“See, Draven?” Axel said as he popped his head between the two front seats of the fire truck. “I knew you couldn’t do this job without us.”

Draven chuckled as he drove the truck down the mountain road, steering around the windy bends.

“He’s right, boss,” Zane said, smiling in the seat beside him. “How would you handle this five-alarm emergency without us?”

Jax pulled Axel back and thrust his head forward, shaking it as he changed the song on the radio. “You would have been so screwed now if you fired us,” he said with a grin. “You would have been calling us, begging to come back.”

“They have a point, D,” Gunner said from the back seat. Draven glanced at him through the rearview mirror and laughed when he saw the lion shifter filing his nails. “This job is too big for one man, even for a mated dragon shifter.”

“You’re right guys,” Draven said with a grin as he turned off the main street onto a narrow dirt road. “I couldn’t do this without you.”

Maybe he could, but he didn’t want to do it without them. They were too much fun.

Tom Hopkins was standing in front of his farmhouse, looking embarrassed as they drove up, yet again. He took his hat off and cringed as Draven put the fire truck in park.

“Sorry to call you for this again, gentleman,” he said with his cheeks reddening. “I don’t know what to do with this girl. She keeps climbing up there.”

Draven laughed as he looked up on the roof where that crazy goat was stuck. She always managed to find a way to get up there but never found a way to get down.

But that’s what the Colwood Firemen were for.

“Who’s turn is it?” Zane asked as he jumped out of the truck.

“I think it’s Jax’s,” Axel said, climbing out after him.

“No way,” Jax said with a frown. “I got her down last week. Gunner has never even been up there.”

“And it’s going to stay that way,” Gunner said with a determined look on his face. “I just got my nails done.”

“Zane should go,” Axel said, pointing up to the goat who was chilling by the chimney.

“Why me?” Zane said, looking outraged.

“Because you burnt the steaks at lunch,” Axel said, narrowing his eyes on him.

“Yes!” Jax said, nodding his head. “The punishment fits the crime, Zane.”

“I’ll go,” Draven said with a chuckle. “I haven’t been up there in a while.”

And besides, he really liked goats. They were hilarious.

He shimmied up the chimney, grabbed the goat under his arm, and climbed back down.

“Thank you,” Tom Hopkins said as he wrung his hat in his hands. “You guys are real lifesavers.”

“Anytime,” Draven said, slapping his shoulder as they passed. “We’ll see you in a few days, Tom.”

“All right,” he said, waving with an embarrassed look on his face.

They climbed back into the truck and Draven paused before he slid the key back into the ignition. “Hmm,” he grunted with a smirk on his lips. “I guess I don’t need you guys after all.”

Axel frowned as he slapped Jax’s shoulder. “I told you it was your turn to get that stupid goat!”

“Don’t worry, boys,” Draven said as he started the engine. “You’ll always have a job while I’m the fire chief.”

They joked around and laughed as they drove back to town, enjoying the cool autumn air and each other’s company. The leaves on the trees were starting to change colors, and everywhere you looked was a spectacular canvas of bright hues of orange, red, yellow, and brown. There was nothing more beautiful than Montana in the fall.

Well, one thing…

Draven’s heart started pumping as he thought of Cali and how beautiful her amber hair looked in the autumn light. It had been three months since he rescued her from the tower, and they grew closer every day.

A lot had happened since they returned from Europe. He and Aleida had inherited the castle and their brothers’ vast fortune. They had no interest in keeping the castle that had so many bad memories for them both, so they donated it to the English Heritage Trust to turn into a museum that would be preserved and opened to the public.

They donated most of the money to various charities but kept enough to buy the vacant land at the end of the street where the Colwood Firehouse was located. They had five houses built on the roundabout and Draven gave one to each of his friends.

He and Cali took the one in the middle with Gunner and Aleida, and then Axel and Hadley to his left. Zane and Gwen, and then Jax and Violet were to his right.

“Man, that smells good,” Zane said as they pulled onto the street. He stuck his head out the window and inhaled deeply as they drove up to the firehouse.

Draven grinned when he saw what the women were up to. They had dragged out some picnic tables onto the secluded street along with the barbecue and a big cooler of beer. Fun music was blaring out of the boom box on the table as the girls danced and cooked and drank. They all laughed as they waved seductively to their returning men.

“Is that ribs I smell?” Axel asked as he sniffed the air. “And steak.”

“And Bear Buns,” Zane said with a wide smile on his face.

Draven quickly turned into the firehouse and parked the truck. The boys were out in a flash, sprinting down the street before he could even pull the key out of the ignition.

He laughed as he climbed out of the fire truck and followed them down the street, taking his time as he walked. They had only been in the newly built houses for a week now, and this was their first official block party.

Draven loved watching his friends with their mates. Jax ran up to Violet and kissed her on the cheek before grabbing the cute little boy in her arms. Beast squealed in delight as Jax tossed him into the air and caught him. Draven couldn’t believe the difference in the grumpy lion shifter. He finally found peace and happiness with Violet and her little Benji. Violet’s parents were thrilled to see their daughter again and were ecstatic to meet their new grandson when she had visited them in California. She was planning on going back next week and taking Jax with her. Draven was happy that after a tough few years, she too had found with Jax the peace and happiness that she deserved.

Axel ran up to Hadley and knelt down, kissing her round stomach and talking to his future daughter before jumping back up and kissing his mate on the cheek. Her parents had come to visit the week before and Axel had finally won them over with his charm after his eagerness didn’t go over too well the first time they had met. Apparently, her conservative mother didn’t appreciate getting picked up and spun around in a circle during their first introduction. Draven chuckled as he pictured it. That’s our Axel…

Zane hurried over to the barbecue where his mate Gwen was flipping the steaks. She stepped back and handed her man the spatula, smiling as he proudly stood over the grill. Draven had watched those two fight and bicker for two whole years and still had a hard time believing how well they now got along. I guess that’s what happens with your true mate.

Draven was surprised to discover that he actually liked having his sister around. Aleida was in a good place, finally out of the shadow of their brothers, and she fit in perfectly with Gunner by her side. The lion shifter had been so depressed and sad when Draven first took him into the crew, and he was happy that he found a girl who changed all that. He was glad that Gunner wasn’t hung up on Joan anymore. His feelings were all gone and he looked totally in love with Aleida. The two really made a great addition to the crew.

The women had gotten really close over the past three months and spent the days chatting away in the muffin shop as they helped Gwen with her famous Bear Buns and played with Benjamin.

Cali loved being with the girls and she was quickly falling in love with the cute town of Colwood, Montana. He loved how she looked at everything in such awe—something that five years locked away in a tower would do to a person. She still missed her mother, but she had a positive attitude and was happy to get a chance to start over.

“Hey, sexy,” Cali said, grinning as she walked over with a fresh beer. “I was hoping you’d be back soon.”

Draven slid his hand around her lower back and pulled her in tight. She smiled as he leaned down and gave her a deep kiss on the lips. Her cheeks were blushing when he pulled away.

He still couldn’t believe his luck. They were both immortal now and would be able to spend the rest of their lives together, just like this.

“Whose idea was the surprise party?” Draven asked with a grin as he took the beer from her hand.

“Mine,” she said, watching him as he took a sip. “Our big strong firemen deserve a night of fun.”

“Every night with you is a night of fun,” he said, smiling at her. “Where’s your drink?”

She dropped her eyes, smiling shyly as her cheeks reddened.

“I’m not drinking tonight,” she said, biting her bottom lip as she looked back up at him with her sparkling green eyes. “Or for the next nine months.”

Draven gasped. “You’re kidding…”

She smiled as she shook her head. “I’m pregnant.”

He threw his arms around her and picked her up, spinning in circles as he kissed her lips. It was the happiest moment of his long life.

“Now I’m really in the mood to party,” he said, grinning like a madman as he lowered her back down. “I can’t wait.”

“You’ll have to wait nine months,” she said as she slid her hand into his. “Come. Let’s go celebrate.”

Draven’s head felt as light as a balloon as she pulled him toward the party. Axel was already dancing on the picnic table and even Jax was bobbing his head to the beat.

Their happy crew was about to get even happier. And bigger.

By one.