#completely au

There was something about the ADA that was just wrong and made him want to growl in the back of his throat. Potter reminded him of a shark or something out of a horror movie.  There was not just one thing he could point to about him that was objectionable—he was perhaps a bit too heavy on the aftershave to have any sentinel with an enhanced sense of smell be comfortable around him but that wasn’t it. 

The other agents seemed to find Potter’s actions refreshing as they were actually making a physical move against the cartel instead of just tracking every move they made.

Kevin, on the other hand, had been around enough and seen enough that there was something about Potter that was urging caution. He’d also noticed the only other sentinel on the task force—Carter—who was only a one sense low grade sentinel was giving Potter a wide berth as well.  The ADA wasn’t a sentinel or a guide but had made a comment during their strategy meeting that indicated he knew that both Kevin and Carter were sentinels and wanted them to ‘sniff out’ the good stuff on Galindo. 

The only problem was that Kevin now had a big problem with that.

His connection with EZ vibrated slightly, drawing Kevin’s attention.  

EZ wasn’t resisting and he let himself be taken outside with the rest of Galindo’s men.  As he passed Kevin, he made eye contact and purposefully moved his chin just slightly towards his guide then dropped his eyes to the cub in his arms. 

The unspoken order there was obvious. Protect the guide and the cub. 

Ethically speaking, Kevin probably should have recused himself the moment that he’d submitted to EZ as his beta. Legally… he had a bit more leeway.  Official DEA policy had been written by the Sentinel and Guide Council and he had seventy two hours to notify them of his acceptance into a pack—er pride. He’d been looking up the paperwork he’d need to file when he’d been summoned to the strategy meeting where this raid had been planned.

It wasn’t his fault that Potter had wanted to move quickly so there was no chance of a leak. 

Internally, he realized that becoming EZ’s beta had flipped a switch in him.  He had zero desire to speak up and give up the information he had about the newly online guide that felt like a tightly coiled spring across the room even to an unbonded sentinel.  He would keep Galindo’s and EZ’s secrets. 

Kevin’s loyalty now defaulted instinctually to his Alpha and his Alpha’s Guide. 

He probably should feel worse about that.  He’d been a DEA agent now for over fifteen years without once wavering from doing his job and all it had taken was being in EZ’s presence after he bonded for only a few minutes to flip his priorities completely. 

The cub in his arms had settled, burrowing into Kevin’s chest much as his own children had done when they were this young.  He felt… fuck.  The cub took after his father in more than just the angle of his nose and the curve of his ear.  

Kevin would bet a year’s wages that when he grew up this cub was going to be a guide on par with his papa.

Noting a tiny shiver, Kevin pulled his jacket around the cub. “Shh,” he whispered quietly, shifting his weight side to side in a rocking motion. Soothed, sleepily dark blue eyes blinked at him before giving a wide yawn and then settling in for a nap in his arms. 

Across the room, Galindo was slowly walking as he was guided by two of Kevin’s coworkers—one of which was Carter.  Carter was looking at Galindo like there was something bugging him, brow wrinkled as he took a few cautious sniffs trying to use his one enhanced sense.  

Kevin could smell EZ on Galindo from where he stood.  Carter took another few sniffs before sneezing.

“Bless you,” Galindo drawled, unimpressed. 

Carter, still looking confused, didn’t make skin on skin contact when he took Galindo by the elbow and began guiding him out.