15

Natalie

"Axel's a fool to think the Council won't try to dissect him as well for having a human mate. Whatever judgment falls onto our pack because one of us is mated to a human will happen to him, too" Xavier said.

I watched him as he paced back and forth, his hand on his chin. We were filling Mathieu in on what was happening, and word had been sent to the rest of the pack to stay indoors until their alpha said otherwise.

All that really needed to be said was that the Council would be visiting, and all wolves would scatter without being told to anyway. Everyone avoids contact with the Council as much as they can. No one wants their lives looked into, their privacy invaded and stripped down to nothing. That's what the Council likes to do. They feed on knowledge like rats feed on garbage.

"Axel thinks he's acting in the interest of his pack," I said and Mathieu, who was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his hand over his mouth, looked my way. "But he isn't seeing the bigger picture, so yes, there are multiple holes in his plans. He's one of the few wolves left that trusts the Council. Abducting Ruby might have been the only good thing in his plans."

Xavier gave me the same look as before as if I was crazy. I blinked slowly as I stared back at him to show I wasn't about to change what I had just said. When Adolfa transferred her powers to me, I saw more than I honestly wanted to. There was so much I couldn't say, so much I couldn't tell them.

"How was that the good part of his plan? I need Ruby here, with me. She has to leave with us." He turned to Mathieu, who had yet to speak. "Where can we go?"

"I'm not leaving, we're not leaving," Mathieu finally said as he reclined in his seat. He combed his raven hair backward and cracked his knuckles as he stared off into the distance. I knew, however, that the wheels in his mind were turning.

Mathieu didn't earn his place as one of the most respected alphas without being a patient and calculating man. He was a man of few words, but his actions always spoke volumes.

He looked at Xavier. "There is nowhere to go, Xavier. Wherever we go the Council will find us. If Ruby were here, you would leave with her, but that would still leave me, Natalie, and the rest of the pack to suffer. Not all of us can run." He looked my way. "I assume that's why Axel took her– to stop her from leaving with Xavier?"

I nodded and so did he, having already figured out a part of Axel's plan. I was sure he was close to figuring out the rest. He was right, however. There was nowhere any of us could go that the Council wouldn't find us, and Mathieu would never abandon his pack.

"If we run, Xavier, we incriminate ourselves even more," Mathieu added, his fingers now interlocked on his lap. He looked so calm, so collected in the face of danger, it was admirable but if only he knew the chaos that was coming. "We didn't commit a crime or break a law. One of our most fundamental laws is to protect our female mates, the ones that will carry our children to continue our bloodline. She's a human who's found out about us, yes, but she's also a human who's mated to a wolf. I would say that our law to protect her stands above the one to kill her."

Xavier turned away, his shoulders rising and falling with his deep breaths. "Let's hope the Council sees it that way and aren't blinded by their hatred for humans."

Since I had yet to find my mate, I hadn't understood the turmoil within Xavier for not having Ruby by his side. When I had touched him to calm his wolf, however, I had felt it all.

I had felt his fear, the gut-wrenching panic and anger he wrestled with since her abduction, and the blame he was placing on himself for not protecting her.

Finding one's mate is something many wolves look forward to. Supposedly it is like feeling whole for the first time in your life. But me? I wouldn't mind not finding mine right now. I am terrified of one day feeling the agony Xavier was now experiencing. I was young and had fledgling

powers when Mathieu had lost his wife, our Luna, but I had a much higher respect for him since I'd felt Xavier's pain. And Ruby was only missing. Mathieu had survived losing his other half.

"I should kill him," Xavier said under his breath, and his words rang with truth and intention.

"Axel took Ruby to stop you from running off with her. The Council is coming because they want to see for themselves if this is all true if a human is truly mated to a wolf, and to two at that. We can use that to our advantage, Xavier. The Council will try to see if either of you is weakened by her." I crossed my hand over my chest and stepped forward. "They will see her as a weak human, someone that can't feel the bond, someone that shouldn't affect you and Axel. Prove that's not true."

"You talk about tricking the Council as if it's child's play, Natalie.

They invented trickery."

"And students surpass their teachers every day," Mathieu added, and Xavier made a sound in the back of his throat as he turned to walk away. "Right you are that the Council can't be trusted or easily tricked, but we can't just sit on our hands. Running will solve even less than trying our luck at playing the Council's game and winning. They aren't Gods. They are wolves, just like you and me, Xavier."

Xavier said nothing in response, but I could understand his anxiety. He didn't know what was coming. What he also didn't know was that what was coming was much worse than he could imagine. I sighed and closed my eyes, wishing I could remove the burden on my shoulders. but Adolfa had trusted me to carry it.

"We don't have any more time to debate this," I mumbled as I opened my eyes. "They're here." Xavier spun around, and he tilted his head to listen to the car that was pulling into the driveway outside. "Whatever happens," I whispered, "neither you nor Axel can reject Ruby. She's weak in that sense. She'll die."

"I have no plans to reject her, Natalie," Xavier said, and I nodded and turned away.

We made our way outside in time to see the door of the SUV that had arrived open. A woman stepped out, and I instantly knew she was an Enchanted like me. It was more than just the fact that her hair was white like mine, plaited in a single braid down her back. I could sense her power.

She stepped back somewhat as a foot appeared out of the car, and then a man stepped out. While I refrained from expressing the frown I felt tugging at the corner of my lips, Xavier could not. Instead of the Council representative we all expected to see, before us stood one of the three actual Council members - Olcan Crescent, the Council member for North and South America. He had come in person, which even I hadn't foreseen, and it meant this would be harder than I thought. I should have known this would be a matter he'd want to handle himself.

Mathieu stepped forward to shake Olcan's hand. "Olcan, my brother, I hadn't expected your visit."

Olcan's eyes were deep blue at the outer rim, leading into a paler blue and then brown just around his pupils. He wasn't as bulky as Mathieu, but he was just as tall, with his head shaved clean. The Enchanted stood close behind him, but her chocolate eyes were on me. With her white hair and dark skin that was glowing from the early morning sun, she exuded an ethereal beauty.

"Is that so?" Olcan said as his eyes drifted to me, and he released Mathieu's hand.

"I find it hard to believe you weren't told about us coming," the Enchanted said, her eyes on me, and I refrained from arching a brow or narrowing my eyes. I could not tell if I was hearing hostility in her deep voice or not.

"This must be Natalie," Olcan said as he approached me to shake my hand, his eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Crescent."

I held his stare. He nodded, as if with approval, and released my hand. Why should I look away or act cowardly? Mathieu had been right. The Council is made up of wolves, not Gods. If only they knew what real Gods looked like...

He then turned to Xavier, who was standing beside me and took his hand. "And you must be Xavier."

Xavier shook his hand firmly. "Welcome to our pack, Mr. Crescent.

I hope your flight was a smooth one."

"It was." The side of Olcan's mouth curved as he spoke. "It was.

And if it wasn't, this was still a…necessary trip."

Olcan turned away to stand by the Enchanted's side, and Xavier narrowed his eyes at him, then her. He glanced over at me before looking

her way once more. "You're an Enchanted, yes?"

She nodded. "I am–you can see that from my hair. However, not many Enchanteds have white hair, especially young ones." Her eyes drifted to me as she said that, and this time, I arched a brow in response.

From what I understood, the stronger the Enchanted, the more white in their hair. She could sense the strength of my power when I should be nothing but a fledgling, so that comment was a jab at me. She looked to be in her early thirties, so she was young to have white hair as well.

"Well!" Olcan said as he clapped his hands, calling attention to himself. "I'm famished. Mathieu, how about we have a meal and catch up until the human arrives?"

Xavier stepped forward, a growl leaving his lips as he pinned Olcan with a glare. I quickly grabbed his arm and squeezed. Xavier wasn't one for talking, much like his father. Xavier, however, did not have his father's self- control. The corner of Olcan's mouth curved even further as he stared at Xavier, unbothered by his disrespect. It was never smart to growl at a Council member.

However, it was all part of Olcan's plan. He could easily see just how on edge Xavier seemed and would try to play on that. He would provoke Xavier to say or do anything that might show just how emotional he is because of a mere human. I had warned him about this.

"Pardon my son, Mr. Crescent," Mathieu quickly added. "We won't beat around the bush. We know why you are here and, as you know, this is a sensitive matter for everyone involved, including the Council."

Olcan tilted his head to the side at that. "I assure you, while this is, indeed, a sensitive matter, it's different for everyone involved." He gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"

Mathieu stepped aside and allowed him to pass before glancing over at Xavier. A silent message was passed between them, a clear warning telegraphed in Mathieu's expression. Xavier turned and left with both men.

I sighed and began to make my way inside as well. Thankfully, the introductions had gone smoothly (or as smoothly as could be expected under the circumstances). I was exhausted, although I was sure I was hiding it well. Locating Ruby and then projecting myself into her mind from such a distance had been taxing. I had only just woken up and had immediately started on my hunt to find her. I had woken up in the middle of the woods miles outside of town and had to hitch a ride with a trunk driver.

I was certain the truck driver had been worried about my mental health since I had sat there, spine straight with my eyes closed. Getting control over my newfound strength had been hard, especially at first, but I had no choice but to push myself. Time was running out.

"Wait," the Enchanted said behind me, and I paused, pulled from my thoughts. I turned to face her, and she walked forward to stand a step away from me. "There is something off about you. I can sense it. How does an Enchanted so young have so much power? More than many seasoned Enchanteds I know." She looked at my hair. "Who are you?"

"You know who I am. I'm Natalie, and that's all. You know some of us are born with more power than others."

This was indeed true, but maybe not the whole truth. I didn't know this woman, and I didn't trust her to tell her what really happened to me. Not yet.

"I can sense your power as well," I said to her. "You know something is coming, don't you?"

She didn't respond, but she didn't look away either, her dark eyes piercing into mine. "Yes." She finally said under her breath. "I can feel something coming. I just don't know what it is as of yet." She stepped closer to me, our faces only inches apart. Her skin was flawless, her plump lips covered in a light tint of red. "However, I have a feeling you do."

My mouth stretched with a small smile as I turned and walked away. I didn't hear her following me as I entered the house and went up the stairs.

She might be a fellow Enchanted, but she worked for the Council. I wasn't going to trust her until she proved that I could. I stopped walking abruptly as I looked down the stairs, my fingers drumming on the railing. Maybe I was thinking about this the wrong way. Maybe I was the one that needed to prove to her that she could trust me–that she could trust us.

No doubt she would be the one conducting the mind link between Ruby, Axel, and Xavier to prove they are mated. Her word was valued by the Council, clearly. Looking at this situation from the outside, you have the anomaly of Xavier having a human mate, and now there is also me, an Enchanted that's much too strong for her age. If I were her, I'd be intrigued with the Bloodmoon Pack, and maybe not in a good way.

I continued up the stairs and ran into Xavier, his eyes black pits as he stared back at me.

I sighed and cocked my head to the side for him to follow me. "Where are they?"

"Dad is giving him a tour of the grounds and of our training area. There hasn't been a report of an out of control supernatural posing a threat to the humans, but Dad wants to show him that we are still training and staying alert."

I looked over my shoulder and even though his voice was low and controlled, his eyes were still black. He was pissed, and I didn't need him doing something stupid.

"Isn't it funny how so long ago all wolf packs worked to protect humans? We were their protectors from other supernaturals that wanted them for food or whatever else. Now only a handful of packs protect them." I opened the door to Mathieu's soundproof office and locked the door behind me after Xavier entered. "Now wolves hunt them, too."

Xavier immediately started pacing. I approached him slowly and held my hand out.

"I can help."

He glanced at me and looked away. "No. I can handle it. That fucker is on our land and is about to stir shit up. Yet Dad is acting like he's just a relative visiting or something."

"Xavier, they have known each other since childhood."

"I don't care!" He yelled back at me, and I sighed and walked away to sit down. "He's here to cause trouble, to send us all to jail or worse, to kill us and Ruby. This isn't a peaceful visit. I hate acting."

I shrugged as I crossed my legs. "You're bad at it, too."

He stopped pacing to give me a nasty look and shook his head. His eyes returned to their normal color as he finally sat down and ran his hands down his face as he exhaled heavily. We sat in silence, and my eyes soon closed as my body and mind started to fall asleep.

"Enchanteds can see into the future sometimes, right?" Xavier asked, and I cracked an eye open.

"Yes. Why?"

He leaned forward, and I dreaded the question he was going to ask next. My parents had passed when I was young, and so Xavier and I had grown up like brother and sister. He could always tell when I lie.

"Do you know what's going to happen with Ruby? You're different. Natalie. Stronger, I can see it. Can you see into the future? Because I have a

feeling you can."

I closed my eye again and laid down on the sofa. "Enchanteds can, and I've tried. I can't see her future. Maybe it has something to do with the block in her mind."

"Maybe you can get through it now that you're stronger. Not being able to see her future…. maybe means she…does not have one?"

I nodded, and my voice was low with sleep as I said. "I don't think so Xavier, and I wouldn't suggest you think like that. This is new territory for us all. We don't know what's right from wrong with her and this mate- bond you three have. Let's focus on keeping her out of the Council's paws."

He grunted, and I listened as the chair he was sitting on made a creaking sound from his weight. "She's coming here, from what Olcan said. I think they already have her in their paws."

I fell silent. Even after five minutes turned to fifteen and Xavier left the room, I still was wide awake. My eyes opened and I clenched my fists, as a tear fell from my eye and onto the sofa. Of course, I had seen Ruby's future. I had seen everyone's future. Even though it was all only one possible future, it was still enough to have me curling into a ball and crying until sleep finally took me.