Free ROMANCE: LION - In His Claws (New Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifter, Alpha Male, Short Story) by Celia Styles

In His Claws
    By Celia Styles
     
    Jeremy Stevens loved his family, but he loved his time away too. So much drama had gone down in the last few months that he was happy to get away. Jeremy was the sheriff of the small town next to his community. He kept an apartment in town, however, because he needed to be close in case anything went down. He had the apartment put in over the jail so that he could keep an eye on the town and the prisoners that were kept there. Most of the time the only people who could be found in the cell were regulars who had too much to drink. They partied hard at night and sometimes took it a little too far. They were normally thrown in until they sobered up the next day, and then they were released.
     
    He got the call from an old friend from the academy two days prior. He had a job that needed to be done and they needed a new face that people didn’t recognize. He would be working hand in hand with another detective from out of town. The job was at a strip club in town that was suspected of buying nuclear weapons. She was going to be a headliner stripper and Jeremy would be her bodyguard/boyfriend. They needed to find out who the seller was and confiscate the weapons. He had been the first person Darrell had thought of. He said he needed someone he could trust.
     
    Jeremy and Darrell had been the outcasts in the academy, always being the ones that the sergeants had picked on the most. Jeremy had decided to settle down back home wanting the comfort of the mountains. Darrell, on the other hand, had chosen to travel to California and worked as a detective until he was finally promoted to captain. This is where Jeremy was headed. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to turn while he was there except when he could go to the Sequoia National Park. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far from where he would be. Darrell had found out his secret of being a shape shifter.
     
    Darrel had come home to the apartment they shared to find his clothes by the back door. He had gone in search of him thinking that something was seriously wrong. He had come around the tree just when Jeremy had been turning back into a human. Darrell had told him that he was the best friend he could have and has kept his secret since then. Jeremy had been happy that his brother Leon had taken over as alpha. Jeremy liked his personal space and time away from the pack. He loved his family but sometimes he just had to get away. Leon was different and liked to be in the middle of everything which is part of the reason that he made such a good alpha for the pack of lions.
     
    When the plane finally landed Jeremy quickly went to the baggage claim and then made his way out the front door.
     
    “Hey man. Glad you could make it here. Jewel will meet you at the hotel. She has already arrived. You will be in room 104 together.”
     
    “Together. Now hold on. I didn’t say I would shack up with some weird woman.”
     
    “It is part of the cover. Have you ever known lovers to get two separate rooms? Come on man. I’m begging you. She’s really nice and is a phenomenal detective.”
     
    “Fine. But you know you owe me big time for this one.”
     
    “I know, I know.”
     
    “What hotel are we staying in?”
     
    “It’s a little joint right down from the bar. I texted you the address already.”
     
    “Ok. Thanks.”
     
    Jeremy pulled into the hotel and drove down to the door that said 104. There was a huge black SUV parked outside of the door. Pulling into the spot he walked to the door and knocked. He was surprised by what he saw next. The woman who opened the door wore a loose fitting black suit and had dark hair. Her hair was pulled back in a bun type and was so tight there was no way that her head didn’t hurt from the strain. On her nose sat a small pair of glasses that she was looking through at him questioningly.
     
    “Sorry. I must have the wrong room. I’m looking for a stripper named Jewel.”
     
    “No you are in the right