Accidental Surrogate

Sinclair

I lean over the back of the sofa in my quest suite, my hands closed in white- knuckled fists around the frame. My phone is lit up on the table in front of me, Gabriel’s name glowing on the screen. Hugo and the Black Alder Alpha, Callahan, stand beside me, looking on with somber expressions. “Talk to me. What do we know?”

“It’s bad, Dom.” The Vanaran King reports. “My spies say that all signs point to utter ruin. Civilians are fleeing the territories in droves, and the governments they’re leaving behind are scrambling. The packs have all fallen to Damon, and the human regimes are considering extreme action to hold off the invasion.”

“Do they not realize what they’re up against?” I demand. “After all, the upper echelons of government have always known the secret, they know h0w far ahead our SOcieties are.”

“And they’ve been planning contingencies.” My father interjects. “Sovereigns from other continents are offering their aid, there’s been talk of employing weapons of mass destruction… of secret laboratories working for decades on projects inventing next-gen arms capable of combatting our own. They’ve been preparing for this sort of eventuality since day one.”

“And what have they come up with? Any weapon deadly to shifters will also be lethal to humans.” I remind them.

“From what we can tell, even the best of their labs haven’t come close to matching the sophistication of our technology.” Phil!ppe reveals. “They’re at least fifty years behind. But that’s less important than the likelihood that they’ll deploy them anyway. Some we can stop and neutralize- others we shield against, but there are others still that we cannot defend against once they’ve been deployed, only try to mitigate the damage.”

“Im afraid things are reaching the point where the humans may very well decide to abandon their own people left under Damon’s rule, for the sake of taking him out once and for all.” Gabriel cautions, answering the second part of my question. “They see them as lost causes, collateral damage.”

“That’s ũnconscionable.” I snarl. “What kind of leader would contemplate k!lling their subjects so indiscriminately, as if they’re nothing more than pawns in some larger game?”

“It’s containment.” Ella chimes in, her sweet voice clashing with the harsh words. “They’re panicking and they want to fight fire with fire. Damon isn’t holding back no matter the impact on the shifters under his rule, and the humans are being faced with the choice between losing some of their populations, or having the entirety enslaved.”

“As we said.” Roger sighs, “things are worse than we ever could have feared.”

pathways out of the continent

trying to quell my

able to

“One trip a day isn’t enough anymore, and we need to allocate more funding to supporting them once

order, knowing my voice sounds harsh and biting, but unable to help it. “Has there been any word from packs on

undercurrent of anger and hope among our allies back home… they’re eager

from the Veran King.” Gabriel

Sevka, but the human s are in an uproar around the world. They’re anxious about our future.. they’re willing to offer any help they can to get this under

for that.” I breathe, even though I don’t have the first idea how to do such a thìng. The only thing that comes to mind is inventing a time machine and going back to kit Damon before he ever got a chance to put any of his diabolical plans in motion. If I hadn’t

voice full of belief that I will have some sort of answer. I’m

could see her. “You know the ways of

then her silken voice floats up from the device. “People are afraid, and right now they see us as their enemies… as monsters from horror films who are all cut from the same cloth as Damon. I think the best thing we can do is show them that they aren’t suffering alone. Show them that Damon does not reflect all shifters, and that our people don’t want him in power any more than they do.” Another

offer aid, whether it’s money or resourcès, and publicize

put.” Dad praises, “we need to combine PR with diplomacy and

can, and put out feelers to contacts throughout the continent. Forward me any correspondence for approval before sending it out, and have our spies start spreading the word on the ground. Half of Damon’s strategy is propaganda and fear mongering, we can counter it with a whisper campaign of our own. Don’t let people lose hope, don’t let Damon convince them we’re enemies. Print up flyers supporting

person I want to speak with most. “Can I have a minute alone with my mate please?” I request, though it’s

finally alone, I ask.

a little overwhelmed.” She admits in a soft voice, “I never

at ease now that we can speak one on one. “I always knew it would be a disaster if he came to power, but I have to confess this is so much worse than I feared.” I don’t add that I hate