Order of Protection

Beta John’s POV

The police brought me through a service door, avoiding the crowds and patrons, then led me around to an elevator before taking me in the back of their station. Yep, the mall was so big, the police have their own small facility here, complete with a jail lockup. I was sat on a bench, my cuffs attached to a rail behind me, as the arresting officers completed their report.

I had my passport and other identification with me. “Scottish, huh? What brings you here?”

“Business,” I said. I was mad at myself, I was in no mood for small talk, though I would be polite. It wasn’t their fault I had lost my control, it was my own. I hadn’t had an episode like this since I was a juvenile wolf.

“All right, you were read your rights on the way down the elevator, do you have any questions?”

I thought about it. “I would like to make a phone call to arrange a lawyer,” I said. “Where am I to have him meet me?”

“Hennepin County Jail,” he said. “The transport van will be here in an hour. You can expect to be processed tonight, but you won’t have a court hearing until Monday.” Shit. Our flights were on Sunday, looks like I won’t be going home with them.

“What am I being charged with?”

“That’s up to the county prosecutors, but you have been arrested for multiple counts of felony assault consummated by battery, plus disturbing the peace.” I nodded, I expected that. “You better hope that guy makes it, or you could be facing a murder rap.”

“What?”

“You beat the living shit out of him, the EMT’s taking him to the hospital said he has a fractured jaw and skull.” I sat back, the guy didn’t deserve to die, but I wasn’t exactly in control as I pounded on him. I’d been taught about the mate bond, I’d seen how friends had been affected by it, but only now did I understand the depth of the protective drive it causes. I would have killed him and all his friends if I hadn’t been stopped.

I was taken to an interview room, where I was given a phone. I called my Alpha, he answered after one ring. “Esca,” he said in his gruff voice.

“Boss, it’s John. I fucked up, sir.”

“I know you did, son, I’m still here with the others trying to clean up your mess. At least the wings are good,” he said. “What do you need?”

“A lawyer for sure, I’m going to be charged with felony assault and battery. I’m being taken to the Hennepin County Jail. They said I can’t get a court hearing until Monday.”

“Already on it. The St. Croix friends of ours are taking care of it, Patrick’s father is taking the lead. You are temporarily under their authority after we return home. You are to follow their instructions as if I was giving them to you, do you understand?”

“Yes boss.” There was a pause. “I’m sorry, I lost it tonight.”

“No shock it was over a girl. Congratulations, but you sure complicated things with this.”

“I did.” We talked for a minute more, then he hung up. I was just glad we had an allied Pack nearby to help, so I wasn’t left alone. I had no idea how long I would be here, and I was facing years in prison. I called for the officer, a detective came in, and I declined making a statement until I had counsel.

The rest of the night was a blur. I was loaded into a prisoner transport vehicle, taken through inprocessing at the jail where I ended up wearing an orange jumpsuit, and finally found a cot at four in the morning.

Morning count was at six, and you couldn’t use your bunks during the day. I didn’t talk to the other prisoners, and they left me alone. I was big, and they sensed something wild in me as I kept my wolf forward.

Beta Peter’s POV

Lunchtime next day

“Where is this woman,” Alpha Stan Larsen asked as the door was opened by his mate Larissa.

“Still sleeping,” I replied. “Abigail is staying with her. We had to wake her ever two hours last night for concussion checks, so she probably will be out until this afternoon.”

The Alpha nodded and led us to the table where his housekeeper had laid out an early lunch. Patrick was behind me, and Charles was already standing behind a chair. We waited as he pulled the chair out for Larissa, then sat after they did. “Anyone have an idea how a human can be John’s mate?”

I shook my head. “No sir. We all smelled her, she’s human. I even brought her hand to my nose and took a good sniff, no trace of a wolf at all.”

“And John is sure she’s his mate?”

“He was sure last night,” Patrick said. “He had all the signs, he smelled her as soon as we entered the place. His Alpha heir, Sean, he had to Alpha command him to not react in front of all the humans. I fully expected to find a shewolf in there, we were all shocked when he said it was Jessie.” He looked at his Alpha, holding his gaze for a moment. “And there was no doubt as to how his wolf reacted when that man put his hands on her and threatened her. He behaved like a jealous mate who hadn’t marked her yet.”

“Still, it’s impossible to be both human AND her mate. If she’s fully human, there’s no wolf for his to be bonded to. If she’s a wolf, we’d smell it, and she would have reacted to his wolf.” Stan just shook his head and took a drink of water. “Anything on her family?”

“We’ve looked into her mother, nothing unusual there. We found no connections to any known Packs or wolves. Her father, we don’t know. She told us in the car that after her mother died, she found adoption papers from Russia. She was brought over when she was only a few months old, her father killed her mother after she was born. She had been raped and went back to claim paternity.”

The Alphas looked at each other. “So, it’s possible her father was a wolf?”

“Yes, I suppose it’s possible, but we all know the results of humans and werewolves mating. They either get the wolf gene, or they don’t. There’s no ‘got a wolf but you can’t tell’ and I’m telling you, she HAS NO WOLF.” I was leaning forward, the Alpha glared at me and I immediately sat back and lowered my eyes.

“Then we need to figure out how his wolf is being fooled. I have a friend in the local coven, I will ask her. I need you two to contact the other Packs, have them search their histories and see if anything like this has been seen before. Keep her name out of it, though.”

“Yes sir.”

“Keep her close, help where you can. She’s important to the Highlands Pack, and I gave their Alpha my word we would keep her safe and help his Beta through this. Transfer other duties as required, this is your priority right now,” he said to me.

“I will protect her with my life,” I said.

Beta John’s POV

On Sunday I was taken to an interview room, and waiting inside was an older man in a nice suit with a briefcase. He was a werewolf. “Sit,” he said as I made my way to a chair. “My name is Charles Thompson, I’m a criminal defense lawyer who Beta Peter retained for your representation.”

“We can talk freely here?”

“Yes, since you are with counsel they can’t listen in or record this conversation. Assume any other conversations are being recorded, including family or friends, and act accordingly.” I nodded. “First off, congratulations on finding your mate, even if it is baffling our entire Pack as to how it is even possible.”

“Thank you. Is she all right?”

“She had a dislocated shoulder, bruised wrist and a slight concussion, but she will be just fine. Patrick and Peter drove her to the hospital, and convinced her to stay with them. Right now Anne is mothering her, she’ll be fine in a few weeks.”

“Does she hate me?”

“I don’t think so. We’re doing what we can to encourage the bond; Patrick is talking you up, trying to explain why you reacted like that. We even had some of your clothes brought over to her, she likes sleeping in your T-shirt, says It is comfy and smells good.”

I smiled at that. “All right, where do I sit legally?”

“The County Attorney has filed two counts of felony battery and lesser charges. Honestly, you can’t fight this and win. They have security camera video, witnesses, and a victim still in the hospital with serious damage to his face and head. He’ll survive, but he won’t look the same after this.”

“Good. The asshole deserves to suffer for touching her like that.”

“In our world, yes, but not among the humans. Now, we can argue Jessie’s injuries were accidental as you were trying to protect her, but you ran over and attacked a man, beating him unconscious. I’d like to work towards a plea agreement to lesser charges.”

“How?”

“The man was drunk, sexually assaulted a server, and threatened her. We can use that, plus your record and this being a first offense. If you want to get back to her, we take a plea because a trial could take months, and you’d still be found guilty.” He sat back as he thought. “What do you want to do about her?”

“Other than grab her and take her home and not let her out of my bed for a week?” Charles just smiled at that. “I want her to know I’m sorry, and I want her taken care of.”

“Beta Peter is already started on that, he’s paid her medical bills, you will repay him for that.” I nodded. “We’ve done some checking, plus she had some very interesting things to say to Patrick on the way to the hospital.” I listened, my wolf howling inside as I heard of her losing her father, and how after she lost her mother this past week, she was broke and soon to be homeless.

“I can’t allow her to suffer on my account,” I told him as I moved the handcuffs around on my wrists. “There must be something I can do.”

“Restitution,” Charlie said finally. “As part of the plea deal, I’ll propose we give her restitution for her lost time, medical bills, pain and suffering. It would give her money right away she can use to find a new place, while not feeling like it is charity or anything.”

“Offer twenty-five thousand American,” I said. “That should be enough for her to make a start, while not being so much she disappears on me. My Alpha will transfer the money to you.”

“All right. Anything else we need?” He started putting the files back in his briefcase.

“No.”

“You need to prepare yourself, John. You’re going to do time, maybe serious time. If convicted of a felony, you will be expelled from the country and banned from re-entry. You’ve made this whole thing very difficult, as somehow you have to convince her to come to you.”

I lowered my head, he couldn’t make me feel any worse than I already did. “The sooner I start, the sooner I’m done and I can be with her again. Do what you have to do, Mr. Thompson. I’ll take the deal.” He stood and knocked on the door, the guard let him out.

A few minutes elapsed before he returned for me. “Come on, Pearson,” he said after he unlocked my cuffs from the table. I got up and followed him out into the hallway. He paused, looking around making sure no one could see him. “You really beat the shit out of that guy because he pinched a waitress’ ass?”

“He threatened her,” I said. “I couldn’t just sit there while she was scared to death.”

He nodded. “Well, word is the guy will be drinking through a straw for the next three months. Good riddance, too. My daughter goes to school there, rumor is he raped a girl last year and got away with it, she was too scared to go to the cops. No one is going to be crying over his face, if you know what I mean.” I followed behind him as he led me back to my cell. I went to sleep that night, my thoughts always on her.