The Porch Wolf Ch. 21-30

"That bastard," he sent back. "He went after Vicki?"

"The wolves came after the girls, not me," I said. I'd been thinking about this all night; if it was just that Todd didn't want me stealing his wolves, there was no need to go after Liv and Vicki like they did.

"He knows who she is from when I asked him for help protecting her. I bet his first phone call after I left was to my ex-mate to see what it was worth to her. You were just a bonus. If he waits to make a move on you, you'll have numbers and recognition. He always was a pussy, afraid of a fair fight."

He was right about several things. "He will pay the price. I can't shift, and half my Pack is injured, but I'll make sure he suffers."

He didn't say anything for a moment. "He tried to kill my daughter, Leo. I've got this."

"He tried to kill me too. I want his blood on my teeth after I tear his fucking throat out."

"I hear you, brother. Rest up. I wish things were different, and I could get to know Liv and Vicki. They'll never forgive me for her grandmother, though."

The whole situation sucked. "When Liv and Vicki are ready to hear it, I'll tell them that you loved them," I promised. "May Luna guide your steps, my brother."

"I love you, Leo."

"Goodbye." I didn't know what he had planned, but I had an idea. Todd would be on alert, expecting me to retaliate, and he was one man.

A man with nothing to lose.

Ch. 23

As the night went on, we napped in the chairs, waking on the hour when the nurse came in. By four, Liv didn't wake up, and I let her sleep. She would need all of her rest for what was coming up.

It was just after six when the night shift doctor turned over her case to the day shift. They gave her another examination, which must have gone well. "Do you have someone at home who can monitor her through the day?"

"We have several people who can do that," I said.

"Excellent. Vicki is doing well enough that further observation here is not required. I will leave you with instructions about her care and what to watch for. If any of those occur, bring her back here immediately," he said. "In the meantime, she needs her rest, and to move around when she is awake. Walking around is good, running or sports are not. In three days, you can allow her to become more active, but stop the activity immediately if it triggers headaches, dizziness, or nausea."

"I can do that," Liv said.

"Limit things that can cause strain; no video games, limited television, reading, texting, or computer use at first. Follow the same rule, increasing them over time unless they trigger symptoms."

"How long will she have the headaches and the other issues?"

He couldn't tell us. "Brain injuries are not predictable, like a broken bone or a cut. She may be fine in a few days, or symptoms could linger for months. You should follow up with your pediatrician in two weeks to have her stitches removed, sooner if there are any problems." He went through a stack of forms with Liv and finished signing Vicki out.

Vicki was excited to be leaving, but still tired. We had a parade of wheelchairs as we rode the elevator down to the exit, where Donna was waiting with Liv's silver Acura. "I had it brought here just in case she was released. Your car was the only vehicle we had with a booster seat," she explained.

"That's fine," Liv said. Donna and the nurse got Liv buckled in while Liv got into the back with her. She was moving slowly, and her torn-up ankle probably hurt with every move. I had a little more fun getting in the passenger seat with my boot and crutches, but I made it.

"Momma, I'm hungry," Vicki said. "Can we have McDonalds?"

"Connie will have a good breakfast waiting for her favorite little wolf when we get home," Donna said as we pulled out. "We can't have a repeat of the ambulance in Mommy's car."

I snorted, and Liv looked shocked before she started to laugh. "It's for the best, my tummy is always upset later in the day."

"You shouldn't eat anything greasy or heavy, Liv. Fruit, juice, maybe some pancakes or oatmeal."

"How long do I have until the fever starts?"

"Before lunch," I told her.

"Mommy is sick?" Vicki looked over at her. "You had owie, not sick!"

"A bad werewolf came into the truck and bit me after the accident, love. My ankle will heal, but I'm going to get a wolf. She will be like yours, but bigger."

Vicki broke out in a smile until she remembered something. "Your change hurts a lot, like mine?"

"I'm going to go through the same thing, but it will be worse for Mommy because I'm not as brave as my little girl is." She reached out her hand and reassured her daughter. "I will have people to help me, and I'll have my little girl there too."

"I'll let Wolfy out to help you, Mommy," she said.

"You are not to shift until your mother, or I tell you to," I told Vicki with an Alpha command. "Your doctor said not to do anything that could cause you strain, and changing your head into a wolf's head is a strain."

"Awww, man," she said. Her eyes got wide. "Will I be able to talk to you with my mind like I do with Unka Wolfy?"

"Once we teach your Mom how, you will be able to. She will be in our Pack with Brent, Mike, and Anita."

"You've been getting calls from people about joining our Pack, Leo," Donna said.

"I know. My phone has been blowing up with texts all night. Do you want to know what I told them?"

"I do," Liv said.

"While we were still at Wiederholt's, I sent a text to all the numbers I had for my old Pack except for Alpha Todd. I also included the Alphas of the surrounding Packs. The text told them Alpha Leo Volkov had formed the Miesville Pack and was open to adding members."

"So that's what ticked him off," Liv said.

"Yes, but I didn't think he would act so quickly. Last night in the hospital, I sent the same people another text. I told them that Alpha Todd is on borrowed time. His cowardly attack on my truck resulted in injuries to me and two of my Pack members, one of whom is not even five years old. His Pack members also exposed their wolves and bit a human female. He KNEW there was a human and a juvenile in the truck, and he did it anyway. For these transgressions, I will have him removed as Alpha of the Welch Pack. When I recover, I will come after him, and he will lose his life. I warned them all that if they stood with him, they would share his fate. I signed it as Alpha Leo Volkov, Alpha of the Miesville Pack."

"Dang, you didn't pause to catch your breath," Donna said. "My boy isn't happy that there has been another attack, and he's calling in more help. I told them that Mike is the only healthy Pack member you have right now, and you're all restricted to your home."

"He doesn't want another Pack war breaking out."

"Exactly. We'll put so many wolves around your home that he won't dare try anything, and that will give some time for the Council to work this out."

"I bet those pencil-pushers are THRILLED to have me back in the mix," I said.

"Their primary motive is to make sure nothing spills out into the humans, and Liv and Vicki are all over the news. An Alpha is the FBI's prime suspect in a murder/kidnapping, two Stillwater wolves are dead, and a former Alpha took them out to save a human and her Alpha wolf daughter. You can count on a parade of senior Werewolves showing up. Heck, some may be waiting for you."

"I've got enough going on, thank you," I said. "I just want to eat, then sleep until Liv starts her change."

"What he said," Liv replied.

When we arrived home, a dozen people were waiting for us as the garage door closed. Liv and Vicki were carried inside and set at the kitchen table, while Mike got me into the wheelchair and brought me inside. I thanked Luna that I'd had the foresight to adopt Americans with Disability Act standards for my home when I built it. The extra cost from the beginning was minimal compared to a refit. The doors were a few inches wider than standard, levers were used instead of knobs, there were no drop-offs on the main floor, and I had handrails by the toilets. I even had a shower on the main floor bathroom that would allow a wheelchair to roll right in.

I had oatmeal, toast, and jam for breakfast with orange juice, taking my pain pills with them. Liv and Vicki left for their apartment with Brent before I finished; he would watch her and warn us when it was time. Mike helped me shower and get ready for bed before he left me. It was annoying; my body ached, and not just from the shoulder and ankle. Getting rolled in a truck had me bruised and sore. I put my arm in an immobilizer they had given me. It kept my arm at my left side with my forearm across my stomach while I slept. My ankle was just as annoying with the heavy boot on it. I covered myself and lay back in the big bed. My head barely hit the pillow before I was out.

It seemed like the next second when Anita turned on my bedside light and woke me up. "Alpha, the FBI is here, and they insist on speaking to you," she said. "I'm sorry."

I grabbed my phone and looked at it; it was nine forty-two. I'd had less than two hours of sleep. "Put them in my office, I'll be there shortly," I said.

"They're in there already. Let me help you with that." She removed the immobilizer and helped me put on a clean T-shirt, then work my way into a track suit and slippers. When I was back in the wheelchair, she put my left arm in the sling and wheeled me down the hall. The two agents stood, an older female and a younger male. "Agents, what brings you here," I asked as Anita moved me behind my desk, kicking my desk chair out of the way. I kept the link open with her, Mike, and Brent as she left.

"I'm Senior Agent Thompson, he's Special Agent Lockwood. Two attacks on the same woman and daughter, and both times you are there," the woman said. "I don't believe in coincidences."

"Neither do I," I said. "I don't like relying on luck, either. Every person in my truck was injured when we were knocked off the road, and it could have been four fatalities."

"We need to know what happened," she said. I laid it all out for them; they knew Vicki was my niece from before, and Liv was my friend. I told them about my offer to rent them the apartment above the garage, and how I asked my brother-in-law to send some people to help keep her safe. "We hadn't seen anything suspicious, and it was Tuesday night, prime rib night at Wiederholt's. We had about twenty of us, I thought it would be safe."

"Did you notice anything suspicious there?"

"My younger brother John was having dinner with my former business partner, Todd Miller," I said.

"Your brother is here?"

"Yes, I talked to him alone for a few minutes. He heard about the kidnapping attempt and wanted me to know he had nothing to do with it. He knows he blew it with Liv, and he'll never be allowed into Vicki's life. After all, he was married and fooling around, and he left her alone and pregnant. Vicki is still his daughter, and he loves her from afar."

"Do you think he would take her?"

"And do what? Liv isn't going to settle down with him, and he's still married, with children of his own. He wanted to see for himself that she was all right. He knew I had saved her, and he knew I ate every Tuesday at Wiederholt's, so he waited for me."

She looked up from her notes. "This Todd Miller, who is he again?"

"He was my foreman, my right-hand man, as I built up Volkov Construction. After my wife died, I lost interest and sold my share of the company to him. He is the majority owner of the company now."

She tapped her pen. "Volkov Construction? Do they own dump trucks?"

"Several. They still do contract plowing and road salting for some of the townships in the winter."

"Did you recognize the truck? See any markings?"

"It was dark, all I saw was the headlights and the plow. I'm sorry."

"Can you think of a reason why Todd Miller would want any of you dead?"

"I told him I was coming back out of retirement. Todd's a decent supervisor, but a crappy owner. Give me a year, and my new company will be bigger than his and more profitable. Maybe he was scared I'd take my company back from him."

The two looked at each other. "Anything else you can tell me?"

"Not that I can think of."

"We'd like to talk to Olivia and Vicki," she said.

"Olivia has been up all night with her daughter, and she didn't see anything. She's already given a statement to the deputies at the hospital. Vicki was asleep during the accident and didn't wake until she was in the ambulance. If you leave your card, I'll have Olivia contact you when she's ready to talk."

"Did anyone else see anything," Agent Lockwood asked.

"If they did, they gave their statement to the deputies already." I let out a yawn. "I got very little sleep last night, and the drugs aren't helping. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you. Here is my card, and another for Olivia. Please call us if you think of anything that might be helpful."

"I will." I called for Anita and asked her to show them out, then come back for me. She returned a few minutes later. "Spread the word to the Winona Pack members about what I said."

"Already done, Alpha."

"Then I want to go back to bed."

We were in the hall when Brent called to us. "No time for that, the fevers have hit Liv. You're needed up here, Alpha."

Ch. 24

Liv's change was starting, right on schedule. "I will be up shortly. Is Vicki awake yet?"

"No, she's still sleeping."

"Let her, it's going to be a while, and the screaming will eventually wake her." I saw Larry approaching. "We need to get the FBI out of here as soon as possible; Liv's change is starting."

"I heard. Donna, Anita, and Brent are all up there with her. They'll move her to the master bath, that's farthest from the house. As long as she doesn't scream while they are in the driveway, they'll never know."

"If they push to speak to her, it won't be today. She's exhausted and injured, and she didn't see anything anyway."

Larry nodded. "I understand. We'll move them along. Now, what do you want to do about that fucking Todd?"

"Just like I sent out in my text, his neck will be in my teeth when I've recovered. In the meantime, he's got Pack members who want out, my brother is out for his blood, the Council on its way, the FBI and Sheriff who will start poking around, and a pissed-off Momma Wolf about to come out. He's got plenty to keep busy with."

"And Alpha Brenda?"

I thought about it. I didn't need Brenda or her Pack anywhere near here with the FBI and all my other problems. "You have friends on the Council?" He nodded. "Fill them in on the situation and ask them to pay a visit to the Marengo Pack. Tell her I know she wants Vicki dead, but I also know she hasn't done anything to her yet. If she wants to live, it needs to stay that way. Vicki is my niece and my Heir. If she takes out MY heir, her own will not be spared when I come for her." Larry's eyes got wide; threatening children wasn't done, but he understood what I was doing. "She is the reason my wolf has come back. If Vicki dies, I will stop at nothing for my revenge."

"I will see to it your words are passed along verbatim," Larry said. "I just hope she listens."

We kept out of the way while coolers full of ice were carried upstairs to the apartment. I was glad her bathroom had the two-person jacuzzi and the window overlooking the yard, as both would help with the fever. When they came down, two of the Winona men just looked at me with big grins on their faces. "What?"

"Someone needs their old, beat-up ass taken upstairs," one said.

"And I'm not carrying you bridal style," the other said.

The two picked me up in a fireman's carry, taking me up the stairs while Larry followed with my wheelchair. They set me back in and Larry wheeled me to the master bedroom. The three of them went back to the house, with Larry in charge of security. Liv was lying on top of her bed, her blanket pulled away, and only a thin sheet covering her body. "I'm sorry I let this happen to you, Liv. I never wanted to put you through this."

"You didn't bite me, Leo. It's all right. Tonight, I'll have a wolf, like my baby."

I reached over and took her hand; she was already sweating, the fever was building. Soon she wouldn't be lucid. "Who do you want to help you through this? You've seen how it is, and you'll be naked for most of it."

"Donna, Connie, and Anita will help me. I want you close by, but not in the room until the change is finishing. Brent, the same goes for you."

"And Vicki?"

"Don't keep her from me, but she doesn't need to see it all. Keep her distracted, play with her, whatever."

"I have to go check on her," Brent said. "I'll be right back." Even at home, she still needed to be checked every hour while sleeping.

Donna put the thermometer up to Liv's forehead. "One-hundred-four-point-two," she said. "Time for the ice bath."

"Ugh," Liv said as she was helped up.

Anita pulled the sheet back with her one functional arm, exposing Liv's thin shorts and crop top. "I'll let Mike know when we need more ice. Come on, Liv. It only sucks once."

Liv rolled her eyes as she stood up; she was a little wobbly as Donna and Connie helped her into the bathroom. I watched the door close and closed my eyes, saying a silent prayer to Luna. As much confidence as I had in her, in the back of my head, I knew the statistics. Luna didn't always allow humans to make the shift, and no one knew what she was looking for.

I heard her cry out about the cold; a big tub full of cold water and a hundred pounds of ice wasn't pleasant. I resumed my prayers, interrupted when Brent came back out of Vicki's bedroom. "How is she doing?"

"Good. Vicki probably won't sleep much past lunch."

I could see his wolf pushing forward with every noise that came from the bathroom. "It's going to be a long day, Brent, and she's not ready for you to be with her. You need to go blow off some steam and get control of your wolf."

His eyes flashed, and he looked at me, then at the door. "Liv needs her mate close by," he said.

"Her wolf isn't here yet, right now you're a guy she barely knows, and she's naked in a tub. She's not letting you into her bathroom," I said. "That wasn't a suggestion, Brent. You have an hour before you have to check on Vicki again. Go out to the woods and run or go to the gym and work out. Go." The Alpha command was behind it, and he let out a sigh and turned for the stairs.

"Keep me posted, I'm right outside if you need anything, Anita. I sent Brent to work some of his aggression out, and Vicki is sleeping."

"You know how this will go, Alpha. She's going to be in the tub for hours."

"I know." With nothing else to do and no real way to move around with the wheelchair with one arm, I pulled out my phone and started going through the messages. My earlier texts, plus the word of the 'accident' we'd had, caused my feed to blow up. I decided to send an update, but only to those who asked about me or expressed an interest in my Pack. The message lacked the anger of before; I told them my pickup had been knocked into the ravine and rolled several times. I said that I had a severe ankle sprain and dislocated shoulder, and another Pack member broke her arm. Liv and Vicki were out, so I sent the truth on them as well. My young niece was recovering from a head injury, and her mother's leg was chewed up badly. I finished by asking for prayers for speedy recoveries, and for the coming change.