𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍: 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐲

NINE: Coming Out.

Where was it coming from? Did I have an answer? Yes. One he'd accept? No. At least I didn't so and thank heavens I was spared from having to fumble for one long because my phone buzzed continually with a phone call.

"Don't pick that up, I'm not done talking to you?" He pointed at me with a pair of kitchen tongs.

"Yea well," Ignoring him like a petulant teenager, I waved my phone screen in front of Mateo's face. "Nevanji may you please explain to your commanding officer that I'll be out in the house taking my mate's call." As I walked off from my father's grumble of displeasure my head throbbed with ache. Possibly from disrespecting him or from the weight of my lies. My phone buzzed one more time before I swiped for green.

On the other end of the line, Danielle was livid. "I found out why they called everyone in the pack back here."

"Me too." I breathed swiping a sweaty hand down my face. "Everyone thinks we're mates, they will have to spare us from being a part of the investigation." I bit at my fingernails, assuring her even though I didn't know what the council would choose to make of mated couples, like us. In the eyes of the people at least.

"Malik. It's bigger than anything you can imagine, they will know." She cried in panic.

Fear surged in my veins, I was unsure of everything except my decision. I had to be strong for her, for me. "They won't, we'll just have to look like we're in love with each other."

Danielle scoffed, "You aren't getting it."

"But I am. We just have to look in love and no one will question us." I bit my lip and spoke into the phone. "No one has questioned us for five years. They won't start now." I was so sure of it.

"Malik. They demanded me on a plane back here today but that's not what's most concerning. I was doing some reading and..." Dani breathed deep into the receiver before she spoke again. "Polygamy was never ruled out for our specie. It just fizzled out along with time and evolution. Do you know what that means? Or what the council led by your dad has decided to do about it?"

I hummed a no with hesitance and suspicion.

"According to the copy document I'm holding right now. Your dad petitioned with the pack order to officially allow the council to consider all avenues of evolution and devolution. It says here that he won and that means mates or not no female in the pack is exempt from the exam." She paused deep and lost control. "That means I'm a candidate mate for Brady and if I'm a candidate you could..."

"They won't test you." I jumped to the rescue. "There are hundreds of mated she-wolves. By the time they get to you something will have given and even if they do in the worst case scenario. You're not his mate so they'll never know."

"That's assuming the council doesn't already suspect us of at least something." She was panicking.

I had to be calm for both of us. "Like what?"

"Do you remember what's supposed to happen when mates consummate their bond for the first time?" she whispered.

I whispered back, "Of course, I know."

When a mated couple had sex with each other for the first time. Their initials would cosmically tattoo themselves on the sacred stones at the time of the marking bite. These sacred stones were in an immovable location at the Alpha's compound. In a thousand plus old cave, that was believed to be the housing ground for our tribe of werewolves and core centre.

Those particular caves, sacred materials and stones were soon to be under the jurisdiction of my brother. They were also responsible for giving families totems and ranks, after each significant event like mating, childbirth and blood settled disputes.