“I used to think she was my only friend,” I admitted. “She was the first person who didn’t treat me with hatred or disdain like my family did while I was growing up. I thought that meant she cared about me.”
Austin dropped a kiss on my forehead. “And now?” he asked.
I smiled up at him. “And now I know that our friendship was hollow and one-sided. Looking back at it, I can’t believe I was so stupid. And yet…” I hesitated, unsure of how to put my thoughts into words.
“You’re feeling guilty,” Austin surmised. “Because when you heard what James did to Kelsey, a small part of you enjoyed hearing about it.”
My face flushed. “I know it’s wrong. A better person wouldn’t feel that way.”
“She took advantage of you for years,” Austin said softly.
I let out a sigh. “Only because I let her,” I admitted. “I was weak, and I clung to her because she was the only thing I had. I would’ve been completely alone without her.”
Austin stroked my hair. “I’ll have a couple of guys check on her situation,” he murmured. “If she genuinely needs help, we’ll make sure she’s taken care of. Even if she doesn’t deserve it.”
I ignored the last part of his statement and tipped my head up for a kiss.
“I love you,” I said with a smile.
Austin’s lips met mine in a soft brush of lips.
“I love you,” he said through our bond, since his mouth was otherwise occupied.
“You guys need to hear this,” Cody interrupted as he burst into the room.
Caleb followed right behind him, carrying his iPad with him, his face pale. He held up the screen so Austin and I could both see it, and then pushed play on a video.
“The time has come for humans to rise again,” the Morrigan said clearly into the camera. “All of you have been held down for far too long by the monsters in this world and it’s time to pick up your weapons and fight for freedom.”
Caleb paused the video again, and I looked up at him with wide eyes.
“She certainly caught up with technology quickly,” Austin said drily.
I huffed, but couldn’t even laugh at the absurdity of an ancient goddess making YouTube videos, not when she was using them to incite violence. She’s gone from being a subtle voice in the back of your mind, urging you to embrace your dark side, to endorsing instructional murder videos. How times have changed.
“She conveniently left out that’s she’s the worst of those monsters,” I finally said.
Caleb sighed and sat on the loveseat across from us. “It doesn’t matter,” he said sadly. “She’s positioning herself as the savior of the people. Here to save humans from thousands of years of oppression.”
“There’s a whole series of videos,” Cody added. “About how to recognize supernaturals, how to fight them, and how to kill. She’s the architect of the message, but she has an entire team of people creating these videos.”
“Her goal is to capitalize on fear,” I surmised. “She wants to increase the chaos and death. Set humans and supernaturals against each other and watch the death toll rise on both sides.”
“Even though they don’t have magic, there’s a lot more humans than supernaturals,” Austin stated. “If there’s going to be a war, it’s not one that either side can win.”
I sighed. “She’s stirring up chaos on every level. From illegal arms dealers to the military, and now even to kids and their families.”
“We have to put a stop to this,” Caleb said worriedly. “Without her influence, there’s still a chance to recover from this. But if things keep moving in this direction, there’s going to be nothing to rebuild.”
“We will,” I told him confidently. “We’re slowly educating the other packs to recognize her influence and how to combat it. One by one, we’re helping shifters break free of the hold she has on the world.”
“It’s not enough,” Cody said flatly. “Even if we teach every wolf in the country to fight their violent instincts, they aren’t going to stand by while humans slaughter them. They shouldn’t.”
“It’s easier to teach someone hate than love,” Austin said quietly. “And it’s easier to be angry than it is to forgive.”
“So what can we do?” I asked in frustration. “We can’t just stand around and do nothing. I have to believe there’s hope that we can turn things around.”
Austin nodded. “I’ll reach out to some of my old contacts