“What do you have for me Llewellyn? And I am warning you, it better be good,” Captain Luani bellowed from inside his office.

  Of course, the man had scented him the second he walked inside. It was Saturday, and he was working the night shift. But not even that could get him down after spending the better part of his morning exploring the sweet and tender delights of Noemi Donato. Nope. Nothing on the gods’ green Earth could foul Rami’s mood.

  The woman was a hellcat. Sweet, sensual, and insatiable. Thank fuck. Mmm mmm mmm. He still couldn’t believe he’d done all that. That they’d done all that. But it happened. And he didn’t regret a fucking thing.

  After having wild, unbridled sex on the office floor. They’d cleaned up, gotten dirty, and cleaned up again. Who knew there was a little shower in that office? Anyway, afterwards, he’d stayed a while. Watching her get ready for the day was an eye-opener. She was so damn tiny, but so strong too. You had to be to bake. The kneading and lifting and in and out of the ovens.

  It was a shit-ton of work, and Noemi was more than happy to educate him on that fact. Hell, he even helped here and there. It was so much fucking fun. Lucky him, she even let him lick her bowl. Twice.

  Purrrrrrr. His Lion sure did like the taste of her cream. In fact, he was dying for more. Later, he told the beast.

  Sure, Terrie had to know what went down with her keen Shifter senses, but the young Lioness hadn’t uttered a word when she strolled in. In fact, if Rami wasn’t mistaken, she seemed tickled by the idea of the big, bad detective falling head over heels for a human.

  Shit. Was it already down to that now? The Lion hissed, and he knew it was a no brainer. He was already halfway out of his mind over the female. But this was work, and he needed to focus.

  “Well?” the Primus asked when he walked into the man’s office.

  “Took some photos last night outside The QUINNtessential. A lot of familiar faces, but some unknowns. Waiting on the lab to print them.”

  “I already got them, numb nuts. But where are you with the warrant? We got grounds yet?”

  “No, cap,” he shook his head, “till I get some proof or a witness, I got didley.”

  “Fuck, Rami, I expected more.”

  “Captain, I-”

  “Hey yo, Captain! You too, Llewellyn. I got something for you both,” Officer Tim Swavely, Terrie’s brother, knocked on the door, and averted his gaze while acknowledging their Primus.

  Typical move for a less dominant Shifter. Smart too. Theirs was a species that had once thrived on challenges and tests of strength and power. Though civilized now, it was a difficult history to break.

  Nature versus nurture and all that. But Rami had no interest in fighting the male, and the Primus had nothing to prove.

  “Well, Swavely, you gonna talk or what?” Captain Luani yelled.

  “Sorry sir, yes, sir. I picked up a Wolf today. No known Pack affiliation. But he says he needs to talk to somebody high up.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I’d like to take a crack at him, sir,” Rami spoke to the captain and waited for the man’s nod before walking to the interrogation room with Officer Swavely.

  “How’d you nab him?”

  “He was busting into a car in Midtown. But it was strange, like he was waiting on a patrol car from the 135th to see him do it. I smelled Wolf the second I got out of the car, Llewellyn. He was broadcasting or some shit. Anyway, that’s him. Name’s Dante Pascal. He works security at that club you were staking out.”

  “Yeah, I know of him.”

  The younger officer sniffed and frowned. He took a step closer and inhaled.

  “You smell like pastry, and, shit Rami, you go back to that bakery and fuck that chubby normal on your way to work?”

  “Shut the fuck up, Swavely,” Rami snarled, and shoved the cop into the wall, “You say another word about her, and I will personally rearrange your face, so your own mother doesn’t recognize you,” Rami growled.

  “Oh shit! It’s like that? Sorry, bro. My bad, man. Congrats,” Tim grinned despite Rami holding him a foot off the floor with his back pressed into the cinder block wall.

  “What?”

  “Last time I heard a Lion threaten someone like that, dude was mated by the end of the week.”

  “Beat it, I am in no fucking mood for your anecdotes,” Rami shook his head and grabbed the file on Pascal.

  The man was the grandson of the current Wolf representative on the SCNYC. He was Pack royalty or should be, but he was listed as unaffiliated with the Greenwich Pack. Why would he be stealing a car?

  There was something else at play here. Rami narrowed his eyes as he watched the man sitting still and silent in the interrogation room. He looked very calm for a Wolf who was just arrested. As unaffected by the cuffs around his wrists, as he was by the fly buzzing around the exposed lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.

  Interesting, noted Rami. His years as a detective had taught him things were very rarely what they appeared to be. Dante Pascal seemed to be in the act of stealing a car at the very same moment one of his station’s patrolman had turned down the street. He’d lay odds there was more than meets the eye to the man’s story.

  “Dante Pascal?” Rami asked as he entered the room, “I’m Detective Sergeant Llewellyn.”

  “Detective,” the Wolf Shifter nodded, holding his stare long enough to let Rami know he was very dominant.

  Perhaps even an Alpha. Again, very interesting.

  “You hard up for cash, Dante? That why you try to steal that Benz today?”

  “No,” he leaned forward, “I don’t have money problems. I needed to get inside.”

  “Why?”

  “Why else? A girl,” he said, his expression tight and severe, “She was taken. I need to find her.”

  “Tell me, who is she? Who took her? We can help,” Rami said.

  “It’s Pack business, detective,” Dante shook his head.

  “You have no Pack, Dante. Stop fucking around. If someone is in danger, it is my job to help.”

  “You can help. Put me in holding with Felix Rivera. He will tell me what I need to know to find her.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the Claw Pack? They’ve been muscling into Greenwich territory.”

  “I know. Damn thugs are causing problems everywhere, detective. Even your backyard.”

  “Are you saying they’re behind the rash of break-ins and vandalism we’ve been seeing?”

  Dante nodded. He seemed willing to cooperate, but only up to a point. Rami knew better than to push his luck.

  “You know we’ve been investigating a number of illegal gambling rings in town. Small time bookies have been pushed out. New ones with no morals are in their place. It’s no good for the community,” Rami stated.

  “I agree. And yet, you are looking in the wrong place. The Greenwich Pack has nothing to do with that.”

  “Oh yeah? Who does?”

  “I have no proof yet.”

  “What a coincidence. Me neither. We need evidence to tap their lines, Dante. You know where I can get anything like that?”

  “I might,” the Wolf said, “Felix Rivera, detective. Get me in a cell with him. She doesn’t have a lot of time.”

  “Dante, look, I can’t just put you in a cell with some guy who has information about your girlfriend. It would be irresponsible of me.”

  “You ever been in love, detective?”

  Rami’s Lion chuffed and hissed at the blatant, raw honesty in the man’s voice. Whoever the alleged missing girl was, she was special to him. And without evidence, Rami could not do his job. The way he saw it, he’d be doing his job helping the guy out.

  “Give me more info. When was he picked up?”

  “Earlier today. I was going to talk to him when one of yours grabbed him, locked him up.”

  “Give me ten minutes. And this is my number. Memorize it,” Rami said, “By the way. Those guys doing the robberies? They hit a bakery near my house, D’Angelo’s, hurt a friend of mine. I’d like a few words with them. Soon.”

  “I will let you know, detective. Thank you.”

  “I’ve learned to trust my instincts, Pascal. I sure as fuck hope they’re right about you.”

  Rami left the room and ran the name Pascal had given him. Felix Rivera was a smalltime mutt. A thug and no real threat, but just maybe he had information for the Wolf, and just maybe, that would lead Rami to the evidence he needed against the assholes trying to move in on his town.

  Yeah, New York was big, but the Shifters who lived there watched over their turfs and guarded them fiercely. There was no room for a rival Wolf Pack who wanted to make trouble. He pulled a few strings and got Dante put in the same holding cell as Rivera. Now all he had to do was wait and see.

  He apprised Captain Luani and Officer Swavely of the situation when someone came knocking on the cap’s door.

  “Fine,” Luani said, “And if the two mutts have at it, let them. That aside, I need you at the Shifter Council meeting next week. Some new supes are in town and want representation.”

  “If it’s that Claw Wolf Pack, those fuckers have a lot of nerve,” Swavely inserted.

  “We already got a Wolf representative. So long as they handle themselves, I don’t give a fuck how many Packs are in the city. This is something else. Rami, you hear me?”

  “Yeah, cap,” he nodded.

  The captain had been after him to attend meetings for a while now. Seemed the old man was up for a promotion to High Council leader which would leave an opening for a Lion Shifter representative. Rami had little desire to be a politician, but he knew an honor when he heard one. Besides, Nana would be proud. Maybe Noemi would too?

  Thoughts of the seductive pastry chef had his Lion purring softly inside his head. Fuck. She was turning him into a house cat, he thought in mock horror. Truth was, it only made him smile wider.

  “Detective Sergeant Llewellyn? There’s a call for you.”

  He never thought of those words as particularly ominous. Then all hell broke loose.

  Chapter 5

  Rami had never been so scared in his entire fucking life. He’d stared down the barrel of plenty of guns, looked death in the eye of other supes who wielded fang and claw, breathed fire and magic, and had tried with all their might to kill him. But none of that was as terrifying as the next jumbled words that left the rookie cop’s mouth.

  “Say that again?”

  “Do you know a Noemi Donato? She’s been attacked. Tim’s kid sister called it in. She says it was Wolves. The vic was injured, but she is refusing to leave with the ambul-”

  Rami didn’t wait for the young Lion to finish. He vaulted over the chair and raced out of the precinct, knocking down one or three of his fellow officers in his haste. Thunder roared in his ears, or was that his Lion?

  Fuck if he knew. He was outside in no time. Grabbing the siren from under the passenger seat, he stuck it on the top of the unmarked car, breaking all manner of speed limits to get to scene of the crime.

  The sun had long since set, and the sky was beginning to take on the dark glow of a typical Autumn night in the city. But it wasn’t typical at all. His mate had been attacked, and someone was going to fucking pay.

  He couldn’t get the image of his sweet, innocent Noemi bruised and battered out of his brain. Some soon-to-be-dead motherfucker had laid hands on her, had touched his female, injured her.

  Mine, the Lion roared inside of his mind’s eye.

  Fuck. He was vibrating with repressed rage. But he had to admit, the moment the m-word entered his head, everything clicked into place. His beast roared in agreement.

  Noemi was his mate. His true fated mate. The one person in the entire universe made for him. The other half of his soul. His heart, his reason for living. Roohi, he thought.

  Yes, mate, his Lion growled, and Rami felt the truth of it down to his bones.

  He arrived on scene not seven minutes later, but still he cursed his inability to get there sooner. Even though he had come from all the way across town, it wasn’t fast enough. Rami left his car double-parked, tossing the keys to one of the patrol cops outside the scene.

  “Where is she?” he roared.

  “In the back. She won’t let the EMTs anywhere near her, Detective Sergeant,” the uniformed officer returned.

  Rami frowned but took no time to consider the reasons as he ran to the back room, past a hysterical Terrie.

  “I’m so sorry, Rami. I just went to get the car, and when I came back-”

  He should’ve stopped to talk to the young Lioness, but he had no time to spare. He needed Noemi. Had to see her with his own eyes.

  Fear like he’d never felt gripped him, but he batted it down as he stalked towards the office. The very same one where he’d peeled Noemi’s clothes from her perfect body mere hours ago.

  Fucking hell. He was going to kill someone. Recognized the burning anger inside of him for what it was, murderous rage. What did they do to her? What was he going to find behind that door?

  He gripped the cold brass knob and turned it, then his mouth fell open.

  “Thank the gods you’re here Rami,” Noemi gasped, “I swear I took a chunk out of one of them, but he got me with his claws before they ran for it. Damn cowards!”

  Noemi was sitting back on the chair with a rolled-up apron pressed to her side and a wooden stick in her left hand. Wait, it was the chopstick she used to wind up her hair. There was blood on her clothes, and his beast reacted predictably to the scent. He reined in the angry Lion and refocused on his mate.

  The stink of Wolf was strong, but something else hung in the air as well. Like ozone and burnt embers, the strange scent teased his senses and made his nose twitch.

  Even stranger was the fact that his sweet Southern pastry chef didn’t appear terrified as he’d imagined she’d be on his way over there. Did she say claws?

  Whoa. What the fuck was going on here? Didn’t matter when she made to stand and moaned instead. Rami rushed to her side.

  “Fuck, Noemi, are you okay? Tell me everything.”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she grunted and looked down at her wound which was bleeding heavily, “Those Wolves need a lesson in manners, I swear. But right now, I need you to get me to my apartment, so I can heal.”

  “You know about Wolves?”

  “Course I know about Wolves. Wolves, Lions, Tigers, I know Shifters, Rami. The real question is what do you know about Druids?”

  “Druids?”

  “Yes, Druids,” she grunted and tried to sit up, “you see, I am one. Rami, I meant to tell you sooner, but things moved fast and, ooh!”

  She managed to stand but moaned in pain from the small everyday movement. Fuck this, he thought.

  “I got you,” he rumbled, and sprang into action.

  Rami didn’t need her to finish talking. Not now. Lifting her clear off the floor, he moved quickly to the back door, barking orders as he went. He had no doubts the other Shifters heard him. They were good cops and would carry out his commands.

  Being one of the highest-ranking Lion’s in his Pride and on the force came with some perks. But he didn’t give a shit about any of that right then. Only she mattered. The idea that some fucking thug had scratched her, tearing her flesh with his claws, enraged Rami’s Lion.

  “Easy, I am whole, my sweet Lion,” Noemi whispered, eyes glued to his face as she wrapped one arm around his neck to steady herself.

  “You know about me then?” he growled, unable to keep the animal from his voice as he raced to her apartment, located just around the corner.

  “Of course,” she grinned, surprising him yet again as he carried her up the stairs, to her front door.

  “Key?”

  “No need,” she lifted her left hand from her wound, and he saw she still carried the strange-looking stick, “Agored,” she whispered.

  It was Rami’s turn to stare wide-eyed as diaphanous silver swirls of magic flowed from the stick, which he now recognized as a wand. They went straight to the doorknob, which turned and opened as a result of Noemi’s incantation.

  “Holy shit,” he mumbled.

  “I know,” she sighed, “please, I need you to bring me to the cabinet in my bedroom. I have salves inside. Something to stop the bleeding.”

  Rami didn’t need to be told twice. He raced inside the small, tidy space, finding his way to her bedroom easily. He simply followed to where her honeyed scent was strongest.

  “You’re a Witch?”

  “A Druid,” she corrected.

  His mind was racing, but he pushed his questions aside. First things first, Noemi was still losing blood. His Lion snapped his jaws, the beast growling, wanting to hunt the mutts who’d hurt her. But he found himself unable to move from her side.

  “Thanks,” she murmured, “please open the cabinet doors and give me the jar on the second shelf left side,” she panted as she removed the bloodied apron and lifted her shirt from the wound.

  “Fuck,” he growled as she revealed three short, but deep gashes across the right side of her abdomen, “Noemi, you need a hospital.”

  “I don’t, Rami, trust me. The jar,” she winced, grabbing a bottle of water from the side table, and pouring the clear liquid over the wound.

  “Ow, dammit,” she panted.

  “Which one?” he asked anxiously, trying not to lose his shit every time she gasped and winced.

  “Damn Wolves, their claws carry bacteria. It’s poisonous to my kind. I need the one with the purple cork, labelled clwyf iachaol. It’s a healing balm.”

  Rami tried to be careful, but he was tense and agitated. He knocked something down, mumbled his apology, and handed her the small jar.

  “Thank you,” she smiled, “Now, I don’t want you to be upset when I apply this, okay?”

  “Why would I be upset?”

  “Cause I’m gonna scream bloody murder, but it will help me. I promise.”

  “Noemi-”

  “No hospitals. Just put me to bed if I pass out. Now, give me that towel please,” she nodded, sweat glistening on her forehead and cheeks amid the tearstains that told of her pain.

  Fuck. He hated this. Hated that she was hurt, but her enormous faith in what she was doing was too strong to deny. He would do anything for her. Anything at all. So, he knelt beside her with a towel he grabbed from the stack of folded ones in the laundry basket near the cupboard. Rami tensed while she blotted the wound, wiping away the blood and water she’d used to try and clean it out.

 

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