Page 5 of Rhett

My days of casual hookups were done when I retired from the military and moved here. If I couldn’t have my fated mate, I didn’t want any female at all.

“Not interested,” I barked. “Bye, Josie.”

“But…”

I pointed to the door.

“Fine,” she huffed, turning on her heel and stomping out.

I heard the sounds of squeaking sneakers pounding against the floor outside my office.

“Watch it, Jacob,” Josie snarled.

“Sorry, Miss Josie!” Jacob yelled. “Protector!” Jacob screamed. “Sheriff!”

I bolted out of my office.

Jacob, a skinny, stripey-haired kid in gray jeans, skidded to a stop in front of me, almost falling over on his ass. For a ferret-shifter, he could be pretty clumsy sometimes.

“Sheriff Ward!” he squeaked with sheer panic on his face.

“Jacob? What’s going on? Are the otters and penguins fighting again over who gets to swim first in the water fountain?”

“No.” Jacob propped his hands on his knees while panting. “Another hybrid like Imani has crossed the veil.”

“Are you sure?”

Did Freya’s mating spell bring another hybrid into town?

“Yup. I saw her for myself. She was up by Old Man Henry’s place, taking photos of me.” Jacob heaved a few huge breaths; he’d probably run the entire way from Old Man Henry’s place to get here. “I tried to get her phone away from her, but she chased me down and grabbed it back. But before I ran off to come get you, I sniffed her real good to confirm that she’s hybrid like Imani. My grandma says that busybody witch Freya had no business casting that mating spell.” With wide eyes, he asked, “Is it true them hybrids are going to be the downfall of this town?”

I sighed heavily. “No. Freya saved the Ridge by casting that mating spell. Without it, unmated males would never have a chance of finding their fated mates.”

Truth of the matter, without Freya’s spell, eventually all unmated men—including me—would go feral.

It bothered me that prejudiced, ignorant elders who despised hybrids were tainting young pups like Jacob. The hatred full-blood shifters had for hybrids was ridiculous.

“Why are we still talking about this? We’ve got to go!” Jacob screamed, his lanky arms flying about in agitation. “The hybrid has photos of me.”

I frowned. “Shifting?”

“No, as a ferret.”

“Jacob, it’s just a photo of a big ferret.”

I had no concern about her posting photos or videos of anything she saw in Black Forest. Jasper, our pack technology expert, had created a security grid that blocked all non-Ridge cell phones from getting signals.

“I don’t care. We need to do something about her.”

“We?” I arched a brow.

“Yes.” He shook his head up and down like a bobblehead. “You and me. When we find her, I’ll interrogate her. It’ll give me plenty of practice for when I become your deputy.”

I rolled my eyes. “I already have a deputy.”

“Well, you’ll have two. Me and Deputy Mack.” He rocked back and forth on his heels.

I ruffled his hair. “You’re only ten.”