175
Lucy
The man sneered. “As if you could dictate to me, Lucian. I will bring Duke to the Council Hall as ordered.”
Lucian’s eyes flashed. “Trent, Riley, and Dagon have agreed to serve as interim liaisons until I can officially appoint one. He’s not going anywhere with you.”
Relief washed over me as Lucian’s words sank in. The man was angry, but we had good reason not to even think about going anywhere near the Council.
“Who do you think you are to question the Council?” The man sneered.
The man scowled, his gaze locked onto Duke. “You’re to report to the Council Hall immediately. Your presence is requested. Handlers are busy, and you—“
Lucian growled, his eyes flashing.
“We’re going to have a fucking problem if you keep this up.”
Duke winced. “I’m in the middle of training right now. Can’t this wait?”
The representative’s smile faded, replaced by a cold and stern look. “It can’t. This is a matter of importance.”
I saw Duke’s jaw tense, his gaze narrowing. I knew he was considering his options, assessing the situation carefully. The tension in the room was palpable, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something significant was unfolding.
Lucian stood at his full height. “I am Duke’s alpha, and I have the final say in matters concerning him.” He snarled. “And the Council knows damn well how I feel about them.”
The council representative’s frustration was palpable. Their attempts to assert control seemed useless against Lucian. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
Soon, I could hear Dagon’s voice coming through the line.
“Duke’s handler is trying to see him.”
“… I’ll have him in custody within an hour.”
The representative’s eyes widened. “He can’t just order—“
Lucian put Dagon on speaker. “Julian has been removed from service as a handler and is currently under investigation for underhanded practices by the Internal Affairs Bureau for his mishandling, gross misuse of power, suspicion of collusion, and sheer willful, malicious negligence.”
Lucian cocked an eyebrow as the man flushed.
“If you’d like to remain relatively uninvolved in that case, I would suggest you return to the Council Hall and await official orders.”
The representative let out a huff and sneered. “Don’t think this is over, Lucian. You might be a registered alpha, but we all know that you’re not a real alpha.”
His eyes blazed a blooming, vicious red. My heart lurched, and the man went as pale as milk.
“Try me.”
As the representative scuttled out, I exchanged a glance with Duke. The unease that had settled in the pit of my stomach seemed to lift only a little, but the fear remained. I was grateful that it was over, but I couldn’t help but think that was only the beginning. Duke let out a long breath, his tension visibly melting away. “I can’t believe that worked.”
I chuckled softly, the tension in the room finally giving way to a more lighthearted atmosphere. “Lucian has a way of making things happen.”
Duke grinned, his eyes reflecting his appreciation. “Yeah, he does.”
“At this point, I think it would be better to say that Lucy has made friends in high places, and we’re all benefitting from it,” Lucian chuckled and shook his head, pressing the phone to his ear. “Hang back, you two. Class is dismissed.”
The rest of the class left, casting curious glances back at us. When they were gone, Lucian dropped to the ground with a deep sigh and put Dagon back on speaker.
He was laughing. “Already, Lucian?”
“There’s a reason I never wanted to be an alpha.” Lucian glanced up at me. “What the hell is making them want you so badly?” He looked at Duke. “Or you?”
Duke let out a nervous chuckle. “My wit and stunning good looks?”
Lucian shook his head and waved us to sit down with him. Duke and I exchanged a look, both of us still trying to process the sudden turn of events.
“Never mind,” Lucian said. “I know why they want Lucy…What I don’t understand is why they want Duke so badly.”
He shook his head. “Dagon, is there any chance I can get a copy of Duke’s file? A full, unfiltered copy?”
“I’ll get you everything I can. Have you made a decision yet?”
He laughed. “Nearly every liaison has turned me down.”
“What?” I asked.
Lucian’s lips twitched. My mind raced with questions. My gut churned. Lucian sat back on his palms and sighed.
“I’ve been trying to secure a liaison for days, went through every available person, and nothing.” He tutted. “A liaison is supposed to represent us in Council matters and provide a bridge between us and the other packs, covens, clans, etc. But it’s no good if they don’t even want to acknowledge us.”
He smirked.
“Can they really do that?” Duke asked. “What happens if we never get one?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Probably another push to annex us. I’m planning to join us to Blood Moon if I have to.”
Duke nudged me. My cheeks heated, and I nudged him back.
“Why?”
“Politics,” Dagon scoffed. “Fucking ridiculous. I’ll find you a liaison, even if I have to leave Blue Moon.”
“You would do that?”
“In a heartbeat if I thought it best,” Dagon said. “Oren’s an asshole. Tony is too, but Matt’s not so bad these days. I think his conscience has caught up with him.”
“Unexpected… but not surprising.” Lucian’s gaze turned somber. “I’ve come to a few conclusions. Either they’re afraid of Blue Moon backlash, or they’re being ordered. Either way, no one really wants to be entangled in the brewing war that’s about to happen when Oren decides he’s done playing nice.”
“What… happens then?”
He smirked. “Well, Oren’s the slash first and never ask questions type, so I suppose another war. Blue Moon isn’t even a hundred people, but most of White Moon aren’t warriors. It wouldn’t be much of a contest in terms of strength.”
He shook his head. “All this, and it never fucking ends.”
My eyes widened, the weight of his words sinking in. “They’re never going to stop, are they?”
Lucian’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Oren is power-hungry, and he’s been plotting, just like his forefathers, to reunite Blue and White Mon for a long time. He’s just crazier than ever. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to cut his head off to make him stop.”
A chill ran down my spine at the thought of a war.
I shuddered. “You think so?”
“I thought the Bond of the Moon was his last trick.” Duke’s voice shook at the end. “What… I mean, what else could he do?”
“What did you mean by his forefathers have been plotting this?”
Lucian shook his head sadly. “It’s complicated. In short, the Bond of the Moon was a backhanded treaty. There are loopholes in it that will mean Blue Moon always has an opportunity to annex us. The last war and all the trouble werewolves have caused for the supernatural world make most of the Council willing to give Oren whatever he wants. Finding a liaison who not only doesn’t care but doesn’t also hate werewolves is tricky.”
“If Dagon says he can find us one, I believe him.”
Lucian smiled. “Me too. And having Dagon as our liaison wouldn’t be so bad, either. For now, we’ll just keep on guard.”
“What does it take to be a liaison?”
“A lot of things, but at its basis, someone who has been through the Enforcer Academy,” Dagon said. Then he paused. “Considering it?”
Lucian’s eyes widened. Duke looked at me. I bit my lip.
“Wouldn’t it… be easier if someone from inside the pack was our liaison?”
He chuckled. “It would certainly make some things easier. We can talk about it if you’d like.”
“We already have an Enforcerer in the pack,” Lucian said.
“Anya? Yes, but she’s never going to be a liaison,” Dragon said. “She’s too specialized. It would take about the same time for her to get the additional training and pass the exams. I think she would be better off as your chief of security, your beta at least.”
His lips twitched. “I don’t disagree, but I can’t say I’m looking forward to the idea of putting Lucy in any sort of danger…”
My eyes burned with tears. “If we can’t find someone before I enter the Academy, then I think we should at least consider it.”
Dagon chuckled. “She has a point.”
Lucian’s gaze turned to me. “We’ll think about it, but until the pack has an official liaison, do not go to the Council Hall without me. All right? If one of you goes missing…”
Duke and I exchanged a glance before nodding in unison. “I understand.”
Lucian’s lips curved into a small smile, a reassuring gesture that eased some of the tension that had settled between us. “Good. We’re still on shaky ground with the Council, but we’ll get through this together.”
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