Kane
I called a meeting in my office at the pack house. That alone raised concerns among my inner circle, as they know how much I dislike working here.
My father’s office.
I left it exactly as he had it, but it does not necessarily hold pleasant memories for me. Many consist of seeing his rage or the endless meetings he had with me where he would give me a list of things I needed to improve on, but he always followed it up by telling me he loved me despite tearing me down on paper.
I sit at the head of a long table with my beta Nathan, head spy Cole, his lead spy Nile, and Serg, my gamma and head of security and safety.
“What is going on?” Nathan asks as he passes on a container of pastries that his girlfriend Tish gave him this morning. On the days they are broken up, I’m quite sure he misses his doughnuts. They seem to be his favorite food.
“I was shadow walking last night, and Landon plans on looking for Amelia.”
“I told you telling him to fuck off was wrong.” Nathan points a finger at me.
“No, he doesn’t know where to look yet. He was just drunk and rambling about needing Amelia,” I responded. “He still wants to mate with her and believes he can persuade her to agree to being his breeder. There is an underlying bond on her end that complicates things. Landon wants his rejected mate back, and he’s afraid of how her return from the dead will be perceived. He hasn’t informed his pack yet.”
“If he wants to come here, you can deny him entry,” Cole interjects.
“That will be a red flag,” Serg responds.
“Not really. Kane hates Landon. Denying him entry is expected.” Nathan shrugs.
“Why were you in Nobleclaw?” Nile asks.
“Collecting body parts. That reminds me, Amelia remembers you from spying on her in Nobleclaw.” I growl.
“Oh.” Nile sits up straighter in his chair. “She is quite stunning and at the time, did not care too much if she saw my real face.” I arch my eyebrow, trying to talk myself out of killing him.
“Finding her attractive is not a good enough reason not to disguise your main facial characteristics.” I sit still in my chair, but my body tense as I think about his statement.
Am I jealous? Is that what this feels like?
“If I allow him to meet within the pack, he will feel the bond. I also do not want him within our mountain.” I change the subject to keep myself reined in.
“Then don’t let him in,” Serg suggests. Everything is black and white with him. He sees no gray, which I usually prefer, but we cannot look at it that way in this instance.
“The problem is the council. If they find out Landon wants an audience, they will demand it. They support the alliance, and they side with Alpha Mathew about my mother. I cannot prove it, but I feel it.”
“So, we keep it from them. We allow no messages to find their way to the council.” Serg suggest. He could put an order out to all our shifters on patrol but that is a lot of guards to keep quiet.
“That would work if the guards that intercept the messengers swear to secrecy, but we all know how word spreads.” It would not take but one slip up and the council will rear their ugly heads.
“You could make a blood oath with them.” Nathan suggests. I have thought about this with Amelia. It would force her silence on my gift, but part of me does not want to take the choice from her. She has lost so many choices throughout her life, but there could be dire consequences if she ever told.
“That seems a bit extreme since they already have one anyway.” I answer. Every pack member is sworn by a blood oath to keep the shadow gift a secret. They cannot physically talk about it to anybody. The oath will not allow the words to pass from their lips.
“How many blood oaths can you expect a shifter to agree to? It takes away a right.” Nile asks.
“A perceived right.” Cole responds and I agree to an extent. The secret protects our way of life by keeping the Alpha safe, the pack can be protected to its fullest extent.
“The council believes that she was purchased at an auction, but they will not agree to her becoming a member, at least not yet.” I respond, laughing to myself at the audacity.
“They sound like they are telling you what to do.” Nathan leans back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.
“They are.” I prop my chin up on my fist.
“That isn’t smart.” Cole laughs.
“It is not.” I answer. “Amelia says they are lying about having the packs best interests in mind. They also lied about the amount of power my father granted them.”
“How can you be sure?” Nathan asks.
“Because it is Amelia.” I answer quietly.
“So, the council is dirty. We figured that, but to what extent?” Serg asks.
“I am not sure but if they are so bent on maintain this alliance and side with Alpha Mathew, it leads me to believe that they are aligned or aligning themselves behind our backs.” I do not know what they could possibly benefit of importance from it though.
“You think the council wants you out? Who would challenge you?” Cole asks.
“There is not anybody that could. They know that. They also cannot talk about his gifting so the only thing they could benefit from the alliance is the increased income into the pack via our trade deals, putting more money in the councils pockets.” Nathan interjects before I can answer.
“Unless Landon is up to something bigger. He was originally in Feathermark to meet with Randall. I thought it was because he was going to take over as Alpha and he did, but it could have been something bigger than that.” What, I do not know.
“Maybe you need to pick Amelia’s brain about her time there when Landon was visiting. Cole suggests.
“Yes, lovely memories I want her reliving.” I sigh loudly. “I also plan on taking her as a chosen mate, which she needs to finish the rejection for.” Their eyes are intently focused on me. Nathan’s mouth is wide open.
“Does she know this?” He asks.
“No.” I answer truthfully.
“The pack laws don’t allow for that.” Serg reminds us.
“I know.” I growl.
“So, you rewrite hundreds of years of laws.” Nathan responds. “Is she worth it to you. The trouble this could cause. We have a lot of shifters set in their ways. They do not handle change well. It could be viewed very negatively.”
“It also sends a message we are usually against. Taking a chosen mate. We have always taught the importance of your fated mate.” I say, interrupting him. “But in this case, I am sure, and my mind will not change.” Amelia is it for me. I will not let this second chance get away.
Nathan also has a girlfriend that is not his mate, I would think he would be more okay with this rule change. Although, it is more Alpha specific, it does open the door to more leniency about fated mates and chosen mates within the pack.
“Alright, what is the plan?” Serg asks while folding his hands on the table.
“We need to investigate the council without getting caught while I ruffle all of their feathers.” I smile sitting up in my chair, thinking about knocking them all down a few pegs.
“Well, that will be easy. Investigate a secret council that could be scheming behind your back to take over the pack.” Cole laughs.
“That could be their agenda, taking the pack over themselves. They have spent years entangling themselves in the ways of the pack. The would know all the ins and outs, they have followers. Shifters that believe the council actually does something or is warranted.” Nile suggests.
“It could be their plan, indeed. They do little shit pack related that I have no desire to take on myself, but I am willing to ignore the urge to keep the council around to find out what they are hiding.” I answer.
“So how do we infiltrate them?” Serg looks at Cole and Nile who are our experts at infiltration, but they remain quiet.
“We need someone to kiss up to them. They would enjoy the attention. Maybe they council would start to trust them over time. It would take a while, but it is possible.” Nathan suggests.
“Well, it could not be anybody at this table.” Serg responds and he is correct. We are the most violent of our pack and they would not believe for one second we have decided to devote our time to them in any capacity.
“I do not know how we are going to do this yet, but we all need to brainstorm. Serg, designate somebody that must intercept the messengers. If any patrol encounters one, they are to get whoever you choose and cannot take the message. If the messenger chooses not to wait however long it could take, that is not our problem. Cole, go to Feathermark and Nile, go to Nobleclaw. Get it, listen to what is said, report back. If there is a way to find out what is really going on between Randall and Landon, do whatever it takes.”
“What are you going to do?” Nathan turns to me.
“I am going to drop off some body parts with hunter and check on the process of my courting gift.”
“Courting gift? Who are you?” Nathan jerks his head to the side in shock. I too am just as shocked the words left my mouth, but there they are.
“I am Kane Shadowfang and apparently, I am in love.”