Page 78 of Fighting Furry

“If we could find a way to divide them, to make them disagree…”

“We'd have a shot of convincing them that killing Axel is the wrong way to go.”

I sighed. This was going to be more complicated than throwing a punch or dodging a kick. “We're going to need some food,” I said. “And every bit of information we can dig up on the council members.”

“I'll call Max,” she said. “You ring down to Larry at the front desk and ask her to order whatever food you want.”

In moments, we had Max's face on one of the screens and an order in for the breakfast buffet of champions.

There were thirty-seven members of the council and Max knew something about each of them. He knew more about some than others, since some were new, and he told us everything he knew. Desiree called in one of her staff and had her create a database with names and pictures and the information we needed. I chowed down on bagels and bacon and tried to follow what was happening.

“What about exposure,” I asked, when Max was reaching the end of his knowledge. For some reason, that word kept tickling at my brain, which didn't make any sense, werewolves had been exposed, the worst had happened, there was no way to undo it.

“What?” Max asked, sounding a bit tired and grumpy.

“Does everyone on the council agree that exposure would be bad, or are there some who think it would be good for werewolves to be exposed?”

Max reared back. “No one thinks exposure is a good idea, Julie Jacobs. We remember too well how wolves were exterminated in the middle ages.”

“Really?”

He raised his brows.

“You all remember the middle ages?”

Max muttered something under his breath. “It's a figure of speech.”

“Okay, but you don't think there's anyone, not one single person, who thinks maybe times have changed and humans would be more accepting of wolves now? You don't think anyone believes exposure might actually make them more powerful?”

Max scratched his head. “More powerful? How do you figure?”

I shook my head. “I don't know, it's just an idea. Never mind.” We didn't have time for philosophical debates, we needed a plan and we needed to save Axel.

“No,” Desiree said. “Continue that thought. Let's see where it takes us.”

I sighed. “It's stupid. It's just that the world already knows there are humans with some wolf blood, right? No one really batted an eye at that. So, what if werewolves came out of the closet and people didn't want to kill us. What if they wanted to be us?”

Desiree crossed her arms over her chest. “Go on,” she said, while Max screeched in the background that I was crazy.

“We're strong, we can turn into fluffy wolves and people fucking love wolves. If the exposure was played right, werewolves could be rock stars. You can't tell me no one on the council has had that thought.”

Desiree looked at Max. “Can your brother dig a bit?”

Max threw his hands up. “What's the point?”

“Because,” I said. “If anyone in the council is in favor of exposure, it could give us a way in, a way to convince the council Axel doesn't deserve to die.”

Max shook his head. “I'll ask, but don't hold your breath. I'm not expecting to get the answer you want.”

He clicked out of sight and I sat on the conference table to study the white board. “This is going to take too long,” I said, drumming my fingers on the desk.

“It's all we've got,” Desiree said. She was also staring at the white board.

“We need more. I'm calling Shelly.”

I called her because she was my chosen sister, she was the one I'd always gone to when things seemed darkest, and she'd always had my back. She was also one of the smartest fucking people I knew. She was on the path to building an empire to rival Desiree's and I knew she'd be able to at least throw a new idea into the mix.

Shelly answered and Desiree got her up on the screen where Max had been. Shelly listened to what we told her and looked over the information on the white board. She pursed her lips and considered, her expression very similar to Desiree's when she was thinking. “You should expose them,” Shelly said.

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