Cullen sat in his office staring out the window. He was still trying to wrap his brain around the latest information he had received. Originally he had believed that the raids his southern border was suffering were perpetrated by the La Rayne. Stephen La Rayne, alpha asshole, of that pack had always been trouble. When he wanted to torment the human population he had a tendency to do it on other people's land so that the branch of the American government that periodically monitored and helped to hide the lycan population would blame someone else.
Cullen had been in the process of explaining to the feds that he knew about the raids, they weren't originating from his pack, and he was in the process of getting the situation under control. "Muin," he swore as he looked over the reports that showed the raids moving closer and closer to the city. That wasn't like La Rayne. He didn't go any farther than he had to and he didn't chance his men getting caught, which was a distinct possibility of going too deep into someone else's territory.
At the moment the reports were scattered. The raids involved "animal-like men breaking into and searching buildings" in various locations. But he didn't know what they were looking for or why. He also was confused by the "animal-like" description. When it was lycans the description involved terms like wolf or large dog. The implication was that the raiders were lycan.
The knock on the door had Cullen turning to see who was wanting to talk to him. Most everyone had been avoiding him like the plague considering his mood lately. "Come," he called angrily.
Keith stepped into the room. He walked over to a chair in front of Cullen's desk and sat down without being asked. He was one of a very few lycans who didn't care about Cullen's mood. Keith had been friends with the man too long to fear the mighty General Cullen Arnauk. "I've got word," he said as he propped his feet up on Cullen's desk.
In an odd way Keith's disrespect and nonchalance made Cullen feel better. "So?"
Liam and Serra just got back from their little espionage mission. "From what they heard the raids are originating from a group that has pretty strong affiliation with the Circle." Cullen was speechless. Keith smiled. He knew that would come as a shock. "I knew you'd like that," he chuckled. "When was the last time the druids came out of hiding?"
"I don't even remember. The real druids disappeared after Rome. Coach," he swore under his breath. "I can only assume you mean the real druids and the real Circle."
Keith nodded. "Yup, the real Circle. So the real question is what do they want?"
Cullen's gaze drifted off into space as he considered the improbability of the situation. "Whatever they're after must be pretty significant for them to come out of hiding after all these centuries. Hell, even if they want something, raiding isn't the way they used to deal with things. Live and let live and all. The Circle I knew allowed themselves to be killed off and assimilated because they believed that was the way of things."
"Yhea, well look at it this way," Keith said, "if all the druids believed that was the way of things then there wouldn't be any left. Whoever is calling themselves the Circle at this point survived somehow and chances are that means that some of them didn't necessarily believe in the way of things."
Cullen agreed with is friend. "Okay so the Circle is behind the raids. But who or what is doing the raiding?"
"That we haven't really found out yet. No one has really seen anything other than the aftermath and 'animal-like' shadows. But from the sounds of it and from some research that Granad did we think it might be big cats of some kind. The Circle originally made lycans as guardians. If they're looking for something they're probably using hunters who are less likely to care about rules or trade loyalty for each other over loyalty for their creators the way we did. The raiders have been strong, have claws like you wouldn't believe, are quick, quiet, and managing to blend in and disappear. I'm guessing panthers, leopards, tigers, lions or some such. Hell maybe a combo. That would eliminate the possibility of a unified pride. You know how much the were-cats hate interbreeding. Wouldn't want to chance a mutt."
"Sounds like you've thought this out pretty thoroughly," Cullen said, feeling like he hadn't contributed at all.
"Well, Serra, Granad, Liam and the rest of us have noticed your distracted and we kinda get it. We're doing our best to get this monkey taken care of so that maybe the mating business won't be so overwhelming." Keith shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Actually we've been talking about that too."
"What," Cullen asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously on his friend.
"The mating. We just wanted you to know that the pack at large, at least those of us high enough in rank to have a countable opinion," Keith looked at Cullen sympathetically, "don't think it's necessary."
"You don't." Cullen leaned back in his chair. It was obvious that no amount of glaring was going to have any effect on Keith.
"No. The way we figure it, if Gregorius gets his hands on the alpha spot in the Tairneach then we get into a fight. So what? We've been at peace so long some of our guys are forgetting to watch their own backs. Maybe it's time again."
Cullen sighed. Keith thought he looked a lot older all of a sudden. "Thanks, but I put a lot of effort into what little peace we have. Besides, the last thing we need is another clan war. The feds would be all over us. I for one don't want to go through that again."
"But Jenna Tairneach?" Keith said with some disgust.
"Yhea, Jenna Tairneach. It's not like there are any other women higher up on my list," Cullen lied.
When Cullen's eyes dropped to his desk at that last comment Keith growled his frustration at his friend's behavior. "Whatever," he said in annoyance. "I would have thought even Celia a better match for you than that galla Jenna, but what do I know."
"Enough, the mating ceremony is tomorrow. Everything is set. I expect you and all the others to be at the manor on the reservation same as the Tairneachs will be. I just want to get it overwith."
Keith nodded and stood up from the chair. "Any other orders General?" He asked with a salute.
Cullen turned back to the window in dismissal. Another move that was totally unlike him when interacting with his friend. Keith stormed out angry that Cullen was being such an ass and not even willing to look into other options.
***
Aislinn stood in the courtroom. Derrick was looking at her luridly from behind the prosecution's desk with his attorney. In the end Aislinn hadn't been able to afford much. She had at one point considered asking Lord Arnauk for help, but decided that no matter how good his lawyers probably were there was no way he would help her out after what she'd said to him that night.
Aislinn had asked Luke and Renee to testify on her behalf but no one had been willing to lose their job. So with her cut price lawyer and no witnesses the only thing she had to go on was the fact that she was half Derrick's size and didn't have enough money to hire a hitman. Her defense had been based on that and Derrick's previous history of sexual harassment.
Aislinn stood in there waiting for the verdict and hoping that if she lost she'd have a fine and wouldn't have to go to jail and possibly lose her job. At the same time her premonitions were telling her that she wasn't safe in her apartment and there wouldn't be a place much safer than behind bars and being watched in jail.
It's always good when jail becomes a good alternative to life,
she thought with tears in her eyes.
Finally the judge came back into the courtroom. Everyone stood and then was told to be seated and then the defendant was asked to stand. Derrick was grinning as judge found Aislinn guilty of battery as a misdemeanor. She was fined $500.00, which to her sounded like a fortune, but at least it wasn't jail time.
On her way out of the courtroom Derrick caught her and cornered her in the hall. She felt completely defenseless. What could she do? Hit him again? "Get out of my Derrick," she said with a tired but angry voice.
He grinned. "You should have just played along with me. If you want your job back I'll pay off your fine and we can find a way for you to work it off somehow." He chuckled at that.
Aislinn looked around the hall and happened to catch the eyes of a courtroom guard who was standing near the doors. The man in uniform came over to her. "Do you need some help miss?"
"Yes," she said in such a grateful relieved voice that the guard almost arrested Derrick on the spot. "I just want to leave and he's... Well, he's..."
The guard got the point and gave Derrick a look that caused the man to back off and allow Aislinn to move hurriedly down the hall. Derrick smiled at the guard, knowing there really wasn't anything he had done that the guard could do anything about at this point. He hobbled out of the courtroom on his crutches thinking that he wasn't done with Aislinn yet.
***
Rafe watched from the back of the courtroom.
This is better than I thought it'd be. I don't think she could be pushed much lower,
he thought.
The last time Rafe had seen Aislinn she was full of fire. She had fought him like a hell cat to get away. But he knew he'd track her down again. For now he was content to let her stew. It was obvious that the atmosphere of her life here was wearing on her. He wanted her to the point that when he offered her help she would come to him out of lack of any other alternative. This court case had totally blown her cover. If there was one type of record you couldn't keep undercover it was a police record. Rafe's contacts regularly kept track of police records. The minute Aislinn's name came across his desk and in the same area he was already headed he knew he'd get his chance with her again. But he was patient and had more important things to attend to for now. If she had ended up in jail he would have done something about that. But she could handle a fine. Besides, from what he had been told she was working for the Arnauk and that might come in handy in the end.
***
