She Wolf and The Detective: (Suspense, Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy) (Book 1-3)

by Michael Reyes

  “Not this time boss-lady,” Brian said, leaning against the end of Kathleen’s car. “It appears that Robert’s pack is back on our radar. They’ve been edging closer and closer to the border for weeks now and it looks like they’ve finally crossed it.”

  Kathleen groaned, wiping her hands on a rag and tossing it towards the top of the driveway as a reminder to wash it later.

  “He’s a cocky bastard,” she muttered, walking over to the tree in the front yard of their pack home and taking her leather jacket off the low-hanging branch she had set it on. She slid the familiar leather over her arms, adjusting the golden pendant her mother had given her so that it sat straight on top of her white undershirt.

  “Who, their Alpha?” Brian asked, following her back over to the driveway where she collected her black, knee-high boots she had set aside earlier.

  “Who else?” Kathleen said. “I’ve come into contact with him all of two time and I already hate him.”

  “You sure it isn’t just his being an Alpha you know? Are you feeling all territorial or something? Two Alphas enter, one leaves.”

  “I’m only territorial in the sense that he is quite literally encroaching on our territory. These borders were prearranged decades and he and his pack are carelessly violating them.”

  “So, you are getting all Alpha-pissed then?”

  Kathleen chuckled. “Sure, if that’s what you call it I guess I am then. But right now, I don’t have time for you to psychoanalyze me. Get Natasha and Martin; we’re going to go show them some ‘diplomacy,’ and if that doesn’t work, tell the rest of the pack to stay nearby, ready for our call.”

  “I’m on it,” Brian said, saluting her quickly before jogging off to round up the pack’s Gamma and Delta wolves.

  Kathleen sighed, running a hand through her hair. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment. Things had been going well lately. Her pack had been expanding in the last few years and things had finally settled. She’d proven her authority not only as a strong she-wolf, but as an Alpha of one of the biggest packs in the region. Her pack was getting along, and the new wolves had adjusted well despite some initial hang-ups. All in all, life was good. A fight with Robert and his equally foolhardy pack was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

  “What’s up?” Martin asked, hands in the pockets of his low-rise jeans as he headed up the charge to Kathleen, Natasha and Brian following close behind.

  “Well, apparently our friendly neighbors are forgetting to stay on their side of the fence,” Kathleen said, grinning as she watched Natasha attempt to bind her long blonde hair up in a neat ponytail. “Did you tell the others?”

  “Ma’am yes ma’am.” Brian chuckled. He probably could have passed for a military man. He had his hair cropped short in a buzz cut and large biceps that looked like they came straight out of a GI Joe comic. However, his carefree smile and innocent eyes signaled to most that he’d never been in so much as a scuffle. At least not in human form.

  “So what’s the plan?” Martin asked. “We’re going there on our own and that, telling them to go back to where they came from and sleep with one eye open?”

  “Just about; sounds like a good idea to me.” Kathleen shrugged. “Of course there may be the occasional bearing of teeth and flexing of muscles. But other than that, totally diplomatic.”

  “So what about transportation?” Natasha asked. “Are we driving or. . .” she glanced at Kathleen’s car that was clearly out of commission, “or running?”

  Kathleen rolled her eyes, making a mental note to get her car fixed as soon as possible before she fixed her eyes on the three people in front of her. “We all could use the exercise so yeah, we’re running. Now let’s get this show on the road; let’s run.”

  “But I’m in skinny jeans,” Natasha muttered, making Kathleen smirk.

  “Join the club sister; take quick, rapid steps,” Kathleen said, waving her three pack members forward as she took off, running faster than a gold-medal-winning Olympic sprinter as she headed across the lawn and out into the woods through the two-hundred-acre expanse of their property.

  Kathleen loved this feeling. Running across plush grass with the wind in her face and her pack at her side. Her nostrils flared as the scent they had picked up from the wind earlier got stronger as they closed in on the intruders. Thirty seconds later they came to a slow stop at the edge of their border, four pairs of eyes all zoning in on the three wolves in front of them.

  “Kathleen! I was wondering when I’d see you again,” Robert said, arms wide as if open for a hug.

  “Have you suffered from a recent hit on the head?” Kathleen asked, taking a step forward with her pack flanking her on both sides.

  “No, not that I recall; why so concerned for my health all of a sudden?”

  “Just trying to wrap my head around why you suddenly made the boneheaded move to encroach onto my pack’s territory.” She growled the word ‘my,’ sending shivers down the spines of everyone in the clearing but Robert’s.

  “I don’t see any lines drawn, or a nametag. Are you sure it’s yours?”

  Kathleen would have liked nothing more than to smack the cocky grin off of Robert’s face in that moment. “You know as well as I do where the line of my territory begins and yours ends. These lines, visible or not, were erected decades ago, and while I think a lot of things about you, I never took you for a complete fool.”

  “Oh come on Kathleen,” Robert shrugged, tossing his head and moving a strand of dirty blonde hair out of his field of vision. “There was a herd of deer on our territory and we chased it over to this side. So we toed the line a little, are you really going to make a big deal out of it?”

  “Yes, I am, because it is,” Kathleen said, taking another step further. “Now, I’ll let you slide this time if you move your ass over that line right now, but if you do it again, I won’t be so kind.”

  “But-”

  “Do you remember what happened five years ago?” Kathleen said, interrupting him, “and the dent left in your pack as a result of more serious infringements on our territory?”

  Robert raised his chin, eyes narrowing as he looked down at her. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I don’t want that to happen again; I don’t like pack fights any more than you do. But let me be clear. If you toe that line again, that’s definitely going to happen, and we’re definitely going to win again. So, I’m going to ask nicely, step back over that line.”

  Robert’s jaw clenched, but he nodded, nodding his head behind him to signal his three pack members to move back onto their territory.

  “Fine, nice sportsmanship there,” Robert grunted, “always a pleasure Kathleen.”

  Kathleen watched with arms crossed over her chest as Robert and his three pack members slowly left her territory. She waited a few more minutes until they began jogging and finally disappeared from her sight. She waited a few minutes longer until she was sure they were out of earshot before she took a deep breath.

  “Alright,” she said, turning to Natasha, Martin and Brian. “Good work; let’s get out of here.”

  The others nodded, coming in closer to a natural formation before they took off back towards the pack home.

  Chapter 2

  Robert was fuming. Kathleen just couldn’t lighten up. It’s not as though he had intentionally sought out to cross over onto Kathleen’s territory, it had just happened in the heat of the chase. And to top it off, they’d lost track of the herd when they scampered off to the side between the two borders. As an Alpha, Robert had a lot of responsibility, responsibility that he never asked for. He was a jokester by trade, and didn’t like telling people what to do, or vice versa. There were few things that Robert took seriously, but one of the things he cared about more than anything was his pack and its well-being. And he didn’t take kindly to it being threatened.

  So, whether he and his three pack mates had ventured into Kathleen’s territory or not on purpose, a ver
y real threat had been thrown his way. A few years ago, when Robert had first become the pack leader, he had foolishly started a pack war with Kathleen in an attempt to gain new territory at the egging on of a few of his more rowdy pack members, and they had lost terribly. But now, Robert was not so young and not as foolish. In fact, he was the same age as Kathleen despite the fact that she had been an Alpha longer. The only difference was, she had his respect, but he couldn’t say that he had hers.

  Well, that would have to change. He liked Kathleen, he really did. But he couldn’t be seen as getting soft. And, now that his pack was beginning to grow, with his Delta having a baby and his two newest members having gotten overzealous and biting two more people, it was only logical that they expand their territory. And Kathleen’s was close by. As much as he loathed fighting, he was pretty confident that his pack was more prepared for one than they had been a few years ago.

  He cracked his neck, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and sighing. He’d try to do things the diplomatic way at first, and if that didn’t work . . . well, he wasn’t going to back down.

  Kathleen frowned as she looked down at her phone. It wasn’t so much the text itself that baffled her, but who it was from. She didn’t even remember adding Robert’s number to her phone. But, despite all of this, it clearly read ‘Robert’ across the screen, and she only knew one Robert.

  The message itself was simple, reading - coffee? – inconspicuously. Her eyes narrowed as she began typing back.

  Why?

  Why not? I just want to chat.

  Her eyes narrowed further, squinting so hard she was in danger of losing sight of the text altogether.

  About?

  It’s a surprise ;)

  She rolled her eyes at the winking face as she typed back slowly.

  When and where?

  Tomorrow at Starbucks? Around two?

  Will you be alone?

  Yes, you should be as well. It’s neutral territory

  Kathleen hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought it over. Before she could respond her phone chimed with another text.

  Come on, I don’t bite . . . much. Unless you’re into that kind of thing ;)

  She scoffed, fingers moving quickly over her keypad as she wrote.

  Fine, I’ll be there, don’t be late.

  Wouldn’t dream of it, see you then.

  Kathleen stared blankly at her phone, wondering what had just happened and, more importantly, what in the hell she had just gotten herself into.

  It was almost midnight, and she had just all but agreed to a coffee date with a rival pack leader. She bit her bottom lip, a habit she was prone to doing when nervous. She sighed, staring up at the raftered ceiling above her before she closed her eyes briefly. She rolled her shoulder, taking another deep breath before deciding that the decision had already been made, and she would just go along with it.

  She shook her head, smiling at just how ludicrous the situation all seemed as she made her way upstairs to the master bedroom, intent on getting a good night’s sleep before the long day she was sure to have tomorrow.

  Chapter 3

  Robert was ready. As he stared at himself in his mirror, he knew that he was ready to go in without pulling any punches. He was prepared. He grinned at himself in the mirror, running his teeth along the fronts of his razor sharp canines.

  His eyes double checked himself in the mirror, making sure that if looks could kill, anyone in a five foot radius of him would be picking out coffins. His dirty blond hair was just a tad messy, just the way he liked it, while still holding a refined look to it. He wore a plain, white muscle shirt that he loved that always got him double looks from women he passed, as well as a few men, when he went out in public. He wore a pair of simple, light blue jeans and a pair of dark brown cowboy boots that, for some reason, gave him an extra boost of confidence. With any luck, Kathleen wouldn’t know what hit her.

  He flexed his arms in the mirror, followed by an embarrassed flush taking over his features as he quickly looked around to ensure that no one was in the near vicinity to see. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the conversation that was coming as he grabbed his keys and headed down the stairs an out the door. In twenty minutes he’d have a cappuccino and a conversation with Kathleen. Hopefully, both would be good.

  Kathleen pulled off her sunglasses as she entered through the door of the coffee shop, ears perking at the sound of the bell above the door that tinkled as the door hit it.

  Her eyes scanned the room, finally settling on a far corner of the room where Robert sat, coffee cup set quaintly in front of him. He waved at her, a sly grin gracing his features that she had a hard time determining if it was endearing or annoying.

  She decided to ignore his beckoning motion for the moment, wanting to give off the impression that she was still very much in control despite the fact that Robert had determined the when and where of the situation. Kathleen turned to the counter, eyes briefly scanning the menu before she ultimately decided to ignore it and ordered a large black coffee.

  “Oh no ma’am, that gentlemen in the corner left money for your cup, he told me that under no circumstances was I to let you pay. You have a very sweet boyfriend.”

  Kathleen smiled tightly at the woman, nodding politely as she put her wallet back in her purse, grabbing the cup and walking stoically towards a grinning Robert.

  She clenched her fist behind her purse so that it way just out of Robert’s line of sight before she took a seat across from him. She sat back in her chair, crossing her legs at the knees as she took a sip of her piping hot coffee, eyes casting a steely gaze on Robert that never once flickered as the steam coming off of the liquid floated up into her line of sight and dissipated in the air.

  After another second of ignoring the scalding coffee that went down her throat, she sat the cup down on the table. Robert blinked, one eyebrow raising in a combination of surprise and impressments as he intensely watched and took in the woman in front of him.

  “So, you’re here.”

  “That I am” Kathleen nodded, “as I said I would be. Now, are you going to continue to state the obvious or are we going to get down to business.”

  “Well, I think I’ll state the obvious just once more before we begin and say that you look beautiful today.”

  Kathleen rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her coffee to hide her flush of pleased surprise as Robert’s eyes raked over her form.

  She wore her customary leather jacket with a low cut, tan shirt underneath it and tight, formfitting jeans. She had traded in her favorite knee-high boots for a pair of tan, ankle-length ones that matched her shirt and wore a small, golden pendant with a wolf on it that rested between the arches of her breasts.

  “Alright” she said, regaining her nerve, “so what is this really about Robert? I know you didn’t invite me here to shoot the breeze or anything like that so come on out with it and say whatever you have to. My time is valuable and I get the feeling that you’re wasting it.”

  “I’m just trying to ease ourselves into the conversation. Small talk is generally a good way to do so.”

  “Not with me.” Kathleen said in a deadpan voice, before she took a cursory glance at her watch. “Now, I have exactly no time to waste and twenty minutes to give you of mine so” she said, leaning forward and folding her hands on the table, “what’s up?”

  “Let’s talk territory.”

  Kathleen’s eyes narrowed, “What about it? As long as you stay on your side and I on mine, which my pack’s never had a habit of crossing mind you, then we shouldn’t have a problem.”

  “And yet we do.”

  “And just what would that be” Kathleen bit out, taking another sip of her coffee.

  “My pack needs more of it.”

  Kathleen coughed, the coffee having gone down the wrong pipe. “Excuse me.”

  “My pack is expanding and we need new territory, just a handful of acres, to get us more in the path of the deer
herd. Your land is closest to the nearest heard and I want to move in on it.”

  “You must be out of your mind.” Kathleen chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at him incredulously. “There is no way in hell I’m giving up any of my territory.”

  “I want to do this diplomatically Kathleen” he said, gaze steady as he looked at her somberly.

  “Diplomatically” Kathleen snorted, “no, you want me to roll over and expose my belly like a good little bitch, yet you forget that I’m one of the most prominent alphas in the area and there is not a chance on this green earth that I’m just going to cede you some of my territory.”

  “Our territory is too small for my pack.”

  “Well then, that sounds like an awfully large personal problem. Or, should I say, small problem. And it’s easily fixed in a number of ways that don’t involve me giving you an inch.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well” Kathleen said, kicking her feet up onto the small space of chair that Robert wasn’t completely occupying. “Your newest members could come to my pack, we have room. And since their new, they won’t have difficulty bonding to my authority and finding their place in the pack.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “Well then, I suggest you all get nice and comfortable there because I’m not budging.”

  “Are you looking for a fight Kathleen?” Robert asked, brow furrowing in frustration.

  “No, but it appears that you are considering that I’m sure you knew full in well that I would have no intention ceding any of my territory to you.”

  “Admit Kathleen, this doesn’t have to be so difficult!”

  Kathleen smiled wryly, “doesn’t it though? What would you do in my position? No, you knew what would happen and still you invited me here, so it makes a girl wonder why?”

  Robert chuckled, a hallow laugh that didn’t sound nearly as pleasant as Kathleen thought he typically sounded. “Well, maybe I just wanted to see you.”

  Kathleen cocked her head to the side, examining him closely as she tried to determine just how she felt about his comment. “Well, you’ve seen me.”