Page 6 of Paws and Claws (Saltwater Grove Romances #4)

6

TABITHA

T abitha stepped back from her canvas. Her wild magic crackled at her fingertips as she put the finishing touches on her latest piece. The sunset streaming through her window cast a warm glow across the abstract swirls of color that danced across the canvas.

"Not bad, if I do say so myself." She wiped a smear of paint from her cheek, leaving a streak of blue that matched her eyes. "Though knowing my luck lately, no one else will think so."

Her gaze drifted to the clock on the wall. Almost time to head to The Hex. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about running into a certain uptight sheriff again. There was something delicious about the way his jaw clenched whenever she pushed his buttons.

"Poor Dominic," she mused, pulling off her paint-stained smock. "Man needs to learn how to loosen up before he snaps in half from all that tension."

She danced across her cluttered living room to her favorite playlist, dodging canvases and art supplies scattered across the floor. The music pulsed through her as she rifled through her closet for the perfect outfit to drive Dominic crazy.

"Let's see how Mr. By-the-Book handles this." She pulled out a cropped leather jacket and her tightest jeans. His green eyes always seemed to darken slightly when she was close to him, even as he tried to maintain his professional demeanor.

Her wild magic sparked again, responding to her playful mood and making the lights flicker. "Down girl," she told her power with a laugh. "We're just going to have some innocent fun tonight. No property damage, I promise."

She posed in front of her full-length mirror, running her fingers through her purple hair to give it that perfect tousled look. "Though I suppose it's not really innocent if I'm deliberately trying to make him squirm." Her reflection grinned back at her. "But he's just so cute when he gets all flustered and alpha male about everything. 'Miss Moon, that's fifteen over the speed limit,'" she mimicked his deep voice.

The memory of his muscled form in that perfectly pressed uniform made her bite her lip. Shame he thought she was some kind of magical menace now.

Tabitha stepped out into the cool evening air, her keys jingling in her hand. Her front door hadn't even clicked shut behind her when a voice cut through her plans for the night.

"Tabitha Moon?"

A man in a sheriff's uniform she didn't recognize leaned against a squad car parked in her driveway.

"That's me. Though usually Dominic handles all my misdemeanors personally." Her wild magic bristled under her skin, setting off warning bells.

"Sheriff Bruce Meyers. And this isn't about your typical troublemaking." He pushed off the car. "Turn around. You're under arrest for the magical attacks around town."

"Wait, what?" Tabitha backed up a step. "Since when does this town have two sheriffs? And I already told Dominic I had nothing to do with those incidents."

"Hands behind your back, Miss Moon." Bruce advanced, his cuffs glinting in the dying sunlight.

"Look, buddy, I don't know who you are, but-" The cold metal snapped around her wrists before she could finish. Her magic surged in protest, but she forced it down. Getting slapped with resisting arrest wouldn't help her case.

"This is ridiculous." She twisted in the seat as Bruce shoved her into the back of his squad. "Where's Dominic? He's the one who's been investigating this."

"Sheriff Blackmane isn't handling this case anymore." Bruce slammed the door, cutting off her protests.

Through the partition, Tabitha watched him slide behind the wheel. Something felt off about this whole situation. Sure, Dominic could be a pain in her ass, but at least she knew where she stood with him. This guy? Her instincts screamed danger.

"So, what evidence do you actually have against me?" She kept her voice light, fishing for information.

"We'll discuss that down at the station."

"Right. Because you don't have any." Tabitha shifted uncomfortably against the handcuffs. "Does Dominic even know you're arresting me?"

Bruce's only response was to turn up his dispatch radio, drowning out her questions. Tabitha slumped back against the seat, her mind racing. Where the hell was Dominic when she actually needed him?

Bruce yanked Tabitha out of his squad car, his grip bruising on her upper arm. The metal cuffs bit into her wrists as he marched her through the station's back entrance. Her wild magic crackled beneath her skin, begging to be released, but she forced it down. The last thing she needed was to prove this jerk right about her being dangerous.

"Easy," she quipped as he shoved her onto the hard metal chair in the interrogation room. "I bruise like a peach."

"Shut up." Bruce slapped a file onto the table. "Four incidents. All within walking distance of your house."

"Yeah, and I've already been through this with Dominic." The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, making her head ache. "Where is he anyway?"

"I already told you. Sheriff Blackmane's been removed from this investigation." Bruce leaned forward, his breath hot against her face. "Now tell me about the transformers you blew up last night."

"For the last time, I didn't blow up anything." Tabitha shifted in her seat, the cuffs clanking against the chair. "Unless you count that time I accidentally microwaved tinfoil in college."

Bruce slapped a photo onto the table. "This was taken at 9:47 PM last night."

Tabitha's stomach dropped. The grainy security camera image showed a motorcycle identical to hers. The rider wore a black helmet, but unmistakable purple hair streamed out behind them.

"That's..." She swallowed hard. "That's not me. I mean, yeah, that's my bike, but I was nowhere near there. I went to The Hex, drove around a bit, hit up the grocery store for some Ben & Jerry's, and went home to wallow in my artistic failures."

"Pretty convenient story."

"Pretty true story." Her wild magic sparked, making the lights flicker. "Look, someone's obviously trying to frame me. And doing a pretty decent job of it, I'll give them that. But I swear, it wasn't me."

"Your magic signature was all over the scene."

"Wild magic isn't exactly subtle." She leaned forward. "But it's also not exactly rare. There are at least three other wild magic users in town."

Bruce suddenly slapped down more photos, spreading them across the metal table. Tabitha's stomach churned as she looked at each one. The same motorcycle, the same helmet, the same purple hair streaming behind the rider.

"That's my bike, but it's not me." Her wild magic crackled, responding to her growing anxiety. The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting strange shadows across Bruce's face.

"Sure it's not." He planted his hands on the table, looming over her. His coffee-soured breath made her wrinkle her nose. "Just like it wasn't you speeding last week or blasting music at 1 AM."

"Hey, I owned up to all of those." Tabitha shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the cuffs biting into her wrists. "And none of those things hurt anyone. This?" She nodded toward the photos. "This is different."

Bruce circled behind her chair. "You're nothing but trouble, Moon. Everyone knows it. No one's going to be surprised when they find out you've graduated from petty crimes to endangering lives."

"That's not-"

"Shut up!" His fist slammed the table inches from her. "You witches think you can do whatever you want. Think your magic makes you special."

Tabitha's wild magic surged, making one of the overhead lights pop. Usually, she'd have a snappy comeback ready, but something in his tone made her blood run cold. This wasn't like Dominic's lectures about following the rules. This was pure hatred.

She tried to keep her voice steady. "I want to talk to Sheriff Blackmane."

"What's wrong? Can't handle a real sheriff?" Bruce grabbed her shoulder, his fingers digging in painfully. "One who sees you for what you really are?"

"And what's that?"

"Just another worthless witch who needs to be put in her place."

Tabitha's magic sparked again, stronger this time. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. For once, Tabitha couldn't find her voice. Bruce's hatred hung thick in the air, suffocating her usual quick wit.

Suddenly, the door burst open with enough force to rattle the two-way mirror. Dominic filled the doorframe, his broad shoulders tense and his green eyes blazing. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, as if he'd run to get here.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Meyers?" His voice was charged with a powerful authority that made even Tabitha's rebellious spirit snap to attention.

"Conducting an interrogation." Bruce's fingers dug deeper into Tabitha's shoulder. "Which you're interrupting."

"Take your hands off her." Dominic's words came out as a low growl that sent shivers through her body. Not the usual annoyed-sheriff kind of growl she was used to hearing from him. This was pure protective alpha male, and it did funny things to her insides.

"She's our prime suspect-"

"Based on what?" Dominic stalked into the room. "A few grainy photos that could be anyone with purple hair? Release her. Now."

Tabitha watched in fascination as the two men squared off. She'd spent so much time seeing Dominic as the uptight killjoy who ruined her fun that she kept forgetting he was also a lion shifter - and right now, that predator was showing through his carefully maintained professional exterior.

"You're too soft on these witches, Blackmane." Bruce's grip finally loosened. "Someone needs to show them their place."

"Their place?" Dominic's voice dropped even lower. "The only one who needs to be shown their place is you. Get out. We'll discuss your conduct later."

Bruce stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Dominic just stood there with his jaw clenched and his eyes still fixed on the door Bruce had exited through.

Well, this was new. Sheriff Stick-in-the-Mud actually defending her? Tabitha wasn't sure whether to be grateful or worried about what alternate universe she'd just stumbled into.