Page 25 of Fire Bear

All the while, he caught glimpses of Eliana on the outskirts of the chaos. She stood near a safer area with Talia, who must have arrived moments after them. Her eyes followed his movements as if checking to be sure he was unharmed. Ash’s heart panged with concern for her, but he tore his gaze away to focus on theroaring fire. Every second counted. They had to act fast or risk losing the orchard.

He hauled a hose line forward, flanked by one of his crewmates, Alec, a wolf shifter with strong shoulders. Together they aimed at the pine’s trunk, saturating the bark to slow the spread. The water hissed on contact, steam rising in clouds.

Ash shouted for foam to bolster the water’s effect, and another firefighter rushed up with a foam nozzle. The combined effort dimmed the flames enough that the tree no longer blazed like a torch, though embers glowed among the blackened bark.

Ash scanned the rest of the orchard boundary. Fire Patrol members were dragging hoses, but the ground was uneven with irrigation trenches. Someone stumbled, sending a coil of hose flopping around. Another crew driving around the back of the property, to hit the flames from behind.

They used foam to coat the wooden structures, though the old wood had already burned to skeletal remains in places. Smoke hung in the air like a thick blanket, tinted orange by the flickering firelight.

A loud whoosh flared to his left. A smaller brush pile near the fence line caught fire when a gust of wind carried embers over. The flames shot up in a tower of sparks. Ash cursed under his breath and signaled two nearby firefighters to redirect a line that way. He pressed his radio. “We have a new hot spot by the fence, near the last outbuilding. Need coverage.”

The wind changed direction again, swirling smoke in unpredictable patterns. Ash tasted bitter ash in his mouth and spat it out. He felt the orchard’s precious trees behind him, and he knew if the wind carried those embers deeper intothe orchard, the rows could ignite. They had to protect this boundary at all costs.

The Fire Patrol wrestled with the blaze. The roar of flames began to wane as bright orange tongues turned to dark, charred remnants. The orchard filled with thick smoke, making it hard to see more than a few yards at times, but the worst of the raging fire receded.

The outbuildings had collapsed into sodden heaps of charred timber. After a final push from both sides, the fires in the trees died down to smoldering embers. Crews took turns spraying and raking the debris to ensure no hidden hot spots remained.

The orchard’s air was thick with soot, and the once lush grass was now a blackened mess. Some of the orchard’s outer rows bore scorch marks where the fire had licked them. Ash stepped back from the last building they had doused. His helmet felt unbearably hot, sweat trickling down his face as he pulled off his protective hood and inhaled. The air smelled like burnt wood and chemicals.

Soot clung to his cheeks, and his arms felt like lead from manhandling hoses for what seemed like hours. He scanned the orchard, looking for Eliana. Finally, he saw her silhouette near one of the Fire Patrol trucks.

She was standing beside Detective Parker from the Fate Mountain Police Department. He was standing beside Eliana, scribbling in a small notebook. Ash’s chest tensed. The detective must have arrived sometime during the chaos. Eliana’s gaze locked onto him as he approached. Her eyes were bright with emotion, relief, and lingering fear. “Ash. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

He swallowed and nodded, trying to catch his breath. “We got it contained. The orchard rows are mostly safe. How are you?”

She let out a shaky sigh. “Worried about the damage. About the possibility that this was set on purpose again. Detective Parker was asking about the phone we took to the Bright Institute.”

Parker cleared his throat, looking solemn. “The encrypted phone could mean we have a serious pattern of arson, plus a missing person. This is not a simple case of negligence.”

Ash felt a flash of anger coil in his gut. If someone was deliberately burning the orchard and had kidnapped Mateo, the stakes were enormous. He flexed his shoulders, muscles aching. “We lost a few outbuildings and part of the fence. Some trees too. Could have been worse if the wind had shifted the other way.”

Parker made a final note, then closed his notebook. “We will keep patrols around the orchard, and I will update you if we find any new leads. I’ve already spoken with Marta from the Institute, and she’s going to send us updates on the phone.”

Chapter

Eighteen

Eliana grippedthe doorknob of the farmhouse with trembling fingers. As she stepped across the threshold, every inch of her body felt tight with stress, and smoke clung to her clothes. Ash was right behind her. His face and arms were streaked with soot, and the faint smell of charred wood lingered wherever he moved. She glanced at him, his uniform dark with grime.

She flicked on a small lamp in the living room. The clock on the wall said it was after midnight. She felt as if the entire day had blended into a single long nightmare. There was a throbbing ache in her temples from the tension. Her shoulders shook when she set down her keys on the old wooden side table.

“Hey,” Ash said softly, breaking the tense silence. He reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder. “You look like you’re about to collapse. Are you okay?”

Eliana did not trust her voice for a moment. Emotion welled up in her chest. The orchard was saved, at least partially, but the day had wreaked havoc on her nerves. She felt grateful for Ash’s calm energy and the sense of safety he radiated. The orchard was her life, and it had nearly gone up in flames.

She managed to nod, though her eyes stung with unshed tears. “I… I’m just so relieved it’s over,” she whispered. “And so scared for what might happen next.”

He squeezed her shoulder gently, reminding her that she was not alone. “I’m here,” he said, his voice low but certain. “We’ll figure it all out. Right now, you should try to unwind a little. We need rest.”

“And you need to get that gear off,” she said, forcing her voice steady. “You’re filthy.” The words came out more bluntly than she intended, but Ash only chuckled, the sound dry and laced with fatigue.

“Yeah, I’m disgusting,” he agreed. “We should take showers.”

“Shower together?” she asked quietly. He was exhausted, she was exhausted, and it would be simpler to help each other wash away the soot. More than that, she wanted to feel his reassuring presence. The orchard’s close call had rattled her, and she craved the comfort of being close to him.

“Yeah,” he said. “That sounds good.”

She led him down the hallway to her bathroom. The place was cozy, with white tile floors and soft teal walls. A wide mirror hung above a simple sink, and a stand-alone shower took up most of the space. She reached into the shower stall and twisted the knob until steam began to roll out. The comforting hiss of the water hitting the tile made her exhale in anticipation.

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