The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

“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.

********

Alpha Anthony McInnis’ POV

I squeezed Pamela’s hand as the defense rested. “That went better than I could have hoped,” I told her.

“Lawrence kicked ass,” she replied. We stood as the Council Chairmen, and the jury members walked out. It was frustrating not being able to talk to Mom, but the silver collars were in place. No mental communications could get past silver on your body. We were in the front row of the audience, just to the right of the defense table. “Let’s give her some encouragement as they leave.”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.

We moved over towards the table. Mom was standing behind the chair as a guard got ready to put the shackles back on the prisoners. A dozen or so people were moving to the front; they were close enough to the audience that you could touch them if you leaned forward over the rope. The guards had done nothing to stop it during the first break, so more came forward now. “What is Mark Conway doing up here,” I asked her as we waited our turn.

“I don’t know, but he’s heading for Leo.”

“I’m going to find out, get the attention of a security guard. Conway sent wolves to kidnap Vicki. There’s no way in hell Leo wants him around.” She let my hand go, and moved off to the side. I pushed my way around the back of the crowd by Mom and over towards the group by Leo. I watched as Mark pushed his way between two other Alphas, his left hand reaching out towards Leo.

As his hand came down towards his neck, Beta Lawrence’s arm went around Leo’s back. Instead of slapping Leo, his hand came down on the lawyers. “Ow,” Lawrence said as he pulled his hand back.

Mark pulled his arm back and turned to walk away. I heard Lawrence say someone’s ring cut his finger as I followed the Stillwater Alpha out of the room. He pulled a ring off his finger and dropped it in a trash can by the door. “Pamela, I think Mark tried to poison Leo. He tossed the ring into the garbage can on the left side of the entrance. Have Security take custody of it, and for Luna’s sake, make sure the security guys don’t let him leave!”

“That bastard! I’m on it,” she said.

Mark went out of the Pack House and across the compound to his quarters for the Summit. He ran inside; I found his car and hid nearby to wait. “Love, it looks like Mark and his Beta are packing to leave. What’s going on with Security?”

“The Guard Captain and Chairman Sanders are on their way to you now,” she said. “They found the ring. It had a needle on it and residual poison and blood. They need to find out what it is, and if there is an antidote.”

That sad excuse for an Alpha HAD tried to kill Leo but screwed up big time. Killing what some considered a rogue Alpha might be swept aside, but not a respected and innocent Pack Beta. “How is Lawrence?”

“He’s at the clinic; whatever it was has already paralyzed his hand. The ring was a miniature autoinjector; when he slapped his hand down, the needle injected its contents.”

I was joined behind the adjoining house by the Guard Captain and Chairman Sanders. “He’s still in there?”

“Yes, sir. He and his mate and Beta.”

“We don’t have much time. We need to know what poison Mark used, while there is still time to save Mr. Fenwick’s life. Are your men in place?”

“Yes, sir. Twenty men have surrounded his building, and two cars are ready.”

The Chairman nodded. “Take him down and keep him alive.”

He nodded and went off; we watched as his men moved forward. They stormed the house from all sides, and thirty seconds later, a man waved us in.

The Beta was in the living room by the luggage, hog-tied, gagged, and silvered. We went up the stairway to where a dozen men were standing around Alpha Mark and Luna Belinda Conway. She was gagged and struggling, and he was defiant as we walked into the room. I moved over to the wall and watched.

“Why the FUCK am I under ARREST,” Mark snarled.

“Assault and Attempted murder,” Chairman Sanders said. “People witnessed you using that poison ring, but you hit Lawrence Fenwick instead of Leo Volkov. Lawrence is a Beta, engaged in official Council business. You’re not walking away from this one.”

“I’m not saying anything.”

“If you care for your mate or your Pack, you should talk now. We have your ring. Lawrence is being checked out by our doctors, and he wasn’t your target. You have a few minutes here to change the narrative before it’s too late to save him, Mark. If it is murder, your fate is cast, and nothing will change it.”

He looked over at his mate; she was pleading with her eyes for him to say something. The guard removed the gag. “You can’t let an innocent man die, Mark!”

His shoulders sagged. “It was all Brenda Petersen’s idea. She offered me fifty thousand to kill Leo.”

“What did you use, Mark?”

“Botulism toxin, a high dose. The paralysis will spread through Lawrence’s tissue until it affects his respiratory system, and he stops breathing.”

The Chairman looked at the Guard Captain, who nodded. “I’ve passed the information to the doctors at the clinic,” the Captain said.

Sanders nodded. “Good. The next question is WHY.”

“Why do I do anything? Revenge and money. Leo killed two of my Pack members, and Brenda Petersen offered me fifty grand to kill him. The best part was that he’d die before you clear him, so even if I got caught, all I did was kill a rogue.”

The Chairman shook his head. “Is there any proof that Luna Brenda paid for the hit?”

Mark shook his head, no. “It happened on the first break. I had to run back here and get the ring, then get back to the trial. Payment would have been after Leo was dead.”

Crap. I wanted that bitch’s head on a pike, and it would be his word against hers. “Fake Leo’s death,” I said.

“What?” The Chairman turned around. “How?”