“And he expects us to sink.”
“No, he expects us to fold.To knuckle under and do what he wants, and add to his power base.He’s worried, Lia,” he added, seeing whatever was on my face right now, which probably wasn’t good.“He’s not thinking straight—”
“He is, though,” I said tightly.“He’s thinking like a king.”
Cyrus opened his mouth to respond, then closed it.Because yeah.“So we have to decide what to do.We can strike out on our own, and make our own rules—like you’ve been doing with your students.I heard you offered them full status.”
Damn.It was just all coming out today, wasn’t it?“I was going to tell you, as soon as we got a chance to talk.”
“I’m not upset,” he said calmly, enough so to make me blink.“You’re Lupa.You have that right, only in the future—”
“We need to work on our communication,” I said.
“Yes.But more importantly, we need to decide what we want to do about the big question—are we our own clan or are we not?And don’t answer before you think it through,” he added, because I’d been about to.“Reallythink it through.”
“Like you’ve been doing?”I guessed, hence the bakery that the kitchen was starting to resemble.
He nodded.
“Okay, so lay it out for me,” I said, sitting back.
He did the same, as if we were just relaxing in here, having a cup of Joe, and chatting.Not deciding the entire future of Fireborn.But we were, and it scared the shit out of me.
It must have him, too, because his face got that gaunt look it did when he was stressed.The kind that emphasized his bone structure and made him look even more handsome.But also pared down, leaner, and more angular, as if his human self was merging with the wolf, even without a Change.
“Lia, our people are stillvargulfsin the eyes of pretty much everyone.You saw how they were treated at the ceremony, and I can assure you that it matches what they experience everywhere.People still cross the street to avoid them; still won’t touch or talk to them; still act like they have leprosy.And while they can’t throw them out of their shops and businesses anymore, no one will wait on them.And that’swithArnou’s sponsorship.”
“You think it will be worse without.”
“I know it will be worse.So do you.How many times have we seen smaller clans disappear, swallowed up by larger ones?How many times have we heard oily speeches to justify it in council—well, I have,” he added, because until recently, I was not a participant at such lofty gatherings.“Without strong leadership, we preyed on each other.And that’s Were to Were.What about Were tovargulf?”
“You think we’ll be fighting either way,” I said, feeling it resonate through me.
“I think...”Cyrus ran his hand through his hair.“I think even if Arnou withdraws their support, most people aren’t going to want to risk Sebastian’s ire by taking down his brother’s new clan.We’ll have financial problems—a lot of them—but I don’t expect attacks, at least not yet—”
“Not yet?”
“—but that’s for now, for however long Sebastian manages to hold onto power.Which, given how quickly he’s pissing people off, won’t be long.They’re going along with him currently because of the war, but once it’s over...”
I blinked.“You think he is, too?”
“I think he’ll still be head of Arnou, but the top spot?”Again, I was skewered by those eyes, which were a lot shrewder than the pretty-boy looks would suggest.“Yeah, I think he’s out.And with him will go a lot of the new-fangled ideas—like clans forvargulfs—that pretty much everyone hates.
“That’s why most of the other newvargulfclans aren’t getting the influx of outcasts they’d expected.And neither were we before your battle call jump-started recruitment.Peopleare wary—understandably so.Half think this is just the Council’s way of identifying them so they can be more efficiently hunted down and disposed of.And the rest...
“Well, they think it’s a genuine attempt to do something, but that Sebastian doesn’t have the power to see it through.And that as soon as he’s gone, they will be, too.Unless...”
“Unless what?”I asked, not liking where this was going.
Cyrus abruptly got up to check on something in the oven, which looked like a couple of trays of mac and cheese to go with whatever he was planning to grill.He seemed satisfied, but then paused to stir some green beans in a big pot on the stove.Since neither had looked like they needed help, I assumed he was trying to gather his thoughts.
Which I guessed he did, because he sat back down again and just came out with it.
“If there’s one thing the Clan Council—hell, all Weres—respect, it’s power.And what we did the other night...Damn, Lia.Just damn.”
“You can’t honestly expect—”
But Cyrus did.He sat forward, his arms on the table, his face intent.“For us to fight?Yes, I do.It’s the only way—”
