Page 97 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas
"A lot of people are angry that they were lied to about the environmental impact," she said. "But there's also confusion about Cassian's role in everything. Some people think he's a hero for exposing the truth, others think he's a traitor for betraying his family."
"What do you think?" I asked, though I could sense her opinion through our bond.
"I think he did the right thing," she said firmly. "And I think this town is better than letting someone suffer for doing the right thing, even when it was complicated."
As if summoned by our conversation, the bell above the door chimed and Mayor Davidson walked in, followed by several members of the town council. They looked like people who'd spent the morning dealing with crisis management and public relations damage control.
"Wes," the mayor said, spotting me immediately. "I was hoping to find you here. We need to talk."
"About?" I asked, though I had a pretty good idea.
"About the environmental reports, the development project, and what this means for our community moving forward," she said. "The council would like to schedule a public meeting. Let people ask questions, get accurate information."
"That sounds reasonable," I said carefully.
"We'd also like you to present the environmental findings," she continued. "Help people understand what we avoided and why protection of the watershed matters."
The request wasn't surprising, but it was gratifying. Two weeks ago, the council had dismissed my concerns as fear-mongering. Now they were asking me to lead community education efforts. Interestingly, none of them seemed to be mentioning their own involvement.
"I'd be happy to help if it’s honesty you’re looking for," I said, looking at them pointedly. "When are you thinking?"
"Tomorrow evening, if possible. The sooner we address this publicly, the better."
"What about Cassian?" Willa asked, surprising everyone by speaking up. "Will he be invited to present his side of the story?"
The mayor looked uncomfortable. "That's... complicated. He's not exactly popular right now."
"Maybe he would be if people understood what he actually did," Willa said with quiet conviction. "If they knew he sacrificed everything to protect this community's future."
"You think we should invite him?" Councilman Roberts asked, skepticism clear in his voice.
"I think you should let people decide for themselves whether he's a hero or a villain," she said. "But they can't make that decision without accurate information."
The quiet strength in her voice made my chest swell with pride. This was the omega who'd been too afraid to speak up in group settings just weeks ago, now advocating for fairness and justice without hesitation.
"We'll consider it," the mayor said, but the way she avoided Willa’s eyes told me everything I needed to know. The major was hoping to make Cassian the scapegoat in all this. "Thank you for your input, Miss Rowan."
After they left, I pulled Willa into my arms, overwhelmed with affection and admiration.
"That was incredible," I told her, leaving the rest of my suspicions to myself. "The way you stood up for him, demanded fairness. You're amazing."
"I'm learning from good examples," she said, settling against my chest in a way that made our bond hum with contentment. "Besides, someone has to speak up for people who can't speak up for themselves."
"Even people who aren't pack?"
"Especially people who aren't pack," she said firmly. "That's what communities do. They take care of their own, even when their own are complicated and messy and make mistakes."
The conviction in her voice reminded me why I'd fallen in love with her in the first place. Not just her beauty or her talent, but this. Her capacity for compassion, her instinct to protect the vulnerable, her belief that people deserved better than their worst moments.
We spent the rest of the afternoon dealing with the steady stream of customers who wanted to discuss the environmental revelations. Agnes Murphy bought a book on local ecology and declared that she'd always known there was something fishy about the development project. Tom from the hardware store wondered aloud whether Cassian Black might not be the villain everyone had assumed. Sarah from the diner asked if Willa thought the council should formally thank him for protecting the water supply.
By closing time, it was clear that public opinion was shifting. Not uniformly, and not without resistance, but moving toward a more nuanced understanding of what had actually happened.
"Ready to go check on him?" I asked as Willa locked up the shop.
"Ready," she said, though I could sense her nervousness through our bond.
Cassian's house looked slightly better than it had the day before. The newspapers had been collected, the mail sorted, small signs that he was beginning to function again. When he answered our knock, he looked like he'd managed to shower and eat something.
