by AJ Merlin
For a moment I marveled at her trust, wondering what would happen if I turned tail and ran out the far door and escaped into the parking lot.
Images of the bear came flooding into my brain, however, as I passed a pair of enforcers in cheap metal chairs that sat joking at their own desk. Right. I was in a building full of shifters trained to fight other shifters.
Chances were, I wouldn’t get far.
She opened a door and followed me inside the small, dimly lit room, gesturing for me to sit on one side of a wide, bolted down table while she sat nearest the door.
“We aren’t keeping you overnight,” she informed me. “Or for any real length of time. However, that doesn’t mean you’re not in any trouble.” The enforcer’s dark eyes found mine and held my gaze. “You understand that you can’t act on some vigilante impulse, right?”
“I didn’t really consider it vigilante impulse when I stood in front of another omega so he wouldn’t hurt her,” I admitted. “Which reminds me…aren’t you going to ask for my side of this?”
I didn’t want to stay here, but I couldn’t help but ask.
“Do I need to? We took reports on the street about the man from two women who watched you follow him. I assumed it was obvious what happened after that.”
“Me too,” I shrugged. “But maybe we’re not on the same page of obvious?” I offered her a wide, fake smile that she decidedly did not return.
“All right.” She rested her hands on the table in front of her, eyes fixed on mine as she heaved a sigh. “Tell me what happened, since you want to so badly.”
I couldn’t tell whether she was amused or irritated, her poker face was that good.
“That woman came out of the store, crying,” I recited. “Looking over her shoulder and everything. He followed, and pretty clearly did not have her best interests at heart.” I paused to see if she’d ask me to clarify, but she only watched me.
“So I followed them. Like a concerned citizen.” I was still afraid of being here, afraid that they’d decide to clap cuffs on my wrists no matter what I said and carry me away to await unfair-shifter-justice. “He cornered her in that lot, and I asked if there was a problem. She was incredibly upset, and ended up telling me I should leave so he would only hit her a little.” I stopped again, eyes narrowing as I met her gaze so I could watch for a reaction.
She gave me absolutely nothing.
“Okay then.” I swallowed my pounding pulse that had inched its way up into my throat again and clasped my clammy hands. “He attacked me, so I fought back. Then you guys showed up.”
“Then like I said. We’re on the same page,” the enforcer shrugged, sitting back.
“How, then, is that me trying for anything resembling vigilante justice?”
“I believe you know the answer to that just as clearly as I do.” Her eyes never left mine.
I burned under her scrutiny, the fear and nerves giving way to the strong frustration I had at her words. “Just because he’s an alpha doesn’t give him the right to hurt people,” I said quietly.
“But he wasn’t going to hurt you,” she reminded me.
“She couldn’t have stood up to him! She wanted him to hurt her less. That’s not okay!”
“I think you need to relax.” She rose to her feet, and with a shock I realized I was already standing, weight balanced and anger flaring hot in my chest. “He will be reprimanded for fighting with you, and we’ll look into what you say.”
“What I say? What about what that woman said?”
“She has no desire to press charges or have us look into him further.”
I was sure I’d misheard her. “What–“
The door opened suddenly, admitting Roman into the room.
The alpha took one look at both of us, then closed the door very gently behind himself with a sigh. “Your roommate is here,” he told me with a polite, measured smile.
Without a word, the woman opened the door, leaving the two of us in the small room.
“Is what she said true?” I asked unthinkingly, striding around the table until he and I stood less than a foot apart.
“What did she say?”
“That the woman I helped doesn’t care that the bear shifter was going to hurt her! That he’s going to get off with a slap on the wrist and probably go hurt her again!”
“Are you going to hit me if I say yes?” Roman didn’t sound like the idea particularly scared him, and didn’t move when I scoffed at his words.
“Why would I hit you?”
“Well, I thought you were mad that I got between you and that bear a bit ago. Figured you were gearing up to break his face.”
Oh.
His words caught me off guard. “You really thought I was going to do that?”
“Sure. Sorry that I had to protect him from you. It’s policy, and all.” His tone was light, and he was obviously trying to lighten the mood.
“I didn’t thank you,” I said, after staring at him for a few seconds too long. “For doing that.”
“No need to thank me, Alek–“
“And it really wasn’t personal,” I barreled onward, unable to stop myself from saying everything I’d wanted to since he’d brought up leaving him in the club. “I just-I was scared. I don’t…do that with alphas but you smell so good and you were so considerate-you left the door open just so I’d feel safe! Who does that?”
“Good alphas?” Roman offered, but I didn’t stop speaking.
“And then I left you. Like an absolute bitch. I can’t imagine what you thought, but I was afraid of going too fast and it sounds so cheesy to say that, I know–“
“It’s okay,” he interrupted, finding a break in my tirade to slip the words in.
“But then-what?” I blinked, taken aback.
“It’s okay, Alek. I get it.”
“Why? It was shitty of me.”
His smile widened. “Because I like to think I’m at least a little understanding of where you’re coming from.”
There he went again. Being an understanding and considerate alpha.
“You’re doing it again,” I muttered finally.
He tipped his head to the side. “Doing what?”
“Being considerate and nice.”
“I also arrested you, so I’m trying to make up for it a little.”
I couldn’t help but hone in on those words. Make it up to me.
He really cared what I thought about him, to the extent of explaining himself to me?
There were probably better times to consider the implications of that, so I cleared my throat and redirected myself.
“So is Mr. Bear shifter getting out too?”
The smile fell from his face, only to be replaced with a guarded, cautious expression. “Why?”
“Because I’m curious.”
“I don’t think that’s something worth being curious about when I worry about having to arrest you again.” He sighed. “I’d really rather only cuff you in a sexy way. Not a bringing-you-up-on-charges way.”
“Okay.” I stared at him. “So is he getting out now as well?”
“Alek.” Roman sighed heavily, hands shoved in his pockets. “I’m not telling you when he’s getting out. Or anything else about him just so you can slug it out in the parking lot.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
He paused, visibly mulling over my question. “What he did? Or what the enforcers can’t do in this situation?”
I folded my arms resolutely over my chest. “Well I’d say can’t is a bit of a strong word-“
“It’s not, though,” he replied firmly. “Do you really think I like letting alphas like him go?”
“I don’t know you that well.”
“Well, let’s change that.”
His words shocked me, and I met his level gaze. “What?”
“We’ll go slow,” the alpha promised. “I won’t cuff you until the third date.” An infectious smile played at his lips and I couldn’t help the twitch o
f my own lips.
It was almost enough to make me forget about the bear.
That, however, could be put to the back of my mind for now. Not that I’d tell Roman, but I had some idea of what I could do on that front. Maybe.
“I like being cuffed. In the sexy way. Second date,” I laughed, stepping closer to him. “Is this where you ask for my number?”
“Nah.” He reached into the pocket of his fitted jeans and pulled out my phone, which he handed over to me. “Don’t need it. Enforcer privilege, and all.”
“Well then I guess I get to ask for yours?” I wiggled my brows at him suggestively.
He recited it, then glanced at my phone when I entered his name into my contacts. “That’s not my name.”
“It’s basically your name,” I said, adding the ‘o’ on Romeo with a dramatic tap. Roman snorted, but didn’t protest.
Noah glanced up when we pushed through the glass door and back into the darkened parking lot, pausing in his attempts to wear a hole through the asphalt.
“Oh thank fuck,” he breathed, attention riveted on me. “I thought you’d come out here in chains or something.”
Roman chuckled at my side. “I told you she wasn’t in that much trouble,” he reminded Noah.
Now my foster-brother turned to look at Roman, suspicion coloring his face that was starkly-lit by the lights above the door. “You told me she was under arrest,” he disagreed hotly. “And to come get her from literal shifter-jail.”
“Yeah, but I also told you that she could go with just a warning,” Roman added. “Which reminds me.” He turned to me and I met his eyes. “This is your official warning, Alek. No more vigilante justice–“
“It’s not-“
“It is.” His tone was firm and made my maned wolf’s hackles rise. Roman’s eyes locked on mine, the blue brightening just enough that I figured he knew how rifled his words had me. “Don’t go after him again. Understood?”
“Then don’t let him hurt-“
“Or at least don’t get caught again.”
His words hung in the air between us, and I wondered just how little he agreed with the bear shifter’s actions.
“That’s so subversive of you,” I told him quietly.
“Yeah, it is.” he sidled closer until our faces were nearly touching and held my eyes with his. “But like I said. I’d rather keep handcuffs a game between us. Not a punishment, sweet girl.”
Oh fuck.
Again my body decided this was the perfect time to kick into lust-fueled-overdrive, and I couldn’t help leaning into him just enough that I could feel his breath on my lips.
“I don’t know,” I murmured. “Now you’ve got me wondering just what your idea of ‘punishing’ me might be.”
Amidst Noah’s choked scoff, Roman pressed his lips swiftly to mine in a sweet, chaste kiss that didn’t last long enough for my tastes.
When he pulled back, the enforcer was still smiling. “I’ll text you?” He offered, in a tone that sounded like a question for approval.
“I hope you do,” I replied with a grin of my own.
“Have a good night. And uh, nice to meet you.” He turned his friendly charm on Noah and waved once, before disappearing back into the enforcers’ building.
Noah stared after him, then looked at me. “What was that?” He asked, following me to his car.
“An enforcer. And an alpha. I think maybe he’s a wolf shifter.”
“Not a wolf,” Noah denied. “Scent’s not right for that and stop trying to distract me!” He glared at me once we were both seated in his car. “I thought he was arresting you, not flirting with you! Do you know him from somewhere?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Remember the other night when I had regrets about playing with an alpha at Sadie’s?”
Noah’s eyes widened so much that I worried for his blood pressure. “No.”
“Yeah. But to be fair, I didn’t know he was an enforcer.” As Noah shifted gears, I added. “I wonder which of us would win in a fight.”
“Him.” My best friend didn’t sound shocked at my question.
“You don’t even know him!”
He looked at me, lips pressed flat in disapproval. “Him,” he repeated. “You know why?”
I shook my head, tapping my fingers against my leg and internally letting out a sigh of relief at being out of the building.
“Because while you might love the fight, you’d much rather have him on top of you while he’s all worked up.”
I gasped, preparing a litany of excuses against his claim.
“Don’t even,” he added, both of us giving the gate guard a bright, false smile as he very slowly drove past. “I heard what you said. And by the way. I hope you know that you’re still going into the store for salsa.”
Chapter Fourteen
While taco night still went off successfully, the two of us had a hard time getting past what had happened.
Not so much the arresting part. Sure, that was unfortunate and I certainly did not want to repeat the experience, but I could move past that.
However, both of us weren’t okay knowing that the bear shifter had probably gone home to hurt the woman I’d tried to protect. Neither were we okay with knowing that the enforcers would only give him a slap on the wrist unless she had strong ties in the community or her body showed up in the river somewhere with clear indications of murder.
After a night spent only half-watching some nineties slasher films, we’d decided that the best defense was a good offense, in this case.
“The employees are going to think we’re serial killers,” Noah announced, tossing the rope in the basket as we both looked down at the other contents.
“Well…not really?” I offered, snagging a pair of pliers from the hardware section’s display.
“What are those for? Are you going to pull out the man’s fingernails?” my roommate yelped incredulously, drawing the attention of a human woman from nearby.
I smiled at her and she left, still eyeing us with concern.
“No, you idiot,” I muttered. “Your cat broke ours last week. Remember?”
But he was probably right. If I worked here, I’d be suspicious of two twenty-something-year-olds in paint-covered clothing buying rope, zip ties, trash bags, and gloves.
“Maybe we should split up our purchase?” I offered, picking up the rope and the pliers once more. “Now it just looks like you’re weird and I’m crafty.” Hopefully.
“I’d rather be crafty,” Noah complained, eyes on a shelf of paintbrushes.
“What do you need a paintbrush for?” I inquired, following his gaze.
“Uh, I don’t know? Maybe to make us look more normal?”
“Sure. Look, I’m going to pay for these, then I’m going to go talk to those two women from last night,” I announced, shaking the rope at him.
He shuddered and announced, not for the first time, “I don’t want to go.”
“Then don’t. Buy us some drinks or something to go with the snacks.”
At his mumbled acquiescence, I strode to the front of the store with my items. The cashier’s eyes flicked over my clothes, but he rang me up without any words other than to give me my total.
Noah did the same at the other cash register, and somehow his cashier was more efficient in her work, as my roommate was out faster than I was and I was stuck staring at the man trying to count change.
“I think this is right,” he muttered, handing me my five dollars or so in change.
I pocketed it, not caring if the coins weren’t correct. He’d handed me the correct amount of bills, and I didn’t have the brain space to argue with him over less than a dollar.
“Thanks,” I said, bag in hand as I walked out the door that Noah had gone through.
Part of me was still unsure at just what the hell we thought we were doing. Well, what I was doing. More than likely, Noah would end up sitting in the car the whole night.
Spontaneous actions were one thing. I�
��d never had great impulse control, and getting in a fight with the man the night before was pretty on par with my usual decision making.
But planning to find out who he was so we could find him and check on the woman?
Even to me, that sounded a bit stalker-ish. Of course, we had no plans to actually hurt him. Probably. Unless she was hurt, but I hadn’t told my roommate that part.
He thought that, at worst, we’d tie him up and threaten him.
I felt differently about that last part. If the bear shifter had hurt the woman I’d worked so hard to protect, I wasn’t sure what I’d do.
Bear or not, there was a line and he’d crossed it.
It took a moment for me to realize that Noah wasn’t alone at the car. He stood against the passenger door, face a bit blank as a dark haired woman talked to him, her back to me.
Did he know her? She didn’t look like someone I’d met at Prowl, and her scent didn’t seem familiar.
“Noah?” I asked, coming around to stand beside her and eyeing the woman up and down. A protective urge flashed up my spine and my eyes narrowed, but the woman only smiled.
“I’m so sorry,” she pushed a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear and looked away from me, her face beet red. “But I’m so glad you came out-it really was an accident and I’ll pay for it.”
“She hit the bumper,” Noah explained, gesturing at the back of his car. A blue car had parked behind us, and when I went to look, I saw that she had pulled back from our sedan just enough for me to see a bit of blue paint on Noah’s back bumper.
Honestly, I wasn’t even sure there was a dent. The damage was either nonexistent, or not worth writing home about.
Going over to stand with Noah again, I saw the woman had turned even redder. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “It was absolutely an accident.”
“It’s okay,” I told her with a smile, shoving my bag in the backseat through the open window. “It’s basically nothing. All I saw was a bit of paint.”
“Me too,” Noah assured her, stepping closer to the girl who looked to be around our age and shorter than me by at least six inches.
“No-and I’m not just pretending to be sorry to get out of it. If you want to call the police or your insurance, or-“