Page 113 of Fated to the Lone Shifter
“Mom. Dad.” I cross the space between us in three long strides and pull them both into a hug.
My mother’s arms come around me fiercely, and my dad claps my back twice before pulling away just enough to meet my eyes. “We’re okay,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. “House is gone, but we’re alright.”
I glance at Sera, who hurries over and wraps her arms around them too. My mom beams.
“We’ve got friends offering spare bedrooms left and right,” she says, brushing a streak of soot off my cheek. “The insurance company says four months, and we’ll have a brand-new house. And guess what? I’m finally getting that kitchen I’ve always wanted.”
“Some women will do anything for a new kitchen” I chide her, laughing.
Sera nestles beside me. “We’re just glad you’re safe.”
My dad nods, his gaze lingering on Sera. “We are too. And we’re glad you’re staying.”
She takes a breath. “The case is closed. The culprits are…well, handled. And I’ve found my new family here.” She glances at me, her eyes soft. “The FBI can't give me what Lolo can.”
My heart thuds hard in my chest. The Captain had told me, but hearing it from her lips feels like the final piece of something I didn’t realize was unfinished. I want to grab her and kiss her again, but I rein it in. Not yet. Not in front of the whole damn department.
Instead, I tap her lightly on the hip. “Hey, probie,” I say, cocking an eyebrow. “Can we get a few minutes? You’ve got some floors to scrub.”
She smirks, swiping a towel from the nearest hook. “Of course, Lieutenant.”
When she walks off, my parents and I draw in closer, arms looped around each other again. It’s not a strategy meeting. It’s just…home.
And for the first time in a long time, I believe that’s something I get to have.
Later, we’re outside the firehouse helping the crew clear out the leftover damage. The sun is high now, drying the sweat on our necks as we haul equipment back into storage. Jamie drags a bundle of steel with a grunt.
“Got all the traps from the site,” she says. “Except one. Might’ve gotten buried or dragged off by an animal. But we’ll find it.”
I nod and take the bundle from her, tossing it into the back of the truck. “Thanks, Jamie.”
That’s when Taylor jogs up, cradling something small and squirming in his arms.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” he says, winded. “We found this little guy trembling, half-caught in some brush by the river wash—like he’d been fighting to escape but was too small to make it.. Must’ve gotten separated from his pack.”
He holds out a shivering wolf pup, no bigger than a loaf of bread. Its coat is soft gray with streaks of gold, and its eyes—wide, frightened, impossibly intelligent—lock right onto mine.
My breath catches.
Sera appears beside me like she’s been summoned. The pup whimpers.
“I’ll take care of it,” I say quietly, reaching out.
The pup doesn’t flinch when I lift it. It curls against my chest like it's found its home.
Sera touches my arm, her fingers brushing the pup’s fur. “He’s alone,” she whispers.
“Not anymore,” I promise.
And for the second time in one day, the firehouse is silenced—not with fear, but with awe.
Chapter thirty-five
Flames That Never Die
NOAH
The fire crackles in front of us, small but steady, nestled in the center of the ancient circle where blood was once spilled, secrets unearthed, and destinies rewritten.
