Page 35 of Fated to the Lone Shifter
A curse?
To him.
To Noah.
And it means I might be in far more danger than I thought.
Chapter twelve
Ashes & Echoes
NOAH
The sun hasn't even crested the ridge when I’m already barking orders.
"Let’s go, boots up! Fire waits for no one. Move it!"
My voice slices through the morning fog like an axe. The crew jolts into action, scrambling for gear and lining up on the blacktop outside Firehouse 333.
It was a tough night for everyone. But today isn’t just about drills. It’s about proving to myself that I can keep them all alive.
Especially her.
Sera.
She’s standing in line with the rest of the probies, her jaw set, eyes narrowed, shoulders squared like she’s ready to goten rounds with the mountain. She probably could. But I’m not taking chances.
Today’s agenda is fire shelter deployment under duress, containment strategies, and basic med evac protocols. Tori leads the medical drills. I handle the infernos.
“Containment scenario, full gear, five minutes to deploy. You screw this up, you could end up roasted marshmallows. Got it?”
They nod. Some mutter. Jamie asks, “Will we be covering how to protect ourselves from the wild animals?”
Everyone stops what they are doing.
She catches me off guard, but she raises a good question. Right now it certainly doesn’t feel like the fire is our greatest danger. “That’s a great question, Jamie. Let me figure something out. Maybe we can get everyone tasers or flare guns. Let me get back to you on that.”
The team nods their heads, temporarily appeased by being heard.
Sera just watches me. Calm. Collected. But her energy—it’s different. Not just focused. Charged. Like a match waiting to spark.
We run through live-burn simulations. Controlled flames. Smoke grenades. Heat lamps cranked to max. Sera maneuvers through it like she’s done this a hundred times before. Fluid. Smart. Too smart.
I dial up the pressure.
“Knowles! You’re lagging.”
“I’m not,” she snaps back, not missing a beat.
I step closer, forcing her to adjust her path through the maze of debris and firelines.
Her eyes flash. Defiant. Fire meets fire.
Good. I need to see her burn.
But not break.
Not here.
