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  “Alpha Horridge, sir,” Anthony’s mouth twisted as though he found the words distasteful. “You called a challenge with the wolf council representative.”

  “Yes. Warren. Everyone knows he’s been the wolf leader for far too long and let me tell you there’re going to be some changes….”

  “Sir, Elder Warren relinquished his position over a week ago. Councilor Stone is now the wolf representative.” Anthony nodded his head in Stone’s direction.

  “Stone? Stone. The tracker I sent after that damned omega?” Wyatt had been right. Horridge’s face was worth seeing if you found a slack jaw, bulging eyes, and the sheen of sweat funny. “How the hell did Stone get on the Council?”

  “I’m an Alpha wolf, I challenged Elder Warren at his request and as you can see, I won. Now, are we going to do this, or are you defaulting like the coward I know you to be? My mate and I,” Stone flashed a grin at Wyatt, who was waiting nervously in the stands, “have dinner plans.”

  “No, no, no, no, no.” Horridge’s mouth worked furiously. “No. This is a set up. You’re lying to me. The omega can’t mate without my permission and Warren’s too much of a coward to face me, so he’s sent you as a proxy instead.”

  “I can assure you, sir,” Anthony pulled himself to his full height. “The Council does not deal in set ups. Your challenge was against the wolf representative, no names mentioned, and the wolf representative is here to meet that challenge. I must insist your enforcers leave the challenge circle, so we can begin.”

  “But…but…but….” Horridge’s eyes were wild as one of his enforcers whispered in his ear. Stone couldn’t see what was said, but Horridge’s face went white. The whispering enforcer slapped the other one’s arm and they both moved out of the circle, standing with their arms crossed. Stone had a feeling any love between Horridge and the men protecting his back had just disappeared. Beta wolves had no time for cowards.

  “I demand this matter of the omega be settled first.” Horridge shook as he stood in the ring alone. “He was promised as my mate and the papers have already been filed. Stone has no right to claim he’s his.”

  “Yes sir, about that paperwork.” If Stone didn’t know better, he’d say Anthony was enjoying himself. “It’s an offence to file mating records before bites are exchanged, especially when the man in question was no longer part of your pack, having been absent for three years. If there’s anything left of you after the challenge, you will be called to face those charges. Rest assured. No harm was done. The Councilor Mate was able to claim his inheritance left by his father and has shared it equally with his mate as shifters do. However, you will be answering charges for fraud. You and whoever else was in your little scheme.”

  “You took my money?” Horridge was damn near foaming at the mouth. “Of all the ungrateful, son-of-a-bitch, asshole….” Horridge’s two enforcers bowed their heads to Stone before leaving the room. “Come back here, you pieces of shit.” The door slamming was a fitting response. Clearly, Horridge wasn’t the type to inspire loyalty unless money was involved.

  “As we’ve lost two of our witnesses, I’ll call in two men from the council.” Anthony spoke into his mouthpiece and seconds later Jeb and Torrin strode in, closing the door firmly behind them. “Right. We have four approved witnesses. Let the challenge begin. Horridge, you may shift first.” Anthony stepped back as Stone stepped into the circle.

  “No, wait.” Horridge jumped as Stone growled and then he ripped off his shirt angrily. “Fine, you fuzzy assed whore. I’ll fight you. I’ll rip your fucking throat out and dance in your blood before I take that precious mate of yours and ream his ass so hard he’ll choke on my cock.”

  He should have kept his big mouth shut. The instant Horridge shifted into a rangy grey wolf, Stone initiated his own shift. He barely had time to shake out his fur before Horridge was on him, clawing and biting for all he was worth. Stone’s wolf form had thick fur and at least fifty pounds on his challenger. The two wolves rolled around the ground as Horridge realized his mistake and tried to get away. Horridge’s snarls turned to whimpers as Stone pressed his advantage.

  Blood scented the air, infuriating Stone further. As Horridge tried to slip away, he grabbed Horridge’s leg, the bones making a satisfying crunch as he dragged the wolf under him. Horridge’s body shimmered as he shifted back, his hands in front of his face. “I yield. I yield. I don’t want you to kill me.”

  Stone shifted too and wrapped his hands around Horridge’s thick neck. “Too bad. Under Shifter law, section 6, subsection 4 paragraph c, I hereby sentence you under the mating laws for threatening my mate. Night, night.” One twist of his hands and Horridge’s blubbering stopped. Stone stepped back, brushing his hands together and then accepted his pants from Anthony, who checked over the body.

  “Nice move, Councilor, quoting shifter mating law in the middle of a challenge,” Anthony commented as he noted the time of death.

  “Well, I hold a position of authority now, don’t I?” Stone smirked as he pulled on his pants. “It’s not as though I can go around killing people who piss me off. What kind of a reputation would that give me?”

  “One the other council members might sit up and take notice of.” Anthony laughed as he indicated for Frank to give him a hand lifting Horridge out of the ring.

  Jeb stepped in front of him as Stone looked around for Wyatt. “Councilor Stone, just letting you know, the two enforcers from the Mason pack have been apprehended. The list of suitable Alpha replacements for the Mason pack are waiting for you on your desk.”

  “Thank you, Jeb, I’ll get my mate to check them over in the morning. Now, if there’s nothing else?” Jeb stepped aside and Stone saw Wyatt hovering on the edge of the challenge circle. “I will be unavailable for the rest of the evening. See to it we’re not disturbed.” Waiting long enough for Jeb’s nod of acknowledgement, Stone strode across the ring, pulling Wyatt into his arms. His mate’s scent soothed him like no other, even tinged with nervousness and relief.

  “I knew you’d do it. I love you.” Wyatt clasped him tight around his waist, turning his face up for a kiss. For a moment, Stone was shocked, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. But the warmth emanating from his mate, the expression in his eyes, Stone knew he hadn’t misheard.

  “I love you too, my mate,” he said softly. “And when we get back to our suite, I am going to show you just how much. All night long.”

  “We have meetings planned first thing in the morning,” Wyatt protested as Stone led him out of the challenge hall.

  “The meetings can wait.” Stopping, Stone swung around and lifted Wyatt off his feet. “Don’t you get it yet? You are number one for me. Maddie and the men in our home come a close second and while this job is important too, it will never be more important than you are. You are number one to me and don’t you ever forget it.”

  “Yes, Councilor Stone,” Wyatt chuckled as Stone’s arms tightened. “You can put me down now. I’m coming along willingly.”

  “Nope, I love you exactly where you are.” Ignoring Wyatt’s protests, Stone marched back to their suite. He’d noticed the looks he’d got before the challenge and couldn’t think of any better way to show how much he was taken with his omega mate, than to have his mate in his arms, and his scar gleaming like a beacon for all too see.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Wyatt rolled his eyes as he watched the crowd of overstuffed businessmen trying to curry favor with his mate. News of the challenge spread quickly and while Wyatt hadn’t known why other council members would be concerned about it, as soon as he met the others at the arranged dinner it was clear Stone stood out among the rest. Shifters aged very slowly and yet all the other council members looked well into middle age, which meant they would be hundreds of years old. With his dark hair falling around his shoulders, his muscles bulging under the suit he’d put on and his permanent scowl, Stone was every bad boy fantasy come true and it seemed some of the members were unsure how to interact with him.<
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  Trusting Stone could handle himself, Wyatt turned his attention to the councilors’ mates. Another glaring difference. He was the only male mate, which surprised him. But then, apparently older shifters meant having old school attitudes, if the upturned noses he’d received were anything to go by. Used to being snubbed, Wyatt had pulled out the iPad Stone had bought him, determined to get some work done, but that was two hours before and he was hungry.

  Casting one more look at Stone who seemed to be in deep discussion with Councilor Tomas, the bear shifter representative, Wyatt slipped his iPad away and ambled over to the buffet table. The food was artfully arranged but Wyatt was secretly sickened by the display. Big platters overfilled with beef, venison, and pork. Large cauldrons of stew which smelled delicious, but which could feed a hundred people instead of the twenty catered for. There were plates piled high with pastries and savories, and that was without the desert table.

  “Can’t find anything you like? The chef will prepare something specially if you have specific dietary needs.” Wyatt looked over to see Councilor Benson eyeing him as though he was on the menu.

  “I could eat anything here, I’m not fussy,” Wyatt said, edging further away as Benson came closer. “I just hope the food not used here will be donated somewhere. Otherwise it’s such a waste.”

  “Ah, you’re one of those bleeding hearts,” Benson laughed as he picked up a slice of beef and folded it into his mouth. “You’ll soon find the council is an exclusive world. We get paid well to ensure shifter laws are adhered to and honestly, the worries of peasants are hardly our concern. This isn’t a democracy. It’s not as though we can get voted out.”

  “Well, maybe it should be.” Wyatt’s anger, that started percolating when he’d seen the files for the Mason Pack alpha replacement and increased at his treatment at the dinner bubbled over. “There’s enough food here to feed an entire pack,” he waved his arm at the spread, “but chances are it will all go in the trash. There are shifters out there starving, barely making ends meet, and you all stand around wearing suits that cost a year’s salary and have endless discussions on keeping down the rogue population.”

  “Rogues are a serious concern. Their behavior threatens our existence among humans. Most of our resources are focused on stopping that from happening.” Benson didn’t seem concerned. If anything, he looked bored and that infuriated Wyatt further.

  “And yet you let good food like this go to waste when there are shifters out there homeless and starving. That’s without even considering the abuses happening in packs, prides, and herds. Women being forced into matings, omegas and children abused by those bigger and stronger than them. All of you are in a unique position to do something positive for shifters everywhere and yet you are so damned isolated from what happens in the real world, you can’t even see what’s going on under your nose.”

  “I see you, little omega,” Benson moved closer. “And I must say you are far more tempting than anything on this table.”

  “I can’t believe you would say something like that. I’m mated and so are you.” Wyatt half turned, looking for his mate but Benson grabbed his arm; the grip would leave bruises.

  “Bond mates. Political mergers. You know how it is, although how Stone scored a sweet little morsel like you is beyond me. Still, I’m sure he won’t mind sharing you. We all do a spot of partner swapping here. Come out the back with me and let’s see if those lips of yours look as I good as I imagine them around my cock.”

  “Let go of me,” Wyatt hissed, trying to pull away but for all his age, the cat shifter was hellishly strong. When pulling didn’t work, he moved forward instead, driving his knee into Benson’s balls. The man yelled and fell back and suddenly Wyatt was conscious everyone in the room was watching them.

  “You pompous assholes make me sick,” he yelled, furious at the way he’d been handled. “Standing around here making small talk, wasting good food and swapping your bond mates when there are real life issues going on right outside this door. Shifters out there are counting on you to set a standard and all you can do is…Gods, you make me sick. Disrespectful, wanton waste and…I can’t stay here a minute longer.”

  Ignoring Stone’s worried gaze, Wyatt hurried from the room. He could hear Benson yelling for him to be arrested but he was beyond caring. Anthony fell in beside him as he stalked down the hallway.

  “Are you going to arrest me for hitting a councilman in the balls?”

  “I’m sure he deserved it and I think Councilman Stone is handling that little matter as we speak.”

  “Yeah, well, he was so busy schmoozing he didn’t even notice someone hitting on me.” Wyatt rubbed his chest as he walked, unsure why the idea of Stone ignoring him hurt so much. “Damn cat thought I’d just leave with him and fucking suck his dick. What type of place are you running here?”

  “One that’s about to get a huge shake up thanks to you and your mate,” Anthony grinned as he held open the door to their suite. “Personally, I can’t wait.”

  Wyatt wasn’t so sure. They were meant to stay for two more days, but he was missing Maddie. He pulled his suitcase out of the closet and started pulling open his drawers, leaving Stone’s alone. He wasn’t spending another minute in the council buildings. What Stone did was entirely up to him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You manhandled my mate,” Stone accused, glaring down at Benson who was still writhing on the floor clutching his balls.

  “Didn’t you get the rule book?” Benson bit back. “You’re a man of the world. You’ve been in the military. You know what it’s like when you’re forced to bond with someone who doesn’t meet your needs. Hell, all of us claimed women because back in the day anything else was frowned on and it still is. I don’t know why you didn’t get the memo, but your little cock-tease is going to have to go back to the gutter you picked him out of. I was just having a bit of fun with him first.”

  Stone struggled to work out what insulted him more; the way Benson talked about his mate, or the assumption that he’d ever let Wyatt go to fit in with the council’s rigid standards. “Let me get this straight. You’re telling me as a council member, I can’t have Wyatt as my mate?”

  “It’s like I was telling you, Stone,” Tomas broke in. “Council members have to be seen to live within certain standards so that other shifters can follow our example. Bringing along a young omega with big ideals is one thing, but you should’ve picked a female date for the evening. Our wives were very upset when he arrived.”

  “Wyatt’s not some date I picked up for the evening, he’s my FATED MATE!” Stone ripped the collar of his shirt, showing his scar. Tomas paled and sweat broke out across Benson’s face. “You broke the one law sacrosanct to all shifters. You interfered with my mate.” He pointed his finger at Benson. “He told you he was mated, and you still insulted him, grabbed him and tried to drag him off for your sick little games.”

  “He’s an omega….”

  Stone cut Benson off with a slash of his hand. “An Alpha and Omega pairing are the most revered in the shifter world. With him by my side I am stronger, and yet he provides the caring side of this partnership. What you did was beyond reproach and I have every right to rip out your throat right now.”

  “Now, come on Stone,” Stevens, the Hawk representative said hesitantly. “These dinners are all the same. Our wives don’t mind being swapped around and Benson had no way of knowing you two were fated mates.”

  “Your wives are okay with this, are they? They’re okay with being passed around like hookers just so you guys can get their thrills. Well, let’s ask them, shall we? Ladies, is that your only function in life? To provide the jollies for ancient council members?”

  “I used to be a teacher until my father mated me off to Benson. Said it would improve his position with his pride.” The young lioness Benson was mated to glared at her mate. “I never dreamed he’d turn me into a whore, sending me out to lay with people he wanted to sweeten a deal with.”

/>   “I was perfectly happy on my own,” Tomas’s wife agreed. “Now, I don’t get to see my cub and I’m forced into these ridiculous clothes and made to lay down for anyone who asks, simply because of my husband’s position.”

  “I don’t mind so much,” Stevens’ wife added. “My husband never comes near me. He’s too busy playing with the pretty boys who ‘run’ his office. I’m just dusted off and forced to come to these dinners which is the only time my husband has anything to do with me. My parents were hoping for grandchildren by now, but at this rate they’ll be hybrids if I ever get pregnant at all.”

  “Vanessa,” Stevens warned.

  “No, I won’t shut up.” Vanessa turned to her friends. “Stone’s not ashamed of his new mate. You see how he stands up for him, willing to kill Benson just for touching him. Don’t you see how badly we’re being treated? We deserve better than this. That young Wyatt was right. Things do need to change and I’m going to start by divorcing my husband and going back to my parents. I have a fated mate out there somewhere and so do all of you. Don’t you want the chance to meet them?”

  “Don’t you think of leaving….” Benson threatened his wife, but Stone stood in front of the women, his arms crossed.

  “Or you’ll do what?” He raised his eyebrows. “This is exactly the sort of thing my mate was talking about, something I’ve been trying to get any of you to listen to all evening. Instead, all I’ve heard is how hard it is to gain use of the council jet, and what a bore it is having to sit on the Shifter Council every month. You abuse your position, you disrespect your bonded mates to the point they want to leave, and you dare to tell me I have to discard the one man created for me by the Fates.”

  “It’s the way things have always been,” Tomas protested. “We have a position to maintain. Gloria, please. I didn’t know you were unhappy….”

  “Because you never listened when I tried talking to you. You were always too busy with this old boys’ club. Vanessa’s right. I’m going back to my clan to spend time with my cub. If you can get your head out of your ass long enough to start groveling, you’ll know where I am. Ladies, are you coming?”