"Are you going to stare at the girl all night or are you going to ask her to dance?"

Sheriff Bear McMahon winced a bit and turned to the female at his side. "What do you mean, Mama?"

"Hmm," she said as she brushed a hand over his lapel. "Fine. Then all I'll say is that it's a cryin' shame no one's asked Miss Mackenzie to dance all night." Probably because all the males didn't want to be mauled by the sheriff in a jealous boar-rage, she thought. "I mean, everyone danced with Miss Emma, and Jamie, and of course, Seneca." She waved back at the blonde sprite who called her name from the dance floor. "But there Mac is all by her lonesome like some pitiful wallflower." She waited a beat. "Doesn't she look pretty, though. I'm surprised no one's snatched her up yet."

"Mama." Bear shot her a look. "I know what you're doing."

"Well, that saves some time then. Don't know what you've been waitin' for, boy." She gave him a nudge. "Go get her."

"Mama!"

Mac stood by the hors d'ouerves and swayed gently to the music coming from the dance floor, enjoying the way her overpriced dress swung against her legs. These hicks sure knew how to have a party. And the Mayor's party was in full swing.

"Ahem."

Only one person had a voice that low, Mac thought as she consciously fought not to jump. She paused to pick up another drink from a passing tux-clad waiter before she turned around, tilting her head back farther than she ever had to for anyone else given her 6'3" stature. "Hello, Sheriff."

The seven foot tall bear-sheriff of Smithville nodded politely. "Miss Mackenzie."

She waited for a few moments while he shifted his massive feet and seemed to gathered his thoughts. He kept staring at her so she felt just fine staring right back since he wasn't a wolf who'd see it as a challenge.

She'd gotten a little more used to it these past couple of months. She'd be in town and there he was, looking her way. Grocery store and bam, she could just feel his eyes on her. She'd gotten a little nervous, worried that he might be interested in her, but she'd waved that thought away.

He was the town sheriff after all. It was his job to 'watch' people, and as one of the newest residence of said town, it was his duty to keep an eye on her and her coven. She was positive he watched the others, too. She just hadn't caught him at it yet.

She cleared her throat as he just stood there without a word. "Was there something you wanted, Sheriff?"

Bear shook himself out of the stupor she'd unknowingly put him in, and all just because she was so damn pretty with her hair up and in some fancy red dress. She was always pretty, but now the picture she made made him damn near stupid. He cleared his throat once more and gestured to the throng of people on the floor. "Do you want to dance?"

"Me?" She looked around. "Are you talking to me?"

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Yes."

She ran a nervous hand over her skirt as he patiently waited for her to answer. Seneca had gone shopping with her and she'd casually mentioned Sheriff Bear, oh, a thousand times or so as they were picking out dresses. 'Do you think Bear likes red?' 'Isn't he cute?' Have you ever noticed the size of his hands?' On and on with that shit until Mac had threatened to gag her with a taffeta sash.

She didn't know why her coven kept insisting Sheriff Bear McMahon was 'into her', as Sen put it. They'd been here just over a year and the man had never said more than two sentences to her at a time, let alone flirted with her.

Still, having all seven plus feet of him standing in front of her now was kind of freaking her out. Especially when he looked so damn hot in a suit. "Um, I don't know how to dance."

"S'alright." He reached out a truly giant hand and took hers, tucking her arm into his elbow. "I do."

If he noticed her vain struggles to extricate her arm from his so she could sprint away, he didn't let on. Instead, he dragged her right into the middle of the dance floor and took her in his arms.

She tried one more time. "I'll look stupid. I'm too tall to dance!"

Bear stood still, momentarily distracted from trying not to admire the view down the front of her dress. "Say what now?" And held her a little tighter as she tried to yank herself out of his grasp.

She snarled, all ready to throw a spell to escape this humiliation when she realized she was snarling at his sternum.

Mac looked around the room and sighed. "I keep forgetting that we're now in the land of the giants."

So smooth were his movements it took her a moment to realize they were moving around the floor "Holy shit! I'm dancing! We're dancing!"

Mac's surprised and delighted smile made him want to kidnap her right then and there, law be damned. "Most Smithville boys take lessons," he explained, lifting her to her toes as he turned them to the music.

She snorted and shook her head, impressed at the effortless way he lead her through the steps. "I swear, you southern boys. If a kid took those kind of lessons in my old neighborhood they'd have gotten the crap kicked out of them every day."

"Maybe that's why we all do it. Hard to get your ass kicked if every mother's son is going through the same thing." He swung her out and then back, dipping her almost to the ground. He brought her up slowly, enjoying the instinctive clutch of her hands on his arms.

Mac fought hard not to shiver at the sheer strength she felt under her hands and the way she could feel his deep voice in her bones.

And other spots.

"Um, good point." She looked around the room and noted that nearly everyone there was executing moves she'd only seen on Dancing with the Stars. "Plus, I imagine it doesn't hurt in the girl department."

"Can't rightly say."

"I bet."

A blush was harder to see against the chocolate of her skin, but he could still make it out.

"Um, I know Kyle was here with Emma, but they're probably escaped by now," she said casually in an attempt at conversation. "So who's watching out for our fair town this evening?"

He felt safe looking down at the top of her head since she wouldn't look at him. Lord, she smelled good. "Katie's on call."

She waited for him to expound on that, but when nothing came she smiled, rolling her eyes. She should know better than to expect a lot of chitchat from this particular male. "Good to know."

They spent the next several moments dancing wordlessly to the music. Goddess' truth, she felt like such a girl and she had no friggin' clue what to say. Give her a burning building or a five course dinner to plan and she was in her element. But this...she didn't know if he was doing a duty dance or if he was actually interested in her.

Did she want him to be interested in her? Her mind was feeling a bit hazy and she was going to blame it on the alcohol. Yes, she decided as he pulled her a little closer, changing his hold as the music changed to a slower beat, she was tipsy. She wasn't flushed because the biggest, strongest, and lord, best smelling guy she'd ever known had better moves on the dance floor than most men had in bed.

The sudden mental image of what the Sheriff would like in bed had her gasping, her nipples coming to sudden sharp points against her dress. She stepped back out of his arms so fast she nearly tripped over the hem of her gown.

"What's wrong?"

Something had to be wrong. That bass voice that she'd heard hundreds of times before suddenly had her creaming the damn thong she had to wear with this damn dress. Fully versed on a grizzly's sense of smell, she knew she had to get away before he took it as an invitation.

Damn shifters and their noses. You couldn't even have a moment of aberrant horniness without someone hitting on you or smirking.

She turned tail and headed for the door. "Thanks for the dance. See ya."

Bear felt like someone had waved the most perfect salmon under his nose and then yanked it away.

He watched Mac walk away for a good ten seconds, confused, worried he'd pushed her too far or done something to offend her. . . then his nose twitched.

He closed his eyes, drawing in the hot, sweet scent of Mackenzie Mathews.

Bear knew when he opened them that his eyes had shifted. He watched her tight ass twitch as she strode towards the exit and his mouth ached as he fought to keep his fangs from emerging. His normal bear-like course of careful thought and deliberation had taken a hike.

He started towards her, knowing his stride would catch up to her before she made it outside. He was reaching out to grab her shoulder when his son ran inside, shouting for him.

"Fire! Dad, there's a fire on Main Street!"

Mac and Bear went tearing out the building before the rest of the room could even react.

The party was held two streets away from Main. Mac could see the tell-tale glow and smoke against the sky. She'd kicked her heels off as soon as she started running, but Bear was so fast, far ahead of her and talking calmly into his cell as called for the fire department.

She stopped beside him, panting as she viewed the fire in progress. Maddy's, the high end shop where she'd gotten her dress was spouting flames out of the front windows. She cast an experienced eye at the three story building. No smoke was coming from the open windows of the second and third windows. Just the first floor was involved and it hadn't spread to the buildings beside it. Yet.

She turned toward Bear when he started shouting into his phone, mainly because she'd never heard him shout. Roar, yes. Shout, no.

"Sober his drunk. Wolf. Ass. Up. Now!" He turned towards the crowd that had followed them from the party. "Who's on the volunteer fire brigade?"

A pretty lioness, only a few years older than his son stepped up, still in her waitress outfit from the party. She rung her hands together as she watched the fire. "I went through the training a couple months ago. I haven't had a call yet." She looked ready to cry. "The fire chief passed out at the party from the tequila!"

"I know!" Bear roared. When she actually did start to cry he took a deep breath and said more calmly, "Go to the station. Get the truck. Bring it here." As she ran off he pointed to Katie, who'd just arrived at the scene. "Get on the phone and contact the other volunteers. Get them down here before this spreads to the other shops."

Right then a shriek sounded through the air. Maddy Simpson, the jackal who owned the firelit shop pushed through the crowd. Both she and her mate were thoroughly disheveled, obviously having dressed in a hurry. "Oh, my god!" Her hands dug into her hair as she watched her store burn. "My store!" She wailed.

Bear grabbed hold of the back of her dress when she made a move towards the store. "Don't be an idiot." He pushed the weeping woman into the arms of her mate.

Mac walked up to Maddy, punching her in the arm when calling her name didn't work. "I said," she snarled, "is there anyone else in the building?"

"No," her mate answered for her, petting her hair. "It's just inventory and storage."

Mac turned towards the building, flexing her fingers in anticipation. "Alrighty then."

Bear had started to work on crowd control (damn tourists!) and glanced back at the building just in time to see Mac stroll up to the burning building. She was close enough that her hair and dress danced in the heated air. "Damn it! Mac!"

He started towards her to drag her fine ass back when she threw him a smile over her shoulder that stopped him in his tracks. Then she raised her arms to the sky and started to chant.

How many times, Mac thought. How many times had she eaten smoke and fought fire with a hose when she knew she could have stopped it with just words and power.

She closed her eyes, feeling the building and the living, breathing fire that licked along its walls. With something akin to ecstasy, she spoke the final words and dropped her arms suddenly to her side.

The crowd had gone completely silent as soon as Mackenzie had started to speak. None of them understood a word, but they could all feel the power. It resonated with the magic in their bones.

Bear didn't know what she was doing and he didn't care. He was spellbound by her. The first time he'd seen her, she'd called to everyone of his senses. Now, silhouetted against the blaze as the air pulsed with power, it was all he could do not to claim her here in front of everybody. Just so there was no confusion.

When she dropped her arms all of the windows exploded and the crowd hit the ground, arms over their heads until they realized there was no glass raining down on them. As they looked up, they saw the glass hang inches from the window and then float to the ground.

There was also no fire. Not even an ember.

Bear hadn't hit the ground at the explosion. Instead, he's dived for Mac, knowing he'd never get there in time. He'd been inches from her when he realized what had happened. Now he stood beside her, staring at her as she stared at the now-dark building.

"Are you alright?"

Mac knew she had a stupid smile on her face as she looked at the ex-fire. "Fuck yeah," she whispered.

"Are you sure? You look a little wild-eyed." He whipped his head around and roared at the crowd as they moved a little closer.

They stepped back.

He looked back at Mac, noticing now how bits of soot had landed on her from when she'd stepped closer to the fire. He rubbed at a smudge on her bare shoulder with his thumb.

Suddenly she raised her arms in the air and shrieked in pure joy. He didn't know where to put his hands when she suddenly turned and hugged him.

"Vacuums, baby!" She jumped up and down while she held on to his waist.

He closed his eyes and told his dick not to pay attention to the friction. It told him to shut up.

"Holy shit? It worked!" She let go of him and faced the crowd. "Firemen 101, bitches! No air. No fire!" She turned to Bear once more and hugged him, smiling up at him. "I've always wanted to do that."

Then she passed out.

Bear held on to her as she slumped in his arms. "Seneca!" Panicking a little, he cast an eye over the crowd but didn't see the perky blonde healer. He scooped Mac into his arms. "Someone call Jaim..."

Gwen put a hand on his shoulder. "She's alright, son."

"She's not alright!" He hugged her closer to his chest. "She's unconscious!"

His mother rolled her eyes and slapped her phone against his ear. "Here!"

"Sheriff?"

"Miss Jaime? Mackenzie put out a fire and now she's unconscious...,"

He heard Jaime laugh and he had to fight not to snarl. "I know. I felt it. She's always wanted to do that," she sighed and even over the phone he could tell Mac's cousin was rolling her eyes. "This is normal. Remember? If one of us does something this big on our own it drains us." There was a pause and Bear could just make out Tully whispering to Jaime. She laughed and came back on the line. "Try this. Take her to your house. She, uh, shouldn't be alone when she wakes up."

He looked down at Mac's sleeping face. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, yeah." Jaime giggled. "I'm sure you'll take good care of my dear, dear cousin, Sheriff. Talk to you tomorrow."

Thanks for reading! More to come:-) Please review if you have a moment.