Order of Protection Ch. 28-32

Jessie's POV

One Week Later

The candle sat in front of me at the table, mocking me with my own failure. I focused, said the words, but my fingers did nothing.

Miriam had made it look so easy; she whispered the words and a flame came from her index finger, burning brightly before she extinguished it. "You're thinking too much," she said as she watched my face. "Relax and let your magic out."

I huffed, then closed my eyes and focused on letting things flow. I felt something moving inside me, it shot down my arm to my fingertips. I opened my eyes to see flames shooting out two feet from my fingers on my right hand. Quickly, I toned down the flow until only one finger had flame, about two inches long. "I did it."

"You did, and you controlled it quickly," she said. "Now, imagine the flame is a ball. Form it with your hands, like you are making a snowball." This took a little longer to master; the flame kept going out, and getting it into a sphere took some practice. An hour later, I had a flameball floating in the air over my outstretched hand, about a fist size as it rotated. "Good. Now, using your mind, push it towards me."

The ball hovered and quivered before I was able to launch it at her. She reached up, stopping it with her right hand before she sent it back towards me. I reached out to catch it, letting it hover just over my hands. I moved my hands apart, making it grow to the size of a basketball before pushing in and shrinking it to the size of a marble. Finally, I let it die out. "That was amazing. It didn't even burn me."

"It's your magic, it won't hurt you," she said. "Fireballs are very useful, but simple magic. With practice, you will be able to make them quickly and of any size. Combined with your telepathic skills, they make effective weapons."

"I can see that." I was exhausted, we had been training for several hours at a time, four times a day for the transit across the Atlantic. I looked out the porthole, we were transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway in between Canada and New York state. "Can we take a break?"

"Get your jacket, it's cool out there." The late fall weather could vary widely, and right now it was cool, in the fifties. She put some snacks and beers in a cooler and grabbed her jean jacket.

I pulled a windbreaker over the jeans, long sleeved T-shirt and sweater I was wearing, and we exited the stateroom to the hallway. I knocked on the door of the guy's stateroom. There was no answer, so they were probably in the gym. They spent the week working out, watching movies and playing video games in between the meals. They had explained to me why they had chosen this form of transit to get me back home; Yuri was bound to check all normal transport, and they had bribed the Captain to keep our names off the manifest as they departed. We would still have to show our Passports when we docked in Duluth, but in the meantime, we would be hidden from the world for two weeks.

We opened the hatch and stepped onto the narrow deck at the port side of the aft superstructure where the cabins were. The bridge was two levels up; as we walked back aft, there were four deck chairs set up. She handed me a beer as I sat in the bright fall sun, watching the shoreline pass as we moved through the shipping channel. I could see houses and cities in the distance. I hollered up to the bridge crew, "Where are we?"

The Captain appeared a moment later, leaning over the bridge wing. "Coming up on Montreal in thirty nautical miles," he said. "We'll have to wait our turn at the St. Lambert Lock."

We sat out there, drinking beer and watching the fall colors along the St. Lawrence River, waving to the boaters and sometimes people on the docks when we were close enough. Larry and Brian joined us, their hair still wet from their post-workout showers. "Did you drink all my beer?" Brian started looking through the cooler, all we had left him was a Coke.

"Snooze you lose," I laughed.

He got pissed and stormed off, I heard him talking to the Captain a few minutes later. When he came back, he was a little happier. "Captain says he can get a couple cases delivered at the next lock and dam," he said. "I'll let you have some if you dress up in your Hooter's Girl outfit and bring me drinks out here."

I snorted. "I got fired from that job, thanks to that scary fucker you guys brought there," I said. "I still see him beating that guy's face in when I sleep."

"He was just protecting you," Larry said. "He's not a bad guy, and he paid a steep price for losing control like that."

"Well, I'm glad he's in jail. I've seen too many guys like that. High strung, jealous, they beat up other guys and then get drunk and start beating up you. I'm not letting anyone like that near me again; I've been hurt enough." I got up and walked away, going back to my room as they stared at me. I didn't want to talk about it anymore, for some reason thinking about him brought feelings out I didn't want to deal with. Why would a man I was afraid of cause my insides to tingle, and bring dirty thoughts into my head? I just needed to stay far away from him. My life was screwed up enough as it was.

Yuri had tried to kill me twice already, I was in hiding and learning how to use the witchcraft the Father had given me. I didn't need a man in my life.

Larry's POV

"That could have gone better," I said.

"Fuck, man, how do we convince her to give Beta John a chance now?" Brian was looking up at the sky. "She must not feel the pull at all."

"They barely spent a few minutes around each other, and her wolf is buried," I said. "What we need is a way to get them together, spending time, letting the mate bond work on her to break down her defenses."

"Without Jessie tossing fireballs at him or throwing him off a building," Miriam said. "She's not the helpless Hooters girl anymore, armed only with pitchers of cheap beer." She had a good laugh about the story of their meeting.

My burner phone buzzed, a text message came in. It was a link to a web page. I got up, the phone was only known to Charles and he was only going to use it if it was important. Along with the link was a message; "Not safe at home. Try something else." I told them to come inside and we went to my room. Pulling out the iPad that the Highlands Pack had given me to replace my laptop, which they destroyed, I pulled up the site.

"Fuck me," I said. It showed Jessie's passport photo, the address of the cabin on our land, her full name, height and weight, her original Russian name and a few more photos from her Hooters days and college. "Cover is blown, do not approach. Photos are being circulated along with promise of a big reward if they take her out."

I closed up the computer and sat back down on the bed. Brian flopped into the chair. "Well, that escalated quickly."

"How long until they figure out where we are," Miriam said.

"As long as we don't leave the ship, no one should be able to pick us up until we go through Customs in Duluth. Once our entry is put into the system, it's on like Donkey Kong," I said. "You can bet they have Mob guys at the docks, if they spot her it could get exciting quickly. I was planning to have the Alpha send a car for us, but Charles should have told them already that we're too hot. They know her house, they know our Pack was watching her since it's our territory. We can't go anywhere near home, they're going to be watching it closely."

"How about other Packs?"

"Bringing a human in, especially one that smells like a witch now, is bound to be noticed. All it takes is one person telling the wrong person, and it's over. They wouldn't owe her anything, and that reward is pretty big." I looked it up, it was over $600,000 American. "I don't know who we trust that much, who owes us enough to give her sanctuary. Yuri has a lot of influence in both the werewolf and Mafia worlds. If they know he is after her, most Packs will decide to stay out of it."

Miriam tapped my arm. "She still needs training, and most Packs won't let a witch anywhere near their lands. I have an idea, though. The coven I am going to visit up in Grand Marais is isolated, their land magically protected. They would allow us to stay, for a price."

"Can you trust them?"

"I can trust them to keep quiet as long as they are being paid. They don't like werewolves, but I'll vouch for you. My second cousin Gwenyth is the High Priestess there."

I thought about it; if we headed to Grand Marais, it was the opposite direction they would expect since our Pack was three hours south. She could continue her training there, with more help and out of the view of humans and werewolves. "Call her and ask if we can."

She opened her phone and dialed a number, then greeted the woman and asked to speak to Gwenyth. "Hi Gwen, it's Miriam. Is it still all right if I come stay with you for a while?"

"Sure, cuz. Stay as long as you want, we're looking forward to seeing you."

"I have some traveling companions along with me. A new acolyte, she's in some danger, but she has these two big DOGS with her. I know how you feel about their kind."

"Are they necessary?"

"They protect her with their lives, and she needs them."

There was a pause. "FINE, but they better be on their best behavior. There's a big deposit required on the guest rooms if you bring pets."

"I'll let them know. Thanks, dear, I'll call you when we're closer so you can send a van to pick us up." She hung up. "That went better than expected. They will expect to be compensated for having to bring werewolves onto their land. They will want a lot more when they figure out who it is they are hiding, and who she is hiding from."

"We can pay them," I said.

"Your Pack can, but not all payments are straight cash. I'm sure they will want, um, OTHER things as well."

"Like what?"

"I'll let them tell you themselves. Meanwhile, figure out a solution to this Beta John thing. She needs her mate." Miriam left the room, leaving us alone.

"How do we get Beta John around her now," Brian asked. "No way we can send her back to Scotland, she'll never go, and international travel is too dangerous."

"We have to bring him to her, obviously. Without her screaming and running away." I laid back on my bed, trying to come up with a solution. All of the sudden, it was like the skies parted, the moon shone down and blessed me with the perfect solution.

All I had to do was get him to agree with it. I got out my phone and sent a message back to Charles, he'd have to make the arrangements. He sent back they would take care of things and text me back when we could pick him up.

A sound solution, and comedy gold. I couldn't wait.

Ch. 29

Beta John's POV

I was handed a box and told to go into the room and change. Inside was all the stuff I had worn to trial; the suit, the watch, my wallet and keys. The only thing they didn't give me back was my passport; the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer waiting outside was holding that. I quickly removed my orange jail coveralls and canvas loafers, tossing them in the bin, and got dressed.

I signed a few more forms and was officially no longer in the custody of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Agent Johnson was waiting for me, he had taken control of the prisoner and would be transporting me to the airport where he would watch me get onto a plane bound for London. Alpha Esca had taken care of the arrangements, buying me a first-class ticket back home.

I was still a prisoner, so he had me in leg shackles and my hands were cuffed to a chain around my waist. We walked out the door and he placed me in the back of the van. Metal bars separated me from him as he got in and started up, and the doors wouldn't open from the inside. He took off the shackles before closing the door. I buckled up and settled in for the short trip. "For what it's worth, I wish you had killed him instead of beating the shit out of that guy," he said after we got onto the main road.

"It cost me a lot," I said.

"I hate rapists," he said. "My daughter goes to UW-Madison, so I've been following the stories on the attacks there. It's too bad he didn't learn to keep his hands to himself after what you did."

"Some guys just don't learn," I said. "He touched what he shouldn't have, and I reacted without thinking."

"Was she your girlfriend?"

"Not yet. Dislocating her shoulder while pulling her out of the way isn't the best way to ask her out on a first date. I was going to ask her, one of the guys in my party knew her."

He eased the van onto the main road. "That sucks. Have you apologized?"

"I tried but she was given an order of protection from me. I can't contact her without breaking my parole."

"Time to move on, then. You're young, you'll find another woman. England has some pretty women."

"Scotland has beautiful lasses."

"I bet." We talked the whole way to the airport; we passed through security and had an hour to wait for boarding of the flight, so I took him to O'Gara's Irish Pub. "Neither of us can drink, you know," he said as he took a seat in the replica Irish pub.

"I'll survive, I just want some decent food before I get on the plane." I ordered about three servings; the Reuben Sandwich they are famous for, beer battered fish and chips, and a double order of Buffalo Wings while he ordered the French Dip on a separate check. I dug in to the wings as soon as they showed up.

"Damn, you can eat," he said as I trapped the meat between my front teeth, pulling the bone out and setting it on a plate.

"Try some."

"I can't let you buy me food, it's against the rules."

I just laughed. "The food's already there, just have some." He took a half-dozen and tried them, then the sandwiches arrived. I didn't slow down as I plowed through that food too. Finally, the table filled with empty plates, I wiped my hands and sat back. "That was a whole lot better than jail food," I said. I paid my bill and we hit the bathrooms before going to the gate. He flashed his badge at the ticket agent, she would board him first. He would go as far as the end of the boarding ramp and remain there until the plane pulled away from the terminal and was in the air.

"Thank you, Agent Johnson," I said as I shook his hand.

"Stay out of trouble, John." My Alpha had delivered my bag to the jail, and he gave it to me as I walked into the plane and took my seat. I opened it up. Inside was the latest book by JoFlower called "Heart of Stone," and I laughed as I read the jacket. Werewolf fiction was hot these days, and her books were some of the best. It also had an iPad in it. I took it out and powered it up; it had been preloaded with some movies. I looked through and saw a folder in the book section called "Jessie." Opening the folder, her face came onto the screen.

I started reading, oblivious to us pushing back from the gate, barely noticing as I was pressed back into the seat on takeoff. The file was everything my Pack had on Jessie Donato and what was going on with her and the danger she was in. I read the filings her lawyer made in Moscow court, and the ruling that had just come down yesterday confirming her status as the only known descendent of Yevgheny Zubkov. The newspapers were full of speculation as to the location and status of Natalya Klishnina, but they all agreed that her claim would rightly win over that of his brother Yuri. Yuri stood to lose three billion rubles from the estate if she lived.

Her lawyer told the court that Natalya was in hiding after multiple attempts on her life, not so subtly calling out Yuri for trying to kill her. She had to stay alive until the estate was transferred to her, the articles said. At that point, if she died her own will would control the estate and Yuri would be locked out forever.

It took all of my willpower and the Alpha command to keep from shifting on that plane as I realized just how much danger she was in. I had been told of the bombing, told that she was safe with the Kstovo Pack. I did not learn until now what had happened after she arrived. A letter from Alpha Esca covered the high points. She was in a car with Larry and Brian from the St. Croix Pack and Charles, our Theta, when a car opened fire on them. They escaped, but Jessie's mind shut down and she lapsed into a coma again. The Alpha had entrusted them to Larry and Brian to return her home safely.

He didn't know where they were and was to have no contact with them. It was for the best, he said, their Pack and others were being watched. The last thing in the file was the poster that Yuri was distributing to crooked Packs and Mafia chiefs around the world. It had her real name, passport photo, current address, and a promise to pay a large reward plus earn the favor of the Russian Mafia if she was found and killed.

I read through it again, finally turning it off as the meal came. I felt helpless, and as her mate that was tearing me apart. My spot was next to her, protecting her, yet I was flying farther from her with every minute.

When dinner was cleared, I sipped my beer while looking through it again, this time taking notes. Then I started to think about how I would hide her and protect her if I was able to get to her. Flipping the page, I wrote down as many ideas for places to hide with her as I could think of.

I filled up three pages before I stopped.

Then I went back through them, lining out all but five.

I put those five on new pages, with good/bad on each side, and started breaking them down.

By the time I gave up, I had no damn clue how to keep her safe, and it drove me nuts. Go somewhere on your own and get caught, you have no backup and she dies. Go somewhere around people, someone gives her up for the money, and she dies.

Then I started to think about how I could even get her to talk to me again, and that three pages of ideas went nowhere as well. I'd hurt her, I'd scared her with my sudden violence, and her eyes told me she was still afraid of me. Then there was the whole immigration thing; I couldn't get a visa back to the United States, and she couldn't leave without risking being killed. I shoved my pen and paper back in my bag, put some music on the headphones, and slept for the rest of the flight.

Arriving in London, I passed through Immigration and caught a short flight up to Aberdeen. Charles met me at the curb, and I gave my friend a big hug before I hopped into he car. "By Luna its great to be back," I said as we pulled out. I could see the mountains in the distance. "I can't wait to let my wolf out and run again."

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," Charles said with a laugh. "There's a welcome home feast followed by a Pack run tonight. Alpha Esca figured you needed it."

"How is Jessie doing? I appreciate all the material you gave me, but I have... I HAVE to know she's safe."

"She is safe and protected, and only one person is in contact with Larry and Brian as they protect her."

"Who?"

"You'll never know. Sometimes, you just have to trust your Pack and Luna until you can do things yourself."

A few minutes later, we were pulling into the castle and the whole Pack spilled out to greet me. I hugged and kissed everyone I'd missed, most of all my Alpha and Luna who had done so much for me while I was stuck in America. I transferred my allegiance back to them from Alpha Stan. "Thank you so much," I said as I cried into Luna Eleanor's shoulder as she hugged me.

I didn't have the same place on the run as when I left; Jack had taken over my spot as the Alpha's Protector with his mate Sarah next to the Luna. I was in the next rank back, with the other Betas, the rest of the Pack behind us. We ran hard for an hour before returning to the castle under the light of the quarter moon. I returned to my room and went straight to the shower. When I came out, there was a Ziploc bag on my pillow with a pillowcase in it. "Thought you'd sleep better with this. -Eleanor"