Page 1 of Claimed By Fur and Fangs

Chapter One

Amelia

The air was thick with smoke as the flames roared from the refinery, casting an orange glow over the night sky. The sound of crackling fire and distant sirens made everything feel like it was happening in slow motion. I stood in the back of the ambulance, preparing for what I knew would be a chaotic night. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

The fire was still raging, and I could feel the heat even from where I stood at the edge of the scene. Then, I saw him merging from the smoke like some kind of warrior from another world. His broad shoulders were draped in soot and ash, his tan skin streaked with the grime of his battle with the fire. His blonde hair was damp with sweat, clinging to his forehead as he moved with purpose. He was a firefighter, one of the first responders on the scene, and he wasn’t alone. On his broad shoulders, he carried an unconscious man with a grace and strength that didn’t match the urgency of the situation.

“Help!” His voice rang out, deep and commanding, but there was something raw, desperate beneath it. My heart picked up pace as I motioned toward the nearest gurney.

“Over here!” I called, rushing to meet him, the sounds of the world fading into the background as he approached.

Every step he took was powerful and assured, each stride bringing him closer. When he reached me, he lowered the unconscious man onto the gurney with careful precision, but there was a sense of urgency in his every movement. His intense blue eyes met mine with such force, I felt it deep within my chest.

“His name is Aidan Hale he was trapped,” he said, his voice shaking just slightly, betraying the effort he’d put into the rescue. “I got him out, but he wasn’t breathing, I did rescue breathing until he started breathing again, but barely.”

I nodded, trying to steady my breathing as I assessed Aidan’s vitals.

“And what’s your name?”

“Finn … Finn Harper” he answered.

“It’s strange that despite the fire Mr. Hale doesn’t have a single scratch though his clothes are torn but no burns on him…” I muttered.

But even with all the chaos swirling around us, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Finn’s gaze on me. It was intense, unyielding, like he could see straight through me. My heart raced, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the adrenaline of the fire or from the electricity pulsing between us.

“You’re hurt,” I said, finally noticing the gash on his forearm, the blood mixing with the grime on his skin.

“It’s nothing,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand, his jaw tight. His focus was still entirely on Aidan, but I could see the way his body tensed, his hands shaking from the adrenaline still rushing through him. His blue eyes, stormy and deep, stayed fixed on mine for just a moment longer.

“You saved his life,” I murmured, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

A flicker of something passed through his gaze—gratitude, maybe relief—and then he took a step closer, his presence overwhelming, as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of us. His voice dropped, hushed but firm, “I didn’t save him to lose him now.”

The weight of his words pressed down on me, sending a shiver down my spine. I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “We’ll do everything we can.” The doctor and another nurse started attending Aidan and tried to make him regain consciousness.

For the briefest moment, I saw Finn’s shoulders relax, just a fraction, as if he’d been holding his breath this whole time. But then he seemed to remember his surroundings, the chaos andurgency of the situation. He turned away, taking a step back, but his gaze never left me.

“Let me take care of that cut,” I offered, my voice soft as I noticed the injury on his arm.

“I’m fine,” he said, but there was something in his tone that faltered when I gently grasped his wrist.

“You’re not,” I insisted quietly, the words almost a whisper.

I gently pressed the cloth to Finn’s arm, cleaning the wound as my hand brushed against his skin for just a moment. I saw his breath hitch, and in that brief second, everything else around us seemed to disappear.

"Thank you," Finn said, his voice low, almost a whisper, but there was something in it that sent warmth flooding through me.

“You’re welcome” I whispered as I drowned in the depth of his gaze.

As the nurses rolled Aidan into the ambulance, I couldn’t resist stealing a glance over my shoulder. Finn was still watching me, his eyes never leaving mine, and I couldn’t help but wonder what this unspoken connection between us meant.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” Aidan growled at the nurse as he immediately came down from the ambulance.

“What do you think you are doing sir?” I immediately rushed to him.

“Alma?” Aidan said looking at me intently and confused.

“Sorry?”

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