Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
He was silent for so long, my neck hairs stood on end. I couldn’t help it. Having those dead, expressionless eyes fixed on you would make anyone’s skin crawl.
“When did you have this vision?” he finally asked.
“Over a year ago.”
His eyes flickered. “Before you— Is that why you—?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
“Everything I’ve done has been for a larger purpose. Luame’s purpose.”
“Why did you tell no one about this?” he barked. “If you’re truly preventing a war, why take up the charge alone?”
“Because no one else has the stomach to do what must be done,” I hissed. “Even now, you’re trying to justify and rationalize doing away with all the changes I’ve made to the academy.”
“Because they’re nonsensical!” he burst out, not bothering to deny it. “They’re obscene! You’ve allowed omegas to hold false trials against alphas, and punish them how they see fit. You’ve promised epsilons the highest, most important positions in our society. None of that will prevent war. If anything, it will ensure it!”
I didn’t outwardly react to his speech. “See? I knew you wouldn’t understand what I’m trying to do here. You can’t, because you didn’t spend a year living among the mundanes like I have. You didn’t witness the seedy, evil underbelly of the vampire nation. We wolves think ourselves above both societies, but we’re not,” I stated, making him bristle. “We’re just better at it.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Inequality. Control. Injustice. Oppression. We’ve perfected it. We’ve planted, grown, barreled, aged, and bottled it, and then we got so happily drunk on it, we convinced ourselves we did something good.” I took a step toward him, then another. “We’re about to be proved wrong—in a big way—unless something is done about it.
“So I did something.” I swept out a hand, passing over the grand castle. “Corvin Academy is a beacon. It’s the one place in all of Wolf Nation where every wolf from every clan representing every power comes together. If we can change the academy and prove that we can create a fair and equal society here, then all the clans won’t have a hindleg to stand on when they bleat and whine that it’s impossible.”
Cygnus’s skeptical glare went nowhere.
I heaved a sigh, frustration coloring my voice. “Don’t you see? They need a voice,” I cried. “Epsilons and omegas. They need the power to choose their own paths in life, and to know that if anyone tries to throw them off that path, they’ll be held accountable. Giving them that choice starts here by letting them choose their tracks. Letting them work for the careers they want instead of being told what they want. All they want is to be heard, and if they are, there will be no war.”
He lifted his chin, staring down his nose at me. “You’re certain of this? Luame has told you this is the way to end the war?”
“No, she didn’t tell me, but—” I cut off at his smirk, instantly pissed off. “It’s not like I can ring her up for a chat, but this is the way. I know it.”
Cygnus laughed. “You don’t know. You just said you’re simply guessing and stumbling your way through.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen!” he roared, shooting my heart up to my throat. “You know nothing! You are nothing but a stupid, vapid, petulant little girl who let delusions of grandeur inflate your head! Because of this, you killed my son, shamed all of Wolf Nation, and now you’re wreaking holy terror on everything we hold sacred and dear!
“Did it ever occur to you that Luame sent you that vision as encouragement? As assurance that you were doing the right thing in carrying out your duty as mother wolf, and bringing about the golden generation of wolves?”
“Why in the fuck would that occur to me! Omegas and epsilons weren’t slaughtering alphas and betas because the next generation was born mundane! That doesn’t even make sense!”
“Nothing you’ve said or done makes sense! You killed my son! YOU KILLED HIM!” Spittle coated my cheek. “For nothing! To prevent an imagined war that will never happen! Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare stand there and justify your actions to me! Nothing you did was needed, necessary, or wanted! And I can promise you this.”
He roared up on me, shoving his forehead against mine. But I didn’t react. I didn’t move. “You will complete the bonds, you little bitch. Tonight! I don’t care if I have to hold you down screaming and crying. The second it’s done. The second the new generation is assured, I’m going to bite your heart out of your chest!”
Looking into his eyes, I smirked. “Ahh, there you are. The real Cygnus Tahan. I was wondering when you were going to drop your calm-and-collected act.”
“Argh,” he growled, seizing my hair and snapping my neck back. “There is no act. Not between us. Not anymore. All this time I’ve waited so I can tell you this in person. It was me.” Malice glittered in his frostbitten blue eyes. “I hunted your father down. I clawed his tendons to shreds and laughed as he mewled and crawled in the dirt, and only after he pissed himself from the pain... did I kill him.”