Chapter 1
Chapter One
Jersey
J ersey moved cautiously through the smoke-filled house, feeling the wall for hot spots. They had been called to an apartment fire. It should have been an easy job, but it wasn’t. The fire had started in the basement, moving its way up the heated walls. He knew he and his partner had only a few minutes before the flames would reach them. Jersey sensed something was off about the building. He could feel the magic, though he couldn’t see it. He knew they had to get out but needed to make sure no one else was in the apartment building. Jersey opened the door to the first bedroom on the right, did a quick scan, and was relieved when he did not see anyone.
Jersey didn’t want to stay too long since everyone was waiting for him and his partner, Tollen, who had entered the room on the left. The other guys in his firehouse were trying to control the fire, giving him time to do one last check. He was about to close the door but froze when he heard a baby crying. Without thinking about anything else, Jersey searched the room to find where the baby could be hiding. He flung open the closet door, heart pounding, just as his partner's voice crackled in his earpiece.
“Ellison, we need to get out of here. This shit is getting hotter and moving faster,” Tollen said urgently.
“I can’t, not yet. I think I hear a baby crying,” Jersey said.
“I don’t know what the fuck you think you’re hearing, but there can’t be a baby left in here,” Tollen yelled. “Now, let’s go.”
“I heard it, Tollen,” Jersey insisted, his voice firm.
“Fuck, Je…”
The radio cut out, and Jersey turned to leave the room but fell back to the ground when a blaze of fire suddenly appeared.
When the floor beneath his hand got hot, Jersey didn’t have time to figure things out. He quickly stood up and ran, but was hit by another blast of fire. As the floor beneath him broke, he fell, knowing he was going to die.
Jersey’s eyes snapped open, his hand stretched out as if reaching for something. He panted heavily, chest heaving. He took a deep breath, slowly sat up in bed, leaning back on the padded headboard, and closed his eyes, calming his thoughts and heart. He had been having those dreams again. Even though they were different, there were some similarities.
The difference was that there wasn’t a baby in the room; the residents had been evacuated. Also, he wasn’t by himself when he checked the apartment; Tollen had been with him. They were making their way out of the building when the blast of fire hit, and Tollen had been the one to push him hard. Tollen — his mentor and friend—who had nearly died saving his life. When he pushed Jersey out of the way, they were separated by a beam that fell between them.
Reaching for his phone, he checked the time and realized that he had a few minutes before his alarm went off. Throwing the blanket to the side, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take care of his needs and get ready for work. His mind drifted to how much things in his life had changed in the past year, some good, some bad.
When Jersey woke up in the hospital later that night, he’d learned that he had second-degree burns on both legs and a broken arm from the fall. Jersey wouldn’t call himself a witch or anything like that, but he was born with the ability to see magic and heal. Jersey would have healed himself instantly, but it would have been hard to explain magic and all the mechanics when the hospital staff were normals.
So he had to suck it up and let things happen naturally. However, since the fire, Jersey had noticed his abilities had become erratic, to the point where he couldn't see magic anymore; he could only feel its tingles to a certain degree. But his injuries were not as bad as Tollen, who had taken most of the blast of fire, receiving second- and third-degree burns on his back and legs. Jersey closed his eyes, pushing down the guilt he felt each time he thought about Tollen, who taught him so much.
After dressing, he grabbed his bag and uniform and left his bedroom. Jersey descended the stairs, dropped his bag by the door, hung his uniform on the coat rack, and made his way to the kitchen, starting the coffee pot. Then he walked to the fridge and set some eggs and bread on the counter. He’d moved back to Valleywood a year ago after everything that had happened in his life. He thought getting hurt in the fire was terrible but lies and betrayals hurt a lot more.
Daniel, that fucker.
Jersey shook his head, not wanting to think about his ex-husband—not a husband. He was never my husband. Nothing we had was real, but it didn’t hurt any less.
Jersey had met Daniel Graham four years ago and fell instantly into lust with him. He knew the man wasn’t his mate, but he had always wondered why he should wait for the fates to send love to him when he could find it himself? Daniel was gorgeous from head to toe, with long jet-black hair and stormy-gray eyes that always captivated him, especially when they made love.
It wasn’t only Daniel’s looks that attracted him—they had much in common. They both enjoyed reading and discussing the same books, steering clear of religion and politics but always finding other topics to explore. They liked cooking together and entertaining for their small group of friends. Jersey had shared a lot with Daniel, but not about where he was from and the existence of magic. He didn’t think his lover would understand the whole self-healing and men getting pregnant thing and insisted he wore a condom to avoid accidents, but he did plan on telling him when the time was right.
Jersey thought Daniel was romantic. He would sometimes show up at the firehouse with dinner when Jersey worked his three-day shift or just wanted to spend time with him. Everyone at the fire station knew Daniel and that they were together. Jersey didn’t believe in living in the closet—he’d come out to his parents when he was sixteen when he’d felt comfortable enough to tell them. After moving from Valleywood to a new state and living among normals, he realized the world wasn’t as accepting as he was used to.
Things between him and Daniel were going great. Jersey was shocked to know that his co-workers were in on the surprise when Daniel proposed to him a year after they’d met. They got married three months later, surrounded by their closest loved ones. It mainly was Jersey's family, as Daniel's parents had passed away in a car accident, or so he’d believed. They had been married for about the same time when Jersey had decided it was time to tell Daniel everything, he’d kept hidden, but that was the night he had gotten hurt, and his husband pretty much disappeared.
Jersey wished he’d paid attention to the red flags, but he was in love and ignored the feeling that something wasn’t right between him and Daniel long after they were married. There hadn’t been any late-night phone calls or texts that he could remember, but the times Daniel would start arguments for no reason at all became troublesome, and he would walk out in the middle of it and then return hours or days later with a gift and an apology. Thinking back, most of their arguments would happen right before Daniel had to go on a business trip or when Jersey had long shifts at the station.
Jersey and Daniel had a huge fight on the day of his accident. As always, the other man walked out, claiming they would have to change their dinner plans because he had to leave for a business trip that had popped up out of the blue. Jersey had tried to be understanding, but he’d noticed lately that Daniel was going on more business trips after they got married than when they were dating. This made him wonder if Daniel had a lover.
However, what he thought he had said in his mind was uttered aloud without him realizing it, and it set Daniel off. The argument was terrible. They’d said things to each other that hurt enough to feel pain that neither could take back. At the time, Jersey wasn’t sure if they would make it to the end of the year. They went to work, neither willing to bend or apologize. At the same time, he was in the hospital in pain and couldn’t heal himself. He was worried out of his mind that something could be wrong with Daniel, which was why no one could get in touch with him. Jersey later found out the man was on vacation with his wife and kids.
Kids we talked about having. I was going to tell him I could get pregnant.
Jersey closed his eyes for a second, trying to tamp down the memory of everything that came to light when he’d finally gotten out of the hospital. Nothing they had together was real. At first, Jersey didn’t want to believe it, but he was an idiot for believing the bastard.
And just when he was about to call and file a missing person’s report, Daniel called him while he was in the hospital, apologizing for not being there because he was swamped with a new project and couldn’t be reached, which was plausible since Daniel’s work did require government top-secret security clearance. But what made Jersey raise a suspicious eyebrow was when he said he’d been stuck at the airport because his plane was delayed and then canceled, and he didn’t feel like renting a car and driving home. He’d just wait for a new flight.
But who takes two weeks to wait for a new flight? Fuck, I was in love with him, but I wasn’t a fucking idiot not to see the red flashing light in my face. But the sisters of fate really taught me a lesson in patience and that I should have waited for my mate.
He’d been so in love and had trusted Daniel that he never thought he was the side piece. It was shocking when he learned that Daniel was married, and his wife was pregnant with their third child. Not only that, but Daniel’s parents were alive and well. And the pièce de résistance was his last name, which wasn’t Graham but Everheart. Jersey’s heart hurt each time he thought about it, even after so long.
Jersey wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or unsettled that someone had mysteriously sent him the proof of Daniel’s double life. But it showed him the truth. There were pictures of his wife, his kids, and his parents. Not to mention, their beautiful home in Maine paled in comparison to the partially furnished, three-bedroom loft he and Daniel shared. Jersey was angry and hurt, and it took him days to confront Daniel.
He’d been so hurt he couldn’t revel in the look of shock on Daniel’s face when he’d opened the door and saw Jersey standing at his door in Maine. Jersey felt his rage spike, thinking of how much he’d been devoted to a man he doubted ever truly loved him.
“What are you doing here?” Daniel whispered angrily. “How did you find me?”
“That’s all you have to say to me?”
“Now is not the time, Jersey.”
“Not the time?” Jersey snapped. “When is the perfect time? Later, so can you tell me everything was a mistake, and you didn’t mean to hurt me? Oh, wait. Maybe you were going to tell me you don’t love her and were planning on leaving her for me. Or maybe she’s the sister you didn’t know you had and showed up in your life, needing your help.”
Sadness crossed Daniel’s face, but he masked it quickly. “I know what this looks like…”
“What does it look like? Are you fucking kidding me? You’re married with kids, and here I thought you and I meant something to each other. We said vows to each other!”
“We do, and we are married.” He reached out to touch Jersey, but he stepped back. “I love you. I’ve never lied about the way I feel about you. I promise there is a plausible explanation for all of this.”
Jersey couldn’t speak, and he wasn’t sure what to say. He’d envisioned in his head how the confrontation would have gone down the second he’d seen Daniel, but words failed him. He was too hurt to even think. A female voice came from behind Daniel.
“Baby, who is it?”
Jersey recognized Daniel’s wife from the pictures, and he had to admit she was just as beautiful in real life as she was in the pictures he’d seen. She had honey-brown hair with chocolate-brown eyes that complemented her cool-brown skin. His gaze strayed down to her protruding stomach, and he had to hold back his tears. He looked at Daniel, who was staring at him, and Jersey wasn’t sure what he was seeing—fear, anger, or regret.
“I didn’t believe it at first,” Jersey whispered. “I guess…”
“Do you two know each other?” his wife asked.
“Yeah, I’m his husband. Or, well, I thought I was, but it seems you got to him first,” he said, turning around and walking back to his car, leaving Daniel to deal with his own shit. He drove back to New York crying the entire time for being a fool.
Daniel had shown up at his house the next day, but Jersey refused to let him in after he’d changed the locks or listened to anything he had to say. He’d gone to the cops and put a restraining order on him, not caring that Daniel would lose his top-secret clearance. Then he threw out all of his shit. He was thankful they’d kept separate bank accounts, so Daniel had no access to his money or any properties he owned, including the loft they lived in.
Opening his eyes, he took a deep breath and went back to making his breakfast. Once it was done, instead of sitting at the table, he leaned against the counter, eating his meal and enjoying his first of maybe three cups of coffee he might have that day. He’d admit that even with the dreams about the fire, he’d finally been able to mend his broken heart, but Jersey believed that was the power of Valleywood’s magic. He was enjoying being a fireman again and remembered why he’d wanted to be one.
There wasn’t much difference between working in Valleywood, a magical city the size of the states of California, Vancouver, and New York, nestled in Pennsylvania next to Lake Erie and filled with all sorts of shifters, normals, and supernatural beings, versus New York, where only a sprinkling of magical beings lived.
One minor difference was that there weren’t many fires, and even in such a large metropolitan area, some things were easily fixed with magic. But that didn’t mean Jersey’s days at the firehouse were boring. His crew, filled with shifters, warlocks, witches, and many others, would get called out for various reasons, including car accidents, fire alarms, medical emergencies, rescues, and welfare checks. They also had to be on set at Valleywood’s major recording studio.
Valleywood had changed since he left at seven when his dad got a promotion to New York. But from what he could remember, the magic wasn’t as strong as it was now. It also felt less chaotic. Jersey wasn’t sure what had happened in the past few years, but it was a welcome change. Maybe the changes had something to do with the new mayor, Loki Boroson, and vice mayor, Azazel King.
They’d enacted changes protecting every living creature on land and below the lake’s surface. Jersey wished he could feel the magic around him. He’s missed the feel of it tingling along his skin like a spark of electricity. Even though Valleywood’s magic was corruption, he could tell it was being cleansed slowly. The toxic magic was why his parents left. They were afraid the corrupt magic would seep into their bones and blood, making them ill. They were thankful for his dad’s promotion and had been eager to leave Valleywood and never return. Jersey hoped that it would change their mind when they visited again in a few months, giving them a reason other than him to move back.
Just as he finished his meal and put his dishes in the sink, his cellphone rang. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out, and his face brightened with a smile when he saw it was his mom, Indigo, making her weekly early-morning call.
“Mom, I’m fine,” he said when their call connected.
“How did you know I was going to ask if you were okay?”
“Because it’s the first question you always ask whenever you call.”
Jersey ignored her chatter, washed his mug, and set it on the tray. After a quick safety check on the windows, patio, and back door, he grabbed his stuff and left for work. He’d purposely bought a home in the Dragon City district not far from firehouse number one, and since it was a gorgeous day out, he didn’t see a reason to take his motorcycle or car, so he walked. If it rained later, he could get a ride from one of the guys at work. The weather would change quickly, and he couldn't wait for winter, his favorite time of year.
“Jersey, are you listening to me?” his mother prodded.
No was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t tell his mother that he hadn’t heard one word she said, knowing she’d be miffed and go on another rant. “Yup,” he said instead.
“Fine. Have you had any more dreams lately?” Indigo asked.
“Nope,” he lied again, not even feeling ashamed. He knew his mother was concerned about him for multiple reasons, but he didn’t want to be analyzed since she was a therapist.
“Jersey, I’m your mother, and even over the phone, I can tell when you’re lying to me. You moved back to Valleywood to help with your abilities, but it hasn't returned to normal, has it? I keep telling you that you need to forgive yourself for what happened. Tallen forgave you…”
He rolled his eyes and stopped her chattering as gently as possible. “Mom, I’m not one of your patients, so please don’t try to psychoanalyze me.”
“Fine,” she sighed heavily. “Then I will ask a different question. Have you started dating?”
“Mom,” he whined childishly. “I just moved here, and besides, I’m not in the mood to date,” Jersey told her. “Despite what happened, I can’t turn my feelings for Daniel off that quickly. I loved him and thought we were building a life together, even though he had a second family and life.”
“You’ve been back for a year now, Jersey. It’s not like you moved two weeks ago. I want to hurt that bastard so bad for what he put you through,” his mother growled, making him smile. “But I wish you’d move on. Maybe you should see a shaman about your magic. I'm certain your broken heart and missing abilities have something to do with heartbreak.”
“Mom, I have moved on,” he told her, knowing full well he was spouting more lies.
Fuck, I’m batting ten out of ten on lies this morning.
Daniel Everheart was a human scumbag through and through, but the reason Jersey wasn’t or hasn’t started dating was because he learned his lesson. He jumped in heart first with Daniel and ignored the red flags the man was sending his way.
Even though the man was not his mate, Jersey was so in love with him that although his heart didn't shatter into a million pieces, it cracked enough to make him love- and relationship-shy. Jersey hated that it took getting hurt in the apartment fire to see Daniel’s true face. Jersey was the type of man who loved with his entire being, becoming a slave to love more than the person, which might’ve been the wrong way to see things.
“Then why aren’t you dating?” Indigo huffed.
“Mom, I am busy with work,” Jersey said, hoping she would get off the subject entirely.
“I know you’re using that as an excuse, but I’ll let it go for now.”
“Thank the gods for small favors,” Jersey mumbled.
“I heard that, young man.”
Jersey smiled. “Anyway, I’m close to the fire station. I’ll call you later,” he told his mom as he walked into the station house. He nodded to Silas Jackson, one of his crewmates, wiping down the rig as he headed to the dorm room.
“Oh, before I forget, I called to tell you that your dad and I are going away for a few weeks,” Indigo said.
“Yeah, where?”
“Last night, your father surprised me with tickets to travel around Europe.”
Jersey chuckled softly; he could hear Mom’s gushing tone. Xavier and Indigo had known they were mates from high school but waited until they were in college before they took their relationship to the next step.
“That sounds great, Mom. I hope you and Dad have a wonderful time.”
“Don’t sound so happy. I’ll still call to check in on you.”
“Mom, you really don’t have to; I’m a big boy. Enjoy your vacation.” As he spoke, Jersey planned to call his dad and beg the older Ellison to keep his mother distracted for the next month.
“Ellison!”
Jersey stopped when Captain Ryan Zephyr called his name.
“Mom, I have to go; my captain wants to see me.”
“Okay, honey, be safe.”
They hung up the call, and Jersey pocketed his cellphone before going to see his captain. “You wanted to see me, Captain Z.”
Ryan Zephyr was a good-looking alpha in his late fifties but could pass for someone in his thirties. Despite the friendly rivalry, Zephyr’s mate, a police officer, frequently visited the firehouse.
“Yeah, come in and have a seat,” Zephyr instructed.
Oh shit, he has a serious tone. “Did I do something wrong, Captain?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Zephyr smiled.
So why the hell does he want to see me?
“You’ll be responsible for house tours for the next few months.”
“What?” Jersey said in shock. “Are you serious? Am I being punished for something?”
Jersey didn’t mind doing the house tours if it was only adults, but with kids, he wasn’t sure how to deal with them. He struggled to give simple yes or no answers to their technical questions and noticed they were becoming bored as their eyes glazed over.
Captain Zephyr chuckled.
“Captain, the last time I did a tour, the kids called me corny,” Jersey grumbled.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Zephyr said.
“Please don’t make me do this, Cap. I’ll clean the rig for an entire month,” Jersey begged.
“You’ll do that anyway,” Zephyr said.
“Can’t I trade with someone else?”
“No,” Zephyr said with finality. “You better get going. A group is coming in at ten.”
Sighing, Jersey stood and left to get ready. He really hated doing the tours, but it was a part of the job.