The elders stilled. And for the first time, not one of them had a rebuttal.
Only silence. Fin's fists curled at his sides.
The fire had burned low in the council hearth. Flickers of orange light danced across the ancient stone floor as the council absorbed Jax's declaration. Some looked baffled. Others, deeply disturbed. And a few… calculating.
Another elder, a sharp-eyed man with a hooked nose, spoke up next. "I believe you when you say you love her, son. But she's been unconscious half the time she's been here. She was sick when she arrived, and again now. She won't be able to provide your house an heir. You both look fine. Was she too weak to defend herself?"
The implication hung heavy in the air.
Finric didn't move. But ice pulsed through his veins. His wolf, Xeon, spoke in his mind again.
Xeon: He dares to insult what is yours. Again. Why is your gamma defending your mate? She should be giving Shadowclaw an heir.
Finric stiffened, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
Xeon: Claim her and take control of this council!
He watched Jax step forward, and it made something else tighten in his chest.
Voice tight. Fierce. Jax loved her and Fin knew it.
Jax spoke, forced calm.
"She was attacked from all sides. I got there in time to stop her from being abducted. There were at least 50 there. "Riven stabbed her. With a poisoned blade—"
He paused only to swallow the lump in his throat. He chose that word carefully. Not black magic. Not cursed. Poisoned.
Fin's voice cut through,"He proceeded to pull her off a 60-foot cliff into freezing water. He shifted before impact, but she couldn't shift because she was stabbed. Jax and I were both in rough shape after that fight. The cold made it hard to shift. She bled out 45 minutes and all 3 of us nearly went into hypothermia. I've fought in wars and seen warriors die on the battlefield. Many other wolves wouldn't have survived that."
Jax took a breath, teeth clenched. "Questioning whether she can carry a child based on her condition after what we just endured is a waste of this council's time. It is an insult to my mate and to me."
Jax's wolf, Talon, growled in his mind with pride.
Talon: You are protecting what is yours. They can all go to hell.
Finric's wolf protested becoming restless again. But he didn't act. Not out of fear. Not out of lack of desire, because gods he wanted to claim her and tell them all to go to hell.
He didn't act because Jax was his brother. He would not take this from his oldest friend. Not like this. He couldn't. Jax was the purest, best person Fin knew.
His eyes swept the room.
Silence.
Not one Elder raised their voice.
Not this time.
Elder Thornewald finally leaned forward and broke the silence with a sigh heavy as time itself.
"Very well…" he said slowly. "You claim her, and we will honor that."
A few heads snapped in his direction.
"But she'll need to become an official member of this pack. Immediately—" he cleared his throat—"within the next 3 days, or as soon as she wakes up. And she needs to be marked as soon as possible. Marking her is the only way to keep her and show this is not a political move. It's love."
And then Fin spoke — voice low, cold, and final.
"Anything else we need to discuss?"
No one replied.
"Good," he said. "This meeting is adjourned."
He didn't wait for their bows. Or for the ritual close.
He turned and walked out of the chamber with ice in his eyes… and war in his chest.