“Yes,” I said. “It was…something.”
Moira made a rumbling noise in the back of her throat, then excitedly sniffed the fae gold Lady Chrysanthe had paid with.
Too bad, I doubt this is going to become a new business model.
I shook my head, then got to work, cleaning up the photo booth, while some of what Lord Linus had shared circled through my brain.
Sounds like the Northern Lakes Pack is going to be entirely cleared. I wonder how Amos Fletching will take that…
Chapter 19
Pip
Lord Linus’s suspicions were correct. Two days later Greyson and I—as well as a few other representatives from the Northern Lakes Pack—were called to appear before Pre-Dominant Harka to hear the results of the investigation.
The case was held in a natural preserve owned and run by the Curia Cloisters. Thankfully everyone had gathered in the shade of the trees, out of the beastly hot morning sun.
All of the Fletchings involved in the investigation were present, as were a number of Pre-Dominant Harka’s Pack Members, Rafe—her nephew—two record keepers who would publicly post the findings of our meetings and report back to the Regional Committee of Magic, several representatives from some of the larger shifter clans, a vampire from the Drake Family—I had no idea what they were doing attending this meeting—and two wizards who worked as secretaries for the Dominant.
Since it was quite a crowd we stood in an oval shape, with Pre-Dominant Harka and all of her people at the top of the oval.
Everyone was standing, which you would assume would be awkward, but it gave the wolves a chance to move and fidget with their nervous energy, and they were much more comfortable than they would have been in one of the Curia Cloisters’ meeting rooms.
“We’ve heard the findings of the initial investigation made by the Fletching Hunters after Alpha Greyson and Hunter Sabre were involved with the fight and killing of a feral Low Marsh wolf,” Pre-Dominant Harka announced from her seat. “And we’ve reviewed all information we have on wolfsbane.”
I glanced back at Wyatt and Aeric, who stood behind me and smiled reassuringly.
Greyson and I were positioned in front of Harka with ten wolves from the Pack flanking us.
Lady Chrysanthe lingered behind the Northern Lakes wolves—she’d come with the night mares to pick us up from Timber Ridge, so our commute had been minutes instead of hours. Judging by the way she was tapping away on her phone, I was pretty sure she was texting someone—though I didn’t know if it was Chase, or the Night Queen herself.
“While it has been confirmed that two additional members of the Low Marsh Pack have imbibed the potion, that is the only additional information that has been uncovered. Is that correct, Hunter Amos Fletching?”
Amos stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the two younger members of his family standing behind him. “That is correct.”
Hmm, he didn’t call her Pre-Dominant Harka. That’s pretty rude—even I wouldn’t be that gutsy.
Harka must have noticed. She stared him down for several long, painful moments, but then returned her attention to the papers she held. “What did you find when investigating the Low Marsh territory?”
“One unused bottle of wolfsbane was hidden in a false bottom of a kitchen drawer,” Amos said. “No other vials or bottles were found.”
“Did you uncover anything to reveal the source of the bottle?”
“No,” Amos said. “We combed through all phone records, and what small paper trails Dolph had in his home, but we were unable to find anything.”
How is that possible? At bare minimum Dolph would need a way to contact his source. Unless the source always did the contacting? Perhaps it was someone who lived nearby—but why would they be in Northern Wisconsin?
It seemed more likely that the source had an easy way to travel, but that was groundless gut instinct.
One of the secretaries who worked for the Dominant poked her pen in the air. “And neither Alpha Dolph nor Kash have revealed the source of the potion?”
“Unfortunately, they’re not able to. Bring them in.” Harka nodded to her nephew.
Rafe nodded and disappeared through the trees, coming back a few moments later with two hunters and four wolves who herded Dolph and Kash—who were in their wolf forms—to the front of our gathering.
Kash didn’t resist—she was so out of it the wolves practically carried her in. She sagged in the werewolves’ grasp, and her eyes were unfocused as her nails scraped the ground.
Dolph, however, fought every step, snarling and snapping. His eyes were shot through with blood, and they had a sickly glassiness to them. His fur was matted, and it looked like he’d chipped one of his front fang teeth.
“Stop,” Harka barked.
For a moment, I felt Harka’s power swell. It flashed in the thicket of trees like a lightning strike, making all the wolves stiffen.
Kash didn’t react—I don’t think she was really conscious—but Dolph slammed to the mossy ground. He didn’t really seem to be aware of it, though, because he tried to chew his own paw and his drool was flecked with froth.
Woah, that’s pretty intense. Even feral he still reacts to Harka’s power.
The secretary grimaced. “Will they remain feral forever? Or will it wear off and let them become human again?”
“It is believed it will wear off.” Pre-Dominant Harka slipped her hands into the pockets of her pantsuit. “Centuries ago, when the elves used it, they administered wolfsbane on a monthly basis to keep pet shifters pliant. Given that we haven’t seen this potion used in modern times, we don’t know. All wolves who have taken it—at this point—have been put down because they were threatening or harming humans.”
“If they return to their human form, they should have the mental capacity to tell us who sold them the potion,” Rafe added. “But there are no guarantees.”
“Regardless, Alpha Dolph is officially removed from his position as Alpha of the Low Marsh Pack, whether he regains his senses or not.” Pre-Dominant Harka’s stark black hair seemed extra dark in the shadows of the trees. “Being Alpha is a position of honor and responsibility—you are to take care of those within your Pack and look after their wellbeing. Something Dolph failed at, given that he chose to imbibe wolfsbane, and likely encouraged its use.”
“Vant, step forward,” Rafe instructed.
Vant—the beta of the Low Marsh Pack—meandered out of the crowd.
He was a big guy, with lots of muscle and a look in his eye I didn’t quite like.
I shifted uneasily as he stalked up to where Harka stood.
“Vant is now Alpha over the Low Marsh Pack,” Harka announced. “Unless he is unseated in a challenge. Are there any challengers?”
The Low Marsh wolves who attended the meeting sat a little deeper in their chairs, avoiding Vant’s eyes.