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21
Bronywyn
Dressed in leggings and a baggy sweatshirt, I make my way down to the living room with Tarnley at my side. He’s dressed as well; casual today, wearing jeans and a dark t-shirt. No one is sitting when we enter, visible proof that the time for relaxing is over.
How is it that after everything, we’re only awarded a single night of peace?
Walker, Paloma, and her husband Harrie are here, but that’s not the most surprising of it all. No, what really shocks me is the presence of Willa and Z. She stands in the corner, dark eyes hard, jaw set, looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here, and he’s posted on the wall right beside her, completely silent. I haven’t seen either of them since the fight with Willa, and seeing her here, wearing her grief like a second skin, breaks my heart all over again.
“Did you get one as well?”
She nods and holds up her sheet of paper. “For an unsanctioned relationship with the late Jack Keller.”
“Fucking assholes,” Z growls.
“You get one?”
He shakes his head. “I seem to be the only one of us who didn’t.”
“Because you managed to keep your relationship under the radar,” Cole replies. “They still don’t know about Lauren.”
“And they won’t,” Willa interjects. Since the last time I saw her, she’s morphed into every bit the pack alpha her father was. Her tone demands respect as she speaks, her posture stiff. “Lauren stays the hell out of this. Other than this meeting, so will Z.”
“Unsanctioned relationship?” Deissy questions, and all eyes turn to her.
“Any reason why you have humans hanging around?” Willa deadpans before turning her gaze back to me.
“Deissy was attacked by vampires last night,” I explain. “And now she wishes to learn more about our world so she can help out where she can.”
Rainey shakes her head. “You’re going to get your ass killed.”
“Then I get my ass killed,” Deissy says. “So, what is an unsanctioned relationship? And what are you? A hunter?”
Z clears his throat. “We are governed by a document called The Accords. It’s an agreement between all of the major factions of supernaturals and upheld by four councils. One comprised of shifters, one for witches, one for vampires, and the final—an immortal council who overseas everything. And we are not hunters. We’re wolves.”
Deissy gasps. “Shifters?”
Z nods.
“Awesome. And also, interesting. You guys have an entire separate governmental system.”
“Yes. Per The Accords, relationships between factions are completely forbidden and punishable by death.”
“Shit. Seriously? So, vampires and witches, shifters and witches, vampires and shifters…that’s not allowed?”
“Not just between the three main factions, either,” I add. “If they are not of your faction, it is not allowed.”
“So there are more than just vampires, witches, and shifters?” she asks.
“Yes. There are hunters, succubae, psychics…the list goes on.” Willa turns to me. “Can we push this history lesson to the side and deal with what’s currently plaguing us?”
Before I can respond, Paloma lets out an angry sigh. “What could they possibly be thinking with all this? It’s not like I know a whole hell of a lot about the inner-workings of supernatural councils, but they have to have some kind of proof, some jury of peers, right?”
“You’re human, too?” Deissy asks, and she nods.
“They don’t even need legitimate proof.” I begin to pace, trying to work through what outcome they could possibly be hoping for. “These are the same assholes who got away with slaughtering teenage girls in their beds simply because they wanted to keep Lunar Witches from existing. They are monsters.” I glance around the room, noting how pissed off Walker looks. He’s yet to speak, and I imagine he’s processing everything, just as we are.
“You said you had something to tell us?” Delaney asks. “Is it a way out of this? Something that might help us?”
