Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
It made the most sense to close down the school, especially because Headmistress Ash needed time herself to focus on her boys and helping them process the horrors they went through at the hands of a sociopath.
And yes, I said Headmistress Ash. In the end, I stepped aside, and handed the running of the school to a professional. One that more than proved she wasn’t a council rat, and she wasn’t my devoted lackey. She was an independent woman with her own mind and conscience, and stood up for them.
You came to appreciate qualities like that after watching officers hold a weapon to a ten-year-old’s throat just because a worthless pig like Cygnus told them to. I wanted people around me who did the right thing because it was right, not because some despot ordered it.
She was still home with her family, but we’d been emailing back and forth about her plans for the school and making it a fair, safe, and equal place for all students—including amending the charter to state that.
As for me, I hadn’t been idle.
I’d been traveling all over Wolf Nation, meeting with epsilons of all ages. They’d finally been freed from their temples, and even though some wanted to stay, many more wanted to leave and step into the new positions that were begging for them.
It was still their choice to accept them, but positions to be judges, lawyers, police investigators, rape survivor advocates, news reporters, and so many other jobs where they could do true good and make a difference were opening up to them. Positions beyond sitting behind a curtain and doling out advice that was ignored.
They wanted to help all the omegas suddenly relying on them to make sure their voices were heard, and Paxton was right by my side helping me show them how to do that, as the first omega clan leader in Wolf Nation.
That day in the mess hall when all those people pledged to serve a pack led by me, they did something that couldn’t be undone.
It was said. It was out there. It had to be addressed.
They officially turned their backs on Wolf Nation, so if I didn’t accept them into my clan, by law, they were packless. They had no home, no people, and no right to live in Wolf Nation.
I couldn’t let that happen, so I petitioned my mates and boyfriends to allow an eighth clan to join Wolf Nation. Naturally, they agreed.
As soon as they did, the first thing I did was name Paxton as my co-leader. This wasn’t done because of his cute butt and wicked smile. Frankly, after the way he expertly organized the forum, and pulled my head out of my ass when I gave up, he proved that he was excellent at this—a natural-born leader. And a leader that knew better than anyone what it was like to fight and scrounge at the bottom of the pack.
Our clan was small, but growing with epsilons and omegas from all clans—forest, water, sun, moon, fire, metal, wind and the lost clans.
All of it was complete night and day from the oppressive hellscape Wolf Nation survived in before. Things were changing, people were happier, the riots and marches were becoming parties and celebrations of peace and equality.
Things were changing so much, the last stop of the around-the-country tour was a mansion within Incepe Din where I picked up my daughter, packed her things, and took her home.
“Have you been using the cream-based diaper cream, because the gel-based doesn’t work?”
“I have,” I gritted.
“And have you been playing the songs I recorded for her?” Lucia asked. “My singing is the only thing that gets her to sleep.”
“So you’ve told me.”
“I hope you’re not singing to her. You’ve got a terrible singing voice. Sounds like a frog being attacked by a tuba.”
My brow twitched. “I will block your number again.”
“And I’ll call from another one again,” she replied, cackling. “Oh, and have you—?”
“Lucia!” I bit my tongue and breathed deep. “I’ve been doing any and everything for my daughter,” I said in as polite a tone as I could force between clenched teeth. “We’ve got this. I promise.”
She sniffed. “We’ll see. I’ll be there to pick her up next week. Mama Lucia is taking her sweet Hope to Paris.” She squealed. “She’s going to look so cute in a little beret, pretending to drink coffee outside a Parisian café.”
“What?! I never agreed—”
“Talk later. Bye.”
The madwoman hung up on me, leaving me gaping at the phone.
Nyx gave me a look over Hope’s head. “If that woman steps a foot past the gates, I’m dumping holy water on her.”
I sighed. Of course his wolf ears picked up the entire conversation. “Lucia is just having some trouble... adjusting... to the new way of things.”
“Trouble adjusting? We brought Hope home two days ago, and the woman’s called fifty-six times since them.”