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Lucas growled. His face twisted in a snarl, he lunged at his friend.
Gage grabbed him and wrestled him back. “Don’t make this worse for yourself,” he warned.
Lucas stopped struggling.
While Gage put cuffs on him, he finally raised his head to meet Malia. “Officer Malia, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t give me that,” she snapped, as the flood of emotions inside her threatened to burst through the dam of her self-control. “You’re just sorry you got caught.”
His expression twisted. He looked away.
“I’ll transport Mr. Winter here,” Gage told her. He shot her a glance filled with sympathy and compassion before he led Lucas to the back of his SUV.
After Bickham and Silvers had been searched and cuffed, Gage watched over the suspects while she went to retrieve her vehicle.
On the way, she radioed Dispatch once more and requested tow service to impound Bickham’s truck.
Then, feeling exhausted and numb, she drove back to the site of the arrest, put Bickham and Silvers in the back of her SUV, and drove them to the station for booking.
Her two prisoners were silent on the drive into town, leaving Malia to face the fact that she had just lost her fated mate.
Because there was no way in hell she could ever build a life with him now. She’d fallen for one of the bad guys.
Her wolf had made a disastrous choice in mates, and there wouldn’t ever be anyone else for her.
* * *
“You know, I could pull over and beat the shit out of you for what you just did to Malia.” Tringstad’s cold blue eyes met Lucas’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Go right ahead,” Lucas replied dully. “I deserve it. And I don’t think anyone in this town would give a damn if you killed me. They already think I’m a couple of notches below pond scum.”
Being arrested while undercover was always a possibility. But having it happen just as he finally made his case was Lucas’s worst nightmare come to life.
No, he thought. Seeing Malia’s despair and hurt was even worse than that. He’d hurt his mate. Betrayed her trust.
Emily was right. I’m the kind of guy who’s willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of my job…even my fated mate.
A burning ache pulsed through him, rising from the spot deep inside him where his mate bond was anchored.
“But I didn’t have a choice, Gage,” Lucas continued. His throat felt raw with all of the pain fighting to escape his chest. “I knew this was my big chance to take down Bickham and Silvers. But I swear I had no idea that Malia was going to be there.” He shook his head. “Hell, I don’t know how she found out about Bickham’s plans. I sure as hell didn’t tell her.”
Gage grunted, and turned onto the highway.
Heavy silence clouded the interior of the SUV. Finally, Lucas said, “I owe you an apology for behaving like such an asshole this week. I’m sorry, Gage. I really and truly am. I fucked up and behaved really unprofessionally by letting my personal life interfere with my duties. I endangered the operation. There’s no excuse for that.”
Frowning, Tringstad digested that for a few moments. Then Lucas saw him smile crookedly in the rearview mirror. “Well, I have to say, you make a damned convincing dirtbag, Lucas.” He paused. “Please tell me that you weren’t just messing around with Malia.”
“No!” Lucas protested. “I’d never do that to her. She’s my mate and I love her. She’s…wonderful and amazing and better than I deserve.”
“And a hell of a cop for a rookie.” Tringstad chuckled, and the ice in his eyes thawed. “I can’t believe she managed to catch all of you in the act!” He shook his head ruefully. “Good for her! I’ve been trying to get something on Bickham for years, but he’s a slipperier than an eel. I was never able to get enough evidence to make the prosecutor happy.”
“Yeah, Malia is really something,” Lucas agreed.
“At least you finally get to come clean with her,” Tringstad said. “I only hope you haven’t burned your bridge beyond fixing, Lucas.”
“I’ll do whatever I need to, to repair her broken trust. And yours, too, Gage.”
Tringstad nodded. “Okay, I forgive you, Lucas. Welcome back to the bright side.” Then, unexpectedly, he grinned. “I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when they hear that you’re not really a dirtbag poacher. You have some of the pack really worried.”
