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“I will, council members,” Evander says.
I suck in a breath.
Earlier, he told me Thorne was going to do this. That he wasn’t ready. That Thorne wanted to.
But now…
Evander casually trolls up to the center of the council. He smiles at the members. “I’m prepared to talk about what happened.”
The council tilts his head. “The floor is yours, Beta.”
Evander nods. “With the help of my mate Briony, I established the fox leash in the northwest corner of our territory.”
My heart thumps. Publicly acknowledging me as his mate is…
It’s amazing.
Mrs. Bortles, from her front-row seat in the crowd, sighs. “Briony has such a nice young man,” I hear her whisper.
My man.
I can’t deny that.
Evander looks out over the pack. “Yes, you’re right. Alpha Thorne and I didn’t ask permission. We didn’t bring it to the pack. And we won’t in the future. We knew that the Oakwood Pack is full of people with big hearts and minds. People who wouldn’t sink to prejudice about foxes,” he says with a meaningful glare at Zander, “to make their decisions. We were people in need once. When we left the old pack grounds, we did so to make a better life for all of us. For each one of you,” he looks out at the crowd.
The crowd stares back.
The energy in the room is palpable. They’re hanging on his every word.
My heart swells. Come on, baby. Show them what you’re made of.
“So, no. We didn’t ask the council about the fox leash. We took them in. Alpha Thorne and I built them cabins in the farthest corner of our territory, because we wanted to give them some space after what they’ve been through. In the future, we may have more refugees. It will be expected that the Pack will absorb these new members without a fuss, and the Alpha will not be asking for your opinion on the matter. Oakwood Pack is a place for all shifters. It’s where we can escape the pain of our past and start over. That’s important. For all of us.” Evander’s eyes land on mine.
I give him a little grin.
He nods. “As you hear our explanation, council members, I urge you to remember that the Oakwood Pack is more than just a pack. We are a family. A group. And as a family, we hold ourselves accountable to values. Alpha Thorne and I value compassion. Empathy. Kindness,” he smiles at me again.
His eyes turn back to the council. “The question is, do you?”
Evander sits.
And applause shatters the stillness in the air.
It’s a slam dunk. The council approves the fox leash unanimously and gives alpha reign in the future to settle refugees from other packs, so long as they’re formally vetted by his beta and security team first. My heart swells at Evander’s place in all this, and as the meeting concludes, I find myself drifting closer to his side.
When I find him, he pulls me close and kisses my temple. “How’d I do?”
“You know you did well,” I say with a sigh.
He smirks. “Yeah, but I want to hear you say it first.”
“You’re such a…”
“Evander,” Will says.
We both freeze.
Out of his silver cuffs, Will looks… beaten. He’s got huge bruises on his face and his hair is lank.
