by Joe Fowler
“Until you can prove it, please abstain from calling the deceased rogues.” The judge’s wording differed from what the lawyer said but the meaning remained the same.
“I understand. Seth, what made you believe them to be rogue?”
“They were antagonistic against our packs. They slashed our packs’ tires, tried to enrage them to the point of fighting, and were surrounding the house with obvious cruel intent on the night we arrived.”
“How can you be so sure they had cruel intentions?”
“We can smell a person’s emotions. The cruelty was very evident when I stepped out of the car.” Seth was following the script well.
“We heard from the prosecution’s witnesses that Josh attacked without provocation. He didn’t give a reason for his attacks. Is their story true?” The people in the courtroom sat forward in their seats wanting to hear this answer.
“They knew very well why he attacked. Josh asked them who their alpha was. When their alpha, who was obviously not a true alpha, spoke up, Josh killed him. The rest of them attacked right after.”
“What did you mean by saying he wasn’t a true alpha?” This wasn’t one of the questions planned but the lawyer told us he wouldn’t ask any questions that were not easy enough for us to answer.
“Generally speaking, a wolf must be at least one hundred and fifty to be strong enough to achieve the alpha traits. That time is spent learning all there is to know about being a werewolf and developing the strength to hold his position. There are certain traits that identify when a wolf is ready to be an alpha. The one calling himself ‘alpha’, this Tim Robbins, was clearly not a true alpha. He was too slow and too weak.”
“You said you are the President’s supernatural advisor. Is that correct?”
“Yes. Since the first meeting of the vampire war in Chattanooga.”
“What did you say when you informed the President of this incident?”
“I told him that we had a delay in our witch hunt because of a pack of rogue wolves. I explained the events leading up to the killing and told him how necessary it was. He understood since I explained the problems of a rogue wolf years ago when he and his military advisors wanted to create wolf soldiers.”
“What was his response?”
“His first words were that he would pardon Josh. I told him not to since so many people would have cried out saying it was unfair. I knew Josh was innocent of any crime. If Josh is convicted of murder, you might as well put me in a cell too. I have killed more rogues than I can count in the same manner Josh did.”
“Just to be clear so there aren’t any questions later, can a rogue wolf be rehabilitated? Is killing the only answer?”
“A rogue stays rogue. They cannot be shown the error in their ways. It is something inside of them that goes wrong when they first turn. Killing them is the only way to stop them.”
“You have admitted to dealing with this problem before. Is there any reason Josh was the one to deal with this alpha instead of you?”
“Josh’s wife, Alicia, is pregnant. This pack put her in danger. Josh took the lead when we got out of the car. If he had not taken action, then I would have and it might be me on trial today. He only did what was necessary.”
“No further questions at this time.” My lawyer sat back down beside me and whispered that Seth did very well.
“Cross-examination?” The judge asked while looking at the prosecutor.
“Yes, your Honor.” The other lawyer stood and approached Seth. “You say you are the one who turned Josh and that it normally takes one hundred and fifty years for a werewolf to become an alpha. Then explain to us, how did Josh become an alpha when he has only been a wolf for three years?”
“The change is different for every wolf. Some are stronger. Some are faster. Some wolves age normally, while others stop aging completely. We have no warning about how any human will turn out when he or she is turned into a werewolf.” Seth explained calmly.
“Then how do you know Tim Robbins was not a true alpha?”
“He was too weak. Besides, he blatantly broke werewolf protocol when they harassed our packs. No real alpha would do that. It was one more reason I knew him to be rogue.” The lawyer paced a little before asking his next question.
“Back to Josh. Was Josh different from other wolves when he first turned?” This was one of the questions we hoped to avoid. We feared the jury finding out about my demon side. This line of questioning would lead directly to that.
“Yes he was. He didn’t look like other werewolves.” Seth knew not to give any extra details but still needed to answer clearly and confidently.
“Was he stronger or faster than normal?”
“Very much so. He was stronger than any non-pureblood that I have ever seen.”
“Define pureblood, please.”
“It is very difficult for werewolves to procreate. With a human it is very hard. With another werewolf, it is almost impossible. On those very rare occasions when two werewolves conceive a child, it is considered a pureblood. The child will grow to be a bigger, stronger, and faster wolf than a wolf that was bitten.”
“Do you know any purebloods?”
“I am a third generation pureblood. Over the years I have met other purebloods but we are becoming more and more rare.”
“Yet you say Josh and his wife, who is also a werewolf, are expecting. Can you give a reason for so many rarities surrounding Josh?”
“Luck? DNA? Coincidence? Fate? As I said before, we have no way of predicting how a wolf will turn out.”
“Have any of these abnormalities ever made you feel suspect of Josh? Were you ever worried that he might turn bad?”
“I worry about that with every human I turn. Josh turned out to look different and he is far stronger and faster than any wolf I ever met. I saw during his first night as a wolf that I would not need to worry about him turning bad. There hasn’t been any reason to suspect him since then.”
“So you readily admit you and Josh are much more powerful than most any wolf you come across.”
“Josh and I are the two most powerful, of any supernatural species. Although this witch we are currently dealing with is right there with us.”
“Then wouldn’t it have been possible to stop Tim Robbins from harming your pack without killing him?”
“Yes, but who would have protected the people of Asheville when we left? He wasn’t as strong as a real alpha but he was a werewolf with a huge pack. The police are not capable of dealing with something like this. Even if they could arrest them, rogue werewolves can’t be reformed. Prison would only give them more humans to add to their pack. How long could a prison hold its prisoners if all of them had been turned into werewolves?”
Seth’s answers seemed to disappoint the prosecuting attorney. He realized he was doing more good for my side of the case than his own. He took a few moments at his table to confer with a colleague before asking his next question. I heard every word. They were going to try and make it out that Seth didn’t agree with the fighting since he didn’t join in. I knew Seth would have a few seconds to prepare since he was hearing this too.
“Our witnesses all say you did not take part in the fight. Can you explain to the jury why?” The prosecutor asked.
“Sure. I have been in these situations many times. Between Josh, Rosalyn, and the fighters of mine and Josh’s packs, I wasn’t needed. I knew Anna, my wife, and Alicia, Josh’s wife, would stay in the house where it was safe. Remember, Alicia is pregnant and not a fighter in the first place. I went straight to the house to protect those two when the fighting started. If one of our wolves got into a bind, I would have moved to help them. I am very happy to say that I wasn’t needed.”
“Were any of your wolves injured?”
“There were broken bones, cuts, and bites but nothing too serious. Werewolves heal very quickly.” Seth explained.
“But according to the numbers, they had you outnumbered. How can you explain that?” The p
rosecution was reaching for anything.
“Josh and Rosalyn could have handled the whole pack by themselves. Our wolves are as noble as they come. They joined in the fight because it was the right thing to do. They are experienced and some of them are well over one hundred years old. That can make a huge difference. Jimmy alone can handle up to three average wolves on his own.” Seth said. I moaned inwardly. Jimmy would be bragging and having a field day with this flattery for days to come.
The prosecution began to talk among themselves again. Of course their whispering didn’t do them any good with all the werewolves in the room. They came to the same conclusion I did. Seth was hurting them with every answer.
“No further questions, your Honor.”
“We will reconvene tomorrow morning where the defense will call their next witness.” The judge banged his gavel and we stood as he left.
Seth was congratulated for doing a great job. My lawyer was very pleased with the way things went today. According to him, Seth’s testimony was the most important. We left the courtroom and went back to the house.
Chapter 13
The next few days were much of the same from the other members of our packs. They told of the harassment and slashed tires. They testified about waiting until they were sure this pack meant real trouble before calling me and Seth to come help.
Our time at the house where we were staying was becoming unbearable. The unspoken tension between packs grew. While all of us wanted me to kill the witch, none of Seth’s pack could stand to see him lose. The nervous energy built on a daily basis. We knew it would happen soon and the closer it came to fight time, the edgier everyone became.
“We need to do something about the packs’ worries. They are going to drive themselves into a frenzy if they don’t let go of some of their energy. They seem more worried about our upcoming fight than we do.” I told Seth when we had a few moments alone. We were driving back from the pizza place with a huge load of pizzas.
“I know. It’s becoming a problem. My biggest worry is there will be fights. You know how high strung Fred and Kyle are. Sarah and Jonathan are too wound up themselves. I’m just not sure what we can do. As old as I am, I’ve never been in this type of situation before.” Seth admitted.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh-oh, that ain’t good.” Seth teased.
“I know we still have to watch out for any humans that might be near, but what if I left with Walt and Rosalyn one night and attacked the witch on my own? Rosalyn could take out the human gunmen, while I killed the wolves and witch.” I looked to Seth to see what he thought of my plan.
“That could work! Let’s talk to Austin first though. We still need to be sure no humans, other than her mercenaries, will be in harm’s way. This might be our solution since she no longer expects it.” Seth grew quiet thinking over the possibilities.
We didn’t discuss the new plan with anyone else. The idea came to me earlier in the day while we were stuck in court. It would keep me and Seth from having to fight as well as making it much easier to get at the witch.
It was late when Austin made his appearance. His spying was a true blessing for us. Since the witch and I could sense the other watching, Austin gave us a decided advantage in the spy department.
“She’s still in her holding pattern. Only now she is in Spartanburg. She is getting more nervous.” Austin began his report. I pulled Austin off to the side with Seth so we could discuss the new plan.
“How many humans would be in danger if I took Rosalyn and Walt and attacked her tonight?” I asked.
Austin’s eyes got big for a moment. Once he was over his shock, he began to think about the situation. I could see him going through the scenarios in his head by his facial expressions. He smiled.
“I think it can be done safely. Her humans are in the rooms on either side of her. The wolves usually work in shifts of two and three. The shift with three wolves starts an hour or two before sunset and are relieved by the other two at dawn. If you can get through the wolves quickly enough, she will be an easy target for you!” Austin clearly liked the idea.
“Rosalyn can watch for the humans and make sure they don’t interfere. I won’t even need to kill the wolves. I can incapacitate them in a moment and have the witch to myself!” I exclaimed, forgetting to keep my voice down. I winced when the others reacted.
“Well, they were going to find out soon enough anyway.” Seth said with a smile. “Come on, we need to tell Rosalyn and Walt. Wait, will you even need Walter?”
“I don’t think so. This could work out great. He was always going to be in danger when the attack happened. This way we can keep him safe too.” I said. This plan was getting better by the minute.
It didn’t take long for Rosalyn and the packs to be happy about our new plan. Rosalyn was sick of this place. She couldn’t join us in the courtroom during the day and we advised her not to stray too far away from me at night since the witch might have a plan to attack her. The packs were good about offering her blood anytime she needed it. She asked Sarah for some when she heard the new plan.
“The more blood I have in me, the stronger I am.” She explained.
I got the directions to Spartanburg. It would only be an hour drive on I-26. We hoped to have the element of surprise. We left the packs with hope if nothing else. They loved any plan that did not include a fight between their alphas.
Rosalyn and I entered the Marriot and headed for the fifth floor. Austin had told us which room she was in. He was supposed to be in there as we approached. He was to tell us if the witch had been alerted to our plan. I turned into my wolf form before I got too close to the door. I nodded at Rosalyn to be ready.
I stood in front of her doorway and began to feel her presence. I kicked open her door, not giving her time to call her guards. The wolves were surprised but only for a fraction of a second. They attacked me and were easy enough to render unconscious. I looked up for the witch only to see her jumping through the window. Gunshots filled my ears. I was about to run for the window when I heard Rosalyn shout from the hallway.
Rosalyn was bleeding from at least twenty bullet wounds and trying to fight off the other two wolves. I knocked the wolves out and we killed the human gunmen. I raced out to the parking lot once I knew Rosalyn was fine. I picked up the witch’s scent and followed it to an empty parking space. I knew how difficult it would be to try and follow one single car’s scent on Spartanburg’s packed roads. This was a busy little town.
I returned to my human form and got dressed. Rosalyn thought to bring my clothes with her when she followed me to the parking lot. We could hear the sirens of the cops approaching. We went back inside the hotel to let the manager know the crises was over.
We spent a couple of hours talking to the cops. Seth called the President and had him clear my actions for the local police. Only the mercenaries were harmed so there would be no trial for this one, although from what Seth said, the President was highly upset about humans being put in this much danger.
We took the werewolves that were under the witch’s control back to Asheville with us. They were very disoriented once we were out of the witch’s range. Their last memories were of being on patrol in Denver. Once we informed them of what happened, they were grateful for their freedom.
Our packs greeted us with obvious sadness in their eyes. It seemed Seth and I were doomed to fight. They welcomed the newly freed wolves and Seth set up the travel plans for these wolves to return home.
“Crystal, I hate to ask but can I have some blood? I needed a lot of healing and it uses up my blood supply.” Rosalyn asked.
“Anytime, Rosalyn. I understand.” Crystal came over and sat next to Rosalyn. Walt stood to give her a place.
“Well it was worth a try anyway.” Seth tried to console me.
“We freed five wolves but Tara will just gather more. I’m sure she will be able to get more humans as well.” I said sadly.
Seth patted me on the back and we
sat in silence. All our hopes were soaring when we thought a better way was possible. Now we pretty much knew the fight was going to happen. I would have to fight the biggest baddest wolf since Ost himself roamed the earth. It was the fact of fighting my mentor, maker, and closest friend that bothered me the most.
Chapter 14
We were just leaving the courthouse after another day of listening to alphas from around the country. They were all telling the same story about rogues. I could see the boredom I felt mirrored on every face in the room. The jury seemed to be barely listening now. My lawyer still swore everything was going very well. Maybe it was, but I would sure be glad once this really bad joke hit its punchline.
The beer flowed more and more freely. It was joined by some friends named Jim, Jack, Johnny, and Jose. Seth and I began to fear a drunken brawl. He reminded me of the reason two packs could not live too close to one another.
“No matter how closely knit two packs seem, after a while they start to become confrontational. Our packs are more like an extended family. That’s the only reason we’ve been able to avoid fights among them this long.” Seth said as we sat on the porch. Almost everyone was out on a run. Alicia and Anna were inside cooking.
“What if we moved one of the packs to another house? That would cut down on the number of wolves the witch could use against us too.” I suggested.
“I’ve been thinking along those lines. It seems the only way to ease the tensions between packs. I suggest moving my pack and Alicia to another house. Or maybe, leaving my pack and Alicia here and the rest of us move to another place.” Seth said.
“I agree. I would say we should leave but would we find another nice cellar for Rosalyn to sleep in?”
“Good point. Now I only wonder if we should call them in and get started or let them run and tell them later.”
“Let’s call them in. There have been too many close calls. Once they see this change, they can relax.” I said. Seth stood to change but I stopped him. “Remember, I can talk to them without turning.”