Page 37 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

Fortier had to be a centaur, because traditionally, they held the lead council position given their notorious wisdom. From this position I couldn’t see his lower half to confirm, only the broad line of his human shoulders underneath his suit jacket.

One of them had to be fae, and Shay was in the middle of a staring contest with one named Aliz, so I made an educated guess that that was him.

Councilman Lug had a strong greenish tint to his skin, and close-cropped black hair with long, pointed ears sticking out, so it was safe to say he had the goblin seat. The rest looked humanon the surface, though, so it was hard to say at this distance what their alternate forms were.

“To what do we owe this interruption, Alpha?” Fortier stared down at Kane, and even I bristled at the insult. Gael stood at his left shoulder, looking positively murderous.

Damn, it shouldn’t be so hot to watch him glower, but I could feel the power rolling off him from here and had to resist the urge to whimper as my panties got soaked. He was all alpha, and I was a ridiculous hussy for getting turned on in this situation.

Granted, I was still half reeling from that moment, back in his room. Our eyes had locked, and I’d felt something indescribable surge in the air between us. Ever since, I’d been off-kilter, feeling drawn toward him like a magnet.

It was rather inconvenient when I was trying to keep him at arm’s length so we could focus on parenting.

“An urgent matter has come to my attention, and I need the council’s help in resolving it,” Kane said, smoothly pulling them onto the same team, even though there wasno way in hellthey were going to like the ultimate ask.

Bri had filled me in on the way over that they’d all agreed the best plan was to start small, building rapport before going for the throat—no more Omega Defense League.

I was glad they were able to keep cool heads about it, because I felt like the human version of a ticking time bomb, knowing that I was carrying an omega baby. It was the reaper’s axe that loomed over every wolf family, but it was different for me.

Most mothers didn’t know in advance. They just hoped and prayed to the Goddess that it wouldn’t bethemwho fell afoul of the ODL. But I knew.

I had nearly eight months until the fuse ran out.

Five,I amended. I’d given Gael five months to work this out with Kane before I spoke to Kari about other solutions.

“We’re always willing to hear from supplicants,” Councilwoman Rubix interjected, her ruby-red lips parting over sharp, pointy fangs in a vicious rictus of a smile. “But you can make an appointment and wait like every other supplicant.”

Kane held her stare, and I sucked in a sharp breath when I felt his dominance start to billow out. I swayed on my feet as I tried to hold it together, but it was so satisfying to watch it hit each member of the council one after the other, some of them swaying, others bracing against the table, and at least half beginning to sweat under the force of his alpha power. All except Fortier, the centaur.

I could hear his hooved feet shuffle behind the table, but otherwise, there was no outward sign that he felt the power roiling off our alpha like steam off a pot about to boil over.

“Normally, I would do exactly that. But I cannot, in good conscience, as high alpha, stand aside while my people are harassed. And it has come to my attention that the infraction at our great pack gathering—which was perpetrated by the ODL based on a completely bogus report—was only the tip of the iceberg, and a full-out assault was recently committed against the Kodiak clan who are our neighbors.”

“Ah.” Fortier cleared his throat. “We understand the strain that the ODL puts on your kind, Alpha?—”

“HighAlpha,” Reed corrected from Kane’s side.

“Yes, pardon me. High Alpha.” The corner of his mouth twitched at the correction, but he was so smooth, there was no other sign to tell what he was thinking. “But the Omega Defense League serves an important role in protecting all magical species, and after the omega wars, surely you understand that the safety of all must come first.”

“Was it safety for the Kodiaks, when magical bombs were used on their ancestral home? And was it safe for our pregnant she-wolf who went into early labor as a result of the stress of the ODL’s unwarranted harassment?”

“Harassment! Please,” Councilman Aileron interrupted, fury evident on his features. “The pixies were nearly wiped from the face of theEarthby the last omega allowed to run loose. Our population numbers are still recovering centuries later, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t give a fuck about your feelings.”

I could see the muscles twitching in Gael’s jaw from here, and I understood the frustration. These people were living in the past, and willing to kill our children to keep it from repeating itself.

The irony was, now we were the ones dwindling away to nothing undertheirthumbs, but nobody seemed to care.

“I understand your feelings well, Councilman Aileron,” Kane said gravely. “My own people’s numbers have struggled ever since the Omega Purge, as omegas played a crucial part in our species’ strength and vitality. Without their magic, more of our females die in childbirth than ever died in the wars. And I think it’s worth saying that the majority of omegas have been peaceful, helpful females who supported their packs quietly and without incident. None but Narcissa was ever known to have powers of war, and the children are killed now by the ODL before any testing can be completed to discern where their powers might lie.”

Fortier tapped one fingertip on the table, watching the back and forth with an inscrutable gaze.

“Your kind should suffer for what they did to us,” Aileron spat.

“The purpose of this council is to ensure peace and prosperity forallmagical species under our purview. That includes wolf shifters, and if you cannot work toward that goal, then perhaps it is time for your seat to be transferred to a new pixie,” Councilman Halia said, a slight coo to his voice.

Bird shifter of some kind?

“You feather-brained son of a bitch—” Aileron began toshimmer, and a burst of sparkly light filled the room as the angry man turned into a sparkling, bouncing pixie with purple skin and wings the length of my forearm. Little squeaks and screeches poured out, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying.

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