Page 60 of Paws and Claws

"I know what it looks like," Dominic said. "But I've spent fifteen years protecting this town. You know me. Have I ever led you wrong?"

The room fell silent as his officers exchanged glances. Connor's unwavering support seemed to sway them, and finally Martinez nodded.

"What's the plan then, boss?"

Relief flooded through his chest. "We'll need to coordinate with some... unofficial help. Local witches who've agreed to assist."

"Tabitha's friends?" Chen asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"Yes," Dominic admitted.

"You've changed, boss," Martinez said. "Two months ago, you wouldn't have even considered working with them."

"Two months ago, I was wrong about a lot of things," Dominic replied simply.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across The Hex's back parking lot as Dominic led his officers toward the gathering of witches. His nose detected the scent of various magical herbsand ingredients, along with the underlying current of wild magic that always seemed to follow Tabitha and her friends.

"This better work," Martinez muttered behind him.

Tabitha stood at the head of her group in her tight jeans and leather jacket, making his heart skip a beat. Her friends lounged against their motorcycles, eyeing the approaching officers with obvious distrust.

"Well, if it isn't Saltwater Grove's finest," drawled Luna, a witch with silver hair and multiple piercings. "Come to write us some tickets?"

Chen's hand twitched toward his belt. "Maybe if you'd follow basic traffic laws-"

"Enough," Dominic growled. "We're not here about tickets or past grievances."

"He's right," Tabitha stepped forward, her eyes meeting his. "The Hunters are the real threat here."

"Still don't see why we should trust cops," another witch called out.

"Because," Dominic planted his feet and crossed his arms, "we all want the same thing - to keep our town safe. The Hunters don't care if you're a witch or a shifter, or if you wear a badge or you don't. They want us all gone."

Connor nodded. "We need to work together on this."

"The festival starts tomorrow," Luna pushed off her bike. "They'll need to prep tonight. Get their gear ready and go over the plan."

"That's our window," Connor said. "Take them down before they can hurt anyone."

"There's this warehouse," Luna glanced at Tabitha. "Off Milton Street. Lots of sketchy stuff goes in and out. Perfect place for them to set up."

Dominic felt his pulse quicken. This could be it. "We'll need to coordinate. Set up surveillance first, make sure they're actually there."

"Meet at the convenience store two blocks over at eight," Tabitha suggested. "Close enough to watch but not so close they'll spot us."

"Agreed." Dominic looked around the group, pleased to see determination replacing the earlier hostility. "Eight o'clock. Don't be late."

As the groups separated, Tabitha caught his arm. "This is actually happening, isn't it?"

"Yes," he said softly, allowing himself a moment to appreciate how her touch sent warmth through his body. "And we're going to stop them for good."

The convenience store's flickering neon sign cast intermittent red and yellow shadows across their faces as Dominic surveyed his unusual team. His officers clustered near their unmarked vehicles while Tabitha's witch friends lounged against their motorcycles.

"Third car in ten minutes," Connor reported quietly, nodding toward a black SUV that pulled into the warehouse lot.

Dominic's enhanced vision picked out the driver's profile. "That's Reynolds. He's one of our rookie officers. Bruce has some nerve recruiting my officers for this attack." The betrayal stings, but he pushed the feeling aside.

"Speaking of the devil," Tabitha murmured, sliding closer to him. Her wild magic tingled against his skin like static electricity.

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