Chapter 278

Grace

A nervous flutter danced in my stomach as I smoothed out the wrinkles on my blazer. I'd rather be orienting all the students, including the bright-eyed Westridge students, but Xavier and Amira swore up and down that this was for the best.

Charles leaned into my office and grinned. "Nervous?"

I rested my hand on the courting band. He closed the door and my stomach jolted.

"I have to meet her five minutes."

He laughed. "Get your head out of the gutter."

He pulled a box out of his pocket and nudged me toward the bathroom.

"A good luck charm is all," he said and pulled out something that glittered.

It looked like a net of diamonds and silver. He gathered my hair into a thick braid and kissed my head.

"It's beautiful..." I smiled. "Cecil would love it."

"It was my mother's." I gasped and looked up at him. He smiled. "Elara gave it to me for you. Consider yourself formally accepted." He kissed my cheek. "Now, go talk to the silly reporter like royalty."

He left before I could say a damn thing, and I was stunned, but as I saw myself in the mirror, my nerves were gone. Beatrice Summers was a prominent werewolf reporter known for her hard-hitting questions and even harder stare.

Xavier had scheduled it to give me a chance to talk about Moonlight Phoenix and the next steps. Taking a deep breath, I forced the flutter in my stomach to settle.

It had been three days since I'd set the start dates for the students and they started work today. While a pang of disappointment lingered about the Werewolf Academy's refusal to participate, the overall balance of the team was fantastic for publicity.

A knock on the door startled me from my reverie.

"Come in," I called out.

The door creaked open, revealing Amira standing in the doorway, a reassuring smile on her face.

"Ready to face the werewolf media?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I admitted, offering her a wry smile. "Let's do this."

"You've got this. Just stick to the plan, and you'll be fine."

I followed her out to my father's office where we'd be having the interview. The cameras and lights were all set up around a pair of sitting chairs and a low table.

Beatrice Summers sat across from the table, her sharp gaze fixed on me. A microphone hovered between us.

"Thanks for joining me, Alpha Wolfe. I'm sure I can speak for the States at large when I say, I am damn curious."

"Thanks for coming. I'm glad I can clear the air."

As we launched into the questions, I continued to relax. She wasn't nearly as scary as I thought she would. We ended up laughing and the interview became much more friendly than I thought it would be. I answered each question honestly, highlighting what I hoped would happen.

"A lot of people are going to wonder why you don't have anyone from the Werewolf Academy."

"Me, too!" I said. "It wasn't for lack of trying. The candidates just didn't work out, but the team is diverse thanks to the last minute addition of Westridge's students."

Beatrice's gaze sharpened. "Do you see it as a missed opportunity for collaboration between werewolves and other supernatural beings?"

"Absolutely," I said without hesitation. "Westridge students are bright, but they aren't as close to entering the inter-species working world as Academy students. It was why I opened spots for them first, but I can't force anyone to do something they don't want. There's no room for prejudice or fear in the face of doing things that have never been done before."

"Why hire outside of the States?"

"My platform when I get to Senate is inter-species co-operation, not just with Lycans, but with everyone. I don't want to have the seat to show what that can look like and why it's a good idea."

"Do you plan to expand the team?"

"As soon as we have full use of a lab again? More than likely. My assistant says I didn't hire enough for what I'm trying to do with the clinical trials."

"A thousand people is a lot."

I grinned. "I wanted to cast the net wide."

When the interview was over, I walked back to my mom's office and sat down with a deep sigh. Amira and Xavier came in moments later.

"You did well," Amira said.

"Thanks."

"Really well," Xavier said, setting his laptop on the table.

On one side was a report on my interview, a headline streamed across the bottom.

"Alpha Wolfe: A Beacon of Hope in Dark Times."

Below it, a graph charted a dramatic rise in public approval for both myself and Wolfe Medical within the Werewolf States from the news station's polls.

My jaw dropped. The attack, the devastation, all of it had somehow backfired and boosted my ratings. On the other side was the dashboard that tracked Mooncrest's standing in relation t to the requirements for Senate.

"When... did I suddenly make that much money?"

"When you took over Lunar Remedies," Amira said. "They count the value of that partnership."

"Well, this is…" I stammered, unsure how to react. "Unexpected, to say the least."

With this kind of momentum, I'd meet all the requirements for a Senate seat well before the deadline. A jolt of surprise shot through me and the challenge circle felt warm like all of Mooncrest was cheering me on.

The Blood Moon attack seemed so far away. Back then, the prospect of achieving all those requirements in such a short time had been impossible. I had never imagined I would be here.

A bittersweet smile spread across my face. I was going to do what I set out to do long before I ran out of time.

Then, the door swung open with the young woman Amira was training to help out with the pack.

"Alpha!" She gasped, her voice breathless. "You won't believe who's just arrived in Mooncrest!"

My brow furrowed. "Who?"

Goddess, let it not be Sean.

"Mistress Astarte," she blurted out, her eyes wide with a mix of apprehension and curiosity.

The air whooshed out of me in a rush.

Astarte was here? I got up, but I didn't have to when Amira turned her phone to me, and there Astarte glided to the ground on a scepter. She was wearing a silky, slinky dress and landed with so much grace it was startling.

Then, I saw the people staring out the Apple Heart Cafe in downtown Mooncrest.

"It's everywhere," Xavier said. "New reporters are already reporting on in. I give it about ten minutes before she's swarmed."

"Good luck to them."

I got to my feet. "I have to meet her, don't I?"

Xavier nodded. "It would be good to make it seem planned."

I sighed and took an energy potion, drank half a cup of coffee and headed out wonder what on earth Astarte was doing here.

Amira followed me.

"The entire city square is buzzing. Reporters are swarming, and the Enforcers are already escorting her to… well, they haven't announced a destination yet."

I looked at Xavier. "Where would you go?"

"... City Square."

Minutes later, I met a pair of Enforcers on the steps of City Hall. They got me in the car and drove me to city square.

"Jeez, Xavier's good."

The driver laughed. "He's one of us. Instincts are what they are."

"Do you know him personally?"

"No," he said. "But he smells and moves the right way. Impossible to fake it."

He pulled to a stop and I stepped out. Her back was turned and she looked up at the skyline with her security detail. Two sets of witches flew off. Then, she turned. Even from a distance, her presence was undeniable – an aura of power and mystery that swirled around her like a luminous cloak. She wore a dazzling smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Grace," she said warmly. I felt the camera zero in on us. People murmured as she glided across the space and embraced me. "So sorry for causing such a scene. Driving seemed... dull."

I couldn't help but laugh. Cameras flashed in a blinding frenzy.

"I bet, considering."

"Though, I've never been on a train. Are we taking one? I've been told good things."

She linked arms with me and I nodded.

Smile, Grace. I tried not to startle as I heard her voice in my head. I'm a guest for your platform.

I smiled at her. My stomach jolting.

"I can't promise it'll be exciting, but it's the easiest way to get around."

"I'll have to take you flying soon if you think so!"

My gut plummeted, but something told me she was dead serious. I led her to the nearest station trying to figure out how best to get out of that particular experience and wondering what her plan was.