Their group of ten gathered at the apartment where Lorie was staying. After introductions were made, Ahmes and Raphael led the way, pointing out shops, historical buildings, and any fun factoids they remembered. The air was still nippy but bearable if they kept moving. Some industrious people had swept the sidewalks clear and the constant traffic and road salt kept the streets drivable. Snow piles lined the curbs, however, an irresistible temptation to William and Brandon.
Anubis and Luke followed them like silent guardians. Luke wore the least layers, his ability with the cold probably giving him some immunity with it. Ryan envied him.
“Jack gave us the tour when we first arrived,” Raphael said, almost skipping.
The boys were running in circles around their group, stomping on the snow and making wonky snow angels. All the while, Lorie and the agents kept an eye on them. Matteo strode beside Ahmes, a constant, affectionate smile on his face as he gazed at his son.
Ryan kept a firm hold of Caleb’s hand, feeling his heat through their gloves. How could this all be so… normal? And it was a cruel injustice Mandy wasn’t here to experience it with them. She would have gotten a kick out of this town.
Ahmes nodded. “He was very kind to use his patrol to welcome us here.”
“I think he just used us as an excuse,” Raphael said, laughing. “He was like an eager tour guide, and I can’t remember half the things he told us about. He knows all the little secrets this place has to offer.”
“I would hope so,” Caleb said.
“That is a pleasant park.” Matteo pointed.
Raphael spun around and nodded. “Yep. We had lunch there during the tour and….” He bit his lip.
Ahmes took his hand.
“What is it?” Matteo asked, his face creasing in concern.
Raphael shook his head and leaned into Ahmes. For his part, Ahmes put a protective arm across his shoulders.
“We had an… unpleasant encounter with Jack’s brother. The mayor. He’s a hateful man and I don’t know why he was elected to that position. He doesn’t deserve it.”
Lorie snorted. “That’s the problem with most politicians.”
Matteo rubbed his son’s arm.
“I don’t want to go to the meeting,” Raphael whispered. “I don’t want to hear those hateful things again.”
Ryan frowned, angered on Raphael’s behalf. “Well, if he has something to say he’ll have to say it to both of us. I’ll sit right beside you and tell him where he can stick it.”
Raphael gave him a ghost of a smile while Ahmes patted Ryan’s shoulder.
“We’ll both be sitting beside you,” Caleb said. “None of us are alone in this. We outnumber them.”
The others chimed in with support, even William and Brandon.
Raphael’s eyes shimmered for a moment before he blinked them clear. “Thank you. All of you… thanks.”
Caleb turned to Matteo. “How are you holding up with learning all this? Raphael mentioned you were in the dark about shifters.”
He gave a nervous smile and nodded. “Ah, yes. Indeed. I had no inkling, none at all, that you… this town… that any of this existed. My beloved wife never told me.”
Pain pinched his face for a moment. Raphael immediately hugged his father and whispered to him in another language. Probably Italian, since Caleb had confirmed his accent.
Matteo calmed and murmured back.
“My son was very brave to tell me,” Matteo said a moment later, still holding Raphael close. “I owe much to him. And to Ahmes. But I feel guilty for all those years that I shut you away.”
Raphael shook his head. “We’ve talked about this. Neither of us is to blame. You did the best you could. And it’s different now. Better now.”
While keeping a hold of his father, he reached back and took Ahmes’s hand.
The similarities and differences between their situations struck Ryan. He might have known what he was from the start, but trust had been a hard thing to give. He hadn’t been able to admit it at the time, but it had been fear holding him back for so long. And yet the longing for a connection—again, something he hadn’t recognized—had urged him to reveal himself to Caleb. He’d never considered revealing himself to Mandy, and then Caleb had casually mentioned her knowledge once they’d mated. Meeting her had made him queasy, fearing rejection. But her easy acceptance and welcoming arms had overwhelmed him. He didn’t know the entirety of Raphael’s story but from what he’d gathered, it had been more traumatizing than his own. But somehow, they’d found themselves with the same outcome.
A family that loved them.
Ryan scanned their group, listened to their voices, their laughs, memorized their faces. He felt Caleb’s familiar, beloved hand tucked in his. This pocket of acceptance he’d found himself in hardened his resolve to go to that meeting and make sure that no one could ever take it away from him. Mandy might be dead but she was still his mom. And he was still her son. And he would hold onto the memories of her like a dog with a bone. No one would tell him that he couldn’t have his family. And no one would take them away.
“Ease up, Ryan,” Caleb said with a laugh.
Ryan grunted and loosened his hold, unaware he’d tightened it.
They visited a couple of stores, all small businesses. There wasn’t a chain grocery mart or restaurant, or anything in this town. All were businesses run by Haven citizens. They were greeted with smiles, and Ryan didn’t sense hostility this time around, which relieved him. It meant Jack and Louise were right—the cult hadn’t spread its tendrils too far. Yet.
The agents received a few side-eyes and whispers. Despite their nondescript clothing, it was clear they were military or paramilitary, and since they weren’t deputies, that only left one option. Ryan also suspected everyone knew who he was, as well as others in his group. Gossip spread like wildfire through such isolated places.
“Papá, this is a house of worship for all denominations.” Raphael pointed. It was a modest building of black and gray, styled as a small church. Ryan had seen plenty in Las Vegas, and could spot them instantly. But after he squinted at the sign on the door, he realized Raphael was right. It claimed to be an all-purpose house of worship. Huh.
“Yes, I saw it earlier when I walked here. But I didn’t go in.”
“Come on.” Raphael tugged him and waved at the group. “We’ll just be a moment.”
“I thought I saw him wearing a crucifix at Christmas,” Caleb said. “But it had a wolf on it, I think. Never seen something like that.”
Ahmes smiled and slipped his hands into his pockets. The boys were playing in an enormous pile of snow so Lorie broke off to keep them safe. Luke joined her while Anubis patrolled their area.
“I bought it for him here. That’s why there’s a wolf on it. His faith is very important to him. It brings him peace and helped him through some dark times. Unfortunately, it also made him and his father think he was possessed by a demon when the shifting started.”
Caleb winced while Ryan scratched his head. In deference to the cold he’d put on a beanie. He wasn’t sure if he liked the feel of it against his skin but he disliked the cold more.
“That’s… a lot.” Caleb shook his head.
“Understatement,” Ahmes said softly. “He’s been through more than someone his age should have. And yet, he’s still able to love and trust others and accept them for who they are. By Bastet, he’s the strongest man I’ve ever known.”
“Bastet?” Ryan asked. “Isn’t that… Egyptian?”
Ahmes smiled. “It is. My cat is an Egyptian Mau, and my clowder can trace our lineage back to the noble cats of Ancient Egypt. Bastet and Sekhmet are our goddesses. That is my faith.”
“Wow. Huh. Maybe I have lineage from the bulls on Crete.” Ryan turned to Caleb. “What do you think?”
Caleb’s eyes twinkled. “Hard to find that out but I like to think so. Maybe we should get the Agency to look.”
Unable to resist that look of joy and peace, Ryan kissed him. Caleb jerked in surprise and made a half-hearted attempt at pushing him away. Ryan changed the angle of the kiss and hugged him close. Caleb melted against him. Ryan vaguely heard Ahmes chuckle and step away. He didn’t care who saw them, he didn’t care if he was making a scene. He loved his mate. His best friend. And he wasn’t ashamed to show it.
The icy bite of a snowball slammed into his face, and he jerked back. Caleb gasped and swatted the flakes, stepping away. Ryan was about to return the favor, thinking it was William or Brandon, but when he turned, his forehead began to tingle.
Hati stood with six of his followers, teeth bared in a mock smile. “Oops. So sorry about that. Must have slipped.”
Muscles rippled over Ryan’s face as Luke stepped between them, not saying a word, though his fingers were splayed and ready. Anubis stepped closer behind them. There was no one else on the streets. Yet all the shops were open, and he wouldn’t be surprised if they would gain attention any moment. What was Hati thinking?
The bruising on his face from Xavier’s punch was only a slight comfort. Unfortunately, it hadn’t dimmed his mania.
“Just because he starts something,” Anubis murmured, “doesn’t mean you have to participate.”
Caleb set a hand on his chest as Lorie rejoined them with her boys. Ahmes stood between them and the church, frowning.
“No harm done,” Caleb said with great dignity. “How are you today, Hati?”
“Oh, I’m just fine. Enjoying the fresh air and snow of the mountains. And yourself?”
Well, aren’t we just super nice today?
“We’re great. Just taking in the town. It’s a lovely place.”
“Indeed, it is. A jewel of the shifter world.” Something dark moved behind his eyes as he scanned their group. He offered the agents a sneer. “Or would be if certain destructive elements would leave it in peace.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Ryan said.
Caleb jerked his arm. “Ryan, there’s no need for that.”
Hati smirked. “It’s just so sad when shifters forget our strength. When we pollute ourselves with the unworthy. It’s little wonder the Knights of the Dawn are picking us off. We’ll go extinct in a year if we don’t do something.”
“Don’t be overdramatic,” Ahmes said, rolling his eyes. “You give them too much credit.”
“That’s what they said of a certain group in Germany.”
Ahmes raised an eyebrow. “You really want to go there? You really want to bring them up?”
Raphael and Matteo strode out of the church and rejoined their group. Raphael clung to Ahmes’s hand while Matteo stood beside his son, appearing confused and wary.
“I suggest you walk away, Hati,” Luke said.
“No one asked for your opinion, agent. Nor your interference. The arrogance of the secret police is astounding.”
“As is your rhetoric,” Anubis said. He stepped around their group as Hati’s five companions started to spread out.
Ryan recognized it for what it was—flanking. He moved in front of Caleb just as Ahmes and Raphael nudged Matteo behind them. Lorie moved her boys and her position until all of them were back-to-back with the most vulnerable in the center. Ryan’s forehead tingled like mad as his muscles slithered, the urge to shift becoming painful. He wanted Caleb and the boys as far away as possible but there was no way for that to happen. He crouched slightly, wanting to show them what a bull could do when he wasn’t holding back.
Brandon and William followed his lead, eyes glowing. Damn, if something happened to those kids….
A low, steady growl rumbled out of Raphael’s chest, and Ryan snorted and stamped his foot, emphasizing the warning.
Hati opened his mouth as a patrol car sped toward their group and took a sharp turn so the driver’s side faced them. Ryan suspected no one was surprised when the window lowered, and it was Jack who rested his elbow on the door peering at the two groups with a steely gaze.
“Any trouble here?” His tone was colder than the weather. “There better not be. I wouldn’t want another incident like the one at the café.”
“We were just having a friendly chat, sheriff.” Hati grinned and Ryan hated him for his flippant charm.
Jack didn’t appear the least bit impressed. “The meeting is about to start. I suggest no one be late.” His words were clipped and unyielding.
“We were just about to head that way, sheriff.” Hati inclined his head and gestured to his entourage. All of them sneered at Jack as they sauntered by.
Once they were out of earshot, Jack returned his attention to them. “Everyone all right?”
Ryan unclenched at Jack’s concern. “Fine.”
“But it wouldn’t have stayed that way,” Caleb said, scowling at Ryan.
“Agents?”
“I didn’t much like our odds,” Anubis said as he set a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “You have perfect timing.”
Jack sighed. “I was heading this way when Mr. Crawler, a shopkeeper, called dispatch. So I moved ass. Get to the meeting. Let’s hash it out there. Stick together.” He glanced at Matteo. “Mr. Ricci, I don’t think you’d be very safe there. Let me give you a ride back to the clinic.”
Matteo drew himself up and set a hand on Raphael’s shoulder. “Thank you, sheriff. But I must decline. This meeting concerns my son. I must be there to support him.”
Jack’s expression softened, and there was a hint of a smile. “All right. Stick close to these guys, then. And if things get hairy, you and Caleb need to leave.”
“Sheriff—”
Jack pinned Caleb with a glare. “Remember what I told you about balance and even ground? You do not want to be stuck in a building with shifters ripping at each other.”
Caleb pursed his lips. Ryan agreed with the sheriff but he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut. He tightened his grip on Caleb’s hand and kissed his temple.
“It won’t come to that,” he whispered as Jack drove off.
“You can’t promise that.”
“Our friends won’t let it come to that,” he said.
“We should get going,” Anubis said, leading the way.
“Hateful asshole,” Lorie spat as she gathered her boys, who looked confused and angry.
“I can guide your boys back to your apartment,” Luke said.
“Yeah, why don’t you?”
“But Mom—” William whined.
“We can help!” Brandon said.
Lorie laid down the law, and they sulked off with Luke back to the apartment. Lorie cracked her knuckles and elbowed Ryan in the ribs.
“Let’s show them that us bovine don’t take any shit, right Whirlwind?”
Ryan grinned. “After you.”
Caleb’s stomach was knotted and his palms were sweating. He settled in the third row, squeezed between Ryan and Raphael. On Ryan’s other side sat Lorie, while beside Raphael were Ahmes and Matteo. Xavier and Josh were in front of them. Caleb also recognized a few faces from the clinic, though he couldn’t remember names. A few were employees and a few patients. He was glad that their group took up considerable space. Josh had waved energetically as soon as they’d stepped inside.
It was a large room crowded with several rows of chairs stretching back from the stage—where the city council sat—and the front doors on the opposite side. There was a podium and microphone in front of the stage so that everyone would hear the speaker.
Deputies were keeping everything orderly while Jack prowled the room, addressing any confrontation that might devolve into an incident involving paperwork. Caleb didn’t see Louise but wasn’t worried. She would stay outside with her agents, including Anubis and Luke. Jack had set up surveillance inside so she knew what was happening. He could only assume Poe and Nordik had arrived, and hoped they were a big enough hammer. He was also really curious about Nordik. Not just because he was a master shifter but he remembered Poe and wondered at the sort of man that would win his heart and his trust.
And what of Merlin? They’d soon see.
As everyone settled, Caleb caught a glimpse of Travis at the front. He wasn’t surprised, though he was a bit concerned. And yet, people talked about how the other senses sometimes heightened when one was impaired. If that was true for shifters, than Travis was likely more equipped to handle things than others.
There weren’t enough seats for everyone, so many stood along the walls or in the aisles, next to their friends or family. Caleb doubted the entire town had attended but a significant chunk had. Probably representatives from every pack or herd or clan, or whatever shifters called their family groups. Hati was easy to spot. His entourage surrounded him as they stood to the side. But Caleb would bet money that he had others spread throughout the room. If this devolved into violence…. He swallowed hard.
Jack and his deputies made sure everyone was settled in a timely fashion before he stepped closer to Travis. They exchanged a few words before Jack strode to the stage and nodded to the council, a group of twelve people. Caleb didn’t know any of them but they were a collection of folks from all demographics—old, young, men, women, and he suspected different shifters as well.
Mayor Jager Ulger stepped up to the microphone. He was a stately looking man with features a bit sharper than Jack’s, but it was clear they were brothers. He had a slick, businessman-like attitude and posture, which equated to arrogance and smug to Caleb’s mind.
A low growl resounded from Raphael, his eyes darkening as he gripped his stomach, wincing. Ahmes hugged him close and purred, whispering into his ear. Caleb moved on instinct and grabbed his hand to squeeze.
Raphael shuddered and nodded, clinging to them.
Ryan reached over and set his hand on both of theirs, his solidarity clear.
“Thank you everyone for attending this town hall meeting,” Jager said. “I’m pleased with the turnout. We have much to speak about in regards to how we wish for our town to prosper. We need to think about our future, my friends, and what might hinder us moving forward. Some things we need to embrace while others we must reject if we are to secure our children’s future.”
Caleb narrowed his eyes. Jager oozed charm as he smiled and pandered. Mentioning the children was a good tactic. Everyone wanted to save the children.
Ryan grumbled as Lorie fidgeted restlessly.
Caleb tried to see how others reacted but only caught Jack’s grimace before he schooled his features. He stood at one end of the stage, scanning the crowd while his deputies wandered around the pews, eyes peeled for anything.
“We have thrived for many years on secrecy and cooperation. But danger has crept ever closer in the past few years. The outside world has made inroads into our town, and we’ve been attacked, twice, within our borders.”
Murmurs rolled like a wave through the crowd.
“That’s not to mention the bloodshed in Sanctuary, and the subsequent abandonment by our master shifter, Nordik. Abandonment, might I add, compelled by the interference of the Agency.”
Caleb wished he could growl.
Murmurs grew louder, as did the restlessness.
Jack shifted to the balls of his feet as Jager continued to encourage fear and blame.
“We are living in dark times, my friends. We have managed to avoid the brunt of it for generations but it is spilling into our homes. Neither our secrecy, our borders, nor our law enforcement can be depended upon to keep us safe.”
Caleb felt a bit queasy as he glanced at Jack. While he stood at attention, his eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched.
“I called this meeting because we can no longer do nothing. We can no longer expect to repel the danger by mere defense. We must consider offensive measures. The Knights of the Dawn will never stop until they eliminate every single shifter from the face of the earth. The Agency has clearly failed in their self-proclaimed mission to protect us. But we don’t need a secret police force protecting us. Especially ones that have a shared heritage with our sworn enemies. We are shifters. We are strong. And I think it’s time we show our enemies just how hard we bite.”
Is this a town hall meeting or a rally? Caleb wasn’t sure anymore. While he disagreed with most of Jager’s sentiment, he did agree that shifters were strong. But strength came from allies and building connections and a support system. Not rejecting and isolating.
“To be strong, we must discard anything that makes us weak. We must reject anything or anyone that will hold us back from our true destinies. It’s time to make hard decisions, my friends. My people. If Haven is to thrive, if shifters the world over, hope to defeat the knights, then we must move as one. One mind, one mission. We cannot afford to have detractors or saboteurs. Look to your families and your friends. Will they strengthen us or hold us back?”
Son of a bitch.
A couple of the council members exchanged confused or worried glances. But a few were listening with delight and nodding. Murmurs grew in the crowd, and Caleb didn’t know who agreed or who were sickened, like him. Meanwhile, Hati was grinning like the smug bastard he was, and Xavier was growling low. Josh kept rubbing the back of his head while shaking his own.
Despite Jack’s expression remaining blank, his eyes were molten steel. And Ryan kept snorting and twitching his feet as if he wanted to stomp before charging.
When would Louise give the word? When would Nordik come and stop this insanity? What the fuck were they waiting for?
“I have never hidden my concern over the inclusion of some individuals into our town. Certainly, we should welcome anyone who can contribute to our continued prosperity. But these are certainly elements that grant me a sense of unease.”
As if he couldn’t help himself, Jager flicked his gaze at Travis. Caleb craned his neck and noticed Travis sitting close to where Jack stood, his head slightly cocked, the shades covering his scarred eyes. He sat with great dignity, his walking stick set between his feet, his hands resting on the top. But even from this distance, Caleb recognized the stiffness and the strained expression. His skin didn’t ripple but it was clear that he was agitated.
Jack was now staring daggers at his brother.
“He did not just say that,” Josh whispered.
Xavier growled a bit louder.
“I want to reassure all of you that I have every intention of living up to the name of our town. Haven.” He smiled, his dark eyes gleeful. “Imelda named it herself and proclaimed my ancestors as guardians. My pack helped build Haven, and I have a vested interest in her future. But while being a haven means giving refuge to those in need, it also means safeguarding the ones already here. It’s a delicate balance, I admit, but I fear we have leaned too far in one direction, and we have already seen the dangers that outside influence brings.”
This time, he glanced at Josh and Xavier.
“I am your mayor. You elected me to lead you. Imelda entrusted us to be protectors. I have every intention of doing both but I can’t do it alone. I need your support or I fear the knights will win, and we will lose everything.” He paused and took a breath. “I open the floor for comments and questions.”
He’d scarcely finished speaking before Josh jumped to his feet and stomped over to the microphone. Xavier was on his heels, a fierce guard dog wanting to rip someone’s throat out.
Hati sauntered over and took up a position behind Xavier. Caleb winced at the dark green of Xavier’s eyes and the rippling of his skin. He was barely holding it together.
Ahmes and Raphael murmured to Matteo while Lorie seethed.
Caleb turned to Ryan. “Should we speak? This isn’t our town.”
Ryan’s dark gaze settled on him. “Maybe not. But it starts here. It needs to end here.”
Caleb nodded. “Maybe you should speak.”
He grimaced. “Where the hell is… the late arrival?”
Shrugging helplessly, Caleb didn’t dare contact his aunt. He didn’t want to give them away and was glad Ryan had caught himself in time. He also didn’t want to interrupt her if something was going on outside.
“My name is Joshua McPhee, and I’m the co-founder and co-owner of the Healing Minds, Bodies, and Souls Counseling Center. I want to first say that my mate and I chose to locate the clinic here because of Haven’s reputation as a refuge for those in need. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard from my clients that they were always told that if they needed safety that they should come here. Well, our clients need safety and support, and I’m happy to say that we’ve found it. For the most part.”
The leading edge of Josh’s anger seemed to cool, and he stood straighter, his voice evening out. Xavier wrapped an arm around Josh’s waist and turned his head slightly. Caleb suspected he was keeping Hati in his peripheral vision.
“I would like the mayor to clarify what he meant by removing the ‘weakness’ in Haven. And who he considers detractors. We need specifics, Mayor Ulger. How do you plan on safeguarding Haven’s future? And what do you consider ‘contributing’ to the town? Is it not strength that pushes our clients to survive and heal after the horrors they’ve experienced at the hands of the Knights of the Dawn? Is it not strength to rally together in support of all? I agree that we might look at offensive measures but rejecting anyone who you think holds us back isn’t how we do it. Who are you to decide who’s weak and who’s strong? Imelda designated your pack as guardians. Fine. But that doesn’t give you more rights than anyone else about how this town functions. Every single citizen deserves a say. And I’m sure many have friends and family that you’d deem weak, and they’d have something big to say if you tried eliminating them.”
He paused as Jager glared at him, his cheeks flushed.
“Do you know who speaks about eliminating and rejecting and strong and weak?” Josh narrowed his eyes. “The Knights of the Dawn. I should know. I’m one of those interfering members of the Agency who’s dedicated his life to the protection and preservation of shifters and shifter culture. I love my wolf shifter mate and my shifter friends and my shifter clients. But am I one of the weak persons you wish to reject, Mayor Ulger?”
No one said a word. No one moved.
Not until Xavier nuzzled Josh’s hair.
Caleb realized he was gaping and snapped his mouth shut. When he’d first met Josh, over a year ago when the poor guy had needed a replacement for his flat tire, he would never have guessed he was so fierce. He’d been nervous and seemed a bit lost as he’d tried to help Xavier deal with his trauma. But now look at him! He was staring the mayor down, waiting for an answer, holding the room’s attention.
When Caleb managed to glance at Jack, the sheriff was grinning.
Jager stood stiffly and moved to the microphone. “Thank you for your question Mr. McPhee. I believe you misunderstood my meaning. Allow me to clarify—”
“No need,” Josh said with a sneer. “I think you’ve said enough.”
With that, he turned on his heel and strode back to his seat, radiating dignity and righteous anger.
Xavier smirked and leaned toward the microphone. “What he said. And don’t anyone get any ideas. He’s mine.”
That sent a ripple of chuckles and snorts through the crowd. Caleb reached over and patted Josh’s shoulder, followed by Ryan and the others. Josh sent them a self-conscious smile. While he’d kept his composure during his speech, he was now blushing at Xavier’s words.
“You didn’t need to say that,” he muttered when Xavier sat next to him.
“Of course I did.” He draped an arm across his shoulders to hug him to his side. “Gotta make sure no one sniffs around. You’re quite the catch. When all this is over, I’ll show you how much.”
Josh covered his face and shook his head. Caleb swore he heard a giggle.
“The mayor looks a bit miffed,” Ryan said with a chuckle.
“Understatement.”
Jager was also flushed, his eyes glittering. He kept his composure but Josh’s dismissal had struck his ego hard. Jack no longer smiled but he was eyeing his brother with satisfaction.
Then Hati sauntered up to the microphone, and Caleb’s stomach twisted.
Ryan braced beside him.
“My name is Hati, and I believe our mayor is right. I might not have grown up in Haven, but I have come to care for this town and the people in it. My pack is strong and we want to share that strength with our fellow shifters. We share our lives and have the same plan for the future. Your mayor wants you all safe and prepared for the war to come. And make no mistake, we are rushing toward the finale, and it’s going to be bloody. The Knights of the Dawn are our biggest danger, of course. But the more insidious danger is the treachery of our allies.”
Hati took the microphone off its stand and turned to the crowd.
Jager appeared pleased and sat down. Some of the council members fidgeted and glanced around as if contemplating an escape plan.
“I know you wish to trust them. And while Mr. McPhee’s speech was impassioned, he knows little of the struggles of shifters. He’s not one himself, after all. And no matter how much he might wish to be, he has no right to speak for any of us. The savior complex he and the Agency have is disgusting, and we shouldn’t allow them to herd us like dumb farm animals to the slaughter.”
Hati’s tone grew more intense, and Caleb squeezed Ryan’s hand tighter. Ryan pressed their hands to his chest. Caleb wanted to hate Hati but at that moment, he was simply scared of what havoc his poisoned words would create. There was no way to tell if anyone was buying his bullshit. But fear twisted everything if it wasn’t tempered.
Where are you Louise?
“I’m sure he means well. I’m sure the clinic is doing a great job of piecing our fellows back together. But we must not rely on anyone but our own kind. For who understands shifters better than other shifters? And don’t be lulled by the promises of the Agency and their assurances of protection. They are a secret police force, and as history shows, that never ends well for those they swear to protect.”
“Son of a….” Josh mumbled.
“We must remain pure but, unfortunately, there has been too much sullying of our bloodlines, and that makes us weak. That makes us easier targets for the knights, which leads to the need for more clinics. Do you not see the vicious cycle, my friends? We can’t allow this to continue or we might as well walk up to a knight and ask them to kill us.”
Caleb’s heart lurched as he scanned the crowd. Fear and anger permeated the room.
“Bastard,” Ryan muttered under his breath.
“And if you need an example of what impurity is, look no further than two hybrids in this room. Two that should not even exist!”
Caleb gaped. “He didn’t.”
Hati pointed right at them and everyone shifted and craned their necks to see.
“There is your proof that we must do better. Or the knights will destroy us. They will slaughter our children and experiment on our mothers and sisters, and castrate the males. They’ll soak the ground with our blood and piss on the remains.”
“This is getting out of hand,” Ahmes said as he restrained Raphael.
“Hati!” Jack snapped as he strode forward. “This is a town hall meeting not a—”
But one look into Hati’s manic gaze told Caleb that he was on a roll and wasn’t going to stop.
“Look at them!” Hati pointed again. “A bull born of a cow and a shifter father. A product of bestiality. A blight. An insult to all of us. And he compounds it by mating with a human.”
“I’m going to gore him.”
Ryan stood while Caleb dug his fingers into his bicep to hold him back. Lorie stood with him, crouching as if readying herself to shift.
“And beside him,” Hati continued. “The child of a mother shifter and a human father. A monster in the flesh, a hateful creature no one should dare trust!”
A deadly growl issued from Raphael as his eyes glowed. Even as Jack reached Hati and yanked the microphone from his grasp, Raphael tried to lunge at Hati. Ahmes held him back, trying to talk to him.
“Raphael! Stop,” Xavier said with a growl of his own.
He subsided and leaned heavily into Ahmes, panting, sweating. Crying.
“Let me go,” Ryan said.
“Not a chance.” Caleb’s heart drummed in his chest as people began to stand and argue and point and shout. Deputies did their best to regain control but even they appeared angered. Caleb couldn’t discern which part they were angry about. Jena looked incensed and glared at Jager.
“Everyone take your seats!” Jack ordered, his voice booming through the microphone.
No one listened.
“Where the hell is the chief?” Xavier snapped.
“I don’t—”
The front doors burst open and slammed against the walls, cracking and denting. The resounding crash cut through the growing chaos, causing most to turn.
Caleb almost swallowed his tongue.