The Witch and the Jaguar

by Terry Spear

  "Yeah, if he'll let me."

  "Okay, I'll let you get your sleep. Let me know how it goes."

  "I will. Night, Bethany."

  "Night, Erin. Be safe."

  Erin set her phone on the charger next to her bed and turned off the light. All she could envision was Bryce smiling down at her, right before he kissed her again. Until she fell asleep and was tackling a robber in her dreams and a musketeer was swinging his sword at the other one.

  5

  The next day for the ride-along, Erin drove over to the police station and met up with Bryce and his partner, Jack Wolff. She recognized him instantly. He was the blond-haired man she’d rescued from the zoo last year. She couldn’t believe he was a cop! She laughed.

  Jack smiled and shook his head at her as they climbed into the police cruiser.

  “You two know each other?” Bryce asked, appearing surprised as he climbed into the driver's seat.

  “Yeah, you remember the story I told you about the gray wolf in the zoo?” Erin asked.

  “No way. That was you, Jack? Get out of here.” Bryce chuckled.

  “Yeah, unfortunately. Luckily, I was on leave for a couple of weeks while I was incarcerated in the zoo, so the police never knew of it. Until you now.”

  “I would never divulge your secret. Not to a bunch of human cops. I guess you never caught up with that she-wolf or you would have told me you were dating. Or why you weren't dating.”

  “No. I never did locate her. She must have been just passing through. I still can’t believe you’re leaving the force to work with the jaguar police force now. Then again, I would, if I got to work with a shifter like Erin. I mean, if she were a wolf. As to my zoo incarceration, that was not the way I wanted to spend my vacation.”

  They all laughed.

  They ended up doing a number of routine traffic stops for speeding, expired car registration, missing safety inspection, expired safety inspections, but then they got a call about a home invasion.

  "Seems to be the time for them," Erin said, thinking about the case where the jaguars' home was invaded last night.

  "Yeah, I didn't tell you about that," Bryce told his partner.

  They were the closest cops on duty to the location of the home invasion, and on the way over there, Bryce explained to Jack what had happened.

  "Hell, sounds like a great organization to work for," Jack said. "What do we do about our ride-along on this case?"

  "You want to take me with you, both to help deal with the situation and diffuse it." Erin smiled at Jack.

  "She's a keeper," Jack said.

  "Yeah, just what I was thinking."

  Bryce pulled up in front of the two-story, white-siding house and parked. Then all three of them hurried to leave the patrol car. Shots were fired inside the house and the officers and Erin sprinted for the front door, their guns drawn. Since they healed faster than humans if they were wounded, the shifters tended to take more chances than most humans did when they needed to rescue someone.

  Jack radioed that shots had been fired and Bryce tried the doorknob. He turned it and shoved the door open, then jumped aside to make sure that he didn't take a round. Erin couldn't believe that she and Bryce were dealing with another armed robbery at a home. This time, the homeowners were human though.

  The officers and Erin rushed into the house and heard a woman and children upstairs in a bedroom crying.

  Someone in a room on the first floor was groaning.

  Erin motioned to the stairs. She was going up to check on the family, when a man rushed into the house through the front door and Jack and Bryce aimed their guns at him.

  "I live here," the man said, holding his hands up in the air.

  "Checking on the family," Erin said again and tore up the stairs, wanting to make sure that no one was holding them hostage up there.

  Bryce nodded while Jack checked the man for weapons and ID, learned he was the owner of the house, then made him go outside for his own safety. Other police cruisers were pulling up and Jack and Bryce headed for the room where they'd heard the man groaning, and another speaking low, harshly. "Come on, man, we gotta get outta here. We'll deal with Wendell later."

  Bryce wasn't sure what they'd find. A wounded family member or one of the housebreakers.

  Then Bryce peered into the room and saw a man clutching his chest, another turning his weapon on Bryce. Bryce and Jack hurried into the room, both men shouting to the armed gunman to drop his weapon.

  "You haven't shot anyone yet," Bryce said, trying to reason with the gunman. At least he hoped he hadn't shot any of the family members. Even so, the guy could be a wanted felon for any number of other crimes. "And your friend's wounded. Let us take care of him."

  "You haven't killed anyone," Jack agreed, both men trying to talk the gunman out of shooting at them.

  The gunman set the gun on the floor.

  "Shove it over this way," Bryce said, and once the gunman did, he confiscated it.

  "Clear up here!" Erin called out.

  "Clear down here," Bryce called out to her as he handcuffed the guy.

  Jack got on his radio. "Two gunmen. One GSW, self-inflicted, it appears."

  Bryce collected the other man's gun resting on the floor on the other side of the room where he must have dropped it when he was hit and Bryce cuffed him.

  "Looks like he was trying to open the safe by shooting at it." Bryce motioned with his head to the marks the rounds had made on the steel safe. "It appears two of the rounds ricocheted off the metal safe and struck the would-be robber."

  Jack shook his head.

  The men were taken into custody and the husband and his wife and two sons were reunited.

  "I came home to give the men the combination number for the safe, so they wouldn't kill my family," the husband said, his voice rough with emotion as he hugged his wife and his young boys. "I wouldn't give it to them over the phone, afraid they'd eliminate my wife and sons as soon as they had it."

  Bryce noticed the wife seemed perturbed with her husband though, and he wondered what that was all about when she pulled her boys away from the dad and put some distance between them.

  After all the statements were taken, Bryce was surprised to learn that the men who attempted the robbery were the homeowner's cousins and the wife told the police about her husband's auto business. She thought that maybe he was flipping cars and that’s what this was all about.

  Then Bryce and his partner and Erin were finally able to get back on the road.

  "I'm glad you didn't have to shoot anybody on the job," Erin said.

  "Yeah, it's bad for everyone concerned. Much better if we can talk the men down." Bryce hadn't known what to expect with how the jaguars handled a case.

  "We try to talk them down too, if we can. But if we can't, we just handle it," Erin said. "Of course, if it's all just shifters involved, that makes our life easier. You know what the worst part of this armed robbery was?"

  "What's that?" Jack asked as they got another call, this time a case of domestic violence.

  "Those armed men were family and knew he had lots of cash in there."

  "Yeah, they say a good percentage of crimes against people are perpetrated by family, friends, or associates. Not strangers," Bryce said.

  "He might have bragged about the money, or they might have been involved in it and felt they needed to get a bigger cut. The wife was furious with whatever underhanded business her husband was involved in. He could have gotten her and the kids killed. She plans to divorce him." Erin sighed. "She might have been passively going along with it as long as no one was the wiser, but once it could mean danger for her and the kids, it was time to fess up."

  "I checked on the cousins and they both have priors for car theft. I'd say they were involved in the business. Both were out on parole too," Jack said.

  "Maybe this time they'll stay in jail for a while," Bryce said.

  Then they started to talk about the domestic abuse case.

&
nbsp; "Been to that address a number of times for the same issue," Jack said. "The woman beats up on her husband and he calls 911 when he feels his life is threatened. The thing of it is, he's six-four and she's five-four, and he's hefty, she's petite, so no one puts a whole lot of stock in it."

  "Especially when he refuses to press charges," Bryce said.

  They arrived at the house where the family was having the dispute and found the wife had stabbed her husband in the chest with a kitchen knife on the front porch. Jack called for backup and an ambulance while Bryce tried to talk the woman down.

  “Put the knife down,” Bryce ordered.

  The woman’s eyes were wild with madness.

  “I don’t want to shoot you. Drop. The. Weapon.”

  Jack moved in to get the husband out of harm’s way and the woman finally dropped the knife. Bryce took her into custody and paramedics arrived and quickly stabilized the husband.

  The wife was read her rights and hauled off to jail while the husband was transported to the hospital.

  “Since he always drops the charges against his wife, I doubt this will be any different,” Jack said when they were finished. “He doesn’t want the rest of the world to know his wife beats up on him. Yet, he still calls 911, as if the cops knowing the situation is all right.”

  “Or maybe because by that time, he's sober and doesn't want to press charges. They were both intoxicated.” Erin climbed back into the car.

  “That’s how it always begins. But this is the first time she’s taken a knife to him,” Bryce said. “Maybe this time, he’ll charge her with battery."

  “Is it always this crazy when you pull your shift or is it because of the full moon?” Erin asked.

  “Full moon,” both Bryce and Jack said.

  “Hey, after we’re through, did you want to have dinner out tonight?” Bryce asked Erin.

  “I’ve got other plans, but thanks for asking,” Jack said.

  Erin chuckled. “Yeah, I’d like that. My boss promises me no job calls while I’m off-duty for the next two weeks.”

  “Okay, good. We can decide where to eat after our shift is over.”

  When they finally finished their shift and returned to the police station, a couple of the officers asked if she’d ride-along with them next. That they could use her as backup.

  Smiling, she knew they meant for more than just police work, but they wouldn’t be able to handle a wild cat like her. Bryce and Jack only smiled at the other officers.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven for dinner?” Bryce asked.

  “Okay, see you then.” She left in her own car and headed home, glad she was with the jaguar policing force and not with the human one. The police did a necessary job, but she still liked her job better. She hoped Bryce wouldn’t miss working on the police force.

  As soon as she arrived home, she saw James’s car parked in the garage. Oh no. Erin hoped that he and Jane hadn't already had a falling out.

  She walked into the house, expecting to see her brother pacing in the living room, a beer in hand, but he was in his bedroom, the door open.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, how does a January wedding sound?”

  Erin smiled and entered his bedroom where he was packing up all his clothes. She leaned against the door jamb and folded her arms. “For real? You didn’t coerce her to agree to marry you, did you?”

  “Nah. She was the one who insisted on it.”

  Erin raised a brow.

  “Truly. She said she needed the time away, but once we were together again, the sparks flew. Uh, in a good way. She can’t live without me. I’d say the feeling is mutual. We’re meant to be together.”

  Erin smiled at her brother, thrilled for them. “Good. I’m so glad for the both of you.”

  “What about you and this Bryce guy? How’s that working out?”

  “I went with him on a ride-along today. He’s good at his job. Do you remember the wolf I had to rescue from the zoo?”

  “The shifter? Yeah.”

  “He’s Bryce’s partner.”

  James laughed.

  “Anyway, we’re going out to dinner so I need to get changed.”

  “If you have any troubles with him, you let me know. All right?”

  “You just mind your manners with Jane.”

  James finished packing his last bag and saluted Erin. “Will do.”

  “I’ll help you with your bags.” She started to carry a couple of them out to his car. Living with her brother had been entertaining while she hadn’t been dating anyone. They both had been off on missions so much that they weren’t home at the same time all that often, stumbling over each other. But when they were together, they enjoyed playing games, going for jaguar runs, or swimming in the pool, and watching movies. Now that she was dating again, and it appeared things might get serious, she was glad she was going to have some space. She could just imagine her brother coming home and finding her kissing Bryce on the couch, or…something else.

  Bryce loaded the rest of his bags in the car. “You know, we’re doing this as much for you as for us.”

  “Oh, what’s that?”

  James smiled. “Hey, I haven’t seen you this interested in a guy ever, and he appears to feel the same way about you. Bethany said you spent all yesterday with him and had dinner and a run with him last night. Then here you’re off with him at work even, then dinner again tonight? That doesn’t happen unless you’re really interested. Both of you. What’s happening tomorrow?”

  “He’s working, as if you have a need to know. I’m going out shopping with Bethany.”

  “And tomorrow night?”

  “Not planned. Yet. Give Jane a hug for me and tell her I said thanks.”

  “She’s just as glad for Bryce.” James gave Erin a hug, then waved at Bryce as he pulled into the driveway.

  “I’m getting changed.” Erin smiled and waved at Bryce, figuring he and James would talk for a moment while she went inside to put on something else.

  She was trying to figure out what to wear when she heard the door to the kitchen from the garage open and shut.

  “Just me,” Bryce called out. “How does a steak restaurant sound?”

  “Yummy.” She decided she was dressing up a little more if they were going to a steak house. She put on high-heeled boots and a long-sleeved black dress.

  “Looking good,” Bryce said as she came out of the bedroom.

  “You look pretty good yourself.” She eyed his black trousers and blue shirt, dressy, but casual.

  “Your brother told me to watch myself. That you probably know as many or more martial arts moves than I do.”

  She laughed. “I probably do. But I’m sure I’ll only have to use them against the bad guys, if any show up when we’re together. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah, I sure am.”

  “I hope they’re happy together.”

  “It looks like James has moved out for good.”

  “They’re getting married in January. The house is really mine, but when they broke up last year, he moved in with me.”

  Bryce got the car door for Erin. “That means we don’t have to sneak around.”

  She laughed. “I was thinking the same thing.”

  After a lovely dinner and talking about everything under the sun from childhood stuff to jobs they'd worked, they headed back to her place.

  "Do you want to come in for a nightcap?" She never did this with guys she'd just met. But with Bryce, she didn't want to give him up for the night. She suspected he wouldn't be averse to staying the night either, but she didn't want him to think she did this all the time.

  "Yeah, sure." He sounded eager and she smiled at his enthusiasm.

  "Margaritas?"

  "Yeah, that sounds great."

  She made them margaritas and then they sat in the living room. But it soon led to kissing. He was a consummate kisser, which made her wonder just how many women he'd kissed. She gave into the pleasure
carrying her up and away. She wasn't used to having a relationship with a guy, but this was sure a great start.

  His hands moved over the bodice of her dress to feel her breasts and she felt lightheaded, wet, eager to do something about the slow ache that was unfurling between her legs. They were kissing, his tongue licking her lips, caressing her tongue, the tequila and margarita mix making him tasty and tangy.

  She began unbuttoning his shirt. She wasn't giving him up tonight. Not for anything. Then she tugged his shirt out of his trousers. They hadn't stopped kissing the whole time either, and he wasn't putting a halt to her stripping him out of his clothes. Not that she'd expected him to since they were both single and big cats and it appeared that he was just as willing to take this further. She ran her hands over his chest, caressing his nipples, and felt them pebble at her fingertips, bringing a crooked smile to his lips.

  Their pheromones were taking off, indicating they were uber-interested in each other, signaling the mating call between two big cats.

  He ran his hand underneath the skirt of her dress, drawing his hand higher up her thigh. Slipping his hand beneath her panties, he cupped her naked buttock.

  "Bedroom," she managed to get out.

  He snagged her hand and left the couch, leading them. Even though he didn't know the layout of her home, he could smell that her scent had traveled in this direction, more so than in the other, which was where the other guest bedrooms were located and where her brother had stayed.

  As soon as they reached her blue and white bedroom, she slid his shirt off his shoulders and tossed it on the chest at the foot of her bed where she usually piled her clothes before she put them away or washed them. Even now, her clothes that she'd worn on the ride-along were piled up there because she'd been in a hurry to get dressed for dinner.

  Bryce pulled her dress up over her head and put it on top of the other clothes on the chest. Then he pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her back, pressing her against him, kissing her again. She rubbed herself against his cock, pushing him to commit to this sooner than later.

  Groaning a little, he cast her an elusive smile. She unfastened his belt and trousers, then unzipped his zipper. Her shoved off his shoes and sat her on the bed so he could pull off her boots. "Wicked."