Page 27 of His Protective Bear

I was working through some paperwork when the dispatch call came in for a domestic dispute. I knew deputy Quinn was on patrol, but we didn’t have many domestic dispute calls that may involve a weapon. Crime in Asheville was low, but things like this cropped up from time to time.

I jumped up and made sure I had my weapon holstered and headed out, telling Sandra to let Quinn know I was on my way.

When I arrived on the scene, Quinn was trying to hold back a raging alpha while a badly beaten omega cowered in the back of his car. I could tell the coyote alpha was trying to get to the injured omega, and Deputy Quinn was doing his best to hold him back. But the alpha had a large kitchen knife and was swiping at my deputy.

As much as every alpha instinct I had wanted to check on the omega, I needed to make sure my deputy was safe first. I drew my gun and held it low against my thigh as I approached.

“Drop the knife on the ground and put your hands in the air,” I said, my voice firm.

I knew Quinn realized I’d arrived, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off the suspect as he was trained.

“I want my omega back. It’s none of your business. Leave us the fuck alone,” he yelled at me, slashing the knife back and forth in the air.

“We can talk about that after you put the knife down.” I kept my voice steady even as I moved closer to him.

“Don’t come any closer,” he yelled. Gods, the whiskey on his breath explained a lot. Assessing the situation, I reholstered my gun. I didn’t believe there was any excuse for ever laying hands on anyone, especially an omega under your protection. But as the Sheriff, I had to do what I was sworn to do. If it meant I had to use my hands on him, I’d do it.

The drunk alpha was way past inebriated so taking him down wasn’t difficult once I got behind him. However, he got in one good swipe and cut me on my side just under my breastbone, right before I knocked the knife out of his hand and tackled him to the ground. When I had him subdued, Quinn handed me his handcuffs.

When he was cuffed and under control, I pressed my hand to my side, and it came away bloodied. Fuck! I could tell it would need stitches from the amount of blood left on my hand. It would have to wait a little longer.

I got the omega out of Quinn’s cruiser and into my Jeep. I asked him his name, and he told me it was Cole.

Gods, he was so young and human. Fuck.

Quinn loaded the drunk man into his car and went in to book him at the jail.

When Cole and I arrived at the hospital, they took him back immediately and gave him the medical care he needed. I called the Omega House next door to the hospital and asked for a caseworker to be sent over for Cole. OH was housed in the building next door that was previously the original town hospital before this state-of-the-art facility was built. I ensured he was properly attended to before finally letting myself go in for stitches.

Once I was back in the trauma room, the doctor assessed the wound. The cut was deep, and it would have been much worse without my shifter genes. After the doctor stitched me up and cleaned the wound, he recommended a few days off work.

I really needed to ensure that Sage didn’t hear about this from anyone but me. The last thing I needed was to have my pregnant omega worried.

Chapter 13

Sage

I’d just gotten home after picking Clay up from school. Papa usually picked him up, but he was closing up the diner tonight. He’d been talking nonstop since he got in the car, and I couldn’t help smiling. Apparently, six-year-olds had very interesting lives.

Clay could hardly wait for me to put the car in park before jumping out and running inside. As usual, he left all his school stuff behind for me to pick up. He left his stuff everywhere.

I gathered all our things and walked into the house. I hung his book bag on the hook installed specially for Clay. It even had his name and everything. I slid his shoes into the cubby below.

My younger brother had been a big surprise to my parents when he came along almost twenty years after having me, but he was the light of all our lives. I loved being his big brother, especially since the chance of me having a little one was non-existent.

That was another thing I needed to tell Hunter. Maybe he would change his mind about saying I was his mate. I couldn’t go into this without him knowing.

Barren was one of Warren’s favorite things to call me as part of the whole useless omega… You promised you wouldn’t let any of that back in.

When I walked into the foyer, Dad was there getting the same story I got in the car from Clay. Still, when I stepped in, he looked up, then glanced back at my brother, “Just a second, son, why don’t you go get changed out of your school clothes, and then you can tell me all about Lisa and Ollie with your snack.”

Clay’s head tilted to the side like he was considering it, and then he nodded and lifted his three fingers. “Three cookies?”

My dad's lips twitched. “That’s one more than usual.” He pretended to consider it. “Only if you promised to brush your teeth super well tonight.”

My brother nodded so hard and jumped up, running out of the room like he thought Dad would change his mind.

I started into the kitchen to get Clay’s snack ready when Dad’s voice had me pausing, “How’s Hunter?”

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