“I’ve never met a beta with almost no scent,” I say, trying to push him off balance. “It’s very odd.”
“I’m not here to make you more comfortable,” he says. “I am running a lead down for a cold case that brought me here. I’ve been working on this for years with my team. I’m asking for the space to figure out what my team is looking at, Syrus. Your town is full of omegas and I’m trying to take apart a sex trafficking ring. That has to count for something, right?”
Fuck. If there’s a trafficking ring operating nearby, then the omegas in this town could be in danger.
“If your story is true, it simply means that your presence here could pull too much attention. I meant it when I said this town is wary of alphas. They’ll need to get used to you all in order to want to say more than boo,” I reply. “Don’t make waves. There are a few bed and breakfasts in town, but they’ll throw your asses out if there’s an omega who needs your bed. I’m not kidding.”
“I’m aware,” he grunts. “Omegas should have the rooms if they’re coming into town and figuring out their next moves. Do you get new people often? It feels like everyone knows each other.”
“About twenty percent of the town are new transplants in the last six months,” I say, spouting off facts.
I keep track of statistics, because it’ll give me an idea of what might be happening outside of our bubble. It’s why I also keep in touch with my ex-partner. I can’t stick my head in the sand, and I don’t intend to.
“For some reason, it seems to increase in the winter months,” I add. “These roads get rough as snow gets dumped on us, andpeople get twitchy if they’re in bad situations. They’re better off here if they’re running from something.”
“Is that why you’re here?” Isidro asks, polishing off the rest of his cake.
“I’m not hiding or running,” I correct. “I chose a different life for myself, one where I’m not worried the people I work with will stab me in the back. If you’re staying, I need to know this decision won’t fuck me over.”
“It won’t,” he promises, drinking the rest of the water to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth.
The fudge in this cake is thick. That’s what makes it so damn good. Pushing away my own empty plate, I wait for him to finish drinking. I’ll run it off in the morning, for now I’ll enjoy the sugar high.
“No offense, but it sounds like you have trust issues,” Isidro observes.
“Let’s just say that leaving the police force shouldn’t be a reenactment of blood in, blood out,” I say. “It takes a lot to gain my trust, and I don’t think you have what it takes. You may also be walking around town without a car for a while. Shep is a busy guy, and you’re not one of his favorite people.”
Standing, he nods. “Understood. I’ll take a walk to find my guys and figure out where I’m staying tonight. See ya around, Sheriff.”
My lips purse as he lets himself out the side door leading out to the sidewalk from the outdoor patio. He just drew the line between us and I don’t like it.
Guess my new hobby of hyperfixation is going to have to include him.
Isn’t that a pity for him?
Chapter Nine
Kyren
Harlan has been giving me updates while I’ve been hanging out in the park, people watching. Therearealphas in this town, just not as many as you’d expect. While I get a couple of sidelong glances, I’m largely ignored.
There are people hanging out and chatting as they have dinner together while they catch up. It appears that it’s normal to pick food up from one of the restaurants in town before walking to the park.
It’s nice out, and I gaze up at the sky as the orange globe makes its way past the horizon. The earlier cloudiness is over now, leaving the world with fiery oranges, golds, and pinks. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
“There’s nothing like a Colorado sunset,” a woman sighs as she walks her dog. Her gaze is also trained at the sky as she smiles.
Her pet sits on the ground beside her, a golden retriever content to allow his owner to admire the sky.
“I’m seeing this,” I murmur, hesitant to break the magic of the sky.
The woman smiles dreamily before continuing on, and I sigh as I look around the park. I’ve heard all kinds of stories from the smoky SUV giving one of the mechanics fits, as well as some type of dirty trivia happening up at Club 21. There’s definitely character in Widows Peak.
“If I was looking for a place to stay, what are my best options?” I ask, leaning toward a couple of seniors battling it out in another game of chess.
It’s been pretty serious, though they’ve been chatting with me here and there between games.
“Well that depends, Kyren,” Ralph states, his eyes moving shrewdly in my direction. “How many of you are there and how long are you planning to stay?”
