Page 19 of Bear Your Fate

“I am.”

Everyone at the table was familiar with the trouble Carrick’s fated mate had caused to his family. They also knew he wasn’t my consort, or else I would’ve included that in my recitation of my shifter connections. Knowing that Carrick still wanted to mate me, in spite of all that, was enough to make Ricardo back down while the remaining members of the council looked at me with new respect in their gazes.

“Good. That’s settled.” Seth swiveled in his chair to face forward again. “As I was going to say before the lion-shifter representative interrupted me, the petition was submitted anonymously. It requested that we provide Nixon and Nyssa, the newly born son and daughter of Camden and Selene McMahon, no standing in the shifter community. Jared will hand out a copy of the petition to each of you so you can see that it didn’t provide any evidence for why such a ruling should be made.”

As the folders were being handed out, Carrick bent low and whispered in my ear, “Jared is Seth’s second.”

“Ah, the best friend.”

Jared offered me a flirtatious smile when he set my folder in front of me, which earned him a growl from Carrick. “Impudent wolf.”

I bit my lip to stop myself from giggling, but my laughter ended when I opened the folder and read through the request to alienate Nixon and Nyssa from the shifter community so they’d have no standing. From what Carrick had explained to me as the limo was pulling into the parking garage, it was a punishment which was only considered when a shifter did something particularly heinous. But the only crime Nixon and Nyssa had committed was that they were born to a shifter father and witch mother. The person who deserved to lose their standing in the shifter community in this situation was the one who’d filed the petition in the first place.

“The petitioner didn’t supply any evidence to warrant the action they’re requesting. Since they chose to remain anonymous, we cannot ask them any questions. As such, I’d like to make a motion to dismiss the petition for insufficient reason.”

“Seconded,” three separate representatives called out. Unsurprisingly, Ricardo wasn’t one of them.

“All those in favor of the motion?”

“Aye,” everyone replied. I was relieved when the lion shifter’s voice joined the rest of us.

“All those against?”

There was silence.

“So moved.”

Seth rose from his chair and banged his fist against the table again. “Since the petition has been dismissed and it was the reason this emergency meeting was called, we’re adjourned.”

He turned swiftly and stormed from the room with Jared and Jane directly behind him. Carrick took my hand as we stood, sending a furious glare towards Ricardo before the lion shifter made a quick exit. Damien waited for us near the door, and it was funny to see how the other man darted around him.

“That went about how I expected,” he murmured as we walked towards the elevator. “The only twists were the declarations of love and your announcement that you plan to mate Audra.”

“And yet you didn’t look even the slightest bit surprised,” Carrick grumbled.

The dragon shifter shrugged his shoulders and stepped onto the elevator after the doors opened. When he raised a dark brow at the other council members waiting behind us, they backed away and let the doors close with only the three of us on board.

“The witches timed their council meeting to happen simultaneously with ours,” Damien informed us as we descended to the basement garage.

“Shit! That means Audra won’t have the chance to speak on Nixon and Nyssa’s behalf.”

“I’m not too worried. The decision will be easier for the witches,” I reassured Carrick.

“How so?”

“For a few reasons. First, there are only four factions to appease; one for each kind of elemental magic. There are more types of shifters than there are witches. Second, I’ve already laid a foundation of trust with the covens who had been on the fence about improving our relationship with the shifter community.” I paused in my explanation to give us enough time to exit the elevator, walk to the limo, and climb inside. “There are only a few die-hard factions remaining who’ll find it difficult to drum up support amongst the other covens. And lastly, they’ll be influenced by the decision made by the shifter council.”

“Why would that matter to them? Your council is independent of ours.”

“Not as much as you’d think,” I murmured, looking to Damien for approval to share information that had been kept quiet at his request. When he nodded, I continued, “They wouldn’t want to appear intolerant. Not when the shifters have demonstrated inclusivity towards witches three times already. First when Seth asked Selene to join them, then when he asked me to step into her role while she was unavailable, and finally when they dismissed that ridiculous petition.”

“I guess I can see how that would factor into their decision. When you list it out that like, it could appear lop-sided...giving the shifters and edge of witches.”

“It isn’t as lop-sided as you think,” I drawled. “There’s also the fact that they wouldn’t want to offend the shifter to whom they recently offered a seat on the council.”

“The Council of Four is going to include a shifter? How is that possible?”

“They haven’t announced it yet, but going forward they’ll be known as the Council of Five. There will be one seat for each kind of magic. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Dragon.”

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