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With a curt wave, he gestured for Red to begin. She exchanged a glance with the others, noting the stormy expression on his face and the rigid set of his shoulders.

The atmosphere was thick with unspoken frustration, and Red knew better than to delay. She took a deep breath and began her report, her tone serious.

"First, Helena\'s threat to expose us to Griffin is credible. We were turned in the same coven and I\'ve known her for a long time. She\'s ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants."

"Her ambition is very clear. If it\'s Helena, then, this isn\'t just about helping someone else. She\'s after something herself. I think that she\'s targeting the seat of Count for herself."

Ezra listened intently, his expression hardening with every word. Olivia shot him a concerned glance, but he remained silent, absorbing the information.

"Peacekeepers are supposed to be neutral," Red continued. "So for Helena to go this far, it means she\'s after something significant. She wants the power and influence that comes with being a Count."

"Wait a minute." Gen leaned forward, a frown on her face. "What if she wants to put the Arbiter on Griffin\'s seat instead of herself?"

Red shook her head. "Unlikely." She turned to Olivia. "Helena stated that it was her agenda, didn\'t she?"

Olivia nodded.

"The most probable explanation is that she\'s close to ascending to the fifth ring, which would make her eligible for becoming a Count. She knows this is her biggest chance to climb up the ladder and get a guaranteed post."

The room fell silent as they all turned to Ezra, awaiting his reaction. He sat in deep thought, the tension in the air an almost physical weight.

After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Is Helena\'s plan something that the Matten coven can afford to follow?"

Olivia responded immediately, her voice steady. "We can\'t afford not to follow it. If we refuse, Helena could expose us, and the consequences would be severe. Besides, the plan to use the Law of Authority against Griffin is solid."

Gen nodded in agreement. "The plan is pretty good. It gives us a way to remove Griffin legally and strategically. Plus, it aligns with our own goals of maintaining and expanding our influence."

Ezra drummed his fingers on the armrest, his gaze distant as he weighed their words. "Helena is a wild card, and her ambition makes her predictable in some ways. She wants power, and she\'s willing to play dirty to get it."

The study was silent, everyone hanging upon his words.

Ezra spoke slowly, methodically laying out their options. "First, we could reject Helena\'s offer," he began, his voice calm but firm.

"This means that she goes to Griffin and he would declare war against us. That\'s a conflict we can\'t afford right now, not with the Silent Hand still a threat."

He paused, glancing around the room, seeing the concern in Olivia\'s eyes and the determination in Gen\'s.

"Second, we could accept Helena\'s offer. This means working with someone who views us as tools, not allies. She threatened us first, instead of extending something of an olive branch."

"She is as Red said, ambitious and ruthless. It\'s clear we would always be expendable to her. That is not a good quality to have in an ally."

Ezra\'s voice began to rise, his frustration bubbling up as he continued.

"Third, I could go to the Arbiter to protest these turn of events. But that won\'t change a thing."

"The Arbiter probably doesn\'t have any ally on the level of the entire peacekeepers corps. We\'d be back to square one, facing Griffin\'s wrath and Helena\'s schemes."

His fist clenched on the armrest as he pressed on. "Lastly, I could go to Griffin before Helena reaches him. By posing as Griffin\'s loyal man, I might mitigate the damage of Helena informing him."

"The Matten coven would survive, but Griffin would be watching us closely, limiting our every move. We would be under his thumb, unable to act freely, which was the reason we wanted out in the first place."

Ezra stood abruptly, his eyes blazing with righteous fury. "I refuse to be a pawn in their games!" He declared, his voice filled with his anger.

"We won\'t be taking any of these choices."

He stared into the eyes of the women present, one after the other.

"Instead, I\'ll make my own choice."

He sat back down. "We\'ll align with Helena for now, but when the endgame arrives, I will take the position of Count for myself."

His declaration hung in the air, the finality of his words resonating with everyone in the room.

Olivia\'s eyes shone with a mixture of pride and concern. Gen\'s smile widened, her enthusiasm for the plan clear. Red nodded, her respect for Ezra evident.

Ezra continued, his voice now steady and resolute. "We\'ll use Helena\'s ambition to our advantage. We\'ll play along with her schemes, but we\'ll be preparing for the moment when we can strike."

"When Griffin is deposed, and Helena makes her move for the Count\'s seat, we\'ll be ready to outmaneuver her and claim it for ourselves."

"We\'ll flip the board. A pawn, to become a queen!"

The room was filled with a renewed sense of purpose. Ezra\'s plan was bold and dangerous, but it was a path to power on their terms.

They would no longer be at the mercy of Griffin\'s tyranny or Helena\'s ruthless ambition. They would carve out their own destiny, and the Matten coven would rise to the top.

Valaren roared within Ezra, his vitality resonating with the declaration. One step closer to Count, one step closer to becoming King of all vampires.