Dear Readers,
Please enjoy the 4th installment in this Lyssa and Emmett story.
KemMyst
**********
The court had come back into session with the defense continuing to sing Ronnie’s praises and run down Lyssa. Ronnie was a poor guy who’d had a run of bad luck: thrown out by his girlfriend, followed by losing his job, finding out his ex was a werewolf, got bit by one, and was afraid of what they might do since he won a lawsuit against them and his ex was vindictive. He’d taken to carrying a gun with him cuz who knew if they’d come after him? Yeah, it was wrong of him to have a handgun, but a man had a right to protect himself. They lived nearby after all.
By the time Lyssa had dropped off Ariel, it was closing on lunch time. She hauled back some food for herself, her mate, and their packmate.
Everyone had been surprised to see them back and Randall came from the shop to assure himself of his mate’s health. Ariel was fussed over by some of the other females.
They had a short amount of time to eat before court came back into session. When court returned, it was Ronnie’s father who was called to the stand to testify on his son’s behalf.
He hadn’t really been happy when Ronnie started dating her. She had no family, how had she gotten the money to buy a house? And she didn’t seem to want to keep him happy.
Ronnie had had a good job, made good money. And she never seemed to properly appreciate that. Sure, he had to travel a lot for work.
And, who knew what she was up to while he was gone.
Then, she disappeared. And Ronnie was blamed for that. They thought he had done something to her.
Sure, he was mad. Thrown out by his girlfriend for no good reason. Hounded by the police and questioned for hours when her house burned down. And they couldn’t find her. Time in prison for burning down the house.
It wouldn’t have happened if he had a decent girlfriend. Ron just knew his boy coulda done better. Thank god she never got pregnant.
The wolf expert came next. Dale Connor. Had no degree but had been like what’s his name who lived with the bears and was killed by them. She had spent seven years in Yosemite and Glacier studying the wolf packs there.
The pack’s lawyers had looked up all the information they could find on her. It wasn’t much. She had a blog and that appeared to be her income source.
She showed an inordinate confidence, almost a cockiness, as she took the stand.
“Ms. Connor, are you familiar with the activities and behaviors of wolf packs?”
“I’ve spent years with wolves, learning about the way they act, how they react to threats, how they act towards each other.”
“So, your experience comes from direct observation?”
“Yes. I’ve watched a number of wolf packs over the years.”
“And, what do your observations tell you about the behavior of wolves?”
“Wolves are predators. They hunt, they kill. They ferociously defend their territory.”
“Can you give some examples?”
“I can give you several. I watched a pack chase down and kill a coyote that they had found in their territory. They harried the poor coyote until it was so exhausted it couldn’t put up any kind of a fight. Then three or four moved in and tore it apart.”
“In another instance, a large pack moved into another pack’s territory and drove them off. The second pack had a den full of pups there. The big pack just sat there, not letting the others back. They didn’t go into the nursing den and kill the pups. They just waited for them to die. And then they moved away and let the smaller pack back in.”
“That sounds like vindictive behavior.”
“It does. Wolves are highly intelligent. They plan. They execute complicated missions.”
“Missions?”
“Wolf packs are led by an Alpha pair. They figure out where to go, where and what to hunt, who to go after and when defense is needed.”
The so-called expert continued to expound upon the more bloodthirsty aspects of wolf behavior. Then, it came time for the prosecution to cross-examine.
“Ms. Connor. Do you have a degree in zoology?”
“No, I..”
“Biology?”
“No, but..”
“A college degree of any kind?”
“I went to college.”
“Let the record show Ms. Connor failed to declare a major and was removed from the rolls at Michigan Tech for nonpayment of tuition.”
“But, I..”
“Ms. Connor, how did you come to your study of wolves?”
“My family went to Isle Royale for a camping trip. I really liked listening to the howling at night. I wanted to see them, meet them, get to know them.”
Mr. Jaffe grinned as he turned to the jury. “I might like tigers, Ms. Connor, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to spend years in the jungles with them.”
“Ms. Connor, you say you spent years with wolf packs?”
“Yes, I camped in the area for a long time.”
“What gear did you take with you?”
“What? Um. The usual camping gear.”
“Cameras. Recording equipment. Sampling equipment?”
“Um. My phone and a camera. I was looking at behaviors.”
“And, where is your work published?”
“Um, my blog.”
“No journal article, peer review?”
“Um, no, but I’ve lived with the wolves for years.”
“And how often did you see them?”
“Wolves move quickly and are highly secretive.”
“So, 10 percent of the time, 20, 50.”
“I don’t know, maybe 20.”
“Did you interact with the wolves?”
“Well, um, some of the young ones came over and sniffed me before running back to the aunties.”
“Nothing else?”
“They got into my food and ate all of my jerky, once.”
“So, you didn’t try to pet them, touch them?”
“They never got that close.” She’s starting to sound more and more defensive.
“Let the record show that the two incidents earlier mentioned, the coyote kill and den standoff are National Geographic reports that Ms. Connor was not party to. There is also one report from the Park Service regarding improper interaction with the Lamarr Valley pack.”
I also bring to your attention the, perhaps expected, outcome of Timothy Treadwell’s time spent with bears in Alaska. He was not trained nor did he give these large animals the respect they deserved. Numerous reports of unlawful interactions with the bears. Unfortunately, he and his then-girlfriend were killed by a large male as a result of his hubris.”
“Objection, relevance!.”
“Speaks to the integrity of the witness.”
“I’ll allow it. Get back to the matter at hand.”
“Ms. Connor, how much time have you spent in the company of werewolves?”
“Well, uh, um..”
“I withdraw the question, your honor.”
Ronnie didn’t take the stand in his own defense. The pack lawyer told them it was usually because his lawyer thought it was a bad idea, that he’d do more damage than good.
At that point, the defense rested.
—–
Lyssa was astounded that there was no article about Ariel the next day. She found out that it was discussed earlier in the courtroom as the defense attorney thought the judge’s assistance could have prejudiced him. The judge did not recuse himself.
An article might come out during the trial, but Lyssa betted it would come out after it was over, along with interviews of the jurors.
The lawyers for the prosecution were relying on only 4 witnesses – Lyssa, Emmett, Mercy, and the sheriff who had witnessed the bullets being removed from both Jamie and Mercy. They decided against Dr. Worthy. There was nothing substantive he could add to the proceedings.
The order was determined to be Emmett first, followed by Lyssa, the sheriff, ending with Mercy. They wanted to end with the biggest impression and a young, teenaged girl who had been injured would garner a lot of sympathy, particularly with the women on the jury.
Emmett had been educated in the procedures of the human court system. He was called forward and, after a brief squeeze of Lyssa’s hand, strode forward, confidently. The bailiff approached him with the bible.
The judge addressed him. “Mr. Forrester, do you believe in God?”
“No.” [Sir. Best to show respect.] “No, sir.”
“Place your left hand on the book and raise your right hand.” Emmett complied. “Do you swear to tell the truth and the whole truth, so help you?”
“Yes.”
“Please be seated in the witness box.” Emmett sat in the chair, which groaned slightly. He was wearing a nice pair of charcoal pants and a light blue button down shirt. Everyone looked at him with interest. This was supposed to be a verified werewolf. The pack’s lawyer approached him.
“Please state your full name for the court.”
“Emmett Forrester.”
“You are the husband of Ron Wilson’s ex-girlfriend, Lyssa Baker. Is that correct?”
“Mate. Yes.”
“Excuse me?”
“We are mated. It is the equivalent of a human marriage.”
“You are a werewolf, Mr. Forrester?”
“Yes.”
“Born or made?”
“I was born werewolf.”
“And, how long have you known Lyssa Baker?”
“Forrester. She is Lyssa Forrester now.”
“Ah, yes. I stand corrected. How long?”
“Just over six years.”
“And, how did you meet?”
“I was injured in a fight and crawled onto her back porch. She tended my wounds, fed me.”
“And Ron Wilson, how did you meet him?”
“He came to her house next evening for dinner.”
“What did he think about you being there? Another man in his girlfriend’s house?”
“I was wolf at the time but he wasn’t too happy about it.”
“I see. And did you witness the altercation that ended their relationship?”
“Yes.”
“Please tell the court what you saw.”
“I guess he’d been gone on a business trip. Lyssa mentioned that she hadn’t seen him in a while. She made some steaks for the grill. He started drinking as soon as he got there. Got a phone call while the steaks were cooking and burned the steaks. He got another as she was cleaning up the meal.”
“He tipped a warm beer into the bowl she had given me for water. Thought it was funny. Lyssa was not amused.” He looked at his mate and smiled. She smiled back.
“Mr. Forrester? The argument?”
“They went inside the house and he locked me out.”
“So, you didn’t see what happened that evening?”
“No. I did. It was summer and I watched through the window. It was open.” A breath. “He wanted sex, grabbed her breasts while she was washing up, pressed his groin against her. He started to undress her.” He closed his eyes briefly. “She told him to get a condom and he refused. When she said no he shoved her down onto her knees and pressed her into oral sex.” Another deep breath.
“And that was the reason for the breakup? Oral sex?”
“Yes. No. That was part of it but that wasn’t what finally did it.”
“No? Then what did?”
“He held her head, controlled her, and when he came, he held her face against his crotch. She tensed up and started pushing against him, clawing at his thighs. She couldn’t breathe.”
“So, what did you do?”
“I got ready to go through the window and knock them apart. I howled and that startled him. She pulled away, gasping and coughing. As soon as she could speak again, she ordered him out.”
“He didn’t want to leave but she finally got him out of the house. He wasn’t happy about it and they argued while she told him to leave and not come back.”
“Did it get physical?”
“No. They barely raised their voices. He made a lot of noise driving away in his big truck.”
“And, what did she do?”
“She locked up the house after she let me in and huddled on the couch. She was afraid of him.”
“Did she say that?”
“Yes. She talked to me, seemed to take comfort in the fact that I was there. She smelled of fear.”
“She smelled of fear?”
“I was wolf. People sweat things that have a certain odor when they’re scared.”
“Did Mr. Wilson return to Ms. Baker’s house?”
“Yes. It was a couple of days later. He came to the door, yelling.”
“And what happened?”
“Lyssa was mad, scared, and yanked the door open. He was drunk, yelling, threatening. He had a crowbar. I got between them, snarling. He swung and hit me in the ribs. He kept yelling, threatening both of us. He meant to kill me to get to her.”
“Objection. Speculation on intent.”
Emmett looked at their lawyer, confused. “The witness is instructed to restrict himself to the facts without speculating on the defendant’s intent.”
“Please refrain from guessing what the defendant was thinking and just tell the jury what happened.”
“He said he’d get to her when he got rid of me.”
“What happened next?”
“He swung the crowbar again, but the tines got caught in the rug. I bit him, in the arm. No, actually, I think that was before he hit me.”
“Take a moment, Mr. Forrester. Was it before or after?”
Lyssa held her breath as Emmett closed his eyes. “He came to the door, yelling. Lyssa pulled the door open. He was at the door, drunk, holding the crowbar. I got between them and he ripped the screen door open. I jumped up and bit him on the arm and he yelled and hit me in the side with the crowbar. They were arguing and I got between them again when he swung again. The tines caught in the carpet and I forced him backwards out of the door. She slammed the door shut and he left, yelling threats.”
“Did you encounter Mr. Wilson after that?”
“Not until he came onto our range after my mate.”
“You never went to see him? Warn him away from Ms. Baker?”
“No.”
“Go after him for threatening your son?”
“No.”
“Do you have anything else to add?”
“I didn’t like him.”
The lawyer smiled and dropped his head. “Thank you, Mr. Forrester. Your witness, Mr. Brody.”
The judge cleared his throat “Excuse me, gentlemen. We’ll adjourn an hour for lunch before cross examination. Court will resume at 12:50.” The gavel came down and Emmett jumped slightly.
The jury filed out into another room and some of the few spectators walked out. There was murmuring amongst several of the others. Ronnie was led out through the door he had previously entered by, flanked by two guards. His family stood, Ron Senior glaring at her from across the aisle, before exiting.
Lyssa blew out a breath as Emmett joined them. Granted it had only been 3 hours but they were unused to sitting still for so long. All three wanted nothing more than to move, to run.
But, there was nowhere to go. The courthouse was surrounded by protestors, both for and against. There were a couple of other trials going on, and the courthouse was fairly small so the halls were pretty crowded with people. About all they could do to burn off some energy was to circle the courtroom. The bailiffs watched them suspiciously as they moved.
——-
They circled the seats a few times, conversing quietly, or silently. Alex and Emmett both showed some frustration at the pace of the proceedings. Lyssa had told them it could last weeks to get through. They didn’t eat, which was also a bit suspicious in the bailiffs’ eyes. Wolves didn’t necessarily need to eat three meals a day and, when they did eat, could consume a lot in one sitting. While they didn’t need to eat, they would feel hunger which could make them understandably cranky. Lyssa produced some jerky and handed it off to Emmett, who would need to maintain his composure during cross-examination.
People started filing back in to the courtroom as the hour drew to a close. There weren’t many spectators allowed as the judge meant to keep the court from becoming too much of a circus. While there was the required court reporter and a sketch artist. There were no news reporters or cameras in the courtroom; they were kept outside. So, the few seats were filled and the jury returned to their box. Ronnie was brought in as the lawyers took their places. Then, of course, came the judge.
“Mr. Forrester, please.” He gestured to the witness box. Emmett stood, sighed, and returned to the seat beside the judge. “You are still under oath, Mr. Forrester.”
The Wilson lawyer stood and approached the bench. Emmett stifled a growl.
“So, you’ve been a werewolf all your life?”
“Yes.”
“And how long it that?”
“Objection. Relevance?”
Before the judge can respond, the lawyer moved his hand in a never-mind gesture, “Withdrawn. Mr. Forester, what color are you when you look like a wolf?”
“I am a grey wolf. The color of my hair now, as you see it.”
“And Mr. Wilson believed you to be a dog when you met?”
“Yes.”
“Ms. Baker also had no idea that you were a werewolf?”
“She realized I was a wolf the day Ron Wilson came back with the crowbar and found out that I was a werewolf that afternoon.”
“And, how did that come about?”
“Which?”
“Excuse me?”
“That I was a wolf or that I was a werewolf?”
The lawyer looked at him debating on whether he was being smart. “How did she discover that you were a werewolf, Mr. Forrester?”
“She was exhausted, mentally, emotionally. So she took a nap. She let me in the bedroom and I got onto the bed beside her while she slept. And I shifted and curled up behind her. When she woke, I was in human form.”
“And how did she respond to that?”
“Not well. She was understandably afraid of the strange, naked man in her room. She kicked me in the nuts.” The entire room chuckled. The women in the jury had a knowing look. “Since she was so scared, I changed back to wolf.”
“In front of her?”
“No.”
“And she believed you were a werewolf?”
“It took a while for it to sink in but, yes.”
“I’d like to see that transformation, please.”
“Objection. The witness is not on trial here.”
“Gentlemen, approach the bench please.”
The lawyers stood in front of the judge. A discussion ensued, which the wolves, of course, could hear clearly. The judge asked the prosecuting attorney if he’d had seen the change. He hadn’t. And, since the trial hinged upon the fact that a young man had been shot and killed while in wolf form, the judge deemed it necessary to see the change. Their lawyer asked if all his witnesses had to prove the ability to change form and did they have to do it in front of the entire court? The judge decided that a demonstration to the jury, the lawyers, and the judge would be sufficient. The judge leaned over and asked Emmett what was needed for the change. Emmett told him that he would have to be naked to do so and that he would prefer to have a screen of some sort between him and the jury as he changed. While nudity was not a problem for them, he was not among the pack.
They hadn’t shown anyone the change, or how long it took. The council had decided that it would be best to keep some of their abilities hidden from the humans. However, the lawyers had told them that it would be likely that they may be requested to show their wolf form, particularly since the trial hinged on that, and that they would likely be held in contempt of court if they didn’t agree. Contempt might mean that they could be jailed until they complied.
Trapping or containing a wolf in a small space wasn’t a good idea. Wolves would get anxious and might go a bit crazy when held that way. It was an extreme punishment for them. But, that wasn’t known to law enforcement and would be another suit – what constituted cruel and unusual for them.
It took some time to set up the room where the jury would make their decision so that the demonstration could take place. A couple of cubicle walls had been set up in the corner of the room, with a chair so that Emmett could undress and have someplace to put his clothes.
Lyssa worried that someone might freak out, or get upset. As long as no one had a gun, or tried to stab him, he should be OK. But wolves were predators, and engendered fear in most humans, and Emmett was a damn big wolf. [Just move slowly so no one gets too scared when they see you.]
[I understand, mate. I’ll be careful of the little humans.]
Lyssa shook her head; he knew how to handle himself around humans, he just didn’t do it when he was a wolf. She also knew that some of the jurors, heck, even the judge or the lawyers, would make some good money saying that they saw a werewolf shift forms. No one was going to have cellphones in the room, but the descriptions and their reactions would be gold to the press.
Emmett took a deep breath and began to disrobe. Shoes and socks, shirt, pants and underwear. Another sigh and he started to change. It was an uncomfortable situation. He was in a room full of strangers, a couple with guns. These people didn’t understand wolf behavior and he was, as one would expect, a large wolf. He knew some of the people in the room would be afraid of him and it might not take much for someone to misunderstand his actions.
He was only supposed to come out from behind the screen and approach the judge.
The screen didn’t go all the way to the ground and they were all looking intently at the bare feet in the gap at the bottom. The feet grew thinner, smaller and grey hair sprouted from the skin. Two more feet showed up in front of the other two and more hair. It didn’t take long or, at least, it didn’t seem to.
A nose came out from behind the screen, higher up than was expected. Grey fur covered it. The muzzle went up slightly as the animal sniffed the air. Another step forward, and a third. It looked around the room, particularly at the bailiffs, then stepped further out.
Nobody shrieked, or panicked. Everyone else seemed to be utterly enthralled by sight of the animal. It was a huge wolf. Of course, no one in the room had ever been so close to one before, so maybe they misjudged the size.
Stepping forward slowly, the wolf approached the judge. Its ears were back slightly, tail a bit low. As it got closer, the judge actually drew back slightly. The animal then sat in front of him, looking at him. They were just about eye to eye.
“Mr. Forrester? Do you understand me?”
The wolf dipped its head.
“Do you see the woman in the red sweater?”
After scanning the room, the wolf shook its head.
“No?” Another shake. “The woman with the dark, curly hair?”
A dip of the head. “Please sit in front of her.”
The wolf moved to the front row of jurors and sat in front of the woman with the red sweater. She cocked her head and started to reach out, like she was going to pet him. He pulled back and she jerked away. The bailiffs suddenly went on alert, touching holsters. The judge put out a hand to stop them.
“Thank you, Mr. Forrester. Please go change back to your human form.”
“Judge Kohler?” The jury forewoman.
“Yes?”
“Can we look behind the screen so that we know it’s not a trick?”
“Mr. Forrester, in front of me, please.” The wolf went back to sit in front of the judge and they all filed over to look behind the screen. There was no door there, just a chair with some clothes on it. A couple knocked on the walls to be sure. They all went back to their seats.
The wolf looked at the judge, who nodded at him, and it went back behind the screen to change back.
Emmett put himself back together after letting Lyssa know he was OK. As he stepped out from behind the screen again, the judge cleared his throat. He looked at the judge. “Mr. Forrester, do you see the woman in the red sweater?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Point to her, please.” Emmett pointed her out. “Why couldn’t you tell where she was when you were a wolf?”
“Wolves do not see all colors. Our vision is pretty much on the blue end of things.”
The judge looked at his watch and the jurors walked back out to the courtroom.
Lyssa was happy to see her mate return, and none the worse for wear. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. The lawyers and one of the bailiffs re-entered as Emmett stepped up to go back into the witness box.
“All rise.”
The judge came back in as the Wilson lawyer stood, tugging his grey suit coat into place. Some of the jurors were whispering. “I see I need to remind the jury that you are not to discuss this case amongst yourselves until you retire to the room to determine the innocence or guilt of the defendant.” They all looked up, embarrassed, looking guilty. “I understand you’ve just experienced something extraordinary, but I will have order in my courtroom.”
The room quieted as he sat and Ronnie’s lawyer approached Emmett. “Mr. Brody.”
He turned. “Sir?”
“In consideration of the time I suggest we adjourn for the day and pick this back up tomorrow.”
He looked a bit annoyed but schooled his expression. “Yes, sir.”
“Mr. Forrester, you will be called back to the witness stand in the morning. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” [Sir.] “Yes, sir.”
“You are excused until then.”
“Thank you.”
“This court is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.” And the gavel came down.
The audience started filing out as Emmett came back to his mate and Alex.
Lyssa wrapped her arms around him. [So, it went OK?]
[Mostly.]
[Mostly? What does that mean?]
[Let’s go home, mate.]
——
It was late afternoon when they got back to the den.
Alex was showing his frustration with the pace of the trial, as was the case with most of the wolves. He growled most of the way home.
Emmett didn’t really understand the process either but realized that it had to work its way through the human court system. In order to more peacefully coexist with the humans, they had to show that they would abide by their rules in those things where their interactions required it. They had, after all, both worked with humans and paid taxes to their government. The people who disliked them, hated them, or mistrusted them discounted any of that and saw them only as evil, or unnatural, and outside of the normal sphere.
They were, of course, different, and were trying to get themselves designated as a sovereign nation, somewhat like the Amish, or the Amerindians. The primary goal here was to govern themselves as they saw fit, punish their own members as necessary, educate the pups as they always had, and to get special consideration when the females were in heat.
All this would mean they had to disclose more than was comfortable to the humans but, outnumbered by thousands, they needed to have some legislated protections in place. States in the west were trying to pass laws that said that anyone who shot a werewolf, thinking that it was just a large wolf, wouldn’t be charged with a crime.
All this, when they were only one of three packs known to exist at that time. There were rumors that there were others, but no one was certain.
——-
Austin had found the location of Wray’s Wraps and had gone by a few times to see when the woman was working.
The name on the tag was Samantha. She smiled at him as he entered.
“Good afternoon, officer. What can I get you?”
Officer? Oh, right, he was in uniform. “Mmmm.” He looked up at the menu, contemplating. And scenting. Yup, definitely the female he smelled at the fair.
The phone rang. “Take your time. I’ll be right back.”
He heard the order placed for three subs to go. And she turned, humming to herself as she pulled out the tortillas and started assembling things.
Her hands were long-fingered, dexterous. She was slim but with some curves that he associated more with human females.
Right. The menu. Veggie. Bleh. Chicken. Eh. Beef. Hmm. With tomatoes and lettuce and onions and some weird sauce. Usually overcooked at these places but he’d see what came out.
She finished making the three and bagged them up then dusted off her hands and looked back to him.
He had been wrong. She had differently colored eyes. One was more greenish. The other was brown. He smiled. “Have you decided, officer?”
“Austin.”
“Officer Austin.” He didn’t correct her. She might have a problem if he announced himself as a Severn.
“How well done is the beef?”
“You don’t like it well?”
“My preference is almost bloody.”
She gusted out a sigh. “I suppose you have to get back to work pretty quickly.”
The change of subject confused him. What was she getting at?
“Excuse me?”
“If you have time to wait a little, I could look and see if we have any that isn’t that well done or get some made up more rare. Unless we get a rush of customers.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“OK, let me look in the back real quick.”
He stood, and mused. He heard her opening doors that sounded like refrigerators and rummaging around.
The door opened and a bell rang. “Just a second.” Doors closing and she came out to deal with the customer who was picking up the order she just made. He stood by, patiently.
As the other customer left and two more walked in, he said, “Don’t worry about it. Just give me the beef with double meat and some tomatoes. No onions, lettuce, or sauce.”
“What kind of wrap?”
“Oh, uh, tomato.”
As she made up his order she said, “If you let us know ahead of time, I can get some meat prepped the way you like.”
He smiled. “OK. Thanks.”
He pulled out his wallet and she waved him off. “No, it’s OK.”
He put a twenty on the counter. “No, it’s not. I pay for what I buy.”
Austin looked over his shoulder as he walked out; she was looking in wonder at the money.