Home To Roost - 7. Trial Part 2

When the hearing resumed, Kao had relaxed a bit. Dean had been so attentive at lunch. He didn't try to order for him, as some of the more dominant Lycans he had met. He told the smaller Pandion to get what he wanted. "Even if I want the steak and lobster combo?" he asked jokingly.

"Sure." Dean smiled and took his hand, caressing it with his thumb.

Kao's reaction would have been very comical in most crowds, but Jon and Pat just smiled at each other. Kao's pulse shot through the roof, his pupils dilated, and he blushed. Kao stammered out that he would have the sea food teppanyaki.

Dean shared his meal with him. No one had ever done that with Kao. It was something foreign to him that anyone would go without food just so he could have a taste. Most Lycans could be very dangerous if someone tried to eat their food. Yet Kao was coming to see this group from Homestead was not like that.

He had seen first hand Jon's pack was utterly loyal to him, yet someone had openly disagreed with him. When this happened, Kao thought the Alpha would kill him; it was well within his rights to do so. Jon considered the argument put forth, and then he scrapped the plan he had in favor of the new one since it made more sense to him. It baffled Kao so much that here, in Montana of all places, was the group that felt most like a family.

Dean had bought him the green tea ice cream as well. He fed Kao more than half of it with the most tender smile Kao had ever seen. So gentle, so loving, like Dean thought he was the most precious reason to live.

The pounding gavel brought Kao out of his dreamy state, and he watched as his brother went forward. It would be his time to present evidence.

"I call Tasher Michaels to the stand." The guard dog stood and walked to the front of the court. "Mr. Michaels, can you state for the court your position within the flock."

"I act as guard for Kao Saechao. I am part of the East Coast Pack and Alpha McLeod gave me leave from my duties as Hunter when approached for a well-trained guard." His demeanor was very proper, very respectful.

"What did you do when you found that Mr. Saechao was gone from his known area of mobility?"

Known area of...Dean was getting to like Kai less and less.

"I called to inform you of his AWOL status, and upon receiving orders to find him and bring him back, I did my job and went to retrieve him."

"Was Mr.. Saechao cooperative?"

"Not in the slightest. I had to chase him across several states in order to bring him home safely."

Even the council saw some differences in the story. They knew he would try to paint himself in a positive light, but his story was very different from Kao's. Neither was lying, else the council would know instantly.

"What happened when you caught up with Mr. Saechao?" Kai was not looking at his brother, but he could smell the slight tinge of fear fill the air from Kao.

"I was in my lunar form, which is a very rare ability I am told, and I did lunge to trip him. Mr. Saechao fell down an incline, breaking his leg in the process. Then the human showed up, so I hid while I was changing back. I heard him ask for permission, which was given. It was blatantly obvious that the human had sustained minor injury coming down the hill. The slight tinge of his blood was in the air. Something any Lycan could scent."

"Objection your honor. It is well established that Pandion sense of smell is not as nuanced as a Lupus. The copious amount of blood that both gave testimony of, which was backed by the report the doctor gave, would have covered up the minute smell of Dean's injuries. Furthermore, the statement that any Lycan could scent it is false and casts doubt on both Kao Saechao and Wind Master Saechao." Travis's words were clear enough of their meaning. To say an offspring was subpar was to insult the parents' ability to sire worthy children.

"Sustained."

"I retract that last part as it is an opinion based on Lupus standards, not the standard of the Pandion." The councilman nodded and gestured that it be stricken from the record.

"And after Mr. Saechao was taken to the hospital, what did you do?"

"I called for further instructions and did as advised. I watched the human for any signs of infection or knowledge of Lycans. As he was in the presence of the alpha pair and the enforcer, I assumed he knew about Lycans." Michaels' reasoning was sound, even Travis admitted it.

"Thank you." Kai went and sat down.

Travis stood. "Mr. Michaels, how long have you been with the ECP?"

"Seven years now. Five as a Hunter."

The former alpha nodded. "Good. So you had some status in the Hunters to get selected for this."

"Yes. Not in the command circle, but I was an active duty Marine before I came to the ECP."

Dean saw Quint's body shiver.

"Thank you, then, for your service. Could you tell us what the first phone call to the flock was in more detail?" Travis crossed his arms, tucking the papers he was holding across his chest.

"I called Kai Saechao to report and for further instructions. This was needed as, until now, Mr. Saechao never tried to leave the designated mobility zone. My orders were clear. Bring home Kao Saechao as he had never been on his own and might come to harm and bring dishonor on the family and flock."

"So you went to bring him back for his safety? Per the orders you received."

"Yes. I admit my wolf did enjoy the chase and bringing the target down, but I did so as safely as possible." Michaels smelled a bit embarrassed to admit he liked the chase.

"Thank you for your honesty. That had been my next question. Since most of us know the thrill of the chase and hunt, even I cannot find fault with that. Now," Travis said with a tilt of his head, "are you sure you remember the orders correctly?"

"Perhaps not the exact wording, but yes."

"I have here the phone records of the two calls between Kao Saechao and Tasher Michaels." Travis retrieved copies for all of the council. "Do the words 'Bring the little disgrace home by any means necessary before the flock is dishonored further' sound familiar?"

Dean loved to see Kai redden in the slightest ways.

"They sound vaguely like the words used, but far more harsh." His scent was cautious now.

"And do you recall yourself asking 'Any means?'" Michaels only nodded. "Let the record show Mr. Michaels has nodded his agreement. There is more to the conversation, but I will not waste the court's time with all of it. Now, Mr. Michaels, do you think that your attitude towards Kao could be seen as hostile during the events that led up to Dean becoming infected?"

"Due to the obvious difference in size, I can see why Mr. Saechao might be alarmed."

"And his alarmed state, do you think it possible he might view you as a threat and flee?" Travis was winding up with some angle Dean could not see.

"Yes, which is why I told him I was following to take him back." Michaels sat forward a bit, the position of sincerity, but his scent was anything but sincere.

"In his alarmed state, after a very long pursuit, and after sustaining a broken limb, do you think it possible Kao would grasp at any aid?" Travis asked.

"After all that, I was surprised he was still running. Small as he is, he's got the endurance to rival a Lupus." If he thought that this would be good enough answer, he was mistaken as Travis asked him to answer. "Yes. He would seek any aid given."

"In his alarmed, injured, and tired state, do you believe it is possible Kao would not even register the injuries you scented over the scent of his own blood?"

Michaels hemmed and hawed but he finally said, "Yes, it is possible."

Kai is almost furious with his guard bitch, thought Dean. Kao's older brother was barely suppressing his anger.

"So am I correct in saying Kao could not have knowingly infected Dean as his physical, mental, and emotional state were on the decline?" Travis was cleverly guiding the Lupus to only one answer.

After a moment Michaels answered, "I do not believe Mr.. Saechao was so far gone as you think, sir. His wits were not dulled, his injury not so dangerous to a Lycan as to cloud his mind. It is my opinion that Mr.. Saechao was lucid enough to discern that his helper was human, might have sustained injury coming down the hill, and did knowingly allow the infected to carry him."

Travis went back to Quintin who gave him a set of papers. "This is the sworn statement of Alpha Jonathan Davenport. He states that when Kao was given into his care by Dean, he was conscious for only a moment, asking for asylum, and then passed out. Does that sound like he was well enough to function and think of the ramifications of his receiving aid from a human he MAY infect?"

"No...it doesn't." Michaels was not happy now. He had all but handed the defense the case and he knew it.

"No further questions." Michaels left the stand and sat in the gallery like a beaten dog. "If it pleases the court, I would call Dean back to the stand." The council took a sight vote and nodded. When Dean took the stand again, Travis smiled. "Dean, do you feel Kao knowingly infected you?"

"Oh god no. He called the night of my first full moon, and I could tell he was very worried when I told him I had been better. He didn't know I was now some extra in a cheesy horror flick." Travis chortled a bit. "His sorrow was evident, which tells me he did not want me to be infected. I'm not unhappy about it now." Dean smiled over at Kao whose eyes brightened.

"Can you tell the court why? I know when I was infected I was livid and scared for months." Admitting he was scared was something for a former alpha, but then he had not been an alpha at the time.

"Well, I guess it is because Kao told me enough to keep me from freaking out and then told me to talk to Alpha Davenport. It's still strange to refer to my best friend like that." Jon grinned and nodded. "But the biggest reason...is he's my mate."

"Objection. It is blatantly obvious they are not mates." Kai said, leaping to his feet.

"Why, because we are waiting? Because we didn't just do it on the spot?" Dean was showing he had no respect for Kai. "We didn't and haven't because Kao saw I was hurting. He didn't take advantage. Since it was all new to me, he showed concern and care. Then this trial came up, and he said he would not mate with me and then leave me should the verdict demand his death. I can name one case of a Lycan outliving their mate, and I will be damned if he isn't one of the most unfeeling people I have ever met. His heart was ripped out, leaving behind a shade of his former self, and Kao did not want me to suffer that same fate should I survive." The council banged the gavel and Dean quieted. "I apologize to the court. My emotions got the better of me."

"Accepted. The objection is sustained. While we see the strong possibility of mating, you are not mates yet." Dean nodded and looked worriedly at Kao. "Do you have any more questions for the witness?"

"One." Travis looked Dean straight in the eyes, an act that Dean found very disconcerting. "What would be your reaction should Kao be sentenced to death?"

Staring right back, no longer flinching from the former alpha's powerful gaze, Dean said simply "I will kill the person who took him from me or die trying." It came out as a mix of a growl and the deeper cries of a falcon.

Travis looked away. He looked at the council and said softly, "No further questions."

Dean stepped down and took his seat in the gallery. "Very well. We shall deliberate on this matter. The verdict will be delivered in one hour." As one the council stood and filed out of the room.

Kai went stalking up to Michaels and motioned him out of the room.

Dean took Kao into his arms and smoothed his hair. "I meant it. We will be together in this life or the next."

"What about Victoria?" he asked softly.

"Let me worry about that. You are the one I want." Kao nestled deeper into his embrace. "I love you, Kao." It was the first time he had ever said the words, and Kao had to fight back tears of joy. Still, his elated scent did fill the room. It was sweet and light. When Dean looked over at the Wind Master, his face was an unreadable mask. "Kao, is there a place we can go and just be private?"

"Quite a few, but we shouldn't be alone. It would be improper."

Dean could guess why he said that. "Okay. Little dude, you wanna be our body guard for a bit while we relax?"

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Sure, Uncle Dean." Dylan went over to the Wind Master and bowed. "Would you please appoint a guard, Wind Master? I would not want the Rogue Valley Flock to have reason for suspicion."

"You are an honorable young man, one who has known much pain and came out of it the stronger. I shall send one."

After a moment a lovely young lady came into the room. She seemed to glide even while walking. Her bow to the Wind Master was one of profound respect. "You have summoned me?"

"This is Enforcer Davenport of Homestead Pack. He has requested an honor guard for Kao and the man who claims to be his mate." Her eyes went wide. "See that they are not disturbed. This may be the last moments they can spend together."

She bowed deeply. "It would be an honor." She turned to Dyl and looked up at him. "You will watch the skies for with you there, I will not be able to see them." Her face was neutral, but the joking tone was obvious.

"Really, you have to teach me this stone-face thing. It would be really handy when my wife and I quarrel." He gestured for her to lead the way.

Outside, Dean and Kao found a spot to just relax. Mostly, since the young lady came running over and scooped Kao up in a huge hug. "Little brother has a boyfriend." Her laughter was joined by his.

"Phuong, I have missed you."

So this was one relative he loved, Dean thought. "I have missed you, Little Brother." She stepped back and looked Dean over like she was judging him for market. "Strong, rugged, smells of the city and the beach." She walked around him twice then grinned. "Do you have a brother?"

Dean just died laughing. "I like you. So how does a bodacious babe like you have such a shit for a brother?"

"Kai...is difficult. He was born second, but our older brother was killed over a matter of honor. Since then he...has been strained by his new position. I cannot say more without dishonoring him." Her tone said she had things to say too.

Dean nodded. "Then I will not ask for more. Since you seem to be the only family Kao is fond of...what do you think of his chances? Honestly."

The joking gone, she sobered and thought. "The case against my brother is flimsy at best. Counselor Andrews made many good points to support his case while the prosecution's case was not well delivered. I believe that Kao will be cleared of all charges." Then her scent went dangerous. "And if that self-righteous ass Kai wins, they will have to get past me to get to Kao. No one hurts my little brother."

Dean felt like a storm was brewing above them, but he saw no clouds. Even Dylan was looking around as if he expected the sky to open up and dump the heavens down on them.

"Phuong, calm." Kao's tone was as gentle as a breeze, and it did take the edge off her anger. The feeling of a storm lessened and then was gone. "It would do no good to spend your energy now." She nodded and hugged him.

"Very wise, Little Brother. I shall wait until I have to use it."

"So, I missed something, didn't I? The storm that should have drenched us but didn't break...that came from you."

Phuong colored a bit. "As my mother before me, I am Thời tiết. Weather Racer."

"So some sort of shaman to us laymen?" She nodded. "Glad you're on our side." His grin dispelled the last of the gloom and she smiled. "I was just getting use to Lycans. Now I find out some have magical powers."

"Very few, Dean," said Kao. "Phuong is very protective of me since she was pretty much my mother after ours died."

"Phuong, if all of this goes well, I would like your blessings to date your brother." Dean's request caught her off guard.

"Shouldn't that be something you ask my father?"

"I pretty much told him I would be Kao's mate as long as he would have me. While staring him in the eyes."

Her eyes shot open. "And you live?" Dean nodded. "I cannot speak for the flock, but as family...you have my blessings."

* * *

"All rise." The entire gallery stood as the council filed in. Their faces were grim set as they sat. "You may be seated." When all were seated, the spokesman continued. "Kao Saechao, please rise to accept our verdict." Kao stood, his head held high as he faced his future. Dean sent prayers to the powers that be. "Your actions led to the infection of a human against their will, a crime punishable by death. This decision was difficult to come to, and we know that many will not agree with it.' Dean felt his heart grip in fear.

The Wind Master stood. "I would speak, if the council will allow it." His words and tone were respectful and controlled.

"Your words will not change our minds, Wind Master, but you may speak."

"Should your verdict call for the death of my son, I would ask that his method of death would be one held by our beliefs. So the dishonor will be solely upon his shoulders and not on the entire flock." For all the talk of honor his tone was hollow.

"Your desire will be granted. It is the decision of this court that, against our better judgment, Kao Saechao did not knowingly infect Dean Whitmore. There was not enough evidence to convict. Our personal feelings of such a thing aside, Kao you are free to go."

Dean didn't even know he had moved but he was on the other side of the railing and holding Kao. He had to. His friend, his mate, his heart was safe. Kao was weeping into his chest, feeling no shame at such an act.

Kai was now livid and went to his father. "You must appeal this decision. It is wrong."

"You will be silent." The Wind Master's words were like a whip. "Instead of speaking of appeal, you should speak of joy that your brother has not brought shame upon us in the eyes of the Council."

"You heard them, they spoke against their feelings. You should..." A loud slap rang in the room. All heads turned to see Phuong standing over Kai.

"You will not speak to the Wind Master with such dishonor. We will uphold the decision of this court, knowing it to be a ruling based on law rather than emotion. With law comes honor." The Wind Master held up his hand and she went silent, backing one step away.

"Kao lives. As for this Lupus you have set as guardian, he shall depart my land. Be grateful I do not banish you for the disgrace. To keep him watched is one thing. To have him made prisoner..." The Wind Master's eyes flashed with anger, the first real sign of emotion. "We will speak more of this when we get home." Kai nodded, knowing when to shut up. "Kao and Dean, I would speak with you in private." He swept from the room without looking back.

Dean looked at Jon who nodded. They followed and stopped in an out of the way nook. "I thank you in advance for putting Kai in his place, honorable Wind Master. His actions of late have not made him welcome at Homestead."

"He will be dealt with privately. Now, I hear that you have asked my daughter for her blessings to date my son. You have not asked mine."

"Wind Master, didn't you say you had a bride for him?" Dean remembered that all too clearly.

There was a hint of a smile. "I lied. Your honest reply was what I wanted, and I am not unhappy with it. Your love for Kao is no less than my love for my mate. You knew it would not be a fair fight, yet you stood your ground, strong in your conviction. That strength brings you much honor in my eyes, Dean Whitmore."

Dean was a little shocked. "I know you are from Vietnam, so the reference is off, but Ancient Chinese Honor Tests are confusing to Western people." Kao poked him in the ribs. "What? I am being honest." Kao's eye roll was perfect. "Honorable Wind Master, may I have your blessings to date your son?"

"As Wind Master I cannot." His words hit Kao like a punch to the gut. "But as Saechao Sinh, father, I hope your life together lasts longer than I had with my mate."

"Father," Kao said softly, "thank you."

"Where will you go, my son? I do not think you will be staying with the flock." And there was a hint of sadness there, but all parents feel it when their child leaves the nest.

"Homestead is in need of a beta, and I have asked Kao to fill this position," said Jon as he came over. There was no real privacy when everyone there had super hearing.

"Alpha Davenport, I am honored to find your opinion of my son so high." He bowed, one alpha to another.

"I am honored to have such a man join my pack. He is a credit to both you and your mate, may her wings feel the gentle winds forever." Even Kao was impressed with Jon for knowing that bit of Pandion ceremony.

"You surprise me, Alpha Davenport. I know that Kao will have a welcome home when he finishes his term in school. I have flock matters to tend to. You may stay on my lands for the evening, Alpha Davenport. I shall see to lodgings."

"Father, please allow me to handle this matter." Kao said with a bow, but the smirk he had on his face when he came back up was roguish. "You have your hands full with Kai."

When the Wind Master had left, the group all went out to dinner. It was simple fare but delicious. There was some formality involved in the new membership in the Pack, but Travis said he would handle it as he was going back this evening with Dylan and Quintin.

"Why so soon, Dad?" Pat asked.

"So you two can have an evening to yourselves. It has been too long since you have been able to enjoy a simple night alone."

Jon nodded. "Thanks, Travis. We'll keep an eye on the two love birds. Now it's literal." Dean flipped him off.