Volkov's Mate

Chapter Eight: Immeasurably Innapropriate

"Take a deep breath," Nikolai said to himself. He was outside the building where the Council meetings were being held. He looked at his reflection in the glass window in front of him. He looked tired, sunken, and overall messy. His appearance would not impress anyone on the council, even Alpha Pierce would be judgemental. But Nikolai didn't care what he looked like. No special care was taken just for the Council's sake. So when he walked into their meeting room he barely felt the scrutinising eyes on him.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Nikolai," Alpha del Olmo said.

"Alpha Nikolai. Seems you forgot my title," NIkolai responded bitterly.

"If all goes well that title will be revoked from you today."

"And why would that be?"

"Your legitimacy has been called into question. Your validity to ascend in your pack's alpha position has been compromised. You were placed there, and on this council, in an illegitimate way... through favoritism. We have overwhelming evidence to suggest that you may not even be the rightful alpha to your family's pack. The fact that you remain without a mate, let alone a qualified luna, suggests that you are not the strongest leader."

Nikolai snarled. "I have found my mate actually."

The room grew still as Nikolai and Emiliano locked eyes.

"Your claims are immeasurably inappropriate. It just so happens that the day your position on this council is threatened that you 'find your mate'. A bold strategy, but one so easily to see through."

"It's not a lie. People saw what happened yesterday. I'd prefer to discuss this matter in more private accommodations."

"You are mateless and making obscene stories to save your position on the Council."

"I am not! You want to talk about this in front of the council, fine. You attacked me for a reason. Your daughter is my mate. I'm as every bit as shocked as you are but you cannot deny what you saw with your own eyes."

"I was drunk and saw you dancing with my underage daughter."

"My mate, as it so happens to be. I'm not lying. If I weren't telling the truth what would I have to gain from antagonizing you?"

"Enough! Forget Nikolai and Emiliano's feud, we have more immediate issues to fix than whatever fight they are having about some stupid mate. Maybe the fact that Narvik's men have been starting fights with the women I brought to the gala? One of them has a huge gash across her arm from one of his men who couldn't keep his wolf at bay," Helje yelled impatiently.

"So what, someone got scratched? You claim your girls are fighters, let them get rough with the big boys and if they can't handle that then they should accept their place," Alpha Jianjun taunted, flashing his teeth.

Helje stood up, slamming her hands down on the table. "In front of humans."

Jianjun's sinister smile quickly fell flat.

"That got your attention."

Jianjun snarled in return.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone was deep in thought. Alpha Pierce spoke up first, calmly.

"The whole reason we have our council meeting in the middle of human populated areas was to keep us at bay, to make sure that there was a boundary that we could not cross for the sake of all of our people. It did not matter what country or what pack we came from. Violence amidst the Council's sessions is frowned upon, for fear of exposure. That rule was broken by wolves in Alpha Narvik's pack because... of the tensions between his and Alpha Helje's. Her issue has been addressed only to taunt her for being a female. It's shameful that so many of you frown upon her status, where would you be without your lunas?" He paused to take a sip of water. "Look where your disrespect has gotten us? Nothing was resolved, just more fuel was added to the fire. So much so, that we were almost exposed. Remember the last time there was a war between packs? There are still websites dedicated to those aerial photographs of us shifting. If not for their low quality we would end up right back being the human's experiments. If this is not fixed right now, at this very instant, we WILL jeopardize our kind once more."

Alpha Helje looked upon Alpha Pierce kindly. She knew she could speak for herself, it pised her off that a man had to speak for her in order for her problems to be heard. Maybe he will open up those misogynists' eyes to the importance her pack actually is to them.

Helje smiled. "Let's begin our resolutions then."