Chapter Nineteen

It was after lunch when Joe made his way to the Sheriff department’s temporary offices. Determined to ensure Doc slept in for a change, Joe turned off his mate’s alarm clock and sat down in the waiting room during Doc’s morning surgery hours, encouraging the few people who popped in to come back during the afternoon session. Gossip had traveled fast, as it did in Arrowtown, and most people were aware Doc had been with him during an altercation on Dash’s farm. No one asked Joe about his mate’s shifter status though, and Joe was hopeful Brian and his family would continue to keep the secret.

The first person he saw in the office was Liam, dressed in his uniform, his feet up on the desk Mal had been using. “Hi there, stranger,” Liam grinned. “How’s mated life treating you?”

“Much the same as it does you, I imagine,” Joe said with an easy smile. Since Liam, Trent and Beau had their first child, the lion shifter was a lot more relaxed about life. “Where are Rocky and Mal?”

“Down in the basement, working out some aggression if I know Rocky.” Liam slapped his fist into his open palm. “It seems Dumb and Dumber didn’t get any wiser overnight. They keep telling us they don’t know where this mysterious Myron is, and apparently they haven’t got a clue what Myron’s plan is, but the stink of their lies is enough to make me sneeze.”

“I’d be inclined to let the council guards have a go,” Joe said, dropping into the nearest chair. “But we all know they don’t give a shit about what happens around here.”

“That might have changed now. Oh, you haven’t heard.” Liam’s feet landed on the floor with a thump as he rested his elbows on the desk. “Hargraves and the council liaison officer were attacked last night on their way to the Jackson airport. Word came through to the office this morning.”

The hair on the back of Joe’s neck stood up. “Don’t tell me, both of them are dead.”

“Shot straight through the head multiple times,” Liam agreed, “but only the council guy. There’s no sign of Hargraves anywhere and apparently the council had their best trackers out all night trying to find a trace of him. It happened about ten miles this side of Jackson.”

“Oh joy.” Joe scowled. “That means they’ll be in here soon enough, wanting to go through all the records we haven’t got thanks to our bombed offices.”

“You missed them. They’ve been and gone,” Liam laughed. “Why do you think Rocky needs some stress relief? If it wasn’t for Mal, you and I would be on body hiding duties this afternoon.”

Joe could well imagine it. The shifter council had been appointed fifty years before, ostensibly to work with human government and law officials and advocate for shifter rights. Arrowtown was one of the many shifter towns set up as a council initiative when it seemed some humans didn’t take kindly to being reminded they weren’t as strong or as fast as their shifter neighbors.

Although, there were no laws against shifters living in human towns, a lot of shifters preferred to live in a place where they weren’t frowned on for walking around in their animal form. Within shifter town territories, human laws didn’t apply, and each town had their own way of governing themselves. In Arrowtown, the mayor and the sheriff were elected positions, with voting held every four years. Rocky and Ra were newly elected into their positions, after some of the criminal and negligent activities by Joe’s family had come to light.

When someone committed a crime, and that was rare, the town held an open meeting for all the townsfolk who suggested and voted on suitable punishments. It was during a town meeting to determine the punishment for the rabbit herd leader, Alpha Simpson and his son Gareth, after beating Ra’s mate Seth nearly to death, that Ra threw his hat in the ring for contention for the Mayor’s position. Joe was never sure why Rocky wanted to run for sheriff, but he was pleasantly surprised at how well the wolf had done since being elected.

“So, what happens now?” Joe forced his mind back to the present. “While Myron is still running free, no one in this town is safe and I’ve got a new mate to protect.”

“Tell me about it. You imagine what it was like convincing my overly protective pair that I still needed to report to work after the office got bombed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trent comes running over here the moment he hears a car backfire. I want Myron stopped as much as you do.”

“The problem with Myron is he’s old school,” Joe mused, leaning his elbows on the desk in front of him. “He stays off the grid as much as possible. Uses disposable phones left, right, and center. He pays for everything in cash and favors. I don’t think he even has a bank account.”

“Which makes him a lot harder to track,” Liam agreed. “Would Harold know where he is?”

Joe shook his head. “I doubt it. Robert probably knew, but in the Quincy family no one told Harold anything unless they wanted it broadcast to his many mistresses.” He sat up as something finally clicked in his brain. “Harold’s mistresses – that’s it. Whatever happened to that woman who was in Harold’s office planning to help him celebrate his win? You remember, the one who thought she could seduce Rocky too?”

“I thought she lived in Jackson. Didn’t Darwin know her from his stripping days?”

“Yes, that’s right. Jenny, she was a cat shifter and she mentioned another woman Connie who used to service Robert when he was still in town. What about Maggie. Maybe she would know. She’s still working for Ra, isn’t she?”

“Ra couldn’t run the office without her,” Liam laughed. “He doubled her salary and begged her not to retire, which is what she’d planned to do. Damn it, we should have thought about talking to her before this.”

“Then let’s go and see if she can spare us a few minutes.” Joe stood and smoothed the creases out of his pants. “It’s not likely she’s ever heard of Myron, but if his tastes for women run the same as Harold and Robert’s did, then maybe we’ll be in luck and get a lead.”

/~/~/~/~/

Doc barely managed to hide his smile as he saw a nervous Dan sitting with a pretty rabbit shifter in his waiting room. “Come on in, the pair of you. Dan, I don’t think I’ve met your companion.”

“She’s my mate, Doc.” Dan stood, holding out his hand to the woman who had to be Jenny. She was pretty, with bright blond hair and intelligent eyes. “I’d like you to meet Jenny Simpson. She’s the niece of the banished Alpha Simpson. Her family live in a shifter town on the coast. She came to visit after the alpha was banished and decided to stay.”

“I saw you the first day I arrived in town. You don’t think I was going to run out on you, even if you weren’t sure who I was to you.” Jenny’s laugh was sweet and kind. “I understand it was you, Doc, who convinced my shy mate to ask me out on a date and to be honest with me. I can’t thank you enough.” She held out her hand and Doc shook it quickly before leading them into the office.

Indicating the chairs by his desk, Doc chose to sit on his rolling stool. “I’m really glad my advice helped,” he said, letting his smile show this time. “Having recently claimed my mate myself, I understand how difficult it can be for a couple to be apart, especially when you both would have felt the pull to be together.”

“It wasn’t Dan’s fault.” Jenny’s look at her mate was full of love. “He came and told me what was wrong with him the minute he left your office. I’ve never felt so proud for another person in my life. It took a lot of courage to admit something like that.”

“Needless to say, Jenny’s sweet rabbit confirmed what I’d hoped for.” Dan’s cheeks went bright red. “We found there was no need to go out for a fancy date after all. Jenny makes the best lasagna.”

“You both have my heartiest congratulations. So, what are we doing here for you today? Did you want to discuss the surgical option we talked about, Dan?”

“I wasn’t sure it was a good idea when Dan told me about it,” Jenny admitted shyly. “I hate the idea of my mate experiencing any kind of pain and now we’re mated, I’m not sure it’s necessary.”

“That’s why we thought we’d come to you, Doc,” Dan agreed. “I admit, I’d love to be able to scent my sweet mate, and any future pups we might have, but I’ve been without my sense of smell most of my life. I’m just worried, since the sheriff’s office got blown up that maybe there’s threats in this town I don’t know about. What if I can’t protect my mate without full use of all my senses?”

Doc shouldn’t have been surprised. More than one of his clients had made veiled references to the bombing, perhaps hoping that because Doc was mated to Deputy Joe, he might know more than what was being said publicly.

Ra had put out a notice the morning after the attack, saying it was the work of humans who’d since left the area and that the sheriff’s office was following every lead. He asked them all to be vigilant and to report any sightings of strangers within the territory boundaries. In the meantime, he asked for volunteers to help clear the rubble and to put anything that could be salvaged in a large container offered by the Hooper family. Even kids were out there after school, helping clear the mess brick by brick. The town was rallying together which was a positive thing to see.

“I do think this should be your decision,” Doc said returning his focus to the couple in front of him. “Surgery is always a big step. The risks, seeing as you are a shifter, are minimal, but as I explained at the time, the chances of full success are also fifty fifty. While your sense of smell is important, as a wolf, your other senses will have improved over the years to counter the loss – wouldn’t you agree?”

“I have better eyesight than most and can hear a pin drop a hundred yards away,” Dan nodded.

“These growths Dan has in his nose,” Jenny blushed prettily, “will they get worse over time? Could that endanger him in other ways?”

“How old are you, Dan?” With shifters it was always hard to tell. While Dan wasn’t young, Doc could sense that, he could be aged anywhere from fifty to four hundred and fifty.

“A hundred and twenty seven,” Dan mumbled as Jenny laughed.

“He thinks he’s a cradle snatcher,” she said patting Dan’s arm. “I’m only twenty three.”

“I’m sure you’ll both live a long and happy life together,” Doc said. “The age gap between myself and the young deputy is considerably bigger, and age is one thing very few shifters worry about. And actually Dan, I think that’s a good thing – your age, I mean. The growths you have aren’t very big and it’s not likely they will get any bigger. It is possible they developed when you were a child, before you shifted for the first time.”

Dan and Jenny shared a long look and Doc idly wondered if they had a mind link. He’d yet to try contacting Joe that way but it would be helpful if it was something they shared. He made a mental note to try later that night. He didn’t know what Joe was doing as he was at work, and he didn’t want to startle his mate if he was busy doing his job.

“We’ve decided to leave the surgery for now, Doc, if that’s all right with you,” Dan said finally after a long moment. “My Jenny,” the pride on his face as he said those words spoke volumes, “she doesn’t want to see me hurt, even intentionally, and people might talk after the surgery if I’ve got plaster or marks on my face.”

“I might only be a rabbit, and I know my mate’s a big strong wolf, but it’s my job to look out for his interests, just as he does mine.” Jenny smoothed her hands over her pale blue skirt before smiling up at her beaming mate. “We look after each other.”

“I think you two are going to get along just fine,” Doc said. “Was there anything else?” He knew there was, he could scent it. But it was up to Jenny if she wanted to say anything just yet.

“I’d like a pregnancy test please.” Jenny’s smile was beautiful as Dan’s mouth dropped open. “My rabbit tells me we’re expecting, but because my dear mate can’t scent us, I want him to have something tangible he can keep, to remind him of this moment.”

“You…you…you’re pregnant, already?”

Doc chuckled quietly. He wished he had a camera to capture the look on Dan’s face. The quiet wolf let out a whoop that could be heard at Hooper’s store, standing up and swinging Jenny into his arms, much like Joe had done to him the night before. But with Dan and Jenny there were no reservations. It was a truly beautiful scene and one that reminded Doc why he got into medicine in the first place. Letting them have their moment, he found something else to do on his desk.