Chapter 148

Ethan

“Run it again,” I order, “Raen, you’re slipping on your right. Wendel, plant your feet to gain a stronger balance and use your core. Pratch, use your full strength because your enemy won’t hold back.”

“Alpha, why do we need to practice fighting in our human forms? Wouldn’t we fight in Lycan wolf form?” Pratch asks, tilting his head in confusion.

“Yes, usually, but you need to be prepared for anything,” I answer. “You never know when you’ll be in a position where you can’t shift. Do you want to be caught unprepared?”

“No, Alpha,” the three youngest Gammas respond before running the drills again. This is their second month of Gamma training, having just graduated from high school and decided to pursue the Gamma route, meaning I will be paying for their college as they train and go through the program of their choice while also training.

I take mental notes of their weaknesses in each set of exercises and drills. The more experienced Gammas train on the other end of the field, shouting as they fight in human form. Their mentors shadow them, like I shadow the newcomers. They usually spend one training session with me a month until they hit a year and fully join the more experienced fighters.

“Alpha Ethan Montgomery.”

The stiff voice makes me turn, and the Council Representative standing behind me surprises me.

“Can I help you?” I ask, eyeing the man in a suit. His rigid posture tells me he doesn’t come baring good news. The way his eyes move quickly from me to the three trainees then back to me also lets me know he doesn’t want to say anything in front of them.

“I have news from the Council that you may want to take in a more private setting,” the representative says, his eyes again moving to the trainees.

“They are my pack. What news do you have for me?” I ask, slightly irritated when he hesitates before pulling an envelope. He passes it to me, watching intently as I open the letter and scan the contents.

“They dare,” my wolf growls, pushing forward. He forces his way past my internal defenses, bringing on the shift. As soon as my paws touch the grass, we’re running toward the Kingdom Center, where the Council meets.

Before anyone can stop me, I’m weaving through the forest, my senses and instincts taking over. Zev pushes us faster, our paws barely touching the ground as we fly across my land. Soon, we cross the neutral zone, into the outer rim of the Kingdom Center, a physical ripple flowing over me as I leave my land.

Zev growls unintelligible threats in my head about how the Council has no right to keep us from running for Lycan King because of my mate. He doesn’t always fully understand the human half of the reasoning, instead leaning fully on the Lycan instinct. There are some instincts that are too strong for him to ignore, and when those things are threatened, it’s like his vision tunnels and nothing else is important.

So, as we weave through the streets of the Kingdom Center, admittedly scaring several Kingdom neutral Lycans, I talk him down. By the time we reach the Council building, he’s backed off enough to allow me to take control and shift to my human form.

“They will not keep us from our mate,” he growls, and I nod, pushing into the building.

“They won’t. We will fix this.”

Laying my hands on the heavy wooden double doors, I shove them forward. My muscles strain as they push open and bang against the walls.

“What is the meaning of—”

“You have no right to leave me out of the hearing on my own qualifications for running for Lycan King,” I announce. It seems they were in the middle of something, but even though I was not supposed to enter, I move to the middle of the room and stand in front of the Council Member Thaen.

His narrow-eyed glare does not go unnoticed by me, but I bow anyway, out of respect. Elder Raen and Nguyen nod to me, looking a little relieved to see me. I’m not sure exactly what went on during the trial, but I can imagine they were outnumbered in their opinion. I’ll have to talk to them when this is over.

“I apologize for intruding, but you should have sent for me to join the deliberations. That was a fault on your part, Council Member Thaen,” I tell him, pinning my eyes on his without regret. I should have at least been informed of an official hearing, especially since it was directly about me.

“Alpha Montgomery, there are too many concerns surrounding your entry into the Lycan King Selection,” Council Member Thaen announces with a shake of his head. He motions to the rest of the council and the gathered Elders, continuing, “We have decided these concerns—”

“Which concerns?” I ask, needing their exact reasoning.

They can’t just decide my fate and expect me not to fight their wrongful decision. I can tell by the hard look in Thaen’s eyes that he doesn’t want to explain, but an elbow to the ribs from another Council Member has him answering me.

“A human mate would be a detriment to the Kingdom as she would be weak and exposed to any possible enemies and—”

“Bullshit,” I growl, moving closer. His eyes widen, and a gasp sounds somewhere in the room.

“The King already knows I have a potential human mate, and he still issued the invitation, so having a human mate should not disqualify me from running.”

Thaen visibly prickles, and I’d bet money that if he were in wolf form, his hackles would be raised. He clears his throat and leans forward, “Having a human mate, especially one who is not opposed to exchanging sexual favors for money like a common harl—”

“I dare you to finish that word!” Zev roars, pushing forward. I let him, my anger simmering and mixing with his.

Council Member Thaen stiffens, recognizing the lethal, animalistic presence.

“Alpha, please calm down,” Elder Nguyen says slowly. “We don’t want to make any choices we will regret later.”

“The matter is no longer open for discussion.”

Zev swivels to look at Thaen again, narrowing our eyes. I don’t fight for dominance. Instead, I sit back and let Zev take over. Maybe they will listen to him since they don’t seem interested in my opinion.

Lycans are taught from a young age that our wolf senses and instinct are pure and untainted by human greed. Let’s see how they feel now.

“The amount of time you spend in the human world has blinded you to the flaws there,” Elder Mathis says, pulling our attention to him. He sits straighter as my eyes land on him, recognizing a predator when he sees one.

Dull pain pricks at my gums as my K-9 teeth lengthen at the sight of the Elder from a rival pack. Mathis has the good sense to drop his eyes in the presence of a higher power.

“Either way,” Zev says, looking back at Thaen, “Disqualifying us makes no sense.”

“A potential Lycan King should have better sense than to join in a contract relationship with a human, especially one so unethical and dirty as one that trades services for sex,” Thaen states bluntly. The hair on the back of my neck prickles, my senses narrowing on the man.

They should know nothing about my contract with Fiona, especially since I hadn’t thought of it in a long time. I’d honestly forgotten we made the contract.

“It wasn’t like that,” Zev shouts, our fists clenching. “Fiona and I love each other. Our bond is pure and bestowed by the Goddess.”

“Our minds are made up. If you will not listen to us, you may petition the King, or you can agree to the terms we’ve set aside and mate a Lycan female,” Thaen announces, standing. He sweeps his robe to the side and walks across the floor to stand in front of me. “I hear you already have a proposal worth your time. If you accept it, we will let you rejoin the Lycan King Selection with your original status. If not, it is decided.”

With a flick of his robe, Thaen waves at the guards standing by the doors.

If they think we’re done here, they’re sorely mistaken.