The Silver Dagger

Judgement

Because she wanted to.

It was the easy answer. 

Because it made her heart hurt to see him so pale and to know that it was partially her fault. Because despite the heartache he'd caused, she couldn't help being attracted to him. Because she did want to give him a second chance, but she was scared. Kissing him while he was sleeping was safe.

"It is very strange zat Alpha Tamhas has been zo quiet. I don't believe I've ever been in a meeting where he's withheld his opinion for zo long."

Aiyana smiled up politely at the tall, slim German. "Is it? Excuse me." She side-stepped the man to move toward the kitchen where a few of the cookies Mimi had made still remained on the counter.

The thicker, shorter Italian representative sidled up beside her. "Hello. I'm Beta Medoro. You have de most beautiful eyes.  I noticed them as soon as you entered the room."

Beta Medoro wasn't bad-looking but he was a least ten years older than her. Was he really hitting on her? 

"Thank you?"

"I have never seen Alpha Tamhas so weak. Did you use wolfsbane on him?"

"No."

He artfully slid his hand over hers as she reached for a cookie. His light touch sent tingles up her arm. He was using coercion on her in a room full of wolves?  Didn't he care that they would probably sense it?

"Someone did though?" he led. 

She jerked her hand away from his. "No."

His eyes roamed down her front, then back up to her face before he gave her what he probably thought was a sexy smirk but just made him look like a sleaze. "It's not just your eyes."

Her wolf growled. Aiyana turned away, looking for an escape. Alpha Miguel caught her eye. She gave him a nod and quickly moved to the back of the room. It would be harder for Tamhas to vent his spleen on her if she was behind everyone, they hoped. Alpha Miguel waited until the eight - eight! - European representatives had taken their seats along with the three representatives from the American council, one of whom was Nate's mother, before moving in front of Tamhas and giving the command.

"Speak!"

It was sweet of Alpha Miguel to try and protect her by hiding the full extent of her coercion, although she doubted their little ruse would fool anyone. Alpha Miguel, as generous and kind as he was, was one of the weaker wolves in the room. Still, his coercion was enough to overcome the minimally powered command she'd used to replace the much stronger one on Tamhas as they were crossing the driveway.

All the words Tamhas had been forced to withhold for the last couple of hours burst forth like water from a broken dam. She couldn't understand most of what he said, but from the rapt attention of everyone around her, she was apparently the only one. Then he pointed her way and this time she did understand.

"She is a thief an' a liar an' deserves execution!"

He stood glaring at her with his fat finger poking toward her as if his accusation alone could convince everyone to carry her out and burn her immediately at the stake. Maybe at another time it would have, but without his coercion, he only managed to convince a few people to look her way.

The German, Alpha Nils Werich, looked almost amused. "Execution Alpha Tamhas? If what zie say ist true, zie have already done that, and on American soil too. Did zie order the girl's parents to be killed? Tell the truth!"

His power rippled throughout the room. For a moment, it looked like Tamhas might succeed in holding his mouth shut, but then a lone "Aye" escaped his lips, followed quickly by a tirade of how it was well within his rights.