12 Meg
Meg
Rain soaked the pavement and greenery surrounding the street as we dashed back into the councilwoman’s house. It was just a little water, but you’d have thought we were drowning with the way Justus shivered and gasped.
I almost wanted to shift into my wolf form and shake, dousing him with rain one more time.
That could be fun.
But we were met in the entryway by his mother, and she did not look happy to see us.
“What happened?” Helen demanded.
“Can this wait until after we get dried off?” Justus’s teeth chattered.
“Go, change.” Helen seemed to notice his lips were turning blue and I got a rare glimpse into her no-nonsense maternal side.
Mom would’ve fussed and worried over us if she thought we were sick, even knowing that shifters don’t get sick. I think she just liked the excuse to cuddle.
My wolf whined as a pang of homesickness hit us.
Helen turned on Roman and our protective instincts kicked in.
“Tell me what happened, Lieutenant,” she said.
Gone was his easy demeanor in this house as he snapped up straight while water dripped down his face and trailed off his upper lip.
“They’re saying it was a protest,” Roman explained. “An onlooker outside the restaurant threw a cement block through the window.”
He should’ve let us chase him down, my wolf grumbled.
But that wasn’t what worried me right now.
A protest. I’d heard what they called me on the street.
Was that what this was? Could the humans really hate my kind so much?
Alpha Kera and Aunt Coral had opened the doors to our territory and established trade with the city of Ethica, but were there really people here that still thought we were mutants?
Gods, the brainwashing went deep.
“And he was caught?” Helen started to pace in front of us, blocking Roman and me from entering deeper into the house, where it was warmer. The cold and wet of my damp shirt soaked into my bones.
Roman stood tall, showing no hint of discomfort. “Reports are that he was apprehended two blocks over. I haven’t gone to investigate it myself.”
“What are you waiting for?” Helen snapped. “Go. Find out if he was working alone or if we’re dealing with another insurgency cell.”
My wolf was growling before I realized I’d stepped in front of Roman.
Helen looked me over. “Is something wrong? Why aren’t you getting changed?”
“Roman did his best to make sure we followed all your plans,” I rushed to defend him.
“Of course he did. That’s his job.” Helen continued to scrutinize me.
“Well, you could say thank you,” I growled, refusing to squirm under her gaze.
She placed her hand over her heart. “Roman knows how deeply indebted this family is to him. Now go get changed.” She glanced past my shoulder. “You’re dismissed, Lieutenant Miller.”
It wasn’t lost on me that Helen had skimmed the issue and not actually thanked Roman for his role today. If she were part of my pack, I wouldn’t let something like this fly.
Not that I had my own pack to lead.
If I ever would.
We don’t have to let it go now, my beast growled. Pack or not, she needs to learn manners.
I had to pull my wolf away before she did something stupid, like teach this human woman a lesson she’d never forget.
I’ll bite gentle.
No biting your future mother-in-law.
Which reminded me of the very real reason I was even here, marrying someone who wasn’t my own mate. When I glanced back at Roman, there was a spark in his eyes. A look that changed his stone face into something… different.
“Actually, Councilwoman. Can I have a word with you?” Roman asked.
I itched to stick around and hear what he had to say, so I slowed my steps. Though I’d be able to hear them much further away than a human could.
“If this is about the gods thing again, don’t bother,” Helen hissed under her breath. “Our scientists agree that this is the only choice.”
Gods thing? Now I really wanted to know what was going on. I stopped dead in my tracks.
“It can’t be.” Roman was staring at me, but he quickly looked away as I turned back. “Never mind. You all know best.”
With that, he spun on his heel and marched straight out of the house, leaving me standing there wet and confused with a painful tug in my chest.
Let me out. I’ll chase him down.
Helen’s frustrated glare turned to me. “Will you please get dry clothes on? You’re dripping water all over the floors like a…”
She didn’t finish the sentence.
It was probably a good thing, because I was already holding onto my wolf by a thread as another wave of despair washed over me.