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Her eyes were dark, her hair duller than normal. Had she always seemed so small? Cade didn’t remember, but she looked different and not in a good way. It was his mother he probably missed the most—her and maybe Danny.
    Danny was young—Phoenix’s age. He was too naïve to make his own decisions just now so anything he thought, Cade could forgive him for, but the boy needed to open his eyes. He needed to see what Aaron and Trevor were really like. Oh, Trevor must have been so pleased with Aaron, to see that he had managed to breed himself a carbon copy. What a shame for Aaron, though—already his life was marked for one of misery and greed as he blindly followed in their father’s footsteps because he had been taught that it was the right thing to do.
    “I think everyone is here,” Malcolm said, as Cade found himself an empty chair and sat down. This wasn’t such a private meeting it would seem. There were four people at the table that he didn’t recognise, and the tables had been extended so that everyone had a place to sit. Cade surveyed them all wondering what surprise it was that Trevor had up his sleeve. There had to be something.
    Malcolm nodded to Aaron. “We’re ready.”
    A woman sat beside Aaron—attractive, rich—the kind you could tell had been born into money, lacked brains as all spoilt little rich girls did. Daddy would have provided her with whatever her heart had desired. She smiled up at Aaron as he stood and Cade felt his stomach twist. Oh god … no.
    “Malcolm …” Aaron began by addressing the head of the Society and Council before his own father. A piece of respect that Cade was sure pissed Trevor off every single time. “Mother, father.” He cleared his throat and smoothed down the non-existent creases from the front of his jacket. “I asked Malcom to call this meeting tonight because I come here seeking the Society and the Council’s permission. I wish to put forward an official potential.” Cade’s blood froze. The woman next to Aaron took her cue and stood. “This is Isobel Dean. I request that the Council and Society approve a permanent mating between us and a joining of our families and packs.” He reached down to the file that was in front of him and pulled out some papers, which he handed to Malcolm and Trevor. “We have done all of the appropriate tests. Isobel is able to bear my young and she is deemed fit and healthy. We will be a good match.”
    Malcolm said nothing at first but took the papers and started to inspect them. If Malcom was anything, it was that he was fair and kept the rules the same for everyone, no matter who they were to him. He looked up when he was done with a perfunctory smile. “It seems that you have done all of our work for us.”
    “Yes. To save you the bother. I have copies for everyone here. May I pass them around?”
    Malcolm nodded his permission. It was customary for the Society, and then the Council, to agree on the mating. It seemed that Aaron had both of them there, but of course, everything had to be checked first. What would be the point in a mating, especially if one of them was beta, when the potential mate couldn’t or wouldn’t produce offspring? Or maybe there was something in their blood that would bring risk to the family line. Aaron handed the copies to everyone at the table, but the only thing that really mattered was that Malcolm had read his, and he was happy with the request. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have allowed Aaron to carry on. In turn, the heads around the table muttered and nodded their agreement, too. Cade felt the world around him slipping farther away with each nod. It seemed that fate wasn’t done with him today. No, she was here to make sure that he was well and truly screwed.
    “I have no objections,” Malcolm said as he took a pen from the holder in front of him and signed the bottom of the document. He held out the pen to Trevor, whose eyes were alight with his excitement. After everyone had put