Although, I had to admit that Deva made a fantastic cup of coffee. That was worth a trip into town some days. Days like today when I was already in town, holed up in the police station’s backroom, meaning Deva’s cafe was just a few stops down the street. Yup, today I deserved some good coffee. Maybe it'd be enough to help me figure this whole thing out.
Something about Bryan’s kidnapping wasn’t sitting right with me, though. It kept aggravating the back of my mind, butwhatwas so aggravating about it I didn’t know. I had all the details laid out in a file on my desk. Bryan's kidnapper had chased him down the beach at an inhuman speed, apparently knocked him to the ground like a sack of potatoes, and then disappeared with Bryan slung over his back like a doll. And it wasn't like Bryan was a tiny guy. Or like this whole plan was a good one. Who in the heck thought that this was the ideal way to kidnap a vampire?
I had no idea, and it was driving me crazy.
Of course, the other thing aggravating me wasn’t in the back of my mind, but dancing all over it like a Las Vegas show. Seeing Vance brush his cold, dead lips on Emma’s cheek. An image I was pretty sure I'd never forget. Yeah, yeah, I knew vampires weren’t truly dead, but that didn’t matter. He was an old fish and his lips had been on my girlfriend.
Not that I'd want anyone touching my girlfriend, but that was also a shifter thing. We were pretty well known for being a bit possessive and easy to make jealous. Shifter women understood it, I was pretty sure Emma wouldn't, so I was trying to keep a handle on it.
And not doing well in the least bit.
Him kissing her. Him with his hands on her. Her in that beautiful dress that made her look like a million bucks It had played like a movie on repeat since the second it happened. I hadn’t slept well at all and after a few hours had given it up and come back here to keep digging for the case that was bothering me, the case that reminded me of this. If only I could remember what case it was.
Sighing, I stood up and made my way to the police station break room. I stared at the pot of coffee and wondered if that was sludge yet or if it was just in my head. Either way, I don't want the coffee. The idea of drinking another cup of it made my stomach turn.
It was definitely time to head to Deva’s. Going back to my desk, I organized all the files, then headed for the front. I waved at the sergeant on duty and trudged down the street with my hands in my pockets, still brooding over Emma. My mind easily slipped back from the case to her as the cool night air hit me. She was... incredible, amazing in every way. Being with her felt like nothing else. Like... I'd found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But did he feel the same way? I had thought so, at least until I saw her with the vampire and realized that our relationship wasn't quite as secure as I thought it was. And I couldn’t lose another woman I loved.
And yes, I loved Emma. Head over heels, stupid decisions, I-would-do-anything sort of in love.
As I reached the cafe, the early morning folks were there. The people that came in when the doors opened, had a cup of coffee or a light breakfast, and then headed out before the breakfast crowd arrived. They were my people. None of us made eye contact, just had that zombie, "must get coffee," look on our faces.
I stepped inside, breathing in the familiar, delicious scent of the place, like baked bread and bacon. Then went up to the hostess stand. Deva wasn’t there, or if she was, she was in the kitchen, so I ordered her special brew to go. With her I could at least ask more questions about the case, or subtly try to learn a little more about Emma and Vance. Had she had fun on their little "date"? Was she rethinking a future with a simple shifter when a man like that could offer her everything she deserved?
No, I don't want to think about that. Emma cared for me. And although Vance could offer her things, he could never offer her his heart. He would never care about anyone as much as he cared about himself. Emma wasn't dumb. She could see that too.
I hoped.
Walking down Main Street and sipping out of the paper cup, I found myself revitalized, energized, and still totally upset about Emma and Bryan. They were two separate problems, but both bothering the piss out of me. Neither seemed like it would be easy issues to solve though, but at least I had caffeine running through my veins now. Good caffeine.
That was something. Not enough to clear my head though.
Maybe a good run would help? The instant the thought entered my mind, I know it was the right choice. Sometimes, especially since Emma had been around, I forgot to let my bear out. And when I neglected that side of myself, I noticed it. In a bad way.
Turning back toward the police station, I threw the cup away in the trashcan on the corner, then hopped in my truck and headed back home. As soon as I parked in my driveway, I launched myself out of the car, I yanked off my clothes and shifted, roaring into the empty forest. The second the roar ended, I felt a little calmer. The issues bothering me in my human life seemed less important, and my bears instincts moved to the forefront.
I inhaled deeply, getting a sense for my surroundings, making certain there was nothing on my lands there shouldn't be. My bear's instincts seemed to rumble through my mind. No shifter would dare come onto my land, and there were plenty enough signs and fences to keep humans off, so I was the king of my lands. And with no other scents of shifters and humans, I was free to do as I pleased. When shifted, I generally could smell humans for a good mile before coming upon them, anyway.
Apparently, a run was exactly what I needed. The second I began to run, my heart felt lighter. My thoughts faded away and there was only me and nature all around me. The smells and scents of plants and animals. An overwhelming feeling of freedom and hope.
Before I knew it, my bear’s big legs had carried me to the edge of my property, near the wolf pack’s lands. It was nice that they bordered each other. It offered us more protection from humans in all directions. It was also perfect for me. Bears liked to have their own territories, but I was a bear who appreciated the company of other shifters. This setup allowed me to enjoy my independence and also a small sense of a shifter community.
As I walked along the edge of my property and theirs, the wind carried the wolf pack’s alpha’s scent to my nose. I was on my land, but only barely. And although I could sense that Nathan wasn't far from me, I wasn't certain he would scent me at all, or scent me but be busy elsewhere. Still, I stopped to see if Nathan would pick me up and come to say hi. As much as I was enjoying my run, some part of me wanted to see the young man.
A few seconds later, a large wolf ambled out from between two bushes. He had dark brown fur, the same shade as his hair in human form, and the same startlingly grey eyes. His whole life he'd been bigger than the other young wolves, simply because he was the son of an alpha. But now, he was getting to be big for an adult wolf. It was strangely nice to be here to watch him growing up.
I shifted and waited for Nathan to meet me. Even though as the former best friend to his father, the rules between shifters had always been less formal. I hadn't always needed to ask permission before entering shifter lands, nor did they see a bear on their lands as being a possible threat, with Nathan I tried to keep some of the formality. Not because I thought he'd attack me because I stepped on his lands without permission, but because I wanted him to see that I respected him as an alpha.
When he gets close, he shifted back into the young man I knew. Tall, like his father, he stood to his full height and smiled at me. A real smile. Not the moody teenager twist of his lips that I'd gotten accustomed to seeing since his father died.
“Looking good, Nate,” I said as I held out my hand.
To my happiness, he took my hand and shook it, his grip firm. "Right back at you." And there was only sincerity in his voice.
He’d gone through a definite bout of growing pains when he’d first taken on the pack, acting like a fool kid, but he’d really come into his own recently. He was cleaning up the pack, helping them get on their feet and moving forward. I couldn’t have been prouder of my best friend’s son, but he didn’t like it when I fussed over him. He was a proud man, like his father before him.
“Come down with me,” Nathan said, dropping my hand. “Come say hi to everyone.”
I needed to get back, but I couldn’t refuse the kid anything. His father had been my best friend before he'd died in a car crash with my ex-wife. I owed it to his son to have a look at his pack lands. As a proud alpha he might not ask me for much, so I needed to be sure to agree with it when he did need me. No matter how much I had on my plate.
