IVAN'S POV
The Council knew about the Wrath Bond. To some level, they knew about my last public outburst — but the illusion had always been in selling that I was in control. That I was the one who commanded the feral shift, not that it commanded me.
The tempering spell made it seem even better.
But if they considered this a real threat, then that spelled trouble.
More than that, it danced dangerously close to unseating me from the throne and locking me up with the rest of the mad wolves.
"Fucking hell indeed," Francis chuckled. "With the rumors spreading around the pack like wildfire, I think the next step — even before honoring the Council's invitation — is showing the people that you're the opposite of the assumptions."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "We can't do that without knowing how the news got out. If their assumption is built on solid proof, we'd only fuel the speculations. This is a mess."
