by T. S. Ryder
A great weight lifted off Jackie's shoulders and she found herself smiling. "I want that, too. A baby deserves to know both parents. Plus, since it's going to be half-werewolf, it needs somebody who understands and can explain that side of things. I have werewolf ancestry, but the whole shifting thing, and especially when it comes to society and the social aspects… I don't think I'm qualified."
Myles nodded.
"But I am going to raise him or her," Jackie quickly added. "I'm not going to give it up. And I'll take it for visits to your pack, but I'm living in the city."
"We can decide exactly how that will work later." Myles put a hand on her knee. "In the meantime… I would very much like it if we could start filling out the applications to be mated. Married, if you'd prefer to use that term."
Jackie's jaw dropped. That was the last thing she had expected to hear when he showed up at her door! They hadn't even known each other for four months, and he was talking marriage? Till death do us part? He couldn't love her yet. He just couldn't. Was he hoping that they would fall in love after they were mated for life? Or was this just because he wanted to show a unified front towards the members of his pack or something like that?
Whatever his reason, one thing was clear. He wouldn't be asking if she wasn't pregnant. She shook her head. "No.
Myles winced. He ran a hand through his hair. "At least come back to work. I want us to be friends if nothing else. There is nothing worse for a child than to love parents who don't even like each other. Besides, you're going to need to get a new apartment and stuff."
Jackie cast a glance around her tiny apartment. It was comfortable enough for one person, but there was nowhere for a playpen or crib or anything else a baby would need. And she had just started building up her savings again.
"I hope you know that I will be buying everything the baby needs, from cribs to booties," Myles continued. "When I said I am going to support you in this, I mean it. I don't want you or our child to want for anything."
Part of her thought she ought to argue. Refuse, be independent. But babies were expensive, and she needed the support right now. Jackie nodded gratefully. "I'll come back to work. But this isn't going to stay a secret, and so soon after the whole Kathy scandal—"
"I'll inform the PR department so they can handle it. You'll probably have your face on the tabloids for a while, but as long as we show a unified front I don't think things will get too bad."
Myles smiled at her, all the confidence returning to his expression. Jackie felt her tensions ease. Yes, it was going to be just fine. She smiled back.
"Good. Now, I'm going to go and shower, and we need to get to work. You're already half an hour late for your first appointment today."
Chapter Seven
The media storm was terrible. Paparazzi seemed to sit on every street corner, and Jackie wouldn't even open the curtains in her apartment for fear that they'd somehow manage to scale the wall and take pictures of her in her underwear to plaster all over the internet and supermarket tabloids.
Work continued more or less normally, although Myles kept giving her bottled water and insisting that she needed to stay hydrated, which was sweet in an annoying sort of way. A distinctive baby bump developed, although Jackie actually lost weight. The doctor said it was nothing to be concerned about, though, so she bought plus-sized maternity wear with glee.
One day, two months in, Jackie had had enough of the flashing lights that blinded her every time she left her apartment building or the office. She marched into Myles's office and put her hands on her hips.
"You have to do something about the paparazzi. They're getting on my last nerve, and if you don't get rid of them then I'm moving to Alaska."
Myles closed the file he had been reading and stood, stretching out his lower back. "They are getting rather annoying, aren't they?"
Jackie glared at him. He sounded more amused than annoyed, which really rubbed her the wrong away. "More like annoying the hell out of me."
"I have been asked to go out to California to attend a conference on worldwide Shifter issues," Myles said, nodding his head. "I wasn't going to go, but I think I'll take up the invitation. Changing location will trip them up for a little while at least. How soon can you pack?"
California? Jackie's eyes lit up. "When do we leave? I'll be ready to go when you are. I'll call your apartment building and have somebody pack for you—"
"Never mind," Myles interrupted, shaking his head. "We'll go directly to the airport. That will give them too much notice. I'll buy anything we need once we're over there."
Jackie balked at that idea. It was difficult enough to find clothing that fit her and looked good when she could have it tailored. A whole new wardrobe worn off the rack wasn't her idea of a good time. It wouldn't fit her right and she would end up looking cheap, not like the professional she was. But even as she opened her mouth to protest, Myles put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around.
"No arguing. We're running away."
***
Within hours she was in Myles's private plane, sipping on freshly pressed orange juice while staring out at a patchwork of clouds and land. It was an amazing sight, and she marveled at the beauty of the world. They were so high that even the mountains they flew overlooked like anthills.
"No paparazzi up here," Myles said, pouring himself a small glass of scotch. "Feel better?"
Jackie nodded. "It's beautiful."
"I agree. There is no better sight than being above the clouds and looking down at the world. Well, almost no better sight." He smiled at her, causing her to immediately go scarlet.
Jackie gulped down a mouthful of juice, careful not to spill on herself. It occurred to her that, over the past five months since they slept together, he hadn't given her that subtle smile, the one where his lip quirked at one end while his brow rose almost suggestively. He also hadn't teased her or made her blush. She had been too caught up in everything that had happened between them to notice these deficiencies before.
"You do that on purpose," she accused, setting her glass down.
Myles adopted an innocent expression. "Do what, exactly?"
"You know very well what. You make me blush and get me all flustered. Why?"
The smile faded from his face. "Will you answer a question of mine first?"
Jackie scowled. "It's a simple enough question. Why should I give into blackmail to get an answer?"
"Please?"
It was the first time she had heard him say please, and Jackie nodded before she could catch herself. Ah, hell. Well, if it was a question she didn't want to answer, she just wouldn't answer it. She folded her hands on her lap and waited for Myles to ask his question. He drained his scotch first. Jackie's brow furrowed. Really, what could be that bad?
"When I asked if we could start filling in the applications to become mates, why did you say no?"
What? Jackie brushed her knees, getting rid of invisible crumbs, as her face grew even hotter. "Why bring that up again after two months?"
"Because I want to know why. I told myself I was going to respect your decision and not demand answers, and if you don't want to tell me then I won't bring it up again, but I want to know. Is it because I'm a werewolf?"
Jackie's jaw dropped.
Myles stared intently at her. "Is it because you don't want to live on packlands? Did you not like my family?"
"No, I love your family. And it's not any of that." Jackie laughed, shaking her head. "This is damn hard to answer. It's not you. Or rather, not anything about you. I mean, you are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen and I still dream about that night and wake up disappointed that it's not real, but it's just… more complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"I don't care you're a werewolf. I could learn how to behave with the pack and stuff. But I don't want to mate or marry or whatever just because I'm pregnant. That's all there is to it."
"Really?" Myles's brow furrowed.
"Really. S
ince when are you this… I don't know. Self-conscious?"
Myles laughed. "Jackie, I've had relationships in the past. I wasn't a monk between Kathy Morrison and you. And none of them worked out. Some of them were just looking for werewolf sex because they’d heard it was mind blowing. Some of them decided that the whole mating for life thing was too much commitment for them. Some were after my position. It takes a toll on a guy's confidence, even somebody like me."
Jackie could hardly believe that any girl would turn him down, but didn't she do that herself just two months ago? "Well, that's the reason. We haven't known each other long and I don't want to commit to something just because I'm pregnant, especially since I want to make sure that the baby doesn't grow up with angry parents who got together and didn't actually love each other."
"And you're completely right,"Myles smiled. "That is the smart thing to do. I was only thinking of starting the application process right away because it can take up to five years for human-werewolf mating to be approved, and we could cancel the application at any time if it didn't work out."
Jackie hadn't considered that. "Why so long?"
"To make sure the human isn't being coerced. Human governments rarely accept that a human can actually love a werewolf." Myles's expression became bitter for a moment, but he shook his head. "To answer your question, I like seeing you blushing and flustered. You're hot all the time, but when you blush, you're cute. It makes you more beautiful, somehow."
Just when she thought she had herself under control, her face went crimson again. "Oh."
"If we took the application off the table, would you at least agree to date me?" Myles peered intently into her eyes. "I'm not asking this just because you're pregnant. You're hot, and I like you. You make me happy. And yes, in four months we'll have a baby together. But that's not why I'm asking."
Four months. Nerves fluttered through Jackie and she gripped her armrests, breathing deeply and counting to ten. Myles seemed to understand she needed a moment and moved to her side, getting to one knee in front of her. He took both her hands in his and held them quietly until she brought her edge of panic back under control.
She nodded at him to continue.
"I want to know everything about you, Jacqueline Smith. I want to know your favorite food, your favorite color, if you cry during The Notebook. Everything. You're a unique woman. I knew it from the minute I walked into that interview room and saw you sitting there." A brief look of concern flashed across his face. "Am I being too intense?"
"No." Jackie laughed. "Maybe a little. But that's okay. I like it."
Myles grinned back at her. "So? How about it? Are you willing to give dating a werewolf a try?"
"If we start dating, the media will go crazy. I'll end up in the tabloids even more."
"Probably."
"And I'll have to meet your pack in a more official capacity."
Myles nodded.
"And if it doesn't work? Will we be able to stay friendly with one another, for the baby?"
"Yes." Myles sounded perfectly confident.
Jackie took a deep breath. Nerves still fluttered in her stomach, but there was excitement rising in her as well. "Well. If you're willing to give it a try, then so am I."
Myles beamed. He rose himself, pressing his mouth to hers. Sparks exploded between them and Jackie gasped, reaching to pull him closer. He broke the kiss, shaking his head.
"Let's not get too intense too quickly. Dinner first, I think."
Jackie ached for him, her lips tingling with his taste, but she nodded. "Sure. Dinner. Dinner is good. I like dinner."
Myles laughed.
Chapter Eight
Myles took her hand as they exited the plane. Jackie knew she had a big, goofy grin on her face, but couldn't stop smiling. No matter what her reservations about this relationship were, she couldn't help but feel good about having the most handsome, most eligible man on the continent at her side, giving her grins every few seconds as though he was the lucky one.
I can't wait to tell Penny.
"We have two hours to get new wardrobes for our visit here, then one hour to go to the hotel before dinner," Jackie said, switching her mind from her new relationship status back to work. "The conference is tomorrow–really?"
She scowled fiercely as she saw a pack of reporters standing at the airport gates. How did the press find out where they were going? They hadn't actually told anybody!
The cameras were already flashing and Jackie lifted her chin and tried to smooth out her expression. The last thing she wanted was for the tabloids to be printing unflattering pictures of her with headlines like 'Myles Foster's New Girlfriend?!' or other epitaphs that showed just how unworthy she was of his attention.
"You'll get used to it," Myles told her, releasing her hands to pull her tight against him. "But at least we've got some police here to keep them from getting all up in our business."
Jackie's shoulders relaxed a little when she saw that it was true. There were at least a dozen cops standing between the gates and the reporters, and several more were pushing them back as she and Myles approached. Jackie put on her best smile as Myles opened the door for her.
"Officers," Myles greeted, nodding his head.
One of them, dressed in a business suit rather than a uniform like the others were, stepped into Myles's path. His expression was blank, his shoulders thrown back and his neck stretched out in an attempt to give himself more presence.
"Mr. Foster, I am going to have to ask you to come down to the precinct with me."
Camera lights blinded Jackie as the reporters began taking even more pictures. The noise of clicks pounded against her ears. Myles frowned at the officer. While the cop wouldn't be called short, the werewolf towered over him, and with her high heels on even Jackie was a couple of inches taller than him. The officer seemed very aware of his disadvantage because he stretched his neck out even further. If he tried any harder to give himself height, he'd have to go on his tiptoes.
"May I ask why?" Myles had an annoyed growl in his voice, and his arm around Jackie's waist tightened.
"There have been allegations made against you that we need to take care of," the officer replied. "Please, we don't want to cause a scene here. I would rather not have to put you in cuffs."
"What allegations?" Jackie demanded.
The officer glanced at her, his expression still not giving anything away. "A member of his pack has come forward claiming that he had mated himself to a human female without human governmental permission."
Myles went rigid, but Jackie laughed. "If you're talking about that whole Kathy Morrison thing, we've already taken care of it. It was proven to be false allegations—"
"Not Kathy Morrison," the officer interrupted. "You."
Jackie's jaw dropped. "What?"
The officer gave her stomach pointed glance. By this time, it was clearly rounded out and obviously pregnant. "Please come to the precinct with me now."
"But we're not—" Jackie started, but Myles shook his head.
"We'll come to the precinct, but neither of us is going to talk to you until my lawyers get here."
Jackie's jaw dropped. Was he serious? Was he going to play along with this obvious scam? She started to pull away from him, angry that he would bring in lawyers instead of just explaining the situation and getting them out of this faster, but when he gave her a warning look she kept her mouth closed. The officer looked relieved.
"I assume that Jackie and I can drive ourselves to your station?" Myles asked, raising a brow.
The officer hesitated but nodded. "We will give you an escort."
Myles nodded and led Jackie away, the police officers following after them. Jackie's mind whirled. They had only slept together once, and it wasn't even on the full moon! They weren't mated. This was just ridiculous. And why would somebody in Myles's own pack accuse him of breaking the human law and mating her without permission from the human government?
Was it Harley? Had
n't he said that he didn't think Myles was a good enough Alpha when she was there? And then there was Tamara, and how Myles kept Harley from her.
When they were in the car she voiced her opinions to Myles. He nodded. "I won't act until I have proof, but if he's behind this then he will pay."
She shivered at his tone, but when she tried to press he wouldn’t answer.
"Just don't say anything until my lawyers get here, okay? I don't want them twisting anything we have to say in order to arrest me. California is more tolerant of werewolves than other states, but it's still illegal for werewolves and humans to mate without prior permission." He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Don't worry. All this is going to be sorted out soon. The conference isn't until tomorrow night. We'll be out by then. And I think I know exactly what my address is going to be about."
***
They were split up at the precinct, and Jackie waited alone for what felt like hours before the officer who had 'asked' them to come down here entered the interrogation room with a well-dressed man who introduced himself as Myles's lawyer. The officer gave her a hard look before leaving the two alone.
The lawyer had a no-nonsense attitude and drew every last detail out of Jackie's story. When he was satisfied, she was made to repeat it to two detectives, who had her going over and over the smallest details until her head was spinning. Finally, though, they told her she could go.
With a wave of relief she stood. Her bladder felt like it was about to blow up, but she clenched her thighs and asked about Myles.
"We'll be keeping him here overnight," one detective said.
Jackie's jaw dropped. "What? Why? I just told you we're not mated!"
The detective nodded. "We still need our own experts to verify werewolf mating rituals before we can release him. Given his… status, he is considered a high flight risk."
"But I'm not?"
The detective shook his head. "You haven't done anything illegal."
