Bang, bang, bang, echoed through the small bathroom. The sound of a meaty hand against the door interrupted what promised to be a scintillating interlude and brought a curse to Breslin’s kiss-swollen lips.

“Get off my puthair. ‘Tis time to lock and load,” Bhric called out as his fist once again slammed against the wood.

“Fuck off, brathair,” Breslin called out as she twined her hands behind Rhett’s neck.

She wasn’t ready to let reality intrude. Rhett made a major step in proving he was there to stay when he’d taken on the role of saving Elsie’s Hope. She’d gotten a glimpse of a side she’d never seen before.

Rhett came alive when he strategized and talked about ways to salvage the program. Breslin cared about Elsie’s Hope because it was important to her brother’s mate. She put her life on the line to protect humans and realm citizens, but she didn’t particularly care about the day-to-day workings of their lives like Elsie. Breslin also hated to admit that she unfairly misjudged Rhett.

What did it say about her that she never saw past his sexy smile, flirtatious personality, and reputation with the females? Sex wasn’t taboo in the realm and no one was viewed negatively for having a healthy sexual appetite, yet she abhorred him for enjoying female companionship. In her defense, that judgement was born out of an unknown mating compulsion.

It was unforgiveable that she saw him as one dimensional and incapable of anything but pleasuring the opposite sex. He had more depth than she imagined, and now she wanted to explore each layer. She needed to set aside how badly he’d hurt her and see him for who he truly was.

Breslin guessed that few beings knew Rhett well, mainly because he took off when things got tough. That thought gave her pause. Could he ever stop wandering, and be with her for eternity?

“Now isna the time to fuck around, Bre. There’s a fire in a realm apartment building and the human fire department has been notified,” Bhric called out.

Shaking her head, she dropped her arms and focused on the matter at hand. “Och. Coming,” she replied before turning to Rhett. “You’ll be verra hungry for dessert by the time I get home. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I’m going with you, Flame,” he demanded.

She frowned as she opened the door. “I doona know, Rhett. What aboot your demon?” The last thing she wanted was for his inner beast to take control again.

“I’ll be fine. Plus, I may be needed at the scene. I’m probably one of the few that can take this level of heat,” he replied with a wink.

“Yeah, you’re hot alright. Smokin’ hot,” Breslin replied and led the way to the garage. She wasn’t thrilled that Rhett was taking such a risk but she was happy he’d by her side.

“Damn, I miss my BMW,” Rhett quipped when they entered the massive building that housed their various vehicles. “That baby was so quiet it purred. And, it went from zero-to-sixty in three seconds flat. It was a thing of beauty.”

She rolled her eyes as they made their way to Bhric’s SUV. “It was a vehicle. It drove you from point A to point B and you talk aboot it as if it was your best friend. Doona forget, you hadna seen cars before a few years ago and managed just fine. I believe there’s a definite connection between the Y chromosome and fast cars,” Breslin muttered as she climbed into the backseat of her brother’s vehicle.

“Och, how can you no’ appreciate all this, Bre. Look at these beauties,” her twin replied and swept his hand toward the cars and bikes parked in other stalls of the large garage.

“You have a point. I love the speed of my boat and car. Plus, I look good while driving them,” Breslin admitted.

She’d drive a different car each day if she could, just to match her clothes or mood. Just like the right shoes made an outfit, the right car made your appearance.

Rhett and Bhric laughed but Gerrick sat in stoic silence. When it came to patrols, battle, or even something as minor as an apartment fire, he took it seriously. No kidding around with him until the mission was complete. Breslin admired that about the warrior and appreciated that he was one of the good guys.

A smile crept over her face when she felt Rhett’s warm hand grab hers, twining their fingers. Warmth spread through her body when he brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss.

“It’s impossible for you to look anything but spectacular, Flame,” Rhett muttered.

Breslin mentally checked herself before she rolled her eyes or made some sarcastic remark about his remark being too sickly sweet for her taste. She might not want hearts and flowers, but she wanted to being treated right. And, compliments from Rhett were climbing to the top of her list. Berating her mate for his attempts would be counterproductive to reaching a happy medium in their relationship.

The smell of smoke and the sound of sirens stopped any response on her part as she craned her neck to find the flames. Smoke drifted into the sky about a half a mile in the distance.

“Are Santi and Orlando already there?” Breslin asked.

“Aye. They called before we left the compound. The human authorities are aboot ten minutes behind us. The first report came into our hotlines the instant a male woke to the sound of a fire alarm,” Bhric replied as he made a sharp left.

Taking turns at high speeds made Breslin nauseous and her twin knew that. Under any other circumstance, she’d have cursed him for purposefully trying to make her vomit, but she knew Bhric was in a rush to get to the scene. Vampires were the only ones that could wipe a human’s memory, and there were going to be plenty of humans to deal with at this one.

“What’s the plan? Are we allowing the humans to douse the fire while we get realm members away from the scene?” Gerrick asked.

“Aye. Business as usual. Alert a vampire if anyone comments about a supernatural,” Bhric ordered.

“So, you guys are here for damage control?” Rhett asked.

“Our job is to deal with the crowds, rescue victims if needed, and make sure humans doona find oot aboot us. Jace will be there to heal any that need it and Zander called in other realm doctors to assist Jace. We canna allow supernaturals to go to a human hospital,” Breslin explained to her mate.

The second they turned the next corner, orange-yellow flames shot from several windows on a medium-sized apartment building and thick, black smoke filled the sky.

“I can’t believe the chaos,” Rhett muttered as Bhric was forced to stop a couple of blocks away. “You guys control your crises much better than humans. There are innocents everywhere, just watching the destruction. I have a new appreciation for how efficiently you work together.”

They all jumped from the car and raced down the street. Breslin looked over her shoulder when she heard the slamming of a car door and saw Zander, Elsie, Kyran and Mack joining them.

Santi and Orlando waved them over to where they stood, and it was then that Breslin saw police scattered throughout the area. They were taking names, trying to hold back the crowd and help the firefighters save victims trapped inside.

“Rescue is going in now. We have gear if you want to suit up and join the efforts, Gerrick,” Orlando said and motioned to his car parked a couple feet behind them.

“That’s probably best. We don’t need a repeat of the fire in ’84,” the warrior grumbled as he followed Orlando to the car.

Breslin recalled the panic that ensued when a stripling shifted while being carried out by a human. It turned into a nightmare in the next second and took all the vampires in the area to erase the memories of the frightened humans.

Breslin turned to watch the first round of survivors get carried from the building. Water hoses blasted the flames as humans and supernaturals worked together to save lives.

It wasn’t often their species interacted. Those in the Tehrex Realm usually avoided humans because a lot of supernaturals were different-looking and would have to hide their true nature. As she watched the cooperation, she got a glimpse of what Hayden, the shifter Omega, wanted to accomplish by coming out to the humans.

Unfortunately, there was no way it was going to be peaceful if humans learned supernaturals existed. Humans reacted out of fear and the ordinary realm citizen had no way of defending themselves against the might humans could amass.

Breslin hurried to the sidewalk where a female shifter with two small striplings was being helped by one of the human firefighters. Breslin noticed the glow in the female’s eyes and prayed the human didn’t notice.

“C’mon. Let’s get you over here, so he can get back to work,” Breslin muttered to the frightened female. She took one child and the mother carried the other.

“Thank you for saving us,” the female said to her rescuer before Breslin ushered her to where Elsie was organizing transportation.

Breslin had a moment of pause. Given their earlier conversation, Breslin imagined Elsie was at Zeum, determining where these beings would go because the realm didn’t have a shelter. It had never been considered because most had money to afford temporary housing and those who didn’t had friends they could rely on. But, as Elsie often pointed out, it wasn’t always possible for friends to take in a dislocated family.

Supernaturals lived in large family units, with several generations in the same household. If a family of ten lived in a two-bedroom apartment, there wasn’t room for others. Tonight’s disaster could leave many with no place to go. Shit like this happened all the time all over the world. Breslin gained new respect for the Goddess’s choice for her brother. There was no better match for Zander than Elsie.

Breslin saw to it the shifter and her children were taken care of before returning to Rhett’s side. He was watching the rescue efforts and Breslin could feel his helplessness through their shared bond.

“I know how you feel. I have this power over fire but right now, it doesna mean shite. I canna do anything to help,” Breslin offered, hoping to alleviate some of his frustration.

“You put too much pressure on yourself, puthair. You put your heart and soul into saving others and that’s all the Goddess expects,” Zander stated as he approached her and Rhett, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t beat yourself up, Flame. Even you couldn’t survive an inferno of this magnitude,” Rhett pointed out.

The fact that he knew her so well irked her and warmed her heart at the same time. He was right though. She wasn’t completely fireproof and wouldn’t make it ten steps inside the burning building.

A sudden blur of movement caught Breslin’s eye. A firefighter in a light brown uniform rushed her way, moving far too fast for a human. She knew it was Gerrick and dashed to his side.

“Where’s Jace and Cailyn?” Gerrick yelled out.

It was then that Breslin noticed the small bundle in his arms. A small hand peeked out from the blanket wrapped around the child. Breslin’s heart pounded against her ribs with bruising force as she realized the child wasn’t moving.

“They’re over there. Is the bairn okay?” she asked as she pointed to where she last saw Jace and Cailyn.

“I’m not sure. She’s badly burned on one half of her body,” Gerrick replied as he ran toward Jace and his mate. Breslin followed, needing to know if the infant would survive.

“Where are her parents?” Jace asked a panting Gerrick while Cailyn peeled the blanket away from the child.

Breslin gasped at the burned flesh. The foul smell overpowered even the smoke in the air and made her gag. The small stripling’s chest lifted slightly, telling Breslin there was hope but she didn’t move or make any noise despite the pain she had to be experiencing. Cailyn laid her hand over the child’s chest.

“They told me to grab their daughter first. I’m going back in for them now,” Gerrick mumbled before he ran back in. His movements were much faster without the delicate burden in his arms.

“Jace, I need you. Her injuries are too much for me to handle alone,” Cailyn called out.

“You focus on her legs, and I’ll tackle the torso,” Jace instructed his mate.

It hadn’t been long since Cailyn saved Jace from imminent death and discovered she possessed his healing abilities. Her skills had come in handy more than once. She’d healed every warrior in the house more than once and was no stranger to serious injury, so to hear her cry for help turned Breslin’s blood to ice.

On instinct, Breslin knelt and grabbed the child’s tiny hand. She tried to pour her strength into the small female. From her position on the ground, Breslin couldn’t see what was going on around her but when Rhett walked away, she stood to see what grabbed his attention.

A frantic female vampire was yelling at a human firefighter and Breslin watched her eyes turn black with rage. Immediately, Zander interceded with Breslin right on his heels.

“I don’t care what you think is too dangerous. Get in there and save my son. He’s going to die,” the female wailed.

A flash in Zander’s eyes told Breslin his mind control was at play. “Forget the female approached you. You never saw her. Instruct your men to increase efforts to put out the flames,” Zander instructed the human and Breslin watched the male turn and bark orders to his fellow firefighters.

“Now, where’s your son?” Zander asked as he turned to the female.

“In our apartment. Top floor on the left side. He was trapped under a burning beam,” she shouted. “Please, you have to do something. He’s only fifteen and hasn’t transitioned.”

“We have a warrior in the building and are doing everything we can,” Zander assured the mother.

Breslin didn’t hear more of their exchange as Rhett distracted her with a brief but passionate kiss before he rushed toward the building. Breslin’s heart stopped as she watched him disappear inside the roaring fire. She screamed then started to run after him when two thick bands wrapped around her waist and her feet lifted off the ground.

“Nay, stop! He canna go in there alone,” she screamed and kicked. “He will die!”

“Stop, puthair,” Zander murmured. “He’s a fire demon. If anyone can survive, ‘tis Rhett.”

“No, you doona understand,” she cried. “His demon could take control. He might no’ come back from it, Z,” she shouted as she continued to fight her brother’s hold.

“Have faith, Bre. Believe in him and trust the Goddess,” he stated and turned her so she met his gaze. “He will come back to you.”

Tears spilled and her eyes burned from with emotion. What if her brother was wrong? She could lose Rhett before they ever had a chance to get mated. Before she had a chance to tell him she loved him.

He professed his love for her and she held back from telling him the same. Fear of being hurt again stopped Breslin from telling her mate how she truly felt and now she may never get another chance. Breslin clung to her brother as she watched every exit for a sign of Rhett.

“He’s been in there too long,” she complained. “I canna lose him, brathair.”

“You willna, Bre. He will come back to you. He always does,” Zander reassured her.

Her patience was nearly spent and she couldn’t wait another second. With all her force, Breslin shoved her brother and sprinted towards the building. Suddenly, glass exploded from a top window and a figure jumped from the flames. Screams echoed, and the human firefighters rushed to catch the falling victim.

As soon as Breslin realized it was Rhett, she quickened her steps. He landed silently on bent knees then stood a second later. As she got closer, she saw he was holding an injured teenage male.

She met Rhett’s gaze, searching for a sign that Rhett was in control and not his inner beast. When he winked, her heart settled. Breslin sent a silent thank you to the Goddess for bringing her mate back to her.

“I got him,” Rhett called out to the mother as Jace and Cailyn made it to his side.

Rhett deposited the boy at Jace’s feet and that’s when Breslin noticed Rhett was naked.

Breslin threw her arms around Rhett’s neck and held him tight. She didn’t want to ever let go again.

“Are you okay?” she asked and pulled back to inspect him.

“Piece of cake, Flame,” he replied.

“What happened to your clothes?” she said with a smile as she perused his naked form.

“I’m fireproof. My clothes weren’t,” he said with a smirk.

“Mate me,” Breslin blurted as butterflies erupted in her stomach.

Rhett was alive, and she refused to allow pride or anything else to stand between her and the male she loved.