Page 13 of Packed in the Fire house

Walker cocked his head to the side. “True. But just in case, do you have your cell phone? We can text you.”

I shook my head. “It’s in my apartment…or what’s left of it.”

“In that case, just get some rest. We will deal with everything else in the morning. You’ve met us and Blaze, and tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to the two other firefighters on duty, Gil and Merrick. Gil’s my second and the dad of the firehouse.” Walker shot me a warm, comforting smile, and my chest itched with the desire to throw myself into his embrace.

Both firefighters quickly left, Rune shooting me a reassuring smile before exiting.

As soon as the door closed behind them, I slid the deadbolt into place so Luka and I were secure.

Even though I trusted these alphas for some reason, I wasn’t about to take risks with my child. I didn’t know everyone at the station, and the idea that a stranger could walk into my room in the middle of the night was horrifying.

Walking over to the dresser, I pulled off the jacket I had taken from Rune. My skin prickled with the cold, and I rubbed my upper arms before picking up one of the bottles of water Rune had left and downing half of it.

Thirst satiated, I returned to the bed, where Luka was fast asleep next to me. Pulling back the duvet, I slipped between the covers, engulfing myself in the sweet smoke that embraced me like a warm hug.

Even after the chaos and loss of the night, wrapped up in that warmth with my baby dozing in the travel cot next to me, I drifted right off to sleep.

Chapter 6

Sunny

Islept far too well.

It was almost concerning.

Usually the smallest noise woke me, but my body was in a languid state while wrapped up in that sweet, smoky alpha smell that put my entire body at ease. It wasn’t until Luka was awake and smacking my face playfully that I stirred from my slumber.

For a moment, I looked at Luka, confused. I didn’t often share a bed with him. I was too scared I would roll over on him or he would clamber off the bed, so he usually slept in his crib next to my bed. His crib at home was clearly taller than the travel one, because he had somehow clambered out and onto the bed to pester me.

Then it dawned on me that the room I was in smelled much better than our run-down apartment. That place consistently smelled of mildew, no matter how much I scrubbed it. Sitting up, I pulled Luka into my lap, absentmindedly running my hand over his hair as I looked around the room.

Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, bathing the room in light. I had been too exhausted the night before to fully take it in. The space was well-kept, but minimal. Although it wasa functional room, the bed was better quality than anything I owned. There was no clock in the room, so I had no idea what time it was other than daytime, thanks to the bright sunlight.

How long had I slept for? Luka babbled in my arms, waving his fists around and doing his best to hold a conversation with me. “Mama, truck!” he declared happily.

I smiled, my voice cracking slightly from the smoke the previous night. “Yes, baby, you got to see trucks yesterday, didn’t you?” I whispered, kissing the top of his head and grimacing when I smelled just how smoky we both were. It wasn’t the good kind, like the one that saturated the room we were in. It was the acidic burned smell from the apartment complex.

“See trucks!” he shouted excitedly once again.

We were still wearing our nightclothes, and in the harsh light of day, I could see that we both were a little dusty. Eyeing the pile of clothing on the dresser, I slid out from under the covers, taking Luka with me, resting him on my hip.

“Okay, baby, I think the first thing we need to do is get clean.”

I was thankful that Walker had talked me through how to operate the shower when I arrived because it was indeed finicky to turn on. Once it was on, I took a while rigorously scrubbing myself and Luka until all traces of the fire were removed from us.

There were products in the shower already, so I used those. They smelled like Walker. Slightly sweet. I could only imagine they brought out his natural scent even more.

Usually, I would use a baby-specific body wash on Luka, given his young skin, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Even if the body wash was slightly irritating, it was better than having a thick layer of soot on his skin.

Luka splashed around in the water happily. He loved the shower, always had. He would sit under the waterfall for hours if I let him. For him, it was a pretty amazing morning; he had cuddles with his mama and got to splash around in thebigshower.

The towels in the bathroom were fresh and clean, even though I doubted I would have minded if they’d been used. Walker's scent was beyond appealing. It made me feel safe and also alive.

I did my best to convince myself that I was only reacting to his scent because he was an alpha, but deep down, I knew that was bullshit. I’d never reacted to Gregory even a little like that. His scent had been… okay. I had convinced myself that was enough.

Maybe if I had smelled the s’mores boys before, I would have thought differently.

Thankfully, the diapers that I had fit Luka; they were slightly snug, but it wasn’t terribly so. Luka would most certainly let me know if it was too tight.

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