Phoenix Arizona by Lynn Hagen Page A

out and fought Matt when Matt pulled his arms away.
    “Phoenix, stop, I’m not going to hurt you. I know about these murders because I’m a homicide detective.” Matt was becoming panicked. He could see that Phoenix wanted nothing more than to flee as fast as he could. Matt had to set things straight with his mate before Phoenix disappeared and Matt lost him forever. He didn’t even know where his mate lived. All he had was a phone number, and that could be changed quickly.
    Phoenix froze. He recoiled like Matt had slapped him and then whimpered.
    Matt had thought telling Phoenix that he was a cop would ease the man’s tension. It only grew. He pulled his wallet out, showing his mate his badge. “It’s real.”
    “You’re a fucking cop?” It was a growl if Matt ever heard one. Hell, he was impressed by the sound. Phoenix renewed his struggles, fighting even harder this time to get out of the car. He was screaming at Matt to let him go. Phoenix freed a hand and gouged at Matt’s eyes.
    Matt’s wolf pushed front and center. Phoenix was his mate, but Matt’s wolf wasn’t going to allow Phoenix to hurt them. He felt his eyes shift as his wolf grew closer, threatening to come out and subdue their mate. Matt tried to stop his wolf, but it was too late. His claws extended as his canines began to elongate in his mouth, making his damn gums hurt. Phoenix howled in pain as Matt’s claws embedded in his mate’s arm where he had a tight grip.
    “Fuck.” Matt yanked his hand away and took a few deep breaths, trying his best to compose himself.
    But it was too late. Phoenix had seen his wolf.

Chapter Five
     
    “What the hell are you?” Phoenix grabbed for the door handle again. His arm felt like it was on fire. Matt held his hands up, like he was surrendering as he eased slowly back against the driver’s door.
    “Listen to me, Phoenix, please. You are in danger. Please calm down and listen to me before you run.”
    “You’re a fucking cop and—I don’t know what the hell else you are.” Phoenix pushed closer to the door, ready to bolt if Matt did anything strange in the car. Okay, stranger than what he had just seen. His heart was in his throat, and his blood was roaring in his ears. This couldn’t be happening.
    He was falling for a damn cop.
    This was unreal.
    Fate was a nasty little bitch. How could he fall for a cop? Phoenix was so pissed at himself right now that he wanted to whack his head into the dashboard. Matt seemed too good to be true, and it turned out, he was. Damn it!
    “Why are you afraid of cops?” Matt studied Phoenix like only a cop could. His eyes were assessing, his concentration solely on Phoenix. Now that Phoenix knew what Matt did for a living, he noticed things about Matt that he hadn’t before. Like how he was sitting in a nondescript fucking sedan. How had he not noticed that?
    “Why should I tell you? You guys stick together. You’ll only make excuses—” Phoenix broke off, curling his lips in and turning his head to look out of the window. He fought back the tears at the memory that surfaced. Phoenix would not give that part of himself to Matt. No one was going to get Phoenix’s tears. No one. They had fallen in the diner, but Phoenix had been caught off guard. He was fighting to keep them in as he clutched Matt’s keys in his hand. This was too much. Not another damn cop. Please, no.
    “Talk to me,” Matt said quietly from beside him.
    Phoenix stared out of the window and wondered why he had found what he thought just might be the perfect man and then had that dream snatched from his grasp. He glanced up at the clouds and saw that it was becoming overcast, just like his mood. People hustled in and out of the diner without a care in the world. He wished that was his case. He was terrified and at the same time confused about his feelings toward Matt. How messed up was that? He wanted to hate the man sitting next to him, but he couldn’t. It felt as though Matt was in his