Irish Bear's Enemy (Boston Bear Brothers 4)

There were no further comments as she stood and glared at them, her anger visible for all to see. How dare they treat her and her kind as if they were nothing more than objects to be conquered and enslaved to procreate and tend their homes.

“Any more objections?” Ronan asked, and there was no reply, only a few grumbles. “Then, let’s have a seat and discuss how we go about our futures.”

Maeve took a seat toward the head of the table, near Ronan. Despite her brave words, her heart thudded heavily against her chest. This had not been her choice, but now that she was here, she understood the importance of holding her own with these men. It would be twice as hard for her to be heard here, but she’d manage.

Ronan McNally had served his purpose well. She’d been successful at seducing him and putting him on unsure footing, but he’d not be fooled so easily twice. She knew that. Her work was cut out for her with him, as well as with the council, but she was determined, and when she was done, they’d understand why their deeds had been to their own detriment.

“How should we list your clan on our charter?” Rowan asked as he called roll and compared it to the list in front of him.

“Clan Omega will suffice.”

“No family name?”

“As Omegas, we have a variety of names and it is no fairer to use one than the other. We have chosen to simply adopt the name that best suits who we are.”

“Clan Omega it is then,” he replied. “And your surname? I didn’t get it last night,” he said, his voice now lowered, almost apologetic.

“Maeve Walsh. Omega Walsh.”

Ronan nodded and wrote it down. She knew that once this meeting was over, he would dig deeper into her past, but there was nothing more there than what these men could tell him. Her clan wasn’t really a clan at all. They were made up entirely of women who’d been widowed or freed from the Clan Maguire men.

Sure, there had been some who had loved their husbands and whose children had loved their fathers, but they were few and far between. Most of the women were more than happy to have been liberated from the brutal regime of the former Alphas, Sorley, and Trill. Their biggest concern now was trying to rebuild and support themselves.

Maeve had intended to remain mostly silent during the council meeting. She didn’t want to risk alienating the other members any more than her mere presence would do. Now that she was here, though, she saw that she owed it to the other women in her clan to do right by them. It wasn’t enough to achieve her own agenda; she needed to do some good for them, as well. When afforded a turn to speak to demands, she didn’t hesitate.

“When the members of this council took down the Maguires, they reclaimed their ancestral homes and lands but left nothing for the women and children they separated. We currently reside on property owned by a wolf clan that was generous to afford us an unused compound.”

“What sort of self-respecting bear accepts charity from a wolf clan?” the Alpha of Clan Murphy scoffed.

“One who has been cast aside by their fellow bears and has no one to go to, nowhere for their children to sleep. One who does not trust the men of the remaining clans to have their best interests at heart after being sold off and traded to the brutal Maguires,” she shot back.”

“What is it that you are asking?” Ronan asked, moving the conversation back to her pending question.

“We would like to assume the Maguire properties previously promised to outside clans. It is my understanding that it is the intention of this council to split up those lands as they lie adjacent to clan lands being restored to previous owners.”

“No way. That’s absurd,” the Clan Byrne Alpha barked.

“Why is it absurd? We are entitled to it as the next of kin.”

“You weren’t married to a Maguire,” he replied.

“No, but many were. There are more women in Clan Omega who were married or enslaved by Maguire men than there are who were merely promised for marriage. Then, there are the children who are the rightful heirs to their father’s lands.”

“Then, those children should bring cause on a case-by-case basis,” an Alpha snorted.

“Did you make a case-by-case basis for the land you took back for your clan? No. You merely said these lands belonged to our clan and then divvied it up to the families within. You handled it internally as a clan. We are only asking for the same respect.”

“Women have no rights here,” another remarked.

“No rights where? In Ireland? Last time I checked, we live in the twenty-first century, not the sixteen hundreds.”