They rushed down to a waiting vehicle. Their security staff were coldly quiet, and the ride could be described as uncomfortable at best. Melody knew she wasn’t in the best hands. They wouldn’t harm her, but they wouldn’t go out of their way to sacrifice in order to save her. This she had to console herself to. Ironically, they could slip past a small group of protesters. The small number of protesters surprised Melody. She’d gotten the feeling from the news that people were far more plentiful that felt this way. These people wanted to lock away all supernatural creatures for the safety of all humans. They rejected the idea that once upon a time, all supernatural creatures were from human stock. She’d even seen these fools wearing silver collars as if that would save them from some expected attack on them. Melody figured it was to protect them from vampire bites. It went along with the prayer beads, crosses, and garlic many of them carried. They didn’t

The people at the luncheon turned out to be the NARC Ambassadors and the Toronto Council of Alphas from the supernatural interests. From the human side of things, the mayor, several city councillors, and a representative from a newly created federal office. The luncheon went well, with the attendees stuck speaking to several members of the press before an official press conference started. The small interviews were to prove that they weren’t so different from humans in their lives. From paying taxes, working, and family life. The press asked about all of it. Several questions, though, Malcolm refused to answer. When the real conference started, there were two rows of tables staggered so that the press could see them all. The Ruling Council sat at the tables above the Toronto Council of Alphas. With the city, provincial, and federal representatives with the Ruling Council on the top tier. The mates of the Alphas, along with

“So, you want us to leave and take them with us? How do you suggest we do that exactly? If we could have done that before, do you truly believe that we wouldn’t have? As for sending the Fae back, most of the portals that were used are dead or sealed. They sealed them with the intention of never opening them again. Without knowing how many Fae exist here currently, we can’t risk closing them all. You sound like we were the people that invited them back, when the truth of the matter is that humans did that, and we can’t find out why, because the Fae have devoured all the humans involved. So, please understand we have mixed feelings about you, yet none of us have told you to leave and go home to a planet that doesn’t exist. Do you now understand why we are struggling to take any of you seriously?” “Where’s your proof of these fictional humans that did that? I want receipts.” “Oh, we have receipts. I’m aware of one video showing a rath

Melody was taken aback by Malcolm’s admission. After everything he’d said and done over the short time, they’d be back together. She still didn’t know how to respond to him or how to approach him. She’d never expected him to see her problems. Did the pack have room for the orphaned kits? What about shifters and other supernatural beings within the Foster system? It didn’t take long for Melody to lose interest in attempting to relax in the bathtub. She couldn’t there were too many things coming to the forefront. She needed to write things down and talk to Malcolm about them. They needed to address them with other groups. When she got out of the bathroom, Melody found Malcolm starting David’s bedtime routine without being asked to. That was a pleasant surprise until he had to pass it off to her and take a call from another alpha. She readily took David from him and finished up with him. Once David was in bed, she found Malcolm in the sunroom

Malcolm finally got away from the meeting. It hadn’t been that long, but it covered a lot. Cal, the alpha of the Crimson Nights, found out information about his little cheating wolf. Malcolm wasn’t familiar with the alpha’s of all the lone packs. These alphas were struggling with little to no territory, often they only had a handful of pack members usually. They were the wolves that lived paycheck to paycheck and Malcolm believed that the system failed these people. They lost their dreams in that struggle to survive. Which is how he hoped this recent development could help change things. They would have to have checks and balances for the services, though. What Cal had said about this Alpha Elmwood and what Alpha Norman had confirmed, Malcolm didn’t believe the man deserved to have a pack. Add in the fact that Cal sounded different when he spoke about this female who tried to cheat the house. Malcolm thought it was his just deserts for all the times