Page 6 of Marked By His Alpha Dragon's Desire

“Fantastic. I am so over these double shifts. I’m AJ.” He held out his hand, and I shook it.

“I’m Levi. Resident bear shifter. Finally, I won’t be the odd man out.”

“You’re still odd, Levi.” AJ nudged his shoulder.

“Is the pack made up of multiple shifter types or...” I wasn’t sure how to phrase the question without being offensive.

“Sort of. We have mostly bears and wolves in town, with a few other paranormal types around—witches and vampires and the like. The bears have their own den leader. I’m not the boss of everyone or anything like that.”

“Bullshit. He’s being modest. He leads the whole town. Don’t let him tell you otherwise. Rory is the bear den leader. He lets Tyler have all the glory—and all the attention.”

“Rory is the real brains behind this operation,” AJ teased, nudging Levi with his elbow. “But seriously, we coexist pretty well. It’s all about respecting each other’s territories, you know?”

I smiled at their banter. The camaraderie flowed effortlessly between them, a stark contrast to the loneliness I had felt on theroad. It felt good to be around other shifters who understood my nature without question.

“Nice to meet you guys,” I said. “I just got into town, but I’m really feeling like I’m meant to be here.”

Chapter 4

Luca

One of the many things I loved about this small town was how closely the EMTs worked with the fire department. Sure, we had a rivalry, but it was friendly, and I was told that in the summer, there was a baseball game we played against one another to raise funds, but it was all in fun.

Tyler—the same Tyler who seemed to run the whole town—was also the fire chief. He wouldn’t tolerate anyone being treated poorly.

We worked together regularly, which was why, when I was out of oxygen cylinders, I ran across the street hoping to get some of theirs. Our shipment wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, and we needed them to get through our shift. I snagged some of our leftover cookies from the order we had put in at the bakery this morning as a peace offering. I didn’t need it, but that was another quirk of this town—everyone ate like they were a pack of ravenous wolves. Sometimes I wondered if the people were part animal. Theo sure ate like one, but he was somehow lean and fit.

I let myself into the main area that the guys used as a kitchen and common space, where they played video games or pool during their downtime. Since no one was actively on a run, the place was filled with the guys on duty.

“Hey, Luca, how can we help you?” Tyler asked. He was elbow-deep in dishes at the sink. Another thing I liked about this place—everyone pitched in.

I looked around, my gaze landing on a new guy.

He was tall and muscular—which was typical for guys on the fire department. He had a mane of dark hair that was a touch too long and curled around the collar of his navy-blue t-shirt. The five o’clock shadow on his face was just long enough to leave a beard burn. The very idea made my body heat. His bright blue eyes flashed as he turned to look at me. There was a magnetic quality to them, and I couldn’t look away.

“Luca? You okay?” Tyler’s amused voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“I need oxygen,” I said, snapping my gaze back to Tyler. “Cylinders. Oxygen cylinders.”

Tyler snorted. “Sure thing. Just let me know how many you take. Or bring them back when your shipment comes in.”

My gaze drifted back to the newcomer who was talking with Levi while they played pool.

“Are those for us or do you just carry a plate of cookies around for funsies?”

“Oh yeah.” I set the platter on the counter. “I figured you couldn’t say no if I came bearing gifts.”

Tyler dried his hands on a towel, then reached for one of the cookies decorated like an ambulance. “You know we always got your back.”

The newcomer laughed at something Levi said, and my mouth went dry. I was here for something, but I couldn’t recall what it was, not when his rich laugh was drawing me toward him like we had an invisible lifeline drawing us together.

He couldn’t seem to look away from me either.

Then a hand snapped in front of my face.

“Earth to Luca. Did you need something else, or did you just come to ogle the goods?”

My cheeks heated.

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