Provoked Wolf

by Erin R Flynn

  His eyes flashed shock. “You’ve been to the shifter facility?”

  “Be very careful of your next move,” Eugene warned from behind him. “You’re vibrating with excitement that you just found useful information, but you send people after an Alpha, you’ll be dead next.”

  “You’re threatening a cop?” he sneered.

  “No, telling you the laws, and I used to work for the council,” Eugene told him, and I knew he was trying to transfer the focus to him.

  Idiot.

  “So you know where it is?” he demanded.

  “Why would you ever need that information, as you weren’t a New York cop, and they love what we did?” Eugene shot right back. “They send Chief Thomas the interrogations and security footage when there’s questions of their treatment.” He leaned down until they were almost nose to nose, as Vang was about my height. “I’m an endangered species. I’d look into those laws before you do something stupid.”

  “This endangered shifter bullshit is going to end,” Vang declared. “Using it to hide your crimes is over.”

  Eugene blinked at him before looking at me. “What crimes? Does all of CPD have this screw loose?”

  “No,” I said at the same time Michaels and Soriano did, but I continued. “People feeling the noose around their necks lash out and throw crazy all over to distract people and turn the focus. We see it all the time with criminals who have lots to feel guilty over. It’s why there are so many bullshit filings of abuse in custody and whatnot.”

  “Fuck you, Thomas.”

  “Naw, you’re not handsome enough,” I purred, amusing a lot of the CPD and EMTs around us. I ignored him after that, finishing up with Soriano and Michaels before we headed out.

  “You don’t want to see the crime scene?” Axel asked as I walked to the SUVs someone had brought to us.

  “No, there’s no need to add more dead we didn’t save to my nightmares,” I grumbled, making it clear the discussion was over.

  Everyone was quiet the rest of the ride, Apollo taking charge when we reached my apartment. I gave him a challenging look, but he just smiled at me.

  “We’re going to let out some of this darkness boiling in you in a fun, enjoyable way,” he explained.

  Okay then. Sign me up… And if it involved four ancients in my bed and all of us having too much fun, then so much the better.

  12

  The next morning I woke to more bullshit and seconds from blowing my top. I was tired of the bullshit. After sending Apollo on his way, I changed the plans for the day and headed to Brian’s office, deciding to act on an idea I’d been plotting with Dain for over a week now. Basically it was my response to all the memes, press coverage, and slander after the judge had ruled in our favor.

  And it didn’t take a genius to figure out where a lot of that came from. But Haton was right and it wasn’t good for us, so it was time to clap back.

  “I need your expertise,” I said to one of Brian’s tech guys, Agent Brad Scott, startling him. I smiled, glad he didn’t spill his coffee on himself. “How good are you at videoing anything not crime scenes?”

  “Good, but what are you asking for, Chief?” he asked cautiously.

  “I’m starting some actual trouble,” I admitted. “I get shit on all the time for starting so much fucking trouble when normally I’m just doing my damn job, so if I’m going to get the shit, I’m starting the actual trouble this time. We’ve got plans to work out, but it’s a video for the club’s YouTube channel. You in?”

  He slowly nodded. “Yeah, and I can do you one better. I know a popular YouTuber that’s in Chicago. He’d totally get on board to help if he got a behind-the-scenes and maybe some interviews for his channel for a crossover. He’s supe friendly, totally, and he’ll ask direct questions but isn’t a dick.”

  I debated that. “See if you can set it up for this weekend. Like we could start the scenes at the club tomorrow and Saturday for the rest. We want the response now.”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, really, thanks.”

  “No problem, Chief. A lot of us are pissed too. You’re trying to save lives and help all law enforcement do their jobs better, safer. This sort of bigotry does nothing for anyone but hurts people and internet trolls getting their jollies rocked. It’s not what the internet was made for.”

  “Preaching to the choir,” I grumbled as I left.

  Yeah, no one had to talk me into wanting to pound some trolls. The memes with my head Photoshopped over dogs sniffing each other’s asses or wolves doing it in the wild was just too much. Worse than that, the new waves of showing half naked women to be strippers and hookers waving off money because they were shifters and not real people and sex addicts made me see red.

  Really, I was two seconds from bashing in skulls, which was why I went to handle another situation and make a show about it instead of calmly like normal.

  “You are so my hero for doing this,” Sander said as we arrived at UIC’s campus. We had several wolves from our pack attending, and all of them had been getting harassed without anyone stepping in to help. Along with a teacher being the one to out them as shifters, and then when others stepped up to back up their pack, others assumed they were too.

  That didn’t fly with me.

  Ashley’s eyes went wide as I walked into the huge lecture hall, several of them sitting together in the required freshman course.

  “Excuse me?” the professor demanded.

  I showed him my badge. “Several of your students are being taken into custody for sexual assault, harassment, and threatening a minor. Todd Nguyen, Jesse Parker, Craig Phillips, and Alan Collins.”

  “Those are all basketball players,” he argued.

  I gave him a bored look as those four were rounded up and restrained. “So? They don’t get a pass because they represent the school. They should be held to the highest standards of how to behave because they represent the school.” I snapped my fingers. “Right, you don’t care because you announced confidential and protected personal information. You’re coming with us too, Professor.”

  “You have no authority here,” he sneered. “I’m not a supe.”

  “For a college professor, you’re not all that well educated,” I chuckled. “We don’t police only supes. It’s supe related crimes, meaning humans against supes too. Or did you think there wasn’t anyone to protect them legally?”

  I smirked at him when his heart fluttered.

  “Oh, this is going to be fun.” I glanced out at the lecture hall. “I find out anyone else is harassing, slut shaming, or getting physical with any of the supe students and you’ll be next, ending your careers before they even start. You’re adults now, and there’s no sealing away your records. It’s not funny, it’s not cool, and it’s certainly not acceptable, any of this.”

  “I wish that worked for us humans too,” one woman said several rows up.

  “It should,” I told her, pulling out my phone and moving towards her. I held my hand out for her pen and wrote Dain’s number on her notebook. “That’s my attorney. Call him if the school isn’t doing what it should to protect the female students, and he’ll get you to the right people.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered, giving me a shocked look.

  “So class is dismissed,” I called out as I got back to the front, the professor restrained. I shot a glance at Ashley, making it clear they should join us as the accusers.

  I wasn’t surprised when the dean of the department showed up, steam practically coming out of his ears as he demanded we follow him.

  “Yeah, that’s not how this works, as they’ve committed crimes,” I drawled, raising my eyebrow at him. “And in what world do you think you have the right to bark at a division chief of the FBI? You’re not even the chancellor, and this isn’t Harvard or somewhere with pull.”

  “What crimes? Besides you abusing your badge and humiliating a respected professor with tenor?”

  I named the federal statue
for the disclosure of confidential information. “Punishable for up to a year in prison and/or a hundred thousand dollar fine along with being stripped of the licenses or certificates that allowed them access to the information.” I smirked at the professor. “Did you like your teaching certificates and licenses? Bet you did it because you didn’t think there were any repercussions.”

  “And the students filed complaints as to what happened and they were being harassed,” Sander added. “You do have a law department at this college, right? He was a bit unclear that basketball players couldn’t get in trouble or there was no one to stop him from using his position to hassle supes.”

  “No such complaints have reached my ears,” the dean seethed.

  “That’s true,” I said for the others. “Then you have a major disconnect, as that was the first step taken. This was the result when the college didn’t do what it should.” I held up my hand to silence him. “These four have been grabbing, smacking, and groping the female shifters the professor outed and some others who stepped up to help their friends. He saw it and did nothing. Others have as well.”

  “One is still a minor,” Sanders added. “And teachers who don’t interject when witnessing a sexual assault—as that’s assault—are the lowest form of filth. Some were laughing with and threatening to get them tossed out if they shifted.”

  Shock flashed in the dean’s eyes before he glanced at Ashley and her friends. “Is that true?”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered. “One of the teachers was laughing as I was slut shamed because all shifters are sluts according to the basketball team and other cliques, and said if we shifted, we’d get tossed out, annoyed we were let in.”

  “There’s currently a case in Memphis where someone used confidential county information to out the owners of a chocolate and candy factory and is liable for their revenue losses,” I added. “You have several students with promising futures that he outed and had a hand in bullying. You are lucky we were here and stepped in before it crossed even more lines.”

  “You’re just scaring us,” one of the basketball players stupidly threw back. “You know who we are.”

  “Kid, I don’t give a fuck that you’re a division one player, a freshman who warms the bench from what I hear,” I told him firmly. “I wouldn’t care if you were MVP with the Bulls. You cannot lay your hands on anyone without permission. There are consequences for your actions, and unlike crimes against humans, we can tell when you’re lying. We sense it.

  “They knew you were about to go over the line, and next time it would probably be you trying to rape them in a bathroom instead of threatening to make them show you their goods in the locker rooms like the sluts they are.” I snarled and got in his face. “They are not sluts. And they’re stronger than you. Even attempted rape and you would be turned over to me and the Shifter Council.

  “There’s no rape kit or slamming women in court, no tearing into them in disgusting ways because the crime was of a sexual nature instead of a mugging. None of that. I can smell you’re guilty as fuck. We would know, and you would lose everything, your future, and while I think you deserve that for being such scum, I won’t allow this harassment and abuse to continue.”

  “You need to get this through your head, and so do others,” Sander cut in, using his larger body to intimidate the cocky jock. “You deck someone, it’s assault. You get that, right? They warned you not to get in fights because you’re an adult now and you can get arrested.” He waited until all four of them nodded. “Smacking a woman is still assault. If it’s sexual, it’s sexual assault.”

  “No way,” another one hissed.

  “Way,” we all said together, but I continued. “Grabbing their breasts is sexual assault. Grabbing butts, smacking them—it’s all sexual in nature, and it’s sexual assault. You think it’s funny, but it’s not. You think you can get away with it because you’re hot shit, and maybe you are here, but you’re not in the real world. It’s a felony and comes with fines and prison time. Do you get it now?”

  “I’m sorry,” the two that hadn’t spoken yet said to Ashley and her friends.

  “Oh, you’ll have to do better than that,” I purred.

  “Like what?” the dean demanded.

  “Are you kidding me?” I seethed, swallowing down some of my rage so I didn’t punch the dickhead. “They’ve been spreading rumors and inciting mobs of students to harass these victims. You think one quick apology when someone threatens them with jail is enough? I very much plan on filing charges so it’s on their record permanently.”

  Sander chuckled when they went pale. “You thought this was just to scare you? Yeah, right. We don’t take you in, and it gets blown off and it’s a green light for all the other douches who think they can harass supes, slut shame shifters, or put their hands on women without consequence.” He smirked at the guys. “Your careers are over. Hope you enjoyed your few moments of low level fame.”

  “Let’s go,” I said, waving for them to head out.

  “No, this cannot be allowed,” the dean argued, moving in front of the first.

  “You’re just as bad as they are,” I seethed. “It’s done. Reports were filed, statements taken, and warrants issued. Do you think you could interfere if we were CPD and these were theft charges?” I shook my head when his face said this wasn’t the same. “You should be in charge of nothing if you don’t take the felonies they’ve committed more seriously than a misdemeanor theft crime.”

  “It’s only a felony in Illinois if it’s rape and threat of violence is used,” he snapped.

  “Oh, you’ve used that line before to have it ready,” I chuckled. “This is federal, as all supe crimes are.” I moved closer, and we were the same height. “Is that what you tell your jocks? They’ll only get in trouble if it’s rape and they get caught?” Several people hissed when we heard his heart.

  “They shouldn’t have been so full of themselves and acting like they were better than everyone,” that first jock snapped. I didn’t even get a chance to interject how stupid that was, as who were they to be the ego police when clearly they thought too much of themselves already.

  “We’re not full of ourselves,” Ashley snarled, her friends looking just as pissed and ready to deck him. “You reeked of lust and giddiness like you got new toys you could do with whatever you wanted. It was creepy. It was super creepy, and we avoided you. We’re allowed to do that. We were also allowed to hit you back when you smacked us, and you’re lucky we didn’t because I wanted to break your bones.”

  He snorted, his other asshole friend as well.

  “Idiots,” Sander sighed. “They could snap you like twigs. It’s why supes aren’t allowed in school or pro sports.”

  I glanced at the dean who looked almost panicked and not just at what was going on but how much he’d missed. He might be an asshole who didn’t want his players in trouble and made the rules clear, but he wasn’t pushing them to misbehave. He was still a dick, but there might be a way to get the best of both worlds on this. I channeled a tad of Brian and his calmness to bridge the divide a bit.

  “You need to find out the disconnect in your office that led us here instead of a meeting with students and parents or something,” I told the dean.

  Ashley snorted. “My dad’s Beta of the pack, and I think several people are sitting on him so he didn’t tear you all up when he heard you were groping me and slapping my ass while calling me a slut.” She sneered at them. “I’m a virgin.”

  I waved her off, and she started pacing to keep her cool. I stared down the dean until he agreed. “As FBI, I can’t just ignore the warrants and not do my job, but as their Alpha I can speak to the council and see if there’s another option.” I held up my hand to him when he opened his mouth. “But I want some promised changes before I would even consider that.”

  “Like?” he asked as he studied me.

  “You have it in your rules that there aren’t any hate crimes or bullying allowed for several groups—mino
rities, any studying on visas, and the LGBTQ community. I want supes added. The fact they aren’t already is ridiculous.” I growled when he looked like he was going to object. “You’ve had teachers harassing them or allowing it because no one would call them on it. Is that really what UIC is?”

  “Agreed, and I will bring it up to the chancellor immediately.”

  “I don’t want anyone pushing them to drop charges or this affect their studies.” I glanced at Ashley when she cleared her throat.

  “He was also grading our stuff harsher,” she explained. “A guy sitting near us let me read the paper he got back, and mine was better, but he got an A and I got a C. We all did.”

  “I will handle that,” the dean promised before I could say anything, shooting the professor a pissed off look. “This is Chicago, and we don’t discriminate on grades. They are merit based only, and that’s enough to lose tenure over.”

  I met the dean’s gaze and realized he might be on our side more than I’d thought, but his hands might be tied. “I want some sort of required seminar on sexual assault and consent.” I shook my head when he objected. “Other schools have it. Your sports players who represent the school and are the elite were the offenders. I heard from a human woman in that class it’s not just the supes.”

  “I will try,” he offered. “It’s not up to me.”

  “Fine, but I expect a real effort if I call the Shifter Council as Alpha and suggest another course of action.” I gave him my card, and he did the same with his direct line. I waited until we were across campus and back near the SUVs, smirking at the jocks. “Assuming we don’t find anything else in your interrogations because I seriously doubt these are the only crimes you’ve been getting away with.”

  “Well, that was fun,” Sander chuckled as they were loaded up. He was a fun, joking guy, but he loathed bullies and people who abused their power after being involved with the council for so many years.