20. Chapter 20 #2
“And building an army of powerful operative soldiers. For what exactly, I wonder?” Glazer added. Conall wondered too.
Malachi pushed back from the table and stood. The movement drew every eye in the room. He was the oldest Alpha present, and highly respected.
“I reckon I’ve heard enough. I move that the Pack Council formally and unanimously oppose the mandatory shifter registration legislation before the Senate.
” His voice lost most of its folksy drawl and hardened like granite.
“I further move that we coordinate our public opposition through a joint Council Statement, citing evidence of federal overreach, violations of shifter sovereignty, and the criminal conspiracy outlined today. I will also challenge any Alpha who votes against this motion, as they are not here to protect the shifters this Council serves.”
“I second,” Ingrid answered.
“All in favor,” Sawyer added.
Hands went up around the table. Christopherson’s went up last, his expression unreadable. He held Conall’s gaze for a beat, then looked away.
Malachi nodded. “Motion carried unanimously. I’ll have my Beta draft it up. Be back here this afternoon to sign it.” It should have been a victory, but it felt like they were going to war.
The meeting dissolved into the logistics of drafting the statement and coordinating with legal teams. Conall let the others handle the details.
Alexander Christopherson had called Cogs contaminated and tainted. Conall looked around and wondered what his introverted, blunt, wicked-smart mate would think of that. His chest ached because not long ago, he hadn’t cared much about Cogs who weren’t shifters.
The Alphas started dispersing, and several Betas filtered into the room. Elena stepped in to speak with Alexander and glanced over at him with a benign smile. Conall watched them go, something cold settling in his gut.
Sawyer stood next to him. The grief was still there, etched into the lines around his eyes. “Have you heard any updates?”
Conall nodded. “Drew texted right before the meeting started. They got most everything out. The lab equipment, photos, shipping manifests.”
Sawyer nodded. “Madison contacted four major outlets and two investigative journalists who’ve been digging into Apex for years.” He studied Conall for a moment. “Your wolf’s close.”
“Someday I might have to kill that bastard.”
“Christopherson’s son might save us the effort. That makes you and me tainted and contaminated since we’re both Cogs too.” Sawyer’s expression didn’t change.
“You’re not pissed off.”
Sawyer gave an elegant, careless shrug. “I’ve known him for years. He was good friends with Cyrus, so that should tell you what kind of Alpha he is. The idea of being turned into a Cog probably offends him on a fundamental level. Pride is a powerful motivator.”
“I might ask Ash to sage this room, and I need a long shower,” Conall muttered.
“Welcome to politics.” Sawyer clapped him on the shoulder. “Nice work today. I’m going home after we sign. You should too.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Conall tilted his head, hoping like hell it wasn’t one of Christopherson’s female shifters. He smelled Hudson, the concierge.
The man slipped inside when Ash opened the door. “The rumors around town are that you had an eventful, productive day,” he murmured.
Sawyer nodded. “We did. We plan to head back home after everyone signs the joint Council Statement.”
Hudson inclined his head. “It’s been a pleasure to host you at The Willard.
You indicated you wanted to be kept abreast of any pertinent information when you first arrived.
My sources tell me that three senators are calling for congressional hearings, and Minnesota Congresswoman Renard plans to introduce emergency legislation to freeze Apollo Genetics’ federal contracts pending an investigation. ”
Conall crossed his arms. “Have you heard what the Senate Majority Leader’s response is?”
Hudson’s lip curled. “He belatedly issued a statement calling the allegations ‘deeply troubling’ and promised a thorough investigation. The man is an ineffective, bigoted imbecile. Forgive my language.”
Conall smirked as Sawyer tried to pass a few large bills to Hudson. The man held up his hand. “No need, Alpha. It’s been my pleasure. Please come back and see us.”
They gathered to sign the joint Council Statement a few hours later.
Ash took in Conall’s tired, annoyed expression. “Are you ready?”
Conall nodded and grabbed his bags. “I was ready to go before we got here.”
The flight home was quiet as Conall went over what had transpired. Without Riley finding that facility, he doubted the Pack Council could’ve delivered a unanimous vote. He knew for damn sure Christopherson wouldn’t have voted with them without the added pressure.
A few hours later, the new Pack house and compound came into view.
Towering red mountains stood behind the structure, and the old apple orchard lined the winding driveway.
The main house was constructed of wood and glass and designed in the parkitecture style, blending in with its surroundings.
A few smaller structures were connected by red sandstone paths.
Solar panels lined the southern roof, and a training yard with a large barn, similar to the one they had in Denver, sat on the east side.
It wasn’t finished. The barn was still sheathed in Tyvek, and a stack of weathered lumber sat under a tarp next to it. But the main house and the yard around it were done. The great room had a massive stone fireplace and windows that faced the red sandstone mountain ranges.
Conall slid out and stood in the gravel drive, breathing in the fresh desert mountain air. His wolf settled a little.
Ash clapped him on the shoulder. “You need to let your wolf out, then call Riley.”
Conall dropped his bag and walked slowly through the space. The place felt too big and too quiet without Riley or his Betas, but he could picture them here.
He’d built it with her in mind. Riley reading on the sofa with Mangus or Floyd curled at her feet, or at the sleek quartz kitchen counter, her unruly hair pulled back, sipping jasmine tea.
Conall climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to their bedroom suite. The substantial, custom-made wooden headboard was in place, the mattress still wrapped in plastic. The bed faced the windows, which looked out toward Mount Kinesava.
He stood in the center of the room and let the silence soothe him. The bond was a distant, steady thread. The coldness seemed to be receding, but he could sense her tiredness. He pressed the heel of his hand against his sternum and exhaled.
When Riley came back from Wyoming, no matter what was happening in their lives, he planned to take her away on a honeymoon.
He was sick of being apart and waking up to an empty bed.
They needed time together to bond. She still didn’t trust him completely, and since they’d been together, there hadn’t been much time to talk.
Before he could pull out his phone to call her, Drew rang. “It’s everywhere. The Post broke it first, then the Times and the Journal. It’s also running on every major network. They’re showing the photos and the documentation.”
Conall strode down to his new office on the first floor and turned on the TV. A solemn-faced anchor read from a teleprompter, the bunker photos displayed on a split screen beside her.
“Evidence suggests a decades-long pattern of covert facilities operated by Apollo Genetics with oversight from the military branch, Apex Mentis. The company, which has extensive contracts with the Department of Defense, has denied any knowledge of—”
Ash came down the stairs, freshly showered and barefoot. He stood beside Conall and crossed his arms.
“That didn’t take long, did it? Riley came through for us. Again.”
“She did.” They watched the news report.
“When is she coming home?”
Conall sighed. “Not soon enough.”
Over the next few days, the public outrage was immediate and vicious on several fronts.
Parents’ groups, civil liberties organizations, and religious leaders clamored in outrage at Normals being abducted and modified.
Social media comment sections were filled with horror stories from people who’d been tortured as Riley had, or loved ones who’d lost family members and suspected Apex was behind it.
The authentication was holding against the Central Federal Government’s attempts to spin the story or discredit the documentation. So far.
He and Ash sat in his office that evening, reading the most relevant news articles. “Normals are more upset and scared about being turned into a Cognizant than they are about the facilities or the experiments. It’s a sad commentary.”
Conall nodded. “It was the prejudice and fear that tipped the scales.”
His phone buzzed with a text from Riley as Ash said good night.
Riley: We’re watching the news. Nice work with the Pack Council. How’s your Packhouse in Springdale looking?
Conall: It’s “our” Packhouse. Nice, but empty without you. Be safe and come home soon
Riley: Working on it. Be safe too
He wanted to call her, but she was probably exhausted, and the bungalow was full of supernaturals with heightened hearing.
His wolf whined, and a hollow feeling spread in his chest.