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“Chloe said Max will be here today,” I say as Ethan pulls me to his side.
“Yes,” Edwin says with a nod. “Based on your medical exam, he’ll be asked for his medical opinion of your ability to successfully complete the transition in the public environment.” My stomach sinks. Yesterday Jillian said I’m perfectly healthy. I’m not sure that works in my favor today. “Let’s go,” Edwin says. “They should be ready for us by now.”
Entering the pack house brings back memories of my first night here. Ethan takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. I look up into his gorgeous steel blue eyes, and I know regardless of what happens here today, I’m going to do whatever it takes to be with this man. Edwin guides us to the conference room where the group has assembled.
“Alpha Sullivan, hello,” the man closest to the door greets Ethan, followed with a polite greeting and nod to me. Ethan is greeted by the remaining former Alphas as we take our seats on one side of a long board room table. I could practically choke on the amount of power in this room that surrounds me like a heavy fog.
“Let’s get started, shall we?” the first man to greet us says as he sits directly across from us. “Alpha Sullivan, would you like to begin by introducing your mate?”
“I would be happy to,” Ethan says. “I would like to introduce to you all, my mate, Olivia Newman.” There are greetings from around the table. Most smile with kindness, but there are a few older gentlemen at one end of the table who stare at me with stone cold, stoic faces. They must be the members of the council who refuse to bend on the law.
“Olivia, I’m Bill Weathers, the Combined Pack Council President,” the same man says. “Welcome to our world,” he says with a smile.
I smile politely with a nod. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”
“Olivia, I would like you to meet my wife, Joan,” he says, gesturing to the pretty blonde woman sitting next to him. She looks to be in her forties, but from what I’ve seen so far, I’m guessing she’s older than that. Everyone here looks younger than their actual age.
“Hello, Olivia,” Joan says with a warm smile.
“We thought you might feel more comfortable with another woman leading the questioning while we discuss what happened with Ian Sullivan,” Bills says as he passes a signed document across the table to me. “Joan is a psychologist in human society, and while mental illness isn’t prevalent in werewolf society, she does help occasional individuals in our packs as well. Just to be clear, Joan has never seen Ian Sullivan as a patient, and I’d like you to see that she has signed an agreement verifying that information, as well as a non-disclosure agreement. She has agreed not to discuss anything that happens in this meeting with anyone outside this room. Are you comfortable proceeding?”
“Yes,” I say as Ethan squeezes my hand under the table.
“Very well, let’s begin,” Bill says. “Go ahead, Joan.”
“First of all, welcome, Olivia,” Joan says with a smile. “It’s lovely to meet you, and as a former Luna, I would like to congratulate you as you embark upon a role that I think you will find to be one of the most fulfilling things you’ve ever had the pleasure of doing.”
“Thank you,” I say with a smile, feeling at ease as she talks.
“So, let’s just get right into things,” Joan says. “Olivia, could you please start to walk us through the events that led you to Ian Sullivan? Please know that if anyone has a question along the way, they may interject to get clarification in the moment.”
“Of course,” I say with a nod. “Well, I was walking on the paths in the woods behind Ethan’s house when I got lost. That’s when Ian found me?—”
“Alone?” one of the members with a blue bow tie at the unfriendly end of the table asks. “Why were you alone in the woods?” he asks as he shoots daggers at Ethan.
“I had just—” Ethan begins.
“Alpha Sullivan, we would prefer if we could hear the story in Olivia’s words first, please,” Joan says, then looks at me. “It’s okay, Olivia. We’re all mostly aware of the events that led up to you encountering Ian that night. We would just like to hear it in your words. There’s no judgement here. Please, continue.”
I look at Ethan and he nods. “It’s okay. Just tell them everything. Start from the beginning.”
“Okay. Well, Ethan and I had just had a heated discussion after I learned the steps necessary to complete the mate bond. I needed some time to myself, and I insisted upon going outside alone.”
“That never should have been allowed,” the man with the blue bow tie says. Ethan’s hand tightens around mine again, but this time I can tell by the tightness of his jaw it’s in anger at him rather than support for me.
“Enough,” Bill says, holding his hand up to the man. “Olivia, please continue.”
I nod and start again, “I had just been told I would no longer be human. I was angry, overwhelmed, and scared.” I hang my head for a moment, and look back up at Joan. “I decided to leave.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile while the man at the end of the table grumbles and crosses his arms, as he’s joined by two more men sitting near him in his disapproval. “What happened next?” Joan asks.
“I began having severe stomach and chest pain. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Ian happened to be in the woods at the same time, and he offered to help me. I obviously didn’t know who he was, and I probably would have taken help offered by anyone at that point.” I gradually walk them through the entire series of events from waking up, to Ian telling me he gave me something to help the pain, to him telling me he wanted me to be his, and then to him attacking me. “He was going to mark me. That’s when Ethan showed up. He saved me,” I say as my voice catches. Ethan leans over and kisses me on the forehead.
“Thank you, Olivia,” Joan says. “We appreciate your honesty. You did very well.”
“Alpha Sullivan,” Bill says, taking over, “is this when you and Ian shifted and fought?”
“Yes,” Ethan says, then gives his account of things after his arrival.
