Chapter 149

NOLAN

“I assure you,” the prince said confidently, his already commanding voice amplified by a small microphone fixed to the podium, “this would-be usurper will not prevail. Adan has pledged to declare war on the humans should he rise to power. He wants to destroy not only their world, but our own as well, dragging werewolves back to darker times. I simply will not allow this to happen.”

The crowd was silent, hanging on Nolan’s every word. He gripped the edges of the podium and gazed out at the sea of werewolves before him. It was a bright, still day, the air clear and sharp like Nolan’s mind. His body was pumping adrenaline nonstop, his mind in a state of deep focus. He hadn’t slept but wasn’t tired. He was on alert, but calm and collected.

Standing at the top of the steps that led up to the House of Parliament, Nolan was delivering a formal response to Adan’s declaration of war. Gamma warriors and members of the prince’s staff flanked him closely on both sides. Anxious press reporters and camera crews covered the steps below, and beyond them, the street was packed with civilians.

“What do you say to those who insist that Adan, as the eldest son, is still the rightful Heir?” a reporter asked. Cameras clicked wildly, eager to capture the prince’s response.

Nolan answered calmly, “It is true that Adan was born the Heir to our father’s throne. But he abdicated over a decade ago, abandoning his duty and his people. I succeeded as Heir, not because it was my desire, but because it was my duty.”

“Prince Nolan,” another reporter called out, “how do you plan to fight Adan? Will you activate any military forces?”

“At this time there will be no military action that will affect civilian life,” Nolan stated. “And as far as my plan for how I will defeat Adan, I can share no details of our strategy, of course. But know that I will do everything in my power to stop him.”

“Will you be able to kill your brother?” came another question from somewhere within the mass of reporters. “If you have to?”

The whole crowd began to grumble in anticipation of Nolan’s answer.

He considered his words very carefully, keeping his face neutral. He remembered a time when it angered him to hear anyone call Adan his brother. “Half-brother,” he used to snap in response.

“I hope that it will not come to that,” he answered.

There was more grumbling from the audience, growls and grunts of disapproval. The crowd wanted to hear the prince say that he was going to kill Adan. These werewolves were frightened, Nolan knew, with their world suddenly in upheaval. And wolves liked to take fear and turn it into anger.

The reporters shouted follow-up questions, clamoring to be heard over each other.

“When was the last time you saw your brother?”

“Do you think he’ll go after the Alpha King next?”

“What will you do with the members of Parliament who are siding with Adan?”

“Your questions are all valid,” Nolan interrupted, quieting the crowd. “But I’m afraid I simply do not have all the answers. I will leave you with this. I will not rest until I have subdued this enemy. He will not succeed in tearing apart the good and peaceful world we have worked so hard to build.”

The prince gave a small nod to the crowd and cameras, then turned on his heel and followed his security escort down a private walkway. They bypassed the crowds and emerged at a section of the city block that had been cleared for his motorcade.

Nolan climbed into the limo and took a long, deep breath when the door closed behind him. The car eased up the street, following a secure, barricaded route created expressly for the prince’s departure from this event.

Nolan closed his eyes, allowing them a couple seconds of rest.

Suddenly a vision of Yena flashed through his mind. Yena on the floor of the limo underneath him, bloody from his love bites, her blue eyes lit up with desire…

He remembered, intensely, the way it felt to be with her, touching her, inside of her. It was like a drug, and he was craving another hit.

The prince shook himself awake.

He had drifted off and his limo was exiting the highway already.

It only took a few seconds for his mind to snap right back to a hyper-alert state. His body, though, needed another minute to recover from the dream. He chugged a bottle of cold water and pushed away the thoughts of Yena.

“We’re just very concerned,” the human President said, her face huge in the center of the big screen TV in Nolan’s office, where he was holding a virtual meeting. “It looks like Adan already has significant support from within your own Parliament.”

“We are looking into just how significant,” the prince replied. “We have identified a few of his allies. I would never underestimate this opponent, but these are the facts as I know them currently: he does not control a majority vote.”

“I should hope not,” the human Secretary of State chimed in. The man’s face zoomed to the center of the screen as he became the active speaker on the call. “But he does have the support of your Secretary of State, an important man of tremendous influence. This is very troubling, indeed, Prince Nolan.”

“I of course agree.” Nolan nodded respectfully, unable to offer much more on the subject. The prince had already shared with the humans just about everything that he knew himself about what was going on with Adan’s campaign.

“The longer this threat is looming over us all,” the President said, “the more power Adan will gain. Please forgive me for speaking plainly, Prince Nolan. But if you are going to stand a chance against this madman, you must stop him soon. Before he can pick up any more momentum.”

When the conversation finally reached a tense conclusion hours later, the prince dismissed his team and left his office. He badly needed a shower, a shave, and a change of clothes.

Nolan reached his bedroom door and put his hand on the knob. Before turning it, though, he glanced down the hall and noticed that the door to Yena’s studio was open. He walked over slowly and took a few steps inside.

The room was clean and dust-free, just as he had requested. He looked over at the trio of dressmaking dummies in one corner of the room. They used to always be draped with beautiful, colorful clothing pieces in progress while Yena was here. Now they were just blank and lifeless. And Yena’s smell had gone from the place entirely by now.

Nolan pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened his text thread with Yena. She was probably at home packing now, preparing for her flight.

There was nothing more to be said to her, though. He left the studio, closing the door behind him. Called his secretary and instructed him to send up some food and coffee. And walked back to his room, reminding himself: no more Yena thoughts.

He didn’t have time for fantasies.