I swallow back the burn of bile in the back of my throat. “Why hasn’t Julien just… deposed them or whatever?”
“I know you haven’t known him long, but I’m sure you’ve realized my son is a bit of an idealist,” she says in a dry voice.
I huff something close to a laugh and nod.
Rachel smiles. “Even though Julien’s been butting heads with them for years now, he doesn’t want to set them aside completely. He thinks the role they play is valuable to the pack and so he’s been lenient—much too lenient, if you ask me—letting their opinions have a lot of sway over pack matters.”
“And now…” I let my words trail off, not sure exactly what I’m asking.
“The elders try to use their influence to control Julien’s actions. When Julien left for the summit, the elders strongly ‘suggested’ that he should return with a mating alliance in place. I’m not sure what they would have done had he actually done that, but they certainly weren’t expecting him to meet his fatedmalemate.”
The elevator draws to a stop and we exit into a long hallway, Rachel leading the way toward a set of double doors at the end.
“I’m starting to get the impression that they would havelovedMeredith,” I mutter under my breath.
Rachel glances back at me over her shoulder and chuckles. “From what Remy’s told me, they probably would have.” Her face softens, and she smiles. “I’m glad Julien brought you home instead.”
“Really?” I stop in my tracks, unable to keep the shock out of my voice. “Why?”
She pauses just outside the double doors and gives me a considering look. “Everything my sons have told me about you tells me you’re a fighter. There aren’t many who could survive four years as a lone wolf, especially as young as you are. I think you’re exactly what Julien needs to learn to stand up to the elders and force them back into the role they’re supposed to have.”
“But what if…” I let the question trail off, not sure what I’m trying to ask.
She pats me on the shoulder. “You’re his fated mate, his perfect complement, and that makes you his strongest ally.” The corner of her mouth tilts up into a half smile and she jerks her chin toward the doors. “Now, let’s introduce you to the elders before they try to gaslight my son into doing their bidding.Again.”
Thirty-Three
Keir
YouknowwhatIhate? Doors that look heavy, but really aren’t. Like the ones to this council room or whatever it’s called. I swear I barely touch the damn things and they whoosh open and slam into the wall inside the room, marking my arrival with an awkwardly loud bang.
I plaster what I hope is a confident smile on my face and stride into the room, trying to convince myself with every step that I belong here. The group of shifters eying me from the front of the room aren’t doing much to help with that. In fact, if I didn’t have pretty thick skin, I would probably be turning around about now.
The six of them sit side by side at a long table on a slightly raised section of the floor that faces a few rows of chairs with a walkway through the center. Julien stands in front of them at the end of the makeshift aisle with his back to me. The set-up comes across like a weird combination of a comic-con panel and a court hearing. Going by what Rachel said, the elders are probably treating it more like the latter.
With my mate being the person on trial.
Julien turns around, his brows drawing together when his eyes meet mine. I’m not sure whether that concern is for me or himself, but it’s too late to turn back now. I swallow down my nerves and continue forward.
I can do this.
Three women standing off to the side come into view as I walk further into the room. They’re all perfectly made up in flimsy white dresses, and all of them are staring at my mate. Only two of them are smiling, though.
What is going on?
Julien glances from the women to me, then shakes himself and walks to meet me, taking my arm and leading me the rest of the way to the front of the room. The elders look on with varying levels of interest and one with downright irritation.
“May I present my mate, Keir…” Julien’s eyes widen as his voice trails off. He doesn’t remember my last name. And I thought myentrancewas awkward.
“Anderson,” I say under my breath, shrinking into myself a little as my cheeks heat. Granted, Julien only heard my last name once and I was being arrested at the time, so it’s understandable he’d forget, but still…
“Keir Anderson from Alabama.”
The irritated elder, a quintessential old white guy, sneers. But only in my direction, not Julien’s.
One of the women gives me a gracious nod, though her expression is a bit bemused. “Welcome, Keir. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
I shuffle my feet. “Um, thanks?”
