The Paranormal Council: Complete Series

Chapter 4

BJORN

It had been four days, three hours and six minutes since he’d last seen Ari, and it was killing him. He loved her, and wouldn’t even try to deny it, not when he’d known it for a while. More than that, everything he’d told her was true; he would willingly give up his position on the Council for her. He’d willingly give up anything for her. The only reason he’d applied for a seat on the Council in the first place was so that he had somewhere to belong to. His family were all gone, victims of Russian hunters who were after their pelts, and for years, he’d had no one.

Until he’d met Ari. Despite promising himself he’d never let anyone in again, and so avoid the risk of losing them, Ari had quickly wormed her way into his future plans; even if she didn’t know that yet. As far as Bjorn could tell, the main thing standing in his way was Ari’s desire to make a difference, and her way of doing that was being on the Council. He wasn’t about to make her give up her seat for him, and that had made him determined to find another way.

A knock sounded at the door, bringing him to his senses, and he looked up to find Kemnebi Davis standing in the doorway. The panther shifter was dressed in a formal suit, with a five o’clock shadow on his jaw. While Kem was a big man himself, he was shorter and not quite as broad as Bjorn, not that that would make him any less intimidating to anyone that wasn’t like them.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Kem dropped into the chair on the other side of Bjorn’s desk, relaxing back into his seat. Bjorn gave a quick envious glance at the glinting gold ring on Kem’s left hand before snapping himself out of it. While the two of them hadn’t been on the friendliest of terms before Kem had married and mated, he was one of the only people that knew about Bjorn’s relationship with Ari, even if he had found out accidentally. And so, when he’d needed advice, he’d bitten the bullet and called him.

“I need to find a way for a mated shifter to stay on the Council.” Bjorn shrugged. Kem had proved himself trustworthy enough in the past two months, and as much as he could, Bjorn had started to see him as a kind of friend.

“Ah, Arabella.” He said, a knowing glint in his eye. “You don’t want to give up your seat for her?” He seemed genuinely confused and Bjorn didn’t blame him, not after everything Kem had been through to get his mate. That had included standing up to the Council, and considering that Ari was a force to be reckoned with, as well as the intimidation factor he and Drayce brought, it said something that Kem would go that far. For the most part, shifter society worked on earning respect, an ingrained habit from their more primitive days, and Kem had earned Bjorn’s the moment he’d refused to marry Aella Dentro.

“Of course I would.” He said indignantly and watched the smirk form on Kem’s face. Bjorn let out a warning growl, but Kem just chuckled.

“So you want a way to claim her and let you both keep your seats?” Bjorn nodded. “You know, I never did understand that rule.”

“It was to make sure the Council members stayed impartial.” Kem laughed loudly and Bjorn had to smile in response.

“So basically, they didn’t want the Council run by women.”

“Pretty much.”

“Despite the fact that it’s now very effectively run by a woman.” Bjorn was about to protest, but the look on Kem’s face told him not to bother. While on the surface, the Council was an impartial group of five shifters, each with an equal amount of power, there was little doubt that it was Ari that ran the show. Pride welled up inside him at the thought of how strong a mate he was getting, even if she wasn’t completely his yet.

“Despite that.”

“I can talk to Aella, or get Lia to see if they can put something to the High Council.”

“Would they get involved?” Kem shrugged.

“I’ve no idea, but if anyone is capable of changing the system it’s my sister-in-law.” The smile he gave was somewhat affectionate, much to Bjorn’s surprise. From what he’d heard, Kem and Aella hadn’t got off to the best start. Of course, that could have been down to the fact that Kem had shown no interest in her, despite her almost infamous beauty and power. But he was now married to Aella’s younger sister, Lia, and as she was also a nymph, the link between the two Councils had happened just the way they’d wanted it to. With the added bonus of being sealed by true mates.

“I don’t doubt that.” Kem stood up and made for the door, but turned back around to face Bjorn before leaving.

“Does Arabella know what you’re doing for her?”

“No,” he admitted, thinking back to the moment in the Council chambers when he’d very nearly claimed her. Except that, ever since Ari had revealed to Kem that the biting part of mating wasn’t actually necessary, he suspected that he already had, and she was just fighting the truth. His only consolation was that she wasn’t fighting it because of how she felt, but rather because of what being mated would cost her.

“Maybe you should tell her how you feel.” Bjorn pulled a face at that, and Kem smiled back sadly. “Think about it, Bjorn. Not telling her could end badly.” The other man looked lost in thought, as if remembering some unpleasant experience. Kem waved goodbye, leaving Bjorn alone in his office.

“Maybe,” he muttered.