by Aileen Erin
I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Okay.” For whatever reason, I trusted him—maybe it was the age or the aura of wisdom around him. “Okay,” I said again, as I let his words sink in.
The book had been pretty clear about the rules. No exceptions. It contradicted what everyone else had said, but three of the Seven were saying that I was the exception to the inexcusable act: turning an innocent who hadn’t been approved by the pack. The abomination was punishable by death in all cases. Sometimes both people involved were killed, but the biter was always executed.
There was nothing worse than ignorance. I swore I’d read every book I could about the coven and the pack. I couldn’t be left in the dark anymore. Sure, for a while my ignorance had been pardonable. It’d been more than I could do to adjust to this new life. But that time had passed.
Dastien stood from the table, still holding the book I’d thrown at him.
I’m sorry, I said through our bond as he crossed the room to me.
No. I’m the one who’s sorry. I haven’t forgotten that this is all happening because of me.
“Is it really, though? Is it really all happening because of you? Or is it because of me?”
Muraco waved his hand through the air. “People do what they do. We’re all responsible for our own actions. Now, we should go over what you’re going to say tonight.”
“Okay.” I sat on the arm of the couch. “I was going to talk about what it was like to transition. The change and overwhelming emotions of the wolf. And about Dastien and our bond.” Dastien stood next to me, his hand in mine.
“You also might want to think up some counterarguments for anything Luciana could come up with,” Mr. Dawson said.
That seemed like a good idea. And I knew who I should call. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner. I blamed my procrastination. “I’m going to head out. Sorry for interrupting.” I headed out the door before anyone could stop me, but as soon as I stepped on the front stoop, Dastien had his hand on my arm.
“Where’re you going?”
If I was going to gain the confidence I needed to get this speech done, it wasn’t going to be in a room full of alphas. I needed to be somewhere that I felt safe. “I’m going to go talk to my dad.”
He nodded. “Want me to go with you?”
I always wanted him around, but for this, I just wanted to be home with my family. “Seems like you’re busy.”
“Are you okay?”
No. “Yes.”
He stepped closer to me. “You’re lying.”
“I don’t think I’ll be okay until all of this is over.” That was the truth. I wanted to get back to my life and not have to worry about defending it. “Don’t keep things from me, okay?”
“I didn’t—”
“You sort of did.” I waved off his protest. “It’s fine, but I need to know what I’m dealing with. I feel like I’m in the dark all the time and you’re only giving me half the story.” If I’d known all this last night, I might’ve made a different call. Whatever the consequences, I doubted I could’ve stopped the bonding ceremony if I’d known Dastien’s life was at risk.
“I’m not keeping anything from you. Every time I brought it up, you changed the subject.”
He had a point. In his defense, he’d brought it up almost daily. “Well, I’m ready now. So no holding back. Even if I don’t want to hear it. Promise?”
“I promise.” He pressed his lips to mine. “Come back here when you’re done.”
Where else would I go? “Okay.”
“Call me if you need me.”
“Sure.” He was looking at me so intently, I knew something was up. “Are you okay?”
He stared up at the sky. “I don’t want you to go.”
I laughed. “I can tell.” I yanked him down for a kiss that he quickly deepened, but I pulled away before I got too breathless. “I’ll see you in a couple hours. Meet me for lunch?”
“D’accord.”
When I looked back at him, he was watching me walk away. The expression on his face was one of love, but also longing. I knew exactly how he was feeling. I’d been planning on spending the day snuggling with him, and now I needed to prepare a defense. Definitely not as fun.
Soon, he said.
Can’t wait.
***
It was still hot outside, but I drove with the AC off and the windows down. My hair was tied back in a messy bun, but a few loose pieces of hair whipped against my face. There was no more time for quiet reflection. Even in the odd spare moments I’d had alone in the dorms, I could hear the conversations in the rooms around me.
The overwhelming lack of privacy had only gotten worse. And now, if I concentrated, I could feel the pack. It was faint, but I’d borrowed energy from the wolves to help break Meredith’s curse, and my awareness of the pack bonds had never fully disappeared since then. With the mate bond getting stronger every day, I felt like there was no room in my head for my own thoughts. After a lifetime of visions, I should’ve been used to it, but those few heavenly weeks of peace—before I realized what being in the pack and mated really meant—had spoiled me.
A few months ago—hell, a few days ago—I couldn’t figure out why Dastien was with me. He had the pick of any girl. But now I knew. Being an alpha weighed on him more than anything else. Having me around kept him grounded. Helped him keep control.
The more I found out about him, the more I realized that the two of us were a good match. Luck wasn’t my thing, but I was starting to think that fate was.
I saw the turn off for my parents’ house and kept on going. I wasn’t ready to end the drive yet.
When I pulled up to the yellow house, I couldn’t believe it’d been nearly an hour. My dad stepped onto the porch as I pulled up, and I turned down the music. My ears were ringing, but it was worth it. I felt a million times better. Music really did soothe my soul.
“You trying to kill your eardrums? I could hear you about a mile out.”
“Eh. They’ll heal.”
“How about sparing the rest of us, then?”
Funny, Dad. “I’m sure from a mile away, you’re safe.”
“That’s what you’d think, but with your music…” He hugged me, and I smelled his aftershave. He’d used the same one since I was a little girl. It was one of my favorite smells. “How’re you doing?”
“I’ve been better.” I pulled away from him. “I wanted your legal advice. Plus, I figure your PR spin could help, too.”
He nodded. “I heard there was a little trouble last night. This Tribunal thing sounds not good.” He put his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go in the kitchen and we can talk about it.”
Four Diet Cokes, three bags of Cheetos, seven grilled cheeses, and one and a half packages of Oreos later, I had a solid plan. Dad had even given me notecards. We’d gone through them three times, and he’d drilled me on questions—even the hard stuff. I’d been uncomfortable with the role-playing at first. It’d been hard for me to answer his questions, but by the last time, I had my answers down. I was ready. The Tribunal seemed slightly less scary.
I sat on the kitchen island, kicking my feet. The cool marble felt good against my warm Were skin. I still wasn’t used to being so hot all the time. It was something I wasn’t sure I’d ever adjust to.
“You’re pretty good at this stuff.”
Dad laughed. “It’s my job, kiddo.”
I stared at my feet. “What if none of this works?”
“Do your best.” He leaned against the kitchen counter across from me. “But don’t forget that no one can force you to do something you don’t want to do.”
I ate another Oreo. “That’s not true.”
“Maybe before it wasn’t true, but you’re stronger than everyone else now. That’s why they’re making such a fuss over this. Don’t be afraid to use that to your advantage if it comes to it.”
I didn’t feel that strong. Sure, I was more in control than I used to be, but I did
n’t really know anything about my bruja side. And I was just starting to understand the Were part of me. I’d only shifted for the first time a few days ago. It wasn’t like this was a home run.
I was new. I felt new. I felt the opposite of empowered, but I needed to get there if I was going to win. So, how was I supposed to do that before tonight?
I wasn’t sure at all. It seemed like every time I took a step forward, I took five back. Eventually, maybe I’d get somewhere, but it was a trudge. I didn’t want it to be a trudge. I wanted to own it.
“You’re a smart girl, Teresa. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
I was fully committed to both staying alive and being with Dastien, but the rest…
It was going to take more than visualization to come out of the Tribunal unscathed.
Chapter Seven
Ever since the second I’d stepped into my new town, Marion, Texas, I’d been in danger of some sort or another. Bitten. Vampires. A coup. A curse gone wrong. Coven politics. Basically everything that had led to the Tribunal had been an overwhelming clusterfuck of bad. And yet, even as scared as I was, I didn’t regret moving here. When it came down to it, I was dealing with bullies. I had plenty of experience with that. Only these bullies had claws and fangs.
And spells. Mustn’t forget the spells.
Dastien and I stood on the same dais used in the Full Moon Ceremony, but it had been pushed to the side of a massive bonfire. Weres crowded the stone benches, sitting or standing all around, filling the air with nervous energy. As big and overwhelming as the gathering had been last night, this one was bigger.
So, if they decide they want us dead, then what? They throw us in this massive fire?
Dastien looked at me like I was crazy.
What? It’s a valid question.
No. The fire’s for light.
Yeah, but we have crazy good eyesight. Do we really need it?
He shrugged. It looks more official with the fire.
Official. Sure. Because what this whole mess needed was to be more official.
Mr. Dawson stood on the other side of the fire. “A charge has been raised against two of our pack. One against Dastien Laurent, for turning a girl without pack permission and without providing her with the proper warning and education. One against Teresa McCaide, for losing control of her wolf and attacking a fellow member of the pack.”
I expected some whispering or murmuring among the Weres, but no one said a thing. The only sounds were from the woods and the crackling fire.
“Tonight, we’ll hear testimonies from a handful of people. This includes Luciana Alverez from the local coven. Letting a witch speak here is highly unusual, and Luciana will only be allowed to say her piece before she’s escorted off pack lands. Once everyone involved tonight has spoken, we’ll break to debate our course of action, and then Muraco and Ferdinand of the Seven, along with five randomly selected pack alphas who’ve traveled here, will decide what’s to be done.”
Why weren’t Sebastian and Donovan voting? That made me way more nervous. I thought I had at least a few votes in the bag.
Donovan continued like he’d been reading my thoughts. “A point has been raised that myself and two of the Seven are biased toward the couple in question.”
Bastards.
“In fairness, we’ve decided not to vote, but we will speak on their behalf. After all parties have spoken, questions can be addressed to Dastien and Teresa. Then, they will each have a chance to say their final words.”
I swallowed. Final words? This was going to be a long night.
“Once a decision is reached, the matter will be closed. Anyone seeking retribution will answer to me.” Mr. Dawson’s threat rang out in the still of the night. No one dared to say anything against him.
I wasn’t sure who reached for who, but the second Dastien’s skin touched mine, I felt calmer. A drop of sweat rolled down my face. I itched to wipe it away, but didn’t want to show even the littlest bit of weakness. Besides the handholding.
The first part of the Tribunal was fine. Mr. Dawson talked about when Dastien and I first saw each other. I’d never forget seeing Dastien through the screen door. I’d been so afraid of him—of what he might mean—that I didn’t want him to see me. But he had.
“I don’t think even the most in control Were could’ve resisted the call of his mate. The way Dastien went about this was not in order with our laws, but an exception was made once we found that he and Teresa were True Mates.”
I swallowed. Hopefully everyone here would agree with the exception.
Sebastian stepped forward next. His voice was smooth and clear as he spoke. “As most here know, I am descended from a line of sorcerers, which is why I was specifically called to Texas to assess Teresa. What I have to tell you about her might shock you, but I believe that letting someone with her particular ability leave the pack would be a detriment to us all.”
I was surprised my eyes didn’t pop out of my head. A detriment to us all? He really was laying it on thick. I tried not to laugh as he continued. He made me sound like the second coming. Totally ludicrous.
A man I didn’t know stepped forward from the front row. His hair was buzzed close to his head, but his blond beard was long and thick. “It seems to me that we’ve forgotten a big part of what this Tribunal is about. One of ours broke the rules. If we don’t stand by those rules, then all our laws will become optional. Am I the only one who sees the error in this way of thinking?” He paused and a few people clapped in support. “Dastien bit a human. We can discuss whether or not to keep her, but him—that’s another story. He should be punished. I understand that he’s dominant, but that doesn’t mean the laws don’t apply to him. If anything, his power should be subject to added responsibility and repercussions. What’s to say he won’t bite again if let free?”
I gasped and Dastien squeezed my hand. Don’t react, he said.
They’re talking about punishing you. I can’t help it. Who is that guy?
Ferdinand.
Great. The member of the Seven who wasn’t so hot about us. His status meant that he had some sway over the rest of the pack. I just hoped it wasn’t enough to discount Mr. Dawson, Sebastian, and Donovan’s opinions.
Donovan stepped forward next. “I’m not votin’ tonight against my better judgment. I hope that after I talk, you’ll all have realized what a waste of time this is. And afterward, I’m lookin’ to change the Tribunal system; the rule to stop Tribunals from being canceled was only put in place to stop corrupt alphas from sweeping charges under the rug, so to speak. This here is a gross misuse of the clause.” His harsh voice rang out in the night. A ripple of his anger and frustration ran through the pack bonds, and I knew he’d meant for everyone to feel it. He wanted everyone to know exactly how mad he was. “The fact that a wolf who tried to overthrow the Seven, who drugged us and threw us into a cave of vampires, who associated with vampires, called this Tribunal shows what a sham it is. The coward isn’t even here, and yet we still are.”
I found Meredith in the crowd. She wasn’t smiling exactly, but her head was held high. She was proud of Donovan, with good reason. I wasn’t sure if the speech was her doing or all Donovan’s, but regardless, they both deserved a huge thank you.
“Not a few days ago, Meredith was nearly killed by a spell placed upon her by the local coven. That they would strike out against my True Mate is…I’m still deciding what steps to take, but I wouldn’t be here today—and neither would my mate—if Teresa wasn’t in our pack as both wolf and witch.” He paused. “As for what Ferdinand said, I don’t agree. Dastien is in control, and his biting was reviewed and pardoned by both myself and Sebastian. In my opinion, it shouldn’t be an issue tonight. For that matter, nothing would’ve stopped me from biting Meredith had she been human. Dastien is more dominant than any of us. Has he ever lost control? Have you ever even seen him lose his temper?”
Silence.
Clearly they didn’t know how much I could ril
e Dastien.
“That’s what I thought. Before you decide willy-nilly to kill off what could be a couple of our greatest leaders, think about who is manipulating you into this. About why we’re here. Don’t be a bunch of fuckin’ morons.”
I wanted to high-five Dono, but that wouldn’t make our case look any better. I didn’t dare blink. My heart was beating so fast that I couldn’t feel my limbs. I was on the verge of passing out, but I stayed on my feet.
As Donovan continued to speak, I thought for a second that everything would be fine. We’d get through it after all.
Then Imogene stepped in front of the dais to speak, her back to us. I glanced at Dastien.
Did you know she’d be speaking?
I wasn’t sure. Since she’s part of the reason we’re here, I knew there was a good chance.
Thanks for sharing the info.
As usual, Imogene looked like she’d stepped out of the pages of a magazine. Her hair flowed down her back in perfectly curled waves. Her white silk blouse didn’t have a hint of a wrinkle on it. I always wished I looked as nice as that, but never managed to drum up the effort to make it happen.
“I always thought I’d end up with Dastien,” Imogene said, and I gritted my teeth. It was going to take some major self-control not to attack her. “We’d talked about it for years, so I was surprised when I found out that he’d bitten Tessa. I mean, why her? Why choose her instead of me, when we’d been so close for so long?”
She actually had a tear rolling down her cheek. I glanced around and saw that some of the alphas were nodding. Everyone had assumed that her and Dastien would be mated by now.
They were eating out of the palm of her conniving little hand. This so wasn’t good.
“And then it hit me.” Imogene spun to face me. “She’s part witch. She had to have done something to enspell Dastien. I mean, right? It was the only answer. So, I went digging in her locker.”
I couldn’t believe I’d been so stupid. I’d defended her. I’d accepted her apology. I’d even told the pack we shouldn’t kick her out, and all along she’d been gearing up for this?
