Chapter 58 Royal Corruption
POV: Omniscient
Location: Crimson Parliament Chamber
Time: Evening
The Crimson Parliament meets in a chamber beneath Westminster. Secret location. Centuries old. Where London's supernatural elite make decisions that shape the city.
Thirteen vampires sit around a table. All ancient. All powerful. All corrupt in different ways.
Lord Mordaunt represents one faction. Conservative. Control-focused. Believes in maintaining hierarchies through force.
Count Alteroni represents another. Progressive. Integration-focused. Believes supernatural creatures can coexist with humans peacefully.
The meeting opens with standard business. Territory disputes. Blood club regulations. Thrall quotas.
Then they reach agenda item seven: The Rookeries Problem.
Lord Ashford presents. "Packless wolves are organizing in the Rookeries. Current population: ninety-two wolves across four locations. Leadership: Callum Brennan and Isla Reid. They're building community. Providing resources. Creating alternative to pack hierarchy."
"Why is that a problem?" Count Alteroni asks. "Packless wolves need support. This seems beneficial."
"It's a problem because organized packless wolves challenge established order. They demonstrate that wolves don't need packs to survive. That threatens pack hierarchies. Which threatens our agreements with pack Alphas. Which threatens stability." Ashford pulls out reports. "If this continues, we'll have hundreds of packless wolves organizing. Refusing to join packs. Creating independent power structures. That's unacceptable."
Mordaunt speaks. "I agree with Lord Ashford. The Rookeries organization must be stopped. I recommend extermination. Send hunters. Kill the leadership. Scatter the population. Demonstrate that organizing without approval has fatal consequences."
"That's barbaric," Alteroni protests. "These are citizens. Supernatural creatures with rights. We can't just murder them for organizing."
"They're packless wolves. They have no rights. Pack law says wolves without pack affiliation are rogue. Subject to elimination at authority's discretion." Ashford shows legal documents. "This is within our authority. Within the law."
"The law is unjust then," Alteroni argues. "Wolves shouldn't need pack affiliation to have rights. Shouldn't need Alpha's permission to exist."
"But they do. That's pack law. That's how we maintain order among werewolf population." Mordaunt leans forward. "Count Alteroni, you're sympathetic to their situation. I understand. But sympathy doesn't change reality. Packless wolves organizing threatens our control. We respond or we lose authority."
"We don't lose authority by tolerating organization. We lose authority by murdering citizens for seeking community." Alteroni appeals to other Parliament members. "Surely some of you see this as excessive? As tyrannical?"
Five vampires nod. Eight shake their heads.
The conservative faction outnumbers the progressives. As always.
"I call for vote," Mordaunt announces. "Resolution: Authorize hunters to eliminate Rookeries packless wolf organization. Timeline: two months. Method: extermination of leadership, dispersal of population, prosecution of supporters."
"I call for amendment," Alteroni counters. "Integration, not extermination. Offer packless wolves legal status. Let them organize under Parliament supervision. Tax them, regulate them, but don't murder them."
The vote is called. Each Parliament member votes by placing their crystal in the appropriate column.
Seven crystals in Mordaunt's column. Five in Alteroni's column. One abstention.
Mordaunt wins. Seven to five.
"Resolution passes," the Speaker announces. "Hunters authorized. Timeline: two months. Target: Rookeries packless wolf leadership and organization. Objective: elimination and dispersal."
Alteroni stands. "This is wrong. Unjust. History will condemn us for this decision."
"History is written by survivors," Mordaunt says. "The packless wolves won't survive to write anything. We will. Our version of events is what matters."
Alteroni leaves the chamber. The meeting continues. Other business. Other decisions. All shaping London's supernatural landscape.
But the Rookeries vote is final. In two months, Parliament hunters arrive. Armed. Authorized. Tasked with extermination.
After the meeting, Alteroni meets with a contact. Young vampire named Cristian. Progressive. Sympathetic to reform causes.
"The vote passed. Seven to five. They're sending hunters in two months."
"To arrest the packless wolves?" Cristian asks.
"To exterminate them. Not arrests. Not trials. Just killing until the organization collapses." Alteroni hands over documents. "Get word to the Rookeries. Tell them what's coming. Give them time to prepare."
"Why are you helping them? They're not our citizens. Not our responsibility."
"Because someone has to. Because tolerating injustice makes us complicit in it. Because I've been vampire for four hundred years and I'm tired of watching innocents die for politics." Alteroni's voice is weary. "Get them the warning. Let them decide how to respond. At least give them that."
Cristian takes the documents. "This could get you removed from Parliament. Accused of treason. Eliminated."
"Then I'll be eliminated. But at least I won't be complicit in massacre." Alteroni walks away. "Two months. Make sure they know. Make sure they have time to prepare or flee or fight. Whatever they choose."
Cristian leaves to deliver the warning. Racing against the clock. Against Parliament's hunters. Against the extermination order.
Two months until sanctioned murder arrives in the Rookeries.
Two months to warn ninety-two wolves that Parliament wants them dead.