How they fell in love in the first place was not something Austin often thought about, especially considering they had broken up years ago. The past was the past. Couldn’t solve it, couldn’t fix it. It was done.

That being said, Austin couldn’t get his mind off the subject today. Memories he had long since disregarded came surging back, seeing Lucas again was the catalyst.

Even though the day was still young when he left the garage, and he had many more places to be, more people to talk to, leads to chase, and he couldn’t get Lucas out of his mind. He had been rendered useless by a single wavering conversation, to the point where he knew he would just make a mess of any further conversations he had.

Knowing he was wasting time, angry at himself for it, Austin patrolled the city, driving slowly up and down every single street. He pulled over a speeder or two, left a couple of parking tickets, made an appearance at the site of what might have become a fight if he hadn’t intervened.

At one point, he passed another cruiser. There were two cops sitting up front, clearly partners. One was middle-aged, while the other was even a little older than that. Austin recognized the pair, though he wasn’t really on a friendly basis with them. Old farts, the both of them.

The two older police officers stared at him as he drove past.

He sensed brewing trouble.

After a few seconds, his radio crackled. Sighing, knowing exactly who would be calling him, Austin reached over and picked up the mouthpiece. It was attached by a length of wire to the dashboard, so he couldn’t throw it out of the window without causing damage to the car.

“This is Cruiser 78. Over.”

“Cut the shit. You know it’s us.” The voice was raspy and thin, crackling even without static. The voice of a chain smoker. Austin could almost smell the foul brew of chemicals. “What the hell are you doing, Austin? This is our area today. Aren’t you off investigating?”

The other cop, the one not speaking into the radio, let out a chuckle.

They’re enjoying this.

As much as he wanted to really give them a piece of his mind, he knew he shouldn’t. Giving in to their taunts would only make for more taunts.

Austin spoke pleasantly, amiably when he replied through gritted teeth. “I’m looking for something, and I’d rather not say what it is over this line. It’s not secure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to do. Over.”

He cut off radio contact, then slapped the mouthpiece back into its holster. He missed a little and the device popped back out, dangling from its wire.

After a moment of deliberation, Austin left it there. Let his frequency seem busy. Maybe no one would bother him, then.

Between dealing with the more annoying of his blue-clad brothers, and doling out tiny amounts of justice, Austin thought of Lucas.

They had met on a beach in the middle of the night, and both of them had been fully wolf.

Austin enjoyed prowling at night, when his mottled pelt allowed him to move completely unseen through the shadows. Darkness was hardly ever truly black. Too solid of a color stood out like a sore thumb in a place like the city, where dozens of sources of light clashed, creating patches of clarity and haze in the same general area.

Austin’s pelt was very pale gray in coloration, like silver with frosted white points, but there were black markings swirled in his fur, around his face, legs and haunches. He was living camouflage.

At night, he could be wolf. He was in his element, his namesake. He could run and prowl, wild and free, traveling to his heart’s content without fear of being spotted by anyone who might fear him. If anyone happened to see him, they wouldn’t be able to get a proper sense of scale because of the way he blended into the city, the concrete, the everything. He would only be a dog to them, a ghost, a flicker. Easily forgotten. Easily ignored.

He liked to run along the beach, right at the place where the surf stopped and wet sand became dry. He liked to splash through the foam, feel salt gather on his fur. He liked to play, to be free.

He was a lone wolf, and this was the way he liked to be.

On that fateful night, he had come across something he had never encountered before.

Another wolf roaming the beach, in plain sight and yet hidden from the rest of the world. He was solidly tan in coloration, pale but standing out all the same against the sugar-white sand.

Austin paced in his direction, tail up, ears perked forward in an open expression of curiosity.

The omega saw him and backed down, dropping to his stomach and rolling over to expose his soft and vulnerable parts. His mouth lolled open and his pink tongue lolled out. He was asking for forgiveness, apologizing, being as submissive as he should.

To be treated in such a manner made Austin feel so confident and strong.

Yet, he had also felt a surge of tenderness, protectiveness for this little wolf. Maybe this was nothing more than a result of having a boost to his ego. Maybe it had been something more. His strength was not aimed at the omega, instead outward at anything that might bother him.

Austin had dropped down over his front paws, waving his tail up in the air.

The omega had stayed in its submissive position for a moment or two longer before rolling onto its side to watch. Its ears swiveled forward like satellite dishes that had picked up on a strange signal.

Austin let out a soft bark, holding his position.

He had watched the omega’s eyes brighten. The little wolf leapt to its paws in the blink of an eye, then flounced towards him.

As two wolves lost in the middle of the world of humans, claiming their freedom where it could be found, they had played together that first night on the white sands. They raced and wrestled and frolicked, chasing each other in and out of the ocean.

Austin was much, much stronger than the omega, but the omega was faster and could run on effortlessly long after Austin had run out of steam.

When dawn came, they went their separate ways.

And Austin had realized the omega had only seemed tan because of the dimming effect of the night. Illuminated softly by dawn light, the omega’s pelt was gentle gold, with faint creamy swirls on the lower half of its body.

He was a beautiful creature.

Night after night, the two had come together as wolves. Nameless and unknown to the other, they existed as only animals could, without worry or fear. They passed the time in play, then spent the dawn grooming sand from each other.

As days became weeks, they had taken to settling down with each other sooner, to just enjoy the feel of their bodies pressed together. Something was happening between them, something which Austin hadn’t really wanted to consider. He didn’t want to bring troublesome human emotions into something wild and free which should not be labeled.

But, all things must come to an end.

Remembering this part, Austin’s hand tightened hard on the steering wheel.

They shifted in front of each other one night. There had been no discussion between them. It just happened, so perfectly timed together it was like they’d synchronized their watches for the occasion.

Austin looked at Lucas, and Lucas had looked at Austin.

Really, that was where all the trouble started. They knew each other as wolves, not men, and there was a vast difference between the two, especially for Lucas, who was the opposite of everything he was as a wolf. Humanity weighed on him like a stone, kept him from reaching his full potential.

Nevertheless, they had given it a shot.

Not like it even had a chance of working out, Austin thought bitterly. Some hours had passed while he relived the past in bits and pieces, and he had wound his way around Pensacola to arrive back in more or less the same position as when he’d made the decision to ignore his investigation for the day.

Lucas had dumped him out of the blue several months later, and that had been the end of things. No explanation. Nothing. Just a complete cessation of what had formerly been a relationship. That was rough, but then Austin went on to take part in the police academy. He supposed Lucas went on to do his own things. Days after the breakup had become months, then years.

Now fate had forced them together again. Austin didn’t really see how that was fair, though he was sure he could deal with it. It wasn’t like this situation was going to last forever.

As the end of his patrol neared, Austin returned to the police station. He had a few things to pick up and then he would be able to go home, rest up, have some dinner, and just generally prepare for tomorrow’s continued difficulties.

Speaking of difficulties…

Austin had only just walked into the station when here came the Lieutenant, crossing the lobby toward him, as though she had been waiting for him to walk inside.

She probably had.

The rest of the station looked more or less deserted, though Austin knew that wasn’t true. Somewhere around here was the officer who manned the front desk, accepting visitors and making sure they got what they needed. As there were currently no visitors to speak of, the officer was probably cleaning or doing some other busywork.

Deeper in the building, Austin picked up on the presences of several other cops. Typing up reports, and who knew what else. They were all alone in their various rooms and offices, minding their own business.

Being a cop involved a ton of paperwork. Forms had to be filled out. Reports had to be written up. Not many people knew that. Austin definitely hadn’t. Every time he sat down at one of these dumpy computers they had here, he had a flashback to being in school.

“Lieutenant,” Austin said, greeting her. “You need something?”

Lieutenant Valerie Heart was not a woman to be messed with. She was getting up there in years, but she could destroy many of the younger cops whenever they challenged her to any kind of competition. Even Austin, who had the combined abilities of human and wolf, had to admit she was something else.

“Oh, I’ve just been waiting for you, officer. I’ve heard some interesting things about what you’ve done today, and I just wanted to check in with you. May I see your notes?”

“You’ll see my notes when I get my first report to you,” Austin retaliated. He thought of his blank notebook and felt a little threatened. “I just started investigating today. You don’t expect me to have gotten everything solved already, do you?”

“Of course not. Even for you that’s impossible.” Lieutenant Heart’s tone was bland and neutral, but Austin knew better than to trust what she was saying. She was teasing him.

He didn’t like that.

“However, as I’m sure you must know by now, the first days of investigation are the most important. Once word gets around that this is something the cops are interested in, mouths will start shutting. So, your notebook, please.”

He had no choice. He reached into his pocket and showed her his notebook.

She leafed through it for only a moment before sighing and handing it back over. “We’ve talked about this, Austin. Many times. You need to write things down as soon as possible. If not during the conversation, then immediately afterwards.”

“I can remember it.”

“You can’t,” she said. “Your reports are sloppy and full of variables because you don’t know the proper times in which you’ve done things. We can’t rely on you. As a cop, doesn’t that disappoint you to hear?”

It did, in fact. It was like receiving a jab in the heart with a knife. Quick, sharp pain which came suddenly and lasted for far longer. She was telling him he wasn’t as good as he thought he was, and no one ever felt good after that. Question was, could it be true?

“You should have learned all of this in the Academy. You’re a good cop, but sloppy. Too sloppy. We really can’t afford to keep you around if you’re going to continue to slow us down.”

Another jab in the heart, this one worse than before. “Are you firing me?” he asked, not even daring to believe the words even as they came out of his own mouth. Surely she couldn’t fire him.

Lieutenant Heart leaned in. Her expression was grave. “Not quite. I’m telling you this is your last chance to prove yourself before we send you back to the Academy. So far, you’re off to a very poor start. I suggest you get things into gear before it’s too late.”

She walked away.

He could only stare after her, stunned. They would send him back to the Academy? That was almost worse than being fired! Everyone from that point on would know he was so terrible at his job that he had to go back to cop school.

Wait, he told himself, trying to get ahold of his own rampant disappointment. She hadn’t said he was a bad cop. Just sloppy.

Which meant he did need to get his ass in gear.

Squaring his shoulders, Austin went to fetch his things and then headed out into the world once more. He could do this. He could prove them all wrong, make them glad he was on their side.

As he drove home, he let his mind wander a little agan. He thought of all the things ahead of him, beginning with what he would have for dinner tonight and ending with a daydream of a fierce interrogation where he managed to pull the truth out of a hardened criminal.

Dusk had befallen the city by now, swathing corners and alleys in filmy shadows. He thought of running through the city, breaking into a gallop across the sand so dust sprayed out behind him.

He thought, unbidden, of Lucas.

Then, he saw Lucas on the side of the road, stomping his foot on the concrete sidewalk in a feminine gesture of displeasure. The omega stood beside a slender, beautiful little motorcycle with deep blue trim. The motorcycle was smoking.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Austin saw there was no one behind him. He slowed down sharply, then swerved over to the curb and parked. He turned on his lights, making them shine steadily so anyone coming down this road would see him and know he was there. He didn’t have to do that, but the ass end of his cruiser was still sticking out into the road and he didn’t want to deal with a crash.

Austin stepped out of his cruiser and walked around the front of it to reach Lucas, who was watching him with a mixture of exasperation and exhaustion on his face. “What’s going on?” Austin asked.

Lucas shook his head, then waved his hand at the smoke to keep it from blowing into his face. “It just started acting up. I thought I could keep going, but then it started smoking and I figured that probably wouldn’t be very smart.”

“Yeah, good call.” Austin knew nothing about motorcycles, and considered them as much of a nuisance as the average human cop did. They were dangerous. The drivers were reckless.

On a personal note, he did wonder how someone so nervous could ride one of these things.

“You know what’s wrong with it?” Austin asked.

“No idea,” Lucas sighed. “I guess I’ll have to get it towed, then see if I can get it taken to a shop soon. And then it’s taxis for me until I can get it fixed.”

“Why not a bus?”

“Ew.” Lucas wrinkled his nose.

Austin laughed, surprising both of them. He laughed because Lucas' expression was amusing, but he also had laughed simply because he was confused and delighted by it. Maybe it was just because Lucas was tired and frustrated, with too many things on his mind to worry about, but the omega wasn’t acting as nervously as he had before.

Maybe away from sources of major concern, he felt better. That was a solid theory, and it got Austin’s mind working in the background, turning over various stones and examining the ideas that crawled out.

“I wouldn’t take a bus, either,” Austin said. “Never know who else is going to get on and fuck up your day.”

He looked over at the motorcycle again. It had stopped smoking, and he couldn’t really smell anything burning, couldn’t pick up on anything dangerous about the contraption. That told him there was no fire. Probably what was wrong was some blocked pipe, a belt needed replacing somewhere, or whatever. An easy, inexpensive fix.

“Tell you what,” Austin said. “I’ll call you a tow truck. Then, I‘ll give you a ride home.”

It was hard to tell, given the time of day, but Lucas seemed to fade slightly. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. You’re busy.”

“Actually, I’m headed home myself. I’ve got nothing but time.”

“But you’re driving your cop car?”

“It’s mine to use, since I live in the city. That’s how our program works.” Austin shrugged. It made sense to him that a police officer should be able to have their vehicle for personal use. “Like I said, I’m off for the day. I can take you home.”

Lucas hesitated for a bit longer, but in the end there was really nothing for him to do but accept the offer. As far as cities went, Pensacola was a pretty good one. Even given the crazy events of the past few years, crime rates were still astonishingly low compared to other, larger cities. That being said, given the choice between uncertainty and taking a ride from a police officer, there was really only one right answer.

“Okay,” Lucas agreed.

Austin called for a tow truck, and then he stood nearby while waiting for it to arrive. They didn’t really talk while they waited, which was fine with him. He didn’t know what he would say to his ex, anyway. The tension between them was thick enough to reach out and touch. He could try to dispel it, except he didn’t know if Lucas was in the mood for it.

He just looked up at the sky instead, watching the way night descended over the city like a thick blanket. No stars were visible, so he watched the progress of a lone helicopter gliding across the wide expanse.

After about twenty minutes, the tow truck showed up and did its thing. Austin followed along behind it so they could see where the motorcycle ended up, and then he insisted upon paying the convenience fee. Lucas stammered in the passenger seat, alternating between thanks and protest.

Austin didn’t reply to either sentiment. He felt like this was the right thing to do, and therefore he was going to do it.

Once all of that was over with, Austin started the cruiser up again and pulled out onto the quiet streets. True night had descended by now, arriving with the suddenness it always did near the ocean. “So,” he said. “Tell me where we’re going.”

“Do you know Quartz Boulevard?”

Something about that name rang a bell with Austin, though he couldn’t quite pin down exactly how. “I feel like I should.”

“It’s the same street where I used to live with my dad.”

Though this answer didn’t provide much in the way of directions for him, Austin suddenly realized he did know how to get there. It wasn’t something he could put into words, this feeling that he would know all the right turns when he came to them.

It’s just because I’m a cop. I have a lot of locations memorized.

“Do you still live with your dad?”

“No, I don’t. But I’m still on the same street. There’s an apartment complex to the north, so that’s where I am.”

“Huh.” Austin thought of how eager he had been to get as far away from his parents as possible. It wasn’t because he hated them. Instead, he just really wanted to go off and be on his own. He didn’t want to be held down. He was born to be a lone wolf. “I guess you still spend a lot of time with him.”

“I talk with him at least every couple of days. And we have dinner every Friday, no matter what.”

“No matter what?” Austin repeated. “You don’t mind being tied down?”

Lucas looked over in his direction, his gaze clearly surprised even though Austin could only see him out of the corner of his eye. “It’s not being tied down. It’s spending time with someone I love. Until I joined Shadow Claws, he was the only person I had.”

Austin made a turn that he felt was right. Lacking a protest from his passenger, he knew he really did remember the right way to Quartz Boulevard. The more he thought about it, he realized he could actually picture what the street used to look like. It was a nice area, a neighborhood mostly populated by the upper middle class. All the houses looked more or less the same, and the yards had been big enough, with a plethora of trees and bushes. Some people had even succeeded in growing their own fruit trees in the yard, he recalled, which led to an occasional abundance of produce. People would be giving away lemons and tomatoes and sour oranges by the dozens, trying to find some way to get rid of it all before it spoiled.

The few times he had been there with Lucas, he hadn’t interacted much with the neighbors. That being said, he had seen them going about their day with each other, and they seemed to compose a tight-knit community.

“I forgot that you only had your dad.” Austin paused. There was no answer, and he didn’t expect there to be one. Actually, he was already regretting having said anything at all. He mentally backed up. “Are you saying you love that gang you’re in?”

“We’re not a gang. We’re a club. A pack. It’s different. Although, I guess you wouldn’t understand, would you?”

Austin grinned a little. If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d picked up on a teasing note in Lucas' voice. “Damn right I wouldn’t.”

He glanced over and saw Lucas was staring straight ahead, a faint little smile curled on his lips.

Not much passed between them as they traveled the rest of the way to the street where Lucas lived. Everything was exactly as Austin remembered it, except for the addition of the apartment building. No wonder mention of the building hadn’t jogged his memory, because it was plain to see that this was a very new complex. It looked crisp and clean in a way very few buildings in Pensacola were, not yet stained by salt breeze and constant sunlight.

“Here we are,” Austin said, pulling up in front of the complex. He glanced outside and surveyed the building, trying to get more of an impression of it. It somehow didn’t seem out of place in this well-to-do neighborhood. What he could see of the design reminded him a lot of just a house in general, whereas most constructions of such magnitude—schools and prisons and apartments—had a stark and blocky appearance. They stuck out like a sore thumb.

“You admiring the building?” Lucas spoke softly, almost absentmindedly.

“It really fits with the look of the neighborhood. It looks more like a mansion.”

“It does, doesn’t it? There’s even a pool.” Lucas gave a faint little smile. “Not that it gets much use. But, the people who commissioned my father demanded it.”

“Your father helped build this?”

“My father was the man in charge of the construction. I spent a lot of my time watching what he did.”

Austin suddenly made the connection. “Which you can then use in your work on the garage.”

“Right. But, I guess I won’t be much use to anyone until my bike is back in commission.” Lucas reached out for the door handle, signaling that he was about to end their conversation. Suddenly, he hesitated. His scent turned sharp, and a tremor ran up his spine, culminating in a shiver that had his shoulders tensing. “I don’t suppose you’d want to come inside with me? I could get you some coffee to thank you. You cops like coffee, don’t you?”

Austin considered the proposal. He was on his own for now. He could do anything he wanted to. There was nothing holding him back from going inside to catch up with someone he had once known.

Then again, maybe it was best not to get too involved with someone with whom he might have future dealings.

Having made up his mind, though he felt a brief pang of regret for it, Austin shook his head. “Thanks, but I should get on home myself.”

Lucas nodded. “I understand. Well…Um, thank you very much for your help. It was nice to see you again. To see how you’ve been doing.”

Austin flashed a smile. “Yeah. Might see you again soon. You never know when I’ll pop up again.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for you,” Lucas replied. The words carried a promise Austin liked, in an odd sort of way that went completely against his prior thoughts.

In fact, he might like it a bit too much.

After hesitating for another short while, Lucas pushed the door open. He stepped out, shut the door again, and started walking up to the front door of the building. Halfway there, he hesitated and looked back. His hand lifted up in a halfway sort of wave.

Austin lifted his hand in return, then drove off before he changed his mind and followed Lucas up to his apartment.

Let the past stay in the past. Right?

Why didn’t he believe that the way he had earlier in the day?