Page 37 of Paws and Claws

Tabitha's head snapped up, her blue eyes blazing. "It was just a stupid bar fight! What I do with my magic and my life isn't any of your business, Sheriff." She spat the title like a curse.

The words hit him like a physical blow. The lion in him recoiled, wounded by her sudden venom. They'd been working together, trusting each other. He'd thought... well, clearly he'd thought wrong.

His jaw clenched as he fought back the surge of hurt. The streetlight above them flickered, casting shadows across her face that made her look like a stranger. Gone was the woman who'd made him laugh on her motorcycle, who'd shown him how to loosen up at the bar. In her place stood the troublemaker he'd always known her to be.

The silence stretched between them like a chasm, filled with all the things he wanted to say but couldn't find the words for.

The lion inside Dominic roared with hurt and betrayal, transforming his pain into searing anger. His eyes flashed in the dim light as he took a step closer to Tabitha.

"What was so damn important that you had to start throwing magic around? What could possibly justify that reckless behavior?" His voice thundered through the empty parking lot.

Tabitha's shoulders hunched further, her wild magic crackling defensively around her like static electricity. She pressed her lips together, refusing to meet his gaze.

Her silence only stoked his temper. The lion in him paced restlessly, wanting to shake answers out of her. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You never think things through. You just act on impulse without considering the consequences."

"Don't lecture me," she snapped, her eyes finally meeting his. "You have no idea-"

"No idea what? That you're thoughtless? Reckless?" Each word felt like acid on his tongue, but he couldn't stop. "You put everyone at risk tonight with your little temper tantrum."

The air around Tabitha crackled with purple sparks as her magic fed off her rising anger. "You want to talk about temper tantrums? Look in the mirror, Sheriff."

"At least I know how to control myself," he growled, his lion pressing close to the surface. "Unlike some people."

"That's it," Tabitha fumed. "I'm done. Find someone else to help with your stupid investigation because I quit."

Something in Dominic's chest constricted painfully as she spun on her heel and stormed away. His lion roared in protest, urging him to chase after her, and to fix this.

Instead, he called out, "Fine by me. I don't need your help anyway."

The words tasted bitter in his mouth as he watched her disappear into the darkness.

The parking lot felt emptier than before. Colder. The lion inside him paced restlessly, already missing her wild energy. He told himself it was better this way - she was too unpredictable and too chaotic for someone like him.

So why did it feel like he'd just lost something irreplaceable?

16

DOMINIC

Dominic crouched behind a rose bush the following afternoon. His lion's keen senses tracked Bruce's movements down the crowded street. The summer heat pressed down on him, making his dark shirt stick uncomfortably to his skin. He shifted his weight, adjusting his position, and caught himself listening for a sarcastic comment that wouldn't come.

His jaw tightened. The space beside him felt too empty without Tabitha there.

"Get it together," he muttered to himself, forcing his attention back to Bruce as the other sheriff ducked into a coffee shop. "She made her choice."

But his mind wandered back to their stakeouts together, how she'd whisper ridiculous observations about passersby just to make him crack a smile. How she'd lean close, her wild magic crackling with mischief as she pointed out potential suspects.

The lion in him rumbled with discontent. He missed her scent - that mix of jasmine and midnight air that always surrounded her. He missed the way she'd challenge him andpush his buttons until he forgot to be so damn proper all the time.

"She's a troublemaker," he reminded himself firmly, though the words lacked their usual conviction. "Always has been."

Bruce emerged from the coffee shop, and Dominic followed at a careful distance. The streets were quieter without Tabitha's running commentary. Duller. Even his lion seemed to drag its feet, missing the thrill of their combined hunt.

He caught his reflection in a store window - his shoulders tense, expression grim. She would have teased him about looking like he'd swallowed a lemon.

"Dammit." He ran his fingers through his dark hair in frustration. How had she gotten under his skin so thoroughly in just a week and a half?

The answer came unwanted: because she'd shown him another way to live. Because beneath all that chaos and rebellion, she had a fierce heart and sharp mind that matched his own.

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