Chapter One

If he didn’t know better he’d swear she was sleeping. She looked peaceful and innocent. Until you took into account her blueish skin. He sniffed the air and frowned, no smell. How did a body not have any smell to it at all?

“I called the Sheriff’s office. They’re sending someone right out.”

Rook nodded his head in acknowledgment to the young wolf. “Go tell Barbara what’s happened. She’ll know what to do and take care of spreading the word to those that need to know.”

“Yes, sir. I brought you some clothes as you requested, I’ll leave them here for you.” The young wolf answered before shifting and sprinting off into the woods from where they’d come.

He knew it wouldn’t take long for the sheriff’s office to show up. Blue Creek was a tight knit community, and something like this was big news. Rook looked the body over one more time, before stepping back carefully. He didn’t want to destroy any evidence that might still be there.

He’d just finished dressing when he heard the soft footsteps of someone approaching.

“Hello?” A strong masculine voice called out, “I was told someone was here waiting.”

“I’m here.” Rook responded as he buttoned his jeans and stepped out of the shadows of the overhanging tree.

“And you are?” The voice asked with authority ringing in every word.

Rook smiled softly. “The guy you’re looking for.”

“Excuse me?”

“Name’s Tucker Jameson, but most everyone calls me Rook. You’re new around here, aren’t you?”

“I’m the new Sheriff. Are you the one who found the body?”

“You smell amazing and yes I did.”

The sheriff cocked one eyebrow and smirked slightly. “Excuse me? Did you just say I smelled good?”

“Amazing, but yeah.”

“I’m standing ten feet away from a dead body and on the opposite side as you. How can you possibly know what I smell like?”

Rook laughed. “Never been round shifters I take it.”

“No, I haven’t.” The sheriff shrugged. “What can you tell me?”

“About the body, not much. I was out for a run and came across her body. Odd thing is there’s no smell at all. I can’t even find a trace of how she got here.”

The sheriff squinted at Rook as if he was trying to put puzzle pieces together. “Did you mess up my crime scene?”

“Nope. I walked up to her there.” Rook pointed to the trodden grass beside the body. “You can see my path. I was careful not to touch her or anything. When I moved back I went back exactly as I’d come.”

“So, you didn’t touch her?”

“That’s what I just said. Are you sure you’re the Sheriff?”

The man’s lips twitched as if he was trying not to laugh. “Yeah, got the badge to prove it. So, if you didn’t touch her, how did you verify she was dead?”

“I’m being punked, aren’t I? The real sheriff’s hiding in the woods laughing at me, isn’t he?”

“No, just answer the questions. I need to make sure I have all the facts straight for my report,” The sheriff responded with a tinge of anger entering his words.

“She has no smell, she isn’t breathing and her skin is blue. I’m no doctor, but that’s not normal for humans. Hell, that’s not normal for shifters either.”

The sheriff chewed his lip and studied Rook before nodding. “I called in a crime scene unit and the coroner’s office. It may take them a few to get here. Until then you mind stepping back with me a few yards so I can take down your statement and ask questions without having to do it over the deceased.”

Rook shrugged, back tracked into the woods and met up with the sheriff. “There’s no trace of where the killer entered to drop the body.”

“Yes, you said that before. Care to explain?”

“We have heightened senses, I could track you in and out of this place even if you’d come days ago. Whoever dropped that body didn’t leave a scent trail at all, and this body wasn’t here two days ago, when I ran through this area.”

“Do you recognize the victim?”

“No, don’t recall seeing her before.”

“Come this way often?”

“You know,” Rook said with a cocky grin. “That’s a shitty pick up line.” Rook waited but the sheriff didn’t reply. Well it was worth a shot he thought silently, before adding, “I like to run the borders a couple times a week. We’ve been known to have issues with some of the town kids coming out here.”

“Why is that an issue?”

“We’re shifters, we run, hunt and do other things in these woods as man and animal. When we shift from human to animal and vice versa, our clothes don’t magically appear and disappear.”

“Point taken,” the sheriff said with a chuckle. “Did you see anything suspicious today or notice anything the last time you were here?”

“Nothing at all.”

“You said your name was Tucker Jameson, right? If I need to ask you more questions, where can I find you?”

“I’m almost always around. Most nights you can find me at one of the Wolfe Clubs around town.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m renting the garage apartment from Old Man Summers.”

“That’s your address?”

Rook laughed. “You really haven’t been in town long have you?”

The sheriff didn’t respond, just waited with a look of exasperation on his handsome face.

“Everyone around here knows him. The man’s crazy as a loon, but sweet. I’m just off main street. Ask around you’ll find me.”

“Would it kill you to give me the address? You know I could consider this obstruction of justice and haul you in.”

“Or you could just take it as flirting and let it go for now,” Rook said with a wink. “By the way your people are approaching and loudly at that.”

“Fine, go. Just don’t leave town.”

“Why would I do that? My pack needs me, and suddenly I’ve found even more reason to stick around.” Rook waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll see you around, sheriff. Maybe next time you’ll give me your name.”

The sheriff frowned but didn’t comment. Rook smiled and stepped away before turning and melting into the woods. It was time for a bit of investigating on his own. Blue Creek had good people, but he wasn’t sure their crime scene people or the sheriff were ready for murder.

First things first, he needed some answers, the most important being what was his mate’s name? He was gorgeous, smelled like chocolate, pine and everything Rook had ever loved. When he’d first seen the sheriff he’d almost cursed. He was fine as fuck. A couple inches taller than Rook’s own six feet, the man was lean with muscle definition and hair as dark as a raven’s feathers. Rook stopped in shock, what was wrong with him. Sure, he’d found his mate, one look in those pale green eyes and he’d been a goner, but never had he waxed poetic over a guy before. Then again, he’d never met his mate before either.

Now, he needed to know more about the new sheriff, then he’d find out who the woman was and why she’d been discarded like yesterday’s trash on pack land.