Taylor’s leg started bouncing under the table, anxiety flickering across the bond. Johnny squeezed it tightly.
“John-Paul, I’m putting you with Wendy. Taylor, you’ll be working with Amil.”
Something unpleasant coiled in Johnny’s belly, something that made his wolf bristle, something similar to dread. It was making Taylor’s leg bounce even harder, and Johnny should have just pushed that feeling deeper into his pit of unspoken things, taken a breath and let it go. But he didn’t, and before he could stop himself, he said, “I can work with Amil, if… you…”
The other two looked at him, his words falling away into the silent room.
Taylor tilted his head and gave him a look that said‘Seriously?’
“Why’s that?” Isla asked.
Taylor raised his eyebrows.
Ohshit. He really could not think of a legitimate reason why Taylor should not work with the omega. He might be a hound dog, but he wasn’t a creep. If anythinghewas the fucking creep for feeling jealous at the thought of Amil’s scent clinging to Taylor—to his clothes, to his hair, to his skin, to his—tohim.
“Nothing,” Johnny said, shaking his head and pressing a finger between his eyes. “Forget I said anything.”
His wolf was not happy, and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Taylor, so when Isla pressed a hand to the desk and cleared her throat, the relief washed over him like a goddamn wave.
“Alright. Taylor is with Amil; John-Paul, you’re with Wendy. Finish kitting up and I’ll see you downstairs.”
CHAPTER 6
WANDERERS
Taylor
“Just so you know,you arenotmy type.”
Amil wrenched open the driver’s side door of the patrol car with so much force it made the whole vehicle rock. They hadn’t even made it out of the police station before he had started huffing and tutting very blatantly in Taylor’s direction, and by the time they’d reached the car park he was practically puffed up like an aggravated cat.
Taylor had to keep five paces behind him just in case he swiped him across the face.
“Yeah, well, you aren’t my type either,” Taylor lied, sinking into the ancient beige passenger seat. “In fact, I think you’re extremely ugly.”
He was not fucking ugly.
The omega was gorgeous, and he smelled good, even when he flounced around with a sour expression. But if Taylor had learned anything over the years, it was that when life gives you lemons, rub them in people’s eyes and see how they like it.
Amil ran his hands around the steering wheel and drew in a long breath. “Good,” he said, nodding once. “Thank you for saying that.”
Taylor pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh.Fucking hell these people are weird.
“Sure. Anytime you need to be casually insulted, I’m your man.”
Amil’s head snapped round, his lips peeling back.
“I mean… I’m not your man. Actually, it’s a wonder anyone would ever?—”
“Okay, thanks,” Amil said, turning the key in the ignition. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
Looking at him out of the corner of his eye, Taylor wondered if the guy had a degradation kink or something. Not his cup of tea, but it took all sorts to make the world go round.
Shit, where was Johnny? Johnny would know what to say or do. In fact, maybe he and Amil could just do a little lap of the town and call it a day.
“Riiight. So, what’re we doing?” Taylor said, slapping his knees.
Amil sighed. “The sergeant said I’ve got to give you a tour, then we’ll go up into the woods to check for wanderers.”
