Untamable Resolve: The Witheridge Witches

Ch. 44 - Challenged

The domed room was stuffy with the amount of people shoved into it. A small library lined one of the walls while maps lined the others. The middle of the room had three expensive looking wooden tables which Silas and I claimed one while Matteo and Naomi the other. The third was where the official in charge of the transition of power sat. The rest of the high ranking wolves circled around us. The tension throughout the room was high. I felt it in the air. Suffocating. Matteo was the very picture of a head of a regime - Silas too just a younger variation.

I wonder what people think I look like. A wilting flower? A cunt? A cunty, wilting flower? Not that their opinions mattered to me, but it did matter to my mission: getting Silas to become Alpha in order to lose the war. I needed to tread carefully in doing so. I couldn't look out of character. In fact, by threatening Daniel, Silas had given me motive to help him win the Test of Wills. Although, I'm sure I could have come up with a way to make me helping him believable. It wasn't only the people in room around me who's opinion mattered, but how would the world look back on me? Complicit? I'd have to be okay with that when the time came because I know that I'm not - complicit. I'm sacrificing possibly any chance of happiness for years to come if I make it out, if not my life.

"Silas Divvi is to be inducted as the Alpha of all Alpha's today. Does anyone challenge that before we start?"

"I do." A strong, booming voice filled the chamber. Matteo's.

Growls filled the chamber while I could hear others sigh in relief. A mixed crowd it seemed. I cracked my neck and looked at Silas. He nodded at me. We had been expecting this, but it would have been nice if I didn't have to do this stupid test thing. I'd almost rather eat glass.

"Let the record show that Alpha Matteo Huepa has challenged the induction. The Test of Wills will commence in exactly two days from now on the 16th hour of the day. The rules are simple. There will be no connection with the outside world. You must survive the night and upon the first glimpse of sunlight you may begin the offensive against each other. The only way a participant gets out of the arena is to yield or die."

"Do you have any comments or questions prior to the adjourning of the session?" the official continued.

Silas raised his hand in response. "Alpha Silas, you are recognized."

"Per the Test of Wills bylaws we would request that my human mate be allowed a fire striker and a small knife."

"Granted. Any other questions. No? This meeting is adjourned." A gavel smacked wood and that was that. It was crazy to me that that was how government made decisions - impersonal as it it. The chamber broke out in discussion as all eyes were on us. Silas grabbed my arm pulling me with him out of the room when I was stopped by a familiar female voice.

"I'm sorry about this, honey. It isn't fair to you after all you've been through. But we gotta do what is best for our people. And I truly don't think Silas or you for that matter are it in this hard time in our history. I wish it didn't have to be this way. There really are no hard feelings on our side of things. We have to do the right thing"

Fuck. She seems genuine. Maybe it is a play for her to get inside my head? A manipulation tactic Or perhaps I'd been behind the lines too long to know the difference?. How am I supposed to kill her? I am not a killer. I don't want to be. I subconciously picked at a hangnail before I stopped myself from doing the nervous gesture.

Matteo came up behind her and interlocked his fingers in hers. She smiled back at him before he led her out of the room.

Silas and I left the chamber and made our way back to our quarters. I really didn't like being alone with him, but we were going to have to learn how to work together, and quick.