Page 62 of Paws and Claws

"Me? Never." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "You're the one who needs to be careful, Sheriff. I've gotten used to having you around."

"Is that your way of saying you care about me?"

"Maybe." She tilted her head.

His chest rumbled with a low laugh. "You're impossible."

"You love it."

And he did. God help him, he loved everything about this wild witch who'd turned his ordered world upside down. Instead of answering with words, he bent down and captured her lips with his.

The kiss blazed through him like wildfire, fierce and consuming. Her magic sparked between them, matching the intensity of their shared passion. Dominic poured everything he couldn't say into the kiss - his need to protect her, his hope for their future, his fierce determination to see them both through this night safely.

Tabitha pressed closer, her fingers curling into his shirt. She kissed him back with equal fervor, as if trying to brand herself into his soul. His inner lion roared with approval.

When they finally separated, both breathing heavily, Tabitha's eyes were bright with emotion. "Wow. If that's how you kiss before a fight, I can't wait to see what we do after we win."

27

TABITHA

Crouching behind some shipping containers, Tabitha gathered her wild magic, letting it build until it felt like champagne bubbles under her skin. The warehouse loomed before them, all rusty metal and broken windows. Perfect for some magical mayhem.

"Ready when you are," Dominic murmured, his voice low and authoritative. God, that shouldn't be so hot.

Tabitha reached out with her magic, visualizing exactly what she wanted. The air shimmered as multiple ghostly figures appeared - translucent shapes that looked like prowling wolves and mountain lions. Her wild magic gave them an eerie purple glow.

"Show off," Dominic muttered, but she caught his impressed smile.

He lifted his hand, giving the signal to Martinez and Connor's teams. In the darkness, Tabitha could just make out their shapes moving into position - Martinez's group sliding toward the loading dock while Connor led his team to the side entrance.

Her illusory creatures prowled the perimeter, drawing the attention of the Hunters. One of them actually yelped when a spectral wolf passed through him.

He grabbed her hand, his grip firm but gentle. "Just be careful in there.

"Aw, you're worried about me." She squeezed his hand back. "Don't worry. I've got your back if you've got mine."

"Always," he promised, and the intensity in that single word made her almost forget how to breathe.

Tabitha burst through the warehouse's main doors alongside Dominic, her wild magic sparkling around her. The Hunters scattered across the concrete floor spun to face them, Bruce's face twisting with rage.

"On the ground! You're all under arrest!" Dominic's voice boomed through the space, commanding and powerful.

Bruce sneered, pulling out what looked like a silver remote. "I don't think so." He pressed a button, and a high-pitched whine filled the air.

Dominic dropped to one knee, his shift into lion form halting mid-transformation as he clutched his ears. Around them, other shifter officers stumbled.

"That's the HF-1000," Tabitha called out. "Take it out!"

She flung her magic toward Bruce, but Reynolds stepped forward with another device. The air rippled and her magic scattered like marbles on concrete.

"Magic Disruptor," she growled. "Cute toy."

Her witch friends spread out, flinging spells that sparked and fizzled against the disruption field. One of the Hunters raised what looked like a souped-up taser, aiming at Martinez.

"Duck!" Tabitha shouted. The X-Taser crackled through the air where Martinez's head had been moments before.

Through it all, Dominic fought through the sonic assault. His muscles bunched and shifted, bones cracking as he forced histransformation. The massive golden lion that emerged roared loud enough to shake dust from the rafters.

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