Page 89 of Broken Wolf Heart
“Okay.” I inhale, letting my breath fill all the scared, lonely places inside me. And even though it’s a lie, I say. “I’m ready.”
Savannah nods at the one-way glass.
A moment later, a scruffy-faced guy in a stained shirt slips into the room and pushes a few buttons on the giant camera aimed at us. With the bright lights aimed at my face, it’s hard to even notice him there. I focus instead on Savannah, whose open, relaxed posture reassures me.
“Rolling,” the camera guy says.
Savannah doesn’t acknowledge him. She just starts talking. “Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining us. I have with me today in the studio none other than Lexi Giovanni herself, the new high alpha of Indigo Hills and heir to Franco Giovanni’s legacy and empire. Thank you for agreeing to this interview,” she says. Her eyes are sharp but not unkind.
“Thank you for giving me a chance to speak,” I reply.
No turning back now.
“Ms. Giovanni,” she begins.
“Please call me Lexi,” I say quickly.
Savannah smiles almost ruefully. “Lexi, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised that you called. Apart from doing this live interview with me, you’ve already had quite the week.”
I smile faintly. “You could say that.”
“Is it safe to say the events of this week are the reason you’re here to talk to us?”
“It is.”
“There are so many events to choose from. Let’s see, you got married, took out an alpha—” I try not to flinch at that part. “—and were voted in as the city’s newest high alpha. Goodness, is that everything, or did I miss something?”
“I think that pretty much sums it up,” I say, feeling my cheeks heat as I think about what happened after that vote. With Grey. Claiming him. Fucking him out in the open. Are the rumors saying that part? I really hope not.
“Wow, where do we start?”
“Well.” I follow Savannah’s advice and pause to catch my breath. It really does help me collect myself a little before I say, “I think I’d like to aim straight for the elephant in the room. The statements Mr. Diavolo made about me earlier this morning.”
“Ah. Yes, his interview has stirred up some speculation about you.”
“Yes, I imagine it has raised some concerns.”
“Some,” she agrees, “But I think people just really want to know more about you. Are you up for that?”
“It’s why I’m here.”
“Great. Let’s start with your background. Can you tell us about your upbringing?”
I nod. “My parents moved away from Indigo Hills when I was very young. They died shortly after, and social services couldn’t find any other living relatives, so I grew up in the foster care system. I didn’t know about my family legacy or being a shifter. I didn’t know anything except that the world can be a very lonely place when you don’t have anyone.”
Her brows knit with genuine confusion. “You didn’t know you were a wolf? How is that possible?”
“I’ve recently learned that my wolf was suppressed when I was a child.” I hesitate and then say the truth that has to come from me for this to work. “I recently took an antidote to the suppressant I was given as a baby. The first time I shifted was in the council meeting that named me as High Alpha.”
“Wait. That was the very first time you ever shifted?” Savannah’s wide-eyed shock is genuine. “How is that possible?”
“When Mr. Diavolo brought me here, he told me about the experiments Franco—my grandfather—had performed on me. He offered to help trigger my wolf, but in exchange, I had to promise to give him access to my blood so he could use the research on himself.”
“Are you saying Mr. Diavolo knew about the lab and was complicit in its methods?”
“I am.”
“And your wolf… it was made in a lab?”
