Page 38 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

I was pretty sure Halia was getting cussed out in pixie, though. It would have been almost funny if Aileron didn’t want to perpetuate the murder of innocent wolf babies.

The pounding of a wooden gavel I hadn’t noticed before snapped everyone into silence.

“That’s enough. Councilman Aileron, you’re excused from the remainder of today’s session.” Fortier waved a bored hand, and the pixie let out a few more furious squeaks before flying haphazardly out the back door of the chamber. “I apologize for his behavior. It was unbecoming for one in his position.”

Kane nodded his acceptance.

“However, his opinion is one shared by many. We understand that you are new to your role as high alpha and want to do right by your kind, but we cannot simply change the rules to accommodate any one magical species. Preferential treatment is not something we engage in.”

“And yet, we are the only species both actively hunted by this council, as well as lacking representation on this council. We formally request an investigation into the ODL’s actions and the recent uptick in persecution against wolf shifters and our allies.”

There was an edge to Kane’s rebuttal that made me shiver and lean closer to Shay’s shoulder. The temperature seemed to rise as the remaining eight council members processed what he’d said.

It suddenly occurred to me that there might not be months on this fuse. This bomb could blowtoday.

“You know as well as we do that there is a tenth seat. There hasalwaysbeen a tenth seat, but wolves haven’t ever deigned to sit on the council.” Councilwoman Grist sounded bored, butshe cocked her eagle head, peering over us all with beady bird eyes and unnerving focus.

Without missing a beat, Gael spoke at Kane’s side. “As second of Pack Blackwater, I formally nominate Lucien Vasilescu to represent wolf shifters as sitting councilman for the Interspecies Governing Council.”

“Supported, as third of Pack Blackwater,” Reed said, adjusting the cuff links in his sleeves with a bit of extra flair.

Kane turned to Lucien, whose face was no longer flirty and teasing, but deadly serious. “Lucien, do you accept this nomination to represent wolfkind? Do you promise to dedicate yourself to changing the laws this council uses to oppress us?”

Lucien swallowed hard, just once. “I do, High Alpha.”

Kane turned back to the council, and I held my breath as the seconds ticked by in silence.

“Welcome to the table, Councilman Vasilescu,” Councilman Fortier finally said.

“Thank you,” Lucien said with nods to Fortier and then Kane.

“We have other business to attend to this afternoon, but I’m sure your representative will report back to you as is appropriate on the investigation into the ODL’s actions. If you need additional council support, please see Karina for appointment availability.” Fortier waved in clear dismissal to where his secretary still hovered in the door.

“We appreciate your time and making this exception to hear us out,” Reed said as Lucien walked up to the table and took the empty seat on the end.

I don’t think I exhaled until we were back safely in the SUVs, driving away from Lucien and the council.

TWENTY

Gael

Two weeks later

The council movedwith frustrating slowness. Lucien returned to the pack castle each day to give us a disappointing report that investigators had been sent to question the appropriate members of the ODL, but as yet, none had returned.

A small part of me wondered if there wasn’t division within the organization. Clearly, the council itself was divided between those who saw all species equally and those who still had an axe to grind. The fury over the fact that I hadn’t even been alive during the omega wars, yet my innocent, unborn daughter was slated to pay the price, kept me up nights. Leigh and Nugget had gone back to her room after the IGC meeting, and while I didn’t like it, I didn’t exactly have a leg to stand on to force her to stay with me.

Plus, I’d been driving myself crazy trying to figure out if we did have any mate signs that I could pin down for certain. I kept thinking her scent was changing, but more than once in thepast week when we’d been in the same room and I’d tried to catch a fresh whiff, she’d looked at me like I was a psycho.

So, I was giving her a little bit of space.

Which was how I ended up in the locker room at five thirty a.m., completely sweated out from a punishing ten-mile treadmill sprint followed by lifting twice my body weight until my muscles shook with the exertion.

After a quick shower and change into a fresh pair of black sweats, I stepped out of the locker room and ended up behind two members of the castle’s security team.

Karl and… Sven? I couldn’t remember without seeing their faces.

They were sniggering at something, and the sound froze me in my tracks.

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