Chapter 31

Valor

He was trying to get a rise out of us. I clenched my fists, and my wolf slammed into our mental barrier, recognizing his words as a threat.

Alpha Wynn's smile was that of a shark, and tension crackled through the air like static electricity. "I'm sure she's resting after their vacation," Wynn said.

Ah, so that's where we were supposed to have been.

"Exactly." I leaned back on the sofa, crossing my ankle over my knee. "I'm not sure how things were done in your time, but in this pack, Alpha Wynn doesn't require us to leash our Omega."

Rage flared in Raza's eyes. "I'm aware. Wynn conducts his pack quite liberally, if the absence of his mate is anything to go by."

"Isolde is attending to pack matters. I'm sure you remember how much work goes into running a pack," Bishop said.

"Certainly," Raza replied, his voice tight.

The councilman's disapproving glare was a silent condemnation that spoke volumes. Even so, he refrained from voicing his objections.

"This is Councilman Rhys," Raza said. "He will be taking the place of second."

There were twelve Council seats, each reflecting the member's status and power in the hierarchy. Acquiring the second seat was an impressive feat for someone so young. It meant this male was second only to Councilman Raza.

Councilman Rhys dipped his chin in greeting, but his expression remained unimpressed.

"Nice to see you again, councilman. Forgive my rudeness, but will this take long?" Korren asked. "I'd like to get back to my medical unit."

"I forget how important you are," Councilman Raza said, sneering. "Let's speed this visit up, then. Ezra, retrieve Brielle so we can begin the tests."

"Tests?" Korren asked, even as dread filled my gut.

"Yes, it's been a month. Surely a pup has taken root—especially given her uncommon circumstances during the Hunt."

My blood boiled. They had arrived unannounced—a move that had alarm bells ringing in my mind—and now they wanted to test Brielle. None of this boded well.

We're running out of time, my wolf growled. I agreed. It wouldn't be long before they put the pieces together and realized we were making a stand.

These weren't the actions of a confident organization. The Council was uncomfortable with our pushback, and they were letting us know that Hidden Creek was on their radar.

We would have to make a move soon.

Ezra got up without a word and left to fetch Brielle. His tightly clenched jaw told me he wasn't happy about this, but our hands were tied. To deny them was as good as a confession of guilt.

"Alpha, I have some reports about the newest Enforcers I wanted to review," I said, needing a minute alone with him.

Alpha Wynn excused us, and we headed to the kitchen.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, barely containing my rage.

"We'll play their game." Wynn crossed his arms over his chest. "We've already begun to contact other packs. Even if Brielle is pregnant, they won't be able to do anything about it. They won't put their hands on your child, Valor. Control your temper and let them think they're getting their way."

"Easy for you to say," I hissed. "Your mate is still hidden."

The Alpha narrowed his eyes, but after a moment, he sighed. "We won't let anything happen to her, Valor. Do you trust me?"

I wanted to say no, but that would be a lie. "Yes."

"Then trust me in this."

I begrudgingly followed him into the living room as Ezra returned with Brielle. She stood before Councilman Raza, her expression stoic, silently defiant in the face of his scrutiny.

"Brielle," Councilman Raza purred. "When you look at me like that, you remind me of your father."

My protective instincts flared as she winced, and I growled in warning. Korren moved closer to Brielle's side, and Ezra wedged his body between our mate and Councilman Rhys.

The piece of shit was gloating. I desperately wanted to rid the male of his organs, but by some Goddess-blessed miracle, I was able to hold it together.

Brielle's hand curled around my wrist, though her eyes never left Raza's. "Good. I hope his face haunts you."

Councilman Rhys cleared his throat, cutting through the tension. "The test, councilman," he said blandly.

"Right. We'll start now."

We reluctantly stepped back, allowing the councilman to take out the necessary equipment and begin the test. The air crackled with anticipation as their gazes lingered on Brielle with an intensity that made my skin crawl.

Brielle went to the bathroom to provide a sample and returned with the same bored expression. She joined us as Raza fired up a machine that whirred like a ticking bomb, each beep bringing us closer to a fate we couldn't control.

My wolf raged inside my skin. I needed to take Brielle far away from these males, but doing so would affect the entire pack.

The machine buzzed.

Councilman Raza slowly pulled out the tray and scanned the results. The corner of his mouth lifted, and I knew the answer before he spoke.

"Congratulations, Brielle," Councilman Raza said, his eyes on Wynn. "It looks like you'll be giving Hidden Creek their first pup."

Shockwaves rippled through the bond. For us not to have sensed it meant the pup had only existed for a matter of days. And now that the Council knew, they would have a reason to drop in again. It was a stark reminder of the fragility of our situation.

The news of Brielle's pregnancy hung in the air, and amidst the uncertainty, fear, and anger, one thing was clear—our unborn child would know a different life than this.

We'd pay any price to ensure it.