Page 174 of Wolf Roulette

The smell of her grief had strengthened in the last few days. With all this talk of truce and change, I wouldn’t blame her for thinking back to her mating call with Daniil and what could have been.

Leaving the manor, I walked through the midst of our stewards. They babbled and chatted happily, unaware of what would be unleashed upon them.

If I was successful today, my stewards would lay in bed tonight and tense at the sound of every creak and groan of their cabins.

I climbed the stairs and stood before the mic. “Stewards. We gather on our tribal lands as we and our ancestors have done for centuries—as devoted guardians of this land and all those within it. Before I start, does anyone dispute our ongoing duty to this valley?”

Everyone here—even my biggest critics—felt a connection to this place deep in their soul.

“Tonight, my words will shock you. They will make you fear for your life and future and those of your loved ones… those of the people surrounding you. The secrets I share are revealed with one purpose in mind. To keep this tribe alive for generations to come.”

They weren’t smiling anymore.

Yeah,this wasn’t a normal gathering.

“Upon becoming a Luther, the pack leader divulged the following information to me for my own safety. I was sworn to silence. But against his wishes, I have decided to break that promise because without breaking it, I see only bloodshed and pain.”

I let them absorb my words, noting Nathan behind the camera recording my every word. There was too much information to unload in one sitting. Stewards would have access to the recording to watch however many times they wished.

They stared up at me, anxious, wary, suspicious, and already fearful. I seized the determination building in my chest.

I was doing this for a reason.

For them.

For the pack.

For Sascha and myself.

“At some point, every steward has asked themselves the same question.Why don’t the pack just leave?The tribe was here first. The werewolves could go anywhere. I used to ask myself the same question too. Before I explain, there are three things you need to know. A Luther has one mate in their lifetime. Without that mate, they can’t have children. And without their mate, they are mortal.”

The screens Nathan used to run through tribe strategy flickered on around the lawn and stage.

I freed the mic and stood to one side just like in the business presentations I’d had to record for my degree. “Keep those three things in mind, please.”

I nodded at Trixie who was in charge of the slides.

On the screens, a map of the valley and surrounding areas appeared. The land north and east of the valley lit up red.

“Does anyone know what this region is?” The boundaries didn’t obey any human map.

No one called out an answer.

“That,” I told them, “as I recently discovered, is the approximate territory of the largest demon kingdom in the world. They occupy our entire northern border and the east also. Does anyone here know anything about demons?”

No one budged.

Fear had taken the forefront though confusion had ramped up too.

The slide changed to add a blue section to our south. “Thisis the territory of a witch coven that covers us to the south.”

A third section lit up green.

“Most stewards know about the vampires in Bluff City,” I said. “Their clan totals more than fifteen thousand.”

I returned to the microphone stand. “As you see, this valley is surrounded on every side by other supernatural races. Why is that pertinent? Since the Luthers arrived here, their numbers have halved. Perhaps you believed some had left the valley. Perhaps you asked yourself why the others didn’t do the same.” I gestured at the map behind me. “They’re trapped. It’s impossible for the pack to leave without risking what few numbers they still have fighting their way out. To give you an idea of that risk, ten thousand Luthers arrived on the shores of Bluff City long ago, but after a battle with vampires and then with demons, only fifteenhundredmade it to Deception Valley. Because the pack are trapped, most of them will never find their mates. Remember, they cannot have children without their one mate. And they are mortal without their mate too. To put it plainly, the pack isn’t leaving. They’re dying.”

I gave them a moment to absorb that.