Page 173 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

He drove to the section of land where the bridge connected and turned onto it. The bridge obviously had been built with care without even a bump, but I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Only the best for Shadow City.

The closer we got, the clearer everything came into view. The massive walls stood over one hundred stories high, with the city’s emblem carved on them over and over again. The emblem was simple but breathtaking in its own right. The picture must be a skyline view of the city, and hovering over the tallest two skyscrapers was a huge paw print. “Why is there a wolf print on top?” I asked. This was a supernatural city, so it seemed strange that only one race would be represented in its emblem.

“Because of the silver wolves.” Griffin’s lips smashed together. “That was what Yelahiah demanded when the council was formed in memory of her brother.”

No wonder Rosemary had turned out to be such a good ally. I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew the story. For some reason, I didn’t think she did. But finally, the kinship we felt for each other—which neither of us had understood—made sense.

I glanced at the top of the city, which was covered by a large glass dome so that not even supernaturals who could fly would be able to enter unless the city authorities wanted them to. “I’m assuming the glass is spelled?” Dad had taught me that witches were damn powerful when they worked together. It was both their strength and weakness, as all it took was one turning against the coven to fracture them.

“Yes, they reinforce it with their magic. From what Dad told me, there’s been only one occurrence of someone trying to break in, a century or two ago.” Griffin nodded toward the top. “Some power-hungry fae dragon king wanted to take over the city. All I remember is that even against fae magic, the dome held tight.”

“So only one attack here?” I’d expected several. There was always at least one crazed, power-hungry supernatural alive at any time. Probably more than one, but I chose to think optimistically. Dad always said to prepare for the worst-case scenario, but think positively. Positivity was stronger than anyone realized.

“No, there have been several,” Killian said, and he leaned forward, staring out the windshield in awe. “But the last one was during the time when my grandfather had been alpha for only a few years. It was a coordinated shifter attack of a few races that lived in a bordering town. Our pack was able to hold them off, though we lost a lot of lives. Shadow City raised the bridge, and the witches spelled the water to kill the few who got past us when they reached it.”

“How many did you lose?” Griffin asked stiffly.

“About half our numbers.” Killian sighed. “That’s one reason that half our neighborhood is vacant and why you were able to buy the house next to mine. We’re still trying to get back to those numbers.”

“Dad told me about an attack, but he said the loss was minimal,” Griffin said with disgust. “That doesn’t sound minimal to me.”

“I think there might have been one Shadow City death—one of the city guards in charge of the drawbridge.” Killian scratched the back of his neck and smoothed his features, becoming unreadable. “The bridge got stuck, so he had to hang over it to get the rope unhung. The enemy took him out then, and Shadow City gave up on raising it higher. It was up high enough that the shifters couldn’t jump to it.”

In other words, the Shadow City deaths were minimal. That perspective was yet another example of why we shouldn’t be separate packs. “You all have done so much to keep that city safe,” I said to Killian. Every time there was an incident, Killian’s pack reacted without hesitation. And still, they weren’t worthy of being officially invited into the city, only to protect the exterior. To Griffin, I asked,They came from Shadow City—why are they viewed as outsiders?

I...I don’t know.Griffin squirmed, and regret wafted from him into me.I never questioned any of this before you arrived. Things had always been that way.

Nowthatwas a sentiment we both shared. We believed in our fathers and hadn’t thought to question how and why things were done, or how we were raised.

As children, we’d thought of our parents as heroes. We’d put them on pedestals, but the more we grew and learned, the clearer it became that they were just people. They had strengths and weaknesses and didn’t always make the best decisions.

They were flawed.

They were real.

They were the type of people who should lead because a perfect person wouldn’t have the empathy to relate to others or the convictions of what was right and wrong. Theirimperfections made them better leaders, and I was beginning to understand that. Besides, as I did so, I also realized everything that I’d done wrong along the way.

Questions were meant to be asked. A situation should be looked at from every angle. Supernatural races should work together because we all saw things differently, which could show us that sometimes the way things have always been wasn’t the way they should be now.

Things had to change. Each bit of information I learned strengthened my resolve, because Rosemary, Griffin, Killian, and I were going to make it happen. We’d find other allies along the way, but for now, we had a diverse group formed: an angel, the alpha from Shadow Ridge, the alpha from Shadow City, and the alpha silver wolf. Even if I didn’t plan to recruit more races for the cause, no one would be able to argue that we didn’t have the strength to usher in change.

As we approached a large wooden door that would allow us entry into the city, Griffin slowed. When the car came to a complete stop, he waited, his eyes glowing faintly.

He must be linking with people inside.

Confirming my suspicions, gears ground, and soon, the door began to lift. The process was slow and loud, as if the weight of the door were too much for its cables.

The city came into view inch by inch…and it was gorgeous. The buildings seemed modern, despite the city being closed off for almost one thousand years, and they filled the skyline. A stucco-like building with a huge, round, purple stained-glass roof stood directly in front. The light shining from the top of the city’s dome made a beautiful color streak inside, and it seemed like we had entered a different realm.

“Holy shit,” Killian gasped. “It looks unreal. Almost like a drawing from an artist.”

That wasn’t enough to describe the beauty.

“It has to be beautiful to hide all the snakes inside,” Griffin murmured as he drove forward.

When we pulled into the city, the place somehow became even more beautiful. Supernaturals milled through a town square, seeming to have not a care in the world.

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