“It’s true,” Rick Wade said. “Don’t dig yourself any deeper bylying.”
“It’s not against the rules to form alliances,” Taylorinsisted.
“No, though if there’s nothing in our bylaws prohibiting you from buying votes, there should be,” Faythe said. “Either way, it’s pretty obvious that since Titus didn’t take your deal, you’ll be out to get Justus. Which means you have no business on the tribunal. I make a motion to remove Ed Taylor from the tribunal. And to remove Robert fromconsideration.”
“Seconded,” Titussaid.
“All in favor?” Rick asked. Nine hands rose around the table. Only the Taylors declined to vote. “Motion carried. We will now be replacing both Ed Taylor and Paul Blackwell on the tribunal, through the traditional random draw. Faythe, Marc, Titus, Ed, and Robert are all excluded. As is Bert, since he’s already on thetribunal.”
Faythe set a plastic cup in the middle of the dining room table. “Coinsin.”
Each of the Alphas who hadn’t been excluded stood and dug a coin from his pocket. “Quarters?” I whispered to Kaci. But they looked a little big for quarters. And they were copper, rather thansilver.
“Territory coins,” she whispered back. “Each one is engraved with the shape of the territory. They only use them to make quick work of drawing names, but they’re kind of a status symbol, passed from Alpha to Alpha as they retire. Or die, in Blackwell’s case.” She shrugged. “I guess Titus will have to get onemade.”
Six Alphas dropped their coins into the cup, and Faythe shook it. “Bert, why don’t you draw?” Faythe held the cup out tohim.
Di Carlo reached inside without looking, and plucked out a coin. He held it up between his forefinger and thumb, so everyone around the table could see. “Wes Gardner. Great Lakesterritory.”
I glanced at Kaci to confirm what I was pretty sure I knew, and she gave me a small shake of her head. Gardner was not a friendlyvote.
My chest felt tight as Faythe shook the cup again. The next coin pulled would determine whether I lived or died. Again, that fact seemed so infuriatinglyarbitrary.
Di Carlo plucked another coin from the cup without looking. He showed it to the table, but I was too far away to make out the shape on the coin. “Isaac Wade. Appalachianterritory.”
Kaci’s breath burst from her lungs in a sob of relief. Faythe gave her a smile. And slowly, my fate sank in. Isaac was Rick’s son. Abby’s brother. Jace’s brother-in-law. Faythe’s cousin and ally. He was a friendlyvote.
Even if the tribunal found me guilty, I was going tolive.
Ed Taylor stomped from the room without a word. Robert followedhim.
Faythe and her allies were all smiles. Titus looked…jubilant.Relieved.
Despite the fact that not a single vote had been cast—that my trial hadn’t even started—it was evidently widely assumed that my fate had already been determined. My testimony would merely be a formality. As would thevote.
“Thank you, gentlemen—and Faythe.” Rick Wade beamed at the room in general. “The tribunal will convene in Montana tomorrow for Justus’s trial. Any interested party is welcome to attend, but I want to remind you that spectators are not allowed to speak during the trial. I will see you all there!Dismissed.”
Kaci threw her arms around me, and I squeezed her so tightly I wasn’t sure she could actually breathe. “Thank you,” I whispered into her hair. “Thank you somuch.”
“I didn’t really do anything,” she said, her face pressed against mychest.
“Bullshit. You dideverything.” I let her go so that I could kiss her, and when we came up for air, I found my brother watching us from a few feet away, a smile hovering beneath his typically sternexpression.
“Kaci.” Titus took her hand. “I’m so sorry for what I did. I have no excuse, other than that I was scared for Justus’s life, and the only way I could see to save him was to make him give you up. I hope you can forgiveme.”
“I forgive you.” She smiled as she held her hand up to show off her ring. “I did something stupid to save himtoo.”
I laughed and slid my arm around herwaist.
“Welcome to the family, Kaci,” Titussaid.
“So, we can…be married for real?” She looked up at me with hope shining in hereyes.
“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute.” Marc crossed the room in three steps. “Maybe we could talk about an annulment, then a longengagement?”
“I wasn’t asking you,” she informed him. Then she turned back to me, grinning. “So? Are you going to make me proposetwice?”
“That is tempting,” I teased. “But no. We’realreadymarried forreal.”
