Ever since Alaric became an adult at 25, he had always wondered what type of person his mate would be. If they'd be male or female, be able to give him children or not. In the past four years, as he watched his siblings and other wolves around him join in the Hunt, he was beginning to doubt if the Goddess would ever bless him with a mate. Not that it particularly mattered. As a wolf, he couldn't feel lust until he caught the scent the scent of the human his Goddess had gifted for Alaric alone. So rather than worry about if he'd ever have anyone that belonged completely to him, he poured himself into his work, taking pleasure in the destruction of criminals and traitors alike while maintaining the reputation of a just and able Councilman.

Yet, in all his musings he had never anticipated that his mate would be so perceptive. It was as if her hazel eyes could see through everything he said and did. It would be a lie to say the thought didn't bother him, but he didn't hate it as much as he thought he would. Maybe it was the mate bond, but there was something thrilling about someone who saw every part of him, but lacked the power to do anything about it.

Alaric frowned.

Still, it wouldn't be good to push her too far given the incident in the forest. No, he would have to be careful so for now he played the role of the pacified mate. Not to say that he didn't enjoy last night, but it wasn't enough to just have the flesh. So while he was lying in bed with his dear Ranna in his arms, a plan began to form in Alaric's mind. He would play the kind and accommodating mate. All the while waiting for her to make a mistake. He didn't know when it would happen, whether ten days or ten years from now, but he would be there to put together all her broken pieces when it did.

That was the reason why he had handed her off to Elva and the two other mates without a fight. Walking up the stairs to the private room Councilman Rashid booked, his heart beat in excitement. Just what would his mate do when left to her own devices? Whatever it was, Alaric would handle it. There would be no more mistakes with matters concerning his mate.

When he reached the end of the long hallway, he nodded at the wolf on guard. He wasn't sure if it was the same one as last time, but regardless he let him in without so much as another word. Meaning, the wolf was not worthy of his attention.

Councilman Rashid was sitting down with something that looked like a large tea-pot, but instead reeked with the smell of the too-strong coffee famous in District Eleven. Jerald was leaning on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, but Alaric barely took note of his second in command. He was too busy struggling to hide his distaste of that bitter smell. How long it would be before he could leave this goddess-forsaken land of heat and return to his own territory?

"You're late." Councilman Rashid's voice provided Alaric with the clarity to compartmentalize his senses.

Alaric moved to sit in front of him, waiting for Jerald to take up position behind him before answering. "I was dropping off my mate. Given current circumstances, I took a longer route to Main Street than I would have taken if I ran here or if I was driving by myself."

Rashid looked like he wanted to say something, but kept a neutral expression on his face making it difficult for even Alaric to understand what was going on through his mind. Eventually though Rashid said, "I see, then in that case I have news to share with you."

"News that you couldn't share over the phone or video chat?" Alaric asked.

Rashid shook his head right to left.

Alaric exchanged a brief look with Jerald and then returned his attention to Rashid who began signing.

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'Even in this place, I am unsure who may be listening.'

Frowning, Alaric signed back, 'Is this room bugged?'

Again, Rashid shook his head. 'I personally checked the entire room with your wolf before you arrived.'

'Then why the precaution?'

'Because even if they can't see, they can hear.'

Feeling a tick begin to form in his jaw, Alaric rapidly signed. 'Speak plainly. What exactly is going on?'

'Have you ever seen a symbol of a lion devouring an apple.'

Alaric paused remembering that traitor Leif. Once when they were sparing, switching between human and wolf form, he had accidently torn Leif's shirt seeing the tattoo of a lion swallowing an apple on his chest. When he had asked Leif about the design, he'd brushed it off and at the time Alaric had thought nothing of it. Just that Leif had peculiar tastes.

To Rashid though, Alaric merely signed, 'I've seen it once before. Why?'

'Where?'

Unwilling to allow himself to be interrogated, Alaric replied, 'On a wolf I killed. What does it matter?'

'Five years ago, a wolf was murdered by his own mate.' Rashid paused. 'Do you remember when it made the headlines?'

Alaric nodded. 'You mean the mate who went mad from District Twenty-Nine?'

Rashid nodded.

So Alaric followed up by asking, 'What does that have to do with anything? I heard she killed herself from insanity after the incident.'

'But what if she's still alive?' Alaric kept his hands still waiting for the other Councilman to continue. 'They say that prior to her lapse of sanity, she was given the gift of prophecy by the Goddess. They say she could not see the future, but she could hear it and that knowledge is what pushed her to end the life of the wolf who loved her above all others.'

'If she can only see the future, why are we signing?'

'It is said she could move her mind's ears anywhere and hear anyone's conversations and actions.'

It would be a lie if a part of Alaric wanted to dismiss Rashid's claims as a conspiracy theory, but Rashid was well known for his calmness and clarity of mind. Moreover, if Alaric would so easily dismiss a warning given to him in confidence, he would have never lived to see adulthood. It was for these reasons that he simply signed, 'Explain.'

'Mere hours ago, I received a report from my most trusted wolves.' He chugged down one of the tiny cups of coffee in front of him like it was a shot of alcohol. 'They say they crashed a party.'

Alaric tilted his head to the side. 'What sort of party?'

'A feast.'

Alaric turned towards Jerald and signed, 'Were you there?'

His wolf shook his head from right to left, signing, 'I was with preoccupied with my mate.'

Alaric nodded, understanding how difficult it could be for a wolf prior to the Hunt to be separated from their mate. On that account, Elva was lucky that she only ever video called with her mate.

At the thought of his third in command, Alaric signed, 'What about Elva?'

Jerald gestured to Rashid who in turn signed, 'The she-wolf under you was there. Would you like to read the report? Though I do confess that it was one of my wolves who wrote it.'

'Is there anything I should know prior to reading it?' There was no shame in asking for a clarifying question. If Rashid was to be trusted, it was clear that whatever was going on was more than just a simple coincidence so the sooner he covered all his bases, the sooner he could prepare to finally leave this wretched district.

'The guests of honor were surrounded by people chanting.'

Humoring him, Alaric asked, 'And what did they chant?'

'The Wolf is unworthy.

The Mother is a traitor.

The Children will be calamities.

Correct the crimes of the future

With the blood of the sinners.'

Alaric's eyes glowed a little as they watched Rashid's slow moving hands, repeat the chant in sign language. This didn't feel like some sort of religious cult, but the words were disturbing, even to him. Over and over, he mentally repeated the words, trying to understand what was the point of them, but no matter how hard he tried he was drawing up a blank. None of the wolf or human religions he knew of used such language.

'So would you like to read the report now or later?' The movement of Rashid's hands drew Alaric's attention.

'Give it to me.'

Rashid reached into a bag Alaric hadn't noticed and pulled out a file, placing it on the table next to that accursed coffee pot. Slowly, Alaric picked it up, opening the file to read the pages of words contained within.