Page 9 of High Stakes and Soulmates (Fanged Mistakes #3)

CYRUS

I left it in Maeve’s hands and after an hour, I was finally allowed to bring my very own werewolf onto the scene… unbeknownst to the majority of the crew.

I reach Casimir’s car right when he gets out and gives me a stern look. “You better pamper my wolf, do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” I say as he opens the back door where Julian sits as a wolf wearing an “I have a bone to pick with you” bandana and the blingiest collar I’ve ever seen. It sparkles and shimmers, and I honestly can’t believe Julian even let him put it on him.

“What the hell is he wearing?” I ask, tugging at the bandana that will not untie. “How tight did you have to tie this knot?”

“If he gets loose, I wanted to make sure you could find the right wolf.”

“Funny,” I growl. I try to yank it over his head but it gets a bit stuck, and Julian has to twist his head this way and that a bit before it falls free so I can toss it at Casimir.

“Julian, like I said on the phone, Ezio is smelling decay at one house and blood at another. He’s speculating that they’re tied together.

Your ability to smell things is significantly better than his, so let’s see what we can find, okay? ”

He gives me a nod and jumps out.

“I’ll drive him home,” I assure Casimir.

“I’m headed to the casino for some payroll confusion, and then I’ll be free. I can pick him up whenever you’d like,” he says as he holds out a leash that is just as blingy.

“Why are there so many rhinestones?” I ask.

Casimir just smiles, looking proud of himself for causing me issues. Like is there a reason I’m forced to take this?

“You really don’t have another leash?”

“I don’t. This was the only one that matched Julian’s fur,” he says.

“Funny,” I grumble as I take the leash. Nothing says awkward like leading your friend onto a crime scene with a collar and leash with enough bling to blind you.

“Am I the only one feeling awkward about this?” I ask, but the wolf shakes his head. “Good. I guess we can be miserable together.”

Thankfully, he’s rather small for a werewolf, which means he’s still quite large for a dog but not abnormally so.

“Someone’s going to be like, ‘Hey, Cyrus, why are you leading a werewolf around?’ and I’m going to be like, ‘Ha, don’t you lead other men around with a leash and collar?’”

Julian glances up at me and I find myself wildly disappointed he can’t talk to me like this. He can only talk to other werewolves—and Casimir, for some unknown reason.

When I walk onto the scene, all heads turn to me.

“Cyrus… you sure that’s a dog?” Zach asks as he comes over.

“Right?” I ask. “I told my buddy the same thing. He had him tested. You know, one of those pet breed DNA things? Turns out he’s like fifty percent wolf. But he’s a good boy.”

“I can tell by the shimmer of his collar,” Zach says.

“There is my floof,” Ezio coos as he rushes over and ruffles Julian’s head all around. I’m over here feeling awkward as fuck just walking next to him and Ezio is mauling the poor guy.

“What’s his name?” Zach asks while he stares at Ezio rubbing his face on Julian’s.

And then I blank. Should I just say Julian? Is it weird to say Julian? They know I’m friends with Julian, who has risen a bit in fame just by dating the man who owns half the city. But then it’d be more awkward to just make up a name on the fly.

“It’s Pawficer Sniffington,” Ezio says after giving Julian’s face a kiss.

Julian gives him an “Is it?” look.

“He loves me,” Ezio claims, sounding like a proud father as he holds Julian’s face in his hands. Like… how does Ezio even fit into this lore of me having a friend with an ex-police dog who was phenomenal at his job?

“I know not to pet a working dog, but I sure want to pet him,” Nancy, a tech, says.

“You can pet him!” Ezio tells her. “Pawficer Sniffington, shake!”

“Pawficer Sniffington” does not look pleased and is well aware that at this point, Ezio is just harassing him. He reaches a paw out, but instead of shaking, he simply grinds it into Ezio’s foot and then heads off with a wag of his tail.

“He’s Schutzhund trained, you better be careful,” I say.

“I don’t even know what that is, but it sounds scary!” Ezio whines as he hurries after us.

“It’s where they teach them how to attack,” Zach says, far too excited to hand this information to Ezio.

Ezio looks less than impressed that Zach told him instead of me, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

He’s a rather oblivious guy, after all. And why am I grinning about that?

Shouldn’t I be helping the two come together?

I lead Julian around the house and even take him close to the dead guy, which I’m hoping doesn’t bother him. When we go into the kitchen, he looks down into the cellar before making a move like he’s going to jump.

“Can I take him down?” I ask.

“Go ahead,” Maeve says, so I let him jump down. He sniffs around before jumping back out. I feel like I’m the one on the leash instead of him as he leads me into every room before he takes me into the bathroom and uses his paw to smack the door shut with Ezio and me inside.

“No cameras in here, you’re good,” I say.

He shifts while Ezio leans against the door.

“Man… the smell of blood is just so thick ,” Julian says quietly since we really don’t need anyone hearing a random man speaking.

“Right?” Ezio asks.

“I do get what you’re saying though, Ezio. There is a peculiar smell in here, and it does center on this hair tie for some reason. It’s older, though. Can we go outside? And then over to the other crime scene?”

“Yeah, of course,” I agree before realizing I’m still holding the leash that’s hooked to the collar around his neck while he stands in front of me as a human. What’s even more awkward is that Ezio has decided to snap a picture of this scene, which he’s surely sending Casimir.

“Weirdly… not the strangest thing I’ve done,” Julian says with a grin.

“It’s up there for me,” I comment. “Whose idea was this collar? You look ridiculous.”

“I look phenomenal,” he teases. “It was a collar set that came with one of Gustov’s outfits and the only one big enough to fit me.

You get what you get. Casimir talked about dressing me up before I arrived, so at least I talked him out of that.

For an old, supposedly prestigious vampire, he gets his kicks from some wild things. ”

“Sure does,” I say as he shifts again, and we head outside. Julian sniffs every inch of the yard before I lead him over to the couple’s car. He scrutinizes all seats and even puts his paws up to peer into the trunk.

He drops down and then sits at my feet, telling me he’s done. I’m really not sure what else there would be to search if he’s gotten nothing so far.

I lead him out to Ezio’s car and Ezio gets into the driver’s seat.

We pull out, heading over to the other address, which Maeve is already aware we were going to. She assured us she’d meet us at the crime scene and give us ample time to go over it.

Julian shifts back to his human form during the drive.

“I didn’t smell anything in their yard. Their car was pretty unremarkable too.

I got a small whiff of something from the floor mat, but I can’t tell you what it was, it was so faint.

I wish I was more help. I’m not sure I’m accomplishing much at all. ”

“You’re already more help than Ezio,” I tease.

Ezio gasps. “Excuse me? I found a bunch of shit for you! Don’t make me cry. I’m gonna cry.”

“Are you crying over the fact that Julian’s naked ass is on your seat?” I ask.

“I wasn’t going to but now I’m wondering if I should,” Ezio says.

Julian snorts. “Says the man who was naked on my couch while Casimir painted a picture of him. Oh! And you even asked me to join you!”

“It was a tasteful nude, Julian. Very tasteful. Not raunchy in the slightest.”

I hesitate as I try my best to comprehend this. “Excuse me, so… Julian… stood there while you lay… naked on his couch and Casimir… painted you? Was he naked as well?”

“No, no. I was the only one naked.”

“I’m not sure if that’s better or worse,” I realize.

Ezio gasps like I might’ve said something that offended him. “Julian is naked right now!”

“It’s okay,” Julian assures us. “I’m using the leash to like… cover the tip.”

“The leash I have to hold on to?” I ask in horror.

“You’re so picky! I was naked while you trotted me around with your coworkers! My balls were out then, and you weren’t saying anything about it.”

“Yeah, but they were fluffy,” Ezio says. “Now they’re…” He simply trails off as I question why I’m even a part of any of this.

“Fucking hell,” I whisper.

Julian and Ezio are laughing now. Why? I have no idea.

“We’re almost there, so go ahead and shift back,” I suggest.

“I’m going to tell Casimir you drove me around town and refused to even offer me a speck of clothing to cover myself up with,” Julian says.

I hesitate as I realize I really could have offered him something. “Sorry. Do you want my shirt?”

“Not now!” he says before shifting.

We roll into the driveaway and a few minutes later, Maeve pulls up. Not too far behind her is another car that I’m not expecting. I see that it’s Zach and his partner William.

Zach hurries right over to Ezio and holds a cup out to him. “I got you a coffee.”

“Oh…” Ezio tentatively takes it from him like he thinks Zach might be holding out a rattlesnake. Like the “competition” is just going to strike him down. Weirdly enough… the “competition” wants him and not me, but he hasn’t realized that yet.

“I got both of you coffees as well,” he says offhandedly, clumping me right in there with Maeve, and still, Ezio stares at him like he’s considering what he might taste like.

I could tell him that Zach is interested in him, but really, what fun would that be? Instead, I just stand here as Ezio glowers at him but also seems a bit taken aback by his kindness and can’t glower too hard.

“T-Thank you,” Ezio tells him before he proceeds to pretend to drink it. It’s actually pretty good acting, and he even gives him an approving look. “Very good.”