After making a few stops on his way home from work, Bryce pulled into his driveway and stared at the file folder on the passenger seat. He’d run the scumbag’s information, and Eric had a Mississippi driver’s license, with a home address in Biloxi.

A quick search of the database had revealed another address in Pearl River and a criminal record. Mostly assaults, bar fights, evading arrest. The guy obviously had a temper. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any outstanding warrants. Nothing to guarantee a lengthy stay behind bars, so he could get out on bail.

He might get six months for assaulting a police officer, but if Bryce could get Alexis to admit Eric hurt her—if she would testify—then he could lock the son of a bitch away for a nice long time. But she was protecting him, and something in his gut told him the reason ran deeper than thinking she deserved whatever he gave her.

A glance in the rearview mirror revealed a small, yellow bruise beneath his eye. No swelling. No blood. He looked again. Maybe Eric hadn’t hit him that hard after all.

He climbed out of his car and shuffled up the walkway to the first-floor apartment. Karen opened the door as he approached. Her smile didn’t mask the worry in her eyes.

“How is he?” Bryce asked. “I stopped by the hospital, but they said he’d been released.”

“He’s in the living room. Come on in.”

He wiped his feet and stepped through the door. The floorplan matched his own upstairs: kitchen and dining area straight ahead, living room and hallway to the right. A bathroom and two bedrooms lay down the hall, though Bryce used his second bedroom as an office.

Michael sat on the pale-blue sofa, his gaze glued to the television. His skin still held an ashen tinge, but the puffiness encircling his eyes had eased.

“How ya feeling, buddy?” Bryce sat on the couch and put a hand on his shoulder as Karen turned off the TV.

Michael stared into his lap. “Better.”

“Hey, look at me.” He waited for the kid to return his gaze. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all go through rough patches.”

Michael nodded, tears brimming in his eyes.

“The important thing is that you’re alive. You’re home with your mom. She loves you. Sam loves you. Hell, even I love you, kid. We’re all glad to have you back.” He wrapped his arms around him as Michael sobbed on his shoulder, and his heart wrenched. This was why Bryce did what he did. Everything he’d worked for from the day he graduated high school led him to this moment. Saving lives was all he’d ever wanted to do.

“Thank you, Sergeant Samuels.” Michael wiped the tears from his cheeks. “I don’t know if I said that before.”

“I’m sure you did. So, what’s the plan now?”

“He’ll be seeing a therapist twice a week,” Karen said. “And he’s supposed to get back to his ‘normal’ routine as soon as possible.” She made air quotes with her fingers. “Though I don’t think going back to school right away is a good idea.”

Michael fiddled with his hands in his lap. “It’s almost winter break anyway. I can go back in January.”

“When does therapy start? Not in January…?”

Karen sank into a chair. “His first appointment is tomorrow.”

“That’s good.” He closed his eyes for a long, relieved blink and nodded. “And when you do go back to school, you won’t have to worry about April Cunningham. She’ll be spending the rest of the year at an alternative campus.”

Michael’s eyes widened. “Because of me?”

“You aren’t the only one she’s bullied. More kids are stepping forward with their own stories of harassment, and lucky for us, your school has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bullies.”

His posture relaxed. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll start walking Sam again tomorrow.”

Bryce smiled. “He’ll be happy to hear it.” He rose to his feet. “If there’s anything you two need, I’ll be right upstairs. Just give me a holler.”

Karen walked him to the door. “How’s your mother doing?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. Karen and Michael had been his neighbors for five years. They knew his mom when she was functioning. His dad when he was alive. “Oh, you know. Same ol’ same ol’. Sometimes she knows who I am. Sometimes she doesn’t. She’s progressively getting worse.”

“I’m so sorry. I know she’s all the family you have left, and I…” She shook her head.

And when she was gone, he’d have no one. But choosing to take on this tough cop persona and not letting anyone know the real him had been his decision. He may have been living a lie, but at least he could help people this way. A familiar ache tightened his chest. “She’s seventy-five, and it runs in the family. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

She pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you. I can’t say that enough. Michael is my life. How can I ever repay you?”

“You being here for him is payment enough. I’m pretty fond of that kid.” He patted her back, and she released her hold. “That’s a pretty Christmas tree.” He nodded to the sparkling fir standing in the corner.

“Thank you. Michael helped me decorate it last week. I can’t…” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. “I can’t imagine what Christmas would have been like if he…”

“You don’t have to imagine it. He’s sitting right there. Go be with your son. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Bryce.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am.” He stepped through the door and trudged around the building to the stairs. Christmas was a joyous time for people who had a family to share it with. He’d visit his mom on Christmas day, like he visited her every week. If he was lucky, she’d remember his name. Other than that, he’d be spending his holidays alone with his dog, like he had the past three years.

Sam greeted him at the door, doing his famous full-body wag. The tension melted from Bryce’s shoulders, and he stooped to pet his dog. The house already felt too quiet. Like a piece of it was missing. Sam looked expectantly at the front door and whined when no one else stepped through.

“She’s not here, buddy. I’m sorry.”

The dog sat and tilted his head.

Bryce scratched him behind the ears. “You like her, don’t you?”

Sam let out a soft woof and continued looking at the door.

Bryce sighed. “I do too.”

He plopped onto the couch and ran a hand over his face. Where could she have gone? Temptation to call Macey had him reaching for his phone, but he thought better of it. Alexis had been adamant that she not know she was in any kind of trouble. She wouldn’t run to her sister now.

Hopefully she found somewhere warm to spend the night. He shuddered at the thought of her huddled in her car somewhere in the cold. The temperature wouldn’t drop below freezing tonight, but it wouldn’t be pleasant either. Would she go back to that scumbag’s house? Bile lurched into his throat. Surely, she wouldn’t. Even with the bastard spending the night in jail, the image of her taking refuge under his roof had Bryce reaching for his car keys.

He had Eric’s address, but what would he do if he found her there? She was a grown woman, and if she didn’t want his help, he wouldn’t force it on her.

Instead, he closed his eyes, and the image of her leaning toward him filled his mind. He could still taste her lips on his, the soft, velvety feel of her skin lingering in his memory like a warm summer day. She wore his jacket. She’d smelled like his shampoo. He had no claim on her, but the idea she had something of his with her—wherever she was—made him smile. Hopefully it would make her smile too.

Alexis pulled into the parking lot at the Barataria Nature Preserve and dialed David Anderson’s number. She hadn’t spoken to Eric’s father in months, and her stomach turned as it rang once, twice…three times. Would her call be a welcome one?

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Alexis?” His powerful voice held a hint of wariness. It always did when she’d made her weekly reports.

“It’s about Eric.”

“Your relationship with my son was your choice. I paid you to get keep an eye on him for me. No bonuses for sleeping with him.”

She gripped the phone tighter. “I’m not sleeping with him.”

“Not anymore. But you’re off my payroll, so why are you calling?”

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she took a few slow breaths before speaking. “Eric’s in jail. He assaulted a police officer.” She told him how he attacked Bryce in the parking lot.

“Goddammit. That little shit got in trouble with the law again.” He sounded more tired than angry. “I sent him to that Podunk town to stay out of trouble. His ass can sit in jail. I’m not sending bail.”

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the seat. She’d be safe for a few days at least. “That’s not all. That sound-proof room he begged you for wasn’t so he could start a metal band. He wanted it built so the neighbors wouldn’t hear the screams of his victims.”

He paused. “His victims?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I witnessed it first-hand. He’s trying to start his own pack by attacking humans. He thinks they’ll turn into werewolves if he tears them up enough and they survive.” She crossed her fingers that he’d believe her story. Pack members trusted the word of a rogue about as much as they’d trust a life boat made from papier-mâché.

David let out a long sigh. “Has he been successful?”

“Not yet. He says he’s trying to find the right balance of blood loss and werewolf venom.”

“Werewolves aren’t venomous. The idiot has no idea what he’s doing.”

Silence hung on the line as she waited for him to continue. “Looks like I’ll be making a trip to Pearl River,” David finally said. “Thank you for the information, Alexis. We’ll be in touch.”

The last visitors exited the parking lot, leaving Alexis alone. She moved her car behind a dumpster and shut off the engine before turning off her phone and locking it in the glove box. Eric had been happy to move to the tiny Louisiana town to get away from his controlling father. Hopefully David would enforce some of that control and whisk him back to Biloxi. Then she’d never have to deal with the jackass again.

A twenty-pound weight lifted from her shoulders as she climbed out of her car and strolled into the woods. She’d done all she could do.

She climbed over a game fence and slipped into the trees. Though mostly made up of wetland, the twenty-three-thousand-acre Barataria preserve held plenty of dense forest. A wolf could easily spend the night in the brush unnoticed.

Curtains of Spanish moss cascaded from the leafless branches of bald cypress trees, creating a canopy around the thicket, and dry grass crunched beneath her boots as she made her way deeper into the forest. A wooden boardwalk led off the right, winding through the trees before jutting out over the marsh. Alexis turned left, away from the trail.

Wrapping Bryce’s jacket tighter around her shoulders, she inhaled his scent. Memories of his warm bed flooded her mind. The feel of the soft cotton sheets sliding across her skin. The way his pillow cradled her head. The way his scent lingered in the blankets like it did in his jacket. She’d much prefer Bryce’s bed over the forest floor, especially if he were in it.

But she couldn’t go back to him. She definitely shouldn’t have kissed him. Her lips still tingled every time she thought about it. A peck on the cheek was all she’d meant to give him, but once she’d gotten close, she couldn’t pull away. Everything about that man drew her in. Made her want to stay.

Part of her craved companionship. She wanted to have a real relationship with Macey—and with Bryce—but so far all she’d managed was a brief visit once a month. If she was going to settle down somewhere, New Orleans would be the place. The city was alive with culture, music, food, magic. Her sister was there. Bryce was there.

She shook her head. What was she thinking? She hardly knew the man. He couldn’t possibly be as kind and gentle as he seemed.

Then again, he’d shown her more kindness in twelve hours than she’d seen her entire life. The more she thought about him, the more she needed him. She slipped her hand into her pocket and toyed with his house key. Cold and hard against her skin, it contrasted the warmth and tenderness she felt from him.

Every fiber of her being screamed at her to go to him. To take comfort in the safety of his arms. But what could she offer him in return? She had nothing. No job. No money. She was a flake. A drifter. A rogue. He deserved so much more than she could ever dream of giving him.

She released the key and ran her hand along the coarse bark of a cypress tree. Rough, like her. Bryce deserved a woman more refined, educated, feminine.

Alexis needed to clear her head. Thinking about Bryce did her no good.

It had been ages since she’d hunted. Maybe a quick chase would do the trick. Hunt. Sleep. Get on with her life tomorrow. It sounded like a good plan. As she shifted into wolf form, everything she wore and carried in her pockets was absorbed by the magic. When she shifted back, everything would be in its place. She’d never given it a second thought until now, but she felt comforted to know that a part of Bryce—even if it was just his jacket—would be with her through the night.