Chapter Fifty-Four

KEYARA

They had lounged together in the hot spring late into the evening, until the lantern was running low on oil and there was barely a glow in the cave.

They made love slowly and after, just lay together in the steam and warmth, his arms wrapped around her.

She dozed off against his chest at some point, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up in their bed the next morning, the morning sun peeking through the windows.

Ash was sitting on the edge of a couch, lacing up his boots, already dressed for the day. His face was serious, and she knew what he had to do was weighing heavy on him despite the necessity of it.

“The final council member just arrived at sunrise,” he told her. “Luca is gathering them in the meeting hall now.”

“Should I be there when you address the council?” she asked him, throwing the bed covers off her naked body and approaching the wardrobe to select her own clothes.

“Only if you want to be,” he replied. “It’s not required.”

She would never think of making him face such a thing alone, after everything he had done for her. “Of course I want to be there,” she said sternly.

She pulled a dress out of the wardrobe in front of her. It was a deep navy blue and was a step above casual without being fancy. She decided it was appropriate for what she imagined a council meeting would be.

She slipped into it quickly, braiding her dark hair in its normal style down her back. She donned the flat leather shoes. They had stretched out in the last several days of wearing them and now fit very comfortably.

“Ready,” she told him.

He smiled at her lovingly and took her hand as he rose from the couch.

They traveled down a long hallway, and at the end of it stood the double doors that led to the meeting room. There was a low murmuring coming from behind the doors, and she braced herself to face the elders of the other packs.

When they entered, she briefly took in the ten council members in their seats, one chair notably absent in protest from the River Bend Pack.

Luca was standing slightly behind the empty chair on the far side of the room at the head of the table.

On the wall across from where she stood with Ash was the portrait of his father, the late alpha, his calm gaze staring out at them from the canvas.

The council members in the room rose at their entrance, though she sensed the visual show of respect was just a formality. Angry, hostile faces looked back at her from the majority of those present.

She swallowed back the nervous lump in her throat, suddenly realizing just how unlikely gaining their acceptance would have ever been.

Ash walked slowly and calmly past the table to the back of the room, his expression neutral despite the angry glares coming from the eyes that followed their movement.

Keyara took her place behind Ash’s shoulder as he stood in front of his chair. Luca gave her a quick glance, nodding at her with a tight smile on his lips.

“You may take your seats,” came Ash’s deep voice.

The sound of chairs scraping the floor filled the room as everyone sat and adjusted their positions at the table. Ash stood in front of her, his back straight and still until they were all in position before taking his own seat.

Keyara and Luca remained standing behind him, each behind one of the Alpha’s broad shoulders. She kept her eyes on the back of Ash’s head, avoiding the glares that darted her way frequently.

Ethan stood, clearing his throat. As the council member representing the pack where the tribunal was held, it was his job to open the meeting, she realized.

“I call this gathering to order,” he said loudly, looking around the room as he spoke. “Alpha Ash of the Kodia Pack has requested a formal tribunal, and we have answered the call.”

He frowned as his eyes met the empty chair before continuing.

“Since the River Bend Pack has chosen not to be represented at this tribunal, they have forfeited their right to vote on anything that may be eligible for a decision today.”

Keyara realized Ethan was choosing the words he spoke to them very carefully.

The council believed they were here to decide on a punishment for the forbidden act of her transformation, while in reality there would not be a vote needed at all for what they were about to hear.

There was some deep murmuring at his statement, as the River Bend Pack had already made their position and vote clear on the matter of her being transformed.

“I turn this meeting over to the alpha,” Ethan finished, facing the head of the table where Ash sat and nodding to him before taking his seat once more.

Ash stood, pushing his chair away from him with the backs of his legs, resting his fingertips on the table. He seemed to meet the gaze of each person in the room, waiting a long moment before he spoke.

“As most of you have already heard,” he finally began, “I have broken one of our cardinal laws. My mate’s life was in the balance, and instead of losing her, I made the decision to change her into one of us.”

She raised her chin at his words, trying to look confident, but she did not dare meet the eyes of any in front of her, instead shifting her sight to the closed doors at the far end of the room.

“I am fully aware that my decision goes against the tenets of the werewolf coalition,” he continued.

“To take full responsibility for my breach of our laws, and to acknowledge the serious nature of my actions, I hereby step down as the alpha of the Kodia Pack.”