The Dark Side Of Fate

~Tamia~

Linda, Avery and I had dinner in the office, and Avery seemed a bit ill

I did not want to get her hopes up, but I felt it would be best to take a pregnancy test because she had been acting funny.

She had been very emotional, and her eating habits had changed. It might also be the hormones because I knew she was taking fertility meds.

Regardless, I thought it was best she checked herself, but I kept it to myself.

We finished what we needed to do in the office and returned to our bedrooms.

Sylvester was not in the bedroom when I returned, and I was too tired to look for him. So I showered and went to bed.

"I want to sleep,” I linked him.

"I will be with you shortly," he replied, but I didn't want him to feel pressured.

"Take your time," I said and let it go. Slowly sleep came, and I fell into dreamland.

I woke up feeling energised and nervous the following morning.

We went to the arena early and sat in our primary booth.

I was surprised to learn that Kyle and Max won't be playing rugby, so our men decided to pull out. I hoped the two douchebags had given up and decided to move on.

I had yet to find out what happened, but I hoped Avery and Linda would tell me soon.

We were watching the ball game in our booth when three northern Alphas came to see Sylvester. They looked distraught and worried; I did not need to guess why.

I fought the urge to smile and looked at Avery and Linda.

Linda looked away, and I knew she was going to giggle.

To hide, she buried her head in Theodore's chest, making a romantic gesture so she could laugh, but we all knew why she was laughing. I felt like laughing, too, but I dared not pull the same stunt as Linda; she had beat me to it.

"Your Eminence, Sir Sidorov, Sir Orlov, Sir Volkov,” They said, greeting our men and Dominic. Then they went to greet us.

"Lady Volkov, Luna Volkov, Luna Sidorov, Luna Orlov," they said, greeting us. I was referred to as Luna Volkov, while Stephanie was Lady Volkov, a position that would soon be mine.

"What is the matter, Alpha Christian?" Sylvester asked the alpha that seemed in charge.

"My Lord, we need help,” he said, sounding frantic.

"Yesterday, our mates and children were kidnapped, and we have traced them to the west.

My Isabelle is all I have. I am afraid they will hurt them. I do not know how powerful or broad their network is, but it is more extensive than what my pack warriors can handle.

The west is under you; please have them return our mates,” He said, and I realised we had hit the jackpot because they were so scared that they had forgotten they were working against Sylvester. "Did you have any altercations with anyone?" Sylvester asked him, looking concerned, and the man could not answer.

"Please, we are losing time, my lord," he said, and I wondered if his wife was his fated.

"Is your mate your fated?" I asked him, and he looked at me and nodded.

"Who will do such a horrible thing and why?" I asked, looking genuinely sorry for the man.

"They took his fated?" Avery asked, feigning surprise.

"We need to do something about it. This cannot be accepted. Do you know them or where they are?" Linda asked, and he shook his head.

"What did you get yourself involved with that would warrant such a drastic action,” Sylvester asked. I knew he wouldn't link it to us because their names on the petition were supposed to be anonymous.

We also kidnapped Lunas from alphas that had nothing to do with the petition to throw off suspicion.

We weren't supposed to know they were the ones that raised the petition until tomorrow when the hearing would happen.

"I didn’t know, but they took lunas from fourteen packs,” Alpha Christian said, genuinely confused "Very well, I will get someone on it tomorrow evening. As you all know, there is a council hearing tomorrow. I have to defend my position, so I won't be able to do anything about it pending the meeting outcome. I will know what to do," Sylvester said, and the man became hysterical.

"We need to move now," he said, pleading with Sylvester.

"I would if I could, but some people have asked that I relinquish my power and hold to the council. That is what the hearing is about. If I lose, then how will I help get them back? That responsibility will fall on the council or whatever new system has been made to replace me," he said.

"In a democratic government, I won't be able to just act, Alpha Christian. I have to negotiate and see if we can meet their demands; it won't even be my job in that case; it will be the job of the council or the governors,” Sylvester said stating the truth. The men realised they had shot themselves in the leg.

"So you will handle them after the hearing?" The man asked, realising there was no way out for him. "If I am still lord and in charge, well, yes. I will instruct my men to handle it. But so we save time, please report to Kappa Levi and give him all the event details so they can start investigations.

After the hearing tomorrow, I will spring to action based on the outcome; if I lose, I will turn the matter over to the council and wash my hands off it," He said, and one of the men went on his knees.

"You won't lose, my lord. My wife is eight months pregnant; democracy won't get her back. We won't let you lose,” he said with determination.

"Well, it is up to the people who raised the petition,” Sylvester told them, and the man stood up and looked at Christain with scorn.

I figured it was Christian's idea, but instead of planning how to deal with him, we would need to drill him to find out who put him up to it. That would likely lead us somewhere. I was going to do something about it after we had won and the names of the people who raised the petition were exposed; I will make my move.

"Promise you will help us no matter what if you win," Alpha Inkabod asked Sylvester.

I knew it was because he knew Sylvester would find out they were the ones that raised the petition against him

"I have no choice," Sylvester told him, and he nodded, but something in Christain's eyes did not make me confident.

He did not seem to exhibit the desperation that Inkabod was exhibiting. In fact, only Inkabod seemed to have decided what to do about the petition. I guess we will have to find out tomorrow. They left our booth, and four more Alphas came with the same complaints.

We told them the same thing, and they left.

We closed early, and we all began to laugh the instant we got home.

"What kind of emails did you send them?" Sylvester asked, and I laughed.

"We were going to give them instructions not to back the petition, but there was no way we could do so without them linking it to you. So we opted for something extreme.

"Asking them for ridiculous sums of money in exchange for their mates. We made it look like a criminal activity. We knew they would have no choice but to seek help from the authorities, which is still under you. It was a gamble, and it paid off,” I explained, and Sylvester lifted me up and spun me around.

We spent the rest of the day worried about the hearing and how it would go.

Dinner was silent, and we all ignored Glenda. She got away with things she wouldn't have on an ordinary evening because our minds were elsewhere. We slept early.

Sylvester and I woke up early the next day and got ready to go to the council hall.

Everyone was ready, and even Stephanie decided she would visit this time. Maurice was no longer alive; if I could go to the council hall, then she too could go there.

We went in a convoy and arrived on time.

The press was outside, and it was a big event.

We heard that they had suspended all the games for that day.

It was highly unnecessary, but they wanted to make it a public affair. They wanted to publicly strip Sylvester of his power for all to see. They were not going to have it easy after this.

We sat in Sylvester's Loge while Stephanie and Dominic sat in Dominic's loge.

The entire council members were seated, and Vino looked worried and nervous.

He did not seem to like the topic of discussion, but he should have shut it down and not let it get this far.

Lenny Mikhailov, Jacob's replacement, spoke on behalf of the council.

I wondered if Sylvester had moved on Jacob, but I doubted it.

The man was just deliberately absent. Maybe he orchestrated this whole shit.

Lenny started by addressing everyone and greeting us with the utmost respect before proceeding. "We are here to debate the petition raised by the collective. It is called the Democratic petition. The people have signed it, and the owners of the petition are here to defend it and tell us why it must be turned into a bill and passed by the council," he said and cleared his throat, then picked up a sheet of paper to read.

"Alpha, Christian, on behalf of Alpha Inkabod, Alpha Paulman, Alpha Michael, Alpha Theophilus, Alpha Gabriel, and Alpha Kent, representing three thousand people each represented by a signature of the signed petition, ask for the following,” he said and coughed to clear his throat.

"That the authority of his lordship be given to the council and shared among the governors of the four regions.

That voting should take place before creating a law and implementing it.

The council seat should be made public, and occupants should be selected by vote, with each region having a representative on the council. That the tax be reduced and that the lordship be dissolved entirely with immediate effect,” he said, and people began to murmur.

Vino banged the gavel and told the press and the few citizens that were allowed to witness this hearing to be silent.

It had taken them by surprise.

"Defending this Petition is Alpha Christian of Haddad," Lenny said and sat down.

Alpha Christain walked to the centre lacking confidence and could not look up in shame.

I pretended to be surprised. We all pretended to be surprised so he would know that his actions were treacherous.

Lenny gave him the floor, and he addressed us respectfully and greeted all of us.

I noticed Larry, Pamela and Joan paying attention to him.

I wouldn't put it past them.

I wasn't confident because yesterday, Christian did not seem like he would break.

If Inkabod had shown up, it would have been a given. I decided to hope for the best.

"Dear council, The alphas and I have discussed this extensively and realised that we made a mistake,” Christian said, and everyone began to murmur.

I looked at the council to read their body language, and they all seemed disappointed.

"We are sorry to waste the time of this council, but we will want Lord Volkov to continue to rule over us. He has done a tremendous job over the years, and it will be wrong to rob him of his birthright in the name of democracy,” he said, and Joan got angry.

"Do you think this place is a joke? How dare you stir shit up and back out last minute? You wasted our time," she said with rage, and Pamela agreed. Likewise, three other people. They were livid. Vino had to bang the gavel, but I noticed his voice was slightly more stern than it used to be. There was a power in it, too, and it made me wonder why he pretended to be timid all along.

"You know you can't raise this petition again. You know this will never be discussed by this council in Lord Sylvester's lifetime again?" Vino asked Alpha Christian, stating the implications of pulling out, and Christain nodded and said he knew, and that was the end.

We all remained while the press and civilians were asked to leave the council hall

Sylvester did not look at Christian, and I wondered what they would discuss after this hearing. Once everyone had cleared out, Vino tried to end the meeting, but Sylvester stopped him.

"I, too, have an issue to bring up,” he said, and everyone was silent.

I could also see they were nervous.

"Pamela and Joan acted against me. I am tempted to have them arrested for treason, but I will kindly ask them to vacate their seats, or I will arrest them,” he said, and there was an uproar. "Silence," Sylvester said with deep command, and the place was silent. He was angry, and we could all feel it.

"You did not only disrespect my upcoming union, but invited Alpha Corrigan to the north without my consent.

Devin Corrigan murdered my father; he tried to stake a claim on my family’s position and attacked my estate to steal my mate. You dared to invite him as a guest to the north, knowing fully well he is an enemy of the north?" he explained, and everyone was silent, realising his point.

I saw Pamela and Joan in tears because they knew he had a point.

"I have been patient with the two of you and treated you with respect, but you have insulted me with this action, and 1 will kindly ask you to resign your service, or I will force you to do it,” he said. "Please, lord Volkov, we did not see it that way; we wanted to use the games to unite the regions,” Pamela said.

"If your intentions were not malicious, you should have run it by me instead of bringing the guestlist late, so I won't be able to cancel them. You brought two people you believed had a history with Tamia so you would try to stop my wedding. I will make an example of the two of you," he said, and I knew his mind was made up.

I did not feel sorry for them because that was exactly what they tried to do.

While they pleaded their case, I was glad about our progress and decided it was time to invite Alpha Jake Brighton to identify the enforcer that led the attack against his pack.