Page 5 of Paws for a Minute
“I think you mean Cohen fucking Pierce,” Lila teased. “Thanks for making an effort for me, Alana. It means a lot.”
“You’re just lucky I love you like the sister I always wanted.”
Alana didn’t mention that she would never be pleasant with Cohen. Not until he made the first move. She might not have much, but Alana Wixx had her pride, and though it didn’t keep her warm at night, it was all she had.
THREE
COHEN
Cohen Pierce sat in his truck, gripping the steering wheel with enough strength to crush it in his strong hands. He eased a deep breath out, getting ready to leave the safety of his truck.
You know you want to go in,his wolf goaded.Come on. It’ll be fun.
Cohen was surprised that he and the animal living in his head didn’t have the same idea of what was fun.
Going to war over a booth was not fun, but fuck it all if he was going to let a witch tell him where he could or could not sit. He was the sheriff, and that came with built-in respect, didn’t it? Well, itdidin Half Moon Key for everyone. Almost. There was one holdout who drove him nuts.
Cohen got out of his vehicle and opened the diner’s door before quickly scanning the diner, his keen eyes searching out a specific shade of red.
There she was.
Cohen’s back straightened, but there was a sudden swagger to his steps as he made his way over the redhead.
“I should’ve known you were gonna beat me tomyspot.” He took off his hat and placed it on the table with a loudthunk.
Alana glared at the hat as if it were a snake, but she crossed her arms before looking up at him. The force of her scowl would have sent lesser men running away with their tails tucked between their legs, but Cohen wasn’t scared of the witch.
Witch.
He always knew there was something different about Alana Wixx, but now that he was on the council and knew exactly what kind of creature the woman was, Cohen was dead set on keeping his distance from her.
Cohen didn’t like witches. It didn’t matter that Alana was the first one he met. He had a dislike for anything that could mess with the powers of nature the way it had been done in Half Moon Key.
Power like that made him nervous because he didn’t fully understand it, and no matter what Mrs. Francis said, he wasn’t willing to learn. Heneededto keep Alana Wixx at a distance, but he couldn’t explain this to Mrs. Francis without revealing way too much of himself.
Anger and hatred were simpler, much better defenses.
Mason had needlessly pointed out, “You break the laws of nature every time you shift into your wolf,” but it wasn’t the same. Not according to Cohen, anyway.
A witch was a witch. A shifter was born to be both man and animal. Alanachoseto play with forces beyond others’ reach, and that was terrifying. Cohen had been alive long enough to know that those with access to great poweralwaysabused it.
Always.
The fact Half Moon Key even had a witch on retainer was proof of that alone; even though the town was governed by a council of elders instead of the usual alpha, the power had still gone to their heads. They hired a witch to cast all kinds of protective spells on Half Moon Key.
A Wixx witch. Alana’s grandmother, then her mother, and now Alana herself.
It gave the witch ideas about how the town was run, and she had no trouble telling the sheriff just how poor of a job he was doing. Every. Fucking. Time. She saw him.
Did it stop him from being in her presence? No. He wanted Alana to know he was watching her carefully. He wanted her to know that he didn’t buy into this power she held over the elders. He wouldn’t be fooled by her pretty face.
Not that she had a pretty face.
Nope.
“You realize there are free tables, Sheriff? Or are you set on making my life miserable today as you do every other day of my life?”
He chuckled dryly. “You know this is my table, Miss Wixx. I wouldn’t have to sit this close to you if you made better choices.”
