Firefighter Unicorn (Fire & Rescue Shifters 6)

“Here,” Ivy said, feeling a stab of guilt as her sister wrestled with the unwieldy machine. “Let me help.“

“I can take care of myself,” Hope snarled.

Hope’s thin hands tugged futilely at the rims. Ivy could only watch for a few seconds before she couldn’t stand it anymore. Without a word, she took hold of the wheelchair handlebars. Hope’s shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t protest as Ivy dragged the heavy device backward.

“Goddamn piece of crap,” Ivy muttered over the groan of protesting metal. “I’m gonna get you a new one, I promise.”

“With what?” Hope’s lower lip was still stuck out mulishly, but now there was a hint of a tremble about it. “Running away and starting over is going to wipe out every penny of our savings.”

Ivy flinched from the uncharacteristic bleakness in Hope’s voice. She knew the reason.

After nearly two years of scrimping, they’d almost saved enough for the down payment on a basic electric wheelchair. Hope never complained, but it was painfully obvious that she’d been finding it harder and harder to manage the manual one.

At the rate she’s been slowing down, she won’t be able to move herself at all in a matter of months.

Her wyvern stirred, and Ivy quickly shoved the grim thought to the bottom of her mind. There wasn’t anything either she or her beast could do about her sister’s degenerative, fatal condition. But her animal didn’t understand that.

Her wyvern would burn down the world, because nothing mattered without Hope.

“I’ll figure something out,” Ivy said, trying to sound confident enough to convince even herself. “One problem at a time. Let’s just concentrate on getting out of here.”

“Do we really have to go?” Hope said plaintively, as Ivy started packing again. “You got off last time with the police, with the plea-bargain and giving testimony against that awful pegasus Killian. Couldn’t you, I don’t know, offer to turn Gaze in?”

“For what? Throwing a Christmas party?” Ivy made a face. “He never flat-out said he did anything illegal. Even if he had, it would just have been talk. I’m the one who committed actual property damage.”

“It was self-defense. He did attack you first.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure any jury is really going to take my word for that. Besides, the police are the least of our worries. Think, Hope. I defied an alpha crime boss in front of his own gang, and destroyed half his apartment to boot. You think someone like Gaze is just going to let that slide?”

Hope bit her lip. “We could…we could ask for help.”

Ivy let out a bark of disbelieving laughter. “From who? The police?”

“From Alpha Team.”

Ivy jumped as if Hope had zapped her with a taser. Underwear cascaded out of her hands, scattering over the bed.

How did she guess? What gave me away?

“No. Definitely not. No way.” Ivy scrabbled for the fallen pants, keeping her back turned to hide her expression. “You heard him, he doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“What?” Hope sounded baffled. “You mean Hugh? Never mind him, from what I’ve heard he’s rude to everyone. I was talking about Griff. He’s always been nice to us.”

“His name’s Hugh?” The words slipped out before she could catch them.

“Well, I don’t think there can be two white-haired shifter paramedics in Brighton, so yeah, I’m betting that was Hugh Argent. Griff’s told me about him.”

Ivy battled herself, but couldn’t restrain her raging need to know. “Did Griff, uh, happen to mention what sort of shifter Hugh is, by any chance?”

“No.” Even with her back turned, Ivy could feel Hope’s narrowed eyes boring into her neck. “Why are you so interested?”

Ivy’s face burned. “Uh, no reason.”

“Ivy…” The pitch of Hope’s voice rose in a delighted, disbelieving trill. “Do you liiiiiiiiike him?”

“No!” Ivy whirled, fists clenching in handfuls of underwear. “Of course not.”

“You do! You do like him! You never like anyone!” Hope’s eyes widened. “Is he your mate?”