Part Ninety-Four

Neither John nor Richard found anything suspicious in Marrick’s records. He had no enemies, and was well liked at work. They led a normal life and there was no reason to think it wasn’t a home invasion gone wrong. Malachi had sighed at this and said that it still confused him that Marrick could be caught off guard.

I woke up as I heard the sliding door open downstairs. As I opened my bedroom door, Malachi stood behind it and put his finger to his lips. We remained quiet and crept down the hall towards the stairs.

The smell was wolf and foreign. We went down the stairs as quietly as we could. I turned the corner and was struck by a fist full in my face. I went down as another man jumped Malachi and they were grappling in the dark. I was up on my feet again and grabbed the man by his arm. I pulled with all my strength and threw him over my shoulder. He landed with a thud on his back.

He was quick, I had caught him off guard. He faced me with his fists raised when the light in the kitchen went on and John Whitcombe cleared his throat.

“Stand down men. Malachi Sinclair, long time no see old friend,” John Whitcombe said to Malachi. Everybody knew John Whitcombe, it did not bode well for us that he was in our house. We were going to be taken. I put my raised arms down and looked at my attacker defiantly. He was a bit shorter than me but had a bigger build.

“John, what an unpleasant surprise. You have come to take us, I gather. If I may ask, on what charges?” Malachi smiled at him.

“Oh Malachi, ever so polite. The charges were filed four days ago by Ramos McGuire and his wife Juniper Kinkaid as co-complainant. Kidnapping and murder as their side of the story goes,” John informed us.

“But…” I had started to speak when Malachi interrupted me.

“Kiran, there are proper procedures for these things. John we shall accompany your men of our own free will to clear this matter and our good name,” Malachi finished.

“I could hardly believe my ears when this outcast made his claim, but the truth seeker has found truth in what both of them had to say and therefore, you know how it goes from here. We have to take you in and start the tribunal,” John finished.

He gave us time to go back upstairs and get dressed and to wake Karani and Adara. I could only assume that other men were at James’s house right this moment, also taking them in.

“Adara, wake up. It’s time to go,” I said, shaking her lightly. She always slept like the dead.

“It’s still night out…” she complained while rubbing her eyes.

“The Council has come for us. Get dressed, we have no choice but to go with them,” I said to her.

She was wide awake now and scared. She had read numerous stories in the lupiaries about the Wolf Council and how most of their tribunals ended…in death.

When Adara and I finally got downstairs, John was sitting at the counter while Karani made him coffee.

“I have to say, Karani, you are as beautiful as ever and the perfect hostess even under the direst of circumstances,” John said and Karani smiled at him. The other two men were also sitting down and more at ease now. John had told them that they needn’t fight us. We would follow protocol. Malachi was sitting next to John and they looked oddly like old friends.

“Nasty business all of this Malachi, it saddens me to think that your family, respected as you are in our community, had any part in this whole horrid affair,” John said.

“Well John, as you know, the truth shall set us free and there are always two sides to every coin,” Malachi said and John smiled at him. He nodded; he must know Malachi very well indeed. They shook hands and we locked the house and got into the two vehicles standing in our driveway.

We drove towards our den, and I was shocked to find other cars already parked there. Seemed like the tribunal would be held in our own backyard. The chairs were arranged spaciously in the common area with Shoran, James, Garrick, and Stephanie already seated about ten spaces from each other. They did not want us talking.

On the other side of the room, Ramos and Juniper were seated and Adara’s instant anger reflected my own, we were seated, and Ramos had this little smile on his lips. I wish I could take him right here and instantly Malachi was in my head.

‘Clear your thoughts, follow your training. Just tell the truth,’ I heard him as clearly as if he was talking to me.

I looked at him and he nodded. How did he do that? I kept my face neutral while a million things went through my head at once. I concentrated on everyone else’s emotions and emitted calmness. I sensed it working and felt Adara’s rage lower. We all needed to be calm throughout this process. I could tell that Ramos felt intimidated with all of us here especially when John Whitcombe entered the room.

He was the head of the Wolf Council for the United States, a very important man indeed. He indicated to Malachi and Bryan, my attacker, took him by his arm and led him downstairs to the basement.

“Sit down please, make yourself comfortable,” John said to Malachi as he walked down the stairs and sat down.

“As Alpha of the Southern Alaskan pack, your members are your responsibility. Normally we don’t do it this way as you are well aware since you’ve done hundreds of these with me,” John said to Malachi before continuing.

“We couldn’t find a mind reader at such short notice and well, Malachi, I’ve known you long enough to know that you value honesty as much as you value your child. You will act as a mind reader for us throughout these proceedings,” John finished. Malachi nodded his head.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened before I call in the accused members of your pack, as you yourself are accused of killing…Paul McGuire,” he looked down at the paperwork in front of him for the name of Ramos’s brother.

“I took in Adara Jameson, she was raised as an unknown by those two upstairs. They never taught her wolf laws or even told her she was part of a pack. She was abused by Ramos and Juniper for years, both physically and emotionally. When she started to become a young woman, Ramos began raping her, every night. Juniper refused to believe Adara when she told her that he was raping her…” Malachi broke off his sentence.

“Are you okay?” John asked him. Malachi nodded and blinked the tears away.

“I realize this is hard for you. I remember your father well,” John said and Malachi took a sip of water to regain his composure.

“Juniper told Adara that she was unwanted and unwelcome. The child spent a week in these very woods and barely survived. She showed up on our doorstep, beaten, bloodied, half-starved and barely conscious. She had miscarried on her second day in the woods from the abuse she received shortly before she left that house,” Malachi looked away again. He waited a few seconds before he continued.

“Karani saved her and Kiran started to imprint. We cared for her, began teaching her the wolf ways and preparing her for her transformation ceremony. She has such a bright mind and a beautiful personality; she is strong even though Ramos tried to break her!” his tone had become aggressive at the end.

“James and Shoran were in our house while we were visiting May-Beth in Sitka. Ramos decided he wanted Adara back but found them instead. Shoran was about six months pregnant at the time. They entered my house under a ruse and Dave McGuire raped Shoran to the extent where her baby died and she had to have reconstructive surgery. They removed half of her uterus and she will never conceive again.

“Ramos shot James four times and he barely made it to the hospital to save Shoran. She very nearly died,” Malachi realized that he was clenching his fists and he placed his hands on his knees instead.

“James retaliated. He took Dave, who could blame him. He hadn’t planned on killing Dave. I don’t think he was even thinking beyond that, he had him locked up right here in the basement and Shoran killed him right over there,” Malachi pointed to the rack that had been washed several times and was once again in its upright position.

“Paul McGuire happened even before we took Adara in. Kiran had been running in the woods at night and Paul attacked him from behind. Kiran won that fight. It was self-defense and I got rid of his body. I got rid of Dave as well, I dumped them both in Resurrection Bay.”