“Thank you, gentlemen. Please be seated.”
Rafe and Lucas returned to their chairs.
Gus leaned forward and spoke into the microphone. “Rafe, please tell us in your own words why you seek to file a complaint.”
“I’ve witnessed one count of forced mating, one attempted forced mating, and four counts of kidnapping, along with numerous infractions that violate pack laws.”
“Would you be willing to share your memories?” a different Council member asked.
“Deacon, do you really think that is necessary? We’re not dealing with an ordinary mutt off the streets. Rafe is a true Alpha,” Gus chided the man.
“Yes. These are very serious charges your nephew is making. The Council has every right to seek undeniable proof.” Deacon held firm in his request. “Does the rest of the Council agree?”
Five ‘Ayes’ followed.
“Very well.” Gus looked to Rafe. “Are you willing to share your memories of specific events?”
“Yes.” Rafe’s answer was immediate and unwavering.
Deacon stood and walked over to a large mahogany shelf situated behind the Council bench. He selected an item and moved from the platform toward where Rafe and Lucas were seated. The armed guard opened the door where Gus had entered at the start of the session. Deacon appeared moments later and made his way to Rafe and Lucas.
Lucas looked the man up and down as his wolf took stock of the opposition. A faint growling rose from his wolf’s snout. Lucas cleared his throat to silence his wolf. “Now is not the time.”
His wolf quieted for the time being, but did not appreciate it. He wanted to let the Council know they had a snake in their midst. “They work with him every day. I’m sure they know he’s an ass. We don’t need to tell them.”
“Ah, the famous Rafe Erickson. You have finally graced the Council with your presence,” Deacon mocked.
The comment made Lucas twitchy, to the point where he might let his wolf’s true thoughts about Deacon be known.
“Deacon Omdahl, I didn’t expect to see you with a Council seat so soon. I’m sorry to hear of your father’s passing.”
Deacon’s wolf rose to the forefront. His face elongated, and fur sprouted on his face and hands. “Do not speak of my father. Ever.” His words were thick, barely understandable as his wolf fought for full control.
Rafe stood, never taking his eyes off of the man in front of him. “Your father and I were great friends and stronger allies. He was a man I deeply respected. I will speak of him kindly, as I always have. Do you wish to challenge me on this? Have I wronged your family?”
“He was my father. Not yours. Have you any idea how sick I got of hearing ‘Rafe this, Rafe that, why can’t you be more like Rafe’ from the old fool?”
“I would apologize, but I have nothing to do with the relationship you had with your father.”
Lucas had to give Rafe credit. Even facing a direct opponent who was ready to snap, Rafe held his shit together, never once sprouting so much as a single strand of fur. If Lucas had been the one caught in the direct conflict, he would have ripped Deacon’s head from his shoulders by now.
Several of the Council members stood. “You will remember to be a gentleman in this room or you will be removed,” Gus warned.
Deacon quickly snapped out of his rage; his face returned to normal.
Stretching his arm out toward Rafe, Deacon held out an ancient rune stone. The carved lines glowed in his palm.
“You know what to do with this?”
“Yes.” Rafe’s reply was short and sweet.
“Do not try to alter the memories in any way, or you will be locked up and stripped from your wolf.”
Chapter Six
Erin strolled through the quaint town of Maple Ridge. Colorfully decorated storefronts lined the cobblestone sidewalks. Nestled next to each wrought iron street lamp were beautifully hand-decorated clay pots waiting for summer warmth so they could be filled with bright bouquets of flowers.
The walk from her clinic to the library was a short one, giving her time to think.
Confusion, anger, hurt—they filled her heart and mind. Years of mapped-out strategies for her carefully planned life toppled like Jenga blocks. All because Lucas had figuratively yanked the wrong fucking block out of the stack.
If she could have just kept her scent hidden from him, she wouldn’t have to deal with any of it!
Fuck a duck and his brother too! Erin grumbled to herself.
“I don’t understand why you are so upset about our mate marking us,” her wolf chimed in. “He’s a good strong wolf who will protect us and love us for all time.”
“I know it’s hard for you to understand this, but I don’t want a mate. I never have. I love my job at the clinic. Having my own space. I get it—you have the pack mentality. I don’t. I’ve always been a loner. Not only that…I’m really not up for fighting with a bed or blanket hog every night. I sure as hell don’t want someone to pick up after every day. And if he thinks I’m going to come home from work and get his dinner on the table, he’s sadly mistaken.”
Images of a much younger version of herself flashed through her mind, her wolf reminding her of all the times she had gone out of her way just to catch a glimpse of Lucas. The times she accidentally bumped into him. Completely on purpose, of course. The nights she wept alone in her bed, knowing Lucas had gone out with another woman.
“What’s your point?”
“My point is that you care deeply for him. You always have. And all the heartache you put us through could have been avoided if you would have just told him the truth.”
“Whatever! I can’t change the past. I just need to find a way to salvage our future.”
Rounding the last corner on her way to the library, Erin ran smack dab into a perfectly chiseled wall of man. Her wolf growled in her head.
His strong arms wrapped around her, keeping her upright and her ass from bouncing off the concrete. Her ample breasts pressed tight against the stranger. The heat from his body wrapped her tight, scorching her.
Her wolf snarled in her mind, “He is not our mate.”
Erin quickly pulled away from the stranger. “Sorry, I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Stepping back, she got a better glance at the stranger. His scent didn’t belong to anyone at Black Paw, and he certainly didn’t look like anyone she had ever seen in the pack. A hottie like him would not have gone unnoticed among the female population. Heads would have turned, tongues would have wagged—and the drool! Yeah. She wiped her mouth. There would have been buckets of drool.
Yes, he was all that and a pack of fucking Oreos…double-stuffed.
“I can’t imagine what would be going on in that pretty little head of yours that would keep you so preoccupied you didn’t scent me from a mile away.”
Oh hex me, Erin thought when he turned on his thousand-megawatt smile. Her wolf, on the other hand, was not impressed and heaved like a pup getting ready to puke up a perfectly good Alpo dinner.
She argued silently with her wolf. “I’m allowed to look, you know.”
“Why would you want to?” Images of Lucas’ sexy ass flashed through her mind. Her wolf reminded her of the hotter-than-Hades make-out session earlier in the morning.
“Okay, so maybe he can’t compare to Lucas, but he’s still a damn fine specimen. Just look at those marvelously toned muscles. That great head of hair.”
“Sorry, it’s been a long day. I haven’t seen you around here before,” Erin finally answered the stranger.
“Nor have I ever laid my eyes upon you. Surely I would never forget a great beauty such as yourself.”
A blush stained Erin’s face. “Boy, is he a charmer,” she said to her wolf.
Her wolf repeated the gagging noises.
“Are you new to the area?”
“I’m visiting from out of town. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my father’s widow. My step-mother, if you will,” he expla
ined.
“I’m so sorry for your loss. Make sure you check in with the Alpha. It’s a law here at Black Paw.”
“Thank you for letting me know. Would you like to grab a cup of coffee or something? I’d like to get to know you a little better.”
Erin chuckled. “So would my mate.”
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing—an inside joke. Sorry, but I really need to be going.”
“Maybe some other time then.” The stranger extended his hand. “It was nice meeting you…”
She shook his hand. “Erin. My name is Erin. And you are?”
“Chris.” He gently kissed her hand. “It was a true pleasure running into you, Erin.”
“Maybe we’ll run into each other again.” Erin rounded the corner and headed for the library.
“I’m counting on it.”
Chapter Seven
“I know the law.” Rafe met Deacon’s hard stare. Lucas watched as his Alpha’s hand closed around the ancient Norse rune stone.
“Rafe, please show the Council any evidence you have to support your charges against Twisted Tail,” Gus spoke softly from his position at the Council table.
A matching rune stone sat on a mahogany table, acting as a makeshift projector. A video image of Rafe’s memory slowly started to appear on the far wall, fuzzy at first, then becoming crystal clear with full audio.
Lucas recognized the scene. He and Rafe stood on the deck, watching as Rafe got his first glimpse of Mina after the hunting party found her.
The Council winced at the sight of her, bloodied and limping. Gus shook his head as he watched Lucas remove the silver collar from her neck. Another Council member gasped when Mina fell to the ground in human form, showing them firsthand the injuries she had sustained.
Footage of a conversation between Grace and Rafe came next. Lucas listened as Grace explained her concerns to Rafe about Mina being abused. This was followed by breakfast and Mina’s explanation as to why she had run from Twisted Tail.
“This is an outrage! How dare this poor girl be forced to suffer so?” one of the Council members yelled in disgust.
Further enraging the Council, the memory of Mina’s abduction and rescue played next, followed by crowds of shoppers running in fear and screaming ‘Wolf’ at the mall.
Yet another Council member spoke up. “He shifted in front of humans? Odin damn him.”
Rafe fast-forwarded his memories to the night of the Yule celebration and the Twisted Tail invasion.
Members of the Council sat on the edge of their seats, viewing the feed with repugnance as Griffin and his men opened fire on Mina’s younger sister, Bree.
“I wasn’t there for the whole fight as I carried my sister-in-law to safety. Lucas was on site the entire time, feeding me images of the battle,” Rafe explained. “I came in at the end.”
Gus cleared his throat. “Finish with your side of the story. If we need to follow up or have questions, we’ll direct them to Lucas.”
“Very well.”
Rafe continued. His heart sped and he tried not to wince as the bullets flew ever closer to his mate. Several growls erupted from the Council. They jumped to their feet when the final target struck Mina and she collapsed to the ground.
“We’ve seen enough!” one of the members shouted.
“Please keep watching. It’s not over yet.”
Collectively they turned their eyes back to the wall and watched the next memory unfold. Gasps of shock and awe filled the room.
“How is this possible?” Deacon asked.
“She was granted power by Freyja herself,” Gus replied, completely astonished.
Rafe wanted to laugh when cheers erupted from the Council as Mina ripped Griffin’s throat out, then went for his heart.
Several members struggled to maintain their human form. Mouths started to elongate, fur started to sprout. Even Gus seemed affected by the sight.
Rafe cleared his mind and set the ancient rune stone on the table in front of him. “I have no further memories to show.”
Gus’ speech was thick and hard to understand as he struggled with his wolf. “Lucas, do you confirm the evidence your Alpha has presented?”
Lucas rose to address the Council. “I do.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
“I have nothing further, unless there are specific parts of the battle you’d like to see.”
“No, I think we have a full understanding of what happened. Let’s take a fifteen minute recess to compose ourselves, then resume our meeting.
The Council members filed out one by one, clearly affected by Rafe’s memories. Their wolves were on a short leash, barely contained.
“So what do we do now, boss?” Lucas said as he stretched his legs and loosened his tie.
“We wait.” Rafe stood, looking over to the guard by the exit. “Is it possible to get a few more bottles of water in here?”
The guard nodded, mumbling a few words into his cufflink.
“Is it normal for the Council to have such a strong reaction to memory projections?” Lucas asked.
“Not at all. It’s actually very strange. They’re normally calm and composed, devoid of any passion. I’ve never seen such a strong display of emotion from any of them.”
“I wonder what gives.”
“The only guess I have is that they’ve been cooped up for far too long in the city and need to let their wolves out for a run.”
A second young blonde entered the room carrying a glass tray with several bottles of water. She set the tray on the table and removed the coffee cups, carafe, and tray.
“Thanks.” Rafe grabbed a bottle of water for himself and handed another to Lucas.
The woman nodded and left.
When the Council members returned—looking more human than when they’d left—Lucas and Rafe parked their asses once more.
Good gods, man. This is freaking torture. There are a million and one things I’d rather be doing right now. Lucas’ thoughts began to stray as he waited for the Council to resume.
“Like our mate?” Leave it to his wolf to recall the passion he and Erin shared hours ago.
“Not now,” Lucas quietly warned his wolf.
Thankfully, Gus cut off Lucas and his wolf’s inner dialog.
“I speak for the entire Council when I say we never envisioned such a scenario, a true tragedy within our culture, to be possible. An entire pack has suffered because of one man’s unlawful ambition. Not only has he lied to this Council repeatedly, he used the one weakness we were born with against his entire pack.”
Gus spoke with a conviction that sent shivers through Lucas’ spine.
“Rafe, your mate showed extraordinary courage in facing Griffin alone on the field of battle. She was rewarded by Freyja herself and this Council commends her bravery and spirit. On behalf of the Council, I will travel to Black Paw to present her with a token of our appreciation at a public ceremony with your pack in attendance.”
“Thank you.”
Lucas knew Rafe well enough to know that he beamed with pride for his mate and the Council’s recognition of her heroics.
Gus continued, “There is much work that needs to be done at Twisted Tail to allow the pack to heal. The Council will work quickly to set up an interim Alpha who will see to the pack’s needs and work to establish a new chain of command within the Twisted Tail ranks.”
Gus glanced to his fellow Council members before proceeding. Each bestowed a single nod, giving him the go-ahead.
“Lastly, any remaining family or Twisted Tail hierarchy of Griffin Engle shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of our law for their crimes against our kind. Furthermore, given that it is impossible for witches and wolves to peacefully co-exist, any witch found to be interfering in pack business is to be killed on sight.”
Deacon stood to address Rafe and Lucas.
“Gentlemen, thank you for your honest testimony to the Council. We are forever grateful for yo
ur bravery in reporting this issue.”
Gus, Deacon, and the rest of the Council marched out of the room. The main door was opened by the guard who announced, “You’re free to leave.”
“That’s it?” Lucas stared at his Alpha in disbelief.
Rafe stood and motioned for Lucas to follow. After a quick stop by the reception desk to return their badges, they made their way outside. With his arms crossed, Gus leaned against Rafe’s SUV.
“I wanted to speak to you before you left—away from the Council.”
“Is everything okay?”
Lucas noticed the concern lacing Rafe’s voice.
“There’s been a bit of uncertainty since Halvar’s passing. When Deacon took his place, he brought a lot of angst and hostility with him. I apologize for the way he treated you today.”
“I can imagine,” Rafe replied. “He’s always liked to blow a lot of hot air to see if he can provoke my wolf. Which is brave, I’ll give him that, but not a wise choice.”
“Indeed,” Gus agreed. “At any rate, he’ll be dealt with by the Council. His membership is temporary and he knows it.”
“So he wants to try to throw a little power around while he has it?” Lucas shook his head. “Some people really don’t get it, do they?”
“Sadly they don’t, young man. My men and I will be leaving here in a few hours and heading for Twisted Tail. The sooner the Council establishes a presence there, the better.”
“I fully agree. Give me a shout if you need anything,” Rafe offered.
“I will, thank you. Safe travels home.”
Chapter Eight
“Well, that was interesting. You seemed to be quite taken with her. Who do you think the little piece of hotness is?” Ivar asked, a grin stretching across his face.
“My new mate.” Christoph turned his movie-star smile to his brother.
“You did see the relatively fresh mating mark on her neck, didn’t you? I’m sure her mate won’t be very happy when he finds you making a play for her.” Ivar twisted his head to the side, cracking the vertebrae in his neck—a habit that he knew grated on his brother’s nerves.
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