Chapter 15
The council hall was thick with silence, the kind that weighed on bones and settled into every corner. Outside, the wind had picked up, but inside, the heavy stone walls absorbed even the faintest breath. The assembled elders sat in their usual places, Eldric adjusting his glasses, Caspian with a faint smile curved like a secret, Daniel rigid but alert, Madam Tyler serene yet sharp-eyed, Tobias drumming his fingers thoughtfully, and the late-arriving Mary slipping quietly into her seat near the back.
The heavy oak door groaned once, announcing footsteps that drew every gaze. Mary entered, eyes apologetic but steady. Behind her ca Lysander, his posture tense but controlled. Brynhild followed, moving with a quiet grace despite the rounded curve of her pregnancy.
"Apologies for being late," Mary said, her voice clear as she settled into the circle, shooting Tobias a glance.
Tobias snorted softly, a sound half amusent, half protest. Mary’s gaze pinned him instantly, sharp and unyielding, and he quickly averted his eyes, feigning disinterest.
Orion stood near the center, crossing his arms. His dark gaze swept the room once more before he forced the silence further with his voice.
"What do we do about this nuisance?"
Madam Tyler’s serene eyes flickered with mild confusion, her fingers still folded in that constant gesture of prayer. "What do you an, Orion?" she asked quietly.
He stepped forward, voice firm and carrying. "The woman. Sophia. She claims not to rember anything."
Eldric blinked, adjusting the thick lenses of his spectacles. "Claims? Does that an she is lying?"
Orion shook his head slowly. "I never felt anything remotely close to a lie from her."
Daniel’s brows narrowed sharply. "Then why do you ask the question? If she isn’t lying, what is the problem?"
Orion exhaled sharply, annoyed even by the question. "Because I don’t think she is lying.At least I know she is not."
There was just sothing about Sophia that unnerved him. He couldn’t quite place it. He could lie and say it was because of how she challenged him but he knew that wasn’t the case because a part of him liked the fact that she was able to challenge him, to push him. And it was so sucked fucked up pleasure.
There was also the fact that the voice he had heard when he had first brought her back to the pack was nowhere. It was like it was gone.
The council shifted uneasily. Tobias’s fingers stilled on the table, gaze sharpening. "Explain then, what is the situation?’
Orion turned to Lysander who gave him a nod.
Lysander stepped forward, taking a steady breath. "The woman’s condition is complex. As I explained to Orion before, it resembles a condition I’ve read about, amnesia. mory loss so deep that she cannot recall her past, her identity, origins, or ties to anyone or anything."
He paused, noticing the varying reactions. "Such conditions are rare, almost unheard of. The cause isn’t clear and we have very little knowledge regarding this condition."
Caspian’s dry chuckle cut through the tension. "So you say she’s forgetful. Big deal. This isn’t the first ti the pack’s had trouble with soone broken in the head."
Madam Tyler’s gaze was steady, but even she allowed a slight frown. "It may not be the first case, but surely it is serious enough to warrant this discussion."
"This feels awfully like that condition that old cow has." Caspian said with a laugh.
Lysander spoke up then. "This is different."
Orion’s expression darkened. "She does not know who she is. She could be anything. Our friend or enemy, weapon or victim."
He glanced sharply at everyone, voice lowering. "What if she recovers her mory and she is the enemy? And besides, who knows if she has so talent to bypass my ability?"
Daniel harrumphed, shaking his head. "You do know that is unlikely. We have all studied the limits of these gifts and curses. She cannot bypass your ability if you are right about it."
Orion’s gaze flicked coldly toward him. "Are you certain?"
Caspian spoke up then, "Oh, co now, Orion. None of us are that naive. But the truth is, powers such as yours possess limits, and we live with that uncertainty always."
Ronan leaned forward from where he sat, eyes gleaming with slow amusent. His voice was quiet but harsh with aning. "So, Orion... What do you intend to do with her? You’ve made up your mind already, haven’t you?"
Orion did not respond imdiately. Then, voice resolute, he answered. "She’s being sent out."
"Why?" Eldric asked him.
"We don’t know if she’ll be a threat to us or not."
Brynhild’s voice was unexpectedly soft but firm as she spoke. "That seems reasonable. But I do not believe she has the bone in her to hurt anyone."
Orion’s eyes flashed fiercely. "The most innocent tend to be the most dangerous and you of all people should know that."
Brynhild’s silver eyes held quiet defiance. "Perhaps. But if she is a threat, wouldn’t it be better to keep her within the pack’s watchful eyes? Especially if she is a spy or sothing worse."
Orion shook his head, irritation rising like wildfire. "I cannot risk it. No one will be hard because of what she might do or is unaware of."
The council was silent again, but Daniel observed Orion quietly, his expression unreadable.
Daniel’s voice finally cut through the stillness, slow and deliberate. "I suspect your heart lies in protecting yourself more than the pack at this point, Orion."
Orion’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Caspian, leaning back in his chair, studied him with calculating eyes.
Then Orion straightened and said with authority, "Tobias, when you leave for your next trade or business journey, take her with you. Drop her sowhere she can find her own way."
He shot a sharp glance around the room. "No discussion."
Tobias’s lips twitched but he nodded in understanding.
Orion turned and strode toward the exit without a backward glance.
Behind him, the low murmur of voices rose slowly, questions, protests, worries, yet none dared call him back.
The council chamber remained thick with silence once more.
Outside, the wind carried the weight of uncertain futures and unspoken fears.
User Comments
0 comments from readers