The Astral Eyes

The Elders

The elders decided to meet to discuss my dear brother after his rather traumatic run-in with Violet and Jessie.

"As entertaining as some citizens found his antics to be, we can't have humans running through the streets in a panic. It isn't good for his wellbeing, nor is it kind to our townspeople who live here because they don't want to feel like monsters."

Kyra may have directed her words to everyone at the table, but her gaze lingered on me. I shifted my weight upon my folding chair, which creaked in response. However, I tried to keep my back straight nonetheless. It's not that I wasn't apologetic about everything that happened, but I worried any recognition of failure—no matter how slight it may be—would be used against me by Graham.

"Well, he knows everything now," pointed out Everett with a sigh. "After meeting Violet and Jessie, Delilah told him everything. He's been locked away in his room since, so it seems he at least isn't trying to run away anymore."

My sweet mate looked over at me with a sympathetic pinch of his lips and placed a hand on my knee. Unlike my rickety seat at the ancient hand-carved table in the bowels of town hall, he sat in an ornate armchair. It's one of five and each one was unique. The legs of Everett's were shaped like wolves howling to the sky and the back depicted the transformation of a man into a wolf. Then along the curved top of the high-backed chair was the moon cycle.

Each throne represented one of the clans forming the town. Unfortunately, there had only ever been a single elder per clan, which meant I was stuck with the dusty folding chair from an administrative office somewhere in the building.

Everett, of course, had offered me his chair once I joined the council, but I didn't want to cause even more confusion about our new partnership. Taking his chair felt like I was symbolically taking power from him, when really we were sharing it. He followed this up with an offer to share the seat, but that meant I'd essentially be sitting on his lap.

I think he genuinely thought that was a reasonable solution, however, just his hand patting my knee was enough to spark a wave of tingling desire. Ever since I became fully wolf, my heightened sense of smell made pheromones and the like all the stronger. It made me far more needy in the bedroom than I ever thought I would be. I didn't want that energy to manifest in the council room just because I had to spend at least an hour with his groin snug against my backside.

No, I was staying on the folding chair until the carpenter constructed me my very own wooden masterpiece.

"Victor will come around," I said, looking away from my partner's pitying eyes before my cheeks could get too red. "It's a lot to take in, but having a safe place to be alone is a big help for him. I'm honestly not sure he'd have done well in the hotel, even if he did have his own room. Knowing he was only a floor away from a wide array of supernatural beings would have him in a constant state of panic."

"What shall happen then?" asked the Duchess, who hovered over her chair at the table. To her credit, she did offer her seat to me as well, but it felt weird taking the throne bedecked with wispy souls rising toward a brilliant light at the pinnacle of the chairback. So, I graciously passed on the offer, even if she literally can't use it herself.

"Will the young Cross be recognized as a Body?" She continued, cocking her translucent head to the side as she considered what outcomes stood before my brother. "Must we hold him to the same standard as any fresh human that enters our lands or is he immune as family to the wolves?"

"You should already know the answer, Duchess," said Graham with gravelly firmness. "You just acquired a Body related to one of your own. In fact, it's the same two that this young man encountered."