Page 80 of Retrograde

The Alpha of Dullahan stood and waited until I nodded for him to go ahead. He was a water dragon and had volunteered. “In general, I do agree with that, but now I understand their fires are so bad they can affect our whole world’s climate and—science I don’t fully understand. I think—I agree we have become too secluded. I didn’t even know about the fires.”

I was glad when many seemed to agree. “We have to change that mindset. There were wars near me when I was in school never reported in Thovudin. People complaining about price changes and the media blaming Father when it was because of awarbetween other countries. If nothing else, we look ridiculous and uneducated.”

I wanted to say more—a lot more—but I left it alone when people nodded and took the win.

“I’m going to create a federal emergency response team,” I told them. “I’ve double-checked and it’s fully under my purview. Just as you said, fires in one place affect all of us.” I noddedto Alpha of Dullahan who had just unknowingly helped me. “Droughts in one area lead to food shortages in other areas or wreck the economy.

“For now, it will start with storm dragons that we will train in the old ways with elder or ancient dragons Belinda and her friends will find and make sure have the right intentions. This will help future issues while more infrastructure is put into place—new issues pop up because things change. We can discuss other types and responses we think could be useful.

“But not under the control of one area. No more of this trying to use the influence of one area to ‘punish’ or influence me. Not when it affectsallof us. I won’t allow it. Just as it’s my job to keep the military running to protect Thovudin as a whole, this will as well. Internally. Not to take over or conflict, but in a crisis—trained for crisis management.”

People were quiet for longer than they should have been for agoodidea. Dray finally broke the silence. “And we will request the use of this team through you?”

I frowned at him. “It’s not a request like—you tell me there’s a problem and they get dispatched. No games. They’re for Thovudin. They’re people, not funding. That’s the normal process—if there’s a crisis and an area needs extra funding. This is emergency response just like 911. You call and they go.”

“But you’ll need funding to train them and you need us for that,” one of the Alphas unwisely said.

I chuckled darkly and met his gaze. “Yeah, sure, oppose this. Go on the record and oppose thisafterI just handled something you all didn’t—something young female me handled in two fucking days and made you all look incompetent and irrelevant. Want to see what else I can do that for? How many other times I can embarrass you publicly?”

The tension in the room shot up so fast it made most of them squirm. Several coughed or cleared their throats and adjusted how they sat.

Darren burst out laughing. Like full-out laughing and looked younger—less worried at least.

“She’s back,” Fraser chuckled darkly.

“She just needed a time-out and to kick some ass,” Maple… Praised?

“Everyone needs a break, and it’s cathartic to kill a monster and when your abusive ex-boyfriend who’s threatening you gets arrested,” I drawled, shrugging when people couldn’t hide their shock. I focused back on the Alphas. “So who’s on board, or are any of you going to be extra stupid today? Also, after this we’re going to bring in your idiots—family and—”

“Update them that they’re not your only option?” Darren asked hopefully.

“No, I don’t trust them to keep their mouths shut orbehave, and I really don’t want to have to take one of their heads—one candidate should already receive a death sentence and my ex-boyfriend. Can we maybe limit who else?” I felt tension building in my temples when I said that and rubbed them. “Seriously. Even if we gagged them on specifics, one of them would say too much.”

“And in front of the media again,” Fraser sighed, nodding when I did.

“Oh, just to clarify, my saying that I will do what’s best for Thovudin even if it means removing Alpha families wasnotmy condoning people doing that on their own,” I warned the two acting Alphas. “You’re super dead if you dare try that without my approval. That’s not how it works. That’s just treason.”

I was very glad when they blinked at me and nodded in fear, obviously loyal to their Alphas and having no intention of throwing a coup. I was also glad I’d said it in front of the otherAlphas so there were no misunderstandings later or someone tried to lie about how things happened.

It was an important point to make clear after all.

All the Alphas were in. They might not like my having control of the federal emergency response team or whatever we were going to call it, but they couldn’t deny it was what was best for Thovudin.

Well, not without lying.

And it was best not to lie around Belinda.

Not if they liked breathing, and she was on her last thread of patience with them from what I could tell. Honestly, a big part of me hoped it snapped and I got to watch the show.

Evil? Yes, but they also deserved it.

20

Sagan

Everyone else who was normally at those meetings was allowed in except I had one big change that shocked the shit out of people.

Namely, the prospective mating candidates didn’t sit with their Alphas.