by Paige Taylor
“Right, time to get off my ass, then. I want to talk to a few people before we go anywhere. I also want to see if anyone wants to join our Packs, if that’s okay with you and Wade?” I ask, returning his favour of kissing his knuckles, just revelling in touching my Mate.
“Sounds like a good plan, Beautiful. Let’s get you showered and clean though, you might scare them with the bed-head you’re rocking right now.” He chuckles before helping me sit up, narrowly avoiding the slap to the back of the head I swing his way.
Standing in front of a group this size should be nothing after the experiences I’ve had back in Montana. Yet, I have never felt more nervous about addressing a group of people. The crowd has grown to about eighty wolves, all looking up at me with an unwavering gaze, waiting to hear what their fate will be. I step further away from the stairs of the Pack house, not wanting to fall down them mid-speech due to my wandering feet.
“Hi, everyone, so for the most part, you all remember me, I was family. I was Pack for over two decades here. As I’m sure you’ve already been told, Vincent has been orchestrating attacks on Packs all over the country, but primarily around the east coast. He would get vampires to attack, and he would swoop in and be the saviour. He would get more land and a larger pack, and the vampires would get a few wolves to snack on. My last night here was when I found out this was going on. To say I was punished for it would be an understatement. I was banished and threatened with your lives, if I didn’t co-operate with his demands.” I pause as the crowd in front of us breaks out in horrified gasps and whispers. I look around and see many familiar faces, the only people missing are Vincent’s family, which has all my hair prickling in suspicion.
“I went to Montana and met my Mates there, but unfortunately, Vincent wouldn’t leave me alone. We were attacked twice, and lost a Pack member. These vampires got in because Vincent fed them information, so they could break through the protective barrier. As you witnessed, I did not take too kindly to that. I didn’t challenge that piece of shit to become Alpha of this pack. I challenged him because that was the only way to relinquish his control of this Pack. So, I am giving you all two options; one is to join us in Montana, the other option is for you to choose a new Alpha. But so help me God, if I discover that anyone else has continued what Vincent started you will not have as nice an ending as Vincent has been given. We will be leaving today, please let us know your choice before then,” my growl becoming more pronounced as I reach the end of my speech, the idea that someone could pick up where Vincent left off making my blood run cold. With the official notice given, I walk off the porch and into the crowd, searching for a friend.
Wade and Dylan with a hand in each of mine walk with me to find David. David was more of a brother to me than a best friend, we always had a healthy competition which at times would cause us to fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day, we would do anything for each other. Not saying goodbye to him is one of my biggest regrets.
“AVA!” I hear shouted from within the crowd, my head spinning that direction. I finally find my adoptive brother and run toward him, throwing my arms around his body and squeezing him in tight. The blonde five-foot-nine, lean man hasn’t changed a single bit. He still wears his printed shirts and jeans, his blonde hair is cropped to his head, and his hugs are just as tight as they always had been.
“Hey there, David,” I say into his ear, tears of happiness welling in my eyes.
“You crazy shit! You disappear from my life and then reappear to challenge that psychotic asshole, and you fucking won! Without a single word to me! What the hell were you thinking?” he says, rushing his words while his arms wrap tighter around me.
“I was thinking that I was broken, bleeding, and didn’t want him to kill you!” I exclaim, looking into his face after he lets me go and I move back against my Mates’ chests who had been patiently waiting for an introduction.
“David, these are two of my Mates, Dylan and Wade. At home are Zane and Marco. Guys, this is David, the one from my stories,” I say enthusiastically as they put their hands forward to shake David’s outstretched palm.
“Nice to finally put a face to the name we’ve heard so much about. Thank you for being a friend to Ava when she was growing up,” Dylan says, after stepping back from the handshake.
“Well, someone had to do it, she was too much of a trouble maker for anyone else to look after her,” David huffs, laughing.
“David, what the hell has been going on since I left?” I ask, the tone transforming to very serious, very quickly. All of us turn away from the pack members mulling around and start walking away from the larger population.
“What hasn’t gone on is an easier question to be honest. After you left, Vincent locked down the Pack, we weren’t allowed out past a certain time, we couldn’t work in any of the Packs associated businesses. Everyone was interrogated about their association to you and whether we’d heard from you. Eventually, Vincent started censoring our communication with other supernaturals. He was getting paranoid and drunk on the power. As more wolves started arriving, we had begun trying to plan a coup, but with his watch dogs everywhere it was hard to do that,” David explains as we reach a clearing to the left of the Pack house.
“Holy shit. Where was his dad when this was happening?” Thinking about the old Pack alpha who, whilst he may have been neglectful in his duties, was never as crazy as his son is starting to appear.
“Vincent’s family vacated about three months after you left, they didn’t break from Pack or die, just got off Pack property. We haven’t seen him since.”
“Fucking hell. We are taking Vincent to the council and then going home, I hope the Pack decides what they want to do and fast,” I say to David, looking over at my quiet Mates for confirmation.
“Whatever they decide, I don’t care. I want to come with you guys to Montana,” David says, his eyes flicking between the three of us, waiting for a response.
“I would love that! But, what about your parents?” I ask, not wanting him to abandon his family on a snap decision.
“They have already agreed to come as well. We’re going to pack up our things and meet you out in Montana in a week or two. If that is okay with the Alphas?” His head nods in Dylan and Wade’s direction.
“We have two Packs, but at this stage it may as well be one giant Pack run by two Alphas. We would love to extend the invitation for you to join either of our Packs. Having Ava’s family there is very important to us,” Wade insists as he walks closer to me and hooks his large arm around my shoulder.
“Well, okay then,” I whisper before the tears start to fall from my eyes again. I tuck my head into Wade’s chest as too many emotions try to break through my walls in rapid succession. Knowing that David and his parents are being welcomed so easily into my new life by my Mates is beyond words. I never thought I would have the opportunity to have this much love in my life, and yet, I know I would do anything and everything to never lose it again.
“Do you remember the protocol for these meetings, Ava?” Wade asks while reaching over to untwist my hands from my own iron grip, his usual cocky tone replaced with seriousness and a little fear.
“Yep. Don’t say a word, don’t look them in the eye for more than a second or two, only answer questions I’ve been asked, and don’t act like a hot head. Got it,” I reply, hoping that I haven’t missed anything, we cannot stuff up this meeting with the council. After tying things up with the Pack and handing the reins over to a man that was unanimously voted for by the pack, we said our goodbyes, made promises to visit, and loaded our car up before coming straight to the council’s holding house.
Our car is parked in front of a house in the middle of a suburban street. The house is a huge plantation-type home with pillars framing the front of the house, with large windows interspersed between those pillars. The house is crisp white with grey accents all around the outside and is in a word, stunning. It’s hard to imagine that this house would have to be equipped t
o hold and punish criminals for a given period before they were transported to a larger complex.
We all get out of the car, the still unconscious Vincent, in the trunk, being pulled over Wade’s shoulder and Dylan taking the lead carrying the box of paper records, allowing me to be sandwiched between the two of them. Dylan’s hand grasps the large, brass door knocker and gives it three loud bangs before stepping back. Everyone’s breath freezes in tension and anticipation as the large, wooden door is pulled open.
“Good evening Dylan Andrews, Wade Chamberlain, and Ava Pearce. Please come inside, Javier will show you where to place Mr. Cross,” an older-looking man says before stepping aside and gesturing us into the foyer. The man who answers the door looks just like every old butler in a movie; grey hair, no beard, black server’s suit, and so frail you wonder how his bones don’t break from the impact of walking. Wade doesn’t say a word as he crosses the threshold and walks alongside a huge man in a suit, that must be Javier. Javier is the complete opposite, he is just as tall as Wade, but possibly even more muscles are packed onto his frame, he looks like the definition of a hit-man. His face is so impassive that he might actually be a pod person. The idea of a shifter like this being invaded by an alien gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Dylan and I follow the butler, our eyes sticking straight in front of us, not wanting to look around in case we see something that is not ours to know. The Council are very secretive. Very few people know where the council chambers are, and even fewer people know anything about the inner workings. What we do know, is that they are a nation-wide body that enforce our laws, gives you an impartial opinion when needed, and are your Judge, Jury, and Executioner if anything nefarious was brought to their attention. The five Council members are selected every fifty years. They have to be nominated by a previous Council member and then from that list, the Alphas of the Packs vote from there. The current Council was only about twenty years into their tenure.
We continue to follow the frail man through the narrow bare hallway until we reach a door on the left. There is not a single sound coming from any room, it’s a wonder that there is anyone in this building. We are ushered into a room with the door slamming shut behind us. The room is huge, with high ceilings and wall to wall bookcases. In the centre of the floor is a large, circular, wooden table with five very imposing figures sitting at it, their eyes glued to us. The woman at the centre is stunning with porcelain skin, ebony hair, and piercing blue, eyes. Surrounding her is a man on either side, each polar opposites of each other. The man on her right has mocha-coloured skin, a shaved head, and green eyes, whilst the other has snow-white skin, long blond hair to his shoulders, and irises that look black as night. Further around the table is a man with mahogany hair, stylishly cut so that it is longer on the top and shorter on the sides, and a three-piece suit that is meticulously neat and clean-cut. Across from him is a blonde woman who looks like Blake lively, but with a bob instead of long, flowing locks, a beautiful smile graces her lips at our arrival.
“Welcome to our property, Dylan and Ava. I assume we are waiting for Wade and then we will start,” the black-haired woman says from her position at the head of the table.
“Yes, Ma’am,” I say before lowering my eyes to the floor. The door creaks open once again, and I feel Wade come up to my side, his arm sliding across my back till his hand rests on my hip.
“Well, now that everyone is here, I will introduce us. I am Bethany, to my right is Thomas, to my left is Brody. The man in the lovely suit is Cedric, and the woman with the killer hair is Anastasia. We already know who you are, so now, we just want to know what in God’s name has been going on in these Packs?” Her eyebrow raises at the end of the question, daring us to explain.
“Council members, we recently discovered that a Pack Alpha had been divulging pack secrets to rouge vampires. Vincent Cross had been using the fear and attacks he orchestrated to obtain more pack members and, in some cases, control over the lands of these vulnerable packs. He bargained with the vampires and allowed them to take a few wolves from each of these attacks as food, after he gave them the information they needed to breach the Pack’s wards. Once we could confirm these allegations through a paper trail, we went out to confront Vincent which lead to my Mate, Ava, challenging him. Once Vincent was unconscious we called the Council to inform you of what had been going on. We didn’t contact you sooner as we did not want to be wrong in these allegations and risk wasting your time,” Dylan’s voice echoes through the high ceilings of the room. Quickly, the room fills with bursts and shouts of outrage, all the members rising to their feet with their faces all a mix of outrage and shock.
“Where is this paper trail you mentioned?” Cedric asks from his position, his posture upright and stiff.
“We have it all in this box, Councilman Cedric,” he replies, stepping forward to place the box on the table.
“How many attacks have you identified?” Anastasia asks in a voice so smooth and sweet she could be a siren if I didn’t know better.
“Two on our own Packs, at least four in the packs around North and South Carolina, and, at minimum, three in the outer lying states from there,” Dylan supplies, his hands linking behind his back and feet spread like a military pose.
“Why has no Pack reported all these attacks?” Brody yells from his seat, his hands clenching and unclenching. Cedric opens the box of paper and passes around some of the information to the other members.
“As far as we can tell, the attacks were spaced out over a period of time, and the rouges didn’t take more than one or two wolves at a time. It was premeditated to look like a randomly occurring attack. We only put it together because of the information Ava was able to supply to us about the wards and how the vampires were getting through it,” Dylan answers without hesitation, my planner really does have an answer to just about every question.
“Ava, how did you come across this information? And, why hadn’t you reported it before? Seems like you had that information a very long time before you came across your Mates,” Bethany asks as she lays her hands flat on the table and stares directly into my eyes, causing me to bow my head.
“I was once in Vincent’s pack. I was on a late-night run and saw Vincent speaking to a Vampire. I went into his office, trying to find anything I could to explain it and came across a few documents that described what he had been doing. Vincent found me in his office, so he chained me with silver to the floor and beat me until I was nearly unconscious. From there, he threatened that if I ever spoke to anyone about it, then he’d kill every Pack member that I loved and to kill any person I try to make a life with. He said he would know if I met or spoke to any of you and that was me forfeiting the lives of those I loved. I was a coward and did what he said. I ran, and I told no one, until he sent vampires out to Montana and started attacking my Mates Pack. That’s when all our planning for this started.” I try to keep my breathing neutral, but in the face of the five people who could literally execute me for not coming clean in the beginning, breathing patterns are the least of my worries. The silence drags on as everyone in the room absorbs the consequences of my actions.
“Whilst I do not condone your choice, I do understand it. I cannot fault you for wanting to keep loved ones safe, but I will fault you on not speaking to us. I say this with the utmost seriousness, Ava Pearce. If you decide to take matters in your own hands again, this council will have to take action against you,” Cedric’s deep-toned voice rings out across the room, the threat making my Mates step closer into my body.
“I understand, Councilman. I apologise for my foolishness,” I whisper, bowing my head further down to all of them, hoping the gesture of submissiveness will reduce some of their aggravation towards me.
“We will consider this matter further. We thank you for everything you have done, but we will take it from here. For your own peace of mind, we will be executing Vincent Cross as soon as we gather the necessary information out of him,” Thomas says to us before standing and
extending his hand for us to leave.
“Councilman, would you mind if I spoke to Vincent before we leave?” I ask, hoping that they will allow me to see that fuck stick before he dies, I need a question answered.
“You have five minutes with him. I would use your time wisely,” Bethany replies with a nod in the direction of the door, the second indication we should get the hell out.
“Thank you,” Dylan, Wade, and I all reply in unison before I am manoeuvred between my Mates and marched out through the heavy, wooden door, a feeling of dread pooling in my stomach.
Chapter Twenty-One
We are once again greeted by Javier the Latino-looking giant who was standing in the foyer awaiting our arrival. Without needing to clarify what was going on, he simply turns and walks in the direction he and Wade had walked when we first walked into the house.
We wander through the hallways of the house, and finally end up at a door at the back of the kitchen. The door, itself, looks a bit dilapidated, until it’s pulled opened and a huge, metal door with a keypad is revealed. Javier quickly types a code in, and the door swings open, his arm gesturing us down a set of solid cement stairs. Wade enters first, the lights flicking on with every step we take further down into the darkness below.
“Well, that’s not creepy as fuck, nope not at all. I can just see us being the people in a horror movie that people yell at to not be so stupid as to walk down into the dark dungeon without an escort,” I whisper to both my Mates. Both chuckle at my comment, even though I was being completely serious.
“They can see us on all the cameras. Javier will stay by the door and can let us out when you finish. We’re not going to be murdered down here, Ava,” Dylan chides whilst grabbing my hand and squeezing tight.
We continue to walk down the stairs and are greeted by a large, open space when we reach the bottom. Against the far wall are a series of cages and right in the middle of them is Vincent, sitting up on his bed, cold, psychopathic eyes locked on mine.