‘Want me to come with you?’he asked.
‘Always,’I told him. It brought me a smallmeasure of comfort that it seemed my issue with Gavin was repairing itself. Istill didn’t know what to think about what he said … that Mukesh was trying tomake Gavin like him. Gavin could never be an evil monster like that. There wastoo much good in his heart and I wouldn’t allow the darkness to take him.
We followed my dad and mom into the largebuilding. It was a welcome center for the island and as we entered I looked atall of the maps on the walls. Winding down a long hallway, we made our way to alarge plush office and I took a chair in the corner as Gavin sat next to me. Mymom and dad both sat on the loveseat in the center so that we were all facingeach other.
“Boy, things have sure gone to shit,haven’t they?” my mom said, running her fingers through her hair. Her eyes wererimmed red and I guessed she hadn’t slept very well in those shippingcontainers. Plus, we were all feeling Alexa’s loss pretty hard.
“They have, but we’re going to fix it,” Isaid with confidence.
My dad was watching me quietly fromacross the room. “When did you grow up?”
I chuckled. “Years ago. Thanks for justnow noticing.” I winked.
He reached across and squeezed my handjust as Shamus walked in and closed the door behind him.
My dad gave my hand one more squeeze andnodded. “All right, Anya. Tell us what you know.”
I dropped his hand and sighed. “Okay,look, it’s going to sound crazy but keep in mind that the humans won’t stopuntil they have healed their people. And that means killing a crap ton ofwolves in the process.”
Shamus had crossed his arms and was nowwatching me curiously.
“Okay,” my father said.
Nerves suddenly seized me and Gavinrubbed small circles in my lower back. I hadn’t told anyone what Mama had toldme. I was too nervous, but it needed to be said now.
“And also remember that they already gopartially furry and–”
“Anya, out with it!” my mother shouted.She never did have patience.
I took a deep breath. “We’re going tochange them. They bring us their sick and we change them. That’s the only way.”
My dad laughed and he and Shamus shared alook that said, ‘Aww, she’s cute.’
I stood angrily. “I’m not kidding. And tobe sure they don’t die, we will inject them with one bag of donated plasmabeforehand, to get their body used to the virus. They bring us their sick andwe change them into werewolves. It’s the only way that we all live happily.”
Now my father’s brow was furrowed as hedissected what I had told him.
I had forgotten Gavin was even in theroom until I heard his voice. “What about children? You can’t change a child,they will be frozen a child forever.” His voice held awe, he liked this plan, Icould feel it.
My mother answered him. “With a vampire,yes. But werewolf children, changed or not, grow naturally until nineteen yearsof age. Then once they meet their mate, their growth happens slowly togetherover time.”
Shamus was scratching his beard andstaring at me like I had sprouted two heads. “You’re sure it will work? Wecan’t have humans dying during the change and ruining the fragile peace we maycreate.”
I trusted Mama and my vision. I held thechild and it pumped my plasma into her and then Avery bit her, changing her.It’s the only way. “I’m sure. I’ve seen it.” Sort of.
My father stood now and stepped over tome, resting a hand on each of my shoulders. “Anya, it’s a great plan and a goodcompromise considering the alternative, but the humans just found out about thewitches. Now we’re telling them we can heal them but they will becomesupernaturals like us. I highly doubt the human government is going to sign offon something like this. The world would be full of werewolves.”
Now it was my turn to rest my hands onhis tall shoulders. I could barely reach them without standing on my toes. “Iknow, Pops. That’s why you’re going to have to come up with some kick-ass wayto show them that this is what they need. It’s this or a whole lot of peopledead. Our people.”
I couldn’t take all of this burden. Iwasn’t good with meetings and government and I wasn’t an alpha. My dad livedfor this shit. Charging in and saving the day. I had no doubts that he couldhandle this.
“Everything within me wants to fight. Tokill the humans for what they have done. How far they’ve gone to betray me.” Myfather’s voice was raw and gravelly. He worked so hard to broker a peacebetween our people, even making his own children get a tattoo to mark ourselvesdifferent. I know this killed them.
Gavin spoke from behind me. “Sir, I livedmy whole life thinking I was a human. I suffered through every fever, everyflu, every stomachache, earache, broken bones that lasted for months. Beinghuman is painful. That’s not even counting the ones who are really sick. Cancereating away at you until you’re nothing but a skeleton. A car accident andsuddenly you’re wheelchair bound for life. Or worse, waking up one day andlooking at your wife and not knowing her name or your own name. Your brainslowly wasting away until you can’t even remember if you’ve eaten. Please, sir,have compassion for the humans. They only admire the werewolves’ strength. Iknow they’re going about it wrong but help them see.”
Whoa.Gavin’s speech hit me right in the feels. Tears pricked myeyes as I saw my father’s face shift from rage to understanding. He reached outwith one big meaty hand and clasped Gavin’s right shoulder.
“All right, son. I’ll give it my bestshot.”
