Mike Jackson strolled into the sheriff’s office of Lawton, New Mexico, with a smile. It hadn’t been that long ago that he’d arrived in town to help his best friend RJ Cross as RJ’s brother, Dylan, was accepting the position of Pack Alpha.

Now, Lawton was like a second home to him. Actually, if he was being honest, he felt more comfortable there than with his own family. Here, Mike was accepted and understood. He’d never found that feeling until he’d joined the military where he had met the people he would love for the rest of his life.

He waved to the pretty receptionist and tilted his head toward Brandon Stratton’s office. “Is he in?”

The receptionist smiled back at him. They’d flirted back and forth, but the petite woman didn’t do it for him. Mike enjoyed the chase, but it wasn’t very often that he followed through with bedding the female who’d caught his attention. The last time he’d been with anyone had been right after RJ’s mating ceremony. Now, that had been a good night. The woman he’d hooked up still had his imagination going wild when he was alone with his hand.

“He’s waiting for you. Go on back.” The receptionist sat forward, giving Mike a good view down her low top.

Mike inclined his head and made his way to the back office. He’d been summoned, so he’d have to return later and finish flirting.

Brandon Stratton, the sheriff deputy and second in command of the Pack, reclined back in his chair with his eyes closed. Mike grinned evilly. Oh, perfect.

Mike knocked loudly and stifled a laugh as the other man jerked in his chair.

“Damn it, man!” Brandon groused.

Mike continued to chuckle. “If I knew you were lazing around, I would have gotten here sooner. Did crime take a vacation? Or is this what the sheriff does all day?”

“Screw you, Jackson,” Brandon said. “I’ve been working double shifts and I’m tired.”

“Oh, poor baby.” Mike clucked his tongue. “Maybe you need to hire a few more deputies.”

“You won’t take the job,” Brandon complained.

Yeah, Mike wasn’t quite ready to commit to anything at the moment.

“But I’m not going to badger you about it. Not today, anyway.” When Brandon stood and offered a hand, Mike shook it readily. He hadn’t expected to become such good friends with Brandon. Not after all the drama that had taken place several months ago. But Brandon had proven himself to be a great asset to the Pack.

When Mike had first arrived in town, Brandon was considering challenging for the Pack Alpha position. He didn’t want the job, but other members of the Pack had been putting a lot of pressure on him to not let a stranger take over. Luckily, Brandon’s sister had stepped in and, with help from RJ, they had brought both men together and had avoided a challenge between the two of them.

“Good to see you, man. Thanks for coming,” Brandon told him.

He took a seat in front of the desk while Brandon walked around and closed the office door. He waited until Brandon had settled back into his chair before he spoke. “Sounded important.”

Mike had been traveling back from Texas, where he had been visiting Casey, another member of his old military unit. He’d planned on stopping in and seeing RJ even before he got Brandon’s call.

“It is.” Brandon pulled a file from his bottom drawer. “You’ve heard about the threats to the Packs that went public?”

Mike nodded. It was one of the reasons he’d been in Coyote Bluff. His old unit commander and his mate, the feline Prince, were concerned about the new threat to the shifters. For the first few weeks since the announcement, the excitement about there being shifters had been top news. But as time passed, more and more people—humans—started to see shifters as a threat.

Shifter communities that had chosen to be open now had to deal with some heavy backlash in the form of threats.

“Riverwood, California. Last night was the fourth fire in less than a month. Before each fire, a letter is sent to the Alpha. ‘Surrender the Pack and land or the town will burn,’” Brandon informed him.

Mike opened the file. The Pack was located in northern California, not far from his own Pack. Population over three thousand. The first known organized community of shifters.

It had become common for shifter species to live and work together, depending on one another to survive. But that wasn’t how it had always been. Long ago, the shifters had lived by the rule that only the strongest survived. The Pack Alpha in Riverwood had known the shifters would never last if they kept killing each other. He’d started the first community that welcomed shifters to live in harmony.

Because of the success of his idea, shifter communities now thrived all over the world. As years passed, the Alpha position had been passed down to the next generation, but the honor that came with being the first community never faded.

The current Pack Alpha, Jim Nelson, had decided to go public because, over the years, the pack had fallen on hard times. He’d approached the Alpha Council and received approval to brand the title of the first known shifter community. It had sounded like a good plan to Mike. And it had seemed to work. The entire town had grown. Mike had always supported the decision to go public and had agreed that own Alpha should take that step.

He flipped through the pages and read the report that looked like a copy of the police investigation. The photos of the fires showed him more. Someone was out to ruin the town.

“The fires are always at places that the town depends on. And they are getting closer to the downtown district and homes,” Brandon said.

“Anyone hurt?”

“No, luckily all buildings have been empty at the time. But the concern is that if they don’t get what they want, that’ll change.”

“Do we know who they are?”

“No. And no instructions on how they want the Alpha to ‘surrender’ his Pack,” Brandon said. “The demand is bullshit. They want to hurt people. But without knowing who’s involved, they don’t know whether to look at locals or tourists. That’s where you come in.”

Mike lifted an eyebrow. He knew what was coming. “And what do you want with me?”

Brandon sighed. “Alpha Nelson has reached out to the council and asked for help. Dylan was approached to see if he had any ideas.”

“And?”

“Dylan and RJ thought you’d be a good man for the job.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “What kind of job?”

Brandon grinned. “Recon. Like what you did with the unit.”

“And how do you know what I did with the unit?” Mike questioned, grinning in turn.

The unit he’d belonged to had been made up of all shifters. Several different shifter species. He and RJ were both wolves, but they also had felines and bird shifters as part of the team. “And how is this even remotely the same?”

“Hey.” Bandon held up his hands. “Blame the Cross brothers. I’m the contact to Alpha Nelson, but sending you was their idea. Something about you drifting around lately and unable to settle?”

He nodded. He’d been a little lost since he’d left the military and he had always enjoyed helping others.

“Also you should know that our family has been close to the Nelson Pack for years. Nikki and the Alpha’s daughter are real close. If you don’t do it, she might not be happy and you know what that means.”

Mike grinned. “If Nikki’s not happy, then RJ’s not happy.”

“None of us want to deal with him when he gets all pouty and irritated. He’s like a four year old.”

That statement was too true. RJ Cross might appear to be the big bad biker to the outside world, but he was a big baby. He was also completely in love with his mate. It was both sweet and sickening to witness. “I don’t mind helping out,” Mike offered. “And I don’t want anything to happen to this Pack. I’ll go.”

Brandon clapped his hands together. “That’s great! I was hoping to be able to tell Alpha Nelson something today. This is a big load off my shoulders.”

Mike shrugged. “It’s not like I had any big plans, anyway.”

He’d been headed home, even though he knew he wouldn’t be there for long. Mike couldn’t seem to stay in one place. So much had happened in the last year. It had started with the kidnapping of the feline Prince, then the long mission of getting him back, before they left the military. Casey and RJ finding their mates. Then the shifters going public…

His whole life, he had moved from one purpose to another.

The last few months seemed like he was cruising. And he didn’t like it all. Yeah, RJ was right, Mike was drifting. He’d even thought about going back to the military. He hadn’t shared that thought with anyone else, though. Now that he wasn’t tied down every day, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

Maybe this assignment would help him decide. It would be nice to have a purpose once again, anyway.

He stood and offered his hand to Brandon. “I’d like to see RJ while I’m in town, but I can leave tonight.”

Brandon came around the desk and threw an arm over his shoulder. “Nah, man, we’re having a cookout for the family at the Alpha house tonight. Come along with RJ and Nikki and leave in the morning. I’ll let Alpha Nelson know to expect you tomorrow.”

Good food, cold beer and his friends. He wasn’t going to pass up a night with like that. “Sounds good to me,” Mike agreed.

He left Brandon at the office door, stepped out into the warm early evening air and looked around the main street of the small town. There weren’t many people walking around, which only added to the small-town feel.

The community was friendly and anyone who did pass waved to him. He glanced down the street and saw that RJ’s tattoo shop still had the open sign lit up. It had taken time, but from what RJ had told him, people were finally coming around to his shop. He was even getting quite a few out-of-town appointments once word got out that he did custom mate tattoos.

Mike was happy for his friend. RJ had an amazing talent. He had done every one of Mike’s tattoos. He started in the direction of RJ’s shop, taking his time. He still had the file for the California Pack under his arm and he wanted to talk it over with RJ. He would do whatever he could to help the wolves in need.

He pulled open the door of the tattoo parlor and was not surprised to see RJ sitting in a chair with his mate Nikki Stratton straddling his lap.

Luckily, they still had their clothes on. The two new mates seemed to spend a lot of time in the process of undressing each other.

RJ glanced up when Mike walked in and grinned at him. “Hey, man! We were talking about you.”

Mike smirked. “I hope it was before Nikki had her hand under your shirt or it might get a little awkward.”

RJ laughed and Nikki blushed, removing said hand from under RJ’s black T-shirt. She started to slide off RJ’s lap, but he caught her easily.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She pinched RJ and was able to escape. “I told you I had things to do. You’ve gotta stop distracting me.”

RJ pouted. Actually pouted and Mike couldn’t hold back his roll of laughter.

Nikki shook her head and grabbed her messenger bag from the counter. She stopped close to him and kissed his cheek. “It’s good to see you, Mike.”

He looked over to the woman he now felt was like a sister to him. “You, too, honey.”

“You staying for a little while?”

He shook his head. “Just tonight. I have to head out in the morning to help another Pack that’s having issues.”

She sighed. “I thought we were doing the right thing going public. I never thought it would scare so many people.”

“Hey!” RJ came up behind her. “It is a good thing. People fear what they don’t know. It’ll get better.”

“I hope so,” she stated.

Mike hoped so, too.

“But I do have to run. I need to finish the potato salad and cobbler for tonight. I’ll get your room ready, too, Mike.”

They took good care of him, always welcomed him whenever he was in town, even opening their house to let him use the spare bedroom. “Don’t go to any trouble, I’ll be here one night,” he told her.

She waved him off. “It’s no trouble for family.” She kissed RJ one more time then sidestepped out of his reach when he grabbed her for another. “Stay out of trouble, boys,” she called then left them alone.

RJ threw his arm around Mike and walked him farther into the shop. “So you’re heading out to California then? I thought you’d be perfect for it.”

Mike elbowed his friend. “Really? I hadn’t caught that by what you told Brandon about me.”

RJ motioned to one of the big chairs and Mike sat while his friend grabbed two beers from the mini fridge. “I’m worried about you, man,” RJ confessed.

Mike glanced up, shocked. “Why? There’s nothing wrong with me!”

RJ held a hand up. “You’re not happy. Do you think I can’t tell when something is going on with my best friend?”

Mike sighed. “It’s fine, man. I’m trying to find my niche.”

“Yeah,” RJ agreed. “I understand. You’re thinking about joining again, aren’t you?”

Mike took a sip of his beer and relaxed into the chair. He wasn’t surprised RJ had picked up on how he was feeling, even if he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. But he knew his best friend, and RJ wouldn’t leave him alone until they did talk.

“Yes,” he admitted.

RJ nodded. “Thought so. I hate to think about you going back in without my being there to watch your back. I’ll support you no matter what you decide, but I want you to do this first.”

“Well, I’ll do what I can. You know that.”

“Yeah, plus…the Alpha’s daughter…?” RJ’s gaze twinkled with mischief.

“Daughter?”

“Yeah, you’ve met her,” RJ said.

“When?” He tried to place what the Alpha’s daughter looked like, but he couldn’t think of anyone. He was from around that area but didn’t have a clue who this chick was.

“When you were getting drunk with her at my mating ceremony,” RJ quipped.

“Becca?”

“That would be her,” RJ confirmed.

Holy shit, Becca had been hot and they had gotten drunk. It was been fun. He’d even followed her back to her room where they’d spent the entire night learning each other’s bodies.

“Oh, yeah, you remember her,” RJ teased. His best friend didn’t know that he’d had sex with her. Mike was going to keep it that way. But now more than before he was going to fix things in California.

“Nikki wants to go down there herself and it’s all I can do to keep my mate away from the danger. So I suggested you.”

“What, you wanted me to look out for Nikki’s friend?” Mike asked, amused. “Meaning you can keep Nikki here.”

RJ huffed then smiled. “I can’t have an unhappy mate. I almost had to lock her up to keep her from going up after the second fire. She was ready to jump on a plane.”

Mike could imagine that fight. Nikki was one of the most stubborn, hard-headed females he’d ever met. He really did like her.

“Stop smirking,” RJ grumbled. “You wait until you find your mate. You’ll see then.”

Mike smacked the finger RJ waved at him. “I don’t know that I will be so—”

“Don’t say it,” RJ threatened.

“Whipped,” Mike responded.

RJ flipped him off, but had a huge grin on his face.