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“You okay?” Cole asked, smirking when I caught him peering at my face and rolled my eyes. “Your shiner healed.”
“Yeah? So did my jaw.” I snorted, a laugh escaping me when I thought about that little asshole Trey and the way he’d laid me out.
“Never saw that coming. He’s usually so easy-going and calm.”
“So you say, and yet he tried to beat me to death last night.” I pointed out, not sure if I was impressed or pissed off.
“Well, whatever he is, he’s also Ren’s friend. And so am I. You owe that female an apology, Cal.” Cole said softly, smiling when I grunted and blew out a breath.
“If she comes back tomorrow.”
“Didn’t show up today? Can’t say I blame her.”
“Yeah, well, I made it clear she’s coming back, and she isn’t quitting. What are you doing here anyway? Not to be rude, but you keep showing up, and it’s getting annoying. Don’t you have a job to do?” I asked, finishing my drink off and groaning when Cole shrugged.
“That’s kinda why I’m here. Found a body this morning, and I need a set of good eyes on the scene. Can’t say I know what this is, and Walker will chew my ass if I don’t have answers when I report in.”
“A shifter from town?” I asked, frowning when Cole shrugged again and shook his head.
“Don’t think so, but with the blending lately, I can’t say. Never scented him around. That I can say for sure.”
“And?” I prompted, waiting until he looked at me and scrubbed at his hair.
“And I want your help. Before you refuse, let me speak. Ever since you chewed the males out about their jobs, things have been better and even Trey’s trying. I know you won’t come back, and I honestly don’t blame you. Head Enforcer isn’t a great job no matter what people think. The hours are long, and it’s plain nasty sometimes. But I need you. I was hoping you’d at least consult every now and then?” he wheedled, grinning when I rolled my eyes but considered it.
Maybe taking a few jobs and getting out would help. Hell, if it kept me away from Ren while I tried to think things through, that’d be a huge help, and honestly, I sort of missed it. Not the people and definitely not the pack politics Cole had to deal with. I did miss the job, though, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy having my brothers closer.
That was Ren’s doing, and when her face and those eyes flashed in my memory, I was back at square one again.
“Let’s go.”
It took mere minutes after I accepted to get to the crime scene, and when I did, I was as confused as Cole. The dead shifter definitely wasn’t one of ours. Besides the mark on his arm declaring him banished, his name was a dead giveaway.
“Joe Carver,” I mumbled, turning to look at Cole. “You pull anything on him from shifter databases?”
“Tried. Trey’s on that now, trying to dig. That boy’s the only one I’d trust to get answers from the database. If it’s there, he’ll find it.”
“Anything else? You comb the woods?” I asked, bending down to inspect the body. “Throat’s ripped. Could be anything, considering our kind goes for the throat first. Could be anything from an argument to revenge.”
Which didn’t help us at all.
“All I know is it wasn’t done here.”
“Not enough blood,” I said in agreement, having drawn that conclusion myself. “Trail?”
“Nope. Whoever did this either had help or knew how to cover his tracks. I had Halloran scent every possible trail from here all the way to the borders. No trail.”
“Then we have nothing,” I said, anticipation filling me so hard I felt a smile bloom.
“Jesus. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Cole laughed, his own smile curving his mouth when I chuckled, and for the first time in a long time, I felt something other than fear and misery stir within me.
Ren made me happy, but this, this was about me, about being the male I once was, and as I rose and started to look around, I felt one step closer to that male.
I had been this male for so long, this capable, trusted male others looked up to. That wasn’t who I was now, but I wouldn’t deny that it made me feel relief when we started searching, and the Enforcers all gave me looks of respect.
Maybe I wasn’t the old Caleb anymore, but I could be someone else. Someone I would like.
Someone Ren would care enough about to consider what I’d been thinking for hours.
