Page 38 of Season of the Wolf

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, a blend of concerned whispers and contempt.

“However, it has been brought to our attention that the opinions held by many of the clan members are incongruent with their representative Council members,” he amended. “In which case, it would be ideal to offer asylum to these members in exchange for their willingness to contribute to our war efforts.”

I half expected to hear mumbling and complaints—about how crowded the city had already become, about how those who opened their homes wouldn’t put themselves out even more than they already had. But the clan surprised me. All around me, hands shot into the air, volunteers who still had additional space to offer, even if the additional space was their living room couch.

Their hearts were willing, and it spoke volumes about the heart of this community.

“Your kindness is admirable,” Baz said in response to the people’s eagerness. “While wewillneed your assistance, we’ve been exploring another option,” he went on. “It’s been discussed whether the time has come to evacuate the human populace from Seaton Falls, given our current status. In which case, those empty homes would serve as temporary residences for those in need.”

There was a hush over the crowd.

“This isourfight,” he explained bravely. “It would be remiss of us to put their lives in undue peril while it is within our power to ensure their safety.”

My heart raced as I listened, thinking of my parents, all too aware of how their living in this town had made them just as vulnerable as all the others. The Council’s decision to get them to safety was one I appreciated.

“While, ideally, this issue would be put to a vote, the Council has chosen to act on our own authority. So, it is official; within seven days, the humans of Seaton Falls will be evacuated, sent to nearby cities under the guise of our dam being deemed unsafe. As far as they will know, the structure was found in violation of several safety codes, and is considered a threat to our residents per a recent inspection. Military barricades and qualified personnel will seal all roads leading into and out of Seaton Falls.”

Beside me, Elise and Dallas exchanged glances, and I crossed my arms over my chest, wishing Liam had been there. Having him close always made me feel safe, even when the world around me was shifting, changing … falling apart.

Baz took his seat again and the Chancellor closed out the meeting. There was a brief question and answer segment at the end, which the shifters seemed to appreciate, but the message was already quite clear.

War was upon us.

The meeting adjourned with so many feeling unsettled. Chilled air swept my face as Elise, Dallas, and I neared the car, neared the security detail we’d been assigned. Tired and anxious to get home to check on Liam, I only stopped because my name was called in a deep, familiar voice. One I hadn’t heard in weeks because I successfully avoided his calls.

I turned to find Nick headed my way, and he wasn’t alone. Roz stood beside him, her lips pressed into a tense smile. She still didn’t seem quite comfortable around me. I returned the gesture, making sure my smile was more natural than hers, warmer. She’d come around eventually.

Elise and Dallas had stopped as well, eyeing Nick as he approached.

“I’ll catch up in a sec,” I said dismissively, prompting them to continue on without me.

Just as Nick came close, I faced him again, noting how he and Roz had seemingly settled into their new status—their interlocked fingers telling me as much.

“What’s up?”

His question was so general, which I appreciated. It wouldn’t require me to go into detail about how my life felt like it’d been turned upside down recently.

I nodded, pretending to be okay. “Everything’s good,” I lied.

In truth, things were the opposite of good. Things were … hard. Scary. Confusing.

These were all the reasons I avoided his calls, his texts just to check in after we made it home from our run-in with the Sovereign. I knew he only wanted to know I was okay—and, actually, to knowLiamwas okay—but I shut everyone out while I tried to cope with it all. Even calls to Beth were few and far between. As I stood before him today, Nick seemed to understand my recent detachment hadn’t been anything personal.

His lips parted to speak, but halted when Roz’s name was called from across the lot. Waving her in his direction, wearing a less-than-happy expression, was Officer Chadwick.

A breath puffed from Roz’s lips and it was clear she would have preferred to stay with Nick, but alas.

“Guess that’s my cue,” she sighed, glancing up toward Nick.

He nodded. “It’s cool. I’ll call you later.”

She reached up to loop her arms around his neck, and after a brief embrace, she jogged toward her father.

It was just Nick and I.

“I was going to say I’m glad to see you out. Beth said you’ve had a lot going on.”

I nodded, confirming. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”

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