“And there won’t be any problem with me being… an outsider?”
“I don’t see why there would be.” I give him an encouraging smile. “Unless you treat wolf business like police business.”
“Fair enough,” he says softly.
“Caleb has no issue with outsiders unless they start trouble. I don’t see you causing problems so you have nothing to worry about.”
“No, I’m just here to do my job. I don’t want any trouble or drama in my life.” He picks up his latte and takes a sip.
I watch him for a minute, then ask, “I’m assuming since you’re here you have no allegiance to any pack in Atlanta?”
He shakes his head.
I frown because it’s very unusual for a wolf to have no pack. A pack is family. How does someone go through life without that support system in place? “How about back in Florida?”
He meets my gaze. “I’m not affiliated with any group. I prefer it that way.”
“Do you?” I murmur. “Don’t you ever get lonely?”
He drops his gaze. “No.”
I don’t believe him. He might be closed off but he’s still flesh and blood. Everyone gets lonelysometimes. Even wolves who prefer to go through life single get lonely on occasion. But now is not the time to push. Maybe when I know him better I can ask him some more questions. For now, I’ll leave it.
I shove the rest of my sandwich in my mouth and wash it down with coffee. As we’re leaving the coffeehouse, my radio crackles with a call.
“Unit 12, we have a 10-15 at Patterson’s Drugstore on Main. Juvenile shoplifting.”
I tap my shoulder mic. “Unit 12 responding.” Meeting Jude’s gaze, I say, “Looks like you get to go on your first call with GPPD.”
“Yippee.” Jude’s tone is sardonic. “I get to pop my cherry.”
It’s obviously a joke, and I’m taken off guard when heat flushes through me at his choice of words. Why his cliché sexual reference affects me physically I have no idea. But I’m embarrassed by how my body reacts to the thought of him popping his cherry. There’s something about Jude that makes me physically aware of him in a way I’m not comfortable with.
But I’m not about to examine those feelings right now, so I push them away. We have a job to do. I don’t have time to thinkabout why my new partner makes me feel like I’m going through puberty all over again.
Chapter Three
Jude
The drugstore is only a few blocks away, and when we pull up, Liam swears under his breath. I glance over and find him scowling. “What’s wrong?” I ask, unbuckling my seat belt.
“That’s Sara Rourke. Caleb’s daughter.” He gets out of the car.
I follow, but I hang back a little. I’ll let Liam handle this situation. I’m not about to arrest the local pack leader’s teenage daughter my first day on the job. That would most definitely put me on the guy’s shit list.
There’s a middle-aged wolf standing next to the young girl. He’s bald with a goatee and he looks stressed. But there’s also a stubborn tilt to his jaw. The young girl next to him is blonde, pretty, and currently looking anywhere but at the small bag the older man is holding.
“Hey, Mr. Patterson,” Liam says as he approaches the pair.
“Officer M… Martinez,” Mr. Patterson stammers. “I caught Sara trying to leave the store with these items. It’s a bunch of makeup and stuff. She… uh… d… didn’t pay for them.”
I glance at the girl Sara. She’s staring at her shoes, arms wrapped around herself. She’s definitely not a hardened criminal. Her cheeks are bright pink and there’s obvious shame in her eyes.
“Did you take those things without paying, Sara?” Liam asks quietly. There’s authority in his voice, but also a gentleness.
“Yes,” she whispers.
“That doesn’t sound like something you’d do.” Liam frowns.
