Adrian dropped his glass and stood then Dorian entered. He looked so different from what Adrian had imagined of him. He looked noble, a tad serious and more than a little fit for the role. It was almost startling to think that this was the man that elicited so much fear.
Dorian looked at them with clear grey eyes and a gratuitous smile.
“Good day, Alphas. I am humbled by the turnout and thank you for your efforts. Your efforts to be a part of this historical event and our ongoing war on two fronts against the rogues and the hunters.
It will not be an easy one but I will do my best to lead us to victory–”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Adelaide interrupted reclining on her chair with her feet apart and looking very much like the primal Alpha that she was.
Dorian’s smile became a tad forced. “Pardon?”
Adelaide burped and settled into her chair a little bit more. “I mean seeing as you are the one who started all of this, how could you possibly lead us out of it?”
Eden stood up sharply slamming her hands on the table causing reverberations that hit the floor.
“Adelaide, control yourself! This isn’t your backwards pack and he isn’t one of your people. He will be your king!”
Adelaide’s face reddened and she stood up as well moving away from her chair to face Eden.
“At least my backward people don’t stab me in the back and betray me to rogues and hunters just because they wish to have some shiny title. He might be your king, oldie but he sure isn’t mine.”
Eden raised her hand as though to hit Adelaide. Adelaide caught her hand before it landed glaring at her all the while.
Perhaps it had not been the right decision to let Adelaide start the protest. The council was already on the defensive side, would they want to accept the fact that they had chosen a king wrongly after this insult? Probably no but what else could be done at this point but salvage the situation?
“Adelaide.” Adrian entreated.
She glared at Eden once more before letting go of her hand and moving away.
“Guards seize her!” Eden said, colour high on her cheeks.
“Eden, please there is no need for that.” Adrian implored.
Eden turned on him. “Will you now tell me how to govern the Werewolf Council?”
Adrian bowed respectfully. “Of course not. I do not contest the fact that Adelaide was out of line. I just plead that you overlook her attitude in line with the severity of the concern that brought her this far.”
Eden still looked angry but now her features held a hint of disbelief.
“Concern? Do you realize whose character she has questioned? For that accusation alone, she could lose her head!”
“The werewolf council was created to address the higher concerns of the werewolf community. Adelaide is a part of that community and one could argue that there is no greater concern than the election of a king for us.”
Eden looked like she wanted to dispute that fact but surprisingly enough it was Dorian that interceded.
“They are right. You have to listen to their concerns.” He looked at Adrian and by the goddess, it felt like he was laughing at them.
“You have proof to bely your accusations, right?”
Unnerved by this mentality from Dorian of all people, Adrian shook himself free of the feeling.
“We have a hunter that took orders directly from him and we have the mother of his child both of whom will testify for the veracity of our claims. We wish to not only remove him from his appointment as King but we also wish to seek for an appropriate punishment for all his misdeeds.”
Eden looked even more disbelieving by the second.
“I will see these witnesses now.” She said.
“There will be no need for that.”
Dorian said and came down from the stand. He looked too calm for someone whose secrets had just been exposed at his coronation.
“Of course, there is a need for it. We must clear all the accusations against you before we can get on with the coronation.” Yule, one of the council members commented.
“There will be no need for the witnesses because I will admit it. I did everything they said. I was behind the rogue attack and the hunter attacks. I did all of it.”
The whole room went silent. Adrian knew instantly that something was wrong. He immediately looked towards the exits of the room. The guards were there if doubled in numbers.
In the quiet aftermath of his declaration, Eden spoke. “Do you realize what you just said? Do you think after all these atrocities you will live? You have not only betrayed your vow as a council member but you have betrayed the trust of the people who have elected you into power.”
Dorian smiled.
“I intend to live, Eden. Not just live I intend to usher us into an era of supreme dominance and peace. Feel free to crown me any minute now.”
Had Dorian lost his mind in the wake of his true intentions being exposed? That was the only thing that could bring about this behaviour of absolute disregard.
“Have you lost it?” Casper scoffed. “Forget about becoming king. You will be executed on the spot. Guards, seize this madman.”
The guards didn’t move.
Eden looked at them. “You heard him, seize him this instant!”
The guards still didn’t move and the sudden realisation of what had happened finally dawned on Adrian.
“They do not answer to you. They answer to me. I decided to have a little insurance, just in case. In case you are thinking of something funny like shifting or picking a fight, I would advice you to be cautious because you have all consumed wolfsbane in the celebratory wine distributed.”
Adrian hadn’t taken much but he had taken some of it. He looked at the room, the empty or half-filled wine glasses with a deepening sense of horror.
There was no way for them to use their pack links to reach out to their pack members because the Werewolf Council blocked that with numbing devices injected the moment they walked into a meeting chamber to ensure the meeting stayed confidential. It would leave their systems in a day. In a day, they could be dead or worse.
Dorian had planned this so well.
“Anyone who acts out of line will be executed, we will continue with the coronation immediately.”
Ava opened her eyes and nearly screamed.
Adrian. She had to get to Adrian. But what could she do on her own?
No, if there was one thing that Anya had thought of her it was that she needed backup. She knew that Adrian and the others had a contingency plan where their forces could charge in and rescue them but that plan had relied on the use of their pack links.
She didn’t even know where the forces were situated. Adrian hadn’t told her and she hadn’t thought to ask.
“What do I do? What should I do?”
She paced the length of her room and then inspiration struck. Of course. How could she have forgotten?
Cynthia. She would know.
*****
“We need to get to them now.”
Cynthia had known. She had known that something like this would happen. She had suspected it and now Calvin was trapped in a room with Dorian she would have felt fear if there was time.
Every minute she dawdled was time that Calvin couldn’t afford especially with the vendetta that Dorian had against him.
“I know where they are camped at.” She informed Ava.
“Then let’s go and get them.”
Cynthia raised her phone up. “We will give them a call and then before they get here, we have to come up with a plan that doesn’t involve us charging blindly into danger. Using our heads is the only way we will get our men out alive. Trust me.”
Ava looked close to tears but she nodded. Cynthia fought back her own fear. She would stand against Dorian, she would be able to do this for Calvin.