Chapter 66: The Council’s Judgment
James
James paused, his hand resting on the cool metal doorknob, shock rendering him speechless. Had he heard correctly? He glanced at the doctors. Even they stood frozen, their expressions of professional concern locked in place. No one in the room seemed able to process what had just transpired. Perhaps he’d imagined it - a desperate trick of his grief-stricken mind conjuring what he most wanted to hear. But what if the words were real? His wolf stirred within him, a flicker of desperate hope igniting in his chest. *Go to her.*
Clinging to that small, fragile hope like a lifeline, he slowly turned. First, he looked at Bradley on the bed, noting how the other Alpha’s jaw clenched so tight a muscle jumped in his temple. Then James’s gaze drifted to Trishelle and the small, gentle smile still gracing her lips - a smile he’d feared he might never see again. His eyes traveled lower to her outstretched hand, an offering extended across the tense silence. His chest constricted painfully, and he struggled to breathe, blinking back the hot tears that suddenly stung his eyes. The gesture might seem small to an outsider, but for James, it represented everything. She was giving him a chance. She didn’t recoil from him in disgust or hatred.
He walked toward her cautiously, each step slow and deliberate, not daring to break eye contact with her extended limb. The distance between them felt both infinite and insignificant. When he reached her bedside, Trishelle bridged the final gap herself, taking his trembling hand in hers. Her skin radiated warmth, her touch sending an electric jolt through his entire body. She turned to face him fully and squeezed his fingers with surprising strength.
"Look, James," she said, her voice soft yet clear, cutting through the heavy atmosphere. "The doctor said our pup is fine. Our baby is so strong, isn’t he?"
James returned the gentle pressure, tears streaming down his face, hot and unstoppable. He didn’t care who witnessed his vulnerability. For once, he let the walls crumble. He nodded, a watery smile breaking through the anguish. "Yes, Trishelle. Our pup is strong, just like its mother." His voice cracked on the last word, thick with emotion he could no longer contain.
Bradley’s jaw gradually relaxed, though tension still radiated from his frame. He didn’t like James standing anywhere near his mate - every instinct screamed against it. Yet he couldn’t deny the bond they shared through the pup growing in Trishelle’s womb. He released a heavy sigh that seemed to deflate him slightly. They would have to find a way to coexist, to navigate this impossible situation, whether his pride liked it or not. For Trishelle’s sake, if nothing else.
Trishelle
Trishelle awoke feeling remarkably clear-headed. The grogginess that had plagued her earlier had vanished. The cotton-like fog had lifted from her mind, leaving her thoughts sharp and focused. She blinked at the ceiling, then sighed as a wave of contentment washed over her. Her hand moved instinctively to her belly, and she felt it - a tiny flutter, a little kick from within. Joy bloomed in her chest, and a wide smile spread across her face as she leaned back into the pillows, savoring the sensation of life moving inside her.
"Do you want me to raise the bed?" a familiar voice asked from her left, warm with affection.
Whipping her head around, she discovered Samuel sitting in the chair beside her bed, watching her with a fond expression that made her heart swell. He held his phone loosely in one hand, no doubt texting with Alexa to keep everyone updated on her condition.
"Sammy!" she cried, her voice thick with emotion and relief. He reached her side in an instant, and she found herself enveloped in his familiar, comforting embrace - the same arms that had protected her since childhood. She shed happy tears at seeing him, which he gently wiped away with his thumb, his touch as brotherly and tender as always.
"Aww... come on, don’t cry," he teased, though his voice remained soft and caring. "It was bad enough dealing with your mate when he thought you were dying. I don’t want to deal with your baby daddy having a breakdown too."
Trishelle chuckled, the sound light and easy, releasing some of the tension she’d been carrying. Oh, how she had missed her best friend and surrogate big brother. His presence alone made her feel safer. Pulling back to look at him properly, she decided it was her turn to tease. "Well, I see someone is officially taken. Who knew that Alexa would be the one to finally lock you down? I never thought I’d see the day."
Samuel blushed - a rare sight that delighted her - and gently pushed her shoulder in mock offense. "Hey, let’s both be glad that we found our mates. We’re lucky, you know."
Trishelle nodded, though her smile faded slightly as reality crept back in. "Speaking of mates, where is mine?" she asked, a note of concern entering her voice. She felt certain that nothing on earth would have made Bradley leave her side now that he’d finally reached her.
Samuel looked away, guilt flickering across his features as he scratched the back of his head - a nervous habit she recognized immediately. "Well... my guess is that right now, he and James are being thoroughly chewed out by the Council. I mean, Bradley did ignore the document James presented, the one claiming his rights over you, which the Council had officially approved."
Trishelle sat up straighter, the sudden movement making her head spin slightly. She gripped the mattress to steady herself. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "The Council’s here? Now?"
Samuel shook his head quickly. "No, they’re meeting online. Only Councilwoman Seers is physically present with them. I think they’re conducting it via video call. Based on what my mate is telling me - " he glanced at his phone " - it doesn’t look good for Alpha Bradley. Not good at all."
Alarm shot through Trishelle. She threw the covers off her legs and wriggled to the edge of the bed, determination overriding caution. Swinging her legs over the side, she reached for her friend with urgency. "Quick, Sammy, help me up. I need to get to them."
Bradley
Bradley felt like a child getting scolded by the school principal, and a quick glance at James suggested the other Alpha shared the sentiment. They both sat in stiff, uncomfortable chairs in James’s opulent office - a room designed to intimidate, which it was currently doing quite effectively. Councilwoman Seers occupied a chair nearby, her face a carefully maintained mask of strained neutrality. They were receiving the tongue-lashing of their lives, and his aunt could only offer her sympathy through subtle, fleeting glances. As a Council member, she was bound by duty; there was little she could do to overtly help him without compromising her position.
At the moment, one of the older wolves on the laptop screen held the floor. Bradley had forgotten his name, but the ancient wolf sported a long, grey beard that hung like a pair of whiskers. For simplicity’s sake, Bradley mentally dubbed him ’Whiskers.’ The elderly Council member’s expression was stern, his eyes sharp despite his advanced age.
"Alpha James," the old wolf began, his voice carrying the weight of authority and disappointment. "You approached this council to claim the pregnant female, leading us to believe that she was simply spiting you for your so-called ’drunken mistake that you wanted to make right.’ You deliberately deceived the Council into granting you permission to take her away from her true mate. This action reflects poorly on your character and judgment. For your fraudulent behavior, all your rights to her and your title should be stripped."
Bradley felt a surge of satisfaction at these words and struggled to keep his expression neutral, though a smug feeling settled in his gut. So that’s how James had secured the Council’s approval - through lies and manipulation. The man really was a bastard.
"Now, to you, Alpha Bradley," Whiskers turned his penetrating gaze toward him, those beady eyes boring through the screen with unnerving intensity. "Despite the questionable manner in which the document was obtained from us, it was still a legally binding document, one which you chose to ignore. You broke our laws and disregarded our authority. For this transgression, you should also be stripped of your title as Alpha."
His aunt Cynthia flinched visibly but didn’t refute the statement, her loyalty to the Council superseding her family ties. Bradley swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. It really didn’t feel good when the shoe was on the other foot. The reality of losing everything hit him like a physical blow.
He opened his mouth to argue, to defend himself, but the withering glare from Whiskers made his jaw snap shut with an audible click.
"Furthermore," the Council member continued, his tone growing even more severe, "you, Alpha Bradley, crossed the border between your pack and Bloodmoon’s territory, prepared for war. A fight to claim the female ensued, with neither of you winning the match, leaving it at a draw. At least if one of you had won decisively, or died, then the matter would have naturally resolved itself according to our ancient laws."
Whiskers sighed heavily, the sound crackling through the laptop’s speakers with static. He suddenly looked every one of his many years. Perhaps he should retire next year after all. "Now, we as the Werewolf Council must resolve this matter ourselves. Alpha Bradley, you should know that your actions have nullified the request you submitted to us."
Bradley shot to his feet in shock, his chair scraping harshly against the polished floor. "What? What do you mean it was nullified? You mean this bastard will get possession of MY MATE?" he yelled, unable to contain the anger and frustration boiling over inside him. The thought of losing Trishelle made his wolf howl in anguish.
James jumped up as well, a triumphant expression spreading across his face. "Yes, I knew it! Trishelle was destined to be with me all along."
His premature celebration was cut brutally short by the sensation of Bradley’s hand closing around his throat, cutting off his air supply. James’s eyes widened in shock and fear as he clawed at Bradley’s iron grip.
Cynthia leaped from her chair, trying desperately to pry Bradley’s fingers away from James’s neck. "Bradley, stop! You’re only making it worse! Think about what you’re doing!"
The voices from the laptop screen rose in a cacophony of demands for order, but Bradley’s rage drowned them out.
Just as Trishelle, leaning heavily on Samuel for support, pushed open the heavy office door, she was greeted by absolute chaos: James’s eyes bulging from lack of oxygen, his face turning an alarming shade of red; the older woman struggling to calm her nephew before he committed murder; and the panel of Council members trying desperately to restore order from the confines of the laptop screen, their voices overlapping in confusion.
In her presence, everything came to a screeching halt. The room fell silent except for James’s gasping breaths as Bradley’s grip loosened reflexively. All eyes turned to her, standing in the doorway like an avenging angel, pale but determined, one hand protectively cradling her belly.