The Paranormal Council: Complete Series

Chapter 6

BJORN

Bjorn didn’t often feel nervous, but right now, faced with the dark-haired storm nymph he’d heard so much about, he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t that Aella Dentro was physically imposing; while she was tall, she was also slim, with long brown hair and a heart-shaped face. After all, he was taller, and broader with a lot more physical strength. It wasn’t her almost infamous temper either. No, what was making Bjorn nervous was the amount of influence this one woman had on his future with Ari.

Bjorn didn’t think that he’d ever felt as bad as he had when he’d left Ari’s office. He knew that she was pushing him away to try and avoid what was brewing between them, but it still hurt. And so, when he’d seen Kem’s text saying that Aella was willing to try and change the laws about mated shifters, he’d been filled with relief mixed with nervous apprehension. Apparently, she was on a mission to bring the Councils into the modern age, and changing this rule fit right into her plan. Aella flopped down into the seat on the other side of the table in the independent coffee shop that she’d suggested meeting in. It was somewhere they weren’t likely to be seen together and could easily avoid the questions that would come if anyone knew they’d met up.

“So, you want to change the rules?” She smirked at him, and Bjorn shuffled uncomfortably in his chair. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was about her that had him on edge, maybe it was just the air of confidence she had about her, but there was definitely something.

“Yes,” he replied in a clipped tone. She smiled more easily at him this time.

“I won’t bite Bjorn…not unless I’m bitten first.” She winked, making him think that she knew about shifter mating practices. Not that it was really a secret. Most of the paranormal world, and some of the human one, knew that shifters bit their mates. On top of that, Aella’s younger sister was mated to Kem, and there was no way that Aella didn’t know the truth.

“Yes, I want to change the rules.”

“Why?” She c****d her head to the side, which he was sure most men found cute, but was coming across as more annoying to him. Aella wasn’t a stupid woman, she couldn’t be; she’d been a member of the Nymph Council since her father had resigned after the failed marriage pact. He didn’t know what her day job was, but he assumed that it was just as demanding. People with no drive and ambition just didn’t end up on the Councils. Unless they were like him, and desperate to find a purpose in life.

“Because they’re outdated.”

“I can’t say I’d have ever pegged you as the kind to campaign for equality.” Her demeanour straightened, and the coy look left her eyes, letting more of the woman she really was out. Bjorn was secretly relieved that there really was more to her than she’d let on, while simultaneously being slightly annoyed that she felt the need to pretend to be an airhead around him.

“Why would it be about equality? There’s nothing unequal about mated shifters not being able to sit on the Council.” Or at least, he didn’t think there was. It was outdated certainly, and stemmed from a time when shifters didn’t often mate outside their own kind, but it wasn’t unequal. Aella looked at him, a confused expression on her face.

“You don’t know, do you?”

“Don’t know what?” he growled, and to his surprise, she didn’t even flinch.

“Mated shifters can sit on the Council. If they’re male.” He sat there in silence as her words sunk in. Women had rarely sat on the Council until recently, so it seemed odd that that would be the rule. Plus, why wouldn’t they know if that was the case? Not that it actually changed anything, not as far as Bjorn was concerned. He couldn’t care less for his own seat, it was Ari’s he wanted to save. “I take it you didn’t know?” she asked softly and took a sip out of the coffee that must have arrived while he’d been thinking.

“How do you?” he deflected quickly, though he genuinely wanted to know. He’d asked Kem for Aella’s help because she had a lot of power, and was quickly amassing more. She made sure that she knew the right people in the right places, and rumour had it that she had her eyes set on a seat on the High Council; whether she could manage it was another matter. No one, not even the member of the lower Councils, knew exactly who held seats.

“You realise there’s a room dedicated to paranormal law in the Council building, right?” No, he hadn’t. More than that, he was certain that none of the Shifter Council had. Otherwise, Ari would have been in that room in a flash, devouring everything she could find and learning how to apply it. There was even a chance that somewhere in that room was something that could help with the necromancer problem. He made a mental note to mention it to her. If she ever spoke to him again.

“Where?”

“Third floor, behind the fountain.” He nodded, knowing where she meant but still not recalling ever being told about what was in that room.

“None of our Council knew.”

“Huh.” She leaned back in her chair and looked thoughtful for a moment. “From your reaction, it’s safe to say that it’s not your seat you’re worried about losing?”

“That’s not what I said,” he bit out. Too quickly it seemed, as a knowing look crossed over Aella’s face.

“You didn’t need to. So, who is it, Arabella or Nathalie?”

“What?” he asked, taken off guard by the fact she’d even known what question to ask.

“Look, there are only two women on the Shifter Council, Arabella Reed and Nathalie Richards. Then there’s you, asking Kem to talk to me about changing the rule about mated shifters. It doesn’t take a genius to work it out.” She gave him a stern look.

“It doesn’t matter why I want it changed,” he growled at her and Aella’s eyes flashed with anger.

“You don’t scare me Bjorn.” He breathed in slowly, not because he was intimidated by her, but more because what he was here for was too important to throw away.

“Fine, I want it changed so a woman will agree to mate me,” he acknowledged through gritted teeth and a satisfied smile moved over Aella’s face.

“I’m going to assume it’s Arabella, but you don’t need to confirm that. Nathalie doesn’t seem like your type.” It almost scared him how easily this woman seemed to read him, but if it got him what he wanted then he didn’t really care. Bjorn waited for Aella to speak again, knowing that whatever she said next would make or break all his plans. “It should be doable.”

“Really?” He almost sighed with relief, but reminded himself that there was still a long way to go, and that was before it even came to convincing Ari to agree to them mating. Aella nodded and began to explain her plan to him. If she was to be believed, then the rules could be changed in a matter of weeks. And he did believe her. It was difficult not to. He’d not met Aella before, and the things he’d heard about her hadn’t prepared him for the strength of conviction and determination that she gave off. If anyone could do it, he reckoned that Aella Dentro could.