Chapter 17 Denounced
Denounced
Monte
I was still in a daze when Felix helped me out of the car. The day had passed in a blur, starting with the sensation of drifting on clouds in a dream in the morning, then turning into a nightmare from which I couldn’t escape when we found ourselves surrounded by snarling, angry wolves.
And then, somehow, Felix had brought them all to heel. With a word, he had forced his entire pack to fall in line, and he’d protected me. It still seemed surreal, yet the proof was holding my arm and guiding me into the dark, foreboding council chambers.
After the confrontation with Hunter, Felix had escorted me into the house, then shortly after that, he left me in the care of Ara while he went to make preparations for the evening.
It would’ve felt like total abandonment, but while he tended to his wound before me, he voiced his thoughts and roughly articulated his plan for how to deal with Hunter.
He was still just as gruff and grumpy, but it was a big difference from our usual dynamic.
“How many will be present?” I asked quietly as we journeyed deeper into the dark, cavernous passageway that led into the most sacred of dens.
Beside me, Felix looked downright demonic in his formal black suit and tie. I felt a pang of sympathy for anyone who had to oppose him while he was carrying himself as the proud, indomitable Alpha he was.
“There will be many more present than usual,” Felix said under his breath. “While I was out today, I visited our allies and tried to get a feel for the general sentiments. It seems that Hunter has been very busy today as well.”
I swallowed. “What do you mean?”
Felix flashed me an inscrutable look, but then he gave me a reassuring squeeze.
“Nothing we cannot overcome, and nothing you haven’t heard before.
He’s had agents spreading rumors, but nothing quite so blatant as his accusations.
I think he really did lose control earlier when he saw how badly things were going.
Now we have Hunter where we want him, and he shall be exiled for…
” A muscle ticked near his jaw. “forcing himself upon you.”
I wished I could be just as optimistic as my husband, but it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I truly had no clue how this would go.
And then we were before a massive wooden door, and I was out of time to fret.
“Are you ready?” Felix asked. He watched me intently, as if this wasn’t just a rhetorical question, but rather a serious opportunity to turn back. I could see in his eyes that if I asked, he would readily march me right back out the way we came, and he would help me flee this whole cursed mess.
Goddess, how could I not love my husband more with every passing hour?
I nodded and tightened my grip on his arm.
With a grunt, he pushed the door open, and led me out into an echoing, vast chamber that was halfway between amphitheater and courtroom.
Titanic carved columns spiraled up into the darkness, the ceiling too high to see.
The center of the room was bathed in white light, but it faded away into shadows that concealed the wolves that waited and watched in attendance.
Felix led me to the middle of that false moonlight, where we stood before the raised table that held a dozen elders, gathered from all the Redrow clans. I recognized some of them from our wedding, but some faces were completely unfamiliar.
Looking back, I should have asked more about the councilors and demanded that I be allowed to participate in my husband’s sessions. It would’ve prepared me for this.
I caught Felix watching me; he gave a small, reassuring nod, and something in my chest unclenched, panic dimming instantly.
“Quite the matter you’ve brought before us,” a voice boomed out from the center of the table. The speaker was wizened and stooped, completely at odds with the strength of his voice. No matter what color his hair had been in his youth, it was pure white now.
“You are right, Lord Mooneater,” Felix called back, projecting his voice impressively, “but I wish to resolve this issue as quickly as possible so that it will not vex you even more in the future. I felt that this was the fastest way to get the crisis resolved, for if the council itself passes judgement, then nobody can cast doubt on your wisdom, and that shall be the end of the matter.”
There was a chorus of grumbling assent, and for the first time, I looked around the edges of the room to see just how many wolves were watching.
Even after my vision had adjusted a bit, it was still impossible to make out exact numbers.
Even so, I could still see hundreds upon hundreds of glowing eyes peering out of the darkness.
“It seems you aren’t the only one who wants to get this over with as quickly as possible,” Mooneater said. “Behold! Here comes the challenger!”
Sure enough, a door opened on the opposite side of the chamber from where we had come. Hunter strode into view, looking slightly better than this morning. His drunken stumbling had turned into vicious stalking, and I could feel the hatred of his gaze burning into me.
Jared trailed into the room behind him, wearing a hooded robe and clearly trying not to stand out.
“What’s he doing with Hunter?” I whispered to Felix.
My husband watched with a narrowed gaze, but he also subtly moved closer so I could lean against him without it being obvious.
“By tradition, one is supposed to have a second when brought before the council. I don’t like him, but I think Jared is just trying to contain the damage and make sure that Hunter doesn’t do anything too stupid.
For the first time, I felt a pang of sympathy for him.
“I see you haven’t run away,” Hunter sneered aloud, breaking the silence. “You may regret your choice soon enough.”
He took up his position before the council, standing with his back straight and his chest puffed out with pride. I couldn’t resist glancing up at Felix and noting with some satisfaction that he cut a far more intimidating figure than his brother. It was impossible to not notice.
“Since everyone is present, let’s get this over with,” Mooneater said with a vague wave in our general direction. “Present your arguments.”
In spite of the council indicating us, it was Hunter who spoke first. With a theatrical flourish, he stepped away from his second and addressed the whole room at once. His voice instantly took on a dramatic flair that I recognized from our very first meetings.
“I am Hunter, Beta of the Redrow pack and brother to the Alpha,” he proudly called out.
“Pack members, my friends and family, you have all witnessed my humiliation! Many of you saw me this morning, and I am sure many of you judge me to be a foolish drunk, but can you blame me? After all, I had just discovered that not only had my mate been stolen away by my brother, but he’d gone so far as to mark him.
Wouldn’t any of you have reacted the same way if you were betrayed twice over by those you trust the most in the whole world? ”
The grinding of Felix’s teeth was audible, but he didn’t roar out and call his brother a liar, so I reckoned it a triumph in self-control.
“Is that all you wish to say?” Mooneater asked after a pregnant pause.
Hunter twitched, but didn’t answer, as if he was surprised by the notion that he might need to actually make a real argument. Jared made no move to stop or encourage him.
“Very well,” Mooneater said. “And what does the other side have to say?”
Felix took a deep breath, preparing to address the assembly and no doubt give an impassioned defense of me.
However, on pure impulse, I gently pressed him back and stepped forward on my own.
Until this moment, I had thought that I could let Felix fight my battles for me, but now that seemed terribly backwards.
I was in the center of all of this. I had to make a stand.
“Perhaps Hunter Redrow had too much to drink this morning because his recollection of events seems to be somewhat mistaken,” I declared. “I am Monte, formerly Omega of the SanGraal pack, now mate to our Alpha, Felix Redrow.”
My voice echoed in the vast chamber, making me feel even smaller, but Felix’s presence lent me all the strength I needed as my eyes pierced Hunter’s.
“Two months ago, Hunter abandoned me at the altar without warning. He didn’t return when his brother was forced to take his place as my husband, nor did he send word at any point after that. Last night, he returned, and the first thing he did was force himself upon me.”
Raised whispers from the gathered wolves filled the huge space, and it made me realize that I’d been woefully mistaken before.
There had to be the whole Redrow territory of wolves gathered, and some of them sounded like they were above us.
I suddenly realized that the chamber wasn’t just like an amphitheater, it truly did have terraced layers of seating arranged to allow the maximum number of observers.
“That is a very serious accusation,” Mooneater said, his voice cutting through the crowd’s rumbling. “What say you, Hunter Redrow?”
Jared put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder and frantically whispered in his ear, but he was quickly shrugged off.
“Lies!” Hunter spat out.
He turned to address the crowd, gesturing and beseeching, but I saw the exact moment he realized his mistake.
I wasn’t the only one who saw a dark, vast expanse in judgment and a chorus of faceless voices raised in condemnation.
The council chamber was almost impressive in how ingeniously cruel and overbearing the design was.
If one wanted to face out and address the crowd, they were forced to speak into unfathomable darkness, without any faces to focus on.
There was no comfort or confidence to find in that.