Chapter 2
Harlow looked from Salem and back to the soda and muffins one more time before accepting the items he was offering,
" Thanks. " She muttered.
" You're welcome. " He replied, opening the door to the station entrance for employees.
They rode the elevator up to their floor in silence, as usual.
The usual ruckus of their unit meets their ears, little jabs at Salem for still coming into work.
No jabs or jokes were thrown at Harley. They had tried once, but she took it wrong and they realized that they couldn't joke with her or she'd take them seriously.
Hell, it took Salem a whole YEAR to get her to smile. And it seemed that soon after that HE could joke with her, he could tease her, he even got her to laugh a few times.
A new detective came in at one of the times Salem had gotten Harley laughing, he liked her smile and the way she looked. He was a good-looking guy himself.
But Harley, the second he came over, she immediately went silent. And refused to talk to him.
The new guy chalked it up to to him being the new guy. But he kept trying to talk to her and get her to smile laugh like Salem had. Even actually going to Salem and asking him what he did to get her to smile and laugh.
Salem said that he was telling about something stupid that had happened to him when he was a kid.
The guy tried that, but Harley didn't react, in fact, she kept avoiding him. She'd socialize with the other guys in the unit. But didn't tease or joke with them like she did with Salem.
But it was like Harley had a sixth sense about some people. Salem had noticed how sometimes Harley would tense up or avoid certain individuals, the new detective was one of them. Like she could sense something was wrong with them or something was off with them that others couldn't.
Kinda like how it was with him in his werewolf senses at a scene.
Her intuition was proven correct when the new guy finally cornered her near the bar that they sometimes go to have a drink or two and head home.
She had kneed him in his groin to get him to back off. He did for a few seconds, but then he grabbed her again and shoved her against the brick wall, pinning her legs so that she couldn't kick him again. He tried to kiss her, but she bit his tongue.
He got one slap in before he was suddenly hauled off her and up against the other brick wall with an angry, red orange eyed, six foot 4inch, 200 pounds of solid muscle alpha werewolf holding him up by his throat, greyish black claws digging into his skin with a deep menacing growl surrounding them.
" I suggest. You leave. " Salem growled roughly at him, tightening his hold little by little as he spoke.
The other man's eyes bugged out as he never realized that the woman he had wanted was partners with a werewolf. Let alone an Alpha werewolf,
" And never come back to MY city or to MY partner. " Salem continued.
Salem would've snapped his and thrown him into the trash further down the alley. But Harley's hand on his shoulder stopped him and that was when he got the first real whiff of her scent.
Though she had been social with him and the others, even with their teasing and joking, she always kept her distance from them. He would catch her scent on the wind, but that was during work hours and it was her perfume that he smelled throughout the day.
But it was night and the perfume had worn off.
That scent coming from her was unmistakable. Harley was his mate.
And that alone had him wanting to kill this weaker male for daring to touch and take what was HIS.
But once again, her sixth sense or whatever it is that she has, kicked in again and her grip tightened on his broad shoulder, urging him, pleading with him to not kill this piece of trash.
And who was he to deny his mate?
Salem gave a final squeeze to his throat before letting him go, making a side note to stand outside of Harley's camper to make sure that this guy didn't try to after her again. He also made a note to have one of his omega's follow this piece of trash to make sure that he didn't come around her, if he did, Salem would stop him before he did.
And keep his mate from finding out about it.
" Lawrence! Elmwood! " Their captain shouted through his open door of his office, drawing their attention to him.
Harley set her muffins down on her desk, but brought her soda with her, opening it and taking a swig of it as they stood in the captain's office.
The captain, Jones, gave her an exasperated look, but didn't say anything about even as Harley gave him a 'what?' look, she was thirsty damn it. She needed her caffeine today and she wasn't about to drink that nasty coffee that was here in the station or any coffee for that matter.
She loved the smell of it, but she won't drink it. Yeah, she's weird like that.
" We got another one. You two are needed. YOU especially Lawrence. " Jones said.
" Me? Why? " Salem asked with a raised eyebrow.
" Because this body's been torn to shreds. And we suspect that it could be a werewolf. "