Page 30 of Broken Wolf

“To start, you are in no way in trouble with the FBI. You are not on their radar or even a person of interest in anything,” I said firmly. “I am here completely and totally as Alpha Sera.” I bounced that around a bit. “And maybe adopted daughter of the Dorcus family. They might want in on this eventually.”

“Then why am I here, Chief?” SAiC Rankin sighed. “I really don’t want to be—”

“Because I’m above you, and you go where I say you go,” I said super sweetly but with an edge to remind him to shut it… Which amused Mrs. Swan. “He is here to make sure later no one says I used my badge to pressure this meeting. I’m not saying either of you would.” I focused on Marc Swan. “But you have people under you that don’t like supes and we know it.

“We could come to an understanding and one of them runs their mouths and I’m in front of IA or an ethics hearing that I used my badge for personal. So forgive me, but I cover my ass always and brought a man who doesn’t know me and isn’t even a fan of mine to witness this so nothing can be turned around later.”

Carter snorted with SAiC flinched.

Yeah, he hadn’t hid it well.

“It’s fine, Chief Thomas,” Marc forgave, studying me closely. “It’s odd and a bit worrisome that you have to go to those lengths, but it’s fine.”

I swallowed a sigh when I scented bad things from him like I was a paranoid kook. So now I had to go another way. “You cannot be shocked that hate makes people lose their heads, can you? I don’t know either of you and you might hate shifters or supes.” I glanced between them and saw they still didn’t believe me.

Fine, time to overshare, but at least the reason the SAiC disliked me gave me what to use.

“A lot of people in the FBI think I’m a homewrecker,” I told the Swans. “Hell, I had to address that on national television at the director’s confirmation hearing.”

“Chief, I don’t think—” SAiC Rankin started to cut in.

“You get she’s paygrades above you, right, idiot?” Carter growled. “You’re just making her damn point that people lose their heads and don’t show the respect they should because she’s a werewolf.”

Yeah, he really was making the point. I kept my focus on the Swans and continued.

“When the rumors started that I had been having an affair with then-Deputy Director Galvin, I had met him twice. Twice and never alone. Gobs around.” I frowned. “No, sorry, three times. He was there when I graduated from Quantico and I shook his hand I think. I don’t even remember him. So three times. Big cases and I was never alone with him.

“And I had never met then-Mrs. Galvin. The woman who ran her mouth that she saw how I flirted with her husband. How I was so loose and horrible.” I gave them a moment with that because Marc also thought the rumors were true along with Rankin. “I didn’t meet her until I saved her life and was shot in the process.

“Damn woman never thanked me. Just screamed at me for bleeding in her house and then accused me of flirting with her son when he got me a Gatorade. It was so ridiculous that I just about told my boss to fuck off when he gave me some lame apology later that it was just her upset.” Everyone was shocked I said that. “She hates supes.

“Hates them. That’s what it is. Hell, she hates women. She’s a conservative prude who is jealous of any woman smarter or prettier or anything more than her. We’re all competition, and she’s ready to tear us all down.” I smiled when Mrs. Swan snorted, clearly knowing the type. “But her hate twisted everything she saw, everything she felt and thought.

“She swears up and down still that I was at events flirting with her then-husband when I have proven I was on assignments. One where I was on a deep cover op and out of the damn country. But she cannot let it go, and it’s to the point my attorney is going to sue for defamation because it’s still affecting my career and it’s all complete bullshit.”

And I was staring at Rankin when I said that.

He didn’t meet my gaze but swallowed loudly. “I apologize, Chief.”

Carter snorted again. “You better do better than that later and at least be the unbiased witness to help her like she wanted. She gets shit on enough.”

“Clearly, you’re not paranoid, but prudent,” Mrs. Swan praised. “And smart. The question I have is what do you need to speak with my husband for, Alpha Sera? If you have students who want to apply to the college, you don’t need a meeting with him for that.”

I nodded that she was right. Normally, one didn’t push for a meeting with the president of a college to have someone they know applied… However, I was in a position to make it happen.

“Very true. But we have problems as supes. You might have heard about the city council—” I smiled when they both burst out laughing.

Yeah, I figured it was all over already. Probably the nightly news was playing clips and—it was hours ago already, and now that it was after dinner, everyone knew about it.

Speaking of which… I glanced at Carter.

“I’ve heard your stomach growl three times. Yes, it’s distracting. Food is coming for when you finish this.”

“You are more than welcome to eat here and we can have this meeting in the dining room,” Mrs. Swan offered, her politeness refreshing.

I smiled at her. “Anything you or the kids want? Any cravings?”

Apparently, she could be won over by some fries and even her husband wanted a burger. The kids some ice cream.

---