Chapter 138

I decided to take Andrew to a more low-key Italian restaurant, The Riviera. Modeled after the Italian Riviera, it featured Italian seafood and had the appearance of a moderately decorated seaside villa. It was more middle-of-the-road when it came to costs than Andrew was accustomed to, but hopefully, it would provide a more stress-free atmosphere than his usual high-scale restaurants and allow him to relax.

The Riviera was also very active in the community, from donating its leftover food to the local werewolf homeless shelter to holding regular events increasing awareness for werewolf/human integration. I thought that going to such a charitable restaurant, particularly one that supported causes that Andrew championed, would show Andrew that not everyone had given up on his vision for werewolf kind yet.

As my Civic—I insisted that the Aston Martin stay at the mansion so that we could remain more inconspicuous—pulled up to the parking lot, we came upon a scene that I knew was going to derail our entire night.

On one side of the parking lot stood at least a dozen werewolves; on the other were just as many humans. In the center, a werewolf and a human were shoving each other, the beginnings of what could be a bloody fight.

“Should we…go somewhere else?” I asked hesitantly. “This could get nasty quickly.”

I looked at Andrew. His jaw was set, and his eyes stared fiercely at the fight. He shook his head.

“No,” he said firmly. “We need to do something about this.”

“Should we call the police? The Lycanthrope Guard?”

“No. They’ll only make matters worse. We need to deescalate this, quickly.”

“We? But I have no experience with that!”

Andrew cupped my cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb over my lower lip.

“You can do this,” he said, his voice gentle but commanding. “Just follow my lead.”

He unbuckled his seat belt, and I felt compelled to follow. Abandoning my car just outside the parking lot, we ran towards the fight.

Since I had last looked, more of the gathered werewolves and humans had bridged the No Man’s Land and started fighting. Fortunately, it appeared as though none of the werewolves were using their full strength or any of their powers—yet.

Andrew reached the throng and ducked and dove his way through to the werewolf and human that we had seen start this mess. I did my best to follow him, narrowly missing the flailing punches and kicks of the crowds.

I watched as one of the humans was thrown to the ground. A resounding crack echoed through my ears as his skull hit the pavement. I hesitated, automatically drawn back to the scene of Mike and Suzanne during the riots.

Without a second thought, I dove for the human before the werewolf attacking him could deliver another blow. I covered him with my body and turned my head to face the ferocious werewolf. At least six inches taller than I was and much burlier, this man was a foe that I knew I could not face on my own, but I did not back down.

“Step aside, mutt,” he growled.

“Can’t you see he’s already injured?” I said.

I put my hand behind the human’s head. When I retracted it, blood smeared my palm.

“Look,” I continued, raising my hand for him to see, “he’s bleeding!”

“Easier prey.”

“Humans are not prey!” I cried out. “They are our friends. They are like us.”

“Speak for yourself, mutt.”

The werewolf took a menacing step towards me, but I did not move.

“Move, or I will move you,” he said.

“No. This isn’t right.”

“I said move!”

“Enough!” Andrew shouted over the ruckus. He held each of the original perpetrators by their arms, keeping them separated singlehandedly. “This riot will go no further.”

Andrew’s reverberating voice brought a halt to the fighting, but I could still feel hostility radiating off the participants. They turned their rage towards Andrew. For the first time since the human terrorist attack, I truly feared for Andrew’s safety.

“Why should we listen to you?” said the werewolf who towered over me. “You lied to us. You hid human terrorist attacks from us.”

Andrew’s muscles clenched when he saw how close the werewolf was to me, but he maintained a calm, commanding tone as he spoke.

“Yes, I lied, but that was only because I knew what werewolves and humans could become together. This is not it.”

He shot a warning look at the men whose arms he held before releasing them, causing them to scurry back to their respective sides of the parking lot.

“Look at the beauty that werewolves and humans can make when they come together,” Andrew said, motioning towards me. “Look at the hybrids that we can produce, like my wonderful girlfriend, Crystal Blanchard.”

“So, we can produce criminals together?” a human jeered. “Monstrosities?”

Andrew’s hand curled into a fist, but he did not even look towards the man.

“No. We can produce a compassionate, kind, generous, gorgeous generation that will leave the world better than they found it. Just look at her, shielding a fallen human rather than worrying about her own safety.”

I blushed at the attention that Andrew was drawing to me, but I did not object.

“Does that seem like a monstrosity to you? Or a perfect example of what werewolves and humans can be like if only we can put aside the fighting and come together?”

Andrew made his way towards me, glaring at the other werewolf until he lowered his head and backed away. Andrew lowered himself beside me and felt behind the human’s head. When he found blood there, he turned back to the crowd.

“Someone call an ambulance, quickly!” Nobody moved, so Andrew growled loud enough for all to hear. “I said now!”

A nearby female werewolf pulled out her cell phone and called for the paramedics.

“This does not need to happen,” Andrew continued his speech, standing tall once more. “We do not need to be each other’s enemies. If we come together, we can make a brighter future.”

I stood beside him, my eyes still on the unconscious human at our feet.

“Come together!” I declared.

“Come together!” most of the werewolves and humans shouted back.

The werewolf I had challenged was not one of them.

• * *

The next morning, Andrew and I were having breakfast when he received a text. As he scanned it, his eyebrows shot up. A smile spread across his face.

“What, good news for a change?” I asked around a mouthful of eggs.

“Very good news.”

He turned his phone screen towards me. On it was a headline that read:

ALPHA KING AND GIRLFRIEND BRING PEACEFUL END TO BLOODY RIOT

The tabloid article contained a video of Andrew’s speech and me guarding the injured human. Apparently, someone had been recording the entire riot and posted it to social media. This article alone had over a million likes and thousands of comments.

I scrolled down to the comments.

Andrew knows how to take command. Only he could deescalate a riot with his voice alone. Andrew for Alpha King!

I’d like to see Bob do something like this. Peace among species!

Look at Crystal. Total #MamaWolf vibes. Andrew and Crystal for Alpha King!

I saw far more positive comments than negative, and I was pretty sure that the negative comments were from political trolls. I grinned broadly as I released Andrew’s phone.

“So, we’re on the rise?” I asked.

Andrew nodded, his smile just as wide as before.

“We’re on the rise.”