Wolfsfoot (Kingdom of Wolves #1)

A knock on the door draws our attention, and the Mayorquickly walks over and opens it, and the large man that walks into the meetinghas Flint grinning.

“Ah, Alpha from the Spirit Walker Pack. How nice to seeyou.” Flint shakes hands with the male and after everyone has gone through thenodding, grunting, and other ways of saying hello I lift my head and look atFlint. I’ve kept my head down up to this point, not wanting to stir moreinterest my way.

“Tatiana Winterstorm. It’s a great pleasure to meet you.Your father was my best friend from when we were pups.”

Now able to give him my attention, I turn and smile. “It’slovely to meet you, Alpha.”

“I tried to visit you occasionally at Blackshadow Pack andwas always refused entry into the territory. Please forgive me for not stormingin and taking you by force. If the council, particularly Anika and Holah,hadn’t kept putting things in my way I would have gone to war to get you.”

For the first time, I look the Alpha in the eye and give hima warm look. “I thank you for caring, and it would never have happened. I waskept under constant watch, even when dignitaries like the council visited. Ifyou’d gone to war, I probably wouldn’t have lasted more than the first fewhours because Alpha Torrance would have killed me quickly.”

Eve Planter, who’d not spoken, stood and stared at Anika andHolah. “Don’t think this won’t be investigated, and if it’s found you left aninnocent female pup in danger, you’ll not be on this council any longer. Ulmer,Flint, Porter. Have you heard of this previously?”

Porter Riverrun slowly takes his feet. “I have not, but wewill get to the bottom of this. Tatiana, please forgive us for not knowing youwere in distress. Know that we will not be removing you from your home withLykos and Akela.”

Ulmer Oakfold also now stands and gives me a small smile.“We will investigate.”

Standing myself, I pull strength into my voice. “If you areinvestigating, you need to see who murdered my parents too, because it was noaccident they died. As the ruling shifter council, I demand you find answers,and if what I suspect happened, I also demand my revenge in the ‘old way’.”

Anika gasps and I turn my eyes to her, allowing Ebony toflow forward. I’m surprised when she cannot hold my gaze, which shows I am moredominant than she is, but not unnoticed by the rest of the room.

“Interesting.”

Turning, I lift an eyebrow at the Alpha of Spirit WalkerPack, and he chuckles while maintaining eye contact. I don’t move my gaze untilFlint speaks to me and I turn to reply.

“Tatiana, you are learning from the town council. Is thatright?”

“Yes. The town council has been lovely to me. They areteaching me a lot about pack life, rogue life, and how the shifter world works.Something that’s been lacking in my education to date.”

Wallace Webber speaks, gaining our attention. “Next week,Tatiana will work with me. We’ll be going through the businesses and showingher plans we have for the town in the future.”

Wallace is the only council member I have as yet spent notime with, but he seems a jolly man, always smiling as he greets people andI’ve yet to hear him raise his voice even when others have been shouting aroundhim.

Anika Greenstorm speaks. “Why are you teaching her all aboutrunning a pack? Which is what you are doing.”

“Why would we not? She has every right to know as much asevery other shifter. Being treated like a slave leaves quite a gap in one’seducation, wouldn’t you think?” Wallace responds, giving Anika a hard look.

“Shifters would not be taught pack leadership unless theywere in line to be an Alpha?” Anika insists, and that’s when I speak once more.

Sort this bitch out, Tati. Don’t let on everything we areif you can help it, but if you do, that’s okay.

Knowing Ebony is on board, I turn and look Anika Greenstormin the eye once more. “Why would I not? My parents were the pack leaders, my fatherthe Alpha, my mother the Luna. The Beta was holding the position until I comeof age, so why suddenly do you not think that the position of leader of thatpack is mine?”

“Yes, why would you think that Anika?” Flint asks, smirkingall the time he’s speaking.

“It would be unusual for a female to lead a pack. She wouldmeet her mate and he would lead; she would be Luna.” Anika tries to play offwhat’s not being said.

“You and Holah are in league with Alpha Torrance, aren’tyou?”

Spinning when I hear that, I can’t help my mouth fallingopen at the shock of it. When I see Gregor Redmaine standing to his fullheight, giving Anika and Holah who’s surprisingly kept quiet, the nastiest oflooks, I spin back around to see how they are going to respond.

Anika and Holah are growling and snarling. Poppa Lykos grabsmy arm and quickly leads me out of the office. The shouting, snarling, and thenfighting coming from the office isn’t just shocking, it’s downrightfrightening.

Flint opens the door, gives us a wink and grin, thenwhispers. “Go home. I’ll come over later, or I’ll contact you. But this is ashit storm that needs sorting out and you can’t help with that.”

On the way back to the farm, I can’t help but notice PoppaLykos is nearly skipping and Momma Akela is grinning like a fool.

‘Ebony, do you think we missed something?’