Chapter Three

ANNA

"What's up, bitches?"  I stroll into the station with my red motorcycle jacket slung over my shoulder, my other hand in the pocket of my red leather boot cuts and sporting a white t-shirt.  I have a huge smile on my face.  I love being me.

The station is buzzing with day shift and night shift patrollers exchanging reports for shift change.

"Hey, Anna."  Could be heard around the room.

I walk down the aisle and park my ass on Greg's desk.  Three desks from the back where Drake's office is.  

Greg side eyes me up and down then pulls back his chair, leaning back and folding his arms.  "Damn, Anna.  When are you going to let me make an honest woman out of you?"

I lean in.  "Not in this lifetime, sweetcheeks."  I smile.  "How was the border?"

"You covering for Dea tonight?"  He raised a brow.

I nod.

He pulled out a report and handed it to me.  "Quiet.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  I think these rogues are getting sick and tired of having their asses handed to them."

I look over the report and the map of the area.  "Well,  just proves we're too damn good."  I drop the report on his desk.

"Anna!"  Drake barks from his office.

I look up and he's waving me over.

"Well, duty calls."  I stand up and slide in behind Greg.  I lean in to his ear.  "You should come for a drink with me and I'll make a dishonest man out of you."  I wink and he smiles and shakes his head.

I laugh and head to Drake's office.  

I stride past Drake.  "What's up, boss?"  He shuts the door and walks behind his desk.

"I just got off the phone with the security unit.  They're sending a group of troops who've never been part of this unit, to shadow us.  They want to see how we operate."  He sits and pulls out some files.

I shake my head.  "Really?  We're babysitting the robots now?"  I walk to the chair in front of Drake's desk and slam down into it. 

"Anna."  Drake warned.  "You need to rein in that attitude.  These guys don't tolerate that as well as I do."

I scoff.  "Please.  It's not like what we do is complicated.   We run the border and if something shows up, we kill it."

He ticks up the corner of his mouth.  "Regardless, the Alpha wants his men informed.  So please, for my sake, try and be a good girl tonight."

I smirk.  "I'm as good as I need to be, boss."

"That's what I'm afraid of.  Go to your patrol."  He shook his head as I got up and left.

I head to the locker room and get undressed.  There's a back door to the locker room to allow us to enter and exit without having to parade our naked bodies through the station.  

I go outside and breath in the night air.  I run, jump and shift in a hot second.  My black paws hitting the asphalt as I head for the trees to the south side border.

****

RIVER

"Alright, men.  Hustle up!"  The commander of my unit stands with hands clasped behind his back.  Waiting for us to fall in line.

They told us last night that this shift was a night shift.  They only wanted those who had no experience with the border unit.  

I stood with Zeke.  "What's going on?"  I whisper to him

He shrugs.

The commander speaks again.  "We called you boys here for a little field trip.  For the next 12 hrs, you'll be shadowing the border unit.  Finding out what makes them tick.  They're our internal first responders, so Alpha Damien feels we need to all be on the same program.  Understand each other if we are to work as one unit."

My eyes widen.  "Wait, is he saying the units are combining?"

Again, Zeke shrugs.

The commander continues.  "You will follow, observe, assist when needed and report back to command in the morning.  Your leaders will have your positions.  You will shift and be transported to your prospective borders.  Does anyone have any questions?"

Noone.

"Alright, dismissed!"

I walk back with Zeke.  We head to our team leader.  "What the hell?  Border patrol?"

Zeke tilts his head.  "Could be worse.  We could be cleaning the mess all night."  He smiles.

"But border patrol is so lame.  Not like there's any action there."  I scratch the back of my head.

We step forward as the line moves.  Zekes in front and gets his assignment.  "Northern border.  Fun."  He rolls his eyes.

My turn.  I get my assignment.  "Southern border-Falcon Ridge.  Frig.  There's nothing there.  Might as well be assigned to a kids park."  I look over my paper.  "Contact:  Border Agent Riker.  Sounds like a douche."

Zeke laughs and claps back.  "I'm sure you'll live.  Remember, you're not joining them, just running."

"Yeah."  I blow out a breath of frustration and head for the locker rooms.

****

We all shifted and loaded into four trucks heading to the four borders.  

There was me and five other men in the back of a truck heading to the southern border.  All of us scoff at the assignment but,we're all jacked, because we get to let our wolves out. 

We drive for about 20 mins and the truck stops.  

Our wolves sit on the truck bed floor waiting for the door to open.

After the driver confirms with the border unit and gets permission to enter the area, he comes around and opens the door.  "Alright, dogs. Happy hunting."  We howl and bark and fly out the the truck.  "Report back here at 0800."  He yells as we walk around sniffing the ground and the air.  "Wolf out!"  He yells and we bolt for the trees setting us up for the long night of patrol. 

I ran down Falcon Ridges  border.  Weaving between Falcon Ridge and the border of a tiny town called Black Lake.  And because we're security,  we can cross the borders without need of permission where border patrollers need jurisdiction permission to enter the next town when on duty.  

I ran for about an hour when I caught a scent.  It was gross.  Turned my stomach.

Rogue.

I've been with the security unit for over a year, but I've never come face to face with a Rogue.  

My wolf is at attention.  We enter a small clearing.  I scan the treeline.  The smell is everywhere.  I feel like I'm going to be sick.  

As I try to pinpoint its location, I hear the deep, dark growl coming from behind me.  I turn just as the rogues massive body hits my jet black wolf like a freight train.

We go rolling across the dirt snd grass.  He's snapping and growling biting at my head.  My wolf is huge  but this guy is massive. 

I try to hold him back as I search for an opening to strike.  Finally I see it.  My wolf lunges up and sinks his teeth into the rogues neck.  This causes  him to stumble back off me yelping.  I'm able to get back on four legs.  We're at the edge of the clearing so I turn to draw him out into the open.

He jumps on my back and sinks his teeth into my shoulder.  Fuck!!  I try to thrash out from under his weight.  He's too fucking heavy.  With every movement I feel my skin tear more.  I feel the blood flowing down my side.  

My wolf is yelping,  I'm growling and biting him.  I manage to get his leg in my jaws and crush it.  He yelps into my shoulder but doesn't let go.  

I'm starting to get light headed from blood loss.  Just as I feel myself start slip I see a wolf, jet black with piercing gold eyes, bound from the treeline

He jumps on the Rogue knocking him off me.

I stumble to my paws and try to get out of the way before falling.  My wolfs done.  Wind gusts and I shift.  I sit up wincing and holding the loose skin to my shoulder.  

The black wolf kicks the Rogue sending him skidding across the dirt.  His growls can be heard for miles.  He jumps on the Rouge and bites at his face.  Sinking a canine into the rogues eye socket.  This causes the Rogue to panic and try to drag himself out of there, but his crushed leg isn't doing him any favors.

The jet black wolf stands over him breathing heavy and growling.  The rogue submits whining..  

The wind blows around the winner and he shifts.

My eyes widen when it's not a man but a woman.  

She stands over the rogue in a show of dominance.  "SHIFT!!"  She commanded.

Immediately,  the rogue shifted to a whining mess of a man on the ground.

Just then I get an open mind link.  Because of our alliance, we get open mind links from all packs we associate with on a daily basis.

"This is Agent Riker.  I'm one mile out on the southern border.  I need containment and medical staff.  Bring the silver, boys."

I'm still in shock as I sit watching her roll the rogue over and placing his arm behind his back.

"Fuck!  Bitch.  My fucking arms broken!"  He yells.

"You're in big trouble, boy.  You'll be lucky if you walk out of this with a broken arm."  She stands up and whips her head toward me.  I'm hit with those amber eyes I've fantasized about many times.  My sexy biker babe is standing naked in front of me.  

If it wasn't for the pain, I'd be embarrassed because I'd totally be sporting a raging hard on right now.  

She furrows her brow.  "Are you alright?"

I continue to stare.

"SOLDIER!"  She yells.  Snapping me out of my thoughts.

I wince. " ah...yeah...I think so.....I've lost a lot of blood."

She walks over to look at my shoulder.  After a few minutes, she speaks.  "It's staring to heal.  It's deep.  You need medical attention."

She walks around to the front of me.  "What the hell were you thinking?  Out here without back up.  No experience.  You could've been killed."

Ok.  Now I'm getting turned on.  I watch her gorgeous face as she scolds me.

She squints her eyes as apparently a small smile grew on my lips.  "Do I amuse you, soldier?"

I snap the smile back fast.  "No.  Um...thanks for that.  It was stupid to separate from my group.  I know that."

She looked back at the rogue, who's now passed out.  "Well, thanks for drawing this asshole out, I guess.  He'll provide some nice info."

She turned back to me.  "What's your name soldier?"

"Blake.  River Blake."  I wince.   "You're...Agent Riker." My eyes squint a bit.

Her brow furrows.  "You got a problem with that."

I put a hand up in defense.  "No. No....just when I read your name on my assignment I thought of a big, burly douchebag.  Not some smoking hot babe"  I chuckle.

She raised her brow.  She walked closer and squatted down to my level.  "Is this the great respect the security unit keeps preaching?   Do you normally call your superiors 'babe'?"  She tilts her head, staring me right in the eyes.  I almost feel intimidated

I nervously laugh.  "Uh no.....sorry....must be the blood loss."

The woods became active with voices and footfalls.  Medics and border agents descend on us.

She stands and whips around and starts barking orders.  "The dirtbag over there, has a broken arm and crushed eyeball.  After he's patched up, put him in holding."  She turns and smirks at me.  "Romeo here, has a torn shoulder.  Not too bad, but he'll need blood."  She squats back down.  "Get patched up and we debrief at the station in the morning."

I smile.  "Thanks."  

"No problem."  She claps my shoulder and my skin warms at her touch.  I feel the inherent need to hold her.  Feel her.  Kiss her.  

Now that I know who she is, next, I must make her mine.

My sexy agent looks around and shifts and runs off.  I guess to go back to work with the rest of my unit.  

I flinch as the medics place gauze on my shoulder.  

I start thinking on how I can get an in with Agent Riker.  I wonder if I can get my dad to pull some strings here.  

She's an awesome fighter.  Strong, smart.  Something the security unit could use.  I think I see a reassignment in Agent Rikers future.  I smile at the idea of being with her daily.

As the medics lead me out of the woods, I've forgotten my pain and now relishing in the thump of my heart in my chest.