Page 47 of Paws and Claws

Dominic leaned back in his office chair, his fingers absently tracing his lips where Tabitha had kissed him last night. The memory sent a pleasant shiver through his body. Her wild magic had sparked intensely between them, making the moment even more electric.

A stack of reports sat untouched on his desk. His thoughts kept drifting to dark purple hair and blue eyes instead of focusing on work. He'd never been this distracted before - and surprisingly, he didn't mind.

"Sheriff?" Connor dropped a manila folder on his desk. "Forensics finally got back to us about that lab equipment."

Dominic straightened, forcing himself to focus. "What did they find?"

"The equipment traces back to Elina Quinn." Connor tapped the folder. "Known Hunter sympathizer. Real tech genius."

"Quinn?" Dominic flipped through the file, scanning the details. "I've heard that name before."

"You would have. She's got quite the reputation for developing anti-paranormal technology. Real piece of work."

Dominic's muscles tensed up as he read her history. The woman had a string of citations for hate crimes against paranormals but always managed to slip away on technicalities.

"There's more," Connor said. "Word is she shows up at The Midnight Underground once a month like clockwork. Probably meeting with other Hunters in the area."

"The Midnight Underground?" Dominic's eyebrows rose. Suddenly, Connor's radio interrupted their conversation with an urgent request for back-up. Dominic gestured sharply towards the door and Connor hurried out of his office.

Dominic picked up his phone, unable to stop the smile that suddenly spread across his face as he dialed Tabitha's number. She answered on the second ring.

"Miss me already, Sheriff?" Her voice held that teasing lilt that used to drive him crazy - now it just made his heart race.

"Always," he replied, still smiling. Then his expression turned serious as he lowered his voice. "We got a lead. Ever heard of Elina Quinn?"

"The tech guru who hates paranormals? Yeah, I know the name."

"Forensics traced the lab equipment to her. And apparently she's a regular at The Midnight Underground."

"Of course she is." Tabitha's tone darkened. "That place lets anyone in if they've got enough cash. Even Hunters."

"You know it well?"

"Well enough to know we should be careful. That place has eyes everywhere - and not the friendly kind."

Dominic's protective instincts flared. "We'll figure out a plan. Meet me later?"

"Is that for the case or something else?" He could hear her smile through the phone.

"Both." Heat crept up the back of his neck. "Definitely both."

Her laugh made his chest tight. "Look at you, mixing business with pleasure. I must be a bad influence."

"The worst," he agreed, grinning like an idiot at his desk. "But I wouldn't want it any other way."

Dominic's phone buzzed against his hip as he finished writing up a traffic citation later that afternoon. Tabitha's name flashed across the screen, making his heart skip despite his best efforts to maintain his professional demeanor.

"Sheriff Blackmane," he answered, keeping his voice steady even as his pulse quickened.

"Don't be so formal," Tabitha teased. "I've got good news and slightly illegal news."

His lion stirred, both frustrated and intrigued. "Start with the good news."

"I know how to get us into The Midnight Underground. The slightly illegal part is that we'll need some creative documentation."

Dominic shook his head, fighting a smile. "I don't want to know where you're getting these IDs from, do I?"

"Plausible deniability, Sheriff." Her laugh sent warmth spreading through his chest. "But they'll get us past security without dropping a small fortune."

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