COYOTE SAVAGE by KRIS NORRIS

Sheriff. I should have mentioned it,
    but in all the commotion, I guess I forgot. Your dad hadn’t really told me much about the
    situation, only that he didn’t like the way the Mayor ruled the town. I figured he must have just
    decided it wasn’t worth it, yet.”
    She patted Bobby on the back, gathering the sheets together and stacking them off to the
    side. “Thanks. And I know how much you helped my dad. There’s just one more thing. Is the file
    on my dad’s death still in the back?”
    “Exactly where you asked me to put it.”
    “Great. Why don’t you go for lunch? I’ll cover the desk.”
    Bobby shuffled his feet, glancing at his watch. “Are you sure? I’ll be okay for a while if
    you’d like me to stay.”
    “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
    * * * *
    Talon sat in the truck, drumming his fingers on the dash as the radio played in the
    background. Ten fucking minutes had never taken so long to tick by. He checked his watch
    again, smiling when the number finally changed. He grabbed the keys and opened the door,
    when he noticed Deputy Blake walk out of the station and head down the street, whistling to
    himself. Talon frowned, the uneasy feeling skittering down his spine again. With Blake gone,
    that left Rebecca alone.
    He crossed the street and stepped inside. “Rebecca?”
    She didn’t answer and the inklings of fear pitted his stomach. He stalked forward,
    listening down a hallway. A cool breeze drifted along the corridor, ghosting over his skin and
    ratcheting up his unease. He clenched his hands and headed for the main room. He’d just
    rounded a corner when he slammed to a halt. Rebecca was in her office being stared down by
    large cougar. She didn’t have her gun, which meant she’d either locked it in her desk, or it’d
    been knocked out of her hand.
    He ran for the door, watching as she grabbed a chair and held it in front of her, keeping
    the animal back. He fisted the door, rattling the glass as he tried to force it open. Rebecca barely
    spared him a glance as the cat lunged, scratching at the chair’s legs. He shook it again, scanning
    the room for something to use, when he saw Bobby’s chair tucked under his desk. A roar
    sounded from inside the room, and he knew he had only one chance.
    Talon shucked his jacket and shirt and grabbed the chair, raising it behind his shoulder
    then launching it at the glass wall of her office. The legs impacted the surface, shattering the
    glass as it crashed through, bouncing across the floor and pushing the cougar back. Talon
    followed its path, running at the broken pane and diving through. As soon as his feet left the
    floor he changed, landing on paws on the other side, his pants falling to the floor as he leaped in
    front of her, growling at the cat.
    The animal hissed at him, flashing its teeth as it sized him up. He snapped back, all
    thoughts centered on keeping the cougar as far from Rebecca as possible. They danced around
    the room, the cougar gaining ground. Something rattled behind him, but he didn’t turn to look,
    lunging at the cat as it shuffled to the left. The cougar lashed out, catching him across the side,
    but he kept moving, ignoring the flash of pain. He laid his ears back, growling again, when a shot
    shattered the wall beside the cougar. He hopped back, but the cat was already running, leaping
    through the broken window and loping across the floor before it disappeared down the hallway.
    Talon turned to give chase when Rebecca fell to her knees beside him, hugging him
    around the neck, her body trembling. His need to comfort her took over and he shifted back,
    wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her close.
    “You’re hurt.”
    Her voice was thick and he could tell she was holding back tears. He eased away,
    glancing at the scratches across his side. Though his skin was streaked with blood, the lines were
    already starting to heal.
    He shushed her, drawing a finger along her chin. “It’s nothing. As