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

by Michael Reyes

  “And what a beautiful sight you are. But I was serious before” Robert said, “I want to do this diplomatically. But, if we can’t come to a diplomatic decision, than there’s no choice but to fight.”

  “I would have thought that you wouldn’t want to risk losing any more pack members. Because you’ll do a lot more than risk it, there will be a hole left in your pack if you go head to head with mine, make no mistake.”

  “You won’t come out scot-free if we fight either.”

  Kathleen smiled, a wide tooth grinned that bared her razor sharp fangs, “We’ve trained, are ranks are strong and settled, I’m confident we’d walk away, maybe a bit bruised, but all of us walking.”

  “Are you really willing to make that bet?” Robert asked seriously.

  “If need be” Kathleen said, face stoic, “However, I’m hoping that you’ll come to your senses before that becomes necessary and stay in your own territory that the alpha before you established and you agreed to defend when you became alpha. If not, I’d suggest you taking your chances with expanding to the territory west of you, the pack is more of a loose band of rogues, you can bring them into yours or just take the land, although I never quite took that to be your style. Either way, at least with them you’d have more of a fair fight.”

  “You don’t scare me.” Robert said.

  Kathleen chuckled, “If I were trying to scare you, you’d be scared. No, right now I’m simply giving you the facts. And the fact of the matter is that if we fought, you would lose.”

  “If our packs fought, yeah, maybe” Robert said, nodding once if her pursed his lips. “But, like you said, I don’t want to lose anyone. And, despite your astounding show of confidence, you don’t strike me as the type to take unnecessary risk.”

  “It wouldn’t be unnecessary if it meant defending my pack’s territory.”

  “Fine, I can see I’m not getting anywhere with you.”

  “Well, you’ve got my attention and my amusement.”

  “Has anyone told you that you’d be a tad annoying if you weren’t so smart and sexy?”

  Kathleen smirked, “Has anyone told you that you are a tad annoying in addition to being averagely smart and extremely sexy?”

  Robert raised an eyebrow, and Kathleen attempted to restrain herself unsuccessfully from flushing at her admission. “Extremely sexy huh?”

  “In a purely objective matter I suppose, anyways, you were going to say something.”

  “Right you are. Why get our packs involved, this discussion is between us, and perhaps the decision should be between us. Or, if we can’t reach a diplomatic one, perhaps the fight should be between us.”

  Kathleen’s eyes flashed, “Are you challenging me to a fight? An Alpha fight? You do realize what that would entail correct?”

  Robert shrugged, “A battle to the death and winner takes over the other’s pack and territory.”

  Kathleen ran her tongue along her teeth, scoffing in disbelief, “Is that what you want? Because, you would lose.”

  “It would be a shame to fight you, but I’d rather lose my life than the life of one of my pack members’.”

  “As would I But, again, I’d prefer not to fight at all. And before you say it” Kathleen said, holding up a hand to prevent him from speaking as he opened his mouth “no I am not settling for giving you any of my territory.”

  “Okay then” Kathleen said, shrugging. “Well, neither of us want to fight and I don’t want to settle. Why don’t, we put this conversation on pause and perhaps revisit it another day. Say, two days from now, same time same place.”

  Kathleen rolled her eyes, but an amused smirk crept onto her face as she stood, shouldering her purse. “Fine, I’ll agree to another conversation, give you time to sleep on it and hopefully come to your senses. But, I’ll pick the place and text you tonight, I’ll see you then. Make sure you drink that coffee of yours though, it’s probably cold by now.”

  And with that, Kathleen turned and walked off, exiting the coffee shop leaving a surprised and amused Robert smiling behind her and smiling and shaking his head.

  Chapter 4

  Robert checked his phone for the fifth time that night, once again confirming that Kathleen had not yet texted him. He was unsure as to why he was so eager for her message but, as he found himself pacing the length of his room, he realized he was.

  He was halfway across his room for the umpteenth time when his phone chirped. He would never admit to his heart stopping for just a moment, but that’s just what happened for the expanse of a beat before he rushed over to his phone, scrambling to unlock it while his eyes simultaneously roamed back in forth trying to take in the tiny text written on the small screen.

  The message was simple and concise, just as if Kathleen was speaking.

  Eight o’clock, Steven's bar, you’re buying.

  Robert smirked, of course he was paying, he wouldn’t have it any other way. He put his phone aside as he sat back on his bead, leaning against the headboard and looked at the ceiling, wondering, not for the first time that night, just what he was going to wear.

  Kathleen smacked her lips in the mirror, checking her lipstick in the mirror for the second time before walking over to her closest. Putting her hands on her hips she cocked her head, scrutinizing the few outfits she had hanging in her closet.

  She hated to think how concerned she was becoming over what she’d wear to a relatively mediocre bar with Robert of all people. And yet, she was growing very concerned over her the lack of ‘suitable’ outfits that she had in her closet.

  She checked her watch, it was nearing ten minutes to eight and if she wanted to be fashionably late she’d need to leave in the next five minutes. With an exasperated sigh she finally reached in and pulled out a navy blue sundress and a pair of black flats. She frowned at the outfit. She did not want to look too dressy and risk giving Robert the misinformed opinion that she cared too much, or even that she cared at all for that matter.

  Reaching into her closet one again she grabbed one of her older leather jackets, hoping that it would dress down her outfit enough to give off a nice, careless look to it. She quickly changed, briefly wondering if she should wear any jewelry with the outfit but realizing that that would only lead to another five minutes of indecisiveness and she really had to go.

  Not bothering to take her long hair out of the messy ponytail she had put it in earlier after her shower, she grabbed her keys and ran out the door, ignoring the wolf whistles from Brian and Martin as she went.

  She hopped into her truck that she had finally gotten working after finding the problem to be a loose alternator belt.

  ‘He better have at least ordered me a mojito’ she thought to herself as she drove, humming the tune to whatever annoying pop song had been playing on the radio that morning. Ten minutes later she was finally at the bar, pulling to a stop crookedly in the parking lot before shutting off the engine and hopping out of the truck, the door shutting with a rusted grunt behind her.

  The bar was dimly lit with the sound of faint but upbeat music filling the background as she walked in. She felt a sense of déjà vu from the coffee shop the day before as her eyes scanned the room for Robert, finding him once again seated in a far corner of the room, drink in front of him.

  Sighing to herself as she realized that she would have to get her own drink to the bar, she once again ignored his beckon and headed over to the bartender. She frowned, realizing that it was a new guy making the drinks that night and biting her lip as she attempted to assess from his appearance whether or not he could correctly make her favorite drink. Deciding not to risk it, she ordered a whiskey on the rocks, informing the bartender that it would be on Robert’s tab.

  “Um, are you sure miss?” he asked nervously, eyes glancing over her shoulder at Robert before focusing back on Kathleen.

  She smiled widely, the grin of a predator that made him even more nervous. “Yes, thank you, I’m very sure.”

  The bartender hesitated for
a moment longer, for which he received a raised eyebrow before he turned and began hastily assembling her drink.

  She smiled at the addition of an orange umbrella to the drink that the bartender handed her.

  “Thank you” she said, winking at the poor man who was visibly just a bit intimidated by her before she began to make her way over to Robert.

  “Nice of you to join me.” Robert said as she sat down, eyes scanning her outfit briefly before finally moving up to meet Kathleen’s.

  “Well, it’s always nice to make an entrance” Kathleen smirked, taking a sip of her drink.

  “Whiskey huh?” Robert asked, nodding to her glass, “I always figured you to be a sort of appletini type of woman, or maybe Sex on the Beach.”

  “In your dreams maybe, and there’s way too much sand.”

  “I was referring to the drink.”

  “And I was referring to the image you were just imagining when you were undressing me with your eyes.”

  Robert flushed, taking a sip of his own drink which looked to be scotch, or maybe vodka on the rocks, to hide it.

  “You’re awfully sure of yourself aren’t you?” Robert asked once he had finally recovered himself.

  Kathleen smiled, twirling the orange umbrella between her fingers as she looked up at him from under her lashes. “Well yes, I typically am” she admitted, “but you’re also just really bad at being covert so I know what I saw.”

  Robert shrugged, playing it off, “well, what can I say, I have a thing for strong, sexy women.”

  Since their last meeting Kathleen had prepared herself so that this time she was able to stave off the blush that would have likely come had he said it a day earlier at the coffee shop.

  “So, have you thought about what I said the other day?” Robert asked, getting right down to the matter.

  Kathleen took another drink, “As much as I told you I would.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, I gave it some thought. And before you ask, no, my answer has not changed nor will it later.”

  Robert’s eyes narrowed, “And why is that?”

  Kathleen chuckled, “Ah, I see, you think I’m being difficult for difficulty’s sake, but that’s not it. If I give in here with you, I lose credibility in the region. As a female Alpha in charge of one of the region’s largest territories and largest packs, I’m already under scrutiny. Do you know how many attempts to edge in on my territory I get from neighboring packs a year? Do you know how many ‘diplomatic’ chats I have? More than I’d like. There’s always someone that wants something, and I’ve never let the have it. If I let you have an inch, you’ll want a mile, and not only that, but other packs will think I’m soft and try to take my territory by force, diplomacy be damned.”

  “I see” Robert said darkly, eyes moving down to look at the table as he pursed his lips.

  “I have nothing against you Robert” Kathleen said softly, “In fact, out of all the pack leaders in the region, I like you the most, and while it may not seem like it, I respect you. I know I don’t act like it much, but if you show respect to your threats, they may think they have an edge over you, like they can intimidate you.”

  Robert cocked his head, taking in Kathleen’s words. Respect meant a lot to him, and from the sincerity in Kathleen’s eyes, he knew that she meant it and wasn’t merely saying it to get him to let his guard down. He nodded, taking another sip of his drink.

  Kathleen leaned back, restraining herself from fidgeting with the slightly frayed string at the edge of her dress as she considered her next words.

  “Look, if it comes to a fight, it’ll be regrettable, but that’ll be what it comes to. It’s not what I want, and I know it’s not what you want, but I can’t just hand you any of my territory.”

  Robert nodded, leaning back in his chair heavily and folding his hands across his stomach, twiddling with his fingers.

  “I understand. Really I do, but, I can’t back down.”

  Kathleen nodded somberly, “I understand.”

  Robert shot her a small smile that made it impossible for her not to smile back. “Are you sure that, with just a little bit more time, you wouldn’t consider changing your mind.”

  She chuckled, “I’ve already considered it, and no, I haven’t changed my mind, and I don’t think I will.”

  Robert leaned in, a playful smirk coming to his features, “You don’t think.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Robert grinned, “You said you don’t think, not that you won’t. That means that there’s still a possibility of you changing your mind, there’s still a chance.”

  Kathleen rolled her eyes, “It’s purely just a technicality, I won’t change my mind.”

  Robert smirked, that infuriating smirk that only a few days ago Kathleen had wanted to violently smack off, but now she couldn’t bring herself to feel that same emotion, and instead found it just a bit endearing.

  “Nope” Robert said smugly, “I just can’t believe you. So, in the hopes of you changing your mind, and getting to see you in another stunning ensemble, although you could likely make a paper bag look stunning, I am not giving up on diplomacy, and am instead cordially inviting you to another session of diplomatic conversation.”

  “Another session huh” Kathleen laughed, shaking her head at the ridiculous idea.

  “Yes, tomorrow, I will text you this time with the time and place, and we can have another rousing conversation.”

  “We’re just going round in circles you do realizes, right?”

  “I like to think a bit more optimistically than that. So no, I think there’s a chance.”

  “There is no chance.”

  “Well, we’ll see tomorrow now won’t we?”

  “You’re just going to see what I already see” Kathleen said, finishing off her drink and setting the glass down on the table with a small clink.

  “Maybe, maybe not” Robert shrugged, finishing his drink as well and setting his glass next to hers. “Now, enough of this discussion, let’s not be pack leaders or Alpha’s talking territory, let’s just be two nice looking, eligible people chatting at the bar.”

  Kathleen snorted, “You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, I am. Now, what are you drinking next?”

  “Anything really, as long as it’s on your tab.”

  “It is”.

  Kathleen grinned, “Then go over there and see if you can get the newbie bartender to conjure up a half decent mojito, and then we can talk.”

  Robert smiled at her, a genuine smile that made her feel warm for some inexplicable reason. She turned to watch him as he walked to the bar, unable to think for the life of her just why she was smiling so largely after him.

  The rest of the night had been one of the most fun she had had in a while. Robert was a very entertaining person and an extremely engaging conversationalist. She found herself smiling, and even laughing uproariously several times throughout the evening.

  She had even gotten so carried away that she hadn’t realized when she had a bit more to drink than she originally had planned. To her surprise, Robert had been the perfect gentlemen, and had called and paid for a cab to take her home.

  As the cabbie dropped her off and she traveled up the steps to her home, she found herself wishing that the night had been longer.

  Chapter 5

  “Are you going out to meet that clown again?” Natasha asked as she leant against Kathleen’s open bedroom door, surprising her Alpha.

  Kathleen rolled her eyes, stepping back from her closet as she turned to face the woman. “We’re having diplomatic discussions about things.” Kathleen said, cringing just a bit as she realized just how silly her words were.

  “Diplomatic discussions huh?”

  “We’re just talking, it’s no big deal.”

  “It’s a big deal if you’re repeatedly meeting an Alpha that wants some of our territory. Oh my God!”

  “What?” Kathleen said, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at
Natasha’s exclamation.

  “You like him, don’t you?” she asked disbelievingly, “That’s why you’re going to see him so often. You like him!”

  “You’re being ridiculous” Kathleen said, turning back to her closet and scrutinizing her clothes. Robert had texted her the name of a fairly upscale restaurant on the other side of town, and she was beginning to wonder if she had anything that would be appropriate.

  “No, you’re kidding yourself if you won’t admit that you keep going to meet him because you’re just a teensy bit attracted to him.”

  “I’m not” Kathleen insisted, holding up a slinky black dress that she had worn when she was a bridesmaid at her cousin’s wedding a year ago.

  “You are.”

  Kathleen sighed, “Well, it’s not like he’s unattractive” she said, “and he’s not bad to talk to. There’s no harm in going to have dinner with him.”

  “Ohhh, dinner” Natasha snickered, “Let’s see, coffee, drinks, dinner, perhaps he’s trying to wine and dine you.”

  “You think so?” Kathleen asked offhandedly.

  “I do, and I think you’re starting to want him to.” Natasha laughed, “Stop kidding yourself, you like him, if only a little bit.”

  “Whatever” Kathleen muttered, blushing. “Now get out of here, don’t you have something better to do?”

  “Nope, not really.”

  “Natasha” Kathleen said warningly.

  Natasha laughed, “Fine, fine, I’m going Boss Lady, don’t freak out. But, you should wear the red dress, it’s a classic. And no leather jacket this time, you have two very persuasive assets on your chest, don’t hide them.”

  “Out!” Kathleen said, holding back a laugh, “Get out and leave me alone.”

  “Alright, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” Natasha called out as she left the room, laughing as she dodged the pillow that Kathleen threw after her.

  Kathleen shook her head, wondering just how she got stuck with such a crazy group of pack mates. But, crazy or not, she could admit that they did have a relatively decent taste in fashion. She grabbed the red dress and put it on the bed to change in to after she showered.