Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
His sister’s words were emotive and full of truth. Justice did hate postponing her program, which would’ve provided shelter for lone wolves that were kicked out of their pack or had run away from abusive alphas. That had not left Justice with any positive points remaining with the shifter council or packs across the country. He wished his shifters would understand that everything he did, he did for them. It wasn’t easy battling those crooked officials in the state’s capitol. They felt they ruled the world. But Justice knew the law. His master’s in constitutional law from William and Mary had served him and his packs well.
He filed all the necessary injunctions, motions, affidavits, petitions and every other legal document he could think of to stop the government from railroading them. The world had known about shifters and vampires for almost ten years now. Things started off rather amicably. Not too many protests from the humans, and law enforcement was content that crime levels didn’t spike due to prejudices. They didn’t become hunted. Shifters were already used to staying hidden and keeping to themselves, and vampires were the usual elusive bastards they always were. Kind of an out of sight, out of mind thing for the humans.
Like all things. Life evolved. Shifters got brave – especially the teenagers – and ventured out into the cities and clubs. Flexing their muscles and showing off their advanced abilities. For the most part, as long as the shifters weren’t aggressive and didn’t freak humans out by shifting in public, then humans relaxed and everyone got along. There were even a few reported instances of shifters making rescues and saving lives. Of course, the wolves could do nothing without the vampires rising up and trying to outshine them. Hence their bite. The humans discovered it and the nation went insane. Not only did a vampire’s bite – the elixir in their fangs – feel so good it could make an impotent man orgasm on the spot, but some could even heal an illness with their bite, so Justice had heard.
Life was good back then, and Justice’s father’s job was not difficult. Packs thrived and were happy. His father would show up to functions, ceremonial celebrations, and visit packs for support. There wasn’t the constant problem-solving Justice had to deal with. His mother said it’s why she named him truthful and powerful ruler. That he’d one day have great tasks to complete and thousands would lean on him. “Fate has a way of working things out,” she’d always say.
As more years passed and more vampires came from overseas, the natural rivalry between shifter and vampire flared like dying embers catching a gust of oxygen and raging back to existence. No matter how often he’d sent his enforcers and pack leaders out to police the rowdy bunches that disturbed the streets, it still seemed to be getting out of hand. There’d been incidents of innocents getting caught in the crossfire, businesses suffering or being targeted for refusing to serve customers they thought were shifter or vampire. Once the hate and bigotry start, history indicates, an uprising usually follows. Justice couldn’t allow that. The shifters that were causing trouble needed to be dealt with swiftly, so more didn’t follow their pattern of behavior.
“We’re going to go to Nevada and have sit-downs with their officials. Let’s see if we can cool their tempers. We don’t want the Guard involved, which is completely unnecessary.”
“AZ.” Using Justice’s nickname, the pack leader responsible for Nevada spoke up, but the look on his face said he really didn’t want to have to say this. “The shifters that were arrested… two of them tried to resist arrest.”
“What?” Justice gasped. This couldn’t be good. He looked at the faces in the shifters’ mugshots spread across the gleaming mahogany table in front of his seat. They looked young and afraid.
“Yes. And an officer was killed when the wolf shifted to get out of the handcuffs.”
“Oh no.” Justice dropped back down in his chair. This was terrible. A weaker, less powerful human. Vulnerable to their strengths. An officer of the law, killed in the line of duty… by a shifter. Because of a frivolous feud with vampires. No wonder the Governor was requesting him personally. The people wanted answers… they wanted justice.
“This wasn’t in the report I got,” Alek growled, sitting next to Justice. “We were not informed of any deaths.”
“It just came in. The officer died of his injuries two hours ago. The state has charged all six shifters with first-degree murder, malicious wounding, assault with intent and about five other charges against an officer of the law.” The man closed his folder. “I understand if I’m removed from this case, Alpha.”
Justice didn’t want to get back up; his heart was heavy for the cop who’d died. Had he had a family? Oh, dear Mother? What’s happening? Justice’s emotions were jumbled and he felt empathy like no one else because of who he was. His chest hurt for the dead cop and his wolf wanted to console its pack. Justice could sense the discord in his reprimanded pack member. Could feel the young man’s genuine sorrow and disappointment in himself for dropping the ball and directly affecting his alphas. His wolf was cowering inside him. Justice walked up to the young man and crowded in close to him. He didn’t scent him with his face – that was too intimate – instead he used the back of his hand and brushed it gently across the man’s scruffy cheek, causing him to cast his eyes down and tilt his neck for more. Justice comforted the man’s wolf until it was satisfied his alpha wasn’t upset with him.