Chapter 180 New Dawn pt 1
Gideon
Adrenaline had barely faded from my system before it spiked again.
“Dad!” I met Seren’s wide eyes, then we took off running. I had to weave through awakening hybrids, injured warriors, and the chaos our battle with Mikhail had left in its wake. I used my powers to clear rubble, to reroute water, to put out fires as I went. My sister kept pace beside me, scanning the crowd, until finally she pointed.
“There! With Finlay! And Mom!” Her voice cracked.
It barely registered that Duncan and Cora were behind us. I needed to see for myself that my father was still alive, that I hadn’t inherited the kingdom before it was mine to rule. I skidded to a stop in front of him, hitting my knees as I took in his pale face and closed eyes.
“Is he…?” I croaked.
Mom shook her head vigorously. “No, son. He’s alive. He’s still alive.” She gripped my arm, squeezing tightly, even as Dad let out a low moan. His eyelids fluttered, but remained closed.
Seren stepped over to him. She was exhausted after defeating our uncle, after shouldering so much pain and healing the hybrid connection. I could feel her fatigue pulling through our bond, an almost physical weight dragging against her. The echoes of the pain in our shared bond had almost broken me. Yet she was still standing, her first instinct still to help.
Duncan stepped up behind her, laying his hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure?”
She turned to look at him. “He’s my father.”
He nodded, staying silent as he stood back, giving her space. His voice floated through my head, the bridge between us still intact. ‘We’ll need to help her.’
I drew on the last of my reserves. He did the same. We pushed both through to Seren, and with what we gave her added to her own strength, her hands glowed silver once more.
She passed them over Dad, pausing on his ribs. We heard the bone crack as it snapped back into place. She moved to his head, the swelling reducing, the lacerations closing, until finally she fell back.
Our father’s eyes opened as he took a deep breath. He turned, catching Seren in his gaze just as she collapsed against Duncan. Worry coated his gaze, followed by a myriad of other emotions I couldn’t name.
“Cian,” Mom sobbed, falling onto his chest.
“Shh, my love. I’m okay now.” He comforted her for a quiet moment, then looked at me. “Michael?”
“Destroyed.”
His eyes closed as if the news pained him. I couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling. The situation was complicated, to put it mildly. When he opened them again, he simply said, “Thank you.”
Elder Cassian cleared his throat from behind us. I turned, Cora moving to tuck in at my side, as he stepped up to the group. His eyes darted around, landing on Finlay, before turning back to my father.
“Your Majesty, we need to organize this…disaster.”
Dad pushed himself up onto his elbows, then swung his legs out and sat up. Mom took a seat beside him. “Tell me.” His demand was quiet steel.
“There are hybrids everywhere. No one knows what to do with them. Then there’s the injured, the dead. There are too many alphas, and no one wants to give any ground. Some are calling for the complete extermination of the enemy.”
“Who is the enemy now, High Elder?” Seren’s voice was soft as she leaned against her mate. Anyone who didn’t know her would think she sounded meek, but I recognized the trap in her words. Duncan’s eyes met mine, and I could see he was thinking the same thing.
Cassian stiffened. “The Hybrids, of course. There are still hundreds of them.”
A breeze brushed over my shoulder as King Dorian appeared. He stepped up behind my parents, giving Dad’s shoulder a squeeze before simply standing there, silent.
Cassian looked from Dad to Dorian to me. “All due respect, but this is a wolf issue.”
“I don’t think it is, Elder Cassian. I think King Dorian is right where he should be. We all have a vested interest in this. Now,” I took a breath. “You’re telling me you want us to consider active genocide?”
He sputtered. “I…well…they’re dangerous!”
“Yes. So are we. So are the vampires and the witches, both of whom fought with us against Mikhail and his army.” Seren stood tall now, no longer leaning against Duncan. “So is the knife you use to cut your meat, but we don’t destroy all the knives. We don’t kill our allies.” She stepped forward, every bit the princess. A smile tugged at my lips. “I did not heal them just for you to murder them.”
“Most of the hybrids were turned against their will, Elder Cassian. Some of them fought actively against the control of their creator,” I said. “If you were in the same battle I was, then you saw that every time one of the generals went down.”
His eyes darted around as his mouth worked, no sound coming out. He finally closed his mouth, then cleared his throat again. “Well, then, what would you suggest?”
“They are people, Elder Cassian, just like us. People who were ripped from their homes, forced to commit atrocious acts against their will. Yes, there were those who converted willingly.” I thought of Brian. “But overall, they are our people who need help.”
Dad finally spoke up. “Many of them no longer have a pack to go back to. We also need to consider what we’re going to do about the ones that did convert willingly who are still out there. Cassian isn’t wrong about them being a danger.”
“There are good and bad in all races, Dad. We deal with those hybrids no differently than we deal with our own criminals,” Seren said.
“There is empty land. A large parcel against our shared border with Silver Moon Pack,” King Dorian spoke. “I believe your side of the parcel is fairly empty as well, Cian. We could combine them, provide a place for the hybrids to settle. They will need our guidance in the months to come. Vampires to teach them the truth of our ways, and shifters to help them remember who they were.”