Alpha Unit One, New York

by Chris T. Kat

  “Given that each of you could snap my neck without me even noticing it, yes, I’m really not a fan of the neck-sniffing,” Nick replied.

  Jake snorted, and hostility dripped from his voice. “Maybe you should’ve taken a different job, then.”

  Annie lifted her nose from Nick’s neck and sucked in a deep breath. A smile played on her face when she beckoned Jake closer. “Ah, baby, there’s no reason for you to be jealous.”

  Jake remained rooted to the spot, defiance pouring out of him. Nick’s gaze flew from one to the other. “You’re a couple? Isn’t that forbidden?”

  “No,” I answered. “It’s not encouraged, but as long as they do their job and don’t allow their personal lives to interfere, it’s fine.” I gave Annie and Jake a pointed look.

  A blush crept up Jake’s neck, but he gave me a curt nod of understanding. Annie bumped her head against Nick’s, apparently deciding that was enough of a greeting. She stepped back, rolling her eyes at Jesse’s theatrical pout, and held out her arms for Jake. When he didn’t move right away, a low growl rolled through the room, propelling Jake into motion. He rested his head on her right shoulder as she enveloped him in a hug that caused him to wheeze. He reached out his hand toward Nick from the safety of Annie’s arms.

  “Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly. “I’m Jake, one of the statutory humans on the team.”

  Nick took his hand in a firm grip. “No sweat, man. And don’t worry about your… girlfriend. She’s really not my type.”

  “Oh?” Jesse drawled, as he flipped a lock of black hair out of his eyes. Silently he padded so close to Nick he could practically breathe down his neck, saying, “What is your type, then, beautiful?”

  Nick’s left elbow flew out, catching Jesse in his side. Jesse hissed, obviously surprised by the action. Served him right for sneaking up behind Nick.

  “Not someone who sneaks up behind me and thinks he’s hot shit.”

  I pressed a hand over my mouth to smother my laughter. Neither Annie nor Jake had the decency to follow my example. Even Julie and Connor, the other two human members of our team, howled. Jesse leveled an icy stare at everyone, especially at Connor. These two had sort of an ongoing feud, though they maintained the peace. Normally they did, anyway.

  “At least I don’t have to beg for it, which is more than can be said for you, Dulane.” Jesse sauntered over to his desk and turned away to do some work on the computer. I supposed he was only pretending to work, but on the other hand, the guy was a whiz when it came to computers.

  Connor turned a deep crimson. He walked up to Nick, his jaw clenched tight, and shook hands with him.

  “Just a well-meant piece of advice. Riker is prissy more times than he’s not, so stay away from him if you can.” He paused, probably waiting for a reaction from Jesse. When none came, he pressed on, “You’re right about one thing—he always thinks he’s hot shit, although he’s really just desperate and creepy.”

  “That’s enough!” I barked, cutting Jesse’s retort off before he could utter it.

  Nick jumped, his gaze darting around the room as if trying to keep everyone in his field of vision.

  “I told you two to knock it off. If you’re starting up again, I’ll have to reassign one of you to another team,” I said.

  “Maybe you should. Dulane’s not that needed anyway. Or would it look bad for you to reassign one of the statutory humans?” Jesse snarled.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jake interceded. “Don’t tell me you’re secretly one of those assholes who think humans can’t be good cops?”

  Jesse deflated at the outrage shining through in Jake’s voice. Jesse had a soft spot for Jake, who’d been the first human on the team. Didn’t mean he refrained from yanking his chain, but he’d never hurt him on purpose. They hung out after work, playing some kind of computer game I didn’t care about. “No, of course not.”

  Roland’s gravelly voice drew all our attention. He lounged in the corner of the room, where he could keep in the shadows. His amber eyes gleamed before he pushed himself forward, revealing his face. A large scar wound its way from his left temple across his cheek to his mouth. Another large scar covered most of his throat. “No,” Roland said. “You’re lashing out at Connor because he’s not begging you to give it to him. Get your act together and ask him out or get your rocks off with someone else.”

  Connor gaped at Roland. Well, that could be a reason why they were always at each other’s throats. Jesse muttered something unintelligible, then asked Connor, “So, you up for a drink after work?”

  “With you?” I winced at the shrieking quality in Connor’s voice.

  “Yes,” Jesse said.

  Connor seemed taken aback. I figured he was ready to tell Jesse to leave him the hell alone when Nick piped up, “I bet he’s really intense and attentive in bed. If you don’t take him up on his offer, maybe I can?”

  This time, a growl erupted from my throat. Nick took a step backward. “Or not, whatever,” he mumbled. “Dudes, you’re a weird bunch.”

  He ambled over to Julie to shake her hand while Jesse remained sitting completely still, waiting for Connor’s answer. Connor bounced on his toes and ran a hand through his white-blond hair. “Fine. One drink. Just for you to prove you can act like a decent guy instead of being an asshole.”

  “You’re on.” Jesse grinned, but this time his eyes lit up as well.

  “Christ, I’m not sure the team will be able to survive the two of you shagging.” I lifted my hand to ward off any retort from either Connor or Jesse. “No, don’t say a word.”

  At least no one had commented on me growling when Nick offered to spend some quality time with Jesse. Something was seriously wrong with me. Pushing this thought to the side, I opened my mouth to tell Nick that the team really wasn’t all that dramatic or crackbrained when I caught sight of him standing next to Roland, skimming a fingertip along the scar on his face.

  Chapter Three

  Nick

  AT LEAST Julie, who smelled sweetly and utterly human, seemed to be normal. Whatever normal stood for in this team. She wore her dark brown hair tied back, accentuating high cheekbones and a perfectly heart-shaped face. Add her soft light brown eyes into the mix, and I’d be willing to bet the guys were chasing after her all the time. Too bad I didn’t bat for her team. A human woman might be just the thing for me.

  Geez, could I become any more maudlin today? All those heavy scents and alpha pheromones were taking their toll on me.

  I turned toward Roland, the guy in the shadows with the creepy, gravelly voice, to introduce myself properly. Black bitched at Connor and Jesse in the background as I held out my hand to Roland. His scent, all wolf and sad and hurt, slammed into me. I kept upright, even though the smell of his pain was so intense my knees threatened to buckle. How could the others stand to be close to him all day?

  Tears sprang into my eyes. I hurriedly sucked in a deep breath, hiding it inside a cough. Roland’s amber eyes bored right into me, rooting me to the spot. He knew.

  For fuck’s sake, he knew about me. I could see it in the sudden flare of his nostrils, accompanied by a disbelieving grimace.

  No, no, no. That couldn’t be. I’d been so cautious, so very, very cautious. Any second now he’d tell the others, and there would go my chance to make a difference. They’d throw me out, and I’d be forced to become the pampered mate of whomever. My pulse quickened as I pondered a solution to this dilemma, when Roland beckoned me forward.

  I made my way over on wobbly legs, waiting for him to disclose my secret. His voice sounded surprisingly soft when he asked, “Are you up for this job?”

  “I’ve been a detective for several years now. I wouldn’t’ve been chosen for this team if I wasn’t good,” I replied defiantly.

  “That’s not what I asked. Are you up for this job, or do I need to inform the others about you so you won’t get hurt on the job?”

  I bristled. Why did everyone think I, or anyone who
was like me, needed a keeper?

  “I don’t care what you are, kid. I just want you to be sure this is what you want,” Roland added.

  He smelled even sadder, bringing another surge of tears to my eyes. Damn my nature for being so susceptible to the emotions of others. All I wanted was to curl up on his lap, oozing soothing pheromones, and have the thick cloud of bone-deep sorrow go away. Swallowing, I whispered, “Thank you. And yes, I’m sure this is what I want.”

  “Then welcome to the team.”

  Roland held out his hand to me, a thoughtful act to help me pretend to be human, but I couldn’t stop myself from skimming my fingers along his scar. His breath caught in his throat, and his scent changed to confusion, but also the slightest sliver of happiness. Throwing caution to the wind—because hello, this is me—I bent down and rubbed my cheek against Roland’s scarred one. A puff of air escaped his mouth, and I wondered what he’d look like in wolf-form. I pulled away, smiling down at him.

  “Hell, kiddy, no one has dared to come that close since… since my face got mangled.” Roland jerked his hands to indicate himself.

  I winked. “About time someone did, then. Who else would be better equipped than me, huh?”

  He barked out a laugh as he rose to his considerable height. Fuck, he must be a monster in his wolf-form. Couldn’t be much smaller than the big cats, if at all. At least most wolves were cool with guys like me, though I’d never heard of a wolf giving his okay for someone like me to join anything even remotely dangerous. My esteem for Roland rose considerably. Maybe I could even befriend the guy. That would be nice. I hadn’t had a real friend in… forever.

  There I went again. Roland pulled me out of my funk as he clapped me on the shoulder. “I’m heading for the break room. You want anything?”

  Milk. A whole carton of it. I was salivating at the thought of milk alone. My nose twitched. It always did when I thought of milk. Mortified, I tried for nonchalance. “Coffee would be great.”

  “Milk too?” A grin stretched Roland’s face, showing how handsome he was.

  I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Asshole. Yes, milk. Lots of it.”

  He gave a curt nod before strolling out of the office, still smiling. When the door closed behind him, I became aware of the silence around me. Everyone—and I mean literally everyone—stared at me as if I’d grown a second head.

  “What?” I snapped. “Something wrong with my hair?”

  Julie barreled into me and hugged the shit out of me. She might be human, but boy, did she have power in those arms. “Girly, not that I don’t like the sudden lovefest since I’m just that awesome, but I need to breathe.”

  Julie released the vise around my ribs. Her veiled gaze hit me hard as I wondered what I’d done to deserve such a reaction. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

  “For what?” Damn, had I entered the Twilight Zone when I wasn’t looking? Maybe I should’ve applied for New York’s second Alpha Unit instead of Alpha Unit One. These guys here were getting weirder and weirder.

  “For making Roland laugh. For making him leave the office to get coffee.”

  “I don’t get it.” Confusion seeped into my voice.

  Julie pecked me on the check, drew back, and wiped a hand quickly over her eyes. Black crossed the room, and I had to suppress the urge to step back. Damn, why did he have to be so big?

  “Roland lost his wife a year ago in a violent break-in. The scars on his face are from that break-in. He tried everything he could to save her. To this day, he blames himself for her death. He hasn’t laughed or smiled since the day she died. He usually doesn’t leave the office, either. At least not to get coffee,” Black said.

  He rested his hands on my shoulders, and I bit down on my lower lip to prevent myself from climbing him. I was so fucked.

  That annoying little inner voice purred something about mate, almost giving me a heart attack. No mate for me, nope. Too much hassle. And besides, if I got mated, I wouldn’t be allowed to be a cop anymore. So no. No matter how nice Black smelled. The little voice grumped something about me being a stupid nuisance, but I squashed it into submission, as usual.

  “We’re simply astonished and grateful, that’s all.” Black gave my shoulders a light squeeze before he took my elbow and guided me to a desk opposite his own. “That’s yours. You better get started on the paperwork so we can get you equipped.”

  Paperwork? Hallelujah!

  Anything to distract me from the fact I was sitting opposite Black. Sam Black, with his intoxicating scent luring me in, touching a space in my heart no one had ever touched before. The tiny voice inside me chided me again about my idiocy. What else was new? If I had one thing going for me, it was my tendency to do stupid things. Why should that change now?

  When Roland returned with coffees for everyone, he received a loud cheer. A lopsided grin appeared on his face as he delivered the mugs. When he handed me mine, he said, “Half coffee, half milk.”

  “You’re my hero.” I blew him a kiss.

  Roland chuckled when Jesse complained, “That’s more than I got.”

  “Don’t you think that might make Connor jealous?” Roland asked.

  Connor choked on his coffee until Annie had to snatch the mug out of his hand, and Jake pounded on his back. Jesse stared at Roland, clearly startled. Roland regarded him smugly until Jesse flipped him off. “Back off, man. I already asked him out.”

  “About time. All that drama was getting on my last nerve.”

  Black fell into his chair across from me, groaning. “I swear, we don’t usually act like we’re in the middle of a soap opera.”

  “Speak for yourself, boss,” Jesse chimed in.

  “Jesse lives for the drama,” Connor drawled.

  Jesse propped his feet up on his desk. “Hmm, does that make you my drama queen, then?”

  Black’s next groan drowned out Connor’s retort. I couldn’t help myself, I had to laugh at the absurdity of the whole situation. My comment directed at Black, I said, “I kinda like it.”

  Black’s lips twitched into a smile before he got up again to bark at Connor and Jesse.

  Chapter Four

  Sam

  NICK FIT in with the unit nicely. Even though he was by far the smallest guy on our team—which Jesse liked to remind him about at least once a day, resulting in major bitchfests—Nick could more than hold his own. He was also an excellent marksman, one who could beat the best snipers we had at the office.

  “Why didn’t you become a sniper?” I asked him after another session at the range.

  He shrugged. If he was aiming for nonchalance, he failed miserably. “Just not my thing.”

  “I’ve pulled your file. You’ve been recommended for various sniper teams, even been suggested as a leader. Several times, I might add. The big boss here already asked me whether you might be willing to transfer to our sniper team. So what’s up with the attitude?”

  “You pulled my file?” Nick lowered his weapon, one of the fancy new ones with a gazillion extra functions, such as tranquilizer darts. “Why would you do that?”

  I raised my eyebrow at him, not happy about his aggressive tone. Not to mention he’d totally dodged the question. After I’d pinned him with my gaze for a moment, he withered under my intense scrutiny and averted his eyes. “I’m the team leader,” I informed him gruffly, not that he didn’t know that. “I might not have the last say in who becomes a member of my team, but I want to know all there is about each and every one.”

  “Would you’ve wanted someone different than me?” he asked softly, almost shyly.

  “Honestly? There’ve been a couple of guys at the office wanting in, and I think they’d be a good fit.”

  “Oh.”

  Sadness poured from Nick. I frowned and sniffed the air. Why would he smell like sadness? Humans didn’t emit such scents, except in extreme situations. Nick straightened his spine. His long fingers clenched and unclenched on his weapon, and the smell vanished. Almo
st as if it hadn’t been there.

  “What?” Nick asked. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. It’s just… weird. I thought I smelled sadness on you.”

  Nick’s complexion turned ashen, but he still managed a laugh. “You can’t have smelled that on me. I’m human, remember?”

  “I know that. There’s nothing that can hide a shifter scent, however slight it might be.”

  “True.”

  Nick sounded strange, as if he had trouble getting out that one word. Something nagged at me, something about the odd way he acted sometimes. I gave him another once-over. He tilted his head in question, allowing some loose strands of hair to fall onto his forehead. He looked so young and innocent it almost hurt. I knew he was twenty-eight years old, but he still looked like a baby. My baby.

  My inner beast ranted at me that babies needed to be protected at all costs, and they really shouldn’t stand on the range working weapons as though they’d never done anything else. Not for the first time, I wondered how Roland had done it. His wife, Lori, had been a wolf baby shifter, and she’d been his everything. How he’d ever been able to leave their apartment to go to work was beyond me. Having a baby shifter as a mate would certainly make me crazy.

  “Sam? Are you really okay?” Nick’s left hand rested on my forearm. The contact sent a tingle through me.

  “Yes,” I said, more brusquely than I intended. I pulled my arm away and turned around. “We’re done here for today.”

  I strode off without looking back but still heard Nick mumble something to himself about the weirdest team he’d ever been on.

  ROLAND WAS leaning against the counter that housed the coffee maker in the break room when I entered. “Kid got under your skin again?”

  I stopped midtrack. “Huh?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Sam. The kid’s getting under everyone’s skin, but under yours even more than the others. If you ask me, you should make a play for him.”

  I didn’t know what to say. A minute ticked by while Roland’s unwavering gaze remained locked on me, seeing more than I even wanted to admit to myself. When I could manage to walk again, I grabbed a mug. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”