Lillian and Noah hadn't wanted to bring the twins to the meeting. But the committee insisted on talking with the pups.

After lunch, they ran with the twins, Brielle and Benjamin to the location of the meeting. Brielle and Benjamin would take the twins back to their pack village after the committee spoke with them. Noah felt better if the pups were as far away from Albert as possible.

The committee members were outside a large two-story cabin built in a clearing in the woods on the edge of Benjamin's territory. There were five wolves, all of them over older than two centuries of age.

There were also a number of werewolves who came to witness the proceeding as was customary. Benjamin's warriors surrounded the area, out of sight but within intervening distance.

"More wolves than I expected," Noah mumbled, looking around.

"How many did you expect?" Lillian asked.

"Normally, only ten witnesses are required for a trial or a proceeding like this to be valid," Benjamin said, pushing back his blond hair. "But the number is always open to whoever wants to attend."

Noah counted almost fifty wolves other than the committee members.

"I guess you're a celebrity, Lillian," Benjamin added with a grin.

Lillian made a face, her displeasure and apprehension shaking the bond. "That's not something I want to hear, really."

Lillian picked up Ezra, Noah scooped up Elijah and wrapped his other arm around Lillian's shoulders. He didn't like having them here with all these people, especially considering the fact that Lillian had a bounty on her head.

The clouds thickened in the sky, and Noah smelled a storm in the air. Men and women looked and whispered. Lillian's shoulders tightened, though her face didn't betray her nervousness. They made their way to the cabin.

One of the alphas in attendance stepped in their way. "Alpha Noah," he said, his gray eyes looking Lillian and the twins inquisitively. "We heard rumors."

Noah wasn't particularly interested in the werewolf gossip mill, unless it had to do with Lillian and the twins. Which it probably did, considering the way the male was eyeing Lillian up and down. Noah could feel Lillian's annoyance through the bond. Soon it would bloom to anger.

Noah growled loudly. The alpha dragged his eyes from Lillian and raised an eyebrow at Noah. "Is it true she is immune to silver?"

"She is right here," Lillian snapped. "And that's none of your business."

The alpha narrowed his eyes at her, Lillian met his gaze head on, her wolf pushing to the forefront. She was edgy, and having so many powerful wolves around her for the first time must not help.

"Alpha Boris," Benjamin said, coming to a stand between them and the alpha. A good move since at the moment, Noah was inclined to treat anyone he didn't particularly like as a threat.

The Alpha's eyes shifted to Benjamin, who ushered the man away. "Why don't we have a word, you and I? We need to discuss some pending matters between our packs since you're down here, anyway."

Noah only marginally relaxed when the two went away. Brielle walked beside them toward the big cabin. Once on the porch, the five committee members turned to face them.

"Alpha Noah," the oldest werewolf, a man Noah knew as the former alpha of a pack in North Carolina, stepped forward. He gave a cursory glance at Lillian and the twins before focusing on Noah. "Good to see you again."

"Alpha Robin." Noah nodded. Alpha Robin was one of the few wolves Noah respected. The man ruled over a big territory, which his son had taken over a couple of decades ago. But he was still respected among the wolves, and he didn't look like he let himself go since stepping down.

Robin introduced the members of the committee. Three of them were females who took the time to put Lillian and the twins at ease, gushing over how adorable the pups were. Lillian lost some of the tension in her body and broke her first smile out.

The other man in the committee stayed back, looking standoffish. Noah didn't care. Four to one were good odds.

The females were the ones who insisted on talking to the twins. They asked them about inconsequential subjects, like what their school was like and if they went on their first hunt yet. But their eyes didn't miss the slightest details, from the way the twins held onto to Lillian and Noah's necks to the way they relaxed after Lillian assured them the committee members were good to talk to.

Brielle and Benjamin took the twins back to the pack village. The pups went willingly with a promise of a game in the waterfall again. Noah wanted to take Lillian and go with them, but there were matters that needed to be dealt with. And if everything went according to his expectation, he was going to be rid of Albert and have Lillian angry at him by the end of the day.

One of the females, Alpha Jian, looked over her shoulder at the only committee member left behind, leaning on the railing of the porch with crossed arms. "Aren't you going to say hi, Alpha Barret?" She asked, arching a black eyebrow.

"Associating with the defendant before the case starts is a form of bias," the man grumbled. The crowd around all quieted down, listening to the conversation.

"The defendant?" Alpha Jian snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Barret. We all know this is just a formality. There's no authority in the world that will take pups from their mother without sufficient cause."

Alpha Barret's eyes narrowed. "That may be so, but it doesn't mean she can keep the pups from their grandfather."

"Blood is not everything," Alpha Robin said.

"We are immortals. We're werewolves," Alpha Barret said. "Blood and dynasties are important."

Noah had enough. He growled low, fixing Alpha Barret with his stare. "If a dynasty is built on bloodshed and suffering, it is not worth living."

Alpha Barret didn't back down. "We are not the sins of our sons, just as we are not the sins of our fathers," he said, a smug gleam in his eyes, "something you must be well aware of, Alpha Noah, considering your own father."

A flare of anger shook the bond. Noah didn't know if it was Lillian's or his own. He stifled the urge to snarl at the other alpha. He deliberately relaxed his posture. "The fact that Alpha Albert hired killers to end Lillian's life is his own sin."

Shock rippled through the committee members' faces. A murmur rippled through the attentive crowd. Even Alpha Barret looked surprised.

"What are you saying?" Alpha Barret said.

"You heard me," Noah replied. "He put a price on Lillian's head. We all know that would be the quickest way to get hold of the pups."

"Impossible-"

Noah smelled Albert and his mate and turned slightly to keep them in his line of sight.

"Why don't you save your breath, Barret," Alpha Jian said. "We can just ask the man, he's here."

The crowd parted to let Albert and his mate through. The couple strode toward the cabin. A few wolves stopped them, and they exchanged some words. They didn't come up to the porch, which was good. Noah didn't know if he could have them close enough to kill without doing it. His wolf was already pushing at the reins, even Lillian's touch did little to calm him down.

"Alpha Albert," Jian said. "Did you truly place a price on the mother's head?"

Albert's hazel eyes darkened under lowered eyebrows. "And who told you that?"

"Alpha Noah."

Albert switched his gaze to Noah. "You can't prove it."

Noah shrugged. "If I do, I'm going to have to kill you. I can't just leave a threat to my mate and family alive."

"What are you doing?" Lillian asked through the bond, her concern evident.

Albert growled out loud. "Don't threaten me, pup. You won't like the consequences."

Noah chuckled darkly. "What are you going to do? You do know you can't just beat me up like you did your daughter."

Gasps and whispers rose in the air. Albert sucked in a sharp breath. Noah stifled the hint of regret he felt at using Emily as bait to lure her father. He'd asked Emily earlier this morning about sharing her circumstances, and she'd agreed.

"If it means my father will not hurt anyone else, do it," she'd said, her eyes at once young and old. "My brother did not just grow up to be a sick monster from nothing. My parents had a hand in worsening his situation just as much as our blood did. My father needs to be stopped. And if death is the only way to do it, then... so be it."

"Noah!" Lillian hissed at him through the bond, her hand tightening around his arm. He didn't look at her. Doing so would make him do whatever she asked of him, and that might include not getting Albert provoked and dead even before the trial takes place.

"How dare you?" Albert said. His mate's lips pursed, disappearing behind an expression tight with anger and embarrassment.

"Are you going to deny that, too?" Noah said, taking a step forward. He casually leaned on the porch's pillar and tucked a hand in his pocket. "I've seen the scars on your daughter's skin. Whipping your own child with silver? That's a new low, Albert. You're nothing but a washed up, old wolf. You don't deserve to be an alpha. Your line will die with you, just as your son died, and you'll only be remembered as a weak wolf whose blood wasn't strong enough to survive-"

"Enough!" Albert roared, taking a step forward. He pointed a finger at Noah. "You insolent pup. Just because you're letting Arthur play in your backyard doesn't mean you're invincible! Get down here and I'll show you weak!"

"Is that a challenge?" Noah asked, a thrill in his blood.

"Noah!" Lillian hissed out loud. He felt a twinge in his side and realized belatedly that she'd actually pinched his side. He still didn't look at her.

"Is it, Albert?" Noah asked, straightening from the porch post, he shrugged his shoulders and mumbled disinterestedly. "I guess not. You only beat up weaker wolves."

That did it. Albert growled, a loud sound that shook the ground. Then he lunged to his fur. People gasped and stepped back. Albert's mate lost all color.

Challenging someone in wolf form meant a fight until death. When the wolves took over, their killing instincts during a fight were almost impossible to control.

"Stay back," Noah told Lillian. He jumped, shifting midair, and landed on the ground. Not wasting time, Albert was in front of him in a blink, jaw gaping and sharp teeth flashing.

Noah dodged down his bite and rammed him with his shoulder hard. The two of them rolled on the ground.

"Move back!" Someone called. The crowd around them gave them ample space to fight in. Noah heard Lillian's voice. He knew she had more sense than to get in the middle of a fight, so he wasn't worried about her. But she would be angry with him when this was over. He needed to do this, though.

Albert's wolf had a crazed gleam in his eyes. They clashed again as soon as they rolled to their feet. Albert's jaws closed hard on Noah's left shoulder and Noah bit down on Albert's front leg, his paws slashing his sides. Noah shook his head ruthlessly until he heard bone snap, feeling his own blood drip down from Albert's bite.

Albert let go of Noah, taking a chunk of fur and flesh with him.

They broke apart. The sky darkened and thunder roared nearby, drowning Albert's growl as he lunged forward again, one of his front legs uselessly limp.

Noah jumped in the last moment and landed on Albert's back. He held on with his claws to Albert's body and bit down on the bastard's hind leg. Albert trashed around, standing on his hind legs in an attempt to shake Noah off. But Noah wouldn't move until he broke that damn leg. Albert growled and fell on his back, crunching Noah beneath him. Noah heard a crack and felt a stab of pain in his side. His ribs must be broken.

He only let go when he felt bone under his teeth. Albert rolled off of him and almost went down to the ground when he put his weight on his now broken leg. Noah lunged, not giving him time to recover.

Water came down from the sky in torrents. The curtain of rain made everything but Albert seem unimportant. Blood trickled down with water, the smell of rain, soil and death thick in the air.

Noah and Albert were both a bloody, shredded mess by the time they broke apart again. Albert was clearly in pain putting his weight on his legs. Noah was, too. His ribs were broken, his shoulder was useless and Albert had caught his eye with a claw. But Noah didn't care about the pain. Albert was an old, experienced wolf, but Noah was more motivated than Albert, and he could bear more pain if the safety of Lillian and the twins was at stake.

So Noah fought Albert, tearing him down limb by limb, patches of fur went missing, deep gouges bled, torn ears and bloodied muzzles. Albert looked like he was an inch away from death, and if Noah could see himself, he probably looked just as bad.

It was time to end this. Noah used one of Lillian's sneaky tactics when she sparred with him and feigned a stumble. As expected, Albert took advantage of it and lunged, and Noah exploited his lower position, dove under Albert and turned his head at the very last moment, closing his jaws over Albert's throat.

Noah didn't let go. Even as Albert's weight descended on him and his nasty blood almost choked him, Noah didn't let go. Albert gurgled out another breath and went limp. A shrill scream split the air. Noah held onto the throat and heaved up, struggling to get out from under Albert's heavy, limp body. He flipped them until he was standing over him, then he bit and tore.

Another shrill scream, this time closer. Movement around. But Noah was too far gone to care about anything other than the prey between his jaws, the threat to his family that must be eradicated.

Lillian's smell. Noah's eyes snapped up, Albert's torn neck still between his teeth. Lillian's wolf was in front of Albert's mate. The woman had shifted to her wolf, her amber eyes haunted, wide with grief infused fury.

She growled and tried moving past Lillian again, but Lillian's wolf wasn't having it. She snapped at her. People gave them wide berth. Jian, who had been observing the scene from the side, tore into her own wolf and stood between Lillian and Albert's mate, pushing the latter back to keep her from interfering.

Noah finished his kill. He gnawed on the flesh and bone and tendons until Albert's blood was all he could taste and smell, until Albert's head severed from his body and dropped with a splash in a puddle of pink rainwater on the ground.

It was done.

Noah let go of the stump, raised his head and howled to the gray sky. It was done.

Noah lowered his head and looked around. The crowd of wolves were all far enough away to run if he made a move towards them. He saw fear in most of their faces. The risk of insanity in Noah's blood made them think he would lose control to his wolf's killing instincts. Maybe before Lillian, he would've. But right now, all Noah could think of was that no one would take the twins from him and Lillian, and that Lillian was safe.

Lillian turned from Jian and Albert's mate, who had shifted to her skin and curled on the ground, rocking back and forth. Noah felt a twinge of pity for the woman who'd just lost her mate. Remembering Emily's wounds and Albert's threat to the pups and Lillian, and any feelings of sympathy he had disappeared.

The heavy rain flattened Lillian's fur to her body. She whined as she got closer, looking over his injuries. Her concern and anger and fear were a hurricane through the bond. She stopped when her nose touched his, then she was licking his face, his neck, anywhere she could reach. Noah's wolf sat down and let her do it, knowing he would soon be facing her anger after her worry subsided.

Alpha Robbins approached from a safe distance. "Why don't you go somewhere else," he said, glancing over his shoulder at Albert's mate. "We'll take care of things here."

Noah dipped his head at the alpha, the motion sending an intense sting of pain down his shoulder. It was probably broken, too. Now that the fight was over, he would start feeling every wound and bruise and broken bone in his body.

The crowd of wolves parted to let them through, fear and apprehension etched on their faces. Good.

Noah and Lillian walked away from the blood and gore. Noah limped, his legs almost giving underneath him. They didn't head to Benjamin's pack. Wordlessly, they made their way deeper into the woods, until the trees were thick enough to shield them from most of the downpour.

The darkness under the thick tree canopy belied the time of the day. Lillian shifted first, turning to him with eyes gone a bright amber. Noah sighed and shifted as well, his cracking bones hurting more than he thought possible. It'd been a long time since he was this beaten up after a fight.

"Are you insane!" Lillian said, pacing back and forth in front of him. "Why did you goad him into a fight! What if something went wrong?! What if he hurt you seriously?!"

Her nude body was distracting, and if he didn't get a hold on his reaction, she was going to be royally mad. Noah leaned on a tree, holding his shredded shoulder, and waited for her to vent out her mad.

One thing he learned about Lillian. She never really stayed angry for long. Right now, her reaction was mostly out of fear rather than actual anger.

"He's a descendent of an Original Shifter!" She continued, stopping and stabbing a finger his way. "He's older and more experienced, and he's ruthless! What you did was completely rash and- and- and just stupid!"

He stared at her. Her chest was heaving with breaths. A drop of water fell on her cheek and she wiped it away angrily. "Well?!" she said, throwing her arms up.

Her hair hung in a wet, limp mass around her shoulders, her eyes flashed between blue and amber, bright in the dimness of their surroundings, she was shivering, and she couldn't have looked prettier if she tried.

Noah raised one hand, palm toward her. "Sorry?"

She opened her mouth and closed it a few times. Then her face twisted, her lips pursed and her breath shuddered in her lungs. Tears filled her magnificent eyes and Noah instantly felt like an asshole.

"Lillian," he mumbled, moving closer despite his body's protests. He tried to hold her, but she pushed his arm away. Tears streamed down her cheeks quietly. Noah wrapped his good arm more firmly around her and held her to him. She only struggled for a few seconds before she went limp against him, her sobs breaking his heart.

"Baby, please don't cry," he said, putting his cheek on her head.

"He could've hurt you badly," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "He did hurt you."

"I'm fine-"

"You're not fine!" Anger was back in her voice. Noah smiled a little. Anger was better than tears. "Your ribs and shoulder are broken, and you're still bleeding from half a dozen places!"

He didn't say anything, simply listened to the half dozen ways the fight could've gone wrong for him. When her words finally died down, Noah let her pull her head away and look up at him.

"I'm still angry at you," she said, not sounding angry at all. "Why didn't you tell me you were planning on doing this?"

"Because I know you would've thrown a fit," he said. "You would worry and make me promise you not to do it."

She blew a breath through her nose. She couldn't deny his words. "You shouldn't have done it."

"Yes, I did," Noah said softly. "Albert wouldn't have stopped at this, Lillian. He wanted the twins too bad. He had nothing more to lose. This was the only way out of it."

Her shoulders slumped. She bumped her forehead against his chest a few times then sighed. "I guess I knew that. But if it meant you getting hurt, I didn't want to acknowledge it."

"You know, I'm very insulted you think Albert could actually hurt me seriously," Noah said in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

Lillian narrowed her eyes and poked his broken ribs. Noah groaned and took a step back.

"What were you saying, Mr. Badass?"

"Nothing," Noah grumbled.

Lillian eyed his injuries and sighed. "Let's get you to Benjamin's pack doctor."

Noah made the trip to Benjamin's pack doctor on two feet, taking a pair of shorts from a burrow along the way. Lillian shifted to her fur and tried to get him to ride on her back. He gave her a look that conveyed just how silly that thought was. He would have to be dying to let her carry him, and even then he'd manage somehow.

Fortunately, the rain had stopped and the sun broke through the clouds. They found the infirmary easily enough, and in an hour, Noah was all patched up and stitched new. Most wounds had started to heal, and deeper injuries needed to be stitched up to hasten the recovery. Broken bones would take longer.

The doctor had given Lillian a sweater dress that she changed into, and she sat quiet beside him as the doctor treated him, looking like the sight of his injuries was physically painful.

They walked out of the infirmary less bloody and more lighthearted. The pack members around all stared at them. News must have traveled fast. Benjamin was striding through the pack village toward them, grinning from ear to ear. "I guess you're no longer having a trial?"

Lillian huffed and watched like a hawk as Noah walked down the steps. She would be hovering for the next few days until he was healed. Noah didn't mind it too much.

"Lillian, I have to say. If this guy is making too much trouble for you, you have other choices."

Lillian rolled her eyes. Noah growled lowly at him. "Stop flirting with my mate."

"I wasn't referring to myself," Benjamin said, coming to a stop in front of them. His blue eyes were full of mischief. "You realize half the alpha males who attended today are unmated."

Lillian frowned, but Noah caught on to Benjamin's train of thoughts easily enough. He cursed. They just couldn't get a break.

"What?" Lillian asked, looking between the two of them. "What are you not saying?"

"Let's just say, most of them were hoping Noah would lose the fight and his life," Benjamin said. "Which would mean you, my dear Lillian, would be free to court."

Lillian made a face. "You're kidding, right?"

"Afraid not," Benjamin said. "You're a strong wolf, and you're partly immune to silver. You're the perfect candidate for the wolves who are looking to strengthen their bloodline."

Noah's growl shook his chest and stung his ribs. "She's not a broodmare."

"Hey, you're preaching the choir here," Benjamin said, holding his hands up. "I'm just letting you know, you might have trouble on your doorstep. However, after your performance with Albert, which I'm sad to have missed, many of them are reconsidering."

Noah and Lillian looked at each other.

"Never a dull moment," Lillian drawled out, shaking her head.

Noah wholeheartedly agreed. They just couldn't catch a break. He wrapped his arm around Lillian's shoulder and the two walked to their pups. Trouble would always be there. It was a staple in an immortal's life. But as long as they were together, everything else could be vanquished.

--- ---- ---

Hey guys! Long time no see!

I hope you're doing well. Sorry it took me a while yo finish this chapter. But it's Ramadan, and everything else kind of takes a backseat during this month.

If you don't know, Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic calendar where we fast from sunrise to sunset (no food or water). 

It's a spiritual time for us where we focus on becoming better muslims and human beings in general.

However, don't worry, I'll try my best to post more bonus chapters (the next one will probably be for Blue Flames), so stay tuned.

Happy Ramadan for those of you who observe the month!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Much love <3 <3 <3

M.B.