Order of Protection Ch. 28-32

I opened it up, the scent hit me like a ton of bricks. Jessie. The pillowcase must have been hers from when she was recovering here.

I woke up about noon the next day; I hadn't felt that good in months. "Beta John, please come to my office," I heard over the link.

"Yes Alpha, five minutes." I quickly dressed and went down the hall of the Alpha's wing to his office, right across the hallway from the Luna's office. I knocked and went in, wondering if my nose was messing with me. It wasn't. "Patrick!" I rushed across the room and embraced him. "Thank you. Thank you for protecting her."

"I did what I needed to do, John. She's an amazing woman, I know you two will be happy." We sat and he caught me up on the latest things out of Russia; Yuri was becoming more and more desperate to kill her as the courts approached a final decision that would leave him with nothing. He told me about returning to Russia to be a Beta in the Moscow Pack, and the real possibility he and Mischa might become Alphas soon.

"That's amazing," I said as he finished. "But what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to train you," he said. "Your mate needs two things; she needs her mate with her, and she needs protection. You're training so you can do both." Alpha Esca opened a drawer and handed him two things. The first was a big dog vest that said "SERVICE DOG" on both sides. "Here's the deal. You can't get back into the United States any other way; I've got paperwork here from Doc Connall stating Jessie has seizures that can cause her to lose consciousness and has a service animal to detect the onset and help her. All that is true, she's blacked out once since her head injury. As a service animal, you are allowed to fly on a plane, go into restaurants, escort her anywhere in the United States. We've got your papers, training records, veterinary records all set. You just have to stay in dog form and learn how to act like a service dog."

"Will she know who I am?"

"She can't. You know she's still afraid of you, but this way you are close enough to let the mate bond work. You get a chance to be around her all the time, to learn about her, to help her. I'm going to tell her you are one of my protection dogs who I cross-trained to be a service dog for her. I will teach her commands for how to direct you to attack a threat. She can never know you are far more than just a wolf hybrid with a lot of training."

"She doesn't know about us?"

"No, we've left that to you. There is one thing she did on her own, though." He told me about how Father Kempechny was a witch, the power he passed to her as he died, and how she used the powers to save them all when they were attacked on the motorway. "She has power, but little training. If it happens again, she could pass out and be helpless for days. All it takes is a single shot and Yuri wins."

I growled, there was no way under the Moon that my mate would be taken from me. "What do you need me to do?"

"Shift so I can put this on. Your training starts now." He was holding a collar, it wasn't a tough dog collar. It was aqua blue in color, it had silver studs, and the name 'CUDDLES' was stamped and painted in silver on the side.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I said.

"Nope. Who doesn't like a service dog named Cuddles?"

I looked to my Alpha for help, but he just shook his head. "If I didn't owe you so much I'd kick your ass for this," I said as I pulled my clothes off and shifted into my silver-grey wolf.

"I know," he said as he fixed the collar to my neck.

"Beta John, you are forbidden from shifting unless commanded by an Alpha to do so, or if shifting is required to save the life of you or your mate." I felt the weight of the command go through me. "Behave and learn, the longer this takes, the longer your mate is without you."

I pressed my head against his thigh, thanking him for his help.

"Come on, Cuddles, it's time for puppy school," Patrick said with a little too much levity. I growled and followed him out the door.

Ch. 30

You'd think basic obedience training would be easy for a werewolf, but it wasn't. Patrick spent most of the afternoon working with me on how to heel, sit, and other basic commands so it would look right. Charles and the Alpha stopped in, mostly because my mental rants to them were driving them crazy until Alpha put an end to it. "Patrick is away from his mate and his responsibilities to his new Pack because he wants to see Jessie protected. You need to shut up, listen and become the best damn service dog the world has ever seen, or you'll be away from her even longer."

My ears when back and I whimpered; he was right. "Sorry Alpha." I focused on the commands, and by dinner I could pass the obedience course without corrections.

Patrick was pleased, and he told me to heel as we walked away from the indoor field we were using, across to the castle for dinner. I was still under Alpha command, I couldn't shift back, and as we walked into the main dining room everyone stared at us. I growled, not pleased with their reaction. Patrick grabbed my ear and twisted, he wasn't Pack so he couldn't communicate mentally. "You're still on duty, a service dog never growls unless his charge is in danger," he said. He let go and I followed him to his seat, sitting behind him at his command. The food came out, and it smelled wonderful; all the things I had missed about my homeland's food for months. I sat patiently, waiting for the Alpha to give me the command to shift and join them, and they didn't. An Omega brought two bowls in and set them against the wall. "Go eat," Patrick said as he turned to me.

The humiliation. Normally we only ate in animal form if we had hunted or we were being punished; our meals were mixed in the bowl and given to us that way. I moved over and saw there was dog kibble in the bowl and water. "You have GOT to be kidding me. Where's my food?"

"You have to learn how to be a service animal for Jessie; she's not going to feed you people food, and you can't turn your nose up at what she gives you. It's a high-quality dog food, plenty nutritious. Quit complaining, it's the only dinner you're getting," the Alpha said. His voice sounded mad, he expected more.

I focused on the big picture. I needed to get through this training so I could be with Jessie. I stuck my muzzle in the bowl, crunching the dry pellets. I was hungry, and I had to admit they weren't the worst thing I'd ever tasted. It just sucked. I figured the faster I ate the less I'd suffer, so I wolfed the food down and then washed the taste out of my mouth with a long drink. When I was done, I returned to a sitting position behind Patrick.

As the people started getting up, some would scratch my ears or pat my head as they walked by. This was humiliating; I was not some juvenile on punishment, I was a senior Beta. One of the children came up and gave me a big hug. "Can Cuddles come play outside later," she asked as she scratched my neck.

"He's got more training," Patrick said. I licked her neck and face as she squealed and ran away to catch up to her parents. "Good boy," he said. "A service dog is trained to ignore people around him and stay focused on his charge. People might pet you, call you names, even try to feed you. You need to ignore them unless your charge tells you it's all right. If that happens, you need to be like your namesake- friendly, non-threatening and safe. You can't give Jessie reason to wonder if she will be safe with you."

I nodded my head as he got up. "Heel," he said, and I came around to his left side, my head even with his hip. He walked me through the castle, using the commands I'd learned and adding additional ones. He had me open doors, fetch things, even sit in a corner. "You're always watching," he said. "Sometimes Jessie might put you somewhere out of the way, maybe she's working or meeting with people. You need to stay out of anyone's attention, blending in to the background. Never let your guard down, remember your primary duty is to protect her from danger." He called me to heel and I followed him outside.

He showed me a hand signal for "go play," and explained what it was. "She's not going to need you by her side all the time, and you have to go to the bathroom sometime. The 'Go Play' command allows you to run off and burn off some steam and leave steamers in the woods. Don't go so far you can't keep your eyes on her, but at least poop behind a tree or something." I ran off into the trees, barking excitedly as that would be expected of me. I found a good spot and dropped a deuce, then peed on a few trees along the edge. "Cuddles! Come!" I ran back as quickly as I could, coming around to sit at his left side. "Good boy," he said, palming a liver dog training treat. It was pretty tasty. "I'm going to give her some of these, Larry will help train Jessie on how to command you and run you through your paces. This is what is normal for training our dogs. Do your job right and you might get a treat." I looked up at him, tilting my head, hoping this would end soon.

We trained the next morning on attack and protection commands, which were far easier for me, and reviewed all the other commands and hand signals I had been taught. After lunch, Charles was with us as a Pack Omega drove us to the airport. We suspected Patrick might be under surveillance, and we didn't try to hide his departure. His presence at the Pack was no secret, it was part of his training to take the Beta position in Moscow.

It was a nice day, so instead of being stuck in the big dog kennel in the back, I was in the back seat with my head out the window. It was the first time I'd done that, normally we were never in our wolf forms in cars. I could see why dogs liked it so much. We drove onto the airfield where the private jet from the United States had just landed, and parked to wait for it to taxi in. The airport tanker immediately drove over to start fueling it up.

When the steps came down, Theta Charles walked me to the stairs and I bounded up them. I had my service animal vest on, plus that stupid collar. Patrick handed the dog kennel up, it was still in pieces to fit through the door, then he joined us. His parents had brought the suitcases with most of his stuff, as we were flying to Moscow next to see him off on his new job.

It took an hour before the pilots were ready for takeoff, and I laid between the facing seats of the Learjet III as we taxied out to the runway. "You look cute with that collar," Beta Female Abigail said. I just huffed and put my head between my paws for takeoff. "You're going to have to work for your mate, but she is a good young woman and deserves to fall in love. Treat her right, she's important to us." I just looked up at her, head to the side, tongue out. I loved Jessie, I would never hurt her and she knew it. "If we can just keep her safe until the court case is done, Yuri loses."

Patrick shook his head. "It isn't over then, though I can't wait for him to lose out on three billion rubles. In six months, the Council decides on the leadership of her father's Pack. I want to be Alpha, Mischa and I could become the Alphas, but I'd rather you take it, John. It's her birthright, not mine. There will be other chances for us."

"That won't be easy," Beta Peter said as we took off. "John here has to keep her alive, reveal our existence to her, get her to accept him as her mate AND want to go back to Russia where Yuri still wants her dead. He might not be able to get Yevgheny's fortune back, but he could get her Pack, its assets and its territory unless John here can defend it."

I growled at the thought of my Jessie being in danger. I would be by her side for whatever she chose, and if that meant she took over the Moscow Pack, so be it. If she decided to travel the world, start a business, return with me to Scotland or just live with me in the woods, I would be fine with it. I just wanted to be with her.

"You need to figure out how to get her wolf back, John." Patrick was looking out the window as we pulled into the air. "We all know it is there, buried deep. Father Kempechny must have used his magic to push it down, thinking it would save her. You two need to figure out how to break the spell."

I put my head down, magic was not my thing, and I didn't like witches. Charles just laughed. "You don't like witches, but your mate IS one now, you fool. She's got his magic now, you two need to figure it out." They talked most of the flight, and when we landed in Moscow I stayed on the plane with Charles. Peter, Patrick and Abigail all gave me a hug and wished me luck before they went down the stairs. I was happy for Patrick; he'd proven himself to be a good wolf and a good ally to have. He and I shared the frustration of having a mate we couldn't have yet, although he was far closer than I was to that goal. I hoped we could all get together again the next summer.

The flight crew shut everything down and went to the hotel to rest. Charles and I had to stay with the plane in the hangar, leaving only so I could relieve myself in the weeds and rocks out back. The next morning, the crew arrived before sunrise and we were on our way back to the United States. We landed in London, changing out flight crews and refueling. We flew across the Atlantic to St. John's in Newfoundland, staying there for twelve hours before continuing to Minneapolis. Charles took pity on me, ordering steaks for me and taking me for walks to stretch my legs, but we couldn't go far without clearing Customs.

Finally, the last leg of our flight ended at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. We taxied to a cleared section near the terminal. My crate and his luggage were loaded onto a cart, and we walked across the tarmac as he pushed it; I was on a leash in the heel position. Charles processed through Customs on a tourist visa, then we were sent to a room to wait for the animal inspector. An hour later, after Charles provided my shot records and a recent vet exam, I was examined then we were allowed to go. I held my paw up and shook his hand as he smiled. "Nice dog you have there," he said. "Wolf hybrid?"

Charles nodded. "The breeder finds them to be highly intelligent and trainable. He just completed training and is going to a very special woman," Charles said.

"Well, he's big enough she can ride him around if she gets tired," he said. "Good luck." We walked out the door and through the terminal, me staying close to him. I saw what Patrick warned me of; a service dog, despite the signage, attracted a lot of attention. The fact that I was freaking HUGE for a dog didn't help. I couldn't count the number of times I heard "Mama, PUPPY!" as we walked through to the pick-up area.

Finally, I jumped up into the back of a Ford Expedition with a familiar scent. I nuzzled up to Alpha Stan Larsen in the back seat as Charles took shotgun. "Nice collar," he said as he brought his head to mine. I transferred allegiance to his Pack again; the Alpha had insisted, as Jessie's protectors were both from this Pack and I would need the link to communicate. "Welcome to Minnesota, I hope this works," he said over the bond.

"Do you know where Jessie is? Is she all right?"

"I have little communication. My men aren't in range for linking and are under orders to communicate only with one person and that isn't me. As far as I know, she's fine. You are going to return to our Pack and wait for our contact to arrange you to be delivered. We're being watched closely, so it won't be easy. My patrols have identified at least four werewolves near our borders, and humans have placed cameras around our borders, even in our territory."

"You didn't remove them?"

"No, that would arouse more suspicion. The Pack is under a no-shifting order and we're trying to play it casual. The longer we go without them seeing her, the better." He scratched my ears. "Your previous Alpha command is reinforced by me; no shifting unless an Alpha directs it or it is necessary to protect Jessie. I'm sorry, but to maintain appearances, you're going to be housed with the other dogs we are training."

"You're putting me in a damn kennel?"

"Yes." Crap. Concrete floor, chain link fence, a grate to pee through and a dog bed. Humiliating.

We arrived at their homes thirty minutes later. I was taken out and led back to the kennel and training area, where I was allowed to run around and play for twenty minutes before I was put away. I put my head down, nothing to do but wait.

At least they left the radio on for me.

Ch. 31

Beta John's POV

Four days later

The light in the kennel turned on, and the dogs started barking. I lifted my head, pissed that I'd been kept up most of the night by the dogs who barked at every sound.

Again.

I was exhausted and pissed off; I was being kept here in case we were being watched, and we still had no idea where Jessie was.

"Get up, Cuddles. Time to go." Charles opened the gate and I followed him outside the building. I ran into the woods to take care of my morning business and trotted back to where he was standing by a car. He held a bowl, inside was some cut up chunks of steak. "Enjoy it while you can, buddy. I've got a fifty-pound bag of kibble in the back for you." I looked up at him, shook my head then went back after the raw meat. I gobbled it down, then drank from the bowl of water he'd brought along. He opened the back door of the Ford Explorer, and I jumped in. The rear seat had been folded down, and a thick blanket was in place. I turned around a few times and laid down, my head forward as he got in. I whined, wanting to know what was going on.

"Larry sent a message last night, they are safe and in a good place," he said. I wagged my tail at the news. "He's going to meet us this morning, so I can transfer you to him. I don't know where they are, and I don't want to know." It made sense to me, the fewer people that knew the safer she was. "We're going to drive out with the other people heading to work this morning. My mate is flying in from visiting her family in Alaska, then we are going to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. No one will question my movements, at least that's what I hope. You're just one of their dogs."

I didn't care, I was getting out of the kennel and getting closer to being with my mate again. My tail was whapping hard against the blanket as he got in. We drove south, through the town of Stillwater and continued south along Highway 95. He got off the road once, circling around to make sure we weren't followed, then continued. We passed I-94 and my ears perked up when we turned into Afton State Park. The car had a state park permit, so we didn't have to stop. "Any tails will have to stop at the Ranger station and get a permit. We're safe for now." My ears perked up, and he pulled ahead into a parking lot at the south campgrounds. He circled the lot, it was late in the season and a weekday, so it was nearly empty. He stopped next to another SUV and put it in park. "Let's go, boy."

He got out, and I saw Larry step out of his car and embrace Charles before he opened the back of his car. Charles opened the back of his, grabbing the big bag of dog food as I jumped out. I put my feet up on Larry's shoulder, pressing my head on his shoulder. "Thank you for watching over her," I said.

"Just play it cool, she still doesn't know about us," he said. "Now get in." The bag of food was put in the back as I jumped into the front seat of the small car, the seat was back all the way. Charles got back in his car and continued driving. "He's going to drive around the park and throw them off the scent. Keep your head down until we get back to the freeway," Larry said. We pulled out of the lot, we'd been there less than a minute, and Charles was nowhere to be found. I relaxed into the towel he'd placed over the seat, her scent was strong in it. "I thought you'd like that, she used it last night. You're a lucky man, you know that right?" I woofed at him. I couldn't wait to see her.