Spark

by R K Close

  The two medics were already pulling out of the bay, and we followed as Seth maneuver the engine out of the station.

  It took us seven minutes from the time we received the call before we arrived on scene. Seth parked the engine so that it blocked traffic on the street, which lent some protection for the patient and my crew while the medics did an assessment.

  Tyler looked up at me. “We have a code arrest.”

  One medic vigorously started chest compressions while the other placed the defibrillation pads on the patient’s torso. Cole moved in to take over compressions to free Dave to help evaluate the patient’s heart rhythm.

  “Patient is in V-fib.We have a shockable rhythm,” Tyler announced. “Charging. Clear.” Everyone stopped what they were doing, careful not to touch the patient. The man’s body jerked and lifted off the ground briefly from the shock.

  Dave put his stethoscope to the patient's chest. “We got a pulse.”

  “Okay, let’s move now,” Tyler said.

  Seth had already brought the gurney, in case it was needed.

  The patient was quickly prepared for transport and loaded into the medic truck. Cole drove them so that the paramedics could work on the patient in the back. Seth and I stayed a few minutes more to collect more information and answer some brief questions from his wife and daughter.There were many bystanders milling about, and even more watching from nearby restaurants. One in particular caught my attention as I prepared to climb up into the engine and return to the station.

  Jessica Parker sat at the cafe patio across the street with a man. I felt hot all over and knew my wolf was stirring. Jessica and I made eye contact briefly before I climbed into the engine’s cab.

  Did she have a boyfriend? It made sense. I hadn’t noticed a ring, so I figured they weren’t married. I had glared at the other man as if I had some claim to Jessica. It was doubtful the man could even tell I was throwing lethal daggers his way, but Jessica noticed. Her delicate eyebrows had scrunched together as she most likely tried to understand my behavior.

  That made two of us. I didn’t understand my reaction to seeing her with another man any more than she did. I had no claim on her and absolutely no intentions to act on my attraction. That ship could never sail. I wasn’t what she needed.

  It wasn’t like I could afford a relationship, anyway. I was forced to give up the woman I’d loved long ago because leaving was the only way I knew to protect her from the curse my brothers and I shared. We still didn’t understand it. After eight years, we were no closer to understanding why we shifted. Eight years since we’d seen another shifter.

  I considered canceling my meeting with Jessica, but I knew she would keep coming if I did. That much I had gathered from our brief interactions.

  I’d keep the meeting if only to be done with the entire business so I could stop thinking about every detail of her face.

  THE REST OF THE TWENTY-four-hour shift was quiet, and we managed to sleep all night without a single call. Sometimes, we got lucky like that. That morning, my brothers and I stood around talking to the members of the crew as they arrived to relieve us.

  “Breakfast at the Squirrel, anyone?” Cole asked.

  “Not this morning, but I’ll see you both tonight,” Seth said.

  “See you at the Moon, Seth,” Cole said.

  The Moon was the nickname for The Burning Moon Bar that we frequented. It was a favorite with locals and sat on a corner along the main drag in the historic part of town. Walking into The Moon felt like stepping back in time, and it had become my favorite spot to have a few beers and play some pool.

  “See you, Seth,” I said.

  “I’ll be late, but I’ll be there,” added Seth, as he climbed onto his motorcycle and pulled a slick black helmet over his head. It was the same bike that had once belonged to the shifter I had killed. The same night we’d learned what we were. It had changed our lives in ways we could never have imagined. It certainly changed our direction.

  The biker and his pack had known what we were before we did. In a cruel twist of fate, it was also the night we lost our father to a massive heart attack. I still carried not only the guilt of taking a life, but the painful suspicion that the heart attack may have been brought on when our pa witnessed me turning into a wolf before his eyes.

  Cole and I watched Seth pull out of the fire station parking lot. I assumed he was heading home to his apartment above the automotive repair shop. The owner allowed him to tinker with his vintage truck or his motorcycle whenever he wanted.

  “What do you say, Liam?” Cole persisted.

  “Sure, let’s see what Old Henry is serving up today,” I said.

  Cole lived in a small house he owned, located directly north of the college campus. Being the youngest, he enjoyed the energy of the neighborhood, since it was mostly filled with students. He nodded and climbed into his hard-topped Jeep, and I got into my old Ford truck that I’d had since high school. I could afford a new vehicle, but I preferred the simplicity and style of the older models.

  THE TOASTED SQUIRREL was always busy, but only for breakfast and lunch. It had an eclectic style that felt like you just walked into a yard sale from the seventies. You might find old metal bird cages with plants in them or macramé owls or other creatures. Squirrels were the theme. There were several live ones, who lived off the patio food, almost year-round.

  Henry, the owner and head cook at the Toasted Squirrel, was a middle-aged Navajo Native American, with long jet-black hair he kept pulled back with a leather tie and a feather hanging down. I once asked him if it meant anything special, and he laughed and said he wore it for the tourists, but I suspected there was more to it than that. Henry was fiercely proud of his ancestry.

  Henry spotted us standing in line, waiting our turn to be seated. He stopped what he was doing, wiped his hands on his apron, and came over to greet us.

  “I got your table ready, boys. Follow me,” he said, ushering us past the line of people waiting. He took us to the furthest corner of the dining room. No matter how busy he was, Henry always made time to treat Seth, Cole, and me like special guests. Henry regarded all first responders and military with respect. We appreciated the special attention Henry, and his staff afforded us.

  “Just getting off shift?” Henry asked as he handed us menus.

  “Yep. It was an easy one. How are you, Henry?” Cole asked.

  “Working myself into an early grave. Other than that, I can’t complain,” he joked.

  “And the grandkids? What will they do if PoP-PoP keels over? You should take it easy. Let someone else do the heavy lifting for a change,” I urged. It was true that he took on too much himself. It was a hard life running a successful restaurant.

  “They’re good, and they’ll be set for college,” he said, laughing as he headed back to the kitchen. “Stephany will be over to take your order in a few.”

  “Thanks, Henry,” I said.

  “Can we talk about what happened?” Cole asked, lowering his voice and looking around.

  “Can I eat first?”

  Cole shrugged and began to study his menu. I don’t know why he bothered. He always ordered the buckwheat pancakes with bacon and hash browns.

  I DROVE SOUTH ON I-17, in the direction of Sedona until I exited on the 89A. My home was fifteen easy miles from town, between Sedona and Flagstaff. My land was secluded and nestled among the forest. I’d been living in a fifth-wheel travel trailer while I worked on the cabin I’d been building, almost entirely by myself. Seth and Cole would lend a hand when I needed help.

  It was an excellent way to spend my spare time. The location was also ideal for trail running, which I did often. Some days I’d stop by the jiu-jitsu gym near the fire station. Staying busy kept the loneliness at bay.

  Staying busy kept my mind away from more troubling questions, such as our mysterious past that I’d assumed, by this point, would never be solved. But that didn’t stop the nagging questions from haunting my thoughts. I’d susp
ected it was something we all still struggled with from time to time, but we no longer talked about it.

  As usual, I worked hard until it was time to meet my brothers and Jessica at the bar. I couldn’t seem to get the woman out of my head. Her face was haunting me. Thinking hard, I tried to recall a time when a woman had affected me this way. I couldn’t think of any, except for Harmony, my high school sweetheart. That had been the closest, but still this seemed different. My interest in Harmony grew over time.

  When I discovered what I was, I left Harmony, hoping to protect her. She never knew why—only that I broke her heart.

  I’d learned through my lawyer, that she had graduated college at Berkeley, started some business that organized and guided the finances of restaurants, married her business partner, and had her first child last year.

  I was happy for her. This was why I left—so she could have a normal life. I was able to let go of Harmony once I learned she was settled and apparently happy.

  I thought about seeing Jessica with that other man, and I was suddenly seething again. At that moment, there was nothing I wanted more than to rip the other guy apart. What the hell was wrong with me? I had recently shifted, so I should have been more relaxed. Sometimes we became edgy when we hadn’t shifted for a few weeks. It was like a necessary form of therapy.

  Mine. A strange thought kept speaking into my head. I clamped down hard on my inner wolf when it wanted to say, Jessica is mine. I’d never been the jealous type, not even with Harmony. And this woman would never be mine. A relationship wasn’t in the cards for me, even if I acknowledged the desire to be with her was incredibly strong.

  That morning, I went for a long trail run. My plan was to shove Jessica out of my head with physical exhaustion. It worked for a while, but didn’t last nearly long enough.

  Finally, I gave up and prepared to meet my brothers, and the woman haunting my thoughts.

  Jessica was a news reporter, damn it. I’d need to be careful around her.

  5

  The sun had set by the time I arrived at the Burning Moon. The bar had been a mainstay of Flagstaff history, even though the name had changed several times over the past hundred years. We’d only known it as the Burning Moon. The bar’s furnishings seemed to have been frozen in time. Everything was highly polished dark-stained wood, from the bar, floor, ceiling, and even the paneling on the walls. The only modern elements were one pool table and several neon signs that hung in the front windows and above the bar.

  Cole sat on a stool near the only pool table. For the moment, the table was being used by some other guys. No doubt Cole had already put coins down to claim the next game. He was looking at something on his phone when I walked up to the bar and stood next to him.

  “Anything interesting?” I asked.

  Cole looked up and greeted me with a wide, boyish smile. “Hey, Liam. No, I was just looking for information about the campers.”

  “Find anything?” I asked

  “Nope. Nothing that we didn’t already know. What’d you do today?” Cole put his phone in his pocket and took a sip of his beer.

  “I did some trail running and worked on installing a window in the cabin,” I said.

  “How’s the cabin coming along? Have you gotten much done since I helped run the wiring?” he asked.

  “Most of the windows are in,” I said, looking down the bar. Another bartender was just coming on shift. Her name was Zoey Bannon. She’d only been working at the bar for the last month or so.

  Cole had a massive crush on Zoey, but he said she gave off the not-available vibe whenever he tried to flirt, so he reluctantly settled for admiring from afar.

  Seth also had tried to hit on Zoey when she first showed up, but she shot him down without batting an eye. Once Cole saw his older brother crash and burn, he figured there was no hope for him.

  Women seemed to love Seth, even though none of them could make him stick around. I didn’t know if he stayed single because of choice, like me, or hadn’t met anyone he could share our secret with. Were there women who could love someone like us? I couldn’t imagine it.

  Zoey noticed me waiting and came to take my order as she tied a small black apron around her hips.

  “Hello, boys. What’ll you have, Liam?” She was good with names and quick with a friendly smile. Zoey’s hair was long waves of molten lava. Every shade of red with dark undertones of auburn woven together to make one pretty redhead.

  “I’ll have that new IPA you have on tap,” I said.

  It was almost painful to watch how nervous Cole would get when Zoey was tending bar. I wished he’d just ask her out, but I knew Cole was afraid she’d reject him like she had every other guy who’d tried. She was lovely, and I understood Cole’s attraction, but his skin was not as thick as Seth’s or mine, which made him more cautious.

  “Coming right up. You good, Cole?” Zoey asked.

  Cole’s voice almost cracked when he replied. “Yeah, I mean yes. I’m good for now. Thanks for asking,” Cole stammered. Zoey smiled at him and turned to get my beer.

  Cole rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.

  “Take it easy, Cole. You just need to relax around her. Let her get to know what a great guy you are,” I said quietly. He looked at me with a pained look.

  “Table’s yours,” said one of the men who’d been playing pool.

  I nodded, and Cole slid off his stool and began to rack the balls for our game. Zoey brought my beer, then went back behind the bar to serve other patrons.

  We were almost through the first game when Jessica and her friend entered the bar. A whistle came from a group of men in a corner booth that both women ignored as they made their way toward Cole and me.

  I instantly felt hostile toward the men. So much so, I had to focus on controlling my breathing and commanded my wolf to relax. What the devil was wrong with me? Why was I feeling this way?

  Jessica walked up to me smiling confidently, with the other woman coming to stand next to her. Tonight, both women wore jeans. Jessica had on high wedged shoes, while the other woman wore checked Converse. They were both attractive, but extreme opposites by comparison.

  Jessica walked right up and extended her hand while giving me a warm but cautious smile. “Thank you for meeting with me, Captain McKenzie.”

  I hesitated a moment, then reached for her hand. When we touched, a shock, like before, ran up my arm. I couldn’t hide my surprised reaction. She snatched her hand away as we awkwardly stared at one another.

  “What happened?” Cole asked.

  Jessica was rubbing her hand on her jeans. I just stared at her.

  Seth’s loud voice interrupted the strange moment. “I’m here. What did I miss?” Seth asked, sauntering up to Jessica and her friend.

  He noticed the tension and looked between Jessica and me. Nobody answered him. “Obviously, I’ve missed something.” He laughed and then headed to the bar. “Zoey, my love, could I have a whisky and Coke, please?” Zoey nodded and pulled down the single barrel whiskey she knew Seth preferred.

  Jessica and I had recovered somewhat, or at least we pretended to, by the time Seth joined us again.

  “These are my brothers, Seth and Cole.” Cole and Seth stepped forward to shake hands with Jessica. Seth went as far as to kiss the back of Jessica’s hand. He threw me a challenging smirk as he did. I squeezed my fists at my sides and tried to pretend his taunt didn’t bother me. At least Jessica seem to be immune to Seth’s charms.

  “This is my friend and coworker, Daisy Thorp.

  I shook Daisy’s hand.

  “Hey, Daisy,” Seth said, drawing out her name and putting his arm around her shoulders as if they were old friends.

  “Seth,” Daisy replied. She looked pleased with the attention Seth was giving her.

  I gave him a warning look, but he merely smiled and ignored me, as if I were a nagging parent.

  “Seth, you can finish my game. I’ll be at the bar with Ms. Parker,” I s
aid, motioning for Jessica to precede me to the bar.

  “Jessica or Jess. My friends call me Jess,” she volunteered as she brushed past me on the way to the bar. She climbed onto a stool and made herself comfortable.

  “You can call me Liam,” I said, appreciating the view of her backside as she walked ahead of me. Jessica had a small waist with full round hips and butt that were stuffed into snug jeans that made my thoughts go in directions best not pondered, under the circumstances.

  Her mood seemed to brighten, and I wondered again if I were making a critical mistake by agreeing to the interview. Just being that close to her had me humming with wolf energy that I struggled to manage. I prided myself on the level of control I’d developed over my wolf nature. How could one woman threaten that with no more than a smile?

  Jessica had a notepad and pen with her. She opened the pad and held her pen at the ready. I sat on the stool next to hers. There wasn’t much room, so when our knees touched, I almost expected a similar reaction to when I’d felt her hand, but there was none—just a hyper-awareness of her closeness. She glanced down at our knees touching and then up at me. She smiled nervously. That was a change. Jessica had exuded nothing but confidence since we’d crossed paths. Could it be that I made her nervous?

  “So, I’ll get right to it. What were you and your brothers doing in that part of the forest on the morning you discovered the campers?” She had her pen poised as if taking notes for a class.

  “We were returning to my truck after camping,” I said, without elaborating.

  Jessica nodded and scribbled something on her pad. “If you had to guess, how far away were the bodies from your camp?” she asked, still writing.

  “About a mile north.” I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest. I hoped the interrogation didn’t last long. I had an overwhelming desire to hold her in my arms and kiss the sense out of her.

  I’d always found smart women attractive, and like most men, I had a regular healthy sex drive, but this was not normal. I was not that possessive sex-crazed guy who acted on every urge.