Page 81 of Saddle and Scent
I feel my jaw clench, every Alpha instinct in my body rebelling against the suggestion.
The idea of telling Juniper about the threats, about the attempts on her life, about the decade of fear that's shaped every decision we've made—it goes against everything that's driven me to protect her.
"Then what happens if that person returns?" I ask, my voice rougher than I intended.
The question has been haunting me since the moment we found out she was back in town, a constant undercurrent ofanxiety that colors every interaction. "You know how small towns work.People talk. The word will spread that we're together again, and the threats will start all over again."
The doctor turns around to face me fully, her expression shifting from professional detachment to something more personal, more understanding.
She reaches into her medical bag and pulls out a business card, holding it out with steady fingers.
"Dr. Sarah Mitchell," she says, her voice carrying a weight of authority I hadn't noticed before. "I'm from the town over—Millfield. If whoever was sending those threats shows any signs of returning, if there's even a whisper of danger, you call me and I'll get the necessary individuals involved."
I take the card, studying the crisp white cardstock with raised lettering. It's professional, legitimate, but my skepticism must show on my face because she continues before I can voice my doubts.
"How am I supposed to trust that you can handle something like this?" I ask, flipping the card between my fingers. "No offense, Doc, but you're one person. Whoever was behind those threats was smart enough to stay hidden for months, organized enough to orchestrate an attempted murder that looked like an accident. What makes you think you can succeed where we failed?"
Her laugh is rich and genuine, filled with an amusement that catches me completely off guard.
There's something almost predatory in her smile as she crosses her arms, fixing me with a look that suggests I've just walked into a trap I didn't see coming.
"My pack consists of a detective, an FBI private investigator, a lawyer, and a secret double agent," she says, her tone casual as if she's discussing the weather rather than dropping what amounts to a tactical nuclear bomb into our conversation.
I feel my mouth fall open, words dying in my throat as I process what she's just said.
Behind me, I can hear Beckett's sharp intake of breath and Wes's low whistle of appreciation.
The list of credentials is so far beyond anything I could have imagined that my brain struggles to keep up.
A detective.
Someone with access to law enforcement resources, databases, investigative techniques that go far beyond what three small-town Alphas could ever hope to accomplish.
An FBI private investigator.
Federal resources. The kind of connections that can track down threats across state lines, dig into backgrounds that run deeper than surface-level small-town gossip.
A lawyer.
Legal protection, knowledge of the system, the ability to navigate courts and restraining orders and all the official channels that could keep Juniper safe in ways we never could.
And a secret double agent.
I don't even know what that means, but it sounds like the kind of resource that could handle threats we haven't even imagined yet.
"Holy shit," Wes breathes from somewhere behind me, his voice filled with the kind of awe usually reserved for natural disasters or religious experiences.
"That's... that's quite a pack," Beckett adds, and I can hear the wheels turning in his head as he processes the implications of what she's just revealed.
Dr. Mitchell's smirk widens at our obvious shock, clearly enjoying the effect her revelation has had.
There's something almost fond in her expression, like she's watching children discover that Santa Claus is real and he's brought exactly what they asked for.
"I know what it's like to lose a group of men who loved the shit out of me," she says, her voice softening with personal experience. "But I also know what it's like to watch them fight against the barriers placed to stop us from loving one another."
The words hold so much truth, like its cutting straight through all my carefully constructed defenses.
Because that's exactly what we've been doing, isn't it?
