“What my imprisonment meant is that I pissed them off by digging a little too deeply into the attack. Wolf shifters attacked my village. Killed my friends and family. I learned that Stavros strong-armed the wolves into the attack. He was pitting us against each other, trying to get our numbers down years ago. Someone on the Shifter Council has to know about this and if they don’t than why do we even have a council.” Garridan waited for Teagan to blow up. Garridan knew he shouldn’t have provoked Teagan. They needed him to talk to the council, gain their help, but the longer they talked the more it became clear that he wasn’t going to get justice for his best friends.
He didn’t have to wait long. Teagan came around the chair Gavin sat in, toward Garridan. “You talk like you have someone to back your words.”
Ramsey stood. “He does.”
Teagan was just about to say something when there was a knock on the door. The doorknob turned and Lucas entered the room, followed by Vaughan and Sage. Garridan’s eyes changed and he growled, “Come here,” to both Sage and Lucas.
Sage’s mouth dropped open and he ran across the room. Garridan shoved him behind his back. Lucas hung back though.
“I’m sorry. Lucas wouldn’t stay at the house. Don’t kill me, Ramsey.” Vaughan looked as if someone had just pissed in his Cheerios.
Ramsey pointed to Thad, silently telling Vaughan to stand next to him. Vaughan complied.
Lucas held up a hand to Bennett and seemed to communicate through their mental link. Bennett nodded.
Garridan could feel Lucas in his mind and opened himself. Teagan gasped. Lucas must have let Teagan into his thoughts, giving him information about Garridan. He wished Lucas hadn’t of trusted a stranger with such personal information. Garridan didn’t know or trust him. Still, he trusted Lucas and that was good enough. That didn’t stop Garridan from crooking his finger at Lucas and pointing to Bennett.
Now!He projected to Lucas. Besides Sage, Lucas was the only other person Garridan had a mental link with, but then, Lucas had a mental link with everyone. Lucas’ eyes widened and he nodded.
After a few minutes, Teagan said, “You won’t have the council’s backing. At least not every member. The bear shifter will be a problem and not want to get involved with shifters that aren’t like him. He’s a loner most of the time, but he’s the one that needs to be convinced.He’s the reason I gave you such a hard time. He has the other shifters’ ears in a way that I don’t.”
Garridan didn’t know what to say.
“Would he listen to another bear shifter?” Sage asked from behind him and Garridan wanted to spank his sexy ass for putting attention on himself.
“Better than he would listen to me, but they are rare,” Teagan said.
“Rory is a bear shifter,” Sage whispered.
Ramsey groaned. “He is not a good choice to send on this mission.” Ramsey turned to Vaughan. “Go get Rory and bring him here.”
Vaughan nodded and left the room. “I’ll just text him,” Sage whispered. Garridan felt the hand, which had been gripping his shirt, leave. A few seconds went by and Sage sighed. “He’s such an ass sometimes. He doesn’t believe me.”
“That sounds like the bear shifter I know,” Teagan smiled. He shifted his eyes to Garridan. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how it was for you while you were with the vampires,” Teagan said.
Garridan nodded.
“What are you?” Gavin asked Lucas. Lucas took Bennett’s hand. “You smell different. I’ve never smelled that before.”
Lucas didn’t answer.
“He’s a witch,” Ramsey said.
All three men gasped. “There is no such thing,” Teagan said. His doubtful nature seemed to be a personality trait.
Lucas met Garridan’s gaze, waiting for permission to speak. When Garridan nodded, Lucas brought a ball of energy up and held it in his hand. He took it back into himself and smiled. “I’m as real as anyone of you. I could probably convince the council.”
“No,” Bennett and Garridan said at the exact same time.
Before Garridan could say anything, the door opened and in walked a dark-haired man. He wore a black leather coat and had eyes almost as black. He walked as though he had something sharp and painful shoved up his ass. Two other men followed him. They both had blond hair, light-colored eyes, and dressed in a similar fashion. Sort of a nerdy biker type, as if they were trying too hard to be cool.
The men took in the room. “We were told to be in this exact place at this exact time. Who is in charge here?”
Garridan raised an eyebrow at the man who spoke and wanted to roll his eyes at the pompous attitude.
“Me.” Ramsey stood.
“We’re told to lend you our services. You’re in the ancestor’s favor,” the man said. His eyes moved to Lucas. Bennett pushed Lucas behind his back and Garridan came to stand in front of them both. “We aren’t a threat to any of you.”
