Page 33 of Forbidden Devotion
Josh crammed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t mind. Feels good to pitch in.”
“Well, thanks.”
He nodded. “Get on in there. They need you, Mitchel.”
The sentiment made his stomach flip, but he couldn’t stall a moment longer. “Stay safe.”
“Always, my friend. You too. I wouldn’t want to be an alpha right now, that’s for sure. You all have some difficult decisions to make.”
Mitchel clenched his teeth. Josh was right. This wasn’t going to be easy. He rolled his shoulders back and entered the den, tipping his head in greeting.
Most of the alphas were already present. They sat in a broad circle on a hodgepodge of unmatched chairs under the soft light of overhead lamps. A fire flickered and cracked in the stone hearth at the far end of the spacious room. The thick furry pelt of an enormous black bear lay center, it’s presence a reminder of their status. Apex predators. Sometimes, as he dealt with busted porch doors, mountains of paperwork, and Wi-Fi outages, it was easy to forget.
“Ah, welcome, nephew. Sit.” Ramsey gestured to the empty chair at his side. “Let us begin.”
Mitchel settled as Ramsey cleared his throat. All eyes turned toward them.
“Alphas, thank you for coming on such short notice. A serious matter demands our attention. There has been a death of one of our own at the hands of a rogue group of Oak City vampires. First, let’s have a moment of silence for Jordan Millerson and his family.”
Everyone bowed their heads. An intense quiet descended on their gathering. Though Mitchel yearned to mourn a fallen wolf, his thoughts were restless, refusing to cooperate.
Ramsey continued. “Every accommodation will be made to provide for the Millerson clan as they grieve. Funeral arrangements will be announced in the upcoming days. You’re all encouraged to attend. A strong alpha presence will help our families feel safe.
“Now. We must discuss the immediate threat. This vampire aggression has breached the Peace Accord. They drew first blood. The werewolves involved in the clash were acting in their own self-defense. Their actions were justified.
“We also have information on a secondary skirmish, fortunately without any serious injuries, that occurred shortly thereafter. We do not know the direct cause of these conflicts, though we can assume the root of the issue is discord over the Edict of Secrecy vote.
“These conflicts cannot continue, or we jeopardize the very foundation of the supernatural world. Our kind cannot sustain a third Great War. The ultimate goal must be to maintain the hard-earned peace we’ve enjoyed for over a century.” Ramsey drew in a breath and released it slowly. “As such, I propose we reach out to the vampire leadership and negotiate further armistice between the species.”
A chorus of disgruntled sounds from wolves who’d rather fight than talk set Mitchel’s nerves on edge.
But Ramsey continued unabashed. “We will insist they punish the vampires responsible for last night’s atrocities to the fullest extent of the law so as to discourage their kind from taking these matters into their own hands again. But then we must forgive and move forward together as supernaturals and not separate as isolated species. Together, we are strong.”
Some of the wolves clapped. Others nodded in agreement. A minority weren’t thrilled with the nonviolent approach, but in a room full of alpha werewolves, that was to be expected.
“I invite you all to discuss the matter. Together we’ll determine our next course of action.”
Mitchel settled in for a long night of arguing and planning, but in the end, it only took them a handful of hours to come to an agreement.
Erika would spearhead their plan.
The solution she’d proposed, which they’d ultimately decided on, was to insist all the leaders of the supernatural community convene at Oak City for a formal peace-keeping event designed to further positive relations and communication across the species. All supernaturals would be invited to attend.
Mitchel was chosen to speak at the assembly, and his task would be to prepare that presentation. There wasn’t much time. They’d converge in Oak City the following Saturday.
Erika and Josh would spread the word, including reaching out to Luther Davis, head of the Vampire Council.
Sinclair’s father.
Thank the full moon he hadn’t been assigned that task. By comparison, writing a speech would be a piece of cake. The last thing he wanted to do was speak with Sinclair’s father.
Though the hour approached midnight and Mitchel was exhausted, he decided to drive home rather than stay overnight at the compound. This way he could start his work fresh the next morning. And he needed the three-hour drive to clear his head.
His thoughts wandered insistently back to Sinclair no matter how much he resisted. Why had he left? Did he know of the wolf killed by vampires? What would he think?
Mitchel groaned inwardly. What did it matter what the vampire thought? Why did he care?
He was afraid to answer that question.
