The Porch Wolf
Verdict

Alpha Anthony McInnis’ POV

I woke early, the sleep inadequate to prepare me for the day. It didn’t matter; the Summit schedule was full, with Alpha mandatory meetings starting after breakfast. I had a heads up on the changes coming, but I couldn’t say anything about them.

It was going to rock the conference when the word got out.

I came back from a shower and kissed Pamela, shaking her to wake her up. “We should get to breakfast early so we can get a good seat,” I told her.

“Ugh… my eyeballs hurt,” Pamela said. “Why did you let me drink so much?”

“I tried to warn you. Never drink with people who are trying to drown out their pain,” I said. It hadn’t been a very successful mating gathering; only four couples emerged. The rest partied most of the night. I handed her a glass of water and some painkillers. “Hydrate, it will help.” She drank it down, then went to take her shower. I dressed and checked my phone for messages. As expected, there were a lot of texts about Leo’s death and asking about my Mom’s health. My idea worked perfectly in establishing Brenda’s guilt, but at a high cost. If it was me in charge, I would have told everyone Leo was alive as soon as Brenda and Mark were dead; at the latest, when their Betas and mates were in custody.

I couldn’t answer much, but I did tell them Luna Adrienne was doing as well as could be expected. My next call was to Olivia’s mate, Brent Lawrence. I could hear his fatigue, and knew he’d barely slept, if at all. “Brent, it’s Anthony McInnis.”

“Hey, Alpha. How is our Luna doing?”

“She’s dealing with it. I’ll have her call when she’s able.” That wasn’t a lie. “How is the Pack handling it?”

“We’re devastated, of course. It’s been a rough time.”

“It will get better.” He grunted, not willing to go there yet. “Have you heard from Olivia, Mike, or Anita?”

“No… aren’t they with you? I got a bunch of photos from the aquarium yesterday.”

“They were driving back here with their security escort when they heard about Leo. With the whole mantle thing, it spooked them. They ditched their escort and disappeared.”

“Fuck,” he said. “You don’t know where they are?”

“Nope. I’ve tried texting them, but they don’t respond, and their phones go right to voice mail.”

“I’ll try again. Call me back in five.” When I did, he wasn’t happy. “I go right to voicemail as well. I got on her computer and used the ‘find your iPhone’ app. They are east of Atlanta. I’ll text you what it’s showing me.”

The pic came through; it was on Panola Road, a few blocks south of the exit. I texted Luna Carolyn, asking where they were stranded. “PANOLA ROAD MCDONALDS OFF I-20,” she texted back.

“They tossed the phones so we couldn’t track them,” I told Brent.

He let out a breath. “Liv will find a safe place before she contacts me. Mike and Anita will keep them safe.”

“I’ll do what I can from down here. Do me a favor? Let me know if they contact you? I just need to know they are all right, and I know Mom will be worried.”

“I will. Take care of your Mom, Anthony. I know she hasn’t been here long, but we all love her. If you need to take her home to help her get over this, just do it.”

“I will. Thanks, Brent.” I hung up as Pamela came out of the bathroom, ready to go. We went down to breakfast, which was a lively affair. The rumors were flying about the Stillwater and Marengo Lake Packs; no one had seen any of the Pack members since about ten last night. Some of the Betas said Security guys pulled John Petersen out of line, and he didn’t come back.

The room went silent as Chairman Sanders walked to the front. “There are a few changes to today’s schedule. In twenty minutes, all Alphas and Lunas are to be in the conference hall. Betas and other staff not on duty are to be here in the dining hall, where the proceedings will be on closed-circuit television. We have a lot to get to, so be on time. Enjoy your breakfast.”

I could see people react, Alphas and Lunas moved to get their food while others stood back, knowing they could eat during the broadcast. “I wonder what they are going to say,” Alpha Doug Winters said as they sat down at our table. We’d become friends with the Winona Pack Alphas during our visit to Miesville.

“I hope they find Leo not guilty,” Luna Jennie said. “He deserves to be sent off as an Alpha, not a criminal.”

“I have a good feeling about the trial,” I said. “Adrienne’s fate is still with the jury.”

“How is she? I can’t imagine losing a mate once, and this is her second,” Jennie continued.

“Coping,” I said. We finished our food and went to wash up before going into the room. The other Alphas had left us our seats behind the defense table, knowing the trial was coming to a close. I shook Beta Fenwick’s hand as he waited, thanking him for his spirited defense.

The room filled as the hour approached. The door to the kitchen opened, and a shackled Luna Adrienne shuffled to the table. As soon as the guards had the shackles off, the bailiff called for us to rise. The jury returned with the Council, and the Chairman gaveled the hearing to order. He wasn’t wasting time. “Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?”

“We have, Mr. Chairman.”

The bailiff took it, and the Council members read it. “In the matter of Leo and Adrienne Volkov, do you uphold the rogue status declaration or unanimously declare them to be Alphas worthy of Council recognition?”

“We find them Alphas worthy of Council recognition, Mr. Chairman.”

The room erupted in cheers, quickly silenced as the Chairman banged his gavel. I pulled Pamela close and kissed her. “The Council thanks the jury for its service. Please remain in your seats. Guards, remove the silver from the defendant.” The guards brought the device up and removed her collar.

“Congratulations, Mom,” I told her family link that I could now establish.

“I’m so proud of you two,” she told us as she sat at the table again.

“Bring in the defendant,” the Chairman said. The door to the kitchen opened again, and a shocked hush fell over the room as Alpha Leo walked in.

“You’re dead,” someone in the back yelled. Leo didn’t respond. He kept his head was high as he walked over to the table. Taking his place next to his mate, Leo kissed her before turning back to the front. The room exploded with people talking and yelling.

“ORDER,” the Chairman said as he banged the gavel. The room instantly quieted. “During the trial, there was an attempt on Alpha Leo’s life. Alpha Mark Conway attempted to poison him using a needle hidden on a ring he was wearing. The attack poisoned Beta Fenwick by mistake. He is alive now because of the observation skills and quick actions taken by Alpha Anthony and Luna Pamela McInnis. Alpha, Luna, please stand. The Council thanks you for your actions.”

I stood holding her hand as the room applauded me. We sat down quickly, wanting to move on.

“Our security staff found the ring and arrested the Stillwater Pack members before they could flee the Summit. We made a deal to find out who had hired him for the job, and as part of the deal, we found the antidote that saved the Beta’s life. Alpha Mark agreed to wear a wire as he met the person who paid him to kill Alpha Leo. Dim the lights, please. The next part is easier to watch than to explain.”

The room went into darkness, and the televisions on the wall came up. It started in the woods, as Luna Brenda approached him. The room watched in stunned silence as they talked about Leo’s murder and the fifty-thousand-dollar payment. There were screams when Mark got stabbed in the heart, and gasps as Brenda killed herself. The lights came back up, and everyone started to talk.

The Chairman let it go for a minute before he gaveled the room back into order. “The leadership of both Packs has been placed in custody pending the completion of an investigation. Are there questions?”

“What are we doing to stabilize those Packs during the investigation,” an Alpha stood and asked.

“We have asked two retired Alpha pairs to step in and provide interim leadership,” the Chairman replied. “Larry and Donna Winters, former Alphas of the Welch Pack in Minnesota, have agreed to take over the Stillwater Pack. Steve and Carla Ingalls of Green Bay have agreed to take over Marengo Lake. The length of their term will depend on the changes required and the availability of suitable permanent candidates. Those interested candidates can notify their Regional Chairs, but no decisions are coming this weekend,” he said.

Wow. Talk about cleaning house! Larry and Donna were Leo’s in-laws, and both Alpha pairs were sticklers for following the laws of werewolves and men. Stillwater was going to be a far different Pack by Monday.

“What about my claim on Vicki Andersen,” Alpha Carl asked.

“There is no valid claim by you,” the Chairman said. “You can’t ‘discover’ a mantled child in the Pack of an Alpha. The only valid claim is by her biological father, Alpha Ivan Volkov of Marengo. That claim is on hold pending the investigation, as Ivan is in custody now. Also, both Vicki and her mother are members of the Miesville Pack. The Council will not force them into another Pack if they choose to remain with Alpha Leo.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman,” Leo said. “I have a question. Where are my Pack members, including Vicki? The Council took them into protective custody on our arrival.”

Chairman Wolfe answered instead. “When word of your ‘death’ reached them, they escaped from the guards and Lunas we had protecting them. They have not made contact with anyone here, and no one has reported seeing them. Their minivan was returned to the agency last night.”

Leo stood to his feet. “Everyone present has heard the Chairman affirm that Vicki Lawrence is my recognized Heir. I don’t need to remind you what the penalty is for attacking an Heir.” He paused for effect. “I do not want anyone chasing after them or attempting to capture them; they are afraid, and this might make them do something stupid. I would ask that all Alphas contact their Packs and share a photo I will provide the Council. If anyone sees them, I would ask that you contact me immediately. Just tell me where they are so our Pack can tell them the truth.”

“The Council affirms your request. If you forward the photo to Chairman Wolfe, he will forward it to all Alphas and Betas in the country.”

Leo turned to us. “Crap, my phone was in the rental car,” he said.

“I have a photo I’ll send the Chairman,” Pamela said as she pulled out her phone. “Done.”

“Two other things,” Leo said. “Someone ordered my five-year-old heir silvered and confined. I want his name, and I want his ass in the ring with me tonight.”

“You can’t kill a member of my Guard,” the Chairman said.

“I won’t kill him, but I will teach him a lesson,” Leo said. “The other is that I would like to withdraw my request to have our mating ceremony here during the Summit. I can’t do that without my family here.”

“Understood, Alpha.” He answered questions for another twenty minutes, then told us to take a twenty-minute break while they rearranged the room.

As soon as they left the room, I leaped over the barricade and embraced my Mom. Leo, Pamela, and others surrounded us as we cried happy tears of relief.

We’d all dodged a bullet.

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