Chapter 79: The meeting
ALARIC’s POV
"It’s impossible for a she-wolf to be bonded to two males, much less four," Lord Callahan declared, his voice echoing coldly through the vast stone chamber where the monthly council meetings were held. "I’m afraid we have to move on to the next discussion rather than dwell on such matters of teenage hormones."
"I concur," Elder Magnus, one of the oldest in the room, gave a short, decisive nod. His wrinkled face was framed by a long white beard, eyes sharp despite his advanced age.
"Agreed," Elder Sylvester murmured, his portly frame shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"The Hollow Hound attack on the students is a far more pressing matter that needs to be addressed," Elder Iris, the only woman in the council filled with men, chimed in. Her stern expression and steel-grey hair pulled into a tight bun gave her an air of unyielding authority.
Alaric sighed inwardly. He knew this would happen. After Lord Callahan had already dismissed the earlier bond, there was no way he would accept a fourth one.
Alaric’s fear wasn’t just about the bond being dismissed, it was the dangerous consequences that came when a true mate bond was ignored for too long.
The council head, Alexander Paxton, cleared his throat. He was a man in his sixties with barely any black hair left on his balding head, yet his face lacked the deep lines one would expect to match those grey strands.
All eyes turned to him. For a long moment, he said nothing. His moon-shaped lens glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose as he focused on the folders spread before him. He opened one and began flipping through the pages with deliberate slowness.
An oppressive silence settled over the stone chamber. No one dared speak. They waited, tension thickening the air, until he finally stopped, cleared his throat again, and looked up.
"The last time I learned about a Hollow Hound," he started, his brows furrowed in concentration, "was two years ago. And supposedly, it was after a student."
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across everyone in the room. His eyes settled on Steven Maddox, who held the stare without flinching, his face a perfect mask of blank indifference.
"Your daughter," the council head continued, "The Hollow Hound has only ever been known to go after twins. They are sent to eradicate them because of the evil and chaos they bring to this world."
His eyes narrowed behind his moon-shaped lenses. "Now, I am curious as to why it is after your daughter again, two years later." He raised an eyebrow in question. "Is there something I am missing?"
"I dare say it’s a mere coincidence, sir," Steven answered smoothly.
"Hmm," John nodded slowly. "A mere coincidence."
But he didn’t look convinced.
"Like you said, and as the rules in our world dictate, twins are forbidden," Steven went on, shifting slightly in his seat. "And none of them would have lived long enough to even see their eighteenth year."
He looked around the room, his voice steady and measured. "My wife and I are loyal to the council and the laws governing the werewolf world. Surely, you don’t believe we would have broken them just to satisfy ourselves. Would we?"
No one spoke.
But Alaric noticed the deepened confusion on their faces, as if they were quietly weighing his words.
"There’s nothing to think about," Elder Iris said, hands clasped under her chin. "All births are recorded. Nothing would have bypassed us if that were the case."
That was right, Alaric mused. Yet he felt even more confused than the others looked.
More questions kept piling up in his head, but he had no answers to any of them.
"Explain how the Hollow Hound came about then," Elder Magnus said, turning his sharp gaze on Steven. "Is there something about your daughter we need to know?"
"She’s like every other werewolf in the academy," Steven said. "There’s nothing overly special about her other than the fact that she’s pure-blooded."
"And she’s the girl with four mates now," Lord Callahan added, his voice leaning heavily toward sarcasm. "Keeps collecting them like poker cards. She even added my son to the fray."
"Hmm," the council head hummed, scribbling something on his notepad. He set the pen down with a soft click, his gaze drifting somewhere across the room.
Another silence settled. Until the council head broke it. He turned his attention back to Steven.
"Your daughter was missing two months ago," he began.
Alaric fought the urge to snort. This meeting had been called a council session, but it no longer felt like one. It had turned into a prolonged interrogation of Steven Maddox. That was all they had done for the past two hours.
He could see how increasingly uncomfortable Steven was becoming under the relentless scrutiny. He wouldn’t blame him. Alaric would have felt the same if they kept drilling him about his own daughter.
But it was the procedure. A high-level threat targeting the same student twice demanded thorough investigation to uncover the root of the problem.
"Did she tell you anything about her kidnapping?" the council head asked. "What she saw? Who was responsible?"
"We tried," Steven replied, his voice solemn. His shoulders rose and fell with a heavy exhale. "We didn’t get much from her."
"In other words, his daughter has temporary amnesia," Alaric added, as the others stared at Steven in visible confusion.
"Interesting," Lord Callahan stroked his chin, eyes narrowed. "She’s been hunted, acquired several mates, and now amnesia." He chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Quite the resume for one girl."
The vast stone chamber felt colder than usual, its high arched ceilings and ancient tapestries doing little to warm the heavy atmosphere.
"Do you have a problem with me?" Steven’s eyes darkened, his jaw clenching so tightly the muscle stood out like a cord. "Say it plainly and stop trying to come at my daughter."
Lord Callahan’s lips pursed in disdain. "A problem with an eighteen-year-old child?" He let out a short, mocking scoff, wrinkling his nose. "Why should I?"
"Maybe because you’ve been nothing but snarky and had nothing of importance to say about the actual situation," Steven shot back. "An elder picking on children, now I understand why your own son hates you."
Lord Callahan shot to his feet. His face twisted with raw rage, veins bulging along his temples.
This can’t be good, Alaric mused, tension coiling in his gut.
Lord Callahan and Steven Maddox were both respected Alphas in their communities. However, Lord Callahan held a higher rank on the council. Respect was supposed to be non-negotiable.
"I want your daughter to stay away from my son," Lord Callahan seethed. "Ever since this damned mate bond appeared, he’s lost all sense of responsibility and can only think about what’s between her legs!"
"I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree," Steven replied coldly.
"How dare you?!" Lord Callahan growled, stepping forward.
"No — how dare you?!" Steven shouted back, rising from his seat.
"Enough," the council head murmured. But no one paid him any attention.
"You think I’m ever going to accept a bond between my son and her?" Lord Callahan’s lips twisted in disgust. "A bitch who has spread her legs for half the people in this place?!"
"Oh, she got that from her whore of a mother—"
Steven launched himself across the long oak table with shocking speed. His fist collided with Lord Callahan’s face before anyone could stop him. The sharp crack of bone meeting flesh echoed through the chamber.
Elder Magnus and Alaric moved quickly, grabbing Steven and holding him down.
"Get my wife’s name out of your filthy mouth, you piece of shit!"
Lord Callahan hissed in pain, clutching his rapidly bruising cheek. He stared at Steven in utter disbelief. "You hit me?"
"Yes," Steven spat, eyes blazing with fury. "And I’ll do it again!"
"Enough," the council head said again.
"You hit me because I said the truth about that slut—"
"Let me go!" Steven growled, struggling against the hands holding him down.
"I said enough!" The council head slammed his palm onto the table. The sharp crack echoed through the chamber like a gunshot, sending a visible jolt of fear through everyone present.
Silence fell instantly.
"Sit. Everyone," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Everyone obeyed, chairs scraping against the stone floor as they returned to their seats.
"I will not tolerate this childish behavior from any of you," he grunted. "One more act of disrespect and you will sit out the next five meetings."
The two men grumbled under their breath but said nothing more.
"Now, back to the matter at hand." The council head said. "I have come to a conclusion."
"The attack will be investigated further to determine the cause." He stated. A few heads nodded in agreement around the table.
"And as for the mate bonds," he paused, brows furrowed in that familiar way whenever he was searching for the right words. "We still need more understanding on the matter."
"Hence, no official recognition shall be granted at this time. The existing bonds remain under investigation, and any additional claims of bonding are to be reported immediately." He declared.
Alaric let out an almost silent scoff. They were treating it like a disease. That was exactly what he had expected.
"This meeting is dismissed." The council head said. He looked at Alaric. "See me."
Everyone left the room except for Alaric.
