Kingdom of Wolves - Page 64

“Yes, I have the proof. I have a diary or will when Gabrielgets here with it. But we need to remove him as soon as we can. That pack isabout ready to implode.”

Ulmer is rubbing his forehead and Porter looks fit to burst,and we all jump slightly when someone knocks on the door. I rise from my seatand walk over to the door, opening it a crack, and take the diary from Gabriel.Closing the door after giving Gabriel a nod of thanks, I walk back and placethe diary in front of Ulmer, who happens to be nearest to me.

Looking up at me a moment before he picks up the diary andflicks through the pages, before coming to where he needs to read. Now, I’venot read the diary so I’m waiting for his reaction.

Walking back to my seat, I settle and wait, watching Ulmer’sface turn from white, to pink, to red. Porter takes the diary and reads forhimself whatever the shifter male had written. Throwing the diary on the tablein front of me, I pick it up and flick over the last entries. The male hadoutlined everything that they’d done and what they’d been offered for doing it.Knowing he’d signed his death warrant, this male gave enough detail to documentthe Winterstorm’s deaths that there was no escaping he was telling the truth.

“We need to vote on Anika and Holah. They were involved allthis time and they are either, exiled to no-man’s-land or they get the deathpenalty.” Porter snarls and his eyes are flashing to his wolf and back again,proving how strongly they both feel about what happened.

Ulmer folds his hands on the table and looks at Porter, thenat me, and usually, Ulmer is the peacemaker of the council, but I don’t thinkhe’s going to be that this time. “I propose they face the death penalty. Idon’t think they deserve to continue living. But before we vote, have either ofyou seen Anika or Holah shift recently?”

Running my thumb over my bottom lip, I frown because I can’tremember the last time I saw either of them shift. “No, I haven’t, not in along time.”

Porter shakes his head. “No, I have not. Do you supposethey’ve lost their wolf?”

We all three give each other an intense look, and I slowlyshake my head. “If they’ve lost their wolves, it’s because they’ve been sodisgraceful, they left shamed and the Goddess agreed. That’s the only way theirwolves could have left them, but why didn’t they wither and die?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. I’m asking for a vote onthe death penalty for both of them.” Porter snarls and his wolf is flashing inhis eyes.

“I agree,” Ulmer states clearly.

I don’t have an option but to agree. “Yes, I agree as well.”

Porter looks at each of us. “Who wants to do it, and when?”

“I think the sooner the better. They haven’t told us they donot have a wolf and to be hiding that shows they are so rotten that theirwolves asked to leave them. It won’t take much to kill them in their humanform, and I’ll do it if you two don’t want to.” I don’t like this, but if wewant respect from every pack, we have to show we’ll eliminate our own ifnecessary.

“What about Torrance?” Ulmer asks.

“I think we three should travel to Blackshadow and ifConnell the Alpha Heir doesn’t step up once this information is proven, then weneed to do it, or put him out in the ‘old way’, for the pack to take theirvengeance.”

Porter nods in agreement, and Ulmer rubs the back of hisneck before nodding as well. Once again, I have to travel to Blackshadow Pack,only this time something will happen to put this pack back on the road torecovery.

Ulmer surprises me when he brings up a new topic. “I have areport from the council warriors that they’ve information stating no-man’s-landrogues are entering pack territories. I thought it was gossip through warriorsspeaking amongst themselves. You know what they are like, a family membermates, moves to another pack, then this sort of gossip is shared. But I’vespoken to Alpha Aurora and Alpha Walker, the nearest to no-man’s-land, and theyhave had a few instances of feral rogues entering their land.”

“When we come back from the Blackshadow Pack, I think weneed to visit the nearest packs and find out what we can. We need to speak tothe Mayor of Wolfsfoot too, see if he’s heard or seen anything.” Porter says ashe rises from his seat.

“I’ve got to visit Tatiana Winterstorm again so I can speakto the Mayor while I’m in Wolfsfoot. We can visit Eclipse, Blood Pearl, andSpirit Walker Packs together after we’ve finished our business with theBlackshadow Pack.”

Porter and Ulmer agree, and we make our way out of thecouncil offices and towards the cells which are in a medium-sized block-builtbuilding attached to the right side of the shifter council offices.

Entering the building, we walk through the outer office andan electronic gate to the cells behind. Two warriors are standing guard andgive us a nod before stepping out of the gate at the nod of my head.

Anika is sitting on a small cot in one cell and Holah issitting in another. Ulmer wastes no time. “You have both been proven guilty ofassisting with the murder of the Winterstorms. All because you are depravedbeings, and I’m sure your mates will ask the Goddess not to unite you in theafterlife. You will be brought to the challenge circle to fight to the death,and if you kill your opponent, you won’t be allowed to continue in a pack.You’ll be taken to no-man’s-land and released. If you ever step foot out ofthat territory, you will be executed on sight.”

Anika stands, and it’s easy to see she’s shaking in fear.“You can’t do that. I don’t have my wolf.”

“You don’t have your wolf because they asked to leave you.Disgusted with you. That is not our problem, it is yours. You will be giventhirty minutes to speak to the Goddess Selene and see if she will forgive youfor murdering one of her shifters.” Ulmer snarls.

Holah doesn’t speak or acknowledge we are even standinglooking at him. He knows what he did and why he’s going to pay the price. Ihave no sympathy for him, the same as he had no sympathy for Tatiana’s parents.

Walking out and heading for the challenge circle, Imind-link with Gabriel and Roul, asking them to bring the council warriors thatare available to the circle and why they are needed as witnesses. Porter haslinked with the two warriors that were on guard at the cells and arranged forthem to bring Anika and Holah to face justice. They’ll get extra warriors toguard them here, too.

Porter turns and looks at me, then surprises me. “I’ll killthem both. You’ve done more than enough Flint for this council of late. You’vegot to be tired of all the traveling and the politics you have gone through.Working at Blackshadow could not have been easy. Watching the pack suffer ishard, and you never faltered in your role. This time, my old friend, allow meto take the lead.”

Agreeing, I grip Porter’s shoulder and squeeze it. In my waythanking him for taking this away from me and carrying the burden himself.

Ulmer steps forward and growls. “You do one, and I do theother. I don’t care which, they are both a disgrace to the Goddess and allshifters.”