DARKEST ( Supernatural Beginnings Series) Book Three

Wolf Council Part One

Wolfram

It had been a long time since I’d been summoned here. That had been after the death of my parents and I was sworn in to be the King of the Red Claw pack at the age of eighteen. Wolf Council headquarters have changed so much since then. Because I never gave them a reason to be called back here until now.

Vernice stayed on in the kingdom to celebrate the last day of the purple moon, me and my family’s return home. It was no surprise how well she got along with my granddaughter and Alexis. She had done the same when Harold had returned back then to attend his mother’s funeral and she had met Connie for the first time.

Their bond had been one that was close to sisters, just like Tamzin and my late wife. However, now as time passed with the death of both our mates, an unexpected bond between us began to grow that both scared and excited me in knowing that I was gifted a second chance mate. Tamzin had grown to be shy around me when I portrayed my feelings for her but confident in everything else, especially in her duties as my beta and proxy queen. She didn't know about my approval of the second part. If she did, she would certainly have my hide putting her in that position.

There wasn’t anyone more perfect for it than her in my eyes. She had really outdone what was expected of her during my absence and the pack showed that in everything that they did and how they received us on the return. A slight sense of nostalgia flowed through me as I looked at the place that once used to house a welcoming aura.

Now within this grim dystopian third world, on the opposite side of my kingdom on the outskirts of the city, stood a formidable edifice that reigned supreme in the labyrinth of government wolf laws. This was the Wolf Council Headquarters, a fortress of authority that radiated an aura of unwavering power and domination.

We alighted the flying carriage one by one. Vernice and her subordinates took the lead. Surrounded by tall, imposing iron gates that stretched to the heavens, the headquarters was a symbol of control, guarding against any who dared encroach upon its sovereignty. Many squatters could be seen loitering about but none dared to venture too close to the gates of the headquarters. Four Wolf council guards stood imposing and upright before the gate entrance. They watched the squatters with keen yet cautious eyes, ready to strike and defend should any bold takers come forth.

“There’s some serious magic wafting off this place, Grandpa,” Mariana said, walking up to stand beside me while we took a look at our surroundings.

“You’ve got some good sense there, niece,” Vernice said with a wink and a proud smile when she turned to look at Mariana from the back at the guards at the gate to greet them.

“This warding signature comes from the Moon family,” Alexis said with a small frown on her face. I knew she was wondering how that could be so, but I had yet to tell her just how far back and how big Stella’s family actually was. These gates, cloaked in ancient spells, whispered tales of misfortune to squatters who dared dwell nearby, dispelling them into the unforgiving, barren lands that stretched beyond.

First, we had to deal with this summons and, as for the rest, it would be in due time. The Fang family and my brother wanted to start the games off before my feet could barely touch the ground. I was fine with that because they still wouldn’t be ready for what I was about to serve them. My family, Tamzin and Alexis, were all right. How long was I going to let the brother card hold me to a standstill with Ingrim?

Ingrim had way over exerted the brotherhood between us in his jealousy of our parents, leaving me as the heir of the Kingdom instead of him. My parents had left this very decision written on air-tight authority for me to claim the title upon their last wishes. By right, Ingrim was the oldest and the inheritance should have gone to him, but now, after the years past, it became clear why my parents had asked for the help of the council to implement the successor rights. Ingrim was simply a bad seed.

My heart ached a bit at what I was about to do, but surprisingly, the ache wasn’t overwhelming like before, as I had grown immune to Ingrim and the fact that he was my elder brother. To gain entrance to the Wolf Council Headquarters, one needed a special emblem, a key that only official council members and their council guards were privileged to possess. This emblem, a dark silver wolf's head emblazoned with ancient runes, gleamed with an aura of authority and dominance. It was a symbol of power that could open the doors to secrets, decisions, and destinies.

“Okay guys, we have to enter together or the emblem won’t allow you through,” said Vernice as she walked over to us. Harold, Connie, Mariana, Alexis, and I gathered quickly with Vernice and her two subordinates in front of the gate. The small but very obvious hum of energy could be felt as the gates slowly opened, giving us an all-around view of the grounds of the Wolf Council headquarters.

A masterpiece of dark, imposing stone, a stark contrast to the desolation that surrounded it. Towering turrets adorned with sharp, iron-clad spikes pierced the sky, casting eerie shadows that stretched menacingly across the ground. We walked through the gates taking in the new and adapted headquarters until we reached the entrance. The grounds surrounding the Headquarters were meticulously maintained, a stark contrast to the desolation beyond. Stone pathways led through well-manicured gardens, where rare, eerie black roses bloomed. The atmosphere was heavy with an air of secrecy and foreboding like the very walls held the secrets of the dystopian world within.

Windows on the exterior were few and far between, their panes as cold and unyielding as the council members themselves. Each window was adorned with thick iron bars, serving as both a symbol of their unassailable power and a warning to those who might harbor nefarious intentions.

“Welcome Back Vice Chair Vernice Mellow,” said another subordinate in passing. Many eyes were on us as we headed forward. There were even whispers, but I could not worry about what was said. My presence was rare, let alone that of my family, and I was sure of the tales they had heard regarding my mission back in the first world on the Cree council as a world ambassador.

Vernice nodded in return, taking us straight to the entrance of the headquarters, which was massive. A carved oak door, heavily reinforced with wrought iron. It bore the scars of countless attempts to breach its defenses, each scar a testament to the resilience of the Wolf Council. The door was flanked by torches, their flickering flames casting an eerie glow upon the courtyard.

“Why does this entrance remind me of medieval times?” Harold asked in bewilderment. He wasn’t wrong, the Wolf council had been around for centuries and the mix of modern and medieval flair here in holding down the forte oddly worked here in the area the headquarters resided in.

“Sometimes doing things the old way is a better fit for things that are happening in this realm,” Connie responded to Harold’s question, bringing a look of clarity to his eyes. He looked down at her and smiled, then took her hand in his. I knew he was worried and upset about what his uncle had done that landed us all here, but even though he could have stayed back with my Gamma Ash, neither one of them would have done so as they wanted to be here for support. Though I was pretty sure Alexis and Mariana were here for defense.

My heart filled with warmth and amusement when it came to those two. I would never doubt their instincts for Mariana carried an aura similar to that of my mother’s with a hint of foreseeing. She felt things in the atmosphere or her surroundings were more than likely to be true.

Before making my way inside, I noticed the grounds had changed the layout somewhat. What was once joined together was separated from the central structure, a cluster of houses stood where each Wolf Council member official resided with their families. These houses, though not as imposing as the headquarters, were no less foreboding. Each was a fortress in its own right, fortified to protect those who held the destiny of the wolf kingdoms in their paws. I wonder which one they gave to Vernice. After all, we had learned she had been promoted to Vice-chair now and was not the third head as we once believed.

Stepping inside before one could reach the Court Hall, they had to traverse a long, dimly lit corridor. The walls were adorned with ancient tapestries depicting heroic battles and solemn ceremonies of the past. The sound of our footsteps was the only thing that could be heard within the corridor, the bustling center we had just passed had eerily disappeared upon our arrival.

“I must warn you to hold in your reactions once we are inside the court hall,” Vernice whispered to us right as she stopped in front of a pair of colossal wooden doors, with carved scenes of wolves in fierce combat, their eyes seemingly following those who approached.

“Now I understand why you returned to the kingdom to retrieve us yourself,” Tamzin whispered in return, her eyes showed a sense of understanding as she mindlinked me. The Fangs had someone on the council that was on their side. There was only so much Vernice could do and it appeared the council knew of this threat as well by sending her.

We all nodded in tacit understanding. The doors swung open with a solemn creak, revealing the heart of justice within. The Court Hall was a grand, imposing chamber, with high vaulted ceilings that seemed to touch the heavens. We filed into the court hall one by one, the walls were draped in dark, heavy tapestries depicting the history of the Wolf kingdoms.

My thoughts ran through what Vernice had hinted at. Was the person on the council related to the Fangs, my brother, or another party they were using? The floor was polished marble, its cold, unyielding surface reflecting the dim light that filtered in from tall, narrow windows, their panes adorned with iron bars. This was to give both the defendant and plaintiff a particular feeling based on what the summons entailed. I was left unaffected due to my alpha blood. As my steps drew closer inside, it was no surprise that the Fangs had arrived before us. Besides them stood my brother Ingrim and his wife Enid.

A cold and menacing aura began to erupt from my son Harold as he looked at them, but instantly calmed down when Connie rubbed his arm lightly, he remembered where she was and took a deep breath to control his Alpha power. Though Harold may not have chosen to succeed to the throne after me, I had no qualms about holding the fort until my last breath. This position was no picnic in any park. I wanted my son to live the life he chose for himself and not one that was thrust upon him like it had been to me, even though my parent's death left me without other choices to make.

In the center of the room lay a sea of seats, arranged in concentric circles, tiered to accommodate those who came to witness the judgment of the council. Each seat was made of dark, polished wood.

At the front of the Court Hall stood a raised podium, its surface adorned with symbols of justice and impartiality. Behind it, an imposing table stretched across the width of the room, where the council judges and members sat in stern silence. Their chairs were ornate thrones, carved with the faces of past council leaders, a reminder of the weight of their responsibility.

But it was the man who sat to the left of the head judge as Vernice took her seat on his right, that made Tamzin and I glance at one another, then over at Harold, who, once again, was on edge, his wolf Haze trying to break to the surface. Mariana took her father’s left hand in hers and, with ease, Harold and his wolf calmed once more. I shook my head in pure disdain as my eyes glanced over each and every member who sat as judge for this case. Landing and sitting on the man who sat with a regal yet deceitful smile on his face.

This was how they were able to slip through the cracks with this bull poppy. Ingrim’s son and my nephew Dorian had found their way to the council. So this was their plan and why Vernice warned us beforehand not to react. Dorian had been away from the kingdom for some time, according to Tamzin’s report on things. He was a spoiled, deceitful, and entitled-bred man with no bottom line when it came to what benefited him. Just like his parents, he was always scheming, and one of the reasons I had sent my son away back then to the first world in order to protect him.