by Erin R Flynn
“As that’s not your jurisdiction,” the judge muttered. “And you handed over what you found to the regular FBI?”
“I did, Your Honor. I called in FBI and a DEA agent I’ve worked with, as it’s his backyard too. CPD vice showed up, but I left it to the others as to what they wanted to share.”
“You were headed for a date and gave it all over to your lover who—” the attorney started, but the judge hit the gavel.
“Watch it,” he warned. “She followed every protocol and executed this by the book. Her personal relationships are not in question here, as they were all professional. There are other cops or feds who date. Enough.” He gave me a curious look. “But you’re very sure this is a good bust. What else happened?”
I opened my mouth but then closed it, glancing at Marshall who hadn’t said anything yet.
He nodded that he had it. “The cocaine smell wasn’t all that pushed Chief Thomas to arrest people, Your Honor, but it is the issues in the injunction, so we’d like that ruling before murking up the water that she was still valid without it.”
He gave a slow nod. “Is there any smell cocaine could transfer, Chief Thomas? Like our example of someone smelling of pot because they were near someone who smoked it.”
“No, not that I have remotely come across,” I told him. “The smell is so distinct after we cleared the house we put VapoRub under our noses because it—you can’t get rid of the smell. It like singes. I’ve never been by someone and maybe a bit dropped on their clothes and I smelled it after the wash like pot can linger. It doesn’t get in the air or cling to clothes.”
He was quiet another few moments. “Fine, then I’m ruling supernatural law enforcement are allowed to use their heightened senses as probable cause when it’s cocaine, but only cocaine. You’re completely right, Chief Thomas, and restricting you to human limits when you can see, hear, and smell more is ridiculous. The line here is clear, and I’ll allow it.”
I nodded. “I didn’t smell the opioids over the cocaine. I couldn’t. I found those later.”
“Good.” He banged the gavel, and I let out a sigh that we’d won. “Now, answer my other question.”
“We had our badges out, and the guy on the porch flashed his gun at me, Your Honor, and warned me to keep walking. I didn’t, which was pretty valid, and I saw the cocaine all over the living room table through the window in the door before I even breached. I had every right. My nose brought us to that house, but I had more than that to enter the premises.”
“Understood. Good luck with the rest of the case.” He stood, and just like that, it was done.
Awesome. Seriously awesome, and it was a nice win for the good guys.
For once.
9
The next week was crazy with work and getting into a groove of having a baby even if I wasn’t his main caretaker. Dain handled everything to make the adoption happen, Clayton signing the right papers and overnighting them from Greece before court. I must have checked about a dozen times that he was really safe now.
I got to see him for a bit in the morning, and after work I made sure we had some bonding time, normally up at the pool, as the doc had said fresh air was good for him. We were always in the shade, and when the temperature dropped, I made sure he was in the right clothes.
Honestly, eating dinner up there was a nice routine, as we had the huge kitchen, and there was no reason we couldn’t do large meals or something. Well, someone else, I wasn’t cooking with Topher in the wrap. I wasn’t that comfortable yet.
I’d only changed five damn diapers without help. I still didn’t like to make the formula on my own. Others knew how to, and there was no rush.
We did paint the nursery after the stencils arrived. Gayle actually handled a lot of that with her airbrushing talents, and it was super cute and peaceful. It was a good space, which was nice.
I felt like I blinked and it was time for the tour of the Shifter Council prisons. Apollo had come in several days early, so he got me on a weekend, and he was fairly good with Topher, though I really didn’t see him changing a diaper anytime soon. He seemed amused by getting to hold a baby, and that was about it.
Dain handled the arrangement with Nina to get me the potion so they could get me on the plane. I was a mess that morning, and I barely said goodbye to Topher because I didn’t want him to feel this.
“Call it off,” Dain demanded when I had a panic attack. “Enough, Sera.”
“No, I can do this. We need this win,” I argued as I started to come around. “Someone else will be in charge next year, and we tend to swing back between Republican and Democrat when that happens. What if we get some asshole who hates us? We could miss this chance. We have to do this.”
“Okay, okay, we will,” he whispered when I started to get upset again. He knelt in front of me and kissed me. “I love you. You are the bravest, most selfless, and sometimes stupidest woman to hurt yourself for others. You got this.”
“I got this,” I agreed, hurrying to take the potion. He held me as I passed out, probably realizing that it wasn’t just the plane triggering me but taking a potion to make me unconscious… Sort of like the ones that had almost killed me when I’d been abducted.
“You got this,” Dain said when I woke. He was kneeling in front of me, the plane landing waking me. He kept my gaze as I caught up and eased down, having zonked out in that panicked state of mind. “We’ve arrived. Everything was fine.”
“Thanks,” I breathed, my racing heart echoing in my ears. “I need a minute.”
“Whatever you need, Thomas,” Galvin said gently from behind me.
Dain seemed to understand my confusion. “There was a change. They landed at Palwaukee and then flew out with us to show up together and make it clear what side you’re on.”
I sighed. “I’m always the fucking chew toy.”
“I get it all the time, Thomas,” the president chuckled. “You really can sleep on a plane like people say.”
“Yes, sir. The potion was just so I didn’t have to walk up to a plane, but that—that might have been stupid.”
“How so?” he asked.
“It was a potion that kept her knocked out when she was abducted, maybe close to the potion she took,” he explained as he rubbed his hands over my legs. “Do you want to try something else for the flight home?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I want to not feel like this and be so fucking weak.”
“You are not weak,” he rasped. “Sera, half of us were freaked out about you getting on a plane. We felt it too, okay? It was your first time. Cut yourself some slack.”
I gave a watery chuckle. “We’ve well established that is not one of my strong suits.” I let out a slow breath as the plane stopped. “I really need another minute before we go out by the sharks. I need not to smell of panic.”
“I got this,” Axel muttered, handing me his phone. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I took it, smiling as I flipped through new pictures of the boys, each of them holding Topher and smiling.
“Thanks.” I handed the phone back and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
I headed to the door, but Axel actually went out first. We were parked in a private hangar without being able to see much. I got the vibe it was connected right to the rest of the council facility, which the guards confirmed by asking us to follow them instead of getting in vehicles.
And the fact that we were greeted by guards. There was a point being made there, I was sure of that, as the president didn’t normally wait on the tarmac to greet people. But they weren’t at his level and trying to say they were. That didn’t endear them to me.
“So your plane now gets flagged as Air Force One, right?” Axel asked, trying to lighten my mood. “It’s any plane he rides on, so now yours counts.”
“Funny man,” I chuckled, shaking my head.
We walked down a hallway that broke off into several offshoots that I noticed didn’t have any signs. Smart. It made breaching the facili
ty harder if anyone ever got that far if there weren’t signs like in a hospital. And I was fairly certain there was no chance of getting a map of the facility no matter anyone’s contacts. No one would be stupid enough to screw over the council like that.
The guards stopped and moved aside to show who was waiting. I nodded to Queen Laila, her eyes filling with amusement and mischief at whatever she was getting off of me. Yeah, she would like it, and honestly I was bummed Bijan couldn’t make it and was missing it. It was so rare people stuck it to those who deserved it.
“Before we get started with all the introductions and tours, there’s something I need to handle first,” I announced as I adjusted my neck and stretched out from after the potion and plane ride. I glanced over to Galvin and the president’s surprised expressions and smirked. “Sorry about using this for what I needed, but it will make sure things don’t spin out later. I promise you’ll enjoy the show.”
“Uh-huh,” Galvin sighed. I didn’t blame him. The president was both of our boss, but I was his subordinate.
I slid off my suit jacket and handed it over to Carter, thanking him before turning back to the council members who had all showed up to get their pat on the back about how awesome the facility was and boast of their part. I’d figured they would, which made this perfect.
“So who has been spreading the rumors about me?” I froze in rolling up my sleeves, blinking at how many smelled of guilt. “Oh, well, I didn’t expect that, but I suggest ceasing the practice and fast or you will piss me the fuck off.” I continued rolling my sleeves but glanced at Councilman Martin. “Some of you are under the faulty impression you are untouchable, I cannot touch you.
“Wrong answer, kids. You are my fucking jurisdiction. You are supe citizens of this country or residing here with the right papers. That makes me able to be all over your asses.” I thumbed over my shoulder. “And I have bosses before anyone starts spewing shit that I’m a… Whatever. There’s always a range. But I want this clear because if I hear of other rumors, we will be right back here.
“I will come back and hand you your asses, as now I have enough images and everything I need to find this place again.” I held up my hand to show I wasn’t wearing my ring. “So don’t make me come back, but right now I’m here for whoever has been spreading lies that I’m a council plant in the FBI. That I was put there and someone is pulling my strings.
“That I am playing the FBI to help supes commit crimes and cover up any baddies. That my APA idea is some mob network to screw humans and do whatever we want.” I raised an eyebrow at two whose hearts were freaking out, but then one who was also worried. I focused on him first. “You weren’t doing it, but you knew. Are you planning on apologizing for that?”
He pressed his lips in a line, clearly saying to fuck off.
I bobbed my head as I stretched out my arms. “I’d think about that because you’re about to find out how bad my temper is.” I smirked at the others. “And you thought I wouldn’t dare, right? I’m such a good little government minion, and that was why some of you wanted me taken out, right? Well, I left the boy scout at home, and my bosses are here to see this.
“Because it’s completely legal. Alphas aren’t allowed to break the law. By saying your bullshit, as council members, you’ve stated I’ve been breaking the law and challenged my…”
“Viability,” Dain offered.
I nodded. “Yes, that works. I was thinking competency. You challenged my viability and competency as Alpha, and I can answer that challenge.” I smirked at them. “And I plan to.”
I moved in a flash and took their legs out from under them, both reacting just as fast. One was more powerful than me, dripping power even like the vampire Councilman Dubois that haunted my nightmares. But he wasn’t as good in a fight as I was, and the other wasn’t in my league, so I wasn’t as worried about him.
I blocked one shot and used his momentum to fling him into the wall, smirking when I heard things break. I threw an elbow into his head just to make it extra hurt and then laid out the other one in a few moves. Starting with the stronger one, I pinned him down and basically sat on his back, grinding his face against the concrete floor.
“Well, that was fun,” I chirped in a sing song voice to be extra condescending. “I didn’t even break a sweat, but it was nice after the flight.” I didn’t pull images from his mind, as sometimes that could make my nose bleed or me puke, and that didn’t show strength. Instead, I draped my influence on him and let my siren grab what she could. “Oh, you are a bad boy.”
“Enough,” he snarled, trying to fight me.
I elbowed his head again and then swatted his butt. “Bad boy. Behave or your punishment will be worse.” I chuckled as my hand changed into a claw to hold him down, still using that syrupy sweet voice. “Someone likes hot prey shifters. He’s jealous I have sexy foxes and docile gulls.” I threw back my head and laughed, my siren aligning with me. “He wants his own Playboy bunnies.
“Find some hotties that want immortality, and I’ve got the bunnies. His own prey shifter harem, as he gets a cut from all the supe businesses after he takes over the APA because he assumed I got some profits of the companies that joined.” I dug my claws into his skull. “I don’t, dummy. It’s a business association, just like every city has, but it’s across the country. There’s not even a membership fee. Everyone just has to be clean.
“But if you started enough rumors I was dirty, threw in some trails for people to pick up and hold over my head, you thought you had me, huh?” I turned his head enough to see his eyes, smirking. “If you’re going to come up with an evil plan for world dominance or whatever, you might want to check you’re actually the smartest one around.
“You’re not, and you were never going to make me your little bitch. I’m not just insulted for me, but all the intelligent people I do and have worked with. So you thought no one would notice I went from busting all the baddies and filling your prisons to just nothing?
“All of a sudden all the cases disappear and no one would figure that out? Not how that works, pookey.” I flipped him and stood, planting my boot heel on his chest and smirking when he was too hurt to make me move. “Have I made my point that I’m not the bitch here?” I chuckled even as he didn’t answer. “You know it even if you won’t say it. That’s close enough for me.”
I pushed my power to him, fully enthralling him as I changed my claw back before moving onto the other one and doing the same. I smacked his head into the concrete a few times while shooting the guy I wanted to apologize a warning look he better think fast, as I was almost done with my fun.
“So you wanted me,” I purred to the second councilman. “Oh, you naughty boy. You wanted to make me your bitch and take it all over. Get some bullshit evidence of my corruption, and I would just grab my toes because all women are weak.” I flipped him over as I stood and launched the heel of my boot into his groin, grinding it into him until I was sure every man there winced. “Tell me how weak I am, bitch.
“Tell me you’re the man here and you could ever take me over.” I moved my foot some more. “What? Is something wrong, honey? Well, we don’t need to compare penis size, as I don’t have one, and mine is still bigger than yours. Do you now get that and next time I will shove your dick so far up your ass that you will pray for death?”
“I understand,” he wheezed.
“Good boy,” I taunted, enthralling him before looking over at Dain. “Could you give me two collars and leashes for my new bitches, honey?”
“Three.”
I frowned but then remembered what he meant. “Right, three.” I darted over to the wolf elder and landed a roundhouse kick that sent him flying. He was on his feet and charging me, but I was stronger and faster, able to use my shoulder and hip to flip him over me and slam him into the floor, several things in him breaking.
He coughed up blood, but I wasn’t done yet, punching his back until I heard some more bones break and it got hard for him to breathe. I
changed my hand again and used my claws to slice off his suit jacket, shirt, and tie so his nape and back were exposed to me.
“Should I bite you, bitch?” I sang as I ran my claws over his nape. “You’re broken. You’re weakened, so that’s the time to give a bite, huh?” I glanced over to an amused Eugene. “That’s what he told you, right?”
“He did,” he confirmed for the others there, the smell of shock filling the area. I figured Haton had told them, so they didn’t believe her, but Eugene? I wasn’t sure if that was sexism or what, but it annoyed me even more.
“So let’s settle this before you have the same fate as the last wolf elder,” I purred, sliding my claws over his back and slicing him this time. “I’m an American citizen. I was first. Greece did not send me for some offshoot of their power there. You’re also not going to flex your muscles with me as their third and adopted daughter—infected and infertile even. That ends.”
He didn’t reply, so I sliced several muscles in his arms, the point clear he couldn’t flex them.
“There is no smacking me into my place and using the bitch or any other of that sexist crap. It ends. I am done with this shit, and I know that even if you’re the elder, I’m more powerful, so I think it wise you remember that and do what you should and not get distracted with fanciful thoughts. No more trying to send in a man to take control or conquer me.”
I stood and met other council gazes, making sure that last part was for them too. I went over to Axel and Eugene, who wrapped an arm around me from each side and nuzzled my hair while sending warning looks as well.
“Because they chose me,” I purred. “I know you and others here run your mouths about pussy whipping them or whatever other bullshit, like that’s the only way a woman can get men to agree with her. You want to know the fun part?”