Page 22 of Packed in the Fire house

“Is there a man out there who doesn’t like bacon?” Rune asked.

“You would be hard pressed to find one,” I agreed.

We ate in companionable silence for a moment. We weren’t the only ones in the kitchen, but we were slightly off to the side in our own little bubble.

“I know you just got back,” Rune said between bites, “but how do you feel about another trip out today?”

I frowned at him. “To do what?”

Rune cocked his head to the side. “Well, there happens to be a good clothing store only a ten-minute drive from here. Funnily enough, I got a gift card for that store, quite a big one, last year and there's no way in hell I can use it.” He chuckled as he spoke.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, I don't know if you’ve noticed, but I'm not exactly a small guy.” He gestured to his body.

Oh, I had noticed.

Probably a lot more than I should have.

“Really? I had no idea!” I giggled.

Blaze snorted. “He’s basically an optical illusion.”

Rune glowered playfully at us. “Well, for your information, I happen to be rather large. So much so that this store doesn't stock any clothing that will fit me. It's mostly a women's clothing store, anyway. Their men's section is pretty small, so said gift card has been sitting in my desk drawer for months. It's going to expire any day now, so I was thinking maybe we should use it to get you some basics.”

I bit my lip. Could I accept so much from him? I had an idea which store he was talking about, and it was ideal for finding a few basics, like leggings and T-shirts, to get me through the next few weeks.

“Are you sure you wouldn't use it?” I asked.

Rune shook his head. “Nope, honestly. They even have a kids’ section…”

I sighed. He had me there. I wasn't going to say no when it came to getting something for Luka.

“Fine, but I fully intend to pay you back.”

Rune snorted. “I fully intend to not let you.”

“Honestly, sunshine, he has letsomany gift cards expire. He’s that kind of idiot.”

I rolled my eyes. Stubborn alpha.

“Are you sure you can leave? Don’t you have work?”

Rune shook his head, looking at his watch. “My shift ends in about thirty minutes. Connor, James, and a few other guys are on the next shift, I believe. They’re the ones who came in and grabbed sandwiches a minute ago. They like to eat and hit the gym before their shift starts.”

My heart stammered. “Does that mean you're leaving?” I asked, trying to avoid showing my panic. It was one thing to stay at the firehouse when the guys who had invited and rescued me were here, but I wasn't sure how I felt about being there with a bunch of complete strangers.

Even though the guys who had rescued me were pretty much strangers still.

Rune’s face broke out into a grin. “Unfortunately, you're stuck with me, Cher. My little pack has an apartment not far from here, but it’s currently getting fumigated, so we are crashing at the fire station even when we aren't working.”

Blaze chuckled, but broke into a cough. “Yeah, those pesky roaches!”

“Oh, that’s good, that you have somewhere to stay…”

Rune nodded. “Why would we bother getting a temporary apartment when we have beds, showers, and a kitchen here? It's also useful since, if one of the other guys gets sick, one of us can jump in. There are some perks to being in a pack with the captain.”

Handing Luka a few leftover slices of strawberry, I turned back to Rune. “So, how does it work, being a firefighter? How often are you on duty?”

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