Chapter 120 Nico #2
“No, he’s a panther shifter. He wasn’t at the massacre, but a friend of his was there.
It was horrible, Nico. Worse than what they’re saying on the news.
That pack never stood a chance. The news reports don’t do it justice.
It was a total surprise. The cops and the shifters never knew what hit them.
The only reason they were able to fight them off and kill so many attackers was that the shifters knew the layout of the land.
If the anti-shifters had another ten or fifteen people on their side, it would have been a different story. ”
“It won’t be the last one,” I said.
Tiago nodded sadly. “Yup. Like I told you, the protestors outside our compound were getting angrier and more violent. Had you not sent that little lady to us, I truly believe we’d be on the news right now. That’s how bad it was.”
“Well, maybe the loss of human life from that attack in Virginia will scare enough of them off until we can figure something out. Many people died. We can hope that will be a deterrent.”
As though the world, God, or Fate decided I needed a swift kick in the ass, my phone buzzed. It was Donatello: Turn on the news.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I hissed.
Tiago looked confused. “What’s up?”
“Grab your phone. My contact, Donatello, says there’s something on the news we need to see.”
We both pulled up a news app, and a growl burst out of both our mouths as we saw what was on the screen. Viola Monroe, wearing what looked like military fatigues, her face, calm and composed, was on the opposite side of a split screen with a news anchor.
“Everyone, we have a special interview tonight. Miss Viola Monroe, coming to us from an undisclosed location, has agreed to an interview with this network.
“Miss Monroe? Can you tell us what your motives are for this proxy war you seem to be waging against the shifter population?”
Viola smiled a thin smile. “I would prefer you not refer to the abominations as part of the population. Do you refer to fungi, bacteria, or viruses as part of the population? I think not. They are something to be weeded out and destroyed.”
The reporter looked uncomfortable with that statement but continued. “The attack in Virginia must have given you pause. So many human lives were lost as a result of extremist actions. If you truly are for so-called human rights, then doesn’t this atrocity fly in the face of what you preach?”
Viola shrugged. “War is war. Casualties are to be expected in battle. In Virginia, brave human warriors finally took the fight to the shifter scourge. The bravery they showed is immense. I can only hope that other brothers and sisters of humanity will take up the fight that these courageous souls started. That loss of life is the cost of winning a war.”
“Miss Monroe, you must see the futility of this fight. Every nation in the world has decried your actions and all violence against shifters. You must realize you cannot fight the entire world.”
Viola laughed. “My sweet, simple friend. The world only follows what the majority says. Right now, most people know I am right, but due to centuries of propaganda and brainwashing, they’ve suppressed their true beliefs.
No true human can look at the shifter menace and say they belong here.
They are an evolutionary accident. No human truly wants to share the world with that.
As my followers wake up and start pushing for action, the truth will come out, and the leaders of the world will see what their constituents really want.
This is a long game, and my organization and I are prepared to play and win.
In fact, this war could end quickly and decisively with minimal loss of human life. ”
“And how would that be possible?” The anchor looked less and less happy about the path the interview was taking.
“Well, there is one person who has exactly what I need to end this shifter curse once and for all. I admit we experimented on shifters of all ages and species trying to find this person. I now know her name. The last in the ancient line of the semi-mythical Edemas. The so-called Werewolf King. If I have this woman and the ancient blood that flows in her veins, I could end this war in a day. I could eradicate shifters from the earth and give humanity a safe and clean home. A home without the filthy stink of these animals polluting the air.” Viola leaned toward the camera, a hungry gleam in her eyes.
“This descendant is a woman by the name of Maddison Sutton in Florida. Any true human who wants a world expunged of these animals should go there. The person who brings me this woman will be greatly rewarded, not only with money but with respect. Their name will go down in history as a hero. Statues will be built in their name. Children a thousand years from now will study them in history books. Bring me Maddy Sutton and become a god among men.”
The screen cut to black. The anchor blinked in surprise.
Inside the Moon Mate house, voices filled with anger cursed and called out.
They’d seen the report. I stared at my phone, the metal, glass, and plastic cracking under the rage that trembled in my fingers.
Viola had escalated. Instead of putting a price on all shifters, she’d slid all her chips onto Maddy.
She’d told the world there was a bounty like no other on my mate’s head.
I was fuming, and my wolf growled in fury. Things were about to get worse.