Chapter 227


    Aaron leads me away from Tobin’s body, back toward the factory where we left James and Aaron’s


    men fighting with Ryker and his Old Country Wolves.


    However, before we step back inside, I pull Aaron to a stop.


    “Are you okay?” I ask him when he turns to me with a questioning look.


    Aaron nods as he pulls me into his arms. “It’s amazing, the strength and resilience I get from the power


    of three Alphas. No wonder Tobin wanted it so badly for himself.”


    I slip my arms around Aaron’s waist and we stand there holding each other.


    “This whole thing-Tobin sending me that cryptic message to meet him-it was just a trap so he could kill


    you and take your powers,” 1 say as the night’s events finally start making sense in my mind.


    “It looks that way,” Aaron agrees,


    I feel him tense with anger.


    “I thought we were finally going to end our problems, but now we have a bigger one,” he continues after


    a moment.


    “The Council,” I reply, apprehension trickling through me.


    “Whoever was helping Tobin-maybe more than one person-won’t stoping after me just because


    Tobin is dead. They either want my power, or think I’m a threat to the sanctity of the Council itself,”


    Aaron says in a grim voice. “But it’s worse than that, because the night of the special Council Meeting,


    after you left, they made me sign a legally binding document stating that I wouldn’t move against any


    Member or attempt to gain a seat for myself”


    Sharp worry for Aaron and this new, dangerous situation cuts through me.


    “What’s that going to mean for you, for us?” I tighten my hold on him, fearful of what the Council are


    going to do when they find out. Tobin is dead.


    “They’re going to see this as a strike against them-treason,” Aaron replied, and my stomach drops with


    anxiety. “The punishment for that is binding my wolf, or death”


    “But you didn’t even kill him!” I protest, even though obviously Aaron is thest person I need to


    convince of this


    However, we have no proof and no witnesses to attest to Aaron’s innocence


    “It won’t matter,” Aaron says, his hands rubbing up and down my back, as if tofort me


    But how can I take anyfort from him at a time like this?


    “It’s all politics, Leah. It won’t matter if I did it or not. The point is, I look guilty, and they’ve got the


    excuse they needed to railroad


    me


    “Well I’m not going to let that happen!” I tell him stubbornly.


    I pull back slightly so I can look up at him.


    His dark eyes are warm with affection as he stares down at me


    But I can also see sadness in his gaze


    We both know, even after everything that’s happened to us, this is one problem that won’t easily be


    solved.


    Not with the Council against Aaron, wanting to see him taken down.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “No matter what happens,” I tell him, making sure he can see how serious I am, how I’m vowing this as


    adamantly as the day we exchanged vows at our wedding “I will stand with you, no matter if it’s against


    the entire Council I’m your wife, and your mate, and 1 will fight your battles as if they are my own-


    because they are my own. You are everything to me.”


    Aaron smiles, then tenderly


    up


    “Leah…” He murmurs my name, and I wonder if he’s ever said it exactly like that before, like a prayer


    and salvation and a benediction. all rolled into one. “There’s something I need to tell you…”