Chapter Eight

West was exhausted, it had been one hell of a day. After he’d left Rook he’d gone back to the office to check in and write up a summary of what happened with Cassie. He’d quickly written up his report and checked up on the night shifter staff, read some reports they’d filed, and come home. Now it was just after midnight and he was wide awake as he sat on his back porch and gazed distractedly into the night sky. The crescent moon cast a soft glow of his back yard. He popped the cap on his beer and settled back into his chair with his feet up and smiled. He could hear howls and barks of the wolves in the distance and couldn't help but wonder if it was the pack out on a run. West closed his eyes and absorbed the night breeze and the quiet chirps of the crickets and other creatures. Time passed slowly as he dozed, sipped from his bottle, and relaxed.

The thump of his bottle hitting the deck startled West awake as he sat up and frowned at the quiet. The night was still, no breeze, no crickets, something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut.

“It’s me,” Rook called from the darkened woods a few dozen feet away.

“Rook?” West asked in confusion as he climbed to his feet. “What’s going on?”

“You need to come with me. We found another…. body.”

“You found another body? When? Where?” West said as he rushed down the few steps and headed toward Rook’s voice.

“I’ll explain when we get there. Just grab your stuff and let’s go,” Rook said in a rush.

“All right, come in and I’ll get my gear. Did you call this in?”

“No, I don’t have a phone. None of us do. We were out for a run and found… the body.”

West nodded as he headed back up the stairs and then stopped when he realized Rook wasn’t following. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked in confusion.

Rook groaned. “I’m naked. I was running, no clothes you know. I can lead you to the body if you want to follow in your car.”

West bit his lip, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Rook was naked, only a few feet away. Did the gods hate him?

“Ride in the car with me. Human or wolf. I’m assuming you can figure out how to direct me somehow.”

“I’ll tell you the basic directions before I shift back and then when we get there and need to go by foot you can follow behind me.”

Before West could respond he heard the soft click of nails on the wooden steps behind him. He turned and glanced down at the beautiful wolf standing there.

“Wow, you are gorgeous. Can I touch you?” West asked hesitantly as he stretched out his hand and waited.

He laughed in delight when Rook moved forward and leaned up so West’s hand brushed down his head and neck. “This is so incredible,” he whispered in awe. “Your fur is soft and thick,” he said absently as he combed his fingers through Rook’s black and white fur. “Damn, and I thought you were beautiful as a man, but your wolf is just as stunning.”

The wolf chuffed in laughter.

West dipped his head in embarrassment. “Didn’t mean to say that out loud.” He straightened back up and shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry, this is a bit new to me. Come on while I get my stuff and we can head out and see what you found.”

This is so weird, he thought, as he pulled the door open and let Rook inside. He glanced around the spartan space and realized for the first time how little he’d brought with him to decorate his house.

“Let me get my gun and wallet. They’re in my room,” West said as he moved down the hallway and into his room. He quickly grabbed his things and turned to leave when he saw Rook sprawled on his bed with what he would swear was a grin, one paw over West’s bottle of lube.

“Well, I can say I never thought I’d see you in my bed, especially not as a wolf. But if you’d please move your paw so I can remove that bottle, I’d really appreciate it. Save myself what small semblance of pride I have left.”

He’d swear Rook was laughing at him as the big wolf let out a throaty sound that he couldn’t quite figure out, but West could tell Rook was enjoying catching that bottle out. The damn wolf grabbed it in his jaws and shook his head.

“Give me the bottle, Scooby, and no one gets hurt, especially what little dignity I no longer possess.”

West froze as Rook growled and bared his teeth at him. Interesting, the fur ball didn’t like the nickname Scooby. “Well, what can I say, Scooby, would eat almost anything, and there you are sitting with a bottle of lube in your mouth on my bed. Kinky bastard, aren’t you?”

The wolf growled again before he dropped the bottle and stalked closer to West.

“Not sure that’s gonna help. I can’t get the image out of my head now. The big sexy wolf holding a bottle of lube in between his big teeth.”

West laughed as Rook hopped off the bed and moved out of the bedroom. He couldn’t talk, but he sure got his point across well enough, West thought as he followed the wolf. “Ready to go, Scoobs?” If looks could kill, he’d be gutted and stabbed, resuscitated and killed again.

They quickly climbed in the car and West scratched his chin in puzzlement. “Ah, Scoobs, you forgot to give me directions before you shifted. I don’t know where to go now.” He’d barely finished saying the words when the sound of pops, cracks and grunts filled the car. West’s jaw popped open as he stared at the very naked and tempting Rook sitting beside him.

“Problem solved,” Rook said with a smirk. “Body was found a few miles north of where we found Celia this morning. Head that way and I’ll direct as we go.”

West stared flabbergasted as the man sat calmly beside him in all his naked glory. In clothes the man had been perfection, now he was a god. All sculpted muscles, tan skin and just enough hair on his chest to make West whimper in delight. He didn’t dare let his eyes drop any lower, he was already struggling to maintain his composure.

“Would it help if I told you I’m just as attracted to you? The area you are trying so hard to not look at is standing at attention for you already.”

West groaned and closed his eyes as his hand tightened to white knuckled grips on the steering wheel. “Don’t say shit like that. Dead body, we have to go see a dead body.”

“It’s true. I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. But you’re right, now is not the time. By the way I think you’re sexy as fuck too. Remind me later to tell you the fantasies I was having earlier, about you in your uniform.”

“Shift back now.” West growled in frustrated need. “You say shit like that and expect me to drive. Hell, I bet your pack is going to take one look at me and know how hard I am for you, aren’t they?”

“Babe, they’ve known. They could smell the lust, desire and need that radiated off us every time we got within two feet of each other.”

“Seriously? Fine, whatever. That doesn’t mean I have to walk in front of them with a staff in my pants.”

“Fine, but we will be revisiting that lube and your comments earlier,” Rook said right before he shifted back to the wolf.

“Can this day get any weirder?” West grumbled as he started the car and began the drive. Within a few minutes, Rook had laid down on the seat and put his head in West’s lap. “This is kind of awkward. Can I… pet you… I mean … uh.”  West let out a small laugh. “If you don’t like it just move your head or something and I’ll stop.”

With a tentative swipe, he ran his hand down Rook’s head and along his neck to his back. Rook didn’t move, so West repeated the motion. He couldn’t get over how soft the fur was and thick. He used his fingers to scour the skin below and was rewarded with a sigh that he took for a good sign.

The rest of the drive passed in a blur as West focused most of his attention on the wolf in his lap. Never in a million years had he expected to have this happen. A sexy man in his lap, hell yeah, he’d dreamed of that, but a sexy wolf, not so much.