STOLEN BY THE HEARTLESS LYCAN

Chapter 6: Council and Conspiracies

Creed’s pov

“You were not supposed to kill him,” Daniel Kerrington huffed.

“And you’re not supposed to be f*cking your own stepsister,” Maddox drawled, playing with the dark smoke tendrils curling around his fingers with a half hearted expression, “But alas, we don’t always do what we’re supposed to do but what we f u c k i n g feel like.”

Conrad spat out his drink in a raucous laughter but a number of other council members were more enraged than amused.

I sighed and ground my teeth, sitting back in my chair when all I wanted to do was go back to Cora. Restlessness rattled under my skin and I didn’t know how I was going to get any job done today with the knowledge that I now had Cora in my possession after all these years of wanting her from the shadows.

Felt better than hustling.

“What do you mean by that?” Daniel bellowed in rage at my brother’s words, his eyes threatening to fall out of his face with how intently he was looking at Maddox who wasn’t even paying any more attention to him. Annoyed, Daniel swivelled his bullet head to face me, “are you going to let him talk to me, an esteemed member of the council, like that?”

“F u c k yeah, he’s a prince. Outranks you in every way,” Conrad said, sipping his beer and looking at his phone as yet another text notification rang across the room.

I tilted my head up to the ceiling and searched for patience, deciding that I couldn’t take another hour of this.

I wondered for the nth time if convincing my parents to retire and let us handle leadership had been the best thing to do with brothers like Conrad and Maddox. They seemed to only tune into the meeting when they felt the need to get under a councilman’s skin, but I knew they were paying attention to everything being said.

No one keeps scores like those two.

“I advice you rein in your brothers, Alpha Creed and I only say this in your best interest.”

I casted the man to my left a dark glance, seeing right through his bullsh*it. “I advice you shut up while I think,” I said darkly, rolling the cigarette between my fingers over and over again, the urge to just give in and light it up stronger with each second.

A murmur spread throughout the room that I easily rolled off my shoulders.

Their opinion doesn’t count for s**t really, after all, the most they can do is yell, none of them, not even Kerrington dares to really go against me, and that can be seen in the way the others shot sideways glances at him, as if waiting to see his reaction and decide their next course of action.

Shadow Cove was founded by the Four Families; the alphas and lunas of the four strongest and richest packs in existence. They came together to pull their resources together and create a safe haven for werewolves. Over time, Shadow Cove became the strongest collection of packs in the world, dominating all of lorekind and even in the human world.

The Vanderbilts ruled Night Shade pack and ran some of the biggest corporations in the world, coming from old money that had their hand in every kind of business.

The Hawthornes were the heads of the Silver Moon pack, they were the treasured healers of our race, with wisdom in every kind of drug, plants and method of healing because of their fae ancestry and were leading the world’s health care companies on a global stage.

The Talaverras ran Poison Fang pack and ruled over the city’s underworld. Assassins, escorts, weapons and arms, high tech… anything. If you could think it, we could provide it.

Lastly, the Corrigans, who headed Gold Crest pack and had their hands in the world’s most precious mineral mines and oil refineries in the world.

It was a delicate balance, once upon a time, but a balance nonetheless.

That balance tipped on its side when Aiden Vanderbilt, Ren Hawthorne, Zac Talaverra and Cade Corrigan; the four princes of Shadow Cove at their time, all fell in love and married the same woman; Lily Beauregard. My mother.

Now, we’re collectively referred to as The Beauregards and power that used to be equally shared among the four families is now centered on only one. Ours. We had autonomy over all the pack’s resources. Our word was law and our judgement; final. The powers we were blessed with made us damn near unstoppable.

I could see why the council was becoming increasingly hostile to our family but frankly, I didn’t give a sh!t.

“What he means to say is…” another council member started, he cleared his throat a little, his intimidated eyes darting left and right. He paused to carefully choose his words and I almost respected him for it, almost. “Orlando was our only lead on this case, while I’m sure you have your… reasons for killing him, it doesn’t change the fact that we’ve lost our only lead.”

“Having your own reasons doesn’t mean you get to go against the council,” Kerrington slammed his hand on the mahogany table in front of him. “We’re here for a reason.”

I watched him passively and almost disinterestedly. He was young, younger than most of the other council members, so he had probably forgotten what it was like under my parents’ merciless reign.

I should make a bloody statement sometime.

“This is for the good of the entire pack! You’ve ruined any chance we had to find the Valentinos. Is it until they come knocking on our doors before you understand the severity of what you’ve done?”

“You’re starting to piss me off, Kerrington.”

The murmurs of agreement that started at his outburst immediately dropped as I stared at him blandly.

“I apologize, Alpha, but I simply cannot let this go. Acting on your own like that…”

My jaw ticked. He was like a dog with a bone when it came to pissing me off.

Would it really be so bad if I killed him right now?

There were murmurs of agreement, but no one was bold enough to actually step forward and speak their mind to my face. I watched them whisper and glare and nod. It was amusing to watch them scramble for a sense of power in a situation where they clearly have none.

“You’re getting a little too bold, Creed.” He huffed, fueled by their approval.

“I could say the same to you Daniel,” there was enough of a threat in my voice that he backed off, for now.

The Kerringtons were the only family that dared to openly go against mine when it comes to the ruling of Shadow Cove… Some bad blood that started before I was born.

Daniel had made it very clear, not just from the first meeting he was allowed to attend but every other interaction, that he believed we shouldn’t have as much power as we do.

Of course they were not the only ones that were intimidated by us. My eyes darted to two frowning men sitting Daniel’s side but the Kerringtons were the only ones that dared to voice their disapproval rather than hiss behind our backs and fake compliance in front of our faces.

“Orlando was given permission to continue his business on our turf as long as he keeps his hands off of our kind, whether they were affiliated to Shadow Cove or not. He broke that agreement, so I killed him. Traitors don’t deserve any f u c k i n g mercy.” I emphasized the word so that they remember that despite their annoyance, their loyalty remains only to us and it seemed to get the message across when they shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

A gamma from Night Shade started. “Y-you’re right, Alpha, but due process-”

“If I was required to wait for permission to punish every traitor as I see fit, I’ll never get anything done, Thomas.” I cut him off, already f u c k i n g irritated at this point. “The wolves he had taken as hostages have been found, their captors killed. There was no reason to let him live.”

“But the Valentinos-”

“We’ll find a new spy for them, one that won’t bite us in the a s s in the process.” I tapped my cigarette impatiently on the table.

“And his daughter?” One of them asked. “The favoured one…”

My blood burned hotter in my veins.

There were shared glances of interest around the room, my blood boiled at the coveted interest in their eyes.

“I was told he has a siren for a daughter? She’s a w***e if I remember correctly-”

“She’s mine.”

A tense air crept into the room, startled silence chipping at what was left of my patience.

“What do you mean, alpha?”

“I mean that I rescued her along with the other victims. I’m giving her permanent residence in my home.”

Silence.

Even my brothers sat upright at my announcement, their eyes wide with surprise.

I rarely ever surprise them with rash decisions- although Maddox’s gaze was more alight with delight and when he casted a triumphant gaze to Conrad, I could tell he had won another one of their stupid bets.

My jaw tightened.

I couldn’t concentrate, not with Cora right where I want her.

I tipped my head to the side thoughtfully. Bringing a siren into Shadow Cove was practically forbidden, according to the laws set by the original Four Families, but my family now holds autonomy over the Pack and our word was law.

I’m sure this will be a pain in the ass when my mother hears of my arbitrary actions but all that will take care of itself in due time.

“Let’s move on to the next issue on the agenda. The team in charge of intercepting the new shipment at the border…”