Chapter 20 Council Interest
Ryder POV
The letter arrives at noon, delivered by a young wolf in official Council colors who leaves immediately after dropping it on Cass's desk.
I know what it is before I open it. The heavy paper, the wax seal, the formal script. I've seen enough Council correspondence to recognize it on sight.
Cass stands beside me as I break the seal and unfold the letter. "Bad news?" His voice carries that careful neutrality he uses when he already knows the answer.
"The worst kind." I scan the contents, my wolf snarling with every word, claws threatening to tear through my skin. "They want a meeting."
"About what?" He shifts his weight, arms crossing over his chest defensively.
"Territorial disputes and pack alliances." I read the formal language with disgust. "Which is code for 'we heard about your new mate and we want to inspect her.'"
Cass takes the letter and reads it himself, his jaw tightening with each line. His expression darkens. "They're not subtle, are they?" The question comes out rhetorically.
"They don't have to be." I lean against the desk, fighting the urge to shift and tear something apart, my knuckles white against the wood. "They're the Council. They think they can demand whatever they want." The bitterness in my tone is unmistakable.
"Can we refuse?" There's hope in his voice.
"Not without consequences." I watch through the window as Jolie trains with Knox, her small form dodging his attacks with improving grace. "They'll send enforcers. Or they'll cut off our territory rights. Or they'll declare us rogue and let every pack in the region hunt us."
"So we're trapped." He says with his shoulders sagging.
"For now." I turn away from the window, unable to watch her innocence when I know what's coming. "Get Doc. And Luna. We need to talk about strategy." My alpha voice cuts through, commanding and cold.
Twenty minutes later, we're gathered in my office—Cass, Doc, Luna, and Knox, who came in covered in sweat from training, still breathing hard. I hand them the letter and watch their expressions shift from neutral to grim.
"They know about her," Luna says quietly, her dark eyes scanning the page with focus. She's our tracker, she is quick and deadly. "The question is how much." She sets the letter down like it might bite.
"Probably just that she exists," Doc replies, adjusting his glasses in that nervous habit of his. "If they knew about her healing ability, the letter would be more direct." He taps his finger against his chin thoughtfully.
"Or they'd have sent enforcers instead of an invitation," Knox adds, cracking his knuckles, the sound sharp in the tense silence. "This is a probe. They're testing how much we'll cooperate." His combat instincts showed.
I pace the length of my office, my wolf too agitated to sit still. "So we have two options. Refuse the meeting and declare war with the Council. Or attend and risk them discovering what Jolie can do." Both choices feel like walking into fire.
"There's a third option," Cass says carefully, weighing each word. "We don't bring her." He watches my reaction, gauging how I'll respond.
"They'll insist." I stop pacing long enough to face him, my expression hard.
"Then we lie." He leans forward, elbows on his knees, voice dropping to a whisper. "Tell them she's sick. Or injured. Buy time to figure out our next move." There's desperation in his eyes.
Luna shakes her head, dark hair swinging. "That only works once. And it tells them we're hiding something."
"We are hiding something," Knox points out, spreading his hands like it's obvious.
"But they don't know that yet." Luna taps the letter with one sharp nail, the sound punctuating her words. "If we act guilty, they'll dig deeper. We need to appear cooperative while giving them nothing."
Doc clears his throat, pushing his glasses up nervously. "There's another consideration. If the Council doesn't know about Jolie's ability yet, someone will tell them eventually. News like that doesn't stay quiet." His academic tone can't quite hide his worry.
"Then we control the narrative." I stop pacing, planting my feet, a decision crystallizing in my mind. "We tell them she's weak. Damaged. Not worth their time." The words feel like betrayal even as I speak them.
"Will they believe it?" Cass asks, doubt coloring his tone, his brow furrowed.
"Her old pack thought she was worthless for four years." The words taste bitter in my mouth. "Why wouldn't the Council?" Each syllable drips with the rage I feel at what was done to her.
"Because you claimed her," Luna says bluntly, cutting through the rationalization with brutal honesty. "Strong alphas don't mate weak wolves. They'll suspect there's more to her than appears." She holds my gaze, unflinching.
She's right, and I hate it. Everything I've done to protect Jolie has painted a target on her back. The irony chokes me.
"What does Jolie think?" Knox asks, his voice gentler than usual, concern softening his warrior's edges. "This is her life we're planning." He looks at me like he already knows the answer and doesn't like it.
"She doesn't know about the letter yet." I return to the window, watching her stumble through another training drill, her determination visible even from here. "And I'm not telling her until we have a plan." My reflection in the glass looks as tired as I feel.
"That's a mistake," Doc says quietly,"She deserves to know what's coming."
"She deserves to not have to worry about being collected like a weapon." My hands clench into fists, nails biting into my palms hard enough to draw blood. "The Council has taken enough from enough people. They're not taking her." The growl in my voice is barely human.
"Even if it means war?" Cass meets my eyes steadily, his own resolve matching mine. "Because that's where this ends, Ryder. You know it, I know it. The Council doesn't back down."
"Neither do I."
Silence falls over the office like a shroud. They all know what I'm saying. What I'm willing to do. What I'm asking them to risk.
Finally, Knox speaks, breaking the tension. "Then we prepare. For war, for running, for whatever comes. But we do it together."
"Agreed," Luna says, chin lifting with fierce determination.
"Agreed," Doc echoes.
Cass nods slowly, the gesture carrying the weight of pack bonds and years of brotherhood. "The Iron Fangs stand with you. Whatever happens."
The loyalty should comfort me. Instead, it just makes the weight heavier, pressing down on my shoulders like I'm carrying mountains. Because I'm not just risking my own life anymore. I'm risking everyone who follows me. Everyone I love.
"We have two weeks before the Council expects a response," I say, looking at each of them in turn, memorizing their faces. "Use that time. Strengthen defenses, build alliances, prepare escape routes. If this goes bad, I want options."
They file out, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the letter I want to burn, their footsteps echoing in the hallway.
But I don't burn it. I fold it carefully and lock it in my desk drawer, the key turning with a final click, because some threats need to be remembered.
The door opens again. I expect Cass coming back with another question, but it's Jolie. She's flushed from training, her hair escaping its ponytail in wild curls, and she looks more alive than I've ever seen her. Beautiful and fierce and everything I want to protect.
"Knox said you wanted to talk?" She closes the door behind her, her scent filling the room. "Is everything okay?" There's concern in her eyes, that instinct she has for reading me.
I should lie. Should tell her everything's fine and send her back to training, keep her in the dark just a little longer. But I'm tired of lies, and she deserves the truth. She's always deserved the truth.
"The Council knows about you," I say, watching her face for reaction. "And they want a meeting."