Chapter Forty-One

Damon

I left Finley in my room and went back downstairs where Archer and Jared waited for me. Of course the Elders were also there because word had spread quickly that I had brought a human to the pack house.

“Alpha Damon, we need to talk,” Elder Isaac said.

“Not now Elder Isaac,” I said to him as I sighed and walked to my office.

Jared and Archer were waiting for me on the couch that lined one wall and I took the seat behind my desk as the two Elders followed me inside and they briefly glanced at Archer.

“Not only do you bring a human to our pack house but also a rogue!” Elder Isaac said angrily.

“Meet Archer Adams, Kat’s chosen mate, he’s also Finley’s brother and recently turned,” I said to him.

“What?” he bellowed.

“She requested the turning ceremony through an Oracle so she didn’t do anything wrong, Archer just hasn’t officially joined the clowder,” I said to him.

“What’s done is done,” Elder John said as they both sat down in front of my desk.

“What about the human?” Elder Isaac asked me.

“I was assigned to protect her and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” I said to him.

“By bringing her into our world,” he continued.

“She’s also my bonded half,” I said to him.

“She’s human!” he said as Elder John barely acknowledged what I just said.

“So?” I asked him.

“You know the law, you have to reject her and take a chosen mate with Alpha or Beta blood to ensure the purity of your bloodline and your heir,” Elder Isaac said.

“I won’t reject her,” I said with a growl as Archer also growled at them and Jared stifled his laugh.

“She’ll weaken your bloodline,” he said.

“Who are you to question the gods' will? They fated me with her for a reason, I don’t care that she’s human and neither should you, or is it more likely what you’ll lose if I don’t take Chastity as my mate?” I asked him angrily.

“My only concern is a strong heir,” he said.

“Bullshit,” I said to him.

“Alpha Damon has a point Isaac, we’ve always believed that fated mates bring out the best in each other, who are we to question this fact just because for now she’s human,” Elder John said and I looked at him. He had been pushing Nina on me as well but for some reason he just switched sides.

“Oracle Bloom foresaw this. She told me that this assignment would bring me to my knees. She knew Finley was my bonded half and yet she pushed this assignment on me, so if the Oracle didn’t disapprove of this union, nobody else has any right to either,” I said to Elder Isaac.

“We shall see what the Council has to say about this,” he said to me.

“Why are you pushing this Elder Isaac? Why is my union with Chastity so important to you?” I asked him.

“Even if you turn this human, she'll never be strong enough to lead a clowder,” he said in disgust.

“Choose your words carefully old man, you won’t disrespect her in my house, this is my clowder and I’m the Alpha here. If you want that to change I suggest you issue a direct challenge to my seat and we’ll fight to the death,” I said to him.

“That won’t be necessary Damon, an Elder cannot issue a challenge to a sitting Alpha but that doesn’t mean that I can’t inform the Council about your decisions that will directly influence the strength of all the Enforcers in this pack,” he said to me.

“And what do you think will happen to this clowder when I step down with no heir and the seat goes to the next Enforcer in line? One who’s not of Alpha blood because we both know that gaining the Alpha title only gives you so much power but the Alpha bloodline is where the true power lies,” I threatened him.

“You’d never do that, eventually you’ll take a chosen mate to ensure your line continues,” Elder Isaac said to me.

“Even if I did it’ll never be Chastity,” I said to him as he glared at me.

“Elders, I think it’s time for you to leave now. It’s been a long day and we still have plenty of work to do,” Jared said as he stood up and opened the door for them.

They left my office without another word and I knew that Elder Isaac would be on the phone to the Council the moment he reached his quarters. I lowered my head into my hands and sighed audibly as Jared closed the door behind them.

“As much fun as this was, I need to get back to civilization,” Archer said as he stood up.

“Have you spoken to Kat?” I asked him.

“Yeah she’s not as pissed off as I thought she’d be although I told her to expect an interesting phone call from you,” he said with a smile.

“Oh on doubt she’ll get it,” I said as he laughed.

“I’m going to go see Finley and then head out to the airport,” he said.

“Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll give you a ride,” Jared said as he stood up as well.

“Thanks,” he said and left my office.

“How did your talk with Finley go?” Jared asked me.

“I’m not sure,” I said to him.

“At least she didn’t reject you outright,” he said.

“She didn’t accept me either,” I said to him.

“She needs time to adjust, it’s a lot to take in especially after being kidnapped by Calvin and then him trying to forcibly mark her,” he said.

“She could’ve died,” I said to him.

“I doubt that he would’ve killed her,” he said.

“From the marking,” I said to him.

“No she wouldn’t have,” he said and then his eyes widened in realization, “you marked her!”

“A few days ago,” I admitted.

“Holy shit Damon!” he said.

“I know okay!” I said loudly.

“Does she know what rejection will do to both of you?” he asked me.

“I didn’t get to that part. I told her she had a choice, I don’t want her to feel forced to stay here,” I said to him.

“That’s a mistake Damon, you should be convincing her to stay here,” he said with a sigh.

“I know Jared but I can’t take her choices away from her. I refuse to bully her into staying with me or let her stay out of guilt,” I said to him.

“Then I guess there’s no point to this conversation,” he said.

“Jared… I’ll handle it,” I said to him as he nodded and left my office.

I turned in my chair and looked out of the window towards the sprawling trees flanking the pack house on either side. Winter was coming and I smiled a little at that. I wondered what was going through Finley’s mind and how I would handle it if she chose to leave.

“The turning worked on Archer, it will work on her too,” Axel said.

“That’s not the problem Axel,” I said to him.

“I know,” he said and retreated.

My thoughts were broken by the ringing of my phone and I turned back towards my desk and picked my phone up. It was someone from the Council, Elder Isaac certainly didn’t waste any time trying to undermine me.

“Damon Woods,” I answered the phone.

“Alpha Damon, it’s council member Rufus Jones,” he introduced himself.

“What can I do for you, council member?” I asked him.

“We’ve received a complaint of a forcible removal of a future mate from the Williamson Pack in Hinesburg and that you then forcibly marked Alpha Calvin’s future mate,” he said to me.

“Are you serious?” I asked him.

“Yes Alpha,” he said with no hint of amusement in his voice.

“I should’ve killed him when I had the chance,” I muttered.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“Alpha Calvin kidnapped my bonded half, I only went to retrieve what is mine,” I said to him.

“You will have the chance to tell your side of the story at a council meeting to be held this Friday in New York at eight o’clock sharp,” he said to me.

“Did Alpha Calvin also inform you that my bonded half is human?” I asked him.

“Yes, he did, she will need to take the oath,” he said to me and I closed my eyes briefly.

“As my bonded half isn’t she exempt from that?” I asked him.

“Only if she has completed the acceptance ceremony and has been integrated as the Lady of your Clowder,” he said to me.

“I see,” I said to him.

“Good day to you Alpha Damon, we will meet on Friday morning,” he said to me and ended the phone call.

My hands were visibly shaking, I had a week to convince Finley because either way she’d be in New York on Friday morning, whether she wanted to be or not. Calvin had now officially made a claim on her and she’d have to testify to her kidnapping.

We had a lot to discuss and I had the sinking feeling that Finley wasn’t going to be happy with any of it. I had just needed more time with her and I cursed myself for not locking that guest bedroom. If I had, we’d still be in St. Albans City, sorting out her house and I would’ve had time to ease her into my lifestyle.

“Even if she rejects this bond, you know that neither of you will ever be able to move on, rejection itself doesn’t break a bond that’s been cemented,” Axel said.

“I know and if she leaves me I’d follow her to the ends of the earth,” I said to him.

“Yes we will,” he said with a low growl.

“We’d no longer be Alpha or an Enforcer,” I said to him.

“We will always be an Enforcer, it’s how we were born and being Alpha is just a title, we’ll always have the Alpha aura and blood,” he said.

“No matter what happens Axel, Finley’s at the top of our list of priorities,” I said to him.

“Yes,” he said forcefully.