Wildfire Read Online Free Page A

cultures. I don’t
think all shape-shifters have to be twenty-five-year-old Japanese-American
females with a black belt in karate and a taste for sushi. There could be a
gun-slinging Texas cowboy version.”
    “But I thought you are all supposed to be guardians of the
world?”
    Nerves slipped and slid around inside her. “Yes, at least
those of Japanese origin are supposed to be. As punishment, Riyojin forbade
Kiyohime to ever set foot on land and said that her descendants would all be
guardians.” Lynn kneaded her forehead. “However, there have always been rogue
dragons, those who misuse their power. That’s where most of those
dragon-slaying stories come from.”
    “ Madre de Dios ,” Jen whispered.
    “Of course, the fire-starter could be nothing more than an
ordinary human who got careless like the sheriff said,” Lynn put in. “Given my
history, dragons pop into my head way too easily.” But not this time. Not when
her senses were overloading with dragon musk.
    “I left Houston so I could paint in peace and quiet. Now
this…” Jen ended on a sob. “Whatever or whoever this person is, I want him
stopped.”
    The dragon slithered in Lynn’s belly. She reached over and
clasped Jen’s hand. Whether human or dragon, the arsonist was going down. She
wouldn’t lose another person she loved.
     
    When they reached the fire, Jen maneuvered the car between
two fire trucks, parked and jumped out. Lynn shadowed her. Firefighters,
dressed in yellow, milled about pulling hoses and shouting orders. Flames leapt
out of windows, even as three steady streams of water doused the tiny
wood-frame house.
    Black smoke choked the air. Her dragon swirled inside her.
She lifted her face to the sky and sniffed. The acrid tang of fire laced with a
musky scent. The first whiff sucker punched her. Robbed her of breath. Of
thought. Desire shot through her veins making her knees buckle. Male dragon
pheromones. Must be a powerful one given her reaction.
    Lynn took a deep breath and allowed her gaze to roam as she
grasped Jen’s shoulder to steady herself. Jen turned, a frown creased her
brows. “Are you okay?”
    Yeah, I’m almost orgasming here. Yay me. Her cheeks flamed.
She nodded and pulled herself together. “So, who’s who?”
    Jen pointed out Tom and Brenda Jarvis before heading toward
them.
    Lynn squinted at the burning house and then back. With her
hair pulled into a pony-tail and her face devoid of any makeup, Brenda looked
young and fragile. Much too young to lose a home like this. A tow-headed boy
stood by their legs.
    The despair reflected in their faces seemed to shout
accusingly at her. Your kind did this. A dragon did this.
    Lynn swiped at the corner of her eyes. She had to get this
bastard. The beast inside her rumbled its discontent and paced in agitation.
    Tom glanced at them and then watched the fire again with
clenched jaws. “We had all of Timmy’s birthday presents hidden in the house.
Now there’ll be nothing.” A tear rolled down his soot-smudged face.
    “You’re alive, Brenda’s alive and little Timmy’s alive,”
said Anderson, who stood next to the man. “That’s a lot to be thankful for.
Other things be damned.” He chewed his unlit cigar with added ferocity.
    Timmy grasped his father’s hand. “It’s okay, Daddy.” At
this, Brenda sobbed harder. Lynn stared at the family, her throat dry. Would
she ever have a child? A family? She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Misery must
really love company because no other reason for her to contemplate passing on
her freaky genes and messing up a few other lives.
    Jen pulled Brenda into a hug and walked her to the station
wagon. She sat the girl in the passenger’s seat and cleaned her sooty face. All
the while, Jen talked to her in a low soothing voice, telling her everything
would be okay. Lynn smiled, proud of her friend.
    The smile disappeared as her dragon stirred and sniffed. Its
muscles clenched and unclenched. The skin at her fingertips