Chapter 7 A Mate Above All

Evander

This has never happened before. It has never even been heard of.

The words echoed for the third time from another council member, and frankly, I was tired of hearing it.

“A student,” another voice cut in, “killed in academy grounds. It’s hard to believe. How is that even possible?”

“She was cut in half,” another person said.

“That level of force is impossible for a juvenile wolf.”

“Only a very powerful alpha could do such a thing, but the question now is why. Why would any alpha want to kill a student?”

Voices overlapped against each other, clashing like waves against stone.

I sat at the head of the council table. To everyone there, I was listening and fully attentive to whatever they were saying.

But that was a lie.

“She was split in two,” Elder Carl said. “No show of struggle or any defensive wounds. It was like she knew her killer.”

Gasps erupted in the room, but I wasn’t paying attention to anything they were saying. My mind was in Crest wing—the way Soraya looked, the way she had looked so terrified just standing there.

The way she held onto my clothes like she would die if I let go of her. The memory of her crying burned into my skull, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I clenched my jaw.

“She was found by her roommate,” someone continued. “It was said that it was the Valeo girl.”

Murmurs rippled around the table.

“Of course it had to be her.”

“I heard that she was the one responsible for the murder.”

Everyone gasped, but no one defended her. I just watched as everyone who didn’t know her—people who had never even had a conversation with her—judged her for something she wasn’t capable of.

“But how could she be capable of such when she doesn’t even have a wolf?” Elder Lily said.

No one said anything. There was silence for a long moment.

“Alpha Evander… you aren’t saying anything.”

I leaned back in my chair, not responding quickly. I just looked around the table, my eyes scanning every face.

“Are you all done gossiping?”

No one replied.

“It… wasn’t gossip, Alpha. We were just saying what might actually be the truth,” Julian spoke, but he refused to meet my gaze.

I smiled, but it never reached my eyes. “Oh, Julian… you know there was once a time I thought it's bravery, the way you aired out your opinion. But now—”

The smile dropped from my face. I leaned forward, hands resting on the table.

“I consider it stupidity. Stand up… and… get… out.”

He stared at me in disbelief. No one said a word.

“You are no longer a council member of the Iron Fang Pack.”

Little whispers erupted through the entire room. As quickly as it started, that was exactly how it ended.

“Alpha—Alpha Evander,” Julian stammered. “I’m sorry, please… please don’t do this. I would be humiliated.”

“Listen to me. I DO NOT CARE. Now get out before I ask security to kick you out.”

Slowly, he got up, a pleading look on his face.

I’d studied Julian for a while now, and he was like grass—the more you left it, the more it kept growing.

Once he was out the door, I turned to the rest of them. Everyone kept looking in different directions. No one looked at me.

After a long moment, Elder Gregory finally spoke. “Alpha Evander,” he started, his voice small. “What are we going to do about the death of the girl? Parents are terrified. Students are scared. You need to address them.”

“I will, once I get to the bottom of this. But as of now, security has been doubled. Curfew is in place, and there will be no social events for now. I’m not sure the killer is an outsider… it’s someone amongst us. I can feel it.”

The room went cold.

“There’s already a suspect, Evander,” my father, who had been here the entire time, finally spoke, his face showing no expression. “I think Soraya Valeo should be brought in for questioning.”

“Yes, that is a good idea,” everyone said in agreement.

“That wouldn’t be happening.”

“Why?”

“Because she is not responsible. Neither is she a suspect.”

“And how would you know that?” my father asked, his voice flat, but I knew he was slowly beginning to get annoyed. I didn’t give his question an answer.

“Have any one of you who agreed to this ever even met her or talked to her before?”

No reply.

“And you’ll believe she is responsible for such evil?” I shook my head. “I’m disappointed.”

“And what makes you think she’s innocent?” my father asked. “No one is accusing her, but she’s the last to see Sarah before she was killed, and from what her sister said to the school chancellor, Soraya is very unstable. Who knows what she’s capable of doing.”

I couldn’t believe my father was saying such a thing.

“My mate isn’t capable of such a thing, and I do not want to ever hear this from anyone’s mouth ever again.”

The room went quiet, like someone’s head had been sliced off their body.

“Mate?” Elder Carl repeated.

“Yes. She is my mate, and any of you who accuses her again will be kicked out of the pack.”

I’d expected to be more enraged, to the extent of snapping someone’s head off, but I wasn’t. I was calm and controlled. This wasn’t a situation where I was unsure. When it came to her, I was more certain about everything.

“I will get back to you all with more information, but as of now, the meeting is dismissed.”

Slowly, everyone got up and walked out, murmurs filling the air.

But my father didn’t stand up. He just stared at me, his face a mixture of disappointment and anger.

“What was the meaning of what you just did?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Father.”

“Evander,” he clenched and unclenched his fist. “Why would you tell half the wolf council—the Moon Claw Pack, the most powerful pack in the world—that you are mated to a defective wolf? You do know that everyone is going to hear of this, including the entire council members and other packs. If you are doing it to protect her—”

“I’m not doing anything to protect her. I am mated to her.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto my lips.

“And I love her.”