Chapter 130
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"Well, it sounds like a fascinating story to me. I am all ears!" - Finally said Mr. Boyle, looking at his colleagues. Mr. Benne frowned, peering at the girl worriedly. And Mrs. Stormbridge seemed curious, although her face remained utterly unmoved.
Lana took a step forward and tried not to look at the former Alpha of the Benne Pack, began her story. There was no point in hiding details about their relationship with Ralph if she had already decided to tell the whole truth. With every word, Mr. Benne's face grew darker. His colleagues now and then threw concerned glances at him, but Lana was not going to sweeten the pill. Everything already went too far. Time to face the truth, no matter how painful it could be.
When Lana finished her story, silence hung in the hall. Paul moved closer Even now this arrogant man terribly annoyed Lana, but for some reason, his presence calmed her down a little. In any case, even if in this situation he was not on her side, but at least he will definitely defend the interests of Greg. Perhaps that is why Paul took the opportunity to accompany her.
"This boy!" - Mr. Benne said quietly with a sigh, shaking his head. Now he suddenly looked even older, as if he aged in a few minutes. His face was tired and sad. - "After all, I felt that something was wrong with your union. But still decided not to pay attention, hoping that at least in something Ralph could find his happiness."
" Wait, Adam. We can't just believe her like that. This whole story smells fishy." - Halted him Mrs. Stormbridge. Her eyes darkened, and deep wrinkles, which had not been visible before, appeared in the corners of her mouth, making her appear threatening. - "How easy it is to force everything on Ian, and to pretend to be an innocent sheep! It is very simple to throw accusations at others when you don't try to lift a finger yourself!"
Her words made Lana flinch. After all, these thoughts were not spinning only in that woman head. Loser, failure, sheer disappointment, weakling. Those words and more hunted Lana for years days and nights.
"Dear," - suddenly said Paul, stepping forward, and looking directly at the councilwoman. - "Do you have children?"
The woman cast an indignant look at the guy.
"I can see the answer in your eyes," - Paul continued without waiting for a reply. - "Then tell me, what would you pick, your personal comfort or security for your children? Would you choose just to take your kids and go who knows where not knowing whether you can feed them tomorrow or put them in a normal bed at night?"
"She is a wolf! And I can not imagine that any representative of our kinds could easily tolerate such humiliation and do nothing!" - The woman snapped, throwing a contemptuous glance at Ruslana. Only now this stare didn't make the girl feel bad. On the contrary, Lana straightened her back and met Mrs. Stormbridge's eyes without looking away.
" I am a mother and a Mate of Gregory Wells." - She said firmly and confidently. - "And my primary duty is to protect my family. And I would endure much more than a few broken bones if it means the security and safety of my loved ones. Yes, maybe I didn't always make the right decisions. But I'm not sorry and nothing to be ashamed in front of you. Do not judge me! I am not here to accuse my father of an old offense. But to open all the cards and protect what I finally obtained. Love and home. And if all the representatives of the Council are the same as you, then I don't get at all what my father was so afraid about. For what he is trying so hard to hide his deception to become one of the members?! Judging by your reaction, all this is perfectly acceptable for you!"
The woman gritted her teeth at Lana's words and wanted to retort when she was interrupted by the soft, gravelly voice of Mr. Benne.
" You're right, girl. And I thank you for coming." - his tired eyes warmed a bit looking at Lana, and a tired smile appeared on his lips. - "In fact, the three of us gathered here today, not for casual chit-chat. I came today to old friends with a request."
"Adam!" - Mrs. Stormbridge jumped up, trying to stop him, but the man only smiled reassuringly at her, reached out and patted her hand pacifying.
"Tonia, thank you for worrying. But do not forget, Ruslana is also the mother of my lovely grandchildren. My son not only failed to protect them, but he also threw his family into this mess himself. It is my responsibility to figure out this matter now."
Having said this, he turned back to Lana.
"The fact is that Ralph has disappeared. I found out about what was happening in the pack by accident and was very concerned. Daniel did not want me to interfere in all this. But I feel my responsibility. I arranged this situation, having put the boys against each other in the hope that they would manage to learn from this situation. I hoped for Ralph to get that even though I didn't give him the Benne pack, he still could be an Alpha of his own if he wanted it so much. But I overestimated him as most parents do. Therefore, I tried to at least help with the search for my good for nothing son. As a result, we were able to find their last shelter and ..."
Lana's felt chill inside, spreading through the chest. A strange premonition settled in the heart.
"All Ralph's friends were found dead." - Mr. Boyle ended the sentence for the former Alpha, seeing how hard it was for his old friend. This man's face was utterly impenetrable, and his eyes glittered like steel. - "The body of Ralph was not found, but his smell breaks off at this point. We checked everything, and there can be only one conclusion."
"Has someone kidnapped him?" - The words flew out of Lana's mouth by itself. - "But why?"
"And That is the main question." - the councilman continued closely studying the face of the girl. - "Who do you think would benefit from the disappearance of Ralph or his death?"
Lana froze. A string of assumptions flashed through her head. But the most likely option was only three.
"Daniel, you and your new lover." - as if in confirmation of her thoughts stated the shifter. - "And what's even more interesting is the case of the two killed loners you mentioned. It caught my attention too. Besides, one of them is Ralph's friend. What a confidant? Don't you think this is too convenient? First, your Greg is paying a visit to your ex-husband and his buddies and then kills another random shifter. Next, you are deciding to blame your daddy, like you already did before. Ian is a tough leader, many fear and hates him, and your story sounds believable. Especially knowing that your Mate is just a mere human. Shifters are often underestimating the power of ordinary humans, completely forgetting that people destroyed much more of their own kind than shifters even in their darkest time."
His words sounded like hammer blows on an anvil. Even in Mr. Benne eyes appeared sparks of the doubt.
But this time, Lana did not hesitate a second. She quickly walked over to the legendary loner and looked straight into his eyes.
"If you suspect me, then I demand a duel. I'm ready to defend my innocence and Greg's honesty. He is my Mate, so I have the right to say that I am sure of his innocence for one hundred percent and can testify for it."
"What are you talking about?" - Hissed Paul, immediately jumping up to Lana and grabbing her hand, tried to drag her away. But the girl stayed still as if was made of stone, he couldn't budge her at all.
Paul has already regretted a thousand times that he decided to provoke this little girl before meeting with The Council. It seems human logic has not always worked with werewolves as it should. He remembered too late, that even the calmest dog if you pull its tail too hard, will bite your face off sooner or later.
"I accept your challenge." - Mrs. Stormbridge's voice thundered in silence, forcing everyone to turn around. Paul startled when he saw the broad smile of a not so young woman and long white fangs that appeared from under his upper lip. Only one thought remained, spinning in his head again and again: "Greg so gonna kill me. Or these freaks will eat me first. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut?!"
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"Well, it sounds like a fascinating story to me. I am all ears!" - Finally said Mr. Boyle, looking at his colleagues. Mr. Benne frowned, peering at the girl worriedly. And Mrs. Stormbridge seemed curious, although her face remained utterly unmoved.
Lana took a step forward and tried not to look at the former Alpha of the Benne Pack, began her story. There was no point in hiding details about their relationship with Ralph if she had already decided to tell the whole truth. With every word, Mr. Benne's face grew darker. His colleagues now and then threw concerned glances at him, but Lana was not going to sweeten the pill. Everything already went too far. Time to face the truth, no matter how painful it could be.
When Lana finished her story, silence hung in the hall. Paul moved closer Even now this arrogant man terribly annoyed Lana, but for some reason, his presence calmed her down a little. In any case, even if in this situation he was not on her side, but at least he will definitely defend the interests of Greg. Perhaps that is why Paul took the opportunity to accompany her.
"This boy!" - Mr. Benne said quietly with a sigh, shaking his head. Now he suddenly looked even older, as if he aged in a few minutes. His face was tired and sad. - "After all, I felt that something was wrong with your union. But still decided not to pay attention, hoping that at least in something Ralph could find his happiness."
" Wait, Adam. We can't just believe her like that. This whole story smells fishy." - Halted him Mrs. Stormbridge. Her eyes darkened, and deep wrinkles, which had not been visible before, appeared in the corners of her mouth, making her appear threatening. - "How easy it is to force everything on Ian, and to pretend to be an innocent sheep! It is very simple to throw accusations at others when you don't try to lift a finger yourself!"
Her words made Lana flinch. After all, these thoughts were not spinning only in that woman head. Loser, failure, sheer disappointment, weakling. Those words and more hunted Lana for years days and nights.
"Dear," - suddenly said Paul, stepping forward, and looking directly at the councilwoman. - "Do you have children?"
The woman cast an indignant look at the guy.
"I can see the answer in your eyes," - Paul continued without waiting for a reply. - "Then tell me, what would you pick, your personal comfort or security for your children? Would you choose just to take your kids and go who knows where not knowing whether you can feed them tomorrow or put them in a normal bed at night?"
"She is a wolf! And I can not imagine that any representative of our kinds could easily tolerate such humiliation and do nothing!" - The woman snapped, throwing a contemptuous glance at Ruslana. Only now this stare didn't make the girl feel bad. On the contrary, Lana straightened her back and met Mrs. Stormbridge's eyes without looking away.
" I am a mother and a Mate of Gregory Wells." - She said firmly and confidently. - "And my primary duty is to protect my family. And I would endure much more than a few broken bones if it means the security and safety of my loved ones. Yes, maybe I didn't always make the right decisions. But I'm not sorry and nothing to be ashamed in front of you. Do not judge me! I am not here to accuse my father of an old offense. But to open all the cards and protect what I finally obtained. Love and home. And if all the representatives of the Council are the same as you, then I don't get at all what my father was so afraid about. For what he is trying so hard to hide his deception to become one of the members?! Judging by your reaction, all this is perfectly acceptable for you!"
The woman gritted her teeth at Lana's words and wanted to retort when she was interrupted by the soft, gravelly voice of Mr. Benne.
" You're right, girl. And I thank you for coming." - his tired eyes warmed a bit looking at Lana, and a tired smile appeared on his lips. - "In fact, the three of us gathered here today, not for casual chit-chat. I came today to old friends with a request."
"Adam!" - Mrs. Stormbridge jumped up, trying to stop him, but the man only smiled reassuringly at her, reached out and patted her hand pacifying.
"Tonia, thank you for worrying. But do not forget, Ruslana is also the mother of my lovely grandchildren. My son not only failed to protect them, but he also threw his family into this mess himself. It is my responsibility to figure out this matter now."
Having said this, he turned back to Lana.
"The fact is that Ralph has disappeared. I found out about what was happening in the pack by accident and was very concerned. Daniel did not want me to interfere in all this. But I feel my responsibility. I arranged this situation, having put the boys against each other in the hope that they would manage to learn from this situation. I hoped for Ralph to get that even though I didn't give him the Benne pack, he still could be an Alpha of his own if he wanted it so much. But I overestimated him as most parents do. Therefore, I tried to at least help with the search for my good for nothing son. As a result, we were able to find their last shelter and ..."
Lana's felt chill inside, spreading through the chest. A strange premonition settled in the heart.
"All Ralph's friends were found dead." - Mr. Boyle ended the sentence for the former Alpha, seeing how hard it was for his old friend. This man's face was utterly impenetrable, and his eyes glittered like steel. - "The body of Ralph was not found, but his smell breaks off at this point. We checked everything, and there can be only one conclusion."
"Has someone kidnapped him?" - The words flew out of Lana's mouth by itself. - "But why?"
"And That is the main question." - the councilman continued closely studying the face of the girl. - "Who do you think would benefit from the disappearance of Ralph or his death?"
Lana froze. A string of assumptions flashed through her head. But the most likely option was only three.
"Daniel, you and your new lover." - as if in confirmation of her thoughts stated the shifter. - "And what's even more interesting is the case of the two killed loners you mentioned. It caught my attention too. Besides, one of them is Ralph's friend. What a confidant? Don't you think this is too convenient? First, your Greg is paying a visit to your ex-husband and his buddies and then kills another random shifter. Next, you are deciding to blame your daddy, like you already did before. Ian is a tough leader, many fear and hates him, and your story sounds believable. Especially knowing that your Mate is just a mere human. Shifters are often underestimating the power of ordinary humans, completely forgetting that people destroyed much more of their own kind than shifters even in their darkest time."
His words sounded like hammer blows on an anvil. Even in Mr. Benne eyes appeared sparks of the doubt.
But this time, Lana did not hesitate a second. She quickly walked over to the legendary loner and looked straight into his eyes.
"If you suspect me, then I demand a duel. I'm ready to defend my innocence and Greg's honesty. He is my Mate, so I have the right to say that I am sure of his innocence for one hundred percent and can testify for it."
"What are you talking about?" - Hissed Paul, immediately jumping up to Lana and grabbing her hand, tried to drag her away. But the girl stayed still as if was made of stone, he couldn't budge her at all.
Paul has already regretted a thousand times that he decided to provoke this little girl before meeting with The Council. It seems human logic has not always worked with werewolves as it should. He remembered too late, that even the calmest dog if you pull its tail too hard, will bite your face off sooner or later.
"I accept your challenge." - Mrs. Stormbridge's voice thundered in silence, forcing everyone to turn around. Paul startled when he saw the broad smile of a not so young woman and long white fangs that appeared from under his upper lip. Only one thought remained, spinning in his head again and again: "Greg so gonna kill me. Or these freaks will eat me first. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut?!"
"Well, it sounds like a fascinating story to me. I am all ears!" - Finally said Mr. Boyle, looking at his colleagues. Mr. Benne frowned, peering at the girl worriedly. And Mrs. Stormbridge seemed curious, although her face remained utterly unmoved. Lana took a step forward and tried not to look at the former Alpha of the Benne Pack, began her story. There was no point in hiding details about their relationship with Ralph if she had already decided to tell the whole truth. With every word, Mr. Benne's face grew darker. His colleagues now and then threw concerned glances at him, but Lana was not going to sweeten the pill. Everything already went too far. Time to face the truth, no matter how painful it could be.When Lana finished her story, silence hung in the hall. Paul moved closer Even now this arrogant man terribly annoyed Lana, but for some reason, his presence calmed her down a little. In any case, even if in this situation he was not on her side, but at least he will definitely defend the interests of Greg. Perhaps that is why Paul took the opportunity to accompany her."This boy!" - Mr. Benne said quietly with a sigh, shaking his head. Now he suddenly looked even older, as if he aged in a few minutes. His face was tired and sad. - "After all, I felt that something was wrong with your union. But still decided not to pay attention, hoping that at least in something Ralph could find his happiness."" Wait, Adam. We can't just believe her like that. This whole story smells fishy." - Halted him Mrs. Stormbridge. Her eyes darkened, and deep wrinkles, which had not been visible before, appeared in the corners of her mouth, making her appear threatening. - "How easy it is to force everything on Ian, and to pretend to be an innocent sheep! It is very simple to throw accusations at others when you don't try to lift a finger yourself!"Her words made Lana flinch. After all, these thoughts were not spinning only in that woman head. Loser, failure, sheer disappointment, weakling. Those words and more hunted Lana for years days and nights."Dear," - suddenly said Paul, stepping forward, and looking directly at the councilwoman. - "Do you have children?"The woman cast an indignant look at the guy."I can see the answer in your eyes," - Paul continued without waiting for a reply. - "Then tell me, what would you pick, your personal comfort or security for your children? Would you choose just to take your kids and go who knows where not knowing whether you can feed them tomorrow or put them in a normal bed at night?""She is a wolf! And I can not imagine that any representative of our kinds could easily tolerate such humiliation and do nothing!" - The woman snapped, throwing a contemptuous glance at Ruslana. Only now this stare didn't make the girl feel bad. On the contrary, Lana straightened her back and met Mrs. Stormbridge's eyes without looking away." I am a mother and a Mate of Gregory Wells." - She said firmly and confidently. - "And my primary duty is to protect my family. And I would endure much more than a few broken bones if it means the security and safety of my loved ones. Yes, maybe I didn't always make the right decisions. But I'm not sorry and nothing to be ashamed in front of you. Do not judge me! I am not here to accuse my father of an old offense. But to open all the cards and protect what I finally obtained. Love and home. And if all the representatives of the Council are the same as you, then I don't get at all what my father was so afraid about. For what he is trying so hard to hide his deception to become one of the members?! Judging by your reaction, all this is perfectly acceptable for you!"The woman gritted her teeth at Lana's words and wanted to retort when she was interrupted by the soft, gravelly voice of Mr. Benne." You're right, girl. And I thank you for coming." - his tired eyes warmed a bit looking at Lana, and a tired smile appeared on his lips. - "In fact, the three of us gathered here today, not for casual chit-chat. I came today to old friends with a request.""Adam!" - Mrs. Stormbridge jumped up, trying to stop him, but the man only smiled reassuringly at her, reached out and patted her hand pacifying. "Tonia, thank you for worrying. But do not forget, Ruslana is also the mother of my lovely grandchildren. My son not only failed to protect them, but he also threw his family into this mess himself. It is my responsibility to figure out this matter now."Having said this, he turned back to Lana."The fact is that Ralph has disappeared. I found out about what was happening in the pack by accident and was very concerned. Daniel did not want me to interfere in all this. But I feel my responsibility. I arranged this situation, having put the boys against each other in the hope that they would manage to learn from this situation. I hoped for Ralph to get that even though I didn't give him the Benne pack, he still could be an Alpha of his own if he wanted it so much. But I overestimated him as most parents do. Therefore, I tried to at least help with the search for my good for nothing son. As a result, we were able to find their last shelter and ..."Lana's felt chill inside, spreading through the chest. A strange premonition settled in the heart."All Ralph's friends were found dead." - Mr. Boyle ended the sentence for the former Alpha, seeing how hard it was for his old friend. This man's face was utterly impenetrable, and his eyes glittered like steel. - "The body of Ralph was not found, but his smell breaks off at this point. We checked everything, and there can be only one conclusion." "Has someone kidnapped him?" - The words flew out of Lana's mouth by itself. - "But why?""And That is the main question." - the councilman continued closely studying the face of the girl. - "Who do you think would benefit from the disappearance of Ralph or his death?"Lana froze. A string of assumptions flashed through her head. But the most likely option was only three."Daniel, you and your new lover." - as if in confirmation of her thoughts stated the shifter. - "And what's even more interesting is the case of the two killed loners you mentioned. It caught my attention too. Besides, one of them is Ralph's friend. What a confidant? Don't you think this is too convenient? First, your Greg is paying a visit to your ex-husband and his buddies and then kills another random shifter. Next, you are deciding to blame your daddy, like you already did before. Ian is a tough leader, many fear and hates him, and your story sounds believable. Especially knowing that your Mate is just a mere human. Shifters are often underestimating the power of ordinary humans, completely forgetting that people destroyed much more of their own kind than shifters even in their darkest time."His words sounded like hammer blows on an anvil. Even in Mr. Benne eyes appeared sparks of the doubt.But this time, Lana did not hesitate a second. She quickly walked over to the legendary loner and looked straight into his eyes."If you suspect me, then I demand a duel. I'm ready to defend my innocence and Greg's honesty. He is my Mate, so I have the right to say that I am sure of his innocence for one hundred percent and can testify for it." "What are you talking about?" - Hissed Paul, immediately jumping up to Lana and grabbing her hand, tried to drag her away. But the girl stayed still as if was made of stone, he couldn't budge her at all. Paul has already regretted a thousand times that he decided to provoke this little girl before meeting with The Council. It seems human logic has not always worked with werewolves as it should. He remembered too late, that even the calmest dog if you pull its tail too hard, will bite your face off sooner or later."I accept your challenge." - Mrs. Stormbridge's voice thundered in silence, forcing everyone to turn around. Paul startled when he saw the broad smile of a not so young woman and long white fangs that appeared from under his upper lip. Only one thought remained, spinning in his head again and again: "Greg so gonna kill me. Or these freaks will eat me first. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut?!"
