Yarrow rolled his eyes. “So what?” He looked down at his hand as if he was checking his nails. “He was a Lycan.” He looked up and met my eyes. “Wolves were born from the Goddess’s power. We are the superior race. We shouldn’t have to bow to some botched wolf-man hybrid.” His disgust was palpable.
I snorted. I couldn’t help it. “Let me get this straight.” I untucked my leg. “And stop me if I get something incorrect here.” I looked at the four men across from me. “Someone decided that wolves were the superior creature from the Goddess, and that Lycans were an abomination. So you all colluded against the Lycan race, hunted them down somehow, and then killed them off one at a time. You used ‘rogue attacks’ to cover your bases, AND when people started to clue in, you attacked wolf packs too. But only the packs that had Alphas that the old king supported. Like my father.” I looked around, waiting for someone to speak up. “And then, when the King selected the lot of you to support his child in case he was killed as well, you conspired with Vince. As well as other Alphas to cherry-pick not only the packs you wanted to support, but the ranked wolves as well. All while trying to force the King to mate with someone you wanted so you could control the next monarch and keep the control in your grubby little hands?”
Silas turned a little green. “I thought his mate had been killed and he was too hurt to talk about her.” He looked at me. “I swear on my line I didn’t know. Thinius told me about her, and I saw the body.”
I chuckled. “Thinius was bound and determined to make the King mate one of his line. He would have used anything to convince you to support Nina or Nadine in their chase of the Queen Luna title.” I looked back at the men. “How pissed are you now? To find out all the maneuvering you all did to get someone under your thumb to mate with the King, only to havehis Goddess-given mate swoop in and take her rightful spot next to him.”
“What are you talking about?” Evan growled out. “The King—”
“Has met his mate.” I finished for him. “They have mated. The only thing they haven’t done is the mating ceremony under the moon. But the mark — the mark is there for anyone to see.”
Evan stood up and kicked his chair out of the way. “You are fucking lying.”
I tilted my head and smirked. “I mean…I could be. But I think all of us here know deep down that I’m not.” I felt the smile grow wider on my face. “I mean…haven’t you wondered why he hasn’t been back to the capital in weeks?”
The four men looked at each other and then back at me. “Who is it?” Theo growled out. I just shrugged.
“Does it actually matter?” I sighed as I stared at the men.
Erubus burst through the trees.It’s done. We are ready.
Okay, follow the plan.The council members were standing now, all coming closer to the desk. I just sat back in my chair and looked at them. “I know you are trying to look intimidating, but it’s honestly just coming off a little pathetic.” Silas snorted as he slid closer to me. I turned to him and lifted an eyebrow.
“I swear to you I am not with them. My entire life has been dedicated to the Royal Pack and to the Goddess.” I opened my mouth to point out the obvious. He had spent twenty years working side by side with these men. Either he was with them…or something else was at play. But before I could, a star glowed above his brow.
“What the fuck is that?” Theo pointed at Silas’s face.
There was a shift in the room, and my spell shattered, the illusion dropping when a voice called out. “It’s obviously a sign from the Goddess…”
Chapter Forty
Everyone whirled as a bookcase was pushed open, revealing Rowan, Ronnie and my father. The three men walked confidently into the office, my father looking completely healed. Rowan walked around the room and stopped in front of Silas.
“You have shown that you are an honorable wolf. Thank you for always guiding me and training me as I grew older.” He held out his arm and ignored the four men who jumped to their feet and backed away against the far wall.
Silas grasped Rowan’s forearm and then bowed his head. “It has been not only my honor to teach you but a privilege.” Rowan pulled him into a hug, and the star above his brow faded. “But how can you be so sure about me?” Silas pulled away and dropped to a knee. “I have been complacent and allowed others to move against you.”
Rowan stopped his bow with a hand. “Not everyone is the best judge of character.” I cut my dad a look and smirked. He pointed at my face and gave a tiny growl. I raised my hands in surrender, but I stood and made my way to Silas.
I held out my hand. “Because while our judgement is flawed, the Goddess made sure we knew who to trust.” I brushed a finger against the spot where the star had blazed just moments before. I felt my forehead ignite as I helped Silas to his feet. “Loyalty will always be recognized by the Goddess. As you can see.” I winked, and Silas’ eyes widened at my mark.
“You’re Goddess-Blessed.” Silas shook as he trailed a finger above my mark. “I never thought I would live to see another chosen.”
“FUCKING LIARS!” Yarrow screamed. His finger shook as he pointed at my forehead. “The Goddess would never recognize you.”
I slowly turned to face them, allowing my mark to shine directly onto them. “Ironic.”
“What is?” Theo spat.
“I just find it funny that the very wolves who have turned their backs on the Goddess feel like they have any room to dictate how she would feel.” Their mouths snapped shut as the words hit home. I smiled as they shot death glares at me. Then I turned to my dad. “Is everything done?”
My father walked over to the desk and sank down into the chair. He sat back and leveled the council with a look that would send normal wolves into a frenzy. But I could see the tremor in his hands. He wasn’t fully healed, and I could see the strain he was putting into looking fine. He smiled as he pulled open a drawer. “Everything is in place. Rick did everything you needed and sent it all here.” He clicked a few buttons, and his desk’s flat black surface came to light. There was a soft whirring noise, and a screen descended on the wall behind the desk. My fatherstarted a command on the tabletop computer, and the screen lit up.
“What is this?” Evan had the sense to look worried.
Marcus rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter what this is.” He leveled a look at my father. “You look very much alive for a dead man.”
My dad smiled with a shrug. “News of my untimely demise may have been a little premature.”
