Page 116 of Moon Kissed

“You go with them as well,” Cygnus told Edric. “Daciana and I will speak alone.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir,” Badr said, ever the stubborn one. “She’s dangerous and she has allies hidden all over the academy. We had no idea all the epsilons were under her spell until they tied us up and threw us in a broom closet.”

“Gods, are you still whining about that?” I rolled my eyes. “We let you out, didn’t we?”

“I will be quite safe,” Cygnus said, looking nowhere but at me. “Run along.”

“Now,” Arabella barked when no one moved. “Two people have been murdered and enough time has been wasted. Show me the first crime scene.”

Stiffly, Badr and Edric peeled off, leading the way into the school. Badr didn’t take his eyes off me or his father until the doors swung shut.

I turned back to Cygnus. “Let me get this out of the way before the threats start. The changes I’ve made to the school and the curriculum aren’t going anywhere, and I’m staying on as headmistress.” I snapped my fingers, driving my point homewhen the gates swung shut and locked. “I hope those two things weren’t what you came all this way to discuss, because that conversation is already over.”

“After you,” he said, gesturing to the walking path leading around the school to the forest. He gave no sign that he heard, or cared about what I said.

“No.” I backed away, putting a healthy distance between us. “After you.”

Inclining his head, Cygnus set off without a word. He had no fear of me walking behind him. He had no fear of my allies. Cygnus Tahan stopped fearing everything and everyone when he became head of the alpha council—the most powerful alpha in all of Wolf Nation.

“What is it you hope to accomplish here, Daciana?” He spoke casually as if we were off on a genial stroll.

“I told Sunella this. Luame sent me a vision,” I replied. “I am her chosen. I have to heed her word even if everyone else doesn’t like it.”

“Ahh. This supposed vision.” Cygnus watched two birds chasing each other across the sky as if he actually cared about the beauty of such things. “What was in this vision?”

“War.”

Cygnus halted, turning back to me with a frown. “Excuse me?”

“War. Since the beginning of Wolf Nation we’ve never had a civil war. That tradition is about to come to a brutal and bloody end. In the vision, the epsilons, omegas, and lost clans rise up against the alphas and betas.”

“Lost clans?”

“Made up of shifter wolves that were thrown out of their clans with their ears cut,” I said. “Did you know they’ve been gathering and organizing in secret?”

He frowned, brows crumpling. He did not know. “That’s a lie.”

“It’s not. The vision didn’t come with a count of their forces, but from the horrid scenes of burning towns and rotting corpses—there are enough. Our way of life will end in total slaughter.”

“The slaughter of the omegas, epsilons, and traitors.”

Meeting his eyes, I shook my head.

Cygnus’s eyes blew. “The slaughter of the alphas and betas? That’s impossible!”

“It’s not impossible. Apparently someone somewhere finds a way to nullify your powers of command and persuasion, which is the only real power you’ve ever had over us. Without them, why wouldn’t you fall? Why wouldn’t you die.”

“I don’t believe this,” he cried, tossing his head. “Nothing you’re saying can be true.”

As serious as the situation was, I had to admit I enjoyed seeing the icy bastard agitated. As much as he strutted around pretending otherwise, his hackles went up just like every other wolf.

“What proof do you have?” he demanded.

“Proof will come,” I replied calmly, “but not in a way you’ll like.”

His growl told me what he thought of that.

“But there’s also the obvious proof,” I continued. “I won’t swear in Luame’s name because she hates that and she’s been punishing the crap out of me for it.” I absentmindedly rubbed my temples. “But one thing she hates even more is someone lying in her name and swearing false prophecy. We all know what happened to the last person who tried it.”

---