Twenty four

I was still in shock as I left the council chambers. The elders' orders were clear: get rid of Ruby. But why? Why would they think she was dangerous? I couldn't imagine the sweet, innocent Ruby being a threat to anyone.

I knew I had to do something, but I wasn't sure what. I couldn't just kick her out, and I couldn't disobey the council's orders either. The weight of my responsibilities as the alpha suddenly felt heavier than ever.

As I made my way back to my chambers, I couldn't help but think about Lucian. He had been grinning like a madman when the topic of Ruby was brought up in the meeting, and I knew he had something to do with it. But why would he do that? What was he trying to accomplish?

I needed to talk to him, but I knew he wouldn't be in the mood for conversation. Still, I had to try. As soon as I got back to my chambers, I called him.

"What do you want?" he growled into the phone.

"We need to talk," I said firmly.

"I have nothing to say to you," he spat back.

"Lucian, please," I pleaded. "We need to figure out what to do about Ruby. The council's orders are clear, but we can't just kick her out without knowing why."

"I don't care about the council's orders," he said stubbornly. "Ruby stays."

"I agree, but we need to be careful," I said. "We don't know why the council thinks she's dangerous."

"Who cares what they think?" Lucian said, his voice rising. "They're a bunch of old fools who can't see past their own prejudices."

"I know, but we still have to follow their orders," I said. "We can't risk losing our thrones."

"I don't care about my throne," Lucian said, his voice softening. "I care about Ruby. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Neither do I," I said. "But we have to be smart about this. We need to find out why the council thinks she's dangerous and then prove them wrong."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Lucian asked.

"I don't know yet," I admitted. "But we'll figure it out. Together."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Lucian spoke again.

"Fine," he said. "But we do it my way."

"I'm listening," I said.

"We keep Ruby with us, but we don't let her know what's going on," Lucian said. "We watch her, we protect her, and we find out what the council is so afraid of. And then we prove them wrong."

"That's a risky plan," I said.

"Life is risky," Lucian said. "But Ruby is worth the risk."

I couldn't argue with that. Lucian was right. Ruby was worth the risk. And if it meant going against the council's orders, then so be it. We would protect her at all costs.

I nodded in agreement with Lucian's suggestion to keep a close eye on Ruby. It was the best solution for now, considering the council's command to stay away from her. I was still confused about why the council was so against Ruby's presence. She seemed harmless and even oblivious to the werewolf world.

Lucian and I went back to the pack house, where Ruby was waiting for us. She looked up at us with a smile on her face, but we both knew that things had changed. Lucian sat down on the couch and signaled for Ruby to sit next to him, while I took the armchair across from them

"Ruby, we need to talk," Lucian began, his tone serious.

"Is everything okay?" Ruby asked, sensing the change in atmosphere.

Lucian sighed, then turned to me. "Tyler, why don't you explain the situation to Ruby?"

I took a deep breath, then turned to Ruby. "The council is not happy with your presence here, Ruby. They want us to stay away from you and they have ordered me to fire you from work and force you out of the house."

Ruby's face fell, and she looked like she was about to cry. "Why? What did I do wrong?"

"We don't know, Ruby," Lucian interjected. "The council claims that you come from a lineage that shouldn't be associated with werewolves."

"That's ridiculous!" Ruby exclaimed. "I don't know anything about werewolves or any of this. I just want to live a normal life."

"I know, Ruby," I said sympathetically. "But we have to follow the council's orders. For now, we'll keep a close eye on you and make sure you're safe."

Ruby looked at us with tears in her eyes. "Please don't make me leave. I have nowhere else to go."

Lucian and I exchanged glances, both feeling the weight of the council's command. We knew that we couldn't disobey them, but we also couldn't just throw Ruby out on the streets.

"We'll figure something out, Ruby," I promised. "We won't let anything happen to you."

Lucian stood up and patted Ruby's shoulder. "We'll leave you to rest. If you need anything, just let us know."

Ruby nodded silently, and Lucian and I left the room. As we walked down the hallway, I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. I knew that I had to find a way to keep Ruby safe, but I also couldn't ignore the council's orders.

As we entered my office, Lucian turned to me. "We need to keep this situation under control. If the council finds out that we're defying their orders, they won't hesitate to take action against us."

"I know," I said, running a hand through my hair. "But I can't just throw Ruby out on the streets. We have to find a way to help her."

"We will," Lucian said firmly. "But we have to be careful. We can't let anyone else know about this. Especially not the council."

I nodded in agreement, knowing that Lucian was right. We had to tread carefully if we wanted to keep our thrones and protect the pack.

As Lucian left my office, I sat down at my desk and tried to come up with a plan. I couldn't just let Ruby go, but I also couldn't disobey the council's orders. I needed to find a way to keep her safe and find out why the council was so against her.

I knew that it wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to find a solution. For Ruby's sake, and for the sake of the pack.