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She nodded but said nothing. Glancing furtively, she looked around the room. It was full of Akrhyn, and she looked for the ones she knew. Crimson Prime Castor Garrick sat with his wife beside him, Tegan forgot her name. Dark Prime Castor Lucas sat with Marcus and Tove, who was never far from his side. The blond Lycan who saved her, more than once, she thought now. He looked uncomfortable in the room with the Akrhyn of the Prophecy, but he had a female close by his side, and Tegan assumed that must be his wife.
Tegan looked from under her lashes to the others in the room. Some were Elite Sentinel she didn’t recognise, were other territories here? She didn’t want them to see her watching and, Ancients forbid, maybetalkto her. Her gaze settled briefly on the Three, who sat watching her, and her head dipped again to avoid their stares.
Pure Castor Jameis and Pure Prime Castor Rorik joined them, and Sloane hurried in shortly after. He gave Lucas a shake of his head.
All eyes turned to the Three, and the Three stared at Tegan.
“The Mark of Velvore is not here,” Agatha said, speaking as if to Tegan alone.
“He answers none of us,” Salem snapped angrily. “She has been recovering,” he added.
“Her wounds are almost healed,” Pure Castor Jameis offered with a soft smile to Tegan. “You are a miracle,” he said with reverence. “To come back from the injuries you did, you are truly a fighter.”
“And the scars?” Ada asked.
“Were made from the power ofhim. We cannot heal them fully,” Rorik answered.
Irritated, Tegan pushed her hair out of her face. She stared at them all boldly, ignoring the gasps from some. The left side of her face looked as if it had been melted, the damaged skin pulling her eye down slightly. “This is how I look,” Tegan said angrily. “I’m sorry if I am not good enough.”
“You are more than good enough,” Tove told her quietly. “What you did, what you achieved, how you pulled Cord back, stopped his Storm, we will never be able to repay.” Her glare was hard on the Sisters. “Weallowe Tegan our lives.”
“Why are we here?” Tegan asked tiredly as she leaned back. “No one would tell me.”
“A new Great Council needs to be formed,” Salem told her quietly. “Warren and Marguerite were found guilty of treason.”
“And the other one?” Tegan couldn’t remember his name either.Maybe when my face melted, my brain did too?she wondered.
“Council Elder Carnain has stepped down from his post,” Leonid told her. “His wife is one of the Made, and the Council Elder wishes to be with her after her…ordeal under the mountain.”
“So, this is it? The election?” Tegan looked around the room, realising she was right, the Elite Sentinel were there to protect the Principal Elders of the other Territories. Her hard stare landed again on the Three. “I do not need to be here for this.”
“The Mark of Velvore is not here.” They spoke as one.
“And neither is my brother,” Tegan snapped back at them. She saw Salem flinch and Sloane lower his gaze, and felt terrible for being so…bratty. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and breathed out slowly. “My apologies, I am…grieving.” She flicked a tear away surreptitiously before giving them her attention again. “He will not come to this,” she told them all. “You wish to place him on the Great Council, yes?” The Three nodded. “He will not come, he does not want the seat.”
“I agree,” Sloane spoke up. “But I have been telling you that for two weeks, and you do not listen,” he said as his frustration seeped into his voice.
“Why will he not come?” Pure Castor Jameis asked Tegan.
“Because he doesn’tneedorwantthe power of that seat.” Tegan stood. “Why amIhere? To choose? To speakforhim?” Her anger rose when the Sisters didn’t confirm or deny her accusation. Tegan pointed at Garrick. “Him, he was not named in your stupid Prophecy, but he was true and loyal throughout. He is a good male. Pick him.” Garrick’s mouth was moving like a fish out of water, but no sound was coming out.
She turned and looked at Marcus, who shook his head slightly in warning. “The alpha ofallLycans needs to have a seat.” Her gaze fell to Elrick. “As does a leader of the free packs. They may live outside the rule of the Great Council, but they deserve a voice. You are strong and true, like my brother was. The free will listen to one of their own.”
The blond Lycan looked at her in alarm before he looked to his wife in shock, his wife who was already nodding in agreement, Tegan noticed.
Tegan turned to look at her father. “You refused it once,” Tegan said to Leonid. “Do not do so again.”
Tegan’s eyes roamed the group, landing on the calm, quiet male. “Dark Prime Castor Lucas, his clear head and strong moral compass has been steadfast, you need him.”
“Perhaps Commander Bryce,” Salem spoke up. “He fits.”
Tegan looked at Salem. “Youfit. Of course it has to be you.”
“Six picked, who is seven?” Aryna asked the room. “You pick so carelessly, who is the last member?” she added with slight scorn.
“Zahra.”
The room went quiet, and even Salem looked at Tegan in question.
