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A smirk touched the were’s lips and he said easily, “Santiago…always a pleasure.”
“Asshole. Where’s your brother? I like him better.”
Drako and Dominic Klevan were blood brothers, though they didn’t look it. Born to the same father, they’d grown up in different places, at different times. Where Drako was lean and tall, fast and lithe, Dominic was more traditional werewolf—just plain huge.
“Inside, trying to figure out what the meeting is about. By the way, anyone have an idea who called the meeting, or why?”
Footsteps approached them and the four wolves turned as one. Two tall men, with skin so pale it was almost luminescent, dressed from head to toe in expensive designer apparel, nodded once in acknowledgement and spoke, flashing sharp and pointed canines, “Wolves.”
“Vampires,” Santiago returned. Conall, already eager to get this meeting over with, and get back to Vivienne, dipped his head in acknowledgement.
Verenus Riddelin and Lucian Thormidor, the vampires, passed them and headed for the entrance.
“Shit, I’m ready to find out what this thing is about so I can be on the next flight out of this cold-ass place.” Santiago rubbed his arms once and turned in the direction of the building.
“For once, I agree with you, Santiago. Let’s get this over with, gentlemen,” Drako stated, indicating the building with a jut of his head.
Conall was already moving to the entrance. Max’s disappearance, coupled with the fact that Evelyn’s mother had been in Maximilian’s covenant and the timing of the meeting, convinced him even more that the Grand Wizard was behind it all. He just needed it confirmed.
There was a rule of “sacred ground” that applied to every building that housed a Council meeting. Conall took a deep breath as he approached the door that would take him into the building. He prayed he would maintain enough control not to break that rule by killing Maximilian Cronin tonight.
***
Maximilian barely resisted the urge to snarl at the fact that werewolves controlled the majority on the Council. There were ten seats in total, but four of them belonged to the wolves, while the witches and vampires had three each. It was another reason for his repulsion for the Council.
He turned to his right, then left, where Tiberius Carlyle and Wilhem Blackstone sat. He knew instinctively that Tiberius would support anything he did. The Grand Wizard owed him much. It was Wilhem who would have a harder time falling in line. He was younger than both Maximilian and Tiberius and likely the youngest member at the table, but Maximilian had heard of his exploits. Wilhem hadn’t become Grand Wizard of one of the largest covenants in the state by being weak.
A slight murmur went around the room when the door opened and the vampire Elder stepped through. Agar. He’d been appointed to lead the Council meetings for the year. Agar took a seat and opened the folder he held. He briefly scanned the papers before him using his thin, pale fingers to trace the writing. Seconds later, he lifted his gaze and surveyed them.
“Good evening, all. Before we begin, I will briefly go over the rules of sacred ground so that there are no misconceptions of what the violations entail.” He quickly ran through the rules, citing any type of physical confrontation as a breach, and the member who breached it could and would be replaced on the Council. “Is that understood?”
Ten heads nodded at once, and Agar nodded in approval. “I declare this meeting open.” He turned and looked directly at Maximilian. “Maximilian?”
There was a ripple around the room and every head turned to him. The reasons for the meeting had been kept secret up until now, and everyone, including Agar, was anxious to know why a third meeting had been called.
Leaning his body forward, Maximilian began, “I called this meeting because something of import has been taken from my community.”
Another ripple went around the room as some shifted in their seats.
Conall tensed. It was as he’d suspected. Maximilian was going to try to claim kinship over his mate and her twin. Try being the operative word.
“Two girls, both belonging to my covenant, have been kidnapped by Conall Athelwulf’s pack.”
A murmur resounded around the table as witches, vampires, and werewolves began to speak. Conall’s blood heated; his breathing came fast and shallow. He picked up on the sound of the blood pumping through Maximilian’s jugular, and his head lowered. The wolf was surfacing, and he couldn’t control it, didn’t know if he wanted to control it.
Agar slapped his hand against the table, causing it to vibrate under the power. “Silence!”
