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PROLOGUE
Eli hid his scorn well, coasting past his true feelings because the old men looking down on him had no idea that their days were numbered. Power belonged to the young, and he was so close that he could taste it. He would absorb every drop of influence he was about to sever from their old decrepit fingers. He had been patient for long enough. His time had come.
An opportunity had practically fallen into his lap. The mistake that had almost destroyed his family name would soon elevate him instead. His throne would be built on lies and ignorance, fortified by chaos and betrayal, but it would be built, and he would never be removed from it.
All six members of the Board of Elders looked down on him, literally and figuratively, as they always had. They relied on him to be their loyal soldier, their mindless weapon who protected them from the real world. Too arrogant to ever imagine that he could rise from his station and change their reality, they had no idea he had been working towards his own goals for years.
His people needed a strong leader, a true power, one who could replace the Board of Elders and lead the way to a new order. Others like him whispered in the shadows, unheard by anyone but him. He was almost ready for the next stage. He had planned on gathering the loyal and creating his own compound where he would build strength before making his final moves. By instigating trouble between the Elders and the pack, he had the opportunity to skip a few steps. While they were busy turning on each other, he would rise.
In the end, his beloved little sister would be at his side, under his protection—whether she liked it or not. He owed her that much. She had been the one to bring him his first great opportunity, his first real chance to succeed. Together, they would restore the harbingers to what they had once been. No more hiding away from the world. No more pretending their gifts weren’t designed to manipulate and control both enemies and allies. No more weakness. No more waste.
“The werewolves haven’t returned,” the Elder at the head of the table was saying in a patronising tone, fiddling with the yellowing ends of his thinning silver hair. “They left us alone and went back to their hiding place.”
“They know where we are and how to find us,” Eli snapped. “You’ve left the women here helpless. Father, if you had only listened to me—”
The man slapped his palm on the table. The others flinched, but not Eli. “You will address me as Elder Ammon.”
The room fell silent. Eli struggled against the urge to squirm under his father’s stern glare. One day, he promised himself. One day, he would be the one to look down on his greatest threat with scornful eyes.
Elder Ammon made an effort to relax. He glanced at his fellow Elders. “There’s no need to overreact. Those beasts are no threat to us.”
“They have a child with a harbinger’s gift,” Eli blurted. “Don’t you understand what that means?”
“They stole a child,” the portly Elder at the end of the row guessed.
“How could they without us being aware?” Elder Ammon said in a scornful tone. “They bore a child with one of our own.”
The rest of the Board of Elders gasped in horror in unison.
“They’re teaching it,” Eli said with patience he didn’t feel. “Teaching it to upset the balance while they grow in number. The scattered wolves have been gathering for years.”
“Under a madman,” Elder Ammon scoffed. “One who doesn’t know how to lead. They’ll never be more than mere beasts.”
“No, no. He died years ago,” the short man next to him said. “Remember? It was Eli who told us. He did well while he tracked them. Perhaps we should listen to him, let him travel again. Surely it’s time to forgive his past indiscretions.”
“Oh, yes. I recall that event now,” Elder Ammon said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Well, no matter. They’re still weak. No need to bother ourselves with a problem that barely exists.”
“But they’re strengthening themselves every day,” Eli persisted. “While we hide, our numbers shrinking. Few among us even have the power to protect the compound.”
“You would have us allow hysterical teenage girls access to the power to draw death.” Elder Ammon’s face contorted with disgust. “That would be disastrous for the world.”
“We need to do something about the werewolves,” Eli continued.
“Ignore them,” Elder Ammon said. “They won’t dare return here. We’re at peace. Let’s keep it that way.”
“This isn’t your decision,” another Elder argued. “You aren’t the leader here, Ammon. We all have equal say.”
Though his father glared, he couldn’t argue with the truth, and that gave Eli hope. “These shifters have one alpha above them all. He’s settled a pack in Ireland. They live in a small town, hiding their growth, but they’re already expanding, training, growing stronger. Who knows how many more packs have been settled elsewhere by now?”
“It’s a concern,” the Elder at the end said. “I’m worried about this, Ammon.”
“Don’t let him rattle you,” Elder Ammon said. “He’s always had a flair for the dramatic.”
“They’re different now.” Eli’s anger was starting to show in his voice. He swallowed hard, pushing down the feeling. “This alpha is smart, living amongst humans, pretending to domesticate his animals. It doesn’t bode well for us. Who knows what they’re doing with the lost child? You’ve always pushed the importance of removing the stains of lost children from the earth before they endanger us. Why would the werewolves let it live if not to use it against us? These animals will be a danger to us until we have nothing left.”
“Well, what do you propose?” The Elder who spoke looked distracted, as though he wanted the meeting to be over already.
“We reach out to them, take the child, and figure out their weaknesses while we’re at it. And when the time is right, we wipe them out for good.”
