HIDDEN (Hidden Trilogy Book 1) (22 page)

“Yes, Councilor Blaine.”

“Then Enforcer Carver,” Councilor Blaine turned his attention to Carver stationed beside us.  “See that our new recruit is scheduled sessions with Enforcer Garner.  He will ensure special training on the differences between a wolf and a human scent.”  He smiled with a hint of malice.  His implied threat sent shudders through my body.   

“Of course, Councilor Blaine.”  Carver answered without any inflection in his voice. 

“Now that we have that arranged,” Councilor Gina drawled, “What are we going to do with her?”  The last word was said with more than a hint of contempt. 

“Yes,” High Councilor Anton stated as his eyes swung to me.  “What are we going to do with you?”  He paused before he looked back at the Rhunes Pack.  “You may leave.  You are no longer needed.”  I watched as the group fled, some with questioning looks my way.  When the doors finally closed behind them, High Councilor Anton looked back to me and asked, “Where are your parents, child?”  The question caught me off guard but I managed to answer after I cleared my throat.  

“I don’t know.”  I was aware of Cade’s stiff posture beside me.  I know he said not to talk but I couldn’t really ignore a direct question, now could I? 

“You don’t know?”  He questioned with raised eyebrows, like he didn’t believe my answer. 

“No.  I was abandoned when I was a toddler.  I’ve been in foster care ever since.”

“Have you always known the McCoy Pack?”

“No.”  I shook my head.  “I just moved to their territory at the beginning of the school year.”

“How old are you?”

“I turn eighteen in a few weeks.”  High Councilor Anton pressed his lips before continuing. 

“When did you find out about shifters?”  High Councilor Anton asked with narrowed eyes.  I swallowed, not sure how to answer that question.  If I answered truthfully, would I get Cade’s Pack in trouble?  Thankfully, Liam answered for me.

“She became friends with my children at the beginning of the year but didn’t find out about shifters until just before Thanksgiving.”  A little stretch since it was closer to Halloween but…whatever. 

“And you never informed us?”  High Councilor Anton asked haughtily. 

“There was no law broken.  I didn’t want to burden the High Council with something so trivial.  She was obviously not human.  However, Mica and I tried to find information on what she was.”

“And did you?”  Councilor Gina asked leaning forward, a little too keen on the answer in my opinion. 

“No.  We were unsuccessful.”  Liam answered.  Councilor Gina sat back in her chair. 
Was that… relief on her face?
 

“Hmm…this is a dilemma.”  High Councilor Anton mused.  “Do you have any idea who your parents are, child?”  I was starting to get annoyed at his reference to me being a child but tried to be good and hide it.

“No.  I don’t.”  I didn’t feel it was necessary to tell them I had a name for my mother.  Clara.  Thankfully Cade didn’t chime in either. 

“I suppose we should call in our Elder.”  Councilman Julian replied almost bored like.  “He might have an inkling of what this girl is.”

“Enforcer Carver, have your men escort Elder Nickolas to this chamber.”  High Councilor Anton instructed. 

“Yes, High Councilor.”  Carver strode to the door and spoke to someone on the other side.  Silence reigned for ten minutes as we waited for the Elder to show up.  I knew I was the only one suffering through the silence since everyone else was using their wolfy senses to hold a private conversation.  Would this Elder really be able to tell me what I was?  Finally the double doors opened and an older man in his late seventies, shuffled through the door.  His eyes scanned the room.  As they landed on me they widened in surprise. 

“Elder Nickolas.”  High Councilor Anton demanded the Elder’s attention.  Nickolas shifted his focus to the five Councilors and nodded in greeting. 

“You summoned me?”  He asked.  From my vantage, he sounded a lot stronger than his bearing portrayed.  I had a feeling it was an act…but why? 

“Yes, we have a bit of a…problem…we were hoping you would clear up.”  High Councilor Anton stated.  “This girl,” he motioned to me, “isn’t human.  But she smells faintly of a wolf.  Do you know what she is?”

“Certainly.”  He nodded without hesitation.  I was surprised by his quick reply. 

“And what is she?”  High Councilor Anton asked with annoyance. 

“A rare latent wolf.”  Nickolas replied evenly.  My mind blanked at his announcement.  A wolf?  The looks on the Councilors faces showed a variation of dread, frustration, and hatred.  Was I the only one surprised by his statement? 

“I’m a what?”  I asked, sure I didn’t hear him right. 

“A latent, dear.”  Nickolas said as he turned toward me and away from the Councilors.  “It means your wolf is hidden to you.”

“I thought those were extinct?”  Brody chimed in.

“Hence the rare.”  Nickolas grinned. 
I was a wolf?  A latent wolf? 

“There hasn’t been a latent wolf in years.”  Mica commented. 

“One hundred and ninety-three to be exact.”  Nickolas stated. 

“Why now?  What does it mean?”  Cassie asked. 

“Latent wolves were always rare.  Some learned to shift while others were never able to obtain their wolf form.  If they ever did learn to shift, and were white, their coming usually foretold of great upheaval or change to come.”  Nickolas explained.  His eyes remained fixed on me during the last part. 

“Wait, she can learn to shift?”  Cade asked eagerly.  I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Cade who was absorbing the information faster than I was. 

“Of course.  Other shifters have been doing it for years.  There’s no reason why Kendra wouldn’t be able to.”

“Elder Nickolas.”  High Councilor Anton stated through gritted teeth.  I think he was annoyed the conversation was excluding him.  “You’re positive she is a latent wolf?”

“Absolutely.”  Nickolas replied with confidence as he turned back to the head table. 

“Is there any way to know if she will ever shift?”  High Councilor Anton asked.

“And what color she would be?”  Councilor Cora chimed in.

“Of course not.”  Nickolas scoffed.  “Her wolf is hidden and she will have to work to make her wolf surface.  She may obtain some form of heightened senses from her wolf but that might be all she ever achieves.”  He looked back at me.  “If we knew who her parents were, then we might have a clue as to what color she would be.”

“I don’t know.”  I answered quickly.  Nickolas’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t comment. 

“Well, then.  Is there anything else you need?”  Nickolas asked as he turned back to High Councilor Anton. 

“No.  And least I remind everyone in this room, what was discovered today remains here.  No one is to discuss anything about latent wolves beyond this room.”  He glared around the room before looking back at Nicolas.  “You are dismissed.”  He said with a wave of his hand.  As Nickolas turned to leave I caught his eye and was surprised when he winked at me before he left the room.  Silence reigned for a few seconds while everyone absorbed this new information. 
I was a wolf!
  I couldn’t help giving myself a mental high five. 
How cool what that?
 

“I suppose we must discuss her future.”  High Councilor Anton sighed.

“What do you mean?”  Liam was quick to ask. 

“She will need to be monitored.  We need to know if her wolf is surfacing and what threat she could pose to our society.”

“Threat?”  Mica exclaimed.  “She’s just a girl that found out she’s a wolf.  She doesn’t understand wolf politics let alone how to call her wolf.  She is no threat to anyone.”

“She could be a white wolf.”  Councilor Blaine stated.

“She might not too.”  Cade stated firmly.  “Besides, isn’t that whole doom and gloom just a story?  I’ve never heard of a latent white wolf bringing about great change.” 

“Learn your history books, boy,” High Councilman Anton growled.  “It happened back in the early 1800’s.”

“That is beside the point.”  Liam commented.  “Kendra just found out she’s a wolf.  Latent, yes, but a wolf nonetheless.  She has no clue what that means or entails.  What would you propose to do with her?”

“She will remain here.  Where she can be monitored and observed.”

“Lock her up?”  Liam growled.  “She has broken no laws.  Keeping her here would go against everything we stand for as a Pack.”

“What would you suggest?”  Councilor Cora scoffed.  “We can’t allow her to run free.  Her whereabouts must be monitored.”

“May I speak?”  I asked, looking around the room.  Cade gripped my hand and gave me a gentle shake of his head but I ignored him. 

“What would you have to say?”  Councilor Cora asked as she looked down her nose at me.

“I know I don’t understand all of your rules but I would be happy to learn.  I want to learn about my heritage that was stolen from me.  I would like to be a part of a Pack.  Somewhere to call home.  I have no wish to bring about any kind of change.  I’m just an ordinary girl, trying to make it through graduation.”  I shrugged. 

“Certainly not a speech of a rebel leader,” Councilor Julian mumbled. 

“The McCoy pack would like to adopt Kendra into our fold.”  Mica announced.  My eyes widened in response and Cade rubbed his thumb over my hand that he was holding in a soothing gesture.  “We will look out for her.  Teach her our ways.  Help her learn what she needs to know as a shifter.”  I was stunned at Mica’s offer.  Be a part of Cade’s pack?  Officially?  Would I finally have a place to call home?

“We will of course report her progress back to you, if you wish.”  Liam added.  High Councilor Anton regarded us before he turned his attention to the other Councilors.  A silent conversation seemed to pass between them before he finally rotated back to us. 

“Fine.  We require quarterly updates on her progress.  Leave nothing out.”  High Councilor Anton warned. 

“We won’t.  Reports every quarter.”  Liam nodded. Mica turned to me and smiled happily.  Cade squeezed my hand and I turned to him and grinned. 

“Well, if we are done here.”  Councilor Gina replied as she looked scornfully at me.  She stood and the rest of us stood out of respect, or habit in our case.  Each of the Councilors filed out of the chamber and a collective sigh sounded around the room.  Brody was the first to let out a whoop. 

“Hell yeah!”  He yelled before he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.  “We knew there was something different about you, but a latent?”  He finally let me go and Cade pulled me back into him. 

“A latent wolf.”  He murmured in my ear.  I grinned. 
I was a wolf!

“Let’s go back to the hotel.”  Liam suggested.  Carver ushered us through the doors and back to the elevators.  We didn’t speak as we rode 54 floors down to the underground garage and piled back into the vehicles.  As the High Council Enforcers dropped us off in front of our hotel, bags and all, Carver stopped Liam. 

“Elder Nickolas informed me he would like to visit tonight, if you are available.”

“Yes, of course.  Any time he wants to stop by.  The sooner the better.”  Liam agreed. 

“I’ll inform him upon my return.”  Caver nodded.  He glanced my way one more time before he left.  Cade ushered me into the hotel behind everyone else and up to our bank of suites on the top floor.  I knew Cade’s parents were well off but,
this much
?  The suites had one main room when you first entered for dining and entertaining.  I could tell there were at least three bedrooms that branched off from there.  Other suites lined the hallway outside where other members of our party would be staying. 

“Everyone sit down.  I’ll order room service for lunch and we can talk about…everything.”  Liam instructed.  We congregated around the massive table that sat close to sixteen.  For those that couldn’t sit at the table, they took up seats at the built in bar.  A buzz of conversation flowed around the room with everyone throwing me curious glances every now and then.  Not that I could blame them.  Being the harbinger of doom is not something to be taken lightly. 
If I was a white wolf, of course.
 
Or could shift at all for that matter.
 

“You doing okay?”  Cade asked from his seat beside me.  He was holding my hand and rubbing his thumb back and forth over my skin. 

“Yeah.  Just taking a while to sink in.”

“I bet.”  He smiled.  “At least we know what you are.”

“I’m a wolf.”  I smiled, happy to have something within my grasp. 

“But how long will it take for your wolf to surface?”  Brody asked over all the conversation.  Everyone else quieted down, but no one had an answer.

“That’s something we will ask Elder Nickolas once he arrives.”  Liam stated.  “We will have to keep things quite since we technically aren’t supposed to discuss things but we need answers.  There are so many questions we need answered and I hope Nickolas has the information.”  When lunch arrived, everyone dug in, especially Brody.  You’d think he hadn’t eaten for days the way he shoveled food in his mouth.