His eyes narrowed, not missing the possessive way I was touching Daphne. “Or maybe it’s a current contestant, with a werewolf friend, trying to sabotage her competition?”
I hesitated. I’d completely forgotten about the mole. “I know their scents, Sheriff. These two are unfamiliar.”
Alverse pointed with his toothpick around the room. “One is definitely canine, but the other is...human. What’s curious is that they used a masking elixir to hide their scent.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “You’re good, Sheriff. I didn’t pick up on those nuances.”
He clamped a meaty hand on my shoulder and gave it a rough shake. “That’s okay, son. We bears have a much better sense of smell than you dogs.”
“Very funny,” I said, shrugging his hand away.
“It’s not funny.” He guffawed. “It’s the truth.”
I clenched my jaw, feeling the muscles tense as my irritation flared. Bears did have a more acute sense of smell than wolves, but he didn’t have to be a dick about it.
While Daphne was in the bathroom, picking her toiletries off the tile floor, I pulled the sheriff aside and told him about the possible mole.
He nodded thoughtfully. “You’re picking Daphne at the end of the contest, aren’t you?” When I nodded, he tapped his nose. “I thought so. Both of you are giving off some strong mating pheromones.”
It would suck to be a love-struck teenager in that man’s house. He’d catch you sneaking out during the planning phase.
“It’s likely that the mole was responsible for this.” The sheriff jutted his chin in Daphne’s direction. “Who does she think it is?”
I rubbed my neck. “I haven’t exactly told her about the mole yet.”
“Why not?” he asked, a confused expression on his face, then he lowered his voice. “Do you think she’s involved somehow?”
“Hell no,” I growled.
The sheriff cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “So, you have feelings for this girl and yet you’re not being honest with her?”
I cursed under my breath. I didn’t need this asshole poking his nose into my personal business, questioning what I did and didn’t do. The truth was, I should’ve told Daphne about the mole and wasn’t sure why I hadn’t.
Elbowing past the sheriff, I headed to the bathroom, leaned around the doorframe and saw that Daphne was lining up all her bottles into neat little rows on the counter. “What the hell are you doing?”
Her head snapped up. “Just tidying up after my room was ransacked,” she said in a sing-song, don’t-be-such-a-douchebag tone. “What’s it look like I’m doing?”
“Don’t bother. Just throw it all into a bag.”
She gave me a withering look that would intimidate a lesser man. “I’m not going tojust throwmy nice skincare and potions into a bag.”
I’d had enough of this. “Yes, you are. And when you’re done, you’re going to throw your other shit into a bag too. Or I can do it for you.”
“I’m...ah...going to let you two lovebirds sort things out,” the sheriff called from the hallway behind me. “Daphne, I’ll need you to visit the station to fill out some paperwork.” And then he was gone.
Daphne turned to fully face me. If her eyes were laser guns, she’d have changed the setting from stun to kill. “In case you didn’t know, Travis,” she said through clenched teeth, “the resort is full. Whoever’s working the front desk isn’t going to be able to find me another room at this time of night, especially not one that is cat-charmed.”
I gave a cold laugh. “You’re not staying here. You and George are coming home with me.”
“But—”
And then I was all up in her personal space, pushing her against the wall and cupping her neck, forcing her to look up at me—really look at me. “Darlin’ you can either walk out of here on your own WITH your shit or I carry you out with NONE of it. What’ll it be?”
When she didn’t answer me straight away, I began counting backwards, starting at ten.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Daphne
