Page 106 of Wulf's Pack
She gives him a smirk and an exaggerated wink before bringing us back on topic. “The point is, Wulf’s found himself a woman, and she’s adorable, and sweet, and he’s a very lucky man.”
I smile at that. She has no idea how right she is.
Nora nods enthusiastically. “She really is a sweetheart. You’re all going to love her. But we’ll let Alpha Winters introduce her, and he can tell you all about his new pack while he’s at it.”
Nora grins at me and nods toward the mic. “You’re up.”
I have to reach deep for my inneronswitch. Normally, I’m a huge people person. I’m a goofball extravert that loves to have a good time. I’m every bit as friendly and outgoing as Nora and Shayne. It’s why I’m so popular in the Detroit underworld community, and why the human media made me one of the main faces of the underworld. I don’t love the intrusion on my privacy, but I don’t usually hate attention this much. Having to fight off eager she-wolves is a lot different than having a mate and a pack to protect. Hopefully, the stress doesn’t turn me into the grump Skylar said I was being this morning.
I clear my throat and plaster a smile on my face. “Hey, everyone. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m Wulf Winters.”
“You’d have to live under a rock to not know who you are, Wulf,” Shayne quips, earning another round of laughter.
I roll my eyes. “Right, well, enough about me. I’d like to introduce you all to my mate, Skylar.”
Skylar blushes and squeezes my hand beneath the table, but she manages a beautiful, if shy, smile and says, “Hi.”
I kiss her temple before addressing the reporters again. “We appreciate you all being here and are especially grateful for your patience this last month as we sorted ourselves out and mourned the devastating loss of ten innocent shifters, seven of whom were pack.”
The mention of death sobers the crowd, and I have to swallow around a lump in my throat. “There were a lot of reports of misinformation and speculation around the battle in Lapeer. What you need to know is that no humans were harmed in theattack. It was an underworld conflict that didn’t involve a single human and had no bearing on their safety, nor will it in the future. The danger has been eliminated.”
“Because you and your people killed them,” someone shouts from the crowd. “Do you have anything to say for yourself about murdering over twenty people?”
I clench my jaw, but keep the smile on my face. I knew there would be some hostility. It’s to be expected with a group of this many humans. Especially on the subject of such a controversial topic.
“My pack acted in self-defense,” I say coolly. “The incident was investigated by both underworld and human authorities, and no charges have been brought against any of us.”
“So you got away with murder.”
I grind my teeth, and Skylar sends me some calming power. “Again. It was self-defense.”
“It was vigilante justice!” another reporter shouts, earning murmurs and a few loud calls of support. “Shifters shouldn’t get special privileges. You should all be in jail!”
Beside me, Skylar sucks in a breath. Her guilt and sorrow throb through the bond. I squeeze her hand and shift my voice to something firm, but not too hard or defensive. “No one goes to jail for self-defense, and shifters don’t get special privileges. We have different laws, and we broke none of those laws.”
“Shifters shouldn’t have different laws! They’re not better than humans!”
Another heated agreement goes up in the room, and all the shifters present start to get antsy. The crowd is getting riled, and that’s the last thing we need.
“No one is saying shifters are better than humans,” Nora says, stepping in. “Underworlders follow as many human laws as we can, but the simple fact of the matter is: We are not human. We have different capabilities and different instincts that can’tbe ignored. We need to be policed differently, but I assure you, wearepolicing our people. Our laws can be brutal, but that is needed to keep the peace among us. We are constantly working with human authorities to find a balance between your species and ours.
“This is a new world for all of us, and there is going to be an adjustment period, but the important thing is that we do all we can to keep everyone safe. And as Alpha Winters already said, not a single human was harmed in any way. Laws were broken, people were hurt, and underworld justice was carried out as quickly and effectively as possible.”
“We’re not here to get into a debate on human/underworld politics,” Shayne says. “We’re here to give you facts and reassure you that the threat is over, and everyone is safe. As is usual in the underworld, the shifters kept the conflict between themselves. They had no reason or desire to harm humans. You’re just looking to start drama. We have existed alongside you since the dawn of time. The only difference is now you know we’re here. You wouldn’t be complaining if it had been the FBI taking out a terrorist group that took over a family’s home, murdered innocent people, and held children hostage, so stop whining about us doing the same thing for our people.”
I choke on a laugh, and Nora sighs. “Shayne. Remember we talked about tact.”
Shayne shrugs unrepentantly. “Sometimes you have to tell it like it is.” She gives a pointed look of disapproval to the reporters and says, “Now. Moving on.”
“Can you give us more information?” someone asks. “What happened? What was the conflict about?”
I sigh. So much for waiting until the end to ask questions. Before I can answer him, Skylar speaks up. “I was abducted,” she says softly.
Her sweet nature has the crowd settling without the use of any omega powers. Like Nora’s siren allure, Skylar just radiates peace and calm. The people quiet down and hang on her every word. She takes a breath, and though I can tell she doesn’t want to drudge up a painful past, she’s determined to ease their curiosity and concerns. “I am an omega wolf. It’s a rare type of shifter with unique gifts that make me valuable to any pack. Unfortunately, there are many bad people willing to go to extremes to use me for their own purposes. I have never been free. As a child, I was raised by vampires who treated me as property. I was a toy to be played with and an object to use for their own personal gain.”
Soft murmurs sweep the room.
Skylar ignores the whispers and continues sharing her nightmare. “At fourteen, I was kidnapped by my own parents and then sold as a slave to a corrupt wolf pack which was heavily involved in drugs, weapons, and both human and shifter trafficking.
