Being sheriff of a small but unusual town has lots of perks. Richard knows just about everyone in town by name. He gets free coffee at the Planet Quest café. And he gets to spend as much time as he wants with Amber Grieves. The woman he desires above all others.

Amber is everything he always wanted in a mate -- she is strong, kind, the perfect mother and ferocious in a fight... but still he finds himself firmly friendzoned, much to his and his shadow-wolf's dismay.

For Richard is not any ordinary man. He is a Shadow Walker, a born shapeshifer who's spent his life on the run from hunters who want to wipe him out.

When strange phone calls bring up memories of a dark past that rocks Amber's soul and strange happenings begin in the woods, Richard might not live long enough to convince Amber to give love a try with the one man who wants to protect her above all others -- even if he can't protect himself.

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Excerpt
If you want the bitch, just go and bite her.

It doesn't work that way.

Not hard, his wolf self corrected. Just a nibble or two on her ears.

No.

And groom her just a little. She has nice hair, full and thick. That is a sign of good health.

"No."

Flirt a little, for the gods' sake, man! his wolf half demanded. Throw your legs over her neck and sniff her crotch!

"I said... Legs over her neck? Sniff her crotch?" He really hadn't meant to shout that last bit. He looked around the crowded cafe and was thankful that, other than a weird look or two from the postmaster and a group of kids already in full cosplay in preparation for the Friday Night Parade, not too many people paid him any notice.

Sheriff Richard Strong glared at the shadow on his wall, the representation of his spirit animal and the only tangible sign of his source of comfort and the bane of his existence. "Why would I do a thing like that?" he hissed.

He could speak mentally to his wolf, but the horny beast always paid attention when he spoke out loud, one of his beast's many quirks.

I said flirt a little! His wolf self sounded exasperated.

That was perfect because he felt a little exasperated too.

It's how you let a potential partner know you're interested.

"Whatever happened to just asking her for her number or to go out on a date?"

Like that has gotten you anywhere so far? His wolf was an asshole.

"Fuck you," he muttered, then his eyes widened as he saw the shocked look on Amber's face.

Amber Graves looked perfect as ever. Her hair was in a wild Afro that gave a real seventies feel to her Planet Quest costume. She was in full captain's regalia today, and that meant the really short gold skirt and form-fitting, long-sleeved jacket with just enough buttons to emphasize her sizable assets. And because she was in full uniform that meant... Oh, yeah.

Looking down, he saw the knee-high Go-Go boots that ended right about where a foot of toned bare leg began. Those captain's uniforms for ladies were incredibly sexist and showed way too much flesh for any commanding officer to be taken seriously. But damn if she didn't fill out those sexist bits of cotton right.

"Sorry." He tore his eyes away from Amber's legs to stare into her narrowed eyes. Her lips were pouting and her arms were crossed, her coffee pot sitting on the counter. "I was thinking about something --"

"Is it a case?" she asked, her eyes widening first before her whole face lit up with her grin. "Is it the hunters? We never found the female Bryan said was the real scary one..."

"No." He shook his head rapidly in denial. "Nothing like that. Just a case that I can't... um... seem to get a leg up on."

His bastard of a wolf began to laugh in his head, and he wanted nothing more than to jab a cotton swab into his ear to shut it up. But really, that would hurt him more than it would his stubborn shadow wolf.

"Oh." She bounced, and when she bounced her boobies... "Is there anything I can help you with? You know I am good at solving mysteries." She leaned on the counter, eyes as eager as her breasts... Holy... His pants were getting tight in some very uncomfortable ways.

How about a blow job? his naughty wolf howled in his ear, and Richard fought to keep the wince off his face... Not that it was a bad suggestion, but this was neither the time nor the place to proposition the woman he was rapidly falling in love with.

"If there is anything you can do --" he managed to choke out in a not-too-strained voice.

Hand jobs work too, the wolf interjected.

"-- I will let you know," he finished in a rush, trying not to imagine those dainty hands of hers wrapped around his swollen dick.

"Okay." Amber grinned at him. "But don't let it get you all worked up. You get this wrinkle" -- she reached out and gently began to rub at his left temple --"right here."

His dick lurched, his wolf screamed, and Richard actually felt a few gray hairs develop. His muscles bunched as he fought the urge to just leap on the woman and ravage her like... well, like a horny wolf.

"Okay," he choked out, reaching up to lightly grip her wrist.

She smiled at him and leaned closer, her golden-brown eyes glittering like the sun. Richard tried not to melt into a puddle of goo on her clean counter top and began to caress the thin skin of her wrist with his thumb. "I know you're good at puzzles --"

Like undoing your pants and delving into the mystery of deep throating, his wolf felt the need to interject. Never had Richard ever been so glad he was the only one who could hear it.

"Well..." Amber grinned. "I am one of the only regular human beings around here." She chuckled. "It's not easy being ordinary, you know?"

"You're far from ordinary." His stupid smile fell from his face as he spoke what was in his heart. "You're one of the most extraordinary people I know."

"Who doesn't turn furry or bitey or have wings --"

"You don't give yourself enough credit," a voice chimed in from behind, and Richard bit back a very wolf-like growl to stare at the interloper.

"Oh, Bryan." Amber pulled away from Richard to rustle up a coffee mug with a series of zeros and ones dancing the tango across the sides. He had a special mug. The interfering, cock-blocking bastard had his own mug. "How sweet of you to say."

"Yeah," Richard growled. "Sweet."

Themes: Elves, Dragons & Magical Creatures, Magic, Multicultural & Interracial, Second Editions, Shapeshifters