Diego had faced plenty of hard, conscienceless men in his time. But he’d also faced desperate men, and he’d learned the difference between anger born of arrogance and anger born of worry. Shane had anger born of worry.
“You care about Cassidy,” Diego said. “Are you in love with her?”
Shane’s eyes didn’t soften. “I met Cass twenty years ago, when we were shoved into this Shiftertown together. Brody and me thought my mother would be leader, because she’s naturally alpha. But Nell conceded dominance to Eric. If something happens to Eric, Cassidy takes over, not my mother, not Jace. Do you understand what I’m saying? Cassidy’s next in line. That’s weird for a Feline, because Felines rarely let their females rule. But no Shifter is able to touch Cassidy. The only things that can hurt her are humans and human laws. That means you, human cop. So don’t.”
A hand that ended in sharp grizzly claws landed on Diego’s chest, just below his throat. One swipe, and Diego would be dead. Shane’s Collar wouldn’t be quick enough to stop him.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Diego said calmly.
The bear snout receded and Diego looked again into Shane’s human face, but the claws remained.
“Of course I love Cass. I have for years. But she’s out of my reach, and I know it. When Donovan started chasing her, I faded in her eyes. Donovan, the charmer, charmed himself right into Cassidy’s bed. The two of them didn’t come out for days. Eric and Jace couldn’t sleep inside the house, and me and Brody had to get earplugs.”
And I’m standing outside the bedroom in question, while a half-drunk grizzly tells me about the sex life of the woman I’m seriously attracted to.
“Donovan passed a year ago,” Diego said. “What’s stopping you now?”
“Cass herself.” The claws became blunt fingers again. “She’s not interested in me. I’m fine with that.” Shane gave a shrug, a man long used to the fact that he’d have to look elsewhere for happiness. “But I’m not going to let a human start confusing her and threatening his way into her pants.”
The claws had receded, but Diego knew that Shane could easily crush his windpipe with his huge fingers.
“First, I’ve already seen her without her pants.” A sight Diego would never forget, though that blue dress was damn sexy too. “Second, I want to keep her safe as much as you do. That’s why I want her here in Shiftertown. If she gets caught out again by someone besides me, she’ll be arrested and jailed, and I might not be able to protect her.” Diego fixed Shane with a sharp stare, even though he had to look up to do it. “Do me a favor and watch her for me, Shane. If she tries to leave Shiftertown, you stop her. And if you can’t stop her, call me. Me, and no one else. Can you do that? Help me out?”
Shane’s eyes narrowed. “You should ask Eric to help you.”
“Eric already let her go once.”
“That’s a point. Eric won’t stop Cass doing what she thinks she needs to do.” Shane drew a breath. “But I will.”
For some reason, Diego wanted to pat Shane’s shoulder and say, Good bear, but decided that might not be wise.
“I’ll come by, but I can’t be here all the time,” Diego said. “Just keep her out of trouble.”
“You got it, human cop.”
“Call me Diego. And I’ll tell you something.” He leaned a little closer to Shane. “If you think your mom’s tough, you should meet my mother.”
Shane’s face finally softened, and he chuckled. “Humans have a saying: When Mama ain’t happy…”
“… ain’t nobody happy,” they finished together.
Shane laughed a little harder and clapped Diego on the shoulders. Diego fought to keep to his feet.
“You’re funny, human cop. I mean, Diego. I’ll watch over Cass. I’m your bear. Time for you to leave now.”
Diego let the man put a heavy arm around his shoulders and lead him to the front door and out of the house.
Diego wondered, as he watched the bear Shifter sway toward the house next door, whether Cassidy would remember in the morning what had been the most spectacular kiss of Diego’s life.
Diego figured he’d get shit from Shifter Division for how he’d handled Cassidy’s arrest, and sure enough, Lieutenant Reid, a man with ambitions in Shifter Division, accosted him the next day.
Diego was still reeling from the kiss he’d shared with Cassidy, still reveling in the scent and taste of her. He’d dreamed about her all night, thought about her while he showered, shaved, and readied himself for work. Imagining her being in the shower with him, smiling her red-lipped smile as she soaped his back, almost made him late.
Reid stopped him in the wide hall downstairs as Diego made for the elevator. “Anything to do with the Wardens is mine,” Reid said without greeting him. “You overstepped, Escobar.”
Diego eyed the man in dislike. Reid had a tall, lithe body—a runner’s muscles rather than a bodybuilder’s—and his eyes were so dark they were almost black.
“I made the arrest,” Diego said. “It was my call.”
“Two weeks’ confinement to Shiftertown?” Reid stepped closer, his dark eyes narrowing. “That’s it?”
“If you read my report, you’d know why I made the decision,” Diego said.
“Yeah, I read it. She still broke the law.”
Diego had no intention of explaining his motives. He’d learned as soon as he’d become a detective that people would question his every decision, especially those in his own rank in other divisions. Human nature, his captain told him.
“I’ve worked on Shifter cases a hell of a lot longer than you have,” Reid said. “They can look human, and they try to act human, but if you don’t treat them like the dangerous animals they are, you’ll pay for it. Don’t let the Collars fool you. You can’t tame them, you can’t trust them, and most of all, you can’t be their friend.”
Reid’s eyes held conviction, but Diego gave him a neutral nod. “Thanks, Reid. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Reid gave him a disgusted look but turned and marched away down the hall.
Diego could almost feel sorry for him. Shifter Division was the crap assignment—to make sure Shifters obeyed rules and didn’t go where they shouldn’t. For the most part, it was an easy assignment, because Shifters seemed to be pretty anal about obeying strictures. Shifter Division cops sat around panting for a chance to arrest and harass Shifters. Reid obviously fit right in, maybe too well.
“You care about Cassidy,” Diego said. “Are you in love with her?”
Shane’s eyes didn’t soften. “I met Cass twenty years ago, when we were shoved into this Shiftertown together. Brody and me thought my mother would be leader, because she’s naturally alpha. But Nell conceded dominance to Eric. If something happens to Eric, Cassidy takes over, not my mother, not Jace. Do you understand what I’m saying? Cassidy’s next in line. That’s weird for a Feline, because Felines rarely let their females rule. But no Shifter is able to touch Cassidy. The only things that can hurt her are humans and human laws. That means you, human cop. So don’t.”
A hand that ended in sharp grizzly claws landed on Diego’s chest, just below his throat. One swipe, and Diego would be dead. Shane’s Collar wouldn’t be quick enough to stop him.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Diego said calmly.
The bear snout receded and Diego looked again into Shane’s human face, but the claws remained.
“Of course I love Cass. I have for years. But she’s out of my reach, and I know it. When Donovan started chasing her, I faded in her eyes. Donovan, the charmer, charmed himself right into Cassidy’s bed. The two of them didn’t come out for days. Eric and Jace couldn’t sleep inside the house, and me and Brody had to get earplugs.”
And I’m standing outside the bedroom in question, while a half-drunk grizzly tells me about the sex life of the woman I’m seriously attracted to.
“Donovan passed a year ago,” Diego said. “What’s stopping you now?”
“Cass herself.” The claws became blunt fingers again. “She’s not interested in me. I’m fine with that.” Shane gave a shrug, a man long used to the fact that he’d have to look elsewhere for happiness. “But I’m not going to let a human start confusing her and threatening his way into her pants.”
The claws had receded, but Diego knew that Shane could easily crush his windpipe with his huge fingers.
“First, I’ve already seen her without her pants.” A sight Diego would never forget, though that blue dress was damn sexy too. “Second, I want to keep her safe as much as you do. That’s why I want her here in Shiftertown. If she gets caught out again by someone besides me, she’ll be arrested and jailed, and I might not be able to protect her.” Diego fixed Shane with a sharp stare, even though he had to look up to do it. “Do me a favor and watch her for me, Shane. If she tries to leave Shiftertown, you stop her. And if you can’t stop her, call me. Me, and no one else. Can you do that? Help me out?”
Shane’s eyes narrowed. “You should ask Eric to help you.”
“Eric already let her go once.”
“That’s a point. Eric won’t stop Cass doing what she thinks she needs to do.” Shane drew a breath. “But I will.”
For some reason, Diego wanted to pat Shane’s shoulder and say, Good bear, but decided that might not be wise.
“I’ll come by, but I can’t be here all the time,” Diego said. “Just keep her out of trouble.”
“You got it, human cop.”
“Call me Diego. And I’ll tell you something.” He leaned a little closer to Shane. “If you think your mom’s tough, you should meet my mother.”
Shane’s face finally softened, and he chuckled. “Humans have a saying: When Mama ain’t happy…”
“… ain’t nobody happy,” they finished together.
Shane laughed a little harder and clapped Diego on the shoulders. Diego fought to keep to his feet.
“You’re funny, human cop. I mean, Diego. I’ll watch over Cass. I’m your bear. Time for you to leave now.”
Diego let the man put a heavy arm around his shoulders and lead him to the front door and out of the house.
Diego wondered, as he watched the bear Shifter sway toward the house next door, whether Cassidy would remember in the morning what had been the most spectacular kiss of Diego’s life.
Diego figured he’d get shit from Shifter Division for how he’d handled Cassidy’s arrest, and sure enough, Lieutenant Reid, a man with ambitions in Shifter Division, accosted him the next day.
Diego was still reeling from the kiss he’d shared with Cassidy, still reveling in the scent and taste of her. He’d dreamed about her all night, thought about her while he showered, shaved, and readied himself for work. Imagining her being in the shower with him, smiling her red-lipped smile as she soaped his back, almost made him late.
Reid stopped him in the wide hall downstairs as Diego made for the elevator. “Anything to do with the Wardens is mine,” Reid said without greeting him. “You overstepped, Escobar.”
Diego eyed the man in dislike. Reid had a tall, lithe body—a runner’s muscles rather than a bodybuilder’s—and his eyes were so dark they were almost black.
“I made the arrest,” Diego said. “It was my call.”
“Two weeks’ confinement to Shiftertown?” Reid stepped closer, his dark eyes narrowing. “That’s it?”
“If you read my report, you’d know why I made the decision,” Diego said.
“Yeah, I read it. She still broke the law.”
Diego had no intention of explaining his motives. He’d learned as soon as he’d become a detective that people would question his every decision, especially those in his own rank in other divisions. Human nature, his captain told him.
“I’ve worked on Shifter cases a hell of a lot longer than you have,” Reid said. “They can look human, and they try to act human, but if you don’t treat them like the dangerous animals they are, you’ll pay for it. Don’t let the Collars fool you. You can’t tame them, you can’t trust them, and most of all, you can’t be their friend.”
Reid’s eyes held conviction, but Diego gave him a neutral nod. “Thanks, Reid. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Reid gave him a disgusted look but turned and marched away down the hall.
Diego could almost feel sorry for him. Shifter Division was the crap assignment—to make sure Shifters obeyed rules and didn’t go where they shouldn’t. For the most part, it was an easy assignment, because Shifters seemed to be pretty anal about obeying strictures. Shifter Division cops sat around panting for a chance to arrest and harass Shifters. Reid obviously fit right in, maybe too well.
