Jessie hitched his bike to his truck and climbed behind the wheel, not talking to anyone after the race. He needed to get down to the police station. He watched his family's faces as he drove away. They had all pestered him to find love and he had. This was what he did for love. They couldn't blame him for it now.

He drove down the road and turned onto the highway before making his way into the parking lot of the police station. He hopped out of his truck and made his way into the station, stopping at the desk in the front waiting room.

"Can I help you?" said the officer sitting there.

"I need to speak to Rollo Morris," he said, slamming his fist on the counter.

"Commander Morris is about to go out on an investigation."

"For the murder of Chuck Updike?" Jessie asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say," the officer said.

Just then, Rollo and the rest Bear Patrol walked through the front of the police station.

"Rollo, I need to talk to you," Jessie said.

"This isn’t the time, Jessie," Rollo said.

"I have information about Chuck Updike's murder," Jessie said. "I know it was Brandon Updike. He as much as admitted it at the racetrack today."

"We finally got the search warrant for the mansion. They asked us to leave after we found the murder weapon in Dana's room the last time. This time we intend to leave no stone unturned."

"It's about time," Jessie growled.

"I have to do things by the book, Jessie. It’s the only way I can keep this job. If I made exceptions for everyone's mate, this place would have no laws."

The rest of the Bear Patrol snickered as they passed Jessie. All of them wore their slick blue uniforms as he stood there, dirty and sweaty in his yellow racing gear. He growled, wishing he could go with them and bring down the Updikes once and for all.

"I heard his men talking. They think it was him too."

"We are on the case," Rollo said, cupping Jessie's shoulder with his hand. "Go celebrate with your family. If you're lucky, Dana will be out by morning."

Jessie's eyes went wide and then he grimaced. "She better be," he growled.

The Bear Patrol left the station and Jessie followed them outside. They got in their patrol cars and left. He stood beside his truck, not knowing what to do. He wouldn't put it past Rollo to arrest him if he went to the mansion right now. As much as he wanted to tag along, he was going to stay away and let the cops do their job. They’d better do it right this time.

On his way to the brewery to meet up with his family, he saw Brandon Updike riding away on his bike and into the forest. Jessie growled, knowing that Brandon was escaping justice. He parked in the brewery parking lot and rode his bike down the ramp, speeding after Brandon into the night. He wasn't going to let the hyena get away.

Jessie hurtled down the gravel road. He could spot the hyena shifter ahead, just before turning around a bend in the road. Jessie gave chase, speeding into the turn to catch up. He knew Brandon was at fault, both for Chuck's death, and for framing Dana. Brandon's words during the meet sank in his gut and everything became clear.

He wasn't holding back anymore. He intended to clear his mate's name if it was the last thing he ever did. Dana had spent years protecting a pack who didn't deserve protecting. Jessie was going to protect her now, like someone should have a long time ago.

Brandon charged up the hill and Jessie followed. On the other side of the rise, Brandon was nowhere to be seen. Jessie slowed, looking from left to right and back again. He sniffed the air, trying to make out Brandon's location by his scent. The smell of exhaust and pine filled his nostrils. He couldn't make out the distinct sharp scent of hyena shifter through the other smells.

He slowed to a crawl, finally making out the pungent smell of hyena. Before he could react, a thick branch cracked against the back of his head. He fell off his bike and it sped up the road and crashed into a ditch. Jessie scrambled to his feet, his palms bloodied and his head aching.

He faced Brandon Updike, gritting his teeth as he stared the hyena shifter in the eyes. Jessie had trained in hand-to-hand combat in the military. He knew he could take a coward like Brandon in two seconds flat in human or shifted form.

"Why don't you just turn yourself in, Brandon?" Jessie barked.

"Turn myself in for what?" he asked, playing dumb. "It's you that's following me."

"That's not a crime. Not like murdering your brother and then framing an innocent girl for it."

"I've no idea what you’re talking about."

"Don’t play dumb. You admitted it during the race. You took out your brother. But what I don't understand is how you got Dana's fingerprints on the murder weapon. It was clever of you to let Rollo into your home just long enough to search Dana's room before kicking him out. Now she's in jail for a crime you committed. You are going to pay for that. But first you’ll pay for biting her and keeping her hostage."

"Who's going to make me pay? You? The Kincaids have been a nuisance to the Updikes for generations. But you've never been more than a mosquito buzzing in our ears. You can easily be slapped and crushed to death before you ever get a chance to bite."

"You want to try me," Jessie asked, the light of his shifter shining through his eyes.

His grizzly teeth descended in his jaw and his claws grew from his fingertips. Brandon's own shifter shone from behind his eyes as the hyena began to tear through his skin. He shifted before Jessie, ripping from his clothes. He lunged at Jessie, snapping his salivating mouth. Jessie growled and burst into his grizzly form, coming down like a wall to meet Brandon's attack. The hyena smacked into Jessie's shoulder, its teeth barely able to break the skin. Jessie slapped him off with his massive paw, sending the much smaller animal rolling into the forest.

Jessie followed him slowly, grunting and sniffing the air. He stood over the hyena shifter and placed his paw on Brandon's chest, slowly increasing the pressure. The hyena snapped at him, trying to bite and thrashing to break free. Jessie pressed harder until he heard the subtle crack of bones.

Brandon shifted with a scream, naked and bloodied under Jessie's paw.

"Okay, okay," Brandon screamed. "I did it. I admit it. I killed my brother and framed Dana for it. Let me go!"

Jessie unfurled his shift into his human form and grabbed his cellphone from a compartment in his motorcycle.

"Say that again," he said, pressing a recording app on his phone.

"Say what?" Brandon said.

Jessie growled at him, showing him his teeth.

"Fine. I did it. I killed Chuck and framed Dana."

"Say your name," Jessie told him.

"This is Brandon Updike and I killed my brother."

Jessie pressed stop and then quickly sent the file to Rollo.

"That's all I needed," Jessie said, turning his back and walking to his bike. He pulled the motorcycle out of the ditch and climbed on, giving one last look over his shoulder to Brandon who was still bloodied and lying in the ditch.

"This isn't over," Brandon said to Jessie's back as he rode away.

"Oh, yes, it is," Jessie said under his breath, feeling the wind blow over his naked body as he rode down the dirt trail.