The Council
Hushed whispers greeted Amara as she strode down the clinical halls of the council building. She didn’t bother to strain her ears, but the words mistake, dangerous, and criminal were repeated often enough she could get the gist of the conversations. It was clear she was not a welcome sight at this meeting. She had no pack to speak of and was known throughout the werewolf world as a villain.
Little did they know. Amara knew who the real villains of the wolf world were, many of them sat whispering beyond the closed doors at the end of the hall. Alphas and council members alike who perpetuated unspeakable evils using their power and influence. The thought of being near them made her sick, and for a moment she let herself dream of frozen mountain tops and ice-cold wind. Home.
Her band of misfits occupied the land no other wolves were strong enough to claim. The most brutal and desolate mountain in the packlands. None dared to wander onto their domain, and if they were stupid enough, they were quickly reminded why only Amara’s family stayed.
A grin grew on her face as she thought of home and the people she had sworn to protect. They were a unique group. Strong and skilled, survivors through and through. She would do anything to protect them, so when the summons to the council came, she grudgingly agreed. Of course, it was only after her best friend and right hand insisted. Raya was certain aligning with the council would guarantee their freedom and allow them to officially claim their land. Amara knew better. She had seen first-hand how the council worked and knew the destruction they could cause. No matter the outcome of today’s meeting, she swore she would make it home to her family. Even if it meant killing every Alpha on the other side of this door.
Taking a deep breath, she centered herself. Whatever the council had to say she could handle it. She had certainly been through worse. The time for reflection was over, and her nerves seemed to realize it as her wolf went on high alert.
She reached the doors and strode through, head held high. Not meet the gaze of any inside, she simply strolled to the seat awaiting her. The more fragile Alphas bristled at her disrespect at not acknowledging their positions. She smirked, always loving the feeling of riling up a sensitive male. They were too easy.
By the time she reached her seat the whispers had stopped and the tension in the room escalated. She was here. The feared rogue who attacked silently without warning. The rogue whose group had dismantled packs in a day. Her reputation drew fear, respect, and hatred from the men around her.
The silence stretched for only a minute, and Amara did her best to look unaffected by the situation and the powerful wolves around her.
Disrupting the tension the council members took their seat opposite of the Alpha seating. Here sat the true power of the werewolf world. Packs had individual leaders, but these five men pulled the strings behind it all.
They were everything she left behind when she escaped her pack, and yet here she sat. Staring them down. Back in the trap of politics again.
“Let the meeting begin.”
Running through the familiar tundra, Amara growled in remembrance of the meeting. She knew they had only invited her because she was an uncontrolled threat and held no alliances. But for some reason she could not fathom how ridiculous the council had been.
They acted as if she owed them some great favor for letting her live on unwanted lands and take in unwanted wolves. They seemed to think she should be worshipping the ground they walked on for allowing her to exist. They had nothing to do with it.
Amara reflected on all the struggles she had been through. All the suffering she endured to call this mountain home. She had nothing to thank them for.
A growl reverberated off the canyon walls as her footsteps crunched on a new layer of snow. She would not be manipulated and pulled back into their power dynamics. She did not have a pack, and she refused to be called an Alpha like them. She guided her family with love, not cruelty. She was nothing like the pack wolves.
The gathering clouds encouraged a quicker pace. Darkness would not be long, and even a wolf as strong as her would not want to be caught out in the storm. Dropping her shoulder, the snow white wolf veered to the side of the canyon, seeking shelter from the rising winds. She should not have stayed away so long, but the meeting was endless.
For some reason the council treated her as if she had already accepted. They insisted she stay for the whole pointless meeting where no one said what they really meant. They danced around the topic like they were doing the cha cha slide. She huffed, still annoyed at the whole ordeal.
Her feet followed well-worn trails as she reached a peak and quickly slid in the tiny hole that allowed entrance to their den.
She shook the snow off her coat and strode three steps down the rocky cavern before shifting. The damp quiet welcomed her, and she was grateful for her favorite coat keeping the chill away. A few quick turns and she found herself facing a familiar faded green door. She was finally home.
Opening it she was instantly overwhelmed with laughter and warmth. The fire roared on the back wall and a group of girls contorted into wild positions as they played twister. Another group sat on the couch cheering them on and laughter filled the room as a girl dropped with a defeated grumble.
The smell of food pulled her attention from the game as she wandered toward the kitchen. Raya was commanding the chaos as four women fluttered about preparing a variety of dishes.
Amara’s stomach growled, and she remembered the cheese platter that the council had given her. It was a sad excuse for a meal and another reminder that she was below them. The pasta being prepared reminded her of home and family. Something sorely missing from this afternoon.
Raya’s eyes lit up as she noticed Amara. "Our fearless leader returns!” She exclaimed with a laugh, “Was it as bad as you thought?”
She rushed forward into an embrace, and Amara found herself relaxing for the first time since the summons arrived.
“Worse.” She pulled back from her friend. The seriousness in her tone quieted all the idle chatter in the kitchen as they strained to hear every word.
“A war is brewing amongst the leaders. The tension was written all over them. They want me, well us, to work for the council. Help crush the resistance.”
Raya frowned, the first she had seen on her friend’s face in a long time.
“Even worse yet, they want me to mate with a male of their choosing.” The disgust in her face had the whole kitchen laughing.
It was well known among the group that Amara and her wolf had no interest in settling down. She had far too much on her plate and could barely stand the men she had met. Not to mention her history with pack wolves. Hardly a selling point for matehood.
“Surely a mate can’t be the worst thing in the world if it means we are safe and no longer have to hide.” Raya said, gently nudging her shoulder.
“That’s the problem, they want this mate to take over control. We would become a pack with a male Alpha. We would never be safe again.”
The tension in the room confirmed her understanding. This deal would not be viable. They would have to reject the council and pray they would be able to withstand the wrath that would certainly follow.
