Were in the City Ch. 13

"You did WHAT?!" Helen exclaimed, after listening to Jessie quickly summarize by phone what had happened when she took Annie and Emma to the drop off at the dock. "You heard correctly", Jessie confirmed, feeling her other half glowing with pride, "I fought a werewolf and won."

"Are you or the others hurt?" Helen asked.

"I'm fine, amazingly I hardly have a scratch. Emma's ok. Annie and Jeff, the man on the boat, looked like they had some injuries but they were moving around ok so I'm assuming they were not bad. I feel stupid now -- I didn't ask them if they were ok, I just told Annie to get out of there. I think Jeff took care of the body on the dock, it was gone when I checked."

"I will phone the Alpha of the sea-wolf pack and check up on their situation as soon as I finish talking with you" Helen said. "What did you do with the body of the one you dealt with?"

Jessie sighed. "I didn't kill him. He was badly hurt and I left him behind. Last I saw he was crawling towards his clothing, probably to phone for help. I know his name, Annie identified him -- he is Tony Richard."

Jessie had never heard Helen swear much in all their previous conversations, but what came out over the phone right then made it very clear Helen knew every nasty word ever used in the English language and quite a few in other languages as well. It was impressive.

"Jessie, this is a huge mess ... you have no idea ... the other wolf who was killed was likely Tony Richard's cousin Andrew, grandson of Stephen Richard. The two of them are a pair, go everywhere together. Tony has seen you - he doesn't know who you are but he can describe you in both human and unusual Were form. If you thought you all were in danger before, this changes it to a whole other level. You are all now in a very precarious position."

Jessie wondered if what she'd done to Tony Richard would make any difference. "Helen, I did something to Tony before I left him. I commanded him to go home, break the bonds to his pack and family, and tell no one why. I ... she and I ... we wanted him to suffer, to feel loss and loneliness as a punishment. Death would have been too easy on him."

Helen sounded puzzled, "You commanded him ... what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I just told him what to do and made him say he would obey me. He'll do what I said, I know he will."

Helen sounded worried and confused, "Jessie, what you are describing sounds like how an Alpha issues a command, but you can't compel someone to obey you unless you are the Alpha with a bond to someone else and it only lasts as long as the bond isn't broken by one or the other of the individuals. Tony Richard is already bonded to a pack Alpha, you can't command him like that."

Jessie felt frustrated, trying to explain what she knew, deep down, was true. "Helen, I don't know how else to say it, but I just know he'll do what I said, and he won't be able to stop what I told him to do, not ever."

Helen sighed, "Well, I can't say I'm convinced of that ... sorry ... but even if it's true, I don't think you are safe. You didn't tell him not to talk about you or what happened to the other wolf with him -- you didn't protect yourself or Annie and Jeff enough. He's calling for help now, and I am not sure where that help is coming from. Tony might have others of his pack in the local area as support, or someone is now negotiating with a local pack to provide the help. You need to get back home and lay low while I work on figuring out the fallout with this."

Jessie felt her stomach start to churn again. She'd messed up big time, not thinking things through enough. She'd made stupid mistakes that put others in danger. She had to go back and fix it, quickly, but she knew Helen would never agree to that. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission -- she'd deal with it first, then confess what she'd done.

"All right, I'm on my way home. I'll call you when I get there ... Helen, don't tell Jacob and Liam what's happened, they'll just worry about me. Can you wait until we are all together and then talk about it? It will only be a few hours ..." Jessie held her breath, hoping Helen would agree.

Helen didn't sound happy but agreed. "All right. I can use the time to find out more from other sources and will have much to talk about when you get home. Go now."

After Helen hung up Jessie took a few deep breaths and make her decision -- she'd be brave and go back to try to cover up the mess she'd made. She started the car and did a U-turn across the highway, heading back to Rubble Beach.

************

Jessie reached the turn off for the beach and drove slightly past it, finding the first place where she could pull over and hide the car from the sight of anyone driving on the highway. She got out and rummaged through the go-bag in the trunk, putting on a hoodie and wrapping a scarf around her neck. She emptied her pockets, leaving everything including her phone in the trunk and hid her keys beside the car just in case she had to shift and couldn't get back to her clothes. She then worked her way carefully through the bush to where she could see the parking lot without being seen.

The black SUV was still there. She could see Tony Richard sitting up with his back against the side of the vehicle. It looked like he'd used the remains of his clothing to slow the bleeding of his wounds. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. Jessie waited a couple of minutes and when nothing changed she decided she could approach him and see if he was still alive.

She walked quietly up to him and felt for a pulse at his neck. Skin to skin, she could feel he was still living, but very weak. He wasn't conscious, which was a big problem. If he wasn't awake she couldn't issue any more commands for him to obey. Using the edge of her shirt she picked up the phone that was lying beside him and saw it was still unlocked. She looked at the call log - he'd made one call about an hour ago, so she likely didn't have much time left. She could solve everything by killing him but Jessie couldn't do it -- she had left him alive the first time for a reason, and to become someone who could kill a helpless person just wasn't what she wanted for herself.

As she thought about ways she might wake him up she heard a vehicle approaching the parking area. Damn. She had a 60-40 chance now -- Jessie was betting her life on who she thought were the more likely people who would be coming to the rescue. She quickly pulled up her hood, wrapped the scarf around her face so only her eyes showed, raised her hands to her shoulders and backed up so she could be seen.

It was a grey truck that stopped behind the SUV. Both men inside got out and approached slowly. One went to Richard, checked for a pulse, and started pulling bandages from a medical bag. The other one, older and taller, never took his eyes off her. Jessie's other half was telling her what he was - an Alpha who deserved respect but to whom she would not submit. "Who are you?" he asked calmly.

"Someone who has a great interest in making sure that man never says anything about what happened here today. I am trying to protect the lives of others I care about." Jessie replied.

"So why isn't he dead then?"

Jessie shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure, but I think he should pay for what he tried to do -- he tried to kill his 10 year old daughter -- death would be easy, but it's too easy for him and too easy for the family he is a part of."

The Alpha was looking at her carefully but not showing any obvious signs of aggression.

"So what do you want to do now? He needs medical care pretty quickly if he's going to survive, we have to get him to help."

Jessie mentally crossed her fingers and hoped ... "Can you wake him up now for a few minutes? I need to speak with him briefly, then you can take him."

"How would talking help you? He isn't likely to agree to anything you have to ask."

Jessie shrugged again. "He might, if asked in the right way. It's important ... I need to try as it could be a matter of life or death to those I care about."

The Alpha looked at her, puzzled. "Why do you think I would give a damn about what you need? You know who he is, don't you? I should kill you for being part of what has happened to him, I could get a reward for your skin I think."

Jessie nodded. "You might ... but I don't think you approve of what he tried to do ... I think you are stuck having to rescue him, someone is twisting your arms and you are here to avoid being on the bad side of powerful people, but if you didn't have to you wouldn't do it. Give me a few minutes with him, no one else needs to know."

The Alpha sighed, "What you hope for isn't possible but I will give you 2 minutes and then we have to go."

The two men picked Richard up and placed him on a blanket in the back of the truck. The medic broke a vial of something and waved it under Richard's nose -- he started coughing then moaned, his eyes open. Once the other two backed away a bit Jessie cautiously got up into the truck bed, knelt by Richard's body and placed her bare hand on his neck. His eyes met hers and he shuddered. "You will never tell anyone anything about what happened here today or who was here today. You will only say that you remember driving down the highway and then waking up in a truck later after being rescued. You will forget everything else that happened today. You will never try to remember what happened today. SAY YOU WILL OBEY ME ... SAY IT NOW."

Richard took a deep breath and finally stuttered out "I ... I ... I will obey ..."

Jessie nodded, "Good. Now go to sleep." Richard closed his eyes and she lifted her hand from his neck. She stood up, walking to the tailgate. As she went to jump down, the Alpha stepped in and grabbed her hand to steady her.

Skin to skin, she felt his strength, his curiosity, his anger at having to save someone he didn't feel worthy of help, the pain in his side that had been coming and going over the past few weeks. Once her feet hit the ground he let go of her hand like he'd been burned.

"Who are you?" he asked again, rubbing his hand. "You are a rogue, a canine of some type, but I can't get a clear read on what kind."

"You can call me Robin" Jessie said. "I'm just someone who is trying to fix a mess I created. I've got a lot to learn ... He's all yours now. Thank you for your help, Alpha William Jenkins."

"You know who I am?"

Jessie nodded. "A good guess. I recently had someone give me an overview of the packs in the area. Your land is just north of here, you would be the closest help for him. I apologize for the situation that forced you to become involved."

Jessie started to walk away into the trees, then turned and said "Alpha ... I would get the pain in your side looked at right away. Gall stones are not something you can ignore forever."

The older man looked startled and the other one looked at him saying "For God's sake Bill, are you still having that pain? You said you were fine."

Jessie walked away and didn't look back. When she got to her car she retrieved her phone from the trunk and got in the car, waiting until the grey truck passed her position going north on the highway. She then started to drive home south. It was now going to be at least three hours after she gave Helen the initial report before she got home and Jessie hoped Helen would wait for her return before talking with Jacob and Liam. Maybe if she explained everything while standing uninjured in front of them they wouldn't freak out too much (hey, a woman could hope couldn't she?)

************

It was dark when Jessie pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. She had munched on granola bars during the drive home but she really needed more food, she was very thirsty (note to self -- remember food and drink supplies in future!), she was tired ... and she was going to have a long report to deliver before she'd be able to rest, judging from the looks the two men standing in the doorway were giving her.

She walked into the house and hugged each of them. Liam hugged her back, Jacob just took a deep breath taking in her scent before she stepped back. "I've got a lot to tell you and Helen but I'm really hungry and thirsty. Can I get some food before I start talking?" Jessie walked into the kitchen and started rummaging around in the fridge. Liam sighed, "Sit down and call Helen now. I'll get you something." Jessie nodded, grabbed the orange juice and started drinking it right from the container. Sitting at the kitchen table, she pulled out her phone and made the call.

"Hi Helen. I'm home."

Helen didn't sound happy. "Where have you been Jessie? I expected you would be back much sooner than this."

Jessie sighed. "I'm fine, but I had to see if I could fix the problems you pointed out to me when we talked last time. It took a bit more time to do that before I drove home."

"What the FUCK Jessie!!! This is not a game, this is EXTREMELY dangerous. You have no idea how much what has happened screws up a system that was delicately balanced. FUCK! Both of them dead ..."

Jessie shook her head, "He's not dead Helen. But I made sure he won't talk."

Jacob interrupted, looking mad. "Please start from the beginning right now! Tell us what is going on."

Jessie started talking, catching everyone up while munching through several thick sandwiches. When she said who Emma's father was Jacob growled. When she described her fight with a werewolf both brothers started pacing, staring at her in astonishment. When she said the wolf she'd beaten was Tony Richard and pulled the medallion she'd taken from him, with his blood still on it, out of her pants pocket Jacob dragged his claws across the table a few times before he was able to control his desire to shift. Finally she said what she'd first told Richard to do when he got home. Both brothers shook their heads, Liam saying "Jessie that won't work, you can't compel someone like that."

Helen had just been listening to this point, but now she had to agree. "I told her that already. I can't see how you can make him do that Jessie."

Jessie sighed. "I don't know how to explain it to you, but I know it will work. He will obey me, for the rest of his life. Helen, I built on this when I went back later and added to my commands."

"What did you do?" Helen asked.

"After I talked to you I drove back and was able to give him further commands. I told him never to talk about what happened today, to forget and never try to remember. He won't ever tell anyone about who was there or any details now, I know it."

Jessie could see the doubt in both brothers' eyes, and Helen was not convinced either. "Nobody can do something like that Jessie. It's just wishful thinking."

Jessie was frustrated. "Ask Alpha William Jenkins. He's got Richard now. Ask him to ask Richard if he can tell him what happened. Test my commands."

"How do you know Jenkins has him?" Helen asked.

"When I went back, it was Jenkins and a medic from his pack who turned up to help Richard. You were right that when Richard phoned for help a local pack was pressured into helping him. I talked to Jenkins and they let me give Richard more commands."

"Damn it Jessie, Jenkins and the medic now know who you are. You just moved things around a bit, didn't solve the problems." Helen groaned.

"Helen, Jenkins is a good man and an Alpha. He won't talk and I'm willing to bet that he commands his medic not to talk. Besides, I kept my hood up and wrapped my face in a scarf. They know I'm a woman but they can't describe me in detail, never saw me shift, and never saw my car. Things are way better than they were, I know it."

Helen sighed, "For you, Liam, Jacob, Annie, Emma, and the sea-wolf pack ... maybe ... for the short term anyway ... though I can't really believe that what you've tried will work ... but it's made a real mess in other places. I've been able to confirm through some of my sources that Tony Richard was travelling with his cousin Andrew Richard. Andrew is probably the other wolf who died, and now if you are right Tony is going to go home and walk away from his pack & family. This takes out half of the Richard heirs, leaving only one grandson in each line from Marcus and Stephen.

Wolves will come to find out what happened, to make someone pay. The Richard family knows Emma exists, they'll be able to guess where she's gone as soon as they know where Tony was. Rubble Beach is neutral ground, outside pack lands so the island packs have a way onto the mainland. They'll know Emma was sent to an island pack. I've got a tonne of work to do, to try to sort this out."

Jessie thought for a second then said, "Helen, talk to Alpha Jenkins and make sure he doesn't tell anyone where he picked up Richard. Ask him to say he found him somewhere else. When I commanded Tony the second time I told him to say he only remembered driving down the highway and then waking up in a truck after being rescued. He won't say anything about the beach. Maybe that can protect the island pack for a while?"

Helen gave a long, loud sigh. "Jessie, I really hope you are right that what you've done will work. We'll see. I'm going to hang up now. I've got a lot of calls to make. I'm sorry something I thought was going to be so simple, just a transport job, has turned into such a colossal fuck up. I'm very glad you are ok Jessie. I would not have asked this of you if I'd known how bad it would get.

Jacob and Liam ... I'm sure you will tell her, and show her, just how lucky she has been right? Jessie, you have a lot to learn. Do NOT think you are safe or that you understand everything - you don't, not by a long shot."

With that warning, Helen hung up. Jessie looked at her family and they looked back at her. Jessie took a deep breath and said "Can the show and tell wait until tomorrow please. I am very tired. I would like a quick shower and then I need to sleep. Ok?" Jacob and Liam both nodded. She stood up and walked downstairs to her suite.

************

Jessie woke up a little after 11am the next morning and felt a lot better. She'd been in a deep, dreamless sleep almost as soon as she lay down last night. As she turned over, she took a deep breath and her other half told her that she'd had company through the night -- her bed smelled like Liam and Jacob. WTF! She sat up and looked around. She was alone now. She was amused, informing Jessie that it had been two coywolves who had snuggled close, on guard until just before dawn when they had both gone for a run. Hum ... somewhere today there had better be a time to talk about boundaries (ok, it was also kind of nice ... sigh ...)

She got up and fixed herself some breakfast. At 11:30, Jacob knocked on her door. "Jessie, get out here in 15 minutes, we are going on a short road trip this afternoon so dress for hiking and bring a warm jacket." His tone told her not to argue. She was out the door on time, to see Liam putting a couple of duffle bags in her car's trunk. Jacob opened the back door of the car and gestured for her to get in while he and Liam got in the front.

"Where are we going?" Jessie asked as they got underway.

"You'll see in a couple of hours, so just relax and enjoy the ride." Jacob said. They headed east away from the city along the main highway out of town. It was a nice day, and Jessie watched the world go by through the windows, enjoying being a passenger for the first time in a long while. The brothers didn't talk so she didn't either. Liam was using his phone a lot, texting and reading, through most of the trip. Finally, Jacob turned off the highway and within 20 minutes the car was making its way slowly uphill along an overgrown roadway that most would not have noticed if you didn't know it was there. When the vegetation became too thick for the car to continue Jacob parked and said "Ok, everybody out, we walk from here."