“Take a deep breath, sweetheart.” Kade chuckled in my ear, but I was not oblivious to the tension in his own emotions.
We were being escorted down to the second floor, where the meeting would take place. The entire floor was heavily guarded, and was much wider and more open than the other floors.
“Do not speak unless you’re called on.” A tan-skinned woman in a pencil skirt warned Kade and I. She walked effortlessly in her heals, swaying her hips like a runway model. “If they wish for you to speak, they’ll call on you. That’s your chance. You can also call as many witnesses as you please, so those you came with are free to speak on your behalf.”
Kade and I had been debriefed as much as possible, but nothing could prepare us for what the outcome might be. Other than Marcus Novak, we hadn’t a clue what the other High Table members might want.
I adjusted the dress I wore and grimaced as the rigid material rubbed against my b**e leg. The heels I wore sent little clicks and clacks echoing through the hallway. They were miserable to walk in, and horribly loud. My feet already ached, and we hadn’t even begun.
“These shoes are going to be the d***h of me, if the High Table doesn’t k**l me first.” I huffed under my breath, glancing at the group of silent body guards that escorted us down the hall.
Kade’s arm was the only thing that kept me from tumbling forward. I had never worn heels before, and though my legs looked incredible, they were becoming a nuisance to walk in.
We entered through a set of wooden doors, which led into a huge room. It was much like what a court room would look like, only with a few alterations.
The five High Table members sat at the head of the room, with guards placed comfortably on either side. Scattered throughout the room were clusters of families, Alpha’s to other notable packs. Their personal insignia were emblazoned on a bronze plaque that hung on their respective sections. The witnesses—I realized, there were so many. They openly talked with one another, and even spoke across the narrow walkways that lead to the center of the room.
There was a box of my own at the center of the room, twenty feet away from the High Table members.
As our scent flooded the room, and people began to notice us, everyone fell silent. Kade’s hand flattened against my back when I sucked in a sharp breath. The emotions were lashing out at me, flashing through my mind and body at a rate that was disorienting. My skin crawled from the multitude of emotions. There was a lot of fear and hatred, but there was also a lot of curiosity. Curiosity could be a good thing.
Kade glanced down at me, conveying what he could with his eyes. We couldn’t speak freely here, and this wasn’t the time for public displays of affection.
I kept my face neutral, though I really wanted to scream. There were so many ugly emotions battering me, and I had to constantly shove them back in order to focus.
“Now entering, Alpha Kade Maddox and his mate, Aurora.” A man who stood beside the main doors spoke loudly to the room. If there had been anyone left talking, they were all silent now.
Kade and I were escorted over to our own personal section, practically at the center of the room. I felt all eyes on me, a spectacle—an animal in the midst of other animals.
In our section sat Kade, his parents, Tori, Garrett and Julian. Each one met my eyes as Kade and I took our seats.
Silence engulfed the room, and Marcus Novak stood from his seat at the very head of the room.
His navy suit matched his stormy eyes perfectly, capturing the blue within their depths. He was beautiful in a smooth and shiny way, free of any blemish that might reveal him as human. His son was much the same way. In fact, sitting towards the left-hand side, in a space of his own, was Zayne Novak.
Marcus did not acknowledge his son as he stood and took the room’s attention.
“It’s been hundreds of years since we’ve had a gathering as large as this. There has not been a need for discussion this urgent in so very long.” Marcus greeted the room, sweeping wide with his arm. “As it stands, the longevity of our species has been the High Table’s priority. Our kind has been flourishing for the last fifty years, in ways we haven’t before. No matter the results of these meetings, we are here to protect our kind, and ensure its success.
His voice was rich and smooth, perfectly balance as it stretched to all corners of the room. Even his emotions were calm and balanced, like perfectly smooth waters. There was nothing about this man that revealed a monster within.
There were murmurs throughout the room, and I found myself tuned into every emotion that fluttered my way. To the right of me were a small group of people. In their own section, sat an Alpha and Luna. Both had a guard with them, but were watching the spectacle with a calm expression. Their hair was golden, and their eyes a rich shade of caramel. They were both tanned, letting me know they lived somewhere warm and bright.
I could feel the underlying tension within their emotions, the distaste whenever Marcus Novak spoke. It was a realization on my part, that my abilities could be used in ways I had never anticipated. I made a note of them in my mind, perhaps they might be persuaded into changing sides.
“Let the meeting commence.” Marcus commended, taking a seat once more.
“I call Philip Heald to the stand.” Brayton Cliff was the first to speak, much to my surprised.
He eyed me from where he sat, his grey eyes calculating and interested. I was sure he could read the surprise on my face. I hadn’t a clue who Philip Heald was, much less what he had to do with me.
Philip Heald was many werewolf men looked like. Muscular and large, even with his greying hair and patchy beard. He emerged from a section across the room, and began walking towards the middle. This stranger I had never met before stood at the center of the room, addressing the High Table on a matter than involved my life.
The pieces clicked together moments later when Brayton Cliff began speaking again.
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