The Master Shark's Mate (Fire & Rescue Shifters Book 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  The Master Shark's Mate

  Fire & Rescue Shifters 5

  Zoe Chant

  Copyright Zoe Chant 2017

  All Rights Reserved

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  The Fire & Rescue Shifters series

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  A Note from Zoe Chant

  Also by Zoe Chant

  Special Sneak Preview

  The Fire & Rescue Shifters series

  Firefighter Dragon

  Firefighter Pegasus

  Firefighter Griffin

  Firefighter Sea Dragon

  The Master Shark’s Mate

  Fire & Rescue Shifters Collection 1

  (contains Firefighter Dragon, Firefighter Pegasus, and Firefighter Griffin)

  All books in the Fire & Rescue Shifters series are standalone romances (each focusing on a new couple) with no cliff-hangers. However, characters from previous books reappear throughout the series, so reading them in order is recommended for maximum enjoyment!

  Foreword

  This is a standalone romance, and you don’t need to have read any of the previous books in the Fire & Rescue Shifters series to enjoy it. However, the Master Shark first appeared in Firefighter Sea Dragon. If you want to avoid spoilers about the events in that book, please read it before this one!

  If you have read the previous books in the series: No, this isn’t Hugh’s book. But you might want to check out the Special Sneak Preview at the very, very end…

  - Zoe Chant

  Aug 2017

  Chapter 1

  “A vacation,” the Master Shark said, flatly.

  “Yes, a vacation.” Neridia, the Pearl Empress, Queen of Atlantis, Commander of Waves and Tides, and Ruler of all the Shifters of the Sea, jabbed one imperial finger in his direction. “I want you to take some time off.”

  The Master Shark furrowed his brow. For the life of him, he couldn’t think what he could possibly have done to have caused such offense. “Your Imperial Majesty, if I have failed you in your absence-“

  “Actually, I do need to talk to you about how you’ve been running things while I was attending to matters on land.” The Empress sat up straighter on the Pearl Throne, fixing him with a stern look. “Just today, I’ve received no fewer than eighteen petitions from the other underwater lords to have you permanently removed from your duties as Voice of the Empress. And from the Sea Council, and in fact from Atlantis itself. A few have even suggested that you should be banished from the ocean entirely. You have ruffled their gills, haven’t you?”

  Long decades of discipline kept his face as impassive as stone, but unease twisted his stomach. The Pearl Empress had spent the better part of her life on land, and had only recently reclaimed her rightful place in the underwater realm of Atlantis. He had played his own part in helping her take the Pearl Throne, and had thought he’d won her trust.

  But sharks were misunderstood and feared by every other type of sea shifter — and he was the Master Shark, the most powerful of his kind. The other lords of the Sea Council had to heed him, out of fear of his wrath, but they also hated him. If the Empress had been listening to them…

  If she dismisses me, who will keep the peace under the sea? Who will protect the weak and voiceless from the greedy and powerful?

  “I’m teasing you.” The Empress’s stern manner fell away, her full lips curving in a warm smile. “You’ve been doing marvelously, Master Shark, hunting out the corruption in the Sea Council. I couldn’t ask for a better second-in-command, my Voice.”

  “Then why am I being punished?” he asked, bewildered.

  Beside the Pearl Throne, the Empress’s Champion and Royal Consort cleared his throat. “I believe Her Imperial Majesty considers this a reward, Master Shark.”

  The Master Shark exchanged a glance with the Royal Consort. The towering, indigo-haired sea dragon shifter raised one armored shoulder slightly, in a damned if I know either gesture of silent sympathy.

  The Master Shark turned back to his Empress. “I do not need any rewards. Being able to serve the Pearl Throne is honor enough.”

  “Master Shark, you’ve been serving the Empire with unswerving dedication for over thirty years,” the Empress said. “Have you ever taken a vacation in your entire life? Do you even know what one is?”

  “I am fully aware of the concept of vacations,” he said, a little stiffly. “I enjoyed many of them with your father, the late Pearl Emperor.”

  The Empress sighed. “I mean a real vacation. Something relaxing. Not battling sea monsters in the depths of the abyss.”

  Battling sea monsters in the depths of the abyss sounded perfectly relaxing to him. Lost for words, he fell back on his usual tactic of staring in silent menace. It worked in most situations.

  Not, unfortunately, in this one.

  “You are going to take a vacation, Master Shark,” the Empress said firmly. “A real vacation. On a beach. Drinking silly cocktails with little paper umbrellas.”

  He was definitely being punished.

  “In fact, I’ve already booked one for you.” The Empress sat back in the gleaming white curves of her throne, looking very pleased with herself. “Don’t worry, it’s a shifter-only resort. You’ll blend right in.”

  Considering that he was either seven feet tall or eighty feet long depending what form he was in, he could not help but feel that this was wildly optimistic. Even in the underwater city of Atlantis, surrounded by sea dragon shifters, he didn’t blend in. The only place he might possibly pass unnoticed was the Jurassic era.

  “You are going to spend a nice relaxing week sitting on a beach, and doubtless hate every moment of it.” The Empress cast him a not unsympathetic look. “But I’m afraid I really do need you to be away from the ocean for a bit. The Sea Council isn’t used to me yet. I need to have space to assert my authority, without them constantly looking at you for confirmation.”

  “Ah.” His taut shoulders eased down a little as he finally understood the political undercurrents. “I see.”

  “I thought you would. You’ve done a little too good a job terrorizing the Sea Council into obedience, my Voice. I need them to get used to listening to me directly now.” Neridia lifted her chin, looking uncannily like her late father for a moment, and the Master Shark felt an unaccustomed pang somewhere in the vicinity of his heart. “So. You are going on vacation to Shifting Sands Resort. Just for one week. That’s an Imperial order.”

  The Master Shark could only go to one knee, bowing to her will. “As you command,
my Empress.”

  In his long service to the Pearl Throne, he’d fought krakens, dragons, and even human submarines. He’d united his people and brought them into the Pearl Empire, ending millennia of war between sharks and dragons. With muscle and teeth, cunning and guile, he’d wrestled victory out of the steepest odds.

  One week in a land-shifter resort. I can do this. For my Empress.

  The Empress fixed him with her penetrating, sea-deep eyes. “And Master Shark? Relax. On your honor, promise me that you’ll at least try to have fun.”

  There was no doubt about it. Out of all the services he’d performed for the Pearl Throne over the decades…this was going to be the worst.

  Chapter 2

  “Wait, I’m getting something…” Hitching her sarong up around her knees, Martha Hernandez clambered up onto one of the tables on the terrace overlooking the pool. Heedless of the curious glances she was getting from the other resort guests, she rotated on the spot, methodically waving her cellphone.

  She let out a little yip of triumph as the signal strength flickered from one to two bars. “There! Nita, can you hear me? Hello? Nita!”

  From the silence on the other side of the line, Martha was somewhat suspicious that her eldest daughter was considering pretending to be going through a tunnel. Unfortunately, the sounds of Manny and Ximena yelling in the background about wanting popsicles rather gave the game away.

  “Tell Ximena there are orange ones, she just needs to look further back in the big freezer,” Martha instructed. “And don’t let Manny have one of the grape ones unless he takes his shirt off first. Those stains just do not come out. Oh! That reminds me, make sure you find an excuse to go over to Roddie’s tonight. Sniff through his laundry for any hint that he’s been fighting the rattlesnakes again. If he crosses the territory line one more time, we’re going to have-”

  A deep, aggravated sigh crackled over the phone. “Ma, you are meant to be on vacation.”

  The muscle-bound bear shifter behind the bar was eyeballing her as if wondering whether she’d escaped from a secure facility. Martha gave him her best mind-your-own-business-young-man glare over the top of her sunglasses.

  “What, being on vacation means I can’t check up on my family?” Martha said into the phone. “I just want to make sure everything’s still all right.”

  “Everything is fine, Ma. Just as it was three hours ago when you last called. Will you please just go and relax?”

  “Abuela! Abuela!” Ximena yelled from the background. “Manny took the last orange pop! I’m older, tell him he has to give it to me!”

  “No! No!” Manny shrieked. “Mine!”

  “Oh dear.” Martha clicked her tongue as her grandkids’ howls of outrage shifted into literal howls of outrage. “Put me on speaker, Nita, before someone starts bleeding.”

  “No, Ma,” her daughter said, with unaccustomed firmness. “You left me as acting alpha. And anyway, they’re my kids. I’ll sort them out. You are going to enjoy your nice relaxing vacation.”

  “I will, honey, I promise. But first just let me-“

  “No, Ma. And stop calling home. Do you want us all to think you aren’t enjoying your present? The one that the whole family saved up specially to buy for you, for months and months?”

  Part of Martha felt a stab of guilt. The larger part felt admiration at the surgically-precise way her daughter had wielded that edged hint of disappointment.

  Maybe she can handle the whole pack in my absence after all.

  The thought gave her an odd lump in her throat. She was proud of her daughter for stepping up to the role of acting alpha in her absence, of course…but what if Nita handled it too well?

  What if they don’t really need me anymore?

  Martha swallowed, forcing brightness into her tone. “Oh, I’m having a wonderful time here. Tell everyone that it’s the best birthday present ever.”

  “I will, Ma. Now, you go have a good time. And don’t call again.”

  “Love you,” Martha said, but the line had already gone dead.

  Why has the pack forced us out? Her inner coyote whined forlornly. Do they think we are too old to hunt? Do they think we can no longer provide for the cubs?

  “Now, that’s just being silly,” Martha told her animal, trying to convince herself. “Nobody’s been outcast. We’ll be heading home in a week, and everything will be back to normal.”

  “Uh, ma’am?” The bartender had approached her table cautiously, as though worried she might bite. “Do you need any help down from there?”

  “Nonsense, young man. I’m perfectly capable, thank you.” Martha descended from her perch with as much stately dignity as could be mustered while wearing a swimsuit and sarong. “There, see? I don’t need your help.”

  His rugged, handsome face crooked in a wry grin. “I can see that, ma’am. But I do think you could use one of my margaritas, if you don’t mind me sayin’.”

  “What a nice boy you are.” Martha patted his arm—goodness, it was like petting a rock—and sank down onto a deckchair. She gusted out a sigh. “Better make it two. Big ones.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” With a respectful tip of his hat, the bartender went off to make the drinks.

  Martha stared down at the sparkling turquoise pool, idly kicking the toes of her flip-flops together. “Relax,” she muttered. “Enjoy myself. Don’t worry about home. Right. Easy.”

  It should have been easy. Shifting Sands was a beautiful place. Just off the coast of Costa Rica, the private island was like a jewel cupped in the hand of the sea. And the whole place was just for shifters. Not a single human in the entire resort, or indeed the entire island.

  No need to worry about secrecy. No need to worry about protecting her family from hunters, or keeping the rambunctious pack in line. No chores to be done, no mouths to feed, no babies to soothe.

  For the first time in longer than she could remember, Martha was completely free to do whatever she wanted.

  If she could just work out what that was.

  She signed again, tucking her cellphone back into her beach bag. She retrieved the resort pamphlet from the side pocket, flipping through it.

  Shifting Sands offered a mind-boggling array of entertainments. She could go out whale-watching in the resort boat. She could learn to snorkel. She could get a massage in the spa, hike through the jungle, take a day trip to the mainland to sightsee… there was even a salsa dance tomorrow evening.

  So many diversions… and no-one to share them with her.

  Dropping the pamphlet, she watched the gentle sway of the palms lining the pool. Without conscious thought, she found herself rubbing the old, worn gold band of her wedding ring.

  Miss you, Manuel.

  Ten years of widowhood had worn the sharp stab of loss down, of course. But something about this peaceful tropical paradise made her long once again for his bright, ready smile and laughing eyes.

  The warm breeze whispered over her bare arms like a lover’s caress. If Manuel had been with her now, she knew exactly what they’d be doing.

  Oh, how I miss a man’s touch.

  She snorted at the ridiculous thought. She was a respectable widow, and a grandma to boot. That part of her life was long gone.

  Movement caught the corner of her eye. Thinking it was the bartender coming back with her drink—or drinks—she sat up, twisting around.

  “Holy Mother of God!” She jumped so hard that she nearly fell off her deckchair.

  It wasn’t the burly bartender. This man looked like he might have eaten the bartender for breakfast, possibly washed down with a few gallons of protein shake. He wasn’t so much built as constructed.

  Her eyes tracked upward of their own accord, past hard thighs bigger than her head and eight-pack abs. He wore nothing but black swimming shorts, leaving the apparently endless expanse of his muscular chest on full display. His skin was so pale he looked like a sculpture carved from marble, marred by the faint lines of old, crisscrossed scars.

&
nbsp; Pack leader though she was, the man exuded such an aura of dominance that he had her inner coyote rolling onto its back instantly. Whoever—or whatever—he was, there was no doubting his power.

  Martha’s heart thudded against her ribs. Her own alpha coyote had never once, in all her years, submitted to another shifter’s animal…

  Wait.

  Her coyote wasn’t rolling in submission. For all the man’s hulking physical strength and overwhelming presence, she didn’t feel the slightest bit afraid of him.

  No, her coyote was whining and writhing in…invitation.

  “Oh,” Martha breathed.

  He was so tall, she couldn’t see his face until he tipped his head down. He had the most striking features she’d ever seen—not conventionally handsome, with his heavy brow and wide jaw, but arresting. A strong will had shaped those weathered lines, over long, difficult years. His iron-gray hair was sheared brutally short, like an army recruit’s. There was something military too about his perfectly still, straight-backed stance.

  His deep-set eyes met hers. They were as gray as his hair, hard as tempered steel.

  “You,” he rasped.

  “Oh no.” Martha scrabbled off the side of the deckchair, heedless of dignity. “Nope, nope, nope.”

  The man’s impassive expression never changed. Not an eyelid flickered, not a muscle twitched.

  “No!” Martha yelped, and fled from her one true mate.

  Chapter 3

  Naturally, she ran away from him.