1. Charlotte

Charlotte

Grace Diaz was an absolute bitch.

"Well, of course I want to eat you, you're a fucking moron!" The woman in question snarled. "And you're pissing off my wolf."

Internally, Charlotte winced. This was absolutely going to blow up in their faces. She wanted to cover hers with her hands. Or maybe tackle her boss to the ground and gag her.

In the end, she did neither. She simply stood there, cool as a cucumber. A fixed, if slightly manic, smile on her face, as camera shutters rattled like quiet gunfire, and the press watched the approaching train wreck with avid glee.

"The difference between you and I, is that I have the higher reasoning to understand when to fight and when to bite."

Correction, she wasn’t a bitch. She was a raving fucking lunatic.

That comeback didn't even make sense. Which was good in a way, because it gave Charlotte the room to turn things around a little, but at the end of the day, her boss had just willingly put the noose around her own neck. It wouldn’t matter which way Grace faced when the ground fell out from beneath her. She would still hang for this.

Unless Charlotte could turn this around.

It was the same old problem Charlotte faced every day in this job. Grace, the elected representative for shifters in the human government, would be verbally attacked by some small-minded person who was after a good sound-bite and easy votes. Then, instead of using intelligence and reason to make the other side look stupid, Grace would open her mouth and fire with both barrels.

The resulting media storm would take weeks to settle and by then the original point of contention would be long forgotten.

The thing that really baked Charlotte's noodle was that Grace wasn't stupid. She also didn't blow up every time, proving she was more than capable of tact and diplomacy. Surprisingly, the woman got things done. Like, a lot. Which was the only reason Charlotte stuck at her job, despite the ulcer forming in her stomach.

Grace might be a drama queen, but she achieved more than anyone else had before her. It made her insanely popular amongst shifters, and a political target with the humans. Charlotte just wished her boss would wield her intelligence with a little more finesse.

Okay, a lot more.

“No further questions,” Charlotte called loudly, stepping into the fray before Grace bit off more than she could chew.

Not Grace. Charlotte.

Her boss would walk away with a smirk, heading to whatever disaster she had planned next, and Charlotte would be left with the clean-up. Why did her job have to be so hard?

“Ms Bailey, would you care to expound on the representative’s last comment? Uh, when to fight, and when to bite?” The man was practically frothing at the bit, dying for her to fuck this up.

No, she wouldn’t care to expound on it, she just had to.

“Certainly, David,” Charlotte replied with a smile, demonstrating an inner calmness she didn’t remotely feel. “Representative Diaz is a wolf shifter, as we all know. While many have likened them to little more than rabid animals, they have, in fact, a higher level of intelligence than the average human being. There are numerous scientific studies documenting this fact. I would refer you to one of those.”

If held under oath, Charlotte would be forced to admit that nothing would please her more than shifting her hand into a claw, and cutting the jugular of David Carlington-Jones. The man Grace had threatened. If he could even be called a man. Snivelling-rat-faced-bastard would probably be more fitting, but highly insulting to rats. He probably thought the hyphenated surname gave him some legitimacy, or at least street cred. In her opinion, it just made him sound the twat he was. A thought which almost made her smile.

Or rat shifters. Did they exist? She’d have to ask Grace. The idea of shifting into her owl and hunting down assholes like the one in front of her, gave Charlotte enough peace to continue without losing her temper.

“She said more than that—” the man protested, speaking over everyone else. However, it wasn’t a question, which meant she didn’t have to answer it.

Instead, Charlotte turned the conversation back to the talking points, the ones Grace had been very excited to announce, even if there was a lot of pushback from the humans.

“Yes, she did indeed,” Charlotte interrupted, before he could continue. “Shifters across the country are thrilled with the latest court ruling, declaring that a national registry is against the constitution. The idea of requiring us to declare our shift species is abhorrent to shifters everywhere. This should be done voluntarily only, and even then only in specific situations, such as when a human accidentally comes in contact with shifter blood.”

The reporter, and she used the term loosely, tried to speak again. His paper certainly was known more for its page three spread rather than its unbiased reporting of events. Grace called it a waste of natural resources, even if it comprised poorly edited and mostly online reporting. Ignoring him, Charlotte simply kept going.

“This is a step forward in shifter rights, a protection for our children, and a clear declaration that we are not up for scientific examination or experimentation. Shifters are a sovereign and sentient species, with our own internal politics, yet still following the laws of the land we live in. Governments across the world are avidly following this court case, and today’s ruling is pivotal in the future relationships between shifters and non-shifting species. No longer will we be hunted, enslaved, and tortured for our abilities. At least not in this fabulous nation. Across the planet, people are cheering for the justice meted out today. May this ruling be the harbinger of a new age of peace. Thank you for your time.”

Men and women alike clamoured for attention, shouting questions and demanding answers. Then there were the protestors, held at the back by the human police, they chanted their slogans, declaring themselves more important than anyone else there. Nobody listened, but a few film crews were getting footage.

Thankfully, it wasn’t her job to manage that. No, she just had to mediate the shitshow about to happen between the US council of shifters, and her boss, who was basically their PR representative.

Walking fast enough to almost be in a trot, Charlotte made her way to the limousine waiting for her, her bag already vibrating on her arm. No doubt both her and Grace’s phones were already ringing, countless text messages and calls lining up to give their opinions on the judgement, Grace’s fuck-up, and the beginning of Charlotte’s rescue.

If only someone would rescue her!

“What a day!” Grace exclaimed as Charlotte closed the door.

“What a day indeed,” Charlotte replied drily, a headache already beginning to pound at her temples.

Unlike human myths, shifters didn't have perfect health. She could still catch the flu, get reflux, and even catch STIs. The main difference was, when Charlotte wanted, she could morph her form into that of a barn owl. Oh, and she could heal faster from a penetrative wound than a human did. Still, a bullet to the heart, even an ordinary lead one, would kill her just as fast as it would a non-shifter. Which meant the stomach-acid slowly swirling around in her gut was doing damage whether or not she shifted.

“Oh, don’t be so grumpy. Shifters are now recognised as an integral part of the human population, and thus not exempt from laws regarding discrimination. That’s a huge win that will cover us for more than a bunch of nut-jobs wanting to cut us apart to see how we work! Could you ask for anything more than that ruling?”

“You sticking to the agreed script,” Charlotte muttered, fishing in her bag for the phones and handing Grace’s to her.

“Oh, you are feisty today,” Grace said with a grin.

Charlotte blushed. Grace wasn’t meant to have heard that, and the woman knew it. In a confined space like this, however, there was no chance she’d miss anything she said. It was just as well the woman liked her. Then again, she’d been through over a dozen assistants before Charlotte, and at eight months, she was the longest serving one! Perhaps she’d earned a little leeway.

“We could have been pushing our agenda, celebrating the victory, making some sweeping statements here, Grace,” Charlotte whined. She hated whining. “I just don’t understand you sometimes. We spent days crafting your responses based on whether we won or lost. Now the only thing hitting the news is a sound byte of you threatening a reporter.”

Her boss’s smile turned smug. “Exactly! And in the meantime, the decision will pass quietly into history, and the lawmakers who support us can start working on getting it made into something a little more permanent than a judge’s decision.”

“It was a panel of judges,” Charlotte said dryly. “We could have expounded on humans and shifters working together to make history. We could have changed the direction of the conversation away from how we’re all feral animals. Today could have marked the beginning of a new wave of support. Instead, I’m going to be dealing with a dubious lawsuit from his employers claiming you threatened him, and a lot of people trying to understand what it was you actually said when you were talking about fighting and biting.”

“Charlotte,” Grace said quietly. “You know that none of that would stick, right? You can proclaim it as progress all you want, but at the end of the day, nobody is really going to remember it, beyond the fact that some people didn’t get what they wanted with the ruling. Humans are stubborn, and they’re also terrified of anything different. We’re about as different as it’s going to get, and you won’t ease their fears with sweeping statements. All you’ll do is get the opposition fired up to spew forth their own bullshit.”

“Then how are we to change their minds?” Charlotte asked her.

“By being invisible,” Grace told her firmly. “If we divert their attention, move the topic away from the monumental change this will bring, then they’ll forget it was ever different. They’ll forget they had the right to enslave us in secret labs, torturing us with hormones and chemicals to see how we’ll react. They’ll forget they think we’re dangerous. If we become like the next loudmouthed celebrity, they’ll forget they fear us.”

Charlotte could see her point, but she didn’t agree at all. Sweeping the modification to the law under the carpet, meant the other side could do the same, and the legislation they wanted wasn't in the best interest of the shifters at all. In fact, they were more dangerous than any threat the humans declared the shifters posed.

Nobody could afford to ignore that.

The vibrating device in her hand was just the start of the torture she was going to face for the next few days, and not for the first time, Charlotte wondered if this was worth it. Grace had her own way, her own style of doing things, but were they really making a difference? Sure, she was popular with shifters everywhere, but was she actually making shifters more liked and accepted by the humans? Or were they just treading water? The fact she couldn’t tell, meant this wasn’t working, so why was she supporting it?

Grace already had her own phone to her ear, grinning manically as someone shouted at her while she pretended to listen. It was the way she always handled this stuff. She let them blow out their frustration, and then when they had gotten the worst of it out of their system, she just steam-rolled right over the top of their protests.

Kind of like she’d just done to Charlotte.

Her boss gave her a funny look, her gaze shifting down to the phone clutched in Charlotte’s lap which was still buzzing away as someone tried to reach her.

“Hold the line a moment please sir,” Grace said, putting the call on hold without waiting for permission. “Do we have a problem, Charlotte?”

Like usual, Grace was pushing her, the aggression in her tone warning that she expected Charlotte to comply. The problem was, Charlotte was also a predator, and she had more than enough confidence to stand up to the woman if she needed to. For once, it felt like she really needed to.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I think we do.”

Just because Grace chose to be loud and obnoxious, didn’t mean Charlotte had to be too. She could still argue without losing her temper or raising her voice, something the wolf shifter in front of her seemed unable to do. For the first time, she was really doubting Grace’s suitability for the position, and it didn’t sit well with her owl.

“I’ll call you back,” Grace said suddenly, hanging up on whoever was still screaming at her, and putting her phone on silent. “Okay, speak up, or shut the fuck up and do your job.”

She sighed, disappointed. Grace was still riding the high of what she’d done, thinking she’d pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes once again. The thing was, Charlotte wasn’t so sure that was the case. Not if the mood of the correspondence hitting her desk was to be trusted, and even the press was getting tired of her antics.

“This isn’t working for me,” Charlotte told her honestly. “I was proud I could turn around your fuck-ups when I started. Pleased that I could soothe tempers, and get a more positive message across to the public, put out spot fires, and genuinely make a difference.”

“And?” Grace demanded impatiently.

“Lately I just feel like an overtired mother running around after a toddler who’s having tantrum after tantrum.” She held up a hand when Grace opened her mouth, her expression furious. “Just stop, Grace. For five fucking minutes, stop simply reacting and listen to me for once.”

Her boss sat there for a moment, before nodding, her jaw clenched tight in anger.

“I feel disrespected, constantly. Today was just another example. We spent hours putting together those statements, they were assertive, clear and concise. They were also fucking honest. We even used children, which is a soft spot for most humans, and we crafted that message well so it wasn’t blatant manipulation. You even said you were pleased with it, that it was better than anything you could have put together, and you were happy to use it.”

Charlotte paused, her throat getting tight. It was the most praise Grace had ever given her, and today she’d just thrown the whole thing out the window — stomping all over Charlotte’s pride in the process.

“Then you ignored it. Which means you were either blowing smoke up my arse — which I don’t appreciate — or you acted on a whim, destroying all our hard work. Which I also don’t appreciate. Either way, it negated all the work I put into this. I don’t need constant praise, I’m not some wilting wallflower who gets off on the opinions of others. However, you did praise me for that, and it was the first positive thing you’ve ever said about my work. I thought I was finally getting somewhere. Can you understand how disappointed I am? How hurt? I know you’re the boss and you get the final say, but if that’s how you’re going to treat my efforts, then why should I bother trying?”

The wolf shifter watched her for a moment, and Charlotte was filled with dread. This was it, the moment Grace sacked her, just like she had the fifteen other personal assistants before her. The fact Charlotte had lasted the longest of any of them was inconsequential. If she got sacked, she was still one of the failures.

“That’s it?” Grace asked her, finally.

“That’s it,” Charlotte replied, sighing. Mentally she was already putting together her resume and thinking of all the contacts she’d made in this job. Perhaps one of them could lead to something else for her.

“You’re not going to cry? Not going to quit? You just say you don’t feel loved enough, and then what? What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?”

Fuck, it really was like dealing with a child.

“Well,” Charlotte replied, getting annoyed. “Anyone with a lick of empathy would at least acknowledge you heard what I said. That you understand we have a difference of opinion, and then maybe ask what I’d like to do about it or something. I’m not asking for overweening love, just some common decency and respect, but you really don’t give a fuck, do you?”

“You’re my employee, Charlotte. It’s not my job to pander to your emotions,” Grace snapped.

Well, there went that option. There was no way they were going to work this out, not when Grace saw her as a minion.

“No,” Charlotte replied tiredly. “It’s your job to show respect to those you work with, even more so to those you represent. My concern is, you really don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself, and what you feel like doing in the moment. It’s why you haven’t been able to keep an assistant for long. I’m the one who’s lasted the longest, did you know that? And it’s only because I thought I was helping. Really, I’m just wasting your time and my breath, and I really have better things to be doing in my life.”

“Like getting mated and having babies?” Grace sneered.

That pushed Charlotte’s last button.

“No, like doing my job and fucking making a difference somewhere. Like representing the people you were elected to protect, and building alliances and bridges between us and the humans. Like actually caring about others and the impact I make.”

“So, you want my job?” Grace snarled.

“No!” Charlotte yelled. “I just want someone who’s competent. Something you clearly are not. Today was a huge opportunity for shifters, and you blew it to satisfy your own fucking ego. I can’t respect that Grace, I can’t respect you, and it is very clear you don’t respect me.”

“Then you are quitting,” Grace said smugly, leaning back in her seat. “What are you going to do next? Run for office?”

“No, Grace,” Charlotte replied with a calm she didn’t feel inside. “I’m going to go and find your replacement.”

The wolf shifter frowned. “Don’t you mean your replacement?”

Charlotte smiled, it was dark and menacing and she knew it didn’t reach her eyes. “No, I mean your replacement, Grace. I’m going to find the best person to represent us, and then I’m going to get them elected, and we’ll show everyone just what a fucking joke you are.”

Reaching over, Charlotte flicked the button to open the intercom to the driver. “Pull over as soon as you can, Sean, I need to get out.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Grace watched her, her eyes glittering gold, showing how close her wolf was to the surface.

Frankly, Charlotte didn’t care. It was just another sign the woman was out of control.

“You’ll have my letter of resignation within the hour,” Charlotte said as the car began to slow.

“And if I don’t accept it?” Grace asked, a predatory smile on her lips.

“It makes no difference, I made sure of that before I signed the contract. You have a reputation, so I wanted to ensure I understood the termination policies before I committed.”

“I’ll give you until tomorrow morning to change your mind,” Grace replied smugly. “At which time I will expect a list of potential candidates or all the preparations made to advertise the position and the names of a suitable interview panel.”

If the woman thought that was a threat, she could think again. Firstly, Charlotte could organise all of that in her sleep. Secondly, it was no longer her concern.

“Not my job,” Charlotte said, smirking back at her. “It would have been if you’d sacked me, but I resigned, effective immediately, which means I’m not held accountable for it. I guess it really does pay to read the fine print. Maybe you should start doing that Grace.”

The wolf shifter glared at her defiantly.

Charlotte laughed in her face. “What am I saying? You’ll never do that, it’s why you get into half the shit you do.”

With that parting shot, Charlotte opened the door and got out. There really was nothing more to be said. Her heart ached at the thought of having failed, but her pulse surged in anger with the knowledge she never had a chance. Not really. Grace listened to nobody but her own whims, and Charlotte had just been too slow to realise it.

Now it was time to do what she’d threatened. Find someone better to represent the shifters, and get their campaign started. Elections were just over a year away, and that was barely enough time to get the ball rolling.

She’d win. Charlotte would do everything in her power to ensure it. Grace didn’t stand a chance.