Chapter Thirty-Nine
There was a knock on the door, and it swung open. “Alpha…The council and their guards are here.” Tawny, an Omega, stepped back with a bow, and the Elder Council walked into the office.
I lifted a brow, and with a sarcastic smile. “Come in.” I waved a hand at the few chairs I had, and the five men walked in. I lifted my lip in disgust, which I covered with a cough when I saw there were no women in their ranks.
Nix scoffed. You’re surprised? Megan snorted from where she was wrapped around our magic. Come on, Amy, they scream progressiveness with their nine hundred-year-old cloaks, and the arrogance that old men carry.
I had to cough again, but I waited until they were all settled. “You will have to forgive me. I didn’t know you were coming, and I have never been introduced to all of you.” I crossed my arms and leaned onto my father’s desk. “What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
One man smirked. “Forgive our intrusion, but we have heard rumors of a pack operating on these pack lands, and we were confused. As far as we were concerned, this pack was wiped out. And these lands hadn’t been given out.”
“Councilman…?” I waited.
“Silas. I’m Councilman Silas.”
“Councilman Silas, I apologize for any confusion.” I pulled open the top drawer and pulled out a freshly printed and completely doctored email from Rowan.
“I assumed the King had informed you that when I left Oakenfang I’d asked for my father’s pack lands.
Since I was the only living member of Silvermoon left, and an Alpha.
” I slid the paper to the other side of the desk, and another member snatched it away.
“This has to be fake.” He growled as he shoved the paper to Silas.
“Calm yourself, Marcus.” Silas countered as he took the paper to read it, then passed it on.
Marcus growled as he glared at me but I ignored him and took stock of the six council members.
I remembered Theo, Evan and Yarrow from the assembly.
Thinius was dead. I now knew Marcus and Silas’s names, so that was all of them.
The paper made its way around until Evan tossed it back onto the desk. “This is preposterous. Rowan doesn’t make any decisions.” I lifted an eyebrow at Evan’s vitriol.
“Is that true?” I allowed my mouth to drop open. Playing stupid.
Silas chuckled. “I can assure you it is not. Rowan is the king.” The others snorted, and I could see Silas’s jaw clench.
It seemed there was some discourse between the others and him.
That could be useful information. Silas looked at the rest of the men before he tapped the printout.
“It seems that he issued you the pack lands, but where did you get the wolves?”
Theo growled. “A few Alphas have come to us with concerning reports of their pack mates going missing.” I wanted to laugh. They were trying to claim I stole these wolves.
I sat back and crossed my legs. “I can assure you I didn’t steal any wolves from another pack.
” I waved my hand in the air. “As I am sure you saw when you came into the pack house, I have a shell of a pack. We are rebuilding. But what else I am sure you saw when you came in is that all of my wolves are walking around, free to do as they please.” I tented my fingers.
“If I had stolen them from neighboring packs…” I lifted my brow, because we all knew there were no neighbouring packs.
“Then wouldn’t they be running back to their homes? ”
Yarrow pointed at me. “Listen, you little bitch. We never agreed for these lands to be redistributed.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “I totally understand, but I am a little confused by your anger.” I waited a second before I leaned back over and tapped the email. “This proves the King agreed to give me the lands. I already have the title re-registered in my safe.”
Evan leaned in, like a shark sensing blood. “You re-registered the pack?” I nodded. “Then why haven’t we received that paperwork?”
I tilted my head, and pulled out another email, then slid it towards him. “I apologize, but I sent the paperwork directly to the King as directed.”
“Silver Oak?” Evan read off the paper. He grabbed the paper to reread it. His eyes were cold as he looked up. “You renamed this pack Silver Oak?”
I nodded. “I thought it fitting. My father’s pack was Silvermoon, and I lived most of my life in Oakenfang.” I sat back.
“Why do you have all of these emails printed and ready to go?” Marcus tapped his chin. “It’s almost like you were expecting us.”
I smiled. “You wound me, Councilman. My father always taught me to be prepared. All of my correspondence with the King has been printed and filed away. Just in case I need to reference it, or like now, I have to prove that I have the authority to be here.”
“I think you are fucking lying.” Yarrow growled.
“Why not ask the King?” I tossed out.
“Because he hasn’t fucking answered us since he found his fucking whore of a mate.” Yarrow screamed, and he slammed his fist into the desk.
I gasped. “The King found his mate? Who is it?” I played dumb because I wanted to see what they knew.
Theo and Yarrow’s faces turned red. I thought they were going to attack me, but it was Silas who answered softly. “The King refused to tell us because we tried to force him to mate.”
Evan laughed. “Which is actually smart of the boy, because we would just kill her.”
Silas jumped up. “Evan! You can’t make jokes like that. You are a member of this council, and you should behave as such.” Theo, Yarrow and Marcus looked at each other, and I could see the divide.
Yarrow held out his hands. “Silas…”
I pressed back into my chair. “I don’t think he was joking.” I pursed my lips. “I feel like you said a dark inner thought out loud there, Evan.” I sat back. “Probably not the smartest decision you’ve ever made.”
Evan laughed as he turned his dead eyes onto me. “It’s not going to matter what I say here today.”
Silas paled. “What do you mean?” He backed away from the others. He looked at me with wide eyes. “Is this why you demanded we bring all our guards…and the spear?”
Marcus started to slow clap. “Come brother. You can’t be this dense.” He dropped his hands. “Can we get on with this little charade?”
Theo raised his hands. “Let’s calm down.” He turned to look at me and smiled. “Nothing has been decided.”
I sighed. “Listen, while I am not old, I am also not stupid. Silas here has spent many years with you four and has come to rely on your friendship. I can only assume that’s why he sounds so surprised.
” I scratched my head. “But as soon as you showed up at my airport with a contingent of guards, I knew why you were here.” I smiled now.
“So how about we all cut to the chase. Cause I have had a very long day.” I tucked a leg under my lap.
That move earned glares from the four men.
“You are either very brave, or very stupid.”
I smiled. “I think we just covered that I am not stupid.” I leaned my elbow on the arm of the chair and then propped my chin up on my fist. “Let’s lay all our cards out on the table.”
Silas backed away until his back hit a bookshelf in the corner. “What are you all saying?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “They turned on you and the King, Silas. It’s pretty freaking clear.”
Yarrow groaned. “He was always the stupid one on the council.”
“Then why was he selected?” I couldn’t stop the question. The old council member looked legitimately shocked, and betrayed. Either he was a fantastic actor, and he was trying to get close enough to kill me, or he was blindsided by the men he considered his closest friends.
Silas growled, but Theo snorted. “He was selected because he was the head of the guards for the old king. And he had ties to the first family.”
Marcus groaned. “Enough of the bullshit.” He turned to face me. “You wanted our cards on the table.” I nodded. “We are here to kill everyone on these pack lands.”
“Why?” I tilted my head on my fist. “What have we ever done to you?”
The four laughed. “Your father has been a thorn in our sides for years.”
“But he died years ago.” I let my voice break. “That’s why I came back here, so I could rebuild his pack.” I forced a tear out of my eye.
“Cut the shit. We know he’s alive.” Theo tossed out.
I reeled back in shock. “Where did you hear that?” I wiped my face again. “If it’s from Vince, I can assure you he was lying. That’s why he was locked up.”
“Vince was locked up? Where?” Evan leaned against the desk.
“Didn’t you hear?” They shook their heads, and I heard feet pounding up the stairs. The council members didn’t look surprised, so it must be from their guards. “Brandon’s mating ceremony went haywire. A man and a woman were killed. Brandon, Vince and Shannon were all locked up.”
“Who was killed?” All the men leaned in.
“I don’t know who the man was, but I heard he was the father of the woman.”
“Who was the fucking woman?” Marcus growled as he leaned over. “You’re playing games here, girl, and I don’t like it.”
I raised my hands in surrender again. “The woman was the fiancée of the King. Verity.”
All of them froze. No one spoke for a solid minute. Silas tilted his head. “Who killed them?”
“I heard it was the King.” I shrugged. “One of the Omegas called me in tears. They have no Alpha there with everyone in jail. She said the King was there for the mating ceremony, and somehow he was drugged. He went crazy.”
Marcus pulled out his phone. “Call Vince.” He tossed it to Yarrow, who dialed. He turned back to me. “You are lying.” The phone connected, and they all took a breath. Marcus growled at me. “I knew you were fucking lying.”
“Hello. How may I help you?” Luke’s voice was professional but tired.
“Who is this?” Yarrow nearly bellowed into the phone as he stood. I could picture Luke pulling the phone away and wincing.
“There is no need to scream. This is the acting Alpha of Oakenfang, Luke Cristoff. Who is this?”
“Where is Vince?” Yarrow’s fist clenched, and I swear I heard the phone crack.