Authors: Ava Walsh
Myles took her hand as they exited the plane. Jackie knew she had a big, goofy grin on her face, but couldn't stop smiling. No matter what her reservations about this relationship were, she couldn't help but feel good about having the most handsome, most eligible man on the continent at her side, giving her grins every few seconds as though
he
was the lucky one.
I can't wait to tell Penny.
"We have two hours to get new wardrobes for our visit here, then one hour to go to the hotel before dinner," Jackie said, switching her mind from her new relationship status back to work. "The conference is tomorrow–really?"
She scowled fiercely as she saw a pack of reporters standing at the airport gates. How did the press find out where they were going? They hadn't actually told anybody!
The cameras were already flashing and Jackie lifted her chin and tried to smooth out her expression. The last thing she wanted was for the tabloids to be printing unflattering pictures of her with headlines like 'Myles Foster's New Girlfriend?!' or other epitaphs that showed just how unworthy she was of his attention.
"You'll get used to it," Myles told her, releasing her hands to pull her tight against him. "But at least we've got some police here to keep them from getting all up in our business."
Jackie's shoulders relaxed a little when she saw that it was true. There were at least a dozen cops standing between the gates and the reporters, and several more were pushing them back as she and Myles approached. Jackie put on her best smile as Myles opened the door for her.
"Officers," Myles greeted, nodding his head.
One of them, dressed in a business suit rather than a uniform like the others were, stepped into Myles's path. His expression was blank, his shoulders thrown back and his neck stretched out in an attempt to give himself more presence.
"Mr. Foster, I am going to have to ask you to come down to the precinct with me."
Camera lights blinded Jackie as the reporters began taking even more pictures. The noise of clicks pounded against her ears. Myles frowned at the officer. While the cop wouldn't be called short, the werewolf towered over him, and with her high heels on even Jackie was a couple of inches taller than him. The officer seemed very aware of his disadvantage because he stretched his neck out even further. If he tried any harder to give himself height, he'd have to go on his tiptoes.
"May I ask why?" Myles had an annoyed growl in his voice, and his arm around Jackie's waist tightened.
"There have been allegations made against you that we need to take care of," the officer replied. "Please, we don't want to cause a scene here. I would rather not have to put you in cuffs."
"What allegations?" Jackie demanded.
The officer glanced at her, his expression still not giving anything away. "A member of his pack has come forward claiming that he had mated himself to a human female without human governmental permission."
Myles went rigid, but Jackie laughed. "If you're talking about that whole Kathy Morrison thing, we've already taken care of it. It was proven to be false allegations—"
"Not Kathy Morrison," the officer interrupted. "You."
Jackie's jaw dropped. "What?"
The officer gave her stomach pointed glance. By this time, it was clearly rounded out and obviously pregnant. "Please come to the precinct with me now."
"But we're not—" Jackie started, but Myles shook his head.
"We'll come to the precinct, but neither of us is going to talk to you until my lawyers get here."
Jackie's jaw dropped. Was he serious? Was he going to play along with this obvious scam? She started to pull away from him, angry that he would bring in lawyers instead of just explaining the situation and getting them out of this faster, but when he gave her a warning look she kept her mouth closed. The officer looked relieved.
"I assume that Jackie and I can drive ourselves to your station?" Myles asked, raising a brow.
The officer hesitated but nodded. "We will give you an escort."
Myles nodded and led Jackie away, the police officers following after them. Jackie's mind whirled. They had only slept together once, and it wasn't even on the full moon! They weren't mated. This was just ridiculous. And why would somebody in Myles's own pack accuse him of breaking the human law and mating her without permission from the human government?
Was it Harley? Hadn't he said that he didn't think Myles was a good enough Alpha when she was there? And then there was Tamara, and how Myles kept Harley from her.
When they were in the car she voiced her opinions to Myles. He nodded. "I won't act until I have proof, but if he's behind this then he will pay."
She shivered at his tone, but when she tried to press he wouldn’t answer.
"Just don't say anything until my lawyers get here, okay? I don't want them twisting anything we have to say in order to arrest me. California is more tolerant of werewolves than other states, but it's still illegal for werewolves and humans to mate without prior permission." He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Don't worry. All this is going to be sorted out soon. The conference isn't until tomorrow night. We'll be out by then. And I think I know exactly what my address is going to be about."
***
They were split up at the precinct, and Jackie waited alone for what felt like hours before the officer who had 'asked' them to come down here entered the interrogation room with a well-dressed man who introduced himself as Myles's lawyer. The officer gave her a hard look before leaving the two alone.
The lawyer had a no-nonsense attitude and drew every last detail out of Jackie's story. When he was satisfied, she was made to repeat it to two detectives, who had her going over and over the smallest details until her head was spinning. Finally, though, they told her she could go.
With a wave of relief she stood. Her bladder felt like it was about to blow up, but she clenched her thighs and asked about Myles.
"We'll be keeping him here overnight," one detective said.
Jackie's jaw dropped. "What? Why? I just told you we're not mated!"
The detective nodded. "We still need our own experts to verify werewolf mating rituals before we can release him. Given his… status, he is considered a high flight risk."
"But I'm not?"
The detective shook his head. "You haven't done anything illegal."
Jackie's brow furrowed. What was this guy on about? "If you think that Myles and I are actually mated—"
"Then he is the one who has committed a crime. You're the victim here." The detective's expression was sympathetic, but all Jackie wanted to do was slap him.
She
was the
victim
?
"So you're saying that it's illegal for him to mate me, but not for me to mate him? That's blatant bigotry! I can't believe this! I thought this was supposed to be the land of the free, not the home of stupid people who repress people simply because of how they were born!" Jackie's hands shook. "I want to see Myles."
The detective shook his head. "I can't do that. You're free to go. You may want to write up something for the press, or whatever it is that personal assistants do for their bosses."
He shot her belly a look. Jackie fought to keep herself calm. Going berserk on this idiot wasn't going to help anybody. She breathed out a heavy breath and nodded, leaving the precinct before she actually lost her temper. She fumed all the way to the hotel, her mind churning over how impossibly unjust this whole situation was. How were laws like this still legal?
The government had no business in her bedroom, or anybody else's bedroom for that matter! People claimed the law requiring werewolves to go through the lengthy application process to mate a human was for the human's protection, but protection against
what
? Werewolves weren't any more dangerous than anybody else.
This had to stop. This bigotry and prejudice against them had to stop.
***
By the time Myles got to the hotel, hours later, Jackie had written a manifesto calling for the government to stop institutional discrimination against werewolves. She'd have to take some time to proofread it and clarify some points, but overall she was pleased with her work, and when she explained to Myles what she had been doing he was pleased as well.
"At least everything is sorted out and the investigation was dropped," he said, shrugging off his suit jacket. "PR's going to be furious, though."
Jackie wrapped her arms around him. "I hate that this happened."
"Me too. But you should try to rest. We have a long day tomorrow, and I need to write my speech. I was going to talk about the discrimination against Shifters worldwide, but I think I'll narrow my focus." Myles's face grew hard. "I'm sick and tired of this. I don't want my child to be raised in the same world I was."
Jackie put her hand over his as he caressed the curve of her belly.
Myles closed his eyes for a moment and leaned his head against hers. "I want our baby to grow up in a better world, where they can love who they love without fear."
With a sigh, he pulled himself away from her and headed for his laptop. Jackie watched him work, admiring the strong line of his jaw and his steely gray eyes. He was every bit an Alpha, fighting for his pack. And what could she do? She sat back at her own laptop and began editing her manifesto. She could, and would, support him in this fight.
The international conference was a success. Myles took the police investigation and turned it around, making it a point of conversation and a rallying cry for change, rather than hiding from it, as Harley had no doubt intended. Jackie, too, refused to shrink from the spotlight, reinforcing again and again every time a reporter asked her about the incident how unfair the justice system was.
By the time the California conference was over, the two of them had been labeled as the country's hottest new power couple, and their faces were everywhere, synonymous with a growing cry for werewolf equality. Alphas from across the country were adding their voices to the issue, supporting Myles. Even politicians were weighing in, with some of them condemning the bigotry of the law while others decried the werewolf's movement as 'selfish' and 'dangerous to society'.
"At least things are being talked about," Myles said, turning off the TV after watching a debate between two governors who had opposing ideas on the issue.
***
It had been a month since the conference, and Myles had decided that he needed to return to his pack and deal with the person who had accused him of mating without governmental permission in the first place. After a few days of investigation it was all too clear that it had been Harley who had caused the trouble, and in the morning Myles was going to hold an official trial.
For the moment, though, the two of them sat in his bedroom at his mother's farm, Jackie's legs on Myles's lap while he massaged her aching feet. Her hands rested on her pregnant belly.
"Do you think we'll actually make a difference?" she asked.
"Yes. We will make a difference, and things will change eventually." Myles sighed. "But just for tonight, I'd like it to be you and me. Nobody else. No politics."
Jackie liked the sound of that. "We still have five days until the full moon, right?"
Myles nodded, his eyes lighting. "What did you have in mind?"
Of course her face went scarlet at that, but she laughed and rolled towards him. Her mouth caught his, her skin tingling with desire. As his hands wrapped around her head and the kiss deepened, her skin felt like it was tightening all over. Eagerly she palmed him through his pants, grinning when he moaned into her mouth.
"We've been so busy lately," she murmured, bringing her lips away from his. "Let's have some fun tonight."
Myles hummed in agreement, cupping her breasts with his hands. "Do you mind if we do something that's a personal favorite of mine?"
The smoldering look in his eye had Jackie nodding before she even considered what it might be. Myles laughed and massaged her sensitive breasts for a moment, kissing her neck and throat. Jackie moaned, her own hands greedily exploring his warm, muscled body. Her body felt tight and hot.
"Hands and knees," he ordered, and she obeyed, panting with excitement as he took his position behind her, pulling her pajama pants to her knees.
Myles chuckled, caging her with his body, supporting himself up on one hand while the other ghosted over her thighs. A zing of electricity made her buck and gasp. His fingers found their mark, his teeth scraped the back of her neck. Jackie shuddered with pleasure, closing her eyes as she fought to keep herself still.
Sparks flooded her blood as he pressed his free hand to her shoulder, encouraging her to lean down on her elbows. He ground against her ass, making her moan. Her back arched as his fingers continued to move, and a tightness built deep inside of her.
When he nipped at the back of her neck she bucked, begging for him to take her. Myles chuckled and Jackie dug her fingers into the blankets, panting with impatience as she listened to him undress.
She hadn't thought that anything could get better than that first night they were together.
But when he entered her from behind she learned that she was wrong.
Hot
damn
was she wrong!
***
"You two had better get dressed before the girls are up." Tamara's voice, paired with insistent knocking, woke Jackie the next morning.
"We'll dress when we damn well want to," Myles shouted at his sister through the door, but there was a smile on his face.
"You'll get dressed now and come to breakfast," Tamara responded. "I don't want my little angels exposed to your fornication."
Jackie gasped, but Myles only laughed, and there was an answering giggle from outside the door before Tamara’s footsteps retreated. The Alpha looked more relaxed than he had been in a long, long time, and Jackie wanted nothing more than to ignore Tamara's warning. Just looking at Myles with his arms stretched above his head and that lazy grin on his face made her want to mount him again.
To her embarrassment she felt blood rushing into her face and she slipped out of bed, reaching for her clothes. "We'd better get going, then."
"Tamara wasn't being serious. She was just warning us that the girls will be up soon and we don't have much time if we want to have more fun."
Myles reached for her again, but Jackie shook her head and slipped from his grasp as she imagined the four little girls bursting in on them while they were making love. The conversation about her pregnancy had been awkward enough, even though Myles had been matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The last thing she wanted was to tell the girls about the birds and the bees!
"I'm not going to be naked in bed when your nieces decide to come wake us up," she said flatly.
"You don't have to be naked. I'll just pull your underwear out of the way like I did last night." Myles grinned at her glare, but he swung out of bed as well. "You're probably right. We do need to get dressed. We only have two hours until the trial."
"An hour and a half," Jackie corrected. "It's at nine-thirty, not ten. And at nine you have Christina Ericson coming to see you about getting an irrigation system for her fields."
"I don't know why you have to pack everything in so close together while we're here," she continued, yanking on a pair of clean socks. "Why not just stay a couple of extra days and take time with this trial, rather than having a meeting half an hour before it starts and then planning on taking a trip to the school at two… how do you know the trial will be over by then?"
Myles flashed a grin that exposed his long canines. "Oh, it'll be over by then."
"How do you know?" she insisted.
"Werewolf trials are different to human ones."
Jackie didn't press for more information. Shrieks rang through the house, indicating that the girls were awake. She hurriedly finished dressing, yanking on a shirt and pants. They weren't her usual business suit, but that was okay. Among the pack she felt more at ease in comfy clothes, rather than keeping her body in control with the highly structured pencil skirts and jackets.
All throughout breakfast, people kept popping in. Some of them had requests to make of Myles, others had small gifts for Jackie. All of them rubbed her belly, and if the baby kicked at any of them they laughed and said they were blessed by the Alpha's child. Getting touched by strangers wasn't exactly Jackie's idea of a good time, but somehow with the pack it felt normal, and she was soon offering her belly for pats.
By the time Harley arrived, it seemed like the whole pack was hanging around the house. Myles stood at Harley's approach. The Alpha snarled under his breath, and the whole house grew still.
"I see that you managed to avoid jail, even though you mated a human female without human governmental permission," Harley said, his hands clenched so tightly that his tendons popped. "Is that what you spend your money on? Instead of helping your own pack, you waste money on private jets and this slut?"
Angry cries burst from many of the gathered people, and Jackie gasped. So giving checks left and right wasn't helping his own pack? She felt a well of defensiveness rising in her. She wanted to attack the man, not because of what he had called her, but for what he had insinuated about Myles. If she could, she would have snarled.
"You think attacking my brother will make me come back to you?" Tamara shouted, and several of the werewolves around them nodded in agreement. "You have no right to me or my daughters!"
A snarl from Myles silenced everyone. He straightened, shoulders back, and it hit Jackie suddenly that he was the tallest werewolf in the room. Harley didn't back away from him, though.
"Did you attack my reputation by telling the humans that I mated a female without their permission?"
"I did. You are not worthy of being our Alpha. And more than that, you have kept me from my mate for years. I will fight for her until I see you destroyed!"
Myles's expression didn't change. He turned to Tamara. "Do you wish for him to keep fighting for you?"
"No," she spat. "I wish to be free of him, once and for all."
Harley snarled, looking furious. "You are mine, woman!"
"I am my own!"
"You have admitted to attacking me," Myles growled. "Therefore you either challenge me for the leadership of this pack, or you leave our packlands and never return."
Jackie gasped, but she was the only one who seemed surprised. The werewolves all nodded in agreement with Myles. Surely without their support Harley wouldn't go against him?
Harley's canines grew as he pulled his lips back. "Then I challenge you."