Caged Wolf (Wolves of Willow Bend Book 2)

Caged Wolf

Wolves of Willow Bend

By

Heather Long

Caged Wolf

Wolves of Willow Bend

By: Heather Long

Edited by: Virginia Nelson

Published by Heather Long

© 2014 Heather Long

ISBN:
9781310623905 

Cover Art by Scott Carpenter

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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

Caged Wolf

Triplets, the Buckley brothers were inseparable until everything went wrong one violent, bloody night. A.J. Buckley, the eldest of the trio, faced a human trial for a brutal murder. Found guilty, he was sentenced to twenty-five to life. Without argument or regret, he accepted the sentence. After six years in prison, A.J.’s conviction is overturned on a technicality and he returns to Willow Bend to face a new Alpha and fresh charges.

Vivian Knox was the only witness to the murder. She refused to testify in the human courtroom and spent a year in prison on contempt charges. Once released, she worked tirelessly to free A.J., finally locating a loophole in the case against him. Satisfied with his freedom, the last thing she expected was to be kidnapped to the back of beyond where another judge demands she testify to what she saw that night. This time, contempt is the least of her problems.

Only four people know exactly what happened that night and none are talking. When pack law threatens Vivian, A.J. must stake his claim, but his wolf might be too damaged to help him…

Dedication

For my readers—feel the howl!

Acknowledgements

I can’t thank the people around me enough. For the readers who’ve been here since my first release to the readers who discovered me on the last, to those of you reading me for the first time. I write because it’s my joy, and I am blessed to be surrounded by great people who support my dream. Sheri, who makes a great cheerleader and sympathetic ear; Virg who puts a polish on all the words (and the commas, oh the commas!); Mel who takes the time to check on me and totally gets my sense of humor; Brandy who gets my crazy; Patti who always calls; Becca who continues to push; my Mini of course, she keeps the lists and kicks the butt—the list goes on and on and on.

Wolves of Willow Bend Characters

Mason Clayborne
—Alpha of Willow Bend, mate of Alexis, father of Melissa, son of Andrew and Melissa Clayborne (both deceased).

Alexis Clayborne
—Mate of Mason, mother of Melissa, daughter of Ryan and Tiffany Huston (adopted by Ryan), older sister to Kyle Huston.

Ryan Huston
—Attorney for Willow Bend pack, father of Alexis (adopted) and Kyle, mate and husband to Tiffany.

Tiffany Huston
—Wife and mate of Ryan, mother to Tiffany and Kyle. Turned wolf.

Margo Montgomery
—Enforcer, southern region.

Toman Carlyle
—Former Alpha of Willow Bend (Deceased)

Owen Chase
—Hunter, Willow Bend

A.J. Buckley
—The eldest of the Buckley triplets. In prison for six years.

Lincoln Buckley
—Second eldest of the Buckley triplets.

Tyler Buckley
—Youngest of the Buckley triplets.

Claudia Buckley
—Mother of A.J., Linc, Tyler, and Ranae. Mate to Virgil.

Virgil Buckley
—Father of A.J., Linc, Tyler, and Ranae, Mate to Claudia. Virgil works as a vehicle mechanic

Ranae Buckley
—Youngest Buckley sibling, student

Vivian Knox
—Human, software developer, tied

Emma Halifax
—Pack Healer

Gillian Whitford
—Journeyman Healer, apprenticed to Emma

Other Packs

Brett Dalton
—Alpha of Hudson River

Serafina Andre
—Alpha, Delta Crescent

Chapter One

Two thousand one hundred and ninety one days, three hundred and twelve weeks, seventy-four agonizing full moons—the full sum of the six years since he’d been consigned to hell weighed upon A.J. Buckley. He faced the courtroom dressed in a new suit he hadn’t purchased as they dangled the bait of freedom. The suit still stank of human tailors, a fact which barely registered past the curtain of his isolation. Not even the presence of a dominant male wolf acting as his attorney ruffled him. He sat without comment or expression as they debated his future.

What did he care? They’d taken him out of the cage, dressed him, shackled him, and shuffled him into the heart of human justice. They should have left him alone, but even on that point he could barely bring himself to react. Ryan Huston appeared at his cell, ordered him into clothes then accompanied him to the courthouse. He went because he was told to do so.

When they were done, he would go back because he’d been told.

“Your Honor, the following affidavits, signed and certified by the Medical Examiner, his assistant, and one crime scene tech, states the police failed to properly preserve the crime scene prior to their arrival and continued to contaminate the scene during the investigation, thereby obstructing justice.”  Ryan Huston touched the folder on his desk. “The expert testimony of these witnesses was certified by the prosecution during the initial trial.”

The judge was an older man with a stern visage. He flipped through the papers in front of him and glanced from Ryan to the men in suits at the opposing table. “Mr. Langfield, Mr. Huston is correct. You certified all of these witnesses as experts, which means their affidavits are also certifiable to this court.”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Mr. Langfield sounded particularly glum about the subject. The faint odor of bleach almost drowned out the sour note of his disdain, or maybe it was the lemon polish used on the wooden table and fixtures throughout the room. Both burned A.J.’s nose.

“Why wasn’t this testimony entered during the original trial, Mr. Huston?”

“The witnesses were never asked, Your Honor. Their testimony and reports were given and only the facts of those findings were questioned, not the condition in which the evidence was collected nor the interference of the police officers on scene.”

The prosecutor hurled words into the air, but they still sounded pro forma. “Objection, Your Honor. Relies on speculation.”

“I thought these three were all involved in the processing of the scene and the body?” The judge’s inquiry was met by icy silence before the prosecutor nodded. When the jurist continued to ask questions, A.J. stopped listening. He didn’t give a damn about their squabbling over the bones of information. What good did it do?

Ryan answered several questions, never resuming his seat. On his feet, he commanded attention. Why Toman decided to send the pack’s attorney to liberate him after so much time passed already escaped A.J.. Maybe his task wasn’t to liberate, maybe it was simply to tease. What else could his Alpha do, except dangle the opportunity of escape then snatch it away?

He could kill me.
That action, however, would be a gift. One he didn’t think Toman would bestow upon him. He hadn’t before, not when A.J. had been arrested. He hadn’t during the trial. He hadn’t when they’d thrown A.J. into a cage and locked the door.

No, the Alpha of Willow Bend had simply ignored him. Exile would have been kinder. Death would have been easier. Cool, creamy strawberries with a bite of chill teased his nostrils. A.J. jerked his attention from the distance to focus on the room. Like a promise of refreshment, the fruity scent stroked his senses, evoking memories of hot summer days and a treat to escape the heat.

“Mr. Huston, are you prepared to present these witnesses to the court for cross-examination?”

“Yes, Your Honor. They are waiting outside.”

A shuffle of movement, a halting panicked breath of air and A.J. turned his head a fraction. She sat in the back of the courtroom, her wan expression too pale and sallow beneath her natural skin tone. No longer supple and lithe, she looked as though all the vitality had been drained from her. Skin stretched over her cheekbones too tautly. Her caramel eyes were large, the pupils constricted.

The doors opened and pushed a fresh wave of her scent toward him. Hands clenching, he switched his attention to the new arrivals. Deeming none a threat, he returned to studying her. Her gaze collided with his, and awareness clanged off the hardened layers of apathy encasing his soul.

Vivian.

“Your Honor, in the event you throw out the evidence collected at the scene, I move for an immediate reversal of the conviction as the prosecutor never had a case to begin with.”

Another hurried discussion brought the attorneys to the judge’s bench. A.J. could hear every word they said, but very little of the subject registered. He’d ordered Vivian to not testify. Was she here for the prosecution? Would they try to force her testimony as they had the first time? Despite her steadfast refusal, the prosecutor had hammered at her on the stand. It had taken every ounce of his control to stay in his seat.

He’d wanted to savage them all—more so when they’d arrested her. The image of her being taken from the room in handcuffs had been burned into his brain.

“You’re growling,” Ryan said, his voice too soft for most ears. “Stop.”

Closing his eyes briefly, he swallowed the sound. When he opened them again, Vivian was gone, leaving only the faintest hint of her scent.

“Your Honor…”

“You do not have a case,” the judge said, not allowing the prosecutor to finish. “Your case was built on a house of cards with contaminated evidence at the crime scene as the foundation. Without that evidence, the grand jury wouldn’t have handed down an indictment. You wouldn’t have taken the defendant to court, and you wouldn’t have been able to obtain a conviction.”

A.J. had no idea what was going on.

“Mr. Buckley, please stand.”

Rising slowly, A.J. kept his gaze on the judge. Ryan bumped his shoulder, a light brush. The grounding of pack helped him to keep the fraying threads of his straying attention from wandering. Vivian’s scent hung in the air, an elusive reminder of the forbidden.

“Mr. Buckley, it is the decision of this court to overturn the lower court’s decision due to the lack of uncontaminated evidence. While I do not believe that means you are
not guilty
of the crime, I do believe you should not have been found
guilty
in this matter. I am ordering your immediate release from Fannon Prison.”

What?

The prosecutor rose and said something, but A.J. couldn’t make out the words through the roaring in his ears. Ryan spoke up immediately and the other man shouted. The judge slammed his gavel down and silence fell.

“Motion for a new trial denied, Mr. Langfield. Sheriff, please release Mr. Buckley. Sir, you are free to go.”

A.J. barely reacted as they removed the shackles from his ankles and the handcuffs from his wrists. The officer said something and, when A.J. stared at him blankly, not entirely certain of what he’d said, Ryan answered in his stead. The judge left the bench and the courtroom began to empty.