Provoked Wolf

by Erin R Flynn

  “He was forced to bury her. He didn’t fight my taking over and immediately confessed, telling us where she was buried and asking forgiveness. That’s not a murderer. I gave everything I should as FBI but asked for leniency as the Alpha who took over and he confessed to. He didn’t mean to kill her.”

  Antony nodded. “The death was accidental, and his girlfriend at the time was threatened if he didn’t bury the body and keep it all secret. He’s also reached out to the victim’s family and has been forgiven, knowing he tried to help her. I think he has about six months left on his sentence.”

  “Good, yeah, he was devastated,” I muttered, rubbing my neck.

  Antony stopped at a cell and gestured behind him. “These are two of our inmates that adhere to the program and are well behaved.”

  I glanced in the cell and saw one was reading and the other was knitting. Both stood when they saw the councilman and dipped their heads before focusing on us and doing the same. The cell wasn’t big, but it was better than I’d seen. They had metal bunk beds, a small sink with a mirror and toilet in the back, even a window with outside light coming in.

  What caught my eye were the pictures on the wall. So that was allowed if they were behaved. There were also a few dozen books stacked against the wall and a chair near what looked like a fold down desk. There was another shelf on the wall that held notebooks and basic supplies.

  “How do you keep the contraband under control?” the president asked, noting everything in the cells as well.

  “They can smell it,” I answered. “They could smell if there were drugs, phones, or anything normal prisons have problems with. They wouldn’t need to do inspections then, which is a huge time vacuum.”

  “True, but we still do a daily random drawing, as no nose is perfect,” Antony told me. He moved along, and down the row we stopped again. “And these are inmates who aren’t on board with paying their debt.”

  It was hard not to laugh at the difference. The cell was the same size but had nothing. There were two bunk beds, so four guys in the same size cell, and they were all just there. No window to even see outside or anything.

  “The first two have access to the yard and exercise along with meal and shower times,” Antony said. “These inmates do not.”

  “Come on over here and keep us entertained, bitch,” one of them jeered at Laila in German.

  “Speak like that to her again and I’ll make sure you’re my bitch,” I warned, letting out my power until all four of them bared their necks. “That’s what I thought.”

  Laila shot me a surprised look. “Thank you for defending my honor, but such nonsense does not concern me from animals in cages, and I do not mean that as a pun they are shifters.”

  I nodded, the president and Galvin catching on what the guy had said. I felt Dain’s worry and squashed down my anger and upset into a corner deep in me. It was leaking out too much lately, and people were really going to start taking note of it before I got a handle on it if I wasn’t careful.

  “How do you answer the criticism of not allowing inmates contact with the outside world?” Galvin asked, his tone careful to not seem insulting or he agreed, simply curious.

  Antony shrugged. “There are many in the world who don’t know how to read or write, have access to telephones. It’s not a basic liberty owed a person. It’s a privilege and one they had access to when they were members of society, but they broke the laws of that society and lost their rights. If they were so worried about communication and the world, they shouldn’t have done harm to it.”

  “What about the full moon?” I asked, studying the bars as we kept walking.

  “We don’t normally have anyone of your strength here, Alpha, but we have a few cells that could handle you,” another councilman answered, and I wasn’t the only one who froze. He cleared his throat nervously. “That wasn’t meant to sound as pointed. We’re not planning on having you as an inmate.”

  “I would hope not,” the president said firmly, shocking me with the ice in his tone.

  Well, it was nice to be appreciated.

  “So you started some trouble recently,” Councilwoman Haton said as she fell in step with me.

  “Councilwoman, you will have to be way more specific if any of us are to know what you’re referring to,” Galvin drawled.

  I opened my mouth to argue but then huffed. “That’s not unfair.” But it hit me what she might be interested in. “We’re plotting another pack building?”

  “No, what is this?” She gave me a quick look.

  “We’re out of room in that massive building I accidently bought. And it’s a horrible commute from downtown to the suburbs or wherever they work, so we’re buying land—”

  “The sale is done,” Dain interjected.

  “I’ve bought land, and we’re working with the construction firm the pack has in New York to make another super cool, super energy efficient, and whatever else super building.” I shrugged. “I keep adding people, and now the mayor not only named Chicago a supe sanctuary city, but it’s been all over that I accept and protect prey groups and for real, not a con or trap.”

  “Yes, several others have tried to use that PR as the doorway to get them,” she grumbled.

  “Yes, and we’ve been quick to handle it and remind the press that if they don’t check sources or verify what they’re saying and prey shifters die because of it, I will show up and not be happy.”

  “I’m surprised you’re willing to accept so many when you were so obstinate originally unless they were fae,” said Councilman Martin who I’d met—and didn’t like—during the APA convention.

  “Prey don’t try and take over the pack which, you know, means my death, so my only objection was bringing in a whole pack and an Alpha who is used to being boss,” I threw right back. “I’m sorry your original plan didn’t take that into account or you weren’t as smart as Queen Laila who handled all the logistics and screenings to make sure we brought in people who needed help, not usurpers.”

  “Yes, for all those jobs you don’t hire humans for,” someone with the president grumbled.

  I shot the guy a nasty look. “We, like, um, tried,” I told him with an annoying ditzy voice. “But, hey, um, what would they do if they had to put, like, on their resume that they worked for fairies later? Like, OMG, that would just be the worst. So yeah, maybe don’t open your mouth unless you know what you’re talking about.”

  “That was not the trouble I meant,” Haton cut in before an argument broke out. “I meant getting a judge to rule that supe law enforcement are allowed to use their noses as they did.”

  “Yeah, that was fun. I think I should have gotten a prize for not decking that lawyer for how many times he called me a dog or seriously spoke of me being more useless than a CPD detection dog. I mean, really, do these idiots just think the more insults they throw around the less logic works?”

  “Normally,” she chuckled. “Though this has started a wave of everything that compares us more to animals than people.”

  I shrugged. “It will still be good in the end when we start being able to help more and the leash is taken off of us—bad pun, I know. I was there and smelled it, Councilwoman. The idea I’d have to walk away because it’s not what others could smell is ridiculous. We don’t dismiss crimes that happen because not everyone can see it even if they don’t have perfect vision.”

  “I read your statements, and you were prepped rather well,” the president commended.

  Dain snorted. “That was all her, sir. She’s been ready for this argument and fight for a while, basically since she’s been on enough busts as a wolf to be able to tell the difference in illegal substances. People tend to underestimate her because she’s a woman and gorgeous, but the truth is, she’s normally the smartest person in the room but doesn’t boast it so they never see her coming.”

  “That’s quite the blush,” Haton teased me as my face flushed red hot.

  “That was quite the compliment,” I mutte
red, clearing my throat and tucking my hair behind my ear.

  We moved on to the human facility, which was what the president was most interested in, as adding another was on the table. Plus, they were mostly US citizens, as we had the laws to go after them.

  Well, maybe not. I really didn’t know much about it beyond the US or what I’d been involved in. For all I really knew, there was a whole row of baddies from Asia that had committed crimes against shifters.

  “The facilities are impressive,” Apollo praised. “President Nuri was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to see them himself, but my report to him and the council will be nothing but praises.”

  “Thank you, and we’ve spoken with President Nuri and offered a tour for when he is available,” Antony replied. “Iran needs prison reform already, and his push to help keep us all safer is something we will help with, especially given how many shifters are in danger in the region and he offered them places within his borders.”

  Everyone seemed happy with that answer, and people wanted to work together instead of always fighting, which I liked.

  I stopped when I saw someone and smiled, heading to the cell housing four humans without any anything, so they weren’t on board with the program. “This is better than what I envisioned in my head when I pictured where you’d end up.”

  “Keep walking, bitch,” the guy from the Russian mob I’d spoken with in New York sneered. “Your days are numbered.”

  “Are they?” I taunted, raising an eyebrow. “There is no bullet to my head like you said I would have. You are lucky they took you away and put you in a cage before I found out about the shifters you were abducting and selling.”

  His eyes filled with my death and more. “Yes, I was convicted, and still I am here. It was multiple death sentences, and still I am here. You will not be when I am free.”

  I turned to Haton, my expression not happy. “What does he mean, he was sentenced to death and it’s not been carried out?”

  “The Russian government is pushing back on us,” she answered. She shrugged. “We’re going through the paces and the chance to review what we found that they can see. They’re dragging it out, but they have no move. They don’t even treat us as people there, so why the fuck would we do a damn thing they say? His days are numbered, I promise. If he gets a bit more time before death, so be it.”

  “I didn’t realize you had to go through so many headaches,” I grumbled, scrubbing my hand over my neck. “But he’s not in communication with his people, right? I mean, Bratva are notoriously evil at getting revenge, and I have a lot of people they would target.”

  “No communication, not even to attorneys who would pass messages,” she promised. “They are allowed to be seen now and again on surveillance footage we send at their request, which really is them trying to figure out where they are and how to get into here.” She patted my arm. “We know this dance and have done it many, many times. They will realize they cannot beat us, and it will be done.”

  “Yeah, thanks, sorry, didn’t mean to sound like you didn’t or I doubt you, it’s just—”

  “Chief Havers would be at the top of that list as well,” she muttered under her breath, giving me a look that she understood. “I will keep you apprised of the situation given how far it spun out in New York.”

  “Thank you,” I sighed, realizing that was exactly what I wanted. “I feel better I brought such a big gift.”

  “I get a gift?”

  I nodded as we rejoined everyone. “I might be here for work and our relationship professional, but you’ve also stayed in the pack building and broken bread with my family. I was lectured in detail about how Dorcuses act when accepting an invitation.”

  “And what would they say about what you did to those three?” Councilman Antony drawled, glancing at the councilmen Dain still held the leashes of.

  I rolled my neck and gave him a hard look. “We both know that answer. I’m probably going to get a lecture that I didn’t end them after they challenged me as Alpha or tried to take what was mine. That line was a bit blurry legally, but we both know Alena or Eva would have. Hell, I wouldn’t recommend the wolf elder ever meet Melicent, as she has a serious fucking temper.”

  “She called me and demanded I rip out his throat if I’m in the running for your mate,” Eugene admitted, shrugging when I gave him a shocked look. “She does have a temper, and they’re all worried for you. You don’t have the backing and protection in place that they do in Greece. They want the ground scorched around you to make it clear you’re protected.”

  I sighed. “That’s a little too murdery for me. It’s one thing if they invade and try for my head, but this was…”

  “The same, but they didn’t physically show up in Chicago,” Axel told me, several other people nodding. “They cheated too. They tried to take power from above, which is not allowed. It has to be from a viable contender that proves themselves. Our laws and way of life are built around that, and they bastardized it.”

  “Apparently I’m not the only one they should worry about,” I told Antony.

  “No, not just you,” Apollo said, his tone like ice.

  “So we’re not killing them yet?” Laila checked as she glanced around. “Shame, I have some young warriors in training that could use the blade and sparring practice. We could make it a show, as it’s well within my rights given Dain is one of mine and she is his mate.” She smirked at Antony. “Then again, I’d worry most about Dain. They would never see him coming.”

  “I will pass along the several messages and threats,” Antony sighed, shaking his head. “Idiots. Fucking idiots.” He headed for the next part of the tour, clearly annoyed that what should have been their chance to shine and get the pat on the back was now some of them getting spanked and the collective group looking bad.

  I winked at the president and Galvin to let them know what was going on was more posturing than anything. It was maybe half true. Laila was too smart to admit anything she planned to do. Apollo too.

  At least I was pretty sure of that.

  Hopefully?

  We had lunch from the options the prisoners with the program had after we saw what the others got. Yeah, I would have behaved after one meal. It was the human portions, but still it was rice, canned beans and fruit, and a carton of milk. Gross.

  Ours was nicer. Nothing fabulous, but it would pass as cheap fast food. It wasn’t meant to wow us, but show that this was real and how they did things.

  “It’s not quite Taco Bell, but it’s not horrible,” I muttered after my second taco, nodding to the apple on my tray. “Way better than canned stuff, as we have issue with overprocessed or not organic.”

  “There are several rewards they can turn in too,” Haton explained. “Nothing over the top, but they can get half an avocado to add to their tacos, that sort of thing.”

  “That would work for me,” I chuckled. “I was eating avocado before it was cool to do. I was always getting one from the cafeteria in college or when they had it on the salad bar. I had a nutritionist in high school tell me it was one of the worst things for me to eat and that was why I was chunky.”

  “You were chunky?” Axel asked, several people sounding like they didn’t believe it either.

  I nodded. “Too much cheap food and carbs when I was in foster care. Plus, the stress of getting emancipated early and going to college at sixteen, I gained at least twenty pounds that summer before. There were so many problems and my foster parents at the time fighting everything because I made them money and did all the chores. All they would do was scream at me that I was ungrateful when I was home.”

  “Stress does cause weight gain,” Dain agreed, giving me a look that he knew I was nervous rambling. I appreciated the assist. I owed him big for getting me through this whole day and trip. “That explains why you were always cutting carbs out of the meal plans I set for you.”

  “That was just because there was so much damn food,” I argued. Several people chuckled, and I outl
ined what he kept setting me up with, and the humans looked at us like we were crazy. “See? It sounds nuts. I even had other newer shifters giving me funny looks when I told them.”

  “You’re powerful,” Haton explained, seeming amused. “And a wolf is a bit…”

  “Higher strung than cats,” Axel offered. “It can transfer as almost hyperthyroid when you’re new.”

  “Did I get a gift?” Laila asked, helping me out by getting the topic off of me again.

  “Yes,” I promised. “The fish farm has expanded again and this time into caviar, hiring several elf families without their means to work and live there. They bought some whole other farm that wanted to sell across the road, and Brian’s made friends with one of the Kane County guys so we know there won’t be a problem. One of Simone’s is staying there for the next month, as their son shifted early.”

  “Is he okay?” she checked, her concern genuine.

  I sighed, shooting Axel a look for help. I didn’t know if it was something to be kept quiet or how cat shifters handled this stuff.

  “My presence might have set him off early, as he leans my way and his panther wanted to show he was ready to be an adult. We’re not sure. His parents said there have been some bullying problems he wasn’t admitting to like because he couldn’t take it meant he was weak.” He shrugged. “He’s doing well. It’s just a precaution, and there’s an excess of deer in the area he can hunt.”

  “So we have a whole container of lobsters and caviar for each of you.” I nodded when Galvin and the president both opened their mouths. “Yes, for you each to take home as well.” I smirked at Apollo. “I think you ate yours while visiting.”

  “It was exceptional,” he chuckled. “I already purchased some to take home with me.”

  We finished lunch and the tours, the president seeming confused everyone just smiled and wished us a safe trip instead of pushing. I took the distraction of Dain releasing the three councilmen—leaving my influence on them to wear off naturally—and told the president that they already knew he was pleased and liked what he saw.