Page 23 of Escalating Alpha

“So is myson,” I said, breaking down crying. “My job is to protect him, andthatI cannot fail at. I don’t care who sees me naked or what damn pictures get out. It’s all stupid compared to someone hating us so much they’d kill my son. Why can’t people see this has all gone way too far and their hate is—” I bit my lip before I said too much, trying to mop up my face.

Dain was suddenly there giving me some tissues and hugging me. He was talking to me in his language so no one besides fairies would know what he said. I didn’t understand it either, but I knew it was full of love.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed. “I’m sorry they came for him. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not, my love,” he rasped, kissing my hair. “It’s theirs. It’s their fault for—we will punish them and keep our son safe. They are unwell to hate someone who does so much good. We will keep him safe. Queen Laila sent more guards because her heartis so big—we will keep him safe. Your mother will find the culprit and make them pay.”

He said the rest in his language, and I realized he’d switched to English to make his point and give a pat on the back to Queen Laila.

It took me several minutes to calm down… And it wasn’t an act. This whole everything was too much for me.

“Sorry,” I whispered to Summer as I finished mopping up my face. “I didn’t mean to crack like that. I thought I had it together better and… Sorry.”

“Oh, Sera, I was right there with you and I barely know you,” she said gently. “My husband and I have received death threats too being news and political commentators. People don’t understand the toll it takes on us. Words are real and shouldn’t easily be brushed off. I’m always careful with what I say. But to find out it was more than real and against your son?”

“It was always me—never others really. Or others that were also involved like Chief Havers. They took a hit out on him for New York, but—he signed up for this. It’s not right, but he did—wedid. My son is innocent.”

“And adorable,” she told me with a watery chuckle. “Do you really think it’s the First Lady?”

I opened my mouth but then closed it, shaking my head and trying again, back to acting. “I don’t know. The timing and hearing it’s because I’m evil is just—I work for the FBI and we don’t believe in coincidences. Everything is just so far out of hand that I had to file a lawsuit against the former Mrs. Galvin. She just won’t stop telling lies about me—lies people believe—”

“Because you don’t fight back,” she sighed.

I nodded. “And they spin out.” I decided to throw fuel on the fire. “I had someone accuse me that my son is ouraffair childand everything is a lie about the adoption.” I kept nodding whenSummer’s eyes went too wide. “We’ve both been clearedseveraltimes that we didn’t have a relationship. We didn’t.

“There are times she swears she saw me trying to seduce her husband in DC right in front of her and I was on assignment out of thecountry. Undercover no less. One for months and she… It’s all gone too far and too far over the line. It’s also so sad that just because I haven’t constantly shouted back at her that there’s some validity to her lies.

“I feel bad for her kids and I’m worried if they’re safe with someone so unhinged.” I shrugged when Summer’s mouth fell open. “It’s alllies, Summer. Delusions even. I wasn’t in the country and she swears she saw me throw myself at Director Galvin. Even after seeing the proof, she says it’s all made up. It’s not. She’s unhinged and that worries me for those kids.”

“I didn’t realize there was so much that was glaringly concrete,” she whispered.

I nodded. “What’s a little irrefutable proof when there’s a good story?” I snorted. “Dain’s flying out tomorrow to handle the start in DC court. I tried to avoid humiliating her like this with everyone seeing the full proof—”

“But why should you when she won’t do the same with lies?”

“Exactly, and it keeps ramping up and spiraling out. Now with the First Lady it seems.” I wanted to circle back to that and sighed. “It seems crazy for a stay-at-home mother from the Midwest to be able to hire that kind of hitman who takes sniper shots like that. But no matter how she frames herself that way—that’s not all she is.

“She was the wife of a US senator for years. Now she’s the First Lady. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be that difficult.” I shook my head and rubbed it. “But I want to say it’s crazy. No way that could be an option against two US citizens, right? But if she truly is delusional and thinks I will bring the apocalypse… What would she do to stop that?”

“That’s a good point,” she whispered. “Or someone near her. There are a lot of powerful people with deep pockets near her.”

“Someone in my camp suggested that,” I accepted, making it clear that I was open to the truth and not just using this to attack the First Lady.

Even if I totally was.

“Either option isn’t remotely the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. I see darkness every day. This situation in DeKalb with dirty cops and children stealing everything from their parents—there’s alotof darkness in the world. It could be someone wanting to get the president reelected and I’m a loud voice against his anti-supe agenda.

“I’m the one who pointed out how his administration intentionally disrespects supes, including my family.” I hurried on when Summer opened her mouth. “They never call my family by their proper titles. It’s always Mrs. Dorcus. I’m even Ms. Thomas if not acting in my role as FBI. It’s so rude and dismissive andpetty.

“And I fight against it. Others thought it was a mistake, but it’s not. It’s intentional. That’s why Iran and Bolivia won’t speak directly to the president. They won’t accept that bad behavior and no one should have to. But people want my voice out of the way to stop saying that. That Iearnedmy spot as Alpha and that should be respected.

“That when I’m called ‘Mistress,’ it’s a position ofhonorbecause I protect vampires. I took the extraburdento protect them and have a community they can thrive in. I won’t stand by and let people dismiss that or twist it into sex games. Not when it craps on all of the vampires and wolves who work really hard to help Chicago and this country.”

“It’s really sad that’s where things are at. I didn’t know that’s how bad things were or that was going on,” Summer muttered. “People are going to ask for other confirmation.”

I shrugged. “I can give you the numbers of President Nuri and President Condori’s aides. I’m sure they’d love the chance to tell you themselves or phone into your show. My grandmother would absolutely tell you that she was recently addressed as Mrs. Dorcus instead of Matriarch Dorcus which is the proper title for an Alpha who passed on leadership.”

Summer shook her head. “The world is—if this was another country’s culture it would be all over the media and shamed as it should be.”

---