Chapter Two

The Elder’s Proposal

Harry had hired an army of security guards to prevent any unauthorized wolves from entering The Hideout during the meeting. He blamed himself for trusting her. No sane Alpha in his right frame of mind would have trusted Elena. He understood now why she’d been nicknamed ‘Trouble’.

To the outside world they were Alpha and Luna. Edgar sighed. He had to keep his cool. Edgar jumped when his phone rang. Elena! His hope evaporated when he noticed his secretary’s name.

Harry signaled for him to end his call as the Elders arrived.

Harry showed the tall, silver-haired Elders to their seats around the dark wood boardroom table. The Elders all wore similar black suits, white shirts, and red ties. They were all tall with gelled back silver hair. Edgar was seated last. Harry remained standing behind the leader of the Elders.

“Greetings, Elders,” Harry said and bowed before them. The Elders nodded their acknowledgment of his greeting. “Mr. Edgar Callen requested this morning’s meeting to inform you of an urgent matter.”

“You may state your matter,” David Stone, the leader of the Elders, said.

“Greetings, Elders. I am grateful you could meet me at such short notice. As you know my pack only calls meetings at the Hideout if it is of utmost importance or endangers the lives of one of our members.” He paused. “Or other packs.”

Edgar was suddenly aware of the overwhelming silence in the room.

“Mr. Callen, before you continue, I want to warn you that if you do not divulge the entire truth to us during this meeting, you will be stripped of your rights as Alpha and banished from the USA until your death.”

His blood ran cold. What would the Elders think of him once they heard of his arrangement with Elena? Well, it hasn’t been his idea only. Elena had come up with it. Still, he couldn’t sell her out. he had agreed to go along with her plan instead of talking her out of it. He had to take his share of the blame.

“My Luna ran away,” Edgar began. “I woke up this morning and discovered that she never came home last night.”

“Do you share the same bed?” David asked, sniffing the air for signs of Elena’s scent.

“Yes,” Edgar replied, clenching his fists to keep his hands from trembling. They’d shared the same bed from day one so nobody would suspect a thing. After all, it was common to catch a whiff of one’s mate on them. It also helped deter unwanted attention from other wolves.

“Did the two of you consummate your union as per the rituals of your pack?” David asked.

Edgar paused. He couldn’t lie. “No, Elder. We never consummated our relationship.”

He stared at the table aware of the murmurs rippling around him.

“There can only be one reason for this,” Jonas, the second elder said, his tone deathly cold, “you intended to betray the packs.”

Edgar squeezed his eyes shut. He’d known that lying to the Elders was impossible.

“Do you know what the punishment for a union of convenience is?” Jonas continued, his voice rising with each word.

Edgar nodded, finally making contact with the Elders. “Yes, Elder.” He’d be executed in full view of his and Elena’s packs.

“Whose idea was it?” David demanded, his face creased with anger.

Dare he say it was his. He glanced at the Elders. No, they could spot a lie a million miles away. “Elena suggested it and I agreed.”

“Why did you agree to it?” David asked, his expression relaxing a little.

“I had taken a break from the Blue Moon Ball my father had thrown to find me a mate. I didn’t know Elena had done the same and was also in the forest. We ran into each other and began talking and imagined a life without any violence. Our packs were continuously attacking each other for no reason. She wanted to launch her fashion label in New York and I wanted to run my tech empire without having to worry about the safety of my pack,” Edgar explained. He hoped the Elders wouldn’t blame Elena alone for their arrangement of convenience.

The elders were silent for a few moments.

“Will you please excuse us for a few minutes while we consider what you have told us so far,” David said.

Edgar followed Harry out of the room and into the kitchen. Harry offered Edgar a bottle of ice-cold water. Edgar drank the entire bottle before speaking.

“What do you think they’re going to do?” he asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. “Whatever they decide, it will be something that keeps the peace between the packs…”

“Harry!” Harry stopped talking when David called his name.

“Let’s go!” Harry said.

Edgar took his seat at the table.

“Did you and Elena ever try to fulfil the prophecy?” Jonas asked.

“No,” Edgar said.

“In that case we may have found a solution to your problem. As you know, should either pack discover that you and Elena have been lying to them all these years so you could pursue your careers, all hell will break loose. However, both packs have also enjoyed a tremendous amount of peace over the last three years due to your fake relationship.” David signaled for Harry to come closer. He scribbled a note and handed it to him. “You will fulfil the prophecy of giving your pack their future heir without revealing your deceit. I’ve asked Harry to call Celine Meyer, the most powerful witch alive to assist you in finding a surrogate. You will impregnate the surrogate the natural way, without emotion or violence. Celine will give you a potion to ensure she falls pregnant the first time. Nine months later, you will claim your baby and never engage with the surrogate again. You will inform the world that Elena London is the mother of your heir and preserve the sanctity of your relationship. After that, you and Elena are free to go your separate ways.”

A surrogate? No, he couldn’t sleep with another woman! He didn’t need any more complicated relationships in his life.

“Elder Stone, may I please request artificial insemination of the surrogate.”

“No!” David Stone banged his fist on the table. “This future Alpha needs to be conceived the natural way or he stands to lose his wolf essence. When have you ever heard of a wolf being conceived in a test tube or laboratory? My word is final. This process of impregnation will take place the natural way to ensure the survival of our species. This decision remains within these walls and will not be made known to the public.”

“Thank you, Elder,” Edgar said.

“You will continue searching for Elena while you fulfil the prophecy. Please let us know as soon as she is found or returns home.”

The Elders rose and left the Hideout before anyone had a chance to say another word.

Harry poured two vodka drinks. Edgar drank his in one gulp. The Elders and Arthur had left after the decision had been taken.

“Have you ever heard of a wolf surrogate?” Edgar asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. His overgrown, chocolate brown hair flopped over his forehead. “I don’t know of any databases of surrogates for wolves,” he said, “humans have plenty but wolves have never needed to hire a surrogate before. Maybe Celine knows one.”

Edgar shook his head. “Celine’s the one who made that ridiculous prophecy in the first place.” They were still seated at the boardroom table. “They’ve given me an impossible task,” he said.

Harry was silent for a few moments. He fished out the note David had handed him earlier from his breast pocket. “Maybe she knows about surrogates for wolves,” Harry suggested, dialing her number, “I think it’s worth a shot.”

Edgar poured another shot. All he wanted was to crawl inside a cave far away and hibernate. Instead, he had to mate with a surrogate to clean the mess his adventurous fake Luna had left him in.

***