Chapter Twenty-Five

“State your name.”

“Shannon.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty,” Shannon replied. She glanced nervously at the people sitting in front of her. They weren’t elevated above her, but the intensity of their gaze was enough for her to feel it. She wriggled uncomfortably in her chair. What was the point of this?

“How long have you been a mate to Leo?”

“Two years. I was in the Running two years ago and he caught me,” she informed them. If she were a braver soul, she’d ask them what the purpose of this was. Couldn’t they get to the point? She kept glancing over at the door, wondering if they were going to bring Leo through it. What would she do if she saw him? What would he do?

“How would you describe your relationship with him?”

“What?” she asked.

“Answer the question,” the one in the middle growled. He seemed to be the one in charge. Shannon couldn’t even hold his gaze for two seconds. He was intimidating and scary. Maybe even more so than Leo when he was in a mood.

“To what are you referring? Are you asking if we loved each other? Because that’s a definite no. Leo wanted me to tell him that I loved him, but I didn’t. He proclaimed to love me, but you don’t abuse and almost kill someone that you love. If you are referring to if whether we had a sexual relationship, then yes. And before you ask, I’m pregnant with Leo’s child.”

Whispers broke out on the Council at that last statement. Shannon looked over at Merrick who was studying her intently. He’d taken a seat at the table with the other Council members, leaving her on her own. She shivered under his gaze. There was a lot of emotion in his eyes, but mainly what she saw was disgust. She looked down at the floor, feeling like scum. Is that how he saw her? Did he see her as human scum? Did all of these Council members see her as nothing more than another guard, or a pest?

“What is the point of this?” she spoke up.

“We ask the questions,” the man next to Merrick spat, looking down at her.

“How is that fair? I want to know why I was brought here and what all this is about,” Shannon snapped. She was tired of being bullied. Leo was gone and she felt stronger already. But would he stay gone? Her heart raced in her chest at the thought. Surely they wouldn’t let him free again.

“You are here to help us determine what to do with Leo. He is a friend of a lot of us on this Council. We have no evidence that this has been going on but your word. He never seemed the type to us and we’ve known him a lot longer,” the same man replied.

“But he’s also not a friend of a few and we are here to keep things even,” Merrick snapped. The man shot Merrick a look. “Just because you liked him, Butch, doesn’t mean that we did.”

“Enough,” the intimidating one spoke up. He seemed to be in charge. Shannon’s eyes shot to him, but quickly lowered to his chest. “How extreme were the beatings? And did they continue once he knew about the baby?”

“Joel, she’s just going to lie. Let’s just separate them and be done with it,” Butch growled.

“I was not talking to you,” Joel shot Butch a look. Butch lowered his head and tilted it to the side. He was bearing his neck, showing Joel that he wasn’t trying to challenge him in any way. Shannon had been right. Joel was the alpha. “Please answer the questions.”

“I was only turned into a shifter because he beat me so severely that I wouldn’t have made it otherwise. Seth can vouch for that. I came into the infirmary barely alive and Seth made Leo change me. Leo complained that he didn’t want to because he wanted me to have children. I couldn’t have children if I wasn’t alive. The bastard wasn’t even going to change me. His sole focus has been about having a son,” Shannon answered honestly.

“And after the baby?”

“He used words to put me down and verbally abuse me. He totally avoided the belly, but he’d still slap me around. It didn’t stop and I feared for my life,” Shannon looked down at the ground. She was so weak before these strong men.

“How long have you been pregnant?” Joel asked. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Shannon shrugged, not truly sure of that answer.

“Maybe a month, or more. Seth would have to tell me for sure.”

“Where is Seth?” Joel looked over to Merrick.

“He’s taking care of Blythe. Leo beat her to a bloody pulp,” Shannon replied instead. Joel’s eyes transferred back to her. He raised an eyebrow.

“Blythe?”

“She’s mated to Killian,” Shannon answered.

“When did this happen?”

“I thought that was the whole reason we were here?” Shannon questioned.

“Merrick brought this matter to the Council, but wasn’t very specific with his details. I’m sorry that we were uninformed of all the matters.” Joel turned to Merrick. “Go get Seth and Blythe and Killian. I wish to speak with them.”

“I don’t think Blythe will be able to come. She was in bad shape. I’m not sure how she was still alive,” Merrick replied. He shot Shannon a glance. “But I can get Seth.”

“We will talk to Seth and then bring Leo in.”

Shannon shivered. They were going to bring him in here? What if he got free and came for her? What if they believed him over her? God help her.

“No need to come get me, I’m here,” Seth’s voice had all heads turning toward the open door.

***

Blythe was exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep. But as soon as she saw Shannon sitting in front of that table of men, she felt a new sense of determination fill her. She was not going to sleep while her friend fought for her safety.

Blythe felt Killian move closer to her. She studied the men on the Council, her inner tiger immediately sensing which one was in charge. He caught her eye as she came into the light and studied her.

“I’m glad you are all here. Maybe now we can get some answers,” Joel commented.

“Blythe, are you okay?” Shannon whispered, getting up. Blythe nodded at her.

“I’m as fine as I can be, considering,” Blythe smiled, trying to hide how uncomfortable she really was.

“Here are some chairs,” Seth carried two chairs over and set them up on either side of Shannon. He took one and Killian sat in the other, keeping Blythe in his arms.

“Let’s make this fast. My mate needs some rest. As you can see, she can’t even stand on her own,” Killian snapped. Joel inclined his head.

“We will make this fast. Why don’t you tell us what happened to you, Blythe,” he coaxed.

“I took some dinner to Shannon. Ever since we all found out she was pregnant, we barely ever saw her. Not that we saw her a lot before, but anyway. I was worried she wasn’t eating enough for her and the baby. When I got there, Leo wasn’t home. Shannon and I talked and I convinced her she needed to leave. Leo was going to end up killing her and the baby. She agreed. As we were leaving, Leo showed up. He was furious. He attacked me. He didn’t stop until he assumed I was dead. Shannon must’ve left and got help. I remember feeling pain and then nothing. I woke up in the infirmary, a shifter and alive,” Blythe explained.

“Shannon, what did you do while your mate was beating Blythe?” Joel asked.

“How do we know they aren’t all in this together to end Leo?” Butch interrupted. Joel shot him a glare.

“What are you implying?” Killian snarled, his arms tightening around Blythe. She winced and he loosened his hold. He lowered his voice. “Sorry.”

“I’m saying, how do we know that you didn’t beat your own mate up so that it could look like Leo did it? Maybe Shannon isn’t happy with Leo and wants a different mate. How do we know that you aren’t lying to us?” Butch looked at the other Council members. “This could be a set-up.”

“You are so dumb, sometimes,” Merrick spat. “How you ended up on the Council, I sure as hell don’t know.”

“Boy,” Butch warned.

“Boy? Who the hell you calling boy? I’m just as old as you. And apparently a lot smarter. Can you not smell Leo on all of them? His scent from their clothes and skin permeates the room. Look at the way that Killian is holding his mate. Does he look like someone that would beat his own mate for someone else? Hell no. And listen to their heartbeats when they talk. They don’t lie and you are an idiot for suggesting otherwise.”

“How dare you!” Butch growled, jumping up. Merrick leaped to his feet, his body prepared for an attack.

“Enough,” Joel called, silencing the entire room. All eyes turned to him. “Butch, leave.”

“Joel, you can’t be serious,” Butch whined.

“I said leave. You are no longer a member of this Council.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Butch turned his attention to Joel. He left his back open to attack from Merrick, and his panther didn’t like that at all. He wanted to rip Butch’s throat out just for acting like he was no threat.

“Do you want to be escorted out?” Joel crossed his arms. The rest of the Council got to their feet. They’d all sided with Joel.

“Fuck this,” Butch kicked his chair over and took off toward the door. He stopped in front of Shannon and spat on the floor in front of her chair. “You disgust me.”

A snarl echoed around the room and Blythe saw Merrick move out of the corner of her eye. He was over the table and had Butch by the throat in the air before she could blink. She’d have to get used to how fast shifters moved. She was one now and needed to know her limits.

“Apologize to her,” Merrick snarled.

“Fuck you,” Butch spat. Merrick tightened his hold and Butch clawed at his wrists. Merrick didn’t let go.

“Merrick, let him go,” Joel commanded. Merrick fought against his alpha’s command. Butch had disgraced Shannon and he was going to say sorry.

“I said to fucking apologize,” Merrick growled, lowering Butch until he looked him in the eye.

Joel’s voice deepened the next time he spoke. Blythe’s arms broke out in goosebumps and she curled her body more into Killian’s. “I said to let him go.”

Merrick fought, but there was no denying his alpha’s command. He released Butch, placing himself between him and Shannon. He prepared for an attack from Butch, but one never came. Butch rubbed his neck and started toward the door.

“Butch, apologize to Shannon,” Joel commanded. Butch stopped in his tracks. Blythe could tell that he was fighting against the command. He didn’t want to apologize but his alpha had commanded it. She was glad she wasn’t on the end of that command or any command from Joel. She knew she’d immediately give in.

“Sorry,” Butch spat before racing out the door, slamming it behind him. The sound echoed around the room.

“I’m sorry about that. Everyone take their seats. Merrick, you too,” Joel commanded.

“Are you bringing Leo out?” Merrick asked as the Council members sat. Joel nodded, taking a seat himself. He leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. He raised an eyebrow at Merrick’s question.

“Yes, eventually.”

“Then I’m staying here. We don’t know how stable he is and he could attack these people,” Merrick inclined his head respectively.

“As you wish,” Joel relented. Turning to address the Council members, Joel leaned back in his chair. “As you all heard Merrick say, they do reek of Leo. I don’t see any reason for them to lie and a lot of the evidence is against Leo. Butch was one of Leo’s really good friends, but now that he’s gone, we can all keep an open mind about this. I want you to talk this over and then we will bring Leo out. Let’s take a five-minute break.”

Blythe breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe now they’d come to the conclusion that Leo needed to be put down like the nasty creature he was. She felt Killian playing with her hair and shuddered to think how nasty she probably looked. She definitely felt dirty. She needed to shower.

“I feel nasty,” she whispered against Killian’s neck. He laughed and she felt it against her side. She smiled. “That’s not funny.”

“You look beautiful.”

“I’m covered in more bruises than I knew could exist and you’re calling me beautiful?”

“Don’t remind me,” Killian growled, squeezing her tighter to him. She kissed his neck and then leaned back to look at him. He stared down at her, love shining in his eyes. “I almost lost you.”

“I’m still here,” Blythe reached up and cupped his face. He placed his hand over hers and then turned his head to kiss her palm. He entwined their hands and spun them to kiss the back of her hand. She smiled at him.

“I’m so sorry,” Shannon whispered, leaning toward them. “This is all my fault.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t get you out sooner,” Blythe whispered back.

“I should have believed Blythe. I was blinded by my friendship with Leo and never expected this of him. I didn’t believe that any of us could abuse a mate. I’m sorry that you had to put up with it this long and we didn't notice,” Killian told her.

“I should’ve gone to the Council a lot sooner. I kept seeing all your accidents and documenting them, yet I thought I needed more evidence. I’m so sorry, Shannon,” Seth said. Shannon leaned over and patted his hand, smiling at him.

“Thank you for saving Blythe and for taking care of me when I was injured. I was like you; I believed that no one would believe me. It’s okay.”

Blythe looked up to see Merrick watching the interaction between Shannon and Seth. Was he interested in her friend? Blythe didn’t believe Shannon would be ready for any male attention for a long time. They’d have to find somewhere for her to stay.

“Where are you going to stay?” Blythe interrupted Shannon in the middle of a sentence. They both looked at her. “Sorry,” she blushed.

“No, you’re fine. What do you mean?” Shannon asked.

“After all this is over? You can’t be expected to stay in Leo’s room after all the terrible memories you have there and what you’ve been through,” Blythe shrugged. She shifted in Killian’s hold.

“I don’t know,” Shannon replied, looking nervous. “What do you think they’ll do to me? Will they assign me a new mate? How does this work?”

“I’m not sure. This has never happened before,” Seth answered. He looked up at Merrick. “Well? What do you think?”

“She will probably be assigned a new mate.”

“I don’t want one,” Shannon shook her head.

“Why not?” Merrick asked. “They would protect you.”

“They would also expect things from me and I’m not ready for that just yet. Physically or mentally. I need space away from men,” Shannon replied.

“She can stay with us,” Blythe inputted.

“No,” Killian shook his head. Blythe glared at him and he held up his free hand. “I don’t mean it like that. I’m saying we don’t have room for her. We have one bed and no room for more.”

“She can use my room. I’ll sleep in the infirmary,” Seth voiced his opinion.

“Thank you all so much for wanting to help me,” Shannon wiped at her eyes. She felt tears coming on.

“The Council will decide,” Merrick told them.

Blythe wasn’t sure she liked this guy. Who did he think he was? He was dashing all of Shannon’s hopes.

“Okay, break time is over. We are going to get back to business now,” Joel called. Everyone turned to face him. “Merrick, will you go get Leo, please.”

“Yes sir,” Merrick nodded. He spun on his heel and walked out the door, leaving it open behind him. Blythe squeezed Killian’s hand tighter and braced herself for seeing the man that had almost killed her. She glanced over at Shannon to find the poor woman breathing rapidly. Blythe reached out with her free hand and grabbed Shannon’s. Shannon looked down at her and gave her hand a squeeze. Blythe smiled at her.

Merrick and Leo came through the door and Blythe gasped. Leo was free and looking right at her and Shannon. He didn’t have any kind of restraints on and was smiling. Merrick’s face was completely blank.

“Where do you want him?” Merrick called.

“Over there is fine,” Joel called. “Leo, do you know why you’re here?”

“Yes,” Leo replied, looking up at his alpha.

“And why is that?” Joel asked, testing him.

“I’m here because I beat that bitch to within an inch of her life and because I’ve abused my mate,” Leo answered honestly. Blythe was shocked and felt Killian move under her. He was growling and trying to stand. She held him back.

“No,” she whispered.

“Why isn’t he restrained?” Seth asked, not looking too happy.

“He is calm and won’t attack anyone,” Joel replied. “Right, Leo?”

“Yes, I’m calm.”

“Thank you for being honest. Now we need to hear your side of the story. Will you please tell me why you beat your mate and why you beat Blythe?”

“I beat my mate because she didn’t listen. She didn’t do as I said and she was always a bitch,” Leo shrugged.

“That doesn’t give you a right to beat her,” Seth growled, getting to his feet.

“She deserved it.”

“So, you feel no remorse?” Joel asked.

“No.”

“You’re a monster,” Shannon’s voice was weak and shaky, but still loud enough to hear.

“That’s what humans call us,” Leo shrugged.

“Now why did you beat Blythe?” Joel pressed.

“She was trying to take my son away from me. She was talking Shannon into leaving me and taking my kid away from me,” Leo growled, taking a step toward Blythe. Blythe gasped and dug her fingers into Killian’s hand. The only thing keeping Killian from attacking was his need to comfort his mate.

“So, you are aware that your mate is pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Yet you still abused her?”

“She only told me recently. And I didn’t hurt the baby,” Leo replied.

“You obviously care for the baby, just not his mother,” Joel commented.

“I’ve always wanted a son,” Leo told them.

“How do you expect to care for a son when you can’t even care for his mother? You’d just abuse your son,” Killian yelled.

“He would listen to me, look up to me,” Leo glared at them. “He would be worthy to live.”

“We will now decide what to do with you,” Joel told them.

“You can’t kill me! I have to see my son,” Leo shouted. He started toward Joel. Merrick leaped in front of him, placing his hand on Leo’s chest. Leo didn’t even look like he’d been beaten up. He was clean and no blood was in sight. It infuriated Blythe that he’d been able to shower and she’d been fighting for her life.

“We will decide,” Joel frowned.

The Council members all stood and huddled in a circle. They talked too low for anyone to hear. Blythe held her breath, waiting to see what they’d say. When Joel turned around, he didn’t look too happy, but he was resigned to whatever they said.

“We have come to a decision.”

He hesitated and looked right at Shannon.

“You will live with Merrick.”

Shannon gasped and Merrick looked confused and shocked. He apparently hadn’t been expecting that.

“No way,” Shannon shook her head. “No men.”

“Merrick doesn’t want a mate. He never has. He has no interest in having one. He won’t pressure you or hurt you. He will also keep you safe from others. He will mark you to keep others away, but he will not mate with you. My word is law here.”

Shannon looked like she wanted to puke, but she nodded. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the floor. Blythe could still tell she was waiting to hear what would happen with Leo. They all were.

“As for Leo.”

Again with the suspense and hesitation. It was getting on Blythe’s nerves. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from shouting at him to get on with it.

“He will stay alive until his son is born. Two days after the birth, Leo will be killed.”