Page 18 of Fighting Furry

Darius nodded. “I've seen some of your fights. Please, have a seat in the living room.” We followed him into a carpeted room with popcorn ceilings and furniture that could have come right out of the 1980s. I sat on the couch next to Axel. I may have still been feeling the residual effects of the sugar, but Darius made me more than a little nervous.

Axel told Darius the story of my turning and the man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The council will want to punish Jeremiah, of course, but I suspect it will be mostly for show. He was protecting himself.” He looked to me. “Can you explain why you reacted in such an extreme manner.”

I swallowed hard to hold back the urge to tell him to go fuck himself. “You spend your life as a woman and tell me you wouldn't have lashed out if a man grabbed you in the dark.”

Darius frowned and narrowed his eyes, but he didn't argue. “Krista, too, will have to be punished. She shouldn't have allowed her cousin to run around the town unsupervised.”

“I don't suppose I could dole out the punishments?” Axel asked.

Darius sighed as though he really felt bad, but I didn't sense true empathy from him. “The council will insist on making an example of them to deter anyone else from being so careless.”

“What are you going to do to Krista?” I asked.

Darius turned his attention to me, his expression revealing no sympathy. “It won't be what I do, it will be what the council decides.”

I turned to Axel, expecting him to smirk or glare, but his expression was kind, understanding. “They won't hurt her,” he said. “The most they will do is restrict her travel permissions or put her under house arrest.”

I nodded, grateful to him. “Okay.” I turned back to Darius. “It really was my fault. Krista had sent me a text warning me to stay inside and I didn't see it. Jeremiah…He didn't really do anything wrong. He grabbed me, but I may have overreacted. He used words that are a trigger for me.”

Darius waved a hand, done with the conversation. “The council will decide.” He turned back to Axel. “Has she shifted?”

“She has and she managed to maintain control,” Axel said. “She wants to return to her life in LA.”

“That is out of the question,” Darius said. “She must go back to your pack. You are now responsible for her.”

“I understand,” Axel said. I opened my mouth to protest, but he put a heavy hand on my thigh and squeezed. When I looked at his face, I saw compassion and kindness. “She would like a few days to tie up some loose ends here. I will be by her side the entire time, of course.”

Darius studied us. I'd noticed Axel had told Darius nothing about my ability to ignore his alpha voice or my second shift. It made me think Axel was on my side. It was the only thing that kept me from opening my big mouth. “If anything happens,” Darius said. “You will be held fully responsible by the council. She's too much in the public eye to keep our secret if we're not careful.”

“I understand,” Axel said.

“Wait,” I said. “What does that mean?”

Darius swung his head slowly to me, his narrow face pinched, clearly resenting my interruption. I'd been dealing with men who didn't think I should have a voice or a seat at the table my whole career. They didn't intimidate me and neither did Darius. “I'm sure Axel can fill you in.” He stood. “If that is all—”

“I want you to tell me.” I needed to know what was at stake and I trusted Darius not to spare my feelings.

Darius looked over at Axel as though he expected him to intervene and save him from my intrusive questions. Axel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. I was inordinately grateful to him for siding with me, even though it was clear he respected Darius.

Darius glared at Axel, his expression hard, and swung his head back to me. “Revealing our existence to humans is punishable by death. Your cousin Krista should be put to death for inviting you to the village without making sure you wouldn't be exposed to the wolves. She would have been if Axel hadn't explained that she'd informed him of your arrival and had simply gotten the date wrong.” I forced myself not to show any shock at that revelation. Axel had vouched for Krista? “If you reveal your true nature to a human in any way, Axel will pay for your crime. He will be put to death and you will be stalled.”

“Stalled?”

Darius rolled his eyes heavenward as though searching for assistance. “You will have an operation to insure you are never able to shift again.”

“That's possible?”

“Possible, but intensely painful. Most wolves don't survive the procedure with their sanity intact.”

Well, then. Guess I wouldn't be telling Shelly about my recent change.

“I will see you to the door,” Darius said. “Enjoy your run.”

***

“Thank you for covering for Krista,” I said. We were back in Axel's car and headed back to the city. I felt calmer, the nervous energy quieted. The run had been amazing, had felt like flying and an hour-long laugh session all in one. It was pure freedom from boundaries and humanity, a sort of intense communing with nature. I may even have eaten a rabbit.

“She's mine,” he said. “I look out for her.”

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