8

Jolon nods, deep in thought. "That's the smart way to do it," he says. "Never make assumptions about the motivations of a human, but that includes not assuming that they're always working against us."

Frowning, Dena shakes her head. "I just don't think that the majority of humans are okay with what's being done to us here. If they saw what happens to the adults at the testing labs across the bridge—"

"For all we know, they're all like that. We can't make assumptions either way," Jolon says.

"Shh," you say. "This part is important."

"Activist Anna Howell had this to say: 'This isn't the first time the military has overstepped its bounds when it comes to the werewolf population. I know we'd all like to forget how so many of us pushed the government into the savage democide of the werewolf population after the incident in Jackson, but we slaughtered these people, men, women, and children. Peaceful or warlike, they aren't animals—many of them were living out their lives just like you until they were murdered by their own government. We can't judge an entire people based on the actions of the few. The Haven pack have suffered enough as the military acts in complete secrecy. It's time to pull back the curtain and have some accountability!'"

Next

"What is democide, anyway?" Lapu whispers to one of the elders.

"A government murdering a large group of their own people. Could be racial reasons, usually political." The reply comes in a hushed whisper.

The broadcast continues, the reporter now questioning Anna: "And what do you have to say about the recent surfacing of body-camera footage that appears to show several werewolves violently attacking military personnel?"

"If I had to guess? I think it's faked. Anyone who's actually seen the footage knows it's a grainy, blurry mess. It was shot in the dark, and the video's jerky and pixilated. Anyone could make a more convincing fake werewolf attack video with a bare-bones budget. As a matter of fact, we've done just that, and it's streaming at our website, werewolfrightsnow dot com. Judge for yourself."

"And in your opinion, why would the government release fake footage?"

"They want to stop the inquiry because they know what it will show—war crimes. People with power will do anything to keep the truth from coming out. I just have to hope that there are enough men and women representing us in Congress who don't condone torture and violence against sentient beings."

"That girl Anna," Lapu says, "she's the one you talked to on the radio the other day?"

You nod.

Dena frowns thoughtfully. "You might be right, but I think her heart's in the right place. We should probably let her do her thing. Listen to how invested she sounds. Can you imagine her turning that energy against us? Our rejection could cut her deep after she's spent so much of her time trying to help us."

"She'd never do anything to hurt you guys," Justin says, seemingly gobsmacked that Dena would even suggest such a thing. "She's the brains behind most of our activities. She's backed us with enough cash to operate and everything. She's dedicated to your welfare!"

"I don't really care one way or the other," Tiva says with a sniff, "but I'll be no part of it."

The loop cuts out again in a burst of static. If the pattern holds, the news clip will play again in about two minutes. You switch the radio off and examine the faces of the wolves surrounding you, the low buzz of private conversation between grouped clutches falling quiet as you take in the room. You hoped that the broadcast would lift the spirits of your supporters. Their reactions puzzle you, ranging from fear to indifference.

An elder—you fumble for his name—Pezi, clears his throat and everyone in the room turns to him, eager to have something to focus on outside of their own thoughts. "It does my heart good to hear humans taking responsibility for what they've done to us. But…"

He waves his hand in a circle as he tries to come up with the words. "It feels like even when fortune smiles on us that we still have no control over our own destiny. They're at war with each other over our fate, and we're caught in the crossfire as usual. I'm old enough to remember true freedom—the old gods and the thrill of the hunt. I look at this shell of human civilization around us, and I fear that no matter the outcome, this is all we'll ever know."

He looks you up and down. "You were born here, raised as a pup in Haven. You don't know what we've lost. Maybe Haken is right. If we don't fight, how can we ever be anything other than slaves?"

The elder shakes his head and stalks away into a corner to continue his discussion with others of a more like mind. Things are degenerating quickly, but there's only so much you can do.

"For what it's worth, I agree with you," Lapu says sullenly. "We can't fight the military, but maybe if the activists can turn things around, we could just lie low and things would work themselves out."

You're not sure if that's exactly the sentiment you were going for, but you let it slide, happy to hear Lapu speak with something resembling positivity for once. The gathered wolves begin to disperse as the radio replays the message anew, some leaving for their homes, others huddling around corners in groups of three or four, discussing what the activists' plans could mean for the future of Haven.

You take the radio from the chair, cradling it in the crook of your right arm, and shuffle to the side of the fireplace. You sit on the floor rather than the padded chair, some innate part of the wolf inside desiring to be closer to the earth, perhaps dispensing with human comforts altogether as you stare into the crackling fire. The wood planks pop and spit as the licking flames dance about them; they were brought in from a light mist of rain and fight audibly against the inevitable as they are slowly consumed, all things returning to ash and dust in the end.

Anna's voice repeats the same speech you've heard several times already: "We'd all like to forget how so many of us pushed the government into the savage democide of the werewolf population after the incident in Jackson, but we slaughtered these people, men, women, and children."

Democide. Did the United States government ever truly consider werewolves to be citizens? Perhaps back when the packs could hide among the humans, revealing their true nature only to trusted companions. What purpose does a society serve when the groups that form its core are forcibly expelled, irrevocably othered, demonized, and ultimately massacred?

The flames pop again, sending a burning ember skittering across the wooden floor. You watch it smolder, eventually burning out, leaving little more than a smudge of black soot to document its passing.

Your thoughts turn to Bly. So much has happened in the last twenty-four hours that you've barely had a moment to figure out how to rescue her. You can't just leave her in the clutches of the military. After her attempted assassination, they might even kill her. Or worse, subject her to more of their insane experiments. You'll need to get some rest first, though. You won't do her any good if you're too weak to move or plan a proper rescue mission. You have one thing left to do before you crash for the night, but at least it won't require any physical effort.

Next