“I know. It will be a massacre. They will fight each other to take over the position. It also leaves us weak. The other packs have been eyeing us as well. They want to take over,” Dominque said.
“So, you understand the situation. I am scared of a mutiny. Is there anything we can do?” Taylor asked.
“What can we do? The ritual didn’t show me my mate. I cannot pop out a wolf pup on my own. The best we can do is keep our eyes peeled and our hearing sharp. Even Elder Lawson could smell something afoul in the air,” Dominque said. “Also, we have other pressing matters. I recently received a letter from the Usra pack. He asked for a safe path through our woods.”
“Our woods? Why? This stinks, Dominque. I have never trusted that pack,” Taylor replied.
“Aye. Call the council for a meeting. Something is happening and we need to know about it,” Dominique said. Having completed his round of the woods, he headed back, Taylor accompanying him.
They were near the deepest part of the forest when angry noises and growls filled the air. Dominque exchanged a glance with Taylor and they both made their way towards it. The noises led them to Isabella’s cabin, where a huge crowd was gathered outside it. The elders stood at the front, looking angry and not far behind them, stood the members of the council.
The council members where nearly all Dominque’s age and nearly all of them had their eye on Dominque’s rank. They also had a strong hatred for anything that was human.
“Why does your cabin carry the stench of a human? We can smell it, traitor!” one of the elders said.
“Once a traitor, always a traitor! I say we break into her cabin. Let’s search it! Are you trying to do the same thing as your father?” one of the council members George shouted.
The others responded in anger and a few of them walked forwards. Isabella stood at the entrance, her lips pressed into a firm line. Her fists were clenched, and she looked ready to fight. Of course, fighting so many wolves was suicide, but Dominque admired her bravery.
“I told you! I have no human! Leave me alone!” Isabella shouted, her voice quavering slightly.
“Enough!” Dominique roared and everyone instantly became silent. “What is going on here?”
“Her cabin stenches of human! She hides them in there! She is a filthy traitor, and she deserves to be torn apart and then slowly killed,” George said, snarling.
Dominque walked up to Isabella. “I will search your cabin. If any human is found, you will be killed,” he said, looking into her eyes. She stared back for a minute and then moved away.
Dominque walked in, and Taylor followed him in. “The stench is coming from that corner,” Taylor said, heading over.
Dominque stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. Taylor turned around to look at him, his eyebrow raised. Dominque shook his head, and Taylor stared at him for a minute, his jaw clenched.
“What the fuck, man?” he whispered.
“Please. They can’t know. It’s a pup. They will kill him,” Dominique whispered back.
Taylor glared at him for a minute, before turning and walking back out. “There is no human in there. There must be some other cause of the stench,” he announced to the pack.
“How is that possible? We are not fools. She must have hidden it well…” George said, making way into the cabin. Dominque suddenly pushed him, causing him to land on the grass a few feet away.
“Taylor said there is no one there. I looked myself, George. Are you calling me a liar?” Dominque growled at him. George glared back at him, snarling, and then got up and walked away, shouting, “This is not over.”
The rest of the pack stood there for a second, before slowly turning and walking away. Taylor turned to his friend and whispered, “You better have a fucking good reason why there is a human pup in there. Otherwise I am killing it myself.”
Chapter 6
Isabella
Isabella took deep breaths to steady herself as she saw the crowd turn around and leave. She was sure that they would attack her and find the baby. They had looked so aggressive and angry, and Isabella knew some of them were very powerful. She was fully prepared to defend that human pup to her last bones, but she couldn’t deny the relief that spread over her when Dominque showed up.
Dominque turned around, Taylor following him, and they both walked in. Taylor’s hands were clenched, his body on alert as he waited for Dominque to explain himself. Dominique opened the door to the basement, and they walked down where the pup lay asleep.
“Isabella found him in the well near the edge of forest. Someone left him there. She brought him straight to me. I asked her to hide it here, while I tried to find his parents,” Dominque said. Taylor stared at the pup and growled.
“Why exactly did you not kill it? I wouldn’t expect any less from a traitor’s daughter, but you, Dominique? It’s a human! Kill it! It does not deserve any sympathy,” Taylor snapped.
Isabella felt herself protectively move in front of the pup. Dominique stared at his friend and after a while said, “I don’t want to give the humans any reason to start a dispute with us. It’s a pup, Taylor. It’s a baby. It does not deserve this cruelty.”
“Have you put any thought in this? Can you even trust this girl? Don’t forget who she is. She says she found it, maybe she stole it! She is trying to destroy this pack, just like her bastard father,” Taylor said, his eyes narrowed at Isabella.
