RAINA’S POV“The council accepts.” Elder George acknowledged on their behalf.“Agnes, I suggest you go home,” Alpha Vance addressed the heartbroken woman.Agnes' eyes slowly drifted to the king as though she wasn’t even there. She nodded absentmindedly and staggered out of the room.“Devin, take your mate to the Omega house. Azara, escort Bessa and go with them.” Alpha Vance instructed, bringing everything to a close.The Elders were out of candidates, and it made my heart pulse with quiet triumph.Because they had selected Mercedes as the breeder for Valen, they made a deal with Tullalah to copulate with Vaheed to have a child. Kristen, for some reason, left the country, and Mercedes' story ended here. That left one active player, me.Inwardly, I smiled.Theo gave me a warm side hug, smiling with pride. Our eyes connected, mirroring our joy. We practically just knocked over the council’s chessboard, bidding time.We did it.Connery sat back in his seat, seeming thoughtful. Maybe he n
RAINA’S POVShaimon's eyes went wide, practically bulging out as Connery partially shifted, his claws digging into the soft flesh of the man's throat.“I will kill you here and now, Shaimon! Tell me what you did with my Luna!" Connery roared, spittle dripping and flying.The trained killer in him was ready to snap the neck of his brother, who had betrayed him. He showed no mercy in those darkened eyes of his, flecks of gold peeking out as his wolf itched to taste his blood.“Someone forgot their diaper,” Theo deadpanned.The smell of urine filled the air. I maneuvered around Theo to see a wet spot forming, becoming bigger on Shaimon's pants, and red veins lined his sclera eyes from the crushing pressure on his throat.“Everyone! Settle down!" Vance shouted, but it was lost on Connery as his wolf ignored all the protests from behind him.Bessa thrashed in Valiant and Devin's hold. They cuffed her to the chair with silver while our attention had been on the angry Alpha, forgetting the t
RAINA’S POVPeeved, Alpha Vance glanced from me to Connery. His sharp slits seem to pierce our souls, like slicing us up would make his day.However, Elder Victor took matters out of his hands, stating, “The council cannot be at ease to leave such suspicion hanging. I, for one, would like to know.”The other Elders nodded, agreeing unanimously. “Hear, hear.”The king released a long, bothersome sigh. “Just get it over and done with.”By now, Bessa and Agnes had Mercedes sitting on a chair. Both women sat, sandwiching her. Azara handed Bessa a cup of ice-filled water. Agnes quickly dipped her facecloth into the cold liquid and patted Mercedes’ hot forehead.“Alright, here’s the test.” Venus stepped to the table with a small paper bag.It was quiet as she pulled out a DNA test blood kit for rapid paternity testing. She unboxed it and handed it to Connery first.Connery stared pointedly at Venus, showing no indication that he was going to take it.It resembled a handheld digital test str
RAINA’S POVAbove the uproar, Connery barked at Devin. “Put her down!”“She’s been drugged,” Bessa whirled to Alpha Vance, accusing us. “They did something to my baby.”No one paid the Femoris duo any attention. The Elders were busy cursing under their breaths and engrossed in the stunning revelation. Potent pheromones rode the air like poisoned magnolia, boggling their minds.Although females could not smell the distinctive odor, the indisputable symptoms were present. The flushed, sweaty appearance of Mercedes, along with her obvious compulsion to mate with a male, and the reaction of unmated males struggling to control their wolves, made her heat known.“This is some trick!” Bessa yelled, flashing her eyes up and down the table. “Elders, that girl wants to harm my daughter because her claim as Alpha Valen's mate is being jilted. Are you going to sit and let her get away with this?”Connery knew there was no denying it, and so did Bessa, even though she tried. As a result of this, h
THIRD PERSON’S POV“You brought us here?” Elder George inquired, regarding her with distaste.“Uh-huh,” Raina replied, nonchalantly, like she ruled the room. “As you are all aware of my opposition to getting a breeder for Valen…”“Don’t call my daughter that!” Connery scowled, like a beast poised to strike.“But that’s what she is,” Venus blurted with a shrug, steadying her eyes on him.“No. He’s right.” Raina corrected her, glancing at Venus with something snarky in her eyes. “I mean, after today, she won’t be.““What are you implying?” Connery asked, venom-laced, and his spine went stiff.Raina locked her eyes with his stare and stated firmly, “You’ve been speaking about Valen’s future without me and making decisions on his behalf. As his marked mate, and the one who speaks for both of us, I’m here to talk about a few things and set the record straight with Mercedes.”Livid, Connery glanced down at Alpha Vance, “Are you going to entertain this?”Vance angled his head to spare him a
THIRD PERSON’S POVVance pushed the large double doors of the conference room open. Of course, he’d be the last to arrive at the Council Building.Inside the brightly lit room, all the Elders sat around the long rectangular table, its white surface glaring under the fluorescent lights.Beyond the long rows of glass windows, delightful laughter echoed from the orphanage lawn across the street, where delightful children played in the sunlight, frolicking and blowing bubbles. But inside, mounting tension hung in the air as the chairs creaked under shifting weight, anxious glances darted at the Alpha, betraying their growing exasperation.“By all means, do take your time,” Elder Victor grumbled with ire in his tone.Vance glared at his father as he strode to a chair. “This is what happens when you call a meeting on the weekend. I do have things to do, you know. Now what’s the emergency?”“Why don’t you tell us? We’re here because you sanctioned us,” Elder George muttered, his voice edged