When he put his phone back in his pocket for the fourth time, he noticed Gail observing him.
Henry, who sat in the passenger seat, immediately turned and looked at him too.
“James, I didn’t want to bring this up before the meeting, but perhaps it’s best to get this over with.”
James frowned. What was he talking about?
Henry and Gail exchanged a look.
“Your friend, Charlotte McAllister…” Gail spoke softly.
“What about her?” James asked.
“It was strange, how she just happened to be there yesterday to tip us off about the media waiting by the main entrance.” Henry cleared his throat.
“A lucky coincidence,” James said.
“Right. Well, I had Kyle do a bit of digging…” Henry said.
James felt his muscles tense up. Henry checked up on his woman? How dare he! He took a deep breath and remained silent, waiting for what more Henry would say. If he apologized, James still wouldn’t be happy, but he’d keep quiet about it. Henry was the boss, after all.
“She’s a reporter, James,” Gail whispered. “It wasn’t a coincidence.”
James pressed his lips together and closed his eyes. That wasn’t possible. He and Charlie had shared a connection. She couldn’t possibly have tricked him, could she?
“He must have made a mistake,” James spoke in a low growl.
Gail put her hand on his arm. “Kyle doesn’t make mistakes.”
James looked around the car. Eric kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead and stayed out of the whole thing. Gail looked at James with big, apologetic eyes. Henry… well, he was just Henry. He was neither apologetic nor sensitive.
“She’s been with the Edinburgh Herald for two years now,” Henry said.
James didn’t know what to think. In between the hurt and anger Charlie had shown yesterday, he had still seen the girl he used to know back in the day. He had seen it in her eyes; she still had feelings for him, despite everything. Could she be that good an actress?
For the rest of the drive, the discussion was over, though James could still feel Gail’s eyes on him every so often. But there was nothing more to discuss.
Henry and Gail had made their point. James had to accept it.
He thought of everything they’d talked about. He’d shared some details about their activities, their reasons for going public. Had those very same details already made their way into today’s papers? The Edinburgh Herald was a local rag, but news had a way of spreading.
Had he shared anything crucial? He wasn’t sure anymore.
The car came to a halt in the same place it had done yesterday.
“I’ll pick you guys up when I’m done with my meeting,” Eric mumbled.
The three Scottish bears got out of the car in silence, and Eric drove off behind them. Then, James’ pocket began to vibrate. He got his phone out. Charlie.
Henry and Gail exchanged a look, which he tried his best to ignore. He also ignored the call and put the phone back into his pocket.
“Let’s go. We don’t want to be late,” James said.
Henry and Gail took the lead, and James followed. They passed through security and entered the building without incident. James was almost waiting for Charlie to show up again, intercepting them on their way to the Home Secretary’s offices, but she was nowhere to be seen.
He wasn’t sure how he’d react if he ran into her now. She’d lied to him by omission. She’d allowed him to think their reunion had been a coincidence. Still, he couldn’t shake all those feelings he had towards her. It couldn’t all have been an act from her side. Or was he so blinded by his own guilt and attraction that he just couldn’t see the truth?
They were made to wait in a spacious wood paneled room, much nicer and more impressive than the one Eric’s MP had received them in. The atmosphere was tense, and none of them spoke a word. Instead, James did his best to focus on the talking points they’d agreed on, while trying to forget about Charlie’s deception.
About ten minutes later, the door behind them swung open, and the Home Secretary herself marched in, flanked by two armed guards. James was actually relieved to see the guards; finally, here was someone who had assessed the risks of meeting with three bear shifters and taken precautions.
“Morning,” the Home Secretary said while scrutinizing each of the three visitors one by one. “What can I do for you?”
Despite the implied politeness of the question, James knew that what she really meant was for the shifters to justify their presence here. So after a short introduction by Henry, James took over.
“Madam Secretary, essentially, some of our kind have appointed themselves as a sort of shadow government. They’ve created laws, which are being enforced by an agency I am sure you wouldn’t want to associate with your government. Many of our kind have been made to believe that this shadow government is the only legitimate authority in our world, and whatever happens in London is irrelevant to us.”
“This authority you speak of is the Alliance, which your group has grown out of, I suppose?” The woman folded her hands and kept her steely gaze locked on James. Considering how petite she was in comparison to the huge wooden desk, as well as the shifters opposite her, the Home Secretary still commanded immense respect. She had the body language of an alpha.
“That’s right. Adrian Blacke - the Alliance’s leader - is used to ruling his people the way he sees fit. Secrecy helped him secure his position, of course, now that we’ve forced his hand, he’s scrambling to remain relevant in a post-reveal world. We believe he will approach you, if he hasn’t already.”
The woman nodded, and somehow still managed to give nothing away. She wasn’t about to show her hand and share whether or not she’d already been in contact with Blacke, James thought. Of course, she wouldn’t. Knowledge is power.
“The point is, Blacke is used to ruling with complete impunity. He has turned his own people against him - our organization and the support we’ve gained is evidence of that. Under his watch our struggle with a certain human element - who were aware of our secret before the reveal - has escalated as well,” James explained.
“I see,” she said.
“He will offer you access to certain schemes he’s planning to put in place to further oppress our people. His offer will seem tempting, the perfect way to control a segment of the population you didn’t even know existed previously.”
“And what do you offer?” she asked.
“Peaceful coexistence. Most of our kind are friendly, law-abiding people, who are just trying to make ends meet. We only rebel when backed into a corner. We just want our freedom.”
“And what of the recent claims made that shifters have been killing people all over the country?” the Home Secretary asked.
James swallowed hard. Everyone in this room had skeletons in their closet from their work with Adrian Blacke’s Alliance. If it all came out, they might have to face the music.
“The Sons of Domnall have been hunting our kind for generations. We have dossiers and evidence to back this up, which we would be happy to share. As long as we kept our existence a secret, we were left to our own devices to defend ourselves. You, Madam Secretary have a problem on your hands now. Our reveal has also exposed a vast terrorist network operating right under your nose. And we can help you dismantle it through the proper channels.”
Gail and Henry exchanged a quick look next to James.
The Home Secretary remained silent, as though she was thinking over everything James had told her.
“It’s simple, really. What would you like this government’s - your - legacy to be? Freedom for all, or oppression and a potential genocide if the Sons of Domnall are left to run rampant?” James asked.
She nodded and pushed her chair back. “Alright. I have another appointment now, but I’d like to thank you for coming in today and sharing your concerns with me. Please leave your contact details with one of my aides so that my office may stay
in touch to see all this to an acceptable conclusion.”
James glanced at Gail and Henry, then back at the Home Secretary.
They all got up together, causing one of the guards to twitch slightly, though he didn’t make a move. This was exactly the problem, James thought. The reveal had scared some people, and if they didn’t handle the follow-up correctly, the Sons would be swamped with new recruits and supporters.
The Home Secretary nodded at each of the three bears individually and retreated through the same door, with both bodyguards at her side.
James breathed a sigh of relief.
“That went well,” Gail remarked.
“I think so,” James said.
“Let’s wait, and see how it plays out first,” Henry said. “We need to move forward with our media campaign as well. If public opinion sways our way, she’ll have no choice but to work with us over Blacke or God forbid, the Sons.”
Gail and James nodded. They needed to rally Jamie’s family, and perhaps others who had seen tragedy at the hands of the Sons, or Blacke, or both, and quickly. And they needed a trustworthy reporter to cover the whole thing, ensuring that the story wasn’t spun around to make them look bad.
James put his hand in his pocket instinctively. The only reporter he knew was Charlie. And she’d lied to him.
But did they have time to find someone else?
James followed Henry and Gail through the corridor, down the stairs and into the main lobby, where Charlie had found them yesterday. She was still nowhere to be seen. They left via the main door this time, only to be greeted by a large crowd of protesters.
There were hundreds of them. Some carried banners; some shouted slogans.
Animals belong in the zoo.
No monsters in my neighborhood.
A bear is always armed.
Along the front of the rally, a group of women stood in a line, each of them carrying a photograph of a different young man with the words missing, presumed dead, written underneath. James didn’t dare look at any of them in case he recognized someone he’d seen in Blacke’s dungeon.
The three bears kept their heads down as they passed by the crowd, hoping they wouldn’t attract too much attention. The last thing they needed was to cause a scene.
“Call your friend,” Henry said, as though he had read James’ thoughts from before. “Figure out whose side she’s on. Meanwhile, I’ll call Jamie and Eric.”
James nodded. Time was of the essence.
Chapter Ten
It was almost noon when Charlie’s phone rang again.
Her chat with Ella had helped somewhat to calm her down, as had the cup of Chamomile tea she’d ordered to counter her anxiety. But the sound of her phone had startled her all over again.
This time, it was James.
Relief washed over her as she answered.
“Hey, James!” she said.
“Charlie,” he sounded curt, putting her on edge again.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?” he said.
Charlie’s heart started to beat faster. “I don’t know. You sound… Anyway, what’s up?” she stammered.
“I need to see you,” James said.
That was exactly what she wanted as well, but now she was certain. Something was definitely wrong. She could hear it in his voice, and she’d already felt it all morning. If this was just paranoia, she was about to lose her mind.
“Okay… Where?” she asked.
“Marble Arch. Half an hour?”
“Sure. I’ll be th-” the line had gone dead before Charlie had had the chance to finish her sentence. Had he just hung up on her? What the hell was going on?
Charlie packed up her things, paid for the tea and headed straight for the tube station down the road from her hotel. Half an hour to get to Marble Arch should be more than enough time. Still, she caught herself impatiently tapping her fingers on her shoulder bag as she waited for the next train to arrive. Time moved at a crawl, and the otherwise reasonable four-minute wait for her train felt endless.
Finally, it arrived, and she got on. It was overcrowded, and she found herself stuck in the entrance area with no hope of getting a seat.
Still, she was glad to finally be making progress towards her destination. She had to get there on time and figure out what had happened with James to make him sound so tense. And of course, she had to clear the air between them. If she wanted a chance to move forward, there should be no more secrets.
A change and another crowded train later, she finally arrived at Marble Arch. Once Charlie made her way up to street level, she took a moment to find her bearings. It was impossible to miss the famous white landmark across the street.
There was no sign of James yet, so she waited. It was a clear winter’s day, but the sun didn’t do much to warm her. It had to be below freezing, and the coat that had kept her comfortable at the cafe had lost its efficacy. She hadn’t even thought to keep a pair of gloves out.
“Charlie,” a voice made her jump.
She turned, and there he was. James.
“Hi,” she mumbled while rubbing her hands together and blowing into them in an attempt to warm up.
From one day to the next, his whole demeanor had changed. He’d gone from hot to icy cold.
“Tell me about your work at the Edinburgh Herald,” he began.
Her heart sank, and her lower lip started to shake. So that’s what this was. Just when she’d planned to tell him everything, he’d found out first. No wonder he was angry.
“That’s exactly what I had wanted to talk to you about,” she whispered.
His dark expression barely changed, and why would it? If she were in his position, any explanation she could offer now wouldn’t convince her either.
“I should have told you yesterday,” Charlie said while keeping her eyes fixed on the ground between them.
“I just need to know one thing,” James began.
Charlie looked up but immediately averted her gaze again after making eye contact. As cold and angry as he sounded, he didn’t look it. His eyes were filled with emotion, but there was no anger in them. He looked hurt more than anything else.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Did you submit anything yet?”
“What?” Charlie blurted out. “I would never! Sure, I used certain perks of the job to get out of the office and come here to see you. But I haven’t reported back. In fact, after sabotaging my colleague’s chances at a story by guiding you out the side entrance yesterday, I’m not even sure I still have a job.”
Tears filled her eyes. How she regretted not telling him sooner. The more time she spent in his presence, or even thinking about him, the more she had started to wonder if perhaps they could give things a go again. It didn’t make any sense, but now that everything hung in the balance, she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted him back.
James sighed and looked around. “Walk with me,” he said.
Charlie nodded and followed his lead. They walked across the small green patch around the Marble Arch in silence, crossed the road and entered Hyde Park.
“We have a proposal for you,” James finally said.
We? So this was all business now? “Yeah?”
“You saw that protest on TV yesterday. We need to improve our image, so those people don’t get the upper hand, you understand?”
Charlie didn’t answer. This was exactly what she would have suggested, if only she’d had the chance to come clean about her work first.
“There was another protest yesterday outside Westminster,” James added. “Knowing how they operate, they will escalate as soon as they’ve got the numbers they need. We’ll all be targeted. We’ve been fighting these people for years, so we know they’re capable of violence.”
Charlie balled her fists in her pockets. This was bad. When Charlie had seen their leader’s speech, she’d compared them to nationalists. And although nationalists did at times inspire h
ate crimes, they mainly sought a political solution to their problems: stricter immigration laws; closing the borders.
But this wasn’t an immigration issue. Shifters already lived among them, and they seemed to be native to this place. How do you resolve a conflict with a native minority? The only examples history could offer painted a bleak picture.
“You think they want to instigate a genocide? Why would people even go along with that?” Charlie stammered. The thought seemed so preposterous when spoken out loud; she wasn’t sure she wanted to believe it. And yet…
“You tell me. What’s the logical next step?” James asked.
If people were scared enough… Anything was possible.
Charlie felt her chest tighten, which made her lose her balance slightly. She grabbed for James’ arm to steady herself. “Oh my God,” she whispered.
The second she touched him, she felt it again. The jolt of energy. The butterflies. The overwhelming urge to forget herself and get him back. This wasn’t helpful. Focus, woman!
She let go and made a beeline for the nearest bench, where she sat down and rested her head in her hands. This was too much.
Tears were once again flowing freely.
This was ridiculous. She hadn’t cried in years and now, in the span of three days, this was the third time!
James sat down beside her. She hadn’t looked up and thus she hadn’t seen him, but somehow she felt his presence right next to her. It made her cry even harder. She should have told him from the start. Instead, she ruined their second chance from the start.
It’s okay… Please don’t cry!
Charlie looked up and found James looking at her. His eyes seemed more intense than usual, as though they were glowing slightly. Had he just said that out loud? Had she just imagined it?
Please. I can’t stand to see you cry.
There it was again! It wasn’t like her to have such an active imagination.
Scottish Werebear: A Second Chance: A BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Scottish Werebears Book 6) Page 6
