Tyler walked through the station as he escorted one of the drug dealers he and his coworkers had
taken down. There had been a big bust tonight, and Tyler had been one of the lucky few to back up the
narco division. Once his charge was in processing, Tyler headed for the armoury to remove his bullet-
proof vest and other body armour. As he reached the stairs, he came across beet cop Kerklin. He knew
him. They often worked the same shifts. But where Tyler was a detective Kerklin was a uniform.
“Winthrop,” Kerklin called to him as they both walked in the same direction. “A minute of your time?”
“What’s up?” Tyler asked.
“You know that woman you bailed out last night?”
“Yeah.”
“I arrested her again tonight. She was really drunk and driving five miles an hour the wrong way down a
one-way street. She’s in holding right now. I just thought you might want to know.” Kerklin said, walking
away.
“God damn it,” Tyler growled and turned around, heading for the elevator. He would have to remove his
armour later. Right now, he had to get Aster out of that cell.
He took the elevator down to the holding cells. He made his way through the red tape and paperwork.
With that aside, he accepted the key from the guard and walked down the narrow hall to the holding
cell that held six women and Aster, every one of them impaired.
She turned her head and smiled at him. “Tyler.” She laughed.
“We have got to stop meeting like this.”
Aster got up from her bench and sauntered over to him, draping her arms through the bars as she
pressed her forehead to the bars and looked him over. “You are looking good all dolled up in body
armour. I would like to tear right through it.”
“Clearly, you have been drinking again. Is this a habit of yours?”
“It’s not my fault Sven the Wonder Cop has been following me around.”
“Sven? Officer Kerklin says you were driving slow as shit the wrong way down a one way. What are
you doing behind the wheel drunk again?”
“Do you have any idea how much a taxi costs from here to Feral?”
Tyler rolled his eyes and unlocked the cell. “Come on. I am taking you home.”
“Are you not going to take the body armour off?” She laughed as he relocked the cell.
Tyler put his arm around her to help keep her upright as they walked. “Well, you are a bit unpredictable,
and I might need it.” As they passed the jailer, Tyler tossed the keys to him, and he walked Aster out to
his car and put her in the back seat. She laid down and passed right out. Tyler moved her body, so her
legs were inside before closing the door.
Tyler made the long drive to take Aster home. Driving people home was a thing they sometimes did, so
he could still say he was on the job. Though if his superiors found out, he knew Aster, they might
question this trip and chastise him. It was a long drive, and it was the dead of night when he reached
Aster’s house.
He got out and opened the back door. Tyler was leery about trying to get her out. The last time he had
woken her, Aster had taken a chunk clean out of him. Tyler inched closer and cautiously tapped her
knee, then pulled back quickly. She did not move. He leaned in close once more and poked her, then
jumped back. Still no movement. Ok, she was out of it. Tyler took a few quick breaths trying to work up
the nerve he needed to get her out of his car. Tyler leaned in and pulled Aster out of the backseat, and
hoisted her up over his shoulder.
Tyler carried Aster to the door and removed her house key from his pocket. He had gotten it when he
paid her bail. He went inside and shut the door tossing the keys on the table near the door. Tyler
walked her down the hall to the bedroom, and he laid her down carefully.
With Aster safely squared away for the night, Tyler hopped back into his car and headed back into
town. He still had four more hours of his shift ahead of him.
***
The doorbell rang, and Aster held her head as she clenched her teeth. It was so loud. She rolled over,
willing the person at her door to go away. Unfortunately, the bell kept ringing. Aster hauled herself out
of bed and staggered through the house to the door. Opening the door, she came face to face with
Tyler, who had a to-go tray of coffee and a brown paper bag from a fast food joint in Aspen. He held up
both. “Egg and bacon burritos,” he paused, shifting to coffee to his other hand. He reached into his
jacket pocket and held up a bottle of over-the-counter nausea medication. “and Gravol. The hangover
breakfast of champions.”
Aster accepted both and let Tyler in. He looked tired, and he still had his badge hanging from a silver
chain around his neck. “What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you didn’t choke on your own vomit during the night.” He said, taking a seat on her couch
as she sat cross-legged on the floor, using the coffee table as a breakfast table. “Do you even
remember last night?”
She made a disgusted face. “Please tell me we didn’t have sex.”
“Wow, that tone as a successful ego deflator, but no, you were arrested again last night for DUI… for
the second night in a row. I bailed you out and took you home… for the second night in a row.”
“I didn’t ask you to bail me out.”
“I had no choice. I was afraid if I left you there in that state, you might bite one of the other detainees.”
He said, pushing up the sleeve of his jacket and shirt to show her the large bandage still wrapping his
forearm. “It’s healing fine, by the way, thanks for asking.”
“Sorry.” She said, offering him one of the coffees.
“You know if you get one DUI, you are going to jail, not a drunk tank. I suggest you deal with whatever
it is you are trying to drown.” She sipped her coffee. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” She looked over him. “So did bailing me out drag you from your bed?” She noted how exhausted
he was.
“No, I was on duty. I work swing shifts. One week of nights. One week of days. Back to nights. It is
exhausting, but you get used to it. I just so happen to be on nights this week.”
“Did you just get off duty?”
“An hour ago. That left me ten minutes to pick up food and forty to drive out here.”
“You look tired.” He just shrugged. “Do you work the night shift again tonight?”
“Straight through until Friday.”
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
He grinned at her playfully. “Now that’s the best offer I have had all night.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant. I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”
“So instead of just making a phone call, you drove forty minutes out of your way, knowing you would
have to drive forty minutes back just to see I was ok?”
“Calls are so impersonal.”
“You are an unusual man.”
“Ordinary is overrated.” He said, yawning. “Besides, I always find the things are always more beautiful
the things that are unusual.” Aster blushed; she knew he was talking about her. Tyler groaned as he
stood up. “I should get going. My bed is calling me. I need at least a few hours of sack time between
shifts. And by the way, your car is in the impound again. So if you change, I can give you a lift to work
since I’m heading into Aspen anyway.”
“It’s not safe for you to drive this tired. Why don’t you go and catch some Z’s in my bed, and I will bum
a ride to work from one of my neighbours.” She offered.
“I have a better idea. Why don’t I catch some Z’s in your bed, and while I sleep, you take my car to
work and bring it back? I should be up by then for my own shift.”
“You would let me take your car?”
“As long as you don’t drink to or from.”
“Ok.” She agreed taking his keys when he offered them to her. “You know where the bed is.”
***
Aster ran the fondant through the roller, flattening it out. They had an order for a wedding tomorrow,
and they were ready to decorate. Katelyn had spent a week handmaking all the little décor, and once
they put the fondant on, they could just add each of the hand-crafted décors and then ship it to the
venue tomorrow.
“So what happened to your car?” Katelyn said as she put the finishing touches on the little love bird she
had been sculpting all day.
“Impounded.”
“Again? Were you driving drunk again?”
“It’s the last time, I promise. Tyler says I will go to jail if I get pulled over again.”
Katelyn smiled at Aster. “Tyler? As in that cute cop, you told me about?”
“Maybe.” Aster grinned.
“I thought you had no interest in the man?”
“I’m allowed to change my mind.”
“Careful, your pack seems to fall for humans all the time.” Katelyn teased.
“Trust me, this is nothing more than sexual attraction, and if I wasn’t in heat, I doubt it would be even
that much.” Aster insisted as she draped the fondant over the first tear of cake. A thought occurred to
her. “So mentioning biology, just how much trouble was Darrel in after you guys left my place the other
morning?”
Katelyn grinned. “Well, I confessed I was angry, but as soon as we put some distance between him and
you, he regained his senses and couldn’t apologize enough. After work, he brought home flowers and
cooked dinner,” her lips curved in a sexually satisfied grin, “And did a few other enjoyable things to
make me feel better. “I can’t say I really understand how things work with your kind, but I understand
there are certain things that you just can’t control. I guess a male’s reaction to a female in heat is one
of them.”
“He does love you,” Aster assured Darrel’s insecure wife.
“I know he does.”
“Well, it will be fine. He knows now not to come around, and I’m going into isolation so it won’t happen
again.”
They changed the topic and went on about their day finishing the cake and storing it in the walk-in
fridge. They would prepare it for transport in the morning.
Aster then hopped into Tyler’s car and started home. She drove a few blocks when she stopped at a
red light. She glanced out the window and saw her favourite watering hole. The desire to stop for just
one drink was tempting. Would one little drink really make a difference? Tyler would never know. She
could hear his voice in her head telling her not to drive his car drunk before handing her his car keys.
The car behind her honked and startled Aster. She jumped and faced forward. The light was green, so
she stepped on the gas, leaving the bar and the temptation in the rear-view mirror.
When she reached her house, Aster parked Tyler’s car in the driveway and went inside. She had no
idea what time his shift started, but he would likely be leaving soon. She went inside and headed for
the bedroom. As she grew closer, she heard the shower and knew he was up. Aster entered the
bedroom. She heard the shower turn off, and shortly later, he came out dressed.
“Good, you are home.” He smiled as he reached for the badge and gun he had left on her dresser.
“Nice to see you are sober.”
Aster held his keys out to him. “Thanks for letting me use it.”
“If you like, I can give you a rind to the impound on my way to the station so you can get your car out
before the fees pile up.”
She probably should. Those impound fees could skyrocket quite quickly. “I’ll take you up on that, thank
you.”
Tyler stood there staring at her. “Should I come back and check on you after my shift?”
Aster chuckled. “No, I’ll be fine.”
“You are not going to drink and then drive your car home once you have in your possession again, are
you?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“On my life.” She smiled sweetly.
“Good.” They got back in his car and drove to the impound. Tyler waited to be sure she got her car and
then left to go clock in. Aster got into her car and started the drive back to Feral for the second time.
This time when she stopped at the same light, she pulled off the road and went into the bar for a drink.
Just one, and then she would go home.
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