Dear Readers,
OK, a little later with this one than I wanted to be but - be advised, I will finish the story. I dislike stories that just stop as much as you do.
Enjoy,
KemMyst
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The trial loomed large on everyone's minds. It was the biggest trial since OJ and was destined to be precedent setting. The judge forbade the use of cameras; the reporters and the public were not happy. The jurors would be sequestered for the duration, and would not be allowed the use of their cellphones. They weren't happy either. The pack was unhappy; Desiree could spit glass. It was taking forever, months. Within the pack the situation would have been 'resolved' long ago. Alex and Desiree would have had their vengeance, taken out their rage on Ronnie. He would have died bloody and screaming.
Ronnie was not happy. Stuck in an 8 by 10 cell, out for an hour a day. Eating crap. That bitch had led him on. He wished he'd never met her; she was all that had gone wrong in his life.
So who was happy? Bloggers, conspiracy theorists, junior partners. Were lovers. The ACLU. Lyssa. A little. Ronnie would go away forever but Jamie was dead.
Ronnie had been indicted on the charges of manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, gun possession by a felon, and trespassing. He'd already done 4 years for arson since he'd torched Lyssa's house shortly after Emmett had taken her to the den. She'd disappeared and they thought he'd likely killed her but they, of course, had had no evidence.
He was being held in the county jail under half a million dollars bail. He was considered a flight risk. His GoFundMe page had gotten as high as $24,000; not enough to get him out. And, while they were charging a lower rate because of the publicity and groundbreaking nature of the case, the lawyers needed money too. His family had only managed to scrape together enough for a retainer. So, he had languished in jail, awaiting trial.
Because of the disclosures required by both sides they had found out that Ronnie had gotten the gun from a woman named Jenna, who had been in their circle of friends before Lyssa broke up with him. Most of them had been Ronnie's friends, as she hadn't had many, and had sided with him.
Jenna was facing charges as a result.
Analysis of the bullets taken from Mercy and Jamie's body showed them to be of a caliber consistent with the weapon in question and comprised of a silver alloy. That provided the prosecutor with additional 'ammunition.'
The trial started on a Tuesday.
Ronnie, of course, sat at one of the tables before the bench, having been dressed in a pair of black trousers and a dark blue polo shirt.
Desiree and Alex growled at his entrance and watched him with unerring interest.
The lawyers alone sat at the prosecution's table. Mercy was a minor and Alex and Desiree were considered too volatile to sit up front. Lyssa sat beside Desiree, Emmett beside Alex. They would provide restraint, if needed. The Alphas could not be risked here so Emmett, Beta of the pack, could command.
Lyssa looked at the judge, male, on the young side. The prosecutors were generally pleased that the case had been assigned to him. As for the jury, six of the women were in their 50s or older, the other two looked to be in their thirties. The men were younger, in their 30s to 40s. The foreman, fore-woman, had long brown hair with some grey in it, large rimless glasses, a pad in her hand, surveying them with interest. She caught Lyssa's gaze, her eyes flicked to Desiree, and then to Ronnie. She wrote something down. Hmm.
Opening statements then, beginning with the prosecution. The burden of proof was on them, so they started. "Yes, Ron was alone at night on the highway. But why did he leave his car? He was safe there."
It was because he had a personal grudge against a werewolf. Emmett had been there when his girlfriend had kicked him out. Had been there to keep him away from her. Had spirited her away."
And that girlfriend, Lyssa, had become a werewolf, married a werewolf, had a child with him."
Ron was vindictive. Had violent tendencies. Had been convicted of burning down Lyssa's house."
He wanted to get back at her and what better way than to kill her husband?"
He'd even had a gun loaded with silver bullets."
The prosecution would show that Ron Wilson was a spurned lover who, with premeditation and malice aforethought, planned to kill his rival.
The defense came next. Ronnie, having learned about the presence of werewolves and, knowing that his ex was one, was understandably concerned for his welfare. So, he got a gun. A crime, to be sure, but something any reasonable human being might do. Out for a drive, he pulled over, got out to stretch his legs when he was approached by a pair of large wolves.
He defended himself.
Desiree jumped up, growling "Liar!" Lyssa grabbed her arm to keep her from jumping the rail.
The judge called out, "That woman will be removed from the courtroom. The jury is instructed to ignore her outburst."
Lyssa turned to her. "Desiree, you have to leave this room or he'll lock you in a cage."
Desiree growled, low in her chest, "He's lying."
[You need to stop. You can't say these things here.]
[He is. He's lying about Jamie, about Mercy.]
"Bailiff!" Lyssa held a hand up, knowing Desiree was very on edge and liable to snap. The man had his hand on his gun.
"Please, don't grab her. I'll take her out." The judge and staff had been cautioned not to interfere with the wolves unless deadly force was necessary. And, while it was unusual for witnesses to be in the courtroom, concession had been made for the Betas to maintain control of their pack mates but they were only allowed a total of 4 in the room. [Please, Desiree. Don't make things worse. We have to leave the room. They will shoot you.]. The bailiff was breathing quickly, heart pounding, afraid.
Desiree closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and allowed Lyssa to lead her out. She walked stiffly. The bailiff, judge, jurors, and spectators watched curiously. The bailiff faced Emmett and Alex, wary.
Emmett, meanwhile, was having a silent conversation with Alex. While seething, he was outwardly calm. The courtroom watched, but heard nothing and wondered what was going on between them as they seemed so very intent on each other.
The judge gave them a weighty, considered look. "The defense may continue."
The lawyer cleared his throat and backed up. "As I said, he was approached by a pair of wolves. Large. Enormous. He defended himself..."
He went on for some time, feeding fears as reasoning for the shooting. A man alone, on a back road some distance from any houses, watching monsters emerge from the woods. If bears were capable of pulling open car doors and getting into and destroying cabins, who knows what these huge animals would be capable of. They were secretive and hadn't told them everything about themselves. He swung, pointing at Emmett and Alex, and took a deep breath.
Then deflated, he had started down the road of making the prosecution's argument. He took a bit to get back on track and finished up while Lyssa drove Desiree to meet up with Paul, who took her, still growling, back to the den.
Lyssa returned to the courtroom to get Emmett and Alex since opening statements were over and court adjourned for the day. She was most likely to understand what was going on and would need to explain it to the pack.
Court adjourned for the day. The defense would begin their arguments the next day.
The pack's lawyers had a list of the witnesses including Ronnie's father, his previous employer, and some friends. Most concerning, because she was an unknown quantity, was the wolf expert they were calling in.
The pack had wondered why Lyssa wasn't on the list.
The lawyer, Jaffe, explained that was because she would be called by the prosecution and could be cross-examined by them.
Lyssa and Emmett had spent a lot of time with the lawyers, who had questioned them on the breakup, 'disappearance', the burning of her house. Then came discussion of pack life, their 'marriage'. Lyssa and Emmanuel's meeting with him on the Day of Discovery was examined in detail. Along with the trial transcripts for the lawsuit against them. Ronnie'd gotten damages for emotional distress after Emmanuel bit him while defending his mother. That had led to the disclosure that they didn't have the ability to make someone a werewolf when they were in wolven form. While that had lessened anxiety in many, it hadn't eliminated it since it was obvious that they could do it somehow. People were still worried about the presence of these predators in their midst.
Lastly, of course, were questions and examination of the night of the attack. Mercy spent a couple of sessions with them, explaining what had happened to her and Jamie. As a minor, her mother, who was nervous herself in the presence of so many humans, had been with her.
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Andrew had pinpointed her haunts. The gym. The bar. Her apartment.
It surprised him that she was here alone, without a pack. But, then again, he was, too. In all actuality, they might be safer scattered as opposed to clustered together in big groups.
There was one thing he hadn't found yet. Where she ran. Where she let her wolf free. While dark alleys and early hours would provide some cover and time, a wolf needed, had to have, wildish places to run. Grasses, bushes, trees. Small animals, and not so small, to hunt. Rain, wind, sunshine. A park. A nature preserve. Something.
She had been normally observant but, as she scented him more often, he noticed her become more vigilant.
Before he spooked her completely, he figure he'd better introduce himself. The question was, where? Certainly not at the apartment - you didn't encroach on another's den uninvited. The gym or the bar? He finally decided on the bar. If he accidentally interrupted her during a fight she'd be pissed.
So, it was a Thursday night when he watched her and a couple of the men walk down the street to the bar, "Don't Fight it." He circled the block twice before going in himself. When he opened the door, all eyes turned to him and he hesitated. Taking a breath, he entered the small place and walked to an empty chair at the back end of the bar that gave him a view of the door and the rest of the space. She was at a small table near the back with her back to the wall.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw her surprise as she scented him. Her eyes went wide as they flicked to him.
Andrew sat calmly, watching the fight on the television, ignoring her and her companions. He would not approach her tonight; he simply wanted to make her aware of him and show that he was not a threat.
Tina was very surprised to see the wolf that had been lurking about her area. She lost focus as she caught his scent when he went by.
"Earth to T. Hey, you know that guy or something?"
"Huh, uh, no. Just reminds me of someone."
"So, you think Jasper's gonna make finals?"
