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Mikel turned her to the council table. Then, he lifted his own shirt. There, oozing on his side, was the bullet wound.
“It’s a trick of his nature; we know that family can’t—”
“Quiet,” he demanded, and Kane’s jaw snapped closed.
He dropped Violet’s shirt and held her close to his side. His gaze went from the council back out to the town.
“Now. What Margie explained is correct. Kane and the current mayor of Frankston had that building set to explode all those years ago. Kane wanted to pin it on my father so he could claim alpha of this pack, and the mayor to remove the one in power, as well as John Bard, who was his wife’s lover and the father of this descendant.” He gestured to Lila behind them. “You’ve lived in fear of me and my family for years, for a crime they never committed.”
“You just turned,” someone called from the crowd.
“I did. And here I am, fully in control. I also could have turned and lost control at any time all these years, and I haven’t, because I have control of my wolf, as did my father.”
Unease still rippled around them.
“Hey!” a voice called.
Violet looked in its direction just in time to see Red sock a woman over the back of the head with a folding chair. Outrage sprung up. Slowly, one by one, eyes went from the unconscious woman to Kane. Their realization and subsequent anger were palpable in the air.
“Where’s your mate bond now, fucker?” Red crowed, triumphant, and Violet realized the woman she’d hit was Kane’s mate, and Red was freaking brilliant.
“There’s been a mistake,” Kane started, hands held up in faux innocence. “How was I to know Elias wasn’t to blame? I stepped up for this community—”
“You planned the explosion!” Lila yelled from behind them. “I heard the tapes of you and my—Magnus. You planned it all.”
“Order!” A gray-haired man stood at the elder council’s table. The entire town was riveted, watching.
“Arthur,” Kane tried. The old man didn’t even look at him.
“Mikel Davis, son of Elias, the elder council would like to speak with you.”
Violet looked up at Mikel. He nodded, then turned to her. “You okay?” His thumb brushed her cheek, and she felt the care in the touch and the claim, even with the entire town’s eyes on them.
“Yeah,” she replied, trying not to blush. His lips brushed her hairline, then he left her to approach the table.
“Violet—” Lila was quick to hug her.
Margie, who’d apparently made it back to her feet, caught up a few seconds later. “Forgive me,” she said, but triumph shone in her eyes.
“No,” Kane said from behind her, malevolence thick in his voice where it caught the mic. “Forgiveme.”
Violet’s heart squeezed, and for the second time in an evening, she found herself staring down the barrel of that gun. Her hands came up on autopilot, like that would somehow stay him or stop the bullet. Things were too perfect, something inside her argued—Lila was back, the town almost believed the truth about Mikel—too good for it to end like this.
“Everything was perfect untilyoushowed up,” Kane sneered, finger squeezing the trigger. She closed her eyes, dread, fear, and love choking her.
The shot never came.
A scream rang in the air. Violet opened her eyes to that same huge wolf tossing something aside and crouching over Kane, bearing down. Her eyes followed the object. Her stomach churned when she realized it was the gun, and what was left of Kane’s hand.
When she looked back, it was Mikel again atop Kane. He hauled him to his feet.
“Tell this pack the truth!” Mikel said. The command was heavy while he shoved Kane forward to the microphone where he fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding arm to his chest.
Violet pushed Lila and Margie back.
“Tell them,” Mikel growled, closing in again and dripping danger.
“All right.” Kane’s voice was high, pitchy, and breathy with pain and fear. “We did it. We set up the explosion. Please—”
