Chapter 57

Grace

Charles smiled. His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Oh?”

Margaret scoffed. “You sound like you grew up eating that Union propaganda for breakfast.”

Charles smiled. “We thought once that it didn’t happen, but surprisingly, it’s more common than people think. I have people looking into it, and so far, they just think it’s a matter of exposure.”

I frowned. “You mean because we don’t mingle enough, we don’t end up finding our mates, whether they are a werewolf or a lycan?”

He nodded. I shook my head. “Not that I think mates are the end all be all of happiness, but that’s… I can imagine how many more people’s lives would be better if they had just met their mates—lycan or werewolf.”

I sighed and wondered what I would be like now if I had met my mate before I met Devin. Would I have children? Would I already be a doctor? Would the drug have already come out?

It was pointless to wonder about the what-ifs. Everyone knew that waiting to find your mate was practically asking you to end up alone. I glanced at Charles. Not everyone was lucky enough. It was such a rare and special thing that I still couldn’t understand why he wasn’t with his mate.

Maybe being mates wasn’t really enough to ensure compatibility. Neither was love if my life was anything to go by.

“Maybe we could use that for something in the future?” I said after a moment. “To help open discourse. Are there other werewolf-lycan mate pairs you think would be willing to talk?”

Charles chuckled. “I suppose werewolves don’t keep records.”

I blinked. “Lycans keep records on people’s mates?”

He nodded. “It’s not the same as a marriage license, but it’s better in some ways. Why? You plan on waging full-on social war?”

“If it’s affecting people’s happiness, I don’t see why not, especially if it’ll get some people thinking.” I shook my head. “It’s not like we’re planning to merge territories. It would never work with all the land in between us and an entirely different political system. We can coexist, co-mingle, co-operate, and still not annex each other.”

I winced, and Charles laughed. “We’ll have Eason work on a better slogan. Ready for the second part of the good news?”

“Does the bad news come in multiple parts?”

“No.” I waved him on. “The smugglers have been caught, and a significant portion of the stock has been recovered. The rest is being traced down, but it’s hopeful.”

“And the bad news?” I asked, feeling oddly hopeful.

After that, could it really be that bad?

He wiggled his eyebrows. “There are picketers outside the building.”

I dropped my fork.

“What?”

He lifted his shoulder. Margaret nudged him. “Don’t scare her like that.”

“I’m not joking,” he said. “I had to come around the back. Your speech has poked a few sore spots, it seemed.”

Anxiety filled me. I could almost hear them screaming.

“Hey.” I looked up at Charles. The amusement was gone. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“There are picketers outside!”

“And what do you expect them to do?” Charles asked.

“Picket?” I threw up my hands. “Harrass people coming in from lunch? I bet they’re picketing around the clinics too. And City Hall, and—“

“Grace,” Charles cut in. “Take a deep breath and think clearly. They’re not picketing Wolfe Medical. They’re picketing you.”

My jaw trembled. “I didn’t need you to tell me that.”

“And you’re content to just let them complain and cause a scene over your opinion?” He frowned. “Or are you going to address it?”

I blinked. “What?”

“They’re your pack members, your people, your subjects, for lack of a better word.”

“Constituents,” Margaret said. “Unless you plan on annexing the States.”

“It would be conquering, a very hostile takeover, and I’m too old for war,” he smiled. His eyes glinted with light. “Maybe I’ll raise Richard up to do it. I could see Cecil wielding an axe.”

“Not on your—“ I broke off as Margaret and Charles started snickering. I flushed and looked down. “You were joking.”

“Yes,” Charles said. “Cecil would be terrible with an axe. Maybe a spear. I could see a conqueror in Richard, though.”

I glowered at him as Margaret continued to laugh. I sat back and sighed. I didn’t know what to think or do. What would I say to these angry people who had shown up to protest me?

I’m sorry. I’ll do better?

I’m sorry. I’m trying to make things better?

If you think you can do a better job, I’d like to see you try?

Fuck off?

“All of the above.” I looked up at Charles, who smiled at me again. “But whatever you say, speak the truth and say it with conviction.”

“Is it really that simple?”

He nodded. “It really is.”

It felt like hours later, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later that I was standing in the foyer looking out the window at the small mob outside, shouting with megaphones and picket signs. Charles pat my shoulder. I looked up at him.

“I have Enforcers stationed nearby. You’re safe.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. I was about to walk forward when he stopped me. I looked back.

“Don't let your instincts get the best of you. It'll only make things worse.” I nodded. “But don’t be nice about it either. Remember I said all of the above.”

I nodded again, though I still felt a swirl of conflicting emotions within me. My nerves were rising even as I tried to remember that these were my people. People I had grown up with and grocery shopped with. I could speak to them.

I knew them best.

“You’ve got this,” he said. I looked back and realized he wasn’t leaving but leaning against the receptionist’s desk, hidden mostly by the frosted glass. I stepped outside, the cold breeze biting at my skin as I approached the crowd of protestors.

I couldn’t make sense of all the noise they were making. I couldn’t read the signs. It was as if my brain was blocking it out mostly. All I could hear was the rush of my breath through my lungs as I tried to steady myself.

“You all…”

No one seemed to notice me. If anything, they grew louder. People were gawking from the street.

I tried again and again, but they weren’t listening. Then, I was fed up with it. I went to the nearest person with a megaphone and snatched it from their hand.

“Shut up!” They went quiet as I looked at the group. “I can’t understand a thing you’re saying when you’re all shouting at one time. One at a time, what is your problem?”

"You've let the Lycans take over!" one of them shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "You've betrayed us!"

“What are you—“

“How are we supposed to feel safe with the Lycans taking over. They’re just beasts!”

“You need to step down and give Mooncrest and Wolfe Medical to a real werewolf!”

They cheered at that.

“The Wolfe Family has always—“

“You let that Lycan run us into the ground!” One of them snarled. “My father worked for the police department for years, and he was fired!”

“You’re already replacing them with Enforcers! Who is next? We know you let them take those lycans away without serving them justice! We know what you did to the police officers!”

“I—“

“Step down! Step down! Step down!”

Their chanting grew louder, blotting out all the sounds on the street. I saw journalists flocking. Flashes of light filled my eyes. And I felt the fury rising in me as people started recording on their phones. I couldn't take it anymore. My patience shattered like glass, and I felt something within me snap. I turned the megaphone all the way up.

"Enough!" I shouted, my words cutting through the chaos. The megaphone let out a long tone of feedback as my voice echoed down the street.

I saw Eason hurrying down the street.

"Don’t show up at Wolfe Medical crying for blood now,” I growled. The frustration and the memories of the past four years swirling in my mind. “You’ve seen me at the grocery store, the park, the post office for the last four years, and not one of you took the time to say a damn thing about what he was doing!”

I gripped my hand at my side. “If I was complacent, you were no better. No one raised a complaint, a concern, nothing! When the clinics weren’t servicing you the way they used to, why didn’t you say anything? When you saw me walking around the city with my daughter after your family member was fired unfairly, why didn’t you say anything?”

“You’re supposed to be—“

“I’m not fucking done. Shut up!” I panted. The protestors fell momentarily silent, taken aback by my sudden outburst. “You turned a blind eye just as much as I did, and now that I’m trying to make it right, you want to say it’s not good enough. Well, fuck off!”

They gasped.

“You heard me. Fuck off! Leave the pack if you have no faith in me, in my family’s legacy and beliefs. I’ll sign your transfer paperwork without hesitation but don’t even think about crawling back. I don’t forgive traitors or deserters!”

I got down, throwing the megaphone at the woman I’d taken it from before reaching the door and turning back.

“And get off my fucking property before I have you arrested!”

I yanked open the door.

“… just like her mother.”