Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,63

over there too.

Either he was letting other predators know that this was a Wolf-approved vehicle, or he was providing the Wolves with an easy way to track the human deputy.

“Are we going to have a dispatcher?” she asked.

“Dispatcher?” Virgil frowned. “What for?”

“So that someone can call in if they need help, or for one of us to call in if we need backup.”

Kane raised his head and howled. Jana felt a shiver run down her spine.

Suddenly there were Crows—Ravens?—flying toward them. When Virgil looked up, Jana noticed a large brown bird now circling overhead.

Then he looked at her and said, “If any terra indigene spots trouble, we’ll know. But you should talk to Tolya Sanguinati and Jesse Walker about a phone you can carry with you since you can’t howl loud enough to be heard. Then humans who need help can call you.”

Because you won’t help them.

She was getting the message loud and clear. Had the town leaders known about the animosity Wolfgard felt toward humans, or didn’t they care? Was she not just fighting to earn some respect for herself as a police officer but also fighting to maintain some kind of balance between humans and Others?

She had wanted this job. Still wanted this job. But she was starting to appreciate how daunting being a cop in this town was going to be when she had the double strike against her of being female and human.

“You should go to the livery stable and find your horse now,” Virgil said. “Then you will eat the midday meal humans need to avoid becoming weak. Then you will come back to the office and I will walk with you around the square so that many humans will see that you are a deputy. Then you can return and do office things until it is time for you to go home.”

“And when, exactly, is that?” Jana asked.

A growly silence. “Ask Tolya. He will explain about human work hours.”

Virgil and Kane looked at her.

“I guess I’ll go find a horse.” Jana felt them watching her all the way up the street.

It wasn’t easy admitting to the two Simple Life men who were at the stable that she’d never actually ridden a horse since the pony rides of her childhood, despite having been hired to be a mounted deputy. And since sitting on a pony’s back and being led around a ring wasn’t the same as knowing how to ride …

They admitted that they’d arrived in town a few days ago and weren’t familiar enough with the available horses to know which one might suit her the best, but they recognized a few that would not suit a beginner.

After some discussion, the men presented her with a bay gelding that they deemed was docile enough for her. They saddled the bay, led her to the empty corral, and gave her a basic riding lesson. For an hour she circled the corral with one of the men keeping watch and offering advice. She and the bay walked in one direction, then the other. They circled the corral a couple of times at a trot, and Jana was sure her pelvis would never be the same. But when the bay lifted into a canter, she felt invincible and free and able to take on the world—including a boss with big teeth.

Riding the bay gelding was the high point of her first day of work. Being walked around the town square like she was Virgil’s pet was demeaning. The Crowgard and Ravengard rushed out of each shop as they passed by, wanting to know who she was and then staring at her with those bright dark eyes. Same with the Eagles and Hawks. But when they encountered the big golden cat that Virgil introduced as Saul Panthergard, she was glad the Wolf was with her—until they continued the walk and he made snarky comments about her not yipping at Saul for sniffing her.

Something that size with those teeth and claws? He could sniff anything he darn well wanted to sniff!

After talking to Tolya Sanguinati about mobile phones and the terra indigene’s idea of a workday and workweek, she finally headed home to help Barb with whatever furniture and supplies had arrived before they hurried back to the hotel for dinner. If the bed she’d selected arrived, she could move out of the hotel tomorrow.

Barb had a bright smile when Jana walked into the house. The smile quickly faded.

“How was your first day on the job?” Barb asked.

“I didn’t