Page 53 of Paws and Claws

Dominic woke to sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. The first thing he noticed was Tabitha's scent - wild magic and jasmine - surrounding him. His body tensed as memories from last night flooded back. Her lips on his, her soft skin under his hands, the way she'd cried out with pleasure...

He turned his head to look at her sleeping form. Her purple hair fanned across his pillow, her face peaceful in sleep. His chest tightened at how right she looked there.

Last night was incredible. The way they'd worked together to take down the Hunters, how naturally they'd fallen into sync both during the fight and after. He couldn't deny his feelings for her - she challenged him, excited him, and made him feel alive in ways he'd forgotten were possible.

But the responsible part of his brain kicked in. He was the sheriff. He should have shown more restraint, taken things slower, done this properly.

"You're overthinking again," he whispered to himself. "Like always."

His lion prowled restlessly inside him, wanting to curl back around her warm body and keep her close. The animal part of him had already decided she was his after claiming her last night. But the human side needed time to process, to figure out if he could balance his duty as sheriff with these mounting feelings for her.

Carefully, he slipped out of bed and pulled on clothes. At his home desk, he quickly scrawled a note: "Had to head into work early. Didn't want to wake you. - D"

He stared at the paper, wanting to write more but unsure what to say. In the end, he left it simple.

He paused at the bedroom door, looking back at her sleeping form. The morning light painted her skin golden, and his lion purred at the sight. She was beautiful, wild, and completely unsuitable for someone like him. And yet...

"What are you doing to me, Tabitha?" he whispered, before quietly closing the door behind him.

The morning air hit his face as he stepped outside, and he took a deep breath to clear his head. He drove to the station in a daze, his lion's heightened senses still picking up traces of Tabitha's scent on his skin. The morning traffic crawled by as his mind kept drifting back to purple hair spread across his pillow.

At his desk, he attacked the paperwork from last night's Hunters arrests with fierce determination. Forms needed filing, evidence needed cataloging, and statements needed recording. But every time he tried to focus, memories of Tabitha's laugh, her touch, the way she'd looked at him with those mischievous blue eyes, kept interrupting his concentration.

"Get it together," he muttered, shuffling papers more forcefully than necessary.

By lunch, he'd made minimal progress on his work. Frustrated with himself, he headed out to grab something to eat, hoping fresh air might clear his head. The sidewalk was busywith the usual lunch crowd when rough hands suddenly grabbed him and yanked him into an alley.

His lion surged forward instantly, his muscles tensing for a fight. He spun, his fist already swinging, only to pull back when he recognized Bruce's face.

"What the hell?" Dominic growled, his voice carrying the lion's rumble.

"Official police business," Bruce said, producing handcuffs. "You're under arrest."

"This is ridiculous." Dominic's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Whatever game you're playing-"

"Turn around," Bruce ordered, cutting him off.

The lion in Dominic wanted to resist, to show this upstart exactly who he was dealing with. But years of respecting procedure won out. He turned, letting Bruce cuff him while keeping his muscles coiled tight, ready to act if needed.

The metal clicked cold against his wrists. His lion prowled restlessly, not liking being restrained. The beast wanted to break free, to remind Bruce exactly who the alpha was in this town. But Dominic held it in check - for now.

"Care to explain what this is about?" Dominic's voice was deceptively calm.

"All in good time, sheriff." Bruce's tone dripped with satisfaction as he gripped Dominic's arm. "All in good time."

Bruce soon marched Dominic through the station's main floor, making sure every officer saw their sheriff in handcuffs. Dominic's lion seethed at the show of dominance, but he kept his expression neutral. Inside though, his predator nature simmered with barely contained rage.

"Conference room is that way," Dominic said as Bruce steered him toward interrogation. "If you want an audience, you might as well go all in."

"Shut up." Bruce shoved him into the cramped interrogation room.

The metal chair scraped against linoleum as Bruce pushed him into it. Dominic's wrists ached from the too-tight cuffs, but he refused to show discomfort. His lion wanted to break free and put Bruce in his place, but years of control kept the animal in check right now.

"Going to tell me what this circus is about?" Dominic's tone held a dangerous edge.

Bruce slapped a file on the table. "Playing dumb doesn't suit you, Blackmane. We know you've been working with the Hunters."

"What?" Dominic's laugh held no humor. "I'm a shifter. Why would I work with people who want us dead?"

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