Chapter 250
The room’s temperature dropped. Everyone stopped and stared at the two men, and not one person looked away. We were all watching this car accident as it happened. What did he just admit to? I tapped my fingers to my lips, still holding in my laugh, but then Nadine shot a glare at me, and I lost it.
I keeled over and started laughing. Tears were streaming down my face as I popped back up, and I had to hold the stitch in my side. “What’s so fucking funny about this, girl?” Thinius sneered, and I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“You really are fucking stupid.” I wiped my face some more and sighed while I shook my head. “You would think with your age you'd have more intelligence, but here you are.” I waved my hand around and turned to face the crowd, then turned back. “Admitting to rigging the contest for queen, in front of the king, who you are forcing to select a mate when he wants to wait for his goddess-given mate. You might as well just say that you all have banded behind his back to force him to bend to your will.” My smile dropped, and I brought an edge to my voice. “It’s almost like you’re saying that you’re committing treason by usurping the crown and the power for your council from the king in front of him.” I took a step. “But you can’t be that stupid, can you?”
“Yes, yes, I think he can be, in fact, that stupid.” Rowan’s voice was deadly.
“My king, that isn’t what I meant at all.” He waved his hands up in surrender.
“Then what did you mean? Explain it to me as if I am as stupid as you seem to think I am.” I heard him swallow from here.
“My king…” He looked around and settled his eyes on me. “As your council members, we have an obligation to ensure the woman you mate with is the best of the best. We look at everything: rank, family, affluence, influence, and how this woman will interact with not only us, but with our pack.” He pointed at me. “Look at Amy.” I growled, but he continued. “She is short-tempered. Her father was a traitor.” That did it.
I charged and grabbed him around his neck. “Say it again.” I squeezed. “I fucking dare you to say it again.”
Rowan came over and wrapped his hand around my wrist. “Let him go.” I snapped my eyes to his. My golden eyes burned, and I can only assume hurt was reflected there because he recoiled a bit. “Please.”
I dropped Thinius onto the ground. “I’ll give Nina this one.” I dropped down next to the coughing man. “But just this one. Say anything about my father or mother again, and today will end with a mourning howl.” I stood and stomped away.
Rowan helped Thinius to his feet. “Why did you call Gavin a traitor?” His words were loud as he called the man out.
“My lord, he was the reason your father died.”
Rowan growled this time. “No, my father died because the council redirected his army last minute and his guards were betrayed.” He got in his face. “But I find it interesting that you blamed Gavin when I was a child, so much so that I believed you. But Gavin was in his own pack, saving his family, and dealing with the loss of his men and women. He was nowhere near the royal pack.”
I settled back against the table. “Are we going to blame any wolf that protects his family instead of the king, even if he is over a thousand miles away? Can I blame you for the attack on my father’s pack that got him killed?” There was a subtle twitch in Thinius’s eye that had my stomach clenching. He had something to do with it.
Rowan caught my eye and gave a tiny head shake. He was telling me to let it go for now, but he saw it too. I gave the slightest nod in agreement, then he turned back. “That isn’t fair.” Thinius puffed up his cheeks and crossed his arms. “I was nowhere near your father’s land.”
“Exactly.” I shook my head. “So keep my father’s name from your lips.”
“Anyway,” Rowan shook his head. “I want to go back to the fact that the council has already selected my mate.” He glowered. “You don’t get to select my mate, Thinius. No one does. You get to offer options, but I choose if I will even meet with them.”
Thinius’s eyes narrowed, but then he gave a tiny nod. “Fine. This is done. She can continue this futile attempt at applications. The council knows they made the right selection. Let’s go, girls.” He turned to leave, but I couldn’t let it end like this.
“Actually, I don’t think this is finished.” Everyone turned to look at me and I looked down at my nails. “According to the old laws, put in place by your father, a council member needs to take an oath to stay out of power struggles, pack issues, and remove themselves from rank structures all together. They’re also not allowed to use their aura or command on unranked wolves without their alpha’s present and consent.” I looked around. “The only alphas here are not pack leaders. And he broke his vow.” I met his eyes and saw when I said the last words. “The punishment for breaking this vow is expulsion from the council.”