Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Nyx
I’d read a million times over what it was like to take an Alpha knot. The mechanics of it was not unknown to me.
The issue with reading something from another person’s perspective was that they weren’t always as thorough as you needed.
Being knotted by my Alpha every night this week was proof of such. My entire body was sore from the extra workout riding his cock had provided.
“You trying to imitate a cowboy or something there, Nyx?” One of the veteran deputies asks me as I walked to the coffee pot Friday morning. The group of men around him chuckle at the joke.
I shake my head. “Nah, man. Just been putting in the hours in the gym. New town and all that has me a bit bored.”
A lie, of course. Not that I can tell them it’s their bosses fat cock and thick knot that has me damn near limping. They might be ok with it, but I’m not risking it just yet.
Besides, Julian hasn’t indicated he wants to tell everyone just yet either. I think he’s wanting me to get more time to adjust before he drops the bomb that he’s mated.
Granted, I’m sure people can sense something different in his scent already. Mine is too far masked for them to tell it’s me though.
“You look a bit like you’re filling out. Want to share the routine, newbie?”
Before I can answer the question, our radios go off in sync.
There’s a 19-52 at 5485 Landis Lane. Suspects are considered dangerous. Approach with caution.
“Landis Lane? Isn’t that one of —“
Julian bursts out of his office, keys and jacket in hand. “I’m on this call. Those fuckers think they can show back up after all this time in our jurisdiction. Keaton and Waller, you’re with me. Dew and Rios will meet us there.”
“Woah,” I whisper. A mix of respect, desire, and curiosity war within me at the unexpected outburst. So far my mate has been fairly even tempered. This side of him is only the one I see when he’s pounding me into the mattress. Or against the wall. Or over the couch.
I shake my head to dispel the lust rushing through me.
“What’s going on? What’s so important about this call?” I know I’m missing something. Everyone’s expressions have turned frigid. There’s an energy pulsing through the station that hints at something sinister.
Julian and the others head out before anyone answers. I watch my mate leave with an ache in my chest.
“There’s a history with that place. It’s not a fun story,” Deputy Moses says, and he leans on the desk beside me. “Long story short, there was a dg fighting ring. It was a bad bust once we had intel. The ringleader got away. It was around the same time we found out some of our own were supreme assholes.”
“More like a disgrace to their badges!” A voice shouts from across the way. I don’t catch who it is, but the murmur of agreement from everyone else standing around tells me it doesn’t much matter.
Curious to know more, I ask, “What did they do?”
Moses rubs his jaw. “It’s not a fun story to share. Especially since none of us picked up on how bad it was.”
I cross my arms and stare him down. There’s no way he’s getting out of telling me this story. Not when I know my mate was somehow involved.
“We used to have a Deputy here named Dusty. He was a standup guy. Real funny and everyone here loved him. The community thought he was a catch and more than one Omega swooned after him.” Moses grimaces. “What we all didn’t know was how badly he was abusing his boyfriend. We’re talking physical and sexual assault on a regular basis. It was only discovered when the Omega managed to flee one night — though no one knows how the fuck he survived with a beating like he took — and made it to town. He was taken to the ER, where it just so happened his mate happened to be. When the victim came too, he didn’t want to admit who was hurting him because he recognized the deputy that showed up with Julian as one of his boyfriend’s friends who knew about the abuse. By the time it all came out, the scandal was huge. Multiple people were arrested either for being a part of the abuse or for knowing and not reporting it. That’s partly how you got your job.”
I’m speechless.
Utterly speechless at the absolute horror of a story.
“Sheriff Julian took care of it all. Cleaning house, I mean?”
Moses finally cracks a grin. “Oh, yeah. Boss man was like an avenging angel. He tore through the whole department until he knew everything about everybody. No one who was involved got to stick around. He even went to the other stations in the neighboring towns to help prosecute the other assholes. It’s part of why we all trust and respect him so much. The minute he found out his guys weren’t all legit, he did the work to get the full truth. He didn’t just buckle down to protect on of his own. That’s what makes the difference between him and others who would have been in his position.”
I nod to acknowledge the truth of his words. I’d worked with men back in the city who were the same way. All they cared about were their images. Being revered was more important than doing the right thing.
Any yeah, more times than not they were all about protecting one of their own kind.
“Good to know our boss stood his ground. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to know the men you’ve trusted weren’t all they pretended to be.”
“It fucking sucked, man,” Moses ground out. “We all felt like fools. But yeah, Landis Lane was one of the places we raided while looking for the dog fighting ring the first time. My guess is that they’re back — either to pick up business again or to gather something they left behind that we missed.”
After getting the story out of Moses, the excitement around the call dies down. Well, it dies for everyone else. I’m a mess of nerves worrying about the man I care for being in the thick of the action.
Sure, I knew Julian wasn’t the type to stay behind a desk. He’s the first out the door if there’s a need and he’s not tied in a meeting. It’s been his pattern all week long.
But this is different.
This isn’t a cat in a tree or someone needing to be checked on for a welfare visit. It’s actual danger. The kind that can be life or death.
To make matters worse, about twenty minutes after he leaves, another call comes through. This one sends fear tearing through me.
Backup needed. Urgent. Shots fired. 5485 Landis Lane. Officer shot. EMTs being dispatched.
My blood runs cold at the words Officer Shot. Panic overtakes all sense of rational thought. I’m up out of my chair chasing behind Moses as he shouts orders.
One look at my expression has him halting his question. I don’t know what he sees, and I don’t fucking have time to think about it.
Someone was shot.
Shot.
Julian could have been that someone.
My breathing turns ragged as I climb in the passenger seat of a car. Moses gets in on the driver side after shoving another deputy to the side. He backs the car out of its spot, flips on the siren, then hauls ass down the road.
The drive is mostly a blur. I see color and shapes. I even recognize Moses’s voice on the phone with dispatch as he tries to relay who all is going to the scene.
It’s only when he screeches to a halt and the sound of gunshots surrounds me that I snap out of my haze. I grab the Glock at my waist, then press my door open. Dropping behind the door for cover, I take in the scene around us.
Shots are coming from a barely open window in the front of the small home. The house is raised, so they’ve got a bit of an advantage in their angle.
The other cars are spread out in a semi-circle facing the house. I count off the bodies of the men I knew Julian took with him. Dew is crouched at the car to the left, while Waller and Rios are to my right.
There’s no sign of Julian of Keaton anywhere. My gut clenches when I continue to search the perimeter and find not a single hint as to where they might be.
Moses turns my way at a pause in the standoff. “I’m going to head around the back of the house to see if I can get inside. I need a distraction. We’ve got to find whoever was injured and end this before the EMTs arrive.”
At his words, there’s the telltale siren of the ambulance. It’s close.
I nod, then face forward and pop off a couple of shot towards the house. I aim a bit off center. It’s enough to draw more fire our way while Moses takes off for the back of the house.
Thankfully the property is rural. I can’t imagine having this type of shootout in a neighborhood full of families. It would be a collateral disaster.
I raise a bit over the ledge to see if I can figure out what’s going on when a bullet flies right past me. The heat of it is so strong I flinch and dive back down.
Another shot rings out, then there’s nothing. It’s quiet for a few moments before the radio crackles and Moses’s voice rings out. “Stand down. I’ve got him.”
The confirmation that this is over sends a rush of adrenaline through me. I’m up and around the car before anyone else can move. I make my way past the other guys, the round the car to see if I can find the two missing officers.
Keaton’s full head of blonde hair is what I see first. He’s leaning over someone, his hands pressing tightly to something.
Rushing to his side, I fall to my knees at the sight of Julian’s prone body. Keaton’s pressing against a wound on his shoulder. He turns when I let out a garbled cry, his brow cocked in concern.
“He’ll be alright. I think he’s out because his body is trying to conserve energy. It was an in and out shot. Nothing to worry over.”
His confidence doesn’t make me feel any better. Neither does the arrival of the paramedics or the overall buzz I can feel moving through the others at a job well done. They’re celebrating catching the last of the men they’ve been after while I’m drowning in worry over my mate.
Not that anyone has a clue that’s what he is.
Or they didn’t. I’m sure my actions today are raising suspicion.
The paramedic gets Julian all hooked up to an IV and begins checking the wound. I climb in beside them, careful not to disrupt. “How can I help?”
She gives me an odd look before replying with, “Just talk to him. He may not be conscious, but sometimes a familiar voice can help calm their heart rate. Gives them comfort, you know.”
I nod, then shift closer to Julian. “I’m here, Alpha. I’m right here and I’m not leaving your side.”