Pack Justice (Nature of the Beast Book 1) by RJ Blain Read Free Book Online

and spit bullets for all I know.”
    “Do you like her?”
    I certainly liked her vodka, although I was still feeling remnants of the hangover from my stupidity in her office. “That’s like asking a mouse if he likes a cat. Of course I like the cat, as flattery might prevent me from getting eaten for a little while.”
    I earned glares from my wife and my cheetah.
    “So you’re not a fan, I take it?”
    Even in court, I hated lying. I liked Captain Ramirez on many levels, and she was the type of woman I’d want at my back—and investigating cases for me. “She’s a fantastic detective, but I don’t know her on a personal level. As far as former detectives go, she’s stellar. I can’t tell if the force made a mistake or not by promoting her to captain, because she had a great eye for detail.”
    “Detail is pretty important to you.”
    “Typically, it is for a prosecuting attorney.” I headed for the water, halting where it lapped at the beach. The sun dipped beneath the horizon; despite being a quick drive to the highway, the area surrounding the lake was dark. “I hope this is remote enough?”
    “Far better than I was expecting,” my wife admitted. “Let’s take the kayaks out and find a more private place along the shore.”
    While some cats hated the water, my spirit beast viewed it with elegant disdain and tolerated it on my behalf. I enjoyed swimming as a feline; the way my cheetah’s body moved through the water had a wild feel to it, which let me disconnect from reality for a little while. Instead of answering Idette, I headed for the kayaks. Feeling her gaze on my back, I hauled them both to the water.
    “Have you ever done this before?” She regarded me and my suit with a raised brow.
    “I’m sure I can figure it out.” To prove I wasn’t completely incompetent, I shoved my kayak into the water and hopped in, coasting out to deeper water with a few shoves of my paddle. I rowed to the end of the dock so my cheetah could hop on without getting wet.
    It never ceased to amaze me how I perceived the feline’s weight, but physical objects, including my kayak, didn’t react to his presence. He decided to ride with his hindquarters resting on my shins while his front paws stretched over the bow.
    He purred, and I suspected he was happy Idette couldn’t share the kayak with us.
    “Since when have you been kayaking?” Idette demanded as she pulled up alongside me.
    While her question was reasonable, I hated the way she spoke. At least I had a good excuse for my experience. “Remember three years ago when I had to go to a convention in Grand Rapids? Kayaking is a bit of a thing there, and I got roped into going with a bunch of fellow lawyers. Disgracing myself in front of my colleagues was not an option.”
    “Oh. I remember. You had seemed a bit cranky about the trip.”
    “Kayaking in the rain is not my idea of fun.”
    In truth, all I had really wanted was a chance to run with my cheetah, but as happened all too often, I had been thwarted at every turn. My spirit beast sighed his agreement.
    “Let’s go over there,” my wife said, pointing her paddle towards the other end of the lake.
    “Sure.”
    Idette was a better kayaker than I was, and she deftly glided over the water, leaving me to follow in her wake. The thought of competing with her annoyed me, so I took advantage of her facing away from me to stroke my cheetah’s back.
    I wondered when she had gone kayaking, but I decided it didn’t really matter. In a week, I wouldn’t be under any obligation to care what she did, had done, or would do, and the knowledge soothed me even more than my spirit beast’s contented purrs.

    The spot Idette picked was so remote the only signs of life were a few lights on the other side of the lake. She hauled her kayak onto shore, and I followed after her, glad my hiking boots provided some protection from the chilly water. When I was satisfied my kayak wouldn’t float off, I tossed my paddle