History Lesson

Kiarra

“Aidan, you need sleep.”

I was sitting on the bed, looking at my mate as he walked out of the closet with a fresh set of clothes on.

I couldn’t help but admire the gorgeous man in front of me as he buttoned up the black shirt, leaving out the last few buttons.

God, that man was sexy in a black button-up and dark jeans. His clothes fit his body like a glove, and it was as if every piece had been tailored to fit him perfectly.

“I’ll sleep later. We have to get going. We still have a lot of things to go over before we meet with your parents—”

He stopped himself when he saw the disgusted look on my face and corrected himself.

“The Kendricks. We need to finish what we were discussing last night, too, and I need to check in with Isaac and see what information he’s gathered so far.”

He folded up the sleeves of the shirt as he recited his to-do list, and I couldn’t help but appreciate the sight.

How he could make an outfit like that look formal yet incredibly casual and sexy at the same time was beyond me, but he did it so well.

I knew very well that this wasn’t the time to focus on my handsome mate, but can you really blame a girl for admiring perfection?

I was perfectly capable of drooling over Aidan and trying to straighten out my mind at the same time.

I knew there was no point in arguing with him about sleep. Aidan’s stubbornness could match my own, and if I was in that mood, there would be no way to change my mind.

I was still so confused by the whole ordeal that I didn’t even know where to start, but as I looked at Aidan getting ready to go, I decided to take a stab at one of the easier topics.

“You talked about some sort of rule yesterday. Like, you had judges or police or something? You never really explained it before I fell asleep.”

Aidan straightened up a bit and looked at me.

“Not exactly. We do have laws, and we do have some who uphold the laws. It’s called the Council.”

“What, like a werewolf council?” I raised an eyebrow and got up from the bed, following Aidan as he moved out of the room.

“Yes. Centuries ago, the Council was created to help create order and prevent the extinction of the werewolf race.”

Aidan saw that I looked slightly confused, so he continued as we descended the stairs and headed out the door toward his truck.

“It’s no secret that werewolves are territorial, and Alphas have an even stronger need for power.

“Long ago, the werewolf world was in constant war, and thousands of wolves lost their lives in the fight for power and land.

“We were once the dominant species on earth, but the nonstop battles and loss of lives put us close to extinction. So, the Alphas of the time came together and formed the Council.”

We got into the truck as he kept talking. I noticed the slight tightening of his jaw as he spoke about the history of werewolves, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was still influencing the generation today.

I didn’t interrupt, though. He seemed to be far away, lost in thought as he continued to explain and started up the truck.

“To ensure the preservation of our race and to make sure something like that never happened again, the Council made a peace treaty.

“Every Alpha of the time and every Alpha since then has had to swear by this treaty. If they refused, their pack would be without protection, and they would be viewed as fair game if another pack wanted their land.

“On the other hand, if a pack is on the Council and is attacked, they can call upon every other pack for help in defending their territory and defeating their enemies.”

I nodded and looked at Aidan as he drove the truck toward the pack house.

“So, what happens if a pack breaks the rules?”

Aidan’s jawline tightened for a second before he answered, his eyes focused on the road.

“Depends on the Council’s decision and to what extent the rules have been broken. We have had to wage wars against packs that were threatening our existence. Alphas have been executed or exiled.”

Aidan glanced at me and quickly continued as he saw the horror displayed on my face.

“That is only if there has been no way to reach a peaceful agreement with the packs. Usually, things can be resolved by negotiations.”

I nodded slightly as I tried to take in the information I was being told. Well, I guess it made sense to have some sort of law and order.

The image of Ares appeared in my mind as I thought of what werewolves were able to become if they lost their sanity.

“If this Council is so effective, why didn’t they step in and do something about Ares?”

Aidan’s hands tightened slightly on the wheel before he answered.

“The Council is not all-knowing. It’s made up of Alphas across the world, and we are not exactly best buddies. Too many Alphas gathered in one place can cause a bit of a scene. We don’t talk much outside of official business.

“Usually, disputes and rogues are handled by individual Alphas without interference. Unless the laws are broken or a pack specifically calls for assistance, the Council doesn’t intervene.”

Aidan looked at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road.

“Ares was a rogue and rogues are not a part of the Council. We deal with those mutts on our own.”

I nodded and looked out the window as I mulled over what he had told me. It was quiet for a moment as I took in everything and tried to prepare myself for what was going to happen next.

Were we going to talk to my parents today? How was I supposed to face them? Could I scream at them? Was that even allowed at this point? How had my actions affected the pack? Could Aidan be punished for my actions?

My mind was all over the place, and I hadn’t noticed that my leg had started to bounce up and down nervously before I felt Aidan’s hand land on my thigh.

“Relax, Kitten. I’ve made arrangements for the Apex couple. You are not meeting them today if you don’t want to.”

I looked at the hand on my thigh and placed my own hand on top of it, squeezing it slightly. I bit my lower lip and shook my head.

“I don’t want to. Not yet.”

“Then you won’t. I can hold them off for a few days, don’t worry.”

Aidan grumbled and gave my thigh a small squeeze. His hand was giving me some much-needed comfort, but it also sent slight tingles through my body.

Yeah, my mind could totally focus on being messed up and slightly turned on at the same time.

My body was definitely having mixed feelings of not wanting to let go of the soft touch, but also of slight excitement about the fact that my Adonis of a man was sitting within arm’s reach, looking handsome as ever.

I knew very well that now wasn’t the time, so I controlled that side of myself and turned back to look at Aidan.

He had stopped the car right outside the pack house and looked at me, probably waiting for me to gather myself before we moved inside.

I sighed but didn’t let go of the hand that was still placed on my thigh. I didn’t want to.

“How does a Council made up of testosterone-filled Alphas with dominance problems even work?”

I changed the subject back to the Council again. It was better than talking about that fucking couple again. For now, I was going to figure out everything else and tackle that issue later.

Aidan let out a slight laugh, and I couldn’t help but smile. That was the first time I had heard that all day. It might have been an exhausted sound, but I was going to take what I could get.

“It doesn’t always. It’s difficult when you have so many Alphas gathered in one place. We hardly ever agree on anything, so that is when the High Council comes in.”

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Aidan.

“I know. We need to work on our names.”

I laughed and nodded. “You really do. High Council, Apex Pack, Lunar Pack. It’s like it’s taken out of a fucking teen fanfiction.”

“Shut up. These names are generations old.” Aidan gave me a smirk and shook his head slightly.

“Sure, sure. The fact that no one has come up with better names since then is not at all worrisome.” I laughed and Aidan rolled his eyes.

“So this ~High Council~.” I couldn’t help but exaggerate my words slightly, which earned me another smirk from Aidan. “What exactly are they, then?”

“They are the strongest Alphas in the Council. It’s made up of ten wolves, and they are the deciding factor if the Council is needed.

“The Council has over fifty Alphas from around the world, so when we can’t come to an agreement on a topic, the High Council makes the final decision.”

I looked at Aidan as he explained and squinted my eyes slightly as I studied him.

“How do you decide who is on this High Council? By voting? Pack strength?” I gazed at him curiously.

He smirked slightly and shook his head.

“No. Like I said, it’s made up of the strongest Alphas. We fight for it.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at his explanation.

“How democratic of you.”

“We ~are~ wolves, Kitten. Other Alphas won’t respect a weaker Alpha’s decision.”

Aidan shrugged slightly and my curiosity increased.

“So, what if you don’t agree with an Alpha of the High Council?”

“You challenge them to a fight. If you win, you take their seat and have a say. If you lose, you risk death. Even if the winning Alpha decides to spare you, you risk your pack’s safety.

“We might have the peace treaty, but even if it’s a challenge only for Council rights, wolves take a challenge personally.

“Once an Alpha has been challenged, everything is fair game, and they could go for you and your pack afterward.”

I didn’t know what to say to that last part. In a normal world, that just sounded wrong and barbaric, but looking at it through a werewolf’s eyes I guess it could be considered normal.

I had studied Aidan as he spoke, and I already knew the answer to my next question.

“Who exactly is on this High Council?” Aidan looked at me and smirked, clearly knowing where my question was leading.

“I am.”

“You are?”

“Yes.”

“Like, high up in the ranks?”

“Yes, high up.”

“How high up?”

Aidan looked at me like he was trying to figure out what I was hinting at, and I kept my face completely blank.

“I haven’t lost a fight.” I could see the smugness and pride in his demeanor as he spoke, and I could almost feel it through the mate-bond.

I smirked at him and intertwined my fingers with his, his hand still resting on my thigh.

“Oh, so I have a really powerful man, is that what you are saying?”

“Yes.” No hesitation with his answer. Aidan might have said it with pride and some smugness, but it wasn’t boastful. He said it matter-of-factly and I had to admit it turned me on.

What was sexier than that confidence? And then strength to back it up?

I knew we were supposed to be super-focused on the subject and problems at hand, but I might have had a slight addiction to this man, and I was all for it.

“Kitten. I think we need to get out of this car, right now. Or I might end up taking you right here, where everyone can see it.” He growled slightly as he looked at me.

He could probably feel how turned on I had gotten. Whether it was through the mate-bond or if he could smell my arousal I had no idea, but his eyes had gone slightly darker as he looked at me.

Yeah, getting out of the car was definitely what we needed to do. Right that fucking second, or I would end up crawling on top of him and riding him in front of the pack house.

Before my mind could start coming up with scenarios that would only light the flame in my stomach, I let go of his hand and opened the door.

I jumped out of the truck, my feet barely touching the ground before Aidan was in front of me, pushing me slightly back again.

Our lips met immediately, and I instinctively threw my arms around his neck and drew him down to me as his tongue ran across my lips demanding entrance, which I happily gave him.

To say the kiss left me breathless was not an exaggeration. Aidan dominated the kiss completely until I had to stop and catch my breath.

My eyes were closed as he placed his forehead against mine, breathing heavily himself.

“Now we need to focus again.”

His voice was barely above a deep whisper, and I nodded slightly before I opened my eyes and looked into his.

“Yeah. Thanks to you, that’s going to be an issue.”

I had to try and think of anything else except for the handsome man in front of me or focusing would be out of the question.

“You’re one to talk. I’m about to go in there with the biggest hard-on.”

He smirked at me before leaning away from me. He placed a quick kiss on my forehead before standing up straight and turning toward the pack house before I could see the evidence for myself.

I couldn’t help but smile at the situation. At least I had gotten him to lighten up a little bit and he didn’t look as exhausted as he had earlier.

That had only been a small issue in our chaos of problems right now, but at least I had gotten him to smile.

It made everything seem a little more doable, knowing he was right there, and his anger hadn’t completely made him hate me.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I followed along behind him.

“Just think of grandmas or slimy little bugs. I heard that can help.” I laughed as we walked up the stairs.

“Or you could think about bending me over that desk of yours and taking me from behind. Not sure ~that~ will help, though,” I added in a whisper as I skipped past him and into the pack house, laughing.

“Evil. Pure fucking evil, Kitten!” he called after me, and I could hear him swearing up a storm behind me, only making me laugh more.