“Hello,” she said, her voice deep and husky. It went right to my balls.
Theo tugged off his hat. “Ma’am. Who might you be?”
“Ali Jenkins.”
I pegged her as being early to mid-twenties. By location, name and age, it didn’t take two law enforcement officers to put the evidence together. She was Bob Jenkins’s daughter.
I couldn’t help taking a step closer, reaching out and lifting the end of her braid. I flicked my fingers over the strands, then lifted the tail to my nose.
A gasp escaped her lips at the forward gesture, but I couldn’t help myself. I considered my action to be reserved, considering Theo and I had been waiting for her our entire adult lives.
Theo moved to stand beside me, our arms bumping.
I watched as Ali swallowed, and it was my turn to groan because I was imagining her throat working as she tried to take my dick as deep as she could.
“Who’s at the door?” a voice called from the depths of the house.
The sound startled our mate and she jumped back, her braid being tugged before I released it.
“Police!” she called, taking in my uniform and Theo’s DEA jacket.
Heavy footfall preceded Bob Jenkins.
Not happy, I stepped back, trying to get my head back on task, but it was fucking impossible. I kept glancing at Ali, afraid she might disappear.
“What do you want?” he practically snarled when he came to the doorway. He moved his daughter behind him, but she didn’t go far. Jenkins gave me a quick glance, then ruled me out as worth recognizing on his front porch.
Maybe she, too, felt the attraction between us, the need to stay together.
“Sir, I’m Special Agent Decker with the DEA.”
He responded to Theo with a quick and annoyed, “Yes?”
“Sheriff Cooke was kind enough to bring me here so I could introduce myself,” Theo added.
“Why is a DEA agent making himself known to me in particular?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest in the blatant standoffish gesture.
Jenkins wore worn jeans, a white snap shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and sturdy leather boots. Typical uniform for a rancher. While his hair was more gray than dark brown, it had barely receded with age. He was tall and strong. Even though his property was large enough he must have many employees, he clearly didn’t run the place from behind a desk.
“The Cheyenne office has been dealing with a large influx of meth into the southern portion of the state. We’ve been able to question local dealers and track the supply this way. To Granger County.”
Theo specifically left out Wolf Springs, and even Jenkins’s large swath of land where meth could be made without detection, which was what Theo suspected.
Jenkins glanced down at his daughter. “Alison’s a little too old for me to advise her not to do drugs.”
I looked at Ali—Alison Jenkins—and didn’t look away. I listened to Jenkins continue to talk, but I was taking in the warm tan of her skin, the roundness of her cheeks. Her long fingers. The cinch of her belt around her waist. The swell of her full hips. I clenched my fingers with the need to grab hold of her and never let go.
“—sure to share your information with the other ranchers in the area,” Jenkins said, setting his hand on the open door. “We’ll keep watch for any unusual activity, and share it with the sheriff.”
At my mention, I blinked and looked in Jenkins’ dark eyes. The same ones his daughter shared. Yet while hers were filled with interest and—hopefully—newfound desire, I saw rage and guilt in his. He was involved. I knew it.
I was sure Theo knew it, too.
“If that’s all, we have a ranch to run.” Jenkins looked between us, stepped back, and closed the door in our faces. I got one last look at Ali before the sight of her was cut off—and her sweet scent.
“I don’t want you talking to those men.” With our shifter hearing, it was easy to pick up Jenkins’ angry words. And our mate’s response.
I stilled, listened.
“Why not?” she countered. “They’re doing their job.”
Theo glanced my way, and his fists clenched. We couldn’t leave the porch without hearing their argument. The words Jenkins was putting into our mate’s ears that might make her hate us.
“While Sheriff Cooke was doing his job, he defended animals, not the people who voted him into office.”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I resisted. Barely.
“He wasn’t here about the wolf problem,” Ali replied. “What is this about meth?”
“How the hell should I know? He has it out for ranchers, obviously. Fines. Protecting the wolves—”
“You already said that. The meth? The other guy is from the DEA. They’ve got to have a reason to be here besides annoying you.”
That made Theo grin.
“Are you taking their side now?” Jenkins snarled.
I wanted to kick the door in and protect our mate, even from the angry tone of her father.