Chapter 13 – Duty 

Officer Layne has been on the force for nearly 30 years.  A devout lawman, nothing shakes him.  He has broken up fights in the middle of the night, he’s wrestled with drunks on the side of the road, he has never pulled up to a call and been surprised. 

Until today. 

“This is Officer Layne reporting a domestic disturbance.  I am arriving now, dust is settling and I will need to get the area secured.” He said into his radio, pulling up to the ruined house. 

Dust was still billowing out.  The front of the house looked like a car had run directly through it.  Getting out of his car, Layne called out through a mega phone to see if anyone was in the wreckage and needing attention. “This is Officer Layne; I have arrived and would like to determine if anyone is conscious and able to respond!” 

As he spoke, some additional parts of the upper level of the home detached and fell, causing a muddled bang and additional dust to spew out. No response was received. 

Putting the mega phone done on the hood of the car, Layne turned and propped himself against the passenger side door, pulling a well-used handkerchief from his pocket. 

“Probably some damn kids ruining this nice neighborhood.” he thought, wiping his brow and enjoying a moment of peace while he waits for other emergency personnel to arrive. Something behind him made a loud crash which caught him off guard. Nothing in his years on the force prepared him for what he was about to see. 

Rising from the rubble was a gorgeous brunette.  Her hair was littered with debris, there was visible abrasions on her stomach and she had quite the stunned look on her face.  Layne watched as she extricated herself from the remains of the home.  She quickly bent at the waist, running her fingers through her hair to get all of the remaining junk still tangled in her locks. She whipped back up to a full standing position to get her bearings, noticing him on the street. She approached him immediately. 

“Mam... I have medical personnel on the way, please... be...” Layne trailed off as the now towering brunette was right in front of him. 

“Thank you, officer, but I think I will be just fine.” Malinda said, squatting down to get down at eye level, cupping the small officer’s face in her hand firmly, but not in a way to inflict pain. She smiled at him without saying another word, enjoying his obvious befuddlement. 

“... do you know who did this to you?  Would you like to press charges?” Snapping out of it, Layne got back to procedure as best he can.  Women over twice his size are still his duty to protect, and he did not plan to let any sudden revelation get in the way of that. 

Slightly taken aback by his sense of duty, Malinda clicked her tongue slightly, “I think I will be just fine sweetie, but why don’t you call off the rescue party.  It was just little ole me in there, and I happened to be a touch clumsy tripping into the door.” Releasing his face, she slowly stood to her full height, placing a hand on her hip. 

Layne said nothing for a moment, then reached for his radio. “No one here requires medical attention; any emergency personnel en route can head back home.” He released his radio, staring up still in silence. 

“Thanks for doing an amazing job Officer. I will go ahead and head on home myself.  Be careful out there!” Malinda breaking her gaze from Layne, rose her foot.  Layne, still entranced ducked instinctively.  Malinda placed her foot on the hood of the police cruiser. Applying weight, she lifted herself up and over the car.  The car quickly buckled as soon as her other foot left the ground. As she nearly leapt across the street, the car gave and parts could be heard falling out and different fluids spewed from the undercarriage. The car was immediately totaled. 

Layne however noticed nothing going on with his cruiser.  He could only stare as this titaness casually jogged through the neighborhood after seemingly destroying a house.  Layne took out his handkerchief again, hands shaking, mopping up the copious amounts of sweat that had coated his forehead. 

“I am getting too old for this shit.” he muttered. 

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Malinda reached in her pocket after getting back across the street, finding her phone which was still in working order.  She quickly called up Amalia to talk about the recent developments.  As the phone was ringing, Malinda stepped into a newly established building on the construction site. The call was answered. 

“Malinda, how is Claire settling in?” Amalia cut straight to business. 

“I’m not sure exactly how she’s adjusting...” Mock coughing and brushing some dirt off her shoulder. 

“What seems to be the issue?” Amalia cut in. 

“Well, how sure are we she’s going to do what we need? What assurance do we have that she will even try and work with us and not just take her new size and run off?” Malinda prodded. 

“Malinda, you have grown up as an Alpha.  Most of the world as they know it, is beneath you.  Claire has the wits and technical expertise to find a way for Alpha’s and Beta’s to coexist.” Amalia recited.  This was the token explanation for Claire to have the procedure in the first place. “Now that she is one of us, she can’t help but find a way for us to coexist.  We don’t want another... Brownsfield.” 

Malinda visibly sunk when she heard that. Regaining composure immediately, “I get that director, and I take full responsibility.  But what guarantee do we have she will comply?” 

“What does she hold most important?” Amalia asked, knowing the answer. 

“Ben.” Malinda answered. 

“I trust you kept him company while Claire was getting her treatment?” Amalia asked. 

Malinda, reassured of her assignment, now removed from doubt. “Absolutely.” I don’t think he will ever forget me. 

“Good.  You are the best at what you do. Don’t ever forget that, Malinda.” Amalia waited for Malinda to confirm and ended the call. 

“Oh, I will make sure Ben never forgets about me.  Claire can’t be there all the time.  That runt will be all the insurance we need...” Malinda was beaming with enthusiasm at her part in the plans to come. 

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The warm embrace of his colossal protector had gone. The cold, arid atmosphere of uncertainty swirled in his dreams. He was alone, someplace dark, and he didn’t know how he had gotten there. 

“Claire? Honey? Are you there? I’m not sure where I am, but if you can hear me, please say something.” Ben called out. 

At first, all he heard was the reverb of his cries into the surrounding area.  Having a good footing, he began to walk forward when he heard it. 

“Ben....” 

“Claire! I’m here!” He cried back. 

“I’m... just a little further, please come find me.” the voice responded. 

Ben took off running.  In the dark.  He couldn’t even see where his feet were landing, but his heart knew to head towards the call.  As he ran, light could be seen coming from a hole up ahead.  It wasn’t large, but as he approached it was clearly big enough for him to get through.  With renewed Vigor, Ben went full speed for the light. 

Blinding white light filled his vision.  He couldn’t see anything at first.  The ground was soft with carpet, and the feeling of being surrounded was replaced with a much larger room. 

As his eyes adjusted, he looked around.  He was in a bedroom.  But something was very off.  The bedroom was astronomically larger than one he had ever been in.  Seeing a familiar door, he knew where he was. 

“This is Malinda’s Bedroom!” Ben thought out loud. 

As if on cue, out from the bathroom, came Malinda.  Dressed in nothing but the essentials she spied him on the floor, quickly approaching. 

“Well, well tiny Ben, what have we here? Couldn’t get enough of peaking in on me the other day?” Malinda teased. 

Ben was stunned.  Malinda was impossibly huge. He couldn’t begin to understand what had happened.  He began getting light headed as she spoke again. 

“Well, I am not a fan of anybody sneaking in my room.  And I have only one way to deal with pests like that.” She immediately raises her foot high in the air, smirks, and brings it down crashing on Ben. 

Cowering under the coming sole, Ben realizes his one regret is not coming clean with Claire. 

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“Noooooo!” Ben woke with a start. 

*Crash* Something out of sight comes crashing down. 

“Ben! Ben! Are you ok?” Claire comes bouncing around the corner. 

There is something about a colossal beauty running into view, all of her lovely parts moving in unison that makes a man’s fear vanish as quickly as it came on. 

“No.  I mean Yes! Yes, I am now that you are here.” Ben stated, sitting up in the enormous bed. 

“Oh well, I am glad. You were pretty worn out there. I must say you have never ceased to amaze me, Ben.” Claire said, coming to the bed and sitting in next to her lover. 

“The same goes for you.” Ben says, while trying to pull himself up by gripping onto her shorts. He slinks back into the bed. 

“Let’s get you something to eat. One of our new advantages is I can get you just about anything you want Ben.” She carefully reached under him and pulled her up to her chest.  Ben’s hips hanging on her breast gave a silent approval of her actions. 

“You need to eat first mister! I don’t know what you are feeding that thing but for now, we need to get you some Lunch.” She walked him carefully into the kitchen, stepping over the spilled trunk of clothes. 

Seeing numerous outfits thrown out across the floor, “Did you go and get my clothes honey? I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.” 

Claire, half smiling, “Oh no, it wasn’t much. I took out some trash on the way there.  Other than that, it was just a quick trip to the house. Now, what would you like to eat?” 

Ben, now sitting up to the large table, “Whatever’s easy! I want to make as much of this weekend as possible!” 

“Me too Ben.” Claire said, thinking back to the unfinished business with Malinda.