Two hours of crying and shouting and arguing left me with a bitch of a headache. Natalia tried to make me feel better, but after Logan called, she was more distracted by what a dick he was than helping me see whether Carter was just as bad. I felt like an ice pick was stabbed through my temple as Rafe and I left for the Council meeting. Nat still fumed at the bar, unwilling to go back to the mansion to deal with Logan or Carter or any of the lions, though she grudgingly admitted she'd promised Eloise truffles, and would have to go back to make them.
In the car on the way to the meeting, Rafe stared out the windshield and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles whitened. He didn't say anything and I wallowed in my own misery, watching the city slide by. Rafe parked the car but didn't cut the engine or get out. He sat there for so long I almost expected him to kick me out.
Finally, he exhaled in a gust but wouldn't look at me. "Carter called me."
I was too tired to be angry. "I'm not surprised."
"He said to talk to Eloise. Evershaw set them both up, and us." Rafe finally looked at me, his expression lost in the dark shadows. "What's the plan, Bee?"
Hearing the familiar nickname just made me feel worse. I'd betrayed his trust. I took a deep breath, shifting in the seat until I could face him full on. "I'm sorry, Rafe. For everything. I got so caught up in finding Carter that I lost sight of what's best for the pack, and…"
"I don't really give a shit about the pack, Ruby." I blinked and my brother held up a hand to cut me off. "We can hand the pack over to Evershaw tonight and be across state lines before anyone knows. You're my sister, and I love you. I want what's best for you. Tell me what's best for Ruby, and that's what we do. Stop thinking about the pack."
My eyes stung but I felt all cried out. I managed to squeeze his hand. "I don't know what's best for me. I don't know anymore."
He sighed. "Okay. Then our goal for tonight is to delay. Regardless of what Evershaw, or the lions, or the rest of the Council says, we stall. A vote, a fight, whatever. We stall. Next week. That gives us more time to plan, and for you to think."
"Rafe, I'm really sorry. I don't know how things got so screwed up."
My brother attempted a smile. "It's probably my fault, too. I should have kicked Carter's ass the second I caught him staring at yours, six years ago."
I blinked. "You what?"
"Jesus, Ruby, he's loved you for years. He's quiet about it, though. I didn't say anything because I didn't think he had the balls to ask you out. Good for him." Rafe shut off the car and kicked his door open. "Let's get this over with."
I checked myself in the mirror to make sure I didn't look like death warmed over, though my eyes were still puffy, and followed Rafe into the Council's meeting rooms. We couldn't face Evershaw or the other alphas with anything less than our strongest defense.
Inside, the halls were quiet and dim, barely lit. Each alpha had an office in the hall, but we bypassed our pack's office in favor of the meeting chambers at the far end of the hall. Most of the alphas already gathered, and the coyotes sat in the center of the circle of tables. They looked just a tiny bit nervous.
I refused to look at Logan, Edgar, or Benedict where they sat next to us, though Rafe went to shake Logan's hand, and instead seated myself to stare straight ahead. I didn't have anything to say to anyone. We had business to conduct, and the sooner we made it clear where BloodMoon stood, the sooner we could get the hell out of there and start preparing to take Miles Evershaw down.
The SilverLine alpha sat across the circle from us, unfortunately in my line of sight, with Todd next to him. Evershaw's famously impassive visage only made me hate him more. The man might as well have been cut from stone for all the emotion he displayed. I could have respected him more if he at least looked gleeful about the trouble he would cause. But no. He sat with his arms across his chest and watched the coyote alpha, John, with as much interest as a man watching grass grow.
Rafe eased into the chair next to mine but said nothing. No reason to show our cards so early in the meeting. I pushed away every shred of emotion and did my best Evershaw impression as the other alphas filed in and took their seats. The hyena queen, one of Eloise's friends, looked about as happy to be in the room as I felt.
Kaiser spoke first, big and gruff and calm, as he lumbered to his feet and leaned forward. The table creaked under his weight, and I wondered whether any of the furniture had been reinforced to account for shifter strength. Probably not, by the way it wobbled. Kaiser scanned the room, his eyes narrowed, to take in every alpha there. "The coyotes wish to join the Council as members, and have sworn to adhere to the guidelines and rulings of the Council." His gaze paused on Rafe and I before he went on. "That is the matter before us, and that is the only matter we will be discussing tonight. Everything else can wait until the next scheduled Council meeting, three weeks from now."
Maybe Logan bought us some time. Or maybe Kaiser remembered what he'd told me, what felt like another lifetime ago in his gym — Evershaw was dangerous for me, too. I refused to react, though.
John, the skinny coyote leader, addressed the assembled alphas with a winning smile. "The coyote collective is pleased to join the Council. We agree to abide by the judgments of the Council, and will adhere to the standards of conduct as outlined by the Council."
Logan's voice rumbled into the quiet room, and he managed to sound irritated as well as disinterested. "So you will cease organizing and profiting from illegal street-fights?"
The coyote's smile broadened, but he held his hands out in an almost helpless gesture. "We could, but it turns out we supply an entertainment option that is in high demand. We wouldn't want to cut off the fighters who profit from our enterprise, or the spectators who so enjoy each sporting event."
"Pitting unwitting humans against shifters is not sporting." Kaiser's fingers drummed a sharp tattoo on the table. "Much like a coyote baiting a bear is not sporting. Don't you agree?"
John didn't even blink, his conman skills bubbling up as he took an offended air and a wounded tone. "I would never bait the bears, Kaiser, and I'm disappointed you feel that way. And we go to great lengths to make sure the humans aren't in any real danger. We even employ a gorgon as insurance against anyone going berserk. Well, we used to employ a gorgon, until the Chases stole her away," and he shook a finger at Benedict, as if the lawyer was a naughty kid and not a lion about ready to shift to protect his mate.
A snarl broke the silence as Benedict leaned forward over the table. "Stole? Stole?"
"A coyote baiting a lion is also pretty stupid," Kaiser said, as Edgar gripped his brother's shoulder to keep Benedict from launching at the grinning coyote alpha. The bear did not look impressed. "And since Eloise is no longer in your employ, how do you propose to run fights that are illegal but will not get any humans killed?"
"We're re-evaluating our business model and security posture." John's grin never slipped. "And look forward to the Council's input on our way forward."
Lacey, the hyena queen, folded her arms over her chest. "And if the Council voted you must cease organizing and supporting these fights?"
"The collective would respectfully petition the Council to develop alternate revenue streams." John faced her until I could no longer see his expression, though I wanted to throw something at the back of his head. "Unfortunately, the fights sustain the entire collective. If those earnings went away, we would be in dire straits. Most dire."
"The Council will not provide welfare because your illegal business is put out of operation." This from the jackal alpha, a grizzled older man with his son Harrison by his side. Sam Armstrong didn't take shit from anyone, and his attitude only grew colder and angrier after the death of his youngest son, Cal. It was still so recent that the jackals occasionally retreated from the Council as they debated how to heal their pack internally. Sam gripped the edge of the table as he watched the coyote alpha hem and haw.
John finally inclined his head at the jackal. "Point well taken, Armstrong. We're developing other investments to take the place of the fights."
Rafe glanced at me, about to speak, but Logan beat him to it. The lion alpha started gathering his papers, preparing to leave. "Fine. When you're ready to stop conducting illegal fights, we will be ready to readdress your petition to join the Council. We're not going to accept a criminal enterprise into the governing council."
"Funny, coming from the biggest criminal in the room," Evershaw said, and I blinked. Rafe tensed beside me, and leaned away from where the lions sat on his left.
Logan's teeth glinted in the light, and a gold shadow crossed his eyes. "Tread lightly, Evershaw."
The wolf shrugged. "Your business skirts the law, Chase. Bends it, interprets it, breaks it. You steal from the poor, and gather more wealth for yourself and your friends. You do nothing to contribute to society. At least John is providing housing, food, healthcare, and other necessities for his people and strays in the city."
A chorus of growls rose from the lion table, and I allowed a bit of hope to grow in my chest. Evershaw only alienated the rest of the Council by antagonizing the Chase brothers and supporting the fights. Sure, some shifters made money fighting in abandoned warehouses, including Atticus Chase and his mate Sophia, but every fight increased the risk of the humans discovering shifters existed.
Logan bristled, the shoulders of his suit straining as he flexed. "You know nothing about my business, Evershaw, and if you defame me again, we can handle this in the traditional manner."
Which meant fighting to the death in animal form. I almost hoped it would come to that. I had no doubt who would win that fight. But Evershaw wouldn't antagonize the lions without a backup plan.
Evershaw didn't look particularly concerned. "Truth isn't defamation. That aside, I will vouch for the coyotes. They will cease the illegal fights within sixty days, or you may hold me accountable for their failure and any penalties levied against them. Will that assuage the Council's concerns?"
Kaiser looked between the lion and the wolf, then heaved a sigh. "Not entirely, but it's a start. We'll put it to the vote, then. The bears do not oppose allowing the coyotes provisional status with the Council, to be reviewed in thirty days."
My stomach clenched and I dug my nails into my thigh to keep from turning and snapping curses at the bear leader. Son of a bitch. How could he vote in support of those bastards?
Logan didn't blink. "The Pride is opposed. Strongly."
And then it was our turn. Rafe folded his arms over his chest. "BloodMoon opposes. Equally strongly."
John, still standing in the middle of the Council, just grinned at me, unconcerned. Like the outcome was already set. I hated the feeling of inevitability that swept through me. As if I watched a movie, and could identify the exact turning point when everything started falling apart.
Lacey, the hyena queen, stared at the coyote leader for a very long time before she voted. "We will support the new membership, contingent on all illegal fights ending within sixty days."
It grew more difficult to breathe, my heart in my throat.
Sam Armstrong shook his head. "Fine. Sixty days to prove yourself, coyote." He pronounced it "kah-yote," the last syllable clipped with ill-concealed anger.
And with that, and Evershaw's supportive vote, we lost.
John executed a partial bow to the Council, shook Evershaw's hand, then eyed the assembled alphas. "We'd like to raise a motion to create a single representative for each species. There's another group of coyotes operating outside the city, and if they were to try and join the Council, it would create tension and strife."
Kaiser's expression soured. "Don't push your luck, coyote. As I said, your status is the only issue we will address tonight, and…"
"SilverLine seconds the motion to create a single representative to vote on behalf of the rest of their kind. Chase votes for the felines already. It doesn't make sense to have multiple wolf packs and coyote groups. Any fool can create a pack and claim they need status with the Council. The next thing you know, we'll be as unwieldy and ineffective as the federal government." Evershaw eased to his feet, making eye contact with each alpha as he spoke. "What if more bears showed up in the city but wanted to remain loners? Should each lone bear have a voting position with the Council? No. We need to limit the voting members, and the best way to limit it is by species. One vote per species."
The bear grumbled as he scowled at Evershaw. "We're not getting into this now, Evershaw. If there's trouble between the wolves, we will deal with it at the next meeting."
"Very well." The wolf alpha didn't look disappointed. "So long as it is on the agenda, we can table the discussion until then. But we will certainly address it."
So we had three weeks to figure out how to stonewall Evershaw. How to convince the rest of the Council this was just an insane grab for power. Before Kaiser could even close the meeting, I shoved my chair back and walked out. Three weeks wasn't enough time. If we weren't strong enough to meet and overturn Evershaw's challenge in three weeks, it would be the end of BloodMoon pack.