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“Well, you reacted differently. The first time it was a whole day later, the second time you snapped out of it before the pack did.” Rowan pointed out.

Kin stiffened and froze in his steps. “I could snap again, at any time. How much longer until you have more potions to knock me out, Louisa?”

Louisa grimaced, “Ten days. It’s unfortunate you destroyed my collection during your first rampage.”

Rowan placed her finger on her chin. “It is strange. All the research we’ve done on beast interactions always highlights power structure and there are very few who can actually make you submit. Maybe we need to look at all of this from a new angle.“

Her jaw popped open as a picture of the most in depth magical encyclopedia ran through her mind. “Oh, my gods. That bat knew I would need it!”

Both Louisa and Kin waved away some of the concern Rowan’s outburst had attracted.

“Which bat?” Kin asked.

“Henrietta Young.” Rowan waved the thought away, “First lunch and then research.”

Dew’s voice was soft with trepidation. “If they attack again, it’s going to be on a grander scale. Surely every shifter group has their defenses reinforced at the moment.”

“Yea.” Rowan agreed, “Whoever’s behind it all isn’t done. None of the attacks reached their full potential. I think they’re going to keep trying until they get what they want.”

“Besides turning the world against the shifters, what could any of this do?” Louisa demanded.

“Maybe that’s the goal.” The fox shifter guided them around a huddled group of young mystics blocking the middle of the path.

Rowan held a bated breath as she felt the stares of the group follow them. “That’s the fox shifter that was in Greece, I told you I’d seen him around here.”

That was quick to reach back to their slice of the world. How many cameras had there been? How long had they been there?

“And I told you I’d seen that succubus around here too! But she didn’t have those wings and horns before. Do you think she’s really one? I’ve heard there are a ton of mystics getting procedures done to look more exotic.”

Rowan felt her anger rise, she was getting ready to turn and lash out at them, but then Dew resettled on her head and a wave of calm rushed through her.

This was her new norm. She had to get used to anything that could be thrown at her. She had no doubt it could be worse.

“Louisa, if you get some time today, I want you to dig around and see who has a big enough grudge against shifters to target anyrace. Kin you focus on beast communication. I’ll try and see if any of the leaders of the snake, bear or sphinx shifters are willing to tell me what their trigger source was and I’ll look around their point of origin.”

Louisa pouted. “But Romo is launching a new sweater collection and I cannot fall behind in fashion this winter, Rowan. I just can’t.”

Rowan scrunched her nose. “You’re right, priorities are important. Sweater collection first and then trying to make sure people don’t die. “

“No.” Kin cut in, “You are a princess and you are the heiress of the North American Vampire Brood. Get some servants to do your shopping and focus on saving people’s lives first.”

Rowan and Louisa groaned.

“You know, Ro, this is all your fault. I don’t know why you couldn’t have had your grand idea until after the release.”

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Alessandro was in the middle of a meditative bubble bath when the doors to his personal bathroom slammed open.

He glanced up through the steam as Blaise entered, cheeks flushed from exercise, his hazel eyes bright, “There’s a mob outside of the gate.”

Alessandro felt his jaw tighten. “A mob?”

“They’re destroying the shops. They’re calling us murderers.” Blaise paced up and down the length of Alessandro’s tub, his rage becoming more and more pronounced. “Aqua keeps putting fires out, but they keep making new ones, literal ones, notfigurative ones. Naseem doesn’t know what to tell Stone to say or do and the four heads of houses are saying they’re in mourning.”

Alessandro growled as he stood up to his full height. Trails of water and bubbles followed him as he swept out of the room. “What about Terra?” He demanded.

“She’s already left for Dragon City to prepare defenses and beds in case we need to retreat that way.”