***

It had been a few weeks since we had gotten Emma back. Diya was busy planning her wedding back in Delhi but we would video chat often. I wasn’t even sure where to begin with wedding planning so Diya and Emma said they would take care of everything. Every few days they would ask me simple things like what my favorite flower was or my favorite color. Kai’s mother asked me if I wanted to wear a Sari on our wedding day and I told her yes. I loved the Indian culture and the thought of wearing a red sari just like in my vision made me happy.

I had called my mother to share the news of our engagement and she was actually happy, a little apprehensive that it was all happening so fast, but happy.

Kai had stepped up security on the mountain and at all of the pack houses in Portland. Each home had state of the art security and was equipped with a large arsenal of vampire killing weapons. Our daily training sessions now included staking a vampire and how best to fight them. We all knew we were preparing for something, we just weren’t sure what exactly.

I had just reached home after teaching a self-defense class with Izzy at Safe Haven. We were exiting the car when I smelled something. Foreign wolves. I looked around and noticed a few black cars that weren’t pack. Izzy looked at me but I sent her home.

‘Who’s here?’ I asked Kai.

‘My father and the rest of the council. Come in quietly and don’t speak.’

What the hell. Don’t speak.

I tried to smooth my hair down. I was sweaty and wearing a tank top with yoga pants. Not exactly how I wanted to greet the council. I hadn’t even been properly introduced to Kai’s father last time. I used my key and opened the door.

The twelve council members sat on the couches and some had pulled chairs up. Kai was sitting in the middle of the room with a dry eraser board. He looked at me and put a finger to his lips. I heard a car door slam and smelled a witch. Sylvia. I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

‘What’s going on?’

‘We need to talk about RAIDOS but they are listening. Just now, we found out that one of the trees out back is bugged. Sylvia is going to magically keep our conversation safe.’

Sylvia gave a light knock and let herself in. She glanced around briefly and nodded at me. She seemed to know what was going on. She pulled some white salt from her bag and began sprinkling it around. Then she placed a purple crystal in the center of the room and began walking around to each council member and held out her hand.

“I need a piece of your hair,” she whispered. They reluctantly gave it to her. When she came to me I happily gave her a piece. I watched, fascinated, as she wound each person’s hair around the purple crystal in the center of the room. Then she whispered, “Let their words make no sound. Let none hear it for all around.” A fine mist crept out of the crystal and created a dome above our heads.

She spoke loudly now. “You may speak freely. I will wait outside. Come get me when you are finished.”

“Thank you, Sylvia,” Kai told her. I noticed he was trusting her more and more. That was good because I really wanted to learn more about witches and spell craft.

Kai’s father stepped towards me. “First let me properly introduce myself. I am Raj, Kai’s father.  I’m sorry we have to keep meeting under these dire circumstances.” I shook his outstretched hand and didn’t make eye contact.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I told him as Kai placed a hand on my shoulder.

Jane smiled at me. “Aurora, thank you for helping me find my mate.”

I nodded.

A large Native American wolf placed both of his palms up. “Enough pleasantries, tell us everything you know about this government group that’s tracking supernaturals. We haven’t been told anything!”

I took a deep breath and told them everything.

“You offered an alliance!” Raj shouted. I tried not to let my wolf out.

“Yes, I offered an alliance between RAIDOS and MY pack. I am second in command, I did what I felt is best for our pack.” I met Kai’s father’s eyes briefly and then glanced at Kai. He looked proud.

“You are not a council member. You cannot offer an alliance with humans. That’s the council’s decision,” Raj challenged.

Okay, now I was getting pissed off.

“I was knocked unconscious, tied up with silver chains and my life was threatened! I can do whatever the hell I want!” I shouted and immediately recoiled. Raj and I weren’t getting off to the best start. He looked like he wanted to take my head off. Kai stepped forward and placed himself in between his father and I.

“What would you have her do, Papa? Reject an alliance so they have reason to kill her? There is a war coming. We need allies. The witches have agreed to side with us. Now we have allied with humans. Together we may be able to save our race. Together we can live long enough to live out the new relationships and pregnancies that my mate has helped start!”

His father looked to the other council members and nodded. They seemed to be having a conversation in their heads. How can they do that?

“Then there are two more things left to discuss,” Jane told us.

“Should we publically reveal our species to the humans and would you both like a seat on the council?”

What the hell?

“NO and NO,” Kai answered. “Aurora and I aren’t interested in politics and the humans aren’t ready for the knowledge of our kind.”

Okay, I would have liked to answer for myself but I agreed. I didn’t want to be on some stuffy council. But I wasn’t sure I agreed with Kai about the humans not being ready for knowledge of our kind. If a vampire war was coming and the humans were going to be enslaved, then maybe they deserved to know who was fighting for them.