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© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.

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"He's still unconscious?" Donovan repeated as he sat perched at the end of the bed, looking up at me.

"He's healing, but his arm is still broken and he looks too still. He doesn't look asleep. He looks...dead."

"He isn't though. That's what matters here, Eben," Donovan said as he stood up and winced a little. He gripped my shoulders and squeezed them.

"Still a bit achy here and there?" I asked as I smiled up at the wolf before me.

He nodded and smiled. "I'm better now though than what I was earlier today. Thanks for making me sleep."

I grinned back and said, "Your welcome."

"If Snow is breathing and alive, then he's just healing still. It differentiates between wereanimals, remember?" he replied.

"Fiona said as much."

"Well now that I'm up I think we need to decide what to do next."

"The meeting goes ahead then? I asked Bartholomew to gather everyone who matters in the dining room," I explained.

"Good. Let's head down there and take care of things," Donovan smiled as he took my hand and lead me to the bedroom door. I smiled and for the first time in days felt a little bit safer.

---

Ten minutes later and the dining room table was almost full. Bartholomew had returned to Snow's bedside while we took care of matters. Maximillian had tucked Nirvana into bed and then joined us. Leon was with him too. He sat beside the werelion alpha and even now had an almost distant feel about him, like he was some kind of observer instead of a member of the coalition. Basil was sat at the other end of the dining room table, he smiled at me as I walked in holding Donovan's hand. Sawyer and Kane were sat near the middle of the table opposite one another. Sawyer was still bandaged and still had his book propped in his lap. Aleksander was up and about now too, he sat in his seat, arms behind his head and legs up on the table. Deep down one of us should of told him to stop being rude, but he'd been through alot. He'd had his ass handed to him twice on the same day and had then been passed out for days following. Today any of them could get away with whatever they wanted.

"Right then, we're all here?" Maximillian asked, his deep voice rumbled through the dining room as he stood at the head of the table and addressed us.

"Hang on. What about Snow?" Aleksander asked, looking back expectantly.

"Snow's still incapacitated for the time being. So we'll continue and fill him in when he wakes up," Donovan explained. It was the most clinical way of saying Snow was still passed out.

"Ah, ok. So what do we need to discuss then? I'm guessing the coalition is formed now?" Aleksander asked.

"Its in its last stages it would seem, and the closer we get to finalising things, the more problems we seem to encounter," Maximillian admitted with a slight smile.

"There are a few things that need to be discussed, but first and foremost I'd like to introduce our host and the latest member of the coalition. Basil and the black tiger clan," Donovan said as he gestured at the tiger in question.

I half expected everyone to applaud, but we all remained silent while Basil nodded back at Donovan.

"He's also the latest alpha to be bound to our Lupine here," Donovan added.

"Serious?" Aleksander replied with a surprised look. He counted them on his hand and said, "That makes five now!"

"I'm so pleased you know how to count," I snipped back.

He recoiled like I'd struck him and then grinned. "Don't get me wrong, I'm impressed."

I frowned and then couldn't help myself. I grinned back and said, "Thanks."

"So what does it truly mean to be bound to Eben?" Leon asked. I'd never anticipated he'd speak up so soon.

Everyone looked at him. Aleksander looked confused for a moment.

"Ah yes!" Maximillian looked apologetic and added, "I should have introduced another possible addition to the coalition; Leon and the white lions."

Leon nodded and then added, "So? What does it truly mean? I've heard it mentioned, but no one's explained it to me."

I almost blushed and then said, "I suppose its something of a bargaining chip. It assures our bond and connects us, strengthening us as a unit. The bond prevents the partnership from harming one another too."

"How so?" Leon asked.

I looked to Donovan for help. I hadn't explained it good enough.

Donovan smirked at my failure and then addressed the lion. "Eben's Lupine has been looking for powerful alphas and has locked itself with five so far. The beasts are a perfect match, but the people behind the beasts are not as compatable in certain situations. The bond prevents them from harming one another on a hand-to-hand level. Harsh words might be exchanged, but the beasts resonate and prevent the bond from breaking. Eben was right, bonds like this are something like bargaining chips. Although it seems Eben has been lucky and has yet to bind himself to anyone who is hostile outside of the bedroom."

"You said he was bound to five others? Who are they?"

Donovan raised his hand. Basil, Aleksander and Kane followed suit.

"And I suppose the unconscious one is the fifth?" Leon asked.

I nodded.

"That's all I wanted to know." Leon eased back as he watched the room expectantly.

"Not so fast. Before we continue, you challenged Eben. Am I right?" Donovan demanded. This was news to everyone except me, Leon, Kane and Donovan.

"You did?" Maximillian asked.

"It was not an official challenge, but since I came here your...coalition has been under attack and it doesn't seem to have been able to stand its ground too well. I asked to spar with Eben to see what his abilities are."

"As soon as this meeting is done with, you and Eben will have your match." Donovan's words dropped and the room went silent. Maximillian looked concerned, as did Aleksander. Kane remained quiet, as did Basil.

Sawyer closed his book and tossed it up onto the table, looking around for the first time now. "If Eben is equal to you, then you'll remain at our sides. But if he's inferior?" he demanded.

Leon and Sawyer exchanged serious looks for a moment and then Leon replied, "I shall leave. Tonight."

"As I thought. Eben has not had much practice, and I expect you have, so do you really believe this to be a fair fight?" Sawyer demanded again. He frowned this time.

"What other alternative is there?" Leon asked.

"There is more than one Level Three at this table, pussycat." His words fell like a stone. Both Donovan and I tensed. Was he about to out Basil for what he was? Sawyer grinned then and said, "Me."

"You?" Leon repeated.

"You don't want to spar with me? I've seen what you can do. I saw you earlier today. You can harness water like a tangeable weapon, something to be moulded and wielded in your presence alone."

"So?"

"Eben has transformed and used his abilities four times at most as far as I can remember. Those times were out of desperation and aimed to kill. He doesn't know how to spar with his abilities. But I do?" he replied.

"Sounds fair enough, but since you know my capabilities, it would only be fair to explain yours to me," Leon grinned back with a frown.

Sawyer smirked and then explained, "I have the power to bend the mind and force hallucinations, illusions. But I can bend the senses too. Pain feels like pain until the illusion is broken."

I shuddered hearing Sawyer explain how his abilities worked, and Kane visibly shook for a split second. He'd endured Sawyer's power first hand.

Leon looked impressed and then said, "I look forward to seeing them in action."

Sawyer nodded and sat back down, gesturing at Donovan. Donovan blinked and then regained his composure. "But before that, I believe Basil has something he needs to explain to everyone."

Basil and Donovan exchanged a look now that rivalled the one Sawyer and Leon had exchanged. It was a knowing look that screamed Donovan's knowledge of Basil's past.

Basil glanced at me and then smiled, that sadness shimmered round the edges again as he leaned back and nodded. "I suppose it makes sense to have no lies between this...organisation."

Donovan nodded and eased back into his seat. "Thanks."

"OK then. First and foremost, like Eben, Sawyer and Leon. I too have abilities. I demonstrated them when I rescued you all from Jasper's fire at the penthouse."

"That teleportation thing you did? That was awesome." Aleksander grinned as he spoke.

"Thanks. Well, I don't know whether you know this, but the council has a name for wereanimals of this calibre. They call us Level Threes. Its a part of a code the council uses exclusively. Only those who were seated at their court know what the terms mean. Level Three refers to those with unique capabilities like ours, Level Two refers to alpha wereanimals, and Level One refers to your day-to-day wereanimal. Now here comes the tricky part. The reason I know them first hand is because I once belonged to the beast council as a member at their court." Basil's words dropped like Donovan's had earlier. Everyone froze and I held my breath.

"You what?" Maximillian growled. He was the last one I expected to get angry about Basil's secret past.

"Max!" Donovan's voice sounded like a half-command, half-plea.

Maximillian considered Donovan for a heartbeat and then nodded as he loosened up around the shoulders.

"What's more, I was the second-in-command to the previous leader of the beast council, Balthazaar. I took over when Sawyer killed him, but was soon chased from the council seats." Basil frowned as he spoke.

"You were chased?" Sawyer asked with a confused expression.

"My life was threatened and I was followed, stalked for miles until the council deemed me a non-threat. They had no idea I'd come to LA and eventually join you guys."

"They do now," Aleksander murmured.

"Yes. Yes, Jasper saw what I did, and even though I wore a hood, he still knows what my abilities are and recognises them. He still does not know of my location here. For all he knows this place is a country club for humans."

"So we're safe here?" Aleksander replied.

"Safe? The bastard was a member of the council!" Maximillian stammered with a look of disbelief.

"So was I at one point!" Sawyer snapped back.

"And I still don't agree with that either!"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Sawyer stood and Maximillian followed.

I opened my mouth to speak when Kane stood and yelled, "Enough!"

Both Maximillian and Sawyer looked at Kane who was standing, glaring from one to the other.

"The tiger hasn't finished his story yet. So sit the fuck down and listen. Make your judgements at the end!" Kane snapped. He glanced at them once more and then eased into his seat. The other two followed in silence.

"Basil?" Donovan asked.

Basil nodded and continued, "Anyhow the reason I was chased from them was because I disagreed with this notion of letting the humans kill off the weak, and having the strong live on as feared monsters."

Aleksander looked confused and then asked, "You stood by Balthazaar's side though as his second-in-command, why the sudden change of heart?" It was an honest and understandable question.

"I was not a true general's second-in-command, I was Balthazaar's whipping boy who he liked to keep beside him at all times in case he needed someone to torment. When he died, I took over his seat and had a voice on the council's board. But I was recognised as weak-minded and threatened with death."

"How long were you his whipping boy for?" Maximillian asked with an almost hurt expression now.

"I'm three hundred and three thanks to my time at the council, and I was used to prevent Balthazaar from attacking a village a long time ago. I was his gift."

"Either way you look at things, like Sawyer, Basil was once a member of the beast council, and like Sawyer, he's now on our side. He wants to help. Why else would he offer his home to us?" I explained with a gaze around me.

"It does make sense, but wouldn't it be better if we had something to solidify the bond a bit more?" Leon suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" Basil asked.

"Information. Ask him for information on what he knows about the beast council. That's what I'd do in this situation," he added as he reclined again.

Maximillian considered him and then looked at Basil and nodded.

"You want information? I can give you information. But I will stand by Eben and you all regardless."

"Eben and I realised that the information would be a good idea too, if we're being honest," Donovan said, looking apologetic.

"That's understandable, but please realise, that when I left the council was still reorganising its seats and deciding what to do. New members were brought in when I left. But there are three I definitely know about."

"Three's better than none I suppose." Maximillian relaxed as if a weight had been lifted, "Lets make this quick then, I need some sleep."

"My pleasure," Basil nodded and leaned forwards, hands laced together as he looked focused and almost determined. I had a feeling he was about to reveal something we may not want to know.