James turned the TV off when he woke hours later. They were showing an infomercial about a blender. Jess was still curled into his side, and she looked so right next to him. His intention was to leave quietly when the show ended earlier, but he’d passed out as well. He checked his watch, and seeing it was nearly four, he eased his body out from under hers. He covered her with the navy-blue throw from the back of the couch. James surrounded her with the throw pillows, then went to use her bathroom. He checked on her once more, then left her a note on one of the napkins from the restaurant.

I’d love to see you again tonight. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Dinner and a movie? My shift ends at seven. If you have other plans or don’t want to go out, call me. –James

He jotted his cell number under his name. He checked on her again and kissed her cheek, then slipped out, locking her front door on the way. He headed home to shower.

***

Jess heard the door click shut and sat straight up. She looked around and, not seeing James, she got up to look out her kitchen window. His car was making a left onto the parkway. “Damn,” she hissed. “I fell asleep.” She glanced at the clock and was surprised by the time. Then she saw his note and smiled. He wanted to see her again! This time she wouldn’t smell like Salisbury steak or like work. This time she planned to be powdered and pretty. Jess went to her closet to choose her outfit, then climbed into her bed because it was an ungodly hour to be awake. She couldn’t sleep, though. A smile kept working its way across her face when she thought of him. She pulled her journal from her bedside table and wrote everything that had happened over the past few days. Jess was thrilled that she finally had something to say that was important and thrilling. She fell asleep with the pen in her hand after filling twenty pages with the excitement of the past few days. She also noted that the lovely Mrs. Jacobson passed away and how much she would miss her girlish giggle and twinkling brown eyes.

***

“Hey, Cap!” Leland called across the floor full of desks and busy officers. Leland was James’s partner.

“Not yet.” James grinned at him and sat down at his desk. He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his tilting desk chair. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“What’s up? Did you bang her?” Leland asked, grinning back at his partner and Alpha.

James’s eyes flashed and he snarled.

“Sorry. I didn’t think that it was that serious yet. My apologies, I meant no disrespect, really.” Leland dropped his head. “I’m just jealous. Sorry,” he mumbled once more for good measure.

“Forgiven. I took a pizza and a bottle of wine over. We ate, talked, kissed, and then fell asleep on the couch. I’m feeling that destined mate thing stronger than ever. I never believed in that crap that my dad went on and on about, but I think he had it exactly right.” James leaned back again and resumed his relaxed posture. “This girl is amazing. She’s so perfect, so well mannered, demure, and has just enough fire in her to keep it interesting. She surprises me every time I turn around. It’s unexpected to find a girl like her now. Women are independent and strong, but this one seems like she may let me take care of her. It’s what I need.”

“I know, Cap,” Leland agreed.

“Not yet.” James grinned again and studied the ceiling.

“I thought she dumped you, though.” Leland sipped his coffee and made a face. The stuff was probably already cold.

“Misunderstanding, and it’s all cleared up. She saw my eyes and she heard me growl.” James smirked at him.

“For real? How do you know? Did she say?”

James nodded and leveled his gaze at Leland. “She asked about it, but she wasn’t afraid.”

“Tread lightly, man. She may not seem afraid, but when you use the ‘W’ word, I don’t know, it freaks humans out. I won’t ever date a human again.”

“Yeah, I feel you. Stick with she-wolves. I have to know, though. This girl is my other half. I feel it. I’m thinking in terms of forever.”

Leland chuckled. “Well, that’s another story then. Congratulations. What’s her name?” he teased.

“You know her name is Jessica, and I’m going to see her again tonight. We’re going to a movie. I left her sleeping on the couch, but I left a note, and unless she calls to cancel, this day will last too long.”

Leland chuckled again and answered his radio when the dispatcher called his unit number. “We’re up. We have an all call on Eustace Street. Some idiot is robbing the bank.” Leland was checking his weapon then pulling on his vest. James was mirroring his movements. They ran out of the office with twenty other officers, leaving the squad room empty.

The screaming police car screeched to a stop with a dozen others. Rubber was thick in the air when James got out of the passenger side. It assaulted his wolf’s nose with its thick, heavy, pungent scent. Leland always did the driving so James could work the computer. The only time that James drove was when Leland was off shift like the day before. Thank God Leland was off shift or he would’ve missed the best traffic stop of all time and James would still be smarting from the misunderstanding with Jess. He smiled thinking of her, so lovely while she slept on the couch. One day very soon, they would wake up in a bed.

“Eye on the ball, sir,” Leland called across the roof of the car, refocusing James.

“Where do we stand?” James asked the sergeant already handling the scene.

“Two gunmen inside are holding a dozen more hostage. What do you want to do, Cap?” The sergeant gave the signal to wait.

“Not yet. I want two on the roof and I want to get a conversation going.”

The sergeant nodded his graying head and spoke into his radio.

James moved around the car, trying to get closer to see inside the huge windows that curtains weren’t covering yet. As soon as the perpetrators figured out it was advantageous to hide, the curtains would close. They weren’t professionals, or the curtains would already be closed. Leland worked his way closer to the building, and James tried to call him back. Leland either didn’t hear or was ignoring orders, most likely the second. James saw the rifle muzzle flash inside of the bank and knew its sight was on Leland. The bullet would hit him in the head or neck. Even with their quick healing abilities, Leland would not survive that injury. James jumped over the car and threw himself between Leland and the bullet. It caught him in the shoulder, out of reach of the vest. James hit the side of another squad car with a sharp thud and rendered himself unconscious.

***

Jess flat-ironed her curly hair into a beautiful, straight, and glowing masterpiece, then smiled at her reflection. Her make-up was perfect, her hair was shampoo-commercial lovely, and her outfit was an absolute complement to her figure. Her eyes were bright and happy as she checked just once more because he should be here any second. She hurried around the apartment, straightening and wiping. Everything was ready, and she did not smell like Salisbury steak. No matter what he’d said, she did not think that she’d smelled good. He was only being nice.

Jess checked the clock and decided that he should be here by now. She checked her cell phone and there were no messages or texts. Jess went back to the bathroom and checked her reflection again. Where was he anyway? His note said that he would be here right after his shift, and it ended over an hour ago. Even if he wanted to shower and change, he was still late. Maybe he’d changed his mind because she’d fallen asleep like a child. No, that wasn’t the problem, she decided, because she was asleep when he wrote the note. She re-read the note for the hundredth time today.

Jess began to pace from the window to the TV and back, looking out the window at the parking lot at every turn. She made a cup of instant coffee and paced some more. After two hours of non-productive pacing, Jess went to the bedroom and kicked her black heels into the closet with two loud violent clunks. She slam-dunked her blouse into the laundry basket, and her pants followed.

Jess pulled her sweats out of the dresser drawer and shoved her feet and arms into them. She went to the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal for dinner. “Men suck,” she hissed into the bowl. Her cell rang then, and his number flashed across the screen. “No,” she said to the phone. It immediately rang again when she let it go to voicemail. Jess picked it up and bit her lip before saying, “What?” There would be no politeness for him tonight.

“Is this Jessica?” It wasn’t James, but it was his phone number. Jessica programmed it into her phone as soon as she’d read his note. Was he having a friend call for him? Dog. “Hello?”

“Yes, this is Jessica.” She stared out the kitchen window at the dark parking lot. An elderly man was walking a little white dog that lifted its leg on a light pole.

“My name is Corporal Leland Farkas. I am James Crenshaw’s partner. I wanted to let you know that he is in stable condition. They removed the bullet without any problems, but they still have him sedated. The nurse said that you could visit tomorrow morning and that visiting hours are from eight to ten.”

“I don’t understand,” Jessica whispered as she sat down hard on the kitchen chair that he’d occupied the night before.

“James was shot today in a bank robbery, ma’am. He saved my life. You should be proud of him. I thought someone called to let you know.”

“No, they didn’t, but thank you for calling. I’m glad that you’re okay.” Jessica’s voice was not her own. A small part of her brain was on autopilot, moving her mouth, while the rest of it was screaming in terror. She pushed end and dropped the phone to the table. James was shot in a robbery. She was going to lose him just like Teddy and Lisa. A gun would take him away from her and she would end up alone. Again. Jess went to bed, leaving the cereal and milk on the table. She tried not to think about it, but her dreams haunted her. He kept getting shot over and over again. Each time it was a bigger hole in his chest, until the dreams woke her up with a scream.

***

“Did you call my girl? Did you let her know why I stood her up?” James asked as soon as his eyes opened. His throat was cotton dry and raspy.

“Yeah, Cap, I told her. I told her that she could come see you in the morning.” Leland looked doubtful.

“Not yet.” James struggled to talk. The drugs they’d used were strong. Usually he would’ve bounced right out of bed, but the doc was wolf and understood their unique abilities. “She won’t come. Go get her.”

“She’ll come, Cap. I think that she really likes you.”

James knew he was trying to sound positive, but he failed miserably.

“Nah, I think she hates guns more than she likes me. She doesn’t love me yet, so go get her. Haul her down here and let me explain it to her.” James cringed at the heaviness in his body. Nothing wanted to work.

“You need to rest. I’ll bring her back first thing if you’ll go to sleep.”

James nodded.

“Goodnight, Cap.”

“Not yet.” James mumbled before drifting off. Leland pulled the curtain around the bed and turned the lights off before leaving.

***

Leland nodded to the officer stationed outside of the door. This was a very long day. James was right this morning. During the robbery, a second lieutenant, James, and three other officers were injured. It was sloppy and took too long. The gunmen were in jail, all of the hostages were safe, and everyone was alive. Leland was tired, but there was still paperwork to do, so the day was only getting longer. He scrubbed a hand down the stubble that covered his face and got into the elevator.

Who was he kidding, he was about to drop. That’s why James was getting Captain and Leland would stay right where he was. That was also why James was the Alpha. It was because he was a stronger wolf. It was why he had the option of choosing the female Jessica for his own. Originally, there were five wolves hunting and tracking her, four of them cops and one a mechanic.

The mechanic David took her out, but James blocked him from ever calling her again. It was his right as Alpha to claim a female. David bowed out gracefully, unlike Alex, who James had to force into submission. At least there was no bloodshed. James was new in the area, and Alex didn’t trust him yet. Now the pack, small as it was, had one order—to watch over the Alpha’s mate, protect her, and discourage any male attention that didn’t come from James.

Leland drove home and collapsed on the couch. He set his watch to wake him at six. That would give him time to shower, eat, pick her up, and convince her to see James.

***

James woke to a dim hospital room with a nurse sticking a needle in his arm. “Sorry to wake you. I hoped to sneak in and steal just a tube.” She smiled.

“Why are you drawing blood? Did the doctor order this?” James scented deception on her. “Get out of here.” He pulled the syringe from his forearm before she had a chance to “steal” a single drop. The nurse hurried out, frightened by the snarl on his lips. He didn’t know what her game was, maybe she knew what they were and wanted to prove it. All he knew was that he scented deception and she wasn’t getting his blood.

“Sir, is everything okay?” the officer standing guard outside his room asked when he came in. He was a rookie named Pete and was not wolf.

“Just fine, Pete, I’m just not feeling like getting poked right now,” James grunted.

“Yes, sir.” Pete stepped back out of the room and closed the door behind him. James sat up and huffed out a breath. It was nearly nine and she wasn’t here yet. He picked up his phone and called Leland.

“Yeah, boss,” came the reply when Leland answered.

“Where are you? Where is my girl?”

Leland sighed. “She’s right here and quite contrary.”

James’s hackles went up. Jess was not contrary and didn’t make trouble, but if Leland was having problems, then something was wrong.

“Put her on.” James stood up beside the bed and began looking for his clothes. He’d had enough of this room, and he missed her.

“My pleasure. Maybe you will have more luck than I have had so far.”

“Hello,” Jessica murmured. She sounded exasperated and tired. He needed to soothe her, and if he couldn’t do it over the phone, he would go there.

“Ask Leland to step outside.” He heard her tell Leland to step outside and then heard her door close. “I thought you would come and see me, Jess.” James located his clothes in a closet across the room. The bed next to him was empty, so walking around in is hospital gown wasn’t as embarrassing as it could’ve been. Not that he minded, but not everyone enjoyed a naked backside. The linoleum was chilly under his bare feet, but he ignored it. Nothing was more important than this call.

“I…I didn’t want to say to you what I have to say while you were in there.”

James growled.

“But since your thug is insisting, I guess I have to say it. I don’t want to see you anymore James. I…I’m breaking up with you. I wanted to wish you the best and thank you for the time that we had together. I did enjoy myself, but I can’t date someone who is going to end up on the wrong end of a gun. I can’t lose anyone else,” she finished on a whisper.

“Jessica, I could be an accountant and be shot buying my morning coffee.”

“You could be, but as a police officer your chances of getting shot are certainly higher than if you were an accountant. I can’t do it, James. You know how I feel about them. I am going to give Leland his phone back and send him on his way now. Goodbye, James.” She sniffled just before she hit end. She didn’t want to do this, he thought. She’d fallen for him, but she was frightened. He would fix it. He would fix anything to be with her.

Jess held the phone out through the small opening that she’d made in the doorway. “I don’t need a ride, but thank you for the offer Leland. You can go.” Jess drew on her recently acquired backbone and shut the door. She leaned against it and slid down to the floor. She listened to his feet on the stairs down the hall waiting until he was gone before she cried. Jess buried her face in her hands and wept. She could’ve loved him, could’ve spent her life with him, and could’ve made babies with him. And she could’ve raised those babies alone because he was shot chasing a bad guy. No. She and her babies would not be left alone, but she’d hoped those babies would have his dimples and big dark blue eyes. Was it selfish to leave him this way, to desert him while he was hurt and in the hospital? Maybe. Was it selfish of him to desert her and the children because of a job? Maybe more than what she’d done. She could’ve asked him to quit, but she was sure that would be the most selfish. She could never ask that. He seemed to love his job.