by Erin R Flynn
It was hysterical. I mean, fucking hysterical. We’d worried about having enough of a showing given Freddie, Jessica, and others were handling that issue, but a lot of the pack came and even some of the other groups, knowing this was important. We looked like the most crazy and fucked up Wild Kingdom special where Gerald, the bear Alpha, tried to get a ball, but Simone got it before him and pranced in victory.
Noe swooped down and caught a few in his talons. Matthew, the herbivore Alpha, knocked me out of the way to get one. His buck was fucking huge, and I backed off, those antlers dangerous even while playing.
“Okay, I think we got enough,” Jennings said, sounding like he was dying along with the others. “You should get a tennis ball launcher and start competing how many can catch them at a time.”
I shifted back. “That’s not a bad idea.” I knew we were still rolling, and we wanted that so people saw how at ease we were with the nudity and it wasn’t about being naked but just life.
We were naked as animals after all.
But Travis would blur it all so people got the idea.
“We did get competitive during the water balloon fight,” Reagan teased before swooping me up. “I win.”
“Carrying me off isn’t the prize,” I chuckled, smacking his chest. “Come on, we have to get back to work.” I gave him a warning look. “Keep it PG, buddy.”
“Yeah, it was going to be dirty,” he confessed. He gave me a quick kiss before setting me down at my stuff. “Be safe.”
“Thanks. What are you guys up to today?” I asked as we hurried to get dressed. There was a chill in the air, and the temperature seemed to be dropping faster each day.
And then there would be a random few days of almost eighty. Ahhh, Climate Change, how some idiots deny you still.
“We’re helping at the site to get the building down so we can build the new apartment building.” He shrugged. “We’re cheaper than renting a wrecking ball, and it’s fun.”
“It is, and thanks for letting us help,” Gerald said. “We could always use some exercise like that.”
“Right?” I chuckled. “I’m glad you’re going to take an apartment in the building since none of my Betas are. Our house is close, but in the building is always better for emergencies.”
“Agreed, and thanks for giving me a fucking swank apartment for free just in case of emergencies.”
I nodded, seeing the worry in his eyes. “Things didn’t get better at your job?”
“No, they’re pushing me out the door,” he sighed. “It’s nothing overt, and I admit, I’ve had to race out of there several times to help my bears, but no more than anyone with kids, and I always make up the time.”
“Would you want to work with Jonathan?” I asked under my breath. “I don’t want it to be like you’re under me as Alpha, but I don’t really deal with that part of everything. Carter does, and Jonathan has a lot on his hands. Maybe you guys can divide it?”
He froze, blinking at me and then pulling his sweater on the rest of the way. “You’re expanding again?”
I nodded. “Everything got put on hold while I was gone, but we finalized everything with the mayor’s office on bottling and distributing the blood drinks we serve at the club. We’re taking over a foreclosed factory and doing it quickly so people don’t get where and what we’re up to.”
“It’s going to have everything for the fairy nectar company, and most will think it that, but it will be the blood,” Hagan said. “And we’ve figured out how to handle the trucks so people don’t catch on what’s in them.”
“How?” he asked.
“We’re using milk tankers that keep the milk cold like we would the blood, but we’re labeling them with ‘juice,’” I answered. “People will think we’re bringing in the passion fruit juice to make the fairy nectar. It was the easiest option that makes sense and won’t draw attention like energy or fuel vehicles can. We’ve got covered locations at all the packs to donate and fill up the divided tanker.”
“Wait, I thought some place got in huge trouble for mislabeling their products in Indiana?” he muttered, giving me a confused look.
“That’s when it’s going to be FDA inspected or dangerous,” I explained. “We’re doing some dancing for sure, but it’s not general consumption. The original license was not popular to put in place, and pretty much any politician runs from the idea about adding regulations or touching the topic again.
“So we’re sort of using that. There’s precedence for safety actually, as alcohol companies were allowed to mislabel after prohibition as people targeted the shipments specifically. But it’s also not biomedical waste, so we don’t have to handle that minefield. Plus, we’ve filed all the right paperwork to explain this as well. We just have to get it all in place fast before the wrong people object and start shit.”
“All six of your packs will donate?”
I nodded. “Yup. So will Memphis. In return, they get to be a distributor to the covens around them. They get so much of it back for free or other stuff we offer and have. Virgil wants fairy nectar too to make friends and keep people on their side after what all went down. But my packs know the money will help us expand and provide more jobs for them too.”
“Build better and safer housing, which is the first goal,” Hagan added. “Milwaukee could use it. Grand Rapids for sure. That way we can have more wolves there as well, and we trust those Alphas under her umbrella. Hestia is solid, and even Linus is rocking it. There was a huge mess for both of them to clean up, and they did.”
“That had to be confusing,” Gerald muttered, shaking his head.
“I didn’t handle it,” I snickered. “Dain and these guys did. I got the Alpha’s holdings, and I’m trustee of the pack’s land. They get the tithe though, as they’re Alpha and they have a way to raise that amount like we’re their parent corporate company or whatever. It works really well only if all the people involved are in this for real and not assholes.”
“I’ll talk to Jonathan, thanks,” Gerald accepted quietly. “I was thinking of talking to Noah since I’ve known him for years and he’s gotta have too much crazy going on taking over the coven, plus his business, plus Milo and your guys expanding.”
“Yeah, crazy is pretty much our current state,” I admitted.
It really was. Just to make that glaringly obvious, Dr. Sloan called when we were on the way back to the office and said the blood tests came back I wasn’t pregnant, but it would take weeks to know for sure. Got it. I’d just adopted a son, and it wasn’t the time to get pregnant.
Assuming I would ever want to.
“Where’s your head?” Emilio asked gently.
“Wondering if I deserve this miracle basically that I can have kids again if I still don’t want them,” I confessed as I stared out the window.
“Sera, you shouldn’t get pregnant right now anyways. You’re still too new as a wolf and definitely an Alpha to risk it. You know this, and I know that’s part of your decision. You’re not being ungrateful, you’re not being cavalier with the miracle.”
“Thanks, that helps.” I reached forward and massaged his shoulders. “You’re such a smartie.”
“I’ve got lots more so keep doing that,” he groaned. “Shit, apparently I’ve been tense.”
“Call Luca. His hands are magic, believe me.”
“Yes, but you have fantastic breasts, and I dream of them rubbing against me as you do,” he teased me, several laughing when I smacked him in the back of the head instead.
We managed through the day, but a few things delayed me from leaving on time, which sucked since it was the first time Noah was officially hosting anything as the Master of Chicago, not just his takeover party… And I was his date to show our solidarity. Just not my punctuality.
It didn’t help that I couldn’t remember where the dress was, but luckily it was a drive from the office to the city and they found it before we got there. Noah had it delivered to the club, figuring I could get Gayle and Bet
h to help me with hair and makeup, and we did just that since Beth didn’t have any tables that night and Gayle was a floater.
The dress was a gorgeous steel blue that complimented my dark blue eyes. It was elegant even though it was a revealing stretch silk halter dress with drape neck cowl front. It was low cut, but the whole back was missing besides two straps and ties around my neck. And the skirt was just short of showing my butt and I’d really have to be careful when I sat, but he’d clearly picked it with me in mind.
“Hi, sorry I’m late,” I greeted him, leaning in for a kiss, which he gladly gave. “Got held up at work.”
“You should find a better woman for your arm, Noah,” a vampire chuckled as she gave me the onceover. “If you’re going to resort to arm candy, they can at least be on time or of a high caliber.”
A few people around us snorted on their drinks.
I smirked at her as I looped my arm with Noah’s and leaned in. “You know exactly who I fucking am and got the dig in before we’re officially introduced. Bully for you, petty woman whose power doesn’t even register to me.” I batted my eyelashes up at Noah. “Did she want to stand here, lover? Is that what’s up her ass? I stand here and she doesn’t?”
He smiled at me as she sputtered with indignation. “She’s made it clear that given how young and weak I am, it would be smart for me to come under her wing and in her bed to keep Chicago safe.”
I burst out laughing. I full out laughed as I looked over the woman like she was shit. “Sure, you keep telling yourself lies to pump your ego.” When she opened her mouth, I let my power flare enough that it topped hers. “Noah is mine. If you were unclear on that, learn it now, but you try for him or anyone that’s mine, we will fight Mistress to Mistress, as I’m recognized as Mistress by your council.”
“I wasn’t aware that was official,” she bit out.
“I have a coven of ancients. It’s fucking official,” I purred. “If your coven’s in the Midwest, your boss is also mine. Any other questions?”
Her eyes flashed shock, and I knew I’d hit the nail on the head, as she wouldn’t make a play for a coven like Chicago if she was all that far. Bitch. Even if she was in a major city, it wasn’t like Chicago if in the Midwest.
“Thank you for the dress,” I said to Noah, ignoring her and her party. “I could tell you picked it for me, not just it was pretty.”
“I thought the color perfect for you, and it is,” he murmured as he kissed my neck. I saw him also check out the back, and then he softly groaned. “Damn, you really wear that dress, Sera.”
“Well, I am arm candy,” I teased, glad when he smiled. Yeah, we liked to poke back for sure. We moved on, and I met several other masters or mistresses of a city, wishing I had the time to learn the names and faces with their regions. But I really didn’t, and if I was going to do that, I’d do it for the wolves first.
Most got in veiled digs or like none referred to me as “Mistress,” knowing full well they should as I was more powerful or we weren’t playing the game with humans around, so it was just polite. They did call me Alpha to make it clear it just wasn’t in deference to my job, so like that wasn’t a thing. Whatever, I was so over it.
I did however use it to my advantage, as there was a lot we were hoping to learn and maybe gain from this event and inviting people to sniff out Noah as they had when I’d become Alpha. And I did take the chance to talk some business, thinking it was the perfect chance to discuss Emilio’s idea to help with corruption.
“I was hoping we could have a private word, Mr. Mayor,” I said to him after we greeted him and his wife.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t while wearing that dress,” his wife chuckled, but her eyes told me she wasn’t kidding.
“I appreciate the compliment, but I promise you that your husband has never remotely flirted with me. It is work, I swear it, and I’m way too new of a wolf to ever risk touching a human. I love Chief Havers, and we take precautions so I never lose my head with him in that way.”
“I didn’t know that was a concern with newer shifters,” she admitted.
“Most say at least five years, some ten, but Sera started strong and has control most don’t have for at least that long,” Noah said, giving me a look. “Do I get to know what this is about?”
I winced. “You’re no longer FBI. I mean, you’re cleared but… Sorry. I’m not even telling the regular division.”
“Well, it sounds important,” the mayor’s wife agreed with a smile. “I’ll just head to the bar with Noah and see if he’ll flirt with me.”
“I won’t, but I will escort you there, of course,” he chuckled, winking at me.
“Don’t be angry with her,” the mayor muttered as we headed off to the side of the party to find a good place to talk. “Scott Galvin’s wife has made it abundantly clear that you’re the reason their marriage ended and you’re a husband stealer.”
“Mother—I’m going to beat that woman. We’ve not so much as flirted. I saved her life, and she was horrible to me and still? Did I seduce him while I was missing because that was when they separated.”
“She doesn’t sound the most stable, but I will make sure my wife knows that’s your response.” He shrugged when I gave him an offended look. “You would be shocked to hear how many affairs are going on in politics while everyone preaches and judges others.”
“I would never, not ever touch a married man. It wouldn’t be on me, but I still wouldn’t. They made a promise, a commitment, and if they would break that by cheating, I don’t want them near me. Get a divorce if you’re unhappy, don’t scar your partner. And for the record, I know Scott Galvin was faithful to her.” I nodded firmly. “I know it. He said he would never cheat on her in front of me, and it was the truth.”
“Good to know.” We moved down the hall from the bathroom to where the kitchen would bring out appetizers and then dinner. “What did you want to discuss?”
“One of the ancients on our APOT team suggested that we stop reacting so much on defense to corruption, waiting until it makes a big splashy mess that’s bad for Chicago, and go on offense. He suggested one of them work with CPD IA and a random report and file check be enacted.”
“There is no chance of us getting a budget for that.”
“We know,” I told him firmly, nodding when his eyes flashed shock. I sighed and rubbed my tired neck. “Look, Vang was bad and was a threat to me. He was trying to get information about the Shifter Council facility and probably told his dirty buddies I knew where it was. That’s dangerous for everyone around me.”
“Do you know where it is?” he asked after a moment.
“No, I’ve been there, but it’s got some sort of cloaking that just—you get like pulled in with permission. I have no idea where it is.” I could find it again now, but the way the plane landed according to Orson reminded him of Star Wars with the tracker beam pulling the ship in.
I was sort of glad I’d slept through that, as I might have flipped shits.
“How do you see that even working?” the mayor asked, and I wasn’t shocked he’d at least consider it when corruption was horrible in any major city, and Chicago had a rep for being extra stinky at times.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure on the legalities of it as I’m federal, but you sign an executive order saying you’re forming an additional CPD corruption committee or something. It’s hush, hush, but do it through Noah so it’s a government contracted company and not a security risk and it’s not feds in local police, which never goes over well.
“So we get some IA officers we make sure are clean, the Chief of Police has to know some he’d call on first. We match them with a few of the ancients who will help one day a week or something so it’s not a crazy storm that draws too much attention. It’s smart to trim here and trim there. Start with people and cases their guts told them had dirt but they couldn’t prove it.”
“Okay, but then what? How do the dominoes fall once you find someone?”
I smiled at him, having discussed this part with Dain. “The laws are very clear that supes’ law enforcement are federal. Others have gotten around that but then were shut down, and the government is fighting against that. However, private sector is different. Noah’s worked with military and more because he’s not law enforcement.”
“So they’re not law enforcement then, but it’s their second, unpaid job?”
I nodded. “Volunteer work even, or maybe they’ll let me pay them for my security through Noah’s company then. Whatever, we just want less danger in Chicago. That’s bigger than money when we don’t need it. FBI can have a second job, I do, I own a business. The rules are clear we can as long as it’s not a conflict or reflects badly on the FBI.”
“Which this wouldn’t,” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, which normally I would have taken as closed off to the idea, but I saw he just didn’t like the tux, which was funny since he wore a nice suit all the time. Maybe it was old or he was tired, as he seemed to be stretching a bit, so I ignored it. He was staring at me a tad longer than was polite, and I realized what he was searching for.
“You know the numbers of shootings and how many have died this year, I’m sure you even have the maps burned in your brain. If you could take one step towards maybe making it better, having a chance that next year the numbers might be less, wouldn’t you give one day a week to do it? They can do it, and most of the time they are frustrated no one lets them help.”
“CPD corruption might not affect one of those numbers,” he reminded me.
“Nope, but at least we start with a clean police force as the line to build from.” I gave him a serious look. “Like we have clean FBI offices.” I nodded when his eyes filled with shock. “No reason anyone shouldn’t talk to me, and if they’re nervous to, that was sort of a signal. I found someone dirty on DEA. I’m hoping he’ll let me talk to some of his office, maybe ATF.”
“We can’t fix everything, but cleaning our houses is something we can do,” he agreed. “Would Dain be willing to have some conversations with people in my office acting as outside council to assess the efficiency of my office?”