15 comments/  51048 views/  34 favorites

Outwitting the Fox

By: kitten101



Gabriel Hunter took a peek into his basement at midday and saw that his employee was curled up, napping on the couch where she spent a good deal of her time. Not that she didn't have a perfectly good bedroom, Gabriel had seen to that. She was one of his most important employees, and most trusted friend. 

Usually upon finding one of his employees napping during work hours Gabriel would have yelled and threatened to cut their pay rates. Or put them or the dishes roster for two weeks straight. Jess Thomson was an exception though, because she did crazy amounts of work, at crazy times of the night, just for they fun of it. 

He knew for a fact that she had been up until 3am tinkering with his new crossbow, because he had been having difficulty adjusting it. Jess was his weaponry and mechanics specialist, and he wouldn't have trusted anyone else with his new baby. 

Shrugging, Gabriel headed back up the stairs, leaving Jess alone again. He would thank her later.

***

Jess was a short, spunky shape shifter fox who had a knack for looking cute when she wanted to look fierce, and for dying her own hair. Currently her hair was streaked fire engine red and black. The red was for her fox, because everyone knew that foxes were red (the fire engine bit was her own addition) and the black went well with her eyes, which to most people looked the same colour. If you looked really closely, in the right light, they were actually a deep brown. 

The basement was one of Jess's favourite places to be. It was big, but deceptively so, so really it felt small, and dim, and cosy. Also when she was in the basement pulling apart machinery, or cleaning weapons, most of her work, and house-mates, didn't bother her. That was because most of her housemates were cats and cats pretty much didn't like the feeling of being holed up under a perfectly good house for too long. 

Living and working in the situation Jess was in probably wasn't exactly a normal thing for a shape shifter fox. Jess didn't exactly know what was a normal thing for a shape shifter fox to be doing though – she'd never met another shape shifter like herself. Gabriel thought it was because foxes were so quiet and in love with their own privacy that they probably wouldn't out themselves to their own mothers. 

Living with cats meant she had caught onto some of their bad habits. Jess was a big fan of the cat nap. She was probably a bigger fan of the cat-nap than Alexia who often said that she would be happy in life if all she could do was sleep for 20 hours a day, and beat the crap out of Rider for the other 4. 

Today Jess wasn't even napping because she was tired – although she should have been after the all-nighter she had just pulled. Today she was just napping because once she had flopped onto the spot with the broken springs on her couch it had just seemed like too much effort to haul herself back out again.

She woke with a start as a heavy weight landed on top of her. As her eyes flew open she realised that Finn Balmore had quite comfortably settled himself on top of her and was grinning alarmingly close to her face. Jess's throat closed up a little and her heart gave a weak flutter in her chest. She hated it when he did that to her. 

Finn was one of the wolves who had followed Marcus Louvre and his partner to Gabriel's estate outside of Paradise City. Gabriel had hired all of them on the spot, not so much for the wolves, but for the fact that Marcus's partner was Sabine Moon, one of the most formidable fighters from Royce Moon's jaguar pack. With Alexia Devon – a half royal half Theris shape shifter – under his protection it was an opportunity Gabriel couldn't afford to give up. 

As for Finn? He and Jess were friends, which Jess was completely at peace with. Except of course when his gorgeous face was only inches from her own, while his muscular body was curled warmly over hers. 

It was all just play to Finn, who had never really been much of a fan of personal space. As long as she kept reminding herself of that, she would be fine.

"Get off me Finn. I was sleeping. Plus you smell like wet dog."

"I'm going to the city with Rider, for groceries. Need anything?" Finn stayed right where he was, ignoring Jess's crankiness.

"Get me some ham. And chocolate. And make sure you get some popcorn for Max because she got real pissy when we stole her last package the other day." Jess said before closing her eyes and ignoring her friend – hoping he'd get the hint and bugger off. 

As usual Finn was oblivious to the hint. 

"Wanna come?" 

Jess ignored him, and tucked her chin a little more securely against her chest.

Finn's weight left her body and she breathed an inner sigh of relief. The couch dipped and Finn tickled her under the chin. 

"Jess... Wake up..." Finn whispered.

She opened one eye to find him lying on his side next to her. 

"Come on. Come for a ride. And stop scowling. You know you can't pull it off, you just look cute. Or in this case, like you've been drugged and put through a washing machine – when was the last time you brushed your hair by the way?" He asked, fully aware that he was annoying the hell out of Jess.

Jess groaned and sat up. "Fine I'll come for a ride. But I'm not getting out of the car. And I'm not brushing my hair. And if you think I'm going to put on clean clothing you're in for a nasty shock."

Finn grinned and bounced off the couch triumphantly. "Good, because Rider's in the car out front, and you'd just make him angrier if you screw around and waste any more of his time."

Still not awake Jess stumbled up the stairs and made her way out to the front of the house where the sunlight blinded her. She paused for a second and Finn grabbed her shoulder steering her down the stairs and to the car. 

"You know you've probably been in the basement too long when it takes your eyes longer than a few seconds to adjust to the sun you know..." Rider said from the front seat. 

"I was napping. I'm not awake yet."

The car shook as Finn wrenched open the passenger side door and threw himself in. "Sure, sure. She was surrounded by porn. Again. Don't bother shaking your head or rolling your eyes. We all know what you get up to down there."

"Finn you're lucky you two are friends..." Rider said, while pulling out of the driveway. "Otherwise I'd say that your insistence on teasing the woman who has all the guns and ammunition in her play room shows a complete lack of respect for the quality of your own life." 

Finn grinned broadly and replied "I like to live on the wild side." 

Rider shook his head in amazement, trying to figure out exactly how the wolf and the fox managed to get along so well. 

Jess was wondering the same thing. By all rights they really shouldn't be so comfortable together. She had a thing for him, he was an annoying prat, and the final nail in the coffin - he had tried to sleep with her a few months ago, and she had turned him down. 

***

Within a day or two of Finn, Marcus, and Sabeen arriving the entire household had ended up throwing an impromptu welcome party by the pool. By the end of the night everyone had ended up in the pool – including Jess who had been accidentally nudged over the edge.

She landed in the deep end, fully clothed in a singlet and jeans, and in big trouble. Jess wasn't a swimmer, and so faced with the prospect of drowning she had grabbed the first solid thing above water and clung to it gasping and coughing the water out of her lungs.

Jess had enough time to reflect on just how under-appreciated oxygen was before she realised that she was clinging to Finn like a life raft.

"You right there sweet cheeks?"

Jess sneezed three times in a row and then coughed for the final time. She kept a tight hold on Finn while looking around for the closest edge to the pool. 

"Clearly the answer there is a big fat no." She growled. "Take me to the pools edge so that I can kiss the sweet, sweet ground before I die from ingesting 30 litres of chlorinated bath water."

Finn lifted an eyebrow and grinned down at her. Jess realised that she wasn't just clinging to the wolf, she was pressed up against him intimately with her legs twined around his waist and her arms spanning over his broad back... His very male, very bare back. 

She considered letting go, but she knew full well the pool was over her head at this end, and she wasn't quite sure if just an arms grip would keep her sinking like a stone. She looked around to find all the others involved in a strenuous game of drown the boss, there probably wasn't going to be any help from that corner. Worst of all Finn didn't seem to be moving towards dry land, as Jess had hoped he would. 

"Go on... Mush! Find the pool ladder lassie." She ordered again. 

"I take it you're not much of a swimmer then?" Finn asked, actually moving away from the closest pool edge a bit.

Jess's throat grew tight with worry, and she clutched at his back a little more tightly. "Actually this is all a show, I swim 100 laps a morning – I'm just clinging to you because I'd like to get to know you a little better." She said sarcastically. 

Finn snorted and Jess felt his breath against her temple.

"Take me back to the edge?" She asked a little more desperately.

"Nope." Finn shook his head. "You need to learn how to at least float, because as it is if you fell in without anyone here you'd be in a shit-load of trouble."

Jess dug her nails in and tightened her legs ignoring Finn's grimace of pain. She knew she wasn't going to float. She was going to sink like a stone, and then die a horrible cold chlorinated death. She told him as much and got laughed at in return.

"I won't let you drown, now relax your legs. You don't need them to stay upright, and I'd some day like to have feeling to area's below my waist again." Finn got a secure hold around her ribs and waited a moment as she untangled herself.

Jess fixed her serious and startlingly black eyes on him. "If you drop me I'm going to sic Gabriel on you." 

Finn had no doubt that Gabriel wouldn't wait to be commanded by her to rip him limb from limb. "I'm not going to drop you, so you could probably also remove your claws from my back."

Jess unclenched her hands reluctantly. "Please don't drop me."

"Promise." Finn chuckled.

He gathered her up so that she was lying in his arms against his chest – albeit a little stiffly. Finn barely noticed that the others were leaving the pool to dry off inside. 

"You just need to relax and straighten out. Keep lots of air in your lungs – breath quite deeply." Finn watched as she struggled to do what he'd asked. It didn't look much like she was relaxing.

Finally after a few minutes of instruction Jess was floating almost on her own. Finn had to keep one arm under her legs because every time he took it away her legs sank and she tensed up.

"Hmm." He mused staring at her jeans. "I think you're going to have to take those off. They're too heavy."

"Thank you but no. Not a chance in hell." Jess said stiffly. 

"Very well. I will." Finn reached down and unbuttoned her jeans, before tugging them down her legs.

After the ensuing struggle Jess ended up clinging to his back like a monkey, while Finn held her jeans above his head triumphantly. Balling them up he flung them towards the sun loungers where his pants and shirt were.

"You are an ass." She grumbled from behind him.

"Come on sweet cheeks, it's nothing I haven't seen before. Besides we're on even ground here." he glanced down at his boxer briefs and then glanced pointedly at her singlet. "Almost."

"Don't even think about it lassie." Jess warned. 

"You obviously don't know men very well then. " Finn chuckled. "Let's have a go at treading water."

Jess snorted. She knew men all right.

Finn taught her how to kick and move her hands to keep herself afloat. And when he let go of her she managed to keep above the water at least.

"Well it's not pretty but it'll do." Finn said before offering an arm for her to cling to. 

"I agree. Now, is it time to get out? All the others are sleeping, and I'd rather like to be doing that too." Jess was lying; she had a project waiting in pieces for her in the basement.

Finn grinned a predatory wolf grin and brought his arm in against his body. Because she was still clinging to him she ended up against his chest. He repositioned her grip around his neck, and braced her there with an arm around her back. 

"Do I get a thank you?" Finn grinned heatedly making it clear he wasn't looking for a simple thank you. 

Jess frowned. She had known it would probably end up here, but her rules were pretty much set in stone. She told him as much and watched as his eyes narrowed speculatively.

"What rules?"

"Don't screw the crew. Don't get in between another woman and her man. Never take your friends leftovers – even if she swears black and blue it's ok. It's not." Jess recited, and in her head she added her unwritten rule: Don't get emotionally involved, it's just sex. 

Finn thought for a minute. They were good rules, and he agreed with not screwing the crew. However with this particular short and tasty morsel pressed up against his body he was prepared to give it a bit of leeway. 

"I can't change your mind then?" He murmured smoothing a hand down over her collar bone and pausing with his fingertips between her breasts. 

Jess's breath had quickened, but she had stayed resolute. "Nope. Not a chance it always ends badly. Sex never stays just sex."

Finn had grinned good naturedly before flipping over to his back and paddling towards the side of the pool. 

"Can't blame a guy for trying. Friends then, sweetcheeks?"

Jess, who was very much enjoying the ride, grinned. "Sure thing, but be warned my friend's call me Jess, or Jess. If you start with the stupid nicknames I'm going to have to shoot you."

"Gotcha, princess." 

Jess grimaced and splashed him, before reaching up and hauling herself out of the water, and onto the pool ladder. Finn lounged in the water below her enjoying the view. 

He lifted himself out of the pool, and collected his clothes, tossing Jess her jeans as she returned the favour with a towel. 

"Night." Jess called as she disappeared into the house. 

That night she hadn't slept a wink, she preferred to stay awake, thinking and working down in the basement. She had the feeling it wasn't going to be as easy as she thought, being friends with Finn. 

***

In the back seat of Riders car, Jess listened to Finn crowing at Rider over a bet he'd won and reflected on just how right she'd been. Sure being friends with Finn was fun, but every so often he did something that made her want to take it a step further – even though it was entirely her own rules that she would have been breaking. 

And it wasn't like Finn was making it easy. He was touchy feely, and cuddly, and didn't think twice about teasing her. 

Finn himself knew that he wasn't exactly treating her like a friend would, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He knew sleeping with her was out of the question, but surely she didn't mind the games he played. It was only a bit of fun.

Riders voice broke into their thoughts "Hey, before I forget Alexia wants to go dancing in the city tonight to celebrate her birthday. Everyone's going, and Gabriel is going to sober drive the van. Are you two tagging along?" 

"I'll be there with my party hat on." Finn laughed.

Jess thought for a moment. Maybe a night out of dancing and drinking would do her good. "Yeah I'm in, although the van only seats eight on a good day, so I guess one of us is going to have to drive right?"

"I'll do it." Finn volunteered "I'm not really in the drinking mood." 

"Works for me, and actually Alex, Max, Sabeen and I might drive ourselves in first. I've just thought of the perfect present for Alexia."

"You'd better not be about to corrupt my girlfriend." Rider warned.

"Not a chance, I'm not even going to get her arrested." 

Outwitting the Fox Ch. 02



"Alright who's smart ass idea was this?" Alexia Devon asked as she surveyed the crowded strip club. 

Jess took a good look at the three girls she had entered the club with. 

The woman next to her, Max, tossed her wild inky black hair over her shoulder and led the way to the clear table she'd spotted near the front. Jess's boss Gabriel had taken one look at Max and instantly fallen head over heels, and she had done the same. Of course they told the story a little differently. Jess knew the truth though - they were made for each other. 

"The original idea was Jess's but we leapt on the bandwagon pretty quickly," Max confessed.

Alexia had gorgeous long dark hair, which flashed red whenever the spotlights hit it. She was taller than Jess -- but then all the women were.

Alexia was curvy, exotic and as quick-tempered and stubborn as the flashes in her hair suggested. She was also a member of the royal family, and a member of the Theris bloodline - the family who had staged a bloody and ultimately failed uprising against the royal Devon's. 

Alexia was banished from her home country and put under the guardianship and old tiger called Jeremy, and more recently Rider, when her dual heritage was found out. 

Of course you'd never guess that from the way she was waving fake strip club money at the gyrating G string on stage...

"I guess you could call it a joint birthday effort - Alex, put the fistful of cash back in your pocket. We've only been here 30 seconds, you need to pace yourself." Sabeen said, ever the voice of reason. 

She looked vaguely uncomfortable in the press of screaming women. Sabeen wasn't really into this sort of thing, but once she'd caught a glimpse of the toned and tanned man writhing on the stage she had announced to the group that it probably wasn't going to be as awful as she had imagined. 

Sabeen was the tallest of the four of them, and the most athletic. She came off as the cool voice of reason in the group, but they were all aware that Sabeen was the most likely to rip someone's throat out if they happened to threaten her or any of the people under her protection. She was pretty much the reason Alexia was allowed to be in the city without a disguise and an armed guard. 

Jess grinned and relaxed into her chair, being with the girls just made her happy. They worked together, and lived together out of necessity, but in reality she couldn't imagine a better group of people to be visiting a seedy male strip club with. 

The guys had given them an hour before they were due to meet at a club of Alex's choice. Jess and the girls intended for Alexia to get her money's worth in that time. 

Slipping out of her chair Jess headed for the bar with the drinks order. She leaned over the counter, displaying just enough cleavage to get the bartenders attention, and placed her order, along with her request. 

The man behind the bar regarded the firecracker of a woman in front of him before ginning and nodding. 

"It's going to cost you though sweetie." 

Jess smiled in triumph as he presented his cheek, and she planted a kiss on it. She wouldn't have minded giving him a little more for his trouble, but he was on duty, and she was here for Alexia, not her own fun. 

"Thanks, it'll mean a lot to her... right after she gets over how furious she is with us all I'm sure."

Two hilarious lap dances later the girls lead an embarrassed (and broke) Alexia out into the night to meet the guys.

"I really can't believe you did that you little wench!" Alexia exclaimed after Jess had confessed to setting her up. 

"Neither can I -- would it have killed you to set one up for the rest of us too?" Max giggled. 

The girls entered the bar selected by the guys, and were immediately assaulted by the pounding music. The place wasn't too full yet, so it was still possible to have a conversation. The guys had snagged a booth up on the balcony, and the girls started up the stairs to meet them.

"Oh stop complaining, you've got Gabriel wound around your little finger -- He'd do it in a second for you if you asked." Jess replied.

"True. Although that first guy's ass was pretty spectacular." Max mused. 

Gabriel appeared in front of them, trying his best to scowl fiercely. 

"Boy I hope you didn't just say what I think you just said." Gabriel murmured as he hauled Max into his body, nuzzling his lips into the side of her neck.

"Do I need to re-claim my territory?" He asked nipping at her skin and causing Max to twist out of his grip giggling.

He half turned to the side to reveal the corner booth the guys had claimed.

Rider stood to make room for Jess to slide into the booth. At the same time he gave Alexis a once over, taking in her sexed up outfit, and sent her a feral grin. 

Alexis licked her lips and swayed her hips to the beat. "Dance with me Rider? Please?"

Rider usually wouldn't have agreed to dance but she was making it hard to say no, besides it was her birthday. He sighed and lunged forward to, pick up Alex and sling her over his shoulder in a casual fireman's carry down to the dance floor.

Jess watched with a grin as her friends pared off and reacquainted themselves with their partners. You'd think they'd all been away from each other for a week rather than a couple of hours.

Sabeen and Marcus ended up at the bar, doing shots together and joking around with Grey and Michael, who were playing pool. Max, Gabriel, Alexis and Rider danced most of the night on the tacky flashing light floor. 

Jess had a few drinks with Marcus and Sabeen, and danced a bit with Gabriel and Max. She didn't stay with them too long because the temperature was definitely rising on the dance floor, and she was feeling a bit like a third wheel. 

Back at the bar she took a stool and looked around for Finn. He was doing his best to chat up a pretty blonde. She was having none of it, and eventually he gave up, leaving her to her friends and beer. 

Catching sight of Jess, grinning at his failure, Finn jogged over trying to look annoyed at her amusement. He teased her by grabbing her by the shoulders, leaning her back over her chair and shaking her slightly.

"You're not laughing at me now are you?" He grinned setting her back upright on her stool.

"Course not. I was laughing at her expression of disgust as you tried to use your manly wiles on her." Jess said, taking a sip of her beer.

Finn tried to pull off a hurt expression, and failed miserably.

"Well sweetcheeks lets see you do any better..." He cast his glance around the room for a moment before he found a victim. "That one."

"Nope. He's too big. And a biker. And 50. Also the giant bushy beard hanging from his chin is a little off putting." She wrinkled her nose at the thought of kissing him. 

"Picky picky..." Finn grinned down at her from his own bar stool. 

Jess felt her heart catch in her chest and scowled, it really annoyed her when he made her insides go all gooey and melty. Finn was off limits, what about that didn't she understand? She broke eye contact and cast around for an easy mark herself. 

Clearly she needed to get laid, and clearly Finn had no taste when it came to picking kissable guys.

"That one." She said definitively eyeing up the tall figure throwing back a shot of tequila.

She didn't bother waiting for Finns comments, instead she slid herself off the bar stool and sauntered over to the man at the other end of the bar. 

Finn shouted something about being joking, but she ignored him. 

"Hello there, I'm Jess." 

She smiled flirtatiously at the man she'd set her sights on and slid herself into a bar stool. The man looked down at her in surprise. He had absolutely no idea how he'd come across such good fortune but he sure wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

"I'm Sam, can I buy you a drink?" 

Jess assessed the man before her. He was too tall. Taller than Finn. Darker than him too. 

Even when she was trying to pick up a stranger in a bar she couldn't get Finn out of her head. Jess turned to look back over her shoulder at Finn. It must have been her imagination, but she could have sworn he flashed her a hurt look. With an annoyed puff of breath she decided the man across from her would do. 

"I'll take a shot of whatever you're having next thanks."

***

A couple of hours later Finn was still staring over at Jess, who was perched up on a bar stool next to a total tool. 

The guy - Finn had named him W for Wanker - was way too tall for her. Worse yet the ass had brought her so much alcohol she was swaying in her seat. She flashed a seductive smile at the man and then took a quick glance over her shoulder at Finn.

It was almost as if she was saying to him 'see, I don't need you, and I'll never want you.'

The thought upset Finn greatly. It was nice being friends with her, but having to sit back and play nice while she threw herself at other guys made him want to howl in frustration. 

Glancing over again he saw W's had land on the foxes knee. She did nothing to move it. 

Finn saw red.

"Screw it. Give me a beer. And a scotch on the rocks. Double." He ordered the woman behind the bar. 

If he had to watch it he sure as fuck wasn't doing it sober. 

An hour later Sabeen appeared at his elbow with a raised eyebrow and a disapproving scowl on her face.

"I thought you were sober driving tonight?"

Finn laughed humourlessly. "Clearly that went out the window."

He lifted a mock toast at Jess who was still fawning over W the wanker.

Finn wanted comfort, so he lifted Sabeen on to his lap and locked his arms around her waist. 

Sabeen was long used to Finn, he was generally quite affectionate, more so when drunk. She took a quick moment to glance over at Marcus though, just in case. She didn't want him getting the wrong idea. Luckily he had known Finn longer than her, so understood completely. 

"Poor Finn. I don't know why you just don't go out on a date and see how it goes."

"She's not interested, It would break the rule about sleeping with people you live with. And now we're friends. So it probably breaks that rule too."

"There's a rule about that?" Sabeen asked, she had no idea Jess was so strict about who she dated.

"There's a rule about everything to do with sex." Finn drained the last of his beer.

Sabeen suddenly realised that she'd been talking about dating while Finn seemed to only be talking about sleeping with Jess. "Wait, is that all you are after? Sex?"

"Of course not. Maybe. No. I don't know." 

Finn drunkenly looked over at Jess again. usually just being friends was fine, he didn't like seeing her with other men though. 

"Well if you're just out to screw her and dump her then maybe she's doing the right thing by staying away from you."

Sabeen slid off Finns lap.

"How do you know what she wants?"

Sabeen rolled her eyes at him, and knocked away his beer. "Come on then, I guess I'm driving you home. Marcus will have to drive the others."

For the first time in a few hours Finns eyes lit up with something close to glee. 

"Oh good. I'll go help Jess say goodbye..." 

At the other end of the bar Jess looked up to unexpectedly find herself face to face with Finn, rather than the man who had been buying her drinks all night. Thankfully she'd drank enough tequila to not be able to feel her pesky pounding heart. 

Maybe that was the secret to getting Finn off her brain - she should stay drunk. Giggling at the thought she realised that Finn was still there staring at her and blocking her view to whatshisname. And her drink. 

"What?" She demanded.

"Time to go." With that he swung her up off the seat and into his arms.

Jess struggled, but as usual her efforts were fairly ineffective. She could out-shoot anyone there, but Gabriel had laid down the law on taking weapons out drinking a few years back. 'You shoot someone by mistake once...' she thought with disgust.  

"Put me down prince charming. Give me another few minutes." 

"No can do sweet thing, I'm not the driver anymore." 

He grinned down at her, blissfully unaware of how much she wanted to punch him in the balls. 

"Ugh you're drunk. Put me down before you drop me."

"I won't drop you." 

And he didn't. In fact, either he managed to make the ride bump free, or the booze had caught up with her because by the time they were at the car she was fast asleep. 

Sabeen unlocked the car and grinned at the sight of Finn gently strapping Jess into a the back seat and repositioning her head comfortably on his shoulder. 

"Don't say a word." Finn cautioned from the back.

"Wasn't going to." Sabeen buckled herself in and swung the car onto the road. 

She genuinely wasn't going to say anything. Finn was right. She didn't know what Jess wanted and he had been there for her with impartial advice when she couldn't work out what she wanted with Marcus. The least she could do was return the favour. 

***

Finn woke abruptly as the door closest to Jess was opened. The car wasn't moving anymore, and he couldn't see Sabeen anywhere. 

Despite his fuzzy head he moved to guard the woman beside him growling ferally at the intruder. Whoever it was backed off from Jess quickly.

"All right then you can get her inside then." Marcus said from outside the car sounding slightly annoyed. 

Finn felt a flash of guilt for his behaviour. He really shouldn't have had so much to drink, and despite the change in situation Marcus was still his alpha. And his friend.

"Sorry mate. I didn't recognise you."

"You're fine. Get her upstairs and into bed, She's had so much to drink that it would probably be counter productive to wake her up now."

"Yeah, sure thing." Finn agreed.

He untangled himself from his seat-belt and slid out of the car, carefully lifting Jess with him. Nudging the car door shut with his boot he negotiated his way into the house and up the stairs to the third floor. 

He didn't even hesitate at her door, instead he carried her into his own room possessively. 

He placed her on the bed, sliding her heels off before he covered her with a blanket. He kicked his own boots off clumsily before scooping up a pile of dirty washing to shove under his bed. 

With his sense of cleanliness satisfied he discarded his shirt onto the overstuffed arm chair in the corner of the room and collapsed next to Jess on the bed. 

The movement woke Jess and she turned over blinking hazily at him for a moment. 

Recognising Finn she curled up at his side, attempting to both stop the room from spinning, and to share his body heat. He stroked her hair a few times before they both fell into a drunken slumber. 



Outwitting the Fox Ch. 03



The next morning dawned bright and far too early for Jess. 

She rolled away from the oppressively warm body next to her and groaned in pain as she sat up. Her head felt like it was going to split in two - right after her stomach ridded her of the remains of last nights dinner. 

"Where the fuck did the bathroom go?" She whimpered trying to figure out who's room she was in and where the best spot to throw up would be. 

The person behind her reached past her legs and hauled a trash can into view.

"Head between your legs. Breath and give it a moment. If you still need the bathroom it's the door to the right." His voice was husky with sleep, but she recognised Finn.

She put her head between her legs as instructed and felt a little better immediately. Her first reaction to hearing Finn was relief - her second was horror. She had slept in Finn's bed. 

While drunk. 

She had probably drooled and snored the whole night. Plus she would have makeup down her face this morning, and crazy morning hair. 

Jess winced at her vanity - sure she wasn't hoping to sleep with him, but it would be nice if he didn't think she was a total dog. Of course he actually was a dog, so perhaps he wouldn't mind?

Standing she made her way to the bathroom with the help of the wall and a few pieces of furniture to keep herself upright. On her way she kept her chin tucked down and her hair over her eyes, prolonging the need to deal with the wolf sprawled in the bed.

Finn had no such issues. He watched her weave to his en-suite through one squinted eye, and then promptly fell back into a light sleep. 

After washing her face, using the toilet and finger combing her hair - all while clinging to the nearest wall - she stumbled back into the room. Finn cracked his eyes open again as she stubbed her toe on a set of keys on his floor. 

"You're still drunk." He said sleepily.

She landed heavily on her hands and knees cursing the keys. Looking up she caught sight of Finn for the first time that morning and for a moment or two the pain in her head, the lurching room, and the stubbed toe faded to the back of her mind.

He was stretched out on the bed bare chested. And Finns chest was nothing to laugh at, he carried a lot deceptive amount of muscle on him. His jeans were low on his hips and between the slept in clothes, and his hair he looked deliciously rumpled. 

Overall the effect was entirely, annoyingly, edible. Jess instantly forgot about her original plan to head for the door and her own bedroom.

She clambered to her feet, remembering at the last moment to grab the wall as her head did it's best to explode.

"I would be in less pain if I was still drunk." She hissed back making her way back over to the bed. If she was going to throw up in anyone's room it sure as hell wouldn't be her own.

Finn reached up and tried to drag her back into bed with him. Jess resisted his grasp wondering again why she was still here. Her room was just across the hall. 

"You need to shift. It works the same way it helps with healing injuries." Finn told her.

Jess tipped her head to the side considering carefully. "Really? I never thought of that."

Finn furrowed his brow for a moment before sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "Why is it that you never change with us? I've just realised that while the rest of us go for runs and hang out in the house in our animal forms, but I've never seen you do that."

Jess shrugged. "You guys are all a lot bigger than me. And you eat little things for fun. Plus I can't really come for runs and stuff because I just can't keep up. I used to sometimes with Michael and Grey, but inevitably they'd end up killing bunnies and getting their freak on." 

Her stomach turned a little at the thought of eating bunnies. Finn saw her pale and reached up to steady her. 

"I'm still tired. Change and cuddle with me, I promise not to eat you." Finn grinned sleepily. Jess felt her stomach twist again for different reasons. 

She nodded warily and let the shift take over. The twisting and popping of her bones and muscles as they moved into their new positions hurt a lot more than it usually did. Pride kept her quiet until it was all done and she was lying twisted in last nights clothes. 

Huffing in annoyance the fox did her best to dig herself free without damaging anything. 

"Serves you right for being a dork about it. Rule one, take off the clothes before shifting." Finn chastised her without coming to her aid. 

Jess finally got her head free of her shirt and looked up to find a naked Finn mid Change. Resisting the urge to stare she shook herself out of the shirt and looked up again straight into the bared teeth of the large wolf standing above her. He was mid way through snapping at her like he was going to eat her for breakfast. 

The foxes' breath left it's lungs in a panicked squeak, and she backed up into the bed behind her. The wolf hadn't backed off at all, and not knowing what else to do she dropped down to her side and bared her belly. 

'Not a threat, not a threat, don't you dare eat me' she thought imagining his jaws closing around her head and crushing her into a million pieces. 

The wolf stepped forwards again and sniffed at her belly his breath ticking the sensitive fur there. When he was done scenting her he gave her belly a quick lick and a firm nudge before stepping back to let her up.

Finn cocked his head to the side and flattened one ear to the side as if to say 'you're kidding me right?' 

She rolled to her feet and snapped her teeth at him telling him to keep his to himself. 

He let out a wolfy chuckle before dipping down to grasp her firmly but gently by the nape of her neck. Jess curled into herself as he jumped onto the bed and let her down. Oh. She was an idiot. He was just giving her a lift onto the bed. 

She flopped down on her tummy and relaxed into the warm hollow where Finn had been sleeping moments beforehand. Finn casually flopped onto his side, hooking a big paw over her, and practically pinning her to the bed.

Finn grinned at her, his tongue lolling from his mouth before he settled for some serious napping. He'd have to remember to tell her that she didn't smell like food, so she really shouldn't be worried about changing around them. 

Jess lay blissfully against the bed - Finn had been right about Shifting helping her hangover. Although she did feel a bit silly for submitting to him like she had. She'd bet that if it was Sabeen, or Alex or even Max in her position they would have bitten him. And then changed back and karate chopped his ass. 

Jess felt about as fierce as a Jack Russell around her house mates. It wasn't just the fact that she was smaller, and less scary than the other shifters, because that never used to bother her. Instead she had learnt to be cautious after a nasty encounter with a wild mountain lion. She had over estimated how big she was as a fox, and underestimated just how scary being up against a true predator was. 

She had been damn lucky to get out of the experience alive. 

***

Later on that afternoon Jess woke again to find herself alone on the bed. Before she had a chance to wonder where Finn was he wandered back into the room with a couple of plates piled high with bacon and eggs. 

All of a sudden Jess was starving. 

Finn grinned at the sudden interest on her face. "For future reference sweet-cheeks, you don't smell like food, you smell like girl. You were in no danger of becoming breakfast."

Jess was doing her best to blush under all her fur. His words brought back the feeling of his tongue on her belly. Good lord she was in trouble here. Her rules were about to be broken in a big way. 

Finn swept the plates onto the floor beside the bed before throwing himself across the mattress and sweeping her onto his chest. He still hadn't bothered to put on a shirt.

Finn reclined onto the bed and ruffled the thick fur down her back. It was an interesting texture, thinner than wolf fur, and shorter.

"You're going to have to Change back before breakfast though. And don't sit there and tell me you're not hungry, because I heard your stomach rumbling in your sleep."

She cocked her head to the side, she didn't really see an issue with that. Nothing to justify the challenging tone he had taken. 

Jess sat up on her haunches, ready to head to the bathroom, and Finn pulled her back down. 

"Now now. You don't have to go all that way. I can close my eyes and promise not to look can't I?" He rumbled sexily.

Ah. So that was the catch. And by god she was tempted. She got a good look a his mossy green eyes before he shuttered his lids over them. He was turned on. 

"See I'm not looking."

She shifted her weight uneasily on top of him, doing her best to mind her claws. Could she? She so wanted to. She could smell him warm and hard underneath her. And that grin was back again, the one that made her mind go all melty.

If she had to, later on, she could blame him and that teasing grin. 

Jess lowered her muzzle to his chest and her tongue flicked out of it's own violation tasting the man below her. His breath shuddered out between his lips and she preened at the thought of being able to affect him. 

He kept his eyes closed, though, which decided her. She was going to do something very dumb, and she was going to love every second of it. Closing her own eyes she willed the change back the other way, forcing her body to become human again. 

Finn held his breath as her weight increased, her body lengthened and her fur receded leaving them pressed together, Jess straddling his stomach. If he opened his eyes would she slap him? He was about to give in and do it anyway when Jess shifted forward and breathed against his lips. 

She paused a moment before giving in and pressing her lips to his. Finn groaned below her before reaching up to cup her face, drawing her closer, and teasing her questing tongue with his own. Her hands drifted aimlessly over his chest and stomach, memorising the feel of him underneath her. 

He allowed her to control the kiss from above him while he skimmed his hands along the line of her back. She was as warm and as soft as she felt. Bringing his hands up over her shoulders he smoothed them down along her collar bone. Lightening his touch he brushed only his fingertips along the outside curves of her breasts before resting his hands teasingly at the spot where her breasts met her ribs. Above him Jess writhed and whimpered. 

"Finn!" Trust him to play at a time like this. 

At that his control broke. He flipped her to her back and slid over her body covering her with his own inhumanly quickly. Jess arched her back and rolled her body up against his chest. 

Finn took control of her mouth with his own and lifted himself enough to slip his hand up to cover her breast. He kneaded gently and brushed his thumb possessively across her beaded nipple. 

His rumble of appreciation was complemented by Jess's sigh. She had waited so long for this. Finn brushed his lips against hers one more time before lifting himself to meet her eyes. Her dark eyes bored into his light, filled with lust and want. 

He grinned, Jess wasn't going to stop the heat from exploding between them this time. She wanted it as much as he did. 

Jess waited with baited breath as he surveyed her, evidently he found the confirmation he was looking for because the side his mouth quirked up in that cocky smile she was so used to seeing. Finn dipped his head again lapping at her throat before moving to lave her breasts. 

"Mmm, Finn use your teeth." She whimpered clutching at his shoulders as he obeyed, scraping his teeth along the base of her breast. 

He worked upward towards her nipple and upon reaching it suckled it into his mouth biting down hard enough to curl her toes. She went wild beneath him exploding off the bed to wrap herself around him, grinding her wet sex against his jean covered crotch. Finn groaned and rubbed himself against her, barely holding himself together, 

"I need you" he gasped. 

Instantly she unwound her legs from him, and forced him back onto his knees, giving herself room to unbutton his jeans. Finn helped her along and kicked the offending article of clothing across the room. 

The minute he was free he laid her against the sheets again, covering her possessively with his body. His cock slipped naturally between her thighs to nudge against the wetness there.

Instead of allowing her to impale himself he held Jess down and ran his hand down her body to spread her open. Jess fixed her eyes on his as he fingered her folds exploring her entrance with the pads of his fingers. When he dipped inside to test he readiness her eyes just about rolled back in her head. 

The head of his sex lodged against her entrance and his fingers moved up to caress her clit. She saw stars. 

"Please!" She begged.

Finn sunk his teeth into the join of her neck and shoulder and slowly began forcing himself into her tight entrance. He was in heaven, and judging by the way Jess was writhing and clenching under him so was she. 

Jess came almost immediately as Finn began thrusting himself into her. The sensations of his teeth, his finger on her clit, and the slow hard slide of his cock into her made the orgasm an intense one. She felt like she was shattering into a million pieces from the centre of her belly outwards to the tips of her fingers. 

When she came back to herself Finn was seated fully into her lapping gently at the indentations his teeth had left in her skin. 

He quivered against her for a moment, trying his best not to rut like the animal he wanted to be. "Ready for more?"

Jess rolled her hips experimentally. Oooh. Most definitely. 

"Finn? Don't hold back. Take what you need." She said, giving him permission to forget manners and being gentle. They could be gentle later. 

Finn took her lips in a rough bruising kiss before he drew back and plunged into her with a shout. He settled into a rough, deep and primal rhythm as old as time, and Jess loved every second of it. 

He gathered her close to himself, and she opened her thighs wide tilting her hips upwards allowing his sex to bury deeper into her warmth. She felt a deep pulling sensation before tumbling over the edge of her orgasm, coming with a husky sigh of satisfaction. 

Finn thrust twice more into her depths before succumbing to his own orgasm, pulsing deeply into her, and hugging her to his chest. 

Long moments passed as they lay clinging together, sweat and bodies cooling slowly. 

"Wow." Finn breathed. 

Jess snickered and gently drew her lower body away from his. "Articulate much?"

"Quiet now! I think we're supposed to be basking in the moment." Finn teased, drawing her back against his side to spoon her. 

Both of them forgot about the plates of breakfast on the floor - Jess because her mind was racing, and Finn because sex like that didn't come around every day. 

He was utterly relaxed against her, his lips occasionally brushing the nape of her neck causing something in her stomach to flutter tenderly. 

Slowly she drew back into herself. Tenderly? Oh crap. 

Jess realised too late that she was in real trouble. She had broken the rule about sleeping with people she lived with, and if she wasn't mistaken she had also broken the one about getting emotionally involved. She'd broken that one a long time ago.

She knew well enough that, with most guys, sex was just sex, nothing more nothing less. Usually she was fine with that. She was a big fan of the casual sex thing - but not when it got her hurt.

Unless Finn wasn't like that? Sure he seemed like the type for casual sex, but they were friends, he knew her now so perhaps it was more? It certainly felt like more to Jess. 

Finn dozed for a little while longer before squinting up at the clock. Shoot. Gabriel had a job for him in less than an hour. 

"Hell. I need to shower." He sighed under his breath. He really would have preferred to lie there a little longer. 

Sitting up abruptly he cast around the room for his jeans. When he found them he rolled out of bed and hurried into the bathroom - not noticing the surprise on Jess's face. 

When he was done he wrapped himself in a towel and headed back out to the room. He didn't miss the fact the Jess's face was more shuttered to him than usual. Remembering that she hadn't exactly been interested in sleeping with him before today he ruthlessly clamped down on the growing feeling of disappointment. He had known the score before he slept with her, if she wasn't interested then she wasn't interested.

Besides, it's not like he was interested. Finn's plans for the near future involved a lot of hanging out, having fun, and doing nothing in particular. Not moping around after a girlfriend.

He'd seen the way the couples in the house fought. Rider and Alexia were the worst, but even mild mannered Michael, and Grey - who never had a bad thing to say about anyone - fought like... well like tigers and cheetahs when they were going through a rough patch. 

As much as he liked the idea of what Marcus and Sabeen had together these days he wasn't stupid enough to think that all relationships were that fantastic. He'd seen the pain, and the hurt they'd caused each other, and the pussyfooting around that they'd done in the beginning. 

He wrinkled his nose slightly at the memories. No thank you! They were his two favourite people in the world but he wouldn't go back there to save himself - and it wasn't even him that was in the firing line. 

Jess eyed the wolf for a moment or two trying to figure out where he stood. His expression didn't really give her any clues, he was grinning calmly - as per usual. Nothing seemed to faze the man. She wished that just once she knew what was going on behind the easy grin. 

Jess had put her clothes back on while he was in the shower, and not really knowing what else to do she headed towards the door. It wasn't like she was going to sit down and spill her guts about her ill-advised crush anyway. 

"Thanks, sweet-cheeks." He said in an offhand tone. 

It had slipped out before he could stop himself, and instantly he knew it was a mistake. That hunch was confirmed when she shot him a hurt look. 

It felt like a slap in the face to Jess. Thanks? It sounded like she'd just made him a peanut butter sandwich not offered him her body and maybe a teeny tiny bit of her heart. 

"No problem." She muttered angrily, slipping out the door and across to her own bedroom. 

"Whoops." Finn said to himself. 

He'd give her a couple of hours to cool off and then apologise for being an arse and making assumptions. In the back of his mind he knew he was being chicken shit for not facing her immediately, but he needed a clear head for the job ahead so he didn't push it. 

***

Exiting her shower Jess did her best to ignore they way were eyes were itching. Tears were not the appropriate response to amazing casual sex. She was a free, liberal minded, grown up. 

She towel dried her hair and inspected the latest dye job. She had had the same red and black stripes since Marcus, Sabeen, and Finn had moved into the house. Perhaps it was time for a change? Black and blue would be good together. And it would suit the way she felt today.

Flipping her phone open she was surprised to find a text from Sabeen: 'Need you in my room ASAP. Bring junk food for four. NBA'

NBA was shorthand for no boys allowed - that usually meant someone had had a big bust up with their mate. The last time she had gotten a text like that was when Max had thrown a vase at Gabriel. She'd never explained why she'd done it - and Gabriel wouldn't tell her - but Jess had always wondered if perhaps he'd proposed and she wasn't ready. 




Outwitting the Fox Ch. 03



Either way, two hours of hiding out in Jess's room, and one container of cheese cake filling later, Gabriel had stormed into the room with a grey kitten, a new vase, and a bunch of daisies. Max forgave him on the spot and Gabriel had slung her over his shoulder and carried her back to his room to finish making up in private.

Dropping the phone back on her bed she motored to the kitchen to stock up on ice-cream and popcorn. She also made a quick ham sandwich to quieten down her rumbling tummy before hurrying up the stairs to Sabeen's room in the eastern wing of the second floor. 

Living in a house with it's own wings was great for ensuring they all had enough space, but not so awesome for getting places fast. 

Jess didn't bother to knock, she just barged right on in, heading through the living area to Sabeen's bedroom. As suspected Alexia and Max were both curled up with Sabeen on the giant bed, Alex was crying, and none of the men were anywhere in sight - they knew how to survive in a household full of temperamental women.

Jess quickly dropped the junk food at the end of the bed, took a bite of her sandwich, and joined the girl huddle. 

"Alex what's wrong?" She asked terrified something had happened to her, or Rider. 

It wasn't such a far fetched theory - Alex was an exiled member of the royal family. She had been sent away from the palace after it was discovered that her mother had had an affair with a member of the Theris bloodline - the family who had staged a bloody and ultimately failed uprising against the royal Devon's. Alex and Rider had come to Gabriel for protection after the royal family had ordered all living Theris family members dead. 

Alex looked up from the miserable ball she had curled herself into. 

"He got me pregnant." She whimpered bursting into a fresh set of tears. 

"On purpose?" Jess asked, trying, and failing to picture Rider doing something so devious. 

"No not on purpose! But I'm pregnant, and it's all his fault. I have to have a baby! I'm too young! What if they catch up with me?? What if they kill her? I can't have a baby now! There's too much danger!"

Max, Sabeen, and Jess exchanged looks with each other. Now was clearly not the time to remind Alex that it took two people to make a baby. 

It took two people to have sex without protection. All of a sudden Jess realised what she'd done. She'd had unprotected sex with Finn. 

She stared blindly at the wall trying to calculate which part of her cycle she was in. She was pretty sure she'd be ok, but there was no certainty when it came to stuff like this. She knew that. She was an idiot. 

And she was sure as hell making sure that it never happened again.



Outwitting the Fox Ch. 04



"He got me pregnant." Alexia whimpered, bursting into a fresh set of tears. 

"On purpose?" Jess asked, trying, and failing to picture Rider doing something so devious. 

"No not on purpose! But I'm pregnant, and it's all his fault. I have to have a baby! I'm too young! What if they catch up with me?? What if they kill her? I can't have a baby now! There's too much danger! He's an idiot!"

Max, Sabeen, and Jess exchanged looks with each other. Now was clearly not the time to remind Alex that it took two people to make a baby. 

It took two people to have sex without protection. All of a sudden Jess realised what she'd done. She'd had unprotected sex with Finn. 

She stared blindly at the wall trying to calculate which part of her cycle she was in. She was pretty sure she'd be ok, but there was no certainty when it came to stuff like this. She knew that. She was an idiot. 

And she was sure as hell making sure that it never happened again. 

With effort Jess drew herself back into the room, and set her mind back on the current problem.

"Sweetie, you know we're all here to protect and support you right? That's kind of our job... And that goes double for the baby." Sabeen reassured Alex. 

"And you have Rider. You've got a mate, a daddy, a body guard, and if he pisses you off a baby sitter, diaper changer, and night time nurse, all in one." Jess piped up looking pleased with herself. 

Something about the idea of Rider having to change nappies just appealed to her sense of humour.

Alex nodded. "I know. I'm just a bit... I'm only twenty two, what if I screw up?" 

She trailed off lamely. She sure as heck didn't have a great motherly role model to follow the example of. The Queen, Alex's mother, had banished her from the country in an attempt to save face, and her relationship with the man Alex had been calling 'Dad' for fourteen years, when her real parentage had come to light. 

Alex's real father was an unknown member of the Theris family - the family who had lead a recent uprising against the royal family, and the council of shifters. They'd failed - just barely - but the uprising had killed many people. As a result the remaining Theris family members had been slaughtered. 

Sabeen ruffled Alexia's hair, breaking her out of her maudlin thoughts. "Sweetheart, you're plenty old enough. Us shifters mature young, and you couldn't screw this up if you tried. You're a natural leader, you care about everyone, and you're protective as hell."

"I hate to be the voice of reason here - it's really not my strong point - but are you sure you're pregnant?" Max asked. 

Alex wiped the last of her tears away from her cheeks and laughed humourlessly.

"I peed on a lot of sticks. Lots and lots. More than ten of them, all different brands. Not one of them came back negative. I'm pretty sure."

"And Rider?"

"He's over the fucking moon. Dancing around like an idiot. How the hell am I supposed to raise a child with him? He wants to name her Violet! Violet! Who names a child Violet!"

Sabeen and Jess exchanged an amused glance. Jess had always thought Violet was a pretty name for a girl. Of course she wasn't going to voice that opinion just yet. Perhaps later when Alex was over the shock of realising she was going to have a baby. 

Rider chose that moment to enter Sabeen and Marcus's room. He didn't bother with knocking. He was pretty sure that no one would have answered anyway. Gabriel was hot on his cousin's heels, wondering if he was going to have to save the younger leopard from his pregnant (and not just a little pissed off) mate.

Rider had decided to jump on in and provoke her. Sometimes it genuinely wasn't a smart idea, but he found that generally the more pissed off about something Alex was the less time it took her to get over whatever it was that was bothering her.

"Red you're being an idiot about this. We're having a baby, it's not the end of the world."

Alex, true to her nickname, saw red. Jerking up off the bed she grabbed the nearest thing she could find (Jess's ham sandwich) and threw it at Rider.

"I'm being an idiot? I'm being an idiot?!?!  I'm going to be bringing a baby into a world where people want to kill us. I am going to be pregnant and fat for nine whole months, My entire life is going to change because you forgot the condom."

"Oh all of a sudden I'm the one and only person who's ever forgotten the condom? Please Red, like you've never been caught up in the moment."

"I am the one who's going to have to go through labour, so yes it is your fault. And while we're on labour - do you have any idea what that's going to do to my vagina?! Huh? I'll tell you one thing, you're sure as hell not going to know because you're never getting sex again!"

Rider grimaced "First: ew. Second: you're joking about the no sex thing aren't you darlin?"

"EW?! EW?! We're talking about the miracle of birth here you ass, and you've got the nerve to say ew?"

Gabriel decided that perhaps they'd had enough time together. He pulled Rider out of the room and shut the door for a moment.

"Perhaps you should be taking a different approach to this. Provoking the hormonal woman doesn't seem to be the smartest idea you've ever had."

Rider grinned. "I find it's best to let her get all the fear, anger, and aggression out in one big hit. That way she'll deal with it and we won't have any nasty surprises later on."

"Right. If I wasn't so excited to be an uncle, I'd be telling you that you two are one hell of a weird couple. You've got a little mustard on your face." 

Rider ignored the weird couple comment "What is with the women of this house throwing things when they get pissed off? At least it wasn't a vase." 

Gabriel frowned at the memory of Max hurling a vase at his head. It hadn't been their finest moment. Rider settled in to wait by the door, looking for all the word like the bodyguard he had originally been.

Popping his head back into the room Gabriel saw that Jess had broken out the ice cream. He genuinely was excited about having a niece or nephew. All he had to do now is make sure he could keep them all safe. 

Turning his attention to Max Gabriel shot her a sexy grin, and told her that he'd be in the office when the girls were done, and that perhaps they should all do their own thing for dinner that night instead of making her cook for the group. 

Max's eyes lit up with relief. She hated cooking, and kind of sucked in a big way at it. Luckily with more people in the house these days her turn came around less often, and she was more able to get away with ordering pizza. 

As it was she was on a first name basis with most of the delivery guys. 

Alex spoke up from around a mouthful of ice cream "I heard what you said out there Gabriel. I'm not hormonal."

"I know you're not sweetie." He smiled to himself, privately thinking the exact opposite. 

Gabriel shut the door behind him as he headed to his office. Rider stayed put on guard outside Sabeen's room. He was pretty sure that this junk food conference was going to be a short one. Alexia was just as excited over the baby as he was, she just needed some time to assimilate the information.

***

Gabriel should have spent the afternoon working on a security upgrade for Alexia. Instead he spent it thinking about Max. Their relationship was going well, despite the rocky start. 

A few months ago Max had moved into his suite of rooms with him - although she had kept her own 'just in case.' He knew that she was worried about what would happen when he got bored with her, and that she didn't quite understand that it just wasn't going to happen. 

He had asked her to get rid of her rooms entirely once, although he'd gone about it in the most ham-fisted way possible. He'd accused her of not trusting him, of holding his past against him, and even of having a crush on Finn. She'd reacted by throwing a vase at his head. 

It had brought him back to his senses pretty quickly. 

He brought her a new vase, some flowers, and a kitten which she'd named Shark Bait. After a lengthy apology she explained that her trust issues were just that - hers. They had nothing to do with their relationship it was just a mindset that Max couldn't quite break herself from. 

Gabriel wondered if perhaps it was time to show her how permanent his feelings for her were. 

Most Shifters did not marry. Instead once they had found their life mate it was mutually acknowledged and then accepted as a fact. It was a lot easier to pass in the human world however, if the partnership was made legal. 

Having not really grown up immersed in Shifter culture, Max would probably place a lot more confidence in a tangible contract, rather than a verbal agreement. More than that Gabriel wanted the chance to stand up with her in front of their friends and family to declare his love for her. It was a touching ritual, and he could certainly appreciate the meaning behind it. 

"...I will have to put a bit more thought into it than the 'move in with me properly' speech..." He mused to himself and shaking his head regretfully - although there was pretty much no way that a marriage proposal could go that badly. He hoped. 

***

Finn knocked once on Marcus and Sabeen's door before shouldering is way into their suite. Instead of either of the rooms actual occupants Rider was standing on guard outside the bedroom. 

Finn couldn't read the look on his face, a rare thing for Rider, who usually had on one of two expressions: cocky, or stubborn. Occasionally it was a mix of the two, but today there seemed to be a whole new range. 

"Have I interrupted... Something?" Finn asked.

Rider frowned for a moment trying to figure out what Finn meant. Realising how strange he probably looked (he hadn't quite realised what he was doing) he abandoned the protective stance in front of the bedroom and instead took a more relaxed seat on the couch in front of the TV. 

"Alexia is pregnant." Rider said. 

There was no mistaking the expression this time, joy, and fierce pride. Finn flopped down on the couch next to him, clapping Rider on the shoulder.

"Whoa. Congratulations dude! That's amazing! ... How'd Alexia take it?" He asked as an afterthought. 

"Well she threw a ham sandwich at me. She's working her way through a container of double fudge ice cream with the girls now. I understand that these things take at least two litres of double fudge before you can be really sure of the final answer, but I'm pretty confident she'll be fine."

Finn smothered a snort at the idea of Alex throwing a sandwich - at least it hadn't been a kick. 

"It freaked her out a bit, and she's pretty pissed with me, but as soon as she calms down she'll realise that we're ready for this baby. We've never really talked about kids but we've talked about getting old and senile together, and Alex is going to be a great, completely overprotective, mum." Rider grinned proudly, he had every faith in her.

"You're going to be a great dad too. Between Alexia, you, and all the extended 'aunts' and 'uncles' this kid is going to be so well protected it probably won't be allowed to set foot outside till it's 4." Finn chuckled. 

"Four? Nuh-uh, she's going to be fifteen, wrapped in bubble wrap, and accompanied by her very own contingent of royal guards before she steps a foot out of my eyesight. And forget boys!" Rider frowned a little at the thought of his daughter growing up and dealing with boys. 

"Her?" 

"Uh... Yeah. I don't know why, but we've both decided she's a girl. It just seem right... You know?" 

"Huh, I can't wait to see if the hunch turns out to be right. Do you think they're done with the icecream yet?"

Rider confessed that it had been completely silent in Sabeen's room for quite some time. He had been working up the nerve to stick his head back into the room. 

After taking a cautious look around the door Finn confirmed that all four girls were asleep in a pile on the bed. 

Rider carefully extracted his mate from the pile, and carried her back to his own room. Alex woke as he picked her up, but didn't bother opening her eyes. She could tell his touch, and his scent a mile away. 

"Sorry I threw a ham sandwich at you." She said while snuggling deeper into his arms.

"It wasn't a right hook, so I'm more than fine with it. You can throw as many sandwiches at me as you'd like, Red."

Finn stood for a moment watching Jess, Max, and Sabeen sleep, although his focus was pretty much entirely on Jess. He could pick her individual scent out of the group in a moment - tonight along with what made Jess 'Jess', she smelt warm and comforting. He really didn't want to give her up yet. 

With a quiet growl he quietly clicked the door shut and went in search of Marcus. He needed someone sane to talk to - because clearly his own sanity had departed with his hangover that morning. 

***

Once the sugar crash nap was over Sabeen headed to the gym to beat the heck out of a boxing bag (sugar made her antsy), Max went in search of Gabriel, and Jess wandered down to the basement. 

She had a few guns that were due for cleaning and maintenance, along with a delivery of ammunition that needed cataloguing. Unfortunately Grey had yet to replace her last computer - which she'd thrown out a window - so she would be doing the cataloguing the old fashioned way, with pen and paper. 

The basement was divided off into several sections, including Jess's workshop, a gun range, and a couple of secure storage rooms. 

The basement was a bit dark and gloomy, so most of the others spent very little time down there. Jess felt right at home. 

She could navigate through it without even turning the lights on. Gabriel had forbidden her from doing that a few years ago though, after coming across her handling weapons in the dark. She'd scared the living hell out of him and he'd given her an impressive lecture on gun safety, and health and safety in the work place, or something. To be honest she hadn't actually been listening. 

Jess was just putting the last weapon back together, when she overheard Marcus and Finn gossiping.

"Seriously? You slept with Jess? Were you drunk? Was she drunk? What were you thinking?" Marcus's incredulous voice reached Jess's burning ears. 

"I wasn't really thinking. Clearly. And now I'm not quite sure how to go back to what it was..." Finn said, sounding annoyed. 

"It's going to be all relationshipy, and weird - and then I'm not going to have my movie buddy anymore. Sabeen's always busy, Alex has no patience, and Max has the worst taste in movies ever. And none of you guys can sit through the Lion King without pulling it to pieces. I'm beginning to think Jess was right with her rules. It can't just stay casual, can it?"

Marcus snorted "Seriously? You're objecting to this because if you're sleeping with Jess you can't also watch crappy cartoons with her?"

"No I couldn't. She'd want more. And I'm not looking for a mate. It seems like a lot of work."

Jess had heard enough. 

She gave the hand gun she was working on one last look over, and then stood as Marcus and Finn finally rounded the corner to the gun range, and caught sight of her. 

"Jess..." They both greeted her uneasily. 

Finn eyed the gun in her hand cautiously. There was no way she hadn't heard him telling Marcus about sleeping with her. And then bitching about how much he didn't want to be in a relationship with her. 

She fixed him with a level stare, placing the gun back in its locked cabinet. 

"It's easy Finn. If you want to go back to just being friends you come to me, in private, and you say 'Jess, last night was a mistake, and I don't want to screw up our friendship. Friends?' And then you go gossip about sleeping with me to as many people as you can... I'm glad to see you've already started on that bit." She said caustically. 

"And Marcus? I'm glad to know that you have such a high opinion of me."

She brushed past them and headed for the stairs herself. 

"Wait Jess, that isn't what I meant!" Marcus tried to explain himself but she had already left. 

"Well I feel like a heel. To think I used to have women falling all over me. I think I've lost some of my charm." Marcus said apologetically. 

"We're both heels. I'd better go apologise... Or maybe later? After she's had some time to cool off?" 

"Chicken shit." Marcus snorted. 

***

Jess curled up on her bed with her head buried under her pillow. What if she was pregnant? She didn't think she could do it. Jess wasn't really the maternal sort. 

And then there was Finn. Since that morning something had shifted. Her heart still skipped a beat when he looked at her, but it was no longer an ignorable little jump. It felt more like being electrocuted. 

She had been squishing her feelings for Finn down since his arrival almost a year ago, but Jess really wasn't sure she could keep doing it. Not now. Jess decided that she needed some space. Maybe she'd take a quick trip to the city?

It would give her a chance to buy some hair dye. And a pregnancy test. 

She didn't bother going down for dinner, instead she took an early nights sleep and dreamed all night about babies crying. 

Jess didn't get up the next morning. Instead she burrowed way down in her covers and snoozed on and off until well after 3pm. When she wasn't sleeping she was feeling sorry for herself. Perhaps she'd just spend the rest of her life in bed? She was pretty good at it. 

She was still mulling that over when Rider knocked on her door and informed her that he was rounding everyone up for a surprise security meeting. These meetings usually were scheduled somewhere. Most people knew about them, however the only time Jess ever found out was directly beforehand, as she was being dragged unwillingly into the room. 

Meetings bored the living hell out of her, so she always made the point to be away from the house when they were happening. Gabriel had learnt a long time ago to just leave her out of the loop and commandeer her as necessary.

"Sorry Jess, It's important." Rider said when he saw her cocooned in blankets. He felt bad for making her get up, clearly she wasn't feeling well.

With a long suffering sigh Jess rolled out of bed, took a quick shower, and made her way down to the office. 

She was nearly the last one there. Grey and Michael were lounging at the other end of the table, next to Max. Gabriel was seated next to Alexia. 

Rob - Marcus's third in command from his old wolf pack had made the trip out from the city and was chatting quietly with Marcus and Sabeen. Rob's partner Bucky was probably working today. 

The only other people in the room were a pair of female stoats that occasionally did investigative work for Gabriel. 

Gabriel had cut most of his freelancers, and part time employees, after Alexia and Rider had arrived at the house - preferring instead to have a small loyal staff, centrally located at the house. It was both for the added on-hand protection, and because it made it harder for leaks to come about. They really didn't need anyone blabbing around town that they had met the ex-royal princess.

Rider and Finn popped in a few moments later. Rider took a seat next to Alex, and Finn took the seat next to Jess. If she'd been watching she would have seen the frown of concern from him as he took in her rumpled appearance. Instead Jess was busy picking at her cuticles and not making eye contact.

Alex cleared her throat and the room settled into interested silence - it seemed that Alexia was leading this one.

"So for those of you who don't know yet, I'm pregnant." She paused as a few people passed on their congratulations.

"Thanks. The only problem is that I may, or may not have a contract out on me. I may be being hunted by any number of unknown groups, for any number of purposes. Essentially, I have no idea what's going on, or how safe my child is... 




Outwitting the Fox Ch. 04



"There is an awful lot we don't know about this situation, and now that I'm about to add a child into the mix I suddenly find myself motivated to figure out exactly where all the chips lie - call it my nesting impulses kicking in."

Rider picked up where she had left off. 

"We've been in contact with Jeremy Madox who has been in Aruba, in contact with the royal family for the past two years. He has his fingers in a lot of pies, and yet he hasn't heard Alexia mentioned anywhere. We're assuming, until we hear differently, that the Devon's are happy to let sleeping dogs lie.

"The Changers Council on the other hand: they're the one's we're worried about. They're more dangerous for the mere fact that they're closer. The Council is the real power here - the royal family are pretty much their hand puppets. 

"What we do know is that the Council has taken steps to shore up support for the Devon family by executing the remaining Theris bloodline. Marcus has confirmed that Alexia wasn't included in that particular headhunt. 

"We don't know for sure why, but there is strong evidence that they simply didn't know where she was. I lived with the royal family in Aruba. No one spoke about Alexia, and when they did the general consensus was that she had most likely already been executed by the King. No one has heard a thing about her or her location since the day her parentage came to light. 

"We also know that someone - if not the Council - has been looking for her. Last week the witch who has been looking after Jeremy's property in Fern reported that a female wolf breached her wards. The wolf didn't get into the house, but she got close enough to realise that Alexia, Jeremy and I were no longer living there."

Alexia took over again. "So we know someone is probably trying to track me down. We just don't know who, why, or how close they are. That's one too many unanswered questions for my comfort. 

"I think we need to lock down the security in a big way. I want a more secure perimeter around the house and surrounding woods. It's way too easy to get into the house without being detected. I'm open to suggestions on how that should happen, because I have no idea on how to lock down over 30 acres of open wood."

Rider spoke up again. "I want every single person in this house to brush up in a big way on hand to hand and weapons. Sabeen, if you're not too busy I'd like you to organise hand to hand. I'd like to see a couple of sessions a week, with everyone who feels qualified taking a turn at leading a couple. Jess, could you please work on the weapons. Make sure everyone has up to date licensing, and that nobody is going to shoot something they shouldn't."

When Sabeen and Jess nodded in agreement Gabriel took over. "My rules about loaded guns in the house stay in place however. It's just too dangerous." 

Guns made him a little unwary, especially after Max had been shot a couple of years ago.

"Also I've decided to shift the operational section of the office into town. Allowing strangers and clients to come into the house with little to no security clearance is asking for trouble. Rob has agreed to manage client meetings, and Ginny and Sarah will move to full time employment as investigators there." The two stoats nodded in agreement. 

"Rob will pass on jobs to me, and we'll organise and run them from the house, as per usual. For obvious reasons we won't be taking on anything big until further notice. We'll be focusing on small jobs with existing clients, and at no point will the house, or Alexia, be left unattended." Gabriel took a good look around the room making sure everyone understood his meaning. 

After a few more minutes (hours) of (boring as hell) discussion the meeting finally wound to a close and took on a more social tone. Jess nearly didn't notice the change in tone because for the last half hour she had been staring at the wall across the room and trying her best to screen out the scent of Finn lounging casually in his chair next to her. 

Every so often his knee would brush hers, and she'd jerk her legs away from him. 

The minute she realised she was free Jess lurched to her feet and headed to the door. Freedom!

She could go have a shower and then crawl back into bed.

"Jess, wait." Finn called after her. 

Ignoring him she carried on walking.

"Jess, stop, we need to talk about this." Finn ran after her, catching her arm, and steering her towards the stairs and his room. 

Back in the office the rest of the team stared after them in confusion - except for Marcus who did his best to look extremely interested in his glass of water. 

Gabriel had a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach. Finn and Jess? Finn had better not have done something stupid to his fox. Jess was much too good to be with a guy that didn't appreciate her - and if Finn made her cry then Gabriel would have to beat him up. 

***

Jess scowled as Finn herded her into his room. Great. He wanted to chat. And he was in her personal space. 

"Where have you been all day anyway?" He asked as he nudged his door shut with his heel. 

And now she was in his room again, alone with him again. She really had to work on those graceful exits. 

"I've been sleeping." 

"Ah. Lazy, Jess, what about all that work Gabriel's paying you to do?" Making it clear he was teasing with a wink. 

"Oh he doesn't actually pay me, he just throws a plate of gruel into my workshop every so often." She said with forced lightness. 

"Is it just me or is the easy banter thing not happening quite so easily today as it usually does?" 

Jess opted for silence. Of course the banter thing wasn't as easy as it usually was. Sleeping with Finn had changed pretty much everything. 

Unfortunately back when she was just pretending to be his friend she knew exactly how to gossip, and joke around with him, now she didn't quite know how to act. At least Finn seemed to be having the same problem. Aside from him steering her into his room he hadn't tried to touch her yet. 

"So Alexia's pregnant then..." He said uneasily. 

"Yup. She's all grown up and procreating." Jess replied

"Rider's over the moon. He would have been doing cartwheels."

"I think the only reason he didn't was because it would have killed his tough guy act. Also Alexia would have thrown a whole heap more than just a ham sandwich at him for it." Jess didn't have to force the grin that came at the thought of her ham sandwich sailing towards Rider's face. 

"Funny how they're both positive it's a girl."

"I really don't think Violet's such an awful name. Alexia made it sound like he wanted to call her Wasabi or Dogtech or something really disturbing, like Edith."

Rider sprawled on his bed, finally relaxing. They could do this. They were friends first and foremost after all. Jess seemed to agree with him, she took a seat on the bed next to him. 

He did have an armchair in the room somewhere, but it was always overflowing with a mixture of clean and dirty washing - and everyone knew that you didn't go rooting through a guy's dirty washing pile without rubber gloves. So the bed it was. 

"Edith isn't so bad. Spoon would have been interesting." Finn said.

"Or Apricot."

"Television." The wolf chuckled.

"Heyleeh, or something nice and white trash, involving lots of unnecessary vowels." Jess said giggling a little.

"I personally will be naming my first-born Spork." Finn said with a completely straight face.

Jess went still beside him on the bed. That may come about a lot sooner than he'd planned. A wave of nausea rolled over her. 

Noticing the change in her expression he sat up gracefully. "I'm joking. I'm not really looking at cubs of my own at this stage, but if that changes I'll go for something classic and strong. Like Serpent. Or Death-Metal."

"Good choice. I prefer Serpent to Death-Metal to be honest, but that's entirely up to you." 

Was it just her or was the room suddenly warm as hell? And not in a good way. Nausea, hot flashes... They meant nothing of course. Because Jess was NOT having babies, and definitely not with Finn, that was for sure. 

Jess moved to stand up.

Finn stopped himself from roping his arms around her waist and dragging her back onto the bed like he usually would have. Instead he grabbed her arm imploringly. 

"Wait. Jess, I need to apologise. When I was talking to Marcus before, you didn't hear what you think you heard. Well, you did hear it, but that's not what I was saying."

"So what I heard you saying wasn't what you were saying?" Jess was dubious, but she stayed sitting. 

Finn grinned. "Exactly. What I was trying to say was that I really like being friends with you, and that I just didn't want that to change. Of course, we all know I'd be lying if I said that sleeping with you wasn't amazing, so I don't want that to change either..." He creased his brow. This wasn't coming out the way he wanted it to. 

"So what you're saying, Finn, is that you just want to be friends with me, but you want to have sex with me too?" 

"Yes! I knew you'd understand." He said, relieved. 

"Right. You want a Fuck Buddy."

For the first time Finn noticed the dangerous spark in Jess's eyes. 

"I'm not comfortable with that terminology... I just don't want anything to change. I'm enjoying our friendship. I don't want to give it up."

"No, Finn, What you want is to have your cake and eat it too. Trust me though, when I tell you that that was the last slice of cake you'll be getting from me."

"What? Why? What we've got is pretty great!" Finn nudged her shoulder with his own. 

When she didn't look up and meet his eyes he took hold of her chin and turned her face towards him. Jess took a good long look into his eyes. They were warm and friendly, like they always were. Her breath caught in her chest and it felt like her heart skipped a beat.

Finn blinked and the spell was broken. She couldn't keep doing this to herself. Jess knocked his hand aside and stood up away the bed. Perhaps she should just come clean. It would be embarrassing, but at least they'd both know the truth.

"Listen, I'm sorry, but I can't do what you want. It would destroy my emotional stability. That's why I shouldn't have slept with you in the first place. I've got feelings for you Finn. I can't just sleep with you - I want the whole deal. I'm too far gone on the whole crush thing to just settle for sex with someone who wants to stay friends."

Finn stared at her for a moment. She had feelings for him? Big feelings? 

"Listen, I'm not trying to insult you or anything I'm just not looking for a relationship." Finn heard himself say. 

He was almost sure he meant it. 

"Yeah, it's too late. I'm pretty much already insulted. I think it would be a really good idea for me to go now Finn." Jess sighed.

She let herself out of the room, and headed across the hall to her own. That was pretty brutal. He really had no interest in having a relationship with her? She was willing to break the rules for him too. That didn't happen every day. 

She slipped out of the clothes she'd thrown on for Alexia's meeting, and crawled back into bed. She wasn't distraught or anything. Just disappointed - she'd known he wouldn't go for it, but it wasn't nice to have it confirmed. 

She was pretty sure the dull ache in her throat, and the tears that wouldn't seem to stop, would go away after a few hours sleep. If she was sleeping she wouldn't have to be awake and thinking about Finn, and his stupid eyes, and his stupid grin, and his stupid hair, and the stupid way he cuddled her. Like a friend. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid...



Outwitting the Fox Ch. 05



Jess hid out in the basement for nearly a week before Gabriel came looking for her. He was concerned about her long absence from the general day to day life of the house, and he wanted to find out if she was ok. 

She reassured him that she was just 'doing the fox thing' which had become their code word for the times she withdrew into her own company for a bit of personal space. She'd done it before, and it was kind of what Gabriel been expecting to hear, so he took her at face value. 

All the same he made it clear that if she needed anyone beaten up she just had to say the word. 

"That obvious huh?" Jess asked. 

"Pretty obvious. He's been acting like someone shot his puppy all week, and Marcus and Sabeen are pretty pissed with him for something - I'm guessing it's the same something that got in your antisocial fox mode." Gabriel said, hoping for a little more information.

"I'll bet."

"Not in the mood to share then?" He asked. 

"Nope. I think I'll sit on it and brood a bit longer." Jess said with a wiry grin. 

"Suit yourself. I'm in the mood to share though. Or at least get your opinion on something... I'm thinking about asking Max to marry me." Gabriel said, watching her face carefully.

Jess thought about it for a moment before grinning, and giving him a gentle punch in the arm. "Why are you telling me this? You should be telling her! You know we all love her to pieces, and it's pretty clear she's destined to be your mate."

Gabriel snorted. "It's clear to everyone but Max that we're destined to be together. And I'm asking because I didn't want to misread the situation... Who better to ask than you right?"

Gabriel and Jess had been working together ever since he had launched Hunter Enterprises five years ago. She had been young, stupid, and living with a mixed pack of shifters involved in gun running and stealing cars. 

Gabriel had been in the country only two weeks before he'd caught onto them and decided to set down the law. Being an alpha male, and older than all the shifters in Jess's old pack it hadn't taken much bloodshed to convince the ring leaders to shut up shop and move the business elsewhere. 

Jess had taken one look at Gabriel and decided she was done being dictated to by a group of street kids no better than a human gang. She shadowed Gabriel for a week before he gave in to the inevitable and gave her a job. He hadn't regretted it once. 

She was a loyal friend, and didn't pull her punches when it came to the important stuff, so he tried to do the same for her whenever he got the chance.

"Listen.. Jess. I know it's not really on the table for discussion, but I just wanted to say that Finns a good guy. I don't know what's going on between you two right now, but you were pretty good friends once upon a time, and you go well together. He's a complete clown, and he brings you out of your shell a lot..."

Jess stared at him for a beat. "I know he's a good guy."

"Good. I just wanted to get my two cents in. Than being said, just remember, we were friends first, so I'm totally on your side if you want me to hit him."

"Gottcha. Thanks for the offer, but like I said, I think I'll just brood a bit longer." Jess said with a sigh. 

Once Gabriel was gone Jess curled up on her couch. Max and Gabriel would be married and popping out babies soon too, which was nice for them. Gabriel would be a good Dad, and Max would be a kickass Mum. They'd be the parents that all the other kids wished they could belong to. 

Jess had known a few parents like that. She had been in the state foster care system for all of her childhood, so she'd taken a lot of interest in other kids families. Not that being a foster kid was too bad. She'd only been re-homed a few times, and none of the foster parents were too bad, she'd just been acutely aware that they weren't hers. 

When she had become old enough to shift for the first time she was lucky enough to be with a few other young shifters. They'd introduced Jess to the pack, and as soon as she was old enough she left her foster home and become a full member, learning how to live on the street, handle weapons, and tear apart cars. It wasn't an ideal childhood, but she'd done all right for herself. 

Now that she was faced with the possibility of having to raise a child though? She felt in no way capable. Jess didn't have the first clue about how to be a mother to a baby, and she wasn't really interested in learning. 

Wrapping her arms around her waist she took a deep breath, trying to still the panic growing in side of her. She had waited long enough, it was time to go find out whether or not she was pregnant. 

***

On her way out of the house Jess hadn't seen anyone, so shrugging she decided not to bother with going to find someone to report her activities to. She took an overnight bag and one of the cars into town, stopping at a chemist for a pregnancy test, and a couple of bottles of hair dye. 

She rented a nice hotel room in the city, and spent the first night out having a nice meal and then took herself dancing in one of her favourite clubs. She was approached a couple of times by men, but declined their drinks and propositions. She was just out to have a good time on her own. 

The next morning she gave herself a quick hair cut and then dyed her hair black and blue. the colours suited her and she gave herself a grin in the mirror as she inspected the handy work - it felt like the first real smile she'd had in days.

After lunch she sat down and considered the pregnancy test. It took her two hours to decide she wasn't ready yet. She needed a little more time to just be herself, so instead she went window shopping at a knife and sword shop, and took herself to a couple of movies she'd been wanting to see. 

Finally on the third day she did the pregnancy test. It looked simple - pee on the stick, wait three to five minutes, count the number of lines. 

Jess nearly drove herself crazy in those three to five minutes. She chewed all the nails on one hand, and paced the bathroom trying not to hyperventilate. The timer dinged, and she pounced on the stick - only to stare unbelievingly at the empty window. 

If one line meant no baby, and two lines meant a baby, what did no lines mean? Puppies? Two babies? Was shifter biology too different to humans to use one of these sticks? She didn't think so. 

With a shriek of frustration she swept the stick and packaging into the trash. It was time to bring in a professional. She grabbed her purse and headed to a Shifter friendly medical centre that she used to frequent back when she was younger. 

It had only taken the doctor ten minutes to pronounce Jess baby free. She did her best not to cry and faint in gratitude. Instead she got herself a prescription for the pill and filled it at the pharmacy. Outside the clinic she sat heavily on a bench and tried out her smile again - it was back to feeling fake so instead she scowled. 

She shouldn't have had to come into town and take a pregnancy test. She shouldn't have had unprotected sex in the first place. She knew better than that, and Finn should have known better too. 

He also should have known better than to not want her. She was a good catch - even if he didn't think so. She might not be able to stop her stupid feelings for him, but she could do herself a favor and stop hoping. 

Finn had brought her nothing but trouble, and Jess was finally ready to give up hoping. 

***

Back at the mansion it had taken Gabriel a day to realise that Jess wasn't anywhere to be found. Finn had known the minute he walked back into the house, the day before, that she was gone. He assumed that she'd gone to run errands or something for Gabriel. 

When she didn't come home that night he paced his room rather than asking anyone where she was. Finn was beginning to suspect he'd been a complete and utter fool about the way he'd approached the situation. 

He was also wondering if perhaps he'd been a little quick to judge relationships. 

The next morning he'd walked into Gabriel's office - intending on casually finding out where Jess was without actually having to ask, or even make it seem like he wanted to know - only to be slammed up against the wall by a furious Gabriel. 

"Where is she?" Gabriel demanded.

"Jess? You don't know where she is?!" Finn shot back just as urgently. 

"Wolf, if anything has happened to her I will take it out on your hide." Gabriel's voice was rough, and his eyes had shifted subtly closer to his leopard form. Both clear indications that he was more pissed off than Finn had ever seen him. 

Finn dropped eye contact with Gabriel, and bared his throat a little, making it clear that he wasn't challenging the bigger man. Gabriel seemed to realise that Finn was telling the truth, so backed off a little. 

Behind him he saw Marcus and Alex, who looked pale and shaken.

"She took a car yesterday. Gabriel is pretty sure she's in the city. Get your ass on a bike and find her. Take your phone. If you find her call us. I'm tracing her credit card. I'll send the others in as soon as I've rounded them up..." Marcus said.

"We need to find her - what if the council has her?" Alexis sounded as panicked as she looked.

"Alex, you need to sit down. I'll find her." Finn said, sounding more confident than he felt. 

Finn strode out of the office towards the garage, his mind racing a mile a minute. If she wasn't being held by a kidnapper, or hurt somewhere in a ditch, then he was going to shoot her himself. Of course if she was hurt, or in trouble he would never forgive himself. 

***

It took a day and a half but he found her. 

Finn skidded the bike to a halt, seeing a familiar figure on a bus stop bench. She had dyed her hair black on top, and dark blue underneath. It made her skin seem paler, and her eyes stand out a little more against her face. 

She looked good, as usual. Cute even. And a little pissed off. Good - that made two of them then. 

Jess looked up from her self involved reflection and found herself staring directly at a leather clad biker. A biker with a very familiar scent. Her breath froze and she wondered vaguely whether her lungs might have accidently fallen out of her chest. Something had dislodged in there, that was for sure. 

"Crap." she said under her breath

Finn slid the visor of his helmet up and scowled at her. "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick. Everyone has been worried sick. The girls have all decided you're dead and rotting in a dumpster somewhere."

Jess remained silent. 

"Do you have any idea how much stress you've put Rider through? Do you have any idea how pissed off Gabriel is with you? Alex can't handle this sort of thing right now."

She flushed with shame. She should have left a note. She hadn't even thought about Alexia.

"I wasn't gone that long. Two nights isn't really grounds for panic and mayhem. I came into town for a break, and crashed at a hotel. I'm an adult, I can go away for a couple of days without having to ask permission." She sounded defensive to her own ears.

"No but it sure would be nice to let the people you live with know that you're going to disappear without a trace suddenly." He growled.

She opted to stay quiet. He shook his head and pulled out his mobile phone, calling the office. 

"Grey, call the others in, I've found her. She's fine... I'm bringing her home now." He ended the conversation quickly and snapped his phone shut, putting it in his pocket.

Finn shoved a helmet at her coldly. "Get on. I'm taking you home, and once you've reassured everyone that you're alive you can do whatever the hell you like."

"I can't ride that thing home."

"It's called a motorbike. You should know that. You're the mechanic that keeps them working." 

She could hear the sarcasm a mile away. Sure she kept the things working, but that was the issue. She knew exactly how little stood between the riders ass and the road, and it sure as hell wasn't enough to make her feel safe.

"I'm not riding on that thing Finn." She said with a note of finality in her voice. 

"Well, Jess, it's the only way you're getting home." 

"Fine. I'm not going home." Jess said shortly. 

Finn had apparently reached the end of his temper. He jumped off the bike abruptly, towering over her. "PUT THE FUCKING HELMET ON AND GET THE FUCK ON THE BIKE!"

Jess stared at him for a moment thinking about how a few days ago she's wished he'd stop grinning so easily. It seemed she'd granted herself her own wish. Lucky her. 

Jamming the helmet onto her head Jess slid reluctantly onto the back of the bike. Finn mounted the bike in front of her and slammed his visor back down. She fumbled with the strap under her chin, and only just got it in place in time to grab Finn's waist as he put the bike into gear. 

She screamed the entire way home. Finn yelled out at her to shut the hell up every so often - a request she was in no way capable of considering.

Upon reaching the house she only waited for the bike to slow to walking pace before she clambered off it, and doubled over trying to will herself not to throw up.

Finn turned the bike off and kicked the stand down. In his temper he threw his helmet to the gravel near the bike and stormed towards the house scowling and rubbing at his ear. It felt like the fox had pierced his eardrums - wolves have very sensitive hearing.

Gabriel exited the house at the sound of the bike in the driveway. Seeing two figures he breathed a sigh of relief, he really hadn't been looking forward to beating the crap out of Finn - he was usually such a level headed, genuinely dependable guy. Not today of course, but usually. 

Storming past him on his way back to the house Finn growled "There. I got her home, now you can deal with her."

Gabriel sighed and rolled his eyes a little. Oh good, this whole group living arrangement thing was working out just fine. What a fantastic idea, cramming ten adults into a confined space.

"Jess, my office, now." 

As an afterthought he added "And if you're going to throw up do it outside, not on my floor."

***

It took two hours of apology before Gabriel would look her in the eyes again. Almost everyone else forgave her after a (not entirely truthful) explanation for her stupidity - bar Rider. He was pretty pissed off with her for scaring Alex. 

Jess considered telling the girls the truth, but decided that it would be worse to reveal that she had had a pregnancy scare and not gone to them in the first place. 

Instead she slunk through the house towards her room. She hadn't seen Finn since he left her in the driveway, and was hoping to keep it that way. Unfortunately Finn hadn't received that memo. He was pacing her room waiting for her. 

She paused for a moment before entering the room and shutting the door behind her. Finn ran his eyes over her, double checking that she was ok. Once he had assured himself that she was fine he dropped into her armchair tiredly. 

"What the hell were you thinking?" He asked, sounding as tired as he felt. 

"I wasn't thinking. Clearly. I panicked, and I needed to get out."

"So you took off without telling anyone."

"Like I said, logical thought didn't have much to do with it." Jess said dryly. 

"Are you planning on doing it again?" He asked.

"I didn't plan to do it the first time." 

"Jess I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to, and I regret that it got this far. It won't happen again, I'm going to stay the hell away from you from now on. You've made yourself more than clear. Just don't scare me like that again, ok? I haven't slept since you took off. I thought you were dead, or dying in a ditch somewhere." Finn closed his eyes trying to shake the visions he'd been having, of her hurt and crying out for help, out of his head.

"Careful Finn. You're sounding dangerously close to a boyfriend." Jess said flippantly.

He stood abruptly, suddenly colder and more distant that she had ever seen him. "Trust me, nothing's changed on that front."

With that he strode from the room, leaving Jess staring in shock. Finn was the warmest friendliest person she knew. He was many things, but he wasn't cold. More than that he hadn't touched her once. 

She didn't like the change one little bit - but perhaps it would make things easier on her new resolution. It was harder get all hopeful and emotionally involved if there was no encouragement from Finn. 

***

Later on that day Gabriel and Finn drove into the city to retrieve Jess's belongings and the car she'd borrowed. Gabriel had asked Jess if she wanted to come with him, rather than Finn, but she'd been in the middle of running the others through gun regulations. 

She had thrown the room and car keys at him and then gone back to teaching and bossing everyone around (there were really only a select few times she could boss around wolves, tigers, and leopards, so she relished each and every single one of them.)

Finn spent the trip mostly silent until Gabriel found himself unable to hold his curiosity any longer.

"What did you do to her? And why won't she confide in me about it? You two obviously slept together, but that wouldn't have sent her running like that. She's tougher than she looks - Jess doesn't just run off for no reason." Gabriel said trying to puzzle it out.

Finn wondered how much he should tell him. Clearly she hadn't told Gabriel because she was embarrassed. "We did sleep together. She... She has feelings for me."

Gabriel stared at him for a moment. "And? What? You don't have feelings for her?"

"Of course I do. Jess is... Well she's special. She always has been."

"So what's with all the drama? You like her, she likes you... Why not date or something? Try a relationship together? Hell you could even go the whole hog and mate with her - clearly you're both-" 

Gabriel was about to say 'in love' but Finn broke in before he could finish the thought.

"-Because I don't want a mate. I want a friend. I've seen what all you mated couples are like with the arguing, and the tension... You're lucky you haven't all killed each other, I can't live like that I don't have time for it, I'm just looking for fun. Besides, Jess and I would never work. She doesn't want me. Not really."

"Have you heard what you're saying? Because it's pretty much all bullshit, and you know it." Gabriel shook his head and let out a frustrated growl. Finn sounded far too much like him back before he met Max. 

Finn stared out the window silently. Gabriel kind of had a point. Maybe.

Reaching the hotel Gabriel parked the car, and they both got out slamming their doors. 

It only took a few minutes to locate Jess's room. Walking in Finn let out a low whistle. Jess certainly knew how to pick a hotel room. Gabriel started gathering the clothes she'd left on the bed, checking under the pillow for the knife he knew would be there. Finn opted to check the bathroom. 

Ten minutes later Gabriel was done and wondering what the hell was keeping Finn - unless the bathroom was the size of a football field there was no way she could have left too much crap in there. 

"You know what your problem is Finn? You're acting like a teenager. You've never wanted to take on more responsibility than Marcus has asked you to. You don't have ambition to lead or set out on your own - which isn't necessarily a bad thing - but you don't ever want that to change. When are you going to grow up?" Gabriel asked swinging the door to the bathroom open. 

Finn remained where he stood, staring at the trash can in horror. "Oh I don't know. I'd say that it's going to happen soonish. If it hasn't already."

Frowning in confusion Gabriel looked between the wolf and the trash can before seeing the packaging for a pregnancy test. Both men stood staring for another couple of minutes, both minds racing in opposite directions towards the same conclusion. 




Outwitting the Fox Ch. 05



"That's why she took off. I left her scared, and alone, and maybe pregnant. And then I asked her if she wanted to be fuck buddies." Finn finally said, breaking the silence. 

"Jess." Gabriel breathed. " - Tell me you used protection." 

"Of course I didn't use protection. I'm a fucking idiot. A fucking insensitive prick."

"Oh good, self pity. That'll fix this." Gabriel said sarcastically. 

Finn spared him an irritated look before striding forward and upending the trash can into the sink. Sorting through the rubbish and packaging he finally found the stick, which told him nothing. 

"It's empty. Aren't there supposed to be circles or something?"

"Lines. Maybe it didn't work?"

Finn leaned against the sink dropping his head down and closing his eyes. "Gabe, you have to ask her."

"Me? What happened to growing up? Taking responsibility for your own actions?"

"I can't. I promised her I'd leave her alone. If she is, and she needs me then I'll be there for her, I'll help her raise the child. But if she isn't then I should just leave her alone. She doesn't need me making her life harder. She deserves better than someone like me."

Gabriel hissed angrily, and let loose a right hook, catching Finn on the jaw and sending him sprawling onto the floor. 

"Wake the fuck up Finn." He dropped a set of keys onto the floor net to the wolf, grabbed Jess's bags, and headed for the door. Before he left the room he turned snarling at the younger man. 

"Don't come back into my house until you've sorted yourself out. Grow up, figure out what you want, and unless you're ready to fight for her then I suggest you leave her the hell alone." 

He left Finn groaning in pain on the bathroom floor.

***

It only took a week for Gabriel to succumb to his curiosity. He and Jess were sitting on one of the benches in the gym after a self defence class when he decided that asking for his own piece of mind wasn't the same as asking for Finn's. If anything it was dangerous for him not to know while they were training together.

"Jess..."

She looked up at his tone. She hadn't exactly been talking to him lately - when Finn hadn't come home earlier in the week she had confronted Gabriel, who had refused to say anything about the matter. 

"I've been meaning to ask..." Gabriel franticly looked for a plausible explanation for the questions he wanted to ask. "Um... Are you ok. Health-wise?"

She stared at him for a moment before nodding mutely.

"So... You're not... Hell, I'm no good at this. Jess, are you pregnant?" Gabriel blurted out. 

She stared at him in shock for a moment before answering "No I'm not. Why the hell would you even ask that?"

Gabriel cast around for a valid excuse - his mind had gone blank. He couldn't exactly say: 'oh Finn and I were digging around in your trash, and we found a pregnancy test. then I punched him, and kicked him out of the house...' 

She would probably pull a gun on him and shoot him dead on the spot. Or she'd tell Max, who would shoot him dead on the spot. Or she'd thank him for punching Finn. Maybe. 

"Uh.. I've noticed you've gained a little weight." Gabriel froze in horror. Had he actually just said that?

Jess stared at him with narrowed eyes. "All right, so I'm packing on the pounds. I'm not pregnant! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Ah. Just thought I'd... Ask..." He said weakly. 

Jess continued to stare angrily. "Just so you're aware, I'm envisioning the sound you'd make right after I slam my knee into your groin."

"Right. Sorry."

Jess stood and stormed out of the gym, passing by Michael and Grey, who were standing awkwardly in the doorway. 

Looking up Gabriel saw them and growled. "I suppose you heard that?"

Grey tipped his head to the side. "Every word. What were you thinking?"

"Finn and I... We found a pregnancy test..." He said rubbing his temples. 

"Right, was this before, or after you kicked him out of the house?" Michael asked.

Gabriel frowned at the pair. He hadn't been aware they knew. The only person he'd told was Marcus, because the wolf was Finn's alpha. Marcus hadn't been pleased, but he'd understood. 

"Tell me, were Max and I this bad?" Gabriel asked. 

Michael snorted. "Lets see, you had her shot, she was nearly killed by bomb welding assassins, you had her apartment blown up, you 'lost' a multi-million dollar necklace for her-"

"-Which the insurance company is still pissed off about by the way." Grey broke in.

"- She tried to kill you with a stapler, a vase, and her bare hands, you both walked around acting like childish, prickly brats for a very long time, and you fired Christina in a fairly unorthodox way for her - we were lucky not to be taken to court over that one." Michael finished drily. 

"So what Michael is saying is yes, you were both complete idiots about the whole thing."

Gabriel sat for a moment absorbing what they'd said. He had no idea he and Max had been that bad to deal with. "Oh good. So long as it's normal then..."

***

Finn sulked for the first five days, alone in the hotel room drinking, watching crappy day time television, and torturing himself by imagining what Jess was doing, thinking, saying and feeling. It didn't help that he kept catching her scent in the hotel room - reminants of her being there. 

When he woke up on the sixth day he took a good look at himself in the mirror. "Christ, he's right, I'm being a child about this."

With that Finn checked out of the hotel, charging the bill to his own credit card, rather than the company one Gabriel had given him back when he started working for him. After sitting behind the wheel of the car Gabriel had left him he decided to head back to the old Louvre Wolf Pack stomping grounds. He needed something to do while he figured it all out, and a road-trip seemed perfect. 

Two weeks later he found himself in a seedy bar in the middle of nowhere. He had scouted around the old territory, and seen no one. The wolves had moved on. Without them the town was slowly dying - unable to sustain itself without the business and added population they added. 

He spent a few days staying in Marcus's abandoned house, running the trails, and indulging his wolf, letting himself roam his old familiar territory. Being back in his old childhood haunts hadn't made him happy. It made him sad that he'd never seen a reason to move on until Marcus had given him one. 

More than that he missed the people who had made this place home. Before it had all gone so wrong. Before the pack had broken up. 

With that in mind though, what Marcus, Sabeen and Finn had found with Gabriel was better than anything any of them had ever imagined possible. He had his Alpha and his best friend still there by his side to look out for. He had friends he cared about, and who cared about him in return. And he had Jess. 

Wolves were fairly family oriented groups, and though technically Gabriel's pack of shifters wasn't the wolf pack he was used to it was pack, and it was family - slightly dysfunctional, sure, but all families were.

He sipped at his beer considering all that he'd learnt in his time away from the others. Gabriel had been more right than Finn would have initially guessed, but nearly two weeks of solid introspection and navel gazing, he was beginning to get the point. 

- The point being, of course, that he'd acted like an ass, and that he wanted Jess more than he wanted anything else in the world.

With that in mind he set his beer back on the bar and headed back to the car. He was ready to go back and face the music, and he was ready to fight for her.



Outwitting the Fox Ch. 06



Sorry guys, this is a re-edited version of chapter 6 - I don;t know why I have such a hard time keeping Finn and Rider straight - it doesn't happen for any of my other characters, I think it might be because they both act younger than the other guys, and they've got that playful, slightly smart arse thing going on. 

As always, thanks for taking the time to read my work. 

*

Almost a month had gone by without Finn. Jess was finding it somewhat... difficult... to stop thinking about him. It was so difficult she wasn't even trying to stop herself anymore. As a result she was moody and snappy, and for the good of everyone else in the house she was keeping more to herself. 

The house had been noisy as hell that morning, Grey and Michael were fighting about something, Alexia and Rider were having another argument about the baby's name, and Gabriel and Marcus were down in the basement shooting. The noise and people had finally got to her, so she had escaped out into the forest.

Jess had been hoping that with time it would become easier having Finn out of the house. It's not like they had spent every moment together... And yet, without the wolf there the house seemed empty - which was a ridiculous thing to be thinking because Jess had been driven out of the house today because it was too full of people.

Biting her lip Jess began to wonder - not for the first time - if it wasn't the house that was the problem. Maybe it was her life that was too empty without Finn? Maybe she needed a mate? 

She had never really been jealous of the other mated couples before, but she had wanted something similar for herself. Now she was feeling jealous. She wanted someone to cuddle with on the couch, and to hang out with when everyone else was off doing couple stuff. She wanted someone to confess stupid things to, and someone who she knew almost better than herself. Sure, everyone in that house was family, but Jess wanted something all of her own.

Perhaps it was time to start looking for a mate?

Jess was wandering along one of the dirt trails in the forest, completely in her own world and mulling over what her future mate would be like (and trying not to notice that her imaginary mate looked a lot like Finn), when she suddenly realised that perhaps she wasn't as alone as she had thought. 

She wasn't sure if it was one of her team, and her first instinct was to shift and go to ground. Before she even had time to consider it a large white wolf charged through a space in the thick undergrowth towards her. 

Definitely not one of the team, Jess realised. Both Finn and Marcus were grey, and the only other wolves with a reason to visit, Bucky and Rob, were russet and black. 

"Good to know that security meeting the other day was useful for something." Jess growled sarcastically. 

The white wolf, a female, snapped her teeth, growling and advancing threateningly. It was fairly probable that the wolf was a shifter. Wild wolves did not generally come onto Gabriel's land due to the mix of scents. 

Besides, Jess just wasn't lucky enough to have happened on a simple wild wolf with no nasty human agenda. 

With that in mind she thought perhaps running away might be the appropriate response. She couldn't hope to out-run the wolf long distance, but she could get close enough to either the house or the security cameras and make enough noise to gain someone's attention. 

Jess whirled, right into the arms of the biggest, baddest, and scariest man she'd ever seen. He was tall, with icy blue eyes, closely cropped hair, and a finely chiselled - if slightly thuggish - face. If he wasn't there to probably kill her Jess would have thought he was hot (in a completely terrifying, wouldn't want him anywhere near her, kind of way.)

He grabbed her shoulder, roughly twisting her away from him to face the white wolf. Before Jess could find her balance he hauled one of her tank tops over her head, dropping it to the dirt path she had been wandering along. 

He let go of her and she tried to make a run for it, but only had time for a squeak of surprise before he had her face down on the ground in a pair of handcuffs. Jess fought against the cuffs, and the pressure of his hands on her back until the man sat on the backs of her thighs, pinning her shoulders to the ground with his hands. 

Her breath whooshed out of her, and she stilled in surprise. The man smelt vaguely familiar, so she could tell he was a wolf. He probably wasn't exactly the same type as Finn and Marcus though. It made sense - wolves seldom travelled alone.

Jess watched the white wolf pick up her tank top and trot off purposefully in the direction of the house. Thank god she was in the habit of layering. Otherwise she would be lying here handcuffed, with a large man sitting on her, in nothing but her bra. And that would suck on a whole new level. 

"All right." The male settled in as if he was in for a long wait. "Which one are you and which one is your mate? And why on earth were you out here on your own? Don't you know it's dangerous for a wee thing like you to be on your lonesome these days?" 

Jess listened to his rich persuasive voice with surprise. It didn't quite mesh with the almost thuggish exterior.

He shifted above her taking some of his weight off her shoulders, making it easier to breath. She didn't even consider not answering. She was going to do whatever she could to keep the big bad wolf from tearing out her throat. 

"I'm Jess Thomson. And when I get out of this I'm going to cut your balls off with my favourite knife, and force feed them to you." Well... She she would do almost anything to stop the big bad wolf from tearing out her throat. Unfortunately that didn't include reining in her temper. 

"Ah the little lady with all the weapons. You're still unmated then? That's a pity, but I can't imagine why not. You're quite a neat little package - apart from that nasty temper of yours that is." 

The male grinned suggestively, hoping to get a rise out of her. Faith had been right, this was fun, he would have to thank her for talking him into it. 

Jess scowled at the ground and did her best to hold her tongue. She was being quizzed about her love life by the scariest lowlife kidnapping scum she'd ever met. Unless he wasn't just here to kidnap her? It was a lot more likely that he was after Alexia she realised. 

Jess was bait. She didn't like the feeling one bit. 

Alexia would figure it out, though, wouldn't she? There was no way they'd all come trooping into the woods to save her. They knew better didn't they? Oh god.. the baby! If she put Alex and the baby in danger... 

Jess knew she was panicking, but there wasn't much she could do to stop herself. She lay there panting shallowly, and seeing spots. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it may just pound it's way out of her rib cage. Any minute now she would throw up. 

"Poor little fox. All on your lonesome." His voice was hypnotic as the male stroked the backs of his fingers lightly down her cheek. 

Jess bit her lip and did her best to jerk away from the caress. He was right, she was all on her own out here - there was nothing stopping him from doing whatever he wanted to her. She struggled against the handcuffs, trying to buck him off her thighs. The male dropped a little more weight on to her, pinning her more effectively to the ground.

"You know you're never going to come out on top - there's no way you can ever win this one, so just sit back and relax." He lowered his cheek to hers.

"It's going to be over as soon as we've passed on our message, and found Alexia."

***

Back in the mansion Gabriel, Max, Grey, Marcus, and Sabeen were lounging beside the pool watching Alexia and Rider debate the stupidity of 'Penelope' as a babies name. They were supposed to be having a meeting about a simple breaking and entering job coming up on the roster, but discussion had died down as the younger shifter's voices had raised. 

"What the hell are you talking about Rider? Penelope is perfectly fine for a girl! It's feminine, and sweet, and classic! It's a classic girls name!!" Alexia slammed the name book she had been waving around down on to a handy stone table. 

Rider rolled his eyes and flopped down into his chair. "It's a classic pigs name! Penelope the pig! you might as well just call her Prudence and get it over with!"

"Are you calling my unborn child a pig?!" Alexia growled.

"No! Of course I'm not. I just don't want her to be teased!" Rider rubbed his temple where the headache was building. Baby names were hard. 

Alexia signed and the fight slowly drained out of her. She was too tired for fighting anyway. Rider held out his hand drawing her down on to his lap. She snuggled there with her nose against his neck, breathing him in.

"Perhaps we should just come back to it later. There's still months to go before she's even born. Surely we'll be able to find something we both agree on before then." Alexia said.

"And if not we'll just pick a name out of a hat." Rider grinned.

Max exchanged a wiry look with Gabriel and they both hid their smiles. If it came to picking a name out of a hat neither of them had any doubt the draw would be rigged - on both sides probably. Both shifters had a stubborn streak a mile wide. 

The door into the house swung open and everyone looked up to see Finn standing there. He looked a little rougher, but determined and happy to be there none the less. Shocked silence fell over the group, and for a long moment everyone froze, waiting to see what their leader would do. 

Gabriel remained sitting scrutinising Finn through lowered eyebrows, his expression thunderous. The boy better have sorted himself out. 

Breaking the dramatic tension, Sabeen shoved her chair back and threw herself at him with a purr of delight. "You're back!" 

Finn grinned and scooped her up into an affectionate hug. Marcus was right behind her, giving Finn a firm clap on the back, and ruffling his hair. It was good to be among pack again. 

"You here for good?" Marcus asked.

Meeting Gabriel's eyes Finn squared his shoulders determinedly "I am here for good."

Gabriel correctly read the challenge in his eyes and he relaxed, his eyes giving away how pleased he was to see the wolf back. Getting to his feet he clasped Finn's hand warmly 

"Welcome back. Don't screw it up this time."

"Not intending to." Finn said with a twist to his mouth. 

A growl from the other end of the courtyard caught everyone's attention. Rider was standing aggressively, watching a white wolf in the long grass between the house and the woods. 

"Who the hell is that?" Grey asked, voicing the question on everyone's minds. 

"Alexia, inside with Grey and Rider. See if Michael has picked anything up on the cameras. Max, Finn, and Marcus, fan out into the woods, check for others. If there are corral them. I want to know how many, and where. If it's alone get it surrounded. Sabeen, you're with me." Gabriel ordered. Everyone waited for his signal to move, watching the wolf's approach. 

The wolf trotted close enough that everyone there could see she held a piece of fabric in her mouth. She deposited the fabric onto the ground, and turned tail, heading back into the darkness of the woods with as much speed as she could muster. 

"Fuck! Jess is out there. That's her top." Max growled, ripping her own top off, and beginning her Change. 

The words galvanised the others. Rider and Grey hustled Alexia into the house, while Sabeen and the others shifted. Gabriel and Finn didn't bother waiting for them, Both took off at a dead run into the woods. 

***

Jess angled her vision upwards to see someone approaching, She wasn't stupid enough to assume it was someone on her side. It was the female wolf. She had shifted back into her human form, and acquired a shift dress from somewhere. 

"Nathaniel, get the hell off her. She's not going anywhere." The woman was pissed off enough to give him a rough shove.

Even if Jess was carrying all her favourite knives she wouldn't have shoved the male wolf. He was literally the scariest person she had ever seen - he was scarier than Gabriel who used to be her scary person benchmark. 

Nathaniel lifted his cheek off hers. "Her heart's going a mile a minute Faith. I'm trying to calm her down."

The woman gave him another good shove. "Foxes aren't like us, they're not big on strangers in their personal space. If you stopped rubbing yourself all over her, and I'll bet she'd calm down in a big way."

"Faith... You sound jealous. Are you jealous?" The male purred and rubbed his cheek across the top of Jess's head, almost like a cat. 

Jess did her best to sink into the ground, this was quite possibly the weirdest situation she had ever been in. Just what the hell was going on here? With her ear pressed against the ground she could faintly hear something approaching from the left - unfortunately she was facing right, so she had no idea whether it was her team, or their team, or just a rabbit with a death wish. 

"If she passes out before they get here it's going to look pretty bad -" 

"It already looks bad, wolf. Get off my mate." 

Faith was interrupted by an enraged man, and Jess's heart leapt and crashed as she recognised Finn's voice and scent. His voice was so rough he sounded more than half way through his change. 

What was he doing there? Where were the others? If anything happened to him she would kill him for being so careless. 

Nathaniel leaned down once more, ignoring Finns warning growl. "Well then it seems you were wrong, you do have a mate. You can thank me later."

Faith moved in front of Nathaniel and Jess, blocking them partially from Finn's view. It was the wrong thing to do. Finn saw red. He dropped his shoulder, and rammed the blonde woman hard enough to send her flying to the ground and started towards the man on top of Jess. 

Sabeen flew out of the woods in her tiger form, landing heavily on top of the woman, startling a pained yelp out of her. 

"Faith!" Nathaniel yelled panicking at the sound of her in pain. He immediately lifted his weight off Jess, ready to go to Faiths aid. 

Nathaniel dodged Finn, throwing Jess towards him, and went for Sabeen, intent on ripping her throat out. Gabriel stepped in front of Nathaniel, throwing him back a couple of meters with a hasty side kick.

"You're on my territory wolf, and that's my pack member that you were threatening. Sabeen, restrain the woman." Gabriel hissed angrily. 

Nathaniel lifted a cocky eyebrow, and attacked with a flurry of kicks, Gabriel blocked and slammed his palm into the other man's ribs. Nathaniel countered with an uppercut.

Faith lay gasping beneath the Tiger, desperately trying to speak. "Sabeen?? Sabeen Moon? Aaron sent me. He's the Death Walker you gave the globe to. He needs to talk to you."

Sabeen eyed her warily. Aaron had seemed like an ok guy. And there were only two of them. They could easily over power them. She made up her mind and let out an earth shaking roar, causing both Gabriel and Nathaniel to pause and look at her. 

She backed slowly away from the woman on the floor, and shook her head at Gabriel. 

Gabriel frowned and glared at the man opposite him. "Are you sure Sabeen?"

She nodded and changed back into her human form. "Sort of. She says they're from Aaron, I met him a while back, and he seems legit. Scary, but legit. I think we should see what they've got to say. Besides we outnumber them in a big way."

Gabriel thought about it for a moment before grudgingly agreeing. He pulled off his tee shirt and passed it to Sabeen, who put it on gratefully. 

"Faith, are you ok?" The Nathaniel asked, his eyes not moving from the man in front of him. 

"I'm fine. She winded me." Faith said sitting up slowly.

Max and Marcus melted out of the undergrowth silently flanking them. Gabriel spared a quick glance at them, deducing immediately that there had been no others in the forest. 

Faith decided to talk quickly before any of the shifters changed their minds. "We're here because Aaron needs to find Alexia Devon, we think she's with your cousin. We're trying to track Rider down because Alexia is in danger. Aaron needs to keep her away from the council."

She paused for a second wondering just how much she should tell them. "Aaron's building a new council. A representative council, and the seer's have seen that she's the deciding factor - if she lives, she'll represent the Shifters, and if she dies the Council wins. We're here to make sure she lives."

Gabriel considered the two wolves standing before him for a long moment. They didn't know he had Alexia and Rider in the house, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to reveal that knowledge. 

"I want to talk to Aaron. I'll meet him in the City office, 7pm tonight. I'm assuming that's doable?" Gabriel said sounding as lethally pissed off as he felt.

"That's fine." Nathaniel said.

"Good. Sabeen, Marcus, and Max will escort you off my property. If I find you in my territory again I will assume you do not hold your lives in high regard, and will act accordingly."

The two wolves nodded their understanding and turned back in the direction they had come. Before they left Nathaniel dropped the handcuff keys at Finn's feet, who stood protectively in front of Jess. She had struggled to her knees the moment Nathaniel had jumped off her and was now watching them depart with angry eyes. 

When the forest was quiet again Gabriel turned to Finn and Jess. "Are you all right Jess? I need to go fill the others in."

She nodded quickly. Finn wasn't really her first choice of rescuer, but Alexia and Rider needed to know what was going on. Gabriel sent a warning glare towards Finn before stalking off towards the house. 

***

For long moments after Gabriel left they held their positions. Jess remained kneeling on the dirt track, and Finn stood with his back to her desperately trying to collect his self control. He'd very nearly lost her.

Jess stared up at the big man in front of her. His head was down, and he was breathing unevenly. He looked lost and broken. She longed to slip her arms around his waist and rest her head against his wide shoulders. He did have very nice shoulders. 

"So... Are you going to set me free now?" She asked, trying to distract herself from his shoulders. 

"Jess. I need to apologise." Finn said softly, still not looking back at her. 

She swallowed. "You know what's better than an apology? Free use of my hands."

"Jess. Don't -" Finn turned to face her, and she sat back on her heels in shock. "Don't joke about this. I hurt you." 

She watched him warily, he was close to changing, his sandy blonde hair was showing signs of rough grey, his incisors were longer than they should have been, and his eyes were more wolf than man. He did not look like he had full control of the wolf in him, and Jess really didn't want to be alone with the wolf - not while she was cuffed and kneeling at least. She looked longingly at the key on the ground.

He followed her eyes and cursed out loud, kneeling to retrieve the key. Here he was trying to apologise to a handcuffed woman. Perhaps next time he should gag and blindfold her too. He felt like an idiot. 

His hands were more paw like, and less mobile, and they both instantly realised he'd have a problem unlocking her. He pulled her forward to rest against his front, and tried anyway. 

Jess knelt pliantly with her nose against his chest and his arms around her, fumbling at the cuffs. She didn't do anything to aggravate the already frustrated wolf.

Finn felt the key drop through his paws and growled ferally in annoyance. She smelt of another man, and fear, and if he had been doing his job as her mate properly none of it would have happened. His restraint broke. 




Outwitting the Fox Ch. 06



Pushing her back onto the ground, he dropped down on all fours over Jess. Finn's skin rippled with thick grey fur as he let his hold on his human form slip a little. He struggled out of his shirt and pants, freeing himself from their uncomfortable confines. 

When he was free the wolf-man regarded her for a moment. He still wasn't changed all the way. 

Jess lifted her chin exposing a little more of her neck. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she was scared silly she was about to be eaten. She had managed to catch the key he had dropped, though, so she put her energy into unlocking her handcuffs.

Finn lowered his muzzle and exposed teeth to her neck and she froze. "Good wolf-man. Don't eat me. That would be a bad apology." 

He was growling uncontrollably, but couldn't seem to stop himself, so instead he moved over her, pressing her to the ground, and checking as much of her as he could reach for injury. He ignored the way she ineffectually tried to push him away with her shoulders and knees. 

When Jess realised what he was doing she tried to reassure him that she was fine but he ignored her. He was staying right where he was until he was sure she was safe. When he was sure his mate was ok he crawled back over her body, rubbing himself along her front, covering her with his scent. 

Meanwhile Jess had managed to unlock her cuffs - no small feat with a huge grey wolf crawling all over her. She slowly manoeuvred her arms out from under herself and hesitantly placed her hands either side of his neck. He was still growling, but it had quietened to a soft rumble in his chest - almost like a purr. 

"I'm fine Finn. You can get off me. There's no damage - unless you count being crushed by an overprotective wolf-man."

The wolf-man snorted, and delicately licked the side of her neck, in what felt like a caress. Jess sighed and relaxed under him, bringing her hands up to ruffle the fur behind his ears, and under his throat. 

He bathed her throat clean from dirt and sweat before slowly slipping back into his human form. 

When the last trace of wolf had left he dropped his head on to her shoulder and closed his eyes, exhausted. 

"Jess, I'm so sorry. I've wanted to be yours since the moment I met you, but I was sure you didn't want to be mine. That's why I acted the way I did. Well... That's most of why I acted the way I did. There was a lot of stupidity and poor decision making that contributed too." 

"Where did you go Finn? And why did you bother coming back? What makes you think I want you now?" Jess knew it was harsh, but she had to be sure. 

"I went back to the Pack's old territory. They were gone. I drove around a whole bunch. It wasn't so much about going away, as it was doing some thinking. In short? I grew up. I'm not a puppy anymore and it's time I stop acting like one. 

"I came back for you. All I could think about was you. The whole time. All I want is you, for the rest of my life. I did some stupid things, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me. I'm prepared to grovel you know. In front of as many people as you'd like, just for you." Finn grinned, flashing the first sign of the grin she'd grown to love. 

It was the grin that decided her. 

"And what are you prepared to do to grovel for me wolf boy? Like you said, you did some really stupid things." Jess said with a spark of humour in her dark eyes. 

"Oh the usual, I'll carry you everywhere on gilded pillows, I'll buy you expensive things, I'll cover myself in tattoos professing my eternal love for you, I'll let you take naked pictures of me and post them on the internet, I'll compose awful, awful, poetry and read it out loud under your window as the full moon shines down on me. I'll cherish every single moment I spend with you, even the moments we spend arguing about stupid things, I'll love you without reserve, and I'll grow old with you, all the while never once forgetting how lucky I am to be with you." 

Finn dropped a gentle kiss on her lips and backed off her to crouch on the path in front of her. He offered her a hand and pulled her up into sitting position. She watched as he carefully unlocked the handcuffs that still dangled from one of her wrists. 

"I like the sound of all of that. Except the poetry, and the tattoos. I like your skin the way it is." She surveyed the naked man crouching in front of her, and felt the familiar jolt in her heart. For the first time the jolt made her grin. 

"All right, no tattoos." He picked up his pants and stood to slip them on. 

Jess stood up too, and handed him his teeshirt. He slung it into one of his belt loops, and tugged her into his arms, pressing his bare chest against her, swooping down to claim her mouth in a scorching kiss. She opened her mouth and slid her tongue into his wet heat, exploring and teasing him. Reluctantly he drew back, wanting to hear her answer before he became too sure of himself. 

"So what do you say Jess. Will you be my mate?" Finn asked with bated breath. 

"How about we take it slow Finn. I want a relationship with you before we go jumping in to anything." Jess said. 

Finn grinned. It wasn't quite the whole pony, but it was close enough for now. "Deal." 

He kissed her again then. He couldn't have stopped himself if he wanted to. Later, as they were walking hand in hand back to the house Finn broached the subject he'd least wanted to remind her of. 

"I know that we... Wait. I... Last time we - I'm just going to come out and ask, ok? I can't think of a delicate way to do it. I'm too tired, and I really need to know." Finn said looking at her expectantly. 

Jess raised a confused eyebrow. She certainly hoped he hadn't just asked a question there, because if he had she'd missed it entirely. She told him as much. 

"What I'm trying to ask, Jess, is are you pregnant? Because it's ok if you are. I'll be here to stand by you no matter what. My feelings won't change."

She stared at him for a moment, before crossing her arms over her chest and scowling. 

"All right! So I'm packing on the pounds! I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat. What the hell is wrong with you men!? First Gabriel, and now you? More to the point do you really not expect me to knee you in the balls for telling me I'm fat?" Jess growled angrily. 

So much for grovelling. He'd been back less than an hour and called her fat. She glanced down at her stomach, as far as she could tell it was as flat as it ever was. She had a bit of curve going on, but she was a healthy weight - and bar the years she'd spent on the street, she always had been a healthy weight. 

"No, no, no, I'm not calling you fat." Finn said stepping forward to lay his hands soothingly on her arms. This wasn't going the way he had hoped. 

"I'm asking because Gabe and I, we found he pregnancy test when he was checking you out of the hotel. That's why he... That's why I left. I needed to get myself together so that I could be here for you. But you're not pregnant, and that's just fine too." Finn grinned exuberantly at her.

"You and Gabriel found my pregnancy test... Which would be why he called me fat an asked if I was pregnant. Right. It's all falling into place now." Jess said shaking her head at the men's stupidity. There were better, more delicate ways of asking a sensitive question like that. 

"He called you fat?" Finn glowered. When he saw Gabriel again he'd... probably respectfully ask that he apologise. Or he could tell Max, and she could yell at the larger man for it. 

"Sweetcheeks, you are not fat, and I doubt you ever have to worry about that changing. You're too short for starters." He ruffled her hair, and ignored her huff of annoyance. "And you're just not that kind of build." 

Finn illustrated his point by picking her up, and draping her casually over his shoulder. Ignoring her flailing about he set off towards the house purposefully. He wanted to check her over properly, and then he wanted to lick every inch of her up and down until she screamed for mercy... and other reasons.

Jess kept up her annoyed pretence for as long as she could manage before dissolving into giggles, and relaxing onto his shoulder. She had no problems with being carried around like a favourite possession. Sure it was a little cave-man, but it was nice to know he wanted her. It made a nice change.