One day prior
Killian
Once every few months was the make-believe council before the pack members, an idea not exactly bad on its own, but something I found quite pathetic. It was started by my father as a means to show the pack that he wasn’t going crazy after my mother deserted him. Still, I found it a complete waste of time, the time spent before the packmen talking about things already long since decided. To put it simply, it was a monumental waste of time, space, and energy.
Aside from the fact that her scent was smeared all over Alejandra in our last meeting, somehow the idiot knew more about her than I did, and that sent my wolf into a pacing frenzy in my mind. Only after punching and slashing through the sandbag for what felt like an hour did I finally calm down enough to meet Brandon several days after returning from the closed council.
Brandon smiled, his white teeth gleaming at me as though he bore news of glee and gladness. But that smile told me more than enough, it came with condescension. It was littered with the intent to do as much harm as possible.
“Alpha,” he smiled, “it is good to see you have returned. I should hope that the meeting brought much good fruit, yes?”
I chuckled but said nothing. “You have your eyes and ears everywhere, Brandon. Why don’t you tell me?”
He shook his head. “I have eyes and ears, but they don’t quite get there. The witches are tight-lipped, and they don’t necessarily like to share information about that closed conference. So no,” he shook his head again, “I don’t have that much in the closed council, which is closed after all for a reason. But I did hear some rumors.”
He lowered himself into the seat opposite mine. He reached for the bottle of scotch on my desk, poured himself a glass, and swished the amber liquid inside the cup for a good half a minute.
“I heard a rumor that your Beta threatened to kill a girl,” he said. “I surely hope it wasn’t so serious a matter, but being that he comes from the mellow side of you, to threaten to actually kill someone, I’m sure the matter was heavy, wasn’t it?”
“Heavy,” I said. “What else did you hear?”
He shrugged. “That is all I heard,” he said. “The one that caused the most control is that many people have begun to speak about it outside the meeting, and being that it concerned this pack, well…”
He took a sip, his eyes shining with something. Of course, he knew. I, more than anyone, knew of his secret dealings with Damien. Damien tried to overstep every once in a while, mentioning the human’s death as though it was something that alphas should deliberate over.
He rolled that poisonous liquid about in his mouth. “The concern for your well-being, and the well-being of your pack, after all, is in the hearts of many. I can’t say I’m surprised,” he added quickly.
“Why?” I asked coldly.
“It’s not because your daughter went to speak with Damien last week?”
He cocked his head towards me, shaking it. “I believe you are mistaken. My daughter has not left this pack in months.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure you’re also very oblivious to her rumor-mongering?”
He shook his head. “You know the way of women, they spread things, they talk amongst themselves. It’s not a bad thing for them to do it. If they do not speak of the affairs of everyone else, their lives are incomplete. I trust you will be available for this meeting, Alpha, but I wish to tell you ahead of time, the council has come to another decision. I’ve spoken to a great many of them before today, and we have all decided upon the next meeting.”
I raised a hand, interrupting him. He raised his eyebrows in expectation.
“If this has to do with the human, I do not want to speak of it any longer. I have already decided what I’m going to do. I’ve decided what is going to be done, and none of you will speak against it.”
He smiled. “But it is not our way, Alpha. Such decisions cannot be made arbitrarily, devoid of any counsel from us.”
“Counsel?” I said. “Counsel or threat?”
He shook his head. “We would never hope to do something as treacherous as threaten you. It is beyond us, it is beyond me.” He placed a hand on his chest. “But when we all believe that it is in the best interest of the pack for you to mate with my daughter, then of course we will try to steer you in that direction, which, in this case, is what the council has agreed on.”
He huffed for a little moment, clearing his throat before he looked back up towards me. “Are you telling me that my hands are tied, Brandon? You’re telling me that I have no choice, that I, an alpha, have no choice but to do what my council tells me to do about my mate?”
He said nothing save for a slight clearing of his throat. Of course he would not say no; he would not concede, but he would also not doom me to the apparent decision that I would have to make. It would, after all, always be in his favour. If it wasn't, he would oppose it with everything within him in the ways that he wanted, and this was one of them.
I smiled, looking away from him. “Perhaps you can come and take my chair, Brandon. I surely hope it will be within my right to retire.”
He looked up at me. “Such is life,” he said. “I would never hope to take this seat from you, Alpha. It is in your blood; it is you through and through.”
I smiled then. “So it’s fine if you control me, my mate, my future, my children’s future, my ability to have a child or not. You have your mate, your true mate; of course she chooses. She can lounge around amongst the Elves and frolic all that she wishes to do, but you have your choice and I will be denied the choice of having what is mine. Somehow that is fine, isn’t it?”
He smiled, a rather exhausted one. “I thought you didn’t want her, Alpha. So do you want to reject her?”
“I had,” I said. “At least I thought I had.”
“And why,” he said, “do you still stand on the decision not to choose? You should know better than anyone, Alpha, that your lack of choice makes it difficult for everyone else. The madness, the loss of control, the rumors of your curse, these things are the ones that cement those rumors, spreading across your pack like wildfire. It is your home, and this is why, for reasons such as this week, your council must come together to push for a decision to be made. If you cannot make one, Alpha, then as your council leaders… members. We are your servants ” He corrected himself, “I am bound to tell you that you must make this decision, and that if you cannot make one, we will make one for you.”
He cleared his throat, mumbled a goodbye, and stood up to leave.
I didn't know how long I sat there, fuming and watching the spot where he had just stood. Watching it would do nothing for me, I thought to myself, as I felt another bout of anger rise from within. Fuck , I was going to kill something; I just didn't know where or whom.