The rest of the weekend was painful. Amaya hobbled around the cottage. Making her bed was the most difficult part. She wanted to sit on the porch with a book but when she looked out the window she saw Seth in the yard.
He did yard work. He sat outside with his mother. He did her yard work. Was he ever going to leave?
When Monday morning rolled around Amaya wrapped her ankle tightly and chose comfortable shoes she could still move in while appearing professional. The rest of her work attire was similarly functional: a navy blue button-down shirt and black dress pants.
She was still limping as she made her way to her car. The drive was short. Every drive in Forks was short; there just wasn't very far to go. Charlie was already in the office.
"Good morning Charlie." "Good morning Anne. Did you have a good weekend?" "Great. So, what's first?"
Amaya listened as Charlie spoke. Luckily she picked it all up quickly so Charlie didn't have to speak any more than absolutely necessary.
"This is your desk. The supply closet is at your disposal. There are two others in uniform who will be in and out. They know you're here. Any questions?" "I think I've got it. You go ahead and take care of whatever needs doing." "I'm heading over to the library to see about some graffiti. I'll be on the radio if you need me. You be sure to listen and give aid as needed. Your computer is already set up." "Go on Charlie; I'll be fine."
For the next few hours Amaya familiarized herself with the police station. She answered phone calls and coordinated with those in the field.
Forks was a quiet little town. She answered questions about the station's plan of attack with the vandals of the library. She sent an officer after two loose dogs and informed a teen's parents why he wasn't at school.
She might like this quiet little place. The weather was colder than she was used to but it was gorgeous. Everything was green. The sun was usually hidden behind billowing clouds in shades of gray and white.
It would be a shame when she was forced to leave. She would miss this place when she was gone.
Amaya was interrupted from her reverie when a uniform came through the station's front door. Seth Clearwater was smiling like an idiot. He placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of her and leaned his weight into his elbows on her counter.
"I heard you would be here but I didn't chance to hope. How are you liking it so far?" "I didn't know you were a cop." He wasn't daunted by her, "Did I forget to mention it during that long, heartfelt conversation we had?" She switched gears rather than rise to his bait, "You're in awfully late." "I've got the night shift tonight. Are you going to keep me company?" "No."
His smile didn't falter. He simply stood and stretched before taking a drink of his own coffee. "How is your ankle feeling?" "I'm fine. Did you need anything, Officer Clearwater?" "Where's the Chief?" "He's dealing with a domestic. He should be in soon."
He went to what seemed to be his desk and dug into a stack of paperwork. The two sat in relative silence for a while, the only sound that of shuffling paper.
x
Sue had warned her son that Anne would be joining him at work. She had not warned Anne.
Seth was on the evening shift and not due at the station until five. It took every ounce of self-control he'd acquired since joining the Pack not to sit himself at his desk and watch her all day long.
Instead he spent the day running errands and running through the woods with Jake.
Once they were in their wolf shapes Jake and Seth had full access to each other's minds. It was a relief for the love-sick pup to have someone else sift through what had been happening. Jake rejoiced in Seth's happiness at finding his imprint. Jake was concerned at Anne's apparent lack of worry for her own well-being. He picked through Seth's guesses as to her past.
By the next day the entire Pack would know about his imprinting. His family and friends would do anything they could to help Seth get to a point where Anne didn't fear him, at the very least.
Now she sat rigidly at her desk, obviously uncomfortable with Seth behind her. The police station was small enough that her scent permeated the room. Every breath Seth took was full of her. It was a relief after worrying about her all weekend and having to wait to come in. He silently thanked Charlie and his mother for not mentioning his position on the force. Seth was fairly certain Anne would have found a different job opportunity if she had been forewarned.
Seth watched as she answered the phone and radio with efficient ease. She had a cool head on her shoulders and seemed to know exactly how to delegate each situation to the best effect. Office Manager was probably not the job she had always dreamed of. He still knew so little about her. How was he supposed to get her to open up?
His musings were interrupted when Anne stood from her desk and hobbled out of the room. Her ankle was obviously hurting her. Not that she would ever say anything.
When she returned to her desk she was carrying a stack of papers as tall as her head. He started to stand and help her but she was already settled.
"What's that you're working on, Anne?" She sighed and answered without turning to face him, "I'm reorganizing everyone's files." "That could be dangerous. How will we ever find anything?" "I don't know how you ever found anything. But I've related my request to everyone and they've agreed to my instructions as to the new system provided it is in place by the end of the week." "This is the first I've heard of any of this." "Your files do not need reorganization."
Seth glowed. His mate approved of something he'd done. This was a great moment for him.
x
Amaya hated to admit that Seth might not be as useless as she hoped. She could feel his smile radiating through the station. He definitely didn't need any encouragement.
The radio blared and Amaya picked up the call.
-Anne, this is Tony; I'm on 4th and Cherry Blossom in pursuit of a thief. Get someone out here.
"Let me know what direction he's headed."
-Currently headed east out of town.
"I'm heading out now." "Wait Seth."
"Charlie, what's your location?"
-I'm on Mulberry headed North.
"Tony needs assistance in a pursuit. Get to 12th and Jasper and block the tracks."
-I'll be there in two minutes.
"Tony be advised, Charlie is setting up a blockade at 12th and Jasper."
-Got it.
"Okay Seth, get to 10th and make sure the roads are clear." "Yes Ma'am."
x
Seth was out the door in a fraction of a second. She was so authoritative. The few times the small police force had been needed en mas before had ended in complete chaos. Everyone knew the little town of Forks like the back of his hand but they were so unorganized that they either lost the person they were pursuing or someone crashed. Inevitably, something got broken and someone got hurt and no one was to blame. It made for an awkward work place and a highly inefficient team.
Anne left no room for argument. She hadn't hesitated but had handled the situation with precision. Everyone had listened and responded quickly and without argument.
The three officers were always on good terms, but Charlie refused to address any real awkwardness head-on. It was hard enough for him to assign patrols. Speaking on any subject automatically made Seth's step-father very uncomfortable.
With Anne at the helm everything went smoothly. The thief was trapped and no one was hurt. Everyone ended up in exactly the right spot at the right time. How did the girl who'd only been in town three days, already seem to know the place better than the officers that patrol the streets every day?