Chapter 134

Andrew arranged for a press conference a few days later. Like before, we presented a united front by standing side-by-side in matching clothing. Unlike before, I was not the one seeking support through our interlocked arms.

Andrew put up a great front for the crowd. He smiled, waved, and appeared confident. However, I knew that, in truth, this was probably the most nerve-racking experience for him in a long time.

He wouldn’t be addressing just any social issue or rumor. These were the deaths of his Lunas, one of whom mothered his child. He might not have loved them, but he had cared about them, and he had taken their deaths very personally.

As we approached the podium, I felt his arm tense around mine. I put my hand on his arm and squeezed. He turned to me and smiled before looking back towards the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press,” he said into the microphones, “thank you for joining us here today. I have invited you here to discuss a matter that is very personal to me: the deaths of my Lunas.”

I could practically see everyone in the crowd leaning forward as they listened more intently to what Andrew had to say.

“I am sure that all of you know the rumors about my involvement in their deaths, that I lose control of myself during the full moon and go on a killing spree, such as the ones that resulted in my Lunas’ deaths. This is not true.”

A gasp rippled throughout the crowd.

“I did not kill my Lunas. I had nothing to do with their deaths. Human terrorists did.”

Another gasp, louder this time, overtook the room, followed by murmurs of disbelief.

“Each of my Lunas were killed in different human terrorist attacks with the same goal: to get me to stop my efforts at uniting the werewolf and human worlds. I did not let them stop me from working towards that goal, but they have deterred me from taking on a new Luna.”

He glanced at me briefly before returning his attention to the crowd.

“Even the love of my life.”

Silence fell with Andrew’s final sentence. I wasn’t sure what the crowd was thinking, but I was certain that he had astonished them with his revelation.

“I will now be taking your questions.”

Andrew first pointed to Oscar Norwak.

“Your Highness,” Oscar said after his introduction, “if your Lunas really did die of human terrorist attacks, why didn’t you reveal the truth sooner? Why let the rumors go on for so long?”

“I wanted to maintain the peace between werewolves and humans,” Andrew spewed his rehearsed response. “I thought it best that a noble werewolf death not be blamed on humankind during such a vulnerable part in werewolf/human integration.”

“And do you think that revealing the truth at this junction will cause any such problems?” Oscar asked.

“I believe that the werewolf/human relationship has matured to the point that we can understand that the actions of one, two, or even three humans do not define the entirety of the species or our interactions with them.”

Andrew motioned to Emily Chang before Oscar could open his mouth for another question.

“Your Highness,” she said, “would you mind elaborating on how exactly your Lunas died?”

Andrew’s arm tightened. I rubbed my thumb along his bicep, and he relaxed slightly.

“Those are details that I would rather keep private for the moment, especially for my daughter’s sake,” he replied.

He turned his attention to Dakota Rain.

“Your Highness,” he said, “with your supposed strength and power, why do you think you failed to protect your Lunas from these human terrorist attacks?”

Andrew’s entire body tensed. He cracked his neck but tried otherwise to not let his agitation show.

“I did not fail to protect them,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Then why are they not alive?”

“The attacks were underhanded and ruthless. I had no chance to protect them.”

Andrew took a deep breath and centered himself. I nonchalantly pressed myself closer to him, to remind him that I was right beside him and there to support him. His body remained tense, a predator ready to pounce, but I knew that he was in control of himself.

“Those are all the questions that we have time for today,” he said. “Thank you again for coming out.”

As the reporters’ voices rose, trying to catch his attention for one more question, Andrew led me off the stage. He did not look back.

“Riots have broken out in the downtown area,” the TV news anchor announced the next evening. “What began as a peaceful demonstration for werewolf/human interactions has become the scene of a massacre in a matter of hours. Humans fighting werewolves, anti-integrators fighting pro-integrators, with many blaming Alpha King Andrew Dubois’s revelation about his Lunas’ deaths for the sudden increase in violence—”

I muted the television as Andrew walked into the room, his cell phone to his ear.

“I know, Michael, I know,” he said, rubbing his chin. “I’ve talked to Head Wolf Antoine. We’re sending the Lycanthrope Guard to back the police as we speak.”

I watched as images soundlessly flashed across the television screen. I leaned forward as WLTV News showed footage from the riots. Two people caught amongst the chaos grabbed my attention.

Mike and Suzanne.

Suzanne lay in Mike’s lap, her eyes closed. Mike moved his hand from behind Suzanne’s head to reveal it covered in crimson blood. He appeared to be crying out for help, but there were no paramedics nearby, and no civilians stopped their fighting to aid them.

Bile rose up into my throat. Tears danced at the edges of my eyes. I prayed to the Moon Goddess for somebody to help them, but by the time that the footage cut away from Mike and Suzanne, they were still on their own.

“I’ll be there soon. I just need to tell Crystal,” Andrew said as he walked by the couch. “Okay, bye.”

He hung up the phone and stood over me. When I looked up at him, I thought I saw weariness in his eyes, but he held himself tall and proud.

“Are you going to the riots?” I asked.

Andrew nodded stiffly.

“I’ll be a while,” he said.

“Be careful.”

“I’ll try.”

I picked at the hem of my dress as I contemplated asking my next question.

“How are you going to fix this?”

“Hell if I know, Crystal!” he snapped.

I pulled back, surprised by his sudden anger.

“Calm down, Andrew. I was just asking a question, for Goddess’s sake.”

Andrew huffed and started pacing.

“I have enough people down my throat right now. I don’t need you doing it, too.”

“I was only asking if you had a plan. I’m just as stressed out by this as you are.”

“No, you’re not,” he said, stopping in front of me. “There’s no way that you could be. It’s not your head on the chopping block.”

I leapt to my feet and stared him straight in the eye. My insides trembled at the inferno burning in his eyes, but I did not back down.

“I’m on that chopping block right beside you. In case you’ve forgotten, we’re in this together, for better or for worse.”

“Yeah, and look at where your ‘for worse’ got us.”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“My ‘for worse’?”

“I wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t told me to tell everyone the truth.”

His words stung my heart like an arrow. I glared at him for a moment, my eyes watering, before ripping my gaze away.

I snatched up my purse and stormed out of the room.

“Where are you going?” he called out.

“Home!”

He did not come after me, and I did not think to look back.