The CLEET packet sat on Thane\u2019s lap like an accusation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had not put it there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane had tossed it onto the center console somewhere between the police station and the first traffic light. Mark had watched it slide, waited exactly three seconds, then reached forward from the back seat and set it neatly across Thane\u2019s thigh as if restoring order to the universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked down at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then into the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked back at him with perfect innocence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t say anything,\u201d Mark replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou moved it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was getting bent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt deserves to be bent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel sat in the passenger seat with one elbow against the window, black fur catching the pale morning light, blue eyes half-lidded in the way that meant he was amused and trying not to make it worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trying poorly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is a brochure,\u201d Gabriel said. \u201cNot a confession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane growled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dashboard vibrated faintly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel smiled. \u201cAudio confirmed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark sighed from the back seat. \u201cWe have already retired that joke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou retired it. I appealed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is no appeal process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly what someone losing an appeal would say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane gripped the steering wheel harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2014 Nissan Xterra rattled slightly as it rolled over a rough seam in the road. It was old enough to have opinions, boxy enough to suit him, and sturdy enough that Thane trusted it more than most people. The driver\u2019s seat had been modified years ago, the pedals adjusted, the floor mats replaced with heavy rubber that did not care about clawed feet, mud, or blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Usually, driving calmed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind them, the Cross Timber Police Department shrank into the morning. Ahead, the city stretched north and east under a low gray sky, all wet asphalt, stoplights, fast-food signs, churches, schools, medical offices, strip centers, and half-finished subdivisions pushing into land that had once been pasture and blackjack oak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cross Timber, Oklahoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too big to be a small town. Too small to admit it wanted to be Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It sat along the northern edge of the metro, close enough to borrow the city\u2019s traffic and far enough out to keep its secrets in tree lines, creek beds, old barns, and gravel roads no GPS handled correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane liked the edges better than the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The edges made more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re reading it,\u201d Gabriel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane glanced over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel pointed with one claw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked down. His eyes had dropped to the packet without permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shoved it toward the console.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am not reading it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were looking at words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was glaring at them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAdvanced literacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark leaned forward between the seats. \u201cTechnically, visual hostility toward text still requires processing the text.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked at him in the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark settled back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNoted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The packet slid again as Thane turned onto a wider road lined with new construction. A coffee shop sat on one corner. A bank on the other. Beyond them, a field had been scraped clean for another neighborhood with a cheerful sign promising luxury homes starting in the low six hundreds, as if luxury could be ordered by the pallet and installed before closing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel watched it pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRemember when that was all trees?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRemember when you said development was inevitable and we should buy land before everyone else noticed?\u201d Mark asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel smiled. \u201cI enjoy being right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane snorted. \u201cYou enjoy people knowing you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is the main benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked out the window. \u201cWe got lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Gabriel said. \u201cWe got paranoid before it became fashionable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was closer to true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Years ago, before Cross Timber had started swelling at the seams, before every pasture became a zoning fight and every old county road became a shortcut for people late to brunch, the three of them had bought land northeast of town. More land than anyone thought they needed. More trees than any realtor knew how to describe. A slope, a creek, a long gravel drive, and enough distance from the nearest neighbor that three full-time werewolves could step outside at midnight without becoming somebody\u2019s blurry social media post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The money had come from code and nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A cybersecurity platform first. Then emergency systems integration. Then a monitoring tool Mark had built because he was tired of vendors saying certain things were impossible. Thane had handled infrastructure, field testing, and the kind of meetings where executives needed to understand that \u201csecure enough\u201d was not a technical term. Gabriel handled clients, contracts, and the delicate art of smiling while telling people their million-dollar plan was stupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They sold too early, according to Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They sold at the perfect time, according to Gabriel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They sold before Thane bit a venture capital guy, according to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The merger had not made them private-island rich. It had made them free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bills paid. Land bought. House built. Work optional. Consulting selective. No fluorescent office, no mandatory team-building retreat, no quarterly vision statement written by someone who thought \u201csynergy\u201d was a personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was supposed to mean peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked down at the packet again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apparently, peace had paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel reached over and plucked the packet off the console.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane snapped his eyes toward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRelax. I\u2019m not joining. I\u2019m mocking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He flipped to the first page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCouncil on Law Enforcement Education and Training,\u201d Gabriel read. \u201cThat sounds deeply unpleasant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood,\u201d Thane said. \u201cThrow it out the window.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark\u2019s ears lifted. \u201cDo not litter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFine. We\u2019ll burn it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is still improper disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel turned a page. \u201cThere\u2019s probably a section on improper disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane stared into the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked out the side window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel slowly turned around. \u201cYou already read it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI skimmed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou read government training material in a moving vehicle before breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was curious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were seduced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was informed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane pointed ahead without looking. \u201cBoth of you stop flirting with the police pamphlet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel looked back down at it. \u201cIt has standards, Thane. Mark never stood a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark made a sound that was almost dignified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They left the denser part of Cross Timber behind. The lanes narrowed. The gas stations thinned out. Fences appeared, then trees, then stretches of land where red dirt showed through winter grass. The city did not end so much as loosen its grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane turned off the paved road onto gravel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Xterra\u2019s tires crunched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel grew quieter as the trees closed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They all did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The road curved twice, dipped past a creek crossing, then climbed toward the ridge. The house came into view slowly, first the roofline, then the stone chimney, then the wide front porch supported by cedar posts thick enough to look grown instead of built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cabin was not really a cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That had started as a joke and become a lie everyone kept using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a log home big enough to make delivery drivers question their maps. Massive timbers, broad windows, reinforced doors, deep overhangs, a wraparound porch, and a garage that had been expanded twice because Thane\u2019s idea of \u201creasonable vehicle storage\u201d had never survived contact with reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Humvee sat under the side carport like a sleeping animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matte green. Broad. Ugly. Perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel eyed it as they pulled in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know,\u201d he said, \u201cif we ever do become police-adjacent, arriving in that would not help the public image.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not becoming police-adjacent,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark unbuckled. \u201cYou said we weren\u2019t becoming cops. Police-adjacent may still be undecided.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane turned in the seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark opened the rear door before the glare could fully land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clawed feet touched gravel. No shoes, no socks, no attempt to pretend otherwise. None of them bothered. They were werewolves. Fully, always. Hands clawed, feet clawed, fur visible, ears expressive no matter how inconvenient. The world had known werewolves existed for generations, but knowing and seeing were different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most bloodlines had thinned. Most remaining werewolves never changed at all, or changed rarely, or treated the old form like an embarrassing family illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane, Gabriel, and Mark did not have that option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or maybe they had never wanted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were what they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The porch steps creaked under Thane but did not complain. He had rebuilt them himself after the first set had failed under less dramatic circumstances than Gabriel liked to imply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside, the house smelled of cedar, stone, coffee, old books, and the faint metallic tang of last night\u2019s rain still clinging to their fur. The entryway opened into a great room with a vaulted ceiling and exposed beams. The fireplace could have roasted an elk. The furniture was oversized, heavy, and chosen for the single practical question that governed their domestic lives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Would it survive Thane sitting down angry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, mostly yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel dropped into one of the chairs near the fireplace with the grace of someone who had claimed it years ago and considered the matter legally settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark went straight to the kitchen island and set the CLEET packet in the exact center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane stopped in the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked at him. \u201cIt is not radioactive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel leaned back. \u201cIt does have more forms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane crossed the room, picked up the packet, and moved it to the far end of the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark watched him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then calmly moved it back to the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark\u2019s ears angled forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel raised one hand. \u201cBefore this becomes territorial, I would like breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is not staying on the island,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is the only thing we need to talk about,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. We need to talk about coffee. Food. Sleep. Possibly bleaching the police station smell out of my nose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel sniffed his shoulder. \u201cYou smell like interrogation room and moral ambiguity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane pointed at him. \u201cYou smell like sarcasm and bad decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot a compliment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark opened the refrigerator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEggs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane grunted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel lifted two fingers. \u201cYes, but emotionally supportive eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark ignored that, which was usually the safest response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a few minutes, the house settled into routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coffee maker growling. Pan heating. Refrigerator door opening and closing. Gabriel pretending not to read the packet from across the room. Thane pacing once from the kitchen to the windows and back, claws clicking softly against the hardwood. Mark cracking eggs with too much precision for someone who claimed not to be nervous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside, the woods stood still under the gray morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No police station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No file folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No little girl\u2019s picture on a table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That made it worse somehow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane stopped by the window, looking out toward the trees beyond the porch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel noticed first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He always did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThane.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNobody asked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were about to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was about to say you\u2019re blocking the view.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane huffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark slid a mug of coffee onto the island. It stopped near Thane\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBribe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStabilization effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel lifted his mug. \u201cI support peacekeeping operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane took the coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a while, breakfast happened without much conversation. Scrambled eggs, leftover steak cut into strips, toast for Gabriel because Gabriel insisted toast made breakfast civilized, and a bowl of fruit Mark put out because Mark believed in nutritional balance even on mornings that smelled like homicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane did not sit until Mark did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The packet remained between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A fourth place at the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uninvited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel tapped one claw lightly against his mug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are not becoming cops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObviously not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich is why we should discuss why we are absolutely not attending the informational session next week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane set his fork down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark kept eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked at him. \u201cYou too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark swallowed before answering. \u201cI did not say we should attend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel smiled. \u201cYou arranged the packet perpendicular to the table edge. That\u2019s practically a marriage proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI arranged it because you tossed it down crooked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou see? Passion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked at Thane. \u201cI think we should talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTalking is not agreeing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is with you. You talk until the rest of us are too tired to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel nodded. \u201cThat is his hunting style.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark folded his hands around his coffee mug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think Voss had a point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s ears lowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel\u2019s expression shifted, humor easing back into caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark did not look away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying she was right about everything,\u201d Mark continued. \u201cI\u2019m not saying we owe anyone anything. I am saying she put a packet on the table for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Thane said. \u201cBecause cops like paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause she thinks we are going to keep ending up near trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel murmured, \u201cHistorically supported.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane ignored him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark\u2019s voice stayed calm. \u201cAnd because if people like us keep ending up near trouble, someone eventually decides whether that makes us useful or dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word hung there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane leaned back in his chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No hesitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That landed harder than if he had argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark glanced toward the window, toward the trees, toward the world beyond them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat does not mean wrong. It does not mean bad. It means dangerous. There is a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel turned his mug slowly between both hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVoss sees it too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel shrugged. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t scared of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe should be smarter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe was measuring us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark nodded. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane growled under his breath. \u201cGreat. Two of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t bring us in to solve last night,\u201d Gabriel said. \u201cShe brought us in to decide what we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd what are we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel held his gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is probably why the packet is on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The house seemed to quiet around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane pushed back from the table and stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chair legs scraped against the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know what I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel looked up at him. \u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s lips pulled back just enough to show teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark\u2019s ears tilted, but he did not interrupt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel\u2019s voice stayed even. Not soft. Not afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause last night you were ready to tell Voss the whole system failed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is no sure. It did. That man walked over and over and over because everyone who knew what he was had their hands tied.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel nodded once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane jabbed one claw toward the packet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd now the same system wants us to sit in a classroom and learn how to tie ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane swung his gaze to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark set his mug down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe system does not want us,\u201d he said. \u201cNot yet. Maybe not ever. One detective handed us a packet because she saw three people who might become a problem and decided to put a line in front of them before someone else put a target on them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel looked at Mark with open appreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was annoyingly clear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark sighed. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hate when you\u2019re right,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI especially hate when you\u2019re right before noon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI also know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane turned away from the table and walked into the great room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His clawed feet were quiet now despite his size. That was another thing people misunderstood. They expected werewolves to stomp, crash, snarl, announce themselves like monsters in old movies. Thane could move silently when he wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He usually did not want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, the quiet came on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stopped near the fireplace and stared at the cold ash from the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel came to stand a few feet behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark remained at the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you want my honest answer?\u201d Gabriel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. I was going to give it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane closed his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel leaned one shoulder against the mantel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think becoming cops sounds awful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane opened one eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel continued. \u201cThe hours are bad. The politics are worse. Everyone lies to you. Half the public hates you until they need you. You get blamed for the law, the budget, the weather, and probably potholes. There are forms. So many forms. Mark will thrive. It\u2019ll be disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can hear you,\u201d Mark called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI counted on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s mouth twitched despite himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel\u2019s smile faded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I also think access matters,\u201d he said. \u201cInformation matters. Being allowed through the tape matters. Knowing where the missing kid was last seen before the trail goes cold matters. Getting called before everything is already ruined matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel lowered his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd maybe having rules would not be the worst thing for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked at him then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel did not flinch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel\u2019s blue eyes stayed calm. \u201cYes. Us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane wanted to argue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had arguments ready. Good ones. Angry ones. Ones with teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the truth was sitting in the room with them, quiet and heavy as the packet on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girl was home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dead man would never hurt anyone again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That mattered too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Voss\u2019s words had followed him home no matter how fast he drove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monsters do not get to decide what justice is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane hated that sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He hated it because part of him agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The television clicked on behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark stood with the remote in one hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought you were making more coffee,\u201d Gabriel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was,\u201d Mark replied. \u201cThen I saw the alert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The screen showed a local morning news broadcast. The volume was low at first, then Mark raised it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman in a blue coat stood outside Cross Timber Police Department, hair moving slightly in the wind, microphone held near her chin. Behind her, cruisers sat in the lot like the morning had not changed anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2014five-year-old Emma Kincaid was found alive early this morning after being missing for more than two weeks,\u201d the reporter said. \u201cPolice are not releasing many details at this time, but sources confirm Emma was located at her family\u2019s home shortly after three a.m. and transported for medical evaluation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The screen changed to a photo of Emma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Same missing poster picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Same smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Same missing tooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s throat tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel stopped leaning against the mantel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark lowered the remote slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reporter continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHer parents released a brief statement asking for privacy and thanking law enforcement, volunteers, neighbors, and everyone who helped bring their daughter home. Police have not confirmed whether a suspect is in custody, but investigators are reportedly searching a rural property north of the city connected to the case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel\u2019s ears angled back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane stared at the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the broadcast cut to shaky footage outside a house. Not close. Respectful distance. A front porch. A police cruiser at the curb. A woman holding onto a man in the driveway while another adult tried to guide them away from cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emma\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No sound from her at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the clip shifted to a short recorded statement. Her face was pale and swollen from crying, her hair pulled back carelessly, one hand gripping the man beside her as if gravity had become unreliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe just want to say thank you,\u201d she said, voice breaking. \u201cTo everyone who searched. Everyone who prayed. Everyone who didn\u2019t give up on our baby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man beside her put an arm around her shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She tried again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhoever brought her home\u2026\u201d Her mouth trembled. \u201cThank you. Thank you for bringing our little girl home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The clip ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The studio returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark muted the television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside, wind pushed through the trees. The house creaked softly around them, old wood answering cold air. The world felt too large and too small at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane looked away first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel cleared his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cThat was unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark set the remote down. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane walked to the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Same view. Same trees. Same wet morning light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He could still see the porch from the news clip. Not in detail. Not like memory, exactly. More like the shape of it. The little girl wrapped in green. Tiny feet. Big eyes. A voice too small for the dark she had survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The big wolves brought me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane pressed one clawed hand against the window frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not the glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He did not trust himself with glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind him, Mark picked up the packet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paper shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s ears turned toward the sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re really reading it now?\u201d Gabriel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking at dates,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is an informational session next Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know. Voss said that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt starts at six-thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt says registration is recommended but not mandatory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is a contact number.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel pointed at Thane\u2019s back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane did not turn around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The room went still again, but it was not the same stillness as before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane hated waiting rooms. Waiting questions. Waiting decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He hated the way both of them knew him well enough not to push.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, he spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane turned from the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe go,\u201d he repeated. \u201cWe listen. Then we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel\u2019s mouth curved faintly. \u201cThat is historically how all our worst ideas begin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not applying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not becoming cops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObviously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not letting some detective with a folder and a guilt complex shove us into the world\u2019s most annoying career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark nodded. \u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane narrowed his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re agreeing too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am trying positive reinforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo it less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel walked back to the table and looked down at the packet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSix-thirty next Thursday,\u201d he said. \u201cThat gives us a week to come up with a good reason not to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have several,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExcellent. We can bring them with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark reached for his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane\u2019s head snapped toward him. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChecking the calendar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPurely hypothetically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel leaned over Mark\u2019s shoulder. \u201cDo we have anything Thursday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark tapped the screen. \u201cConsulting call at two. Nothing after four.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCancel the call,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark looked up. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I don\u2019t want to be annoyed twice in one day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel smiled. \u201cThat sounds like preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat sounds like threat management.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark typed something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane pointed at him. \u201cDo not put CLEET on the calendar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel looked delighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did you title it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark did not answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane crossed the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark angled the phone away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thane leaned over him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the calendar, next Thursday at six-thirty, Mark had entered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bad Idea \u2014 Informational Only<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane stared at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then at Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark\u2019s ears tilted back. \u201cIt seemed accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane held the glare for another second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he looked at Gabriel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf this becomes a thing, I am blaming both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel put a hand over his heart. \u201cI accept no responsibility and all narrative credit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark picked up the packet and stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll make copies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo copies,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne working copy. One backup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne digital scan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat if someone spills coffee on it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will spill coffee on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is why we need a scan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel touched Thane\u2019s shoulder as he passed. \u201cLet him have this. He\u2019s bonding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith a police brochure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all grieve differently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane growled, but there was less force in it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark disappeared toward the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course he did. The office was his real den: monitors, servers, radio equipment, network gear, labeled bins, cable runs so clean they made other technicians emotional. If the house had a brain, it was in that room. If anything in the state connected to anything else, Mark could probably map it, secure it, or explain why someone had done it wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel lingered near the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know,\u201d he said, \u201cif we ever did this, Mark would be insufferable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe already is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cImpossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe would read every manual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe reads appliance manuals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe would score highest on every test.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane looked toward the office doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From inside came the sound of a scanner warming up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane closed his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel nodded. \u201cAlready started.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hate this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane opened his eyes. \u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s expression softened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For once, no joke followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane looked back at the muted television. Emma\u2019s picture was gone now, replaced by weather. A cheerful map promised drizzle before noon and colder air by evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ordinary things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world always had the nerve to keep being ordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel leaned against the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have to decide today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe decided to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane grunted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel looked toward the windows, toward the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe built this place so we could be left alone,\u201d he said. \u201cRemember?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo neighbors staring. No landlords complaining about claw marks. No jobs that required pretending conference room chairs were made for us. No explaining ourselves every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s voice lowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd now we\u2019re talking about walking into a system where every room is too small, every rule is written for humans, and every person we meet will have an opinion about what we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was the part Gabriel had not said in the truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Werewolves were known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rare, but known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People said they were fine with it until one stood too close in line at a grocery store. Until claws touched the card reader. Until blue eyes looked back from a muzzle full of teeth. Until a child pointed and a parent pulled them away. Until someone remembered an old story their grandfather swore was true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane was used to being stared at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was less used to voluntarily signing up for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark returned with the packet in a neat folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because apparently it had already needed a folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI scanned it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark added, \u201cFor reference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel nodded solemnly. \u201cThe bond deepens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark ignored him and set the folder on the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he looked at both of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know what this costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s humor faded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark rested one hand on the folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we go, even just to listen, people will know. If we keep going after that, people will talk. Not just cops. Everyone. News. Neighbors. Old bloodline families. People who think werewolves should stay quiet. People who think we\u2019re animals. People who think we\u2019re useful animals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am not excited about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel gave him a small smile. \u201cYou hide your excitement well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am serious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark looked at Thane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI like our life,\u201d he said. \u201cI like this house. I like choosing our work. I like not having to prove every day that I\u2019m safe to stand near.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That one hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because Mark did not say things like that often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane\u2019s anger cooled into something heavier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen why are you pushing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark looked down at the folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause Emma is home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No one answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd because next time, maybe there is no porch. No doorbell. No second chance. Maybe next time the police do not know where to look, and we do. Or they know and cannot get there fast enough. Or they get there first and need something only we can do.\u201d He looked up. \u201cI don\u2019t know if becoming part of that world is the answer. I just know standing outside it forever is also a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel was quiet for a long moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he said, \u201cThat was worse than unpleasantly mature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark\u2019s ears dipped. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I mean effective. Which is worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane rubbed both hands over his face, claws combing through the fur along his muzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI said we\u2019d go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInformational only.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf anyone says obstacle course, I\u2019m leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s smile returned. \u201cLiar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf anyone says group exercise, I\u2019m biting the nearest clipboard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark lifted one finger. \u201cThat would make a poor first impression.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am not trying to impress them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will anyway,\u201d Gabriel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel shrugged. \u201cNot always in the way they want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A faint sound escaped Thane before he could stop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Close enough that Gabriel noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark noticed too, but wisely pretended not to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The morning stretched around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coffee cooled. Eggs disappeared. The scanner in the office clicked once as if approving of its own productivity. Outside, the woods stayed quiet, keeping their secrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane picked up the folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It looked absurd in his clawed hand. Thin paper. Government formatting. Dates and bullet points and polite instructions for people who wanted permission to carry authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He thought of Voss\u2019s face across the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He thought of the old detective\u2019s nod in the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He thought of Emma\u2019s mother saying thank you to whoever brought her home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He set the folder back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNext Thursday,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel nodded. \u201cNext Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark looked relieved enough that Thane immediately regretted giving him anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd until then,\u201d Thane said, \u201cwe do not talk about this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel opened his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane pointed at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe do not joke about this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel closed his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark picked up his coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe should probably research CLEET requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane turned slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark took a sip and added, \u201cSilently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel smiled into his mug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane looked between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His home. His pack. His problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Same as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He walked toward the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel straightened. \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo look at the requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark\u2019s ears lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane stopped in the doorway and looked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSilently,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s grin widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark tried not to smile and failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane growled once, mostly for dignity, and disappeared into the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the television, the weather map shifted from drizzle to a seven-day forecast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the island, the folder waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside, Cross Timber woke fully into the gray morning, all its roads and schools and churches and locked doors, all its ordinary people carrying ordinary fears, all its hidden places where bad things thought they could stay hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The three werewolves had not decided to become cops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not even close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They had only decided to listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in the quiet house at the edge of the woods, with Emma Kincaid alive and Harold Caine dead and a police packet scanned into Mark\u2019s computer under a folder he had probably already labeled, the line between no and maybe had become thinner than any of them wanted to admit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The CLEET packet sat on Thane\u2019s lap like an accusation. He had not put it there. Mark had. Thane had tossed it onto the center console somewhere between the police station and the first traffic light. Mark had watched it slide, waited exactly three seconds, then reached forward from the back seat and set it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-beginning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15\/revisions\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/nightshift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}