Page 114 of Wolf's Vow

Brand was disheveled but alert. Killian looked worse—tired, tense, face drawn and pale. Axel and Cody had a tightness around their eyes that wasn’t usually there. Rowen stood by the window, arms crossed, her expression unreadable, jaw tight.

I didn’t sit.

“I need you to understand what we’re up against,” I began, voice low and flat. “I don’t think this is just rogues or an unhappy faction of pack members. I think it goes deeper.”

Killian leaned forward slightly. “How deep?”

I looked at each of them in turn. “The Pack Council.”

Brand cursed under his breath. Rowen stilled.

“They summoned me, knowing we were vulnerable,” I continued. “Not to help. Not to advise. To measure me.”

“Measure you for what?” Rowen asked.

I hesitated; it sounded ludicrous in my head, and it would sound worse out loud. “Being alpha of two packs has made them nervous, I think…” I blew out a breath. “They think I have ambition and I have displayed my ambition when I became alpha of here along with Stonefang.”

“They think you’re making a play for power?” Killian’s tone was incredulous. “For what? The whole fucking continent?”

“They think my unifying two packs is a power grab. They suggested the unrest in the pack is because I have made the pack unstable.”

Cody grunted. “Idiots.”

I shook my head. “They’re not idiots. They’re scared. And scared old wolves do stupid shit. Like pit packs against each other from the shadows.”

“What did you say to them?” Rowen’s voice was quiet.

“I realized they knew what was happening here, because they’re watching. Watching and not helping. I told them to come take Corrin, Galvin the others, question them without me, but…” I shook my head. “They aren’t interested. They’re only interested inme. They say they want both packs to remain intact.” I looked over at Rowen. “But they don’t want me to be the alpha of both.”

“They said that?” Killian asked, furious.

“No. But they didn’t deny it, so I walked out.”

She watched me as the others spoke amongst themselves, and I saw the question in her eyes.

“One of them followed me out. He warned me,” I told her, the others quieting as I spoke. “That there was a way to save both territories without further bloodshed. He said I have to give up Blueridge Hollow, and that I would still get to keep my mate.”

Her breath stilled. She looked at me, anger in her eyes. “And you told them to fuck off?”

“The fact I hold two territories unchallenged means I’m dangerous, and they said before it gets worse, I need to return to Stonefang and stay there.”

“Without me?”

I gave her a rueful smile. “No, you come with me, and you stay safe.”

Her gaze didn’t falter. “And again I’ll say, you told them to fuck off.”

I grinned. “More or less.”

Silence stretched. Then Axel spoke. “So we’re at war.”

“No.” I shook my head slowly. “Not yet. But we’re being bled. Softened. Broken from the inside out. I think we need toreview everything again. I don’t know how much of the initial attacks were by rogues and how much of this latest attack was orchestrated by Pack Council members who oppose merged packs. We have to consider that someone in the Council wants me to fail, someone who will let the unrest do their dirty work for them.”

Killian exhaled sharply. “And in the meantime, we’ll keep burying our own.”

“Not if we stop it first.” I looked at Rowen. “We’re sealing the bond. No more waiting.”

She nodded once. “Agreed.”