A Mate for the Sheriff (Shifter-Match.com Book 4) Read online

  “She’ll be on medication for infection and pain, so no driving for now. I would rather she not drive for several weeks, because it will just take one wrong turn, a hard jerk of the wheel, and she’ll be right back in here.”

  Novak could tell just by the look on his mate’s face she didn’t like that one bit.

  “I’m sure she’ll get over her upset at that once she realizes she has her own personal chauffeur for the entire time she can’t drive. Not that I let her do much driving now, but there will be moments, I can already tell.” Novak would find a way to help her through that. It would take some creativity but he knew it could be managed.

  “At least we work at the same place,” Jessica pointed out. “We will get through this, right?” she asked Novak directly, and he couldn’t deny her anything, so he simply nodded. “So three days. Do you think I can get home earlier if I’m good?”

  “If you do all we tell you, and your wound is looking okay, I will think about it. But, Jessica, you are well loved around here, so you can’t do that to us again. You can’t do that to your mate either. He scared the living shit out of everyone that came close to you. I think I’m winning the poll this year on what your mate is,” the doctor added happily, which had Novak growling again.

  “Don’t bet on it,” he muttered. Novak had to work at not curling his lip up in a full snarl. He was on edge because of what had happened to Jessica. It was hard, but he managed it. “Are you hungry, Jess? If you are, maybe we should see what they’re serving for a snack around here.” It had been hours since she’d last eaten, but with the surgery he didn’t know how that would affect her normal hunger pangs.

  “Yes, I’m starving. I would love to have a monster cheeseburger, but I’ll take anything that you can get me. So how about it, Doc. Can I have some real food?”

  Dr. Swaitak was shaking his head slowly. “You just came out of surgery, not happening. We don’t know how the anesthesia might be still affecting you. I’ll get the nurses to bring you something light. If you can keep it down, we’ll talk about something more substantial later on. Your mate can have whatever he wants.” Then he looked at Novak and said, “But I’d recommend eating it where she can’t make a dive for it.”

  Novak snorted loudly. The guy obviously knew who he was dealing with.

  “Now that just isn’t fair at all.” She pouted. “Okay, something soft and light and then we will go from there, and yes, there will be a going from there because I’m starving and I damn well will get more than just a light meal. Dammit.”

  The doctor was laughing as he walked out of the room. Novak could already see that this was going to be a very long stay for them both.

  “Go easy on the doctor, sweetheart. He did save your life after all.”

  “I’m trying but it’s so hard, especially when I’m starving,” she told him bluntly. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. He knew what she needed. It was the same thing that he and his dire wolf needed.

  “I know, but you’ll survive, I think. And the snack to see how your stomach handles will help ease your starvation. If all goes well, then we can get you something else to eat. I’ll smuggle it in if the need calls for it, but let’s take it slow first.”

  “Oh fine,” she grumbled, looking like she was about to argue some more.

  Moving his hand, he began to rub a thumb between her brows. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

  She closed her eyes, and Novak kept up the steady stroke of his finger. His little mate was a force to be reckoned with some days, but today was not the day for her to go all warrior on the world. She’d damn well be resting, even if he had to tie her to the bed. Although she might just enjoy that, depending on the situation.

  Chapter Twelve

  A week later…

  Jessica was settled in the corner of the sofa with pillows at her side and back. She had a blanket around her because she couldn’t seem to get warm since coming home from the hospital. She looked up when she heard Novak coming closer with her hot chocolate. “You so know what I need. You’re the best.” He had been pampering her since she got home from the hospital.

  When he settled at her side, she moved so that she was closer to him, her feet going up and on his lap. “You’re always so nice and warm. I wish I could have some of that heat in me right now.” She also hated the freaking sling that the doctor was making her wear anytime she was up and mobile.

  “I am coming back to work tomorrow. You know that, right? I’m bored to tears sitting here.”

  “You can come back but only on light duty. Nothing that will strain you or get us in shit with your doctor. There’s a building full of deputies at your disposal to order around willy-nilly, so make sure you have them jumping to your every beck and call.” Carefully he put his arm around her. “I heard back from the cousins. They found the airfield the helicopter landed at and believe they’ve picked up the trail again. It’s all the human way now, unfortunately, since the scents have long been badly degraded.”

  The day after she’d been shot Novak had received a call from one of the cousins out hunting down her shooter. According to her, the guy, or they thought it was a guy from the scent, had traveled by foot for over a mile before being picked up in a vehicle. They’d done two vehicle switches, then crossed back over their own trail several times before ending up at a small airfield where the scent had vanished. The cousins, four in total, had managed to discover that a helicopter had picked up a guy with a long bag and another person no one could readily identify. The witness had only managed to remember the first few digits from the tail number. But at least it now sounded like they might finally figure out who had come gunning for her.

  “We need to have them over for dinner sometime, you know. Feed them so that we can repay them for taking so much time off to chase down whoever it was that shot me. Besides, I would like to meet more of your family.” She hadn’t met all of his cousins, hadn’t met anyone that was in his life aside from the one cousin that came the previous day to talk to them. He had been a rascal and had done everything he possibly could in order to tweak Novak’s nose. The man was hilarious.

  “They know they have a standing invitation to come over. But they want to find whoever shot you first. It’s their primary goal. The plan is to keep digging as long as the clues keep coming to them. If they hit a roadblock, then they might come back for a visit and to recharge. The cousins are not the sort to leave anything unfinished, so eventually we’ll find this person.” Jess knew when that happened whoever had shot her would pay. She wasn’t quite ready to think how the dire wolves would make the shooter suffer and likely wouldn’t be for a long time.

  “Reg reported back to the others and they all like you based on his word. While he was here to check up on you, and piss me off, his other reason was to get dirt and ensure you were good enough for me. You received a glowing report, from what Nella told me. She didn’t give me details, but they all now want to meet you, too. Probably to figure out if you’ve pulled Reg into whatever web you’ve woven around me.”

  “Web I’ve woven around you? They do realize that you are the one that worked his magic on me, right?” she teased him with a grin. “I liked Reg. I loved how he gave you one hell of a time. He acted the way that a little brother would, I would think.” The man had rubbed Novak the wrong way from the moment he’d walked into the house, and it had cracked her up.

  “According to Nella, the other cousins seem to think it’s the other way around. They’ll clue in when they get here, eventually. Now drink your hot chocolate while we watch the news. Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes, and then we can get you fed before your belly goes into full battle mode. Tell me you ate something while I was out.”

  “Yes, I had the snack that you left out for me. I’m not ready to eat someone’s face off, yet.” She loved watching his face when she used her odd turns of phrase. “I’m kidding. Gracious. Yes, I ate while you were out. I’m good.”

  “Good.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple and rubbed his hand over her arm. “You should know that everyone’s been slacking off in turning in their paperwork. I did warn them you’d likely be in tomorrow and, when you found out, there’d be hell to pay. It was roughly split down the middle of those concerned and frantically getting their work done and those who headed out for the day without a care.”

  “Oh wonderful.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Just when I was able to get them all in line and now they’ve slacked off. Bastards. Dammit. I’m going to have to get these people back on track.”

  “Whatever it takes, but absolutely no lifting. You have standing orders, as do I, from your doctor. Which we will continue to follow to the letter, so stop making that face.” He wasn’t even looking at her! “Remind them that if they don’t have it in on time, they have to stay and it won’t be paid overtime either. It’s not the county’s fault if they are too damn lazy to do their jobs properly in the allotted time frame, which means the taxpayers aren’t responsible for paying them to deal with that error. They all have to be in the station two hours before their shift ends for a reason, and everyone knows only a true emergency trumps that.”

  “Yeah, me and that doctor are going to have to have a come-to-Jesus meeting, because not having you naked in bed with me is seriously pissing me off.” And he didn’t sleep in clothes, but since she had come home he had been, like he was wearing armor against her.

  “Hey, we want you in tip-top shape, which means playing by the rules. Drink your hot chocolate and quit thinking about getting me naked.”

  “Yeah, I really don’t like that idea in the least, but you’re right.” Ha, she saw that flash of surprise in his eyes. “Soon, though. Even if I have to arm wrestle that doctor, we will be sleeping in the buff once more.” She was certain that was why she’d been so cold, because she didn’t have Novak’s heat surrounding her.

  “Make sure to use your good arm and angle the side you had surgery on away from him to make sure he doesn’t try to cheat you out of your win,” he advised. A news piece distracted him momentarily before he was looking down at her again. “I have to admit, I do like hearing you say that I’m right. A guy could get used to that.”

  “Yeah well, try not to get too used to it,” she grumbled. She turned her attention to the news as well and frowned. “Why haven’t we heard about this?” He was the sheriff. They should have known about a spree robber before the news, especially one in Shifter Falls.

  “I do know about it. You, on the other hand, are on medical leave and not privy to the briefings. There’s some footage from the last one that we’ve forwarded on to the FBI lab to do some cleaning up on in the hopes of getting an ID. It’s a long shot, but with the many favors owed to me I figured it was worth it to stop this person before it goes from straight-up robbery to something else when a citizen pulls a gun.”

  “What can I do to help you out?” she asked as she set her empty cup on the table.

  Novak adjusted the blanket around her as he settled deeper into the sofa. “No shop talk until tomorrow when you’re officially back on the clock. Until then we are going to enjoy this peaceful evening together. This time is for us and us alone, sweetheart. No need to bring work home when we’re working at the same place now.”

  “But there’s something about the case that has you worked up. I saw it in your eyes. I know I’m not back to work until tomorrow, but we can still talk.”

  His lips pressed together for a second before he blew out a breath. “The robber doesn’t take anything of any value. It’s always something small and odd. According to all reports, there hasn’t been a weapon, but everyone that he’s hit—and I’m using he as the generic term here—says he surprises them and takes something before running off. Total take right now is around ten bucks, maybe twelve. I’d almost say it was a prank or a pledge thing, except for the mask he wears, which helps throw people off balance when he surprises them.”

  Jessica didn’t speak for several minutes. Then she asked, quietly, “The mask, have they described it as looking ceremonial and dangerous? And the things taken, are they personal from whoever they were stolen from? Something they’ve had for a long time?” She saw the look on his face and felt panic. “Ireland, nine years ago, there was a case that was causing panic in the shifter world. There were just very small trinkets being stolen, but the thief would ensure that someone from the family would see him or her first in this mask. Enough to terrify them. Anyway, the person was never caught, but those that were stolen from all suffered some sort of massive loss. Family, money, something, but it was out of the blue and unexpected and in the most tragic ways. It tasted like magic. I know how weird that sounds, but that’s the truth.”

  “I believe you. If I wasn’t part of this world, I probably wouldn’t, but I am. Oddly enough it makes sense. What doesn’t is why the thief targets these people. Most are living comfortably but aren’t what you’d call rich by any stretch. A couple were barely making it by and only one was wealthy. There’s no rhyme or reason to the victims. If we knew why they were being targeted, or the ultimate end game, we’d have a better shot at stopping this person.” He sounded frustrated, a feeling she understood.

  “The person in Ireland was never caught either. Whoever it was, there was no rhyme or reason to the thefts either. I even looked at it because I was curious, and there was nothing that stood out. There was no connecting line between the cases and people except for the tragedy that befell them two weeks to the day after their items were stolen. Typically, a full or new moon on all of them, no other moon phases.”

  “Odd,” he mumbled. Novak stroked a finger up and down her arm in lazy movements while staring toward the TV. Jess was sure he wasn’t seeing it, though. After a minute he shook his head and looked down at her. “I told the deputies to call me if another theft happened. I want to see if I can pick up a scent trail.”

  “If you think you should go out in your wolf form, I will be perfectly fine here. I know you’ve had some of your friends and family patrolling the outskirts of our property. I can practically feel their animals out there.”

  “There are two out there,” he confirmed. “No one else is permitted near here for the sole reason it pisses off my wolf to have other shifters on my territory. Dire wolves are extremely territorial, and will kill for a hunk of land. We’re still mostly living in caves, as you can tell.”

  “Well, please don’t kill anyone. As you said, the paperwork is a bitch, and I hear you have a woman who keeps you all walking a tightrope to keep your stuff in order and to keep you in a job,” she teased. “So go if you feel you should. Listen to your wolf. He’s a pretty smart character, you know. He picked me after all.”

  “Nothing to do until we have a crime,” he told her. “Which means you’re stuck with me for a while longer. Once there’s a scene to pick up a scent from, I’ll go. Until then, there’s nothing to work with. Unless you’re trying to get rid of me for some reason. Anything you’d like to share with your mate, my sweet?”

  “Nope, not trying to get rid of you to eat that whole cherry cheesecake that Phi brought over to us. Never. I would never do something like that. I also have not hidden the dozen cupcakes she brought over. But if you do go out, do you think you can bring home some extra milk?” She said everything with, she hoped, a perfectly straight face, which was ruined by her giggling. “Oh and I really wouldn’t mind if you stopped at the steak place and brought us home a couple of nice rare ribeyes with garlic butter and baked potatoes, maybe?”

  “Dinner’s cooking. I am not going out to get you a steak, woman. And I already found the cupcakes. If you plan on hiding food in this house, you need to do better than tucking them in the cabinet with the bread. The sugar from the icing was a dead giveaway with the nose I have.”

  “Dammit,” she said, but canceled her grumbling out by nestling closer to him. “Okay well, I guess I will share my sweets with you. I’m just hungry. Then again I seem to be hungry twenty-four seven bec
ause of healing.”

  “The cupcakes are yours, sweetheart. I prefer savory to sweet, unless it’s my mate. She’s the only treat I need.” He gave her a gentle squeeze, then moved her onto the cushion at his side. “I need to check the food. Stay put, and I’ll be right back.”

  “Sounds good.” She sighed as she watched him walk away. He might say she was sweet, but he was the sweet one. He was so kind and caring. And she could get lost in watching him move. It was almost as if he were the science of muscle in study, one moving at a time.

  “You sound like you’re mooning in there,” he called from the kitchen. “Did you want something else to drink? Dinner’s going to be a few minutes more.” She could hear him rummaging around and opening and closing the oven door.

  “Water would be good, and yes, I’m totally mooning.” Sometimes she would even get up early and watch him in his gym. She loved it when he was practically naked and working out with sweat gleaming all over his body. “Fucking hell, I’m horny. That damn doctor better be glad he’s not here, or I would beat him over the head with a brick.” She had to shift slightly because she felt her pussy weeping in need, and the ache that bloomed there was nearly painful from just thinking of Novak all sweaty.

  “Quit daydreaming, then, Jess. I can smell your need from in here over the scent of this roast. You need to get your mind on more mundane and boring things. Something like the economy or gas prices, maybe, or how the summer crops the farmers have will fare come harvest.”

  “I’m trying but it’s hard. I thought about you working out and then, well, you know me. My brain went from there.” She sighed and shook her head. “I think you’ve turned me into an addict.”

  His deep chuckle didn’t help her current predicament. Squirming more, she squeezed her thighs together only to realize what an error the move was. Novak walked back to her and settled at her side, passing her an icy bottle of water. “You always get this entranced expression on your face when I’m working out.”