Order of Protection Ch. 15-22

Viktor gestured to the two big vehicles waiting, drivers standing by the doors. "Alphas, you are with me, we have some things to discuss on the way back. Patrick, you and your parents are in the second vehicle."

We walked away to the second car, and soon we were headed back. My Dad turned towards me. "I understand your charge is awake?"

"Yes, she awoke and is doing well, there appears to be no memory loss or loss of function."

"That is good news. Viktor is keeping her away?"

"He is. Your plane will leave late tonight to go pick up Alpha Esca and Luna Eleanor. Larry and Brian will get her on the plane; once they get to London, a charter jet will return them to Minnesota. They will take her back to her home, and a doctor there will take over her care." I didn't like it, I was still responsible for her, but my own claiming ceremony was the distraction we needed to pull this off without Yuri noticing. "We've paid off the Customs agent, he will misspell her name and the report will be slow to get filed, if ever."

"It's a good plan," Mom said, "And she deserves to have a better life. I can't believe she's heir to an Alpha. Good for John."

"Maybe," I said. "I think part of why Viktor is pushing for this Alpha summit is that he wants to put Mischa and I forward as potential Alphas for the Moscow Pack. Right now, there is nobody to lead, the senior leadership is all jailed or dead. It's not good, and although some have found other packs, the majority are still in Moscow and leaderless. Mischa has Alpha blood, and I am from outside. It builds relations with the North American Packs and keeps the greedy Alphas back. It solves a lot of problems for the Council, and leaves Viktor with an heir plus a blood ally on his western border."

"I'd rather have that than Yuri," Dad said. "But what if Beta John wants to be Alpha?"

"Right now, John doesn't even know if he can get the girl to talk to him, much less mate with him. She may be his legal heir, but in Pack terms she's a null. They won't accept a weak human as Luna. I think the Council will put a temporary Alpha in place, probably one of the retired Alphas on the Council, until Mischa is of age and we can take her place."

My mom was starting to cry. "I don't like you being so far away, Patrick, but being an Alpha, that's a big thing. You were always destined to be more than your father's replacement, I'm so proud of you!" She engulfed me in a hug.

"Mom, nothing is decided yet except this. I am returning home after the ceremony until Mischa is of age, I promised her father that already. I will let Mischa finish high school before we leave here. After that, Selene only knows what will happen."

"Alpha Stan told us he will help you prepare for Alpha duties in the interim, and you need to learn Russian quickly," Dad said. "Plus, the Council will no doubt test you. You may have to fight for the spot, and it won't be easy."

"Already started that," I smiled, thinking back to my spars with Viktor's men. No man in this Pack would challenge me after the display I'd put on.

We pulled to a stop, we'd reached the Pack House. As we stepped out, dozens of Alphas and Betas and their mates gathered round us to congratulate me. I smiled and pressed the flesh, playing the role of a future Alpha, but all I really wanted was to have my Mischa in my arms. I could see her, she was surrounded by women and girls her age. Our eyes caught, and I smiled.

Soon we would be tied together, and my wolf and I couldn't wait.

Alpha Yuri's POV

The driver was waiting as my jet arrived in front of the terminal. "Alpha Viktor sends his regards and welcomes you and your men to the Kstovo Pack. He apologizes for not being here personally, but with all the Alphas arriving for the conference he was needed at the Pack House."

I didn't say anything, I just got in the SUV they had provided. Viktor wasn't an ally, and he wasn't an enemy. As an Alpha, he ran a Pack well and didn't cause trouble with his neighbors. However, he had refused requests to assist my Pack in taking over Moscow, and that was not acceptable. I needed at least grudging acceptance from the surrounding Packs to convince the Council to let me take over.

I really didn't see how they had a choice; the Moscow and St. Petersburg Packs were the only ones that were part of the Russian Mafia. That fact alone made me the logical person to absorb what was left of the Pack. The fact that my brother was the former Alpha, that gave me the rest of what I needed.

I had to show them all that it was inevitable, that they should get out front before they get in the way.

I called my Beta, who I'd left in charge back home. "Have you found her yet?"

"No sir. We've canvassed the area, no one saw her after the two men put her in the car. I've had men at every hospital and clinic within two hundred miles, bribed every clerk and nurse I could think of, and nobody saw a thing. She just disappeared."

NOBODY fucking disappears unless I make them. Idiot. "We know they took off to the east, what is out there that they could use to hide her from us?"

"You, the Kstovo group and the mountains," he said.

"You think Viktor has anything to do with this? Why would he risk war over a human?" If he had her, I'd kill every member of his Pack to kill her. She was worth far more than any backwater Alpha and his people.

"I don't know that he did, I'm just saying he's that direction. He denied it when we asked."

"That doesn't mean anything." If he couldn't do better than this, he wasn't going to last long working for me. I wanted her DEAD and I wanted it last week. My sources in the courts said the DNA tests had come back as a paternal match. Natalya Klishnina was Yevgheny's daughter and was about to be declared the heir to his estate. My lawyers were fighting it, but they couldn't stop it. It could be settled in a few weeks to a month, cutting me completely out of his estate. Trillions of rubles taken from my family and given to the daughter of a stripper.

I would not allow that to happen.

"We did find a photo of the two men on a surveillance camera, sir. We've been running them through our government sources, so far, no hits. If we can't find her, maybe we can find these two."

"Send me their pictures. And find the girl or find another job." I closed the call and waited for the text. The photos weren't great, but I memorized their faces anyway. We didn't have a scent of the men involved. By the time my men arrived to fix the mess my assassin had made, the Father was in the morgue, it had rained, and hundreds of people had walked through the scene. Scent tracking was impossible.

I looked over at my Beta Shura, and his mate Polina. Looking at the two always made me chuckle, because Shura was a former heavyweight boxer while Polina had been a ballerina with the Moscow Ballet. She came up to his ribs, if he slouched. I don't know how they had three pups without killing her during the conception or the birth. In wolf form it was more pronounced, she looked like a little pup hiding under his chest. I sent them both the photos on my phone. "It's possible Viktor is hiding her from me. These men are involved, I need you both to mingle with the Pack as much as they'll let you. I need their names. We find them, and they will lead us to her."

"We'll do what we can, Alpha," he said.

"Polina, I need something from you. If she was here, the Pack Clinic staff would know. I need you to have something that requires attention tomorrow. Talk to the staff, see if you can get them relaxed enough to say if they've seen her."

She smiled; she was such a tiny woman, people tended to relax around her as she was not a threat. Little did they know she was a deadly knife fighter and had killed a dozen men in my service. "I'll be drinking vodka with them in no time," she said.

The car slowed, and we entered the road leading to the Pack House. As we pulled up, Alpha Viktor came forward with his mate Marina to greet us. I got out first, my Betas behind me. "Alpha Yuri, welcome to the Kstovo Pack," he said as he reached out his hand.

"Thank you, Alpha Viktor. Natasha sends her regrets, our Anatoly came down with the measles and she had to stay home. You know my Betas, Shura and Polina?"

"Of course," he said as he greeted them. "Come, meet my future son-in-law." We walked over to the group of men, and Viktor grabbed one by the shoulder. "Alpha Yuri Zubkov, this is my Mischa's mate, Beta Heir Patrick Clarke of the St. Croix Pack in the United States."

I reached out my hand to the young man, hoping my eyes didn't give me away.

It was the man in the photo.

Patrick Clarke knew where Natalya Klishnina was.

Ch. 21

Patrick's POV

I was talking with a group of Alphas from Germany and Switzerland when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, Viktor was standing with a large, dangerous looking Russian I had seen in photos only. His eyes widened as he recognized me, before a mask went over his face to hide it. "Alpha Yuri Zubkov, this is my Mischa's mate, Beta Heir Patrick Clarke of the St. Croix Pack in the United States," he said.

I gathered my emotions and smiled, trying to treat this like any other introduction. I held my hand out, Yuri took it and squeezed hard, and I squeezed back. We were sizing each other up with a handshake, and I wasn't going to submit to him. He held it a few seconds too long as we looked in each other's eyes, then he let go. "Congratulations, young man," he said. "Finding your mate is a momentous time. Nothing is more important than keeping her safe once you have found her."

"I am finding that out," I replied to his veiled threat evenly. "I will do anything it takes to keep her protected and happy, no matter what the threat."

"Yuri, my mate is over this way, let me introduce you then we can mingle." Viktor led Yuri away as I seethed in anger.

"Brian, Larry, if you can hear me you need to pack up and get to the airport." I heard nothing back, they were too far away to link to. I looked around, seeing Mischa in the group of younger girls, I headed her way. Her friends and cousins were so happy for her, and her face lit up when she saw me approach. I pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear. "Tell your Father that Viktor recognized me. Jessie is in danger, we need to get her out of the country now. He threatened me with you, we can't know where she is. Brian and Larry will take care of her."

She kissed me gently, her eyes closing as she linked her father. "He figured it out as well. He's calling his men to let them know."

"You look amazing," I said as I pulled back from her. "I'm the luckiest wolf in the world."

"I'm the lucky one," she said as her arms trailed down my shoulder and biceps. She introduced me to the young women around her, all but one of whom was still looking for their mate. We walked together around the arriving groups after that, but my mind was far away. I figured Viktor would have Yuri and his men shadowed, and I was right. The greetings continued as more Alphas and leaders arrived, until the last one had shown just before dinnertime.

Marina and Viktor herded the group into the Pack dining room, which had been decorated for the event. The large central table was for alphas and mates only, it was set up in a large square in the center of the room. Outside it was a broken square of tables, where the Betas and other guests were seated. The openings allowed the wait staff to access the Alphas. The seating chart had been carefully decided and approved by the Council; some things could be taken as slights, and they didn't want fights breaking out. Viktor and Marina were at the head as host Alphas. World Council Chair Francois was next to Viktor, while Konstantin was next to his mother. I was seated next to Francois, leaving a disappointed Mischa next to her brother. My parents were next to me, then my Alpha pair. Alphas and their mates were then interspersed with guests and council members, ensuring no table was without someone of importance.

I had met all the council members as they arrived, and they were an impressive and powerful lot. To be eligible to serve on the Werewolf Council, you had to be at least sixty years of age with at least twenty years as Alpha of a Pack and have been retired from that position for at least a decade. Most of the men were in their seventies and eighties, but they carried themselves with confidence. Created to ensure peace among the Packs and the secrets of our existence, their decisions were law. If a Pack refused to obey, the remaining Packs were bound by treaty to support the Council. Luckily, they governed wisely and this use of force had never been required. There were regional councils, like the European one represented at the dinner, and a World council. That contained the chairs of the councils from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia/New Zealand.

Dinner was a lively affair, with toasts, stories and laughter as the friends and rivals gathered together on neutral ground. As the courses were cleared, people started grabbing their drinks and swapping seats to catch up with others. My parents got up, spending some time with Mischa and her family, while other Alphas and council members started to size me up. I expected it, I was of Beta heritage and mated to an Alpha daughter. That meant Luna must thing I was capable of being an Alpha, and that was a rare change.

I heard laughter over from where Konstantin was standing with some other younger men, he was talking rapidly in Russian and they were looking over at me occasionally. One of the men broke free. "Very impressive, young Patrick," Alpha Pyotr of Odessa said as he came to me. "Konstantin was telling us about how they tried to initiate you into their Pack, and you taught them a lesson instead."

"I showed them why you should never underestimate an opponent," I said evenly.

"Indeed!" He slapped my arm. "The Alphas are already talking about your worthiness. Some have already petitioned the Council members to test you and ensure you are worthy of an Alpha spot."

"Oh?" This I had expected, but not so early.

"Yes, but after the ceremony. This isn't about your worthiness to have your mate. No Council member is dumb enough to second-guess Luna on the pairs she makes. It's more to see if the pairing means there is a new Alpha pair, or Mischa becomes a Beta female."

"Alpha is her birthright, I will not disappoint," I said. "How are these tests done?"

"I can't tell you, the Council can choose what they wish. You can be assured that fighting is one of the tests. Not until after the claiming, of course. Wouldn't want to beat you up before the photos of the ceremony are taken." He laughed and shook my hand before leaving.

Konstantine came over and bear hugged me. "Wheels up," he whispered in my ear before letting me go. I relaxed, thankful that Jessie was on her way out of the country and away from Yuri and his men. The meal was coming to a close as plates of dessert and bottles of vodka were brought out. It was getting close to sundown, and the claiming ceremony would take place as the full moon rose over the trees. My parents pulled me aside, it was time to get ready. I looked across the room, Mischa was already being escorted out by her mother and some of her friends.

Talking over the link, I filled my parents in on what I had learned. They were relieved to hear Jessie was gone, but nervous that Yuri had made the connection between us. I was disappointed I could no longer be Jessie's friend and protector; Alpha Stan had been clear on that. He charged Brian and Larry with her safety now, and they reported to him and ONLY to him. I was not allowed to know anything about her except that she was all right.

My mom had talked briefly with Marina, passing along the veiled threat from Yuri. She would have to make sure my mate was protected as she finished school, until she turned eighteen and could be mine fully. I would have to trust her family to keep her safe for me as I returned home.

I took a shower, then dressed in the clothes they had brought for me. Black dress pants, belt, and a crisp white dress shirt open at the collar, black dress shoes. The shirt could be opened for the bite, and the white was traditional to show the blood of the claim. We weren't shifting, and since she was underage we weren't mating fully immediately after like most ceremonies entailed. My father went to get into his tuxedo, and my mom had changed into a teal-green formal gown.

We talked about people we had met and what I was doing when I returned home until there was a knock at the door. "It's time," Konstantin said. He pulled me into a hug before we went into the hallway. "Welcome to the family, you make my sister whole."

"Thank you, brother," I replied. He walked me out, my parents trailing behind. We went through a maze of hallways before we found the great room, and from there walked through the big patio doors and down the stairs to the large grass lawn behind the house. A single slab of granite stood in the center, a few feet above the ground and about ten feet square. Francois was standing in place, dressed in a tuxedo. Konstantin led me to it; I stood just to the back of center, my parents behind me, and stood facing the Pack House patio again. The guests were all gathered around the stone, and when the bell sounded, we turned as one to watch the doors.

Konstantin came through the doors first, Marina on his arm as they walked down the stairs and through the crowd. He helped her onto the slab, and she stood to the side and faced the doors again while he remained on the grass. Music began to play, a traditional Russian wedding song, and my breath left me when I saw her appear on her father's arm.

She was a vision in white. The dress was silk, tied at her left shoulder leaving the right shoulder open for the bite. It hugged the curves of her breasts, narrowing to her waist before moving out into a knee-length skirt. The side of the dress had slits that gave glimpses of her thigh as she walked towards me. I wanted to rip it off and take her, my wolf was in favor, but we knew it wasn't time. She was beautiful, this was her day, and she shone like the moon that lit the back yard with its soft glow.

Viktor helped her onto the slab, then jumped up behind her and moved to Marina's side. Mischa stood in front of me, our hands grasping the others, my eyes looking at hers as we ignored everything else. Her long blonde hair had been braided down her back, and her ice blue eyes shined in the moonlight. She was perfection.

Francois was the elder werewolf present, so we had the honor of being joined by the head of the World Council. "Friends, family and guests, it is my honor to be here as we join the young ones of two great Packs that Luna has brought together. Patrick Clarke, of the St. Croix Pack and the North American Council, has found his match in Mischa Kirolinko of the Kstovo Pack and the European Council. They were lucky to find each other so young, as Mischa is not of age for a full mating, but they will claim each other tonight before Wolf and Luna."

I squeezed her hands and smiled at her as he continued. "The claiming of a werewolf is a sacred act, a physical sign to all other wolves that the pair is tied together. What Luna has paired, may no wolf interfere with." He turned to me. "Do you, Patrick Clarke, take Mischa to be your claimed mate? To love, protect and cherish her for the rest of your life and beyond?"

"I do," I said with a smile.

"And do you, Mischa Kirolinko, take Patrick to be your claimed mate? To love, honor and cherish for the rest of your life and beyond?"

"I do," she said.

"Then by the power of the Moon Goddess, I pronounce you a mated couple. You may now claim each other."