Chapter 63: 64: Under Pressure

VIVIAN

~I have to hide!~

No one can see me like this. It will ruin everything.

I run down the corridor, and at the end of it, I come upon a bronze statue of a wolf mother with her pups, suckling at her tits.

I crouch down and crawl behind it.

When I’m out of sight, I lean against the wall and try to catch my breath.

My claws finally retract, and my teeth return to normal. The feral feeling in my mind has dissipated, and I’m fully human again.

~That could’ve been so bad.~

Dad raised me to reject my wolf impulses, but when I get angry, it’s hard to control them.

I can only partially shift, being a half-werewolf, but it still feels like I’ve inhabited someone else’s body.

I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin...or fur.

I’ve never been around this many werewolves before. I should’ve expected that my wolf would rear its ugly head here.

Which means that I’ll have to try even harder to suppress it.

If anyone finds out the truth, I’ll lose everything.

My life in Washington…

My whole career…

And my dad.

~He’s the only family that I have left.~

I look at the towering bronze statue and feel my stomach clench. The she-wolf with her pups…

My mother was a werewolf.

Dad said she abandoned me right after I was born. He said she was a prostitute and a junkie—that she had no love for me.

I don’t have any real memories of her, so maybe he’s right, but…

There’s one thing that has stuck with me all these years. A memory so faint that I don’t think I can even call it a memory—more like a feeling.

It’s like a warm, fuzzy blanket, wrapped around my mind. An intense connection unlike any other.

I like to think that feeling is from my mother, but I know I’m probably just crazy. It makes me feel better when I start to lose control.

I inhale sharply when I realize just how close I was to exposing myself to the Royal Pack. I was sent here to be an ambassador for the humans—to prepare for the unification ceremony and the president’s arrival.

And what am I doing on my first day? Hiding behind a damn statue.

I cautiously stand up and smooth out the creases in my pantsuit.

~No more fuckups, Vivian,~ I think to myself. ~Get the job done.~

I have to start bringing my A game. Because this has to go ~perfectly~.

ALEX

Vivian’s eyes light up behind her oversized glasses as she talks excitedly about her plans for the pack.

“A peace treaty will mean that we can assist with the safety of your kingdom and eradicate future Hunter attacks. And the opportunities that an alliance could bring us are nearly endless! Cultural ‘a-were-ness’ seminars! Partisan pack summits! A task force to ~hunt~ the Hunters!”

Her overzealous hand motions send a moonstone paperweight flying from my desk.

I catch it with lightning-fast reflexes and nod along, trying not to laugh at her excitement. “I agree, there’s so many possibilities.”

It’s refreshing to work with someone who actually wants to be involved in pack politics. This is way out of Ariel’s comfort zone.

“Sorry about my mate,” I say. “Ariel is—well, she’s not too trustful of humans—let’s just put it that way.”

“Why? What happened?”

“It’s…not my story to tell,” I reply, thinking about the look of betrayal on Ariel’s face when she thought I’d told Vivian of her experience with the Hunters. “But maybe she’ll tell you herself sometime.”

“I understand,” she says quietly. “We all have topics that are difficult to discuss.”

The enthusiasm in her eyes dies out for a moment, and she grows silent.

“Hey, don’t worry about Ariel. She’ll come around.”

“Oh, no it’s not that. I’m just really in the zone with these ideas,” she replies, almost instantly coming back to life. “But I’d love to get to know your luna better.”

I wonder what my father would think of the plans I’m making with Vivian.

~I’d give anything to be able to talk with Dad again…~ Now I’m the one who’s silent.

I’m working on this treaty to honor his memory—to fulfill his wishes.

Is it the right move for my pack? I’m not sure…

But at least I feel confident about working together with Vivian. We make a good team.

She shoots me a smile. “Shall we jump back in?”

“I hope you’re good at negotiating,” I say with a grin. “I’m a hard sell. They call me ‘the Werewolf of Wall Street’ around here.”

Vivian laughs. “I highly doubt that. But I’m more than game for some verbal ping-pong. Let the negotiations begin.”

ARIEL

“Stand up straighter,” Dianne barks. “Shoulders back, neck high.”

I clumsily attempt to walk in an even line, balancing a heavy book on top of my head.

Dianne and Maria watch anxiously as I wobble to the other end of the library. I notice Natalia glaring at me with contempt as she leans against a shelf.

She makes me lose focus, and I take too swift of a step, causing the book to tumble to the floor.

Natalia scoffs loudly, and Dianne groans.

“Isn’t this exercise a little cliché?” I ask, frustrated by my tenth failed attempt. “This is a waste of time.”

Dianne looks like I’ve just roundhoused her in the face. “Good posture is ~never~ a waste of time.”

I catch Maria rolling her eyes, and I shoot her a grin.

“Do you want to end up like Aunt Josephine?” Dianne continues in a dramatic tone. “She shifted so much that she developed scoliosis. And now she has a permanent hunchback!”

~Ugh, Goddess, give me patience.~

“I’m a warrior, Dianne. I know how to properly shift,” I say a little tersely. “If I develop a hunchback, it’s only because you won’t get ~off~ it.”

Maria cackles out loud, and Dianne whips around to face her.

“Really, Maria? Do you not agree that a luna needs to be dignified in the way she presents herself?”

“Yes, but this is Ariel’s first lesson,” Maria says. “We can’t just twist her arm like some kind of windup toy and expect her to waddle through life as a perfect luna.”

While Dianne and Maria argue, I try to discreetly sneak away, but Natalia blocks my path.

“Who do you think you’re fooling with this queen routine?” she sneers. “We both know this ~so~ isn’t you.”

“I never said it was,” I shoot back. “Do you really think I ~want~ to be here balancing books on my head?”

“So then why are you?”

“I…I’m doing it for Alex…and for myself,” I stammer. It’s not entirely convincing.

“You’re doing it for ~her~,” Natalia says, staring over my shoulder.

I turn to see Dianne still fighting with Maria, waving her arms wildly.

I turn back to Natalia and cross my arms. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe you’re just jealous that Dianne isn’t showering you with attention anymore.”

When I imprisoned Xavier, I effectively knocked Natalia off her pedestal, and she isn’t going to let me forget it.

There’s a small part of me—a shameful part—that actually enjoys seeing her get taken down a peg or two.

Natalia gives me a cold glare as I brush past her. She may be a bitch, but she’s right about one thing…

This whole dignified luna persona isn’t me. I’m calling it a day and leaving early.

As I leave the library and head to Alex’s office, hoping he’ll be down for a little ~private sparring~, I hear a raucous conversation coming from the boardroom.

When I open the door to investigate, my heart drops.

Alex and Dom are talking animatedly to Vivian as she stands at the head of the conference table, effortlessly commanding their attention.

She’s so confident and poised. Her presence within the room is intoxicating.

As she leads Alex through her terms for the treaty, it’s as if she’s speaking a language that I don’t understand.

But Alex understands it—he speaks it too.

I slowly back away from the door, suddenly feeling insecure.

The way that Alex looks at Vivian… He’s impressed by her.

She’s so diplomatic, dignified, and—well, everything that I’m ~not~.

She’s come in hot, ready to get shit done, and I can’t help but feel like it’s impossible to measure up.

~What do I know about running a royal pack?~

~What do I know about bringing peace to the werewolf realm?~

I don’t even understand my healing power for Goddess’ sake. How am I supposed to help anyone else?

When I turn around, I’m surprised to see that Dianne is watching me. She gives me a sympathetic look.

“Do you see now why I’m pushing you so hard?” she says. “It’s because I didn’t want you to feel like ~this~.”

She approaches me and puts her arm around my shoulder.

“You don’t know how I’m feeling,” I say, even though I don’t pull away from her.

“A mother always knows,” she responds.

Dianne definitely isn’t the first person I would turn to for advice, but she’s the one who’s here, so…

“What do I have to do? I don’t want to disappoint Alex.”

“Then you have to be strong for him. If it comes down to choosing between being a warrior and being a queen, you have to choose queen. Every time. You have to choose ~Alex~. He’s your number one priority.”

I look back toward the boardroom, where Vivian struts with an air of superiority.

She owns the room…

But only for now.

Because I’m not going down without a fight.

It goes against my better judgment to listen to my mother, but she’s right.

I need to take this seriously if I’m going to stand a chance at leading by Alex’s side.

My inner wolf growls in approval.

“Let’s get back to work,” I say.