Chapter 25
Kaeleen's POV
If I had thought the vote against the alliance would silence Leon, I was wrong. This bastard is not giving up. The relief I felt after Rebecca's powerful stance and the voting that followed after was short-lived. Just as everyone started to relax, Leon's voice cut through the room again.
"This isn't over," he declared, his tone laced with accusation. "You're all being manipulated. Led astray by someone with no understanding of the bigger picture. When did we all start paying so much attention to Emerald Glade Pack? Suddenly, they're experts on everything? Doesn't anyone else find that suspicious?"
I turned towards him, a knot forming in my stomach. It was true that Emerald Glade had been relatively isolated for a long time. We hadn't been deeply involved in the global werewolf community until recently. But there was a reason for that isolation, a reason rooted in a painful past.
I glanced at Alex, and with a subtle nod, he began distributing documents around the massive table.
"What's this?" Jonathan asked, though I knew he already knew. He was one of the few who were aware of the history I was about to reveal.
"This is a history lesson," I said, my voice steady despite the tension in the room. "A lesson from the 1800s. It's about a time when my ancestor, one of the Alphas of Emerald Glade, believed that an alliance with humans, formalized through a signed document, was the key to peaceful coexistence."
I paused, letting the weight of those words sink in. "He was wrong."
"Maybe he just didn't approach it the right way," someone suggested, echoing Leon's earlier sentiments.
"No," I countered, shaking my head. "He approached it with the same optimism, the same belief in human goodwill that Leon is pushing now."
I doubted that Leon actually believed that humans were good and that was why he was pushing this alliance. I believed that he had something in the stakes here. Something would benefit him from this alliance but I had no proof, just a hunch.
"He believed that humans would see us as equals, that we could live side-by-side in harmony. But he underestimated the human capacity for fear and exploitation. We may be stronger and faster, but that doesn't make us immune to their cunning. When humans feel threatened, they will exploit any weakness, any vulnerability they can find. And while we are half-human, we are also half-wolf. We are not fully human, and that difference can be used against us." I said to them,
Leon's lips curled into a dismissive smirk. "So, you're saying being werewolf is a weakness? We are stronger and faster than humans and dare I say, just as cunning." He said with his arms spread wide.
Some supported him with cheers and a laugh but I wasn't done yet.
"Do you even know what plants affect us, but not humans?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.
I studied him. Noticing the subtle twitch of his eyes. He knew but he was still pushing this forward. At least all this was done before he even started talks with humans.
"What does that have to do with anything?" he scoffed.
"Everything," I replied, my gaze unwavering. "Look at the document. What Alex just handed out is a detailed account of what happened after my ancestor signed that alliance with the humans."
A hush fell over the room as everyone present in the room began to read. The documents contained chilling details of broken promises, betrayals, and escalating violence. The humans, initially welcoming, soon became suspicious and fearful. They saw the werewolves' strength as a threat, and they sought ways to neutralize it.
"How do we know who is a werewolf and who is not?" the humans had asked. And my ancestor, foolishly believing in transparency, provided them with a way to identify us. He didn't realize that this knowledge would be used against us, that it would turn us into targets.
The documents described how humans began to hunt us, not for sport, but out of fear and hatred. They discovered plants that weakened us, plants that had no effect on humans. They used this knowledge to their advantage, pushing us to the brink of extinction. The Emerald Glade Pack, once thriving, was destroyed and they had to go into hiding.
"We were hunted," I said, my voice low but filled with emotion. "Hunted like animals. The alliance, meant to protect us, became our downfall. It gave humans the knowledge and the means to destroy us."
I met Leon's gaze, my eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow. "So, I ask you again, Leon. After seeing this evidence, do you still believe that signing an alliance with humans wouldn't put a target on our backs? Do you still believe it will bring a more harmonious relationship between us and the humans and stop the so-called hunting?"
Leon shifted uncomfortably, but his expression remained defiant. "How can we be sure this information is even accurate?" he challenged. "It's ancient history. It could be fabricated."
Jonathan spoke up, his voice firm and authoritative. "It's not fabricated, Leon. This affected my people as well. We suffered similar losses, similar betrayals. The details may vary, but the core truth is the same: trusting humans blindly is a recipe for disaster."
Annabelle chimed in, her voice laced with impatience. "There are many of us around this table, Leon. Why are we still debating this? We already voted. The alliance is dead."
Leon glared at her, his face flushed with anger. "You're all just blindly following Kaeleen. You're letting fear cloud your judgment."
He was losing it and it was funny to me. His face was red with anger from the knowledge that he wasn't going to win this.
"We're not blindly following anyone," Annabelle retorted, her eyes flashing. "We're making informed decisions based on evidence and experience. You claim Kaeleen doesn't know what he's talking about, but I know who the Emerald Glade Pack are. The reason most of us are still alive today is thanks to them. Maybe you've forgotten, but my pack owes them a debt of gratitude. The respect I have for them far outweighs any respect I have for you, Leon."
"What does respect have to do with anything?" Leon scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.