66. Meeting

Benji's POV

"Benjamin Evans," one of the unfamiliar men read, and I have to admit I was a bit intimidated just by the way he declared my name.

"That's me," I responded with fake confidence. His eyes looked at me not at all impressed, and I wished that I could why away from the look without looking like the pussy in the group.

"I'm guessing there's been no one around to teach you the customs of the counsel?"

"What do you mean sir?"

"You're supposed to dress buisness casual."

"I didn't know this was a formal thing-"

"This is a counsel meeting, is it not?"

"Then why did I sleep in a hole!"

"Tradition."

"What kind of tradition is that?"

"We couldn't let others know that we were meeting and we had to get you here somehow."

"So you did that?"

"Listen kid, I had to fool my son and husband too. You know they would have followed you around the entire first two days you were here. I had to seed mistrust into the pack members so that you weren't the center of attention," Oliver interjected, and I felt myself relax a bit now that I wasn't a suspect for doing something I would never do.

"Why did you have to hide it from your own family? I don't think I understand."

"All counsel meetings, especially ones called in a time of crisis, are to take place in total secrecy. This black out is to protect us, but also them. If someone were to bomb this tent right now, all of us would be dead which would throw the supernatural world into total anarchy. The system we've worked hard to maintain would fall if there was no one left to teach the next generation our ways. I mean, you remember what you had to go through since Genova passed before you were found. Imagine all of the different supernatural kinds having that kind of chaos."

"I see... Wait do people hate us?"

"Some do, but they're unwise and just want to be different. Now, take your seat." He pointed at a chair towards the edge of the large table, and I sat down swiftly. This is all moving way too fast for me. "Before we get into the heavier stuff, would everyone please state their name and kind for Benjamin?"

"My name is Nathan, I'm the leader of the vampires. It's nice to meet you," an older man declared clearly. He looked to be about 22 years old, and his bright green eyes looked so wise and calculating. His chestnut hair was cut in a kind of pixie cut, and he has a bright smile that helped with my confidence a lot. Somehow only a few of the faces in the room are familiar, but those that are make me comfortable.

"I'm Ray!" a young man shouted happily. His bright pink hair radiated the entire room with light, but that was nothing compared to his snow white angle wings flowing from between his shoulders. Is it weird that I want to fondle them?

"You've already met Allystar, he's the current king of the dead, but his son is on track to take over in the next few years. You've also met Alex, but in case you don't remember he's Dev's father. He's obviously king of the wolf, but he had a rare occasion in counsel development. No one realized he and his brother were even supposed to be here until 15 years ago." Oliver introduced, and the two men nodded in a short greeting. I looked over at the other person at the table, but Oli never mentioned him before moving on. I sense tension. "Now to the buisness of this meeting. Someone has shared our secret with the humans."

"Do we know what species did it?" Nathan asked accusingly. Politics...

"We haven't figured that out, many live in our camps," Alex interjected, and I felt like I was going to get whiplash at the speed the conversation switches hands. I think this is going to suck.

"Exactly how many?"

"That's beside the point."

"You steal my vampires and stick them in that little pack of yours like they're nothing."

"No one is your vampire and it's an equal opportunity place. I personally don't think the separation rules are important."

"Everyone stop fighting. Let's unite under a common enemy please," Allystar snarled while grabbing onto his brothers arm to stop the conflict, and the two aggressors stoped their argument. "I've been going through everyone close to us's mind to see what their intentions are. If they're anything negative towards the pack they're suspects. So far I've cleared most of those high in the ranks including Oliver, his husband, his son, and his son's soulmate. I need to do the deltas and omegas tomorrow and Thursday."

"And you're confident that you're able to figure out who did it on just your brain analysis?"

"As I said, I'm building a suspect list from what I see. Deeper investigation will be sent to those who get onto the list."

"Make sure you don't get the wrong person... The punishment is death."

"Alex have I ever been wrong?"

"Yes."

"Shut up."

"Back on focus!" Oli rebuked, and the men shut up again. "We need to figure out if this will effect other kingdoms beyond just our own. We need to find the informant and find how much they know. We could have a full blown war on our hands."

"I don't think it's that big of a deal. We just need to find another pack house."

"Alex you can't be naïve. There's so much that could go wrong."

"I guess you're right..."

"I think we need to keep in touch and wait this out... Something larger could be going on behind the scene."

"Oliver is right. I think that's the correct path for now."

"Well Benji it was nice meeting you," Nathan concluded.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. We don't have much to say. This meeting is mostly planning for if the world goes to shit. It isn't much you need to worry about as a young one."

"I'm young but that doesn't make me any less of a counsel member than the rest of you."

"Actually it does. In order to be officially a member you have to be older than 20 and pass initiation which is a preset test of your skills that the previous master laid out when he got close to death."

"That's too many tests."

"Typically we don't have someone in this room younger than 20 because there's always an older person guiding them that can take their place. When one is close to dying for our kinds, their most direct descendent that's the closest to 20 will be the one that will take the seat. That's why the rest of us only age at a normal speed. You being a master is unique to your species and dates back past the counsel."

"So all of you are going to die in my life time?"

"And many, many more. It will be hard."

"I'm prepared."

"Then hop to it."

"Yes sir."