Chapter: 35
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Conri and his six Betas arrived at Blood Coven. It was a sprawling town with a large river that split into two branches near the northern outskirts of it before flowing through the heartland to the southern coast. The river, known as the Blood River, had been present since before even the god Irtia came down to earth in the witch's history as it flowed over huge rocks at the edge of the forested cliffs. The riverside caves were said to be haunted by old spirits and demons, but Conri thought it might just be the wind whistling between the rocks. In any case, the town wasn't a problem. Blood Coven didn't take itself too seriously, preferring to live life in an easygoing manner instead of attempting to conquer or dominate everything around them.

As long as the town remained peaceful and didn't get too rowdy, and the Witches had made it a priority to stay out of other's businesses. The town boasted a small population, but it felt more like a small city. It was one big community, full of shops, bars, cafes, inns, schools, and hospitals as well as several other establishments. They weren't particularly sociable. Some people called them strange and standoffish, and some people feared them but they were just Witches minding their own business and expecting others to do the same. There was a fair bit of suspicion towards witches from the outside world though, and they tried not to be bothered by it too much. For the most part, they lived with no problems from the outside world. Even if there were a few incidents here and there involving vampires and other supernatural Beings who decided to venture into their town to cause trouble, most of which ended up dead. Blood Coven was, however, a very welcoming place.

It was a pleasant spring day and although the temperature was brisk Conri's face and chest were flushed with warmth. His hair was a little damp, but he didn't seem to notice as he walked along the cobble-lined street of Blood Coven. Dom and Colleen walked beside him while the other four Betas followed closely behind. Witches they passed on the streets bowed quickly in both greeting and respect to the Alpha of Alphas. Conri smiled at them and nod in return, but otherwise, they kept walking, ignoring the stares and whispers that they drew when they entered the center of Blood Coven. Once past the gates, they went straight ahead down the main street. A large square was located right in the center of Blood Coven where there was a fountain in front of a massive brick structure that looked like a castle. This building housed the council chambers. Packed around the square were several cars belonging to the other Pack leaders present for the meeting.

Each car held a sign that identified which Pack Alpha and or Leader the vehicles belonged to as well as their Ranks in the hierarchy. All the Alphas and Leaders had already arrived, and as usual, Conri was last. Dom and Colleen stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the front entrance to the castle. One by one they nodded their heads respectfully as Conri approached. Dom and Colleen held the doors open for him and Conri strode forward, nodding back in acknowledgment. When he reached the top of the stairs and entered the building everyone rose from their seats to acknowledge him with a bow and none sat until he had taken his seat. Conri made his way into the Hall. The Council Chamber was filled. The only empty seat was next to the Leader of Blood Coven and Conri took it gratefully. He sat back, stretching out his legs before settling in for the meeting. His Betas sat behind him.

The Lowest Ranked Pack Leader got up to address the gathering and after making polite conversation he began his briefing. "Thank you all for coming. We have gathered here in our special capacity as representatives of the various Packs, Clans, and Leagues on this continent so we can discuss matters concerning the impending war posed by the Scarred Witch. Now, let us begin." He turned his eyes to look out over the gathered members of the Council and Conri leaned forward.

"First," He started, "Let me assure you all that no harm will come to any Packs, Clans, and Leagues, nor its members. While my actions may have appeared a bit hasty in recent times, the truth is that my efforts to stop the evil witch are not entirely altruistic. We know how powerful she is and she is not easily defeated. I will fight until I have no more fight in me to make sure I bring to an end her reign of terror." He paused and then continued. "Secondly, while my intentions are noble, they do not necessarily reflect true feelings toward each of the Packs currently represented here. My desire is not to win glory for myself or my pack, but merely to keep our world safe." He nodded at the recent Clan Lady of the Weretigers. "You can speak now."

"That's right. Thank you, Alpha of Alphas." She said, rising to her feet. "My name is Anaya. I am the Clan Lady of TCL, many of you have not met me yet. However, Mariana left the Clan displeased with the decision of choosing a new Clan Leader. She vowed over her dead body that she would never allow another to be made Leader of the Clan, she also promised to bring her son back to the Clan to reclaim his position before the seven-day grace given by the Council and we have not seen nor heard from her ever since." Her face was stern, anger clouding her expression, "So if any of you has anything to say about this, feel free to speak your mind." She said firmly. The entire room fell silent, save for the faint chatter of people in the crowd. She sat back down, crossing her arms defiantly as the room erupted into murmurs.

"I heard she led the Clan peacefully since the abandonment of her Choiced," A female werewolf spoke up loudly. She's the Alpha of Springfield, a strong wolf Pack with many powerful wolves including herself.

"It was time the position went to another," said Anaya. "Had her son been present he would have made a perfect Leader of the Clan, but in his absence, another must be chosen," Anaya added, "Indeed, she led well, the Clan prospered but we were often found chased by Packs, Clans, and Leagues, within our Homes, and she somehow wanted us to move around a lot until we ran from the Rogues attacks, and went into our newly found Home, and thanks to the Alpha of Alphas, we have not experienced such disturbance anymore. She often has the need to keep us hidden from the world and as the Lady of the Clan, her choices were never questioned. If anyone here doubts my capacity as the Clan Lady I would gladly accept a Challenge." She stated, raising her head high, showing off her pride and dominance, but before she could continue Conri interrupted.

"We do not have time for such trivialities. We cannot afford to be distracted. Lady Anaya has proven herself worthy and as such, I suggest we return immediately to the subject at hand!" Conri's tone brooked no further dissent from any of the assembled members. Silence fell again as he stared down at the other leaders and Alphas. He sighed heavily. "Shall we begin?" With a wave of his hands, several members began calling questions at once. A moment later, a member of the Vampire League stood up.

"From what I have gathered, Mariana seems to have a special hatred for everyone present in this room, except for the Vampires." He mused, looking directly at Conri. Everyone in the room seemed to tense and stare at the Vampire.

Conri knew he was trying to irk him but he understood his games well enough not to give him that satisfaction. "Are you saying you want to stay away from the fight?" He growled threateningly. Seamus swallowed hard and lowered his gaze, unable to meet Conri's glare head-on. Conri smiled slightly but said nothing. Vampires... ever so proud. Always having to prove themselves in every situation. They were the most stubborn creatures. He couldn't help but find amusement in it, and despite his best effort, his smile was still present when he turned to look at the rest of the Council Members. "As Seamus said, Mariana has reasons to go after the Coven, the Weretiger Clan, and the Werewolves. We all took something from her and she will surely come for revenge, in fact, she already started."

"What do you mean?" Anaya asked.

"She's had my Mate at the brink of death the past weeks and it is driving me nuts as the day ticked by and we all know what this means for all of us." There was silence amongst the assembled. Conri saw their expressions change from curious to worried, but none said anything. They knew what he meant, and knew he wasn't joking. In their own hearts, they were all thinking the same thing. They all felt it, the fear, the apprehension that the situation in which they all found themselves posed a great danger to them all. "The first step towards ending this feud shall be to kill Mariana," Conri stated, his voice filled with rage and determination.

"That will be difficult..." The white-haired Sage spoke up. "After the fight with two of my witches which has left them half dead, even the great Blood Spear could not kill the Scarred Witch, in truth, Alpha of Alphas, I worry for my Coven but we shall not rest until she is sent back to the Goddess." He paused, his words leaving the room heavy with tension and concern as he stared across the chamber, his dark brown eyes seeming to bore through everyone. "And my dear young Vampire, she is a Scarred Witch, she does not need a reason to race down a city in her hate rage." He finished, staring down the Vampire leader who seemed uncomfortable under his intense stare. It was clear he didn't care for that statement, but he remained silent. The Sage then turned his attention toward the other members of the Council.

"You have spoken wisely, dear friend," Conri addressed the Sage and returned his gaze to the members. "We need all hands on deck on this one... see me immediately if there is a disturbance in your Territories. Prepare your warriors and fighters for any sudden attacks. I can see that the Rogue King has refused to grace our Call but no matter, I will make sure a word is sent across to him." With that, Conri stood and bowed his head at the others in the room before exiting the Council Chamber. Once he exited the Hall, he quickly headed back the way he came. His Betas rushed behind him.

"You're in a hurry, Alpha," Colleen said, catching up to him.

"Yes, Colleen, I felt the pull of my Omega, I think he's in trouble," He replied tersely. "Reece, get the car!" He ordered and the Twin ran ahead of them. "Fuck, why did I ask that we pack outside the gates?" He mumbled, jogging now. They caught up to Reece just as he was starting the engines, and they jumped inside, slamming the doors behind them. "Drive Reece, as fast as you can," He ordered and Reece nodded while stepping on the pedal.

While they rode down the road, Conri's mind wandered back to three weeks ago. On the day he left his Birth Omega and returned to River Bay. He had offered the Cub the tonic and he began to shift a second later. He seemed confused at first, but it only lasted mere seconds. Then his transformation stopped and his eyes snapped open. He looked down at himself and then at Conri who was staring at him intently.

"Conri-" He started, and Conri leaned forward and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you awake and in your Form," He muttered into their hug, Caleb nodded, squeezing tightly, his head buried into the crooks of his shoulder. "We need to talk," Conri started.