EL'S

arrest," I shouted

ou know?" he replied, his voice tinged with amusement. I jolted u

as I thinking? Instinctively, I reached for my hip, but my gun wasn't there. I'd left it at

ands where I can see them!" I ba

me with that badge of yours?"

nds into fists. "I'll knock yo

go ahea

't expected a fight today, but if that's what it took

egs out from under me as I felt a rush of air and the sharp approach of concrete

him, but he was gone. Vanished. And I couldn't believe I'd let him slip through my fingers. It felt unreal how fast he was. He was definitely a werewolf but not an ordin

rom my thoughts. It was Dave

red, trying to keep my

ys, his tone full of hope. I rarely messed up, so com

ve." I admitted

ight? The victim survived, so we can get

ping for leads that never came. That's why I shouldn't hav

voice calm. "We win some, we lose some. Just don't

imes he just knew the right thing

meet at the st

e, Dave. I wr

***

chel," Dave said as he

th that guy, huh?" Mateo, Dave's partn

mask my disappointment. We both settled

ence a few minutes into the ride.

just better not to say anythi

muttered from

?" Dave continued, clearly

just want to be

ateo chimed in Spanish, clearly

effortlessly he had swept me off my feet haunted me. That I wished I could pretend this had never happened.

out, jogging back to stop him. "Go

, Rachel. You've kept this plac

. They're not- It's just

me later? Is that a

re. It was only a matter of time before his curiosity led him to show up on his own, thinking my

, stepping inside. But just as I was about to close the doo

my car,

d her vehicle earlier wi

ied, sneaking inside as she called me ba

e. I walked inside, spotting my dad and mom arguing in the large sitting room

He'd know if I was. I couldn't spend the night here; I needed to be at the station

els and petty crimes as if every Gabriel was destined to cause trouble. But this felt different-this felt like progress, like something bigger. No

showering, and so on, I headed downstairs, ready to

, trying to sound like

aded?" she asked,

just wanted

stepping even closer. "We love you, you know. Your dad, Theodore, and I. You're our only dau

ng came

before?" she

erer. I ran into him today.

im this time so we can have you back

an have a g

er off, a litt

his time. I promise." I

with the fact that I'd wasted five years of my life chasing after ghosts, pushing everyone who cared for me aside. It was brutal to accept, and