Jan sat in the spot Ethan had left him in, watching the five powerful vampires before him with a blank look that hid all his emotions. Beside him, Ivan filled the alpha's vacant seat, wearing the same expression and listening to the council lecture them.
They had expected this. It was a familiar song and dance.
The clan leaders always had a bone to pick with them. Then, Jan and Ivan would be arraigned before the old stooges to clear their names. Usually, only one or two members would be angry with them, allowing the brothers to wiggle their way out by playing one against the other.
This time, however, the council was unanimous in their condemnation of them. None of them had been happy with how tonight's discussions went.
Even Carson scowled at them from under his classic Stetson hat. "This is a fine pickle you've gotten us into, Skyvar. You're our Blooded Warrior. Of all the people you could've chosen for a mate, you had to go in for the meanest wolf of all! Now here he is, thumbing his nose at us."
The council had not gotten the wolves to kowtow to them like they wanted. Just as Ivan had predicted, they turned to the brothers to pressure them into getting the packs to fall in line, starting with the alpha claiming the Blooded Warrior as his mate.
However, Jan and his brother had agreed in secrecy before today's meeting: Play dumb and don't get caught in the power struggle between the wolves and the council.
"My apologies, Councilman Carson," Jan responded without a shred of remorse in his flat voice. "When I met Ethan, he had just found his wolf. I couldn't have guessed he would even become the alpha of his pack one day. And as you're aware, I've been asleep for a long time. I had no hand in recent developments."
Adams cleared his throat and leaned forward on the table, clasping his hands together. "Skyvar, I questioned you five years ago when that insufferable old tracker sent his wolves to start piss-marking our homes. You waved off my concerns, saying it was nothing. That nothing has grown into a powerful Dragonlord, and many in the community are uneasy with the rate at which his influence is expanding. We can't sit back and let wolves overrun this land. If you join my clan-"
"Councilman Adams," Mistress Celine thundered, her eyes narrowing at the man. "May I remind you that we agreed to discuss the combined concerns of the entire vampire community, not to push for the selfish interests of one clan."
Adams' eyes flared red at the implied insult. His lips peeled back, flashing the tips of his sharp fangs. Celine hissed in response, and her irises also changed color to match the rubies on her neck. It seemed the competition between the two leaders was about to erupt into violence.
From the corner of his eye, Jan glanced at his brother. Ivan slowly tapped his thigh twice. Patience.
"I always said Skyvar would be the cause of our destruction, but no one listened," Eisenhower added sanctimoniously, folding his hands on his chest.
Bzz. Jan's phone vibrated in his pocket.
He silently cussed out the exasperating old fool as he pulled the cell out. One glance at the screen, and Jan sighed. He cut the call from his best friend and slipped the phone back.
"Councilmen and women!" Josephs' deep voice cut through the chaos. "This is not the time to be bickering. Skyvar is free to choose any clan he desires, and you're better off wooing him privately after this meeting. Right now, we need to ensure that his loyalties lie with us, regardless of where he ends up."
Bzz. Bzz. Bzz. Swallowing a groan, Jan slipped his hand into his pocket and cut the call again. Louie had the worst timing.
Carson lifted the hat off his head and tossed it on the table. "That's a fine point, Josephs. How do we ensure he chooses us over his mate?"
YOU ARE READING
Blooded Mate
Fantasy[[MATURE CONTENT]] Pack, family, mate. Loyalty, respect, honor. These are the words that form the foundation of the wolf society. At six years old, Ethan had to choose between his Alpha title and his survival on the night of his father's death. As a...
