by Erin R Flynn
Simone shifted back, and I hugged her, not caring we were naked or we had blood on us. “There’s no way we wouldn’t win. We’re awesome.”
“We are,” I chuckled, giving her another squeeze. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course. I live for adventure.” She walked over to Harris who was still in cheetah form. “And you are getting many rewards when you shift back, Michael. I saw that one you took out heading for me. I will not forget such bravery.”
I smiled as he purred and rubbed against her hand, leaving them to flirt.
“We need to talk, but I have to handle all of this first,” I said to Brian. He shot me a worried look. “Not personal. The buyers for the boys are from a case of yours. They thought if they bought the boys and controlled them while I was that asshole’s bitch, I’d use my position and influence on you to drop the case and more.”
“Son of a bitch,” he hissed, and I nodded. It was hard when our jobs bled over into our personal lives and risked the people we cared about. “Okay, how do you handle something like this? ”
I had no idea, so Hagan got back on the phone with Councilwoman Haton as I cleaned up using snow as a very cold shower. I got upset when I realized some of the blood was Dain’s and manically scrubbed.
“I’m fine,” he whispered, suddenly there and hugging me.
“Idiot,” I murmured, taking the comfort before finishing and throwing my clothes back on. “I really wanted to play in the snow.”
“Later,” he chuckled, nodding to everyone waiting. “Will you take my counsel?”
“Yes.” I was open to it mostly because we were clueless.
“Have them shift,” he muttered, nodding to the “visiting” wolves. “That would take a lot of them out of being processed. Leave people here to watch them and go through them a bit at a time. You do not want this many worried, agitated, and freaked out wolves somewhere on the full moon who haven’t shifted yet.”
“You are seriously smart,” I praised, giving him a kiss.
“You’re on speaker, Councilwoman,” Hagan said as he held up his phone.
“Your Alpha or the Alpha you sided with is dead,” she said loudly for all of those conscious. “You are now rogue invaders because he failed. That is what you are being classified as. As you know, that gives the pack full authority to end your lives, and all wolves to hunt you if you run. It is up to Alpha Sera how she handles what comes next as Alpha of the lands you are on and the new Alpha of Milwaukee. I suggest you listen to her.”
“Thanks, that helps,” I admitted, grabbing the phone from him and taking her off speaker. “I think we’re going to need transports too. A lot of people played possum after they were hit, but lots didn’t. So we may have a huge mess.”
“Teams have already been dispatched to help you in any way you need and transports sent as well,” she told me, clearing her throat nervously.
I smiled, shaking my head. “How much trouble are you in with my mom?”
“I was informed it best to fix our mistake before she could send help or I would not like her visit that would come,” she grumbled. “We were going to anyways. This wasn’t our move but one asshole on our council. The rest of us decided he’s out and he’s on a plane to Alena to do with as she wishes for his attempt at taking you out. I will say he was one of the loudest voices against you and the rest more worried about the ripples but like the changes.”
“I wouldn’t get angry for someone more knowledgeable and a shifter longer than me being prudent. I get pissed when it’s because I’m a woman or law enforcement or powerful people jump to ‘taking me out’ crap.”
“Understood. Call with whatever else you need.”
I thanked her and hung up, staring out at the invaders. “Each of you are to check in with my FBI teams, and my Betas will keep order. I want your names, addresses, and Alphas so I know who I’m fucking up later. Then you head to the north side where I was and shift, let your wolves out and keep calm. I’m going to gather information and assess the situation before making decisions.
“But if you lash out or try anything, I will shoot you dead for risking my people. Does anyone not understand that?” I glanced around when most everyone seemed relieved. Though most of them had played possum. It was the ones that were knocked out that were going to be the problems. “Who’s got tablets and can take charge while others are furry?”
We did one better and Brian pulled my SUV onto the middle of the huge area and sat on the tailgate with Barnes and got started.
“We need more help,” Hagan worried.
“Yes, and we have half of DC’s office here training. Miami’s too. Get Monroe to call them to get ready. We’re bringing people to them to take reports on once we start clearing people and they shift back.”
“Good idea.” He turned to leave but then came right back. “They can also shift at the training center. It’s a contained space and warm.”
“Even better,” I agreed, turning back to the group. “Those of you who would like to turn inside in our warm training facility, hold off after you check in. I need keys to all the vehicles that were brought here, and you will get on my good side by helping with this right now.”
Keys appeared quickly, people pulling them off unconscious bodies in the snow. Shit, that had to be cold.
It made me smile. Maybe they shouldn’t have tried to invade people then.
“I’ll head there and get things started,” Monroe offered as I handed him a set of keys. “What are you looking for?”
“I want to know who was forced to come and why,” I answered, thinking on that. “Then I want to know if any want to file reports like we did with our pack. There’s no way these people are all on the up-and-up.”
“I think you need to say that as Alpha,” he admitted.
So I did. I watched the shocked expressions that they’d come to help take over my area and not only subject me to horrible humiliation but make me subservient to Lyon, but now were being asked if they were okay and did they have any crimes they wanted to report. I shook my head, sighing.
“This is how we do things in Chicago and it’s spreading. You are US citizens. You have rights beyond whatever your Alpha says. I might not be able to fix everything, but some of these guys who will wake up are dirty. I did not see the crimes. You did. If you would like to report them, we will take that report and build a case. It’s what we do. We have council transports coming for bad wolves.”
“It’s the best way for you to keep yourselves and your families safe,” Hagan added. “You won’t be staying here under our protection but going back to wherever you’re from. If you don’t tell us what’s going on, we can’t help you.”
I nodded to the hand that went up.
“Can we report what’s going on in our pack even if we weren’t under Lyon?” a guy asked, looking ready to shit a brick. “I’m from Grand Rapids, and our Alpha ordered us to come. He’s not following council laws.”
“Detroit is, but Lyon threatened us and had the backing of other Alphas, so we came because we had no choice and he was trying to figure a way to warn you and not get us killed because we were with Lyon,” another said.
Several started opening their mouths at once, and I held up my hand. “We need to know all of that, but there are over five hundred of you, and we have to handle that too. Obviously you won’t be the problem, but they will wake up soon, so the faster we start getting you somewhere safe so you can shift and we can talk later, the better this will be for everyone.”
People moved their asses after that, remembering the problems would wake at any moment and they didn’t want to be around for that.
Yeah, neither did I, but I was Alpha.
“We will handle the ones starting to rouse and warn them of what the councilwoman said,” Alok said, gesturing to Tasar, Dain, Goran, and Zlat. I nodded. They would feel people regaining consciousness first.
The idea got changed again to go to the club and we could use the first floor for proc
essing. It wasn’t smart to split people up, and the training center was out in the middle of nowhere, like Quantico. The club was downtown. They knew they’d be dead if they ran from there or tried shit somewhere so public.
And we had the dungeons.
“We use those dungeons for your work more than we do fun,” Simone drawled, laughing when I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t remotely true, as they were booked all the time and made us a shit ton of money. Hell, Luca’s “know your body better” class or whatever it was called had a waiting list.
Luckily people had grouped together in coming, so we had our trusted people driving the SUVs. That left a lot of unconscious people to load up as well though. I said we should use a few of the pickups, but there was no way we wouldn’t get pulled over for that. It took a while and a lot of muscle, but the relief we’d won was still in the air.
And fun. There was some full moon fun like when Harris—in cheetah form—dragged a guy over to the parking area. A lot of us burst out laughing when he looked at us like he wanted a treat for doing a good trick.
The next problem was we still had lots of people on our side who couldn’t shift back yet. So they went into vehicles too and would watch wolves from other areas in the basement or parking garage. We were keeping them centrally located but split up for sure.
Less chance of mob mentality that way.
The best plan was blocking the underground parking entrance/exit after we arrived, leaving Noah and his friends there to shoot any who tried to escape. Yeah, we were done fucking around for sure.
I was so done with it.
7
A few hours later, I was taking a break from the chaos and trying on dress options for the party tomorrow. I checked myself out in a tiny number that barely covered my ass, looking a bit more like a Vegas fun dress than New Year’s Eve as owner of the club. I lifted my hair like I’d wear it up and turned one way then another. A familiar scent hit my nose, and I bit back a smile.
“What do you think, my tiger?”
“You look as amazing as always, but I am no one’s,” Axel said as he moved behind me.
I smirked at him in the mirror before turning around, letting him see how much of the dress was missing. “Say you’re not mine again as you stare at me like you want to eat me.”
“I do want to eat you, but I belong to no one.”
“Lone tiger, huh?” I teased. I turned back around and moved my hair out of his way. “Can you get the zipper?”
“Did I do something to deserve seeing more of you?”
“You came when I needed you,” I purred as his big fingers lowered the zipper.
“Councilwoman Haton ordered for teams to be dispatched, having some immediately fly out to help.”
“But it didn’t have to be you, did it? A talented tracker?” I pushed, wanting him to admit what we both knew.
“How can you say that about me when I failed you?”
I shrugged as I turned back around, letting the dress fall away. “They were really smart and hid well. You saved me by making sure I fed as I did. I heard you dug the bullet out and got me back to Chicago where I received help. I’d say you did everything you could to save me, my tiger.”
He growled at the term and moved closer, crowding me against the mirror. “Why do you keep saying that? I am not yours.”
“Maybe not yet,” I chuckled, nodding to how he fisted his hands to keep from touching me. “But you want to be. You’re dying to be mine.”
“I won’t ever be owned.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Who says that’s the same thing? No one owns me. I’m here showing you what you want, teasing you because I want to, I can. No one owns me.”
“But your men cannot do the same.”
“Some can,” I argued. He opened his mouth, but I changed the topic. “You didn’t greet me.” I let my power flare. “Greet me, Axel.”
“Yes, Alpha,” he moaned, baring his neck to me as he leaned over more.
I gave a long kiss to his skin, nothing more, not asking for him when the fun was making him come to me, beg me for what we both wanted.
But he didn’t. He held out. Damn, he was fun.
“You don’t want a taste?”
“You know I do,” he panted, staring into my eyes, his glazed over.
“Then kiss me. I’m hungry.”
“Gladly,” he snarled, mashing his mouth to mine as he wrapped his arms around me, cupping my ass as I fed and fed on his nummy energy.
I moaned as I got images from him. “Go ahead and see. See what you want to beg to taste, to take.”
He moaned, lifting me up and putting me on the vanity, pushing aside someone’s makeup and moving my feet onto the counter. I leaned back against the mirror and smirked at him, feeling how he was dying to give in.
“You asked what I did that night that I was so worried and embarrassed about?” I purred, running my fingers over my stomach. “I had a Skype conference with some of the men in my life who watched Virgil do dirty, dirty things to me. I was thinking of inviting you to one as a thank you. Do you want that, Axel?”
“Yes,” he breathed, licking his lips. “Yes, I want that and more.”
Instead, I closed my legs and slid off the counter. “You looked at all of me instead of—”
“Not all of you,” he argued, tucking my hair behind my ear.
Oh, he was a dirty one. I swallowed a moan at what I saw in his head, turning and leaning over the counter so he saw the all of me he wanted.
“Gods above, you have been sent from them, as that’s the only way you’re this perfect,” he breathed.
“She is,” Dain said from the doorway, smiling at me as he came over. “I’ve said she is an angel, definitely a goddess.” I stood up and turned to him. “Having fun?”
“He’s a loud broadcaster,” I answered with a shrug as if that said it all.
He kissed me, getting what I was feeling. The tiger intrigued my other sides, but Axel was like us, hurt by family and wounded. Plus talented and would help Chicago if he was one of us. Dain turned me so I was against his chest as he touched my breasts. “She’s even more angelic and perfect with how open she is. You would not believe how she screams, and she loves trying new things.”
“You smell of her, and yet you’re willing to share her?”
“I love watching her pleased even if not by me,” he promised, kissing my neck. “I love her and want her as loved as possible so her heart and soul are always filled with it. It is the way fairies believe their leaders are kind, loving, when too many are cruel. They have more darkness in their lives than light. I love Sera to always be loved and in the light.”
“You always speak like the prettiest poem,” I praised, tilting my neck and kissing him. I went to say something else about how I wasn’t so nice, but I realized I wasn’t jealous. “Axel, we’ll be right back.”
I threw on a robe and took Dain’s hand, pulling him with me. I knew Axel thought we were going to have sex, but that wasn’t it. I found who I wanted and waved for her to follow us to the office, noting the confused look Beth gave me but came with us.
“Touch him,” I said when the three of us were alone.
“What?” she gasped.
“Excuse me?” Dain asked at the same time.
I sighed, realizing I wasn’t making sense. “I went to say I’d be jealous if another woman touched him, but the idea didn’t make me jealous but intrigued me. I think something’s changed now that he’s mine for real. I know you’re attracted to him, so just humor me and touch him. Please?”
Beth shrugged, good natured like that and not even upset I busted her on wanting Dain. She cupped his groin and teased him.
“What are you feeling?” I asked him. I chuckled when he raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you not want to touch any woman before? None to touch you?”
Understanding filled his eyes. “I like you watching her touch me. Are you and your siren okay?”
“Yes,” I answered after
a moment. “Because you’re mine and I’m allowing it. Like when I give Noah passes. That’s why I don’t get so jealous with him even if I know. I know he’s mine. I think I’d get pissed if you had a lot of repeats like Simone and Theon, but I’m sort of interested to see how you are with another woman knowing how you are with me.”
“You wouldn’t like it if he said I was better at anything,” she warned me as she kept touching him.
“No, probably not,” I agreed, bobbing my head. “I think that would make me prove I was better, wilder, whatever. But yeah, I think anyone he said that about I wouldn’t want him near again because she would be a threat. You wouldn’t want to keep him though. You want to try a fairy, and he’s gorgeous, but you know he’s mine.”
“Yeah, he’s gorgeous,” she purred.
“I didn’t expect this development,” Dain murmured, studying me. “You’re saying you would want me to be with her while you watched?”
“I would try it,” I said after a moment. “It’s an interesting idea.” I cleared my throat and shot Beth an apologetic glance like we weren’t being nice. “Noah took a lot of his passes and then found me after the opening saying he thought one of them might scream more than me and then spent the night making sure I screamed more and louder for him. It plays to her need to be best, be—”
“I understand. It is something to discuss or think on to keep her happy and not doing things that you’re uncomfortable with.”
“Are you okay being with other women?” I checked.
“I am not sure,” he admitted. “I think there isn’t enough of you to physically go around, so it might be helpful to give passes. I thought the door to being with other women closed when I told you how I felt, saw you did not want me to be with another. I was fine with that. I’m not sure how I feel.”