Aster rolled over when she smelled bacon. She lifted her head from her pillow and noticed she was in
bed alone. Climbing out of bed, Aster put on a robe and made her way to the kitchen, where she found
Tyler cooking up a storm in his underwear. It was a nice sight. Aster snuck up behind him, wrapping her
arms around his waist. She pressed her body against his back and lightly nipped his shoulder.
Tyler leaned back in her embrace and smiled at her over his shoulder. “Good morning, beautiful.” He
picked up a slice of bacon from the plate next to the stove and offered it to Aster over his shoulder.
“Bacon?” Aster snatched it with her teeth and stepped back, allowing him to finish what he was doing.
She sat down at the table, and Tyler brought two plates with stuffed French toast, bacon, sausage, and
fresh fruit. He then went back to the counter and filled two mugs with hot coffee, and brought them to
the table, placing one before her as he sat down.
“What, no morning sex?” She teased.
“In time, beautiful. Breakfast first.”
She began to eat and noticed he was just sipping coffee and watching her. “What?”
“How’d you sleep?” He asked.
“Fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why do you ask? Did I do something last night?” She asked, worried. Her eyes scanned his body for
any fresh wounds.
“You got a little growly.”
“Did I hurt you?”
“No. I calmed you down.” He said, sipping his coffee once more. “The other night, you wanted to talk
about something? It wouldn’t happen to be the reason you get so aggressive while you sleep, would
it?” She didn’t want to answer him. “I risk my life every time I go to bed with you. Don’t you think I at
least deserve to know why?”
She wasn’t sure she didn’t want to tell him. A lifetime of silence was a hard habit to break. Even now,
after death, her mother tortured her. “My mother died recently.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She was a bitch. My father killed her. He’s in prison now.”
“That’s horrible.”
“He’s not in prison for killing her. The world doesn’t even know she is missing. My mother was a
vicious, violent woman. My entire life, she would attack my father. She would beat him until he was
almost dead. Which for a lycanthrope is very hard to do. She would do it right in front of me. So many
times, she would get mad at me; over ridiculous things. It was like she was looking for any reason to hit
me. When she would, my father would intervene. He would put himself in her path and redirect her
wrath from me to him. My father is a strong man. He could have taken her, but he never lifted a hand
against her. He firmly believed there was never a good reason to strike a woman. He would never fight
back. He would just let it happen. It was horrid. My childhood home was a war zone all my life.”
“No one should have to live like that. I’m sorry it happened to you.”
“My father and I are very close, and it is hard on me having him in prison. My father is not a bad man.
He did kill the man he is in prison for, but you have to believe me, it was only to protect his girlfriend
and their unborn child. My mother didn’t take it well when my father finally left her. She took it even
worse when he started dating a human woman and got her pregnant. He was starting his life over, and
my mother couldn’t stand it. She sought out this man who wanted to kill my father’s girlfriend for
reasons that are not important at the moment. My father had no choice but to kill both. She drove him
to it. In one night, I lost my mother and my father.”
“That has to be hard.”
“People always talk about how children who grow up in violent homes become violent. Children of
abuse become abusers.” She looked into his eyes. “I am so scared of becoming my mother.”
“You’re not going to.”
“How can you say that? Look what I have done to you.” She hung her head in shame.
Tyler reached across the table and made her look-ups. “Look at me. Your mother hurt you deliberately.
This,” he said, gesturing to his healing wounds, “this was just a horrible accident.”
“That horrible accident could one day kill you. Unlike my father, you do not regenerate.”
“You guys can do that?” He sounded impressed. “You know your mom is dead now. She can’t hurt you
anymore.”
“She haunts my dreams. In my dreams, she comes after me. She’s so angry. She tries to kill me. No
matter how hard I fight back, she is always stronger than I am.”
“Well, that explains the fight reflex you have when you sleepwalk. It’s just a dream, Aster. It isn’t real.”
“It feels real.”
“I know it is easier said than done, but you have got to let it go, or she is going to keep tormenting you.
She dominated you in life. Don’t let her have the same power in death.”
Aster smiled. “My dad was right. Telling you did make me feel better.”
“Oh?” He said with interest. “You talk about me with your dad? What do you tell him?”
“Only bad things.” She said with a straight face. “By the way, he intends to kill you when he gets out,
but he doesn’t get out for five years… so we have time.” She smiled.
“Oh, you think you’re funny?” He snickered. I remember interviewing your dad. Let me see. He’s that
leather, tattooed, biker hard ass that owns that tattoo parlour in the hub. Am I right?”
“Yes. That’s him.”
“Well, I’m not scared I know how to deal with dads like him.”
“You’ve never dealt with a dad like mine. My Dad is an alpha. That means he’s not just a leather-bound
tattooed hard-ass biker… he’s a leather-bound tattooed hard-ass biker with fangs, a jaw with the
crushing strength of a bear trap, topped off with superhuman speed and strength.”
“So you are saying I should get you home by curfew?” He grinned. He cut a piece of the toast and lifted
it to his mouth. “I think your Dad would like me.” He took the bite.
“Why do you think that?”
“I’m a likeable guy. Besides, even if he doesn’t like me, I am relentless. I burrow my way in under your
skin like a tick until you either lose your mind or learn to love me.” She believed him. It was what he
had done with her.
She finished chewing the bacon in her mouth and reached for another strip. “So… how about those
handcuffs?”
Tyler laughed. “Why? You made it through the night.”
“No, now it’s a sex thing.” She winked.
“I hate to break it to you, baby, but I don’t have my handcuffs?”
“Why not?”
“For the same reason, I don’t have my taser, gun, or badge.”
Aster was now confused. “Wait, why don’t you have your badge?”
“I have been suspended without pay until the conclusions of IA’s investigation into my misconduct.”
“Wow, what happened?” She was floored.
“I assaulted a perp while he was in custody, and the guy is levelling police brutality charges against the
station and me. So until I am cleared, I am on forced vacation.”
“Why did you hit the guy?” He must have had a good reason. She didn’t think that Tyler was the kind of
cop to abuse his authority that way.
He looked her dead in the eye, and she could see nothing but concern. “He threatened someone I care
about. I don’t respond well to threats.”
“Well, then it sounds like you have a lot of free time on your hands.”
“What do you think I should do with it?”
“I’m sure we will think of something.”
***
The weeks passed, and Tyler spent every night at Aster’s place, they spent all their free time together,
and Tyler considered her his girl. While she went to work during the day, he would keep surveillance on
Dennis even without the benefit of his badge. Tyler simply didn’t trust the man, and he wanted to be
sure Dennis wouldn’t make good on his threat to harm Aster.
When the money ran short, he found himself going to his parents to supplement his income. He had
been under the investigative eye of Internal Affairs for four weeks before they finally closed the
investigation. They deemed that he had abused his authority, and much to his dismay, the department
paid out a settlement to Dennis, who was out on bail until his trial because of Tyler’s actions.
Tyler was reprehended. They considered his monthly suspension enough time, but they put it in his
permanent file, which would follow him for the rest of his career. It would also haunt him in the
courtroom. Every case he worked in in the future would have his actions under scrutiny, and all his past
cases were being reopened, and the offenders granted new trials on the biases that he (a bad cop) had
investigated and perhaps not ethically.
Tyler was pissed. Up until now, he had a stellar career, but from here on out, he was a professional
liability. His CO was talking about removing him from the field and making Tyler ride a desk. Tyler had
nothing against desk jockeys, it was a vital part of the process, and someone had to do it, but he was
not a man meant to push paper. This left Tyler with a decision to make: serve out his days as a paper
pusher until retirement or resign his position and build a new life as a civilian. Tyler didn’t know what to
do. Since he was a child, all he wanted to do was be a cop. He felt as though he was nothing without
his badge.
Tyler sat on the couch in Aster’s living room, waiting for her to get home. He had bought a six-pack
when he came over, and now, he had two full cans and three empties on the coffee table, with a one
almost empty one in his hand. The TV was on, and Tyler was watching the news. Well, he was staring
at the news. His mind was elsewhere thinking about whether or not he should quit.
He heard the door open and looked up as he saw Aster come in the room looking over her mail. She
looked at the beer on the coffee table and the look on his face, and she knew something was wrong. “I
take it your meeting with IA did not go well.” She said, sitting down next to him.
He drained the last drop from his can and tossed it on the table before taking another and cracking it
open. “Well, I was found guilty. The department is paying that racist skinhead a settlement. He is out on
bail because of me. Every killer I have ever put away will be granted a new trial with the possibility of
getting off simply because I worked on their cases. I will forever be lability for all future cases. So my
CO feels it would be best if I ride a desk pushing paper until retirement.”
Aster remained quiet.
“All I have ever wanted to be was a cop. I just wanted to help people, now… what’s the point?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Maybe I should resign.”
“What would you do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you have any skills?”
He looked at her. “Yeah, cop skills.” He snapped.
“Don’t snap at me. I’m not the one who cost you your job.”
He went quiet. Aster stood up and walked away, angry that he dared to lose his temper with her when
she had done nothing wrong. Tyler stood up and placed his drink on the table, then followed her into
the kitchen. “Baby, I’m sorry. You are right. This is my own damn fault, and I shouldn’t take it out on
you. I’m just incredibly frustrated. I was a good cop Aster; I lose my temper once, and it’s all gone just
like that.”
Aster turned to face him. “I think you need something to take your mind off your woes. Katelyn had her
baby a few days ago, and they are throwing a party to welcome the new addition to the pack tonight.
Why don’t you come with me?”
“I thought you were in isolation?”
“I’m not in heat anymore. It’s passed. I’m safe to be around males. Besides, I want you to meet the
pack.”
He didn’t know how he felt about that idea. She had told him stories about how the pack kept most
humans at a distance and were usually quite hostile to humans poking around.
“Are you sure they want to meet me?”
“Are you scared?” She teased.
“Hell yeah. Dealing with one lycanthrope is dangerous enough. Dealing with fifty human-hating
lycanthropes is a bit suicidal.”
She laughed. “well, it will be more like fifteen. Besides, I’ll protect you.” He frowned, still not sure he
wanted to go. “If you want to be part of my life Tyler, this is being part of it.”
He caved. “Alright, I’ll go with you to the party.”
“I’m just going to go shower and change, and then we will head over to Darrel and Katelyn’s house.”
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