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Chapter

Thirty-Seven

K NOX

I carried the cardboard box through the Search and Rescue team’s headquarters and into the break room. The place was quieter than usual, with only a handful of people present, and the atmosphere was somber.

My colleagues gathered around as I placed the box in the center of the table and opened it.

“Go for it,” I said, gesturing at the donuts.

I didn’t take any for myself. I wasn’t in the mood for something sweet—other than my mate. He’d made me a delicious breakfast burrito this morning. Leaving him had been so hard I wouldn’t have managed it if not for him literally pushing me out the bakery door.

“Did you walk Danny to work?”

I glanced at Garrick, who’d asked the question. He was standing to the left of the doorway, his hands in his pockets, waiting for his staff to take their pick of the donuts before he moved in.

“I did.” I sighed, feeling a yawning pit in my gut that wouldn’t go away. “I offered to spend the day in the bakery, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

It went against all of my instincts to leave him unguarded when we knew that Rex had it out for him and may or may not be killing off wildlife to make a statement.

“He should be safe at work,” Garrick said, as reasonably as a man who didn’t have a mate and couldn’t possibly understand how I felt. “We can drop in a couple of times during the day to check on him.”

I cleared my throat. “I’ve already asked him to message me every hour on the hour.”

Was that over the top?

Probably.

Did I care?

Not if it meant that Danny was safe.

Garrick nodded. “Good thinking. Are the donuts from him?”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t thoughtful enough to bring my workmates treats without his prompting.

“You don’t want any?”

“Sweet stuff isn’t my thing.”

He laughed. “Don’t let Danny hear you say that.”

“Okay, I’ll rephrase. Danny is the only sweet thing I’ll ever need.”

He grimaced, looking like he didn’t know whether to gag or pat me on the back. He settled for arching an eyebrow and making his way to the now half-empty donut box. He helped himself to a chocolate donut and sauntered out again.

I went to the kitchen counter and fixed myself a cup of instant coffee. Danny had already made me an espresso, but I needed more caffeine.

As the cup filled, I closed my eyes and brought the image of his gorgeous face to the forefront of my mind. I couldn’t help but wish that I’d bitten him already, so I could feel a more tangible connection to him. Sure, there was a link of sorts between us, but it was weak and could easily be broken or influenced.

If I bit Danny and bonded with him properly, then I’d know for sure whether he was safe and happy at all times. Unfortunately, I couldn’t rush it. He might not be ready for that step for months. I had to be patient.

My coffee overflowed and I cursed, clunking it down on the countertop and hurrying to rinse the hot liquid from my fingers. I wiped down the cup, mopped it up from the counter, and left before I could hurt myself again.

My team was gathered in the open-plan area, seats arranged in a messy semicircle opposite Garrick.

“What did I miss?” I asked, taking the nearest chair.

“Nothing much,” Everett said. “We don’t have a case, so we were talking over what happened with the wolf, Danny and Rex, and the rogue wolves, and whether it’s all connected.”

“Huh. And the verdict is?”

“I think it’s connected,” Francis said, his hands laced together where they rested on his lap. He was the youngest on the team and always in motion. Even now, he was rocking back and forth on his chair. “It’s too weird not to be, right?”

Yuri scrunched his face like he didn’t agree. He hadn’t bothered to tie his hair back today, and it hung in golden locks. “Rex is an asshole. He’s always been one. But I don’t think he’d associate with anyone as dangerous as the rogue wolf pack. His assholery is on a different level.”

Garrick turned to me. “What do you think?”

I shrugged. “I’ve never met Rex, and I can’t say my thoughts are crystal clear where Danny is concerned.” Other than he belonged to me and I’d destroy anyone who tried to come between us.

“Fair enough. What about you?” he asked Angela, the only female team member present this morning.

She finished swallowing a mouthful of donut and brushed crumbs off her black leather pants. “I want to kick Rex’s ass, regardless of whether he’s involved with the wolves or not. I want to rain hell on them for scaring sweet little Skye and Danny. It makes no difference to me whether the two are connected.”

We discussed the matter for a while longer, until a call came in about an older female shifter with dementia who’d gone out for a walk and hadn’t returned. Garrick sent Yuri and Francis to handle the matter, and left Everett in charge of the office while he and I took everyone’s coffee orders as an excuse to check on Danny.

As we left, Garrick grabbed one of the police radios and hooked it onto his belt. I doubted he was supposed to have it, but since we shared a goal—Danny’s continued safety—I didn’t say anything about it.

We walked to the bakery and gave Skye the coffee order.

While we were waiting, Danny emerged from out back and stopped in front of me, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

“I know what you’re doing,” he said.

I exchanged an innocent glance with Garrick. “Getting coffee?”

Danny rolled his eyes. “You’re being a worrywart. Both of you. You don’t have to be so anxious. I won’t leave the building alone, and my boss has made sure there are two people working all day, so neither of us will be on our own here either.”

“So they should,” Garrick muttered.

“You matter to us,” I told Danny, but I didn’t think he was actually bothered by our meddling. He’d looked grateful when he’d seen us here. He just didn’t want us to view him as weak. And I didn’t, but that didn’t mean I was blind to his vulnerabilities.

His expression softened. “You matter to me, too.”

Skye brought our coffees over, and we carried a tray each as we left. Halfway back, voices came over the radio on Garrick’s belt.

“Sheriff!” I recognized the voice as Hawk’s. “Two people are missing from the Omega House.”