Page 92 of Bitten Shifter

“When I returned,” he continues smoothly, “I informed the council of certain developments—like a rogue technomancer wandering about. And, of course,” his eyes gleam, “the baby shifter she’s become.”

I swallow, my fingers tightening around Merrick’s hand. What does one even say to that?Thank you?The man was deeply embedded in Human First and now sits here like it’s all perfectly normal.

Sure, he helped save me, but he also sold me out to the Ministry of Magic.

“Ah, the classic game of tit for tat,” I say, my tone edged with sarcasm. “You exposed my secret; I exposed yours. Well played, Councillor Kane.”

His eyes flash with amusement, but before he can respond, Merrick’s voice cuts cleanly through the chatter.

“The shifters appreciate your intervention during my mate’s rescue,” he says, measured but with an undercurrent of warning. Instantly, the room quiets.

“I’m glad you were there, Councillor Kane, to help contain the Human First threat. For that, we are in your debt.” He squeezes my hand, then lifts it to his lips, his gaze sweeping the chamber with a dangerous glint.

“Lark is more precious to me than anything in this world,” he says, his voice punctuated with a low growl. “The Sectors would burn before I let harm come to her.”

The weight of his declaration presses down on us, silence stretching taut.

Kane’s smug grin never falters. “That’s funny,” he says lightly, “because I’ve seen and heard a lot about this ‘precious mate’ of yours. Wolfsbane shoved down her throat, her first shift in some filthy warehouse, terrified out of her mind—some protector you were then, huh, Alpha Prime. Did I miss the epic fire?”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

My jawnearly hits the floor at this man’s sheer audacity. Merrick is practically vibrating with barely contained rage. The hand that isn’t holding mine is clenched so tightly that his knuckles have turned white.

Lander, oblivious or simply reckless, opens his mouth to continue without a care, utterly unaware of how close he is to having his head ripped off his shoulders.

Dayna cuts in, her sharp tone slicing through the tension. “No. None of that. We all know the Human First chapter responsible for the abduction ended up in little pieces in the Human Sector.”

“Sure,” Lander interjects, his smirk widening. “But it wasn’t the Alpha Prime doing the ripping apart, was it? That honour goes to a vampire.” His eyes gleam with thinly veiled malice as he ticks points off on his fingers. “Let’s summarise, shall we? First, the Shifter Ministry’s technological centre gets attacked, which leads to your technomancer and fated mate being bitten and turned. Then there’s a wizard’s house—how convenient. Follow that with her abduction by Human First, and, to top it off, an ancient vampire decides to ‘clean up’ under the guise ofa hunt. It looks like you have got more than a few problems on your plate, pal.”

Merrick’s muscles bunch like coiled springs, tension radiating from every inch of him.

“Lander!” Dayna snaps, her voice ringing with authority. “Enough. We do not pick fights with allies.”

“I’m merely stating facts, sister dear,” Lander drawls, though the glint in his eyes is anything but innocent. “Nobody’s fighting here.”

For a moment, I’m certain Merrick will lunge across the table and tear Lander’s throat out. Then he exhales slowly. His entire body relaxes as he sinks back in his chair, his thumb brushing gentle circles against my wrist—a silent reassurance that he’s in control. For now.

At least Lander Kane does not know about the mage battle at the hotel with his sister, where I almost got fried. If he did, he’d probably twist that into Merrick’s fault too. My gaze drifts to Dayna, her face a portrait of exasperation. I can almost hear the internal sigh as she watches Lander with the kind of patience usually reserved for unruly children.

“The wizard’s house,” Merrick says, his voice low and measured, his mask of civility firmly in place. “Can you explain why my mate—a forty-seven-year-old human—entered it bleeding and emerged a shifter, looking decades younger? Do you know anything about that?”

“We don’t,” Dayna replies, her expression firm. Despite her youthful appearance, there’s a weight to her presence suggesting she is high-ranking in the council—and not by accident.

“We’re investigating it,” she continues. “The house seems to have disappeared—relocated to another sector or possibly another country. We will track it down and analyse it. Councillor Kane,” she adds pointedly, “will be involved in that investigation.”

Lander scowls, crossing his arms. “Will I now?”

“Yes, you will,” Dayna says through gritted teeth. “And pack it in.”

I glance around the room, fighting the urge to bolt. The other council members watch quietly, and this place feels more suffocating by the second.

“We have a human government representative arriving shortly,” Dayna announces, checking a sleek, enchanted watch on her wrist. “Twenty minutes, to be exact. They will explain why we were not notified of a technomancer in their midst.” Her voice sharpens. “We will also discuss compensation on behalf of the Alpha Prime, Mrs Winters and the Magic Sector. The sterilisation of a rare mage is a gross overstep, and from now on, all non-consensual magical sterilisations are suspended until Parliament reviews the matter. I also move to ban the practice entirely. It’s barbaric.”

A chorus of agreement ripples around the table.

I find myself nodding.

“Does anyone have any questions?” Dayna asks, scanning the table. When no one speaks, she adds, “No? Excellent. Let’s take a short break for refreshments.”

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