Chapter 17. Court Martial
Kane arrived with Thea two days later, with Alpha Quade’s blessing. Neither could believe that Tatum was being prosecuted for desertion, especially considering her and her team’s accounts of their actions during the war, and of the attack to her team during their recon mission.
“Why do you think Captain Carlton did this?” Kane asks. We’re sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea and coffee, Jed is at school and Rhiannon is at day-care.
“I think I may know,” Thea says suddenly. We all look at her.
“Well, remember when we were at Base Dillan, a couple of days before the battle? Some she-wolves from Captain Carlton’s team snuck into the meeting, hoping to capture your attention…” Thea states, looking up at me. I look at her and then Tatum.
“You had just left because you got word the front was already being attacked and you went to join them when they came up to me…” Thea begins.
“That’s right. You told them to fuck off,” Tatum smiles at Thea. I look at Tatum.
“You were there?” I ask.
“Um yeah, sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt your work…” Tatum says, and I can smell the lie coming from her.
“Yeah, they were then very rude to Tatum and as punishment I put them on kitchen duties the following morning, so this could be my fault,” Thea begins.
“No, I encouraged you to detain them,” Tatum says softly.
“No, they were really rude to you. No matter who you are, they should have been respectful. And, what they were insinuating about wanting to do with your mate, you had every right to respond with a harsher punishment,” Thea says.
“Looks like we have another person to support us, then,” Kane says. I nod.
“I called Beta Adrian and he says his sister was meant to be looking after Zoe and the twins at the time- they had taken them all to the park when Zoe disappeared. But, hours later, Zoe reappeared with a water fay, and Waverly is willing to attest to that,” I say.
“And Zoe?” Kane asks.
“Zoe too,” I say proudly, looking at Tatum.
“And what of the water fay?” Tatum asks. I smile, the water fay that helped is my trump card.
//\\//\\//\\
Tatum switches off the light and crawls under the covers of our bed. I roll on my side and pull her body flush against my chest.
“Tatum, we need to talk,” I whisper in her ear. Tatum rolls away on to her back and looks at me.
“What about?” she asks.
“About that lie you told when Kane and Thea were here,” I say. Tatum gives me a puzzled look before it changes to understanding.
“This is about me not speaking to you at Base Dillon?” she asks. I can see her cheeks go a soft shade of pink.
“I knew you would stop everything to talk to me, and come on, I hadn’t seen you for almost three years, what did you want me to say to you? I’m shy!” she cries. I smirk at her.
“Well I believe you need punishment for that,” I reply, smiling at her raised eyebrows.
*
Gently I press my lips against her own, entering her mouth with my tongue as she opens it. As I kiss her, I trace my hands down the sides of her ribs and hips, towards the edge of her t-shirt. She’s not wearing a bra and I can’t wait to cup my hand round her full breasts.
My hand slides up her abdomen, eliciting a small sigh from Tatum as sparks ignite through our touch. My hand reaches her left breast and I gently squeeze, removing my lips from hers as I begin to kiss and nip at her neck. She sighs again, moaning as I get to my mark. My mark should have gone or at least be faint with the amount of time we’ve had separated, but it is still as clear and visible as the day I gave it to her. I smile as I kiss the mark, sending her to buck her hips up towards me.
With one knee I separate her legs, followed by my next knee, until I’m laying between her. She’s in just t-shirt and knickers, and between us is only the materials of our underwear. I rub my hardness against her core, and she moans underneath me.
“I thought you said you were going to punish me?” she asks, giving me a wicked smile.
“I am,” I state, making her grin before she pushes me back down onto the bed. I watch as her hands disappear under the covers, and she wiggles a little bit before straddling me.
“Really?” she asks, grinding her core over my hardness that still sits underneath the material of my boxers. Tatum then wriggles her eyebrows at me before tugging my boxers down my thighs.
I watch as she lifts her hips upwards and positions herself on the tip of my cock, slowly sliding down my shaft until she sits against the skin of my hips. I groan in pleasure, she feels so fucking good, tight and warm and wet.
“You like that?” Tatum asks, placing a hand on my abdomen.
“I do,” I groan as she rocks her hips backwards and forwards. She then does this circle thing on top of me and man, without exiting her, she feels so good.
I place both hands on her hips and she takes them off, holding my hands and intwining our fingers before she begins to bob up and down on top of me.
“Yes baby,” I groan as she picks up her pace. Leaning over, she places her hands on the wall above my head and continues to thrust her hips up and down my shaft. I meet her, making her cry in pleasure.
“Henry! Fuck!”
I can feel her tire and move my hands to her hips, but she swipes at my hands and leans back, rocking backwards and forwards on my hips.
Moving into a sitting position I wrap my arms round her waist and kiss her lips. Tatum continues to rock on my cock while kissing me back and enjoy the warmth of her body against mine as she moves.
“Baby you feel so good,” I moan, bending down and kissing the top of her breasts. Tatum grunts in response and I roll her over so that now she is on her back, and I am now in control.
“Now for your punishment,” I growl, both my hands on either side of her head as I look down at her. She responds by thrusting her hips forwards, slamming into my hips. I grin and take over, thrusting into her with force.
“Arrgh, Henry!” she screams. With one hand I cover her mouth as I continue to thrust into her. I hear her muffled screams under my hand and then her vagina spasms round my dick as she orgasms, sending me to my release. My hips thrust as I spray my seed inside of her.
I lay on top of her, my weight on my forearms as we pant from the exertion. Sighing I lean my forehead onto hers and close my eyes.
“I love you Henry,” she says.
“I love you too, Tatum,” I smile back at her.
//\\//\\//\\
I have Kane walk into Base Waning Moon with Tatum, because during the war he was stationed at our own pack’s offices, overlooking everything from there, and no one here would know who he was. Thea and I followed after, us all in our dress uniforms.
We are directed to a building outside the main offices, to where the court martial would take place. Outside I see a group of wolves standing and talking to each other, and a very nervous Major Boyes.
When he sees us he walks over to Tatum.
“Captain Sullivan, we would formally like to rescind this court hearing with our apologies…” I hear the Major begin.
“Major Boyes, isn’t it?” Kane asks.
“Yes…”
“This matter will be resolved in court, not outside in the dirt. We are not animals,” Kane protests. I can see Major Boyes visibly shake in fear. Kane is not a high blood at all, but his height and build is enough to shake fear in the Major.
“And you are?” Major Boyes asks.
“Lieutenant General Weston, I’m representing Captain Sullivan” Kane smiles. I smirk as I see Major Boyes tremble once more.
We stand in a small circle waiting for a sergeant to tell us when it is time to walk in. I notice the group of wolves standing outside with us continue to take glances in our direction when I hear one of them approach.
“General Erstad,” the person who approached us greets. I kick my feet on the ground and give him a cold glance.
“Uh, I’m Captain Carlton,” he smiles, offering his hand. I look from him to his hand before I shake it.
“It’s an honour man, I saw you on the battlefield! You were, wow!” he gushes. I nod
- Use this – I link Kane.
“You saw me?”
“Yeah, I saw two wolves go for you at once and bam! Necks were off with your bare hands! Did you even shift into your wolf at all?” he gushes, his eyes lighting up. I don’t respond, turning instead to look at a sergeant who calls us into court. I nod at the captain before I follow Kane, Tatum and Thea into the room.
Because this is not a human court, or a human military court for that matter, the set up for Tatum’s court martial is very different. There is a judge, an elder from a nearby pack, but no jury. The military lawyers are Majors or those in higher ranks with some knowledge of the law and military policy. But like a human court, there is a seat behind a podium for the judge, and a seat next to the judge for the witness. Opposite them are two desks with chairs for each side’s lawyer and defendant.
Kane leads Tatum to the table on the right and Major Boyes sits with another Major at the desk on the left. I sit behind Tatum and Kane with Thea, and I notice that Captain Carlton and his team take a seat behind Major Boyes.
We wait a few minutes in hushed quiet, when an Elder walks in.
“Elder Johannes of Genesis Pack presiding. All stand,” the sergeant who let us into the building says. We all stand, watching as Elder Johannes takes his seat and adjusts his files on the table in front of him.
“All sit,” Elder Johannes states. We take our seats and wait for the Elder to begin. He shuffles the papers in front of him before looking at us.
~~~
Johannes - pronounce the 'J' as a 'Y'