Chapter 99 No More Discussion Tonight
The air in the study was thick enough to choke on. The fire Damon had lit earlier was now roaring, fed by the tension in the room, casting long, dancing shadows against the walls that looked like fighting wolves.
"It is a calculated risk, Fennigan!" Elder Thorpe insisted, his voice rising in frustration as he stood his ground near the heavy oak desk. "We are not suggesting we send her in alone. We would have a full perimeter. But without the Lex Terrae—without a witness who can speak for the soil—Vane wins. It is that simple. Leela is the only key that fits the lock."
"She is not a key!" Fennigan roared, pacing like a caged animal, his hands flexing at his sides. "She is a mother. She is my mate. And she is pregnant."
"And she is an Elemental!" Elder Horne interjected, thumping his cane on the rug. "She has a duty to the balance, just as you have a duty to the pack. If we do not stop Vane, there will be no pack left to protect. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment, Alpha. It is our only option."
That was the snap.
Fennigan didn't speak. He didn't growl.
He simply moved.
With a speed that blurred the edges of his form, Fennigan spun around and hurled his heavy crystal tumbler into the stone hearth.
CRASH.
The glass shattered into a thousand glittering shards, shrapnel flying across the grate. The amber whiskey hit the logs and the flames with a violent HISS, flaring up in a sudden, angry burst of blue and orange fire that illuminated the pure rage on Fennigan’s face.
Before the glass had even settled on the ash, Fennigan was across the room.
He didn't walk; he launched himself. He slammed into Elder Thorpe, grabbing the older wolf by the lapels of his expensive suit and driving him backward until he hit the bookshelf with a bone-jarring thud. Books toppled off the shelves, raining down around them.
Damon and Jax jumped forward, shouting, "Fenn! Stop!" but Fennigan didn't hear them. His vision was tunneling, the gold in his eyes bleeding into the white until there was nothing but predator left.
He leaned in close, his face inches from Thorpe’s terrified, pale visage. His teeth were bared, canines lengthening, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that shook the floorboards.
"If you mention sending my pregnant wife into that dead land one more time," Fennigan snarled, the words dripping with lethal intent, "I will not be responsible for what I do."
Thorpe gasped for air, his feet dangling an inch off the floor, his eyes wide with the realization that he had pushed a Blackwood too far.
"Or," Fennigan continued, his grip tightening until the fabric of the suit tore, "what I allow my wolf to do. Because right now... right now, he really wants to rip your head off and shit down your throat."
The violence of the threat hung in the air, raw and gruesome.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the study flew open, banging against the walls.
"Fennigan!"
Elana stood in the doorway, her chest heaving. She had sprinted from the living room the second she heard the glass shatter, her maternal instinct screaming that violence had erupted.
Behind her, the hallway was filled with the rest of the family.
Leela stood just over Elana’s shoulder, clutching Caspian tight against her chest. Her eyes were wide, taking in the scene: the shattered glass in the fire, the books on the floor, and her mate—her gentle, loving Fennigan—holding an Elder of the Council against the wall like he was about to execute him.
Ginny was right beside her, holding Briar, who had buried her face in her aunt’s neck at the sound of the crash.
The room froze.
Fennigan, still pinning Thorpe to the shelf, went rigid. The sound of his mother’s voice and the scent of his mate and children cut through the red haze of his rage like a knife.
He didn't let go immediately. He took one ragged, shuddering breath, his golden eyes locking with Leela’s across the room. He saw the shock on her face. He saw the way she instinctively shielded Caspian's head.
Then, slowly, painfully, he loosened his grip.
He lowered Thorpe until the man’s feet touched the rug, then shoved him away with a look of utter disgust. He straightened his jacket, though his hands were still trembling with the adrenaline of a wolf denied its kill. He didn't look at the Elders. He looked only at the wall, refusing to acknowledge the fear he smelled on them.
"We're done here tonight," Fennigan said, his voice hoarse, devoid of warmth. "Your rooms are made up in the east wing. There will be no more discussion tonight."
The dismissal was absolute.
Leela moved instantly. She stepped fully into the room, her expression tight. Without a word, she passed Caspian—who was wide-eyed and silent—into Jax’s arms.
She walked straight to Fennigan, ignoring the shattered glass and the stunned Elders. She took his hand, her grip firm and grounding, and pulled him toward the door. He followed her like a man in a trance, the rage slowly giving way to exhaustion.
She led him out of the study and into the cool air of the hallway, guiding him just a few feet away from the door.
"Stay here," she whispered, leaving him standing there, his chest heaving as he stared at the floor.
Leela turned back to the family gathered in the doorway. She moved quickly, taking Caspian back from Jax and then gently taking Briar from Ginny’s arms. She adjusted the twins on her hips, her eyes darting between Damon and Elana. The desperation in her gaze was clear—she couldn't handle the Council, the war, and a breaking mate all at once.
"Please," Leela pleaded in a hushed, urgent tone, looking from Damon to Elana. "Figure out what to do. Fix this."
She didn't wait for an answer. She rushed out into the hall where Fennigan was waiting, looking like a statue of regret.
She didn't scold him. She simply shifted the weight of their world, handing Caspian into Fennigan’s arms.
He took his son instinctively, burying his face in the toddler's soft hair, the contact grounding him instantly.
Leela took his free hand, interlacing her fingers with his.
"Come on," she said softly.
Leading him away from the politics, the threats, and the shattered glass, she guided him toward the stairs, taking him to the only place where he didn't have to be the Alpha—he just had to be theirs.