Flame

by Ophelia Sexton

  "You two nearly done in there?" called the officer from the front room.

  "Almost!" Cassie replied before Thor could say anything. "I just need to finish putting his casts back on."

  She grabbed the sling off the bed and put it around Thor's neck before starting on his leg cast.

  When they hobbled out of the bedroom together a few minutes later, Thor was dressed in his loose sweatpants and one of his new T-shirts.

  Cassie supported Thor around his waist as he limped his way to the nearest chair.

  The officer regarded them both with an unreadable expression, but his gaze lingered on the sling around Thor's neck and the leg-cast extending out from the end of his sweats.

  "Okay, let's start with some IDs," he announced.

  As the two male shifters reached unhappily into their pockets to pull out wallets, Cassie vanished into the other bedroom. She emerged in jeans and a T-shirt, having changed out of her pajamas in record time, and held her purse.

  She offered the policeman, whose nameplate read Sgt. Howard, her Texas driver's license.

  "His ID is in his bedroom," she said, indicating Thor with her chin. "Can I go get it for him?"

  "Sure," the officer said agreeably, scanning the three IDs he held. "So you're all from Texas, huh?"

  "I'm originally from Idaho, but I'm living in the Denver area now," Thor volunteered.

  Cassie emerged from the bedroom they'd shared last night, holding Thor's Colorado driver's license in her hand.

  The officer scrutinized it, then turned to Thor. His dark, intense gaze returned to Thor's arm and leg casts.

  "Thor Swanson?" he asked. "Not the same guy who was on the news a day or two ago? Smokejumper?"

  Thor nodded. "Yes, sir." His mouth twisted into a wry curve as he raised his injured arm from the sling. "I had kind of a rough landing the other day."

  The officer nodded. "So I heard. Care to tell me what happened here?"

  "We were only—" began the Hispanic shifter.

  "Not you," snapped Officer Howard, his head whipping around to glare at the sabertooth shifter. "You'll get your turn later."

  The big man looked unhappy at this, but obeyed.

  Howard turned back to Thor and waited expectantly.

  "I'm actually not really sure," Thor said. "I was in bed with my mate—"

  The word slipped out before he knew what he was going to say. He saw Cassie's eyes widen in shock, and swallowed hard. But he couldn't deny the truth. Not any longer.

  Yeah, you're my mate. Mine to protect. Mine.

  It felt strange, but at the same time, it felt like the deepest kind of truth.

  "—when these two guys started to break down the door. They threatened Cassie because of some stalker she had back in Texas—"

  A loud growl from the blond man interrupted him. "She's Mr. Baldwin's mate!" he protested. "We were only bringing her back to where she belongs!"

  "I am not Edward Baldwin's mate," Cassie said furiously. "And I'd rather die than go back to the pride!"

  "Wait." Sergeant Howard raised his hand. "Ms. Long, are you saying that Mr. Katzenberg and Mr. Tigredientes broke in here with the intent to abduct you? And you're actually Mr. Swanson's mate?"

  "Yes!" Cassie spat, and Thor's heart soared. Yes! Mine!

  "No!" protested the blond. "You don't understand, officer. We were just doing our jobs as pride enforcers. The match was properly arranged and a dowry paid. According to pride law, Cassandra Long belongs to Mr. B—"

  "Katzenberg, shut up," Tigredientes ordered harshly. He glared up at the officer. "We don't have anything else to say to you."

  Unfazed, the officer shrugged. "Have it your way, gentlemen."

  He turned back to Thor. "Please continue."

  Thor spent the next few minutes narrating the entire sequence of events, with Cassie adding details and background information where necessary.

  Howard scribbled furiously in his notepad as they spoke.

  When they had finished telling their side of the story, Howard turned to the two male sabertooth shifters.

  "Care to tell your side of the story now, gentlemen?" His gaze rested on the Hispanic shifter. "Mr. Katzenberg? Anything to add to Mr. Swanson's account? Another side to the story, maybe?"

  Katzenberg looked like he desperately wanted to plead his case, but Tigredientes shook his head.

  "Wait here," the officer said sternly.

  He went out to his vehicle, a big Jeep equipped with the high axles and wide tires of an off-road vehicle.

  Tigredientes turned his head and fixed Thor and Cassie with a flat, reptilian stare.

  "You're both going to be very sorry for this," he said with soft menace. "Mr. Baldwin's not the forgiving type."

  "Believe me, I know exactly what kind of type he is," Cassie retorted bitterly as Thor growled angrily.

  When Sergeant Howard returned, he was carrying two pairs of the special reinforced handcuffs used to restrain shifters.

  "Mr. Katzenberg, Mr. Tigredientes, it appears you both have outstanding arrest warrants for assault and battery back in Texas. Added to the assault and battery, breaking and entering, trespassing, attempted kidnapping, and damage to property that occurred here this morning, I'm placing you both under arrest."

  Though they both snarled unhappily, neither of the shifters resisted as Howard cuffed them and read them their rights.

  "We'll be out of jail in a couple of hours," Tigredientes promised, with a sidelong look at Cassie. "Just as soon as we can contact the pride's lawyer."

  She flinched, and Thor put his hand on her shoulder to steady her. He hated the reek of terror tainting her scent, and it riled up his bear's compulsion to protect what was his.

  "Now, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Howard said calmly. "My clan runs law enforcement in Emery County, and my great-uncle is the judge at our local Justice Court. He takes a dim view of shifters doing stuff that gets them noticed by Ordinaries, and I'll tell you now that he hates shifters who think that their laws and customs overrule state or federal laws."

  "Do you have any other questions for us?" Thor asked as Howard began herding his prisoners out the shattered door. "We're on our way to the Grizzly Creek Ranch in Idaho, so I can introduce my new mate to my family."

  "Not a problem, Mr. Swanson," the officer said. "I think the Emery County Sheriff's Office can take it from here. Just leave me your contact information, in case we need to ask you or your mate any further questions."

  "Sure," said Thor.

  Cassie accepted the notepad that Howard thrust at her and quickly jotted down her cell number and email address.

  "You can reach Thor though these as well," she told Howard as she handed back the notepad.

  "Thanks," the officer said. "We'll do what we can to make sure that these guys don't bother you again, Ms. Long."

  "I really appreciate that, officer," Cassie said, giving Howard a beautiful, hopeful smile. "I was really scared when they broke down the door to attack me."

  Katzenberg snorted loudly at this. "You sure are one pathetic little kitty, Cassandra. How can you even call yourself a sabertooth? If you'd only—"

  Thor growled again, his skin prickling with his bear's desire to shift and teach these two feline thugs a lesson they'd never forget.

  "Shut up, Paul!" Tigredientes snapped and the other shifter subsided into sulky silence.

  * * *

  Once Howard had taken Katzenberg and Tigredientes away to be booked and jailed, Cassie and Thor both agreed that they needed to get out of town as quickly as possible.

  Luckily, it only took Cassie a few minutes to tidy up the suite and put their used dishes and glasses in the dishwasher.

  While she worked, Thor called the hotel's reception desk and explained what had happened to the manager on duty.

  From what Cassie overheard, it appeared that the manager was indeed the one who had called the Sheriff's Office when she saw Katzenberg and Tigredientes battering at the suite's door. She a
pologized profusely for the disruption and any discomfort that Thor or Cassie might have experienced.

  That made Cassie feel bad, because the incident would never have happened if she hadn't been staying here.

  Thor promised to pay for the damage to the door if Katzenberg and Tigredientes couldn't be forced to make reparations, and gave the manager his credit card info.

  When he had finished the call, he gave Cassie a wry smile. "I'm not sure this counts as official government business, but I'm sure I can reimburse the Forest Service when my statement comes."

  He got up and limped in the direction of her suitcase, which was standing just outside her bedroom door.

  Cassie moved to intercept him.

  "And just where do you think you're going, mister?" she demanded, blocking his way.

  "I thought I could help load the car," he said, looking sheepishly down at her. "So we could get to breakfast sooner."

  His stomach gurgled loudly, as if to underscore his point.

  Cassie shook her head and did her best to look stern. "Don't make me phone Dr. Chang." She pointed at the nearest chair. "Sit. It'll only take me another minute or two to finish up here. And then I promise you'll get fed."

  She was desperate for coffee, herself, but it was clear that the morning's excitement—and his unplanned shift—had taken their toll on the still-healing Thor.

  He gave in more easily than she expected, dropping into the indicated chair with a deep sigh.

  "I hate just sitting around while you're working," he grumbled, shifting around uncomfortably.

  One look at his pale face communicated the discomfort he'd never admit to. Thor had shifted with broken bones, and he had done it to protect her.

  That knowledge filled her with guilt for having been the cause of his pain. But she also felt overwhelmed with astonished gratitude.

  No one had intervened to protect Cassie from stronger, meaner shifters since she was a cub.

  Once sabertooth cat shifters reached adolescence, they were encouraged to handle everything on their own and to begin dueling their age-mates to sort out their potential ranks in the pride hierarchy.

  Cassie and her age-mates had quickly realized that she was no fighter. No matter how hard she tried or how many hours she practiced, she could never seem to win any of her matches. And she hated every minute of combat.

  Your problem is that you've got the moves but not the killer instinct, Daddy had once observed. You don't really want to win, and that's why you lose every single time.

  He'd been right, and after that, she'd stopped accepting challenges. She couldn't win without handing control to her cat, and she didn't want to risk going rogue over some stupid challenge duel. So she'd reconciled herself to the fact that she was pathetic and deserved to be the lowest-ranking member in the pride.

  It had been a huge relief when she'd been accepted at UT and could move away from home and the pride.

  To his credit, Daddy had done his best to advise her and to smooth her path through pride politics. Unfortunately for her, his idea of protecting her had meant matchmaking her with the most powerful sabertooth shifter in search of a mate.

  Speaking of mates… Cassie hadn't been able to stop thinking about Thor's declaration.

  Even if he hadn't really meant it, it had sent a deep, primal thrill through her when he called her his mate after braving an agonizing shift to defend her.

  But what if he does mean it? There was definitely something between them, a red-hot chemistry that Cassie had never experienced before.

  Just being around Thor made her feel braver and calmer. And when he kissed her…hoo, boy!

  They definitely needed to talk. Because she didn't want to make a fool out of herself—or get her hopes up too far—if he'd only named her his mate to simplify things for Sergeant Howard's report.

  Thor waited until they pulled into a diner several miles out of town before he broached the other question that had been tormenting Cassie since Katzenberg and Tigredientes had shown up this morning.

  When the waitress had taken their breakfast orders and poured them both coffee, Thor sat back against the booth. "So, any idea how those two jokers knew where to find us?"

  Chapter 11 – Protection

  Cassie bit her lip. Her mind had been racing in circles around this question while she had cleaned up the hotel room and packed the car.

  Only one possibility had come to mind, and she didn't like it.

  "The only other person who knew we were planning to spend the night in Coyote Crossing was Amanda," she said.

  "Damn," said Thor. "I'm sorry. I know she's your friend."

  "Now I'm worried about her," Cassie said. "I don't think she would have willingly told Baldwin our plans."

  "Okay, let's suppose they threatened Amanda somehow, and she did tell them where we were headed. But how did they get here so quickly?" Thor asked, frowning. "We spent most of yesterday driving."

  "I was wondering the same thing," Cassie said. "So I checked Google maps before we left the hotel. There's an airport just outside of town. I think that's how Baldwin's goons were able to catch up with us so quickly—they probably flew into Denver on a regular airline, then chartered a small plane to get out here."

  "Damn it. You're probably right." Thor reached for his coffee and downed a large gulp. "I guess we'll have to change our plans a bit, or we'll wake up to another fun bit of excitement on Pocatello tomorrow morning."

  At this point, the waitress returned, bearing two large platters of eggs, bacon, fried ham, and country-style potatoes, accompanied by a basket of toast. She smiled at them, then returned a few seconds later refill their coffee cups.

  Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed that Thor had already wolfed down his eggs and most of his ham while Cassie was still working on buttering her toast.

  "We've had a rough morning," Cassie said, smiling wryly up at the waitress.

  "I can see that," the waitress said, eyeing Thor's cast and sling. "You been beating and starving that boy?"

  Cassie laughed, and Thor grinned around a mouthful of potatoes. "Do I look underfed?"

  The waitress's smile widened as she looked him up and down. "No, you look just fine to me!" She winked at Cassie. "But you know what they say about the way to a man's heart… Well, let me know if either of you need anything else. I'll be back with more coffee in a little while."

  As she walked away to take another customer's order, Cassie's phone began to ring.

  She looked down and felt a stab of dismay. "It's Amanda."

  Thor, who was busy chewing, gestured with his fork that Cassie should answer the call.

  "C-Cassie?" Amanda's voice sounded hoarse and thick, like she'd been crying. "Are you okay?"

  "We are now," Cassie answered. "But we had a couple of unwelcome visitors show up at the motel this morning. Why, Amanda?"

  "Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" Amanda cried. "But Mr. Baldwin was so angry when his men got to the cabin and found out you'd already left. He…he said he knew I'd tipped you off, and I'd be real sorry if I didn't cooperate with him."

  Threatening to make people "real sorry" was one of Baldwin's trademark phrases. Cassie shuddered at the reminder.

  Cassie heard Amanda draw a shuddering breath on the other end of the line. "And then he texted me a photo of my nephew playing outside at his preschool and told me that he'd know if I tried to contact you or the police! I was so scared!"

  "Look, I understand," Cassie told her friend. "Baldwin's real bad news, which is why I've been running from him."

  "Are you okay? Did anything happen?" Amanda demanded. "God, I feel so bad!"

  "Thor and I are fine and having a nice breakfast right now," Cassie said soothingly, though her stomach was churning with anger and fear. "And the local police just arrested the two guys who came looking for me this morning. Can you warn your sister that she's being watched?"

  "I don't dare. I don't know what Baldwin will do!" Amanda said. "I shouldn't even be calling
you, but I don't know what else to do!"

  Cassie didn't know what to say. How could she tell Amanda that everything was going to be okay, when Edward Baldwin was involved?

  Amanda was right about not wanting to get the police involved, even if she didn't know about shifters and why it would be a really bad idea to send Ordinary officers into a situation involving sabertooth shifters.

  Thor washed down his mouthful of food with a swig of coffee and stretched his hand out for the phone.

  "Let me talk to her," he suggested.

  Cassie looked into his hazel eyes, and suddenly, irrationally felt better. She wasn't alone in this.

  Thor was going to help her fix Amanda's dilemma. She didn't know how he was going to do it, but her gut was 100% dead certain that he would find a way.

  She handed Thor her phone.

  "Hi Amanda, my name is Thor Swanson," he said, his voice a confident rumble.

  "Cassie's fireman?" Cassie heard Amanda's surprise over the phone and wanted to groan with embarrassment at the reminder that he'd overheard the whole "yummy firefighter" conversation yesterday morning.

  Instead of looking upset, Thor just grinned at Cassie, which sent heat shooting through her.

  That much sexiness ought to be illegal, she thought.

  "Yep, that's me," he confirmed, his eyes glowing with mischief. Then his expression quickly sobered as he continued, "Look, I think I can help you, but I'm going to need you to send me your sister's contact information as well the contact information of any other family members you think might be vulnerable."

  "Is Mr. Baldwin a Mafia boss or something?" Amanda demanded.

  "Something like that. But I think I know someone who can help you, and they'll do it discreetly, I promise."

  "Are you sure Baldwin won't find out? What if something happens to little Jayden? It'll all be my fault!" Amanda was sounding panicked now.

  "Amanda," Thor said. His voice was gently commanding, and it helped snap Amanda out of her spiraling panic.

  "S-sorry," she gasped. "It's just—"

  "Scary?" Thor finished. "Yeah, I can imagine. But everything will be okay. I promise. I have a couple of connections in law enforcement who have dealt with this sort of thing before."