Page 187 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

Oh, how kind of the prick. Anger tightened inside of me, but I couldn’t let it take hold. All that would do would allow me to miscalculate and mess up this chance. “There is something that everyone here should know,” I said the words slowly and deliberately, buying time so my pulse settled and my mind cleared once more. “You see, one of the wolf council members does need to step aside.”

“Those are some bold words without backing them up,girl,” Azbogah barked.

All my life, I’d been taught to hide my heritage. That being a silver wolf put a target on my back, and boy, had I learned it was true. Not only had my brother been kidnapped and my entire pack massacred, but someone was desperately trying to capture me. Yet, maybe staying hidden had given away part of our power. Instead of standing to fight and keep our place in this society, we ran and hid, allowing corruption to take an even stronger hold in those we’d left behind.

Sterlyn, what are you doing?Griffin sounded scared.Don’t sacrifice your safety because of me. We can figure something out without throwing ourselves on the mercy of the council.

I’m doing what we should’ve done all those years ago.Maybe I was being stupid, but with Yelahiah standing behind me, I became even more certain.I’m taking back our place in the world.Proudly, I said, “I’m Sterlyn Knight, the alpha of the silver wolves, and the shifters voted centuries ago that my race should be the council’s shifter representatives.”

Yelahiah inhaled sharply, and her hand tightened on my arm.

I wanted to check on her, but I refused to avert my gaze from Dick’s. He’d take it as cowardice, and probably many of the others here would, too. I lifted my chin, making it clear that I’d stand my ground.

“A silver wolf?” Alex gasped as he pounded the table. “That’s not possible.”

“But it is.” I urged my wolf forward, feeling the tingle along my skin. I removed my suit jacket so they could see my bare arms as silver fur sprouted. Then I pulled back on my wolf, not letting her go any further. A partial shift was hard to hold, but the full moon was close.

“Oh, my God.” Ezra’s breath caught. “She is.”

“This is impossible.” Azbogah's hands fisted as he turned to Dick. “Did you know about this?”

“I...” Dick stuttered. “I didn’t.” The stench of rotten eggs poured off Dick, alerting everyone that he’d lied.

Murmurs filled the room as Azbogah closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Youknewabout her?” Griffin rasped as his feeling of betrayal rushed into me. “For how long?”

“I don’t answer to you.” Dick scanned the room as if in search of an exit.

Dick had known about me all along. This couldn’t be a coincidence. Even though I was relieved that my instincts had been right, I couldn’t help but feel horrible for Griffin. He’d trusted this man for so long, and to find out that he’d not only been sabotaging him, but hunting me, made him feel responsible.

The way to right the wrong was to address it head-on.Make him submit to you.I could do it, but this was something Griffin had to do for himself. He needed to realize the strength he held inside him. Not just that, but he’d command respect from the others in the room. Griffin needed to do this for himself. If I took care of it for him, I’d insult him on so many levels.

I refused to be that kind of mate. He and I needed to support one another and make each other stronger, not try to outshine each other.

“Actually, you do.” Griffin jumped to his feet and marched around the table toward the older man. “You aren’t fit to lead thewolves or be any sort of representative for the shifters. You’re selfish and conniving.”

“I’ve sacrificed everything to earn this position,” Dick said as he pointed in Griffin’s face. “I made the hard calls while you screwed your latest conquest or got drunk with that pathetic alpha who was supposed to be in charge of guarding the city.”

“I’m going to college to get the kind of education I can use to help this city grow,” Griffin countered. “If my dad were still alive, he'd have been leading the city while I was away.”

“Exactly,” Dick snarled. “If he was still alive. He isn’t, so you should’ve stepped up, but you were too weak.”

“Youtoldme to go to college.” Griffin’s eyes glowed faintly as his anger took control. “You practically pushed me out the gate, telling me I needed to set an example for others and attend the university so more supernaturals would come.”

Once again, Dick had been manipulating him for who knows how long. There was no telling what kind of deceit he’d fed everyone, and though I hated to see Griffin spiral in front of the council, this confrontation had to happen. It was long overdue, and hopefully, the damage wouldn’t be too terrible.

“Let’s not forget how you dropped off the paperwork at my house for what you’ve put me on trial for, telling me you’d be back soon to get the signed documents. Paperworkyoucreated.” Griffin spread his arms out. “You risked letting the city be revealed to humans just to put me in this position so that you could take over as alpha of my own city. This stops now. You’re no longer part of the pack, and you need to go.”

“What? I did not.” Dick stumbled back as the sulfuric smell assaulted our noses yet again. “You can’t do that. We’re about to vote you out. Besides, no one believes you.”

“But he’s not voted out yet.” I put my jacket back on as I moved to stand next to my mate, showing my support for him. He and I would always be a package deal, and no one would evertake that away. “And everyone believes him. Or did you forget that supernaturals can tell when someone lies?”

Dick’s face turned pale, and his attention shifted behind me, I assumed to his mate.

I wanted to turn around to see her reaction, but I had to remain focused, especially now. We already had a ton of stuff against us—Griffin with his flippant lifestyle before he’d met me, and the silver wolves running away, leaving the other races behind. They had to believe that we were different and would change the tides.

“She’s right.” Yelahiah took her spot back at the table. “We haven’t voted, and it’s clear that Griffin isn’t the one who should be on trial. So the previous vote is now void, and a new one will begin. Isn’t that right, Azbogah?” She beamed at the dark angel who had been in alliance with Dick just moments ago.

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