Page 1 of Fired Up Love

ONE

Zina Parker wiped her palms down the sides of her fitted black slacks for the fifth time in as many minutes. She surveyed the lobby of Purrfect Oasis Spa with a critical eye, cataloging every detail. Afternoon light filtered through the bamboo-slatted blinds, casting golden stripes across the polished maple floors. The air carried a delicate balance of eucalyptus and sage—strong enough to evoke tranquility but subtle enough not to overwhelm sensitive shifter noses.

Perfect.

At least, it should have been perfect. So why did her stomach twist like she’d swallowed a nest of snakes?

A framed photograph on the reception desk caught her attention. Zina moved toward it, fingers hovering over the silver frame. Her mother’s eyes gazed back at her, crinkled at the corners with laughter. Fiona Parker stood beside a stone waterfall, notebook in hand, her dark hair windswept. It was the last photo taken before she and Zina’s father had left for that fateful peacekeeping mission in Africa.

“We’re doing this,” Zina whispered, tracing the edge of the frame. “Your dream, up and running.”

Her lioness stirred beneath her skin, a low, comforting rumble of agreement in her chest. Zina closed her eyes, allowing herself one brief moment to remember her mother’s voice:Relaxation is the path to self-love.Fiona had written those words countless times in her journals, each entry filled with sketches and ideas for supernatural-friendly spa treatments.

The sharp trill of the desk phone shattered her moment of reflection.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” a voice called from the direction of the supply room.

Zina blinked and reached for the receiver. “Purrfect Oasis Spa, this is Zina speaking.”

“Yes, I’m calling about your services,” came a gravelly voice that immediately identified the caller as some form of reptilian shifter. “Will the hot stone treatment be available with volcanic rocks or just river stones? My scales need the extra heat.”

Zina straightened. “We actually custom-heat our stones based on species requirements. For reptilian shifters, we maintain them at precisely one hundred seven degrees to maximize benefit without risking scale damage.”

“Well, that’s... unexpectedly thorough.” The caller sounded impressed. “Are you open yet?”

“We haven’t officially opened yet, but we’re taking appointments for those who don’t want to wait.”

“Put me down for four o’clock. Scaleson.” The line died before she could confirm his time.

As she hung up, Zina added “confirm volcanic stones” to her already lengthy to-do list. The page was so marked up with additions and cross-outs that it resembled arcane spellwork more than a schedule.

“An appointment booked?” Bryn asked, emerging from the supply room with an armful of fresh bath sheets. Her honey-blonde hair was pulled back into a practical ponytail, though a few wisps had escaped to frame her heart-shaped face. Despite being heir to the Maxen fortune—one of the wealthiest bear shifter families in Enchanted Falls—Bryn had practically begged Zina for a job at the spa. “I want real work experience,” she’d insisted, “not just another trust fund position.”

“Mr. Scaleson at four,” Zina replied.

Now Bryn grinned, depositing the linens on the counter. “That old lizard has been harassing every business in town about their heating capabilities since he moved here from Florida.”

“So he is a reptile?” Zina asked, her mouth curving despite her nerves. “Wasn’t sure if his last name was literal or coincidence.”

Bryn laughed, the sound warm and unrestrained. “In a town full of supernaturals with painfully literal last names, you never know. Your Parker family being the notable exception.”

“Rather boring, I think.” Zina moved to help arrange the bath sheets.

Bryn snorted. “At least it’s better than my family. What kind of bear shifters name themselves Maxen? Literally ‘maximum’ because we’re, quote, ‘the biggest and strongest.’“ She flexed comically. “My grandmother nearly disowned my brother Artair when he suggested rebranding our security firm with a less obvious name.”

The mention of Artair Maxen brought a sympathetic smile to Zina’s face. The intimidating bear shifter had recently mated with Thora, a fierce sabertooth bounty hunter who’d blown into town tracking a fugitive. Their romance had been the talk of Enchanted Falls for weeks.

“How is Thora adjusting to life with your family?” Zina asked, smoothing a non-existent wrinkle from a towel.

“She’s making Grandma Eira absolutely delighted by ignoring all the traditional bear clan social rules,” Bryn replied with undisguised glee. “Last week she showed up to Sunday dinner in leather pants and boots. I thought my grandmother would faint—but then she declared Thora ‘refreshingly direct’ and gave her the good silverware.”

Zina laughed, feeling some of the tension ease from her shoulders. This was why she’d hired Bryn—not just for her surprisingly meticulous work ethic, but for moments like this when Zina’s anxiety threatened to overwhelm her.

A soft chiming sound—like tiny crystal bells—announced an arrival. Zina turned toward the front door as it swung open.

“If you’re still fussing with those towels, I’m staging an intervention,” declared a slender woman with fox-bright copper hair and dancing eyes. Kalyna Foxworthy strode into the spa with the easy confidence of someone who’d known Zina since they were children. As the head librarian of Enchanted Falls, shop owner, and mate to Rust Leonid—the lion shifter mayor—Kalyna balanced a respect for tradition with a refreshingly modern attitude.

“It’s called attention to detail,” Zina retorted, but her smile betrayed her pleasure at seeing her oldest friend.

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