Chapter 11: The Council

Once we were all in his office, Evan shut and locked the door. Something was clearly wrong. I sat in one of the squishy leather chairs and hugged my knees to my chest. I had an uneasy feeling about what was coming.

Evan was standing with his back to us, looking out the big picture window into the night. His shoulders were tense and I could feel worry and anxiety coming off him. "That was the head of the Council on the phone. They want Kimberly presented to them at the next conclave."

Now Marsh looked upset and worried, too. "That's in two days! Why? She's only been a wolf for a few weeks. Generally, they're given a full six months so they can settle in and join a pack before being presented. She hasn't even seen her first full moon, yet."

"They want her presented so she can testify about her attack and how she became a wolf."

Marsh went completely white and sank down on the sofa. His eyes were locked on Evan's back. "They're putting you on trial, aren't they? For attacking a human, for attacking Kim."

Evan turned, his face devoid of emotion. "Yes."

My stomach was churning, "I don't understand. You saved my life. If you hadn't turned me, I'd be a vampire or dead. How can they put you on trial for saving my life?"

"What I did was against the rules. Even in self-defense, we're not allowed to attack a human."

"But, you didn't attack me. Steve is the one who bit me."

"Steve is going on trial, too. They want you there so you can tell them your side of it. Then they'll probably ask you how you feel about being a werewolf and if it's something you would have chosen for yourself had you known the consequences. Once they've heard testimony from everyone involved, they'll come down with a ruling."

I had a sick and terrible feeling that if the ruling was guilty, Evan wouldn't be coming home from the meeting. I wasn't sure I would be, either. "So what do we do? What do I tell them so that they don't punish you?"

Evan looked at me and it startled me to see the gold eyes of his wolf, "You tell them the truth, Kimberly. You tell them the exact truth as you remember it. Don't you dare lie for me. I don't care what they do to me; I'd do it all over again. You are not to do anything to put yourself in danger. Do you understand me?"

Mutely, I nodded. I was so damn scared for Evan. I felt a tear slip down my face as I dropped my head into my hands. I felt strong arms go around me as I was lifted and settled into his lap. Evan held me against him, running his hand over my hair as I cried.

"Shhh, Kimber, shhh. It's going to be okay. Once the council hears about the vampire and everything that happened, they aren't going to punish me. It's just a formality. You don't have to worry, I promise."

I wanted to believe him, but Marsh looked much too grim for Evan's words to be complete truth. "So when are we leaving?" he asked.

"No, Marsh. I need you to stay here with the pack. Noelle was already planning on going so she could meet up with Sid. Someone needs to lead the pack while we're gone, and that's you, my friend."

Marsh nodded and gave a wry smile, "Well, I've always wanted to be the boss. Now's my big chance."

Evan chuckled, "Don't let the power go to your head, hot shot. I'm going to be back in a few days."

I don't know if he really meant it, or if they were just joking around to reassure me. It didn't matter. I was going to worry no matter how much they joked around. Evan and Marsh talked for a while longer, getting business and pack matters organized while I sat in Evan's lap shivering. When they were done, Marsh left us alone.

I knew I should stand up, but I wasn't ready to leave Evan's lap. He was warm and safe and I was too scared about what the future might hold for him. He didn't seem very interested in letting me go, either. His arms were still wrapped tightly around me and when I wiggled, he pulled me firmly against him.

"Evan, what if they decide saving me was the wrong thing? Will they kill you?" I couldn't bring myself to do more than whisper the words, as if saying them would make them more likely to become reality.

"Saving you was not the wrong thing to do. When they hear the full story, they'll agree. I don't want you to worry about this, Kimber. Everything's going to be just fine."

I snuggled closer and hoped what he was telling me was the truth. I didn't want to think about the consequences of disobeying the Council. I'd only known Evan for two weeks, half of which I'd spent in the hospital, but he was too important to me to contemplate losing him.

"Will you tell the pack?"

He reached up to stroke my hair, "Yes. Marsh will spread the word that we're having a pack meeting here tomorrow night. While I don't believe there's any chance the Council will convict me, I won't keep the possibility of it from the pack. They need to know what's going on and that Marsh will be assuming control of the pack while we're out of town."

"Did I hear you say that Noelle will be going, too?"

"Yes, Noelle had planned on going all along. Her brother is a second in a pack near Toronto. They use Council meetings as a chance to see each other and spend time together."

"So, where is this meeting being held?"

"It's in Las Vegas this time. I hadn't planned to go because Vegas is too loud and busy. It's uncomfortable for wolves to be there long. They try to have the first meeting of the year in Canada, somewhere in the mountains. A lot of wolves go to those. But the second meeting is always held in a big U.S. city. Those meetings aren't quite as popular, but Las Vegas is one of the worst locations they've chosen. I don't look for many wolves at all to attend."

"How many are there? Werewolves, I mean?"

"CanUS has about 4,500 wolves. There are more in Europe, but they have their own Council. I'm not sure how many will go to the meeting, but I would guess less than 500 or so."

My questions weren't really a quest for information. It was more to keep my mind busy so I didn't think about what might happen in a few days. I don't know if Evan knew that, but he seemed content to hold me and answer anything I asked. The problem was I ran out of questions and my mind started to spin in circles as I worried.

"What do you say we go upstairs and draw you a bath? It might help you relax."

I didn't really want to go, but Evan might just be trying to get me off his lap. I nodded and started to sit up.

"Oh no, you don't. You stay right there."

Before I could get any further, Evan smoothly stood with me in his arms, my knees draped over his right arm and his left supporting my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his waist, snuggled my head into his neck, and relaxed into him.

When Evan carried me into the great room, the pack went silent and watched him carry me up the stairs. I didn't care what they thought, what they assumed. All I cared about was this honorable, decent man had saved my life, given me a home, continued to protect me -- and it might cost him his life. Let them think what they wanted, I was going to be with Evan for as long as I could.

Once we made it to my room, Evan set me on my feet and went into my bathroom. I heard the water start in the tub as I went into the closet to get rid of my clothes. I was still getting ready for the bath when Evan knocked lightly on the closet door.

"Kimber? I'm going to downstairs and make some tea. Do you want some?"

I wasn't sure I did, but I was half frozen from stress so it didn't seem like a bad idea. "Yes, please, with a little honey."

I put my robe on and headed into the bath. He'd put something in the water that smelled like lavender and created a thin film of bubbles. The scent was soothing as I dropped my robe on the floor and stepped into the steaming water.

At what point had Evan become more than just another guy? I puzzled on it while I floated in the warm water. I tried to decide when my feelings had become something other than just friendly, but there wasn't really a single moment I could point to and say, "There, right there. That's when I started to fall in love." It was because I was around him every day and that gave me a front row seat to the type of man he was.

A man who protected not only me, but all of the women in his pack. A man who made sure they were informed and taken care of when he wasn't able to be there for them. A man who waited patiently for me, whether I was shopping all day with Noelle or trying to figure out how to deal with being a werewolf. A man who cared enough to be honest with me about what this new life was all about. A man who could have sat around and done nothing with his life, but instead built a thriving business and encouraged his pack mates to do the same.

He could be a stern and forbidding dictator, but he wasn't. He had a sense of humor and made me see the good side to life when all I really wanted to do was give up. But when push came to shove, he was immovable and would put his fangs on the throat of his best friend to protect me.

Yes, I was definitely falling in love with Evan and that just made me worry all the more about the Council meeting.

"You need to stop that, you know."

I jerked and splashed water all over his feet. I'd been so deep in thought, I hadn't heard Evan come into the room. He grinned at the puddles I'd made and sat on the edge of the tub.

"Stop what?" I asked as I took the cup of tea he handed me.

"Worrying."

"How do you know I was worrying?"

He grinned, "Because you get a little wrinkle right here," he touched the spot between my eyebrows, just above the bridge of my nose. "That and the whole pack can feel your anxiety. You cleared them out rather quickly down there."

I snorted, "That wasn't me. That was you carrying me up the stairs. They think we're going to be having hot monkey sex and decided to clear out rather than listen in."

Evan laughed and sipped his tea, "Let's call it a tie."

When I finished my tea, Evan took the cup from me and disappeared downstairs. I decided it was a good time to climb out of the tub. I dried myself off and slipped back into my robe. I knew I wouldn't be sleeping much tonight, no matter how much Evan admonished me not to worry, so I grabbed the book I had been reading and settled in on the sofa.

I heard Evan slip back into my room an hour later. "Hey you, I thought you would be sleeping by now."

I shook my head and put the book in my lap, "No chance of that. Not for a while."

He sat down on the coffee table in front of me. He'd changed into a pair of sleep pants and a white t-shirt, almost ready for bed himself.

"I took care of our reservations. We'll be flying out of Portland around noon the day after tomorrow. I booked us into the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It's sort of on the end of the strip, not that it will help with the noise and traffic, but at least I could get a room high enough that the din might not be so noticeable." I didn't really care what hotel we stayed in, so whatever he picked was fine with me.

"The Council meetings will take place at the convention center there, so we won't have far to travel either. Maybe they'll have a new litter of lion cubs, then you can cuddle one and get your picture taken."

I knew he meant well, but baby lions were not going to help the situation. I glowered at him.

"Come on, Kimber. Lighten up and give me a smile, please?"

His fingers brushed over my jaw and my eyes met his. He may lose his life, but he was worried about me. My wolf stirred in response to my anxiety.

"You've got wolf eyes. You aren't going to bite me, are you?" He smiled and my wolf settled down. She, at least, wasn't nearly as worried as I was.

"That's better. Let's get you into bed, okay?"

I nodded, but instead of detouring to my closet for a t-shirt and panties, I just headed straight over to the bed in my robe. I slid beneath the sheets and moved into the center of the bed so Evan could sit on the edge. He tucked me in and then brushed the hair back from my face.

"It's going to be fine, please don't worry so much."

When I smiled weakly, he leaned down and dropped a light kiss on my lips. I felt him hesitate, linger just a moment, before he sat up and turned out the light.