Page 29 of Entering a New World

“Bingo.” He nodded. “Even if he left you a satellite phone—something you could have actually used out there—it’d be considered Criminal Negligence, or… did you, by any chance, sign a release for injuries or anything?”

“Nope,” I said, popping the p. “And I sure as fuck did not have anything in my contract with Alistar that would allow him to do something like that. He was supposed to book, like, photo shoots for me or organize collabs with other influencers or, I don’t know, score sponsorships. All the administrative stuff that was starting to be a fucking pain in my ass. And my contract clearly states that he has no executive power; I’m the one who makes the final decisions.”

Paul nodded along. “That’s good to hear. It certainly makes the whole thing a lot easier.”

Thank fuck. I let out a gust of air, my shoulders dropping. At least hiring a contract lawyer had ultimately paid off—even though it’d taken a huge chunk out of my income.

“Can we also get him for theft? He took all my stuff. I don’t even have money or my ID.”

Paul nodded, scratching his head. “You had your stuff on you when he abandoned you?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Everything was in a big, dark grey backpack. A Surface laptop, my phone, my wallet, a pair of headphones, as well as a set of spare clothes.”

Typing something on his computer, Paul kept absently nodding his head. “And you’re from Vancouver City?”

“Yes.”

After answering a ton of questions, Paul finally looked up from his computer and gave me a crooked grin. “That’s it for now. I know you’re probably itching to tell that manager of yours off, but if you could refrain for another day or two, I’d really appreciate it.”

I wanted nothing more than to yell at that bastard, tear him a new one through the phone and immediately fire his ass, but… “Uh, sure. May I ask why?”

“A. I’m trying to get a search warrant. Rhett and I already retrieved the cameras from the cabin, and the footage really helps your story, but him having your belongings would be another piece of evidence we can use. B. The storm was more than a week ago. By now, your manager should have called the authorities about you—and he hasn’t. That’s something that also can be used in court. By now, he should’ve filed a missing person’s report or done something to try finding you, but… He didn’t report you as missing. Hell, we’re by far the closest town, and he hasn’t even called to let us know you’re stuck in the woods out here. He has to assume you’re injured—or worse. Him not doing anything… that’s a really bad look for him. I don’t want you to call him, otherwise he might try getting rid of evidence.”

“That makes sense.”

I hated missing out on screaming at Alistair, but if it got him behind bars, I was all for it. I wanted to see him suffer, just like I’d suffered. I wanted to see him lose everything, just like I’d thought I’d lose my life out there.

“Perfect. I’ll call you… uh, sorry. I’ll call the Inn as soon as I know something new.” Paul grinned at me, showing off a row of perfectly white teeth. Blinking, I cocked my head. His wide smile, the slim, pointy face, combined with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes made him look like…

“Are you, by any chance, a fox?” I blurted, before slapping my hands over my mouth. My cheeks grew warmer, undoubtedly flushing a deep red.

Was it okay to ask something like that?

Someone should write a book with the title ‘How to Behave Around Shifters without Making an Ass out of Yourself.’

Paul chuckled, biting his lips for a moment. “Right on the spot,” he said, winking at me. “My mom always says that I couldn’t hide my shifter nature if I tried. You know, there are certain plants you can use to hide your scent—and there’s always magic—but for some reason, the goddess thought it’d be incredibly funny to make me look a little fox-like even in human form. But do you want to know the kicker?”

I nodded before I could even try to stop myself, so I added a quick, “If it’s okay to ask?”

Paul waved his hand nonchalantly. “I wouldn’t go around asking people about their shifter sides willy-nilly; it can be a sore spot for a lot of folks around here. However, I know you’re new and I can’t even begin to understand how hard it must be having to figure all of this out as an adult, so it’s fine. Anyway, the kicker is… I’m not a red fox. I’m a polar fox.”

“But your hair…”

He laughed. “Yeah, it’s amazing. Other shifters can smell that I’m a fox, you know? So they’re always expecting a red fox, and then poof.” He made jazz-hands at me. “Puffy polar fox it is.”

I couldn’t help but giggle. Paul was definitely not what I’d expected from a police officer, but in a positive way. I liked the way his eyes sparkled and the ever-present hint of a smile on his face.

“Okay. I hate to kick you out, but I want to try to get a search warrant as soon as possible—and I need to find out where your manager actually is. I know you said he lives in Vancouver, too, but if he dropped you off here, he might still be in a hotel somewhere close.”

Standing up, it took me a moment to gather my balance. Yeah, I definitely wasn’t back to a hundred percent yet. “It’s fine. Thank you so much for your help. And don’t let me keep you. I wanted to spend the day exploring the town a little, anyway.”

I pulled the printed map out of my pocket and waved it around. “Mave made this for me.”

Paul nodded slowly, eyes tracking the map.

“Giving you pointers as to where shifters are is certainly a good idea.”

“I sense a but coming?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

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