THIRTY-NINE
Three Months Later
“And now, without further ado, we declare this building the new headquarters of Adalwolf Industries,” Jo announced, the massive scissors in her hands. The red ribbon in front of her flickered back and forth in the wind, waiting for the moment she would open the scissors and cut it in half. It was symbolic, of course. More of a way to stick it to the world that dared to hold the wolves back from their full potential. Now, there was no stopping them.
Jo glanced over at Nic where he stood off to the side, fully supportive, but not wanting to steal her thunder. He’d been great since the Games, actively trying to be there as a support system while not wanting to get in the way of her progress. There’d been so much work that had to be done after the Games, so much that needed cleared up. There’d been hesitation on the Council’s part when it came time to transfer the land into her name. Once Danica and King Yophiel had bullied them into speeding up the process, things had started to move quickly. Work on the large building had started, converting it into the best possible headquarters ever. Iliad had led the way when it came to getting things truly in order, helping to design and prepare the space for the new employees they would need the more they increased their platforms.
Jo had so many new ideas for apps, for plans, for scholarships. It was time for the wolves to rise.
Looking out over the crowd to see all of those who had supported her, who had stood beside her and cheered her on, Jo smiled wide and held up the scissors. Everyone was there. Nic stood with his dad off to the side, both of their smiles wide. Her team was all there standing beside her, including Iliad and his family, Polly and Gidget dressed in their best. Danica, Arden, and the Vampire King stood closer to the back, bright smiles on their faces. Cricket and Radley stood closer to the front, Cricket bright and excited, Radley more stoic but supportive as per usual. Even the High Wizard was in attendance, standing in the back in a floral suit that caught the sunshine and scattered the light around him.
There were far more people in attendance than them, though. The reporters all stood around, waiting for their moment where they’d be allowed to interview her. This was the story of the century. Two wolves had won the Games for the first time in decades. They’d not only won a large portion of money, putting them higher up in status, but they’d won a large section of land, furthering their status despite the attempts to keep it from happening.
On top of the reporters, there were many creatures Jo didn’t recognize. Some of them looked genuinely excited. Some looked far less impressed. Some of them simply eyed Jo, sizing her up, clearly not liking that the wolves had started to raise their standards all around. Jo had sparked a revolution, but not in the normal sense.
A large number of younger wolves had suddenly started their own businesses, working on creating something they could be proud of, and the Council and Zeus couldn’t do anything about it.
Still, despite their win, Jo knew it wouldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows. There would still be threats and attempts on her life. That was the way of things. The more power you got when you weren’t supposed to have it, the more people wanted you dead. And there were powerful people in the supernatural community.
With a great smile toward the cameras, Jo snipped the ribbon in two and the cheers erupted around the crowd. She passed off the scissors to Iliad and shook the hands that came forward. An hour later, the reporters had finished their interviews and most of the strangers had gone home. Only their own little groups were left, her team from her business and her team for the corruption in this world. Weaseling out the corruption and raising the wolves higher was one of her new goals. It was time they changed the world.
Only once the crowd had dispersed did Theo stroll up to her and Nic where they stood. Iliad packed up his family with a promise to meet for dinner later. Danica and her vamps, Cricket and Radley, came forward then, too. Munin was apparently away on some sort of mission, hunting for something. No one was a better finder of information than Odin’s Spy.
“You’ve done well,” Theo declared with a flourish. “I can’t say I’m surprised. I knew from the moment you appeared how strong you are.” He glanced down at her chest, at the slight tip of a mark that appeared. Jo didn’t fool herself for a moment that the High Wizard was checking out anything but the blessing. “Seems I wasn’t the only one to realize your strength.”
Jo and Nic hadn’t discussed meeting Luna with too many people, but they’d given the information to Danica and Cricket. Theo always knew everything that happened, no matter if you wanted him to or not.
“Something I still don’t understand is why Zeus wasn’t able to kill us,” Nic pointed out. “He’s a God. Why couldn’t he hurt us? And better yet, why was he afraid of Luna?”
Theo’s eyes crinkled. “Gods and Goddesses are limited in their power in our realm. It’s a way to keep the balance and make sure they never decimate the world for their petty games. Hades advocated for it strongly.”
“But Luna didn’t seem to be limited,” Jo said, tilting her head.
“Ah, but you see,” Theo answered, booping her on the nose. “Luna isn’t a deity in the same sense as the others. She’s. . . special. Wild. A Goddess born of the earth itself.” Theo sighed. “But alas, I must be going! I have matters to attend to.”
He turned, as if to leave, but Cricket was frowning. “Wait!” When Theo turned around and glanced at her, she raised her brow. “How do you know so much about the Gods? I haven’t heard most of the stuff you’ve spoken of before and here you are, talking about Zeus and Hades as if you know them personally.”
The corner of Theo’s lips curled up, mischief dancing in his eyes. “I guess you can say it runs in the family,” he declared, and then with a puff of smoke, the High Wizard of the North disappeared.