Bureau Under Siege

by A. K. Michaels

  “I know,” Ronan agreed, “I don’t think I’ve seen a happier couple at one of these things. I mean, everyone is happy, obviously, but those two are much more than that. It’s hard to put into words.”

  “You don’t need to, Fang, I know what you mean. It’s clear for anyone to see.”

  “Shit! Will ya look at that?” Ronan almost chocked on his drink.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Starr asked, her eyes going over the crowd to see what was up.

  “No, not there, at the door.” Ronan’s eyes were locked on the couple walking in.

  “Oh my good grief! Is that Creed with a woman in tow?” Starr held her glass halfway to her lips as she stared.

  “Yup, looks like he’s brought his mate home.” Ronan chuckled, placing his glass on a nearby table and making his way over.

  Creed looked very uncomfortable but the woman, Ronnie, was smiling as some of her Pack crowded around, congratulating her.

  “Welcome back,” Ronan addressed Creed. “I see you’ve brought a new member to join our little family.”

  “Yes, Ronnie, this is the Director, Ronan. Ronan, this is Veronica, or Ronnie.”

  Creed was obviously not happy at the crowd around his mate and he knew that feeling well. Before a Vampire, or Wolf, fully bonded with their mate, they most certainly did not like any males near them. Ronan sympathized with his guard and wondered how long they would stay before his anger forced him to drag Ronnie away.

  He thought it wouldn’t be long at all.

  Ronnie stuck her hand out. “Hello,”

  “Welcome, Ronnie, I hope you feel welcome here and settle in okay.” Ronan let go of her hand as Creed let out a small snarl. “Afraid it’s going to be a hello and goodbye as Starr and I leave tomorrow for a while.”

  Creed pounced on his words. “A while? Where are you going and why?”

  Ronan raised an eyebrow. “Firstly, there’s emails waiting for you to explain everything. Secondly, I don’t have to answer to you but I’ll tell you. Starr is pregnant and we’re relocating to Josef’s Ranch until after the birth for reasons explained in said email. We’ll be gone for at least four months, possibly a little longer.”

  “Security? You’ll need security for her.” Creed looked over to where Starr stood. “If she’s going to have a Dragon baby then she cannot be unprotected. I’ll come.”

  Before Ronan could answer Ronnie butted in, “Did I hear that right? A Dragon baby?”

  “Yes.” Ronan couldn’t help grinning now, “Starr’s a Dragon and due to some ancient magical ceremony her brother managed to perform before he died she’s now pregnant.”

  “Oh my! How exciting!” Ronnie’s eyes were wide as she also stared over at Starr.

  “Creed, you don’t have to come. Josef is arranging…”

  “I’m coming,” Creed interrupted. “I’ve kept her safe on more than one occasion and I’m not going to stop now.”

  Creed’s tone was cold and hard as he stared into Ronan’s eyes. “You’ll get bored, Creed, the Ranch is in the middle of nowhere.”

  “I’m still coming and Ronnie’s coming too. We’ll patrol together, her Wolf abilities will come in handy.”

  Starr finally joined them, hearing the last part of the conversation and staring at Creed then Ronan. “Won’t you be needed here?”

  “I’m sure they can do without me. Nobody’s indispensable and I’m not letting anyone else be in charge of your safety,” Creed exclaimed, his jaw tight. “I want to see this through, Ronan.”

  Looking at his top Elite Guard, he realized that this was personal for him. Creed wanted to ensure Starr’s safety, and that of the child she was carrying. At this moment Ronan could think of nobody else more suited to the job.

  “Fine, but we leave early tomorrow so if you’re coming you better go pack and be in the garage at eight.”

  “We’ll be there.” Creed nodded before turning to Ronnie. “Half hour then we’ve got to leave.”

  Ronnie looked at Starr, smiling, “Hell yeah,”

  Starr grinned back at the woman as she saw a fiery light in the Wolf’s eyes. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice to have met you.”

  “Likewise,” Ronnie answered before turning back to some of the people still waiting to congratulate her.

  Ronan pulled Starr into his arms, whispering into her ear, “I think we can safely leave now, let’s get home. I think I fancy a nice, long, hot shower with my mate.”

  “I hope there’s more involved than washing!” Starr giggled.

  “I guarantee it, now, let’s go.” Grabbing her hand he pulled her behind him, leaving the party that would, no doubt, go on until the wee hours of the morning.

  Chapter 19

  “You sure you’re going to be okay?” Ronan asked for the dozenth time.

  Starr pushed him towards the large SUV they’d stolen from the Vegas office. “I’ll be fine, I’m going to go out back, go Dragon, and just lie and soak up the sun all day. I’ll see you when you get back. Now go, it’s been two days longer already that you’ve stayed home. Go to work, I’m okay and we need to get back into a routine.”

  “I suppose, I just don’t want to leave you out here alone.” Ronan scowled as he looked around the Ranch.

  “I’m not alone!” Starr pushed him again, “I’ve got Margaret, Finbar, and then there’s the ranch hands and all the security detail. Creed is running a tight ship, Ronan, you know that. So go to work!”

  “Okay, okay, I’m going.” Ronan opened the door and got in. “I’ll be home ‘bout six, all going well. See you later, Puff.”

  Starr watched as Ronan finally pulled away, smiling at his reluctance to leave. Since they’d bonded, in fact since before then, they’d been with each other most of the time. Now that he was going to work in the Vegas office of the SEB and she was staying on the Ranch, it meant they would be apart during the day.

  Ronan was far more worked up about it than she was because she knew she was just going to sleep in her Dragon form around the back of the large ranch house. Ronan would be bored stupid in no time at all if he stayed home. It was far better he go to work and come home when she felt rested and refreshed.

  The pregnancy was taking far more out of her than she thought possible, coming to the conclusion it was because she was in her human form for far too long each day. Now, she could be Dragon whenever she liked and she looked forward to taking Ronan for a ride after dinner.

  “If you need anything just ask,” Margaret’s voice making her jump.

  “Morning, Margaret.” Starr smiled at the woman who was fast becoming a friend, “I won’t need anything now ‘til Ronan gets home. I’m going to rest out back.”

  “As your Dragon?” Margaret’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “Yes, that’s what I’ll be doing most of the time now.”

  “I’ll come and check on you later, just in case.” Margaret went back inside, humming under her breath.

  Starr went around back, finding a spot to settle down before transforming, and settling down to rest. A noise off to the left caught her attention, swinging her long scaly neck and catching a glimpse of Creed and Ronnie patrolling the perimeter. Settling back down she pondered on the Elite Guard and his new mate and the way he had completely taken over the security here at the Ranch.

  There had been a bit of “posturing” from one of Josef’s Vampires but Creed dealt with it quickly and decisively. Now, Creed ran all of the extra men that Josef had put in place with an iron fist and she felt truly relaxed knowing he was in charge.

  She thought Ronnie might get bored after a few weeks of this but that wasn’t her problem. It was Creed’s.

  Her eyes fluttered closed as sleep took over, the sun beating down on her black scales and keeping her nice and warm. All Dragon’s hated the cold and she was no exception. The hot Vegas sun was just what she needed to recharge her batteries and she was going to make the most of it every chance she could.

  *****

  Rona
n sat at his desk and when he saw the date on his calendar he did a double take. “Damnú air! Where the hell has the time gone?” he thought as he saw he’d been in the Vegas offices for almost four months.

  Even though Starr was now showing her pregnancy was well advanced, it hadn’t really hit him how close she was to giving birth. Her routine of staying Dragon most days while he was at work bringing a healthy hue back to her face that had been pale and ill looking.

  Now she waddled around with the large bump, smiling and laughing as the days wore on. Josef, Peri and Gabe, together with the little one, visited several times and had provided them with a host of stuff for the baby. But they still had to get some basics, a crib and such, which he’d be picking up on his way home today.

  The fact that they’d got this far without any kind of security breaches was a miracle, in his eyes anyway, but Creed had everything under control in that department. Together with the elaborate electronic alarm system with cameras all over the blinking place that Josef had installed meant that they were covered for miles all around the Ranch. Thank goodness, ‘cause that meant one less thing to worry about.

  Surprisingly, Starr didn’t appear worried the entire time they’d been at the Ranch and he had a sneaking suspicion it was because it was Creed that was in charge. Ronan didn’t care what the reason was, he was only glad that his mate was happy, healthy, and not worrying herself sick.

  Paul, his Agent in Charge for Vegas, walked in. “You’re leaving early today, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Ronan grinned. “I’ve got to pick up the crib.”

  “I still can’t quite get my head around the fact you’re going to be a father. It’s kinda weird.”

  “I know what you mean and the time is getting near…”

  Ronan grabbed his mobile as it rang, the ringtone letting him know it was Starr. “Hey, mo chroi, how are you?”

  “Fang, now, I don’t want you to panic...”

  Heart rate rocketing he butted in, “Panic? What’s wrong? Starr, tell me what’s wrong!”

  “I just told you I didn’t want you to panic.”

  “Starr, whenever anyone says those words the first damn thing ya do is panic.”

  Starr let out a soft moan. “Fang, could you go get the crib now and then come straight home?”

  Ronan stood up, his chair crashing into the wall behind him. “Yes, but tell me what’s wrong!”

  “It’s time, Ronan, my labor’s started.”

  “Holy fuck! I’m on my way, baby. I’ll be home as soon as I can get there.”

  Another soft moan from Starr had Ronan grabbing his keys. “Hold on baby.”

  Starr chuckled softly. “I don’t think I have any choice in this, Fang. I have no idea how long, or short, it’s gonna be so please get home to me, big guy.”

  “I will, gotta run, got some calls to make but I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Ronan grinned over at Paul before focusing back on his call. “I love you, Starr.”

  “I love you too, now get your ass in gear.”

  Ending the call, Ronan immediately rang another number. “Creed, get every man out and patrolling. Starr’s in labor and she’s at her most vulnerable right now. I’m on my way.”

  Creed’s voice was calm as he answered, “Already done. Ronnie and I were patrolling close to the house a little while ago and she said she could scent something different about Starr. I wasn’t sure what it was but I wasn’t taking any chances so every man is already in place. We’ll all be on duty until I deem things are safe.”

  “Good.” Ronan hung up, dialing another number. “Sam, she’s in labor, gotta run.”

  “We’re on our way.” Sam laughed back before Ronan again ended the call and rang another. “Josef, she’s in labor. Security is in place and I’m on my way back now.”

  “Ronan, calm down,” Josef spoke quietly and with his usual authority. “You won’t do anyone any good by crashing on the way home. Take a deep breath, my boy. We’ll make our way there soon.”

  “Yes, okay, thanks Josef.”

  Ronan hung up, grabbing his jacket. “I’ll let you know how things go.”

  “Hell, I’m coming with you!” Paul smirked, “One, I’m not letting you drive and two, shit, I can’t wait to see this Dragon and Vampire baby!”

  “Fine, but we need to go now and we have to pick up the crib first!”

  “No we don’t, I’ll get one of the guys to get the crib and bring it out.” Paul already was on the phone as they strode quickly to the elevator. “Got a job for you. You need to pick up a crib and bring it out to Josef’s Ranch. Yes, I did say crib! I’ll text you the details shortly but get it as soon as you can and get it to the Ranch.”

  “Fuck! This is too slow, stairs!” Ronan almost ran to the stairwell, taking the stairs three and four at a time, jumping down most of them like a mountain goat.

  Paul at his back, trying to keep up until finally they reached the underground garage. Jogging to his SUV, Ronan went to the driver’s side where Paul grabbed his arm. “No, Ronan, you’re too worked up. I’ll drive.”

  Ronan snarled before giving over the keys and running around to get in the passenger seat. “Hurry up then!”

  Paul was reversing out of their space before Ronan’s door was closed. As soon as they were out on the highway Paul put his food down, speeding along as fast as he could as Ronan called Starr back.

  “I’m on my way, A chuisle mo chroí, how’re you feeling?”

  “Are you using your phone and driving? That’s not safe!” Starr chastised sharply.

  “No, Paul’s driving and he’s sending one of his men to get the crib and bring it out. Tell me, baby, how are you? Is everything okay?”

  Starr groaned. “I have no idea, but I’ll need to go Dragon soon, Ronan. Please make it back before I have to do that. I want you to hold me and tell me we can do this.”

  Ronan frowned. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

  “Ronan, I’m a Dragon, you’re a Vampire, and you have a job that’s very demanding. How the hell are we gonna do this? I’m scared, Fang.”

  “Don’t be,” Ronan’s voice was firm, “don’t ever be afraid of anything. Together we can do whatever the hell we want and we both want a family, our child, and we’ll make it work. Trust me, Puff?”

  “I do, trust you that is, but I’m still scared. I need you here.”

  “I’ll be there soon, very soon. I’ve got to go and text Paul’s guy the details of where to get the crib. If you need me, just call. Okay?”

  “I will,” Starr chuckled, “Margaret’s with me and she’s saying I should go into the Jacuzzi to help me relax.”

  “Sounds like a good idea, go do that and I’ll get there as quickly as I can.”

  “Okay, see ya soon, Fang.”

  Once he’d hung up, Ronan took Paul’s phone, getting the number and texting the details to Ross, the man that was going to go get the crib. After doing that Ronan let out a large sigh, running his hands through his hair.

  “She’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, and the baby will be fine.”

  Ronan nodded. “I know, but feck if it’s not the most stressed I’ve ever felt. Can’t you go any faster?”

  Laughing, Paul pressed harder on the accelerator. “That’s it, as fast as it can go.”

  Ronan looked out at the land they were passing so quickly. His thoughts on his mate and his child.

  *****

  “Shit! This freaking hurts!” Starr sat in the warm water of the Jacuzzi trying to do the deep breathing that Margaret was telling her to do but failing miserably. Her Dragon absolutely desperate for her to change so the labor could progress. Starr had no intention of changing until Ronan got home and she could feel his strong arms embrace her and tell her everything was going to be fine.

  “How do humans go through this?” Starr spoke through clenched teeth.

  Margaret just smiled demurely, “Well, apparently, after the baby is born they forget all the pain they went through to h
ave it. Tensing up is the worst thing to do, Starr. You need to try and relax a little and breathe through the pain.”

  “I can’t!” Starr shouted as another pain hit.

  “May I come in?”

  The voice startled both Margaret and Starr, Ronnie standing at the opening to the enclosed area that the Jacuzzi was in. Margaret looked to Starr and she nodded, “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry to intrude but I could hear you from where I was patrolling. I’ve helped at dozens of births at the Pack and thought I could maybe help.”

  Starr grimaced as another pain started to tighten her belly. “I welcome anything you can do, Ronnie.”

  Margaret and Starr watched as Ronnie pulled her boots off and then stepped into the Jacuzzi, fully clothed. Sitting across from Starr she put her hands out and ordered, “Take my hands.”

  Starr did so, looking wide eyed at the woman who sat across from her. “Okay, now, Starr, I want you to close your eyes, hold onto my hands, and start to breathe in for a count of five and hold it for a moment of two, then breathe out for a count of three. Don’t think about anything else right now, all of your focus is on breathing only. I’ll do it with you. Now, let’s start.”

  Starr tried to concentrate and found that holding Ronnie’s hands somehow focused her. Soon she was breathing in time with the Wolf and her anxiety levels dropped dramatically. With the lessening of her worry came a lessening of her pain. Her eyes popped open to find Ronnie smiling at her.

  “A bit better?” Ronnie asked, still holding her hands.

  “Yes, lots.” Starr kept breathing in slowly and counting before releasing it.

  “When you’re tense then your muscles also tense up, so that causes the contraction to be worse. If we can keep you nice and calm with your muscles relaxed it will help. A lot of first time moms go through this so don’t worry ‘bout it.” Ronnie took a deep breath in and Starr did likewise.

  After another bout of breathing Starr grinned over at Ronnie. “Much better, thanks.”

  “Hey, it’s gonna get worse but the more we can get you breathing right the better it’ll be. Now, just relax and keep breathing. I’ll stay here with you for now.”