Captured by chief firefi.., p.1
Captured by Chief Firefighter (Dragon Firefighters of Wildclaw Ridge), page 1
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Captured by Chief Firefighter
Dragon Firefighters of Wildclaw Ridge
Book 3
By: Scarlett Stone
Prologue
Six Weeks Ago
The dark-haired woman with the baseball cap pressed her foot harder on the gas, and the Volkswagen roared in response, picking up speed as it traveled through the night, twin headlights carving a path through the darkness. Her manicured fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter; her jaw clenched, her mind accommodating the grim understanding that she was hurtling either toward or from her demise.
I’m almost there, she told herself.
Cold beads of sweat trickled down from her temples, and she wondered about that. The road between Osten and Slakefield was long and unending, with trees towering on both sides like tall, shadowy curtains. The road was clear, and she was fortunate to have spotted only a couple of other vehicles since…
How long have I been driving?
Thirty minutes? An hour?
It was hard to tell when you were busy fleeing for your life, she reminded herself. Emotions distorted time—she’d known that for a long time. Love, sadness, rage...time seemed to bend around them, malleable by their intensity. And fear? It simply lanced through all perceptions of time. Even her pulse, pounding in her ears like a bass drum, raced twice as fast as the seconds ticking by.
She was at least conscious of her destination. Osten loomed in the distance in her mind’s eye, almost beckoning to her, like a treasure to some doomed sailor already lost at sea.
Almost there.
The Volkswagen’s engine sputtered for a moment, but she kept her eyes on the road and her foot on the gas. She should’ve gotten a faster car from that rental. At the time, she’d been hoping for something inconspicuous.
It doesn’t matter now, she thought, pulling the cap lower over her forehead. I’m already on the road.
The rental company would get their car back once this was all over. Probably.
More sweat trickled down her face, gathering below her chin. Whether it was from the panic that gripped her or the mere temperature of this car, she wasn’t sure. The Volkswagen was missing an air conditioner. Then again, she hadn’t exactly been factoring in the fact that it was the middle of summer when she approached the rental guy the other day.
Under the bright glare of the headlights, the tarred road was a blur, the white, painted partition flashing near the edge of her vision. You’re getting too close to the other side. The possibility of careening into some truck without headlights flashed through her mind. She couldn’t afford for that to happen.
Righting the car as carefully as she could, she spared a glance in the rearview mirror. No headlights in sight. Her wide-eyed gaze pierced the windshield, flicking between the road and the dark, star-speckled sky. There was nothing hovering overhead, either. No dragons. None that she could see, at least.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t being followed, did it?
Another wave of panic flooded her veins with adrenalin, and the Volkswagen protested again as it tore through the night. It was dangerous, she knew, driving so fast at night. But speed was the only advantage she had. It was why she hadn’t been caught yet, although there had been a couple of close calls, like the last rental, which had exploded in Laudville just moments after she hurried out of it. Or the time she’d returned to her apartment in Chicago just in time to see it go up in flames.
At one point, she began to wonder if she didn’t have nine lives like a cat. That thought had comforted her, at least for a while. But she was pretty sure she’d gone through eight of those lives already. It was only a matter of time before her pursuer finally caught up to her.
Somewhere underneath the panic that gripped her, she felt a spark of anger. None of this should be happening in the first place. She hadn’t caused Jed’s death; at least, she was pretty sure she hadn’t. This was on him. She’d done her best to stay clear of the man. If he’d had the sense to leave her alone, maybe he would still be alive, and maybe she would still be in her apartment back in Chicago instead of scurrying across Wildclaw Ridge like a rat fleeing a burning building.
But no, Jed had insisted on making her his.
This is also on you, said a voice in her head, and her anger slowly morphed into guilt. If you’d been stronger, this wouldn’t have happened.
It was the full moon! another part of her protested.
She dismissed the thoughts altogether, the rational part of her mind working relentlessly to take charge of the situation and ensure that she came out alive. The facts replayed themselves in her head in perfect order: someone was dead, someone else was after her because of that, and she was on the run and had no intention of getting caught.
Osten, here I come.
Was it sensible to head to yet another small town? The population was maybe a few thousand, but even a small town was filled with people. That was the problem. There was simply no avoiding people. No matter where she went, there would always be people, which meant she was likely to run into more trouble. It was like she was cursed. Except it wasn’t. It was simply who she was.
As these thoughts crept into her mind, a chill settled over her despite the heat.
She could sense that the next full moon was only weeks away.
Worse still, she understood what that meant for her.
What happened last time was an accident, she told herself. It won’t happen again.
The Volkswagen’s headlights illuminated a large sign just seconds before she sped past it.
Welcome to Osten, it read. Please Stay With Us!
Feeling a flutter of relief, she eased off on the gas, and the car slowed down to a normal speed as it approached the town. She could see it now. Osten. The town was definitely beckoning to her; the welcome glow of dimly lit buildings and neon signs came into sight as she reached the town. It was nothing like the city, but there was something about the small-town vibe that was calming to her, if only momentarily.
The streets were mostly empty, but she caught sight of a few people as she drove through the town, her eyes scanning desperately for someplace to stay.
This would have been a lot easier if she’d arrived in the daytime. But she hadn’t exactly had the opportunity to plan. When someone threatened your life, you didn’t stop to schedule a trip; you simply took off.
On instinct, she glanced in the rearview mirror and was relieved to see that no one was following her. With any luck, he didn’t even know she’d left Slakefield. Or maybe he’d simply given up the chase.
She chuckled. Neither of those options sounded very plausible.
Angling the Volkswagen into the next street, she looked around at the mostly dark stores and offices. It was definitely late. By now, most of the townspeople were probably already in their homes, blissfully unaware and unbothered by the presence of the woman whose life was hanging by a thread that seemed to grow thinner by the second.
She swiped at a bead of sweat on her cheek. Finding a safe spot to park and hiding out in the car till morning sounded like a great idea. In the morning, she could look for help. The possibilities spread out before her, and she felt a spark of hope. She could hide here for as long as possible, maybe get a job, get a new apartment...
Crap!
Headlights washed over her then. Instinctively, she pulled the baseball cap even lower over her face and floored the gas, causing the Volkswagen to lurch forward. By the time she brought it to a halt, the other car was gone.
Calm down, she instructed herself. You’re safe.
For now, at least.
It occurred to her just then that she’d pulled up in front of a diner. She peered out of the car at the place, her eyes widening, lips parting to expel a sigh of relief. The large neon sign outside displayed the flickering words: MOLLY’S SPECIALS. She directed her gaze to the large windows, across which the same words were emblazoned. Inside, a few people moved about, and she made out two women wearing aprons.
Her gaze finally settled on the door. A sign hung from the handle.
OPEN, it read.
Before she knew it, she was out of the car, making a beeline for the building. A bell jingled as she swung the door open and stepped inside.
Chapter One
Present Day
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Arson
The moment the man walked into the diner, Nicole Adair knew she was in trouble.
“Did you hear about that hardware store on Peterson Street?” Molly asked. It opened a co
Nicole blinked at her. “Wait, what?”
The older woman shrugged, her white apron covered with a few ketchup stains. “I heard there was a fire last night, and it burned the place right to the ground before the fire department could put it out. Thank heavens, no one was inside when it happened.”
“But the owner’s got to be crushed. Losing your business like that...”
“Yes.” Molly looked away for a second. “Something tells me what happened wasn’t an accident. How does a hardware store go up in flames just like that?”
Nicole nodded in silent agreement, adjusting her apron over her blouse. She stood behind the broad counter across from Molly, who was carrying a tray laden with empty glasses and a crumb-covered plate. As far as the diner was concerned, it had been a mostly uneventful evening. Molly’s Specials was usually packed this time of the night, but tonight, they had only a few customers. A woman in her mid-twenties sat alone in a corner, enjoying a burger as she gazed out the window at Monty’s, the bar across the street.
The other customers were a man and a woman, presumably on a date. Nicole guessed that the couple was in their mid-forties, like her. The man turned his head in her direction and stared a bit too long at her. Nicole held her breath. He’d been doing that every few minutes or so since he and his date had walked into the diner.
Control yourself, she thought.
The man looked away. She sighed in relief.
“So?” Molly said, looking expectantly at Nicole.
“What?” Nicole asked, frowning. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, do you think these fires are accidental, or is there some moron running around town with a newly purchased copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Arson?”
Nicole sighed again without really meaning to. In the past four weeks, several fires had occurred randomly in town. So far, a coffee shop, a hardware store, a couple of apartment buildings, and even Osten Woods had been set ablaze. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any serious casualties.
Some of the townsfolk blamed the summer heat. But it was fall now, and the fires kept occurring. As desperately as Nicole wanted to believe that the fires had been accidents, she couldn’t seem to rid herself of the chill that settled on the back of her neck whenever a new building went up in flames.
Just then, she remembered a man with a blond beard and shaggy hair, a pair of cornflower-blue eyes, and a serpentine neck tattoo. She heard the man say, You can’t run forever, Cassandra.
A shudder raced through her body. Could it be him starting the fires? It had to be, but just as quickly, she dismissed the thought.
“I’m not sure,” she told Molly. “I just hope someone puts a stop to it soon.”
“Yeah, the fire department and the police have been working day and night.” Nicole shook her head and frowned.
Molly said, “You feeling okay, dear? You’re looking a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” Nicole replied, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. A madman is hunting me down, and he’s probably the one starting these fires.
“You’d better be.” Molly’s lips curved into a grin. “I’ve been getting a lot more customers in here ever since I hired you.” She cast a glance around the diner. “Well, except for today. And most of my new customers are men.” She chuckled. “Would you look at that?”
Nicole couldn’t help smiling. She usually worked the morning shift, but something had come up with one of the other waitresses a couple of weeks back. Nicole had gladly filled the vacant position, grateful for the chance to make an extra buck.
She enjoyed working for Molly. She was one of the reasons that she’d decided to stick around Osten. The woman was warm and friendly, and Nicole liked that. It seemed that since the night she’d walked into the diner, things had begun to turn around for her.
But how long until Ray finds me?
“I just hope the fires stop soon,” she heard Molly say through the haze of her thoughts. “The last thing anyone needs is more of Osten going up in flames. I can’t afford to lose this place. I’m too young. I’m barely sixty-two, for crying out loud.”
Nicole chuckled as she looked at Molly, whose slightly sunken cheeks and grey hair made her feel even younger than forty-three. But Molly’s face belied her age; her brown eyes had a distinct twinkle in them. In fact, there was something almost maternal about Molly. The woman hadn’t so much as hired her as taken her under her wing all those weeks ago.
But even Molly had no idea who she really was or how she’d ended up in Osten.
“I’ll be right back,” the older woman said just then, gesturing at the tray of dishes she was holding. I need to get these to the kitchen.”
No sooner was she out of sight than a man walked up to the counter.
“Can I get the bill, please?”
It was the guy who’d come in with his date. Up close, she could see his features a lot more clearly. He was only slightly taller than she was, with a dark goatee and a receding hairline. He had a tired look in his eyes.
“Okay, sir,” she said. “I’ll get to you in a mo—”
“While you’re at it,” he added, lowering his voice, “I’d like to get your number as well.”
Nicole stiffened. A gleam of desire had appeared in the man’s eyes.
Crap. Why does this keep happening to me?
She regarded him for a second. The man was okay looking, but he certainly was not the kind of guy she’d want to date. He looked like he barely had the energy to ask for the check. If anything, she felt irritated as she stared at him. Hadn’t he come in here with a date?
She cast a sideway glance at the woman sitting in the booth, too absorbed with whatever she was doing on her phone to realize her date was hitting on the waitress, not that she could blame him exactly.
She sighed. “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t do that,” she said as politely as she could.
His eyes widened with disbelief. Nicole thought she saw his hand tremble on the counter. “But...but I want you. You’re so beautiful, so...so...” His hungry gaze traveled up and down her figure as though he were searching for the perfect word to describe her. “I want you,” he said again.
“Sir, this is inappropriate,” she told him, stepping back from the counter. For his benefit, she lowered her voice. “What about the woman who’s with you?”
“Who, Jenny?” he waved dismissively, his eyes still wide with hunger. “Don’t worry about her.”
Nicole knew it wasn’t really his fault, but she couldn’t help but feel her anger flare. Before she could smack him upside the head with the nearest menu for daring to speak to her like that, Molly appeared next to the man, tapping him on the elbow to get his attention.
“I see you’re done with your meal, sir?” she said, shooting a knowing look in Nicole’s direction. “I’ll be right over with your bill.”
The man’s gleaming eyes faded as he faced the older woman. “Oh...sure.”
Molly followed him back to his booth. A couple of minutes later, both he and his date left the diner, the man glancing over his shoulder at Nicole as he left.
The older woman reappeared at the counter just then, grinning from ear to ear. “You, dear, are one heck of an attractive woman. You know, back in my day, I was just like you, drawing men to me like a magnet.”
Nicole smiled. Not that Molly wasn’t attractive. Nicole was pretty sure she had a lot of men hoping for a date with her. But that was different. It was one thing to be attractive to men. It was another to evoke crazy desire in every man you came across, such that they were unconditionally drawn to you. That was anything but natural.
She’d always been part succubus, but she hadn’t realized it until her abilities began to manifest shortly after she reached adulthood.
She could still remember the first time a man had approached her. She was in college and working part-time at a low-end bar. She was serving drinks to a couple of friends when she noticed the glimmer in both men’s eyes.
Guys? she’d said. What’s up?
A moment later, her world turned upside down. Both men began professing an undying desire for her. And they weren’t the only ones. Every man in the bar seemed to be gazing only at her. Before she could figure out what was going on, the men began to fight over her, lunging at one another in order to get her attention. By the time she ran from the bar, sirens were wailing in the distance. The men had gone berserk, smashing beer bottles over one another’s heads.
