Chapter 174

Julian

Meetings were not for the weak hearted or easily bored. Usually before my throne was usurped I'd of yawned myself through them. My mind on other things and not the matter at hands. Which my advisors would sort out but I couldn't do that anymore.

I would have taken being bored for seven hours straight over the news that kept getting relayed to me.  None of it was good news.

In fact all of it was bad. Duncan, the pretend king was moving and moving fast. Swallowing up and killing the packs that were still loyal to me. He was like a never ending wave. A tsunami I had no hope of repelling and he was drawing closer and closer to Scarlett's pack by the day.

"Why isn't he just attacking?" Cassie asked from by my side. Under the table I reached for her hand. I knew some of the older council members were shocked that I had asked her to stay. They were still in the mind set that women didn't belong in these meetings even though their alpha was one. But Cassie wasn't just a woman, she was my queen and her mind was sharp and agile. She belonged at my side.

I flexed my fingers around hers, smoothing the back of her hand with my thumb.

"That doesn't matter right now." Someone from the other end of the table said.

I felt Cassie stiffen, the anger rolled off of her. "Of course it fucking matters." She snapped back. "Everything Duncan is doing matters."

A rumble of disapproval went around the table. The old fuddy duddies didn't like her language but then most of them were ancient dinosaurs and expected women to be seen and not heard.

"Cassie is right." From the other side of me Ian spoke. His voice even and firm. "They should have attacked here first, we are nearest them." Slowly he turned his attention around the table. Meeting every pair of eyes in turn. "And don't you ever disrespect my queen like that ever again." He said in a quiet but threatening voice.

No one spoke.

"It's fine."  Cassie mumbled.

"No it's not." I said with a sigh. It should have been me who had called them out on the attitude to my queen and not my second in command. "Ian is right. Cassie is queen. She is my wife and my mate and the mother of my heirs. You will show her the respect she deserves." Slowly I let my eyes travel around the table, meeting every pair of eyes in turn. "Even if she wasn't queen, she has done more good in this world then any of you ever have."

"Apologise." I said said sharply.

"There's no need-"

I cut her off with a smile and another squeeze of her hand under the table. "Yes there is Cassie. The disrespect they show you won't be tolerated anymore."

Silence fell.

"You heard your king." Ian's voice teetered on anger.

Apologies were mumbled, none of them sincere but I would deal with that another time.

"Back to business." I said leaning forward. "Cassie and Ian have a point. Why aren't they attacking us first? As packs in this area goes this a smaller one and yet."

Next to me Cassie gasped and I turned my full attention on her. "What is it?" I probed. "What have you just thought of?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It could be a show of strength. He has taken out, murmured and imprisoned every friendly pack around us. We are alone in the sea of enemies. An island."

Ian nodded thoughtfully. "Cassie has a point." He mumbled. "He could take us out easily right now but he doesn't and I think it's because he wants to make it a big show."

A deathly silence swept around the table. Ian had a solid point there. Killing me quickly wouldn't send the kind of message Duncan needed to send. But making a spectacle of it? Making it theatre then that would. No one would move against him.

And everything would be lost.

"But I think it's more than that." Ian continued. "With everything that is happening here, it's like they are trying to weaken us." He met my eyes, asking silently if he should continue. I nodded my head.

"The disappearance-"

"Are happening to everyone." Scarlett mumbled. Her eyes locked downward

I glared at her.

"And yet they seem to be centred around our king and queen. This morning Julian himself heard what Cassie had been hearing. Last night they both saw something."

"They are trying to weaken us." Someone said.

"Yes but why would they bother if we were so weak? So easily to break. There is something here that they need out of the way."

"Yes." Cassie said quickly. "Julian hearing things just proves that. We need-"

"I don't think it's me, they are trying to weaken my love." I said softly and her cheeks flushed.

"What do you mean?" She stuttered. "You're the king. You are who we are all fighting for. Weakening you , breaking you would break us."

I exchanged a smile with Ian who shook his head. It was clear he had come to the same conclusion as I had.

"I am just one man Cassie."

Her eyes flashed. "You are king and a powerful alpha." I retorted.

"But-"

"King Julian is right." Ian said softly. "They may want Julian dead, but for some reason they won't attack us directly which means there is something here." Ian's eyes found Cassies and I could almost hear him willing her to catch up. But she continued to look puzzled.

"Something powerful that they are afraid of. Maybe something with magic."

Silence spread across the table and all eyes turned towards my mate. She was the only one here with any sort of magic.

"I only have a tiny bit." She whispered. "A little healing. I don't even have any real control over it."

"And the fact you can force peoples shifts. You can order their wolves." I said quietly. "Who knows what other powers you have my love."

"I don't-" she began to say.

"We don't know that for sure, all we know for certain is that our enemies are trying to get you out of the picture." Ian said gruffly. "Any way they can and we need to find out the reason before they make their move."