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)
“Every week, we’ll have another group of four, so everyone gets their chance, and no one can say we’re favoring certain wolves over the others. I also had them write down the laws they want proposed or changed, and back it up with evidence,” Paxton continued. He fished the tripod out from the office closet, and got to work setting up his phone. “If we want the leaders to take us seriously, we have to take it seriously.”
I gaped at him. “How were you doing all of this without me knowing?”
“I kept it quiet so that pretty much no one other than us in this room, and the clan leaders, would know.” Paxton gave me a lopsided grin over his phone. “I know Orion sabotaged the last forum. Last thing I was going to do was give him a heads-up so that he can sabotage this one too.
“Him and Badr don’t get that this is bigger than their beef with you. This is bigger than everyone in Corvin. We’re doing this for the good of Wolf Nation, and I said I’d make this right for you, so I did.”
I could only stare at him, jaw working. Paxton’s plan was so simple, so organized, and so much better than even Ash’s original plan for the forums.
“Th-thank you,” I stuttered, the phrase feeling forum on my tongue.
I had accepted a long time ago that I was in this fight alone. Yes, Nia was on my side, but there was so much I couldn’t tell her. Then there was Edric, but he only got on board with the full plan recently. Couldn’t forget Nyx wanted to help, but he wasn’t even here.
I made my peace with my two and a half allies, and the hope they’d carry on the fight if the broken bond killed me too soon, but... here was my third.
“Thank you, Paxton,” I repeated clearly. “This is perfect.”
He plopped down on an armchair. “Take it away, Headmistress.”
“Right, okay.” Clearing my throat, I crossed to my computer and began the video call.
All the clan alphas appeared in their boxes—bright, neat, and disapproving. You could say a lot about them, but no one could disparage their punctuality.
“Good evening, alphas,” I said, bright and cheery. “And good evening to everyone tuned in for the live chat. We’re doing things a little differently this week—smoothing out the process. We have four students eager to share with you, so they’ll each have ten minutes to do so—uninterrupted.
“When they’re finished, that will leave twenty minutes for questions from you, and”—I pointed at the camera—“the public. Sound good?”
Melisent, Corinne, Davis, and Tracy all nodded. The clan alphas looked at me like I grew another head.
“This is a surprise,” Magnus said, leaning back in a desk chair that looked more like a throne. See? I wasn’t the only one who liked them. “Seems you’ve finally gotten your act together, Headmistress.”
I just smiled at him. “Melisent, introduce yourself, and then take it away.”
Clearing her throat, Melisent stood. “Hello, I’m Melisent. I’m an epsilon that is studying, applying, and placing into the alpha track because I hope to one day become a clan leader.”
Open, and rude, scoffs followed that confession.
“Which brings me to my proposal. Not only does the approved job system need to be removed, but there also needs to be an active effort to get epsilons into law enforcement, judgeships, and other leadership positions.”
“Nonsense.”
“Ridiculous.”
Half the clan leaders sounded off, even though it was her time to speak.
Melisent didn’t let it ruffle her. “But the focus of that effort should be on getting more epsilons into the police force. Studies show that sixty percent of alphas are unlikely to report a crime. Betas seventy-four percent. Epsilons seventy-nine percent. And omegas a shocking ninety-seven percent,” she said, silencing them quick. “I repeat, ninety-seven percent of omegas don’t even bother going to the police for help if they’re victims of a crime.
“The result of these low reporting numbers is an epidemic of vigilante justice. And before you ask,” she said, cutting off Magnus. “The proof of that is in the unsolved murder and disappearance rate in every clan in Wolf Nation. Our lowest rate is still twice as high as the biggest and most dangerous city in mundane North America. Again, I will repeat that—the mundanes solve more crimes and arrest more criminals than we do.
“Wolves—from alphas to omegas—do not have any faith in our justice system, and since we are a civilized nation and not a lawless swamp, our leaders should care about that.”
“Whoo,” I crowed, earning a growl from half the alphas on my screen.
Melisent tossed me a wink. “There are many things we need to do to address this widespread and systematic problem, but like I said, I believe the first step is more epsilons in the police force. Not only are they immune to any wolf powers, but every epsilon takes a vow to serve Luame—not the council or the clan leaders.