The Porch Wolf

We had to fly out from Minneapolis to Atlanta early Friday morning. It was a small group; Adrienne, Liv, Vicki, Mike, and Anita. We left Susan back home; the breaking of her mate bond was causing her problems, and she needed to stay with her children. There would be plenty of Scratch and Sniffs for her to attend when she had recovered from his death.

It was the first time Vicki had flown in an airplane, and she loved looking out the window. Adrienne and I had exit row seats with Mike, leaving Anita, Liv, and Vicki a few rows behind us. The bond comes in very handy when flying, and she kept us all informed of what she was seeing. Too excited to sleep, she watched videos with Anita on her tablet until it was time to land.

I went to get the rental minivan while they went to the baggage claim. We planned to have our dual honeymoon, starting in Atlanta, then down to Orlando. The Summit went through Sunday afternoon, and then we would return to Atlanta and visit the Aquarium. It took us a few hours to get up to the Augusta area. “Liv, Vicki, I need you two to stay close to your guardians during this time. Sharkbait’s mantle and my appearance is going to come as a shock to some, and I don’t want any problems,” I said.

“Why would I be a problem,” Vicki asked.

“It isn’t often that a mantled Alpha child exists outside a recognized Pack,” Adrienne said. “I know you haven’t seen other Packs, but other Alphas aren’t like Leo. The difference between a mantled Alpha and one without the mantle is a big deal. Mantled Alphas like you are stronger, tougher, and bigger. In a world where your position in life is what you can fight to achieve, they are the top dogs.” Vicki giggled. “So to speak. We don’t like being called ‘dogs’ at all.”

“So it’s a power thing,” Liv asked.

“Yes. If you have an Alpha pair without mantles, and they find a child with a mantle like Vicki, it’s a big thing. Vicki would be a stronger Alpha heir than any child the two could have together. The benefit would carry through the generations, as long as the mantle stays within their Pack,” I said.

“Why don’t they mate someone with a mantle and bring it in that way,” Liv asked.

“Maybe you already have a mate without one, or the mantled Alpha isn’t willing to leave their home Pack. The number of mantles necessarily decreases; there is only one per generation. If the Alphas can’t have children, or an only child dies without an heir, the line dies out. More and more Packs every decade are run by wolves without Alpha mantles.”

Adrienne picked it up. “That is why we brought you here, Vicki. The other Alphas need to acknowledge that we have claimed you as our heir, so when you take over the Pack eventually, there are no surprises.”

“I love Unky Leo,” she said as she snuggled into Liv’s shoulder.

“I love Alpha Leo too,” Liv said.

I followed the GPS through Augusta and turned into a long drive through the tall pines. Guards were waiting at the gate and came to the window. “Good afternoon, sir. Your name?”

“Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne Volkov from the Miesville Pack in Minnesota,” I said.

He looked at his list. “Yes, sir. Please follow Warrior James to your quarters, and have a good summit.”

“Thank you.” One of the guards jumped on a motorcycle and waved for us to follow. The Pack Grounds were expansive; to the outside world, this was an exclusive gated housing development where homes never went on the market. We went past the main house, heading for a building off on its own. I parked in the spot next to where he stopped.

“LEO,” Adrienne said as turned the key off. A dozen armed men moved out of the building and surrounded our car. “Don’t do anything; we have a kid in the car.”

The leader of the men came to my door and pulled it open. “GET OUT AND ON THE GROUND,” he said as he pulled at my arm.

“Cooperate, I’ll figure out what is going on,” Adrienne said.

I could hear Vicki crying for them to leave me alone as I was put face-down on the hot asphalt and handcuffed with silver. The cuffs would burn if I struggled, and they cut off my mental links with the others. The security men searched my pockets, tossing my keys and other things into the car. “What am I being arrested for?”

“Quiet, rogue,” the leader said. Men pulled me to my feet, one on each arm as they led me towards the building we had parked behind. “We appreciate your cooperation. Normally, our prisoners don’t deliver themselves to the door of the Pack cells.”

I should have known something was wrong. I got one last look at the car, still surrounded by gun-wielding guards, with a frightened girl’s face against the window. The jail door opened, and the men marched me through. They brought me to a room marked “Processing.” A man placed a coated silver dog collar around my neck and locked it in place. He affixed it to a chain hanging from the ceiling, a winch removing the slack until it was almost pulling me off my heels. “Mess around, and you’ll dangle from it until you stop kicking,” the guard warned. He removed my handcuffs as the men stripped the suit from me and passed it off for others to search. I had to undergo a cavity search, four men armed with cattle prods watching as a fifth put the gloves on. “Can you at least buy me dinner first, so I don’t feel like such a slut?”

The teasing earned me a shock from a cattle prod but was worth it. The handcuffs went back on.

The men didn’t talk to me beyond giving me orders, and I couldn’t contact anyone else with the silver collar. The men escorted me out the other door, which led to a barred hatchway. It was unlocked and lifted, and then I was led down the steel stairwell to the darkened area. Four cells were downstairs, each heavy steel door with a slot to view inside, and a narrow slot to deliver food. If it were a traditional design, the inside of the door was coated with silver.

They walked me to cell number one. A guard removed my handcuffs before I was shoved into the room, the heavy door slamming closed behind me. On the raised slab, there was a thin pad with two sheets, a pillow, pillowcase, and a blanket. Next to it was a pair of orange scrubs and boxer shorts, plus some cheap flipflops. The room was underground and cold, so I dressed quickly and made the bed before laying down on it. I had no idea how long I’d be here, and I was tired. Closing my eyes, I fell asleep.

Adrienne’s POV

As they took Leo away, I tried to open the door and go after him. One of the guards placed himself in front of the passenger door, shaking his head ‘no’ as I turned back to watch Leo disappear. Vicki was having a breakdown in the back seat, crying, and yelling for Leo. Liv was shocked, while Mike and Anita were tense. None of us had traveled with guns. They had all the advantages, and we would have to wait.

“What’s going on, Adrienne?”

“I don’t know, Liv. The guard called him a rogue, but that doesn’t make sense unless…” I figured it out. “Oh, fish sticks.”

“What were you going to say,” Liv sent privately.

“We came here in part to have Leo’s Alpha status confirmed. That might be the problem. Chairman Wolfe is coming; I’ll get this straightened out.” The guards snapped to attention as two men in expensive suits approached the vehicle. Chairman Wolfe, my boss, and the Midwest Region Chairman, walked towards us behind Council Chairman Daniel Sanders. He was head of all Werewolves, including Wolfe and six other Regional Chairmen.

I was now in Leo’s Pack, and I couldn’t link him.

The two leaders walked up on the driver’s side. “Remove the girl,” Chairman Sanders said. One of the guards opened the back seat and reached for Vicki’s car seat straps.

“NO,” Liv said as she pushed him away. Her wolf was rushing forward, and she started to shift. A second guard hit her with a Taser, causing her to seize up and drop to the floor. Vicki’s screams got more panicked as her mother twitched by her feet.

“ENOUGH,” Adrienne raged. “Mike, Anita, STAND DOWN.” They sat back, unable to fight her Alpha command. “Lewis, what the hell is going on?”

“It’s Chairman Wolfe, Luna Adrienne, and I’m not in charge here,” he said.

I looked to Charman Sanders. “Under my emergency order, I am placing Vicki Andersen in temporary protective custody,” he said.

“From who? She’s in MY PACK, Mr. Chairman, and today is her fifth birthday. It’s awful nice of you to taser her MOTHER in front of her for her birthday!”

“Your lack of respect is noted, Luna Adrienne. Guards, remove the child and take the mother with her to their room. If she behaves, she’ll be able to stay with her.” He moved aside to let the men back in.

“Vicki, behave, and go with them. Help your Mom until I can get back to you,” I told the frightened girl.

“Okay.” She was still crying, but she didn’t fight as one of the men unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her from the chair. Another man pulled Liv out, helping her stand to her feet. Coated silver necklaces were attached around their necks, cutting off any mind links. Four guards then escorted them across the lawn towards the main building, while I sat in the seat and focused on my breathing.

I was a Mediator. I couldn’t lose my shit. I had to focus on fixing the problem.

My wolf wasn’t as patient. We were going to find out who was responsible for this, and rip their intestines out with a rusty spoon.