Raised Mateless (On Hold)

Chapter 20

“You are his mother, yes?” His voice reminded me of silk as the words flowed from his mouth. I detected an accent that was foreign to me.

I nodded, unsure of where this was going. “Yes.”

“And you are allowing this to happen to your son?” His welcoming demeanor turned cold as he held a slight frown. “I am told he is no older than five. Yet, his body has been strained into growing two times older than that. He may even lose his mind – become a simpleton from lack of time. Is that what you want?”

My breathing had turned heavy from my anxiety setting in. I broke my gaze from the councilmen to turn towards my son. Dakota’s stormy grey eyes had turned to steel as they met mine, no signs of my carefree child left there. I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. I was destroying my little boy before he even had a chance to live.

“It was not her decision to make,” The one person I never expected to speak on my behalf answered. Alpha stepped forward and masked my body with his, shielding me from the wondering looks from everyone in the room. “It was mine.” 

“Mamello, we are not here to judge wolf-pack traditions.” A light haired man spoke, his body language relaxed and open. His toned arms reached up and pulled back his dark hood.

His beauty struck me; with sun-kissed skin, light blonde hair, and grassy green eyes, he stood out compared to the other men. He was definitely the youngest on the panel, not a few years older than twenty. He looked as if he would be more comfortable on the sunny beaches of California than sitting on the Elite Council.

The bright eyed man, Mamello gave the other man a hard glare before sitting back down into his cushioned chair.

“My name is Cassius and I am the Head of the Elite Council.” The Californian spoke again, his teeth gleaming in the light as he smiled.

My eyes widened in shock when I heard his title. This was the Head of the council; he looked younger than I did. I noticed Joseph’s back was tense and unmoving. He had his head bowed and eyes closed in submission.

Cassius’ eyes narrowed in on Joseph before flashing from green to a yellow, “I must say, I am surprised to find a lion amongst a bunch of wolves.”

“He is part of our pack,” Dakota answered in a low tone that almost sounded threatening.

Cassius smiled at Dakota, his eyes raking up and down Dakota in a calculating matter. Cassius opened to his mouth to speak but was cut off with the sound of a throat-clearing coming from Evelyn at the end of the platform. “We need to get started, Cassius.”

Cassius nodded, his nearly white hair bouncing slightly and smiled widening. “I suppose we do.” He rose from his chair was a grace I hadn’t ever seen a man use. “Dakota Foster, you are here because of the allegations that you are not of Alpha blood thus being unfit to run a pack of wolf-shifters.” His golden eyes settled back into their grassy green tint as he turned to appraise the courtroom. “I am told that the other man who claims the right to the title is here as well, please come forward.”