Page 20 of Cuffed By the Wolf

I pat his shoulder twice. "Sit outside."

My eyes move around the garage. I point at the other deputies with my shifted hand. "Back to work."

They move frantically back to their respective stations.

Ipark near another campsite and walk to Evan's camper. My eyes move around the area. Everything looks harmless because it's still daylight. But when night falls and people get to drinking and hunting wildlife, things can go wrong. So wrong. I try pushing down Lily's death. Just because my mate rejected me, then was later killed on the campgrounds, doesn't mean that will happen to Sasha, my employee.

Gavin, she’s just in town over the summer.

If I help her find who ruined her career, maybe she’ll leave sooner. I walk around the camper. I hear voices.

“That about sums up my life. And to top it all off, I’ve decided to work for that asshole sheriff. The man could win an award for the grumpiest sheriff. He doesn’t have a stick up his ass. He has a branch.”

They laugh. My brows lower. This woman is so infuriating.

“Evie, if he didn’t need a secretary, he would’ve made sure I left town.”

Damn right, I would.

“Wait, what?” the woman asks.

“I took a temporary job as a secretary at the Morgan County Sheriff's Department. I need to find out who ruined my life. This is the best way. Sheriff Drake is aware of what I’m up to. Girl, get this. The man is such an asshole; he refuses to call me by my first name. He calls me Walker.”

“Oh, little omega, do I have plans for you,” I mutter.

My brother meets me at our usual spot deep in the woods, not far from my cabin.

“Hey, bro.” Tyson grins. “You’re the talk of the office.”

I shrug. “What’s new?” I grunt as I undress.

“Let’s see,” he says as he removes his clothes. “You’re behaving like a possessive, overbearing beast when it comes to your new employee. Sasha.”

“I came here to run. Not to chat about her.”

He chuckles. “You’re in love with Sasha,” he says, before shifting.

The change takes me the way it always does — not gently. A crack low in my spine, then my jaw splitting forward into a snout, teeth lengthening as my gums burn and reset around them. My spine bows. Fur rips up through skin like something clawing its way out from underneath, gray and white, faster now, my hands folding into paws, claws punching through where fingernails used to be. By the time my back legs finish twisting into shape, I’m already dropping into a run, four-legged and low to the ground, and the pain is gone the second my paws hit the dirt.

My brother’s black wolf is already ten yards ahead, tearing through the underbrush like the trees mean nothing to him. I snarl and give chase, my paws slapping wet earth, ferns whipping past my shoulders, the whole forest a blur of green and brown and the electric smell of pine sap cracking under my weight. He howls, delighted, and puts on speed. I match him stride for stride, muscles burning clean in a way nothing at the department ever does.

Can’t believe my little brother’s out here gossiping about me to the whole office. Twenty-nine years old and still can’t help himself. Our parents live in a big house on the other side of town. Dad retired six years ago. Tyson had his sights set on the sheriff’s job, but since I had more experience, Dad recommended to Mayor Willard that I be appointed instead. I always thought Tyson would go a different route—engineering, maybe. After I became sheriff, Tyson decided to become a deputy. He turned out to be one of my best, cracking two murder cases before he even turned twenty-seven. Seems like it runs in the blood as much as the fur.

I got so worked up earlier, I showed my wolf eyes to Sasha. Whenever we’re close to each other, I want to take her by the neck and kiss her senseless.

Snap out of it, Gavin. You don’t do mates. The omega doesn’t even have a scent — not one I can catch, anyway. However it works, I’m still very attracted to her.

I put on a burst of speed and pass Tyson, paws slapping the forest floor, lungs burning good and clean. I’m happier out here than anywhere else. No talking. No thinking too hard about anything except the next tree, the next root, the next breath.

I come to a halt at the edge of the campground. Tyson pulls up beside me, ears swiveling forward, following my line of sight.

We watch Fitch and Sasha sitting outside the camper, talking.

Tyson howls. I don’t wait to see if Sasha and Fitch look up. My brother and I bolt back through the trees toward my cabin. I pounce on him, and we roll around in the grass.

My own brother betrayed me. He’ll find himself on trash detail.

As I stand at the podium briefing the team on the plan for today, in walks Ms. Walker. She stands at the back of the room, just inside the door, wearing another one of those tight pencil skirts. I didn’t know what the skirt was called so I looked it up. This one is navy paired with a white button-up long sleeve shirt that brings every man’s attention to her breasts. This woman is trying to send me on a killing spree early this morning. Her gold and brown braids are twisted into some kind of bun on top of her head. I know she’s wearing more of those fuck-me heels. I’ll be in the field today. I have to avoid this woman at all costs. If I didn’t need her secretarial skills, I would’ve made sure she left town. Last night, I beat off in the shower and then in bed. Then this morning it was rinse and repeat. The last time I beat off this much I was fifteen years old.