Page 51 of Savage Wolves

“Are you okay, princess?” Ravi’s voice sounds through my mind, and I turn my attention toward where he sits in the front row beside Slater. On his other side, Sloan sits, and he offers me a pout.

And then I see him.

Rocco slumps in a chair on the end of the row, glowering at me. My heart races, and I stop in my tracks. Everyone turns and stares at me. I can’t help the wave of emotions swelling from my core to spill through the rest of me. All I can think about is how much I want that bastard to die. He tried to kill me. He hurt people I care about. He should not be sitting here as a pack alpha.

“Try to ignore him and walk directly to us. It will show the council who you favor.” Slater’s eyes flash gold as his wolf peeks through.

“This is not the time to disobey, Eliana. The council will hear everything he has done. You must not react. Now please come to me.” Ravi nods his head with his thoughts. Calling me Eliana sends a rush of nerves through me. He’s serious.

It takes everything in me to get my feet to work again, and I decide to look at the floor instead of straightening my shoulders like my mind wants. I don’t want to actually look like a scared little girl as I stroll past all these hulking men. I want to look like the alpha I know I can be, but I also know in doing so it could make things more challenging. This isn’t the time for me to fight back. I’d lose. I have no idea what the council is capable of, and I don’t want to find out. I can’t plan accordingly unless I have that sort of information. So I need to just suck it up and be what everyone expects me to be. An omega.

I shuffle my way forward, curling in on myself to appear smaller. I know that these alphas get batshit crazy if they think someone is challenging them. I’m used to servicing them. I’m used to giving into their desires. But damn it. At least before, I was paid for it. It was a job. It was a way I survived. This shit is now my life. It’s not the same when there’s absolutely no perks for me. Before, I could decide whether or not I would continue with a client. My life is now in the hands of others.

Ravi closes the space to me, not letting me pass by any of the alphas. He carries me back to his seat and plops down, adjusting me on his lap. I rest against his taut chest and link my fingers together. It’s probably best for me to tune the world out. It helps keep my racing heart in control. It also stanches my urge to act out.

“Now that Eliana has arrived, we can move away from the new divide and territories and handle her situation.” The woman joins the three people on the platform. “She needs to bond with someone to ensure a successful pregnancy. It seems that a new alpha has already initiated the process.”

“She was supposed to be mine. He intercepted and bit her. He cannot possibly get away with taking something that doesn’t belong to him. My pack had an agreement with her ancestor’s bloodline.” Rocco stands, trying to tower over everyone. All it does is make the rest of the alphas get to their feet, including Ravi. “Tell them, Gideon. Eliana was Crystalrock’s to have. We did all the work to get her.”

“You were going to kill her. You’ve crossed a line, Rocco. I’ll not stand by and allow you to stake claim only to murder someone who can help our species thrive.” Slater steps in front of Ravi, blocking me protectively.

“Mistharbor also broke our laws. They had taken her and tried to trade her to their allies. Some had planned to kill her.” Sloan surprises me by speaking up. I twist in Ravi’s arms to meet her gaze. I almost don’t believe it. “Many packs lost their alphas because of them. Including mine. I’ve had to step up, and I demand to be recognized as such. It’s the only way to stop the unrest in the Sea Glimmer territory.”

“You bitch!” the alpha of Mistharbor says. Kai’s voice stabs deeply into me. I tense, wanting nothing more than to flee the area. “I was trying to find her a worthy alpha. That asshole is not someone who should have an omega. He’s only in the position he is because he betrayed his pack alpha. So did you, Sloan.”

Several growls rumble out, reverberating across my skin to strike me deeply in my soul. This is total bullshit. For being a supposedly tough asshole, his comment seems quite juvenile. He probably knows that he fucked up.

“I fought fairly. Sean was growing weak. You, on the other hand, play dirty. I demand restitution for your actions. You nearly killed one of my pack members. You destroyed my community. You know that’s against our treaties.” Ravi adjusts me in his arms, tightening his hold around me as if he has to hold onto something before he attacks Kai.

Rocco fists his hands. “If that’s the case, then you should—”

“Silence! Everyone sit down or you will all be restrained until you can calm yourselves. We have brought you here because you decimated your packs. You have destroyed everything we have worked hard to help you build, and for what? We have laws for a reason. We’ve allowed you to tailor things to fit your needs but ten percent of the lykoswulves are dead in a matter of weeks. If you keep this up, half of your population will be gone by the next moon.” The man on the platform flashes his fangs, and I nearly throw myself from Ravi’s arms in fear. He can’t be what I think he is. I mean, light trickles in through the clouds. Vampires aren’t supposed to withstand sunlight.

“Maybe if you had chosen different alphas for the task of bringing people,” Slater growls under his voice.

“Mr. Ice Meadow, I think at this point, I have to agree. Obviously, brawns and strength fail to help your species. You’ve proven to need intelligence too.” The second man on the council runs his fingers through his beard. “Which you surprisingly have, considering your pack’s bloodline.”

I frown. What the hell? How condescending and rude.

Slater doesn’t react, his face soft and expressionless. “I think you underestimate me. My pack is thriving far better than anyone else’s in Shadow Moon. Even members from other packs have joined mine, resisting the call of the alpha.”

He’s talking about Davian.

“Liar! You’ve stolen and broken my infraborne.” Rocco charges at Slater, his wolf peeking through in his rage.

The council does nothing to stop him, watching as the two men challenge each other in front of everyone. Ravi steps back. His warning growl vibrates against my skin. I try to suppress the fear rushing through me. What if Rocco manages to overpower Slater? What if the council allows it?

Sudden protectiveness swells through me, pushing my body into action. Ravi loses his grip on me as I throw myself forward. I stumble, catching myself on my hands. A massive figure launches over me, crashing into a wolf skidding inches away from me, knocking the beast back. It’s Ravi.

The white-haired woman calls something out, but I can’t hear her over the pounding in my head. A rumble shudders through the grand room, and I brace against the sparkling floor as an earthquake rocks the world.

“Order! Don’t make me force you all into submission,” the woman yells.

“Serena, let them work it out. It’ll solve our issue and allow them to keep their control with minimal interference,” the vampire councilman says, touching the woman’s shoulder.

“One will die,” she argues. “You know the consequences if we lose too many.”

“We’ll take a vote.” The last member of the council, a woman with brilliant red hair, rolls her shoulders, revealing a pair of iridescent, glittering wings as big as her body. “Who is against allowing the lykowulves to settle their dispute?”

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