Pack Balance

by Crissy Smith

  “She’s great.” Josiah’s voice softened. “She’s an artist and she is so talented. She’s smart and funny, close to her family. I really like her.”

  He had to smile. It seemed like his partner had found the perfect match for him. Cooper had already done a basic search in the police files of the family. It was standard when they were investigating a death, so he knew Cammi didn’t have a criminal record. “You’re okay with the shifter side of her?” he had to ask.

  While Josiah accepted his shifter side as his partner, it was a whole different situation when the person you were falling in love with had unique abilities that made them so very different. He knew better than anyone. Not that he didn’t think that Julie hadn’t meant every word she’d said, but Cooper knew they still had a lot to work on.

  “I am.” Josiah surprised him. “I knew about her before, so maybe that’s why I never even considered not getting involved with her because she can transform. All I know is Cammi Norris is the woman for me. I know it’s fast, but I can’t help the way I feel.”

  “The connection is stronger than it would normally be because of her abilities. Not only does she care for you, but her wolf has to have accepted you also,” Cooper told him.

  “So you’re saying what? We were meant to be? I thought shifters didn’t really have a fated mate and all that. Isn’t that one of the myths that was broken when you all came public?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that. You can still break up. Julie and I are proof of that. I’m just trying to reassure you that even though it might seem fast, your feelings for Cammi should be taken seriously. If both the human and the wolf parts of her want you, you’ll both feel the connection deeply,” Cooper explained.

  “Which is why it really hurt when Julie left,” Josiah commented.

  “Yes, as a man, it hurt me but as a wolf, I felt rejected. I would have moved on, maybe even fallen in love again, but I will always have feelings for her. I gave her my heart, and that’s important,” Cooper said.

  “Okay.” Josiah nodded. “I can accept that.”

  Cooper was relieved. His partner was a good guy and deserved happiness. Cooper’s attention was drawn to an expensive black car driving passed the old bar and slowing. “Check this out.”

  The BMW pulled alongside the structure next to the Bradleys’ SUV. Cooper leaned forward. He knew that car. “Is that…”

  A tall man with black hair stepped from the driver side.

  “Holy shit!” Josiah grabbed for the camera on the back seat. “That’s Mayor Jensen.”

  The Clear Creek Mayor was the biggest opponent of the shifters getting equal rights. Jensen believed that since the shifters were not completely human, they shouldn’t be treated as such. Even though several legal bills against the shifters had failed in Congress, there were still some vocal politicians that wanted the shifters treated like second-class citizens. Cooper didn’t know why he’d be meeting with the Bradleys, but he was certain it wasn’t for any good reason.

  “We need to get the records from Lexis’ release,” Cooper commented. “We need to see if he had any help getting the charges dropped. Maybe Mike will be able to help. He’s probably got someone he could tap for the intel.”

  Josiah was snapping picture after picture. “I think we found the Bradleys’ money man.”

  “Yeah,” Cooper agreed. He couldn’t believe this. The mayor being involved with a drug trafficker who Cooper suspected of poisoning the shifters would be even too far-fetched for him to believe, if he wasn’t seeing it with his own eyes.

  “We’re going to nail these assholes,” Josiah said gleefully.

  “Yes, we are. We have to take this to the captain. We should be able to get a warrant now,” Cooper replied. He reached for his cell phone when Josiah grabbed his arm.

  “I think we need to talk to the captain in person. The mayor has a lot of powerful friends. Probably has spies watching us and the captain if he knows we’re close to busting the Bradleys. We don’t want to tip off the wrong person,” Josiah said.

  “You’re right. I don’t really want to leave either. We need to watch for any more activity,” Cooper said.

  “How about this. We’ll call Fisher and Turner. We need to let them know we have information for the homicide part of the investigation anyway. Then we’ll split up. Turner can take your place and you and Fisher can head back to the station and start the paperwork on the warrant and get Cap updated,” Josiah suggested.

  “That’ll work for me,” Cooper agreed.

  “Here.” Josiah handed him the camera. “Keep an eye out. I’ll get hold of Fisher.”

  Cooper watched the building closely. The two vehicles were parked in an alley, but there was a back lot that should be empty. If he shifted, he’d be able to get closer and maybe overhear something. He glanced at his partner when Josiah had finished his call.

  “What?” Josiah asked.

  “I want to shift,” Cooper told him.

  Josiah ran his gaze from the building back to Cooper. He grinned. “It’ll take Fisher and Turner about twenty minutes before they get here. Go ahead.”

  He quickly opened his door and slipped from the front seat to the back. He started to undress as Josiah took over surviving the building. “You owe me lunch after this,” Cooper said.

  “You got it. I’ll pick up the usual and bring it to the station.” Josiah always took care of Cooper after a shift. He knew how much energy it took for him to transform back and forth so quickly.

  Cooper finished pulling his clothes off before he closed his eyes and concentrated. All he had to do was form a picture in his head and give himself over to the change. It was quick and painless, and in just a few minutes he was furry. He leaned forward and licked his partner’s face.

  “Yuck!” Josiah pushed him away. “You do that every time.”

  He did, but since Josiah never stopped him, even though he had to know it was coming, Cooper didn’t think his partner really minded. He pawed at the door, letting Josiah know he was ready. Josiah climbed out of the front seat and opened the back door for him. He jumped down and stretched. He hated transforming in a vehicle but in his line of work, he often found himself shifting in strange places. With his run the night before, his wolf was focused and eager to work.

  Cooper butted his head against Josiah’s hand then took off. He moved with speed to avoid anyone getting a good look at him. He raced across the street before flattening his side against the bar. He concentrated on bringing in the scents and sounds around him. He could hear the low murmur of voices coming through the worn wood that covered the broken window but couldn’t make out the words.

  As quietly as possible he crept forward, staying in the shadows that the building provided. He made his way to the side where the two vehicles were. Nose to the ground, he breathed deeply. Yes, there were only three fresh scents. Lexis and Jordan Bradley, along with the mayor’s. He continued past the closed door where the three men had entered, along the wall to the back of the building. The lot was overgrown with weeds that tickled his nose but he couldn’t let that bother him. The stink of piss, vomit and stale beer was strong and he had to ignore the horrible scents. Back here, the windows were also boarded up but they were falling apart. Rot or weather had cracked several of them. Cooper darted under the worst of the damage to stand directly under the small opening that a broken board provided.

  “We need more product,” Lexis Bradley spoke.

  Cooper’s ears perked up.

  “I’ll get you more money, but you need to be careful. Right now the overdoses are being investigated by only a couple of officers. If we have too many deaths, the police force will assign a task force and that won’t be good for any of us,” Mayor Jensen replied.

  “We’ll take care of these so-called investigators,” Jordan spat. “I know just how to handle them.”

  Mayor Jensen laughed. “Those detectives will eat you alive, young man. I’ve got some officers that owe me some favors. I’ll have t
hem keep an eye on the case. You two just make sure you’re not caught. If you are, I’ll make sure you don’t make it to trial, if you catch my drift.”

  “Don’t threaten us!” Lexis shouted. “I’ll being you and your entire empire down. You want to get rid of the shifters? Fine, I couldn’t care less, but we do this my way.”

  “Don’t make me laugh,” Jensen responded. “You’re playing with the big boys now. You follow my orders. I can find any small time dealer to do this. I brought you in. Don’t forget that.”

  It sounded like the mayor was walking farther away as he spoke. Cooper pressed himself closer to the side of the bar. He didn’t hear any more speaking, so he waited. A few minutes later, the sound of a car starting didn’t surprise him. He crept toward the opposite side of the building. Hopefully Fisher and Turner would get there soon. The mayor wouldn’t be hard to find, but Cooper didn’t want to lose the Bradley cousins.

  After what he’d overheard, they needed to make their move soon. He had to get that warrant. He ran back toward his partner to share what he’d learned.

  Chapter Five

  It was a busy night for calls. Julie collapsed against the back of her seat inside the ambulance after they’d dropped off the fourth patient to the hospital. Two people with heart-attack symptoms, one with a badly cut hand and one small child with a horrible cough had kept the rig going. She was thankful that none of the calls had been fatal but she was dragging and needed a break. The morning with Cooper had been wonderful, but she was feeling the lack of sleep.

  “Want to stop for coffee?” she asked her partner.

  He grinned at her. “Didn’t sleep well?”

  She hadn’t told Shawn about going to Cooper’s house but by his smug expression, he’d figured it out. “What makes you ask that?”

  He chuckled. “I ran into Josiah at the café this afternoon before my shift. He mentioned your car being at Cooper’s when he picked up his partner this morning.”

  Living in Clear Creek was like being in a soap opera sometimes. There was no privacy. Especially within the civil servant area. “Oh, so how about that coffee?” she tried to steer the conversation away from her and Cooper. Not that she minded telling Shawn, but she did like to tease her partner.

  Shawn paused in putting the vehicle in gear. “That’s all I get?”

  She smiled. “Was there something else you wanted?” she teased.

  “You suck,” he complained. She let him drive toward their favorite small coffee shop before giving in.

  “I apologized to Cooper,” she said. “It went better than I could have ever hoped for.”

  “So the two of you are back together?” Shawn grinned. “That’s awesome.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed. “I’m really lucky.”

  “He’s lucky too. You’re a great woman and you two belong together,” Shawn told her.

  Julie was beginning to believe the truth in that statement. Cooper had been everything she’d ever hoped for. She looked at her friends, like Shawn, with his wife and kids, and was jealous. She wished for that. She wanted to make her home with one man and start raising kids. She needed her brother to come visit and be Uncle Garrett to his nieces and nephews. She could already picture a boy with Cooper’s dark hair or a little girl with her hazel eyes. No matter what they looked like, she would love them unconditionally. And Cooper? He would make a fantastic father. He’d… Wait. If Cooper can shift into a wolf, does that mean our kids would too? She hadn’t even considered that.

  As panic built, she had to take a deep breath. Sure, they weren’t at the having kids stage yet, but Julie sure hoped they’d get there one day. Maybe Cooper didn’t even want children. She tried to think back on any conversations that might have come up but she couldn’t remember him ever talking about his future plans. She knew they had plenty of time to discuss things and she’d only gotten him back. She wouldn’t let Cooper slip away again. He’d probably think she was crazy even bringing up the subject after she’d scoffed at moving in just that morning. She needed to relax. She had to have faith that she and Cooper would be able to work anything out. They belonged together. Loving a man who could transform really did bring a lot of unique issues to her dating life. A new worry formed. Would she be able to handle the difficulties Cooper’s abilities attracted?

  She wanted to support him in every way. She knew his life and the decision to become public had to be hard on him. There were rumors that not all the shifters were open about what they were because they feared for their safety. She’d let Cooper down by not being his partner when he’d had to decide. Would she ever be able to make up for her actions and how leaving him had only added to what was going on in his life? Cooper might have been better off if she’d never returned. God, the thought made her heart ache. Maybe she’d been selfish in returning home. But Cooper had welcomed her with open arms. She’d make it up to him.

  “What’s wrong?” Shawn asked. “You turned pale all of a sudden.”

  She shook her head, unsure how to answer. Shawn didn’t know much more about shifters than she did. Plus, he might take her questions the wrong way. He was happy she and Cooper were together, which made her grateful. She knew Shawn, though. He’d tell her not to worry about it. She and Cooper would work it out. And they would, but she really didn’t want to make any more mistakes. She could figure out what she needed to know. Some research would help. She’d already done a bunch when the shifters had come out. She’d collected news articles that that had disproved a lot of old myths, like the full moon shifting, but if she was going to be a true partner to Cooper, she needed to know more.

  “Julie?”

  She jerked her head to the side to look at Shawn. His hand was on the door knob and the engine was off. They were in the parking lot of the coffee shop. She shook herself from her stupor as she popped her door open.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Shawn asked.

  “Yeah, just thinking,” she said. “Let’s get some caffeine.” She followed Shawn inside and got in line behind him.

  She glanced around the crowded shop while wondering how many patrons were human and how many shifter? Wolves weren’t the only shifters out there, although she’d never met any others, at least to her knowledge. The local news station in the corner of the store was giving her an idea. The most popular reporter on the local channel had interviewed several of the shifters around Clear Creek. Julie had watched the broadcast online while she’d lived with her brother, and that reporter was her old college roommate. Julie knew the right person to ask her questions. Shelby would have researched everything she could find about shifters before her filming.

  Julie pulled out her phone and found Shelby’s contact. She sent a quick text about meeting up later. She’d called Shelby to let her know that she was returning to town and they’d promised to get together soon. As busy as her friend was, Julie knew if she didn’t tie Shelby down with a time and date, Shelby’s mind would be on her next assignment. Not that Julie blamed her. Shelby was dedicated and a hardworking woman—sometimes too dedicated. She had been the same in college. It was usually Julie’s influence that had brought any kind of fun to Shelby’s life.

  The line moved quickly. When it was her turn, she ordered her iced white mocha along with Shawn’s green tea and paid for both. She handed over the money as her phone chimed with a message. Julie waved off the change from the barista and stepped to the side. She smiled when she saw Shelby’s response. They could meet for an early lunch the next day before Julie’s shift. She sent back an affirmative before she slid her cell back in her pocket.

  “Texting your boyfriend,” Shawn teased.

  “Shut up.” She couldn’t help but to smile though. And why shouldn’t she send a quick hi to Cooper, so she did. A minute later her phone alerted again. She glanced down.

  Miss you

  Her name was called for the drinks so she put her phone away and walked up to the counter. She handed Shawn his beverage and they headed out. When they reached t
he ambulance, she paused outside the door and took a long drink, just enjoying the bitterness of the espresso and the sweetness of the syrup.

  She reached for the door handle as the radio on her shoulder buzzed and the dispatcher’s voice sounded. She groaned but hurried to get into her seat so they could get to their call.

  “Another overdose,” Shawn grunted. “It’s getting bad out there.”

  Julie knew that there’d been an increase in calls related to drugs but she was surprised by Shawn’s disgust. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Some shit has hit the streets and it’s deadly to the shifters. Cops are trying to find out who is responsible, but we keep getting more and more calls,” Shawn told her.

  “I’d bet anything that’s Cooper’s case,” she said.

  “I think it is,” Shawn confirmed. “I haven’t heard anything lately but Josiah seemed to be in a good mood earlier.”

  Thinking back on Cooper’s text message, she wondered if Cooper and Josiah were getting close to finding the people responsible. That would be great. She would have to plan some sort of celebration for him.

  They raced down the streets, getting closer to the address given to them. Julie braced her arm against the window as Shawn turned a corner too fast. “Slow down,” she demanded.

  “I’m not losing another patient to this fucking drug,” Shawn said, while pressing harder on the gas pedal.

  Julie closed her eyes so she didn’t have to see them crash.

  “Relax,” Shawn said with a chuckle. “We’re almost there.”

  Julie sure hoped so. She didn’t have much in her stomach and she really hoped she could keep down what she had eaten earlier. She pried open her eyes as Shawn finally slowed the rig down. A group of people were standing in a circle off to the side of the street. She reached between the seats for her bag so she could reach their patient quickly. As Shawn stopped the ambulance, she yanked the door handle and jumped down.