The Porch Wolf Ch. 11-20

"I thought I'd have a lot of children. This apartment made sense if one of them mated young, and needed a place of their own while still being close. That's how I think of you two. I want you to be close by for safety while still having a place you call your own."

She sat on the bed, looking out the window. "I accept, Leo. It's very generous of you."

"It's one less thing you have to worry about because you have too much on your plate right now."

"I need to get my stuff out of my old apartment," she said.

I'd sent a mental summons to my Pack when she accepted the apartment, and they knocked on the door before coming in. "We need to talk about security," I said. "It's too dangerous for either of you to be out alone. I'll be around whenever I can be to watch over both of you, but your Pack will be helping as well. Anita will be the primary bodyguard for Vicki, with Mike as your driver and roving security. Brent will be your primary bodyguard."

"Not you?"

"It will raise fewer questions if you tell people I'm your Uncle Leo since that is what Vicki calls me. I'll watch over you both. If things go south, Anita and Brent will get the two of you to safety while Mike and I deal with the threat. All three of them are legally armed and trained for this."

She looked at Brent, who I knew was VERY happy with this assignment. "If you're my uncle, what is Brent?"

He gave Liv a nervous smile. "The best cover for me would be if I was your boyfriend," he said. Liv's mouth opened, so he quickly continued. "Nothing has to happen, but if we sit together, hold hands, that kind of thing. No one will think anything except how lucky a guy I am to be with a woman like you."

Smooth. The boy was smooth as frozen custard. "Don't think of taking advantage of this," Liv said. "Nobody knows I have a boyfriend. Hell, I haven't dated in years."

"We met in class, and we're taking it slow because of your daughter," he replied. "I'll stay by your side during the funeral, or anywhere else we go."

"I need Pack members close because the people involved are wolves, and the two of you can't scent the danger like we can. Since we're all Pack, we can communicate silently between us."

"I hear Unky Leo in my head, but he can't hear me," Vicki complained.

"Anita will be helping you with that," I said. "She will start training Vicki on using her wolf senses and preparing for her shift."

"I've helped teach the Pack youth for years, she's in good hands."

I looked at my watch. "We should be going, the deputies said they would be ready in twenty minutes," I said. "Anita can watch Vicki back in the main house if that's all right. We'll all take my truck, and Brent will drive you back in your Lexus. I've got moving boxes and tape out in the garage; let's grab all the things you and Vicki need, and we'll take care of the rest later."

We arrived at her apartment on time, and the Deputies handed over the keys. It took thirty minutes for us to go through their rooms, filling boxes that Brent and Mike took out to the vehicles. Liv couldn't handle going into her Grandmother's bedroom, so she had me pack everything for her to sort through later.

We got home just before dinnertime; I could smell the lasagna and garlic bread as soon as I opened the door. With the extra help, we got all the boxes unloaded and up to their new apartment in five minutes.

My in-laws arrived as we were sitting down to eat. They didn't look happy. They sat at the open chairs at the large table, and I could tell by his eyes I wouldn't like the news. "My brother," I asked.

"Yes." Larry took a gulp of the red wine in his glass. "The Stillwater Pack has legal and illegal sources of income. The pair you killed had mostly done burglaries and insurance scams. The Alpha was apologetic; he had no idea the target was a werewolf, much less one under your protection. He's working to limit the damage, and he's furious about them killing your grandmother. It's bad business, and it is bringing too much law enforcement attention to his people."

"He's furious," Liv said coldly.

"Yes. The kidnappers should have waited until you were both at home alone, or grabbed you when you were driving her. The contract was to deliver the mother and the child to a location in Hudson, Wisconsin. John Petersen, your younger brother, was the one who ordered the kidnapping. He paid them ten thousand dollars in advance, another twenty was due on delivery."

"Is it enough to take to the Council," Mike asked.

"Yes, but I don't know what that would accomplish. Vicki is a child, a werewolf that hasn't shifted and was not a member of a registered Pack at the time. The Council won't take action on what happens to lone wolves out there. When they hear about the Alpha Mantle, their first reaction will be to take her into custody for her own good."

My wolf didn't like that a bit. "That won't be happening."

"I agree. You're going to have to resolve this with a challenge against the Marengo Lake Alphas at the Alpha Summit in February. That gives you six weeks to get your sorry butt in shape."

"It will be enough," I said. "Nobody is going to hurt them again."

"We won't let them anywhere near them," Brent agreed.

Not much else was said about it the rest of the meal; Vicki talked excitedly about her new bedroom, and soon she left with her mother to start unpacking. When the door closed, I looked over at Larry. "Does Alpha Doug know?"

"We talked to him for almost an hour on the drive back," Larry said. "He can't keep twelve of us here long-term, but he'll do what he can. You need to prioritize expanding your Pack."

"I have an idea there," I said. "We need to get through the funeral first. That's the next likely time for John to try to get them again."

"If he and Brenda wanted them alive so they could watch, that's out the window now. They already killed once, they'll target Vicki and get the hell out."

"Brent, see if you can find a bulletproof vest small enough to fit a child her size," I said. "Order one in Liv's size for her, and one for each Pack member. Expedite shipping, here's a card to use." I handed him a charge card out of my wallet.

Donna looked at the others at the table. "Anything else we can do?"

"I can't use the human authorities on this one," I said. "The Stillwater Alpha would have kept himself clean, and there won't be a cash trail." I stood up. "I need to get some sleep. I'll see you all in the morning."

Ch. 17

I woke to the sound of a woman screaming.

Jumping out of my bed, I ran into the hallway in my boxers towards the woman, who was yelling at someone to 'GET OUT! DON'T LOOK VICKI!"

I knew it was Liv, and she sounded pissed. I opened the door leading up to her room, just in time for a naked and completely chastised Brent to race past me. "FREEZE," I commanded, and he almost fell over with how fast he stopped. "What the hell happened?"

"It's a misunderstanding, Alpha," he said as he pulled on the shorts that Connie tossed to him from the bin of spare clothes by the garage door. "Liv opened the door and freaked when she saw me there."

"In wolf form," I surmised.

"My wolf must have taken over last night and wanted to be closer to her. I woke up when the door opened, and she screamed. I shifted to explain things to her, and she REALLY screamed, then the told me to get out because Vicki was right behind her."

"And you thought you'd shift into human form with Brent Junior flopping around and explain why you weren't creepy." I just rolled my eyes. If it was only werewolves in the house, it wouldn't be a big deal, because we weren't shy about our bodies. We didn't shift with clothes on, and it was normal. I didn't have to guess at what a human female's reaction would be to a six-foot-two, two-hundred-pound naked guy outside her door. "Go get dressed, I'll take care of this."

"Alpha, you might want to get dressed before you go talk to Liv about naked people in her stairway," Connie said.

"Yeah, that might help." I ran back to my bedroom and quickly dressed, returning to the stairway as Brent came up from the basement. He was fully clothed this time. "Stay here, I don't know if she's grabbed a chef's knife or something."

He looked stressed. "Let Liv know I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten her."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "There's a fine line between romance and stalking, Brent, and you just learned which side you were on. Have some breakfast, it's going to be a busy day." I left him in the kitchen and went up the stairs to above the garage. I knocked on the door. "Liv, it's Leo. Can I come in?" I heard her coming, then she opened the door and looked around. "It's just me. Brent is downstairs and knows not to come up here again unless he is invited."

"I freaked because Vicki was right behind me. We were coming down for breakfast, I don't have any food up here." She let me in, and Vicki ran over to me. I picked her up and set her on my hip as we walked into the small living room. I tossed Sharkbait into the bean bag chair, making her laugh as I sat down next to Liv on the couch. "What's his deal?"

"What do you mean?"

"Brent. We met yesterday, and this morning he's camped out at my doorstep?"

"He's young and new to my Pack, so he's eager to do well in his assignment. His assignment is to protect you; he and his wolf both know that. His wolf came up here last night, probably because he didn't think he could protect you from the basement. He wouldn't hurt you."

"Unless I trip over his furry butt and fall down the stairs, or he pokes me in the eye with that thing," she said with a grin. I saw a quick flash of emotions that told me she didn't mind what she saw at all.

"If you want, I can command his wolf to stay away."

"No, you don't have to do that. I'm living among werewolves, and I need to get used to seeing them around. I didn't recognize Brent, I'd never seen that wolf."

"That we can fix." I sent a mental call out to my Pack, asking them to come upstairs in wolf form, carrying their clothes with them.

"Unky Leo, can we ride the snowmobile today?"

"Look out the window, Vicki. What do you see and hear?"

"Sunshine. No clouds. Trees moving, it's windy."

In a Minnesota winter, that meant one thing. "That's right. A cold front came through last night, and it's below zero out there with a twenty-below wind chill. Today's a good day to stay inside." She gave me the 'hands on hip and lower lip pout,' which made Liv laugh. "Sorry, Sharkbait."

"We're here, Alpha."

"Liv, can I bring in the other three Pack members to meet you in their wolf forms?" She nodded, and I went to the door and opened it. All three wolves trotted in, dropping canvas bags by the door. They sat at the entrance to the living room and looked at us.

"Puppies!"

"Werewolves like you, Vicki," I said. "This is Mike." All three wolves were more muscled and almost double the size of a normal timberwolf. Mike's wolf was mostly black, with gray and white on his chest and legs. He got up and walked over to where Liv was sitting, putting his head on her leg. She scratched his ear, then he went over Vicki for a big hug. "His mate Anita, who is Vicki's primary protector. If you recall, they are my Betas, so they are in charge if I'm gone." Anita's wolf was smaller and leaner, colored a light gray with a lot of white mixed in. She went to Liv first, then laid down in front of the bean bag chair. "And you met Brent this morning."

Brent approached Liv at a crawl, whining softly as he got closer before rolling onto his back. His wolf was almost entirely black, except a white stripe down the center of his chest and the tip of his left ear. When Liv reached down and scratched his chest, his tail started to whap against the floor. Getting up, he went over to sniff Vicki before he returned and sat on the floor between Liv's legs. "He's so soft and cuddly," she said as her hands moved around to the front of his chest.

"Oh, Luna, mate feels good," he sent me. "I'm all tingly."

"No one else will make you feel that way, Brent. Don't mess it up."

Vicki was trying to climb onto Mike's back for a ride. Liv motioned her down. "He's not a horse, Vicki," she said.

"It's all right; she should learn how to ride one of us to safety if needed. Even after she shifts, she won't be as fast as one of us if we need to escape quickly. Mike, Brent, lie down on your chests, and I'll help them get on."

"Thank you, Alpha," Brent said as he dropped down in front of his mate.

"Sharkbait, climb up on his back and wrap your arms around his neck," I told her. She did, and she let out a yell as he stood up. "Riding a wolf is kind of like when we rode the snowmobile. You need to hold on, keep low, and lean the way the driver does." I moved her hands lower, having her grip the fur on his chest just above his legs. "Don't grip too high, because he won't be able to breathe. Holding here is good. Keep your chest flat to his back, and your legs bent on each side. You don't want them dragging down and tripping him." I moved her legs to the right position. "You can talk to him, but keep your head forward. You want to see what is coming so you can anticipate his turns. If he's turning, lean the way he does, or you might go flying off his back. Mike, take her around the apartment while I work with Liv."

Vicki had a big grin on her face as they moved around the living room then out to the hallway. I had Liv lay down on Brent's back; she was able to wrap her arms around his chest and stayed in position as he stood up. "Your arms can cross, and you can grab fur with your hands to stay in place. Since you're bigger, your legs are much farther back on him. Bend your knees and cross your ankles." She did, and I moved them just above his tail. "You can squeeze to hold on, and you won't affect his breathing. Brent, take a few laps." Liv squealed as he took off, and Mike came back in with Sharkbait. "Vicki, Mike is going to lie down so you can get off, then I want you to get on Anita's back."

"Yay! Wolfy rides!" She had an easier time with the smaller wolf, and a few minutes later, they were as comfortable as they could be.

I had them get off and sit on the couch. "You three go get changed," I said. The three grabbed the canvas bags and went out of sight. "What did you think?"

"Faster, Unky Leo! I want to go FASTER!"

Of course, my niece loved speed. "We will have to set up some rides outside when it's safer to be out there," I said. "You did very well as a wolfy jockey."

"I want to ride a SHARK," she said. "Sea Life? Unky Leo can go too?"

"Someday," I promised. Her tummy growled as the other three walked in. "I think Sharkbait needs breakfast."

"Connie made biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs," Anita said. "Do you like them?" She shrugged her shoulders. "You've never had them?"

"No."

"Come on, you'll love them," she said. We all went downstairs, and it turned out she did like them.

"Do you eat like this all the time," Liv asked as I got seconds.

"Honestly, I didn't care to eat much. I wasn't working out, I wasn't doing much of anything. Now I have something to protect, and I need to get my strength back."

"What's on the agenda for today?"

"You will need to make funeral arrangements for your grandmother," I said. "Do you know what her wishes were?"

"She changed her will shortly after I came to live with her; her lawyer has it." I made a note, we'd have to get him involved. "She wanted to be cremated and interred with her husband at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. He was killed by the terrorist attack on the Marine Barracks in Lebanon. Grandma came back here and got a job teaching middle school, retiring just after I moved in with her."

"I'm sorry," I said. I remembered the bombing in 1983. "Did she want a memorial service here in town?"

"I think so. I should read the will again to be sure."

"I'll have my lawyer contact yours and get any instructions she may have left. There is a funeral home not far from where you live, they can do a service there, or is there a church you go to?"

"Crossroads Church." I knew the place, they took over an empty retail space where a Wal-Mart used to be years ago.

"We can make an appointment with the pastor to set things up. Don't worry about the cost. Whatever you need, you will get."

"Thank you." She looked at me. "Will you be coming along?"

"Yes, and we should leave Vicki here with the others. She'll be safe, and Anita can start doing some training with her."

We left an hour later after making calls to set up appointments. The memorial service was set for the following Saturday, January 4^th, at 10 am, with visitation starting at eight at the church. The County Coroner was expected to release the body to the funeral home tomorrow, and they would contact us so Liv and Vicki could say their goodbyes before the cremation. We shared a pizza at Carbone's in between appointments.

By two, the only thing left was to make arrangements with Fort Snelling, and that had to be in person. That gave me an idea. "Winter break is almost over, and we're going to be going next to the Mall of America. I think we should take her to Sea Life again."

"I thought you didn't want her leaving the house."

"Not without protection around her who can scent other wolves," I said. "We'll bring my in-laws, the three from my Pack, and two others. We'll look like a family out for an adventure." We went home and picked them up, driving with a car in front and behind my truck, all heavily armed.

We made our way down to the aquarium, with Vicki excitedly showing us the Stingray Pool as we waited for our tour. Brent was happy, dutifully playing the boyfriend while we were in public. The aquarium had five juvenile Giant Guitar Sharks swimming around, and that was just the start. Our group took the behind the scenes tour, where we got to see all kinds of things like how they feed the fish, and a chance to go up top and look down over the massive aquarium. Finally, I got a workout holding Vicki up as she pointed out all the sharks and rays.

We were finishing dinner and dessert at the Rainforest Café when Vicki started to cry. "It hurts, momma! It hurts bad!"

"What hurts, baby?" Liv was going wild while her daughter started to curl up into a ball and cry.

I felt her forehead; she was burning up. Shit.

"She's starting her shift. We need to get out of here NOW."

Ch. 18

I tossed the keys to my truck to Brent as I tossed money on the table to cover dinner. "Go get my truck and bring it around to the entrance. Mike, Larry, you too. GO." They took off running, while I picked Vicki up in my arms. Liv, Anita, and Donna grabbed our coats and their purses and followed me out as I apologized to the waitress near the exit.

We had to go a quarter-way around and down a level to get to the exit by parking garage we had used. Vicki's screams were attracting attention, with most moving aside while others watched to make sure she wasn't being abused or taken. The Mall of America has a lot of security, and one of them ran alongside us as we reached the second floor. "Do you need medical assistance," he asked.

"She's having an episode, it's happened before, and her medicine is in the truck," I replied.

"She'll be fine," Liv said. "The truck is here." We left him at the entrance as we loaded Vicki into the booster seat and buckled her in. Liv got in back with her, and I called Anita to ride shotgun in the truck. Brent went back to drive the rear SUV, while Larry and Donna had the lead SUV. We rolled out of the lot as Anita taught Vicki how to breathe through the pain.

It was a horrible ride. I called Larry as he reached 75 miles an hour as we headed for the Mendota Bridge. "I know you want to hurry home, but we can't afford to get pulled over. Don't go more than five miles an hour over the speed limit. You know, drive casual," I said.