Untamed - Book 2

Coralie

After the pure bliss of last night, I knew the world would catch up with us sooner or later. The coven’s and pack’s sent their leaders to meet with us and I was just notified that Darius has arrived with three of his advisors. Jordan leads me into the grand hall where everyone is anxiously waiting for us to arrive. Even with the tension in the room, I am greeted with smiles by the people who all have requested my help at one point or another. Taking my place on the raised stage at the front of the room, I raise a hand to silence the muffled voices.

“Thank you all for coming here to meet with us, though I wish it were under less grim circumstances. I will not sugar coat any of this, so I am sorry if anything I say rubs you the wrong way. The councils are flawed. They are responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents and I know, because I carried out many of their Orders.” Several gasps fill the room from those who were not privy to my past involvement with the witch’s council. I look at Jordan, giving him an apologetic look as I prepare to reveal information he has not yet been given.

“I was hired by both the witch and were councils to handle situations of a sensitive nature. For years, I did not question my orders. I killed without mercy, without remorse. The last job I had been contracted to carry out was to kill a group of wanderers that I was told posed a great risk to the local covens. When I scouted the group, they were mortal men, women and children. I refused to do it, but the council hired Hector Altier to do what I could not. When I went to warn the group, I found them slaughtered. I ended up killing Hector and his men.” The few members of the coven who remember the stories scoff, disbelieving I had been responsible for the bloodbath that our history claims his death to have been.

“Legend has it that Hector had been found torn to pieces, scattered across a three mile stretch of forest. We witches are not monsters, Coralie.” Andrus, the head of the Wither Stone Coven speaks out. I draw in a deep breath and take a step toward the edge of the stage, stepping away from the soothing aura of my mate.

“Most witches are not, but I am not mere witch Andrus.” I call forth my beast, allowing her to show herself before the people in the room, awarding me with gasps and a few high pitched screeches. Having made our point, she retreats and I am quickly returned to my human form.

“I am a hybrid and to my knowledge, the last of my kind. The council hunted my kind to extinction, so when my mother realized what I was, she hid me away. I didn’t ask you here to frighten you. I asked you here to help us…to help your people. Caleb Altier is coming and he has Alpha Laurent assisting him. Laurent has been taking the mates and children of the rogues and using them as leverage to wage a war. He is forcing them to attack this pack and he will not stop there. Caleb is even more of a monster than Laurent. He has exterminated entire covens for the sake of power and to sate his bloodlust. We will be going up against them both, and that will put us against the council.” Roaring discussions flare up around the room and I want to reach for Jordan, but I can feel anger pulsing off of him so I remain still. I feel a cold hand rest on my shoulder and look up to find Darius standing at my side, catching the attention of all the others in the room as well.

“My people have no loyalty to any of you. We do not adhere to your laws, your beliefs. We have allowed your people to stain the earth red with blood for the sake of power for centuries. Everyone in this room has thought, or still thinks me to be a monster, yet you allow your councils and leaders to slaughter innocent people without batting an eyelash. Coralie seeks to put an end to the bloodshed, but in order to do that, more blood must be spilled. My people will stand by her in this war and, if you have any desire to see the end of your people’s suffering, you will too.” He looks down at me and squeezes my shoulder gently.

“The Wither Stone Coven pledges its alliance to the hybrid queen!” Adrus announces before placing his fist over his heart and kneeling, his men following suit.

“The Ember Shield Coven pledges our allegiance to you!” Liera shouts before she and her people also drop to one knee.

“The Crestmore Pack will fight with you.” Alpha Curtis announces before following out new found allies lead.

“The North Ridge Pack will be honored to fight at your side, Queen Cora.” Alpha Richards announces, he and his men also taking a knee.

“The Moongate Pack will defend you to the death, my queen.” Alpha Michaels shouts as he and his men drop down before me. The last three covens and two packs follow suit, but I can’t help wondering why the hell they are calling me queen. I glance at Darius and he gives me a knowing smile.

“I need a moment with our queen, then we will meet in the war room to discuss our plan.” Darius takes my hand and leads me quickly out of the room, through the foyer and out the front door before stopping. The door he had just closed swings open then slams shut as Jordan’s scent fills the air around me.

“Alpha, I am aware that you learned some unpleasant things in there, but we have a lot to discuss with those people and I need to come clean with Coralie about something before you let it all go.” His eyes are locked on Jordan who gives a curt nod and folds his arms over his chest.

“Darius, what the hell is going on?” He gives me an apologetic look, his red eyes softening.

“I know you do not remember much about your parents and that is how they wished for it to be. Your mother was a high priestess of her coven. It is your father’s lineage that allowed for your creation. He was the last of the Lycans, the Lycan King. The title of queen is your birthright, one you have been denied for far too long. That ring you had worn, it not only suppressed your Lycan abilities, but it drowned out many of your witch abilities as well. You are so much more powerful that you realize and, now that the enchanted object is not taming you, you will quickly find out just how amazing you truly are.” I drop to my knees from the weight of his words, struggling to draw air into my lungs as the information swirls around my head.

“You knew? This whole time…you knew! It was no accident that you found me…was it?” He shakes his head slowly.

“Your parents and I were friends for several decades before the council caught onto who they truly were. They asked me to take care of you if anything were to happen to them. It took a while to get you out of the council’s clutches though.” I look in his eyes, a sudden realization hitting me light a freight train.

“Luca…” He kneels down and places his hand on my shoulder.

“Luca is not your father’s son. He is purely a witch. He is your half-brother, but your bond is no less strong. Why do you think that you are the only person he can reach out to after all this time?” I glance up to Jordan, still seeing the anger in his eyes, but now there is a swirling vortex of confusion and sadness mixing in. His eyes stay focused on the forest in the darkness beyond the pack house driveway, not daring to look at me. I feel a sharp pain shoot through my chest, wanting nothing more than to hold the one man who can’t even bring himself to look at me. I rise to my feet with Darius gently holding my shoulder to make sure I am steady before dropping his hand to his side.

“I need to get back. We have a war to plan.” I walk part Jordan without bothering to look at him, not able to bear the feeling of rejection his gaze holds. As I walk into the war room, Darius stands firmly at my side, my silent, yet terrifying protector.