Gracie already didn't mean I was available to anyone else. They'd have to learn and respect that.

“What can I do for you?” I asked in my sweet comforting voice reserved for election times mostly.

“We heard about you and Gracie.”

And there it was. I’d laugh if this wasn't so predictably pathetic.

“And . . .” I snapped this time, not even bothering to try to hide my annoyance.

She looked at the cousin closest to her who stepped up and took over with a defiance I wasn't expecting.

“She's a true hero, sir. The way she saved Rodney like that. She went out of her way to help him and she used her powers for good. We want to be like Gracie.”

Pretty sure my mouth dropped open.

Gracie?

They weren't coming after me? They weren't interested in me? This was all about Gracie?

My ego instantly deflated, but I certainly wasn't disappointed by it. My mate had been brave. I was suddenly seeing her in a new light, as a true role model, one that didn't speak the pretty words and assure people the way I did, but one of action, who lived her life to protect those she cared about.

I'd been thinking about this all wrong.

“We're Grimes, Ryan.”

“I know that. You're cousins to my sister.”

They all relaxed and smiled. There was a societal ladder amongst raven shifters. It was stupid and archaic in my opinion, but many held on to the old ways. It was a sticky situation to navigate, but I'd like to think I was making progress. Both the Grimes and Pierce families who sat on the lowest rung of that ladder now had representation on the Congress Council for the first time in our history.

I'd helped make that happen.

Whereas they were at the bottom, the Davenports occupied the highest rung. My name had clout, but I'd always tried not to use that to my advantage. And I certainly didn't make my decisions for Ravenden based on any of that nonsense.

The woman cleared her throat. “We'd like to help fight this wildfire.”

“What? No, it's dangerous. You're safer here.”

She looked back to her cousins and they all lifted their chins in stubborn defiance. Exactly the same way Gracie did when she didn't like something I said.

I knew then I was screwed.

The whole Flock of them were going to do what they wanted and there wasn't going to be a damned thing I could do to stop them.

I sighed. “How do you plan to help?”

“We're water witches,” one of them reminded me. “We're strong, Ryan. Together we might not be able to put out the fire, and you're right, we aren't firefighters, but we can work the edges of the fire to help with containment and free up some of the actual firefighters to work other areas.”

I was ready to protest and remind them that it wasn't safe to be that close to the fire, but when I opened my mouth to speak my heart swelled with pride.

“That's genius and really brave of you ladies. Why don't you follow me down to base camp and we can discuss it with Clarence.”

At first they just looked at me.

I wouldn't admit it, but I was just as stunned by my words as anyone.

We had powers. These were gifts that could truly help make a difference, just like Gracie had for Rodney, and before with Guffy.

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