Blood Rule (Book 4, Dirty Blood series) by Heather Hildenbrand

coming, it was still sobering. We all knew if Steppe
had called for a vote, it meant he was certain he’d get the outcome
he was looking for.
    “ When?” I
asked.
    She looked at each of us in turn.
“Tonight.”
    “ They’re coming for more
than Wes. It’s all of us,” Derek said into the stunned
silence.
    “ What about the Hunters
that have aligned with the group?” Cord asked. “What will they do
with them?”
    “ Probably arrest them,
like they did Cambria’s mother,” Grandma said.
    “ But they let my mom go,”
Cambria said.
    “ Not until they’d tried
and sentenced her,” Grandma said.
    Cambria fell silent. I hadn’t heard
anything about a hearing or sentencing. Whatever it’d been, it
wasn’t good judging from the look Cambria and Grandma shared. I
didn’t have a chance to ask.
    “ Arrest us on what
grounds?” Cord asked.
    “ It will be considered an
act of treason to work with Werewolves or even to encounter them
and not try to put them down,” Grandma said.
    “ Put them down?” Cord
echoed.
    “ It’s their wording, not
mine,” Grandma said.
    “ I thought the council
went after Werewolves who’ve become a danger,” I said.
    Grandma shook her head. “There’s an
amendment to that on the table as well. It states all Werewolves
are to be put down on sight.” Cord grunted but Grandma ignored her
and went on. “Any Hunters who help them, including letting them
live, would be considered traitors.”
    “ What? Why?” This seemed
extreme, even for Steppe.
    “ After the fiasco with the
hybrids, you turning and biting Alex, and Wes, a member of a
supposedly peaceful group wanted for murder—”
    “ Steppe has all the
ammunition he needs to make it open season on anything furry,”
Derek finished for her. Grandma nodded.
    “ How many do they need for
the vote to pass?” Derek asked.
    “ He needs a majority, so
three.”
    “ Majority is three? How
many CHAS members are there?” I asked.
    “ With the Lexingtons gone,
CHAS is down to five. Steppe, myself, Hugo, Kane, and
Sandefur.”
    Kane. After our conversation the other
day, I thought maybe he’d been on my side, but faced with the
chance to legally hunt the creature he hated most in the world … I
wasn’t sure I could compete with that.
    “ Wait, Hugo? As in, my
teacher at Wood Point?” I asked.
    “ Yes. And so far, he’s
been with Steppe all the way,” Grandma said.
    My shoulders sagged. “Between him,
Steppe, and Kane, he has his three.”
    “ Kane’s not voting with
Steppe,” Grandma said.
    My head snapped up. “What? Why
not?”
    Grandma shrugged. “He hasn’t said much
about it, but he’s made it absolutely clear he’s voting against the
treaty being rescinded.”
    I looked at Wes. “Do you think it’s
for Vera?” I asked.
    “ Maybe.”
    “ Wait,” Cambria cut in.
“Are you saying the swing vote is Mr. Sandefur?”
    “ Unfortunately, yes,”
Grandma said. “All of my attempts to reach him have been denied. He
won’t even speak to me outside official meetings.”
    “ Sandefur. I know that
name,” I said.
    Cambria’s eyes were wide as she
answered, “For good reason. It’s Logan’s dad.”
    “ Logan’s … Are you
serious?” Cord unfolded her arms and waved a hand in the air.
“Well, what are you waiting for? One of you go call science-kid and
tell him to handle his daddy.”
    I shared a look with Cambria. “I don’t
think it will be that easy. Logan’s pretty outspoken about the
politics of CHAS. And I’m pretty sure it’s not an opinion he shared
with his dad.”
    Cord huffed. “Since when does any kid
agree with his parents?” No one answered. “You’re not even going to
try?” she added.
    “ I’ve already spoken with
your friend,” Grandma said. “His father is unreachable through all
avenues.” I sensed a larger store of information there, but I let
it go. Whatever was going on between Logan and his dad, if it
wouldn’t help us with the vote, it wasn’t something I