Alpha's Howling Desire (BBW Paranormal Romance) by Meg Ripley Page B

feel as all the others, the same perspective, the same…tint.”
    “Tint?” asked someone from the edge of the room.
    Susanna’s face turned pensive as she tried to find the right words. “Yeah, like…a filter. Everything just has an edge of malice. As if there’s a bad spirit causing all of this.”
    “You’re saying we’re haunted?” came a woman’s voice near the back. A woman with short, curly blonde hair elbowed her way to the front so she could lock her gaze with Susanna’s, and her brown eyes were teeming with fear. She turned to Natalie. “This land isn’t on an Indian burial ground or something, is it? Would you be able to tell?”
    “Um…no,” Natalie said slowly. “Not all Native Americans get tingles when we’re standing over the bones of our ancestors, Leslie. I think you should calm down.” She fixed the lioness with a glare, and Leslie sank back into the crowd. Natalie’s face was contemplative, and there was a low murmur coursing around the room as everyone whispered amongst themselves. Thomas felt his heartbeat speed up, and he couldn’t quite discern why; then their matriarch took a breath, and the noise dropped away.
    “Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” Natalie said to Susanna. “This is invaluable information. I think for now, though, since we don’t know where these visions are coming from—or even if this one will come true—we should just wait to see if more information makes itself known in your flashes.”
    Heads around the room were nodding, but Thomas noticed the hardness underneath his mate’s tone as she spoke. “ If it comes true?”
    Natalie gasped, and she looked genuinely remorseful. “I didn’t mean to imply that it wouldn’t, only that we don’t know for sure. All of your other visions came true within days or even hours, and this one has been happening for three weeks now—long after we eliminated our last threat.”
    Thomas felt anger stir in his chest, and he heard himself speak before he realized he had chosen to voice his question. “So, what are you saying?” He fought to keep the disappointment from his voice, and Susanna’s face was impressively stoic, but Natalie hadn’t reacted in the way either of them had hoped.
    She shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. “Susanna, you’ve been through a lot, and you’re still getting a hold on your powers, just like everyone else. I think your anxiety is a factor in how you’ve been dealing with this, and I think it’s making you believe we’re in danger, when the danger has already passed.”
    “How do we know it’s passed?” Ariel asked fretfully, and Evan squeezed her shoulder in a soothing gesture. “How do we know we’re not going to be targeted again? What’s stopping them?”
    Natalie looked annoyed, even angry, but her features smoothed out so quickly that Thomas wasn’t sure he’d really seen it. “We know, because the council is coming for a visit, and nobody would dare make a move with the council on our soil.”
    The silence that fell over the room was so thick that it seemed deafening. Then the room exploded with noise, and Charlie stood and held up a hand for silence. It took longer than when Natalie called for order, but this was big news: whenever the council visited to investigate a matter, all the other shifter communities were informed, and word would make its way to the underground as well. In simple terms, news of the authority’s arrival would be flooding all corners of any world having anything remotely in common with the lion shifters. This meant everyone would be on their best behavior until they left.
    “Why didn’t you tell us?” Thomas asked, feeling dread knot in his stomach. “Council visits always have advanced word.” We have no time to prepare a proper welcome, he thought wildly. Then he saw Susanna’s expression—confused and cautious—and felt the knot of dread tighten.
    “Calm down,” Natalie ordered. “I didn’t tell anyone