rogue wolves
stirring up trouble.”
“Great,” Declan groaned. Another wrench in his search for Avery. One would think he
would be happy about putting off the inevitable, but he found he grew more and more
impatient to see her. “Meet you there in ten.”
“Copy.”
Declan and Mark made their way across campus in silence.
“Looks like you can put off your little talk a bit longer,” Mark said drolly. “You
must be thrilled.”
“Yeah,” Declan grunted with displeasure.
“Doesn’t sound as if you’re the happy camper I thought you would be. Changing your
tune about her already? Did your big dumb brain finally kick in and realize you were
fucking up your future with her?”
He grunted and kept walking. Declan figured a non-answer would be answer enough. Happiness
not even close to what he felt at the moment. He could act as if he’d never scented
her, never saw her, and never felt the undeniable, near overwhelming pull to be with
her.
Out of the class and no any logical reason for them to run into each other, he should
be on cloud nine. Business management and law enforcement classes didn’t go hand in
hand. They were even on different parts of the campus. His plan should be back on
track.
He had checked. Her classes would be near the Canidae Sanctum, the outdoor area designated
for wolves. “Shit,” he mumbled, but based on his chuckle, Mark had heard. Damn wolves
and their business sense.
Declan and Mark entered the Canidae Sanctum about the same time as Hawkins and his
partner Jackson entered on the opposite side. A light breeze blew through the area,
swirling the pungent stench of dog around. A group of wolves lounged in the sun while
a couple more mangy-looking ones stood guard, heads raised, ears perked up, ready
to bound into action if need be.
Three girls walked into the sanctum, followed by two men. The wolves on guard stealthily
moved forward. As two wolves snapped at the men, putting distance between them and
the women, another two attempted to herd the females over to the lounging wolves.
The head of one lazy-ass wolf lifted off the ground, studied the women, then let loose
a low, short, sharp bark.
Hawkins cleared his throat, pulled out his baton, and rapped it on a stone bench nearby.
The heads of all the wolves popped up and zeroed in on him. The guard wolves drifted
from the people they were stalking and made their way toward Hawkins.
Jackson, a beautiful red-tailed hawk shifter, mirrored Hawkins’s actions, taking out
her baton and smacking it against a wall. The lounging wolves slowly got to their
feet.
Declan and Mark closed in on the group from the rear, ready to offer support to the
other team, though he doubted they would need it.
A large blond wolf walked to the front of the pack and shifted. Once in human form,
the guy appeared to be approximately six feet tall, muscular with a swimmer’s body,
and shaggy hair. A trace of familiarity flowed from him, but Declan couldn’t quite
put his finger on where he had seen him before.
“Is something wrong, Officer?” the leader asked, addressing Hawkins as though the
man was beneath him.
Hawkins, a ferruginous hawk shifter, wasn’t a man you tried to intimidate. At six
feet six, he had a muscular and lithe frame. Quick reflexes and a sharp mind. People
often underestimated him and his strength, always to their detriment.
Taking a step toward the blond man, Hawk let his steely look do most of the talking.
“Are you students here?”
The blond shrugged nonchalantly. “At times.”
“Would this be one of those times?” Jackson asked.
“No. But I’ve never seen a rule saying we can’t come to the sanctum to hang out with
our people.”
“True, but harassing the students is a good way to get kicked off campus.”
The blond’s arm swung out in the direction of the mangy wolves. “The boys were only
playing. No harm intended.”
“Well, I
stirring up trouble.”
“Great,” Declan groaned. Another wrench in his search for Avery. One would think he
would be happy about putting off the inevitable, but he found he grew more and more
impatient to see her. “Meet you there in ten.”
“Copy.”
Declan and Mark made their way across campus in silence.
“Looks like you can put off your little talk a bit longer,” Mark said drolly. “You
must be thrilled.”
“Yeah,” Declan grunted with displeasure.
“Doesn’t sound as if you’re the happy camper I thought you would be. Changing your
tune about her already? Did your big dumb brain finally kick in and realize you were
fucking up your future with her?”
He grunted and kept walking. Declan figured a non-answer would be answer enough. Happiness
not even close to what he felt at the moment. He could act as if he’d never scented
her, never saw her, and never felt the undeniable, near overwhelming pull to be with
her.
Out of the class and no any logical reason for them to run into each other, he should
be on cloud nine. Business management and law enforcement classes didn’t go hand in
hand. They were even on different parts of the campus. His plan should be back on
track.
He had checked. Her classes would be near the Canidae Sanctum, the outdoor area designated
for wolves. “Shit,” he mumbled, but based on his chuckle, Mark had heard. Damn wolves
and their business sense.
Declan and Mark entered the Canidae Sanctum about the same time as Hawkins and his
partner Jackson entered on the opposite side. A light breeze blew through the area,
swirling the pungent stench of dog around. A group of wolves lounged in the sun while
a couple more mangy-looking ones stood guard, heads raised, ears perked up, ready
to bound into action if need be.
Three girls walked into the sanctum, followed by two men. The wolves on guard stealthily
moved forward. As two wolves snapped at the men, putting distance between them and
the women, another two attempted to herd the females over to the lounging wolves.
The head of one lazy-ass wolf lifted off the ground, studied the women, then let loose
a low, short, sharp bark.
Hawkins cleared his throat, pulled out his baton, and rapped it on a stone bench nearby.
The heads of all the wolves popped up and zeroed in on him. The guard wolves drifted
from the people they were stalking and made their way toward Hawkins.
Jackson, a beautiful red-tailed hawk shifter, mirrored Hawkins’s actions, taking out
her baton and smacking it against a wall. The lounging wolves slowly got to their
feet.
Declan and Mark closed in on the group from the rear, ready to offer support to the
other team, though he doubted they would need it.
A large blond wolf walked to the front of the pack and shifted. Once in human form,
the guy appeared to be approximately six feet tall, muscular with a swimmer’s body,
and shaggy hair. A trace of familiarity flowed from him, but Declan couldn’t quite
put his finger on where he had seen him before.
“Is something wrong, Officer?” the leader asked, addressing Hawkins as though the
man was beneath him.
Hawkins, a ferruginous hawk shifter, wasn’t a man you tried to intimidate. At six
feet six, he had a muscular and lithe frame. Quick reflexes and a sharp mind. People
often underestimated him and his strength, always to their detriment.
Taking a step toward the blond man, Hawk let his steely look do most of the talking.
“Are you students here?”
The blond shrugged nonchalantly. “At times.”
“Would this be one of those times?” Jackson asked.
“No. But I’ve never seen a rule saying we can’t come to the sanctum to hang out with
our people.”
“True, but harassing the students is a good way to get kicked off campus.”
The blond’s arm swung out in the direction of the mangy wolves. “The boys were only
playing. No harm intended.”
“Well, I
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