Chapter 53 - Banned from doing blood magic! Again!

Alaric really loved Lena, but at the same time she infuriated him so much he felt as if he could just wring her scrawny little neck! Didn’t she realize how much danger she put herself in by using the exact kind of magic that started the damn war?! If she didn’t care about herself, what about their son?! Couldn’t she see the kind of danger she had just put him and the rest of the pack in?!

Rebecca glared at him and he sighed. He was once again caught between the frying pan and the damn fire and all because of his mate. He had to talk to her. He had to make her understand that she couldn’t do that again. It wasn’t that he wanted to stop her from doing magic. She just couldn’t do any death magic. Not ever again.

This one time he might be able to explain to the council if they asked, but he doubted very much that they would be forgiven if Lena did it again, and this time he had his heir, so they would definitely demand her head.

“Rebecca, you both have to understand the situation you’ve put us in.” He was hoping if he could convince his sister, he could convince Lena, but Rebecca wasn’t hearing any of it. Like her sister-in-law, she simply held up her hand before walking out. What the hell was going on with the women in his life that they thought they could just silence him and walk away?! Had they all gone mad?!

Did they actually forget who he was?! He sighed and poured himself a drink. They were clearly not going to listen to him right now, so there would be no use in trying and humiliating him any further. Maybe if he gave them time to cool off … All of them, himself included, they would be able to sit down and talk about it without someone leaving the room.

“I’m sorry, Alaric, but …” Max cleared his throat, looking very uncomfortable. “There are two council members waiting to see you.” Alaric rolled his eyes. He should have known! The council always knew everything. Thanks to the fact that they were made up of every possible magical creature, they knew things even before it happened! Emptying his glass, he instructed Max to let them in.

This was not going to be fun, but he had to face the music and the sooner he got the grovelling over with, the better. He could see from their faces as they walked in that it was going to be an uncomfortable conversation and he pointed at the chairs in front of his desk.

LENA WAS TALKING TO REBECCA when the servant girl rushed into the room and bowed her head at Lena before whispering in Rebecca’s ear. Rebecca’s face went from angry to livid in zero seconds flat as she told Lena that the council members were already in Alaric’s office!

Rebecca would be damned if she was going to give up what little power she had found since her birthday just because the council didn’t agree with what Lena did! She stormed out of the room, followed by Lena, who was trying to get her to listen. Lena didn’t want Rebecca getting involved in all of it. That was why she did the death spells. She was trying to protect Rebecca.

Lena breathed a sigh of relief as they rounded the corner to find Max firmly planted in front of Alaric’s office door.

“Let me in, Max.” Rebecca growled softly and Max flinched just a tiny bit.

“I’m sorry, little one, but Alaric left strict instructions that he isn’t to be bothered …”

“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN!” She cut him off shouting and Lena closed her eyes for a moment. She knew that Alaric’s office had been sound proofed so nobody could hear what was going on inside and now she hoped that it was a two-way thing so that the council couldn’t hear what was going on outside!

“Rebecca, please. Let your brother handle this.” Lena tried again and earned herself one of Rebecca’s fiery glares for her trouble. The young girl looked at Max for a moment and then at Lena before storming off.

“I’m sorry, Luna. Alaric was pretty adamant that neither you nor Rebecca be allowed in this meeting.” Max looked apologetic and Lena’s smile was sympathetic.

“I understand, Max. It’s okay. I don’t want to be in there. I might just say or do something that’s not allowed.” She winked, making him laugh before she went in search of Rebecca. Lena understood why Rebecca was so angry. She herself was furious about the entire situation, but for right now they couldn’t do anything about it. They had to allow Alaric to deal with the council first. There would be no use in rushing in there and fighting when they weren’t sure what the council was doing there. Lena found Rebecca in her room sobbing and she pulled Rebecca into her arms as soon as she sat beside her on the bed.

“Don’t you understand, Lena? If they don’t allow you to do magic, they won’t allow me to do it.” Her shoulders shook as she cried and Lena just held onto Rebecca. “What gives them the right to say that this type of killing isn’t allowed but that kind is acceptable?! Huh? Isn’t all killing wrong?!” Lena understood where Rebecca was coming from.

She had asked herself that question over and over so many times in the years while she was away with Ben and she still hadn’t figured out the answer. It was okay for wolves to kill in defense, but not for blood witches. Blood witch kills were just a lot less messy than those of wolves, but in the end the victim still died. It didn’t matter who the victim was … Or … Did it? Was it because some male blood witches were used as contracted assassins that all blood magic should now be banned?!

At that very moment, Lena realized that there would never be a right answer to any of her questions. It was just one of those things in life. Blood witches and wolves were different. Their cultures and their beliefs were fundamentally different. It made her wonder yet again how they were going to make things work between her and Alaric if the differences in their belief systems were so incredibly vast. Sighing, she lifted Rebecca’s chin and looked into the sad girl's tear-stained eyes.

“They won’t ban our magic. I promise. I won’t allow it.” Rebecca must have believed her because she nodded and Lena pulled her tightly under her arm and held her for a little while until Rebecca finally pulled away. Lena hadn’t made any promises to Rebecca since she hated making promises she couldn’t keep, but she was going to be damned if the council tried to ban blood magic completely.

She would fight to the death if that was the case. Ben had Alaric now. He was where he belonged. With his pack and his father. Of course, she knew that Ben needed her as well, but she was going to fight this fight for his future as well. She was going to fight for the futures of all blood witches. Lena made up her mind to speak to Alaric once the council left.

She wanted to take this to the council. She didn’t want them to just come here and sweep things under the rug like they always did. She wanted everyone to hear her side. She wanted everyone to understand that she had the right to use the gifts she had been given to protect the ones she loved just as much as all of them had the right to do the same.

She would fight them, on their territory, and she was damn well going to win!

ALARIC SAID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS and, after a couple of hours of questioning, the council finally left. They weren’t happy that he couldn’t promise them that Lena wouldn’t do it again, but they accepted his apology and hers he gave on her behalf. As he expected, they made it very clear that Lena would not be allowed to practice magic at all if she did it again. That sure as hell wasn’t going to go off well, and he really didn’t want to tell her about it.

“You should tell your Luna she can’t practice magic anymore. She won’t kill you.” Alaric sighed as he walked back into the pack house with Max after seeing the council off. Max burst out laughing.

“I’m afraid I won’t be telling her.” Max patted him on the shoulder and nodded in the direction he was looking. Alaric turned his head to look and closed his eyes immediately. Lena was standing right behind him and her eyes were blazing with fury.

“Couldn’t you have warned me?” Alaric sighed as Max laughed and walked away. Great friend he was!!