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Jacin's POV:
Questioning
I pace around Wolf's room, cursing the lack of decor. I could really go for a distraction right now, and something tells me Wolf won't appreciate me looking through his books.
My nerves are buzzing with energy, not so much about the talk with Wolf but the talk I had barely ten minutes ago with Cinder, Iko, and Dmitri Erland.
I'd decided to go ahead with the meeting. I figured, what harm could it do? I'm the only werewolf here after all, and it's not like I like Levana. So, why not?
I think being on Earth is affecting my IQ.
"What is the nature of the Royal Palace's defences?" Dr Erland kicked off the questioning.
I told him the truth: there was no way they were breaking in there. "Guards are constantly patrolling the halls, and we are trained to be completely and utterly loyal to the crown. I know I'm not exactly a prime example of that, but in most cases it's true. These guys would lay down their lives for Levana, assuming she doesn't force them to. That's the second purpose of the Royal Guard: We're basically just a bunch of shields, willingly or not. And if the guards don't notice you, the cameras will. Installed in every nook and cranny, you can't wipe your nose in the palace without someone noticing."
"How well are the guards trained?" Cinder asked.
"Well, we're already physically strong. That's one of the three reasons we're chosen. The second is for our easily controlled brains."
"And the third reason?"
"We make good eye-candy for the queen."
Iko snorted with laughter at that. Dr Erland looked a bit annoyed at her childish reaction, but I just waited for her to stop. They wanted me to tell them the truth, I told them the truth.
Eventually, Iko got a hold of herself and Cinder moved on. "For a revolution, we need manpower. Do you know any communities that are unhappy with Levana's rule?"
I snorted. "You could say that. Pretty much all of the communities except the main city hate the vampire regime. They're living in poverty and dying of regolith poisoning while the elves and vampires of Artemisia basically live their lives in one giant party."
I distinctly remember Cinder shooting a look at Dr Erland before asking me, "Aren't those all werewolf communities?"
"Yeah."
She definitely flashed Erland a smug look at that.
He ignored it. "What about the Alpha family? Do they support Levana?"
I spat disdainfully at the floor. I don't bother to hide the disgust in my voice as I reply, "They're more of an Omega family now. Our Alpha is such a kiss-up to the royal family. It's enough to make you sick just watching him. We don't even have an Alpha female, though we've had a good many false alarms." I shook my head in dismay. "The idiot's got a way with women."
Iko tilted her head. "I thought werewolves could overthrow their Alpha anytime."
"We can. We just don't want to." I told her. "Being Alpha sucks, even if you do have three meals a day. Most of us think that it's just not worth it."
Cinder waved all this aside impatiently. "That's beside the point. The point is, of the werewolves the only ones that actually support Levana are her guards and their Alpha. That makes them possible allies. Is there a way we can broadcast a message to all of the werewolf communities?"
"Every house, or should I say hovel, has a TV screen for sending out propaganda messages, and there are several large screens posted all over the sectors for the same reason. Good luck hacking into them though. The security on their broadcasting system is crazy."
"We'll figure something out." Cinder assured me.
"It'd better be something that works." I muttered.
Iko grinned confidently. "It will. We're good at coming up with plans."
I had to fight the urge to laugh at that.
A sudden knock on the door jars me out of my thoughts. I glare at the tall boy who enters the room.
"Took you long enough." I grumble. "I thought I'd end up spending the night."
"Something else came up." Wolf explained.
I study his face. Is it just me, or does he actually look… happy? His eyes are glittering in a way I've never seen them before, and I could almost swear he was smiling a little.
Wolf leans against the wall. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Okay, his tone was definitely brighter than usual there.
"You remember when we first met, and I told you the name of that werewolf you beat up?" I ask.
He tilts his head. "Kind of. Jerrico right?"
"Right. Thing is, he was Captain of the Royal Guard and by default the strongest member."
"Okay…" Wolf says, his cheerful manner giving way to wariness.
I decide I'd better just cut to the chase. "Since you're obviously stronger than him, the Queen wants you to join her guard and she sent me to fetch you."
Wolf crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at me. "What if I say no?"
I shake my head. "Sorry, not an option."
"So, what, you're going to drag me by my feet to Artemisia?"
"If I have to."
I take a step forward. Wolf bares his teeth and growls at me. I take another step. He barks at me, sharp and threatening. Another step.
There's a sharp "pop" and Wolf hisses in pain, clutching his right shoulder. It's sitting at an awkward angle and swelling beneath his fingers.
My eyes widen with shock as I stare at the limb. Wolf just glares at me and holds his arm out, setting his shoulder back into place. He moves it experimentally, wincing slightly.
I reconstruct my face, eliminating all traces of surprise. I stalk past Wolf and out the door, calling over my shoulder, "I'd watch your back if I were you."
Wolf just growls in reply.
Only when I leave the police station do I let my face contort into a worried scowl. Limbs don't just dislocate for no reason, any moron can tell you that. But the reason behind Wolf's shoulder dislocating is far more worrying than the normal ways. Assuming I'm right about the cause, and I almost certainly am, his days are severely numbered.
A/N: Finally, Jacin does his job.
Beating up Jerrico has finally caught up to Wolf, but he's not ready to deal with the consequences. Will Jacin be able to fulfil his mission? Why are Wolf's days numbered?
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