Chapter 53

Grace

“Are you sure about this?” I asked for at least the fourth time.

We were at my father's old office at Mooncrest City Hall the following day. Eason had suggested it instead of the police station to solidify my position or something like that. I had stopped off at the police station earlier and was pleasantly surprised to find that the number of people who had been incarcerated for assaulting minors had more or less matched the numbers that Aaron and Silas had given me.

“Yes,” Charles said, stopping me from pacing some more. Our eyes locked and made my heart flutter. “You’ll be fine.”

I nodded, trying to hold his unwavering confidence like it was my own. Then, I headed downstairs to where the platform was. I felt his presence lingering just inside the building as I went outside to the wall of flashing lights to make my speech.

“Last night, I learned something new about Mooncrest,” I said. “That we’re as hateful and prejudiced as the worst werewolves, as cowardly, and as ignorant too.”

The crowd went silent.

“Two teenagers were attacked by a group of adults in our city and incarcerated for defending themselves while the adults went free. It doesn’t matter that they were lycans. It doesn’t matter if they were two boys here on a date. It doesn’t matter.

They were children, and while I have forced the police department to correct their actions, and the two boys are safely back in the Lycan Clan territory, we, as a pack, have a lot of growing to do.

I will not tolerate such prejudice and unfairness. I won’t turn a blind eye while my pack abuses people simply because of old, unfounded prejudices and blind hatred. Perhaps that would be acceptable somewhere else, but not here.

The police department will be undergoing a thorough review about the fairness of every case, whether they involve a lycan or not because I can’t trust the work being done. I expect several people to be let go for their clear bias. I will take questions now.”

The journalists seemed to want to rip me to shreds. Accusations were thrown. Their questions were twisted to try and make me seem like a monster, but I answered them.

“I find a lot of werewolves’ prejudice to be backward and hateful, not just here in Mooncrest.”

“Is that because we’re not all marrying a lycan?”

I smiled thinly. “It’s because you’re spineless enough to stand by and watch a grown man try to beat up a 14-year-old boy.”

The man paled, and the crowd went quiet. There were only a few more questions about the reviews to be done. Then, when it was all over, I headed back inside, hoping that it was good enough.

Later that evening, Eason, Charles, and I were in the conference room at Wolfe Medical. My assistant was sitting in as I paced and waited for Eason to say something about the public reception of my statement. I had no idea what Charles was doing on my laptop, but I really didn’t care.

What would Charles want with my pack’s records?”

“Mixed responses,” Eason said finally, typing and humming to himself. “Well, there’s a clear divide and a very small middle ground. Good touch on that journalist about the 14-year-old. Really hit some heartstrings, especially since everyone knows you’re a mom.”

“Great. Mom points.”

“There’s a bit of information about people being happy about the audit on the police department, some questions you’ll want to answer through some official channels, but nothing I didn’t expect.”

He looked up at me. “How do you feel about it?”

I blinked. “Me?”

“The ship can be running just fine, but if the captain is anxious, then we should figure out why,” Eason smiled. “Even if she is a baby captain.”

I huffed. “You’re the baby.”

“Not for this,” Eason said. “I’ve run political campaigns before. You haven’t.”

I huffed. “Don’t remind me…Or do. I still don’t know how you got White Claw’s alpha kicked and replaced with the brother.”

“That was you?” Charles asked, grinning. “I’m really going to have to poach you.”

Eason flushed.

“Stop using your face on my brother,” I said. “It’s not nice.”

“That wasn’t my face. That was all the amenities I come with,” Charles laughed. “And again, I still have plans to set you up. To his question, Grace. How are you feeling?”

I shook my head. “Like I’m not going to budge on this no matter what happens.”

I remembered the fear on Aaron’s face and shuddered.

“They were just here to see a movie… To have a date.” My jaw trembled. “My city should be safe enough for them to do that. Now, in the future…”

I dabbed at my eyes.

“If Richard or Cecil get to that age and get into a fight, I’ll make sure they know how to kill,” Charles said.

“Charles!”

He lifted a shoulder. “One against many is a fight for survival. I’d rather them come home than end up in a gutter.”

The thought chilled me, but I didn’t disagree.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking through your pack numbers,” Charles said. “Since this morning, you’ve gotten no less than three hundred transfer out requests.”

“What?” I blinked and came around, looking at the screen.

I couldn’t believe it, and nearly every reason cited my "departure from traditional werewolf culture" and the perception that I was "selling them out to lycans."

My heart sank. “Three hundred people?”

Charles clicked over. “You’ve also gotten about five hundred requests to transfer in since Eason released the coverage of your press release all over social media.”

I looked at Eason, who grinned. “There’s a goal here. I think Charles bought some more stock back.”

I looked at the requests, and I couldn't help but worry.

“Your liberal stance is going to make enemies, and a major population shift like this will affect your dynamics. You should be prepared.” He scoffed. “No one likes it when their beliefs are challenged.”

I sank into my seat and looked across the way at my assistant, who seemed like she didn’t exactly know why she was there.

"How did I make everything harder simply by defending two teenagers?”

“Sometimes, standing up for what's right comes at a cost."

Eason chimed in, looking at the data on his tablet. "Your speech is spreading like wildfire. Lots of applause, but it’s only a matter of time before the WSU/LSU make a statement."

He smirked. “They might even pay you a visit, given your reasons to hate lycans right now.”

“By the moon, help me,” I said.

“If you decide to claw their faces off, many won’t be upset,” Charles said.

I scowled at him. “Hah. What do we do now?”

Eason hummed. “Keep an eye on the transfer requests for a bit. Definitely follow up with the police investigation. If you want to soften the blow, get the Stormclaw Firm to audit you.”

Charles looked at him. “Stormclaw?”

Eason nodded. “Highly respected on either side of the divide. I think they were founded about thirty-something years ago. It’s a neutral territory-based business, so they work with humans, too. The president had them audit the records of his predecessor. They’re the most unbiased and well-known auditing company for social justice, compliance, and all that.”

He grinned. “They’ll find every dollar out of place and every off-the-wall comment too.”

I nodded. “I bet they’re expensive, but keep them on the docket. I want it done right.”

Charles leaned forward, his expression thoughtful.

"In the meantime, perhaps you should look into engaging with those who've expressed concerns. Other alphas. Open a dialogue that gets people thinking and see where your allies in the future might be."

“Allies?” I said. “You sound like I’m starting a war.”

“You are,” Charles said.

“I’m not.”

“Any time you disagree with the status quo, you’re starting a war,” Charles said.

A surge of defensiveness welled up inside me. “I’m just doing what is right. I’m not trying to tell anyone else what to do.”

He smiled, and his words stopped me in my tracks.

"Your father was much the same way," he said, his voice gentle but firm. My eyes widened in surprise, and I exchanged a bewildered glance with Eason. “And just like him, you’re going to have to come to grips with the fact that you say something is right is just the same as saying the opposition is wrong.”

He pulled up something on his laptop and turned it toward us. On the screen was a faded newspaper article from years ago. The paper itself no longer existed, but the photo was clearly of our parents.

The headline read: "Prominent Werewolf Alpha and Lycan Bride Unite in Unconventional Ceremony."

I couldn't believe my eyes as I read the article. My mother was a full-blooded lycan from an ancient clan. I knew my father was a bit of a rebel, but I hadn’t expected this. My heart swelled with a mixture of emotions as I absorbed the implications of this revelation.

When asked to step down as alpha, he had this to say: “Stay out of my bedroom.”

Eason laughed. “That sounds just like Dad.”

I scrolled down, feeling my hope being restored. Our father had been a great alpha. Mooncrest had likely changed a great deal since his predecessors.

If he could do it, so could I.

I turned to Charles and wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion.