There were some murmurs from the pack, the tone of which seemed to acknowledge Rory’s statement as being valid. The council appeared outraged but, after casting a leery glance at the still-muttering pack, remained silent.
“Tonight marks another new beginning for the Sparrowhawks. Even as the wolf who stands alone dies alone, so too does the pack without allies, destined to fade into obscurity.” He pointed to the Raven pack’s alpha. “A few months ago, Alex Wolfe found and mated his one, Kiesha Morgan. His one is cousin to mine, Shayla Morgan.” He gestured to Shannon. “You all know my sister, Shannon. She’s now a member of the Raven pack, with my full approval and blessing. Based on the blood that binds us, the Ravens and Sparrowhawks have entered into an alliance.”
While the pack was adjusting to the news, Rory nodded to Alex, who howled. A chorus of howls answered him, and more than just a few. Ashley spun with the rest of the pack, looking into the surrounding forest. A multitude of glowing eyes stared back. The outline of wolves formed as they drew closer—much larger, much stronger wolves. They surrounded the Sparrowhawks. Ravens, in wolf form.
There was more nervous chattering as the Sparrowhawks defensively drew closer together.
“This is an outrage,” Graham snarled, a hint of fear in his eyes.
“You made a decision without discussing it with the council? Why weren’t we notified of your intentions?” Bertram asked.
Wesley looked around at the wolves, then at his nephew. His face mottled with fury.
Rory’s left eyebrow arched. “I’m alpha. I discussed the issue with those who mattered—my mate, my brother, my men—before approaching Alex with the offer of an official pack alliance.”
It was a verbal slap in the face.
“And I, in turn, discussed it with my mate, my second, and my elders before agreeing,” Alex added.
“Where is your second?” Graham asked.
“She wasn’t needed for this,” Alex answered.
“She!” the old fart choked. Ashley rolled her eyes. The ancient wolf needed to do everyone a favor and die. She didn’t care that he was her uncle.
Alex didn’t bother responding, but his mate leaned over and whispered something to the human. She, in turn, rolled her eyes, then whispered something back. With their faces that close together, Ashley could see the family resemblance.
“What, exactly, do we get out of this alliance?” Bertram asked.
“More resources, more business prospects, a bigger pool of mates to hunt in. The Raven pack has medical resources we don’t. Their pack’s larger, stronger, more modern. It’s what we’re trying to become,” Rory said.
At the mention of mates, all the unmated males and several of the unmated females perked up. The females looked at the surrounding males with a gleam in their eyes, and some began primping. The Ravens’ males returned their looks with interest.
While hunting outside of your pack wasn’t forbidden, it wasn’t always strategic to do so, as pack politics tended to come into play. This new alliance with the Ravens just opened up a world of opportunity. Not that she cared. She already had her sights set on a mate.
“What are they getting out of it?” Wesley asked. “Seems like everything’s weighted in our favor.”
The Ravens’ alpha-fem spoke up. “We get the privilege of making sure you fuckers know if you touch my cousin or her child, there’ll be hell to pay.”
Alex closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. Rory and his siblings grinned. Shannon’s male didn’t show any reaction. He kept watching the pack, his gaze going from person to person as though looking for something. And the human? Well, she laughed.
“That’s not the way I would have phrased it,” Alex amended, “but what she stated is the truth. Because of our mates, Rory, Kian, Shannon, and I are family now. Their enemies are mine,” he finished in a hard voice with a cold stare. Gone was the affable persona, and in its place was the alpha that ruled a pack of over two hundred.
Ashley’s gut twisted, and her blood ran cold. She took in the posture of the group standing before them, shoulder to shoulder, and felt her dreams go up in smoke. Only a fool would go after the human now, and though Ashley was many things, foolish wasn’t one of them.
Chapter Seventeen
As the pack dealt with Wolfe’s announcement, a confusing blend of scents swept through its midst, mirroring her own—fear, confusion, dismay, a hint of anger, and a whiff of trepidation.
“Which brings me to our next order of business. Laurie Bell, please step forward,” Rory requested in a mild tone, breaking the silence.
The strangeness of the request had her forgetting her own problems. Laurie Bell, her slim body encased in jeans and a white T-shirt, long hair gathered in a ponytail at her nape, pushed her way through until she stood a few feet in front of Caleb and Michael, a quizzical expression on her serene, Madonna-like face. God, just for once Ashley wished others could see behind the mask her mother wore.
Alex and the male with Shannon moved to stand slightly behind and to either side of her. Ashley’s, along with every other pack member’s, interest sharpened. Why had they flanked her like that, she wondered as Rory stepped past his second and third until he stood directly in front of her mother. She moved to a better position that allowed her to see her mother’s expression and still keep everyone in view.
If the two men standing behind her mother perturbed Laurie Bell, it didn’t show. She kept the same placid, mildly confused but agreeable expression on her face. “Yes, alpha?”
“Laurie Bell, you’ve been accused of a heinous crime against the pack. How do you plead?” Rory asked, his expression neutral.
Her mother tilted her head to the side, a faintly amused smile on her face even as her brows furrowed in puzzlement. “All right. What’s the crime?”
“Attempted murder of the alpha pair’s unborn child,” he announced.
There were gasps and cries of outraged denial from the pack. Ashley whistled under her breath. Man, that was ballsy, even for her mother. Did she really believe she wouldn’t get caught? What am I thinking? Of course Laurie Bell thought she’d get away with it.
Laurie Bell’s mouth dropped open, and she brought her hand up to capture her gasp. “You’re serious? Someone actually accused me of doing something so…so dreadful?” Tears welled up in those innocent-looking eyes.
“How do you plead?” Rory repeated.
“My God, you actually believe…” Her voice trailed off, and she examined the alpha’s expression. He didn’t crack a smile. No mercy there, Ashley thought. Her mother’s gaze slid past Rory to zero in on the human. “Shay, I’m a healer. I save lives, not destroy them. You can ask any person in this pack. I would never do something so…so…” She shook her head, apparently too overcome to speak. The sheen of tears sparkled in her eyes.
Bravo, Mother, bravo! Talk about an award-winning performance. If I didn’t know you to be the viper you are, I’d believe you. I can’t even smell your lies.
“You plead not guilty?” Rory asked.
“Of course I’m not guilty,” her mother responded, her voice containing just the right amount of injured outrage.
“What’s the meaning of this? Who would dare point the finger at Laurie Bell, after all she’s done and continues to do for this pack?” Uncle Graham demanded.
Questions were shouted out as the pack demanded more information. Laurie Bell was a beloved member whose legacy as a pack healer went back several generations. Ashley wasn’t surprised only she, and possibly the alpha, believed her mother capable of murder, and even Ashley wasn’t sure. God knew her mother was cold enough to accomplish it.