Tristan nearly shattered the door how hard he slammed it open to his mother's house. Sawyer was right behind him.
Noah, Edith, Ada and his grandfather were there.
"Your grandfather sent out scouts when Byron upped the date of the meeting. They returned a few hours ago with troubling news and a letter from Byron to deliver to you. They also ran into Rafe's messenger, he sent a letter as well." Ada said. She held them both.
Tristan snatched them from her and hastily read it. Even more fury coursed through him. He grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
Dena burst into the door.
"What's happening?" She demanded.
"Byron has Lo." Noah said.
"What? What does he want?" Dena growled.
"The Varga lands." Tristan said with anger as he tried to focus on reading.
"Byron's messenger mentioned none of this." Edith said, her voice was stressed.
"I assume he didn't want to provoke us before the meeting, he wanted to catch us off guard so we weren't prepared with higher numbers. He probably meant to have a messenger waiting for us to inform us of his plans before we reached his land, but when Tristan still refused to come, he had to tell us now." Noah said.
Tristan had to reread it a few times, each line seemed to elicit even more anger in him. And he hadn't even gotten to Rafe's.
"She's his gifted... how could he even do this? It's in all pack laws not to interfere with gifted mates." Edith growled.
"Because I denounced my claim on her the last council meeting and marked another." Tristan snarled as he crumbled the paper in his hand. He was practically shaking from the anger. Furious at Byron for using that against him. Furious at himself.
"So just give it to him and go get her, how is this a problem? We aren't even using it!" Dena growled.
Tristan hadn't thought of those damn lands in a while. It hadn't even occurred to him that they were even on anyone's mind to take from them.
"It's a bit more complicated than that." Ada said with a sigh. She looked deeply stressed.
"Ivan agreed to give the land to Arthur if you broke your oath to stay mated to Emma. It was agreed upon last meeting, with all witness to it. So now Tristan has to go to the meeting, keeping up the ruse he's still mated to Emma, until he can rightfully transfer the land to Byron, so Arthur will have no claim on it," Noah said with frustrated tone.
Tristan felt like a vice was squeezing inside his chest.
"It was all burned down... why would he even want it?" Dena growled. Clearly she was furious as well.
"It's been two and a half years, in a very rainy region. It's livable again, most of it anyway. Byron is having a lot of trouble with the humans. He wants to relocate." Noah said.
Tristan felt like he couldn't think for a moment. He had already failed her so much.
What the hell would she think if he showed up with Emma... pregnant, and presenting like they were still mated?
"I can't do it." Tristan said firmly. "He can just take the land."
"It has to be before the council, witnessed, I'm afraid, unless the treaty dissolved, otherwise Arthur has a right to take it back." Hutch said. "And before you ask, a transfer of property like that... I can't do it as a proxy, it would have to be you."
Tristan took another hard breath. So many furious emotions were mixing inside him.
"How will Arthur react the moment he realizes he's been fooled?" Dena asked with concern.
YOU ARE READING
Winter Wolf
Werewolf"Why are you so cold to me?" Lo asked. She didn't understand it. This should be a blessing to them both. Tristan stopped at the threshold of the door. She could see his muscular form tense, his large hands clenched at his sides. A thick silence fol...
