---Jethro's POV---

The prides didn't like the consequences of their actions at all. The second that the Council had summoned the next in line and revealed their plan, the Lion had thrown a fit at the mere idea.

Because to the prides, having to be governed by an outsider, one of their kind that had been banished because of his impurities was...unheard of.

I knew exactly how those conceited bastards were thinking. There was no doubt in my mind that they were already plotting a way to dispose of Lane, to make him disappear without a trace so they could go along their merry ways.

Too bad for those old farts that I'd be with Lane at all times. I didn't trust those felines enough to let Lane be alone for a single heartbeat.

We would not even eat, drink or sleep there out of a precaution. Even if they proved themselves to be trustworthy, that rule was less for our benefit and more for their safety.

Because if I had to stay within the vicinity of felines that had mocked, assaulted and threatened the life of my mate, you could be damn well assured there would be a sudden surge of volcanic activity within the area.

Very localized volcanic activity.

Even now, with that miserable cub ranting on and on about how they were a proud species, how they weren't governed by outsiders, I was fighting to restrain myself.

And judging from how the mewling cub suddenly grew quiet, he had noticed the steady puffs of smoke I exhaled.

"You wish to be a separate entity all together? To separate yourselves from the reach of the Council?" Lady Alurea asked, raising her eyebrows while Vladimir's eyes sparked with interest.

"If that is what it takes to be free from any outsiders meddling with our affairs then-" The male lion paused when Lady Alurea silenced him momentarily, finger delicately raised to give him pause.

She leaned forwards in her dais, looking down upon the late Julian's whelp. "May I remind you Connor, that should you proceed to retreat from the coalition we have, and the rules we have set up to govern and aid those under our rule, you abdicate from any negotiations as well?"

Connor stilled, a small, near imperceptible tremor shivered through his limbs as his eyes slowly moved towards Vladimir as the vampire snickered.

"To put it in a way your small, airheaded brain understands Connor. If you step out of the Council's reach, you lose the protection we provide to you and your kin. Meaning that there will be nothing that prevents Lord Jethro here from racing you to your pride lands and give you all your just punishment."

A low, eager snarl rumbled through my throat, only slightly muffled as I languidly scratched through Lane's hair. Eyes pinned on the shivering furball as he slowly turned his gaze towards me.

"To be completely honest with the Council, I like this proposal a lot more." I smirked, baring shifted teeth, cinders sparking through the air as I sat straighter.

"Aye, yer not the only one." Tethras grumbled as he rested his chin on his fist, glaring at the lion. "We've had too much shite to clean up behind these pricks. They stop fucking up once they're dead."

A few agreeing huffs sounded through the room as Connor swallowed thickly and rushed to scramble back. "N-No, now now, th-there's no need for any...h-hasty decisions." He gulped, eyes flitting towards my mate as if hoping, praying that he'd come to his aid.

Lane didn't give him so much as a sideways glance, instead arching into my scratching fingers, oblivious of the eyes on him.

Instead, his full focus was on me. I could tell in the way his body flexed and moved with the slightest gesture I made, how he leaned against me, allowing his soft purrs to vibrate through my skin.

Out of everyone in this room, this world, he was the only one who could keep my dragon at bay. Or lure it out in the most tantalizing way possible.

The Council realized as well, not that it was a bad discovery. For years they've followed my every step, both for their interest and my own.

After all, they had no intention of letting their people piss off something as powerful as a dragon. Our kind was known to hold onto a grudge for lifetimes.

While I wasn't as impossible of some of my kin, I've heard the stories, seen the evidence of a dragon's wrath. For example, a female dragon laid waste to an entire underground black market when news reached her ears that some collectors had inquired about the possibility of retrieving dragon eggs.

Several buildings, acres of woodlands and the homesteads hidden underneath the canopy were found to be completely and utterly destroyed.

The would be egg nappers and the collector were located as well... with their remains scattered everywhere in such a gory mess, the humans called it an explosion of unknown origin.

Knowing this, the Council had always made sure that nobody within their ranks or outside would interfere and potentially piss me off.

Neither did they want to make me feel like I was shackled to the Council.

After all, dragons didn't deal well with the idea that they were being considered to be lesser beings. To be contained by someone they could eat?

Now that I was mated, it was in the Council's best interest to make Lane's safety their top priority. They knew that a Dragon's loyalty was extremely rare and hard to obtain by anyone that wasn't their mate.

What few people didn't realize, was that the Council consisted out of two factions. The upper echelon consisted of the more common supernatural, beings that could blend in with mortals with ease.

Werewolves, vampires, shifters... supernatural beings who had a more humane air to them, who mingled with other species with ease.

They were the ones who handled the most requests for aid, for council and were the ones who inspected settlements when corruption brewed.

However the lower echelon was often referred to as the dark underbelly of the Council. Their members consisted of the more monstrous beings who were unable or unwilling to take a more human shape.

Technically Lord Verzu was a member of the Lower Echelon but his appearance wasn't exactly considered abnormal among shifters.

A minotaur was less monstrous than some of the beings I've met multiple times.

The lower echelon had more...unique species. Species that lived in closed off communities, hiding out of sight of humanity, because humans had very blatant limits to their acceptance of other species.

After all, few humans would be accepting of the Arachos, a species of supernatural women who seemed perfectly human from the waist up... if you ignored their arachnid bodies and piercing red eyes.

Only their Brood Mother, the Queen of their species was capable of transforming in a fully human form. And even in that shape, she still had four arms adorned with venomously lethal claws.

Claws that she was known to utilize with lethal precision, especially so to anyone who have earned her ire. Many spelunkers who ignored the signs posted in the caves that her kin called home, were never seen again.

My gaze flitted towards the remaining Council members, those who were present and within view of the people they've sworn to protect.

The Council didn't come to be just out of the kindness of their hearts. These people needed to be brutally efficient, downright cruel at times.

They were elected, assigned to protect the needs and prosperity of their species, of all the supernatural species that lived and died in this world.

No matter whom was in the room, every single soul here has had to kill in order to protect. Vladimir and Alaric even had to kill one of their own family members because their aunt had lost control over her bloodlust.

In her frenzied state, she murdered the entirety of a town of 600 inhabitants in Brazil, slaughtering every single one of them. Man, woman, child. Even any animals in the vicinity had been found drained to a complete husk.

A frenzy of that fortitude was incurable, leading both Vladimir and Alaric to being forced to kill their aunt.

Of course, they couldn't leave the bodies there with clear evidence of vampiric activity, so the entire settlement had been wiped clean.

Till this day, none of the mortals were any wiser of what transpired that night.

A purr and a nudge against my chin drew me out of my thoughts. A smile pulling at my lips as Lane nuzzled against my throat, tickling the skin there by taking delicate whiffs of the air before he settled in my hold.

"This topic is unnegotiable." Lady Alurea sighed, pinching her nose bridge out of frustration. "Lord Lane will be the representative of the Pride lands and your kin will report to him without question."

Connor bit his cheek but managed to hold his tongue after his eyes quickly darted in my attention. Which showed that there was at least some hope for the Prides.

Not all of them were as imbecilic as their late leader.

The young lion sighed, scratching through his nape as his scent was a combination of frustration, nervousness and a hint of fear.

"Then I must ask of the Council that they only punish those involved." Connor's amber gaze showed how close his shift was to the surface. "It isn't fair that the entire Pride would get punished for the actions of others."

Lady Alurea let out a thoughtful hum while Lord Tethras scoffed. "Didn't stop ya so called Pride from mauling Lord Lane for existing, now did it?"

The young lion cringed at that, licking his lips nervously as he held out his hands, as if showing he was harmless. "We've trusted and followed the guidance of our Elders for centuries. Going against them for a single individual was suicidal at best."

Lane twisted in my hold, now observing Connor with a keen glint in his eye. His gaze scrutinized the young whelp standing before the entire Council before he hesitantly licked his lips.

"I-If I may?"

Everyone raised their gaze towards Lane, who pressed back against my chest but wasn't deterred as Lady Alurea inclined her head. A slight gesture of her hand towards Connor showing that Lane was currently in charge.

"Connor," The young lion flinched at Lane's voice but listened intently as he continued, "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. My suspicion is that your Elders have taken measures to make sure they remain in control. If you cannot reveal something due to them, I want you to say so."

My little mate sat up straighter as the Council shared some quick looks at the barely veiled accusation.

"Are you here on your own will?"

Connor pursed his lips, swallowing convulsively for a few times before he uttered a low "I cannot say."

Lane didn't seem surprised as he continued "Are the Elders holding someone hostage to make you comply to their orders?"

"I cannot say."

Soft murmurs sounded as Lane continued, "Are they aware that I am still alive?"

"No." Connor shook his head, "We all had been told that you were presumed dead, especially after the injuries dealt to you." He motioned towards Lane's obvious scars and the ones hidden underneath his clothes. "But I'm certain that they will be extremely angered at your survival."

Lane barely contained a little huff, pressing against my chest as he could sense my growing anger. "Did the Elders command the Pride to exile me?"

"I cannot say." Connor paused for a moment, a vein in his temples pulsing as he managed to chew out, "But your ...question is...off..."

Ice cold fury spread through my veins and Lane understood as he amended "Did the Elders plan my attempted murder?"

Connor bowed his head with the soft utterance of "I cannot say."

Every single member of the Council was dead quiet. None dared to make so much of a peep as all eyes remained on my form.

Connor's admittance, his own aid to guide the question to the proper response was the only thing that was holding me at bay.

But only just.

"We will keep you here for questioning, Connor." Lady Alurea broke the silence, this time with a kinder tone to her voice. "We will make sure that the Elders are punished for their crimes and, upon your request, that those who are innocent are left alone."

Connor let out a relieved sigh, shoulders dipping from their tense posture. It looked like he wanted to say more, to give a warning but it was clear that whatever powers the Elders were using, he couldn't utter anything more.

"Finding out which of the elders did it will prove to be a nuisance." Lane spoke in Connor's place, sharing a look with the young lion in question. "They are crafty, hiding themselves from most of the Pride and only converse behind closed doors."

At that, Vladimir's smirk grew wicked. "Oh don't you worry about that, Lord Lane. We have eyes and ears everywhere." He held his hand out before uttering "Lilith!"

For a moment, both Lane and Connor glanced around confused, wondering who this Lilith was and where she was coming from. But their eyes soon focused on the fine silken line that drooped from the ceiling.

The small black widow landed on the palm of Vladimir's hand, who didn't seem concerned in the least. "Inform Lady Morona, she will be expected in the court at her earliest convenience."

The lethal spider waved its front legs in the air as a response before scurrying down Vladimir's hand, hopping off on a silken thread before it disappeared in the dark.

Summoning the Arachos Brood Mother meant only one thing. The Pride Elders and anyone involved with their complot would soon be face to face with the one Council member who had earned her nickname of The Whispered Death.