The Rogue Alpha's Detective Mate

What to call you...

Cassandra Kane.

Grumbling, Cassandra rolled out of bed, her body already aching from the exhaustion of the night before. All she wanted was a hot shower and a large cup of coffee to wake her up. Normally, she prided herself on being a morning person. Saturday mornings typically began with a jog through the park, the crisp morning air invigorating her. There was something peaceful about being out early, with no one around except for the birds singing their melodic songs to greet the dawn. But today? Today was different. After the hellish week she had just endured, the last thing she wanted was to face another day.

The new case had her stumped, and she’d spent the entire night tending to a wounded wolf—making sure he didn't bleed out on her watch. When she first found him, it had been just a nasty wound on his leg. But later, she discovered a bite mark near his neck, almost certainly from another wolf. The growls she had heard earlier now made sense. The wolf had been fighting another one. Speaking of him, she should probably check on her unexpected guest, but first? A shower. She needed a damn shower.

Stumbling across the hall, Cassandra didn’t bother putting on a robe to cover her bare body. Who was going to see her? The wild wolf downstairs? Ha! Even if he somehow managed to drag himself up the stairs, he was just a wild animal. Stepping into the bathroom, she cranked the water to a scalding heat, eagerly stepping under the torrent of water as it washed over her. It eased her tense muscles, the steam helping to clear her mind, washing away the events of the previous night.

Once thoroughly scrubbed clean, she returned to her room, slipping into her favorite sweatpants and an oversize off-the-shoulder cropped sweater. She didn’t bother with a bra. Why would she? Her house guest was a wolf, for heaven's sake. He wouldn’t care. Besides, as her best friend Tosh often teased her, her bosom had a mind of its own and defied gravity. Tossing her damp hair up into a towel, she headed downstairs, hoping to check on the wolf and maybe get some caffeine into her system.

If the wolf had been a normal guest, maybe she would have gotten dressed. But it was a wolf. What was he going to do? Her bare feet slapped against the hardwood floor as she walked into the living room, the scent of freshly brewed coffee hitting her nose. It was strange, though. She didn’t remember making coffee before heading upstairs for a quick nap. Maybe she had, but... Something in the back of her mind scoffed at the idea. Did she really forget? Or was it possible—no, ridiculous—the wolf had somehow figured out how to make coffee? He didn’t even have thumbs.

Pushing the thought aside, her gaze shifted to the massive creature lounging on her couch. His black fur glinted in the soft morning light, his body barely fitting on the piece of furniture. His head nearly tumbled off the edge as he lay there, his stomach rising and falling with each breath.

“Good morning, Midnight?” She said, the name leaving her lips in a questioning tone, though she immediately felt it didn’t quite fit. “No, that doesn’t sound right,” she muttered, distracted. As if on cue, the wolf’s honey-colored eyes opened, locking onto hers, his head lifting slightly.

“How about... Nightshade?” She offered with a dramatic flourish, raising her hands as if unveiling the perfect name.

The wolf tilted his head, a silent expression of skepticism crossing his face. She could almost swear that if he were human, he’d raise an eyebrow at her.

“Well, I’ll figure it out,” she said, turning toward the kitchen with a shrug.

The fridge greeted her with its usual disorganized contents. “Now, if I were a wolf, what would I want to eat?” she mused aloud, scanning the shelves.

Her eyes landed on a container of leftover homemade chili, a carton of eggs, and some bacon. She was long overdue for a grocery trip. Her bad habit of putting it off until the last minute had caught up with her again. Usually, she did her shopping on her days off, but with a wild wolf on her hands, she wasn’t sure when that would happen.

“Would you prefer chili or eggs and bacon?” She called out, half-expecting a response, though she knew she was talking to an animal.

To her surprise, the wolf padded closer, sitting on his haunches just a few steps away, watching her curiously.

“Well?” She repeated, half amused.

She opened the container of chili, leaning down to let the wolf sniff it. He curled his lip in distaste and gave a low, displeased growl, as if the chili had personally offended him.

“Wow... okay, that stings,” she huffed, closing the container with a soft clink and setting it aside. “I am a great chef, thank you very much. That chili is to die for when it’s reheated.”

The wolf didn’t seem to care, his honey eyes gleaming with something that almost looked like humor.

“Fine, fine. Eggs and bacon it is,” she sighed, shaking her head. As she worked, she looked over her furry guest with a sudden thought. “Wait, I got it! Your name’s Bacon, right?” She grinned, her dimples popping.

The wolf snorted in what could only be described as a judgmental exhale, his version of an eye-roll.

“I guess not,” she said, chuckling as she shooed him from the kitchen and got to work, preparing their meal.

Breakfast finished, Cassandra sat back in contentment, rubbing her stomach with a satisfied grin. “Well, that was delicious, if I do say so myself.” She glanced over at the wolf, still sprawled across the couch, watching her with a faint look of disapproval. “What did you think, fluffy?” He didn’t move an annoyed huff puffing out of his snout, clearly not thrilled with her latest guess.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” she sighed, grabbing the plates and returning them to the kitchen.

After cleaning up, she grabbed her first aid kit and headed back to the living room.

“Okay, big guy, time to check those wounds,” she said, kneeling down in front of him. The wolf lazily shifted his weight, his honey eyes fixed on her as she carefully unwrapped the bandages from his leg.

As she worked, she spoke almost to herself. “I’m not a vet, but you’re lucky I know basic first aid. Growing up with other foster kids, you learn how to patch up a wound or two. I even took a first aid course once, just in case.”

She paused, glancing up at the wolf, who was still staring at her, his expression curious. Could he understand her words, or was it just the tone of her voice that kept his attention?

Shaking her head, Cassandra continued, her mind wandering back to her childhood. “I spent a lot of time moving from one foster home to the next. I got lucky—I never got seriously hurt, but... some of the other kids didn’t fare so well.” She trailed off, the memories making her pause for a moment. “Anyway, your wounds are looking better. You heal fast, big guy.”

As she finished bandaging him up, she stood and set a bowl of water down near the couch. “Water’s in the kitchen, big guy. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”

She turned to leave, but then stopped. “Howl if you need me,” she added with a chuckle.

Upstairs, Cassandra sank into her chair, frustration clouding her thoughts. She had been going through her case files for hours, but she wasn’t getting any closer to solving the mystery. Sighing, she buried her face in her hands, letting out a muffled scream of frustration.

The door creaked, making her back stiffen as a familiar snout poked through the door, the wolf’s black nose sniffing curiously.

“It’s alright, come on in, big guy,” she muttered, her voice tinged with relief at the distraction.

The wolf stepped inside, his large body filling the small room as he slowly approached her, his honey eyes fixed on her.

“Feeling better?” She smiled as the wolf made his way to her side, his large form towering over her chair. Geez, he was big, there's no way he wasn't a leader in his own pack.

Suddenly, it clicked. “Alpha!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening with realization.

The wolf’s ears perked up at the word, and he tilted his head, staring at her with an unreadable expression.

“Wait, is that it?” She shot to her feet doing a little happy dance. “Alpha?” She asked again, and the wolf responded with a small wag of his tail.

It made sense. No wonder he was so big. “Of course, you’re an alpha. There’s no way you’d be named Mittens or something,” she added, laughing at herself.

The wolf snorted again, a deep, rumbling sound that almost sounded like a chuckle.

“Well, Alpha,” she said with a grin, “why don’t we get some lunch?”