Jason’s POV
The entire day passed with our pets circling the side house like they’d been enchanted.
Those little bastards kept returning there so often that we finally gave up and let them stay.
As if that bitch had cast some spell over them, they refused to leave her side.
Fluffy, I could understand—he knew her from the past. But Vixen? That stubborn thing was even worse than Fluffy. No amount of threats worked on her. And now that we knew she was pregnant, we couldn’t do much but let her have her way.
On the other hand, Rafe had gone off on a hunt of his own—searching for any tomcat in the vicinity that could’ve possibly knocked up his precious feline. He was fuming, as if it wasn’t his pet that got fucked, but his woman. That wild, possessive beast inside him had fully awakened.
When he returned home, I asked, "Found the bastard?"
"Found and threw all of them down the hill," he replied casually, dropping onto the sofa like he’d just accomplished something grand.
"You should’ve just shot them all, so none of the bastard is left to even look at her again," Lucian added.
I nearly rolled my eyes. "It’s a cat. You really think you can stop her from giving in to nature’s call? If she doesn’t breed with another cat, will she breed with you wolves?"
"She doesn’t need to breed anymore," Rafe declared firmly. "Once she gives birth this time, I’m taking her to the vet. She’s getting neutered. So she won’t go to any bastard ever again."
"I am relieved that you’re not planning to take her to the vet to abort the pregnancy," I said dryly.
"This is the only time she’s allowed to have the babies as killing them is a sin," Rafe told.
And he wasn’t wrong. None of us ever harmed a child, even if the child belonged to our enemies. Born or unborn, none were ever harmed. But the adults... they paid in full.
While the bitch was left in the side house with our pets, Roman came to join us.
We were still waiting for Kael. He hadn’t returned for lunch, and now it was evening—we were supposed to leave for the council meeting soon.
"Where do you think he went?" Roman asked. "Maybe Sophia’s caused trouble?"
"I don’t think so," I replied. "Maybe he just needed some time alone. He’ll be back soon."
Just as I said it, we heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive.
Kael had returned.
No one asked him where he’d been.
He looked straight at me. "We need to leave."
I gave a nod, grabbed my trench coat.
Kael turned to the other three. "Stay alert. Keep an eye on the security systems. If anything happens, let me us know immediately."
They all nodded in unison.
Lucian added, "Don’t worry. When you return, we’ll have a good meal waiting. A little feast, courtesy of me."
Lucian was trying to ease us of worries, but we knew better—he was equally ready to face any attack if it happened tonight.
Earlier, Lucian and I had already made sure the estate’s entire perimeter was secured. Reinforced. Watched.
Kael and I left in his car, trusting the other three to protect that bitch.
-----
After traveling for more than an hour, we finally arrived at the land where our pack shared the border with two other packs—the neutral territory that belonged only to the werewolf council.
It was here that the grand estate of the Werewolf Council stood.
An imposing structure, isolated from the influence of any one pack.
The council was formed by six elders, each once a powerful Alpha of one of the six major packs still in existence.
To serve the council, they had break all formal ties to their former packs. They lived here, with their families, in homes built within the boundaries of the vast council estate—separate from the world they once ruled.
This isolation was meant to maintain decisions with the principle of neutrality.
The decisions made here affected the entire werewolf world. There could be no bias. No loyalty. No exception.
The council’s operations were funded by annual contributions from every pack—collected into a central monetary reserve, managed exclusively by the council’s own bank.
This fund wasn’t just for administration. It was used to support weaker packs in need of aid, promote development, and maintain stability across the territories.
Every matter brought before the council—whether disputes between packs or conflicts within them—was reviewed in detail. Investigated. Judged.
Their decision was always final, and everyone had to obey it without any resistance.
They even had their own warriors teams, highly equipped and trained.
The purpose of creating this council was simple: to safeguard the welfare of the werewolf world.
But with such power and authority, came the inevitable evil— Greed.
Their neutrality had become fragile over the years—tainted by ambition, favoritism, and self-interest.
Judgments were no longer always fair. Not every decision served justice.
But that was the system, and we had to live with it.
And tonight, we had to face it.
Our car passed through the massive gates of the council estate, granted entry by the guards stationed at the checkpoint.
We drove through the wide stone-paved path until we reached the main building—a grand structure built in the style of ancient architecture, timeless and imposing.
It was here that the central council meetings were held.
The heart of werewolf authority.
As we stepped into the grand council hall, the six council members were already seated behind a long, imposing desk, each settled in a high-backed, cushioned chair that signified their authority.
The architecture of the room was as regal as it was ancient, built to intimidate and command respect.
Along both the left and right walls ran rows of chairs, positioned to face each other—where opposing parties typically sat during disputes.
A few elders from our pack were present, along with representatives from neighboring packs.
"Good to see you, Alpha Kael," the senior-most council member, Jeffery, greeted Kael with a formal nod, before acknowledging me.
Kael and I made the customary greeting, turning toward the council and offering a respectful bow.
We moved toward the left row of chairs and sat down, where Liam had taken a seat already. As instructed by Kael, he showed up.
Across from us, seated in the right row, was Kaizan—and with him, his two brothers.
He smiled, calm and irritatingly smug. "Good to see you again, Kael."
"I’m afraid we don’t share the same sentiment," I replied coldly, not minding presence of the council members.
Such sharp exchanges between Alphas weren’t uncommon.
Moreover, these bastard council members must have already sold their asses to Dreadwyn pack, as their Alpha, Kaizan, was present here.
It was obvious this entire council meeting had been called because of him.
As we refused his in-person offer of sharing our pureblood she-wolf with him, he came to the council to force us to submit into sharing.
These council members were already crafty, and together with this asshole, I am sure they were not going to make it easy for us.
Just like me, Kael had understood it as well—or more like, he was already prepared for it.
Kael, as our leader, was the smartest one when it came to handling the political matters.
I’m sure the council is going to have a hard time dealing with him—just like they always had.