Dancing with Shadows ✔

Signs of the Merge

Dancing with Shadows

Chapter 32

"What the hell are they talking a-about?" Emma's eyes were glued to the television, her mind racing to catch up with the shocking news. How could so much have changed while she was unconscious?

"This has been in the works for a while," Logan murmured, reaching for Emma's hand and entwining their fingers, offering a silent comfort amid the chaos.

"The president had no other choice," Matthew said, his tone flat and resigned.

Jonathan's frustration boiled over. "Of course, he had no choice! That psycho was slaughtering people—thousands of lives lost in just two weeks! So the best decision was to roll over and show our bellies!" His voice cracked with anger, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"Jonathan, calm down," their father interjected, his voice steady but strained. "We understand how you're feeling, but there's no reason to yell." Despite his composed tone, the tension in his face revealed his struggle with the situation.

Emma's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to process it all. "This can't be right. Why are they here? What happened to the w-werewolf world?" Her voice was laced with confusion and fear.

As if in response to her question, the television broadcast shifted to a werewolf who stepped forward to address the camera. "Greetings, dis—sorry, humans!" The werewolf's face struck a chord of familiarity in Emma.

"Red, h-have we seen this guy before?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Logan replied, his eyes narrowing. "You met him as a nurse. Otis."

Emma's eyes widened in realization, memories of their previous encounter flooding back.

"We are here to explain ourselves a bit, since we will soon be... allies," Otis continued. "We are werewolves. We come from a different world, but unfortunately, it was destroyed. We had communities, lives, just like you. We are here to stay, and we hope that we, as werewolves and humans, can get along. I will now introduce you to our king, King Declan." Otis stepped aside, his arm extended in a gesture of excitement, making way for Declan.

Declan's presence commanded attention, his deep, husky voice resonating through the screen. "As the leader of the werewolves, I am proud to unite our world with yours." He nodded at the President before descending the stairs, the other werewolves following closely behind.

The President, visibly nervous, hurried to the microphone. "Thank you for your speech, King Declan. Good afternoon, everyone. Over the next few months, King Declan and I will be scheduling multiple meetings with our officials to safely and smoothly integrate the werewolf community into our own. By the end of this year, they will all have full citizenship. Thank you." The President's words hung in the air as reporters shouted questions, but his bodyguards quickly escorted him off the platform, leaving the questions unanswered.

"Shit... They're really here to stay. No offense, Logan," Nick muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Emma's thoughts spiralled as she tried to grasp the magnitude of what was happening. The world she knew had changed while she was asleep, and now, with the werewolves here to stay, everything was different.

**

As Declan delivered his speech, he couldn't help but notice the fear etched into the faces of the humans—the ones they called "reporters." They were pathetic at their jobs, their silence palpable as he strode off the platform. He led his pack away from the ceremony, stopping only when they reached the edge of the woods, a mile or two from where they had just been.