Chapter 24: Finish Your Statement
Kat suddenly scoffed, a bitter sound that drew every eye in the chamber directly to her. "Let her go, Kaleb," she said, her voice dripping with venomous disdain as she smoothed her dress. "She isn’t even needed here anyway. You spent years acting like Ironfang couldn’t survive without her, yet somehow we’re all still standing. "
Rhea let out a soft laugh. Her eyes slowly traveled down Kat’s form, taking in the trembling hands and the sour scent of her hidden panic, before she shook her head. "From where I am sitting, little sister, things look entirely different."
Kat’s mouth popped open to bark a retort, but Rhea simply hoisted a hand at her, silencing her instantly.
"The absolute worst thing you could do to me was steal a disloyal mate," Rhea continued, her voice smooth. "But you are going to find out very quickly how hard it is to keep him. The bar has been set exceptionally high, Kat. And let’s be honest, you simply do not have the teeth to run a pack."
"That has always been your flaw. You think you are untouchable, better than everyone else," Kat shot back. Her lips twitched violently, her fists clenching as she glared at Rhea with pure hatred. "But you are completely overrated, Rhea. And that is exactly why your pathetic little son—"
"Kat!" Kaleb roared.
Kat’s eyes snapped to him the sudden dominance in his tone making her swallow the rest of her words down a dry throat.
Rhea’s brows furrowed. Inside her, even River went dead silent, her ears pinning back in suddenly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Every Elder at the table leaned forward, their eyes locking onto the unfolding disaster.
"Finish that statement," Rhea whispered. The soft rumble of her voice made the blue torches above flicker. Her silver eyes narrowed into slits. "Don’t stop now, Kat."
Kat drew a deep breath and forced herself to lean back in her chair, her jaw locking as she refused to speak.
Rhea looked from Kaleb to Kat, her heart hammering painfully against her ribs. "Tell me what you were about to say!" she demanded, her voice cracking with a mother’s raw fury. "What about my son? Kaleb, what was she going to say?!"
"There was a child involved in this?" Elder Seraphine’s expression darkened. "Why was the Council not informed?"
Kaleb took in her sudden desperation, his broad shoulders puffing up as a smug confidence returned to his scent. "If you truly want the truth about Eli, Rhea, then you will have to come back to Ironfang. That is where the answers are."
Rhea’s vision went red. Her hand instinctively moved to her side, her fingers clamping onto the hilt of the knife at her side, ready to storm across the table and carve the truth out of his chest.
But before she could launch herself, a heavy hand clamped down over her wrist. Adam leaned his massive frame into her space, his broad shoulder completely shielding her from the Council’s prying eyes.
He flooded her senses with his grounding, dominant musk of pine and winter storms. "Remain calm, Rhea," he murmured, his deep baritone vibrating directly against her ear, holding her anchored to the spot.
Rhea’s eyes snapped up to his, her chest heaving violently against his hold.
"No! We tear his throat out now!" River howled in pure agony inside her chest, scratching and clawing frantically to break through the skin. "They know something about our pup! Make them bleed! Make them pay!"
Across the table, the Elders exchanged dark, heavy looks as the scent of grief and betrayal suffocated the room.
"This is clearly a far more serious atrocity than we were led to believe," Elder Rowan muttered, his deep brows furrowing as he fixed a hard, judging glare on Kaleb.
"Someone is guilty here, and that person will face the full weight of the Council’s sanction," another Elder added.
Rhea barely heard him. The background noise of the chamber faded into static as she locked her sights on Kaleb, her eyes flashing a dangerous, blinding silver.
"With or without your permission, I will find the truth about my son," she said, her voice dropping. "And until I do, you should remember that I know every weakness Ironfang has. And if you are not careful—" She let the threat trail off.
"You stole from your own pack?" Kaleb erupted, a frantic triumph flaring in his scent as he pointed a finger at her. "Have you truly fallen so low?" He whirled around to face the table, his chest heaving. "You all heard her. That is a confession! She breached my vault!"
But none of the Elders moved. They sat frozen, their heavy, oppressive auras weighing down on the room, watching Kaleb with absolute disdain.
"Why are you staying silent?" Kaleb demanded, his voice cracking as his golden eyes darted erratically from face to face.
"Because if we were to strictly follow the ancient laws of this Council, your head would already be rotting on a spike outside these gates," High Elder Magnus replied, his weathered hands tightening on the table.
A matching smile curved the lips of both Rhea and Adam.
Kaleb scoffed, shaking his head in denial. He snapped his gaze back to Rhea, his fangs threatening to push past his gums. "You had better watch your tongue, woman, because—"
"You should be very careful who you threaten, Kaleb." Rhea shot back, her voice rising just enough to command the room. "Every secret keeping your pack standing passed through my hands first."
Elder Rowan and Seraphina instantly leaned forward, their predatory attention locking onto Rhea.
"I will put you in the dirt for real this time before you even get the chance," Kaleb threatened, his Alpha aura flaring in a desperate wave.
"Not while I’m alive," Adam growled.
"Then be ready for war!" Kaleb fired back, the veins in his throat bulging violently as his wolf’s voice bled directly into his human cords.
Rhea let out a sharp, mocking laugh before she could stop herself. "War?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Don’t make me laugh, Kaleb. We both know you wouldn’t survive the first wave without me writing your strategies."
Kaleb scoffed, his fists trembling against the granite. "You think too highly of yourself, Rhea."
"Well, we are going to find out soon enough, aren’t we?" Rhea replied, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. "Pray my son is alive, Kaleb."
The room went silent.
Rhea rose from her chair. "Because if I discover that you lied to me again—" Her silver eyes locked onto his. "Not even this Council will be able to protect you."
