Reality settled on Isaiah. “How long have you known I had a blood sample from a Cana?”
“I never knew what you had. Let alone you might use it to reclaim your wolves.”
Because she’d chosen not to ask. Which made no sense. Varu searching for a way to reclaim their wolves should have been seen as a threat.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“A decade before the Anubis project, the Senate had a large shift in member dynamics thanks to the convenient vacancy of multiple high positioned seats. Those were filled, and since then, members have been removed and new ones added. Some of whom are from family lines who never sat before.”
Senate seats were eagerly inherited, unlike the willingness to believe the history behind them.
“My father was Apex when the Senate introduced a proposal to alter the evaluation process for candidates that had been in place since the inception of the division. They wanted special allowances for individuals who showed, in their opinion,exceptional characterdespite the results of psychological evaluations and test scores.”
“They wanted people who were loyal to them and not your oath.”
“My father thought so. As Apex, he could and did veto the first request. Roughly seven months later, he died of ALS. The Senate appointed a temporary Apex Warden from the ranks. The article my father vetoed was on his desk within twenty-four hours and on record within forty-eight.”
“You’re the sitting Apex Warden now. Can’t you change it back?”
“Proposals have to be approved by the Senate.”
And since they were the ones to alter the requirements in the first place, there was no chance of that happening.
A car honked. The rumble of a semi engine rose and fell. Laura remained silent.
“Do you think this is some kind of coup among the Senate?”
“I think it’s a very plausible scenario.”
“Doesn’t your consortium have safeguards in place?” Isaiah said.
“We do. But when that coup happens slowly, methodically, and stretched out over enough time where there’s no way to prove it’s by design or chance, calling for an investigation would be fruitless.” Laura’s sigh rattled the speaker. “Especially when there appears to be a lack of motivation to begin with.”
The sounds of the highway died down.
“Have you spoken to Palmer?” As their remaining Clan leader, he needed to know.
“No.”
Then that meant… “You told me but not him?”
“I’m still assessing the situation. And I want to collect more data before presenting my findings to him.”
Isaiah stared into the darkness. His wolf watched him from the line of gray shadows to the blanket of midnight between the trees. Its blue eyes churned with a nebula of stars.
“But you still told me before him.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“When I was a child, my father always told me to trust my instincts. I did, and those instincts allowed me to pass both my tests with a perfect score. And my instincts say this is something you need to know now and before anyone else.”
“You think we’re in danger.” Isaiah made it a statement.
“Only if the Anubis isn’t destroyed. Once that happens, your people will be an asset the Senate will need to protect us from the Mah should Grey decide he’s not satisfied where he’s at.”
Isaiah closed his eyes.