This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2015 by Totally Bound Publishing,
Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a
heat rating
of
Totally Sizzling
and a
Sexometer
of
2.

Were Chronicles

PACK BALANCE

Crissy Smith

Book thirteen in the Were Chronicles series

She must learn to balance her human nature with his wolf.

Julie Sullivan made a horrible mistake. She left the man she loved when she learned about his shifter abilities. Now she’s back in Clear Creek and she is determined to win him back.

Cooper Grainger is working hard trying to find the people responsible for the illegal drug that is killing the shifters of his city. He’s closing in on his suspect when he runs into the one woman who can bring him to his knees.

But just when Julie and Cooper finally come together to try to get back the time they lost, Cooper’s enemies strike. Cooper must trust his friends and family to keep the woman he loves safe. Julie must accept Cooper as his true self—half man and half wolf. Will they succeed or will evil prevail?

Dedication

For Pam, aka assistant, aka big sister. Thank you for all your support and everything you do for me. Thanks for being my traveling buddy and partner.

Trademarks Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Jeep: FCA US LLC

Mercedes: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft Corporation

BMW: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Corporation

Styrofoam: The Dow Chemical Company Corporation

Chapter One

“Stop! Police!” Cooper Grainger shouted as he followed his suspect down the fire escape.

Of course, the idiot didn’t stop. Instead, the skinny moron glanced over his shoulder at Cooper, stumbling when he saw how close Cooper was. His eyes widened almost comically, and if Cooper wasn’t trying to intimidate the man he would have laughed. At six foot tall and a solid mass of muscle, Cooper felt like he was chasing down a kid instead of the thirty-five-year-old junkie. The drugs and alcohol Kenny had consumed most of his life had taken a toll on his physique. He couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred twenty pounds. He was severely underweight.

“Come on, Kenny!” Cooper yelled. “You know I’m going to catch you.”

They were almost at ground level. The four flights down hadn’t affected Cooper but Kenny was rasping and panting. Cooper stomped down in his black, beat to hell combat boots. He wore his usual uniform of faded jeans and a black T-shirt. Tonight he’d included a tactical vest, just in case someone decided to take a shot at him.

He knew his appearance sent fear into the men and women who were dragging his city into the gutters. He used it to his advantage as often as possible and the full impact when dressed like he was added to his dangerous stature. The creeps that he’d been dealing with lately needed a good scare. Cooper was determined to bring them all down.

“You’re just making this harder on yourself,” Cooper shouted at Kenny.

“Screw you, Grainger!” Kenny screeched. He turned his head again, causing him to miss the next step. Kenny shrieked as his arms flailed, and he went crashing down.

Cooper slowed, watching him fall. It wasn’t far enough to injure Kenny, but it would put an end to his stupid escape attempt.

Cooper stopped following and stood with his hands on his hips as Kenny lay sprawled on the ground at the feet of his partner. Josiah Burns looked up at Cooper with a familiar smirk.

“He ran?” Josiah asked in his deep southern drawl.

“He ran.”

Shaking his head, Josiah reached down and hauled Kenny to his feet. “Really, man? Every time?”

“I didn’t do nothing,” Kenny claimed, but his eyes were darting all around nervously.

Cooper had worked too long in the narcotics department of the Clear Creek, Missouri Police Department not to know the signs of a lying suspect. “Three dead.” Cooper stepped closer to where Josiah was holding Kenny up. “We want to know what new shit has hit the streets.”

“I don’t know!” Kenny wailed. “I swear!”

“Then why did you run?” Josiah asked, shaking him.

“I see cops and I run. It’s like…built in,” Kenny claimed.

Cooper met his partner’s gaze. The look that passed between them was one that had been practiced over many years. Kenny wasn’t being completely honest and they both knew it. While Josiah just had a really good ability to read people, Cooper used his wolf shifter senses to pick up on the signs that Kenny was showing and trying to hide. The nervousness and desperation was a bitter scent to his nose. They’d busted Kenny many times over the years, and while he did always try to escape, he was more anxious this time. Sometimes Kenny even gave them tips. The fact that he hadn’t even hesitated before taking off told Cooper a lot.

He growled, leaning his face closer to Kenny’s.

“Okay, okay. Maybe I heard some stuff,” Kenny said as he held his hands up. “But I don’t have nothing to do with any of it.”

Cooper didn’t bother correcting Kenny’s grammar. Kenny was actually more together than most of the poor souls that had given their lives over to drugs. “Why don’t you tell me and I’ll decide how
involved
you are.”

“Sure, man, I’ll do that,” Kenny promised.

Cooper didn’t like the way his eyes rolled from side to side. Breathing deeply, he concentrated on the scents around him. Not an easy thing to do with the stink of the dumpster mixed with piss and vomit from the back of the bar.

There… He could smell someone approaching. He jerked his chin at his partner. “Backup?” Cooper asked Kenny.

Kenny’s eyes widened even more and his jaw dropped open.

“Let’s go,” Josiah rumbled as he jerked Kenny to the side of the building and away from the weak alley light.

Cooper turned toward the sound of careful and slow steps. Crouching down, he prepared himself for a fight if needed. The two men that stepped out of the shadows farther down the alley were not strangers to Cooper. He stood to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest. It looked like he and Josiah would have more of the locals to interrogate. He cut his gaze to the side and smiled at his partner. Josiah smirked while shaking his head. He knew how much Cooper wanted to let loose on these two. The last time they’d had them in their sights, they’d slithered through like the snakes they were. Human snakes—not the shifting kind.

“Well, well, well,” Kade Montgomery said with a sneer. “If it isn’t our favorite narc cop.”

“And two of my favorite all time losers,” Cooper replied back.

Kade and Jordan thought they were tough shit. He and his partner had busted them numerous times. Jordan’s entire family were involved in a number of illegal activities. Every member of the Bradley clan was in and out of jail and Jordan was following in their footsteps with vigor. Cooper had tried to help the youngest Bradley. He’d hoped that by giving Jordan someone he could talk to and offering him a hand in getting out of the hard life he led, the kid would be able to make something out of his future. It had become clear quickly that Jordan had no intention of changing his ways. He wasn’t just mixed up in the family business. He loved it. Jordan was a bully and enjoyed drugs and hurting people.

Jordan Bradley sniffed. “I’ve been waiting for this day a long time.” He bounced on his toes while he spoke.

Cooper wasn’t intimidated. Even if he hadn’t been a shifter, which he was, he was sober, trained and ready. “Yeah? Me too.”

Jordan rushed him, but Cooper easily sidestepped and using Jordan’s momentum, pushed him farther away. Jordan skidded several feet down the alley. Cooper twisted in time to catch Kade’s arm as Kade threw a punch.

Tightening his fingers around Kade’s wrist, he caused Kade to cry out as he yanked him forward. Cooper made certain not to crush the bones in his grip. He snarled into Kade’s face. Kade paled before starting to shake with fear.
Oh, this is great.
Kade and Jordan hadn’t known he was a shifter. Cooper grabbed the collar of Kade’s shirt before launching him into the brick wall right next to his partner. Josiah had Kenny on his knees with his hands cuffed behind his back. Josiah bent to secure Kade, grinning at the whining kid. “It didn’t hurt that much,” Josiah taunted Kade.

Cooper was hit in the back. He grunted but remained on his feet, so he turned and glared at Jordan. It would take more than Jordan’s strength to knock him down. Spinning, he swept his leg, catching Jordan by surprise. A yelp sounded just before Jordan hit the ground. Standing over him, Cooper scowled. He hadn’t even worked up a sweat. Jordan’s head had slammed into the cement and he was moaning.

“You’ll be joining us at the station,” Cooper said, as he rolled Jordan over. He placed his knee on Jordan’s back, allowing him to reach around and pull out his cuffs.

“This isn’t over,” Jordan said, before grunting as Cooper tightened the bindings.

“Oops,” Cooper laughed. “Too tight?”

“You’re going to be sorry,” Jordan warned.

Cooper yanked him up and spun Jordan around.

“You don’t threaten me,” Cooper snarled. “I will tear you apart.”

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