Third Person’s POV
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Adide looked like she’d just been snapped out of a trance, a flicker of perfect, calcted confusion crossing her face.
But the act onlysted a heartbeat.
She quickly smoothed her expression and stepped into the center of the grand hall.
She gave a respectful, formal wolf salute.
“Lycan Erasmus, I’m just a rank–and–file she–wolf. I don’t have any profound insights to offer.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes clear.
“But as a she–wolf who’s been famously rejected by an Alpha, I think I can speak to how that actually feels. I don’t suppose you distinguished Alphas would be interested in hearing that side of the story?”
Oh, hell. She was going there–straight for the gossip everyone in the room already knew by heart.
The mention of her high–profile rejection made every ear in the room perk up.
The aggressive, testosterone–heavy shouting died down instantly.
Even the wolves who respected her felt a twinge of sympathy; she was about to rip her own scars open for the public.
Lycan Erasmus’s gaze softened just a fraction.
“Go ahead, Adide.”
Adide took a deep breath.
“For a she–wolf, the mating bond is basically the start of a second life. We don’t ask for much- just a roof and a purpose. As long as that bond is there, we’re ready to bleed for the pack and ride out any storm. Unless…”
She paused. “Unless the pack starts treating us like we’re the enemy. Unless they strip us of our dignity. Otherwise, who in their right mind would ever want to cut that cord and walk away?”
<b>9.30 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Jan </b><b>2 </b>
Z
<b>90 </b>
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“You’re all worried that if we open this Independent She–Wolf Center–if we give homeless she–wolves a ce to sleep and some actual job skills–that they’re going to start dismantling the social order.”
Adide let out a soft, dryugh.
“But let’s be real here: if a she–wolf has a mate she loves and pups to raise, who’s going to choose to go out and clock into a job instead?”
“This center is just a fallback–a choice that’s only one step up from bing a rogue. Honestly, I think you’re all losing sleep over nothing.”
Her tone was humble, even deferential, and it worked like a charm to take the edge off the Alphas‘ defensive pheromones.
They were left with nothing to swing at.
Sensing the shift, she let her voice tremble just enough to be heard.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard about Tamara from the Bloodmoon Pack. She jumped into a frozen river. When she was saved from that, she was so desperate she ended up hanging herself. Just think about how alone she must have felt. If she’d had even one other choice, she wouldn’t have left her pups behind to die.”
“The pack she was born into is a world away. Here, she had zero friends she could count on and zero skills to pay her own way. We all saw how that ended…”
Adide’s voice hit the perfect frequency to resonate in everyone’s ears.
“If she were your sister, or your daughter, wouldn’t you want a little mercy for her? You’re all nobles, raised on the code of chivalry. Half these she–wolves get dumped through no fault of their own. They aren’t criminals.”
Several werewolves cursed under their breath.
Nobody wanted to imagine their own family in that gutter, but the “chivalry” card was a total
trap.
To argue now would be to admit they were heartless pricks with zero honor.
She’d boxed them in with empathy.
The hall went dead quiet.
A few guys still looked annoyed, but nobody was willing to go toe–to–toe with her.
<b>9:36 </b>Fri<b>, </b><b>Jan </b><b>2 </b>
Lycan Erasmus watched it all unfold with a knowing look.
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The timing was right. As Adide pointed out, for the sake of the Crown’s image, this had to happen.
“Since the room seems to be out of objections,” his voice boomed, breaking the silence, “we’re going to give this a shot as a pilot program.”
“The Grown isn’t putting up the cash, and this center stays under our thumb. If the ckthorn Pack starts using this to line your own pockets…”
A dangerous sh flickered in his eyes, and his Lycan aura washed over the room like a cold front.
“I’ll be the first one to shut you down.
Lance dropped to one knee, smooth as ever.
“Thank you, Lycan Erasmus, for your mercy.”
Bingo.
The corners of Adide’s mouth twitched upward. She quickly looked at the floor to hide the grin.
At the same time, a lump formed in her throat. If this ce had existed months ago, Tamara might still be here.
Just then, Elias chimed in, loud and proud.
“Long live Lycan Erasmus! She–wolves are vulnerable by nature, and as Alphas, it’s our job to look out for them! If we don’t give them a way out when things get ugly, then we’re basically just animals!”
It was a total suck–up move, but it made Erasmus look good and helped seal the deal.
Lance gave Elias a mental high–five.
Lycan Erasmus actually cracked a smile.
“Fine. It’s settled. Meeting adjourned.”
As Lance and Adide walked out of the hall together, they traded a quick, triumphant look.
3/4 The n for the rest of the day was clear: Lance was heading back to the Ministry to deal with
<b>9:36 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Jan </b><b>2 </b>
<b>90 </b>
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a mountain of paperwork, Adide was reporting for duty at the Ironthorn Guard, and poor Caldwell was getting stuck with all the bureaucratic red tape.
That night, they gathered at the packhouse to talk shop.
The proposal had passed, but they knew the local werewolves would still be salty about it.
Lance decided they needed to get ahead of the story.
They’d hire some journalists to write up the center’s mission: it was a refuge for the abandoned, not a club for runaways. As long as the male werewolves weren’t nning on dumping their mates, it wouldn’t change their lives at all.
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