His Sin to Bear

Prologue

Elders Talon, Erik and Giovanni had finally managed to schedule a meeting in person after their most recent headache in Scotland: a stubborn and disobedient bitch of an Alpha with an ego that seemed to grow by the day.

Despite it being his second cup of coffee within the half hour, Elder Erik grumbled as he eyed the pile of complaints that filled his emails with their accompanying paper copies in the middle of the oak desk. He flicked a folder away as his laptop pinged with an alert for another email.

"A nightmare. It's not even 9 and I've just received another email from a pack in France. This one didn't even stay on her land during the pandemic."

Addressing his comrade, Giovanni rolled his eyes, "You mean the growth serum you dumped in the water courses that had the opposite effect? We both know it was no pandemic so behind closed doors, speak it how it is." He took a puff of his cigar, outstretching his legs to put on the seat next to him. "And no surprises there, my friend. The girl can't keep her claws to herself. Packs with previous problems with her are speaking up now they know the majority of the packs in Europe hate her. Won't be long until civil unrest."

Erik glared at the arrogant Italian who sat across from him. "Well, it worked! There's some impressive changes that we can use in the next round of testing. Our doctor is developing a new dose as we speak."

Giovanni snorted, "And label it another 'pandemic'? It didn't go under the radar last time did it? Wolves were sniffing at the report."

"Wolf." Elder Talon contributed as he rounded the meeting table. "One wolf questioned it. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have more Alphas questioning our methods."

His newly adorned walking stick clacked against the marble floors of their penthouse apartment in the beautiful Berne capitol in Switzerland. It was a crisp morning as the spring weather blossomed in the multiple fields and white dusted mountaintops from their views. With his worsening health, Talon was hunting for an aid, or in layman's terms: a cure. His worsening muscle mass was deteriorating before his eyes and by the ways of the Moon, he was not ready to surrender his soul to her. Not yet.

All the Elders were keen for something to boost their advantage, a serum that would ensure they could hold their positions at the Elder Council. The growth serum was the first step to creating their concoction. Once trialed and tested, it would take a few simple tweaks to ensure that they remained on top, despite their age finally catching up to them.

"We didn't bother touching the rural packs last time but I think we need to take that chance. We know they're hardier and now we have an excuse to disrupt their lives. From Titania to Ash Crescent digressions, and complaints from English, French, Spanish and Belgian packs, we're positioned perfectly." He held back the wobble of his legs as he made his way to the breakfast bar, "Any future testing, we can blame Titania. The other morons would believe it."

Giovanni and Erik nodded at the suggestion. Erik remained pensive while Giovanni smiled deviously through his cigar smoke. "I hope you have a plan to deal with the little whore. I'm getting fucking sick of her disrespect and her thinking she's got a one up on us."

Erik's eyes flickered up from his emails, "She's mated so just kill her mate."

"Idiot, she's survived three bonds and a rejection already so I doubt that another will have much of an effect," exhaled Giovanni, while his chest rumbled with a cough from the dry tobacco.

Talon grabbed a croissant with a tab of butter and jam while the two discussed Titania's disposal. Ideas of assassination, torture and wiping out Duskfall were thrown across the table but none appeased Elder Talon. Making his way to his seat, his body ached with pain and Talon cussed under his breath at his health. At Erik's concerned look, he pushed it away and straightened. Despite their close friendship, he still held his head high and refused to voice the worsening aches that he could feel within his joints.

Taking small bites of his croissant, he banged his fist on the table, demanding silence.

Wiping the crumbs from his mouth with a napkin, his eyes met the awaiting ones of his comrades. With a flash of teeth, he exposed his plans. "We need her as a scapegoat but also need her out of the way so she can't meddle in our business."

"I say we throw her in the Council prison. Bam, sorted."

Giovanni's proposal didn't appease Talon as he pressed his hands together in thought. Talon's salt and pepper eyebrows raised as his eyes flew to the stocky male. "You're lacking the bigger picture here Giovanni. Yes, we could do that and blame Duskfall for any side effects of the latest growth serum but Titania can give us much more than that."

"Like leverage?" Erik asked as he re-positioned his glasses in interest.

"Oh, much more than that, old pal." Talon's eyes narrowed as his lips tilted with sheer malice, "We've worked with the American Council in the past correct?" Both males nodded to his statement. "And within their research lab, they're not just testing werewolf drugs but they've recently started analysing feral wolves. Why not look for an exchange? You never know when we might need to use their expertise for our creation or for drugs in the future. That's if our next round of testing goes horribly wrong." He eyed Erik with displeasure.

"I've got a private lab with wolves from Germany on board and they're top tier. This time, we'll have better control of the side effects." He defended, cringing at how many young shifters had unfortunately lost their lives.

"Yeah, yeah..." added Giovanni as his head turned to face Talon, "So you're suggesting we cart her off to America so they can run some tests in exchange for some drugs?"

The skepticism in his tone wasn't missed by Talon who took a sip of his milky tea. "Think about it this way, how many werewolves have come back from being feral? Next to none. They'll be keen to prod her with all sorts and it gets her out of Europe, so in my eyes it's two birds and one stone. Not to mention that because the pack is so rural and so hated, it would be easy to spread some false rumours to the others."

Erik finished his coffee and clapped, "I love it."

"The lab is very high tech so I doubt she'll be found, not until they're finished with her that is and that's if there's anything left to find." The dark glint to his eye conveyed the animosity for the biggest thorn in his side since her rise to Alpha.

It took a couple of seconds for Giovanni to absorb his words. His own plans of taking her out involved traditional methods such as holding her up in an underground cell or a simple assassination, but the idea of her getting tested and kept like livestock certainly excited him and his wolf. It also gave them leeway in their hunt for their advantage and an alliance with the American Council all while getting rid of Titania. Surely a win-win situation?

The males sifted through the paperwork with a lighter mindset due to their unanimous agreement. With a swift hand and a phone directory filled with usable contacts that spanned across the globe, Talon, Erik and Giovanni got to work plotting, planning and disposing of the evidence to finally rid themselves of the first and last female Alpha that Europe had seen in her lifespan. For good reason, they were going to keep it that way. In their eyes, females were not destined to lead, and Titania had proved their theory correct.

And now, she was going to face their wrath.

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OOOOOOHHHHH, howdy y'all! I'm back! Some big revelations here! If you're confused, this is the book that follows 'A Sin of Her Own' and SHOULD NOT be read as a standalone!

To all my wonderful followers and readers who have been with me all this time, I hope not to disappoint you! let me know what you think!

Copyright © 2020 Ella Gorman/L.J Elleson. All rights reserved.

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