Page 4 of Fight Fire With Fire

“Grandpa! You’ll never believe what I just did,” Oriana cried as she ran into his office, a flame swirling in the palm of her hand.

She was so excited to show off the spell to her grandfather again, so I left them to it. If I’d known that the tidbit of information Blake had meant to tell me was vitally important to my continued well-being, I would have waited around and made sure he shared it. Before I learned the hard way that what they said about ignorance being bliss didn’t apply in The Abyss.

3

Dawson

After Damien had dropped his retirement-slash-job offer bombshell on me, it had taken me a couple of days to decide if I should do it. Becoming an enforcer for the shifter council was a big deal, and as much as I liked to joke around, I took my commitments seriously. Once I made my decision, I talked it through with my parents, who agreed that accepting the position made sense for me now. I’d ruled it out as an option several years ago because I knew myself well enough to understand that I would’ve chafed under Damien’s leadership.

As much as I loved my cousin and respected what he was capable of, I would’ve had a hell of a time following his orders without question after so many years of pushing his buttons. With him retiring, I didn’t have to worry about how I’d adapt to working under Damien. He was leaving behind big shoes to fill, and I’d grown confident enough in my abilities to believe I was the best man for the job. But I was still surprised by Seth’s response when I called.

“About damn time you called. I was starting to worry your cousin was wrong about you and I’d have to find someone else to take on the mission I had in mind for your first.”

Two days seemed more than reasonable to me, especially considering there would be instances when I’d be asked to risk my life for the council. “It hasn’t been that long since he told me about the opportunity.”

“Unfortunately, this particular mission has a time clock on it that’s running down. I need you to get your ass to my house right away so I can fill you in on the necessary details.”

My dragon didn’t chafe at the command coming from Seth instead of my uncle, which confirmed what I’d already suspected—the alpha wolf who led the shifter council was damn strong. Then again, what he was asking of me was something I wanted, so it wasn’t likely that my inner beast considered my agreement to be following orders. “If I use the portals, I can be there in no time at all.”

I had been honored when my uncle showed me the portals that could take me across the country in a blink of an eye. They were a well-protected secret, even from most of the supernatural community. But he knew I would never do anything to betray his trust in me. Dragon holds tended to be smaller than most other shifter groups, and ours was no exception. We were a tight-knit group. And Uncle Dean wasn’t just my alpha but also the head of my family.

Although I had spent a lot of time traveling recently to improve my fighting skills, my family meant the world to me. I had never really answered to anyone other than my uncle, and as I traveled to Bashar Pack lands, I couldn't help but wonder if I was going to chafe under the leadership of someone else, no matter how powerful an alpha the wolf shifter Seth was. But I didn't have long to ponder the situation because I arrived on their property to find him and his beta there waiting for me.

Flashing them a cocky smile, I murmured, “I wasn't expecting a welcoming committee.”

Seth didn't seem put out by my attitude, but Jared glared at me. The wolf alpha jerked his chin toward his second in command. “Don't mind him. He's just grumpy because he refuses to take my advice about something important.”

Jared crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled, “I'm not fucking grumpy.”

I quirked a brow, my smile widening. “I don't know, man. You sound kind of cranky to me.”

Seth chuckled and shook his head. “I do it all the time, but you may not want to get into the habit of pushing his buttons if the two of you are going to work together.”

Jared's eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “Are we?”

“Are we what?” I echoed even though I knew what he meant. I'd always been a button pusher, and I was unable to resist the temptation to yank his chain when he was already riled up.

“Going to work together,” Jared gritted out.

Seth laughed at our byplay before explaining, “As my beta, Jared interacts with the council enforcers on a regular basis.”

I nodded. “Makes sense to me. I’m looking forward to working with him in my new role.”

“Are you going to be as much of a pain in the ass as your cousin was?” Jared asked.

“Absolutely not.” He looked relieved at my answer before I added, “I'm going to be even more of a pain in the ass. I’m surprised Damien didn't warn you about that.”

Seth’s gaze turned considering. “He did seem a little too pleased with himself when he suggested you replace him.”

Unsurprised by this bit of information, I shrugged. “Probably payback for all of the years I've been pushing his buttons.”

Jared’s head reared back in shock. “You talk to Damien like this?”

I nodded. “All the time.”

His shoulders relaxed as his lips curved into a small smile. “I guess you’ll fit right in then.”

“Family or not, anyone who isn't afraid to risk pissing off Damien definitely has the balls to lead the rest of the enforcers,” Seth agreed.

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