Page 64 of Fated to the Lone Shifter
Noah is heading my way, he glimpses the enchantment on his way to get checked out. He pretends he doesn’t notice, but I know he does.
As I join Tori, I can’t help but wonder how many secrets one crew can keep before they all go up in flames.
Chapter twenty
Simmering Images
NOAH
Riding in the back of the ambulance feels strangely calm after a night like this. The engine hums beneath us, a soft lullaby against the chaos we left behind. Tori sits across from us, fingers wrapped around her mug of herbal tea like it holds the secrets of the universe. Sera and I sit side by side, our shoulders brushing with every bump in the road.
Tori watches us with a knowing smile, the kind that hints at truths she hasn't spoken yet. There's a subtle shimmer in the air around her—like magic waiting to unfold—and something in the way her gaze lingers makes the space between Sera and me feel suddenly sacred, charged with something older and deeper than the moment alone can explain. She sets her mug aside andreaches into the pouch around her waist. “Hold hands,” she says simply.
We do.
She whispers something low and rhythmic in a language older than dirt. I feel the air charge, the hairs on my arms standing up. A soft pulse radiates from her hands, passing through our joined palms. Suddenly, the ache in my ribs fades, the burn on my shoulder cools, and Sera’s scraped cheek smooths out before my eyes. It’s like being bathed in warm light.
“Your powers are elevated together,” Tori says, nodding in satisfaction. “Bound witches and wolves create harmony and healing.”
I barely hear her. I’m back in the warmth of last night’s silence with Sera. After the sex. After the adrenaline. Just the magic, and the soft sound of her breath matching mine. Her fingers drawing soothing runes across my back. Her lips murmuring spells into my skin like prayers. My wolf, for once, quiet and content.
But Tori isn’t done.
As the ambulance slows to a stop at the firehouse, she leans forward. Her eyes, usually so calm, now glint with something darker.
“There’s been a warning,” she says. “From the local coven. The Lunaris Curse has been evoked. And the wolves are at your door.”
She offers no further explanation.
Before I can press her, the back doors fly open. Marcus appears, his grin casual, but his eyes sharp.
“Captain wants to see you,” he tells me, jerking a thumb toward the office.
Without even a glance in Sera's direction, I hop down, boots hitting gravel. As I pass him, I hear Marcus taunting Sera.
“Damn, Knowles,” he mutters. “You heal fast.”
My wolf growls low in my chest.
I don’t look back.
Back inside the firehouse, everything feels too bright, too normal. The overhead lights buzz faintly. The smell of sweat, ash, and lemony disinfectant mingles in the air. I walk straight past the lounge and locker rooms, ignoring the greetings of a few of the probies. My thoughts are only on Sera—and whatever the hell that warning meant.
Captain Greene is waiting for me just outside his office. He waves me in without a word. I expect a lecture or a list of tasks, maybe even a reprimand for getting too close to one of the probies. But instead, he just hands me a sealed manila envelope.
“Evidence from the last arson,” he says. “Thought you’d want a look before the official report goes in. Chain of custody is intact.” He watches me closely, gauging my reaction.
Inside are photos of the gas can, melted jewelry, a printout of the preliminary forensics on the body parts. But what catches my eye is the corner of a scorched photograph, recovered near the body. It's half-burned, but I recognize the background: the woods behind Firehouse 333. And in the foreground…two people. One is cut off, except for the toe of what looks to be a work boot. The other…Bode, smiles into the camera.
I swallow the growl rising in my throat. I thank the Captain, return the envelope to him and excuse myself.Keep it casual, Noah.
I head toward my office.
I need to see what was on that video I picked up at the motel fire.
I crash through my office door and dig the video cam out from behind my fire safety books where I stashed it.
I lock the door, brace myself and turn it on.
