Chapter 250

Grace

His question irritated me, but I pushed it down. He was taking to me like that because he thought I didn't know, that I had no connections and no power.

But that wasn't true, and I couldn't

"I know that Counselor Brighthollow has every chance."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're not giving a press conference."

"You don't have any say in it," I said pleasantly. "This is Wolfe Medical's press conference--not Mooncrest." I lifted a shoulder. "And if I just so happen to have to answer some questions about the pack, then, oh well."

I turned to Amira. "Are we almost ready?"

She nodded and went to lean into my office. "Eason?"

"Can you hear me?" I heard Eason from my headset.

"We're good," I said and turned back to the corridor. Edgar followed me into the elevator.

"I'm going to report this to the Senate and--"

"Do what you feel you can," I said, lifting my head. "You don't have a platform to stand on."

"I don't need one. You're on thin ice."

I turned, glaring at him. The snarl that wanted to escape felt so weak. The cameras in the elevator felt like a million eyes. I smiled at him.

"Not as thin as you think," I said. "After this press conference, I'm going after Fenris with fangs and daggers. You'll probably end up being collateral..." My smile turned cold. "Just like those men who kidnapped my daughter."

He went pale, and the fury that surged through me.

"And all those others who died down in the caves trying to blow up my pack." I leaned close. "I'd be careful. It seems like everyone who has been trying to destroy me and Mooncrest, to hurt the people I care about, have ended up dead."

The door opened and I walked out, leaving him in the elevator.

Then, I heard Charles' voice in my ear.

"That was probably the sexiest thing I've heard you say since I've known you, darling. I owe you sexual favors."

I smiled. "I'll hold you to it."

I walked outside and up to the podium. I smiled and thanked the enforcers on either side of the podium. I looked out to the crowd and glanced over the journalists as they kept snapping photos of me.

"Deep breath, Grace," Eason said. "We'll get started in a second. We're waiting on the last few feeds to start."

I looked back, hiding my face as the receptionist went back inside. I looked at the enforcer beside me and smiled.

"You wouldn't happen to be Amira's fiance, would you?"

He grinned and nodded. "That's me."

"Thanks for being here."

"My pleasure. We've already got barriers up and people walking the crowd."

I nodded and thanked the other officer.

"You're good," Eason said. "Address your public, Science Queen."

Smirking, I looked out. "It's good to see you all here. Thank you for coming on such short notice. Normally, I would have given us more time, but I didn't think it was fair to withhold the news."

My voice was oddly steady, despite the butterflies. I felt grounded. His jacket on my shoulders felt warm, like he was right there.

You're fine, I could hear Charles say. You're just nervous.

I took a deep breath and stepped swept my gaze over the expectant faces of the pack and man more who weren't members. They were quiet. It was nice that they weren't rushing or heckling me.

Then, Eason started to feed me the speech.

"I'd like to get the points of anxiety out of the way first and clear up some of the rumors that are sure to start circulating if they haven't already. Over the past few months, you all know that Mooncrest, the Wolfe Family, and Wolfe Medical has gone through quite a lot. The case against me went to the Senate-level court, and I was charged with several charges of negligence for giving Devin control of Mooncrest and Wolfe Medical. What was also determined was the States' own negligence regarding the change of hands of Mooncrest. Due to that, I have been fined personally and assigned Edgar Thorne as my liaison for a probation period of six months."

I paused. "Due to his expressed prejudice, it is likely that he will not be my liaison for the entire probation period, but due to recent personal developments, I have no plans to need the six months. I said before that I will get Mooncrest a seat on the Senate by the end of the year, but I am moving that timeline up. By how much is yet to be seen, but my hopes is that the probation timeline will be the time in which I get us that seat."

The murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd, and I was nervous. The hell? Six months to get us a seat? I was thinking maybe nine.

"Deep breath, Grace, chill. Settle your stomach and nod when you're ready to continue," Eason said.

I swallowed and nodded.

"For your peace of mind, I want to share the results of Stormclaw's audit." I had no idea it was done! What the hell had I been missing while I was sleeping? "In response to our financial state, we have been found to have a favorable debt-to-income ratio as of the end of last month, mostly owing to the increase in sales. Wolfe Medical is on track to pay its way out of the debt accumulated over the past five years within the next two years if sales remain as they have been. Mooncrest's organization has been shifted to alleviate the budget concerns, effectively resulting in an increase in revenue for the pack, such that Mooncrest is on track to pay back its debts within the next two years as well, given that sales remain steady."

I blinked through the tears. Hearing it was soothing so much doubt in me. Two years, wasn't bad. What did that mean for the interest rate with Charles? I had no idea. It probably meant he was charging us pennies, but that was okay. I'd repay him someday...

Blowjobs or not.

"All of this is wonderful, considering that just a few months ago it was almost certain that we might never pay it off." I swallowed. "Though I am happy to share this news with you, that is not why I called this press conference."

I smiled for real now. "Before I handed over power to Devin, I attended Werewolf Academy as a part of the pharmacy program. My aim was create a drug that would expand the longevity and improve the overall health of werewolves. I picked back up my studies at the behest of several people who I hold dear, and am pleased... overjoyed to announce that with the help of my team, Dr. Margaret Thompson and Potioneer Seraphina Blackvine, we've succeeded." The flashes of the camera picked up. "We've held off on announcing it during development due to costs, but as we have successfully synthesized the drug in a far more affordable manner, and the patent has been approved, Wolfe Medical has moved forward with production for the next stage: clinical trials."

I paused. "It's a pivotal moment in the history of Wolfe Medical and the States at large. Wolfe Medical will be inviting participants for clinical trials and looking into pushing the drug to market as soon as possible. I look forward to what the world will look like when our life expectancy starts to soar. Thank you for your time, I'll take questions now."

People started yelling questions. It all came in a jumble of noise. I held up a hand and pointed to someone in the crowd.

"How much is this drug supposed to affect our lifespans and health?"

I swallowed. "We hypothesize that each dose should increase a person's lifespan by at least a year if taken continuously by virtue of supporting and strengthening the natural weaknesses of werewolf biology."

I nodded at the next person.

"And how much are these doses?" The man looked like he was here to cause trouble. "If it actually does work."

"How much it will be priced for will depend on the number of doses suggested to take per year. This is not a fountain of youth or immortality. It's simply meant to give us a longer lifespan." I paused. "To take the burden off the younger generation to have children they can actually watch grow, to give people more time with their parents, etc. I think we can all agree that there will never seem to be enough time, but more is worth it." I met his gaze. "What price would you put on something like that?"

He said nothing and I carried on. "To be clear, Wolfe Medical has always prided our integrity. It'll be priced as affordable as possible. Though we've significantly reduced the price of production enough to be comfortable with moving forward, all efforts will continue to be made to get the price down further. We are looking into submitting for a government grant to subsidize the cost, much like the cost of Crescent Flu vaccines."

Another hand shot up in the crowd. He was young and just as unfamiliar as the others.

"Dr. Wolfe," the reporter said, her voice sharp with curiosity, "Due to Lunar Remedies' involvement in this project, why haven't you commented on their significant contributions?"