Chapter 24: The Council

Kai stood before the mirror in his private dressing room and adjusted the high collar of his formal black coat until the line sat perfect.

The hour of rest Flora had given him had ended the moment a servant knocked with the reminder of the inter-pack council session. He had washed, dressed, and rebuilt the first-heir composure piece by piece until the man in the reflection looked untouched by the morning’s weakness..

A second knock came. Dexter waited in the corridor, silver hair neat, expression already closed. Neither brother spoke as they walked the long route to the formal council hall. The silence between them was different from the night before, there was hostility now, and a little bit of anger from Dexter’s end. Kai could feel it, but he chose not to address it at that moment.

The hall was filled with the layered scents of visiting Alphas and senior advisors. Maps and trade agreements lay open on the long black-stone table. Their father sat at the head, Flora’s father and two senior representatives from the Bloodmoon pack occupied the places of honor to his right. Other allied Alphas filled the remaining seats. Conversations quieted as Kai and Dexter took their places—Kai at their father’s right hand, Dexter further down the table where the youngest heir belonged.

The Alpha did not waste time.

"The matter of the Hill omega has been resolved," he said, voice carrying easily across the stone. "He remains under this roof as the settled blood debt. Continuous heavy suppressants are in effect. The residual mate pull reported after the full-moon disruption is being chemically starved and will be allowed to wither completely. There will be no further claims, no further disruptions, and no further embarrassment to the agreements this table represents."

A low murmur of approval moved through the visiting Alphas. One of the Bloodmoon representatives inclined his head with clear relief.

Kai kept his expression neutral despite all the eyes that were steadily glaring at him for a reaction. He knew better than to give them any.

Their father continued, gaze settling briefly on Kai.

"As for the northern alliance. The agreement with Bloodmoon stands. My eldest will proceed with the formal mating to Luna Flora as scheduled. The union will bind our territories, stabilize the border trade routes, and put an end to speculation regarding the future of this house. There will be no further delays."

Dexter’s eyes cut sideways toward Kai.

Kai felt the look like a physical pressure. He knew what his brother wanted—some small refusal, some admission that the Goddess’s pull still mattered more than what these old men thought, he offered none. Instead he allowed a measured, composed smile to touch his mouth, the expression of a man who had weighed every cost and chosen the path that preserved the pack.

It is better this way, he told himself, the words as deliberate as every other decision he had made since Liora’s death. One omega was not worth fracturing alliances that kept the borders quiet and the storehouses full. Dexter has a completed claim he should never have taken. Aaron has a temper that already draws too much attention. I will not add a public refusal of Flora to the list of complications. The suppressants will finish what Father started. The pull will fade. The house will hold.

Around the table the other Alphas nodded. Relief and satisfaction scented the air. Flora’s father gave Kai a look of clear approval. The future, for the moment, looked orderly again.

Then their father’s attention shifted.

He turned first to Dexter, then to the wider council, his expression settling into the practical mask he wore when arranging futures.

"My youngest remains unmated in any formal sense the packs will recognize," the Alpha said. "The secret claim on the Hill omega will not stand once the suppressants complete their work. I am prepared to entertain suitable offers. Dominant bloodlines. Daughters of age and appropriate standing. If any at this table have candidates, the house is open to discussion."

The words landed like stones dropped into still water.

Dexter did not wait for the first speculative glance to travel the table.

"I have a mate," he said.

The quiet statement caught everyone by surprise. Several heads turned. Their father’s eyes narrowed. Kai’s composed smile vanished.

Dexter continued, voice soft and unyielding. "I am not interested in reviewing candidates. I already have a completed claim. I will not take a second."

Kai’s glare was immediate and sharp, a silent order to stop speaking before the damage widened. Dexter met it without flinching. He had made his decision, and it was going to take more than a threatening glance to convince him to change his mind.

Their father leaned forward slightly. The temperature in the hall seemed to drop.

"The claim you made in secret is a liability currently under chemical correction," the Alpha said, each word precise. "It does not constitute a recognized mating in the eyes of this council or the allied packs. You will participate in the selection process. You will not embarrass this house further with public attachment to a blood-debt omega who was never meant to be anything except payment."

Dexter’s hands rested loosely on the table. He did not raise his voice.

"I don’t want another mate. If the day comes that I do, I will choose one myself.."

A tense hush settled over the visiting Alphas. Flora’s father watched with narrowed interest. Someone further down the table shifted uncomfortably.

Kai spoke, low and controlled, meant primarily for his brother. "Dexter. That is enough."

Dexter pushed his chair back and stood.

The scrape of wood on stone sounded too loud in the formal quiet. He looked once at their father, and then at Kai.

"I’ve said what I intend to say."

With that, he turned and walked toward the great doors without waiting for dismissal.

"Dexter." Kai called out as loudly as he could, trying to intimidate the younger man into obedience. But Dexter did not stop, he simply kept walking until he was out of the council room and the sight of everyone present.

Kai remained seated, spine straight, the composed smile long gone. What were his brothers thinking? Why couldn’t they just obey and let peace reign. It was exhausting to him, the defiance and struggle, he just didn’t know why they would choose to put up with that instead of just conforming.

He stole a glance at his father’s face, and he could see rage written all over the old Alpha’s face. He didn’t know what the old man was thinking, but Kai had strong reasons to believe that it wasn’t good.