Masked

CHAPTER 27 | there are three sides to every story

Dawn broke as Daniel placed the phone on its cradle. He had spent most of the night on the phone to each Alliance alpha. The conversations had followed the same pattern of denial and disbelief, and finally a demand for answers.

He did not blame them. That had been his reaction, too. But knowing what the Sandulf Pack was capable of meant that his disbelief quickly metastasized into horror, followed by a deep-seated urgency to protect the pack, the alliance, and their race. He needed to put safeguards in place to identify and warn all those at risk.

Try as he might, he couldn't get his conversation with Parker out of his mind. Her words had haunted him from the moment she stormed out of the room. There was an incessant nagging at the back of his mind, fighting to be heard.

What if she was right? How do we fight something we can't see or touch?

This situation was out of their league. He felt powerless against an enemy that chose to fight with these kind of weapons. Powerlessness did not sit comfortably with him. It was a new and alien emotion, one that he did not like.

Parker being unhappy with him did not sit well with his wolf either. It wasn't that she was angry; it was the look of disappointment etched in her eyes before she walked away that had gotten to him.

He sighed. Guilt. Another new emotion he did not much care for. He headed to the kitchen and discovered a fresh French press coffee had been brewed, and the doors to the outside patio area were already open.

Parker sat at the outside table with her back to him, gazing across the valley. The light of the morning sun reflected on her hair, almost giving the appearance of a halo encircling the crown of her head. It was ironic. The woman really thought she could save everybody.

Her shoulders tensed the moment she became aware of his presence. He took a seat across from her and quietly drank the coffee he had poured for himself, all the while struggling to find the right words to explain his decision.

He cleared his throat. "You know, the early Christians hid their beliefs, knowing that if they were discovered, they would be put to death at the hands of the Roman Empire. We Werewolves watched as the tide was turned years later, when Christians laid havoc against those who didn't believe in their God."

Daniel sat back in his chair, a dull sadness settling in his chest. "Throughout your Human history, you have killed over seventy million people—for the simple reason that they had a different belief system than the dominant religion at the time."

His eyes bored into hers, and he searched for the slightest indication that she understood his point of view. "Since the dawn of time, Humans have ethnically cleansed entire races. Cambodia today is missing an entire generation. The Bosnians, Tibetans, the persecution of Romani, Rwanda, Hitler's slaughter of over eight million people during the Second World War, the genocide of over twelve million American Natives between the 1500s and the 1900s... the list is endless. Humans have systematically eradicated cultures for no other reason than they were different."

He leaned across the table and reached for her hand, his palms clammy. "Humans, by their very nature, can be relied on for one thing—they will destroy anything they don't understand." His touch was light, belying how much he needed the contact.

He recognized Parker's turmoil as she fought against what he had said.

"If they can put to death millions of people because of the color of their skin, their beliefs, or the country they originate from...can you imagine what they would do if they discovered that we have existed alongside them since the dawn of time?"

He hoped that by viewing it from his standpoint, she would be able to understand their reluctance. Humans as a race had a lot to answer for. His chest tightened as he waited for her reaction.

Her expression softened, and her shoulders slumped. She gently squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

The touch was calming. He sighed, and sat back in his chair. "It's not your fault. If there were more people like you we might have options. But there aren't, and we need to deal with the resources we have at our disposal."

They sat for a minute, each lost in thought.

He winked. "Nice coffee, by the way."

Parker grimaced. "I couldn't quite bring myself to make instant this morning. While neither of us are affected by Wildfire, it just didn't seem right."

The reason for Parker's unexpected visit fell heavy on his shoulders, and he returned to his default no-nonsense tone. "We need to make some changes to keep the packs safe." He stood up. "Which reminds me, we are about to be inundated with Werewolves. The Alliance alphas need answers, and we need to work out what to tell them before they get here."

Parker shot up in her chair. "We?"

He cleared his throat. "Youare as much a part of this as anyone else, so yes, we." He snapped the lid closedon Parker's laptop and held out his hand. "We have work to do."