“You wouldn’t have summoned me if you thought I’d say no.”
That earned a flicker of something behind Deryn’s eyes. Not amusement. Approval, maybe. “Let the record show the alpha of Blueridge Hollow and Stonefang territories presents himself freely,” Deryn said.
“For now,” I muttered.
He heard it. So did the others. I saw the twitch in his mouth, the way his fingers tapped once against the table.
I stood before them as they began. Soft questions, at first.
“Were the rites met?” Deryn asked me.
“They were.”
“And you found your true mate?”
I looked back at him, unflinching. “I did.”
One of the others sniffed the air. “Your bond is not yet complete.”
I was so glad Rowen wasn’t here. “My mate has not had her heat yet.” A lie. A small one, but a lie nonetheless.
“The daughter of the Hollow was here before,” another of them spoke. “She was looking for a husband.”
I held my hands out in front of me. “She found one.”
“She was looking for someone to…manipulate,” they added slyly.
“She was looking for stability for her pack,” I corrected them. “With her father dying, she was convinced, by your Council, mayI add, that the best thing for her would be to find a husband as pack leader.”
“You are no pack leader,” Deryn said as he took a sip of whatever was in his mug.
“No. Indeed, I am not.” I bared my teeth in a smile that held no friendship, wishing I could bare my fangs instead.
“Since you have become alpha of the Hollow, you have neglected Stonefang.”
My gaze shifted from Deryn to the alpha who spoke; he might have been even older than Deryn. “Neglected?” I shook my head. “Stonefang is well, and most of my pack is with me in Blueridge Hollow.” I looked at them all. “As you know.” I held each stare as they looked back at me. “Packs are often left alone. How do your own packs fare while you sit here? Do you feel that they are neglected?”
Silence met my question.
“Is this why you summoned me?” I asked blandly. “Or is it because Blueridge Hollow has endured a few attacks that killed pack members from rogues? Attacks I warned you about when I was here last.”
“And what have you done about these alleged…attacks?” another asked, and I bit my lip to stop from shouting.
As I ran through my actions, I saw the way their eyes narrowed. Saw a lip twitch in reaction to my mention oftargetedattacks. Saw a frown on a brow when I told them that I had used my Will on all of my pack to discover treachery. Heard a throat clear when I let them know I had prisoners.
“Why have you not brought them here?” Deryn asked. “You say you hold them for the Pack Council to judge. Where are they?”
Goddess, this was a frustrating waste of my time.
“Because you gave me three days to answer your summons, and in case I didn’t already stress it loud enough, my pack is under attack!”
“How do we know you aren’t lying?”
The question came from behind me, and I turned to see another of the Pack Council sitting behind me. He hadn’t been there when I entered.
“Who are you?”
“Who I am isn’t important. Who are you, Wolfe?” The way they said my name gave me pause.
