Chapter 49: Defense

Stillwater Alpha Mark Conway’s POV

I was outside taking a break when a woman came up next to me. “Mark, a moment alone?”

Luna Brenda Petersen was lighting up a cigarette; I nodded, and we walked away from the Pack House. “I’m worried Leo is going to get away with this,” she said.

“The Council fucked up by inviting him,” I said. “It’s hard to argue a rogue Alpha is trespassing when you’re invited in and escorted.”

“Those men could fuck up a wet dream. I need Leo out of the way, Mark. He killed two of your Pack members.”

I couldn’t believe what she was proposing. “They are prisoners, and we’re at a damn Alpha gathering with security everywhere.”

“There’s always a way to get to someone. There’s fifty grand in it for you if he’s found not guilty and still dies tonight.”

I shook my head. “If he’s not guilty, he’s a recognized Alpha I’d be killing.” Then it hit me. “Right now, he’s a rogue. That can’t change until the jury comes back. There’s no penalty for killing a rogue.”

“I think we understand each other.” She tossed the butt onto the ground, grinding it under her fashionable shoes, then walked back without me.

Alpha (?) Leo Volkov’s POV

The break was long enough for the guards to take us to a set of bathrooms behind the kitchen. Of course, as soon as we were out of sight of the jury, they put the ankle shackles on, ‘so we didn’t get any ideas about running.’ The chains scraped along the tile floor of the bathroom as I shuffled back out.

As we went through the kitchen, I had an idea. I saw one of the cooks and waved him over. “Do you have anything we could eat? A man’s last meal shouldn’t be airplane food.”

“Nothing hot, but there are some desserts.” Now THAT I could handle. We couldn’t go back into the hearing room yet, so we all ended up leaning against the wall, eating a slice of cheesecake. It wasn’t Wiederholt’s and their turtle cheesecake, but it was pretty good. I had strawberry, and Adrienne had blueberry, and we fed each other cake as the humans did after their weddings.

We left the plates stacked as the shackles came off before going back into the courtroom. Everyone was in place again when the Council filed back in. Chairman Sanders banged the session to order. “Counselor Fenwick, your defense.”

Lawrence stood up next to us. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The defense calls Luna Susan Miller.”

Counselor Albertson stood. “Objection! Luna Miller is now a Beta in Leo’s Pack.”

“She also was present for the events that resulted in Alpha Leo’s banishment. She is available by videoconference as this trial is so sudden.”

“I’ll allow it,” the Chairman said.

Lawrence had arranged for the monitor and teleconferencing equipment to be brought in during the break, and soon he had Susan onscreen and sworn in. “Susan, what led to Leo’s ouster as the Alpha of the Welch Pack?”

“When Catherine died, it devastated him,” she said. “He withdrew from everyone, and the Pack was suffering. Todd did all he could to keep the company going, and I was dealing with the Pack issues. Leo wasn’t eating or taking care of himself. He’d lost weight and interest in Pack affairs; he’d promised Catherine he wouldn’t kill himself, but he couldn’t make himself live, either. His mate also made him promise not to invite a challenge, suicide by Alpha if you will, so he was stuck.”

“It sounds like a bad time.”

“It was terrible. We were alarmed because the Alpha Summit was coming up. Leo was in no shape to represent us, and that made us ripe for takeover. We needed to take over the Pack before it fell apart, and do it in a way that others wouldn’t challenge. Todd came up with a plan and went to Leo with it.”

“Leo was in on this?”

“He had to be. Most of our Pack worked at Volkov Construction, the company Leo had built up over twenty-five years. If Leo died, the company would be sold to the highest bidder, and that wouldn’t be us.”

“What was the deal?”

“Leo would sell Todd his interest in the company so it would stay in the Pack. Todd would challenge Leo for the Alpha position before the Summit, and Leo would let him win. Todd would exile Leo instead of killing him. He could stay in his house and have plenty of money to live; he just had to stay away.”

“Was Leo stronger than Todd?”

“Leo is a mantled Alpha. Todd was Beta blood. Even at his lowest, Todd couldn’t take him. Leo’s dive would make it seem like he was stronger than he was. Other Alpha blood wolves were less likely to challenge him, then.”

Lawrence walked back towards the table and pointed at me. “So, other than losing an Alpha challenge in a deal he made with the next Alpha, Leo did nothing wrong.”

“Leo is now, and always has been an honorable wolf. That is why when our Pack fell apart after Todd’s arrest, most of us ended up going to Leo’s pack.”

“Thank you. Your witness.”

Counselor Albertson stood and walked towards the television. “Mrs. Miller,” intentionally leaving her title out, I grumbled, “Alpha Todd banished Leo Volkov from your Pack per Pack and Council laws?”

“He did. Our Pack members were Alpha-ordered not to interact with him, we banned from Pack lands, and the proper notifications got made. His home was his own, so he remained there.”

“I see. Did your mate have any interaction with Leo after that?”

She thought about it. “Not until the night Todd ran Leo’s truck off the road. Todd had been at the same restaurant, and Leo sat with him and treated him like a Beta again. He was FURIOUS; Leo told him that the Miesville Pack had formed, and he was taking transfers from other Packs. Leo had sent a text message to all our Pack members, letting them know and inviting them to consider it. Todd knew he wasn’t the businessman or the Alpha that Leo was. His Pack would die if Leo lived. That’s why he ran them off the road with a dump truck.”

“Leo threatened a sitting Alpha in public.”

“He told him that he was forming a Pack, and warned him to stay away from his heir,” she replied.

“No further questions,” he said.

“Redirect, Mr. Chairman?” Lawrence stood and got permission. “Beta Miller, how did you learn that Alpha Leo was forming the Miesville Pack?”

“A pack member forwarded a text message from him,” she said.

“Can you read that message?” She took a minute to find her phone and do so. “That message went to more than just your Pack, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it went to all area Alphas.” She showed the list on her phone.

Lawrence turned around to the audience. “How many of you received that text message on New Year’s Eve? Please stand if you did.” About fifteen Alphas from Minnesota and Wisconsin stood. “Now, of this group, please remain standing if you were concerned to hear Leo Volkov was forming a Pack.” All but two of them sat down. “No more questions, Mr. Chairman.”

“The witness is released. Next witness?”

“The defense calls Central Region Chairman Lewis Wolfe to the stand.”

This time it was Chairman Sanders who looked shocked. “Mr. Wolfe is a member of the Council sitting in judgment,” he said. “It would be improper for him to testify.”

“Chairman Wolfe was witness to key events critical to the defense of my clients,” Lawrence said. “The jury is deciding guilt, and the Council already sentenced him.”

A minute later, Lawrence started his questioning. “Chairman Wolfe, how long have you known Leo Volkov?”

“I was at his mating ceremony, so going on thirty years,” he said.

“When did you find out Leo was forming a Pack?”

“It was after the news stories broke, first the attempted abduction of the girl and her mother, then the second attempt on their life by Alpha Todd. As a Council member, it was my responsibility to bring the matter to a close quickly and without human intervention. Luna Adrienne and I traveled first to Wisconsin, then to Minnesota. I met with Luna Susan, then accompanied her to Leo’s home.”

“What was the purpose of that meeting,” Lawrence asked.

“The Welch Pack was imploding with Todd in prison. The best way to bring peace to the Region was to encourage the Welch Pack to merge with the Miesville Pack. It went better than I thought; our Mediator didn’t have to do anything. Alpha Leo made sure Susan and her Pack members got a fair deal.”

“I see.” Lawrence turned to the jury. “So the regional Council chair arrives at the Miesville Pack and brokers an Alpha meeting that results in most of Welch pack joining Leo’s Pack.”

“That’s correct.”

“That sounds like more of a recognition of the Miesville Pack’s status than any piece of paper,” he said.

“Objection, speculation,” Albertson said.

“Overruled. The witness may answer.”

Wolfe looked at the jury. “Honestly, I never considered Leo to be anything OTHER than a Pack Alpha. We are better off with him among us.”

“No further questions, Mr. Chairman.”

Lawrence sat down while Albertson tapped on his legal pad. “Cross, Mr. Albertson?”

“No, sir.”

“The defense would like to call Warrior Lucas Davenport to the stand.”

A young man came forward and to be sworn. “Mr. Davenport, you had the gate duty earlier today?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And your responsibility was to verify guests were on list before allowing anyone past?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lawrence handed him a few stapled pages. “Is this the guest list?”

He looked at it. “Yes, sir. My initials are by every guest I checked in.”

“Please read the line I’ve highlighted.”

He looked down at it. “Miesville Pack. Alpha Leo Volkov, Luna Adrienne McInnis, Heir Vicki Andersen, Mother Olivia Andersen, Betas Mike, and Anita Winters.”

“And what does this asterisk mean?”

“I was to inform the Security Captain when they arrived. He told me to wave them through and have Ken escort them in.”

“Did you know why?”

“No, sir, not until later.”

“No further questions, Mr. Chairman.”

“Prosecution has no questions,” Albertson said.

Lawrence rose. “The defense rests, Mr. Chairman.”

“Very well. We will stand in recess for twenty minutes, then return for oral arguments.” He banged the gavel, and we all stood as the Council and jury left.

“I’m feeling good about this, love,” I said.

“It ain’t over till it’s over,” Adrienne replied. She squeezed my hand before our guards pulled us apart.

We stood near the rope that divided the spectators from our area. The mood in the room had changed; I could hear people behind me wishing me luck as the guards put the shackles back on. Some even slapped my back or put a hand on my shoulder in support. “This won’t take much longer,” Lawrence said as he reached around to grasp my far shoulder. “OW!”

“What,” I said.

“Someone’s ring cut my finger.” He sucked the blood off before reaching for a handkerchief. “No big deal.”

“We’re going to see if we can get a sandwich or something this time,” I told him the guards led us off towards the kitchen. We were in luck. The same cook had steak sandwiches waiting for us.