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chair. It was obvious that no amount of glaring was going to have any effect on Keith.
    “No. The way we figure it, if Gregorius gets his hands on the alpha spot in the Tairneach then we get into a fight. So what? We’ve been at peace so long some of our guys are forgetting to watch their own backs. Maybe it’s time again.”
    Cullen sighed. Keith thought he looked a lot older all of a sudden. “Thanks, but I put a lot of effort into what little peace we have. Besides, the last thing we need is another clan war. The feds would be all over us. I for one don’t want to go through that again.”
    “But Jenna Tairneach?” Keith said with some disgust.
    “Yeah, Jenna Tairneach. It’s not like there are any other women higher up on my list,” Cullen lied.
    When Cullen’s eyes dropped to his desk at that last comment Keith growled his frustration at his friend’s behavior. “Whatever,” he said in annoyance. “I would have thought even Celia a better match for you than that galla Jenna, but what do I know.”
    “Enough, the mating ceremony is tomorrow. Everything is set. I expect you and all the others to be at the manor on the reservation same as the Tairneachs will be. I just want to get it over with.”
    Keith nodded and stood up from the chair. “Any other orders General,” he asked with a salute.
    Cullen turned back to the window in dismissal. Another move that was totally unlike him when interacting with his friends. Keith stormed out angry that Cullen was being such an ass and not even willing to look into other options. Ranaild stood solemnly and trailed after.
    * * * *
    Aislinn stood in the courtroom. Derrick was looking at her luridly from behind the prosecution’s desk with his attorney. In the end Aislinn hadn’t been able to afford much. She had at one point considered asking Lord Arnauk for help, but decided that no matter how good his lawyers probably were there was no way he would help her out after what she’d said to him that night.
    Aislinn had asked Luke and Renee to testify on her behalf, but no one had been willing to lose their job. So with her cut rate lawyer and no witnesses the only thing she had to go on was the fact that she was half Derrick’s size and didn’t have enough money to hire a hitman. Her defense had been based on that and Derrick’s previous history of sexual harassment.
    Aislinn stood in there waiting for the verdict, hoping that if she lost she’d have a fine and wouldn’t have to go to jail, possibly losing her job. At the same time her premonitions were telling her that she wasn’t safe in her apartment and there wouldn’t be a place much safer than behind bars, being watched in jail. It’s great when jail becomes a good alternative to life , she thought with tears in her eyes.
    Finally the judge came back into the courtroom. Everyone stood and then was told to be seated. The defendant was asked to stand. Derrick was grinning as the judge found Aislinn guilty of battery as a misdemeanor. She was fined $500.00, which to her sounded like a fortune, but at least it wasn’t jail time.
    On her way out of the courtroom Derrick caught her and cornered her in the hall. She felt completely defenseless. What could she do? Hit him again? “Get out of my way Derrick,” she said with a tired but angry voice.
    He grinned. “You should have just played along with me. If you want your job back, I’ll pay off your fine and we can find a way for you to work it off somehow.” He chuckled at that.
    Aislinn looked around the hall and happened to catch the eyes of a courtroom guard who was standing near the doors. The man in uniform came over to her. “Do you need some help miss?”
    “Yes,” she said in such a grateful relieved voice that the guard almost arrested Derrick on the spot. “I just want to leave and he’s, well, he’s…”
    The guard got the point and gave Derrick a look that caused the man to back off and allow Aislinn to move hurriedly down the hall.