by Aileen Erin
Anger swelled inside me and until my skin felt too tight and itchy.
Dastien’s hand squeezed mine. Don’t. You can’t lose your cool now. We still have to get through Luciana’s speech.
Okay. Okay. I’m trying. But shit. Did you know about this?
No. The word rang in my head was more growl than voice.
“When she caught me and I asked about the spell, well, she tried to rip my throat out. Needless to say, I almost didn’t survive. Keep that in mind. She’s powerful. Really powerful. And that’s dangerous.”
I swallowed down the anger. That bitch was going down.
“I propose that she be separated from the pack for a period of time while we find out why one of our greatest alphas bit her. He risked his life by breaking the rules. No Were would ever do that unless they weren’t in their right mind. Only time apart can help us assess the state of Dastien, our next true leader.” No one cheered or clapped, but Imogene went back to her place and sat down with her head held high, like she’d won the day.
It was official. I fucking hated that bitch.
Mr. Dawson stood back up. “At this point, we’re going to pause for a moment while the Coven is escorted to the Tribunal grounds. They’ve been allowed three minutes to speak and have agreed to leave us as soon as they’re done. I’d like to remind all the alphas deciding today and the pack members watching to take what they say with a grain of salt. This is the coven that nearly killed Donovan’s Meredith.”
I cracked my knuckles as we waited for Luciana to make her appearance. I had some things to say about Imogene. Maybe I should even draw charges up on her. She’d tried to kill me, too. Or was everyone just going to forget about that part?
The crowd cleared a path and three guys dressed all in black led the coven’s representatives toward the firepit. Luciana walked at the front of a group of five, and all of them were dressed in white. Her hands weren’t glowing today, but the way she carried herself—head high, shoulders back—told me that she felt confident. That arrogance of hers always rubbed me the wrong way.
Who was I kidding? Everything about her rubbed me the wrong way.
“Luciana. As stated, you’ve got your time. Sophia Hoel is responsible for your behavior. Anything goes wrong and it’s on your head.” He said the last to Sophia, who stepped down to stand beside Luciana.
Sophia nodded. “I chose to sponsor Luciana because I feel she has some valid complaints. Teresa’s transition was poorly managed. I understand and accept responsibility for the coven’s actions here tonight.”
Luciana’s gaze met mine through the fire. She grinned and I shuddered. There wasn’t an once of good in that lady. And I was pretty sure she was insane.
“That one,” she pointed to Dastien, without any lead into the speech at all—“took our next leader. You see, Teresa is unbelievably strong. Maybe some of you have noticed how strong?”
She paused, and I wondered if she and Imogene had coordinated their speeches.
“Her powers are only going to grow. As I understand it, Weres develop their powers over decades, but this is not the case with brujas. We don’t have such long lives, so we gain a little power at birth, and then that power blossoms as we reach adulthood.” Luciana spoke and the Weres gathered all hung on the edges of their seats. Even if the witches and Weres had a big history together, it seemed like both sides kept to themselves without sharing information. Getting to understand more about the witches was gold for the pack.
“Teresa was strong at birth,” Luciana continued as she raised her had toward me. “Stronger than any we have ever known. She could see things that no one else could. Her powers have grown ever since, and will continue growing for the next few years. If you think she’s dangerous now, just wait. If you can’t control her now, what do you think will happen then?”
Control me? No one was going to control me. Not ever. No one was going to take away my free will. And I was a goddamned American. I didn’t take too kindly to someone talking about taking away my freedom.
She started around the circle again. “That’s not the worst of it. How would you feel if we took one of your Seven? That’s what he’s done.” She paused to stab her finger at Dastien. “One of our great leaders, gone. And it’s his fault.” She finished another loop around. “Do what you will with him. It matters not to us. But her, she’s ours. You will return her or face war with our kind.”
Luciana paused before turning to Mr. Dawson. “I want you to think about that. About what’s to come should you decide to keep—”
“Your three minutes are up. Yeats, please escort them off our land.”
“I don’t need an escort. We don’t want to stay here a second longer than we have to.” She stormed off, but the Cazadores followed her anyway.
That wasn’t so bad, Dastien said.
Not so bad? She basically said I was too dangerous to be a wolf, and that if the pack doesn’t hand me over, then she—and the rest of the witches of the world—are going to go to war with the packs.
Exactly.
So how is that not so bad?
Because all we have to do is say ‘no’ and she’ll go away.
Was he being dense? How does ‘war’ translate into ‘go away’ in your brain?
She can’t go to war with us. There’s no way she has that much backing. It’s a bluff. It has to be.
It really didn’t sound like a bluff to me. Even if she was using me as an excuse to start a war, I don’t think there was a bluff in what she said. Are you sure?
Pretty sure.
That would change everything. How sure is pretty sure?
I don’t know.
Exactly. Because she wasn’t bluffing. If you think you’re right, then give me a percentage. How likely is this to start a war?
He didn’t shrug but I could feel it. Like a mental shrug. Sixty-two percent? Maybe sixty-eight percent.
That wasn’t very certain. So you’re thirty-eight to thirty-two percent not sure. That’s a whole lot of not sure. Especially when we’re talking war. War, Dastien. War.
I understand—
A cry went up in the surrounding crowd and I knew I’d missed something. Everyone had been so quiet, that it was shocking to hear.
“—not go to war over something this petty. Let them have her.”
Everyone started talking at once and Mr. Dawson growled. His power rolled through the woods, and it was suddenly silent again. “This isn’t how things are run. You’re breaking protocol by—”
“War with the witches isn’t an option. Some of us here are old enough to remember what that means,” Ferdinand shouted.
“Don’t you forget, so am I.” The ice in Donovan’s voice made me shiver. “I might not be votin’ tonight, but I’ll not have this Tribunal interfered with—”
“Then you shouldn’t have let the witches in,” someone shouted. “Even with the sponsor.”
“—more than it already has been,” Donovan continued like nothing had been said. “Unless it’s your turn to speak, you will be silent.” The last word was so loud, so sharp, that I flinched. His power that backed the command was meant for all the Weres. He turned to me, and his face softened. “Sorry about that.” His t’s had become harder, which meant even if his face was kind, he wasn’t over his anger. “We’ll have the questions now. A warnin’ to all of you, best to stay on topic. Any judgments in your questions and you’ll be cut off. Identify yourself before asking, too. The lass is new and won’t know your names.”
It was quiet for a long time, and then the old man from the cabin stood up.
“I’m Muraco, alpha of the Andes clan, with a question for Teresa. We’ve heard a lot of people talking about you. What I’d like to know is how you felt about becoming the wolf?”
I hadn’t been expecting that kind of question. I’d thought this was going to be more of an interrogation.
I couldn’t lie—they’d smell it—so I had to be honest, but I wasn’t going to sway anyone to my side
with the truth. I cleared my throat. “I didn’t want to be a wolf and I didn’t like that I’d been bitten.” I paused, waiting for something, but it was so quiet, all I could hear was the crackling of the fire. “I didn’t know that werewolves existed before I moved here. I didn’t even know that I was a bruja and that was why I could see what I see. So, it was shocking when I woke up at St. Ailbe’s.” I went into the whole running away thing, and why I’d done that. It had been an adjustment, and I hoped that they’d understand or at least sympathize with the drastic changes I’d gone through. “So, it took me a while not to be afraid of my wolf. Now, asking me how I currently feel about becoming a wolf—I love it. I love shifting. I love it here. I love my mate, my friends, and my pack. I don’t want to leave.”
Dastien got the next question—about his level of control. I got one about what my powers were exactly, and then one about my interactions with la Aquelarre.
Then, someone asked me what I thought about Luciana and my relationship with her. “If being cursed by Luciana is a sign of a good relationship, then I’d say we were on the best of terms. I don’t trust her and I certainly don’t like her. You heard what she said. She wants to control me. She made it perfectly clear that she’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that when she cursed me.” There were some murmurs, and I was sure I’d get some questions about that before I was done, but for now, most were quiet. “As much as I would like to learn about being a bruja, I can’t. Not from her.”
I hadn’t really realized that I wanted to learn until I said the words. After helping Meredith, I knew that I couldn’t avoid that part of me anymore. I had to be able to use the gifts that I’d been given. I had to do better. Be better.
A bunch of people shouted questions all at once and I blinked through the heat of the fire. It seemed like with every question I answered, there were twenty more. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to handle this.
I think Donovan’s about to call this to an end, Dastien said.
You think?
Yeah. Look at his hands.
They were fisted by his sides. His knuckles were white, and a fine sheen of fur covered over their tops.
He’s itching to. He wanted to cancel the Tribunal from the start.
I’d known that, but it didn’t change where we were today. It might be too late for us.
Yes.
“—your turn to say something,” Donovan said.
Everyone was staring at me. Shit. I had to stop tuning out when I talked to Dastien through our bond.
That’s your cue.
Right. I got out my notecards. My hands shook as I flipped through them. The words seemed to blend together, and I couldn’t make sense of them. The paper crinkled as I flipped through them again, and I realized this was dumb. I didn’t need the cards. I just had to speak from the heart.
I tossed them in the fire and watched as the cards curled, the flames licking along the edges until they were totally consumed.
This was it. Time for me to defend myself.
I cleared my throat, wishing I had a glass of water before I started. “I know that I’ve caused quite a stir since I showed up here. Believe me, no one expected me to be here less than me.” I blew out a breath. “But now that I’m here, I don’t want to leave. I know rules were broken, and that I lost my temper a bit with Imogene. It was wrong, and I was fighting the change. I’m not anymore. I’ve accepted my wolf, the pack, and my mate. I’d love it if I was accepted in return.” I paused, trying to think of what I should say next. “Even if I wanted to feel bad about not joining the coven, I don’t. Maybe it was a disservice to them that I was bitten, but I don’t know how my life could be other than the way it is.” I couldn’t apologize for something I didn’t feel. “I would apologize to Imogene for attacking her, but I was told that fights among students was a thing of the norm around here. She was digging through my things making insane accusations, and I lost my temper. I was new to being a wolf, and it was an adjustment. However, when she attacked me, after participating in a coup to take down this very pack, I didn’t call a Tribunal on her. I forgave her and asked that the pack give her a second chance. I hope that some of you will remember that. Will put yourselves in my shoes. And when you’re thinking about what to do with me and Dastien, it’d be great if you could remember that we can’t go back in time. This—me being bitten—can’t be undone. We can only move forward. And for me, that means I’m both wolf and witch. Luciana is hanging on to the fact that she can separate me from the wolf, but each of you should know how impossible that is.” I glanced around the pack, hoping to see some kind of agreement, but got nothing. A sea of faces stared back at me. “I—” I cleared my throat. “I wanted to also make it known that I’m not completely unreasonable. I don’t want anyone else hurt because of the choices that Dastien and I have made. Just know that any type of permanent separation will not be entertained by either of us.” That was backed with just a little taste of power. I didn’t want to push them, but if I gave them a little bit of weakness, they’d exploit it for sure.
“Are you done?” Mr. Dawson asked.
Was I done? I hadn’t a clue if what I’d said had gotten through to anyone, but anything else I could say would be a rehash. “I think so. Yes.”
“Dastien,” Mr. Dawson said.
“Teresa Elizabeth McCaide is my mate.” His voice was strong and clear. Not hint of fear tinted it. “I’d love to hear from one of you who could deny their mate. Who could refuse them anything?” He paused. “And she’s not just my mate. She’s my True Mate. My other half. I don’t think any of you could understand what that means, except Donovan and Meredith. To get between mates is one of the biggest crimes in our world. No one would ever dare. Yet, here I am,” he yelled the last. “Forced to stand here and beg for the chance to keep my other half. Our bonding ceremony was already interrupted. I’ll not stand for one more thing to come between us. Know that before you decide anything.” He sounded cold. Even I was a little scared of him in that moment.
He always said he struggled with control, but I’d only seen him lose it a couple of times, and never like this. Seeing him now… I wasn’t scared for myself, but I was worried for him and the rest of the pack. What would happen to him if we were separated?
You’re kind of intense.
Don’t make me smile. It’ll ruin the effect.
I started to grin, and he narrowed his gaze at me. And don’t you smile either. United front, Tess. It’s all about being together on this.
Dastien hopped down from the rock and reached a hand out to steady me as I followed. “When you have a verdict, send for us at the cabin.”
We made our way through the woods in silence. I was too afraid to talk. I’d already overshared enough for the night and Were hearing was a little too good. They wouldn’t get any more of me. Not if I could help it.
I didn’t open up until we were well out of earshot. “So, what do you think?”
“About?”
I rolled my eyes. “About what just happened.”
Dastien’s eyes glowed amber. “It’s all going to come down to how big of a stink they think the coven will make and how much the pack is willing risk for us.”
I chewed on my lip as I thought. “And? What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. But one thing’s for certain, I don’t want to be apart from you. That’s not an option. So, we’ll do what we have to.”
A chill ran up my spine. I knew that Dastien was mega-alpha. Seriously strong. There was no way anyone but me could stop him from getting what he wanted. And there was our dilemma.
What if the pack decided to send me to the coven? What would Dastien do?
Could I stand against my mate for the sake of the pack?
I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling I was going to have to answer that question soon.
Chapter Eight
We snuggled together on Dastien’s couch to wait for the news. I started working on a tub of Häagen-Dazs
pralines and cream and tried to focus on the TV—currently a mom was yelling at her toddler as she teased the shit out of the little girl’s hair. Poor kid. Dastien cuddled me to his side and absently rubbed my shoulder. I’d been pacing his cabin for the first hour, but it started driving him batty; thus, the ice cream and reality TV therapy.
Then the knock came, and all other thoughts vanished from my head.
“Come in,” Dastien said.
I sat up and put the nearly empty container on the coffee table.
Mr. Dawson stepped through the door. “A decision has been reached. It’s time for you to come back outside.”
I reached for Dastien’s hand and he squeezed it. It’s going to be fine, he said through the bond. You’ll see.
The walk back to the bonfire felt like a funeral march. No one said a word. Forest sounds that were usually so peaceful and relaxing suddenly felt suffocating. My breathing was heavy, and it wasn’t because I was walking fast.
A thick silence greeted us as Dastien and I stepped into the circle. Everyone sat completely motionless.
Maybe it was because I was so used to my visions and being flooded with too much information, but all that silence and quiet made me antsy. The calm before a storm.
I hated it.
Dastien jumped back onto the stone and then reached to pull me up. Last thing I needed to do was look like a klutz in front of everyone. They were already here to judge me.
Mr. Dawson stepped forward. “I want to start off by saying that the original calls for the Tribunal—Tessa’s loss of control when confronted by Imogene and Dastien’s breaking of our laws—have been totally dismissed.”
Thank God the pack wasn’t made of total morons. If I got in trouble for that after everything Imogene had done, I really would’ve lost it.
“We’ve had a heated debate and are almost evenly divided on what we should do regarding Luciana’s claim,” Mr. Dawson continued. “The complication that the witches brought forth—their wanting you back and willing to go to war over it—has been divisive among pack members.”
