Chapter 19 Bad News
DAVINA'S POV
Caspian was never one to just stand around unless something was off. In the time I’d been here, I’d picked up on that pretty quickly.
He moved through the compound with an ease that made him look like he belonged in every corner of it, always somewhere, always doing something, always with that quiet half smile that made the whole place feel less hostile, but he wasn't smiling now.
He was at the lodge entrance, his hands tucked into his pockets, and his eyes locked on Zane. When he spotted us approaching, he straightened up just a bit, like someone who had been waiting and was gearing up to deliver some tough news.
By the time we reached the steps, Caspian had already flicked his gaze to me for a moment before returning to Zane.
“Need a minute,” Caspian said.
I took a step back. “I’ll go in.”
Neither of them tried to stop me.
Inside, the main hall was warm, with a few wolves scattered about, their conversations low and casual. A couple of heads turned my way when I walked in, but they quickly lost interest when I didn’t do anything noteworthy.
I poured myself another cup of coffee from the sideboard and found a spot by the window that overlooked the entrance steps.
Outside, I could see Caspian talking. I couldn’t catch the words, but I could read the tension in his gestures, the way Zane stood completely still, his back to the lodge, shoulders tense with something new.
Then Zane turned and looked directly at me through the window.
I held his gaze for a bit before he turned away again, and that fleeting moment made my coffee taste like cardboard.
He finally walked in about ten minutes later. I was slouched in a chair by the fire, pretending to read a book I’d grabbed from the shelf. He stopped beside my chair, and I looked up.
“Walk with me,” he said.
I set the book down and stood up.
He led me around the back of the lodge, where the path ran along the tree line and no one could overhear us. The morning air had warmed a bit, the cold still lingered but was softer now, and the trees swayed gently in the breeze.
Once we were far enough from the building, he stopped and turned to face me. “Grayson requested an emergency Council session,” he said, his expression serious. “His legal team filed this morning. They’re pushing the hearing forward.” He watched my reaction closely. “Two weeks from now instead of three.”
I took a moment to process that.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because three weeks gives you time to prepare, and he knows it.” His jaw tightened. “He wants you walking into that room feeling unprepared and overwhelmed, and he wants this wrapped up before you can find your footing.”
I took a moment to gaze at the trees, feeling the wind rustle through their leaves.
“Okay,” I finally said.
Zane frowned, clearly not satisfied. “Okay?”
“What do you want me to say, Zane?” I shot back, meeting his gaze. “That I’m scared? Because I am. That this whole situation is unfair? Absolutely. But being angry about it for the next two weeks isn’t going to help either of us. So, okay. Two weeks. What do I need to know?”
He held my gaze for a long moment, then he started to explain.
He told me about the Council, made up of seven wolves representing different territories. Three of them had existing alliances with Grayson, which everyone knew about but no one dared to talk about. He told me about Article Nine, he went over the exact words Grayson used and why they were so smart. He’d presented it to sit right between pack law and human rights law, so that no matter what actually happened, the Storm Pack would come out looking like the bad guys.
I listened to all of it with my arms crossed, asking questions when something didn't fit together, and he answered every one of them and I found myself absorbing information faster than I expected.
"The three Council members aligned with Grayson," I said. "Can they be removed?"
He paused for a moment. “Theoretically, yes, on grounds of conflict of interest.”
“Has that ever actually happened?”
“Once. Back in nineteen eighty one.”
“Then it’s possible.” I met his eyes. “That’s how I'd play it. Before I even walk into the room, you would help me file to have all three of them removed. Let Grayson waste his time defending his allies instead of building a case against the storm pack.”
Zane just stared at me. “You’re going to be good at this.” He said.
I kept walking, trying to sound casual. “I’m good at most things I decide to do.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.” I glanced at him sideways. “Well, I’m terrible at making coffee, despite owning a coffee shop, so there are limits. But I think I can handle pack law”
He let out a sound that was almost a short laugh. It caught me off guard, and I nearly stumbled. I realized I’d never heard him actually laugh before.
I kept my eyes forward, telling myself it didn’t matter. But deep down, it mattered a little.
We were almost back at the lodge when I stopped.
“Zane.”
He halted beside me.
“The three Council members,” I said, turning to face him. “The ones aligned with Grayson. How did he get to them? Three sitting Council members don’t just decide to back a rival Alpha without something in it for them.”
Zane’s face hardened a bit. “That’s something we’ve been trying to figure out,” he said, carefully choosing his words.
I studied him for a moment. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He held my gaze, and the pause stretched long enough to tell me everything I needed to know.
There was more… a lot more.