Page 42 of Hidden Pain

They both shifted and headed straight toward the door where Kingsley and Jessica were standing. The witch grabbed him, and the world around him flashed. The next thing he knew, Kingsley was in Lily’s bedroom with the bear standing in front of him, mouth wide open.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed.

Kingsley greeted her with a kiss.

“It’s true. The baby isn’t Hunter’s, it’s Christian’s.”

“How do you know?”

Jessica held her hands out and a mist rose up from them, replaying the conversation between Ebony and Christian.

“Er. I didn’t know you could do that.” Kingsley poked at the vision before him. It was just like she’d recorded it and was playing it back on a phone.

“I told you. I can do a lot of things. I’m clever like that.”

“The pack need to see this.” Lily looked between him and the witch.

“Yes,” Kingsley agreed immediately. “It might just save Hunter’s position.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Jessica held her hands out. Both he and Lily grabbed one each and were heading to the woods in a flash.

Chapter Twenty-One

The second she landed with Kingsley and Jessica in the forest clearing, Lily wanted to run to Hunter. He was in the middle of the pack. Lily recognized the wolves standing next to him as Christian and Ebony. The rest of the pack circled around them, and she could hear their thoughts as they all made arguments for and against Hunter remaining as their leader. Some of the wolves moved closer to Christian and Ebony when the argument went their way and then back to Hunter’s side when he gained the upper hand.

“What are they saying?” Kingsley whispered to her. She’d forgotten that he couldn’t hear the thoughts going through all the wolves’ heads.

“I’ve got this. Time to test out my spell,” Jessica said, taking hold of Kingsley’s hand again. Lily felt a pang of jealousy go through her, but was then distracted by the cling film wrapped around the witch’s hand. Underneath, she could just make out the lines of what appeared to be a tattoo.

“Did you do that?” Lily asked Kingsley.

“Yes. We’ll talk about it later, but let’s just say you’ve slayed your demons, and I’ve overcome mine. We’ve just got to help Hunter deal with his now, and we can live happily ever after. Well, that is the theory anyway. I’m not sure how the practicalities of it will work apart from seeing Ebony and Christian kicked out.”

Lily took Kingsley’s other hand, and he could immediately hear the thoughts of the pack as they argued among themselves. The three of them listened closely to the rest of the discussion. It didn’t take long before Hunter stepped forward.

“It’s time to vote. Move to the left to support me continuing as alpha, or to the right to support Christian acting as regent for the baby inside Ebony’s stomach—a baby who’s yet to be confirmed as my son.”

The voices in her head fell silent. Lily stepped forward with Kingsley and Jessica at her side.

“What are they doing here? They aren’t part of the pack,” Ebony screamed.

“We might not be part of the pack, but we have evidence that we want to submit to you before the vote,” Kingsley informed the pack. Christian growled at him, but Lily’s human lover didn’t even flinch.

“The information we have for you is of vital importance to the result,” Lily added.

“They shouldn’t be here. It’s making yet another mockery of our processes. This is exactly the reason that Hunter needs to go,” Christian pushed his thoughts out to the assembled crowd. Hunter hung his head low.

“It is highly irregular, but then so is having to vote on a new alpha. We’ve not had to do it in all my years here. I say we go with it,” one of the elder wolves announced as he stepped forward and stood beside Hunter. The alpha thanked the older wolf with a rub of his head along the elder’s side.

“Whatever…can we just get on with it? I’m tired and need to rest. All this stress is not good for the baby,” Ebony moaned.

“Go ahead,” Hunter told Lily and Kingsley, and they both looked toward Jessica.

The witch opened her hands and the mist screen she’d shown Lily appeared, and the recording of Christian and Ebony talking earlier materialized. A few of the wolves gasped in surprise while others looked in disbelief at what they were seeing. Ebony’s eyes bulged with the fear of being discovered. Hunter watched intently, but as always showed no sign of the emotions going through his head. Christian also remained calm as he stepped up to Jessica and waved his paw through the mist causing it to disappear.

“This is the evidence you have to present us? A testament of a supposed conversation between Ebony and myself presented in a misty screen. Do you really think as a pack we’re that stupid? This is made up. I’m insulted that you would even dare to suggest I’d covet power or the alpha’s wife in this way. I can see where Hunter’s disgust toward Ebony comes from. He’s allowed his mind to be corrupted by a bear who is the true spy sent by Nuka to destroy our pack, and a human whose father wanted us all caged. I’ve heard enough. This is all lies, and the desperate last attempt by people who seek to destroy our world and what we know. We vote now, and as soon as the baby is elected alpha with me as regent, I’ll have these two ejected from our lands forever.” Christian paced up and down while sharing his thoughts with the pack. For the first time, he looked bigger and more powerful than Hunter who’d shrunk back and was sitting on the ground already certain of defeat.

“You are the liar. This is exactly what happened, and you know it. I saw it with my own eyes,” Kingsley announced. Then pulling away from Jessica and Lily, he stomped closer to Christian. The latter still in wolf form snarled.

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