Chapter Four
Blaze
“Gillinois!”
“Yeah?” I hadn’t expected my name to be called the instant I walked into the firehouse, but I turned toward the captain, wondering what he had in store for me during the shift.
“Stanfield says you like kids, so I want you with me, Makhail, and Franks today.” He handed me a box. “Put this in the engine then grab your gear to bring with you. It’s ‘Touch a Truck’ day at Vista Park, and we’re expected to be there to entertain the kids.”
I furrowed my brows, still trying to wake up while confused by the assignment. “Isn’t the 287 closer?”
“Yeah.” He turned away, talking over his shoulder. “But due to their call volume, we got asked to go. Now, get ready. The kids will be lined up waiting for us. It’s a popular event for them.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, not expecting to be swarmed by little ones first thing in the morning, as I’d been on Monday at the day care. My mind suddenly flashed to Ladon, and I wondered if I would see him there with his son.
Makhail slapped my back, pushing those thoughts away as he chuckled. “You got roped into this, too, huh?”
I nodded, setting the box in between the back seats of the pumper engine. “Second time this week I wished I could stay here and scrub toilets or do physical training.”
Makhail shook his head and snorted. “It’s not that bad.
Lots of hot omegas and women will be there, if you’re interested.
They always flirt with an alpha in uniform whether they’re mated or not.
I suggest you lose the jacket and make sure your shirt is nice and tight. They’ll want to see your muscles.”
I hung my head, not wanting to be put on display like that. “I thought it was about the trucks.”
Franks laughed as he came forward with another box and a couple of full plastic bags.
“For the kids, yeah, but who do you think brings them?” He placed his load in the ladder truck.
“These are also the ones who regularly buy our charity calendars, so we gotta be nice to them. I’m sure they’ll expect your picture in next year’s. ”
My cheeks warmed at the idea of what the omegas and women would do with a barely clothed image of me. No! I didn’t need to have that image in my head while their kids were around.
I needed to focus on the children, make sure they enjoyed themselves and talk up the job for those who aspired to be like us when they grew up.
Nothing else. I wasn’t looking for an omega anyway.
Not even the cute one from earlier that week.
I couldn’t take that chance with my heart again and dreaded another move.
“Hey.” Franks squeezed my shoulder, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Can you grab an extra hat, coat, and boots with your gear so the kids can try them on? That part and the sirens are always a hit.”
I nodded, heading to the turnouts room to leave my stuff in my locker and grab the gear. I was representing this station and the city today. Letting my dragon and my own libido run free would not go over well and would only lead to more trouble. I didn’t need any more in my life.
By the time we reached Vista Park, our trucks loaded with our own turnouts in case of an emergency as well as stickers and coloring books for the kids and fire safety pamphlets for the adults, the lineup had started.
At least twenty people waited behind the barrier.
A regular ambulance as well as an emergency helicopter had already arrived when we pulled into the parking lot, with a couple police cruisers on the road behind us.
We set up our handouts on the tables provided then prepared for the onslaught of people.
Makhail smacked my stomach as he passed, walking toward the pumper truck. “Relax, Draco. Most of them are here to see you. They love the idea of a dragon shifter firefighter.”
I wasn’t sure how that information was supposed to help me relax. At least I would have a table in between me and those attending the event as I handed out the stickers and coloring books to the kids.
There were so many of them, and Captain Lee dragged me out from behind the table, encouraging me to interact with those attending the event.
That led to many smiles, winks, arm squeezes, fingers across my stomach, a couple numbers shoved in my pocket, and some pant and belt tugs from their kids.
I couldn’t wait to get back to the station to have a shower with how dirty they all made me feel.
Yet Makhail and Franks got even more as they stood by the engines to let the kids sit inside.
As the event began to wind down, there was a lull in visitors, and Makhail came over and took the bag of stickers I’d been using as a shield. “You’re up, Draco. I can’t lift any more kids. Stickers are about all I can handle.”
I headed over, stretching my arms and rolling my shoulders in preparation. I didn’t have time for that on Monday before lifting several of the day care kids and giving them airplane rides.
A couple more families came to see the engines, these ones with alphas, so the flirting from omegas was kept to shy smiles and the batting of eyelashes.
The kids did love to sit in the trucks though and run their hands over the steering wheel as they pretended to drive and yell at pedestrians to get out of the way.
“Would you like to turn on the siren?” I asked, remembering all the kids wanting to do that earlier. That had left me wishing I’d brought earplugs.
“No.” The little boy shook his head and covered his ears. “Too loud.”
I was grateful for that but doubted the next child would refuse the opportunity.
As I helped him out and back to the ground, I was overcome with the smell of dragon.
As soon as I had made sure the kid got back to his family, I turned around to figure out where the scent had come from.
That was when I saw Ladon being dragged by his son as they rushed in my direction.
They had come. A storm of sparks from my dragon coursed through my veins.
“Hey,” he huffed out, struggling to catch his breath. “Are we too late? Sorry if we are.”
“Not at all.” I held out my hand for a fist bump from his son. “We haven’t started packing up yet. But, even if we were, I would have made an exception for you.”
He glanced up at me and his eyes widened. “You. I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought…”
“Daddy.” The boy leaned back against Ladon and weaved an arm between his dad’s legs. “It’s Blaze, the firefighter we saw at day care and the grocery store.”
“Yes, Kirin, it is.” A hint of a smile played across the omega’s lips. “He suddenly wants to be a firefighter because of you. So, I thought I would bring him here to see the trucks and meet other firefighters, but it’s you again.”
My excitement at seeing him again suddenly waned. “I can get one of my colleagues, if you’d like.”
“No.” He shook his head as his cheeks reddened. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He plied his son off his legs. “I just didn’t expect—I mean, I thought I would have to talk to someone I didn’t know. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Well, it’s good to see a dragon—I mean you, again.”
I was still confused by Ladon’s response, but he didn’t appear upset at seeing me again. He seemed more nervous, if I had to guess. Switching my attention to his son, I pointed my thumb over my shoulder. “Hey, Kirin, would you like to go inside?”
His eyes grew super wide as he clapped his hands. “Yes, yes, yes. Ple-ease.”
I was happy with his use of manners. Some of the other kids used them, too, but most had to be reminded. “Are you okay if I lift you up?”
He nodded, holding up his arms.
I turned to Ladon to make sure it was okay with him, too.
“Yes, thank you so much for this.” The omega gave me a genuine smile, and it made my heart flutter and my dragon lurch from within.
I had to control myself. I was out in public and on the job. Yet there was something about Ladon that piqued my interest. And my dragon’s.
After lifting Kirin into the cab of the truck, I climbed in to sit beside him. With room still on the bench seat, I reached down to Ladon. “Did you want to climb in, too?”
Nodding, he reached up, his cheeks flushing again. “Really, thank you.”
Every nerve ending sparked to life under my skin where he touched. I gasped at the intensity.
“Sorry.” He hung his head. “I can stay down here.”
“No.” I pulled him up and toward me, suddenly wondering if his touch would give me that feeling elsewhere on my body. “Get up here. I want you up here with us.”
Kirin pretended to drive the truck as I described what each of the buttons and switches controlled.
It was all I could do to focus on the truck rather than the omega beside me, and how much my dragon longed for him, fighting to shift and meet him in my other form.
The feeling was overwhelming, had only gotten stronger since our first encounter earlier that week.
A reaction I’d never experienced with the omega I was once engaged to.
In fact, my dragon often ignored him and refused to interact with him in his shifted form.
Not so with the omega beside me. My dragon wanted to show off for him. While I did find Ladon quite attractive and sweet to his son, I was curious as to what else my dragon saw in him that I didn’t yet know. I needed to find a way to get to know him better.
Since no one else stood in line behind them, I let them linger in the truck, answering Kirin’s questions, and enjoying the press of Ladon’s thigh against my own.
I never expected to have any attraction to an omega with a kid, but I’d met Ladon on his own first. Finding out about his son had been a shock but didn’t lessen my or my dragon’s interest in him.
Franks motioned to me from in front of the truck.
“I guess it’s time to go.” Ladon slid to the edge of the seat before climbing out. “C’mon, Kirin. The firefighters have to go back to work.”
Kirin pouted but still followed me out of the truck.
“Let me get you some stickers and a coloring book.” I wasn’t ready to let them leave just yet. I had to ensure I would see them again without having to hope for the chance of running into them again.
“Yay!” Kirin gave an excited clap as he shuffled along behind me.
I quickly grabbed some handouts before Makhail stuffed them back into a box. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Blaze.”
“You’re welcome.” Grabbing a pen from the table, I wrote my name and number on the back of a sticker before handing it to Ladon. “And this is for you. If you ever want to go out for coffee or something.”
The omega took the sticker with flushed cheeks and stuffed it in his pocket. “Thanks.” Then he grabbed his son’s hand and walked away. I hoped it wasn’t for the last time.