Page 90 of Broken Wolf Heart
“No. I was born a shifter. The gene mutation my grandfather triggered in me was an attempt to make my wolf stronger and faster.”
“He wanted to make you a stronger alpha than he was.”
“No. He intended to use the winning research on himself.”
“So that he would remain unchallenged?” she asks.
“Yes, but more than that, I think he wanted to find a way to live forever.”
“I see.” Savannah’s frown tells me she sees it all. And her thoughts are racing to sift through and find the best questions.
I’m glad Mia chose her.
There’s no judgment in her tone. Only curiosity. And concern.
“How did you know to come here?” Savannah asks suddenly, and I realize I was right about her finding the best question to ask. “To Indigo Hills, I mean. If you didn’t know you were a Giovanni or even a wolf…what made you come to this city?”
I hesitate for only half a breath before I say, “Mr. Diavolo kidnapped me.”
Savannah’s shock is almost comical.
She recovers quickly, though her expression darkens as she warns, “That’s a strong word to use here.”
“Is there another word for being thrown in a trunk and driven here then locked in a tower?”
Savannah shakes her head. “No, I guess there isn’t. But there’s clearly more to the story if you’re sitting before me today, not only a free woman but the most powerful one in the city.”
“Yes, I suppose to tell every detail would be a very longstory,” I say, “But the gist is that I fell for Grey. And he fell for me. And we decided to fight for each other. We could have run—more than once actually—but we decided to stay and fight for the people of this city too. That’s what I came here today to say.”
I look at the camera, even though it’s nerve-wracking. “I’ve never had a home before. Not a single structure and definitely not a city or a town I felt like I belonged in. But Indigo Hills is that place for me. The friends I’ve made here, the man I fell in love with here, the people who’ve shown me kindness, who’ve accepted me without reservation or judgment—those are what made me feel it. And I refuse to let what Vincenzo said about me change that.”
Savannah’s eyes are glassy as she says, “It sounds like you got a lot more than you bargained for in Indigo Hills.”
I breathe through the ache. “Honestly, I didn't expect anything good. When Grey took me, I?—”
“Wait. Grey kidnapped you? Jericho Grey Diavolo? And you still married him?”
Her tone is intimate now. And for a second, it’s easy to forget the camera. To pretend we’re just having girl talk.
I smile ruefully. “I know how it sounds. But... Grey was the first person who saw me as something more than a bargaining chip.”
“And he literally killed to protect you from what I understand,” she adds.
I force myself not to wince as I nod. “Dominic Albero attacked me. He would have killed me if Grey hadn’t stepped in to defend me.”
Savannah leans in, a romantic light in her brown eyes. “You really love him, don’t you?”
“Yes. And not just him. I care about the people of Indigo Hills.” I smile, real and bittersweet. “The protestors. The shopkeepers. The everyday citizens. Becky at the thrift store onPoplar Hill. Alejandro at the salon downtown. They all deserve an end to the violence and corruption this city has suffered through.”
“And what are your plans for this city now, Ms. Alpha?”
“Change,” I say simply, my heart aching over the word—and how much my parents gave up to pursue it once. “Starting with full transparency. No more leaders appointed by bloodlines alone. I want to hold elections. I want to return the money stolen by corruption to the schools, the neighborhoods, the people.”
Savannah’s eyes widen slightly. Even the cameraman gapes at me. This isn’t just damage control. This is revolution.
“And the experiments?” Savannah asks carefully.
My throat tightens, but I nod.
