Chapter One
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TAYLOR HATED WAITING.He especially hated waiting when it felt like it was the only thing he’d done for the past few weeks.
They were going on a hunt.Taylor’s job was to protect the town and his pride, and while he didn’t think the strange shifter haunting the woods around Green Hill was dangerous, they could become a problem.In a way, they already had.They’d been stealing food and clothes to survive, which was understandable, but it could end in a disaster.So far, the shifter had been lucky because none of the people they’d stolen from had attacked them, but someone might, and it wouldn’t be good for anyone.Besides, the thought of a poor shifter starving alone in the woods didn’t sit well with anyone.It certainly didn’t sit well with Taylor.He was a deputy.His job was to protect people, and he wanted to protect this shifter, too.
He scrolled on his phone as he and the others waited for the sheriff to arrive.Taylor thought about teasing him when he did, but when Tony finally walked in, his full focus went to Jacob, so Taylor didn’t get the opportunity to get on his boss’ nerves.Instead, he watched Tony greet Jacob with a kiss that made Jacob smile, and Taylor’s stomach squirm with something that felt suspiciously like jealousy.
He wasn’t jealous that one of his best friends had found his mate.In fact, he was happy for Jacob and Tony.He also didn’t care about meeting his mate.It might happen just like it might not, and he didn’t want to spend his time yearning for something he might never get.Besides, he was fine dating without things turning serious.He wanted to focus on his job and his friends.
Although at the rate things were going, he had fewer and fewer friends to focus on these days since they kept meeting their mates.Dennis had been the first, and now it was Jacob’s turn.Who would be next?Not Taylor.
“Let’s head out, then,” Gal declared, startling Taylor out of his thoughts.
He moved toward the office door, and they all followed, including Taylor.He was eager to find the shifter and find out why they were hanging around in the woods instead of moving to Green Hill like most people would.There had to be a good reason, and Taylor was as curious as he wanted to help.
Normally, he’d drive with Jacob, but Jacob and Tony climbed in Tony’s car together, so Taylor chose to go with Gal, Dennis, and Christopher, who were coming with them.He felt a bit despondent because Jacob had barely looked at him, but he knew it was because Jacob was worried and their relationship was recent.They’d just met and realized they were mates.It would take a while for their bond to smooth out and for them to realize they weren’t alone in the world.
Gal followed Tony’s car in silence.There wasn’t much to say since they’d already gone over what Gal expected of them.They needed to find the panda shifter and somehow convince them to stop hanging around in the woods.If they could convince the panda to shift, it would be great, but it looked like they hadn’t been in their human form for a while, so that might get complicated.
By the time Gal parked his truck next to Tony’s, Jacob was already in his tiger form.Taylor didn’t waste time.He jumped out of Gal’s truck and started stripping, eager to shift and spend some time in his tiger form.He didn’t get to do it often enough.He spent a lot of time working, especially since the panda shifter had started giving him and Tony trouble.
Once shifted, he took a few seconds to shake out his fur and stretch before he couldn’t resist anymore.He crept closer to Jacob, who was leaning against Tony and enjoying head scratches.Taylor grinned when he swatted at Jacob’s tail with his paw, eliciting the reaction he’d been expecting.
Jacob hissed and turned around, swiping a paw at Taylor’s face.Taylor jumped back, but unfortunately, they were interrupted by Gal.
“Children,” he gently scolded, reminding them that they were here to work, not play around.
Jacob wasn’t done yet, though.He swiped his paw at Taylor again, then went to stand next to their alpha, who looked like he was wondering what he’d done to deserve this.Taylor wasn’t sure, but he was glad that Gal of all people had been sent to Green Hill when the pride had needed a new alpha and that Gal’s mate had happened to be a pride member.He didn’t want to think about the state the pride would be in if anyone else had taken charge.
“Ready?”Gal asked Jacob since he was their tracker.
Jacob grinned at him.Knowing him, he was more than ready to put all of this behind them, and he wasn’t the only one.Taylor couldn’t wait for the petty crimes to stop so he wouldn’t have to listen to people complaining about someone digging through their trash again or stealing blankets from their porch.
Jacob took the lead with everyone else following.Tony couldn’t shift, and Gal had stayed in his human form, so Jacob and Taylor couldn’t move too quickly, but that was a good thing since they needed to be careful.They couldn’t afford to miss the panda shifter or for them to sneak up to them.
Taylor could hear Gal and Tony talk behind him, but he didn’t tune in to the conversation since it was none of his business.He kept his attention on Jacob and stuck close to him, ready to defend him if he needed help.Taylor didn’t think the panda was violent, but they had no idea what had happened to them, and they might not react nicely if they were cornered.
They moved deeper into the woods.The trees stood thicker here, and the air was colder, but Taylor was fine thanks to his thick tiger fur.He could smell plenty of scents, even though he wasn’t a tracker—dead leaves, a squirrel in a tree, two rabbits watching them pass, even a human who’d probably been taking a walk recently.Since they hadn’t been attacked, either the panda wasn’t violent, or he wasn’t there.Taylor hoped it would be the first option because he needed this to be over today.
Jacob suddenly tensed.Taylor instantly stopped moving and went on high alert, looking around and half-expecting the panda shifter to crash between the trees.Instead, Jacob sniffed the air.Taylor did the same, trying to figure out what his best friend had smelled.It wasn’t easy because his nose wasn’t as good as Jacob’s, but he thought he smelled something that didn’t belong.
Jacob shifted back to his human form, which meant hehadfound something.“I can smell them, and the trail is fresh.”
“How fresh?”Gal asked.
“Fresh enough that I’m sure we’ll find them soon.They’re here.”
“Good.Lead us to them, Jacob.”
Jacob nodded and shifted back.Taylor held his breath.He was glad this was almost over.When Jacob started moving again after headbutting Tony’s knee, Taylor fell into step with him.They’d patrolled together countless times, and this felt like going back to that.They didn’t need to speak to anticipate what the other would do or which way he’d go.They worked together smoothly.
It took Taylor a few moments to finally find a strong scent trail.His heart raced when he did because he knew it meant they were close.He wasn’t sure how close, but it was Jacob’s job to know, and Taylor trusted him implicitly.Jacob knew what he was doing, and since his mate was with them, he would make sure they were safe.He wouldn’t let anything happen to Tony, even though the sheriff was more than capable of protecting himself.They were about to face a panda shifter, though.They would be big, even if they were female, and there was a fifty-fifty chance they wouldn’t be.They also didn’t know what state the panda would be in, which might complicate the situation.
Jacob paused in front of a fallen tree.Taylor looked around, curious.He couldn’t see anything, but if Jacob had stopped here, it meant they’d found their rogue shifter.
The tree had fallen over a hole in the ground.There was something black and white in the hole, but if Taylor hadn’t known what they were looking for, he wouldn’t have noticed it.The panda was hidden well, but their scent had betrayed them.
