AN: This is a long one. 😘 Btw Verena doesn't care to differentiate the witches from the wizards. To her they're all witches, Bex was raised politically correct. 

Bex's POV

David and his interim female ghost, Felicity I think her name is, head the line with the most human of us all bringing up the tail. I may not have known I was going to be Eric's right, but I do know that the line is in order of the species that had its first permanent member.

The line will of course rearrange once all members are settled and that one will be by the species who found both of its permanent members.

For right now though it's the ghosts followed by the fae, then vampires, weres are fourth in line, and behind us are the shapeshifters. Placed at the sixth and seventh are the undead with the witches/wizards who don't have even one permanent member because Beth is still in her interim stage.

The silence in the hallway leading us straight to the gym, besides the sound of our shoes hitting the tiles, is unsettling. Everyone in the Student Counsel is quiet as we approach the loud chaos of a crowd. Some look contemplative while others, like Beth, look nervous.

I do my best not to stare at the back of Will's head to get a glimpse of his face but I fail spectacularly. My restraint when it comes to him is crumbling and it's pissing me off.

As if feeling my eyes I hear, 'You will do fine.'

His assurance causes my ribs to tighten and I grab my chest with my right hand in panic. Eric's eyes snap to me but I shake my head to ward off the questions sure to come. I thought I was over the need to beat the fae to a pulp but my body disagrees.

I steel my trembling muscles before answering.

'I have nothing to fear, I'm not even the main event.' Speaking to him in my mind is getting easier when it should be impossible.

Not knowing the extent of how far Will can dig, I keep my mind clear and my aura open. As expected I feel him searching for any deception on my part. The closest I can describe how it feels is to a time in my childhood, I hurt myself when I was climbing something and my mother lightly grazed my skin until she found the source of my pain. Of course I could have told her but at the time I was too busy crying.

Will lightly brushes through my neutrality until he's satisfied, then I feel his mind click as he processes the rest of my words.

I can taste his annoyance as he agrees with me.

'I told David to skip the charade this year but he ignores most words I speak. He envisions this to be the same as the years before but there will be no peaceful rapport.'

We both speak of Verena but there's no need for us to say her name. It's also good to know that he's not blaming her because I know I'm not. What she's done in the past is up for debate, yes, but not in a school and not with so many present.

Mob mentality is real and she's not liked by a lot of beings, David should know this but I guess even ghosts get bored and want to see a spectacle. He's been dead for a long time and seems to have forgotten that blood gets shed when supernaturals get mad.

The first of the line enters the gym and a hush befalls the crowd. It's a way for them to show respect to their future leaders but this practice only makes things awkward.

On both sides there are two levels of bleachers full of supernaturals kids and adults alike, directly across from the doors we are entering from is a large semi circle of chairs waiting for us. They are nicely made with a plush red velvet material, exactly what you'll need when being interrogated.

The walk to our seats is unexpectedly excruciating because we have to cross the entire gym just to get to our chairs.

I can feel hundreds of eyes accessing me and now I understand why our arms are linked. If I didn't have Eric's arm to keep me grounded, I would've spun on my heel and walked away. There is nothing worth this much scrutiny.

A large pack I can handle, but these aren't just wolves I'm dealing with. This is an entire ecosystem in one place and my mental walls can't withstand the pressure of so many unknowingly trying to break in.

Eric tightens his arm in reassurance but it does nothing for my growing panic. My eyes instinctively sharpen to read the auras around me and I know I'm screwed as the colors become more vibrant.

Next will come their emotions and I know I can't handle that. How do I take in hundreds of emotions when I haven't felt my own in so long?

'Focus on me. Only me.' Will's voice is like a cold snap waking me up from a deep sleep. I didn't notice how the room started to cloud over until my vision sharpened to the back of his head.

Instinctively to save myself, I do as he says. Focusing only on his aura I notice that it's white with a deep blue tinge. The blue is the only thing separating his aura from matching his hair and suit.

I take in a cautious breath in and release it slowly. The pressure that was building eases off and I send out my gratitude to Will for saving me. The timing was near perfect as everyone breaks off to their chairs. He doesn't say anything but his eyes do soften as we pass by him and the other fae, Rose.

Eric's watching me from the corner of his eye but says nothing aloud as he guides me to my seat.

We don't sit immediately because of course we have to be announced. The permanent members go first and they all take their seats leaving only interim members standing to face the crowd. Every one of them gets their customary applause because the time of protest is null since their spots are set in concrete.

I square my shoulders and plant my feet a little wider in order to brace the stares I'm receiving. A small part of me thinks that maybe I should be nervous.

Our names get announced by the order in which we came in and it's now that the crowd lets each of us know how they truly feel. Felicity, the interim female ghost, gets bland clapping and that's only because everyone's busy looking at the next to be called.

Verena.

She stands tall and regal against the silence she's receiving.

David told us that this is the moment we should address the crowd with a quick speech or greeting, Verena does neither and just sits down in her seat.

Her eyes aren't focused on anything or anyone in particular, it's almost as if she's not even aware of her surroundings.

My name comes next and I get some clapping but mostly booing from my own kind. I look at the wolves confused by their opposition. Leading them isn't the false Beta I took on earlier but some female with pretty brown hair that flows to her waist.

Our eyes connect and I receive nothing but hostility from her. Instead of naturally responding with similar emotions, I evaluate her with a detached air. When the protests die down, I know they are expecting me to say something but I keep my eyes connected to the unknown females as I slowly lower myself down to my chair.

They will get nothing from me until this is over.

She may be angry but I am Alpha born and this stare down will only end one way. To lose such a petty competition will lose me any respect I've gained since here.

The announcer continues on down the line of interim members but I can feel the wolves watching us.

Her eyes turn darker as her wolf decides to join and I smirk. In my book the skin already lost but I have no problem putting the wolf in her place as well.

A lip curl shows her lengthening fangs and I smile in kind with my own whites.

I'm going to let the wolves think my gesture is a ploy to show my control over my wolf. It's better to let them think that then know the truth.

Her eyes break when the wolf startles at my blunt teeth. I'm guessing she doesn't know how to take a wolf's aggression shown by a skin side.

I continue to look at the female even as her head bows in defeat. I even cock my head to the side as I evaluate her.

She's young and not a wolf of status. I'd say she's younger than Jenni and starting her first year at this school. From my memory, I can't recall ever seeing her, so why does she have a problem with me?

My eyes instantly flick over to David as he starts his opening speech. He's mostly thanking everyone for coming and outlining what today's going to be about. I ignore him simply because he's made us all listen to it more times than I care to count during our meetings.

As I watch him float over the ground, I notice that Will is sitting tense on the edge of his seat. His attention is fully on the young she wolf and he looks seconds away from doing something stupid. Rose watches her compatriot with a calm air and places her pink hand over his.

I look away from their interaction and glance at Eric.

He's already assessing me.

If I allowed for a mind link between us, I'm sure he'd be pelting me with words but thankfully I have only his physical angst to deal with.

His nails are deeply embedded into the plush velvet armrests of his chair. I guess he didn't trust me to keep my calm in the face of an adversary.

The wolf flashes in his eyes to make sure everything is alright with his pack before he withdraws completely.

"Last thing, remember that we are here for you! Don't be shy when asking your questions, as your leaders it's required of us to have thick skin." David ends off.

He basically just declared open season.

The questions start bland and only intensify as the crowd gets more relaxed.

"You should've never showed your face here Bex." The sharpness of her voice gets everyone's attention.

Of course it comes from my number one fan.

"That's not a question." I inform her.

Her eyes flash but she keeps her wolf contained. To test me now would be foolhardy.

"Why are you here?" A male, that's not a wolf, asks.

"My name was pulled." They get a shrug from me.

"Why would you still be in the running after you abandoned your pack?" The young female voices out.

"I haven't abandoned anyone."

"Bull- how can you look me in the eye and say that! Not when I clearly remember watching you turn your back on us." The venom in her voice heats up along with the blood in my body.

Numb easily fizzles when prodded. My foundation crumbles to dust and I realize that my base was never as strong as I thought it was.

"Tell me wolf, what else happened that day?" A deeper version of my voice questions.

No answer comes from her, she stays silent.

"I remember another Alpha taking over, so where does this abandonment come in?" I continue.

"You left us to him." Her voice is strong but mine makes it sound like she whispers.

"He became your Alpha. We were the ones who were abandoned."

"How can you say that? You didn't have to leave immediately. We lost a protector that day!"

"And my siblings became orphans!" Unrestrained fury dominates my voice and I take a moment to swallow it back down. My numb blanket fizzles every time I try to conjure it. "We needed to grieve and Dominic's pack was not the place for that." I clench my teeth and my jaw hurts from the restraint.

"We grieved as well." She says but I ignore her words as someone speaks over her.

"What's to say you won't shut us all out as our Alpha female when something happens to your siblings? We-" The speech gets cut off by me.

"WHEN something happens to my siblings? Is that a threat?" Already I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting. A smart part of my brain has my aching hands gripping the armrests while the rest of me is focused on the male.

He stands solid against me.

"This is an open discussion. I shouldn't fear asking questions-"

"Questions that almost guarantee the potential harming of my siblings? Very smart, boy, to ask a wolf with no parents how she'll handle losing her only remaining family." I spit.

The male flinches but I want him to feel more.

"Should anything-anything- happen to them, I will look to you first." I promise. I make sure to place fear so deep within him that his bones shake.

I feel a breeze brush over my hot skin and it gives me a moment of clarity before I shake the chill off. I'm going way too far here.

"Alpha's children leave and relocate all the time, to act as if it's rare would be a blatant lie. Our hierarchy is only as strong as our leader's body and Alpha's age like we all do. As the female representative of the werewolf culture, it'll be my job to oversee such things and assure an easy transition for everyone. Who better than a wolf who's personally gone through it?

That day I had to focus on my siblings who were only pups. Now, instead of taking care of them, I have an entire species counting on me. It's a task I don't take lightly and you'll never have to fear my abandoning you."

They don't need to know that I have no intention of becoming the actual female werewolf Counsel member. I look the male in the eyes as I take a deep breath in.

"You are right to question me and I reacted defensively. I'm sorry." I force my body to sit back in the chair and tune out the world.

If anyone asked me anymore questions I didn't hear them. After several minutes of quiet reflection on my part I start listening to other representatives get asked hard questions.

And then a ghost decides to screw us all over by stupidly poking at a bigger predator.

We all look to Verena but she doesn't seem to hear him or care which almost has me sighing in relief.

"Again- what's the point of Verena even being considered if she's not here to protect ALL supernaturals?" I look up to see a translucent ghost ask again because asking once apparently wasn't enough.

Everyone's attention is already on Verena so no one misses the way her lips curl in disgust when she finally notices that it was a ghost who's called her out. Robert grabs her hand, in what looks like support but we all know it's to remind her to be nice.

Verena doesn't even look like she feels the pressure of his grip.

"To protect is not to coddle or to enjoy your company. I've just as much right as any other to sit here. Do not delude yourself into thinking they'll care more for you." Verena refers to the other leeches and I agree with her, but now is not the time to bring such things up.

Especially after my fuck up earlier.

Her response causes the vampire horde to laugh and Robert hides his groan by smiling at literally everyone else who doesn't find her response amusing.

"What she means to say is that no one on the Student Counsel is perfect, which is why we have it in the first place. No matter what, no one creature pairing would do right by us all, which is why we lead together."

Verena rolls her eyes at Robert's attempt to patch things up.

"We are not stupid to think that vampir would be safe should any one faction take over. We have seen more, survived worse, and devastate instinctively. The Counsel ensures our protection as well as your own."

The shock of the crowd is palpable but in all honesty the same could be said for almost every species, we are all dangerous to varying degrees. Humans portray us wrong but our threat has never been downplayed more than when supernaturals describe themselves. Our collective ensured survival hinges on leading together because we'll be extinct if humans find us.

"They haven't protected any of us from my you though!" A wizard screams.

"You seem alive enough to me." Her careless response has all of Student Counsel bracing for backlash that won't even be aimed at us individually. 

"I'm not talking about-"

"You talk of the ancestors you've never met and will never meet. Don't act scorned for deaths in the past, it's unbecoming." Verena cuts him off without a second of hesitation. Her hand twirls in the air in a circular motion inviting the conversation along.

"You're a murderer!" A random witch adds. 

"And you think you're better?" The venom in her voice doesn't go unnoticed and Robert's full attention goes to his friend. So far she's been "normal" but now I can see the impact this is having on her aura. 

I can't stop my powers from sharpening onto her usual yellow/grey aura that's slowly transforming into a deep blood red.

I hear Verena whisper to Robert only for her composure to change the very next second. It's like she flipped a switch or something. Her entire being is red and my internal alarms are blaring.

The air around her feels like a completely different vampire but nothing outwardly has changed at all. Everyone in the semi circle seems to notice but none can think of a way to get her out of here without making it into a big scene.

Some witches start to uncurl their shoulders as they realize that there are more of them than there are of her.

Big mistake.

Verena doesn't need numbers when she is a walking bloodbath waiting to happen.

"Witches aren't the only ones who have a problem with the leech, remember that."

I can practically feel Eric stiffen in his seat at the werewolf's voice. A look over at him though confuses me because he still looks relaxed and at ease.

"We've all made mistakes, no one being is perfect." A blasé response, very political, his dad would be proud.

The words are innocent enough but his commanding aura warns the wolves to sit down and shut up. We will not add to this persecution. Is what he's projecting outward without saying it.

"She's killed!" Comes a shout in protest to his unspoken command.

"Who hasn't?" Eric snaps back, teeth clicking loud as his jaw shuts.

I look at him in alarm not because of his response, wolves are no saints and we damn well know this, but of the way he said it. Eric has been bred to lead, this sudden break in composure hasn't happened since we were pups.

Looking at him now, something dark is swimming in those eyes. They keep changing to his wolf and back to himself. A war between the Alpha wolf and the Alpha male.

Luckily there seems to be a stalemate.

Witches protest their innocence but Verena's sudden laugh chills the blood.

"You witches are worse than us all."

Oh shit, I was so busy watching Eric that I forgot about the real problem here.

Verena stands and the action causes a crowd to flinch.

"You look down on me? Me? The nerve!" Her voice quakes in anger and I stand up myself because nothing good can come from this. I don't need to look and see that others in our circle have done the same. Some inch behind their seats and others remain standing tall.

Eric stays put in his stalemate.

"You decided to live with the humans but as soon as they realized your taint, what did they do? Hmm?" Verena is on a roll, casually standing while my muscles tense.

"They threw your sort into a bed of fire like the useless sacks of flesh you are!" She roars.

She then casually strolls to the center of the court while scratching her head.

"Or did they tie rocks to your feet and throw you into ravines? That wasn't it either, I know! They threw big rocks at your heads and expected you to do something other than bleed. Even they expected you to be more."

Her voice echoes effortlessly and I know I'm not the only one who wishes it wouldn't. With her hands behind her back, she turns slowly so that she addresses everyone.

"What I do remember clearly is the begging. Begging to be saved from the vicious humans. Witches asked the wolves first and when they refused to get involved, they outed the first wolf man! That's why the two are always at odds! The cowards couldn't handle the rejection alone so they pushed the wolves to the spotlight in order to save their skin.

But that didn't go as planned, did it? Your witch ancestors were too stupid to realize that wolves can easily blend into the forest and disappear. As a result, they were still hung. Burned. Maimed. Drowned. And hunted. So what did they do? They resorted to begging again.

What they won't say is that no supernatural would touch a witch after what they did to the wolves. The others act so much holier than us now but they made sure to stay far away from any witch in those times. With no one else to turn to witches offered us the only thing they're good for, blood.

It truly shows how human your taint is because acts against witches are now called, 'tragic events' instead of 'the stupidity of witches'.
Vampir simply ask for what you owe but we are labeled as evil?"

A wizard boy far up in the second row of bleachers, stands up in a crowd of hunched shoulders.

"We paid that debt."

"That underhanded law made by the lesser ten said that vampir couldn't seek a witch and rip their throats out, it never said that the debt was paid." They speak of a law passed by ten Counsel members, none of whom were vampires, which prohibited violence against witches unless warranted.

I'm not going to lie, it wasn't the smartest thing to pass and in turn a lot of beings died as the vampires protested. But what else did they expect? A peaceful transition?

It's at that time where Verena really got her reputation.

Her fangs slide out from her gums and I take it as my cue to slowly walk in her direction. Robert matches my pace, step for step. I feel magic in the air but I simply can't pinpoint anything.

Before we are even half way there, Verena disappears and is suddenly holding the wizard by the neck. The bleachers explode in activity but somehow I'm still able to see Verena. We race fast up the steps but only make it past the first level before we stop due to Verena's glare.

"Without those pretty words and plants, you are nothing." She licks the wizards neck and I can see a dark spot appearing in his crotch area.

A girl seated beside them starts chanting and Verena looks down in disgust.

"Another word and I'll drink him dry before you finish." Needless to say her trap shut faster than if you told her a fly was in it.

"And you Roberto..."

I guess everyone can get it tonight.

"You were one of us once." Her now completely black eyes hold the look of betrayal.

He and I are now only a couple of yards away from her. I stay back as Robert inches forward at a snail's pace. The students in the general area scattered if they were far enough away but those within ten feet are too petrified to move.

"I've remained unchanged and you know it V." His voice is deeper than I've ever heard it but then I remember that we're being watched by everyone.

"You lie! I can see the condemnation in your eyes. Have you forgotten that you are the one who showed me how to revel in the elixir of fae blood? That you are the one who hunted with me when a witch skipped out on their donation day?"

He answers her with silence because it wouldn't be a good look on him to confirm what she's saying even if it was in the past.

"Now you are a witch lover! You have damned yourself and I cannot protect you."

I doubt that the vampires know that he's actually a lover to Beth, I think they take it that he's empathetic to the witch/wizard cause. Which he is, from what I've seen.

"We are in a different time Verena. Humans are getting smarter and we need to stick together to survive." He completely glosses over the potential threat to his life because we all know that vampires are prone to attacking their Counsel leaders if the need strikes.

"What of our survival Roberto? What will our meal quality be like?" Verena doesn't give a damn about the rest of us and it shows.

Leeches hum in agreement and I know that something needs to happen now before this powder keg explodes.

"Starting a war won't help our odds, I know that much." He closes in on her with his hands up as a sign of peace.

Verena gives Robert a look of utter disappointment before she picks the wizard up by the neck and pitches him across the gym.

AN: WHEW! This chapter is a whopping 4,300 words! Partly because of last chapter being short and partly because I take so long to update.