Offer They Can’t Refuse

EKON

I left her alone in the dining room.

I didn’t have a plan. There was no specific place I needed to go.

All I knew was that I needed to get away from ~Bambi~.

So, I roamed the halls, stomping past servants and friends alike.

Even though I couldn’t see Bambi’s face, I knew how it looked. And it haunted me. I could imagine her wide eyes, filled to the brim with tears.

I had betrayed her trust. She wanted me to open up about my mother, but the conversation had taken a nosedive and crash-landed.

I couldn’t let her find out the truth. We’d fought through so much strife and overcome more obstacles than any relationship should have to.

But I feared that if these secrets were brought to the surface, we might not be able to repair the damage.

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

“Ekon,” Bambi’s voice called out.

I sensed her standing in the hallway, unsure of what to do or say.

For a brief moment, I felt an apology on my tongue…but as I opened my mouth, all that came out was a grunt.

“Ekon, please,” she pleaded.

I took off past the dining room, once again leaving Bambi alone.

~Idiot! Fucking fool!~

All I had to do was open up to my love. She deserved to know the truth. Part of me even believed that she would understand what had happened…

But she wouldn’t be able to ~understand~ because I couldn’t tell her.

I stopped once again to gather my senses and orient myself in the mansion when I realized I was outside my study.

Without a second thought, I pushed open the door and locked it behind me.

I was alone with my thoughts. Finally, I could start to sift through the debris of the last few hours and try to piece it back together.

But first…

I searched for the key to the liquor cabinet.

I’d promised Bambi that I would get rid of the alcohol. She pleaded with me time after time that its presence was too daunting for me to overcome on my own.

She wanted me to be done with it—destroy all the bottles in one fell swoop, like ripping a bandage from the wound.

And time after time, I demurred, telling her the liquor was necessary when entertaining my peers or members of the Royal Council.

That wasn’t the entire truth. Just like with Bambi’s questions about her parents…

I only told her enough to keep the peace.

But today I’d failed. Sooner or later, she would find out about her parents.

And when that time came, I didn’t want to be sober.

In a matter of seconds, the cabinet was unlocked, and I was tracing my finger over the numerous bottles.

I had tasted them all so many times that I could find them merely by touch.

And they were practically begging for me to open them up…

I settled on a bottle of aged scotch and poured myself two fingers of the liquid.

The smooth, sweet scent wafted to my nostrils, intoxicating my senses.

I pressed the glass against my lips and hesitated.

Once the scotch hit my mouth, there was no turning back. It was either now or never…

I tossed out the scotch, listening to it spatter across the marble tile.

I’d almost given in.

One second more and it’s possible the liquid on the ground would have ended up in the pit of my stomach.

Bambi deserved better than that. She believed in me and was one of the main reasons I had survived being on the run.

Her love kept me going…

I had promised her I’d do better. It was time to finally live up to that promise.

MAX

The intern greeted Ela and I with a brilliant smile.

“Right this way, Alpha Maximus.”

She opened the doors to the conference room, and we were immediately greeted with shouting.

~Yep, this feels right…~

The summit was held in a massive auditorium overflowing with raucous energy. Numerous rows of tables and benches were filled with congressmen and senators from all over the US.

And it wasn’t just humans… there were many supernatural species represented at the summit. I nodded at a Wizard I’d met back in Austria.

For a moment, I had a flashback to the Supernatural Parliament…

Ela’s touch brought me back to reality as she led us to the stage.

“Good to see some friendly faces,” a gruff voice called out.

It was Hades, Ekon’s cousin, who moved closer and gave me a smack on the shoulder.

I couldn’t help but see Ekon’s features in Hades. His face was a constant scowl, and his demeanor had always seemed brusque with no room for outside conversation.

But I’d be damned if he didn’t look happy to be here.

“We’re all friendly ~now~,” I said. “Just wait until it begins.”

“I can’t wait,” Hades said warmly. “There’s nothing like a good summit. Especially one with plenty of arguments.”

Ela chuckled at Hades’ joke, drawing his attention.

“And who is this young lady?” Hades asked.

Ela stepped forward and offered her hand to shake.

“Luna Ela Blackwood,” she said with a curtsy.

Hades took it gently in his own and kissed it.

“Ah, another member of the esteemed Blackwood pack,” Hades said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet the woman who finally grabbed Hunter by the balls.”

The auditorium was growing quiet, and I could sense the assembly was about to take place.

I took my seat next to Hades, and Ela sat beside me. The stage was divided into two sections: the humans and the werewolves.

On one side were members of the Royal Council. This included King Dmitri, looking regal as ever in his suit, cloak, and bejeweled crown.

Hades leaned over, looking at both me and Ela.

“It might seem pointless to mention this,” Hades said, “but I found the sentiment has yet to steer me wrong in life: ~never trust a human as an ally.~”

Ela and I shared a quick glance.

With that, the event was underway.

“Thank you all for attending this summit,” the Speaker said. “I know it wasn’t easy to bring the packs and species together under such short notice.”

“We are more than happy to have been invited,” King Dmitri said coolly. “Peace is a necessity for humans and werewolves alike.”

“For all supernatural beings!” someone shouted from the audience.

A wave of cheers erupted but was quickly silenced by the beating of a gavel.

“That’ll be enough of that,” the Speaker shouted. “I believe President Nelson had a few opening remarks for the summit.”

President Nelson smoothed his tie and looked out at the audience.

“We’ve gathered here to talk about the recent attacks on our country,” Nelson said, pausing for effect. “And this little ~war~ between the werewolves is spilling over into the rest of the world.”

I scanned the crowd and could see the impact of Nelson’s words. Half of the people looked ready to chase us out at a moment’s notice. The others…~my people~…looked worried.

“And what do you plan to do about it?” Hades barked. “Put us under lockdown again while the Rogues go free?”

“Perhaps none of you should be free,” a gruff voice said.

I looked at the nameplate in front of him.

~Barnaby Smit.~

He was the hulking bald man sitting next to the president. His title was “The Director of Homeland Security.”

Another round of cheers erupted from the audience, this time accompanied by a chorus of boos.

It looked as if both sides were stuck in their opinions, unwilling to budge an inch.

“What the hell did he mean?” Hades asked. “Our species narrowly avoided another Great War. You should be thanking us, not plotting our fucking sentences.”

The gavel pounded again, slowly quieting the room.

“Excuse Mr. Smit,” Nelson said. “He seems to have let his emotions get the best of him. But I know the importance of the treaty between our species.”

“Agreed,” King Dmitri said suddenly.

Hades turned to look at me angrily. It was clear he’d been in this position before and didn’t enjoy the king’s diplomatic approach.

“We only want the best outcome for both realms,” Dmitri continued. “Another war cannot happen. And we will make sure of that, no matter the cost.”

“The cost is already immeasurable,” I said.

I felt the color dissolve from my face and melt to the soles of my feet. Every eye had turned to me, and it was my chance to speak for all werewolves.

“What costs have you paid?” Barnaby Smit asked with a sneer.

I searched for the answer that had been on my tongue, but everything seemed hazy. The words I wanted to speak were clammed up in my throat.

“The cost can only be measured in lives,” Ela said, stepping in for me. “Many good friends and family members perished in this so-called Great War. But there was no help from the humans. We were on our own!”

~Fuck. Fuck! Fuck!~

This was turning into a veritable shitshow.

I could feel the eyes of the president and the Royal Council boring into me. I’d brought Ela along as legal help, but I hadn’t expected her to speak up.

“We’ve helped by not stomping you out from the moment you stepped onto our land,” Barnaby roared.

The Speaker banged the gavel relentlessly, but the auditorium only managed to grow louder. I could see the two sides, split down the middle, hurling insults and threats at one another.

President Nelson stood, and his advisors followed suit.

“I can see that this isn’t going to be a fruitful negotiation,” Nelson said. “Perhaps next time you’ll be ready to actually make progress.”

~Next time…~

I looked to Ela, whose eyes were wide. We had known it would be difficult to come to an agreement with the government, but it was still a surprise that all we’d done here was argue.

Without saying another word, the president and his envoy left the room.

Dmitri leapt to his feet and quickly followed suit, causing Hades to growl in his absence.

“I hate humans like the plague,” he lamented grumpily. “But I have to admit. That was a better start than I expected.”

I turned to Ela, and we locked eyes.

It would require more work than we had ever imagined for these talks to be successful…

ELA

“It was like toddlers attending university,” Max shouted. “Nobody knew what the fuck was going on.”

We’d been back in Max’s room for a few hours, but he was still livid.

Even Kalindi seemed concerned as she watched Max pace around the large suite, kicking at every piece of furniture he passed.

The only one who seemed calm was Hades, who was enjoying a glass of scotch next to the window.

“And you!” Max said, pointing at me.

“Watch where you point that finger,” Kalindi warned. “Or you might not have it much longer.”

Max balled his hands into fists and stomped on the ground.

“Fuuuuck!” he screamed.

~Well, that about summed up our day…~

“I’m sorry that the summit was a disaster,” I said. “But I needed to speak up.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything,” Kalindi interrupted.

I looked at her with an annoyed expression, and she closed her mouth. I returned my gaze to Max, who was staring sourly at the carpet.

“This all feels so odd,” I continued. “It’s almost like some kind of game to them. And they want to be in control from the start.”

“They always want control,” Hades agreed. “It’s never enough.”

Max finally looked at me, and I could see a twinkle in his eye.

“Holy hell,” he said. “I think you’re right.”

It made me feel good to finally be appreciated, but that feeling quickly turned sour when I began to wonder ~why~ they would do such a thing.

“But that’s the problem with this summit,” Max continued. “They set it up. They chose the terms. And now they’re in control.”

“Humans have never liked us,” Kalindi interjected. “Our species made a truce thousands of years ago. It didn’t do much good then. I don’t see how it will now.”

“Well, we’ve got to try,” Max replied. “Or else that little lockdown everyone witnessed might just come back tenfold.”

Hades scoffed, but the look on Kalindi’s face told me she was worried.

And the worst part about this ~summit~ was that it was taking place where the humans wanted it.

I thought about voicing more objections, but would it really do any good? We were already here, and the packs were expecting us to make a case for them.

If we only complained, we’d never be able to come up with any ~solutions~. What the humans wanted was to control us…

At that moment, an idea occurred to me.

~The humans want to be in control. So, what if we made them believe they were in control?~

“What if we offer something to them?” I asked. “Give them a gift that makes them feel like they’re in control.”

It seemed like such a simple, unimportant idea. But when I saw Max and Kalindi staring at me, I began to see different possibilities opening up.

“Yes,” Max said. “To show them we want to work together.”

“Good fucking luck with that,” Kalindi retorted.

I shot her a glare before returning my attention to Max.

“But what would they want?” Max mused. “What would they need?”

Kalindi moved to the mini-fridge and grabbed a bottled water. As she crossed back to her seat, Max unwittingly stepped in front of her.

In a few seconds, they would crash together…

Kalindi sidestepped Max but in doing so, tripped over the couch ottoman. She should have tumbled to the ground, but her reflexes were one of a kind.

Kalindi used her one free hand to cartwheel out of danger. She finished off her showcase of agility by backflipping into her seat beside me on the couch.

“That’s it!” I yelled.

Max and Kalindi both jumped at my sudden outburst.

“What’s what?” Max asked, confused.

“What do werewolves have that the government doesn’t?”

Kalindi and Max shared a look. They both shrugged.

“Fangs?” Kalindi asked.

I pointed at Kalindi and smiled.

“We have an elite group of soldiers that any military would drool over. It could showcase how important it is for humans and werewolves to work together.”

Kalindi’s eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously.

“I’m on board,” she said. “Hell, I’ll be the guinea pig!”

“And maybe they’ll see we’re not to be trifled with,” Hades said as he finished his drink.

Max looked at me as if I’d just discovered the cure for cancer.

“It’s unheard of,” he said. “But, dammit, it’s our best chance.”

BAMBI

~He’s hiding something.~

~There’s no other explanation.~

I sat on the back porch of the compound, looking out at the grim terrain.

Ekon’s outburst had caught me off guard, but it had also raised my suspicions. He was ill-tempered and had let his emotions get the best of him.

But there was no excuse for his sudden rage.

I tried to think of anything else to take my mind off the knot in my stomach, but it was no use.

All I could think about was Ekon. And that made me wonder even more about my parents’ unexplained deaths.

I wrapped the shawl around my shoulders and headed inside.

There was one person I needed to see…

Holly was sitting alone in a chair in the hall outside her bedchambers. She looked equally confused and tired.

~That must be what I look like…~

I sat in a chair across the hall. She smiled once she registered my presence.

“Hey, girl,” she said sweetly. “Long time, no see.”

Holly’s eyebrows arched with interest.

“And how can I help you?” she asked.

I took a few breaths, hoping they would calm my nerves. It didn’t work; they only managed to make me more nervous. But if I didn’t ask now, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be brave enough…

“I need you to perform a spell that makes Ekon tell the truth…”