by Ashlee Sinn
Sutton’s eyes studied the cabin for several moments. It was almost as if I could see her thinking through the problem by watching the small ticks of her jaw and the controlled, yet slightly changing expressions. “I got a call about a wild cat sighting. A mountain lion that was acting strange.”
I ground my teeth together and tried not to show a response.
Carol sucked in a small breath. “A wild cat? No. We haven’t seen anything.”
Sutton flipped open a notebook she’d pulled from her back pocket. Reading from her notes, she added, “A feral mountain lion, foaming at the mouth, and eyeing up the children.” She raised her eyes to me. “Sorry, but could this be you?”
Carol stiffened beside me. She knew of my shifter status but I’d always thought she tried to ignore it so she could sell me a house. With the way she reeked of fear right now, I knew my suspicions had been confirmed.
Instead of answering Sutton, I asked, “By any chance, can you tell me who called in the complaint?”
She hesitated a moment before going back into her notebook. “It was a…Mr. Cox. Mr. Harry Cox.” Sutton kept her eyes on the name a few seconds before looking up at me with a grin. “Harry Cox.”
I let out a small chuckle. “I’m guessing Harry doesn’t exist.” But I’d bet my life it was Zane who’d made the call and I’d now be thinking of a million ways to get him back.
“Me too,” she said, meeting my gaze and trapping me in it. Her smile grew with mine and something twitched in my chest. It was a feeling or an emotion. I didn’t like it.
“Well, Ms….trooper, I was about to show this house, so if there’s nothing else you need…” Carol sure didn’t do subtle very well. Perhaps that’s why I liked her.
No, Sutton couldn’t leave. “Actually, if you can spare a few minutes, I’d like to get a second opinion on the place.” I cringed a little when I saw Sutton’s hesitation. Of course she couldn’t stay. She was working. I was an idiot.
“I suppose I could do that,” she said. Turning back to her car, she removed her hat and set it inside. Then she walked over to us and looked at Carol. “What are the specs?”
My heart pounded. This woman. This take-charge kind of women was going to be the end of me.
Carol cleared her throat and pushed open the front door. The aroma of old, stale air assaulted my nose. And while it didn’t quite smell like a rotten body, there was definitely a dead animal in here somewhere.
“Built in 1972, it’s a two bedroom, one bath cabin on five acres,” Carol started. “It’s been empty for almost a year and as you can see, it needs some work.” She pointed at room we were standing in and spoke directly to me. “I didn’t think you wanted a fixer-upper.”
I shrugged. “Well, I definitely don’t want a cookie-cutter house with sinks that stick up off the counter.” Sutton smothered a giggle and my body relished in that sound. “It might be kind of fun to fix this place up.”
As Carol rolled her eyes, Sutton stepped over a hole in the wood floor and stood in front of the two large windows letting the light into the living room. “You know, if you remove that wall behind you, it would open up the kitchen and make this place feel a lot bigger.”
I looked behind me at the tiny opening that led to the tiny kitchen crammed into the back corner of the house. She was right. “What else?” I asked, unexplainable pride growing inside of me.
She smiled and her blue eyes twinkled with excitement. “New floors. New windows of course.” Sutton walked closer to me and peeked into the kitchen. “This would have to go.”
“Agreed.”
“May I look at the bedrooms?”
I nodded while Carol led the way. The first one was rather small but could hold a bed and maybe a desk. The second was larger and on the east facing side of the house which would serve as the master.
“What’s this?” Sutton asked Carol while pointing to a door in the bedroom.
“I don’t know…” Carol stomped over to it and shoved it open with her shoulder. It led to a small covered porch that looked worse than the one out front. “Hmm,” she grumbled.
“Well, there you go,” Sutton said with enthusiasm, eyes beaming at me. “There’s your new master bath.”
Carol made some kind of noise while I tried to tear my gaze away from Sutton. Her excitement, her smile, her vision…everything about her was appealing to me and I had to turn sideways to hide my growing bulge.
“Yes, I guess that would work,” Carol said. “Looks like you have plumbing out here already.”
Still looking at Sutton, I said. “Great. Let’s put in an offer.”
“Really?” Sutton asked.
“Are you sure?” Carol said at the same time.
“I’m sure,” I replied, eyes glued to the trooper.
Sutton smiled again and I felt my own mimic hers. “Congratulations.”
I needed to touch her right now. Something. A hug, a shake, a kiss. My animal rushed to the surface, ready to stake his claim on the first women ever. So, I held out my hand. “Thanks for your help.”
Just as she glanced down and started to reach toward me, her radio barked. “Trooper Lowe.”
Her smile dropped just as fast as her hand. So close yet so far away. “Go ahead.”
“We have a five-nine-four off Route 83.”
Sutton looked at me and I thought I saw a hint of amusement under there. “I’m on it.” She tucked her hands in her pockets and shrugged. “I guess it’s time for me to go.”
“What’s a five-nine-four?” Carol asked, the worry evident in her shaky voice.
“Well, in most places, it means malicious mischief, but in Alaska it means a wild animal is where it shouldn’t be.” She’d looked at me during that last part and underneath the professional face was a small smile.
“A legit wild animal?” I asked, amused.
“Sounds like it.” Sutton said her goodbyes and walked toward the front door. She didn’t even look back and I simply couldn’t let her leave again.
“Will you be there tonight?”
She stopped and turned on her heel. Studying me to the point I felt uncomfortable, when she finally answered, it settled something inside of me. “I will.”
“Good,” I smiled at her as she left.
“What’s tonight?” Carol asked, watching me watch Sutton.
“A birthday party.”
“Oh,” she said, sounding a little defeated.
“For a shifter,” I added, knowing Carol would never want to go to that.
“Well, let’s get this offer ready. Now, since it’s been on the market for a long time, I believe we can get you a really good deal…”
Carol continued talking as I watched Sutton’s trooper car disappear into the trees. I couldn’t stop myself from feeling…things. Buying this home meant I could have a safe place, a den, closer to town. But now I didn’t want it to be just mine. Both me and my cougar wanted Sutton to be here with us. Perhaps I could disguise it as an invitation to help me design the place. And then maybe, just maybe, she would learn to love me.
Love me?
What the hell?
Carol tapped me on the shoulder, obviously aware that I’d drifted away. “Calvin. I need you to sign some things.”
“Yes. Okay. Fine.” I tried to pull myself back into the reality that was, but I found that I only wanted live in the daydream.
Fuck.
This wasn’t good. I couldn’t afford to lose my focus now.
I signed the papers, listened to Carol spout off something about inspections and contingencies, and forced myself to concentrate. Sutton Lowe meant nothing to me. No woman did.
And as I tried to convince both me and the cougar, I knew I’d already been caught in her spell.
I stopped my Harley for the fourth time. Despite the winter season, it had been unusually warm so I decided to bring out my favorite toy. Well, my only toy. I loved my bike and I loved the way the wind pressed against me while riding. The feel of power between
my legs was also a definite benefit, but I think I mostly enjoyed being free. Not boxed into a car. Not trapped in a uniform. And not relying on anyone else to drive but me.
But it wasn’t the bike that had me stopping so many times. It was the destination. The shifters. And especially Calvin. I couldn’t get him out of my mind and that wasn’t good. I’d been hired to help protect his kind, not fuck them. My sex tingled at the thought of letting Calvin have his way with me, as he certainly looked like a man who knew how to please a woman. And, after all, it had been a while since I’d had anything more than a casual fling. But that would interfere with my job. I’d made that mistake once before and I’d vowed to never do it again. Especially when lives could be in jeopardy because of my actions.
I didn’t think I would survive another loss like that.
Thinking about my messed up past help me get back on track. I pulled out onto the road, only to see the sign for the bar less than a mile ahead. There was a little bit of a driveway, and on it, the protestors had lined each side. In fact, it looked like they’d been camping there for months. Which was probably true if they’d been protesting since the reveal.
Idiots.
It’s not like the shifters could change who they were. Plus, they’d always been living beside us. We just never knew.
Tonight, the protestors had their lanterns, their signs, and their chants that made little sense. As I directed my bike past them, I slowed and looked for their leader. Even though I was off duty, I still felt like a little warning from the law wouldn’t hurt.
At the end of the line, closest to the barricades that blocked off the parking lot, I thought I spied him. A middle-aged man in a suit carrying the biggest sign that had a picture of all the exposed shifters in Homer with a red ‘X’ painted over their faces. Nice.
I stopped next to him and showed him my badge.
“Evenin’ officer.”
“Trooper,” I clarified.
He eyed up my outfit and my bike and raised a brow. “My mistake,” he said with a condescending tone. “Are you here to take them in?”
“Who?” I played dumb.
“The abominations inside that bar.”
I did my best not to roll my eyes. Or punch him in the face. “No sir, I am not here to arrest them.”
“Why not?”
“They’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Shifter fucker!” someone yelled out behind me.
I turned slowly, looking for the asshole but not finding him.
“Are you sympathetic?” the leader snapped at me. His eyes had narrowed to slits.
“For them?”
“Yes!” Spittle flew past my face.
“My job is to protect everyone, sir,” I ground out.
“Humans.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Hu-mans. Your job is to protect humans.”
“No, my job is to protect all life.”
He glared at me and it was obvious we would never be in agreement. It reminded me of my town in Texas and how much I wanted out.
“Just make sure you stay behind the barriers,” I said.
The man huffed and took a step closer to the barricades. “We will protest wherever we like.”
“That’s fine, sir. As long as it’s not on private property.” I started up my bike, being sure to make it loud. Then, ignoring the vulgar chants being thrown my way, I entered the bar parking lot.
Arguing with idiots made my blood pressure rise. So, by the time I’d lowered the stand on my bike and tucked my helmet into the saddlebag, my heart rate was almost back to normal. I would never understand how people could treat others so badly. If you didn’t like what someone did or what they were, then just stay away. If it didn’t affect your life, then shut the hell up. It really was as simple as that, but unfortunately not everyone saw the world the way I did. Which is probably why I had a job policing the results of those kinds of feelings.
The protestors continued chanting even though everyone else was inside. Well, everyone except for a very large man with an intimidating body and a dark scowl to compliment. I walked up to him, guarding the entrance, and gave him a nod. “Seth.”
Seth looked down at me with a wrinkled forehead and with eyes squinting in concentration. “How do you know my name?” He sniffed the air…like visibly smelled me…and then leaned back against the wall. “Oh, it’s you. Trooper Lowe.”
“Sutton,” I said with a small grin.
“Sorry, I didn’t recognize you in…well, in leather.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I get that a lot.”
“You look totally different,” Seth said in amazement.
I lifted my hands and shrugged. “This is the off-duty me.”
He grinned. “And I like it very much.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that until he added, “So will Calvin.”
Trying not to react to that, I gestured toward the door. He jumped to the side and then opened it for me. “Everyone’s at the back bar. Scarlett should be here in about ten minutes.”
“Thanks,” I said as I walked past him and stepped back into time. In Texas, I was used to dive bars with country themes. But this was something I hadn’t seen in forever. Clean, but all wood. Dark but enough lighting to see what you want. A large open space for dancing but a bigger bar in the back. The large room was filled with people I could only imagine were shifters. Although I did spot some of the human mates and as soon as they saw me, they waved me over. Thank god, too, because my blood pressure was up again. I wasn’t the most comfortable person walking into a room full of strangers. I mean, I’d do it, but I didn’t like it.
“You came!” Kenzie cheered. Her red, curly hair had been let loose tonight and I found it fascinating to watch the way the lights reflected off it. “Come on,” she said, grabbing my elbow. “We’re all back here.”
Pulling me over the dance floor, she bobbed up and down with the music. There weren’t very many people dancing yet, but I suspected that would never bother Kenzie. “Scarlett should be here any minute. Order a drink and come join us at that table.” She pointed to the corner where several square tables had been pushed together.
“Okay, thanks,” I said with a grateful smile. Sometimes I wished I could be that friendly. Well, no, not really. But Kenzie did have a good energy.
I looked toward the bar, trying to find a place to squeeze in. The bartenders were doing some kind of show for the crowd, so there was little space. But at the end, a man sat with his back facing me and an empty stool beside him. His large muscles popped out of the navy tee shirt, and with his dark skin and cropped hair, I knew right away who it was.
And I debated if I should walk over.
Don’t be a coward, I told myself. Sucking in a shallow breath, I flipped my hair out of my face and headed toward Calvin. He didn’t acknowledge me at first when I sat next to him. I also avoided turning my head in his direction like a teenager scared of her crush. Jesus, what was wrong with me?
I opened my mouth to say something just as Calvin swirled in his seat and stared at me. He rested his left elbow on the bar, beer in hand, while his right arm hung over the back on the stool. Studying me with an intensity I quickly learned to love, he tilted his head to the side. “Sutton?”
“Hey, Calvin,” I said shyly.
“You…” He stumbled over his words as his eyes absorbed every part of my body. “You look so different.”
With a demure smile, I flipped my hair again. Holy fuck, why was I flipping my hair?
“Leather suits you,” he said with a sexy smirk and a slight growl underneath his words.
I laughed and pulled off my bike jacket. “Thanks.”
“And your hair…” he started to lift his hand to reach for my long, dark curls, but then he stopped himself. “You have thick hair.”
“Thanks?” I asked with a giggle. Leaning in toward him, I whispered, “Is thick hair a good thing?”
He watched my lips as they moved but then seemed
to realize what I’d just said. “Um, yeah. Sure. Thick hair is a good thing.”
Had I just flustered the great cougar shifter? My core stirred with pride and need while I watched him struggle to find his words. I may not thrive on it, but this kind of power over this kind of man certainly made me feel like a woman.
“What are you drinking?” I asked him, since he still wasn’t speaking.
Shaking his head and rubbing his chin, Calvin composed himself. “Beer.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sakes, offer her a drink.”
I turned toward the bartender now leaning against the counter and giving Calvin a hard time. Zane, the grizzly, looked at Calvin with a shit-eating grin that I couldn’t help mimic. Yes, Calvin should offer me a drink.
“Fuck off,” Calvin growled.
“Hey, that is no way to speak to the gatekeeper of alcohol,” Zane said with mock disgust.
“Gatekeeper of alcohol?” I asked him.
He smiled even wider and slapped his bare chest. “I get to be the bartender tonight, hence, I decide who gets to drink.”
“Gotcha,” I said. “Do you usually do this?”
Zane shook his head. “Nah, but Bo and I offered since it was Scarlett’s birthday and all.”
“That’s very nice of you.”
“Oh please, they love the attention,” Calvin mumbled.
Zane’s grin told me Calvin was right, but he ignored the cranky cat. “So, what would you like?” he asked me.
“A beer.”
“One beer coming up.” Then Zane leaned toward Calvin, “And I’ll put it on your tab.”
“Fine.”
As Zane danced his way to the refrigerator to get me a cold bottle, I turned to Calvin. “Did you get the house?” His shoulders dropped and he seemed to visibly relax at the change in subject.
“I put in an offer. Should hear something tomorrow.”
“Well, I’ll think good thoughts.” Zane dropped off my beer and gave Calvin a brow wiggle before attending to a group of young woman waving money at him.
Calvin shook his head. “That guy…”
“What? Not a fan of young, arrogant grizzly shifters?” I teased.