Balling up the gloves, he dropped his head and took several steps towards the house. As he reached for the door handle, Blake leant over the fence and grabbed his arm. Pember wrenched it away with unnecessary force, causing Blake’s nostrils to flare as he reached again.
“Pember,” he growled, low in his throat.
It triggered something in Pember’s brain, making him go pliant under the alpha’s touch. “Y-yes?” he said, barely above a whisper.
“I know what it’s like, being unable to sleep.”
Pember’s jaw ticked as he tried to find an answer to throw back at Blake. However, his eyes began to sting, and he looked up at the stars to try and stop any tears from gathering. Blake loosened his grip, letting his hand fall away and hang over the fence.
Pember didn’t move. Only stood looking up at the sky. Eventually, the hammering in his chest stopped and he said the only thing he could think of. “Apple pie?”
Blake let out a soft breath and nodded. Val was still snoozing, and Cherry had her head propped under a wing. It was all quiet in the house, save for the splash of water as Pember washed his hands.
Cutting two slices, he nudged the pie onto separate plates and walked back into the garden. Blake made a thoughtful sound as they both ate.
“Wallace wants you to go to the post-mortem tomorrow in place of Maya. Are you comfortable with that?”
Pember nodded, running his tongue over his teeth. “Who else is going?”
“Me. It’s booked in for half past seven.”
Pember huffed “Well, it’s a good job we’re both raging insomniacs, I guess.”
Blake hummed, scrubbing a hand across his chin. Though Pember couldn’t see it in the low light, he heard the rough scrape of five o’clock shadow beneath the alpha’s fingertips.
“Would you like a lift to the station? I’ll be leaving at six.”
“W-well, so long as that’s okay? I don’t think the first bus comes until seven.”
Blake nodded, scraping his fork across the plate and picking up the pastry crumbs. “Sure. And thanks for the dessert.”
Pember grinned. “How was it?”
Blake smirked and tilted his head. “Not bad, considering it was made with stolen produce.”
Pember bit the inside of his cheek and slowly slid his gaze to Blake. “Think you could do better?”
“I do enjoy a challenge.” The alpha’s voice was low as his lip peeled back over his fangs.
Pember’s tongue touched his cupid’s bow as he leant close enough to bump the alpha’s arm. “I won’t tell the wildlife officer if you don’t.”
With that, he tugged the plate out of Blake’s hand and sauntered back towards the kitchen.
CHAPTER 9
BUTCHER’S BLOCK
Blake
Blake’s eyeswere hurting again—the left more than the right. The blue one. Letting out an earth-shatteringly long sigh, he opened the car door, sank into the driver’s seat and turned on the heaters. Pressing the heels of his palms into his eye sockets did little to dull the ache, but it did relieve the pressure.
Being one of three Detective Sergeants within Major Crime was not as glamorous or exciting as the public might assume. In general, it involved driving long distances, going to a lot of unpleasant places, and witnessing all the abhorrent things people could do to one another.
Certainly, keeping a handle on the Child Protection Unit had beenunpleasantat times.A lot of times, actually.But trying to manage a team of wet-behind-the-ears detectives straight out of training school? Absolutefuckingcarnage.
Blake had spent most of the night fending off calls again, with only the lingering taste of apple pie and the darkness of his living room to prevent his patience from snapping altogether.
Although only thirty-one years old, he felt like an absolute dinosaur compared to the wayward, not quite fully maturedadults being churned out of headquarters. All fresh-faced, inexperienced and without a modicum of common sense between them. He had never felt older.
