Happy Birthday Nikki! Hope you like the newest chapter!

Warning: Graphic descriptions of a mutilated dead body ahead

Shawn stared over the report he had printed and crumbled it up in disgust. Another dead end. He tossed it towards the trash can, growling when it fell a few inches short and added to the growing pile on the floor. Gus was going to be mad when he came in and had to clean it up but right now Shawn was too aggravated to care. Every lead he had followed to figure out who had killed Baker had led to nowhere. Whoever the killer was was good at covering their tracks.

Of course, his investigation was hampered by the fact he didn't want the police to know he was investigating their own officers. He was sure someone on the inside had to be involved but he couldn't just go up to everyone who had been present that day and ask if they had anything to do with Baker's death. He had interviewed everyone on the pretense of finding out if they had seen the mysterious hooded figure but hadn't been able to determine anything. The accomplice (or killer; he hadn't ruled out that a cop could have done it) would obviously play along and he couldn't ask if anyone had been acting suspicious without letting on he was investigating the cops. He sighed heavily. He wondered if this was what Lassiter felt like before he swooped in and solved the case for him.

His investigation into his rapid healing wasn't going anywhere either. He had found some medical articles about the subject but from what little he had been able to understand the patient's healing hadn't been anywhere as rapid as his. Everything else he had come across had been in the realm of fantasy or science fiction. From secret government experiments to alien technology to vampires and werewolves, most of it he had dismissed. He had been conscious at the hospital so knew he hadn't been given any kind of experimental serum or had strange technology used on him. He had researched the doctor who had treated him and there were no other cases of rapid healing he could find, so that ruled out the doctor being the cause. As for the rest, even he didn't really believe in vampires and werewolves.

Though this had all started from a bite. He fingered the edge of the bandage. The damn thing itched constantly but he couldn't risk taking it off until he figured out what was going on. Since he had removed the stitches a week ago, the wound had completely healed. All that was visible now was a jagged scar. He wondered, with his apparent approved healing, why there was a scar at all, but maybe it was a side effect of whatever the cause was. In some stories, the bite from a supernatural creature never truly disappeared but that was impossible. Baker had been human.

Even if his teeth had appeared longer at the time and his eyes had looked strange. Shawn shook his head. No, if Baker hadn't been human, it would have been discovered during the autopsy. Unless whoever was responsible for Baker's death had covered that up too. They did work at the station, after all.

The whole thing was crazy. He still felt human. Nothing about him had changed besides the healing. Sure, he seemed to have a bigger appetite lately and had been more irritable than normal but that could all be chalked up to his recent illness and his frustration over the case. Right now, he didn't have enough information to figure out what was happening to him so he would have to keep looking.

He sneezed as the overwhelming smell of lavender filled the office. He covered his nose and considered reaching for a gas mask. "Dude, what did you do, swim in that stuff?"

Gus frowned as he walked into the room and placed a smoothie on Shawn's desk. "What are you talking about?"

Shawn held his breath until Gus had walked over to his desk. Even then it wasn't much better. "That lavender oil you rub on your head. Did you accidentally dump the bottle all over you?"

"I barely put any on."

"Right," Shawn said, drawing the word out. "So who's the girl?" His friend only over did things when there was a cute girl involved.

"There is no girl." Gus took an experimental sniff. "I can barely smell it myself and it's on me. Stop blowing things out of proportion."

"Then at least crack a window." The smell was really starting to give him a headache and it was so strong he could almost taste it.

Gus gave him an irritable look. "Get up and open the damn window yourself."

"Fine." He stalked to the window and shoved it open. The air outside was heavy with the smell of the ocean but was much better than the nauseating lavender. He pressed his face against the screen and took several deep breaths.

"Did you take anything this morning?"

Shawn pulled his head back into the office. With a breeze, the lavender stench was just bearable. "I'm not on drugs, Gus," Shawn said irritably.

"There are types of medication that can cause hyperosmia. A heightened sense of smell," Gus explained at his blank look. "Did your doctor prescribe a new medication or did you take anything over the counter that would interact with what you're on now?"

"No." He had stopped taking all the medication, including the antibiotics, the doctor gave him once he realized his arm had healed. "It's not hyperosmosis, you decided to impersonate the inside of a perfume bottle."

"It's hyperosmia, and you are clearly reacting more strongly than normal to the smell." Gus looked at him worriedly. "Any other symptoms? Have you gotten any migraines lately?"

"I'm fine," Shawn snapped. The open window had helped clear the room of the smell, making it safe to retreat to his desk. "You're the one who needs to learn a lesson from Pepe Le Pew."

Gus slammed a hand on his desk. "You did not just go Looney Tunes on me."

Shawn smirked. "What if I did?"

Gus' eyes narrowed. "I don't know, Taz."

Shawn gasped. "Take that back!"

"Have you seen yourself eat recently?" Gus asked. "Not to mention your hair."

Shawn patted his head. "What's wrong with my hair?" He tilted his computer screen, trying to see a reflection of himself.

"Nothing if you like the shaggy look."

Gus' eyes suddenly brightened and Shawn quickly held up a hand. "No, we are not going Scooby Doo, Velma."

Gus winced. "Okay, truce."

"Deal." Shawn dug around in his desk until he found a candy bar wrapper. He tried to use the reflective inner surface to get a better look at his hair. "Is it really that bad?"

"A bit messy like you've been running your fingers through it all morning," Gus said. "Having trouble on the case?"

Shawn sighed and dropped the wrapper back in the drawer. A quick glance showed there were no intact candy bars left so he shoved it shut. "I've got nothing, Gus. No clue who killed Baker besides that she was involved with someone at the police department."

"Maybe you would be able to find something if you didn't narrow your search to only women," Gus suggested.

"I don't see how that would help since the killer was a woman."

Gus shook his head. "Whatever. Have Lassiter and Juliet made any progress on tracking down Baker's accomplices?"

"No, which is stupid since we know it was the Lupins that did it. Lassie spouted something about needed more evidence because we don't have proof Baker's partners were also part of the gang." Shawn snorted. "I mean, who else would he have been working with?"

Gus raised an eyebrow. "What were you expecting them to do? Storm the place and arrest everyone there?"

Shawn shrugged. "I'm sure they are all guilty of something."

"Have you tried looking into Baker's accomplices yourself?" Gus asked. "Maybe one of them killed Baker to keep him from naming them."

Shawn shook his head. "The DNA evidence shows all the attackers were male. Also, there are only three female gang members without a record and none of them match the build of our killer."

"What about the men? Maybe one of them – "

Shawn cut him off. "The killer was a woman. I'm sure of it." He ran his fingers through his hair, then groaned and hurriedly tried to flatten it. "This sucks. I'm missing something, Gus. The answer is staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

"Maybe you need a break," Gus said. "Let's grab something to eat and maybe when we get back something will click."

"Maybe," Shawn said doubtfully but he wasn't one to turn down a free meal. Plus the lavender smell filling the office wasn't helping things and he might think better with some fresh air. He took a sip of his smoothie, gagging a bit when the lavender effected the taste. "Let's go."

Once outside, they perused the food cart vendors in sight. "We could get corn dogs," Gus said.

Shawn shook his head. "Had those for breakfast. What about snow cones?"

Gus grimaced. "Last time it tasted like ice soaked in cough syrup." He glanced around. "How about pretzels?"

Shawn smirked. "Only if he has forgiven you for trying to get the health department to shut him down."

"He was handling the food without gloves," Gus said defensively. "And he sneezed on it before he gave it to me."

The pretzel vender was glaring at them already, so Shawn ruled him out. "What to choose, what to choose," he muttered, drawing in a deep breath to see if any of the smells coming from the food carts sparked an interest. A hint of cinnamon and fried dough made him smile. "How about churros?"

"That would be great, if the churro guy were here," Gus said.

Shawn opened his eyes and looked around. "Weird. I can smell them."

Gus sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."

Frowning, Shawn took another deep breath. "I do." He pointed down the boardwalk. "I think it's coming from that way." He started walking, assuming Gus would catch up.

"I still don't smell anything," Gus complained. "Are you sure you're not imagining it?"

"I'm sure." The smell was getting stronger now. It veered off the boardwalk and towards an area full of tourist shops. There were a couple of food carts here as well as places that sold food but Shawn was determined to find the churros. They turned down another street, this one residential.

"I think I smell something now," Gus said, taking a deep breath.

Shawn snorted. "About time. I think you need to get the 'super sniffer' checked out. That's twice today that my nose has beaten yours."

"I had a sinus infection last week," Gus said. "It could still be effecting my sense of smell."

"Pul-eaz, you sneezed twice when you tripped into that flower bed," Shawn scoffed. He pointed down the street. "See? I told you!"

The churro cart was sitting at the beginning of an alley between two buildings not far from a park. There didn't appear to be anyone in sight. As they got closer, Shawn picked up a strange smell. It was coppery and rotten mixed with things he couldn't identify and wasn't sure he wanted to. His steps slowed. "Maybe we should go back."

Gus looked at him incredulously. "We came all this way and now that we found him you just want to leave?" He shook his head. "I'm getting me some churros."

"Gus, I mean it. Something's not right." The smell was getting stronger the closer they got to the alley and was starting to make him nauseous.

Gus stopped at the cart. "It's still warm, he can't be far. Do you think he went down there?" He peered down the alley. "Hello?"

Shawn couldn't make out much in the dim light of the alley but he saw a shape in the garbage bags halfway down. "I don't think he's going to be serving us any time soon."

"Maybe he's hurt," Gus said, though he didn't move any closer. "Do you smell that? It smells like blood."

That must be the coppery smell. Combined with the others, it didn't bode well. "We should call Lassie and Jules." He pulled out his phone but didn't dial. "If he's still alive, he might need an ambulance," he said slowly.

Gus nodded, eyes darting nervously down the alley. "We should check on him."

Shawn held his breath and stuck to Gus' side as they cautiously made their way down the alley. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. When they did, he grabbed onto Gus' arm and barely stifled a scream.

There was blood everywhere. It was still fresh enough to drip along the walls and trash bags and to pool in a sticky puddle in the center of the alley. What was left of the body was a mangled mound of flesh in the middle of the puddle. It looked like animals had been chewing on it. The stomach had been ripped open and guts spread in a cooling pile next to the body. He guessed this was the missing churro guy but it was hard to identify him. The face bore deep scratches and his gaze kept being drawn to where the throat had been torn out, exposing bone and cartilage amongst slippery bits of meat.

It was horrifying and he could feel himself starting to hyperventilate. This had an unfortunate side effect of drawing in more of the smell which he now knew was coming from the disemboweled corpse. He stumbled back, trying to make it out of the alley to fresh air. He only made it a few steps before he leaned against the wall and emptied the contents of his stomach on the alley floor.

"Did they say how bad it was?" Juliet asked as they got out of the car.

Carlton grimaced. "Douglas said it was like the set of a slasher film."

Juliet made a face. Her boyfriend may like those type of bloody horror movies but they were a little too gory for her tastes. Maybe because she sometimes found herself facing those kind of scenes in person; like today.

The street was bustling with people. Several police cars were parked at the end of the street and a barricade had been erected to keep back the curious bystanders who had wandered over. A couple of officers were questioning people who lived in the nearby apartment buildings.

They made their way through the crowd to the alley where the body was found. Gus was standing near the entrance, fidgeting as he glanced at something across the street. "Hi, Gus," she said. "You and Shawn found the body?"

"Yeah," Gus said, glancing behind them down the alley. "Shawn thought he smelled the churro guy and insisted he go out to find him."

That sounded like her boyfriend. She looked around but didn't see him anywhere. "Where is he?"

Gus nodded across the street. "He said the smell was bothering him."

Juliet followed his gaze and saw Shawn sitting on the curb across the street with his head in his hands. "Is he okay?"

"I think so," Gus said. "Physically he's fine but he says 'the world smells too loud.'"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Carlton asked.

Gus shrugged. "Just because I'm his best friend doesn't mean I always know what he is talking about."

"Whatever. At least it's keeping him out of our way." Carlton waved at a spot near the alley wall not far from them. "By the way, thanks for contaminating the crime scene, Guster."

"That wasn't me," Gus protested. "I made it to the garbage can." He scrunched his nose in distaste at the mess on the ground. "That was Shawn."

"Shawn threw up?" Juliet asked incredulously. There had been many bloody and smelly crime scenes over the years and her boyfriend had never been so affected he had been sick.

Gus nodded. "He made me stay here to show the cops where the body was and hid across the street."

Juliet exchanged a look with her partner. Getting sick at the scene and not trying to grab attention from the arriving officers did not sound like Shawn. She glanced down the alley. It was too dark to make out much detail from the sunny street but she could see a couple of people moving around, probably CSU. From the lack of jokes and stiffness of their movements, she could guess the scene was a bad one.

"Let's check it out." Carlton pointed at Gus. "Stay here. I don't want to chance you missing next time."

Gus snorted. "No problem. I have no desire to see that again."

Juliet let Carlton led the way down the alley. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust. She knew as soon as Carlton's had because his back stiffened and his step faltered. "Watch your step." He stepped to the side to avoid a smear of blood on the ground and Juliet got her first look at the body.

With the other victims, there had been some bite marks but most of the damage had been done by humans. This body looked like it had been torn apart. She gave a startled gasp and immediately regretted it as the smell of blood and torn flesh made her gag. She covered her mouth with one hand, fighting to keep from getting sick.

Carlton glanced over at her. "You okay?" He was looking paler than normal though he was obviously trying to hide his reaction to the gruesome scene.

Juliet nodded, not trusting herself to speak just now. Carlton turned back to his examination of the body. Juliet forced herself to take slow, shallow breaths through her mouth and stepped closer to join him. This close, Juliet could understand better why Shawn had felt sick. She was feeling nauseous herself.

Carlton pointed to something in the victim's hand. "That looks like fur." He waved on of the techs over to extract it and took the evidence bag from them. "I can't tell what kind. We should get Woody to analyze it."

"May I?" Juliet took the bag and carefully examined the fur. "This looks similar to the wolf hair Shawn had me check a few years ago."

Carlton gestured at the body. "It would match up with the bite marks. So far, they've all been the work of some kind of canine."

Juliet tried to eye the body dispassionately, looking at the placement and the size of the bites. "There was more than one animal."

Carlton nodded slowly. "But at least one human." He pointed to some bruising on the sides of the torso. "Animals don't punch."

"How long until we can get a positive ID?" she asked. Her gaze kept getting drawn to the torn out throat and the wide, staring eyes in the mangled face.

"He still has fingers. If his prints are in the system, we should get a match later today." He glanced up at the buildings on either side. "Someone had to have been home to hear what happened. Unless the first thing they did was rip out his throat."

"Judging by the defensive wounds on his arms, I don't think he was so lucky," Juliet said quietly. It was horrible to imagine what this man had gone through as the animals literally ate him alive.

"Could be a break then." She turned to glare at her partner but stopped when she saw Carlton swallow hard. "I think that is everything we can get from the scene. Woody should be able to tell us more after the autopsy."

Juliet didn't say anything as he quickly walked to the end of the alley. Some people believed her partner was a unfeeling robot but he was human just like the rest of us.

She blinked as she stepped out into the bright, sunny street, taking a deep breath to clear her lungs. Her nose twitched as the scent of cinnamon hit them. Gus was casually standing next to the churro cart, appearing innocent if one ignored the light dusting of crumbs on his shirt. Shawn wasn't with him and a glance around confirmed he was still sitting across the street. She frowned. He must really be feeling bad if he was passing up free food.

Juliet grabbed a water bottle from the car before heading over to Shawn. She stopped in front of him and held out the bottle. "I thought you might want this."

Shawn glanced up at her, then at the water in her hand. His lips twitched into a wry grin. "Thanks." He rinsed out his mouth a couple of times before draining half the bottle.

Juliet sat down next to him. "Gus said you weren't feeling well."

Shawn snorted. "You mean when I tossed my cookies and 'contaminated the crime scene.'"

There wasn't any way Shawn could have heard what was said across the busy street but she wasn't surprised he had gotten Carlton's tone perfectly. Her boyfriend was proud of how well he could imitate and mock her partner. "I've never seen you sick at a crime scene before."

"Guess the smell just kind of got to me today." Shawn sighed and picked at the label for his bottle. "Gus thinks I have hypnonoses, which doesn't make any sense. My nose, though great, has never hypnotized people."

Juliet was sure that was not what Gus had said but Shawn tended to garble even the simplest words, let alone the complicated medical ones Gus liked to use. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Plenty of people get sick at crime scenes, not just Gus." Or they get sea sick while trapped in a small cabin with you. It had taken a week before her hair really felt clean again.

"Doesn't mean everybody has to laugh at me about it," Shawn muttered, shooting a glare at a group of three officers across the street.

Juliet looked at them. They were talking quietly together but none of them were looking at Shawn. "Did they say something to you?"

"Can't you hear them?" Shawn waved at them, a disgusted look at his face. "Right now they're saying Mr. Esteves must have tasted sweet because of the churros."

"Who?"

Shawn sighed. "The churro guy. His daughter is going to graduate high school in two weeks. Valedictorian." He shouted at the officers across the street. "You'd need a butt load of sugar to make you sweet enough to eat."

"Shawn, calm down," Juliet said, grabbing his arm when he tried to get up. "Starting a shouting match at a crime scene is not going to help anything."

Shawn sighed and slumped down. "It would be fun though."

Juliet slid her hand down his arm and clasped his hand. "Why don't you and Gus get out of here? We'll let you know what we find."

Shawn glanced at the officers once more before nodding. "Okay Jules." He stood up and helped pull Juliet to her feet. "By the way, you smell really nice today."

Juliet smiled. "Thank you Shawn." She veered away when he tried to kiss her. "Barf breath," she apologized at his hurt look.

Shawn gave a rueful grin. "Right. Rain check after I get some mouthwash?"

"Okay." She kissed his cheek. "Go on. Stay out of trouble."

Shawn smirked, looking more like himself. "When do I ever get into trouble?" He blew her a kiss before calling Gus and walking away.

Juliet wasn't surprised Shawn knew the victim so well. Her boyfriend loved to eat, he loved talking to people, and he made friends easily. She didn't relish having to explain to the victim's daughter that her father was going to miss her graduation.

"Your boyfriend needs to lighten up."

Juliet turned to see one of the officers from the group Shawn had pointed out. She recognized him now as Officer Douglas, the first person on the scene. "Did you say that the victim must have been sweet because of all the churros he ate?"

Douglas reddened. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

On one hand, she could understand the need to joke around but they were still officers and needed to remain professional. "Remember that a man died her. Show some respect," Juliet snapped. "Or do I need to speak with the Chief?" Douglas reddened more but kept his mouth shut, just shaking his head sharply before he left.

"Impressive," Carlton said, coming up to her. "I see some of my lessons have sunk in."

"He's a jackass," Juliet said. A jackass Shawn had apparently heard across a busy, noisy street. Maybe her boyfriend was learning to read lips again.

"The Chief called. She wants to see us right away about this new death."

"What about Shawn and Gus?"

Carlton shook his head. "We'll call them in once we have more to work with. I doubt Spencer is up to communing with any spirits right now."

Juliet frowned at Carlton's dismissive tone but agreed that it would be better for Shawn to stay away for now. "All right, let's go."

When Carlton started the car, the radio came on and "Psycho Killer" by the Talking Heads was playing. Juliet hoped it wasn't a sign.

"Keep your eyes open in there," Lassiter told Michaels as they approached the house. "These people are sadistic killers. Don't react to them and don't say anything."

Michaels nodded. "Got it, sir."

Lassiter eyed the young officer as he knocked on the door. Michaels wasn't his first choice for entering what could potentially be a hostile situation but O'Hara was informing the family of the latest death and Dobson and McNab were questioning anyone recorded to own a wolf or wolf-hybrid in the county. Michaels had found the first body and had pestered him and the Chief until he was allowed in the investigation. A good officer but a bit young and reckless. He hoped the kid could handle it in there.

The man who answered the door was the epitome of a typical gang member; lots of black leather, scar, tattoos and an adverseness for hygiene. Lassiter tried not to breathe through his nose as he held up his badge. "Head Detective Carlton Lassiter, SBPD. We need to speak with whoever is in charge of this dump."

The man crossed his arms. "Says who?"

Lassiter shifted so his jacket fell open and his gun was visible. "Says me."

The man grinned. "Your puny gun doesn't scare me."

"Want to test that out?" Lassiter growled.

The man took a menacing step forward and Lassiter was reaching for his gun when another voice called out. "Max!" A hand clamped down on Max's shoulder, pulling him back. "That's no way to treat guests."

Lassiter eyed the new man. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and appeared to be familiar with bathing, unlike his friend. Nothing about him screamed gang member in Lassiter's mind but he didn't miss the bulge of a sidearm at his side.

The new man turned to face them. "Sorry about that. Max is a guard dog at heart and not very well trained."

Max growled and jerked himself from the other man's grip. "They want to see the boss."

"He knows. He sent me to fetch him." The man stepped back from the doorway. "This way, officers."

Lassiter glanced at Michaels. The young officer looked a little nervous but not like he was about to bolt. Good. Better than being cocky and confident. A cocky officer was often a dead officer.

They were lead through the house to a large family room. Several people lounged around on the furniture but it was the man standing by the fireplace that had his attention. This was clearly the leader of the Lupins, Jason Steele. He turned to face them when they entered the room. "Leave us."

The other gang members filed out, leaving just Steele, Lassiter and Michaels. Lassiter was surprised Steele hadn't kept the requisite thug around 'for protection' but his cocky attitude told him the man didn't think he had anything to worry about from the two of them.

Lassiter made a show of looking around the room. "Nice place. Not quite the dump I was picturing a gang of murderous scum to inhabit." Indeed, the furniture, while shabby, was clean and there was no garbage lying around. He had seen frat houses that looked worse.

"I don't hold with wallowing in filth and I keep my men to the same standards," Steele said.

"You still have a ways to go with hygiene," Lassiter taunted, remembering the man at the door.

Steele shrugged. "Some habits are hard to break and some men never learn the importance of smell. But that is not why you are here." He gestured towards the couch. "Please, have a seat."

"We're fine standing," Lassiter said. "This won't take long."

Steele waved a hand. "Well then, better get started."

"We're on to you," Lassiter said bluntly. "We know you are responsible for the deaths of five people in the last six weeks."

Steele raised an eyebrow. "If you have such proof, why are you not here to arrest me?"

Lassiter gritted his teeth. "I don't need proof to know you are a murdering scumbag. We had your man Baker."

Steele sighed. "Baker had many problems, including his drug use. I kicked him out when he started to run with the wrong sorts of people." He shrugged. "Too bad he didn't live long enough to tell you that himself."

Lassiter narrowed his eyes. It was a nice story but there was no way to prove it either way. His gut told him this guy knew exactly what Baker was doing and that he condoned the attacks. "If we questioned your men, they would say the same?"

"Of course." Steele spread his hands. "I promise I did not kill any of those people. I have nothing to hide."

Lassiter guessed that was partially true. He doubted Steele had personally been involved in the murders. Still, he did not like the man's cocky attitude. He took a step forward, getting right in Steele's face. "I will find proof you were behind this and I will take you down."

Steele smirked. "I'd like to see you try." He raised his voice. "Claw!" He kept his eyes on Lassiter as the man who had escorted them in entered the room. "See the officers out. We're done here."

Michaels was standing anxiously near the door, clearly ready to leave. Lassiter stared Steele down another moment before turning away. He felt very uncomfortable turning his back on the man but he forced himself not to show it.

As they were escorted out, Lassiter caught a glimpse of gray fur as they passed an open doorway. A large dog? Or a wolf? Either way, it cemented in Lassiter's mind that these were the people responsible.

Steele's men watched them until they got in the car and drove away. Only then did Lassiter relax and let out a deep breath. "You okay?" he asked Michaels.

"Yeah." Michaels shuddered. "That was intense. Those guys are some serious bad asses."

"Agreed." He glanced over at the officer. "I need a couple officers willing to stake out their place. Keep an eye on whose comes and goes and if you see any dogs or wolves on the premises."

Michaels nodded. "You can count on me."

Lassiter grunted. "Good. I speak with Dobson about setting up a schedule." And make sure everyone pairs up, just in case. For all his politeness, Steele was dangerous and they would all have to tread carefully while they worked to take him down.

Steele waited until both officers had left before calling Admiral out of the shadows. "What do you think?"

"I think the kid was ready to piss himself," Admiral said bluntly. "The detective on the other hand may be a problem."

"I agree." Steele thought for a moment. "Keep an eye on both of them but especially the detective. If they start getting too close, we may have to deal with them."

"Is that wise?" Admiral asked. "An attack on a police officer will only bring more attention to us. The detective is also on friendly terms with Spencer, which could prove problematic if he decides to join us."

Steele glared at him. "Are you questioning me?"

Admiral bowed his head. "No, Alpha."

"Good. Get on it," Steele said. "And find out how Minx is doing with Spencer." The beta quickly left and Steele sighed. Admiral was his most trusted and loyal pack member but he tended to question his decisions because of his previous relationship with Steele's father. It was something he had been hoping the beta would drop once he established the new pack but he looked like he would have to deal with it. Publicly, so no other pack member would try to do the same. But that would have to wait until they had the plans in place for Spencer. He was not going to let the mongrels that called themselves the Lockwood pack steal such a unique find.

I'm not sure when I'll have more of this story up. I've been concentrating on a novel I'm writing, an m/m werewolf romance. I'll try to get back to this before too long but I won't make any promises.