Page 50 of Clash of Kings

“I’ll be waiting,” he responded, and Dakota couldn’t wait to get back. She had been away from him for less than two hours, but it felt like an eternity. True to his word, Bas was waiting out front. He met her by the Jeep, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, he wrapped Dakota in a tight hug before kissing her silly.

“I missed you too,” she joked.

Bas took her hand and led her to their room with Lydia following. Once the door was closed, he grabbed her for another kiss, but Dakota twisted out of his arms.

“We’re going to be late,” Dakota admonished, grinning.

“I’m the King. They’ll wait.” Bas reached for her again, but she wouldn’t be deterred.

“Not the first impression I want them to have of me, Gorgeous.” Since Anthony was in the room, Dakota rushed into the bedroom to swap her flannel for the sweater, and Bas followed. When he closed the door, she pointed a finger at him. “No funny stuff, Mister. We’re already running late.”

“No funny stuff, I promise. I just wanted to let you know the owner of the lodge accepted our offer.”

“Oh, Bas, that’s wonderful.” Dakota tossed her shirt onto the bed and pulled the sweater over her head. Sebastian’s eyes traced her bare skin until it was covered. Knowing she’d be on a video call later, Dakota had applied a bit of makeup that morning, so all that was needed was to brush her hair. “Now what happens?” she asked from the bathroom.

“I hire an inspector. Unless he tells me there is mold in every corner or something equally detrimental, I’ll move forward with the project. I want this so badly.”

Dakota took one last look in the mirror, then went to her mate and gave him a quick kiss. “I have no doubt you’ll get it. Now let’s go talk to our Clan.”

The video conference was wild. There were a bunch of tiny squares on Anthony’s laptop showing those on the other end. Even having shifter sight, it was hard to distinguish all the faces. When Harlow announced everyone was present, Bas began.

“Thank you all for agreeing to the call on such short notice. Harlow gave you the basics of why I’m asking for help in the email. First off, I’d like to introduce you to my mate, Dakota.” Dakota gave a small wave, and several voices responded in unison, “On my honor.” Bas had told her the significance of the gesture, hearing the vow given to her, it hit her right in the feels.

“For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m in the process of meeting with different species leaders to set up a shifter council. The purpose of the council is to have leaders who will spread the word about what happened in South Carolina a few months ago.” Sebastian recounted the incident with the dead wolf shifter and the GIA agent involved. “Alpha Millard put me in touch with Kingston Bridgewater, Alpha of the pack in Panther, West Virginia. It was there I met Dakota. Kingston wanted Dakota as his Alpha Mate, but she had refused. When I mentioned choosing Dakota for the council, he got pissed, things got out of hand, and I unknowingly challenged King. His second, Sloane, put a clawed hand around Lydia’s throat, she stabbed him, then Anthony kicked him through a second-floor window.”

There was an uproar at that point, and Dakota understood their rage. Males who put their hands on a female deserved to get kicked, or worse. Sebastian held his hands up, and when the voices died down, he continued. “I convinced King to stand down, but he demanded Anthony, Lydia, and I get off their pack land. I rescued Dakota from her brother before leaving.” Sebastian then explained the phone calls with Jolee and her father. “As it stands, I’m headed back to Panther to confront Kingston. The number of wolf shifters who are either alpha or beta and can fight is around one hundred. That leads to why I’m asking for your assistance. I have no doubt I can best King if it’s a fair fight, but the four of us against that many wouldn’t be fair.”

Sebastian paused and took a sip of water. “There are females among their ranks, thus my request for some of our females to be in attendance. If you can clear your schedule for this weekend, I’d like to get this over with sooner rather than later. If you aren’t available, I’ll call on someone else in your stead. Are there any questions?”

“Yes,” Rafael said. “Not so much a question as a statement. Arthur Young is mine. Nobody threatens my Queen and gets away with it.” Dakota gripped Sebastian’s hand tight. His papa hadn’t officially met Dakota, yet he was willing to take on her father on her behalf. She couldn’t wait to meet the male and give him a big hug.

“And Sloane is mine,” Nikolas added. “Fucker put his claws on my daughter. He’ll never touch another female again.”

“You might have to stand in line, Dad. Sloane’s out for Anthony’s blood,” Lydia said.

“Excuse me,” Knox Millard interrupted several who were wanting in on the action. “Why have you asked that I be present? I have done as Nikita asked and called the Alphas King has already contacted.”

“By having another Alpha present, it will show solidarity. We plan to record the ‘meeting,’ and I will ask for a peaceful resolution. I appreciate those calls you’ve made, but I want proof that he’s spinning things to make himself the victim. For the shifter council to work, we can’t have infighting among the species.”

“I understand, and you can count on me. I have a feeling once Nikita and Madsen find out I’m joining you, they’ll be there as well.” Dakota couldn’t wait to meet this Alpha. He exuded power, yet there was a softness to his gaze. He reminded Dakota of the Alpha from her pack in Utah.

“They will be most welcome. Any other questions?” Sebastian asked.

“Are we coming in armed?” Tessa asked. Lydia had shown Dakota photos of everyone who would be on the call and explained who they were. Anthony’s mother was a gorgeous redhead and didn’t look much older than her son.

“Absolutely. Those of you who have swords, feel free to bring them. All females are welcome to wear your bracelets and use them if necessary. For those of you in the New York and Atlanta areas, you’ll be flying in on the Clan jets. For everyone else, I will charter jets to bring you here. Harlow will have that information as well as the dates and times of your flights. Please coordinate with her.”

When there were no more questions, Sebastian said, “Thank you all, especially those who aren’t Gargoyles. Dakota and I appreciate your willingness to stand with us. If you have questions once we hang up, feel free to reach out to Anthony or myself.”

Once the feed ended, Dakota stood and shook out her hands. “That was…” Dakota trailed off. She wasn’t looking forward to returning to Panther, but she couldn’t wait to meet all the different shifters who had agreed to join them. Not only were there Gargoyles and Gryphons, but dire wolves, and various hybrids. When Bas explained what a Gryphon looked like when they shifted, Dakota was almost jealous. How fucking cool it was to be able to shift into not only their Gryphon form but either their Lion or Eagle too. Not that she would get to see them unless there was trouble, and Dakota didn’t want that. She prayed to the goddess that King would see the pack was outnumbered and do the right thing. Then again, it was King.

“Are you okay?” Anthony asked.

“Yes, but I’m realizing things in the Bridgewater pack are different and not in a good way. That right there,” she pointed at the computer, “is how it should be. Everyone coming together. Knox reminds me of my former Alpha, and he would be just as willing to band together with us. Maybe we could reach out to him regarding the council, unless Utah holds too many bad memories?”

Sebastian stood and pulled Dakota close. “If I had never gone to Utah, I wouldn’t have transitioned until I was older. And although I almost died that day, I would go through the pain again if it meant I didn’t have to wait to come into my Gargoyle. Utah is also where I was crowned King, so it will always be somewhere special, and if you want to speak with your former Alpha, I’m all for it.”

Dakota turned to Lydia. “I never did thank you for helping to save Bas that day.”

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