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Vampire. Human. Clover. Shadow.

We were the ones who oversaw everything. When there were problems, we dealt with them. Keeping peace and protecting freedom was the priority.

Viggo snickered, and I glanced at him just in time to see Rya shove her fist into his ribs before getting up and moving to another table. Like they did with Zan, the Shadows tolerated us, but they didn’t follow me or Viggo. We weren’t their true leader and never would be. But Rya was usually good at keeping them in line. Though one of these days, Viggo might piss her off enough that she might actually try to kill him.

“Ready?” Gia asked.

I nodded. “Let’s get this done.”

Did I enjoy this? Not really. But it was a responsibility I could handle. Viggo would be terrible at it. Rya didn’t want it. Plus, it kept me busy. Growing up, all I’d wanted was to get out from under my father’s control. Now, I was finally free. Free to do what? I wasn’t sure. Viggo was living life to the fullest. Having fun bothering the Shadows. Spending time in Deadwood with his human friend, Dee, and the other vampires who came back and decided to stay. He always stayed busy when we weren’t working to keep world peace.

Collin stood up and announced that the meeting was starting. Everything we did was out in the open. No secrets. No hidden agenda.

“We need more supplies out west for structures,” Asami said, checking her notebook. “And more helping hands for agriculture in the south.”

Now that the humans weren’t trapped in the safe cities, they were rebuilding. Using land that hadn’t been touched in decades, ever since the war started. Small towns were springing up. It was slow work and would take years to grow, but the progress was nonstop. It was what the people wanted.

And Shadows? They were right beside the humans, helping them every step of the way. For the most part. There were a few Shadows who wanted their solitude, which was perfectly fine as long as they didn’t harm anyone. There were many humans still learning to trust Shadows and vampires, and that would take time.

But when it came to the Shadows, it was easier. A lot of the Shadows came from safe cities. They’d been ripped from their family or friends and were now reunited. It helped bridge the gap between everyone.

We got blood from humans who donated, and from animals if it was running low. Humans were compensated when they donated blood, but many did it because they realized it helped keep the peace. If there was an abundance of blood, then there would be less bloodlust.

Someone stood up, and I recognized him as a Shadow. Gia gave him a comforting smile as he shifted uneasily on his feet.

“There’s an area about three hours from here they aren’t allowing Shadows,” he said quietly. “My family is there, and I want to see them.”

Viggo’s face grew serious as his eyes darted to the Shadow. He pressed his lips together, knowing it wasn’t his place to say anything. He didn’t want this seat, so it was my job.

“Has there been any violence?” I asked.

The Shadow shook his head. “I haven’t done anything. I came here instead.”

“Good,” Gia said gently. “We’ll handle it.”

Asami was scribbling in her book. She made all the notes during our meetings. It looked like Viggo and I would be traveling even more this month. We expected things to go wrong. There was so much animosity from all sides that it was impossible for it to run smoothly. It was understandable for humans to be untrusting. We expected vampires to attack. Nothing would be solved in a day—or even a decade. It was a painstakingly slow process. One I hoped would succeed like Kali wanted.

“It’s expected for some humans to act like that,” Gia spoke loudly for all to hear. “But it’s also expected that they will learn to trust. We will travel there next week and sort it out.”

This new world that we created had rules. A society would fail if it was lawless. But these laws were for everyone across the board. Humans. Vampires. And Shadows. There were no exceptions. Murder was on the top of that list. If anyone committed the crime, there were consequences.

The Clovers helped with keeping order, but the Shadows stepped up when needed. Though, they never did anything without confirming it with us.

“There’s a rogue vampire or Shadow near us,” someone else spoke up. Two women were standing up, and the blonde continued. “We’ve had three people drained of blood in the last month. We think it’s a vampire because it only happens at night.”

That wasn’t fucking good. I exchanged a look with Gia, and she frowned. That would take priority over anything else on our list.

The meeting continued, and once Asami’s page was full of things we needed to fix or complete, the crowd began todisperse. All of this would get sent over the radio to other areas so we could keep in contact.

I sagged in my chair, rubbing my temples.

“You look sad, Pax.”

Cracking open my eyes, I saw Gia staring at me with pity in her eyes. Straightening up, I forced out a chuckle.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she chastised like she used to when I was a child. “I thought you wanted this life. One where humans were free. Sure, there are challenges, but this is happening even better than I could have imagined.”